Jaipur, April 5 : Rajasthan these days is witnessing the unfolding of an interesting political drama. Ladulal Pitliya, a BJP leader who turned Independent before returning to the saffron party fold, has grabbed eyeballs for his frequent party-switching. On Monday, he came to the BJP office, claiming to be a disciplined party worker. However, the ruling Congress government in the state soon put up a notice at his place directing him to go for home quarantine for 15 days referring to his inability to present a RT-PCR test report, indirectly stopping him from campaigning for the bypoll to the Sahada Assembly seat in Bhilwara scheduled on April 17. Without any delay, the BJP trained its guns on the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government, with its national general secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Arun Singh questioning the functioning of the ruling dispensation. Singh asked the Chief Minister if Covid test reports were collected from the Congress in-charge and other party leaders when they came from other states during the filing of nomination papers on March 30. Rajasthan BJP said in a tweet, "Congress government is in a state of shock to see BJP moving towards victory. Pitliya has been sent to home quarantine for 15 days. Will the state government tell if (Ashok) Gehlot ji, (Govind Singh) Dotasara and (Sachin) Pilot get tested after coming from outside the state recently?" The Congress and the BJP are engaged in a tug-of-war over this candidate ever since Pitliya, a big time businessman from Sahada who has an established business in Karnataka, announced to contest the bypoll as an Independent candidate. Pitliya had left the BJP in 2018 after he was denied a ticket to contest the Assembly elections, which he fought as an Independent, garnering 30,000 votes. In February this year, he returned to the BJP, but the ticket for the Sahada bypoll was given to Ratanlal Jat. Anguished by the decision, he left the party and announced to contest the polls as an Independent. Pitliya has a strong hold in the Jain community and could have dented the BJP's prospects and hence the Congress was happy with the development. Meanwhile, his purported audio clip and letter to the Chief Minister went viral on social media in which he allegedly sough security and accused the BJP of threatening to spoil his trade status in Karnataka which is ruled by the saffron party. The audio clip claimed that his family was allegedly threatened to force him to withdraw his candidature. Following the developments, the Congress accused the BJP of using wrong tactics in polls. However, Pitliya came to the BJP office on Monday claiming to be a saffron party loyalist. Soon after, the Congress government barred him from campaigning by putting up a notice in front of his house, alleging that Pitliya had failed to produce a negative RT-PCR report after coming to Rajasthan from another state. He has been directed to home isolate himself for the next 15 days. ROCHESTER, Minn. A new system is in place to warn Olmsted County property owners when theyre targeted for fraud. The new Land Notification Alerts service will notify property owners when documents are filed with their personal name, business name, or property ID number. Land Notification Alerts is a free service Olmsted County is offering to property owners, says Director of Olmsted County Property Records and Licensing Mark Krupski. If you are interested in receiving these alerts, all you need to do is sign up. We will only contact you if a document qualifies for the alerts that you set up. This will help you protect your most valuable asset and stay on top of any fraudulent claims. To sign up for Olmsted County Land Notification Alerts, visit https://landnotify.co.olmsted.mn.us/lns.app. In order to sign up, you will need an email account with Google, Yahoo, or OpenID. Mortgage and real estate fraud do occur and is a growing crime in our society, says Krupski. Monitoring records on your property can help in the prevention of this crime. Troy Finner crouched slightly as his 10-year-old son, Wyatt, leaned forward and pinned the Houston Police Departments traditional badge on his fathers chest, marking him as the new chief. Moments later, Finner addressed a crowd of dozens gathered at City Hall, describing himself as the most blessed man in the world right now. He spoke only briefly, and did not take questions, noting that it was time to be quiet a little bit and go to work. We got some tough roads ahead of us. And everybody knows it, he said. But we're gonna bring it together. It's time to get everybody in this fight. Finner assumes command of the police department at a critical time in the citys history, as the region grapples with a significant spike in murders and other violent crime, and as law enforcement agencies across the country have come under intense scrutiny after controversial use-of-force incidents and police misconduct in Houston and elsewhere. He takes over the department the same day his predecessor, Art Acevedo, was sworn in as chief of the Miami Police Department. Hate-group takedown: Inside ATF's effort to take down the Aryan Circle On Monday, Mayor Sylvester Turner congratulated Finner and his family, noting his long tenure at the police department, and said he was the right person at the right time to lead the department. He urged the citys residents to stand with its new chief, and warned that HPD had a long road ahead as it attempts to end the spike in violence that has gripped the city over the last year. Now Playing: Video: Houston Chronicle I have given the department many of the resources it needs, he said. But over the next several months, HPD must be intentional about fighting and reducing crime across the board. Finner joined the department in 1990 and gained a reputation as a tireless worker with a deep love for the city and the department. He was born in Fifth Ward and still lives in the city. His career took him on patrol assignments in Southwest Patrol and South Gessner; he also handled assignments in communication services, internal investigations, criminal investigations and public affairs. Finner spent 12 years working as a patrol officer before being promoted to sergeant in 2002. He spent five years in that role before becoming a lieutenant, and then was promoted directly to assistant chief in 2014. After Acevedo arrived, he tapped Finner to be one of his two top subordinates, where he oversaw the departments Field & Support Operations. As civil rights advocates in Houston have called for reform, Finner has previously said he agrees with many recommendations urged by a taskforce Turner created last year to advise him about such actions after waves of protests that erupted following George Floyds death. Finner has also promised to roll out new policies in the coming weeks on the departments release of bodycamera video. Cold, dark, and miserable: Deep freeze imperiled Texas' most vulnerable If Monday is any indication, the new chief has already taken immediate steps to put his mark on the department. Hours before being officially sworn in, he sent a message out to his troops. At the ceremony, he would be wearing HPD's traditional supervisor's badge, he wrote. When former Chief Art Acevedo came to Houston, he had instituted a new badge, more reminiscent of that of the Los Angeles Police Department, a move that had rankled many rank-and-file officers, who felt it was a slap against the departments history. I appreciate the unique design and thoughtful consideration that went into the optional new badge approved by former Chief Art Acevedo," he wrote. (But) effective immediately, the new badge is no longer approved and all classified employees will return to wearing their originally issued officer or supervisor badges. We will be one team, one family, and one voice moving forward as we work to proudly serve the citizens of Houston, and this will start with the return of our traditional badges. At Finners swearing in, former Chief Charles A. McClelland who first promoted Finner to assistant chief and later urged for his promotion to the departments top cop said the decision had won widespread praise from current and retired officers. That silhouette, of that badge, he said. Thats our shield. Houston ISD Police Chief Pete Lopez who served for decades alongside Finner before taking over the school districts police force last year said the move was an immediate morale builder. Thats the first thing they wanted, he said. No matter what happens the rest of the year, hes going to be remembered for changing the badge. India on Monday said it will bear the cost of vaccinating its employees against COVID-19. The benefit would also extend to their spouses, children and parents who are eligible to receive the vaccine, the automaker said in a statement. The company would reimburse these costs as and when they receive the two mandated doses, it added. Safety is an integral part of Volvo's ethos. During the last one year we have worked with utmost care and concern for the safety and wellbeing of our employees. We had put in place stringent health related protocols during this period," India Managing Director Jyoti Malhotra said. Now, with the government opening up more age groups in its vaccination drive, the company is encouraging its employees to get themselves vaccinated for their and their family members' well-being, he noted. The Swedish carmaker recently announced a gender neutral parental leave policy to ensure both parents engage in the joys of parenthood. During the pandemic period, with the safety of its customers and dealer network in mind, the automaker had initiated a contactless programme to promote online sales and social distancing. The employees were asked to work-from-home even before the national lock down was announced in March 2020 and the company is still following the flexible working norms to ensure safety and wellbeing of its employees, it added. (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 early reports were right: LG is bowing out of the phone business. With long-running losses and occasionally esoteric devices never quite selling, it makes business sense. LGs dual-screen phones (and the promise of rollable displays , which well never see now) were not enough to lure consumers away from the likes of Apple and Samsung. Engadget By the end of 2020, its stake in the global phone market was estimated to be around 1.7 percent, and LG announced it would outsource the designs of more of its low- and mid-range handsets to third parties. The company wont announce any new smartphones but it will sell through all its remaining phone inventory, so if youre looking for an LG Wing , keep an eye out for fire-sale prices. Mat Smith It could help understand airborne diseases and solve crimes. Getty Researchers at the Queen Mary University of London have shown you can collect "environmental DNA" (eDNA) from the air, using a peristaltic pump and pressure filters to grab samples of naked mole rat DNA. The method not only pinpointed the mole rats' DNA (both in their housing and in the room at large), but also even caught some human DNA at the same time. While the method was built for conservation and ecological study, it could be used for much more, with enough development. Forensics units could pluck DNA from the air to determine if a suspect had been present at the scene of a crime. It could also be useful in medicine, to better understand how airborne viruses (like the one behind COVID-19) spread. Continue reading. Sorry, but I still have time for drone shows. Genesis The Hyundai-owned car brand Genesis marked its entrance into China by launching 3,281 drones into the sky, breaking the Guinness World Record for the most unmanned aerial vehicles in the air at the same time. The show itself was back on 29th March, but Guinness has to check these kinds of things. Expect to see the record broken again, though. Shenzhen Damoda Intelligent Control Technology flew 'just' 3,051 drones in September 2020, which smashed a record set by a 2,200-drone performance in Russia just days earlier. If youre looking to smash this record, you might want to stock up on drone batteries now. Continue reading. Ingenuity is poised to make history in a matter of days. NASA NASA has confirmed that its Perseverance rover deployed its UAV, called Ingenuity, on Mars after a final four-inch drop to the Red Planet's soil on April 3rd. The only challenge now is to make it to the flight itself, which could take place as soon as April 11th. For now, Ingenuity needs to charge itself using its own solar cells, ready for its first trip a 30-second hover. Continue reading. Data has been circulating privately since January. Hackers have reportedly been sharing a massive amount of personal Facebook data since January. Security researcher Alon Gal has discovered that a user on a hacking forum has made the entire dataset public, exposing details for about 533 million Facebook members. The data includes phone numbers, birth dates, email addresses and locations, among other revealing info. About 32 million of the users are in the US, while 11 million are from the UK and another 6 million come from India. Continue reading. But wait, theres more... Pornhub's first transparency report details how it addresses illegal content You still can't buy the base OnePlus 9 Pro The best projectors you can buy in 2021 and how to choose one WASHINGTON The Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie drone successfully launched an even smaller unmanned aircraft from inside its internal weapons bay on March 26, the U.S. Air Force announced Monday. During the Valkyries sixth flight test at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, it opened its payload bay doors during flight for the first time and released an ALTIUS-600, a small, tube-launched autonomous drone made by Area-I, a Georgia-based company that designs unmanned aerial systems. The Valkyrie is an attritable drone, the word the military uses for an asset that can be reused but is cheap enough that a commander would expect and be comfortable with a certain amount of losses while in combat. The Air Force is experimenting with using the Valkyrie as a communications node for the F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, as well as assessing it as a potential Skyborg system that would be equipped with artificial intelligence and be able to fly autonomously alongside tactical aircraft. ALTIUS-600 can be launched for a variety of missions, including electronic warfare, signals intelligence, counter-UAS, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and it can be outfitted to produce kinetic effects. It can weigh up to 27 pounds including a 6-pound payload stored in its nose and has an endurance of about four hours, according to Area-I. Both Kratos and Area-I worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory to develop software and fabricate a carriage that would allow the Valkyrie to release the ALTIUS-600, the lab said in a release. Once the launch of the ALTIUS system was finished, the Valkyrie completed additional tests geared toward expanding the aircrafts flight envelope, the lab said. In addition to this first [small UAS] separation demonstration, the XQ-58A flew higher and faster than previous flights, said Alyson Turri, the Air Forces program manager for the demonstration. Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said the success of the ALTIUS release adds an exclamation point to the 30-month development of the Valkyrie system by the Kratos and AFRL team, which resulted in a pre-production system with substantial operational capability, not simply a proof-of-concept flight demonstrator. The Army is also experimenting with the ALTIUS platform as part of its air-launched effects demonstrations, including last years Project Convergence demo, which saw the UAS deployed from an MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone. Last week, Anduril Technologies announced plans to buy Area-I and operate it as a wholly owned subsidiary that would retain the Area-I brand. Blonde beauty Malin Akerman was seen enjoying the warm weather in Los Angeles on Sunday. The Billions actress showed off her toned arms in a black tank top, adding skinny jeans that made the most of her toned legs. The mother of one was carrying gift bags as she headed to a party in a residential neighborhood. On the go: Blonde beauty Malin Akerman was seen enjoying the warm weather in Los Angeles on Sunday. The Billions actress showed off her toned arms in a black tank top, adding skinny jeans that made the most of her toned legs The 42-year-old star wore a rock star look as her jeans were heavily ripped on the thighs and knees, and she also wore black boots with silver cowgirl buckles. Long silver necklaces added a nice accent and went well with her bangle bracelets. A deep emerald green quilted purse added a splash of color. Akerman has seven-year-old son Sebastian Zincone with ex-husband Roberto Zincone. Party time: The mother of one was carrying gift bags as she headed to a party in a residential neighborhood The Swedish-American actress, who was raised in Canada, recently celebrated her second wedding anniversary with husband Jack Donnelly. The happy couple exchanged vows in a ceremony at the Mexican resort of Tulum in 2018. Donnelly is close to Akerman's son and the blended family is often seen on trips together, including a snowy getaway last month for Valentine's Day. The beauty shared a sweet snap from the trip on her Instagram showing the trio making their way up a ski lift. Snow day: The Swedish star shared a sweet snap from a family Valentine's Day trip on her Instagram showing the trio making their way up a ski lift 'A perfect VDay for three. Sending love to you all from the great outdoors,' she captioned the photo along with the hashtags 'happy' and 'valentinesday.' The crew sported their best skiwear as they shouted with joy on their way up the mountain. Last year Akerman said she dared Donnelly to strip for her friends when they first started dating. Family celebrations: In December, Akerman shared the family's matching holiday ensembles on her social media accounts as they posed in front of their Christmas tree The actress has revealed she decided to test her husband after he claimed to have worked as a Chippendales dancer. She explained: 'When I first started dating Jack, I dared him to strip for me and my girlfriends poolside because he claimed he had worked as a Chippendales dancer for a summer in England - and he did! That's when I knew I was going to marry him.' Malin also revealed that during her younger years, she pretended to be Catholic just so she could be closer to her then-boyfriend. The actress told Us Weekly: 'I once pretended to be Catholic so that I could get into my then-boyfriend's high school. I didn't want him hanging around all those girls in uniform without me!' Two years strong: Akerman and Donnelly (seen here in 2019) recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary after exchanging vows in a ceremony at the Mexican resort of Tulum in 2018 Meanwhile, Malin previously hailed Jack for bringing out the best in her. The actress also admitted that their romance feels 'different' to any of her previous relationships. Malin said: 'It feels different, for sure it does. To be honest with you, it just feels like that last piece of the puzzle just clicked and it feels right. 'When you meet someone who just, without sounding cheesy, but kind of completes you, you just feel like you can be the best version of yourself. You don't have to change. They bring out the best in you, and vice versa. It just feels right. He's a good, good man. Very good man.' Fast forward to the present day, and Honda issued yet another recall for a mind-boggling 628,124 vehicles equipped with defective fuel pumps designed and manufactured by Denso International America of Michigan. What seems to be the problem, you ask? As fate would have it, affected vehicles may be equipped with a fuel pump that features low-density impellers.If the surface of a lower density impeller is exposed to production solvent drying for longer periods of time, higher levels of surface cracking may occur, reads the Part 573 Safety Recall Report. These cracks may lead to excessive fuel absorption, deforming the impeller so that it may interfere with the fuel pumps body. This, in turn, results in the malfunction of the pump as well as the illumination of the Malfunction Indicator Lamp.According to Hondas technical service bulletin for this problem, authorized dealerships in the United States will dispose of the old fuel pump and install a brand-new one at no cost to the customer. Owners who have paid to have these repairs done at their own expense are eligible for reimbursement.Affected nameplates range from 2018 to the 2020 model years according to American Honda Motor Co., starting with Acura nameplates such as the MDX, the MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, and ILX. As for the Honda brand, the culprits are the Accord sedan, Civic Hatchback, Coupe, and Sedan, Civic Si, Civic Type R, Insight hybrid sedan, Fit, HR-V, CR-V, Odyssey minivan, Pilot three-row crossover, Passport, and the Ridgeline pickup.That said, the recall is expected to begin on May 18th. Customers who dont intend to drive all the way to the dealership to find out if theyre eligible for a new fuel pump can run the vehicle identification number on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration s online look-up tool. Granite Mortgage, LLC Announces Name Change to Trustar Mortgage, LLC After Recent Acquisition Granite Mortgage, LLC, a full-service mortgage company based in Fairfax, Virginia, announced that it has changed its name to Trustar Mortgage, LLC. The mortgage company was acquired by Trustar Bank in late 2020 and has since been operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank. The company officially completed its legal name change this week. The new name reflects the union of the two companies under the Trustar brand, which has been growing rapidly since the Bank's launch in 2019. Shaza Andersen, CEO of Trustar Bank, said, "We remain committed to providing our customers and th communities we serve with exceptional service and value." Trustar Mortgage extends a robust product offering inclusive of conventional, ARMS, FHA and VA loans. Trustar Mortgage has also developed a competitive construction loan and a much sought-after portfolio loan product to further enhance and serve customers. You can learn more about Trustar Mortgage by visiting their website at www.trustarmortgage.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005414/en/ New Delhi: The officials of the Indian Space Research Organisation in Tamil Nadu on Monday filed a police complaint against anonymous persons for spreading fake news of smoke emanating after a mysterious explosion on its premises last week. The ISRO officials lodged a complaint against unidentified persons for spreading rumours, the police said. Anti-Naxal team and CISF took up investigation after reports of smoke emanating on the campus in Mahendragiri of Tirunelveli district on June 23, the police said today, adding as per the probe, the incident was only a rumour. According to a police release, the investigation also revealed that a huge boulder located in a hilly area about 20 kms away from the campus had fell from the top on June 23. Further investigation was underway in the matter, the release added. Earlier, a news of blast had been reported at ISROs premises at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu. ALSO READ: Explosion outside ISRO propulsion complex in Tamil Nadu Mahendragiri reported For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jang Han Seok (2PM's Taecyeon) started to show his credibility as the new chairman of Babel Group, but Vincenzo Cassano (Song Joong Ki) would not let him enjoy his throne - all in "Vincenzo" Episode 13. Mr. Cho's Confession to Vincenzo Cassano Vincenzo Cassano and Mr. Cho (Choi Young Joon) finally had the chance to see the hidden gold under the Nanyak Temple, but Mr. Cho chose to betray the former mafioso. Vincenzo asked Mr. Cho why he was only desperate to take one bar of gold, mentioning the "Guillotine File." Mr. Cho revealed that he's a secret agent from the International Security Intelligence Service. However, his gun wasn't even loaded, proving that he didn't intend to harm Vincenzo. He still considers him a good colleague after saving his life before in Italy. Vincenzo confirmed that the death of Wang Shaolin was not a coincidence, and Mr. Cho is the man behind it. Jang Han Seok as the New Babel Group Chairman After the board meeting with the directors, Jang Han Seok is confident of his power to rule, not until Mr. Han mentioned the "Guillotine File." He confessed it has damaging information about Babel, including all the transactions of the late chairman. Chaos Inside the Geumga Plaza Mr. Cho and Vincenzo panicked upon learning that the residents were heading back to the plaza. The Geumga Plaza tenants had a hunch that Mr. Cho and Vincenzo teamed up to find the gold. But they were surprised seeing the two inside the temple and praying passionately. After the residents left, Mr. Cho revealed that the sole recognition device they used to open the vault was locked under the basement. It was in Mr. Cho's blazer Vincenzo mistakenly threw, along with the gold bar that contains the file. The two began crying as now, the only option they have is to demolish the whole plaza. Vincenzo also revealed the plight to Hong Cha Young (Jeon Yeo Bin) and Nam Joo Sung (Yoon Byung Hee), and the trio shared the agony altogether. New Mission for Vincenzo and His Squad After knowing about Mr. Nam, the traitor in the union, Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young devised a plan to use him against the Babel Group. Mr. Lee Cheol Wook (Yang Kyung Won) pretends to be a member of the Twin Swords Gang, and together with Mr. An (Lim Chul Soo), Nam Joo Sung, Hong Cha Young, and Vincenzo, they tied up Mr. Nam for interrogation. He followed Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young's command, and asked the Team Leader of the Babel Vision Team Park Chan Ki for two billion won without taxes, in exchange of his reputation. They seized the information they needed and handed it immediately to Prosecutor Jung (Ko Sang Ho). But Vincenzo wanted something in exchange from the prosecutor before the raid happened. Vincenzo's Epic Plan for Jang Han Seok After the interrogation with Choi Myung Hee (Kim Yeo Jin) and Jang Han Seok, the CEO went to give his speech to the youth. This was his first move to build his image in the public. Meanwhile, Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young were present and enjoying a bucket of popcorn while watching Jang Jan Seok. Minutes after, a live clip exposing the chairman was played on the big screen onstage. The audience inside the auditorium were shocked. And suddenly, a whole bucket of red liquids fell on Jang Han Seok. Hong Cha Young was impressed, and she and Vincenzo gave the soaking Babel chairman a standing ovation. What can you say about the epic plan of Vincenzo against the Babel Group's chairman? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below! For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars. Kdramastars owns this article. Written by Shai Collins French anti-terrorism prosecutors have arrested five women in the southern city of Beziers and launched a preliminary investigation in connection with a possible Islamic attack plot. A police official in the Herault region confirmed the overnight arrests in the city of Beziers, and said Sunday that the DGSI domestic intelligence service and national anti-terrorist prosecutors office are handling the investigation. Investigators centered on an 18-year-old woman living in a housing project in Beziers who is suspected of plotting an attack targeting nearby Montpellier, according to Mayor Robert Menard. The 18-year-olds mother and three sisters were also arrested, including one who is a minor, he said. The 18-year-old had boasted to neighbors about watching ISIS terrorist videos, Menard told The Associated Press, though he said he didnt know whether she or her family had been on authorities radar for Islamic radicalism. The Associated Press contributed to this report Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey today released the following statement regarding Easter and Passover: Today, we celebrate renewal and rebirth. This Holy Time reminds us that although weve faced hardship and loss, we are surrounded by love and hope as we look toward the future. Perseverance and faith will carry us through even the most challenging times. Last year, many families couldnt gather in person and worship services were held virtually to protect public health. This year, we are still fighting the pandemic but hope is on the horizon. The vaccine is out far and wide, many Arizonans are further protected from the virus, and loved ones are responsibly celebrating this special time together. Many Arizonans have put others first not only this weekend, but throughout the pandemic. Medical professionals are caring for the sick, educators are helping students and families, and volunteers are supporting vaccination efforts. Law enforcement personnel and Arizona National Guard members are supporting our communities and keeping people safe. These selfless individuals protect Arizonans and keep our state moving forward, and Im grateful for their dedication to serving others. I wish all Arizonans celebrating Easter and Passover a safe, blessed and joyous day. God bless! The New Orleans Police Department is investigating two separate stabbings reported overnight in the French Quarter. Police made an arrest in one case, but the department is still trying to identify the suspect who sent a 22-year-old man to the hospital with stab wounds to his abdomen. The hospitalized victim was wounded just after midnight Monday in the 700 block of St. Louis Street, NOPD said. The victim and the suspect were involved in an argument that turned physical inside of a business. The suspect left but returned a short time later with a unknown object. The suspect then stabbed the victim in the abdomen before fleeing, according to authorities. 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 victim was taken by ambulance to the hospital. His condition was not available Monday. Investigators obtained photos of the suspect taken from business surveillance video. The man was wearing a hat as well as a hooded sweatshirt with the words "REACH FOR THE STARS" on the back. The other stabbing occurred about 7:41 p.m. in the 100 block of Royal Street, NOPD said. The victim, 49, suffered a stab wound to his forearm. Authorities didn't say what led up to the stabbing. But officers arrested Keith Martin Sr., 58, and booked him with aggravated battery, according to jail records. Anyone with information about the stabbings or the identity of the suspect in the St. Louis Street incident is asked to call the NOPD's Eighth District detective as 504-658-6080. The public can also call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn a $2,500 reward for information that leads to an indictment. Mahmood Ali said services rendered by the Chandrashekar Rao government during the last seven years cannot be forgotten. PTI file photo HYDERABAD: Home minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali on Monday assured that the TRS government will resolve all problems of the Muslim community within the state. Addressing a series of meetings in Yacharam and Kashiwarigudem villages in Anumula mandal of the Nagarjunasagar constituency, the home minister stated that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has all along supported Muslim minorities. Only the Congress treated the minorities as its vote bank. Mahmood Ali said services rendered by the Chandrashekar Rao government during the last seven years cannot be forgotten. These include the Shadi Mubarak scheme, the minority residential schools for Muslims and overseas scholarships programme, among others. He pointed out that many Muslim students studying abroad have got the best of opportunities in their chosen field, thanks to the Chief Minister. The home minister maintained that Congress candidate and former minister K. Jana Reddy, who has represented Nagarjunasagar constituency for over 25 years, ultimately failed to do much for Muslims. He claimed that minorities in Telangana have achieved the kind of progress under TRS government that cannot be matched by any other state in India. Mahmood Ali maintained that TRS must succeed in the Nagarjunasagar bypoll. He pointed out that late MLA Nomula Narsimaiah had done a lot for the constituency and the latters son Nomula Bhagat, whom the TRS has fielded, will continue developing the constituency represented by his father. Smart Scooters, an Irish e-scooter sharing platform, is creating 20 new jobs following a six-figure investment in its Dublin-based operation. The start-up company currently employs eight people. The roles being created will largely be in tech, operations and customer care, and are expected to come on board over the coming months. We are based locally and have a detailed understanding of the cities and towns we hope to operate in, Lee Roche, chief executive of Smart Scooters, said. Were also in discussions with a wide range of hotel chains and tour operators, both of whom see the enormous potential for our e-scooter sharing scheme, he added. The funding was raised privately and used to buy e-scooters, as well as develop the companys software. We are also talking to other potential investors who are keen to get involved in this sector," Mr Roche said. As all scooter operators wait for the Government to pass e-scooter legislation, expected this summer, Smart Scooters said it is working with local councils and potential partners in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Kilkenny. Trials are ongoing and further jobs will come on stream on receipt of operating licences, the company said. Smart Scooters was set up in 2019 by brothers Lee and Dylan Roche and their cousin Gerard Rowe after they identified a gap in the Irish market for a scooter sharing platform. The company is launching this year. In order to use the companys scooters, customers will download the companys Smart E Scooter app and input their bank card details. There is a one-minute safety video to view as soon as the app is activated. Once a customer is finished using the e-scooter they will be asked to park it sensibly, in accordance with local councils' regulations and take a picture of the stationary scooter. Users will be charged an unlock fee of 1 plus 15c per minute to use the e-scooters. The scooters operate from 6:00am to 10:00pm and users must be over the age of 17. All the scooters that the company uses are either the Action Pro-2.0 or the latest 3.0 model, which have at least a two year lifespan, according to the company. The scooters have a maximum range of 49 kilometers, depending on usage, and the maximum speed limit is 17km. A NEWLY-launched government plan which aims to rejuvenate towns and villages in Limerick and across the country could see disused buildings such as pubs, banks and theatres being converted into remote working hubs. The five-year plan Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025 was launched at Croke Park just before Easter. It includes proposals for possible incentives to attract remote workers to rural areas and to revitalise town and village centres. We are going to develop specific public sector hubs in regional towns to enable public servants work in their own local areas, said Minister Heather Humphreys at the launch. Remote working is going to be a game-changer. The pandemic has shown us that it can work. For the past year, it has been an everyday reality for tens of thousands of people all over the country. The benefits are huge. There are reduced commuting times and reductions to our carbon footprint, she added. Happen Workspaces Network and Innovate Limerick have welcomed the launch of the new plan. The launch of Our Rural Future shows how both urban and rural communities can work together to complement each other and grow. The Happen Network has identified these synergies and created a solution for businesses of all sizes to allow them to locate teams throughout the Mid-West. Reduced commute times, cost of living and house prices as well as an excellent quality of life are just some of the benefits the Mid-West has to offer, said Mike Cantwell, Head of Innovate Limerick and LEO Limerick. Maurice OConnell of Abbeyfeale Community Council says he believes the town could be a major beneficiary of the plan. Looking at the Bank of Ireland building which is due to close in September, there are huge opportunities for this building with the right investor. Definitely, we could look at tapping in to some of the funding thats coming down from the government. We already have an older bank building further up main street where an e-hub is currently being fitted out at that location, he told Virgin Media News. Kanpur: An 81-year-old woman will be contesting the upcoming panchayat elections from Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district to ensure better facilities and development of her village. Rani Devi of Rudrapur Bail village in Chaubepur block of the district, said: "I decided to contest the panchayat to ensure development of my village. At this age, neither I have greed for any post, nor I am here to at the behest of any political party. I have decided on my own to contest the poll for overall development of my village." She has filed her nomination papers for Block Development Council (BDC) member. Rani Devi said: "My village does not have even basic facilities like a road network, proper drains and drinking water supply. Garbage continues to pile up, mosquitoes breed in stagnant water and overflowing drains are a common sight due to lack of arrangements for proper sanitation." She said that most leaders "promise the moon" before the elections, but never come back after winning. "If elected, I will also try to do a bit for the people of my age group." Abhijeet, her grandson, who is helping her in the campaign, said: "We made several representations to people`s representatives and government authorities, asking them to develop our village and solve problems by providing basic civic amenities but nothing happened." The elections for gram, kshetra and zila panchayats will be held in the district in the first phase on April 15. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. Live TV Lahore: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced five leaders of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) to nine years of imprisonment each in a terror-financing case. Three of them -- Umar Bahadar, Nasarullah and Samiullah -- have been convicted for the first time since the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore pronounced its verdict some time ago in the terror financing cases registered by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Punjab police. The other two -- JuD spokesperson Yahya Mujahid and senior leader Prof Zafar Iqbal -- had already been convicted for many years in other terror financing cases. ATC Lahore Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar on Saturday handed down nine-year imprisonment to each five of them. The judge also ordered a six-month jail term for Saeed's brother-in-law Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki in the same case. "The court found the JuD/LeT leaders guilty of the offence of terrorism financing. They had been collecting funds and unlawfully financing the proscribed organisation, LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba). The court has also ordered the confiscation of assets made from funds collected through terrorism financing," the CTD said. The JuD leaders were presented in the court amid high security and the media was not allowed to cover the proceedings. The CTD of Punjab Police had registered 41 FIRs against the JuD leaders, including 70-year-old Saeed, in terror financing cases. The trial courts have so far decided 37 of them. The ATC had sentenced the LeT founder, Saeed, for collective imprisonment of 36 years on terror finance charges under sections 11-N of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 in five cases so far. Saeed's jail terms will run concurrently. That means he will not stay in jail for many years. He is serving his term in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail along with other convicted JuD leaders. Saeed-led JuD is the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. Saeed, an UN-designated terrorist whom the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on, was arrested on July 17, 2019, last year in the terror financing cases. The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. He was listed under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. The ATC Lahore had also sentenced LeT operation commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi for collective imprisonment of 15 years on three counts in a terror-financing case. He will have to serve in jail for five years as his sentence in three counts (five years each) will run concurrently. The global terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is instrumental in pushing Islamabad to take measures against terrorists roaming freely in Pakistan and using its territory to carry out attacks in India and elsewhere. The Paris-based FATF placed Pakistan on the Grey List in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action to curb money laundering and terror financing by the end of 2019 but the deadline was extended later on due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In February, the FATF retained Pakistan on its Grey List until June. With Pakistan's continuation in the 'grey list', the country may find it difficult to get financial aid from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, thus further enhancing problems for the cash-strapped nation. It's kind of tough being Jim Acosta. After four years of badgering President Trump at White House news conferences, and raking in bucks off book deals because of it, CNN's ex-White House correspondent has now got ... 'post-Trump stress disorder,' he told CNN 'Reliable Sources' host Brian Stelter (the toilet guy). He made these remarks in the context of Stelter asking him how he felt about being shunted to a CNN weekend slot in the aftermath of his very noisy stint as White House correspondent, where most of his 'scoops' were news items about himself. According to Mediaite, he responded this way: I think were all dealing with some post-Trump stress disorderThere are questions about why arent Republicans getting on board with these Biden proposals. There were Republicans getting on board with overturning the election just a couple of months ago, so we shouldnt have high expectations for that. But in terms of stacking shows and what comes first, what comes second, Brian, you and I both know this all too well. We did cover the news before Donald Trump came along and we did it pretty well. Theres going to be plenty of stuff in the news and it doesnt have to have Donald Trump in the headlines for us to continue to exist. He's shell-shocked. He's traumatized by Trump, same as military veterans are to horrific battles. Now, he's a survivor. Or rather, a victim, and in need of lots of therapy, perhaps. Trump, after all, was the enemy. It's as obnoxious and stupid and self-regarding a response as anything he ever said during his time badgering President Trump, except that now Trump just exists as a ghost dancing around in his head. It calls to mind what veteran old-school ABC newsman Ted Koppel had to say to Stelter (who commiserated with Acosta not too long ago), according to Fox News: While on stage for a National Press Club panel discussion, Koppel attempted to make a point that many media executives admit Trump is good for ratings, as viewers on both sides of the aisle tune in to see the round-the-clock drama unfold. Stelter responded by asking, That means what? If ratings are up, that means what? Koppel who anchored ABC News Nightline for 25 years and has been a working journalist for over four decades -- quickly answered. The ratings are up, it means you cant do without Donald Trump. You would be lost without Donald Trump, Koppel said as Stelter shook his head in disagreement. Ted, you know thats not true, Stelter said. CNNs ratings would be in the toilet without Donald Trump, Koppel said as the audience laughed. You know thats not true. Youre playing for laughs, Stelter shot back before explaining it would be Okay if CNN lost significant viewership during the next administration. That theme again. Trump lives rent-free inside the heads of these morons, and now that Trump has exited the stage, creatures like Acosta and Stelter don't know what to do with themselves. Their ratings are down, which makes them less popular with the executives, and the dancing monkey acts are no longer being put forth in the prime-time slot. The news is no longer about themselves now, it's about Joe Biden. Acosta at least, who's known as 'dumb' among the White House press corps I talk to, has been put out to pasture, no longer ready for prime time, and sure enough, he's doing what he always does, which is whine. Dear Diary: Trump is gone. I am traumatized. Signed, Jim. This is embarassing. It not only makes CNN look terrible for its choice of correspondents during the Trump era, it makes these characters themselves look terrible, too. They now stand exposed as losers, people who had been used as performing seals to draw the cameras to themselves, the better to keep the news of Trump's achievements out of the news. Now they are useless in the sorry era of Joe Biden because making the story about themselves doesn't support the idea of advancing the Democrat agenda. And CNN's ratings are indeed down. And, as Koppel said, their ratings are now in the toilet without Trump. Stelter acted as though that wasn't a problem for these guys, but trust me, it is. Image: Legoktm, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0 To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. New Delhi, Apr 5 (UNI) The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an advanced chaff technology to safeguard naval ships against enemy missile attack. Defence laboratory Jodhpur (DLJ), a DRDO laboratory, has indigenously developed three variants of this critical technology -- Short Range Chaff Rocket (SRCR), Medium Range Chaff Rocket (MRCR) and Long Range Chaff Rocket (LRCR) -- meeting Indian Navy's qualitative requirements, Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Monday. Recently, Indian Navy conducted trials of all three variants in the Arabian Sea on Indian Naval Ship and found the performance satisfactory. Chaff is a passive expendable electronic countermeasure technology used worldwide to protect naval ships from enemy's radar and Radio Frequency (RF) missile seekers. The importance of this development lies in the fact that very less quantity of chaff material deployed in the air acts as decoy to deflect enemys missiles for safety of the ships, it said. The DRDO has gained the expertise to meet the futuristic threats from adversaries. The technology is being given to the industry for production in large quantities. Dfence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO, Indian Navy and Industry for the achievement. Secretary Department of Defence R&D & Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy appreciated the efforts of the teams involved in the indigenous development of this vital technology to safeguard Indian Naval Ships. Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar has applauded DRDO efforts in developing strategically important technology indigenously in a short span and cleared for bulk production. UNI SV PS1505 Maruti Suzuki India said that Suzuki Motor Gujarat Private Limited (SMG), a 100% subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation for the production of automobiles in India, has completed construction of the Plant C, and started production from April 2021. With production starting at the Plant C, which has an annual production ability of 250,000 units, together with Plant A and Plant B, the total ability of SMG will be 750,000 units. Together with Maruti Suzuki's production ability of 1.5 million units, Suzuki's production ability of automobiles in India will be 2.25 million units. All automobiles that will be produced in SMG will be supplied to Maruti Suzuki. Hero MotoCorp sold 576,957 units of motorcycles and scooters in March 2021, registering a growth of 72% over the corresponding month in the previous year. The company had sold 334,647 units in March 2020. Tata Motors has completed the transfer of its Defense business with effect from 1 April 2021 to Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) for an upfront consideration of Rs 227.7 crore (which is subject to closing balance sheet adjustments). The transfer has been completed through a slump sale as per Scheme of Arrangement approved by National Company Law Tribunal at Mumbai and Hyderabad. TVS Motor Company registered sales of 322,683 units in March 2021 as against 144,739 units in March 2020. Eicher Motors registered total sales of 66,058 units in March 2021 as against 35,814 units in March 2020. NTPC informed that based on achievement of approved norms, Unit-2 of 660 MW capacity of Nabinagar Super Thermal Power Project (3 x 660 MW) of Nabinagar Power Generating Co. Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited) has successfully completed trial operation and consequently included in the installed capacity of NTPC Group with effect from 31 March 2021. Wipro has completed the take over of METRO-NOM GMBH and METRO Systems Romania S.R.L. for a purchase consideration of EUR 52.04 million based on the financials at the time of completion of the transaction. The Board of Directors of Britannia Industries declared Interim Dividend of Rs. 62 per equity share for the Financial Year 2020-21. The record date for determining the eligibility of shareholders for payment of interim dividend has been fixed as April 10. Adani Enterprises alongwith its Wholly Owned Subsidiary company, Gare Palma II Collieries Private Limited ("GPIICPL") has signed Coal Mining Agreement ("CMA") with Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited ("MAHAGENCO") for development and operation of Gare Palma Sector II Coal Mine. Olectra Greentech and Evey Trans received letter of award for 50 electric buses from one of the state transport authorities under FAME-II scheme of Government of India. These buses will be delivered over a period of 12 months. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jaipur, April 5 (IANS) A social worker in Rajasthan is creating a sort of revolution by helping 15,000 women stand on their feet. Lata Kachhawaha of Barmer helped the women in selling their embroidery to foreign clients, earning a global identity in Kashidakari, a traditional form of handicraft which has been passed down through generations. This kind of embroidery is used to decorate shawls, handkerchiefs, bed covers, cushions and bags, among a host of other items. Speaking to IANS, Lata said, "Three decades ago, life in Barmer was quite different as there were very few women working in fields. While there was one woman posted in the Home Guards department, there were two to three widows serving in schools. So bringing out women to fields to work was quite challenging but it was not impossible," she says. "Basically, I was from Jodhpur and had come here after my mother's demise for a change when I was 22. Social work was something which impressed me and hence I joined Magraj Jain who was the founder of Sure (Society to Uplift Rural Economy) as I was instantly inspired by the work he was doing." She said, "We started imparting training to women from Barmer villages in groups counting to 100-150 and 200 and in the next 20 years, this number touched 15,000. These women have been linked to different groups/markets to sell their work and earn a decent living. Our women are now trained in quality maintenance and fixing costs in the international market." In fact, this art has also brought fame and laurels in foreign countries as the products made using this embroidery have been showcased in countries such as Germany, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka in various exhibitions. However, a few decades ago, this embroidery was limited to families and was given as dowry to decorate homes or was gifted to family members. But today, renowned brands such as Fabindia, Ikea, and Rangsutra get a large part of their material from the women of the Meghwal community in Barmer. Narrating the condition of Barmer when she started working, Lata says, "The conditions in Barmer were tough at the time when I came as droughts were regular features. Also there were no roads and transportation and communication in remote areas was a challenge. Further, the biggest issue was water shortage." "We saw how women who were working with their embroidery art were fleeced by a few merchants acting as middlemen who sold kashidakari items in the market, leaving families to receive very little income, mostly Rs 200." Most of these women are adept in kashidakari embroidery and are from the Meghwal community whose families had settled here post the 1971 Indo-Pak war. "So we aimed at preserving and promoting Kashidakari art, while ensuring these women attain financial independence. Hence we started a programme with 224 Pak-oustee women in the town." In 1994, Lata joined hands with designers from National Institute of Design, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and Dastkar to hold workshops and develop over 250 designs in accordance with the fashion trends of the time. "In 1994, we took these women to Delhi Haat which was their first train ride and their experience boosted us to take more big initiatives," she says. "Today, generations of women are involved in this work, and even the daughters of these households are earning as well as being able to study," she says. Lata has been recognised by the Government of Switzerland and felicitated with the International Prize for Women Creativity in Rural Areas, as well as the Mahila Shakti Award and Senior Citizens Service Award by the Rajasthan government. She remembers her mother and says, "She would tell me that while society has many ways to dictate what a woman should or should not do, I should stay focussed enough to carve my own path. She encouraged me to be educated, and I finished my postgraduate degree in law before coming to Barmer. Her words inspired me to ensure that other girls had the opportunity to realise their dreams," she says. --IANS arc/skp/bg A new billboard calling for mental health awareness was unveiled Monday morning off Bob Wallace Avenue. It is the first of four billboards that will be located across Huntsville. The billboards also call for justice for Bradley Pugh, who was shot and killed during a standoff with Huntsville police last year. His family is looking to get the complete story of what happened during that standoff. Pugh's family is calling to see the complete body camera footage to get those answers. However, the city says it will not release the full body camera footage. Losing a loved one is tragic under any circumstance, and the City extends its deepest sympathies to Ms. Peyton and her family," city spokeswoman Kelly Schrimsher says. "The City has provided sufficient access to relevant information to allow Ms. Peyton to learn what led to her sons tragic death. For a number of reasons, including the privacy interests of Mr. Pughs entire family, the City respectfully declines to make the video available to the general public. However, the family says there's also a bigger issue that needs to be fixed. "We can put a man on the Moon in Huntsville, Alabama, but we can't resolve an issue like this," Adina Peyton said. She is still mourning the loss of her son, Bradley Pugh. He was shot and killed last November after an hourslong standoff with Huntsville police. "I miss him," Pugh's son said. Huntsville police and the Madison County District Attorney's Office justified the shooting saying Pugh pointed a gun at officers. However, Peyton says her son was suicidal and had a history of mental illness. "Mental illness is not a crime," Peyton said. She's hoping Pugh's death could lead to a bigger change. "Justice for Brad is finding out the truth of what happened that night and using it to make a change, so that every mentally ill person in this town gets treatment or help, not instant tragedy," Peyton said. The City of Huntsville is currently working on a 911 Co-Response program. There are three levels in that program. Right now, we are operating at Level 1, where officers receive training and certification to respond to mental health crises. Huntsville Police say they're working to increase Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) throughout our department. "Our certified Crisis Intervention Team officers go through a 40-hour CIT International certification class. Throughout the year our certified officers participate in continuing education and are constantly receiving new training material as CIT evolves," Lt. Jesse Sumlin with Huntsville Police said. "We strive to be on the leading-edge to respond to these situations." All other officers also receive 16 hours of CIT training to get basic knowlege on how to de-escalate a mental health crisis. Huntsville police and the city are working to get to Level 2, which will bring mental health providers to the scene to help. Melissa Knight was at the billboard unveiling Monday morning. She used to work for a suicide prevention center and says bringing those mental health providers to the scene would help officers identify whether or not they're dealing with a mental health crisis. "They understand and have expertise on how to bring this person back down to a mental level where they can be dealt with," Knight said. Level 3 would add resources and crisis call centers to the area. Wellstone Mental Health is already in the process of building a $2.1 million mental health crisis center in Huntsville. It would add 39 beds for mental health patients in Madison County. However, it's still unclear when it will open. Peyton says she's hopeful this plan could help create the change that's needed. "You can't have this happen soon enough, because somebody else is going to have a psychotic break. There are going to be a lot of suicidal people," Peyton said. Lt. Sumlin says the proposal will help lessen law enforcement in these type of situations. "The co-response programs goal is to bring mental health professional to a scene where there is a mental health crisis. In some cases, this will reduce law enforcement transports because the clinician was able to resolve immediate situation," Lt. Sumlin said. More details on that 911 Co-Response program will be revealed during the city council meeting May 13. The city administrator says he hopes to be in Level 2 by the end of the year and Level 3 by next year. However, that timeline may shift depending on other governing agencies. You can watch the city administrators presentation regarding the program here. That presentation starts around the 4-minute mark. A vigil for Bradley Pugh will be held this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at Big Spring Park. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 04:59:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on April 4, 2021 shows exhibits at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, Egypt. The main hall of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) contains 1,500 artifacts and was open for visitors on Sunday, while the mummies hall will be opened on April 18 to coincide with the International Day for Monuments and Sites, also known as World Heritage Day. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) by Mahmoud Fouly CAIRO, April 4 (Xinhua) -- In a magnificent building with a pyramid structure resting on four columns on top, and with a vast yard overlooking a natural lake, the newly-opened National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo highlight the Egyptian civilization from the Predynastic period to the modern age. Passing through the main door, visitors encounter a tube-like shiny hallway leading to the main premises that includes the Main Exhibition Hall, whose entrance has a downward stairway leading to the Royal Mummies Hall located underneath. Both halls were inaugurated Saturday evening by Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, following a majestic festive parade celebrating the relocation of 22 royal mummies of 18 ancient Egyptian kings and four queens from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo to the NMEC in Al-Fustat neighborhood a few kilometers away. Ahmed Ghoneim, executive director of the NMEC, described the museum as "a lighthouse for culture and tourism in Egypt, the Arab world and Africa." Ghoneim pointed out that the size of the main hall is about 2,000 square meters, while the total area of the museum is approximately 33 feddans (some 138,600 square meters). "We have now 65,000 artifacts but our warehouses can accommodate 100,000 artifacts. Of them, about 1,600 artifacts are displayed here in the Main Exhibition Hall," the director told Xinhua inside the museum. The main hall showcases artifacts from the prehistoric times, the Pharaonic dynasties, the Islamic and Coptic eras until the modern-day Egypt. Besides Pharaonic statues and objects, the main hall hosts a human skeleton dating back 35,000 years, the oldest artificial limb in history, which shows how ancient Egyptians advanced in medicine, according to the museum's executive director. The royal mummies that were moved to the NMEC belonged to kings and queens of the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties, dating back some 3,000 years, including the mummies of famous ancient Egyptian King Ramses II and Queen Hatshepsut. The mummies hall will be opened on April 18 to coincide with the International Day for Monuments and Sites, also known as World Heritage Day. "The Royal Mummies Hall will exhibit about 150 pieces, including the mummies as well as their coffins. For the first time, each mummy will be exhibited near the coffin where it was found," Sayed Abu el-Fadl, supervisor of the main hall and the mummies hall, explained. With joint efforts of the UNESCO and the Egyptian government, the NMEC's foundation stone was laid in 2002 and its temporary exhibition hall was opened in 2017. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said that at least 800 NMEC tickets were sold on Sunday, the first day of opening the main hall of the museum to visitors. Walid Ahmed, an Egyptian civil engineer who was taking a tour inside the main hall, described the architecture and the design of the museum's interior and exterior as "super." "I didn't think it will look that impressive!" "I am happy with the design, the method of exhibition and the technologies used. I believe it will be such an important attraction in Cairo," he added. As for Laetitia Saunier, a Swiss young woman, she said that she decided to visit the museum after she watched the remarkable Pharaohs' Golden Parade that escorted the 22 mummies during their transfer to the NMEC. "The museum is really amazing," the Swiss tourist told Xinhua. "All the stories of Egypt are amazing but the mummies attract me the most." Enditem Somerset County prisons toured in wake of COVID A media tour was held Wednesday at both Somerset County prisons to show how officials have adapted to COVID-19. For calendar year 2014, about a year after she left the General Assembly, she claimed personal income of $11,533. For the next year, she claimed $10,154, the feds allege. She didnt file with the IRS for two years on her lobbying and consulting firm, according to the feds. She joins several other public officials connected to the ComEd corruption case who face tax-related charges. Buttery, lemon-scented, and browned and crispy on the outside while spongy and soft on the inside, madeleines are a lovely homemade treat. (Kremena Ruseva/Shutterstock) How to Make Classic French Madeleines Madeleines are the little French butter cakes that most (non-French) people think of more as a cookie. I dont think theyre for the inexperienced cookthey are a little tricky and need a fair amount of confidence to turn out just right. That said, Ive tried to cover all the small details in this recipe so even if youre a fairly new cook, you can certainly still give these a try. Im offering the classic lemon-scented madeleines here, but they do come in many flavors. Chocolate, rose, vanilla, lavender, and orange are all popular versions. Some people add mini chocolate chips and some people add a glaze, but I prefer them simple and straightforward. Madeleines have a classy, literary reputation, having served as Prousts muse in his famous Remembrance of Things Past. Like most muses, however, madeleines appear to be simple but actually require a fair amount of patience and careful following of instructions. In the end, though, you are rewarded with a truly unique little cake, browned and crispy on the outside and spongy and soft on the insidea perfect accompaniment to your afternoon cup of tea. These little cakes are a perfect accompaniment to your afternoon cup of tea. (vm2002/Shutterstock) Do I Need to Brown the Butter? In this classic recipe, you would normally brown the butter slightly to add nuttiness. But browning butter just right can be challenging, as it can quickly turn from nutty to burned. If youre not confident with this skill, simply melt the butter and skip the browning part. Your madeleines will still be delicious. The following recipe is loosely based on one from Julia Child. Like many madeleine recipes, it takes a slightly unusual approach in that you mix the flour, sugar, and eggs first and add the melted butter last. (In most baking, the butter is usually creamed with the sugar, then the eggs are added and the flour stirred in last.) The batter also needs to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill and hydrate the flour. You can leave it for longer than that, even overnight. Youll need special scallop-shelled madeleine pans; try to buy two, since most madeleine recipes make a dozen. (Lizzy Komen/Shutterstock) What Special Equipment Do I Need? Another barrier for making madeleines is that you need specific equipment, namely the scallop shell pans to bake them in, which is something most newer cooks dont usually have around. Its worth it to check around with your friends and family to see if someone has the pans to borrow. You can also pick them up at garage sales and they are available online through places such as Amazon and Sur La Table. Try to get two, as most recipes will make two dozen, and its a drag to have to wash and rebutter the pans between baking sessions. It also really helps to have a pastry brush to coat the pans with the butter and flour mixture. Many recipes say that the colder the dough is kept, the more likely it is that the madeleine will form the classic bump on the back. I experimented with freezing one baking tray and not freezing the other, and found that the madeleines baked on the unfrozen tray had a significantly smaller bump. So, if that feature is important to you, be sure to freeze the pans and then get the filled pans in the oven right away. You can even go so far as to freeze the already filled pans for about 10 minutes before placing them immediately in the oven. To help the madeleines form the classic bump on their backs, freeze your pans before filling them with batter. (Picture Partners/Shutterstock) To Serve Madeleines are delicious when eaten just from the oven and cooled until barely warm. They will keep for a day or two in an airtight container, but will start to lose that nice crisp texture after a while. Its not the end of the world if this happens, but theres a reason those fancy restaurants used to send people home with fresh-from-the-oven madeleines: they are simply at their best when super fresh. Classic French Madeleines Makes 24 madeleines 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of salt 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon lemon zest Powdered sugar (optional) Melt the butter in a small saucepan. If you feel you can get it slightly toasty brown, go right ahead and do so by leaving it to bubble in the pan until it smells toasty and starts to color. Just remember that the butter will turn very quickly from toasty to burned and that it will continue to color after it is off the heat unless you pour it into a new container. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the butter into a small bowl or cup and set aside. Let the rest of the butter cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the flour and the sugar, and set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest until the eggs are frothy. Add the eggs to the flour. Using a spatula, stir until just combined. Add the remaining melted butter (not the reserved 3 tablespoons) and continue to stir. It may take a minute for the butter to blend into the mixture, but do not over mix. Cover the bowl with a plate (or plastic wrap) and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon flour to the 3 tablespoons reserved butter and stir to combine. Using a pastry brush, brush the interiors of the shells with the butter-flour mixture so that they are well coated. Place the pans in the freezer for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the batter from the refrigerator and one pan from the freezer. Fill each well in the madeleine pan with 1 tablespoon of the batter. Remove the other pan and fill in the same way. Place both pans on a baking sheet for easy handling and place in the oven. Check after 8 minutes and rotate plans. Check again 5 minutes later. The madeleines should be browning around the edges and puffed up a little in the middle. Using your forefinger, press lightly on the center hump; when the madeleines are finished baking, it should spring back at your touch. Remove the madeleines from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes. Using a fork, gently loosen the madeleines from their molds and then tip the whole pan out onto a cooling rack or tea towel. Once cool, dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve. If you are freezing or storing the madeleines, do not dust with the sugar until you are about to serve. Recipe Notes Store cooled madeleines in an airtight container for a few days or freeze them in a double wrapping of plastic wrap for several months. Let the cakes defrost before dusting with sugar. Dana Velden is a contributor to TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com. Copyright 2021 Apartment Therapy. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Food Network is solidifying its hold on Guy Fieri. The 53-year-old Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host just signed a new three-year deal with television's culinary giant, The Hollywood Reporter published on Monday. It is likely that the bleach-blond star - who will eat anything 'on a flip-flop' if it's good enough - is making a good chunk of change in the deal, though the exact amount was not disclosed. That's so money! Guy Fieri, 53, just signed a new three-year deal with television's culinary giant, The Hollywood Reporter published on Monday 'Guy Fieri infuses his unmatched energy and passion into every show he makes,' Food Network president Courtney White told THR. 'He is truly one-of-a-kind, adored globally for his own love of food and his deep appreciation for the people behind the restaurant scenes,' she continued. 'I am beyond thrilled to be able to continue this extraordinary, creative partnership.' Fieri has been with the network since winning season two of The Next Food Network Star in 2006. His new contract will bring him close to two decades with the culinary giant and expand his producing role. THR reported that Guy will continue developing and producing new series under his production company Knuckle Sandwich. 'The world of food is the ultimate unifier so having a global platform to share real-life stories of some of the most deserving chefs, restauranteurs, home cooks, entrepreneurs and anyone who just loves a good meal is an incredible opportunity. I can't wait for everyone to see what we're cookin' up next,' Guy said in a statement 'Food Network is my home and I'm stoked to continue the partnership with the entire Discovery family,' Fieri said in a statement. Adding: 'The world of food is the ultimate unifier so having a global platform to share real-life stories of some of the most deserving chefs, restauranteurs, home cooks, entrepreneurs and anyone who just loves a good meal is an incredible opportunity. I can't wait for everyone to see what we're cookin' up next.' Fieri has hosted 33 seasons of his addictive Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives series and later launched two culinary competition games, Guy's Grocery Games and Tournament of Champions. He's also starred in and produced several other shows for the network like his first, Guy's Big Bite, and Guy's Family Road Trip. Big time: Fieri has been with the network since winning season two of The Next Food Network Star in 2006 and his new contract will bring him close to two decades with the culinary giant and expand his producing role (Pictured winning Food Network Star in 2006 alongside Bobby Flay, Marc Summers and Emeril) The latter of which is currently airing season two, which was filmed under strict COVID-19 safety protocols. In response to the pandemic, partnered with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and created the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund for those industry workers impacted by closures. The fund managed to raise over $20 million in less than two months. When he won Food Network Star in 2006, Fieri was already the owner and operator of a handful of Northern California restaurants but since has expanded his empire across the nation. Despite arguably being one of the most popular and beloved hosts on Food Network, his restaurants haven't fared as well from critics. His now-closed Time's Square restaurant, Guy Fieri's American Kitchen & Bar, was infamously savaged by the New York Times in a 2012 review. on Monday clamped a week-long nationwide lockdown, suspending public transport and shutting markets to combat the surge in cases in the country, amidst demonstrations by small business owners against the move. According to a government circular issued on Sunday, the directives will remain in effect from 6am of April 5 till 12 midnight of April 11, the Dhaka Tribune reported. People have been asked not to move out from their homes from 6 pm to 6 am, the report said. The decision was taken in light of the current situation in the country where the rate of infections and deaths have increased in recent weeks. The government has said that they are increasing the number of COVID-19-designated hospitals and ICU beds to deal with the rising number of patients, it said. has registered 7,087 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 637,364, in the last 24 hours until Sunday which is the highest number of infections since the start of the pandemic, the United News of reported. Besides, the deaths due to rose to 9,266 with 53 news fatalities during this period. The mortality rate fell to 1.45 on Sunday from Saturday's 1.46 per cent. All public transport services (roads, river, railway and domestic flights) were suspended and only emergency services remained operational. However, all government/non-government/autonomous offices, courts and private offices will be able to facilitate the commute of their employees to work using their own transport on a limited scale. Thousands of people left Dhaka on Sunday fearing getting trapped during the lockdown. Most of the people who left were unemployed or in poverty. Many shop owners and employees have, however, taken to the streets protesting the government's decision to shut down all shopping malls and markets during the weeklong lockdown, the Dhaka Tribune reported. Several hundred traders staged their demonstrations in Dhaka's New Market area blocking the road. This the second time lockdown has been imposed in Bangladesh. The country earlier imposed a 66-day lockdown from March 26 to May 30 last year when a nationwide holiday was also enforced. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged people to help curb the spread of the virus in a speech in Parliament. I know everyone will face difficulties. Despite this, I say lives should be given preference over everything, Hasina said Sunday. Hasina has sought everyone's cooperation to combat the ongoing second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. Speaking on the new strain of in the country, the premier said: The damage done by the new virus variant is hard to detect right away. One's condition worsens suddenly. For this, we have to be careful. (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.) CBSs 60 Minutes alleged that Florida governor Ron DeSantis enlisted grocery chain Publix to help with coronavirus vaccine distribution because of a campaign contribution, but edited DeSantiss full response to the allegation. Publix, as you know, donated $100,000 to your campaign, and then you rewarded them with exclusive rights to vaccination in Palm Beach, a CBS reporter said at a press conference for the governor in Orlando. DeSantis said the reporter peddled a fake narrative when she alleged he engaged in a pay-for-play scheme. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. However, 60 Minutes omitted a key section of DeSantiss response, in which he states that the first pharmacies to take charge of vaccine distribution were CVS and Walgreens, and were initially tasked with vaccinating residents of long-term care facilities. DeSantis said that in January the state wanted to expand distribution sites and contacted other large chains with pharmacies. You had the counties, you had some drive-thru sites, you had hospitals that were doing a lot, but we wanted to get it into communities more, DeSantis said. So we reached out to other retail pharmacies: Publix, Walmart, obviously CVS and Walgreens had to finish that mission and we said were going to use you as soon as youre done with that. DeSantis has grown in popularity among GOP voters, who view the governor as a potential presidential candidate in 2024 if President Trump decides not to run again. In particular, the governor has touted his states refusal to close schools and businesses in Fall 2020 as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic, decisions that were popular among Republicans. Floridas death rate and new daily coronavirus cases per 100,000 people have been roughly average among U.S. states throughout the pandemic. More from National Review Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has furiously denied allegations that grocery chain Publix only landed a contract to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in the state after donating $100,000 to his political action committee. Sunday night's episode of 60 Minutes featured a testy exchange between correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi and the Republican governor, who slammed the allegations as a 'false narrative.' The CBS program revealed that weeks before Publix landed the lucrative contract, which allows it to bill Medicare $40 per shot to administer the vaccine, the chain donated to DeSantis' PAC, Friends of Ron DeSantis. 'Publix, as you know, donated $100,000 to your campaign,' Alfonsi said to DeSantis on the program. 'And then you rewarded them with the exclusive rights to distribute the vaccination in Palm Beach...' 'First, of all what you're saying is wrong,' DeSantis shot back. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has furiously denied allegations that grocery chain Publix only landed a contract to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in the state after donating to his PAC 'How is that not pay for play?' 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi grilled him at a press conference. 'The criticism here is that is pay for play, governor.' 'How is that not pay for play?' Alfonsi then asked. 'That's a fake narrative,' DeSantis replied. 'I met with the county mayor, I met with the administrator, I met with all the folks at Palm Beach County and I said, 'Here's some of the options: We can do more drive-thru sites, we can give more to hospitals, we can do the Publix.' And they said, 'We think that would be the easiest thing for our residents.' 'The criticism here is that is pay for play, governor,' Alfonsi told DeSantis. 'And it's wrong, it's wrong,' the governor fired back. 'It's a fake narrative. I just disabused you of the narrative. And you don't care about the facts. Because, obviously, I laid it out for you in a way that is irrefutable.' The 60 Minutes report examined allegations of disparity in vaccine distribution in Palm Beach County, which is home to wealthy enclaves such as Palm Beach, but also has a large number of low-income and non-white residents. The report alleged that the contract with Publix exacerbated those disparities, because the chain's locations are far from the county's poorest neighborhoods. It also pointed out that Julie Jenkins Fancelli, heiress to the Publix fortune, has given $55,000 to the governor's PAC in the past, and that Fancelli's brother-in-law, Hoyt R. Barnett, a retired Publix executive, donated $25,000 in November. 60 Minutes revealed that weeks before Publix landed the lucrative contract, the chain donated to DeSantis' PAC, Friends of Ron DeSantis A Publix Food & Pharmacy store where COVID-19 vaccinations were being administered is seen in Palm Beach County. The chain says any claim that donations affected its vaccine contract 'is absolutely false and offensive' But critics accused 60 Minutes of deceptively editing the correspondent's exchange with DeSantis, with conservative writer A.G. Hamilton pointing out that the CBS program 'cut out several minutes' of the governor's comments explaining what led to the deal with Publix. 'First of all, the first pharmacies that had [the vaccine] were CVS and Walgreens and they had a long-term care mission, so they were going to the long-term care facilities,' DeSantis said during a portion of the March 22 press conference omitted by 60 Minutes. 'They got the vaccine in the middle of December, they started going to the long-term care facilities the third week in December to do LTCs,' DeSantis told Alfonsi. 'So that was their mission, that was very important and we trusted them to do that. As we got into January, we wanted to expand the distribution points.' 'So yes, you had the counties, you had some drive-thru sites, you had hospitals that were doing a lot, but we wanted to get it into communities more,' he went on. 'So we reached out to other retail pharmacies: Publix, Walmart, obviously CVS and Walgreens had to finish that mission and we said we're going to use you as soon as you're done with that,' DeSantis continued. Critics accused 60 Minutes of deceptively editing the correspondent's exchange with DeSantis, who described at length the origins of the Publix contract Sunday, Sharyn Alfonsi investigates allegations that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made decisions about COVID vaccine distribution favoring wealthy or connected individuals, including a supermarket chain that recently donated to the governor's PAC. https://t.co/VbVdXJ3xxv pic.twitter.com/6mbxfMdgPg 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 2, 2021 DeSantis insisted that Publix was the 'first one to raise their hand' to say they were ready to distribute the vaccine. They rolled out the vaccine on a 'trial basis' in three counties, which was met with '100 percent positive' feedback from seniors, he said. Addressing concerns in Palm Beach County, DeSantis said that while the county had 'struggled' initially with distribution, it had now vaccinated nearly three-quarters of all seniors, with distribution set to expand further. In a statement to 60 Minutes after the report ran, a Publix spokesperson blasted the allegation that donations affected the vaccine contract. 'The irresponsible suggestion that there was a connection between campaign contributions made to Governor DeSantis and our willingness to join other pharmacies in support of the state's vaccine distribution efforts is absolutely false and offensive,' the company said. 'We are proud of our pharmacy associates for administering more than 1.5 million doses of vaccine to date and for joining other retailers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to do our part to help our communities emerge from the pandemic.' A combination of warm temperatures, low humidity and high winds could cause wildfires across New Jersey Monday and Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. The weather service issued a special weather statement on Sunday warning of an increased likelihood of wild fires in all 21 of the states counties, as well as nearby areas of Pennsylvania. Relative humidity levels on Monday will be in the low-to-mid-20% range, combined with wind gusts of 25 to 30 miles per hour, the weather service said. High temperatures on Monday are forecast to range from 67 in Newark to 64 in Cape May. Residents are urged to exercise caution handling any potential ignition source, including machinery, cigarettes, and matches, the weather service stated. Be sure to properly discard all smoking materials, the National Weather Services stated. Any dry grasses and tree litter that ignite will have the potential to spread quickly. Washington Township Police in Morris County confirmed that there was a brush fire in the townships Long Valley section on Sunday afternoon, when the temperature reached 67 degrees and the humidity was a dry 29%, with winds of up to 13 mph. Police said the cause of the Valley Brook Road fire was under investigation. The weather service issued a similar warning on March 14, one day before a large brush fire in Lakewood consumed 167 acres in a blaze authorities said was intentionally set. Nobody knows Jersey better than N.J.com. Sign up to get breaking news alerts straight to your inbox. Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. The Red & Black sat down with Chana Refson who, with her husband Rabbi Michoel, runs the Chabad House at the University of Georgia, which is often considered a home away from home for many Jewish students in Athens. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Capital Governor Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa handed out assistance to fishermen as part of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas directives to protect them and their livelihoods. Shaikh Hisham conveyed HM the Kings greetings, stressing that the royal leadership is closely following up the Bahraini fishermens situations. HM the King directed the Capital Governor to provide care and support to them and their families. Im honoured to present the assistance of HM the King to you for the significant harms you encountered, including your livelihoods and confiscation of your boats by Qatari authorities, he said. The Governor valued the governments support, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He also highlighted the follow up of Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa to the cases of fishermen and their requirements to fulfil them. By Nelson Renteria SONSONATE, El Salvador (Reuters) - Victoria Salazar, the Salvadoran woman killed in Mexican police custody in the Caribbean beach resort of Tulum and whose death prompted calls for justice from the presidents of El Salvador and Mexico, was laid to rest in a somber ceremony on Sunday. Some 50 of Salazar's friends and relatives, many wearing floral arrangements, walked through the La Generosa cemetery in colonial Sonsonate, 40 miles (65 km) west of the capital, San Salvador, to her final resting place. "We want justice! We hope this is resolved because everyone saw how my sister was murdered. The police did not act right," Carlos Salazar, the victim's brother, told reporters during the funeral. The attorney general's office of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo on Saturday charged the one female and three male police officers who had detained Salazar with femicide, or the killing of a woman because of her gender. "The events occurred last Saturday, March 27 ... when the victim was detained by the police officers and, after being subjected to excessive and disproportionate force, likely prompting the death of the foreign woman," the attorney general's office said. Quintana Roo Attorney General Oscar Montes de Oca told Mexican radio last week that police were responding to an emergency call for help at a convenience store when Salazar was detained after offering resistance. An autopsy revealed her neck had been broken. A video published by news site Noticaribe showed Salazar writhing and crying out as she lay face down on a road with a policewoman kneeling on her back while three male officers stood by. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Salazar had been subject to "brutal treatment and murdered" after her detention. Her death sparked outrage on social media and calls by El Salvador's president for the officers to be punished. Salazar's death had echoes of the case of George Floyd, an African-American man who died in May as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck, sparking global protests against police brutality. Story continues All four officers in the Salazar case have been arrested and will remain behind bars for the duration of the trial, according to the attorney general's office. Salazar had lived in Mexico since at least 2018, when she was granted refugee status for humanitarian reasons, and worked in Tulum cleaning hotels. She had two daughters, aged 15 and 16, who lived with her in Mexico. "She was a good girl. Nobody deserves to die that way," said Nelly Castro, a family friend, as hymns played and Salazar's coffin was lowered into the ground. (Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Additional reporting by Anthony Esposito and Miguel Angel Gutierrez in Mexico City; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Peter Cooney) News Coolidge, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey Wednesday joined elected officials and automotive manufacturing leaders in Pinal County to officially launch Drive48, an advanced manufacturing training center that will bolster Arizonas workforce training efforts for high-tech jobs. Arizona is in the midst of a manufacturing boom, said Governor Ducey. Were showing the nation what it means to welcome innovation and industry, while creating opportunities for people to work in high-skill, high-wage industries. When more products are Made In Arizona, our entire economy benefits, and we look forward to keeping this momentum going. Drive48 is a 13,000 square-foot facility in fast-growing Pinal County that has the capacity to train more than 100 students at a given time in fields such as automotive, advanced manufacturing, heavy equipment and general industry. Talent is a key driver in business location decisions, said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. With the opening of Drive48, were further enhancing Arizonas robust manufacturing workforce pipeline, now and in the future. Were grateful to the many partners who helped make this project possible. The facility features a main training room with multiple assembly robots used for training technicians in programming, maintenance, problem solving, troubleshooting, safety, general system requirements and more that will prepare workers for jobs in automotive manufacturing. It also includes several rooms that will offer hands-on training with tools, part assembly, various applications and safety aspects for in-demand work. Central Arizona College is excited to be the home of this cutting-edge regional workforce training center, said Central Arizona College President Dr. Jackie Elliott. This partnership is a testament to the commitment of all parties in investing in the states economy and enriching the lives of individuals through meaningful skilling and employment. Manufacturing jobs in Arizona have increased at one of the fastest rates in the nation, with 13,000 manufacturing jobs added since 2015. More than 180,000 Arizonans now work in the manufacturing industry, where jobs pay on average 21% higher than other private sector positions. Industry leaders to announce major relocations or expansions in recent years include Intel, Benchmark Electronics, Lucid Motors, Nikola Motor Company, TSMC, ElectraMeccanica, Raytheon and more. Thousands of high-tech jobs are coming online in Pinal County over the next few years, said Mayor of Casa Grande Craig McFarland. This facility and the many partners involved are ensuring our workforce can meet the demand while providing local graduates a pathway to gain new skills, acquire good-paying jobs, and stay right here in the community. Lucid Motors in 2016 announced it selected Casa Grande for its electric car manufacturing operation, located near the Drive48s facility. Intel last week announced a $20 billion investment in Arizona with the expansion of its state-based manufacturing capacity. The investment will generate 3,000 high-tech jobs, 3,000 construction jobs, and an estimated 15,000 additional indirect jobs in the community. In addition, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in May 2020 announced it selected Arizona for the location of its new U.S. advanced semiconductor factory, creating more than 1,600 jobs. Federal labor regulators have found that Amazon illegally fired two of the most outspoken critics of its climate and workplace practices. Former employees Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa were let go last year for repeatedly violating Amazon's internal policies that forbid workers from discussing the company publicly without formal approval. The decision prompted the National Labor Relations Board to start an inquiry into claims that Amazon was retaliating against employees who organize or participate in protests. According to correspondence shared by Cunningham with The New York Times, the labor agency has deemed Amazon's firings as illegal. It also said that it would accuse the company of unfair labor practices if it did not settle the case with the two former workers. Cunningham and Costa's high-profile case gained national attention after they lambasted the retailer for its climate policies last year in a video shared by Bernie Sanders. They later amplified their protests to speak out against the company's workplace conditions during the pandemic. The two activists were fired by Amazon last April for repeatedly violating internal policies that prohibit public disparagement or misrepresentation of the company a claim Amazon repeated today in its statement to the Times. We support every employees right to criticize their employers working conditions, but that does not come with blanket immunity against our internal policies, all of which are lawful, said Jaci Anderson, an Amazon spokeswoman. We terminated these employees not for talking publicly about working conditions, safety or sustainability but, rather, for repeatedly violating internal policies. Cunningham heralded the labor board's decision as a "moral victory" that proved "we are on the right side of history and the right side of the law. The agency has seen complaints against Amazon's meddling with workers rights to organize more than triple during the pandemic, according to a recent NBC News report. Suggesting that the saga is far from over, the labor board is now considering starting a national investigation into the practices, despite typically probing charges on a regional basis. The agency has also upheld a complaint involving labor activist Jonathan Bailey, who accused Amazon for breaking the law when it interrogated him following a walkout he staged last year at a Queens warehouse. Last month, Amazon settled with Bailey and was required to post a notice to employees reminding them of their right to organize. The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed that its Imo headquarters in Owerri, the state capital, was attacked by armed men. No police officer was killed in the attack but one sustained bullet wound, police spokesperson Frank Mba said in a statement Monday afternoon. The attack on the police headquarters was carried out by the same armed group who also attacked a correctional facility in Owerri and freed over 1,800 inmates. The police have now said they believe the attack was carried out by members of the outlawed Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) and its security network, ESN. PREMIUM TIMES reported how, in a separate statement, the Nigeria Correctional Service said the attack on its facility was carried out by unknown gunmen. The attackers who stormed the facility at about 0215hrs on Monday 5th April, 2021, gained entrance into the yard by using explosives to blast the administrative block, Francis Enobore, the spokesperson of the correctional service said in a Monday statement. In his statement, Mr Mba said the police have recovered one of the operational vehicles used by the attackers. He said the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the Imo State Commissioner of Police to fish out members of IPOB and ESN. Read the full police statement below. PRESS RELEASE IMO ATTACK IGP DEPLOYS SECURITY REINFORCEMENT SQUADS, SETS UP SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM (SIT) Directs CP Imo and the Special Investigation Team to Fish-Out and Bring Perpetrators to Book The Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has ordered the immediate deployment of additional units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) and other Police Tactical Squads to Imo State to strengthen security in the State and prevent further attacks on security formations or any other critical national infrastructure in the State. The IGP gave the directives following the attack on security operatives and formations including the Imo State Police Command Headquarters and the Headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) in Owerri in the early hours of today, Monday, 5th April, 2021. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the attackers, who came in their numbers with sophisticated weapons such as General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs), AK49 rifles, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), are members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN). The attempt by the attackers to gain access to the Police armoury at the Headquarters was totally and appropriately resisted by Police operatives on duty who repelled the attackers and prevented them from breaking-in and looting the armoury. The armoury is thus intact! Similarly, the police suffered no human casualty, apart from a police Constable who sustained a minor bullet wound on his shoulder. Meanwhile, one of the operational vehicles of the attackers has been recovered by the Police and is currently being subjected to forensic scrutiny and investigations. The IGP, who condemned the attack on the security outfits, has further directed the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command and a new Special Investigation Team (specifically set up to deal with cases of incessant attacks on security formation/operatives in the region), to carry out holistic investigations into the incident with a view to fishing-out the perpetrators and bringing them to justice. The CP is to harness the security reinforcement squads and other operational assets at his disposal to take the battle to the door-steps of the attackers and prevent any further attack anywhere within the State and its environs. The IGP, who described the deliberate and criminal attack on security operatives as an attack on the soul of our nation, has enjoined leaders in Imo State, the South-East and other parts of the country to speak out against the unfolding violence and criminality. The IGP calls on citizens to avail the Police and other security agencies with useful information that can assist in identifying and arresting the criminals. He vowed that the perpetrators will be brought to book, noting that the Force is doing all within its powers to curb the activities of unscrupulous elements hell-bent on threatening the unity, safety, security and socio-ecomomic wellbeing of Nigerians. CP FRANK MBA FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER FORCE HEADQUARTERS ABUJA ADVERTISEMENT WASHINGTON - With an appeal to think big, President Joe Biden is promoting his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan directly to Americans, summoning public support to push past the Republicans lining up against the massive effort they sum up as big taxes, big spending and big government. FILE - In this March 24, 2021, file photo Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., listens as the Senate Rules Committee holds a hearing on the "For the People Act," which would expand access to voting and other voting reforms, at the Capitol in Washington. Republicans in Congress are making the politically brazen bet that its more advantageous to oppose President Joe Bidens ambitious rebuild America agenda than to lend support for the costly $2.3 trillion undertaking for roads, bridges and other infrastructure investments. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) WASHINGTON - With an appeal to think big, President Joe Biden is promoting his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan directly to Americans, summoning public support to push past the Republicans lining up against the massive effort they sum up as big taxes, big spending and big government. Republicans in Congress are making the politically brazen bet that its more advantageous to oppose the costly American Jobs Plan, saddling the Democrats with ownership of the sweeping proposal and the corporate tax hike Biden says is needed to pay for it. He wants the investments in roads, schools, broadband and clean energy approved by summer. On Monday, Biden received a boost from an unexpected source. The Senate parliamentarian greenlighted a strategy that would allow Democrats in the evenly-split 50-50 chamber to rely on a 51-vote threshold to advance some bills, rather than the typical 60 votes typically needed. The so-called budget reconciliation rules can now be used more often than expected giving Democrats a fresh new path around the GOP blockade. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's spokesman welcomed the parliamentarian's opinion as an important step forward. Spokesman Justin Goodman said no decisions have been made on the process ahead, but this key pathway is available to Democrats if needed. The prospects for a massive infrastructure investment, once a bipartisan source of unity on Capitol Hill, have cracked and groaned under the weight of political polarization. Where Biden sees an urgency in going big, Republicans want a narrow plan that focuses on roads and bridges, and warn that any corporate tax increase would crush economic growth. They know we need it, Biden said of the Republicans as he returned to Washington on Monday. Everybody around the world is investing billions and billions of dollars in infrastructure, and were going to do it here. President Joe Biden talks with reporters on the Ellipse on the National Mall after spending the weekend at Camp David, Monday, April 5, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) The standoff almost ensures a months-long slog as Congress hunkers down to begin drafting legislation and the White House keeps the door open to working across the aisle with Republicans, hoping that continued public attention will drum up support. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell declared plainly on Monday that Bidens plan is something were not going to do. Speaking to reporters in Kentucky, McConnell said Republicans could support a much more modest approach, and one that doesnt rely on corporate tax hikes to pay for it. A core dividing line is Biden's effort to pay for infrastructure by undoing Donald Trump's tax break for corporations, a signature achievement of the Trump White House and its partners in Congress. The 2017 GOP tax bill, which all the Republicans voted for, slashed the corporate rate from 35% to 21%. It was supposed to usher in a new era of American investment and job creation, yet growth never came close to the promised levels and the economy fell into a recession because of the pandemic. Biden proposes raising the rate to 28% and instituting a global minimum rate to dissuade companies from relocating in lower-tax havens. Democratic senators led by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, unveiled their own framework for an international taxation overhaul Monday that could provide an opening to Biden's approach. We desperately need reform, said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., one of those involved in the effort. White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Monday, April 5, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Shepherding Biden's proposal through Congress remains a work in progress, particularly in the evenly-divided 50-50 Senate, where Democrats have the majority because the vice-president from their party, Kamala Harris, can cast a tie-breaking vote. But a single senator can break ranks to influence the size and shape of the package. On Monday, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., indicated he would prefer a corporate tax rate at 25%, lower than what Biden is proposing. Seizing on Democratic divisions, Republicans have signalled zero interest in undoing the tax cuts they approved with Trump, and instead prefer a smaller infrastructure package paid for by user fees on drivers or other public-private partnerships that share the costs. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a member of Senate GOP leadership, said Sunday a smaller infrastructure package of about $615 billion, or 30% of what Biden is proposing, could draw bipartisan support. Administration officials have encouraged Republicans to talk more fully about what they dislike and would do instead, under the opinion that a battle of ideas will only help Biden gain support with voters. The president has already met twice with bipartisan groups of lawmakers in the Oval Office, and members of Bidens Cabinet leading the charge on infrastructure have also have placed dozens of calls to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Yet the White House has a fundamental disagreement with Republicans on the definition of infrastructure, such that any outreach is unlikely to yield an agreement. "Infrastructure is not just the roads we get a horse and buggy across, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a Monday briefing. Infrastructure is about broadband. Its about replacing lead pipes so people have water. Its about rebuilding our schools. That leaves Biden and congressional Republicans on a collision course, the outcome of which could define the parties and his presidency. The GOP strategy is reminiscent of its Obama-era stance more than a decade ago, when the Republicans opposed the 2009 rescue after the economic crisis, framing it as government overreach that piled on debt an argument they used in 2010 to win back control of Congress. But its not at all certain the GOP playbook that worked more than a decade ago will produce the same political gains this time. Biden is banking on polling that suggests his infrastructure package is popular among voters of both parties, making it easier to bypass any GOP blockade on Capitol Hill. Touring a water treatment plant Monday in California, Harris said access to clean water was about a broader issue of fairness. With the states governor, Gavin Newsom, Harris noted that families in Iowa and parts of the Midwest needed federal help to upgrade the wells on their properties, while parts of California needed reliable access to fight wildfires. We must understand the equities and inequities of distribution and access to clean water, especially clean drinking water, Harris said. Associated Press writer Alexandra Jaffe contributed to this report. 1. India Crosses 1 Lakh Daily COVID Cases PTI The Covid pandemic in India reached a dubious milestone when daily cases crossed the 1-lakh mark for the first time as per TOI. This makes us only the second country after USA to record six figures in one day. Read more 2. Investors Lose Over Rs 4.54 Lakh Crore BCCL Investors lost more than Rs 4.54 lakh crore till afternoon deals on Monday as markets crashed due to a rise in COVID cases, as per TOI. Read more 3. Telangana Village Wedding Turns COVID Superspreader As 87 Guests Test Positive PTI A wedding in Hanmajipet village of Nizamabad district in Telangana turned into a COVID superspreader after 87 guests tested positive, as per a report in India Today. Read more 4. Student Accused Of Raping Batchmate Suspended By IIT Guwahati, 4 Others Put In Isolation ET IIT Guwahati has suspended the student accused of raping his batchmate on March 28, as per a report in HT. Meanwhile, 4 others allegedly involved have been put in isolation. Read more Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global fire alarm and detection market size is expected to reach USD 75.3 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 8.5% over the forecast period, according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing awareness towards the safety and security of assets across the globe is expected to offer significant opportunities for technological innovations in the market. Additionally, rise in the consumer spending on fire protection devices especially across the enterprise and industrial sectors in order to reduce the risk of accidents is expected to spur market growth. Moreover, stringent government regulations and mandates regarding workplace safety, and increasing demand for state-of-the-art fire alarm & detection system is expected to fuel the market. The need for upgrading the existing alarm and detection systems to advanced one and consequently complying with the stringent regulation will drive the market. Growing fire accidents has alarmed the need for installation of advanced alarm and detection systems across the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. For instance, Legislative requirements from different countries including the National Fire Protection Association, USA, and Building Code of Australia have mandated the installation of fire detection devices, thereby boosting the demand for these devices. North America dominated the market in 2019 and is expected to continue its dominance over the foreseen years. The anticipated growth in the construction industry in Canada owing to the governments Investing in Canada Plan. Under the initiative, the government of Canada is planning to invest USD 139 billion in infrastructure till 2028. U.S. is attributed to the high demand for commercial and residential places across states such as Georgia, Florida, and North and South Carolina. Moreover, increasing automation in buildings and smart homes, stringent government regulations pertaining to safety standards, and the growing demand from the mining and manufacturing industries have fueled the demand for the alarm and detection systems in the region. Browse Details of Report @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/fire-alarm-market Asia Pacific is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR from 2020 to 2027. Growing industrialization and urbanization in emerging markets such as India, China, and Japan is expected to accelerate infrastructure spending including mass transportation such as airport security, including intelligent transportation systems across these regions is estimated to offer lucrative growth opportunities for the industry. However, the growing need for replacement and maintenance services of the deployed fire safety equipment owing to various building safety codes is offering lucrative opportunities for the manufactures to enter into the market. Fire Alarm And Detection Market Report Highlights The fire detectors segment is expected to dominate the market owing to stringent government regulations across different countries that have mandated the installation of the devices. For instance, in India, National Building Code (NBC) was published in 2016 to implement building standards ensuring safety through the use of active and passive smoke detection systems. The segment is expected to reach USD 38.1 billion by 2027 The smoke detectors segment is expected to dominate the fire detectors segment and the trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. The smoke detectors segment is anticipated to reach USD 17.0 billion by 2027. It is owing to the substantial use of smoke detectors in the commercial as well as residential buildings since they are cost-effective and have a longer lifespan as compared to other products The fire alarm and detection market primarily includes applications such as industrial, commercial, and residential. The commercial application segment dominated the market in 2019 and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 8.5% from 2020 to 2027. It is owing to the stringent regulations and norms by the government for the installation of smoke detection system across commercial places such as hospitality, government, healthcare, telecom and IT, BFSI, retail, and institutional North America is projected to account for the majority share of the market over the forecast period owing to the booming infrastructural developments and implementation of stringent fire safety regulations and norms in the regions. The region is anticipated to reach USD 21.8 billion by 2027 The prominent industry participants include Bosch GmbH; Eaton Gentex Corporation; United Technologies Corporation; Honeywell International Inc.; and Johnson Controls. The steadily increasing pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. more than 2.5 million shots a day at the moment has given hope to many Americans that the pandemic will be over in a few months and life can return to normal. Sorry to burst that bubble, but even if enough Americans are vaccinated to reach herd immunity, the pandemic won't be over until every nation on Earth has equal protection. And under current projections, that won't happen for three years from now, maybe longer. That's because the bulk of the available doses have been scarfed up by wealthy nations, including the U.S., which struck deals with pharmaceutical companies even before their vaccines had been proved effective. Tom Bollyky of the Council on Foreign Relations told National Public Radio that just 10 countries have used three out of every four of the some 400 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered so far, with the U.S. at the top of the list. While the U.S. has given at least one shot to more than a quarter of its population, most countries have administered doses at significantly lower rates. Even some wealthy countries (including Germany, which invested millions in the development of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine) are lagging behind. And dozens of countries haven't even begun inoculations. This should not be acceptable to anyone, least of all President Joe Biden. His COVID team, which surpassed its modest goal of getting 100 million doses into arms weeks earlier than promised, could amass a glut of doses as early as May. The president must turn his attention to fighting the virus globally and commit the money, diplomacy and technology that such an initiative will require. It's more than just a moral imperative to help poorer and less-connected countries protect their populations. An ongoing international pandemic threatens the United States' safety and prosperity. "As long as the virus continues to circulate anywhere, people will continue to die, trade and travel will continue to be disrupted, and the economic recovery will be further delayed," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, told reporters recently. There are economic reasons to do so as well. A study by the International Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation estimates that the global economy could lose up to $9.2 trillion if some countries aren't given access to COVID-19 vaccines. The pandemic has already destabilized the economies and political structures of many countries. Who knows what another year or three of pandemic might mean for global stability? It's a chilling thought. And most frightening of all is that each new transmission increases the opportunity for the coronavirus to mutate into variants, which could lead to strains that are more contagious, deadlier and more resistant to current vaccines, health experts fear. If that happened, it could plunge every country vaccinated or not back to the dark days of early 2020. Biden's COVID team surely recognizes the threat of allowing the pandemic to rage internationally. Almost immediately after his inauguration in January, the U.S. rejoined the World Health Organization and promised $4 billion to COVAX, the international alliance created to ensure all countries have vaccine access. And earlier this month, the U.S. agreed to "lend" to Canada and Mexico millions of AstraZeneca doses that haven't been authorized for use in the U.S. yet. But these efforts are just small drops in the very large bucket. COVAX is aiming to distribute 2 billion doses by the end of 2021, but that will cover just 1 billion people leaving several billion others vulnerable to sickness and death. The U.S. can go further by using its clout and resources to jump-start production in developing nations and to pressure vaccine makers and research institutions to share their technology. Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, estimates that if the U.S. uses all its legal authority to spur vaccine production, it could help produce billions more doses, save countless lives and end the pandemic years earlier. The estimated cost of such an operation would be about $25 billion. It's a lot of money, but not unreasonable considering the immediate payout in human lives (not to mention the immeasurable international goodwill that would come with it that's why China and Russia have been aggressively exporting the vaccines they developed). It also can pay future dividends by creating the global infrastructure to fight the next pandemic. The U.S. has already invested more than $12 billion for the development of the COVID vaccines through Operation Warp Speed, not including the federally funded research upon which some of the vaccines are based. It was money well spent. By comparison, the war in Afghanistan cost U.S. taxpayers $2 trillion, and it's hard to see how it made the U.S. much safer. Ideally, such an operation would be a joint effort by the world's wealthy nations, who would likewise benefit from an inoculated global population. But Biden shouldn't wait on getting other world leaders to sign on. There's too much at stake. This editorial appeared at the Los Angeles Times and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency. NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To recognize leaders in suicide prevention, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) will honor the developers of Emergency Psychiatric Intervention (EPI), a new toolkit of best practices for patients with psychiatric emergencies. The EPI team will be awarded the Innovation in Acute Care Suicide Prevention Award on April 8 during a webinar hosted by AFSP and ACEP. "When we began work on Project 2025, our bold goal to reduce the national suicide rate 20% by 2025, we envisioned creative new solutions like this new toolkit developed by the team at Vituity. This team has found a way to better meet the behavioral health needs of patients," said CEO Robert Gebbia of AFSP. "And, what makes the tool special is how simple it is to implement, and the potential time and cost savings for care and treatment. I look forward to seeing how this program is expanded and taken to scale around the country." EPI was developed by a team of experts on the frontlines of emergency medicine and acute psychiatry with Vituity, a physician-owned-and-led multi-specialty partnership. The toolkit helps prepare emergency physicians and staff to quickly evaluate and treat low, moderate, and high-risk patients who may be experiencing a mental health emergency or showing signs of suicidal thoughts or behaviors. EPI provides guidance for care teams in areas from initial diagnosis and treatment to discharge protocols, which could include outpatient referrals, prescription refills, or other important information. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States and the stress and uncertainty from the pandemic has increased the number of mental health emergencies in many communities. "We are pleased to recognize solutions that enhance treatment for mental health emergencies," said Mark Rosenberg, DO, MBA, FACEP, president of ACEP. "The emergency department is, for many people, the first or sometimes the only option for care. Empowering emergency care teams to better address mental health issues is an effort that can improve timely access to necessary services and save lives." After several months of using the new tool, average wait times for lower-risk patients were cut by 40%, and patients who were assessed by teams who had rolled out the EPI bundle had yet to revisit the hospital. Over the course of 6-month EPI Collaboratives, several of the EDs realized: A 25% or more decrease in length of stay for both low and moderate acuity behavioral health patients, representing more timely assessments, interventions and dispositions to the least restrictive environment of care Use of restraints was reduced by over 50% For patients needing medication, starting medications within one hour increased by almost 200% Staff reported a 34% increase in their feelings of safety when taking care of psychiatric patients Registration is open for the "The Saving Lives in Emergency Departments Awards Ceremony" webinar featuring the ACEP and AFSP award winners presenting their game-changing work in the area of suicide prevention. Join this free webinar and learn more about innovative work being done in the field: https://webapps.acep.org/meetingsv1/Registration.aspx?mcode=AVS-4821. The American College of Emergency Physicians is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 40,000 emergency physician members, and the more than 150 million Americans they treat on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.acep.org and www.emergencyphysicians.org. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report , and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube . More about Project 2025 - Using a dynamic systems model approach based on what the evidence tells us about suicide, AFSP has determined a series of actions and critical areas to help reach this unprecedented goal. With this approach, the organization will reach across all demographic and sociological groups to have the greatest impact for suicide prevention, and the potential to save thousands of lives by the year 2025. From the model built for Project 2025, AFSP shares examples of how many lives could be saved at a national level if scaled up and made strategic investments, while applying the collective resources necessary to support these prevention areas. The model has revealed four areas for critical action including: (1) firearms and suicide prevention, (2) healthcare systems, (3) emergency departments, and (4) corrections system. SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Related Links www.afsp.org New Delhi, April 5 : A BJP delegation on Monday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to rescind the bye-election to the Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency (SC) to be held on April 17. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar and senior leader G.V.L. Narsasimha Rao met the poll panel on Monday and urged it to rescind the bypoll immediately to maintain the sanctity of the elections and issue a fresh notification for a later date, preferably immediately after the declaration of the results of the elections to the Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC). The BJP delegation also demanded the ECI to initiate suitable and strict disciplinary proceedings against the state's chief secretary and district officers, including collectors and SPs of Nellore and Chittoor districts, for disobeying and violating the constitutional mandate and authority of the poll body. The BJP delegation pointed out that even when the Tirupati bypoll process is underway, the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) has issued a notification to conduct elections to the MPTC and ZPTC in the state. "This notification was issued to resume the election process that was paused midway in March 2020 (due to the Covid-19 threat)," the BJP memorandum to the ECI said. The BJP claimed that after the notification of MPTC and ZPTC polls on April 1, its campaign has been severely hampered by the district officials citing SEC's code of conduct applicable to the local body polls. "We are not being given permission to conduct our Lok Sabha bypoll campaign for 48 hours before April 8 (the day of MPTC/ZPTC polls) citing SEC guidelines. This is in contravention to the ECI's code of conduct which allows campaigning until 48 hours before April 17, the date of polling in Tirupati," the BJP said. The saffron party further claimed that simultaneous elections are creating serious confusion among the voters about the symbols of the political parties in the fray. The BJP further urged the ECI to transfer and debar the district officials responsible for the breach of the model code of conduct, and appoint new officials for conducting the bypoll after the issuance of a fresh notification. Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Monday (April 5) sought public cooperation to keep the situation under control after an expert prediction that Bengaluru itself may report 6,500 COVID-19 cases per day. The expert prediction estimated that Bengaluru alone may report 6,500 COVID-19 cases per day by the middle of this month if control measures are not strictly followed. "Technical advisory committee in their report has said till May-end we have to take things seriously and together fight it (COVID), without the cooperation from the public, the government alone cannot do anything," Sudhakar said, news agency PTI reported. Speaking to reporters, he said that saving lives was important and the government was committed to it. "An expert from the technical advisory committee has said that there are chances of Bengaluru alone reporting nearly 6,500 cases per day by April 20, we have already reached 3,500, we have to see," he said. Dr Giridhara R Babu, Professor and Head Lifecourse Epidemiology, Public Health Foundation of India, has said at this rate, Bengaluru will have about 6,500 daily cases by April 20. "Even if 10 per cent of them require hospitalisation, the health system will run out of capacity in a few days. We need action now, not tomorrow. Stay home people, wear masks if going out and get a vaccine when eligible," the epidemiologist has tweeted. Sudhakar also indicated that the Chief Minister may call a meeting of opposition leaders to discuss the COVID-19 situation soon. The Health Minister said, 10 lakh vaccines have been sent by the Centre to Bengaluru by flight and about 5 lakh have been sent to Belagavi by road. "Till yesterday 46,02,000 vaccinations have been done, I had said that only about 12 lakh vaccines are remaining, but after speaking to the union health Minister and principal secretary yesterday they responded to it immediately and have sent over 15 lakh vaccines," he said. Noting that because of weekend holidays, there is a slight dip in the number of infected cases, Sudhakar said, in Bengaluru about 2,700 and 4,553 across Karnataka have been reported on Sunday. Wearing masks has to be strictly followed, he said, the Prime Minister yesterday has reviewed the situation in eight states and the respective states have been given the responsibility to take necessary steps. Enforcement of strict measures have been advised if there is an increase in cases, he further said, "...I request everyone for cooperation to see to that such a situation does not arise in Karnataka, only by strictly adhering to precautionary measures will we be able to control the spread." Pointing out that spike in cases will lead to problems like shortage of beds at ICUs and hospitals, the Minister said that they will be able to take care of this issue to an extent in Bengaluru. Live TV CEO Nader Pourhassan said the infusion of capital will help ensure we have sufficient quantities of leronlimab available upon any potential approvals for COVID-19 treatment CytoDyn Inc ( ), a biotechnology company developing its flagship drug Vyrologix (leronlimab-PRO 140) for multiple indications, announced Monday that it has completed an additional potentially non-dilutive convertible debt offering with an institutional investor, which provides "$25 million of immediately available capital." The note has a two-year maturity, bears interest at the rate of 10% per annum and is secured by assets belonging to the company, excluding its intellectual property. The note may be converted at the option of the investor into shares at a conversion price of $10.00 per share. In a statement, CytoDyn CEO Nader Pourhassan said: We are very pleased with the institutions demonstration of confidence and their understanding of leronlimabs positioning on its regulatory trajectory. This infusion of capital will help ensure we have sufficient quantities of leronlimab available upon any potential approvals for COVID-19 treatment. We believe leronlimabs power to help COVID-19 critically ill population is unmatchable. In the interim, we are very excited with the opportunity to sell leronlimab in the Philippines under Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) and potentially other countries under similar situations," he added. CytoDyn also revealed on Monday that the CSP patient in the Philippines improved significantly 35 hours after receiving a 700 mg injection of Vyrologix under a licensed physicians request for CSP to treat COVID-19 patients. According to the company, the CSP patient spent 10 days on high-flow oxygen, was treated with multiple doses of dexamethasone and then tocilizumab during that period and did not improve. The physician in charge of the patient was pleased to report that, 35 hours after the subcutaneous injection of leronlimab, the patient was removed from high-flow oxygen and was breathing on his own, said the company in a statement. The patient was discharged from the hospital on April 3. We are very pleased to see leronlimab used in the first patient in the Philippines. We are ready to ship more product for any patients, who request leronlimab under CSP in the Philippines, said Pourhassan. He reiterated the company's commitment to the Philippines of at least 100,000 doses upon the FDA Philippines granting Emergency Use Authorization (EUA)." The Vancouver, Washington-based biotechnology company's leronlimab works by mitigating what is known as the cytokine storm, a hyperactive immune response that can cause inflammation, fatigue and, in severe cases, organ failure. Aside from COVID-19, the FDA has granted Fast Track designation to CytoDyn for two potential indications of leronlimab for critical illnesses. The first is a combination therapy with HAART for HIV-infected patients and the second is for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive WASHINGTON, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Students from the Rice Space Institute will have an opportunity this week to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will air live at 10:10 a.m. EDT Thursday, April 8, on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website. NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Mike Hopkins will answer prerecorded video questions from students in the greater Houston area, Scotland, and Ecuador who are connected through the Rice Space Institute. The Rice Space Institute, at Rice University in Houston, fosters interdisciplinary research and education focusing on space science, engineering, and technology development. The event will be held virtually. U.S. media interested in covering it should contact Mike Williams at 671-281-6854 or [email protected]. Scottish media interested in covering the event should contact Kim McAllister at 07740-336991 or [email protected]. Ecuadorian media interested in covering the event should contact Robert Aillon at 593-98-647-9655 or [email protected]. Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance, and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Astronauts living in space on the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Space Network's Tracking and Data Relay Satellites. For more than 20 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked on the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Through NASA's Artemis program, the agency will return astronauts to the Moon, with eventual human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers the Artemis Generation ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery. Follow America's Moon to Mars exploration at: https://www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars Follow NASA astronauts on social media at: https://www.twitter.com/NASA_astronauts See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at: https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov Editor's note: This article, originally published on April 5, 2021, has been updated to reflect recent developments. Details of the 2020 SolarWinds attack continue to unfold, and it may be years before the final damages can be tallied. While it is hard to say if the SolarWinds software supply-chain compromise will become known as the highest-impact cyber intrusion ever, it did catch many people off guard despite the security industrys frequent warnings that supply chains pose substantial risks, according to Eric Parizo, principal analyst of security operations at Omdia, a global research firm. The SolarWinds attack is unprecedented because of "its capability to cause significant physical consequences," says University of Richmond management professor Shital Thekdi, an expert on risk management and industrial and operations engineering. The attack "impacted critical infrastructure providers, potentially impacting energy and manufacturing capacities, she said, and created an ongoing intrusion that should be treated as a serious event with potential for great harm. Following is a timeline of how events related to the SolarWinds hack have unfolded, to date. SolarWinds hack timeline (last updated March 28, 2021) December 8, 2020 How the discovery began FireEye, a prominent cybersecurity firm, announced they were a victim to a nation-state attack. The security team reported their Red Team toolkit, containing applications used by ethical hackers in penetration tests, was stolen. December 13, 2020 Initial detection FireEye discovered a supply chain attack while it was investigating the nation-state attack on its own Red Team toolkit. The researchers stumbled across evidence that attackers entered a backdoor in the SolarWinds software trojanizing SolarWinds Orion business software updates to distribute malware. FireEye dubbed it SUNBURST. December 13 SolarWinds begins notifying customers, including a post on its Twitter account, "SolarWinds asks all customers to upgrade immediately to Orion Platform version 2020.2.1 HF 1 to address a security vulnerability." December 14 SolarWinds files an SEC Form 8-K report, stating in part that the company "has been made aware of a cyberattack that inserted a vulnerability within its Orion monitoring products". On this date and next, the company issued two "hotfix" security patches to address the vulnerability. December 15, 2020 Victims named and timeline moves back Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Commerce and Treasury Departments, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Institutes of Health, and the State Department were all affected. Various security officials and vendors expressed serious dismay that the attack was more widespread and began much earlier than expected. The initial attack date was now pegged to sometime in March 2020, which meant the attack had been underway for months before its detection. More technical details also began to emerge, illustrating how well the malicious activity was covered and why it was hard to detect. December 17, 2020: New victims revealed The Energy Department (DOE) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which maintains the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, were publicly named as victims of the attack. December 19, 2020: 200 more victims listed Recorded Future, a cybersecurity firm, identified an additional list of government agencies and companies around the world that had also been attacked, but did not publicly reveal their identities. Using Twitter for his first comments on the attack, then-U.S. President Donald Trump publicly suggested that China, not Russia, was the source, and also described the hack as a hoax. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other senior members of the administration disputed these claims the same day, stating that "we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity." December 31, 2020: Microsoft says the Russian attackers breached some of its source code The software giant said that the attackers could not modify code, products, or email and they did not use Microsoft goods to attack other victims. By this point, the attacks are largely thought to have begun as far back as October 2019when hackers breached the Texas company SolarWinds. January 5, 2021: Joint statement by FBI, CISA, ODNI, and NSA released The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), CISA, The office of the National Director of Intelligence (ODNI), and the National Security Agency (NSA), jointly released a statement on the formation of the Cyber Unified Coordination Group, which indicates that an advanced persistent threat (APT) actor, likely Russian in origin, is responsible for most or all of the recently discovered, ongoing cyber compromises of both government and non-governmental networks. At this time, we believe this was, and continues to be, an intelligence gathering effort. January 6, 2021: CISA issues supplemental guidance CISAs supplemental guidance required US government agencies that ran affected versions of SolarWinds Orion conduct forensic analysis; those that accept the risk of running the software comply with certain hardening requirements, and new reporting requirements by agency from department-level CIOs. The deadlines for the agency CIO reports were Tuesday, January 19, and Monday, January 25, 2021. January 27, 2021: CISA releases a report on Supernova, the malware that was deployed using a vulnerability in the Orion Platform, and after the Orion Platform had been installed. January 29, 2021: SolarWinds issues an advisory for both Sunburst and Supernova. February 19, 2021: Biden Administration declares intent to punish Russia for SolarWinds attack Jake Sullivan, national security advisor, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that President Joe Biden's administration would look at a broad range of responses after an investigation to further pinpoint the identities of the attackers. February 23, 2021: First Congressional hearing Microsoft and FireEye testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on the SolarWinds attacks. A transcript and a video of the hearing is available on C-Span. Microsoft President Brad Smith said its "researchers believed at least 1,000 very skilled, very capable engineers worked on the SolarWinds hack. This is the largest and most sophisticated sort of operation that we have seen, Smith told senators. All defended their own actions before and after the attacks, and all fingers pointed at Russia as the attacker. February 26, 2021: Second Congressional hearing The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the House Committee on Homeland Security held a joint hearing examining recent cybersecurity incidents affecting government and private sector networks, including the supply chain attack targeting SolarWinds Orion Software and other cyberattacks. On December 17, the Committees launched an investigation into the cyberattacks. On December 18, the Unified Coordination Group provided a classified Member briefing by telephone about the attacks. February 24, 2021: SolarWinds issues a FAQ: Security Advisory. This advisory offered further guidance to SolarWinds customers on how to tell if they were affected, what steps to take, and answers to related questions. March 15, 2021: A Public Affairs spokesperson in the National Press Office of the FBI answered no comment to CSOonline.coms questions on the current status of the SolarWinds attacks, stating that the investigation is ongoing. March 28, 2021: Reports state DHS, cybersecurity leaders' emails compromised The Associated Press reported that the SolarWinds hackers "gained access to email accounts belonging to the Trump administrations head of the Department of Homeland Security and members of the departments cybersecurity staff whose jobs included hunting threats from foreign countries." May 29, 2021: Microsoft reports a new wave of attacks by the Russia-affiliated Nobelium gang now linked to the SolarWinds hack. This round was launched by "gaining access to the Constant Contact account of USAID," the US Agency for International Development. Using this access, the attack involved phishing emails with a link that leads to insertion of a malicious file and a backdoor that can be used for data theft. What now? What next? While the country and the world waits for the final measure of the costs and scale of the SolarWinds attack, it is clear to all that the impact continues. There are a multitude of reasons why there could still be vulnerable systems out there or with the vulnerable systems patched an attacker could have pivoted and maintained persistence without the company knowing. Some SolarWinds customers may still be unaware that they have SolarWinds on their network. Maybe the staff that installed it isnt employed there anymore or maybe key personnel didnt hear the news or the company doesnt have the tools to detect it, warns Amanda Berlin, a security consultant and co-author of the Defensive Security Handbook. So many environments have limited visibility into what is happening that they may never know until something goes wrong. In any case, the future implications are considered grim if lessons learned from this are not acted upon. From a long-term perspective, enterprises should not only ensure they have a data exfiltration prevention program, assuming all other defenses fail, but also seek to develop a cyber kill chain for supply-chain compromises, creating as many opportunities as possible to prevent, disrupt, or at least quickly detect them, said Omdia analyst Parizo. This should include software risk management best practices, such as NIST's Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management (C-SCRM), and establishing a baseline set of software security requirements that must be met by any software vendor prior to a purchase, Parizo added. Reduction in taxation and a push from the government for self-reliance has prompted one of Indias largest MRO (maintenance repair and overhaul) company, to gain more business and look out for more investors. is the largest 'independent' MRO provider in the country. Whether us or our competitors, our hangars now are chock a block. These has happened primarily because we have upped the facilities and two is the governments push in keeping business inside the country, said D Anand Bhaskar, chairman and managing director at Despite being one of the fastest growing aviation markets, around 85 per cent of the $1.4 billion maintenance work of Indian airlines is carried out overseas and the government hopes that policy sweeteners will attract investment in the sector, generate employment and reduce import dependence. To stop that Last year, the government cut goods and services tax (GST) rate on repair and maintenance work from 18 to 5 per cent. To further incentivise the industry, it will lease out land at airports at discounted rates to repair units. Airports such as Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad Juhu, Kolkata and Tirupati, among others, have been identified for the purpose. Also, AAI has land parcels in Delhi that are also being considered for lease. The going out of country for primary maintenance functions like C checks is history now. All those things are being here. Our hangar occupancy is around 90 percent now, said Bhaskar. The change announced by finance minister Nirmala SItharaman in last years Covid relief package was put into effect swiftly and Bhaskar says he saw instant results saying Covid has been a blessing in disguise. Attracted by the cheaper cost structure that Indian could provide and partly forced as they couldnt send their abroad, Indian airlines started sending their planes for maintenance checks to Indian like Air Works. We were pleasantly surprised by the service they provided, said a head of engineering of a private airline adding that he is planning to increase order size for Air Works. The language of discussion has changed. Earlier it used to be case by case. I have two aircraft which needs a C-check. Can you do that? Now we are looking to sign annual repair contracts with them (Air Works), the person said. Buoyed by the resurgence, the company, which has been backed by private equity firms since inception sources said have been pitching itself to new investors. Air Works first got its funding from private equity in 20027 when GTI Capital, a New York-based venture capital and private equity firm, and construction and engineering firm Punj Lloyd invested $10 million each. Bhaskar says that investors like private equity funds should be convinced to put money in the MRO sector, as they have been profitable. With profits and volumes, we will be able to streamline flow of funds into the sector. We may not give multiples like the software industry but we are profitable, he says. Over the years, the MRO has also sold non-core businesses, including a paint shop Air Livery, part of paint shop ATE in France and its Argus unit. The proceeds helped reduce Air Works debt by more than 60 percent and open a new maintenance base in Kochi, an Indian port city with nearly 700,000 people. We have been very entrepreneurial in setting up the facility at Cochin and at a very good price point. My commitment to promoters is to break even in three years and make it attractive for investors, Bhaskar says. A large market that Air Works is tapping in is the contract of redelivery of aircraft from Indias largest airline IndiGo to lessors Over the next two years IndiGo will replace more than 100 Airbus A320 aircraft for new generation aircraft. The airline before redelivery has to ensure that the aircraft is in a similar condition when the delivery was taken. Thats music for an MRO company like us. The business value is almost three times to a normal maintenance check, Bhaskar says. WESTHAMPTON Diana L. Bonneville, currently the South Hadley school districts interim superintendent, was named superintendent last week of the five-town Hampshire Regional School District by a unanimous vote. She was among four finalists for the position. Her appointment is subject to successful negotiations of a labor contract, which are scheduled on Thursday. The goal is for Bonneville to be in place by July 1, regional school board chair Margaret Larson said on Monday. The other finalists were Beth Choquette, the principal at Bridge Street School in Northampton; the Oxford school district assistant superintendent Susan Henrichon; and Stacey Jenkins, an internal candidate, who is principal at Anne T. Dunphy elementary school in Williamsburg. In addition to Williamsburg and the K-6 school in town, the district includes K-6 schools in Westhampton, and in Southampton, and a regional Chesterfield-Goshen K-6. The Hampshire region includes the regional 7-12 grades, for the five towns. There are separated school committees for each: Hampshire region; Chesterfield-Goshen; Westhampton, Southampton and Williamsburg, with a combined total of about 36 school board members. Michael Sullivan was appointed interim superintendent of the district last year following abrupt resignation of Aaron Osborne, whose contract was to expire this coming June. Bonneville, the South Hadley districts high school principal since 2012, accepted the interim post following former superintendent Nicholas Youngs abrupt resignation in November 2019. Though she was a finalist, the South Hadley board named the Nashua N.H. superintendent Jahmal Mosely as next school chief. Mosley, who grew up in Brockton, began his education career as a special education teacher in the city of Cambridge starting in 1998. He is slated to start as the South Hadley school chief on July 1, according to a four-year contract he signed Dec. 21 with the school board with a starting salary of $174,000, and 1.3% annual wage increases. A total of 1.2 million Pfizer vaccines will arrive in Spain this Monday, 5 April, according to the country's Minister of Health, Carolina Darias. These new doses are added to the 1,056,500 AstraZeneca vaccines that Spain received on Easter Thursday, and that were distributed on Good Friday among the regions. "This is a significant number of vaccines," stressed the Minister of Health, who added that each week the number of doses available will increase. Darias also recogned the "efforts" that are being made by all the regions "that have not stopped vaccinating, not even this Easter week". By Saturday the regions had administered a total of 8,548,598 doses of the Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer / BioNtech, Moderna and AstraZeneca. This represents 88.2 per cent of the 9,689,995 doses delivered to Spain. According to data from the Ministry of Health, by Friday (2 April) a total of 2,841,148 people had received their complete dose of two vaccines. Andalucia leads the table for the number of vaccines injected by region followed by Catalonia and Madrid. LOS ANGELES, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to bring awareness to the current border crisis, Congressional Candidate Joe Collins will be visiting the San Diego Convention Center, where hundreds of migrant children are being sheltered, on Tuesday, April 6 at 8:30 AM PDT. The San Diego County Office of Education has received criticism since they began offering in person classes to migrant children over American children. Joe Collins realizes more than ever the importance of solving our current border crisis. Joe Collins is a US Congressional Candidate and Navy Veteran Hundreds of thousands of American children are unable to return to school because of states' reactions to the COVID pandemic. Despite these restrictions, Biden's administration appears to be prioritizing the in-person education of unaccompanied minors entering the country illegally. Collins stated, "I'm not thrilled to see the damage that the Biden administration's call to the border is causing but I want to see for myself what is going on in these facilities. It's time politicians like Biden and Maxine be held accountable for their policies and how they impact the American people. Our children deserve to be put first. With all the speculation surrounding the in-person learning happening at these facilities I want to inspect the conditions myself." President Joe Biden's announcement that he would halt deportations for the first 100 days of his administration has only urged millions of immigrants to cross the US-Mexico border illegally, resulting in a massive influx of human trafficking. Joe Collins opposes these actions because he takes a strong stance against weak borders, human trafficking, and empowering dangerous Mexican cartels. Joe Collins is a 13.5-year Navy Veteran who is running for Congress against Rep. Maxine Waters. Collins grew up in South Los Angeles and is running on a platform of reducing crime and homelessness in the area while improving the community through better education and creating a more favorable environment for businesses. In 2020, Joe Collins received nearly double the number of votes of any Republican candidate in the history of California's 43rd Congressional District. Joe E. Collins Socials Instagram: @joeecollins3 Twitter: @joeecollins3 Youtube Facebook Linkedin www. joecollinsforcongress.com Media Contact: Brittani Daniels, MPP [email protected] | 310-617-9974 SOURCE Joe Collins for Congress A popular aquatic centre was evacuated and a four-year-old boy and two others rushed to hospital after 70 litres of hydrochloric acid leaked into a spa. More than 150 people were forced out of the Hurstville Aquatic Centre in Sydney's south on Monday morning when a fault in the pool's storage system sparked the leak. The hydrochloric acid leak released a chemical vapour cloud in the facility's communal pool area, leaving children struggling to breath. A four-year-old boy and two others were rushed to hospital after hydrochloric acid leaked into a spa at the Hurstville Aquatic Centre Firefighters in hazmat suits descended on the aquatic centre in Sydney's south as more than 150 people were evacuated Paramedics treated nine people at the scene, with the boy and two males, 17 and 23, taken to St George Hospital in a stable condition. 'Hydrochloric acid, being a fairly irritant acid, has irritated everybody's airways,' NSW Ambulance Inspector David Stride said. 'When a patient is exposed to any type of chemical there's always an unknown to the extent of their injury. 'Incidents like this can happen in a matter of seconds so it's always important to be aware of your surroundings. Three people were taken by paramedics to nearby St George Hospital in a stable condition Paramedics and firefighters were called to the aquatic centre on Monday morning 'With the help of FRNSW and bystanders we did a fantastic job in evacuating the entire facility.' FRNSW said the leak is believed to be linked to a malfunction within the pool's automated filtration system. The acid vapour has been cleared through natural and fan-driven ventilation, although specialists were still monitoring the centre's air quality on Monday afternoon. Top Turkish officials on Sunday lashed out at an open letter signed by more than 100 retired admirals warning about a possible threat to a treaty governing the use of Turkey's key waterways, AFP reported. Turkey's approval last month of plans to develop a shipping canal in Istanbul comparable to the Panama or Suez canals has opened up debate about the 1936 Montreux Convention. Canal Istanbul is the most ambitious of what President Recep Tayyip Erdogan terms his "crazy projects," which have seen him transform Turkey's infrastructure with new airports, bridges, roads and tunnels during his 18 years in power. Turkish officials argue that the new canal is vital to take the pressure off Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait. But opponents say apart from its environmental impact, the new canal venture could undermine the Montreux accord. The convention guarantees the free passage through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits of civilian vessels in times of both peace and war. It also regulates the use of the strait by military vessels from non-Black Sea states. The new canal would allow ships to transit between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea without passing through part of the straits that are covered by the treaty. In their letter, 103 retired admirals said it was "worrying" to open the Montreux treaty up to debate, calling it an agreement that "best protects Turkish interests." "We are of the opinion to refrain from any kind of rhetoric or action that could make the Montreux Convention... a matter of controversy," they said. The letter drew a strong riposte from top government officials, while prosecutors in Ankara have also launched an investigation. "Not only those who signed but also those who encourage them will give an account before justice," Erdogan's top press aide Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter, referring to the probe. Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said the declaration was "reminiscent of coup times". Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the opposition CHP party is one of the strongest opponents of the canal project on financial and environmental grounds. In November, the interior ministry launched a probe into the mayor over his opposition to the canal. The California prison system has received 261 applications since January 1 from transgender, intersex, or non-binary inmates to transfer to facilities that match their preferred gender identity, the Los Angeles Times reported on Monday. The requests were filed after a state law came into effect allowing transgender inmates to transfer to different prisons. Around 1 percent of prisoners in California, 1,129 inmates in total, have notified the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that they are transgender, intersex, or non-binary. The transfers have been welcomed by transgender women who reported suffering sexual violence while incarcerated at mens prisons. However, inmates at Central California Womens Facility in Chowchilla told the Times that staff have warned them of potential sexual violence from men who may try to take advantage of the transfer system. Guards said that if we think its bad now, be prepared for the worst. That its going to be off the hook, its going to be jumping, inmate Tomiekia Johnson told the Times. They say were going to need a facility thats going to be like a maternity ward. They say were going to have an inmate program where inmates become nannies. Nina McQueen, a transgender woman and inmate at Mule Creek , said she had helped prison staff identify male inmates who attempted to transfer to womens facilities by pretending to be transgender. They wanted me in a confidential setting to tell them who is transgender and who is not, so they can block some of these guys from going to the womens prison, McQueen said. I told him I dont have a problem with it.We feel theyre climbing our backs. The California initiative to consider transfer requests from transgender inmates was passed in part to align the state with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003. The law requires prison agencies to decide on a case-by-case basis whether to transfer inmates based on their sexual or gender identity. Story continues Other states including Massachusetts and Connecticut have legislation similar to Californias allowing inmate transfers. The first such transfer took place in 2019, after a transgender woman jailed in Massachusetts sued the state in order to be placed in a womens prison. Its a hugely important development, the womans lawyer Jennifer L. Levi, director of the Transgender Rights Project at the GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, told the Boston Globe at the time. Transgender women can and need to be integrated into womens facilities and doing so is not just required, but appropriate. More from National Review WASHIINGTON, D.C. - Claiming that a 2017 Republican overhaul of the tax code rewarded corporations that move jobs overseas, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio on Monday joined a pair of Democratic Senate Finance Committee colleagues in proposing a bill they say would encourage domestic investment and ensure that mega-corporations pay their fair share of taxes. Brown said that for decades, the tax code encouraged businesses to shut down production in places like Toledo, Dayton and Youngstown and collect a tax break to move jobs to other countries where they can exploit lower-wage workers and weaker environmental rules. He said a 2017 tax reform bill championed by Republicans made problems worse. Republicans in Congress gave corporations essentially a 50% off coupon on their taxes if they move production overseas, Brown told reporters at a Monday news conference with Oregons Ron Wyden and Virginias Mark Warner. The trio want to reform three taxes Republicans created in their 2017 bill: Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI), Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII) and the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT). To overhaul GILTI, the senators propose repealing the tax exemption for overseas factories that incentivizes shipping jobs overseas, raising the GILTI rate, and moving to a country-by-country system that prevents multinational corporations from shielding income in tax havens from U.S. tax. The senators proposed high-tax exclusion would simplify the country-by-country approach by grouping income from low-tax countries together and excluding income from countries where it is already taxed at a higher rate than GILTI. Lastly, the treatment of research and development expenses would be adjusted, so that companies would no longer pay higher GILTI rates when they invest in the United States. To overhaul FDII, the senators similarly propose ending the built-in incentive to offshore factories and other assets and equalizing the FDII and GILTI rates. The offshoring incentive will be replaced with a new provision to reward current year innovation-spurring activities in the United States, like research and development. To overhaul BEAT, the senators propose restoring the value of tax credits for domestic investment. To pay for this change, the proposal creates a higher, second tax bracket for income associated with base erosion; this raises revenue from the biggest base eroders, and uses that revenue to support companies investing in the United States. Our plan is simple: Corporations should pay their fair share, just like Ohio families do, and they shouldnt get a tax break for shipping workers jobs overseas, said Brown. Were going to reward companies that create jobs and invest in America. Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee dispute claims that the GOP tax changes encouraged job exports. Its top Republican, Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, said the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) tax law halted a flood of inversions and made U.S. companies less of a target for takeovers. Another Finance Committee Republican, Ohios Rob Portman, said the 2017 law put U.S. companies on a level playing field with their foreign competitors and returned investment to the United States. During a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the issue last month, Portman said the legislation encouraged companies like Google to return intellectual property jobs to the United States. Portman said the tax code provisions Democrats dislike dont encourage offshoring, and said the foreign operations of companies like Cincinnatis Procter & Gamble are intended to serve foreign customers because they cannot ship diapers from Ohio overseas profitably. He said 90 percent of all sales of U.S. companies foreign operations are to foreign customers, and are not an offshoring of operations to serve U.S. markets. In order for U.S. companies and businesses and workers to compete in foreign markets, they need to be where the customers are, Portman told the Senate Finance Committee. Think of General Electric as an example, the engine plant is in Ohio. They sell a lot of engines overseas. Thats good. We like that. It creates jobs here. But the servicing of those engines has to be done in those foreign countries, they cant bring the engines back for service. We have Owens Corning in Ohio. They cant be competitive trying to ship glass halfway across the world, but were glad theyre an American company and that theyre able to have foreign markets. Read more: Nina Turner collects $2.2 million for congressional bid Jim Jordans campaign explains large errors on its Federal Election Commission reports Former Ohio GOP chair Jane Timken raises $2.1 million for U.S. Senate bid U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan gives update on Friday attack that killed police officer and knife-wielding assailant at U.S. Capitol Planned Parenthood sues Ohio over its telemedicine abortion ban President Joe Biden deputizes Marcia Fudge to sell his infrastructure plan Joe Biden unveils infrastructure plan amid criticism from Ohio Republicans President Biden will outline his infrastructure plan today in Pittsburgh - here are some details Ohio Congress members introduce legislation to create a manufacturing czar Sen. Sherrod Brown wants to use Congressional Review Act to overturn Trump-era financial rules Ohio retirees take victory lap after pension fix is included in American Rescue Plan FEMA to provide up to $9,000 in financial assistance for coronavirus funerals Ohio health centers will get more than $160 million for coronavirus vaccinations and vulnerable group services (CNN) Pope Francis condemned "scandalous" armed conflicts around the world, naming Myanmar and Tigray among other areas, during his Easter Sunday mass. Francis led the service in St. Peter's Basilica, in a scaled-back event due to COVID-19 precautions. He also called for vaccines to be shared with the world's poorest countries. "The pandemic is still spreading, while the social and economic crisis remains severe, especially for the poor. Nonetheless -- and this is scandalous -- armed conflicts have not ended and military arsenals are being strengthened," the Pope said. "May the efforts to resolve conflicts peacefully continue, in respect for human rights and the sacredness of life, through fraternal and constructive dialogue in a spirit of reconciliation and true solidarity," he added. "May the power of the risen Lord sustain the peoples of Africa who see their future compromised by internal violence and international terrorism, especially in the Sahel and Nigeria, as well as in Tigray and the Cabo Delgado region." He also addressed younger followers, "especially to the young people of Myanmar committed to supporting democracy and making their voices heard peacefully, in the knowledge that hatred can be dispelled only by love." The spiritual leader of the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics made multiple references to the pandemic as he spoke but ultimately focused on a message of hope. "The risen Christ is hope for all who continue to suffer from the pandemic, both the sick and those who have lost a loved one," he said. Francis also called vaccines an "an essential tool" in the fight against COVID-19. Concern about vaccine nationalism has been mounting worldwide in recent weeks. "I urge the entire international community, in a spirit of global responsibility, to commit to overcoming delays in the distribution of vaccines and to facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries," Francis said Sunday. Restrictions in the Vatican The event marks the second year in a row that Easter crowds have been prevented from gathering at the Vatican due to the global pandemic. All papal services this year were attended by about 200 people in the secondary altar of St. Peter's Basilica. Easter Sunday is the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar and marks the day Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead after being crucified on Good Friday. Typically, up to 10,000 members of the faithful fill St. Peter's Square. This year, Francis delivered the blessing from the altar of the basilica to prevent worshipers crowding into the piazza. At an Easter vigil on Saturday, Francis said he hoped the dark times of the pandemic would end and that people could rediscover "the grace of everyday life." And on Good Friday he hugged and greeted children who attended a special Stations of the Cross ceremony at the Vatican. The Pope's travel has been heavily restricted due to the pandemic but he did travel to Iraq last month, for the first ever papal visit to the country. Saturday's service began two hours earlier than usual so participants could return home before Rome's 10 p.m. curfew. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Pope condemns 'scandalous' armed conflicts in scaled-down Easter Sunday mass." It was announced last week that the 93rd Academy Awards were not only set to take place between two locations in Los Angeles but also an additional 'British hub' despite other award shows opting to go the 'virtual' route amid the COVID-19 pandemic. And it seems like producers of the award ceremony have an additional trick up their sleeve. The Oscars - which are set to take place on Sunday, April 25 - are being produced by 2001 Best Director winner Steven Soderbergh as well as longtime collaborator Stacey Sher and pandemic awards-show expert Jesse Collins. The trio recently spoke to Vanity Fair about the constantly-changing and top-secret plans for Hollywood's biggest night which include creating a European outpost - which was announced last week - after backlash that ensued after saying Zoom for nominees would not be an option. Interesting: The Oscars - which are set to take place on Sunday, April 25 - are set to take place between two locations in Los Angeles, 'British hub', and a 'secret' location Sher said: 'Our hope was to get everybody in when things seemed they were getting better, and then it changed again. 'Our goal in setting out to have a show where everyone matters and every category matters was certainly not to say, "and only if youre in the U.S. and you can get here." There was never, ever, for a second a moment where there wasnt going to be a way to include everybody.' Soderbergh went on to reveal that in addition to the LA hub - split between the Dolby Theatre and Union Station - and what has been referred to as the 'British hub,' that there also will be another surprise location. The Traffic filmmaker said: 'Again, this is why we kept postponing these meetings that we were supposed to be having, where we were telling people what were planning to do. And we kept pushing them because the guidelines kept changing. So it became clear, weve got to have a hub in the U.K. Theres just no way around that. 'We have a surprise throw to another location that we wont reveal, but its super cool. And we have the segment at the Dolby as well.' Golden: The 93rd Academy Awards are being produced by 2001 Best Director winner Steven Soderbergh, as he is seen in Toronto back in September 2019 Dynamic duo: Soderbergh's longtime collaborator Stacey Sher and pandemic awards-show expert Jesse Collins are also producing the star-studded event Further straying from their original 'No Zoom' policy, producers behind the 93rd Academy Awards are now no longer totally ruling out the video conferencing program, but are hoping it won't come to that point. Producers are also working with local broadcast affiliates around the world to provide satellite links for other international nominees to accept the honors/attend. This is obviously a major hurdle for the show as Soderbergh explained to Vanity Fair: 'Trying to coordinate getting the nominees to our broadcast partners in all of these other territories, to get them into a studio where we can control how it looks and how it sounds, and make it look integrated into everything else that were doing. Thats a huge logistical challenge. 'Its just crazy. But the good news is we have an incredible team and everybodys working seven days a week, 12, 14 hours a day, if not more, to try and make this all look easy.' As there have been many triumphs and failures of award show broadcasts in the COVID-19 pandemic era, the Sex, Lies, And Videotape director is hoping to put on an entertaining program in a cinematic way in order to captivate viewers. Change of plans? Further straying from their original 'No Zoom' policy, producers behind the 93rd Academy Awards are now no longer totally ruling out the video conferencing program, but are hoping it won't come to that point Soderbergh explained: 'The most exciting thing about this show is that it is going to feel like a film, in the sense that, at the end, we hope itll feel like you watched a movie. 'Everybody will be a character: Every nominee, every person that gives an award, will feel like characters in a film. And in the end, youll know who everybody was and what they wanted. Youll have a connection to everyone in this show. What we want to do is have this three-hour movie in which some awards are given out.' There is no word yet on how live music performances will be incorporated into the show like previous years but Questlove - drummer of legendary hip-hop crew The Roots - has been commissioned by the producers to oversee the telecast's musical components. Collins told Vanity Fair: 'You will definitely feel his presence throughout the show. 'Hes been an incredible part of the creative process, and hes going to bring a lot of cool, a lot of fun, a lot of energy. You know, we want this show to have pace, we dont want it to drag, and I think he will be a big part of that.' The three producers announced the 'British hub' in a virtual meeting last Tuesday seemingly in response to backlash due to travelling concerns. Talented: There is no word yet on how live music performances will be incorporated into the show like previous years but Questlove - drummer of legendary hip-hop crew The Roots - has been commissioned by the producers to oversee the telecast's musical components The Los Angeles hub will also include a traditional red carpet component, with producers 'planning something special for the UK location.' This came shortly after it was reported that international nominees/attendees would be expected to quarantine for 10 days prior to the Los Angeles-based ceremony, while those living in LA (or flying in domestically) would have to isolate for five days. Last Monday, an email obtained by Showbiz411 alleged that all international nominees were advised to prepare to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival to Los Angeles. The email also allegedly stated that the Academy would handle all COVID tests, with three tests being required leading up to the show for international travelers. LA-based nominees and those located in other parts of the US are being asked to 'quarantine for 5 days'. 'There will be 2 COVID tests required leading up to the show,' the email reportedly reads. The Academy is reportedly grappling with COVID-19 restrictions as it's revealed that international nominees will be expected to quarantine for 10 days while those living in LA or flying in domestically will have to isolate for five ahead of the Oscars (2020 pictured) show According to the email, tickets for nominees are 'non-transferrable' and organizers 'will not be able to credential studio nor personal reps to be onsite'. Variety and Deadline Hollywood reported last week that publicists and some studio executives have complained to the film academy about logistics, costs and quarantine issues raised by the decision to bar nominees from taking part in the ceremony remotely. The Academy did not return a request for comment on the reports. At least nine nominees, including Promising Young Woman director Emerald Fennell and star Carey Mulligan, live in Britain. England this week is expected to ban nonessential international travel until mid-May. Representatives of the five international feature films - submitted by Denmark, Hong Kong, Romania, Tunisia and Bosnia - could also face hurdles getting to Los Angeles. Some of the other 200 or so nominees will be working on productions that require quarantine or living in restricted 'bubbles' with cast and crew. Other awards shows in recent months have replaced the usual in-person gatherings at gala dinners and on stage with pre-recorded appearances or virtual events, or a combination of those with small in-person gatherings. Unlike most awards shows this year, the Oscars will not be held virtually on April 25. The Academy will hand out the highest honors in the movie industry at the historic Union Station (pictured) in Downtown Los Angeles But television audiences have slumped, with the Golden Globes and the Grammys attracting the smallest numbers in decades. The Academy will hand out the highest honors in the movie industry at the historic Union Station in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, April 25 and also at the traditional home of the Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Besides quarantining, attendees are also being told to bring a mask, even if the show is being designed so that people do not have to wear them on stage or in the audience. There will also be a rotation of nominees in and out of the room throughout the evening. The Hollywood Reporter reported that will be a 'state-of-the-art' testing facility just for the Academy Awards and that additional quarantining costs for nominees will be offset by partnerships with airlines and hotels. And while most of the traditional events leading up to the Oscars have been canceled, there will be an outdoor celebration for nominees the day prior the show. The other part of the show will be held at the traditional home of the Academy Awards, the Dolby Theatre (pictured) in Hollywood And while the option of 'Zoom-ing' into the show is still up in the air for nominees, winners not in attendance will be able to Zoom into the virtual press interview room following the ceremony. The 93rd Oscars will be broadcast live on ABC on April 25 at 8 p.m. Eastern. One place the ceremony will not be airing live is China as media regulators in the country decided last month to not air the event live on its streaming platforms with a censored version likely to air later. And now days ago, Beijing-backed Hong Kong broadcaster TVB said it will not air the telecast in the city marking the first time in 50 years it has failed to do so. According to The Washington Post on Saturday, the reason appears to be Do Not Split which is a 35-minute film made at the front lines of the 2019 Hong Kong democracy protests that has been nominated in the documentary short category. There also seems to be concerned over a platform for Chloe Zhao, who has previously made comments critical of China, as her film Nomadland is the frontrunner for best picture and director. Edmonton, Canada's train service has already installed "germ-killing" seats from Outbreaker Solutions in their train cars in hopes of fighting against COVID-19. The concept of "germ-killing" generates a positive and robust impression during this pandemic, especially as COVID-19 is still present and vaccination is still ongoing among the public. The only concern right now for this venture is the effectiveness of the surface and technology used to prevent the spread and stemming of the virus from one person to another. Experts are continuing to study the effectiveness of these seats in stemming the spread of different pathogens. Still, the company assures the public that its product aims to do so. Germ-Killing Seats in Public Trains in Canada According to Global News Canada, the Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) has already installed the seats on 57 out of the 94 train cars that service the routes of the public commuters every day. Additionally, these seats have been using the technology and plastic that effectively kills viruses, including pathogens from the different variations, within two hours. The seats were designed by Outbreaker Solutions, which has been providing their technology for germ-killing surfaces that uses biotechnology to fight against different foreign substances that may bring diseases. The company's antimicrobial technology is designed to kill the said viruses and stem the spread of different viral pathogens. The seats were also manufactured by a U.S. company called Uniform Color Company that has provided the designs and material embedded with Outbreaker Solution's biotechnology. The fight against COVID-19 has been an extensive one, and using it for public transportation is one way to keep the public safe from harm. Read Also: PS5 Restock April 2021: Where to Buy; Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and More! [GUIDE] Outbreaker's Germ-Killing Seats: Are They Effective? An epidemiologist has revealed that it is still too early to release effectivity ratings or evaluation on the germ-killing seats in Edmonton, as its technology is fairly new and remains untested for various implications. However, Cynthia Carr said that the addition of these preventive measures would contribute to positivity while in public. As added by Carr, these technology and preventive measures "add to the layers of protection" and helps people get at ease when taking public transportation from one place to another. However, she warned that it should not be used to give people a "false sense of security" as it could prove to public distrust and further harm. Related Article: COVID-19 Could Also Endanger Bats: Here's How Likely Humans to Transmit the Virus to Them This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A military dog has been reunited with her former handler for retirement after being separated for 18-months. Angela Cardone, 22, a US Marine Corps Sergeant, was paired with five-year-old hound Bogi during their service in Iwakuni, Japan, from July 2018 to October 2019, having already trained together for two years. The pair quickly formed an unbreakable bond and were devastated when Angela was reassigned to Honolulu, Hawaii, forcing her to leave Bogi behind in Japan without getting a chance to say a proper goodbye. Now, reunited with her faithful canine and settled in Kaneohe, Hawaii, Angela said: 'The first few moments seeing Bogi were indescribable, it's like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest. Angela Cardone, 22, a US Marine Corps Sergeant, was paired with five-year-old hound Bogi (pictured together, left) during their service in Iwakuni, Japan, from July 2018 to October 2019, having already trained together for two years. Pictured right: Angela and Bogi being reunited in February The pair (pictured) quickly formed an unbreakable bond and were devastated when Angela was reassigned to Honolulu, Hawaii, forcing her to leave Bogi behind in Japan without getting a chance to say a proper goodbye 'I've been thinking about this pretty much since the day I left her but I never thought that this day would actually come. It's a really heartwarming type of feeling.' Bogi, the Belgian Malinois, suffered a break in her neck during service which forced her into early retirement as she is now unable to even wear a collar. The pair were reunited last month on February 18 at Queen Kapi'olani Hotel. Angela was 20-years-old when she was assigned Bogi as her first ever military dog, a pup at only two-years-old and fresh out of her initial training. During service together in Japan the two regularly conducted patrols and safety sweeps of buildings and cars, as well as searching baggage and aircraft for potential threats. Now, reunited with her faithful canine and settled in Kaneohe, Hawaii, Angela said: 'The first few moments (pictured) seeing Bogi were indescribable, it's like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest' Bogi (pictured with Angela), the Belgian Malinois, suffered a break in her neck during service which forced her into early retirement as she is now unable to even wear a collar The pair (pictured during their service together) were reunited last month on February 18 at Queen Kapi'olani Hotel Angela said: 'Initially, I was not excited to work with Bogi because she didn't really know that many commands, she didn't even know her name. 'But after a month of working with her I realised that we had the exact same personality, super clumsy, goofy, and we worked really, really well together. 'No matter what I could always depend on her for anything, she always put me in a better mood, and always shocked me when new training techniques started showing. 'She built my confidence as a dog handler and a person and I looked at her as my daughter.' Angela was 20-years-old when she was assigned Bogi (pictured together) as her first ever military dog, a pup at only two-years-old and fresh out of her initial training During service together in Japan the two (above) regularly conducted patrols and safety sweeps of buildings and cars, as well as searching baggage and aircraft for potential threats During their 18-month separation Angela was devastated and couldn't stop thinking about Bogi. She said: 'Being without her, it kind of felt like a piece of me was missing. She was the most loyal thing in my life at the time, so not having that outlet to go and see her anytime I wanted definitely sucked. 'I was always hoping the other handlers were treating her really well and I just really want to give her a really good retirement.' Now, having adopted Bogi, the military police officer can do exactly that. During their 18-month separation Angela (pictured) was devastated and couldn't stop thinking about Bogi Bogi was reunited with Angela (pictured together) with the help of American Humane, the US's largest humane organisation Angela said: 'I'm most looking forward to letting her sleep on the couch and in my bed, and I'm going to take her to get a Pupachino from Starbucks.' Bogi was reunited with Angela with the help of American Humane, the US's largest humane organisation. The organisation has a military program dedicated to reuniting K-9 veterans and former handlers and giving them the best retirement, with ongoing vet care and financial support. Dr. Robin Ganzert, president of American Humane, said: 'American Humane is honoured to bring Bogi home to reunite with her best friend, Sgt. Angela Cardone. The organisation has a military program dedicated to reuniting K-9 veterans and former handlers and giving them the best retirement, with ongoing vet care and financial support. Pictured, Angela reunited with her dog Bogi (pictured) made her journey across the Pacific, with a stop over to rest with a registered handler, thanks to the funding and coordination efforts of American Humane, who will also cover her vet costs for the rest of her life 'We are thrilled to give Bogi the dignified, comfortable retirement she deserves. Sgt. Cardone and Bogi made so many sacrifices in service to our country, bringing them back together is the least we can do in return. 'American Humane is dedicated to honouring the lifesaving contributions of all veterans, including the four-legged heroes who serve our country.' Bogi made her journey across the Pacific, with a stop over to rest with a registered handler, thanks to the funding and coordination efforts of American Humane, who will also cover her vet costs for the rest of her life. Angela said: 'I just want to thank American Humane for making this all possible, without them I definitely would not have Bogi here with me today.' Advertisement A ferry disaster in Bangladesh has left at least 26 dead after it collided with a cargo ship on Sunday, with rescuers still pulling bodies out of the water. The sunken ferry was extracted from the heavily polluted Shitalakshya River in the central district of Narayanganj on Monday as hundreds of onlookers and relatives of the missing watched from the shore. 'We have found 21 bodies today after the ship was pulled out of the water,' local official Mustain Billah told AFP. Officials later said rescuers have now recovered 25 bodies, adding to the earlier count. 'Most of the bodies were found inside the sunken boat after it was dragged to the bank,' Billah added. Fire and civil defence official Ershad Hossain said rescuers recovered five bodies overnight and 20 others on Monday. Nine other people remained missing, he said. An investigation has been ordered. Onlookers and relatives gather after the authorities recovered the capsized boat in Shitalakshya River, in Narayanganj on April 5, 2021. 26 people are believed to have died in the accident, with rescuers still finding bodies Pictured: Divers recover a body from the capsized boat in Shitalakshya River, in Narayanganj on April 5, 2021. The sunken ferry was extracted from the heavily polluted on Monday after the accident on Sunday A man holds a mourner who fainted at the site where several people died as a ferry collided with a cargo vessel and sank on Sunday, April 5, 2021 The one-and-a-half storey Sabit Al Hasan sank after it collided with a bigger cargo vessel on Sunday. The vessel had departed less than an hour earlier from Narayanganj, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Dhaka, officials told AFP. Relatives gathered at the river bank to search for their loved ones. Rescuers, including divers from the fire brigade, were searching for survivors on Monday. A local police inspector said the ferry was packed with passengers after the government confirmed it would impose a seven-day lockdown across the country to combat the recent rise in coronavirus cases. Billah said the ship was carrying at least 46 people when it left. 'Some 20 people swam to safety after the vessel sank,' he told AFP, adding several people could still be missing. 'We have ordered a probe into the accident,' he said. Onlookers and relatives gather after the authorities recover the capsized boat in Shitalakshya River, in Narayanganj on April 5, 2021. A crane pulled to boat out of the river a day after the accident, leaving little hope for those who were on board The vessel had departed less than an hour earlier from Narayanganj, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Dhaka, officials told AFP, before it crashed with a much larger vessel, causing to to capsize Pictured: Rescue workers search for bodies to recover from a ferry that collided with a cargo vessel and sank on Sunday in the Shitalakhsyaa River, Bangladesh, April 5 Pictured: A map showing where the disaster happened in Bangladesh, on Shitalakshya River in the central district of Narayanganj, on Sunday Local police chief Dipak Saha said rescue efforts were hampered for hours by a powerful storm that hit after the accident. Under the lockdown, all domestic travel services - including buses, ferries, trains and flights - will be suspended from Monday. Shops and malls will be shut for a week and a night curfew in effect. Public and private sector businesses were told to only have a skeleton crew in their offices. Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, a delta nation crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers. Millions of people are heavily reliant on ferries for transport, particularly in the country's southern coastal region, but the vessels have a poor safety record. Firefighters carry a dead body after recovering from the capsized boat. Officials have said the ship was carrying at least 46 people when it left. Some people were able to swim ashore to safety Relatives mourn after several people died as a ferry collided with a cargo vessel and sank on Sunday, April 5, 2021 Local police chief Dipak Saha said rescue efforts were hampered for hours by a powerful storm that hit after the accident Experts blame poor maintenance, lax safety standards at shipyards and overcrowding for many of the accidents. In June last year, a ferry sank in Dhaka after it was hit from behind by another ferry, killing at least 32 people. In February 2015, at least 78 people died when an overcrowded ship collided with a cargo boat in a central Bangladesh river. The number of accidents has dropped sharply in recent years as authorities crack down on unseaworthy vessels. The boat was packed with people rushing to leave the city after the government announced a week-long nationwide lockdown from Monday to tackle a spike in COVID-19 cases. Relatives gathered at the river bank to search for their loved ones. Rescuers, including divers from the fire brigade, were searching for survivors on Monday Millions of people are heavily reliant on ferries for transport, particularly in the country's southern coastal region, but the vessels have a poor safety record, with accidents commonplace Relatives mourn after several people died as a ferry collided with a cargo vessel and sank on Sunday in the Shitalakhsyaa River in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, April 5 Bangladesh reported a record daily jump of 7,087 coronavirus infections on Sunday, taking its total number of cases to 637,364 with 9,266 deaths. Hundreds of people die each year in ferry accidents in Bangladesh, a low-lying country that has extensive inland waterways but lax safety standards. Health authorities said they were facing overwhelming pressure for intensive care units in hospitals in recent weeks because of the severe cases of infections. Domestic flights, river transport and railway operations were suspended Monday while only emergency services will remain operational. Banks will operate for only two and a half hours daily. Industries are allowed to operate but must help their workers commute. The government has asked people not to go out from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. A local police inspector said the ferry was packed with passengers after the government confirmed it would impose a seven-day lockdown across the country to combat the recent rise in coronavirus cases Relatives and onlookers gather around the dead bodies after recovering them from the capsized boat in Shitalakshya River, in Narayanganj on April 5, 2021 The boat was packed with people rushing to leave the city after the government announced a week-long nationwide lockdown from Monday to tackle a spike in COVID-19 cases. Pictured: Migrant people and workers board a passenger ferry at the Sadarghat Ferry Terminal as they leave Dhaka a day before a countrywide lockdown, imposed by the government after cases of the coronavirus disease increased in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 4 But owners and workers of shopping malls in Dhaka's Elephant Road area took to the streets, demanding that authorities allow them to run their shops. Some three-wheelers and cars were seen running on the streets of the capital, Dhaka, which are usually clogged during any busy day. Traffic police intercepted bikers and checked their documents. Local TV stations reported that the lockdown in many towns were being enforced loosely. The nationwide lockdown is the second for the South Asian nation after it shut down for two months from late March last year. On the eve of the lockdown, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged people to help curb the spread of the virus in a speech in Parliament. 'I know everyone will face difficulties. Despite this, I say lives should be given preference over everything,' Hasina said. Why Joe Bidens $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan May Fail Commentary President Joe Biden has announced the American Jobs Plan, which is summed up in the headlines as a $2 trillion investment program in infrastructure and green energy thats expected to boost job creation, strengthen the manufacturing sector, and drive innovation. However, most of it goes to subsidies and current expenditure and comes with one of the largest tax increases in U.S. history. It has been hailed as a new New Deal, and much like its predecessor, its basically a massive increase in subsidies to nonproductive areas of the economy against a series of protectionist and misguided tax hikes on the productive. The program, according to the Financial Times, can be divided into the following areas: $621 billion for infrastructure, transportation, and electric vehicles aimed at strengthening the manufacturing sector and communications in the United States. However, this figure doesnt even start to address the infrastructure and transportation needs of the United States, which have been estimated to exceed $2.1 trillion, according to McKinsey. Instead of giving tax benefits and incentives to the private sector to fund the real infrastructure requirements of the country, the plan will spend less than a third of the needed figure in investments, which will be directed by politicians, generating important efficiency risks. Furthermore, the plan lags, for example, what the European Union or China have done. Electric vehicle investment doesnt require more government programs, as its thriving globally and around the United States. In fact, the tax hikes announced by Biden will likely hurt those electric vehicle companies that are making a profit and proving to be sustainable only to subsidize the ones that cant make a profit. $561 billion for green housing, schools, power, and water upgrades. This part makes sense but seems to be adding elements that could be included in any normal budget. This should not be an off-budget part and should be funded with tax incentives, not subsidies. $480 billion for subsidies to the manufacturing sector and research and development. This isnt only likely to be counterproductive but also a net loss, as Biden aims to fund it with the largest tax increase in years. Again, likely to drive resources from the productive sectors to loss-making and nonproductive areas. $400 billion for elder and disability care. This shouldnt be an off-budget item and shouldnt be included in an infrastructure plan. There is plenty of room in the Federal Budget to boost elder and disability care by improving efficiency and building public-private partnerships. $200 billion for broadband and job training. These are important items where efficiency and transparency are essential. Broadband extension should be a tax-incentive-driven public-private partnership initiative at worst, and a private sector capital expenditure plan initiative at best. Same with job training. The plan looks ambitious, but it isnt likely to generate a significant improvement in the job creation trend, as most of the funds will go to businesses that are working today at 60 to 80 percent capacity, and where new jobs wont be particularly required. In the eurozone, for example, the Green Energy Directives, Juncker Plan, and other national initiatives havent created the type of employment that was promised, with little variation in the historical trend of employment despite trillions invested. IndustriALL, a federation of trade unions in the EU, has warned that the European Green Deal will likely destroy 11 million jobs, without making clear how these losses will be offset. According to a 2016 study, Towards a green energy economy? Tracking the employment effects of low-carbon technologies in the European Union, the EUs energy transition between 1995 and 2009 created 530,000 jobs. One-third of the jobs created in the EU were a consequence of spill-over effects, and in 21 of the 27 member states, the total effect in employment was positive. The question is whether the large investment, estimated at more than $500 billion, justified a 530,000-job creation in a workforce of more than 210 million. Its also worth noting that the EU median unemployment and youth unemployment rates havent fallen significantly considering the intense investment. In the United States, however, green energy and technology jobs thrived due to tax incentives while bringing unemployment to a record low in 2019. There are clear factors of labor rigidity in Europe that impact these job trends, but there seems to be a clear conclusion: Green energy and infrastructure jobs rise faster and stay longer when policy is driven toward tax incentives rather than subsidies. The main problem of Bidens plan is that its largely politically and public-sector driven. It includes almost 40 percent of subsidies to local corporations and the public sector, which can reduce productivity and efficiency, as already happened in the past. Revenue On the revenue side, figures are wildly optimistic. A $695 billion increase in corporate tax revenues from the current level is fantasy and doesnt even consider any negative effects from raising corporate tax to a rate that would be the highest in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, considering effective and nominal rates for most companies. A $495 billion global income tax increase. Again, an extremely optimistic figure since a similar figure for extraordinary income has never been reached for this concept and because it doesnt assume any negative impact. A $217 billion increase in taxes by closing loopholes for intangible income. This figure is simply made up and comes from assuming that all corporations are evading taxes, but the main risk is generating uncertainty in companies with several divisions and shared margins. $54 billion for the elimination of tax benefits for fossil fuels and anti-inversion deals measures. The energy industry is already on its knees; to think that these measures will be revenue positive is simply not understanding the industry. On the anti-inversion-deal measures (when a U.S. company transfers its fiscal headquarters to the country of a company it merged with or acquired), this mistake was already made by Biden with President Barack Obama. Between 2007 and 2014, more companies left the United States to more business-friendly countries than in the entire period from 1981 to 2003, according to the Congressional Research Service. It even took Burger King, which moved out of the country. Obviously, the plan will be rejected by Republicans and some Democrats for the tax increase, but we cant ignore the risks of such a massive transfer of wealth from productive and tax-paying sectors to subsidize government spending. The Biden administration states that the plan is revenue-neutral, but its not. First, it includes wildly optimistic estimates of new revenues. Second, those revenues are to be generated over 15 years, while the spending is planned for the next eight years; in net present value, theres no neutrality. Third, even if we believed the optimistic revenues, it doesnt even start to address the large deficits built up by past administrations due to rising mandatory spending. Democrats say that this isnt important because deficits can be financed at all-time-low costs and supported by the Federal Reserve. However, if deficits dont matter, why the need for a large increase in taxes? The spirit of this plan is good but should be done with tax incentives and lower subsidies. The execution is likely to be political and flawed. The risks? We have already seen the results of similar programs in the EU and Japan. Daniel Lacalle, Ph.D., is chief economist at hedge fund Tressis and author of Freedom or Equality, Escape from the Central Bank Trap, and Life in the Financial Markets. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. New Dlehi: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday taking suo motu cognizance of media reports issued notices to Uttar Pradesh government and asked the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Vice-Chancellor for explanation over the police lathicharge on female students. The NHRC has asked for a detailed report over the eve-teasing complaint and harsh police action against students. An NHRC member said, Suo motu cognizance has been taken in subsequent use of unwarranted manhandling and thrashing of agitating students, mostly women, by the UP police. Notices have been issued to the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary, DGP and BHU Vice Chancellor. Also read| BHU violence: Yogi Adityanath government orders judicial probe BHU university students mostly girls were cane-charged by police in the early hours of Sunday while they were protesting the university administrations alleged inaction over a reported molestation of a student by bike-borne miscreants within the varsity campus. Several students, police personnel were reportedly injured in the clash. Agitation in BHU was instigated by a handful of BHU female students seeking proper security in the 100-year-old BHU campus on Thursday, now has turned into a stir against the Uttar Pradesh administration after police forces mended batons on the protesting students. BHU Vice-Chancellor GC Tripathi said that an inquiry will be headed by retired Allahabad high court judge VK Dikshit. Earlier, the Varanasi Commissioner Nitin Gokarn submitted a report to the state chief secretary Rajiv Kumar. Also read| Banaras Hindu University: Students continue protest; Rahul Gandhi asks PM Modi to apologise; 1000 The district administration in the report blamed the varsity. According to a senior UP administrative official, BHU administration did not deal with a complaint on a sensitive issue lodged by a female student which led to the chaotic situation. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Authorities in several provinces expressed concern on Monday that the recent rise in COVID-19 cases was putting renewed strain on the health-care system, as Quebec and Ontario brought in new restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. A lone person enters the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson Authorities in several provinces expressed concern on Monday that the recent rise in COVID-19 cases was putting renewed strain on the health-care system, as Quebec and Ontario brought in new restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. Ontario on Monday reported nearly 6,000 new COVID-19 cases over a two-day span, and the Peel region west of Toronto announced it was closing all schools for two weeks to slow transmission and protect students and staff. The province set a new all-time high for the number of patients in intensive care on Monday, with 494. Many of those cases are in the Greater Toronto Area, prompting hospitals to transfer 88 patients to other regions to help address capacity issues. The sobering numbers prompted the chief medical officers for Toronto, Ottawa and Peel to ask the Ontario government to implement stricter measures, including a provincewide stay-at-home order. A letter dated Sunday and signed by Dr. Eileen de Villa, Dr. Vera Etches and Dr. Lawrence Loh cited variants of concern, the hospitalization of younger patients and high intensive care unit occupancy as reasons justifying more restrictions. In the letter, which was published on Etches' Twitter account, they argued the order is necessary "to prevent and mitigate large scale morbidity and mortality and irreparable strain on the health-care system." Toronto Mayor John Tory announced he is working on a plan to vaccinate high-risk workplaces. He said the province needs to go further by working with the federal government to expand paid sick leave programs to help workers stay home and self-isolate. The Ontario government has said it will not duplicate the paid sick leave program run by Ottawa, but Tory said rising case counts and the resulting pressure on the province's hospitals show that approach needs to be reconsidered. "If paid sick days' time hadn't come before this ... then the time has certainly come now when we're in the third wave, and it is taking an even worse toll, it would seem, in terms of ICU occupancy, and hospital overload," Tory said. Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube also pointed to the situation in hospitals Monday as the province added five regional municipalities south of Quebec City to a list of cities that will have to abide by strict lockdown rules. "The situation in our hospitals is concerning, hospital capacity in intensive care is fragile," Dube wrote on Twitter. Quebec currently has 123 people in intensive care for COVID-19, which is still well below the stated capacity of 383. The province announced Sunday that non-essential businesses and many cultural venues must close, schools will move to virtual learning and the overnight curfew will be advanced to 8 p.m. from 9:30 p.m. starting Monday in five parts of the Chaudiere-Appalaches region. Dube said officials are also worried about the Montreal area, which he described as "under pressure," although the province has not yet announced new measures for the metropolis. New Brunswick's chief medical officer expressed concerns over hospital overcrowding in the hard-hit Edmundston area, in the northwest of the province, where cases have been linked to the variant of the novel coronavirus first identified in the U.K. "The U.K. variant brings with it a higher transmission rate, but it also brings a higher risk of mortality and morbidity and a higher risk of hospitalizations and ICU admissions," Dr. Jennifer Russell said. Over the weekend the health network that includes the Edmundston hospital said some patients may have to be transferred if the situation doesn't improve. Canada's chief public health officer said the jump in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks and the rising proportion of cases involving more contagious variants were resulting in more hospitalizations. "The rise in severe and critical illnesses is placing renewed strain on the health system and health-care workforce," Dr. Theresa Tam said in a statement. She said that while deaths have continued to level off despite the rise in cases, there is concern this trend could shift, especially since the more contagious variants have been linked to more severe illnesses and deaths. Vaccination efforts took a hit in Manitoba, where officials announced some 7,200 vaccination appointments set for Monday to Thursday of next week would have to be rescheduled due to a delay in shipments of the Moderna vaccine. The government said the delay would affect appointments at so-called "pop-up" clinics in smaller communities across the province, including Steinbach, Portage la Prairie, Dauphin and Swan River. Not all provinces had bad news to report, however. Newfoundland and Labrador reported that it has had no new cases for four straight days and counts just four active cases. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2021. With files from Shawn Jeffords in Toronto and Kevin Bissett in Fredericton The presence of Chinese vessels at a disputed reef off the Philippines could ignite "unwanted hostilities," a top aide to President Rodrigo Duterte warned Monday, intensifying a diplomatic spat over the ships. More than 200 Chinese boats were first spotted on March 7 at Whitsun Reef, around 320 kilometers (175 nautical miles) west of Palawan Island in the contested South China Sea. Most of them have since scattered across the Spratly Islands, but last week dozens of the Chinese-flagged vessels were still anchored at the boomerang-shaped reef, according to Philippine military patrols. For weeks, Manila has called on Beijing to withdraw the "maritime militia" vessels, saying their incursion into the Philippines' exclusive economic zone is unlawful. But China -- which claims almost the entirety of the resource-rich sea -- has refused, insisting they are fishing boats sheltering from bad weather and are allowed to be there. Duterte, who has fostered warmer ties with his superpower neighbor since taking office in 2016, has expressed concern to the Chinese ambassador over the ships, according to his spokesman. Until Monday, he had left the tough talking in public to his defense and foreign ministers. But in the strongest remarks yet from his office, Duterte's top legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, warned China's "present territorial incursions is producing an unwelcome stain in their bond and may trigger unwanted hostilities that both countries would rather not pursue." "The matter of territorial dispute has to be resolved in the diplomatic negotiating table or by the dictates of international law," Panelo said in a statement. It comes a day after outspoken Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana accused Beijing of planning to occupy more "features" in the waters -- where Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have rival claims. Beijing often invokes the so-called nine-dash line to justify its apparent historic rights over most of the South China Sea, and has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that declared this assertion as without basis. The Philippine foreign ministry, which has already lodged a diplomatic protest over the ships, vowed Monday to send a complaint "for every day" Beijing delays pulling out the vessels. In an apparent reference to China's donation of Covid-19 vaccines, Panelo said the Philippines appreciated the "humanitarian gesture." But he added: "We will not be blinded however by any act done by it in violation of international law and in derogation of our sovereign rights." This article was from Agence France Presse and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com. Motorists driving into northeast Aurora Monday morning will be greeted with a billboard thanking President Joe Biden and Colorado's two Democratic U.S. senators for the popular pandemic relief legislation that's delivering checks to most state residents and helping accelerate vaccination programs. It's the latest salvo in a marketing campaign waged by the Democratic National Committee and its allies to make sure voters know who delivered the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which also includes money for schools, local governments and extended unemployment benefits. "Help is here," blares the billboard above stacks of dollar signs linked to the $1,400 checks, and money for schools and vaccines all sandwiched between photos of Biden and U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, who is up for a third term next year. The billboard is on Peoria Street north of East 37th Avenue as the heavily traveled street approaches Interstate 70. A DNC spokesman said it will be up for one month. Folks in Denver and senators traveling home wont be able to miss this message: Help is here because of President Biden, Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, and Colorado Democrats, said DNC Chair Jaime Harrison in a statement. Democrats passed the American Rescue Plan which is already providing Coloradans with direct payments and resources to help manufacture and distribute vaccines because they knew help couldnt wait and Democrats arent slowing down anytime soon." The bill also includes a temporary expansion of the child tax credit pushed for years by Bennet, which analysts say could dramatically reduce the childhood poverty rate. The bill passed without the support of any Republicans. The DNC launched its latest ad campaign last week when it mounted a digital "take-over" of The Denver Post's online political pages, covering available space with ads thanking Bennet and Hickenlooper for supporting the bill. Vice President Kamala Harris visited Denver last month for an appearance with Gov. Jared Polis and small business owners to tout the legislation's assistance for businesses, with $28 billion targeted to the hard-hit restaurant industry. U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, the most visible member of Colorado's three-member Republican congressional delegation, blasted the bill as it made its way through Congress. Early in March, the Silt Republican mocked advance word that Biden planned to include support for green energy in an infrastructure plan he went on to introduce last week, describing it as a stimulus for the still-struggling economy. "So basically were just calling anything COVID relief to try and guilt Republicans into passing a radical socialist agenda," Boebert tweeted. Experts have identified the major spreaders of the more infectious and transmissible new COVID-19 variants. Major Spreaders of the New COVID-19 Variant Dr. Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist and director of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said on Sunday that children are the major spreaders of the new COVID-19 variant, according to a published article on the health website ETNT. Dr. Osterholm said during an interview with FOX News on Sunday that kids or those who are particularly eighth-grade and younger were seen not affected by the pandemic in the past few months. But not, they are becoming the major spreaders of the new COVID-19 variant. The epidemiologist also noted that around 749 schools had reported new COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks in Minnesota. He also said that this phenomenon emerges anywhere and kids are playing a major role in the virus transmission. New CDC Report Says Vaccinated People are Unlikely to Suffer COVID-19 Infections Increase of COVID-19 Infections Among the Children According to a recently published article in Hindustantimes, Michigan's state Department of Health and Human Services reported an increase of 230 percent of new COVID-19 cases among children younger than 10 years old. The HHS also said that this is higher compared to other age groups. Meanwhile, children and young adults whose ages are between 10 to 19 saw an increase of 227 percent. According to a report from CBS News, much of the increase among children and young adults can be related to the reopening of schools and youth sports. Moreover, D. Osterholm also said that the new variant of the virus or the B.1.1.7 is 50 to 100 percent more transmissible compared to the previous variant of the virus. This will also cause 50 to 60 percent more severe illnesses compared to the original variant. The epidemiologist explained that the new variant of COVID-19 tends only to cause mild illness among the children but will have a greater risk and severe illness for those with underlying conditions. He also noted that this should be given attention because children can spread the virus to older adults who can easily get infected and may experience severe complications. Children To Start Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine in the Fall Children Must Get Vaccinated With the increase of new COVID-19 cases among children, it is important to put them in the frontline to get the vaccine to mitigate the spread of the virus. A recently published article in Scientific American reported that some pharmaceutical companies already started their clinical trials in young children and adolescents. Clinical studies in teenagers and young children are being conducted by several pharmaceutical firms. Pfizer has already begun testing the vaccine in children aged 12 to 15, and the findings have just been published, indicating that it is very effective in preventing COVID in this age range. Moderna has been putting the vaccine through its paces on children aged 12 to 17. Both businesses started trials of children aged six months to eleven years old this month. Johnson & Johnson also announced that it would test the vaccine in both small children and teens. @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 20:54:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces detained one suspected smuggler and seized seven fossils believed to be 170 million years old in Turkey's southeastern province of Kilis, local media reported on Monday. Gendarmerie units stopped a vehicle on a highway on suspicion and found the fossils belonging to the Mesozoic period and two natural stones, Hurriyet Daily said. One person was reportedly detained on the scene. The confiscated fossils were starfish skeletons and seashell remains, and were handed over to the Kilis Museum Directorate, the daily noted. Further detail about the natural stones was not immediately available. Enditem The following excerpt is from Dr. Nadine Greiners book Stress-Less Leadership. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | IndieBound or click here to buy it directly from us and SAVE 60% on this book when you use code LEAD2021 through 4/10/21. The distinction between acute stress and chronic stress is important. Examples of acute stress include the stress you experience after having an argument with an employee, delivering an important presentation, suffering through a bad day at work, or toiling toward a short-term deadline. These events are all short-lived. By contrast, chronic stress is ongoing and results from the constant stimulation of the bodys stress response. It can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between acute and chronic stress, and in many cases, acute stress turns into chronic stress. The body is well-equipped to cope with acute stress. It can quickly adapt and recover. However, when stress becomes repetitive and prolonged, it takes a major toll on the body. Many of your bodily functions become overworked and may even begin to break down. Take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions: Do you find yourself getting into a conflict with the same employee each day? Do you face a constant pressure to perform? Do you perpetually feel inadequately suited for your job as a leader? Related: 9 Ways to Handle Job-Related Stress From Dawn to Dusk If you answered yes to any of the above, youre likely experiencing chronic stress. As a business leader, your stressors are generally different from those experienced by the general working population. Here are the most common ones, according to the Center for Creative Leadership: Trying to accomplish more with less than adequate resources in a shorter amount of time. Are you frequently trying to do more with less, and do it faster? Perhaps youve decided to open a branch of your business in another location but you dont really have a high enough budget or the headcount to do so. Even if you have the necessary resources, you may not have sufficient time. If youre leading a publicly traded company, you likely face high pressure to appease shareholders while trying to protect your companys infrastructure and preparing your employees for long-term success. But its impossible to appease all stakeholders at all times, and you need to make difficult choices. Buckle up for the ride. How do you manage this type of stress? Its all about focus. Focusing on the task at hand by planning, organizing, and prioritizing can help. Certain behaviors like defining and clarifying task expectations and sticking to a schedule can also be a godsend. With increased focus, the stress caused by working on a difficult task can be reduced. Better yet, future stress pertaining to upcoming tasks can be minimized or even eliminated. You have permission to breathe a sigh of relief. Dealing with the negative aspects of personal relationships. Strong interpersonal relationships are key to a thriving business. Poor relationships between you and your employees have many repercussions. Theyve been shown to lower job satisfaction and increase stress and depression. In fact, poor relations with the people you work with have even been shown to impact customer demand and service. Its all a domino effect. When relationships are weak, projects and initiatives can suffer to the point of jeopardizing the company and its place in the market. Related: Could Stress Be the Reason You Feel Like Crap? Relationship-building requires skill and constant attention. As Warren Buffett once said, It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. Relationships between you and your employees can be improved by learning how to better manage your staff and how to recognize and deal with conflicts effectively. Hosting or fostering team-building events to improve personal relationships in the workplace can also help. Competition and lack of teamwork from your employees. Toxic workers are all too common in the workplace. They come in different forms. Overly competitive co-workers are one variety. They have a strong need to rise to the top and often do so at the expense of others. Is there someone on your team who constantly kisses up to you, often at others expense? Other toxic workers include free-riders who dont complete their fair share of the workload. In either case, the results can be devastating and lead to high levels of stress for both you and their co-workers. Employees are 54 percent more likely to quit if even one toxic employee joins a team of 20 people. Poor performance from direct reports. Poor performance is a stressor that affects employees and managers alike. Unfortunately, tackling poor performance is often fairly low on the agenda for many leaders. As long as employees are following employment law and company protocol, many managers adopt a laissez-faire attitude. The results can be crippling. Poor performance leads to reduced productivity, lower motivation and retention rates, and -- you guessed it -- stress. While some performance issues should be dealt with by your HR department (misconduct or constant absences, for example), most should be addressed by the employees manager by setting clear expectations, providing sufficient training, and sufficiently motivating their employees. Related: Should You or Should You Not Vent About Your Stress? Unreasonable customers. Managing customer relations is difficult. Weve all heard that the customer is king. But customers can easily divert a businesss focus and cause undue stress. The most common source of stress from customers is unreasonable demands and expectations. The most effective companies not only meet the needs of customers but exceed them. They focus on the smallest details and create customer-centric cultures. When customer demands are too overbearing, they push back and look for alternative solutions. You can learn to conquer chronic stress, but it will take a concerted effort on your part to do so. Did you enjoy your book preview? Click here to grab a copy todaynow 60% off when you use code LEAD2021 through 4/10/21. Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Casino operators in South Korea chalked up huge losses in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic sent the number of visitors plunging, data showed Monday. State-run casino operator Kangwon Land Inc. registered an operating loss of 431.6 billion won ($382 million) last year, a sharp turnaround from an operating profit of 501.2 billion won a year earlier. Kangwon Land, the country's only casino open to locals, is located in Jeongseon, some 200 kilometers east of Seoul. Another state-run casino operator, Grand Korea Leisure Co. (GKL), posted an operating loss of 88.8 billion won, compared with an operating profit of 96.8 billion won. The company operates three foreigner-only casinos in Seoul and Busan under the brand name Seven Luck. Private casino operator Paradise Group also swung to an operating loss of 86.2 billion won in 2020 from an operating profit of 51.9 billion won. Paradise runs four casinos in Seoul, Incheon, Jeju and Busan. The casino operators' large losses came as coronavirus-induced social distancing measures forced them to temporarily shut down their sites repeatedly. Last year, Kangwon Land's sales tumbled 68.5 percent on-year to 478.6 billion won, with those of GKL dipping 62.4 percent to 184.5 billion won. Paradise's top line also tanked 53.7 percent to 453.9 billion won. Stung by the pandemic, those casino companies also had to cut their headcounts, with Kangwon Land alone reducing its workforce of 3,713 by nearly 28 percent. (Yonhap) India on Monday reported a net increase of 50,233 in active cases, the biggest in a day so far, to take its count to 741,830. That is nearly 73 per cent of the September 18 peak of 1,017,754. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 3.25 per cent (one in 31). The country is 5th among the most affected countries by active cases. On Monday, it added 103,558 cases in the biggest single-day jump so far, to take its total caseload to 12,589,067. And, with 478 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 165,101, or 1.31 per cent of total confirmed infections. With 1,638,464 more people getting Covid-19 vaccine shots on Sunday, Indias total count of those inoculated reached 79,105,163. The count of recovered cases across India, meanwhile, reached 11,682,136 or 92.80 per cent of total caseload with 52,847 new cured cases being reported on Monday. Georgian health officials have warned of a potential third wave of coronavirus in the country if individuals refuse to receive the vaccine and act in line with recommendations. Head of Georgias National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze stated earlier today that new cases of coronavirus are surging amid the low rate of vaccination and wearing of face masks. He said that currently 51 per cent of the countrys population wear face masks which is mandatory in open and closed locations and about 1,000 individuals are receiving the coronavirus vaccine on a daily basis. 11,603 individuals have received the coronavirus vaccine in the country since March 15 which is a low figure. We should vaccine at least 3,000 individuals daily, Gamkrelidze said. He stated that the supply of vaccines is sufficient and starting today individuals over 55 will be able to receive either AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines. Gamkrelidze said that the country has plans to use the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines starting this month, after the vaccines receive approval from the World Health Organisation. If we do not want to enter a third wave of coronavirus we should get vaccinated and act in line with recommendations. We will not be able to defeat the pandemic without the vaccination of at least 60 per cent of the countrys population by the end of the year, Gamkrelidze said. New Delhi, April 5 : National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Indias largest and oldest economic think-tank, has announced the appointment of Poonam Gupta as its new Director-General. Poonam Gupta, the first woman Director General of NCAER, will succeed Shekhar Shah who led NCAER since 2011 and will complete his second five-year term in early May. Nandan Nilekani, President of NCAER, said, "We are delighted to have Poonam succeed Shekhar at the end of his successful tenure. NCAER has a unique heritage among India's intellectual landscape and she brings a set of unique experiences and perspectives that will accelerate, deepen and broaden our research agenda with impact and rigour." Poonam Gupta is currently working as a lead economist with the World Bank. Prior to joining the World Bank in 2013, she was the RBI chair professor at NIPFP, and a professor of macroeconomics at ICRIER. She has taught at the Delhi School of Economics, and at the University of Maryland. She started her professional career as an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In a career spanning more than two decades, Gupta has published extensively in leading scholarly and policy journals and is counted among the top researchers working on India. Her areas of expertise and research interest include issues related to growth and developmental challenges in developing economies, fiscal outcomes, financial sector, monetary policy, capital flows and global developments. Besides India, she has rich experience working on issues relevant to other emerging markets, including China. Gupta holds a PhD in applied macroeconomics and international economics from the University of Maryland, a Masters in economics from the Delhi School of Economics, and a Bachelor's degree in economics from Hindu College, Delhi University. She will assume office on July 1, 2021. Millennial Liu Lurui quit her job and moved to the outskirts of Beijing, where she built a farm on three acres of land to create a healthier lifestyle for herself and five friends. The farm was completed in April 2020, and includes a house, a garden and an organic orchard. They hope that their hobo life can set an example for people looking to lead alternative way of life Jun 04, 2021 06:31 PM Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday received his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine here and appealed to all those eligible to get inoculated. Sister Rashmi Jeet Singh administered Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN to the chief minister at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civil Hospital. Singh, the nursing officer in the hospital, said that the "chief minister took all information regarding the vaccine and after taking the jab waited for 30 minutes before leaving the hospital." "The chief minister also appealed to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine," she said. He also asked people to take all precaution as Covid-19 cases are rising again, she said. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. According to a new market study by Future Market Insights (FMI), the global therapeutic nuclear medicines market will expand at a healthy rate between 2018 and 2028. The growth of the market is majorly attributed to factors such as the growing acceptance rate of therapeutic nuclear medicines, also known as radiopharmaceuticals, among consumers and medical professionals. These medicines have proven to be largely free of negative side-effects and minimal risk factors. Furthermore, the rising prevalence of prostate cancer is acting as a major growth attribute to the market. As the per statistics of the U.K. cancer research organization, prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer among men with over 47,151 cases being diagnosed in 2015. Likewise, the American Cancer Society states that prostate cancer is the most common cause of death in the US. As the demand for safer, reliable, and less harmful drugs continues to increase in cancer treatment, therapeutic nuclear medicines are finding significant adoption among cancer patients. Along similar lines, continually increasing incidence of bone metastases is also bolstering the growth of the market. Owing to the stringent regulations by the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), market players are working on complying with the guidelines to receive approvals, opines FMI analyst. For more insights into the Market, Request a Sample of this Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2930 Therapeutic Nuclear Medicines Market Key Takeaways The global therapeutic nuclear medicines market will expand at an impressive CAGR of 9.7% through the forecast period. Radium-223 is expected to remain the most prescribed drug by medical professionals, accounting for nearly 78% of the market share in overall market value. Erbium-169 is forecasted to gain prominence through the forecast period owing to increased usage in the treatment of liver cancer. Prostate cancer will remain the dominant indication type, accounting for more than 50% of overall market value owing to high incidence. Bone metastases is expected to remain a lucrative segment while brain tumor and thyroid cancer are forecasted to emerge as significant indication types through the forecast period. Therapeutic Nuclear Medicines Market Key Trends Launch of novel drug formulations has been identified as the major trend in the therapeutic nuclear medicines market. For instance, the introduction of Xofigo (Radium-223) and Lutathera (Lutetium-177) for the treatment of prostate cancer, neuroblastoma, and synovitis has proven effective and is bestowing lucrative revenue opportunities. For any Queries Linked with the Report, Ask an Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-the-analyst/rep-gb-2930 Therapeutic Nuclear Medicines Market Regional Analysis North America and Western Europe are forecasted to cumulatively account for nearly 2/3rd of overall market value share. Emerging economies such as Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa are anticipated to register higher growth than developed economies, with Asia Pacific forefronting developing economies. In Asia Pacific, China is expected to register the huge growth owing to the widening cancer patient pool in the country and continual innovations by manufacturers in the region. Therapeutic Nuclear Medicines Market Competitive Landscape Key players operating in the market include some of the key players profiled in the therapeutic nuclear medicines market report include Bayer AG, Novartis AG, GE Healthcare, Curium Pharmaceuticals, Jubilant DraxImage, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc., ANSTO, Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., Eckert & Ziegler and International Isotopes Inc. The competitive landscape represents a highly consolidated structure with the top three players GE Healthcare, Novartis AG, and Bayer accounting for nearly 87% of market share. For information on the Research Approach used in the Report, Request Methodology@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-2930 Therapeutic Nuclear Medicines Market Taxonomy Treatment type: Radium-223 Iodine-131 Leutitium-177 Yttrium-90 Samarium-153 Strontium-89 Rhenium-188+ Rhenium-186 Erbium-169 Phosphorus-32 Others Indication: Prostate cancer Painful bone metastasis Thyroid cancer, neuroblastoma Synovitis Non-Hodgkins lymphoma Hepatic metastases Brain tumor Others Distribution channel: Hospitals Ambulatory surgical centers Cancer research institutes Request a Discount for this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/request-discount/rep-gb-2930 Get Valuable Insights into the Therapeutic Nuclear Medicines Market Future Market Insights, in its new offering, provides an unbiased analysis of the global therapeutic nuclear medicines market, presenting historical demand data and forecast statistics for the period from 2018-2028. The study divulges compelling insights on the therapeutic nuclear medicines market, allowing readers to glean qualitative and quantitative information which will enable them to make informed market decisions in the upcoming forecast period. Itching sensation originates in the skin cells themselves, after signaling from an excess of lipid DURHAM, N.C. - A devastating itching of the skin driven by severe liver disease turns out to have a surprising cause. Its discovery points toward possible new therapies for itching, and shows that the outer layer of the skin is so much more than insulation. The finding, which appears April 2 in Gastroenterology, indicates that the keratinocyte cells of the skin surface are acting as what lead researcher Wolfgang Liedtke, MD PhD, calls 'pre-neurons.' "The skin cells themselves are sensory under certain conditions, specifically the outermost layer of cells, the keratinocytes," said Liedtke, who is a professor of neurology at Duke School of Medicine. This study on liver disease itching, done with colleagues in Mexico, Poland, Germany and Wake Forest University, is a continuation of Liedtke's pursuit of understanding a calcium-permeable ion channel on the cell surface called TRPV4, which he discovered 20 years ago at Rockefeller University. The TRPV4 channel plays a crucial role in many tissues, including the sensation of pain. It was known to exist in skin cells, but nobody knew why. "The initial ideas were that it plays a role in how the skin is layered, and in skin barrier function," Liedtke said. "But this current research is getting us into a more exciting territory of the skin actually moonlighting as a sensory organ." Once a chemical signal of itching is received, keratinocytes relay the signal to nerve endings in the skin that belong to itch-sensing nerve cells in the dorsal root ganglion next to the spine. "Dr. Liedtke and I had a longstanding interest in the role of TRPV4 in the skin, based on our previous collaborations we decided to focus on chronic itch," said Yong Chen, and assistant professor of neurology at Duke who is first author on the study. The researchers found that in a liver disease called primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), patients are left with a surplus of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) a phosphorylated lipid, or fat, circulating in the blood stream. They then demonstrated that LPC, injected into the skin of mice and monkeys, evokes itch. Next they wanted to understand how this lipid could lead to the aggressive itching sensation. "If the itch comes up in PBC, it's so debilitating that the patients might need a new liver. That's how bad it can get," Liedtke said. Importantly, the skin is not chronically inflamed in PBC, meaning there is debilitating itch in the absence of chronic skin inflammation. The researchers found that when LPC reaches the skin, the lipid can bind directly to TRPV4. Once bound, it directly activates the ion channel to open the gate for calcium ions, which are a universal switch mechanism for many cellular processes. But in this case, the signal does something surprising. The researchers followed a signaling cascade inside the cell in which one molecule hands off to another, resulting in the formation of a tiny bubble back on the skin cell's surface called a vesicle. Vesicles are designed to bud off cells and carry whatever is inside them away. In this case, the bubbles contained something surprising: micro-RNA, and it functioned as a signaling molecule. "This is crazy, because microRNAs are normally known to be gene regulators." Liedtke said. It turns out that this particular bit of microRNA is itself the signal that evokes the itch. Once they had identified it as microRNA miR-146a, the researchers injected the molecule by itself into mice and monkeys and found that it immediately caused itching, not hours later, as it would if it were regulating genes. "Future research will address which specific itch sensory neurons respond to miR-146a, beyond the TRPV1-dependent signaling that we have found, also its in-depth mechanism," Chen said. With the help of German and Polish liver specialists who have blood collections and itch data on PBC patients, the researchers discovered that the blood levels of microRNA-146a corresponded to itch severity, as did the LPC levels. Knowing all the parts of the signaling that leads from excess phospho-lipid, LPC, to intolerable itching gives scientists a new way to look for advanced liver disease markers, Liedtke said. And it points to new avenues for treating the itch, either by possibly desensitizing the TRPV4 channels in skin with a topical treatment, attacking the specific microRNAs that drive the itch, or targeted depletion of LPC. ### This research was supported by the US National Institutes of Health (DE018549, K12DE022793, R01DE027454), the Michael Ross Haffner Foundation (Charlotte, NC), Direccion General de Asuntos del Personal Academico (DGAPA)-Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigacion e Innovacion Tecnologica (PAPIIT) (IN200720); Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACyT) (A1-S-8760) and Secretaria de Educacion, Ciencia, Tecnologia e Innovacion del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Mexico (SECTEI/208/2019). CITATION: "Epithelia-Sensory Neuron Crosstalk Underlies Cholestatic Itch Induced by Lysophosphatidylcholine," Yong Chen, Zi-Long Wang, Michele Yeo, Qiao-Juan Zhang, Ana E. Lopez-Romero, Hui-Ping Ding, Xin Zhang, Qian Zeng, Sara L. Morales-Lazaro, Carlene Moore, Ying-Ai Jin, Huang-He Yang, Johannes Morstein, Andrey Bortsov, Marcin Krawczyk, Frank Lammert, Manal Abdelmalek, Anna Mae Diehl, Piotr Milkiewicz, Andreas E. Kremer, Jennifer Y. Zhang, Andrea Nackley, Tony E. Reeves, Mei-Chuan Ko, Ru-Rong Ji, Tamara Rosenbaum, Wolfgang Liedtke. Gastroenterology, April 2, 2021. DOI: 0.1053/j.gastro.2021.03.049 Thousands of Rohingya refugees live in temporary camps in Indias northwestern Jammu and Kashmir region, where they fear deportation back to Myanmar. VOA Urdu Services Zubair Dar visited a camp of people in Bathindi Narval who said they fled abuses and do not want to go back. Roshan Noorzai narrates the story. VOA Khmer's Leakhena Sreng narrates the story in Khmer. A housefire completely destroyed a Forester Township house early on Monday morning, with the cause of the fire still under investigation. At approximately 1:30 a.m. on April 5, the Port Sanilac Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the 5000 block of East Deckerville Road in Forester Township, where the fire had consumed half the residence with the flames going through the roof. The fire was cleared out at 4:18 a.m. This is the shocking moment a Turkish man confronts his estranged wife as she pops out to buy milk and repeatedly stabs her because she refused to get back together with him. The incident took place in the neighbourhood of Bayrampasa in Istanbul after the vehicle left her mother's home to buy milk on April 2. According to the news site Bursada Bugun, the victim, identified as Aleyna Tulay Tas, is divorcing her husband Okan Tas because he was repeatedly violent towards her. She previously stayed in a women's shelter before moving to her mother's house in Bayrampasa. Tas, who left her husband in February, popped out to buy milk on April 2 but was confronted by her estranged husband in the street. CCTV footage allegedly shows Okan half-walking half-dragging Tas along while she tries to break free Eventually, Okan appears to pull out a knife, turn on his estranged wife, and start to stab her repeatedly She appears to collapse in behind the car as her husband stops stabbing her and flees the scene CCTV footage allegedly shows Okan dragging Tas along while she tries to break free. Eventually, he appears to pull out a knife and stab her repeatedly. Bystanders from a nearby shop notice the accident but appear to retreat inside rather than rush to the woman's aid. She appears to collapse behind the car as her husband stops stabbing her and flees the scene. The woman was left lying in a pool of blood as several citizens rushed to help her and chase the suspect. Tas, who left her husband in February, popped out to buy milk on April 2 but was confronted by her estranged husband in the street The victim is currently in hospital receiving treatment for her injuries after surviving the vicious attack. The suspect was detained a short while later and placed in police custody. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Senator John Barrasso said on Sunday that Republican senators were instructed by officials to delete the photos they took inside migrant facilities during a recent visit to the U.S.-Mexico border. The GOP senator from Wyoming has also slammed the Biden administration over the conditions inside migrant facilities, where children are being packed "like sardines," New York Post reported. It can be recalled that last month, Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar provided photos to media outlets, hoping that it will raise awareness amid the media restriction at the time. The White House earlier said that the media restriction was implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19. READ NEXT: Pelosi Says Surge of Migrant Children At U.S.-Mexico Border Is a 'Humanitarian Crisis' John Barrasso on Photos of Migrant Facilities "This is both a humanitarian crisis and a national security crisis," the senator said in a Fox News interview as he described the situation at the border. John Barrasso added that the number of children in migrant facilities at present is the highest in the history of unaccompanied minors who are" currently in captivity." John Barrasso was among the Republicans who went to the border last weekend with Senator Ted Cruz's delegation, Mail Online reported. Among the 18 senators who went to the border, John Barrasso said no one complied with the Biden administration officials' directives to delete the photos. "No one did. You've seen the video coming out of all of these kids crammed together under the foil blankets, huddling together... They are crammed in like sardines," the senator noted, adding that this is what the Biden administration tries to hide from the public. Health organizations are still pushing people to wear masks and adhere to appropriate physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 despite the vaccine rollout. Cruz and the delegation's other members who went to the borders have also made similar claims about the order to delete the photos. The basis of the order is that the delegation might violate the children's privacy. However, the senators have released the photos with faces of the children migrants obscured. Unaccompanied Children in Migrant Facilities Apart from the issue of unaccompanied children congesting inside the migrant facilities, Barrasso also said the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is only testing migrants for COVID-19 when they leave the facility to be transferred to the custody of other government-run centers. "They've all been exposed, and then they're sent all across the country," said Barrasso adding that the situation is a real tragedy. "We're not sure what variant of the coronavirus they are carrying," the senator noted. John Barrasso added that the CBP is doing instant tests and those who tested positive for the disease are just moved to one side of the courtyard. President Joe Biden has denied that his border policies have driven a massive surge of migrants along the southern border. But the Republicans continued to blame Biden's policies for "crisis" on the border. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has approved the use of Camp Roberts in California to temporarily house unaccompanied migrant children. READ MORE: Biden Administration Eyes Army Base to House Migrant Children WATCH: Photos of Crowded US Detention Centers Put Pressure on Biden - From Al Jazeera English Nikki Bradley was just 16 in December 2002, and still a schoolgirl in Letterkenny, when she was diagnosed with Ewings sarcoma. A rare form of cancer that occurs in the bones or soft tissue around the bones, it is mostly discovered in children and teenagers. Now 35, and a motivational speaker who also works with Triathlon Ireland, Nikki has spent much of her life since managing the fallout from the treatment which followed. The cancer presented as a lump by her groin. She says: It went kind of unnoticed for a long time and even when it did come onto my radar, I ignored it for a while. By the time she returned to school in September 2002, the lump had become painful to touch, and prominent enough that it could be seen through her school trousers. Messing with a friend one day, she twisted and hit it off a bannister. The pain that I felt was unreal. Tests ensued, and in December, an ultrasound diagnosed cancer. Nikki never returned to her school and began chemotherapy in January. Her friends were, she recalls, hugely supportive throughout her treatment in 2003 and 2004. They are still my best friends now. They were there through everything. Once a month she would stay in St Vincents University Hospital for a week. But any time I could get out, I did. And when I say out, I mean out-out, Nikki laughs. I was 17 turning 18 at that point, so I was in the pub as much as I could. Obviously, my parents werent happy with that, but I was like, look, I just want to feel normal for while. After six cycles of chemotherapy in St Vincents to reduce the size of the tumour, Nikki travelled to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London to have it removed. A further six cycles of chemotherapy ensued, followed by six weeks of daily radiotherapy in St Lukes. She adds: Unfortunately, it was that 20 minutes a day which destroyed the bone in my hip and led to all the surgery since. Now, Nikki relies on crutches to walk and has been told that as a result of her treatment, it is unlikely she will ever be able to conceive. I didnt get the option to freeze my eggs. My mum asked, and they said that I didnt need to because of my age. In fact, Nikki ended up going through the menopause at 19. Hot flushes were her most noticeable symptom, literally the backs of my knees would be sweating. She has been on hormone replacement therapy ever since. At the time, this wasnt a huge blow, she reflects. I was only 19, kids werent on my radar at all; I was so keen to just get back to normal. In 2006, sitting at her kitchen table studying for her Leaving Certificate mocks, she felt a twinge in her hip. As the day went on the pain increased. Nikki ended up in hospital that evening on morphine. Three weeks in bed followed, with Nikki virtually unable to move. I cant fully describe how bad the pain was, she says. She spent 10 weeks in St Vincents where doctors investigated the source of her pain. Nikki had been left with lymphedema and scar tissue after her cancer treatment, which somewhat blocked scans. An infection was suspected. She was sent home and had to wait another year before receiving her hip replacement in the summer of 2007. The bone had essentially started to crumble due to the treatment, and combined with nerve damage, this was causing intense pain. In that time, the pain eased somewhat. I was able to at least sit up again. But if I sat in the one spot or lay on my side in bed, it was a job to turn me around again. As a 20-year old, she didnt relish the prospect of a hip replacement, but the impact on her pain levels was instantaneous. I was annoyed because I felt like some people get a car for their 21st, Im getting an old persons operation. But the very next day after the surgery, that searing pain was gone. Its hard to describe how trapped before versus how free I felt. Nikki finally began attending NUI in Galway, but after one year, in 2010, she had to leave her studies again as her pain had returned. An infection had set into the area around the prosthesis, although diagnosis took a year once again. At this time, Nikkis friends were planning a trip to Australia. She says: By this stage, Id been through so much. I was like, If its at all possible, Im going to try and come with you, because I have no idea whats around the corner for me. By this time not only was her physical health in decline, but her mental health was being severely impacted, too. I had tried to further my education at least four times. I had tried to work, I tried to live a normal life, with relationships. Everything I tried to do had been put on hold because of cancer. I really needed to do something to feel normal. In Australia, the infection became so bad it broke through the surface of her skin. The prosthesis was removed and a temporary piece put in its place. Back in Ireland, a second prosthesis was put in in 2012, delayed after a fall resulted in a broken femur. Damage to her bones from cancer treatment meant the prosthesis and the bone never gelled as intended. Basically, my body rejected it to a certain extent. So even though I still have that in my hip, it doesnt really do a huge amount. Ive lost a huge amount of leg as a result. She is now at a 10cm leg length difference and relies on crutches. I do have a disability, in that I am a crutch user, and I have quite limited mobility in my right leg. I struggled with the term for a long time. I wouldnt use the word. But I think as you get older, you stop caring about stuff like that. Im happy now. I have, as I call it, VIP parking. I have the blue badge, my friends love when Im driving, because we get to park right outside the shop, she smiles. I have a disability as a result of my treatment. Theres no point pretending otherwise. Before lockdown, Nikki would have relied heavily on gym-based exercise as a form of ongoing rehab and regularly set herself physical challenges, including mountain climbing and abseiling. In 2013, she founded Fighting Fit for Ewings, a campaign centred around fitness and physical challenges. Cut off from the gym, in the past year she has noticed a deterioration in her condition. Her ongoing pain has risen significantly in lockdown and she is now experiencing back issues. Accepting that her health had declined again was almost harder than the surgeries in the past, she explains. Successful smaller procedures in her back, though, have restored hope. On her enthusiasm for dating over the years, Nikki says: It very much depended on my confidence levels. Before my first hip replacement was when I was least confident, because I wasnt on crutches properly. I should have been on at least one, but I was so adamant that I didnt want to be on them. I kind of made my life worse by just not accepting that I needed one. I limped everywhere I went. Her limp left her feeling self-conscious, which led to the loss of confidence. The thought of going in to meet somebody for a date and walking in with this limp, to me it was a straight no. If I could change one thing about back then, it would be to just make myself use at least one crutch. That instantly takes away the limp. As she got older, realisation set in that her situation was not going to change. I kept expecting to get better. But as time went on I had a talk to myself and said, look, I need to just get on with this, otherwise Im going to spend the rest of my life not doing anything because of this situation. I need to see whats out there for somebody whos on crutches. Going on Tinder, she explains how each picture showed her crutches, and her bio described her as an adapted adventurer. She met her partner, Ian, also from Co Donegal, on Tinder in late 2014, back when it was a nice, innocent place, she smiles. Even if she was able to conceive, Nikki is uncertain whether she would be able to carry a baby to term. Ive seen this written by other cancer survivors; when you re-join society, if youre lucky enough to come out the other side, youre a couple of years behind everybody. Especially people with childhood or teenage cancer. When her friends were in their 20s and beginning to think about kids and marriage, Nikki at the time felt nowhere near that. As I got a bit older, I realised that I might actually want those things. She has accepted that if she is to have children she will have to adopt. Even if I did manage to get pregnant with IVF, my body is so damaged that I probably wouldnt be able to carry a child safely. But right now, she is too unsure whether she wants children to start down that long road. She says: For a long time, I didnt feel maternal. That has changed, in that when I see my friends kids, Im much more drawn to them whereas before I wouldnt have been. Also, at the moment, Ian doesnt particularly want children. Nikki adds: Im not sitting here crying myself to sleep that I cant have a child. Theres no point in me stressing myself when my boyfriend doesnt necessarily want kids. Theres no point in me making myself want to go down that road when I then have to maybe persuade him. And to listen to her, the pair are very happy together. She says they are perfect in every other way, and the issue is not causing them any day-to-day problems. Its so hard to know what to do, because if I was to walk away from him, to find somebody who wants children, to then have to say to them, oh, by the way, I cant have children, so were going to have to adopt, like, what do you do? How do you put that in your Tinder profile? she says. And anyhow, Ian and I are totally happy together. But its important to normalise these kinds of conversations which are so common in the aftermath of cancer treatment. Anyone affected by cancer, whether through their own experience or that of a loved one, is encouraged to reach out to the Irish Cancer Societys freephone support line on 1800 200 700, or email supportLine@irishcancer.ie if they have any worries or concerns, or just want to talk. IF YOU need evidence that the Democratic administration in Washington is hostile to the Granite State, look no further than its disposition toward our states lawsuit against Massachusetts over the Bay States bad faith policy of imposing its income tax on New Hampshire telecommuters who bot Australia's television standards watchdog has been hit with four times as many complaints about Married At First Sight compared to 12 months ago. The Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has already received 41 official complaints about this season of MAFS - compared to just 10 in 2020. These complaints have been referred to Channel 9, which has 60 days to respond before ACMA considers launching an official investigation into the practices. Several former contestants have accused the show of failing in their duty of care toward female participants in recent years. While current contestant Melissa Rawson, who was 'married' to Bryce Ruthven and still appears to be dating him, has not accused the show of malpractice, more than 10,000 people have signed a petition on her behalf. Viewers claim her insecurities and trauma from previous relationships are being exploited to promote discussion and create high audience engagement - at the cost of her mental health and that of audiences. Delia Donovan, the CEO of Domestic Violence NSW said shows like Married At First Sight can be 'incredibly harmful' for viewers watching at home. Melissa Rawson was paired with Bryce Ruthven on the show and the couple appear to still be together in real life While current contestant Melissa Rawson, who was married to Bryce Ruthven and by all accounts still appears to be dating him, has not accused the show of malpractice, more than 10,000 people have signed a petition on her behalf 'The sole intention is to capitalise on viewers and make as much money as possible - forgetting that ultimately, it's real human beings who are being exploited,' she said. 'The editing and messages of these shows are designed to shock, dramatise and expose the cast and misleads viewers about relationships and what constitutes a safe, healthy and respectful relationships.' Ms Donovan encouraged programs to ensure they're complying with an ethical framework to ensure the safety of participants and audiences. The petition, meanwhile, argues Melissa has been subjected to 'gaslighting, emotional manipulation, isolation, and countless other textbook signs of a controlling and or abusive relationship'. Former contestants Natasha Spencer and Poppy Jennings both appeared on the show in 2020, have been arguing since their season aired that Channel 9 failed in their duty of care. Former contestants Natasha Spencer (pictured) and Poppy Jennings both appeared on the show in 2020, have been arguing since their season aired that Channel 9 failed in their duty of care Natasha revealed she suffered a total nervous breakdown while filming after hearing allegations of sexual assault on set. She maintains production failed to appropriately deal with the allegations. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 9 for comment. Poppy, who was married to FIFO worker Luke Eglin on the experiment, claims she was not only mistreated but told she wasn't allowed to voice her perspective of her experience on the show. She also claimed there were incidents that happened during filming that were 'too controversial' to be shown on television. 'Why is Luke crying when I left? What really happened that he was crying over! You don't know because I wasn't allowed to say! It's too controversial!' she added. 'He's scared s**tless I will tell the truth. I was afraid to speak up! But f**k this s**t, I'm going to tell everything! It's not what you see, it's what you don't see! Go and ask Luke why I was so uncomfortable? Why the f**k did I really leave? Poppy, who was married to FIFO worker Luke Eglin on the experiment, claims she was not only mistreated but told she wasn't allowed to voice her perspective of her experience on the show On Tuesday night's episode, following weeks of tension Bryce planted an uninvited kiss on fellow contestant Beck's cheek in an apparent attempt at humour 'He's petrified I'm going to talk. He knows he's f**ked up. Those tears from him are for his reputation and job!' Daily Mail Australia cannot publish the nature of her allegations for legal reasons. Bryce has been widely criticised since the show's very first episode for appearing to gaslight and manipulate his bride. On Tuesday night's episode, following weeks of tension Bryce planted an uninvited kiss on fellow contestant Beck's cheek in an apparent attempt at humour. The incident left Beck in a flood of tears while thousands of viewers expressed their outrage that the segment was allowed to air. The incident left Beck (left) in a flood of tears while thousands of viewers expressed their outrage that the segment was allowed to air Natasha has repeatedly criticised the show and the network for allegedly failing in their duty of care toward her when she had a nervous breakdown while filming The latest episode prompted Natasha to speak out against production for not implementing trigger warnings before episodes or acknowledging potentially harmful behaviour that is being aired. 'Instead, they've normalised domestic violence on our screens,' she said. 'They've given people the idea that this is normal because it's appearing on our televisions.' Natasha has repeatedly criticised the show and the network for allegedly failing in its duty of care towards her when she had a nervous breakdown while filming. She said her breakdown was spurred by allegations of sexual assault on set and the network's subsequent lack of action in dealing with the allegations. While Natasha claims the head producer 'bawled her eyes out and apologised' about what happened, she said the apology 'clearly' wasn't sincere given the content of subsequent seasons. The look of love! Married At First Sight's Bryce Ruthven and Melissa Rawson, both 31, only had eyes for each other as they were spotted arriving in Sydney on Tuesday night 'They're not sorry. They're not following a duty of care... they're promoting [this] as a way of getting us talking and getting their ratings higher.' WHAT IS GASLIGHTING? Gaslighting a person is the action of manipulating them to a point that makes them doubt their own sanity. It is a form of emotional abuse that often leaves a victim questioning their thoughts, opinions and perspectives. Signs that you are a victim of gaslighting include: no longer feeling like the person you used to be losing confidence and feeling anxious questioning whether you're 'too sensitive' apologising often questioning whether your response to your partner's actions was appropriate and sensitive enough making excuses for your partner's behaviour avoiding giving family and friends information about your relationship feeling isolated from friends and family struggling to make decisions Advertisement Natasha went on to quash arguments that suggest participants 'know what they are signing up for' when applying for a dramatic reality television show like MAFS. 'Nobody signs up to become a victim of mental abuse on national television.' She argued that, as professional psychologists, the experts who made the match between Melissa and Bryce should have seen that she would be 'at risk'. 'She is quite obviously anxious attachment style and has a lot of insecurities... They've also screened Bryce who is a high rating narcissist and they've put them together.' Natasha is one of more than 10,000 people who signed the petition demanding an apology from the network and the program. She encouraged her 80,900 followers to do the same and send a clear message that 'we don't want to see this on our screens'. Bryce sparked disdain among viewers when he told Melissa she wasn't 'his type', ranked her fourth when asked which of the brides he was most attracted to and threw water in the face of another contestant. There are also allegations that he had a girlfriend outside of the experiment, told male contestants he 'would be single at the end' and cheated on his fiance several times before appearing on the show. But it wasn't until he kissed Rebecca Zemek on the cheek during an argument that production allegedly stepped in and shut down for an entire day. Beck told KIISFM's Kyle and Jackie O the kiss affected her mentally, doubling down on her claim that it constitutes harassment. 'It was one of those moments where I had to bring the contract up to even see what my rights are. I didn't sign up for this,' she said. 'It was just so mentally draining for me at the time. I look at it the same way as I did before. It's harassment. I think you learn to keep your hands to yourself when you're five years old. 'It was really hard for me to even watch last night Everyone's seen a good edit of it; it was worse than that.' 1800RESPECT Lifeline 13 11 14 New Delhi, April 5 : Online food delivery platform Swiggy is close to raise $800 million (about Rs 5,862 crore) in funding, with investors Falcon Edge Capital, Amansa Capital, Think Investments, Carmignac and Goldman Sachs joining as new investors, that will take its valuation to nearly $5 billion. According to an internal memo sent by company founder Sriharsha Majety to employees on Monday and seen by IANS, existing investors Accel and Prosus will also participate in the series J round of funding. Singapore-based GIC Private Ltd and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) are also likely to participate in the ongoing funding round at a later stage, people aware of the deal revealed. Swiggy was valued at $3.7 billion when it raised funds in February last year. The fresh fundraising comes at a time when Zomato is planning for a $750 million-$1 billion IPO later this year. "The fundraise was also very heavily oversubscribed given the very positive investor sentiment towards Swiggy," Majety said in the email. "This fundraise gives us a lot more firepower than the planned investment for our current business lines. Given our unfettered ambition though, we will continue to seed/experiment new offerings for the future that may be ready for investment later," he told the employees. "We will just need to now relentlessly invent and execute over the next few years to build an enduring iconic company out of India". The internal memo further read that the next 10-15 years offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for companies like Swiggy "as the Indian middle class expands and our target segment for convenience grows to 500M (million) users over the period". "Even globally now everyone acknowledges the TAM (total addressable market) for the food delivery category and how it is still very very early in India," Majety said. As with many of this years award shows, the ceremony was held virtually via Zoom Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Kaluuya, and Viola Davis won major awards at the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards. The SAG Awards, an awards season staple, is centered around artists in the industry honoring their peers work. While the COVID-19 pandemic forced the ceremony to go remote, the show went off without a hitch, featuring a Zoom-style presentation, with the actors cheering each other on virtually from their homes. (Credit: Netflix) Read More: Viola Davis makes history with SAG Award win for Ma Rainey One of the biggest awards of the night, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, went to the late Boseman for his role in the hit Netflix film Ma Raineys Black Bottom. Bosemans wife, Simone Ledward Boseman, accepted the award on his behalf, thanking the team behind Ma Rainey and Bosemans castmates. Ending her speech with an inspirational quote from Boseman, she shared, If you see the world unbalanced, be a crusader that pushes heavily on the seesaw of the mind. https://twitter.com/SAGawards/status/1378888419544211456?s=20 Read More: Chadwick Boseman makes Oscars history Kaluuya also scored a big win at the SAG Awards for his role in Judas and The Black Messiah. Accepting the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Kaluuya shared in his speech, Thank you, thank you SAG for this honor. I share this with all the nominees and everyone that was apart of making Judas and the Black Messiahman you cant make a film without an incredible group of people that come together and want to say a truth. He continued, I want to share this with LaKeith Stanfield, Dominique Fishback, Jermaine Fowler, and all the incredible day players that show up, and chairman Fred Hampton for guiding us and showing us his power, even now, 52 years later. This ones for Chadwick Boseman, and this ones for Chairman Fred Hampton. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Read More: Daniel Kaluuyas SNL monologue rags on racism Story continues Ma Raineys Black Bottom star Viola Davis broke a major record during the ceremony, becoming the first Black actress to win Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role twice at the SAG Awards. In her speech, Davis celebrated the late August Wilson, who wrote Ma Raineys Black Bottom as part of his Century Cycle. She shared in her speech, Thank you, August, for leaving a legacy to actors of color that we can relish for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much. Check out the full list of winners below: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Chadwick Boseman / Levee Ma Raineys Black Bottom Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Viola Davis / Ma Rainey Ma Raineys Black Bottom Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Daniel Kaluuya / Fred Hampton Judas and the Black Messiah Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Yuh-Jung Youn / Soonja Minari Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture WONDER WOMAN 1984 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Mark Ruffalo / Dominick Birdsey/Thomas Birdsey I Know This Much Is True Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Anya Taylor-Joy / Beth Harmon The Queens Gambit Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Jason Bateman / Marty Byrde Ozark Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Gillian Anderson/ Margaret Thatcher The Crown Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Jason Sudeikis / Ted Lasso Ted Lasso Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Catherine OHara / Moira Rose Schitts Creek Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series The Crown Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Schitts Creek Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series The Mandalorian Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today! The post Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Kaluuya and more win big at SAG Awards 2021 appeared first on TheGrio. "Where are you keeping the fountain of youth? Why do you look the same as you did in 2003 and it kind of looks like Im in my 40s...at best?" -Ben Affleck pic.twitter.com/ZHxmJ93nV0 InStyle (@InStyle) April 5, 2021 "Jennifer Lopez what can she not do? Extremely deliberate, intentional, fully choreographed, and self-aware, she even knows how to make accidents look like accidents" -Matthew McConaughey pic.twitter.com/MxBCbKgn2i InStyle (@InStyle) April 5, 2021 Jennifer Lopez covers the Beauty Issue of InStyle Magazine pic.twitter.com/E5j48faZxg Film Updates (@TheFilmUpdates) April 5, 2021 Jennifer Lopez covers Instyle magazine with coworkers and friends sharing sweet words on her as she celebrates thirty years in the business and her new beauty line.: She remains, to this day, the hardest-working person I've come across in this business. She has great talent, but she has also worked very hard for her success, and I'm so happy for her that she seems, at long last, to be getting the credit she deserves.(co-star in Maid in Manhattan, 2002): I worked with Jennifer when I was 10 years old. She was always on time and always gave 1,000 percent when she was acting or talking to someone lower than her pay grade. Everyone was treated equally. About halfway through the shoot, she bought me an Xbox! I couldn't believe it.: The hardest worker I've ever met. When we were together, it was quite the opposite for me. That has changed since. I learned so much from her. She's the original!: The world knows that Jennifer is blessed with many gifts talent, beauty, and an unparalleled work ethic. But what impresses me the most about her is her unwavering commitment to leverage those gifts and use her platform to give voice to the voiceless.The article has quotes from Lili Reinhart, Leah Remini, Matthew McConaughey, Abraham Quintanilla, Fat Joe, Charlize Theron and so many more. New Delhi: In a step to check the transmission of COVID-19, the authorities in Noida have said that the entire floor of the multistorey buildings will be sealed if a positive case is detected. Gautam Buddh Nagar DM Suhas LY on Monday (April 5, 2021) stated that the surveillance will be intensified in the COVID-19 containment zones. He said, "After one COVID-19 case on a floor of a multistorey building, the entire floor would be declared containment zone." The Gautam Buddh Nagar DM added that if more than one floor comes under scrutiny, the whole building will be turned into a COVID-19 containment zone. The containment period will reportedly last for 14 days. The step comes amid the rising coronavirus infections across the country. Gautam Buddh Nagar has so far reported more than 26,000 COVID-19 cases, of which, there are as many as 400 active cases. It has also witnessed 91 deaths. In Uttar Pradesh, there are 19,738 active COVID-19 cases, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's data on Monday morning. Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a Hospital in Lucknow. The BJP leader expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Ministry after getting the vaccine jab. "I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Ministry for making the vaccine available free of cost. I also thank the scientists of the country. The vaccine is completely safe. We all should take it when our turn comes," CM Yogi expressed. He also appealed to the people to take all precautions even after taking the vaccine and said that the new wave of coronavirus is the result of our complacency in observing COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. (With inputs from agencies) CASS COUNTY, MICH. -- Michigans newest international dark sky park is offering some special programming in the coming days to celebrate International Dark Sky Week, hosted each year by the International Dark-Sky Association to raise awareness about light pollutions negative effects. Dr. T.K. Lawless International Dark Sky Park, located in southwestern Lower Michigan, will be open for Dark Sky Week stargazing each night from April 5-10. In the event of inclement weather, cancellations will be posted on the parks Facebook page. Additionally, special presentations on topics related to the night sky will be held this week in the parks indoor community room. Monday, April 5 at 7 p.m.: Learn about the dangers of light pollution and how to mitigate it. Wednesday, April 7 at 7 p.m. A presentation on basic wide field astrophotography. If available, attendees should bring a DSLR, a basic lens (long telephoto lenses are NOT recommended), and a tripod. If the skies cooperate, after the presentation participants can practice what theyve learned. Saturday, April 10 at 7 p.m.: Melinda OMalley from the Penn-Harris-Madison Digital Video Theatre & Planetarium will give a presentation on basic astronomy. For each presentation, attendance will be limited to 20 people on a first-come, first-served basis. Facemasks will be required and social distancing protocols will be followed. Since the presentations will be held indoors, they will not be subject to weather cancellations. Each night, the parks standard entrance fees apply: $2 per car for in-county residents, $3 for out-of-county residents. Lawless International Dark Sky Park debuted just last year, making it the second park in Michigan to be awarded the prestigious designation from the Arizona-based International Dark-Sky Association, or IDSA. The other park in Michigan to have received international dark-sky recognition so far is Headlands International Dark Sky Park in Emmet County. For up-to-date information from Lawless International Dark Sky Park, visit the parks Facebook page. The parks address is 15122 Monkey Run Street, Vandalia, Mich. 49095. More information about the importance of dark skies, including a list of other dark-sky designated places around the world, can be found at darksky.org. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WASHINGTON Pete Buttigieg was a few weeks into his job as transportation secretary, buried in meetings and preparing for the launch of President Joe Bidens $2.3 trillion public works plan, when evening arrived along with a time to try something new in Washington. Instead of climbing into the back seat of a black SUV like most Cabinet secretaries, he headed to a bike-share rack. Helmet on, and with a couple of Secret Service agents flanking him, he pedaled the mile-long trip to his home in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. It wasnt a one-time stunt. On Thursday, Buttigieg arrived at the White House for a Cabinet meeting on his two-wheeler. And that wasnt his only regular guy moment. Dog park devotees in the District of Columbia have also seen him there, chatting up anyone from children to members of Congress such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Buttigieg first had his eye on the job of the man who is now his boss, Biden. Buttigiegs presidential campaign was surprisingly successful he essentially tied for first with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucuses and finished a close second to him in the New Hampshire primary and he made a strong impression as someone who represented the future of the Democratic Party. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Now the man known during his campaign as Mayor Pete he was the mayor of South Bend, Indiana faces the first test of that potential in his first job in Washington: leading a Cabinet department with a $75 billion annual budget and a mandate to help spur an infrastructure program that Biden has likened to the the building of the interstate highway system in the 1950s. He will have to navigate the complicated politics of both an entrenched bureaucracy at the Transportation Department and the fraught politics of a bitterly divided Washington. He may have found a way by just riding a bike, which has gained fans from even skeptics in Congress. Youve got to keep your head up, Buttigieg told The Associated Press, explaining the path and potential dangers posed from unaccustomed drivers, but he said it can be a much quicker journey from point A to B. Biden on Thursday tasked Buttigieg and four other Cabinet members the Jobs Cabinet with selling the administrations infrastructure and climate plan, a flood of money for roads, bridges, airports, broadband communications, water systems and electric cars. But the plan has already hit a wall with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who objects to the corporate tax increases Biden says will pay for the plan and pledges to oppose it every step of the way. On the other side, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, says the package should be significantly larger. Daunting as it may seem, the challenge of helping build consensus fits the ambition of the man who had the audacity to run for president from the perch of being mayor of a midsize town in Indiana. When Biden selected the smooth-talking Naval reserve veteran for the transportation post, he praised him as offering a new voice with new ideas determined to move past old politics. In an interview, Buttigieg said he believes that bipartisan consensus is attainable. Joining Buttigieg in selling the plan are Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Ive had enough conversations, especially the one-on-one conversations away from the cameras with members from both sides of the aisle, to know there really is a sincere interest in getting this done, Buttigieg told the AP. Now politics can get in the way of that of course. But I think unlike a lot of other issues where there is just deep passionately felt profound disagreement about what to do, here theres a really healthy overlap in terms of our ideas about what has to happen, even if there is a lot of difference on how to get there. Translation? Republicans like smooth roads and fast internet for their constituents, too. But so far, there is no indication Republicans share his position. The proposal offers big stakes for Buttigieg at the department, where he pledges to promote public transit and other green alternatives to gas-guzzling cars and apply an equity lens to infrastructure projects. Black and brown neighborhoods have been disproportionately divided by highway projects or left isolated by the lack of adequate transit and transportation resources, Buttigieg tweeted in December. Under Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, he said, we will make righting these wrongs an imperative. Just two months into the job, Buttigieg has met with two dozen House members and 13 senators and in recent days has upped that pace, talking to lawmakers both parties every day. Republicans describe the former McKinsey consultant as likable and open-minded, even if they wonder at times about his actual level of sway on legislation. Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, the top Republican on a key panel overseeing highways, said hes talked with Buttigieg twice, once at a meeting with Biden and a bipartisan group of lawmakers at the White House. He called the conversations really good. Im very excited to be able to work with him, said Davis, a cyclist back home in his rural district, who thinks the former mayor can bring a valuable street-level perspective to filling potholes and easing congested streets. If he wants to go for a ride to discuss bike lanes and public transit, Id welcome that, he said. Though the youngest Cabinet member at age 39, Buttigieg possesses a star power matched by few others in the group. Hes displayed an ability to command media attention and use those moments including during a series of memorable Fox News hits around the election to sway the public, including those not always apt to vote Democratic. Hes spoken at the popular SXSW conference in Texas, joined Gov. Ralph Northam, D-Va., to promote expanded passenger rail, and tweets at a frequency to a wider public that comes close to rivaling Donald Trump when he was president. Buttigieg promotes transit policy both on his official and personal account, where he also expresses devotion to his husband, Chasten. Buttigieg, who owns two dogs, has even been seen at a neighborhood park with Ocasio-Cortez. A chance meeting, he said. The new transportation secretary had one recent stumble: He had to quickly walk back a plan to charge drivers per mile they drove. Its a proposal that has some support among Republicans but could violate Bidens campaign pledge not to raise taxes on people earning less than $400,000. Buttigieg has impressed West Wing aides with his work ethic and willingness to learn, and he was quickly granted approval to pursue a robust engagement with the media. The presidents advisers also hold warm feelings toward the former mayor for his decision last spring to quickly endorse Biden after abandoning his own campaign, helping accelerate the end of the Democratic primary contest. And Biden has compared Buttigieg to his late son Beau, a powerful evocation that helped cement his importance to the president. Now bound to Bidens agenda and performance, Buttigieg begins a phase likely to enhance his public service portfolio and life experience. This phase accomplishes what some allies have said Buttigieg needed, a next chapter, beyond the underdog story of the boy wonder from the small Midwestern city. Friends and advisers had long suggested that he get out of South Bend and see more of the world than his seven-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2014 allowed. Buttigieg was also busy taking steps toward running for president when he got married in June 2018 and when his father died six months later. During the campaign, he said he and Chasten had hopes of becoming parents. Asked about his desire to be a father, Buttigieg told the AP were still working at that, before adding with a smile, Stay tuned. As quickly as he rose, Buttigieg swiftly suspended his campaign in March 2020, before Bidens ascension in the primary was clear. He knew when to get out. Hell probably know when to get back in, too, if he does. He has incredible political talent and skill, said Mayor Nan Whaley of Dayton, Ohio, a longtime friend and 2020 campaign supporter. But part of that talent and skill is having really great political timing. On that front, she sees his work on infrastructure not as part of this grand plan on his next move, but rather as a demonstration of his ability to focus on the task at hand. Buttigieg and his husband have been spotted walking around their new neighborhood, Capitol Hill, where they live in a one-bedroom apartment, meandering the artisanal stalls at Eastern Market to smiles from residents. Last weekend, they wandered along the brick row houses and blooming magnolia cherry blossom trees, greeting neighbors with waves and allowing young children to pet their dogs. Their one-eyed puggle named Buddy, adopted in late 2018, has become something of an Instagram star. Buddy lingered as a blond-haired little girl ran up and sat to snuggle him while the other lab mix, Truman, stood nearby. He loves the attention, Chasten Buttigieg explained to the girl, a trait Buddy picked up during the campaign. Pete Buttigieg smiled as the girl gave the dog a goodbye scratch on the head, and the couple slowly made the way back on a path toward the Capitol. ___ Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Calvin Woodward contributed to this report. A large, "devastating" fire destroyed the only church at a remote First Nation in northern Manitoba on Easter Sunday. A large, "devastating" fire destroyed the only church at a remote First Nation in northern Manitoba on Easter Sunday. St. Theresa Point is an Oji-Cree community that can only be reached by either plane or boats in the summer or ice-roads during winters. It's located about 610 kilometres from Winnipeg. The fire is under investigation by local fire officials and the RCMP. (Supplied) About an hour after morning mass at the St. Theresa Point Church, a blaze erupted from what appeared to be the entrance of the building, said Chief Marie A. Wood in an interview. Wood told the Free Press nothing but scraps have been left as a result of the incident that engulfed the 65-year-old church. "Thankfully, no one was injured because everyone had already left by the time our beautiful, planned mass was over," she said. St. Theresa Point First Nation is mourning the loss of its only church after it was destroyed Sunday. (Supplied) "But the population of our community is 99 per cent Roman Catholic. This is our only church, our only place for community and for worship. There's nothing left there anymore... it's just completely heartbreaking, especially because it happened on Easter." According to Christopher Knott, St. Theresa's local fire chief, the church was completely engulfed in flames well before crews had arrived at the scene. The cause is still under investigation, with help from the RCMP. Mounties and fire workers did not comment about any further details. Controlling the burn was all that firefighters were able to do Sunday, Chief Marie A. Wood said. (Supplied) People from the community "crying, sobbing and teetering" went to watch the church burn, Wood described. Many were heartbroken because they heard church bells ring Sunday morning for the last time only moments before the fire. Father Victor Ferdinand stood by and supported the anguished community members. "But nothing could be done except for fire crews to secure the area and control the burn," said Wood. Over the past year, there have been many fundraising efforts made by the community to try and build a new church. A statue of the Virgin Mary is all that's left of St. Theresa Point Church after a fire Sunday. (Supplied) "This one had a lot of structural and plumbing issues," said Wood. "It's in need of repairs, but loving hands and hard work have made it possible to keep its doors open for our devout parishioners." The community plans to work together and recover this loss through renewed fundraising efforts. "We will always have faith that things happen for a reason," said Wood. "All we can do now is remember the wonderful memories the building holds forever in our hearts." Temur.Durrani@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @temurdur GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) today announced that it has filed a prospectus supplement withthe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, under which it may offer and sell up to a maximum of 3,500,000 shares of its common stock from time to time through an at-the-market equity offering program. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from any sales of its Common Stock under the ATM Offering to further accelerate its transformation as well as for general corporate purposes and further strengthening its balance sheet. The timing and amount of any sales will be determined by a variety of factors considered by the Company. Common Stock will be offered through Jefferies LLC (Jefferies), which is serving as the sales agent. Jefferies may sell Common Stock by any lawful method deemed to be an at-the-market offering defined by Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including without limitation, sales on any existing trading market. Sales may be made at market prices prevailing at the time of a sale or at prices related to prevailing market prices. As a result, sales prices may vary. GameStops prospectus supplement filed today supplements information contained in the accompanying prospectus contained in the shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-251197) for the offering of Common Stock. Potential investors should review the prospectus, the prospectus supplement and all other related documents that GameStop has filed with the SEC for complete corporate information, including information pertaining to the ATM Offering and the risks associated with investing in the Company. Investors can obtain copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus by visiting the SECs website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, potential investors may contact Jefferies, who will arrange to provide them these documents, at: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022; by phone at (877) 821-7388; or by e-mail at Prospectus_Department@Jefferies.com. Please note that this press release is for informational purposes only and it does not represent an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Companys Common Stock. In no event will the Company sell more than 3,500,000 shares of Common Stock under the ATM Offering, and aggregate gross proceeds will not exceed $1,000,000,000. There will be no sale of Common Stock in any jurisdiction in which one would be unlawful. Driven by its digital transformation strategy, Vietnam will set more favourable standards for high-tech businesses recognition from next month in a move to develop the country into a high-tech hub. The prime minister on March 16 issued Decision No.10/2021/QD-TTg on the criteria for high-tech business recognition, announcing higher standards for smaller scales of capital and facilitating other factors to pick up a wave of investment in one of the most-sought after sectors. Under the new decision, high-tech businesses must meet the criteria as ruled in Article 75 of the Law on Investment 2014 and the following criteria on revenue, research and development (R&D) expenditures, and their workforce. As such, revenues from high-tech products must make up at least 70 per cent of the total annual net revenue. Moreover, spending on R&D by a high-tech business must account for 0.5-2 per cent of annual net revenue depending on corporate scale and total capital. These investments must be at least 0.5 per cent for a top-tier high-tech business with total capital of VND6 trillion ($260.87 million) and higher, and 3,000 labourers or more. The threshold is 1 per cent for second-tier businesses with total capital of VND100 billion ($4.35 million) and higher, and a workforce of at least 200 people. Meanwhile, the rate is at least 2 per cent for third-tier businesses. In regard to the criterion on workers involved in R&D activities, their rate must be at least 1 per cent for top-tier businesses, 2.5 per cent for second-tier ones, and 5 per cent for the remainder. They must have qualifications of at least a college degree. Le Bich Loan, deputy director of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP), told VIR, The new decision marks an important adjustment, which renders the criteria more suitable with the reality, and encourages mammoth high-tech groups to make investments in Vietnam. Some domestic and foreign-invested enterprises located in the SHTP have received recognition as high-tech ones, such as Samsung and Nanogen. With the new decision, there are requirements for high-tech businesses with the total capital of VND6 trillion ($260.87 million) and more, thus separating them from the group of second-tier ones. In the previous decision there were requirements for just two kinds of high-tech businesses which are now the second- and third-tier ones. With the new rules, second- and third-tier businesses must meet higher criteria than those in the past, except for high-tech revenues. A representative of Bosch Vietnam said, We are now looking through the new decision to see how the changes will impact our operations. Bosch Vietnam has been recognised as a high-tech company for years and enjoys the incentive policies. As shown in Decree No.12/VBHN-BTC from 2015 guiding the implementation of the Law on Corporate Income Tax, high-tech businesses enjoy 10 per cent of the tax (CIT) within 15 years, a four-year exemption of CIT, and a reduction of 50 per cent of CIT in the following nine years dating from the recognition. The requirements could prove more challenging for newcomers of second- and third-tier businesses, but more favourable for top-tier ones. Moreover, they may ignite a race for recognition before April 30 to gain the incentives. The decision states that high-tech businesses that already submitted documents seeking the high-tech recognition before April 30 must satisfy the new regulations. Vietnam now has 58,000 digital technology businesses, and the country targets to increase the number to 100,000 by 2030. The Ministry of Information and Communications believed that with the strong establishment of digital technology companies thus far, the number can be reached by 2025. The change in the criteria is seen as inevitable during the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and Vietnam is accelerating its digital transformation to develop a digital government, economy, and society. In this trend, the attraction of high-tech investment is among the top priorities. As shown in the Politburos issuance of Resolution No.50-NQ-TW, giving directions to complete the legal framework on foreign direct investment attraction by 2030 with an aim to further increase the quality, priority is given to projects with advanced and new technologies offering high added value and advantages for global supply and production chains. With a young population and a strong high-tech investment attraction strategy, Vietnam has endeared itself to high-tech companies looking to establish a long-term hub for software development and hardware manufacturing. Alexandre Sompheng - Chairman, EuroChams Digital Sector Committee The investment barrier to enter the Vietnamese market has been tightened for some parts, but it is still an attractive benefit for those investing in Vietnam. As the criteria of workers in research and development (R&D) have been softened, it would encourage high-tech companies to play a role in the training of the younger workforce. Now is the time for the high-tech companies to cash in on this opportunity and take part in the education ecosystem, allowing themselves to balance their R&D expenses and compensate for the investment barriers. Singapore is a good example in the region. The government of Singapore has set a clear plan to transform the city state through technology innovations. We encourage the Vietnamese government to improve their sets of rules enabling all segments of the economy and society to harness new technologies to achieve its comprehensive digital transformation aspirations. VIR Vietnam to have 500 high-tech manufacturers by 2030 The national high-tech development program focuses primarily on assisting local enterprises to master high technologies. Seventeen months have passed since Private First Class (PFC) Logan Castello, a soldier stationed at Fort Hood, a US military installation in Killeen, Texas, took his own life. Castello had only been on the base for five months. He was the 11th soldier to commit suicide at Fort Hood in 2019, one of the largest US military installations in the world, which is known for its high rates of suicide, homicide, and sexual assault. His body was found in his apartment by Killeen police. Pfc. Logan Castello [Credit: Family Memorial Page] After nearly a year and a half little documentation has been received by the family. Patricia Troyan, Castellos mother and a licensed therapist in Ohio, told the World Socialist Web Site that the only way that his cause of death is known is because the Army said so. The US Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID), which the Army stated has performed an investigation, has not released their investigative report to Castellos family. Troyan, speaking with the WSWS, stated, We havent received the CID investigation and its been 17 months. Only a two-page Line of Duty report that confirmed the cause of death was released. Castellos family is not the only one waiting for answers. The family of Sgt. Elder Fernandez, whose body was found on Aug 26, 2020, is going through a similar experience, according to Representative Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts. The Fort Hood Independent Review Committee reported earlier this year that off-post suicides and deaths were not being fully investigated by CID. Despite repeated requests, Castellos mother has not received any substantive response from any government agency, department, or individual that she has contacted. I have emailed the Governor of Texas, the White House, the secretary of the Army, and the Department of Defense, Troyan said, and no one has responded to me, so I am going to keep emailing them until someone just responds. So if I am going to accomplish nothing else, they are going to know Logans name. I dont know how government agencies can be so indifferent to suffering families. Troyan noted that of the major media outlets who previously reported on Castellos death, none of them had responded to her requests for a story in February, likely out of fear of offending the military authorities. Five months ago, on December 8, three top commanders were fired and two others were suspended at Fort Hood, following revelations of rampant violent crime and sexual assault on the base. These were accompanied by proclamations that there would be reforms. But Castello died on November 20, 2019, meaning that the family was waiting for answers for a year under the old leadership and for five months under the new leadership. From the standpoint of the family, it is the same old story. The autopsy report was received by the family only after they took it upon themselves to contact the center that performed it. We shouldnt have to wait 17 months to track down the autopsy, Troyan said, to do everything ourselves. The autopsy report showed that Logan was in perfect physical health, ruling out drugs or alcohol as a factor in his death. Troyan described emotional strain beyond what any family should have to endure. Castellos dad is the same as me, we are barely hanging on by a thread every day. He has an 11-year-old brother and Logan was his hero. And when he asks me what happened I dont have answers to tell him. Not knowing, you know, leaves me with just sleepless nights. All we have is our own speculations. According to the family, as Castellos mental health deteriorated in the period leading up to his death, the Army only afforded him three visits to a case management service, not a therapist, with a month between each visit. Following his own statements that he was contemplating suicide, the military put him on isolation duty where he would watch a parking lot in 24 hour shifts by himself. The only treatment that Castello received was for insomnia, for which he was described as unresponsive to treatment. Referring to the Line of Duty Report, Troyan explained it said he was not of sound mind but they did not provide adequate treatment. They were negligent in providing adequate treatment for Logan, and afterwards they have been grossly negligent in providing any of the documentation that they told us they would provide in six months. Troyan has received a police report on her sons suicide with everything but personal identifying information blacked out. For 11 pages every line was blacked out and redacted, she said. When she called after receiving the redacted report, she was told, I knew you would be calling. The Killeen police told the Castello family that a woman asked for 10 years for info on her sons death and never got it, Troyan said, and that that was going to be me. Troyan was also told that they dont release any information they dont have to. She appealed to the Texas Attorney General, who gave no response. .. not even the slightest acknowledgment. The response of the Killeen authoritiesthat there is an established practice of withholding information from families and a history of doing thisis remarkable for its outright hostility to democratic forms and procedures. The long and unjustified delays, the run-around, the secrecy, and the shameless redactions underscore something essential about the character of the US military, which employs 1.4 million active personnel and vacuumed up a budget of $738 billion in 2020, the highest such expenditure in the world. Behind all of the flag-waving rhetoric about supporting our troops and brave men and women in uniform, the lower enlisted ranks, drawn from among working class youth, are regarded as expendable. 100% Website mednutrition.gr uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery and Boostrap. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 309298 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 100983 bytes (98.62 kb uncompressed) and 19067 bytes (18.62 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-04-05, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. - By Alberto Abaterusso The following three stocks could be of interest to growth-focused investors, as they represent equities in businesses whose price-earnings ratios are trading below 20 while their trailing 12-month earnings per share went up meaningfully over the past year. Kinross Gold Corp The first company that makes the cut is Kinross Gold Corp (NYSE:KGC), a Toronto, Canada-based developer, explorer and producer of gold assets through mining activities in the U.S., Brazil, Chile, Russia, Ghana and Mauritania. The trailing 12-month net earnings without non-recurring items increased by 80.9% year over year to $1.06 per share as of the December 2020 quarter, up from 57 cents per share as of the prior-year quarter. The price-earnings ratio is 6.35 (versus the industry median of 19.29) as of April 1. Due to a nearly 38% jump over the past year, the stock was trading at $7.02 per share at close on Thursday for a market capitalization of $8.88 billion and a 52-week range of $4.84 to $10.32. A Trio of Stocks for Growth-Oriented Investors Currently, the company is paying quarterly dividends to its shareholders with the last payment, 3 cents per common share, made on March 18, generating a 1.71% dividend yield as of April 1. GuruFocus assigned a score of 6 out of 10 to the company's financial strength and 3 out of 10 to its profitability. On Wall Street, the stock has a median recommendation rating of overweight and an average target price of $11.68 per share. Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc The second company to consider is Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc (NYSE:HII), a Newport News, Virginia-based designer and builder of U.S. military ships. The trailing 12-month net earnings without non-recurring items increased by 29.30% year over year to $17.14 per share as of the December 2020 quarter, up from $13.26 per share in the prior-year quarter. Story continues The price-earnings ratio is 11.94 (versus the industry median of 28.5) as of April 1. As a result of a 5.43% increase over the past year, the stock was trading at $204.23 per share at close on Thursday for a market capitalization of $8.23 billion and a 52-week range of $136.44 to $296.96. A Trio of Stocks for Growth-Oriented Investors Currently, Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc is paying a quarterly cash dividend of $1.14 per common share, with the last distribution issued on March 12 generating a dividend yield of 2.23% as of April 1. GuruFocus assigned a score of 5 out of 10 to the company's financial strength and 7 out of 10 to its profitability. On Wall Street, the stock has a median recommendation rating of overweight with an average target price of $192.15 per share. Berry Global Group Inc The third company that qualifies is Berry Global Group Inc (NYSE:BERY), an Evansville, Indiana-based provider of packaging and container solutions. The trailing 12-month net earnings without non-recurring items came in at $5.42 per diluted share as of the first quarter of the fiscal year 2021, which ended on Dec. 30, 2020, up 69.4% year over year from $3.20 per diluted share as of the comparable quarter for the fiscal year 2020. The price-earnings ratio is 12.93 (versus the industry median of 15.83) as of April 1. Following a 76% increase over the past year, the stock traded at $61.56 per share at close on Thursday for a market capitalization of $8.25 billion and a 52-week range of $33.41 to $63.24. A Trio of Stocks for Growth-Oriented Investors Berry Global Group Inc does not pay dividends. GuruFocus assigned a score of 4 out of 10 to the company's financial strength and 7 out of 10 to its profitability. On Wall Street, the stock has a median recommendation rating of overweight and an average target price of $72 per share. Disclosure: I have no positions in any securities mentioned in this article. Read more here: Not a Premium Member of GuruFocus? Sign up for a free 7-day trial here. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. MILPITAS, Calif., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryan Heeter, a construction industry veteran with more than two decades' experience, has been named senior vice president leading the company's healthcare and corporate office business groups by XL Construction, a purpose-driven Northern California-based organization focused on building to improve lives. Heeter joined XL Construction in October 2020 to co-manage and begin transitioning the leadership of the corporate office business group from longtime industry veteran Ron Paradies who will be retiring at the end of this year. He assumes the healthcare management role from Alan Laurlund who founded the group and is assuming broader responsibilities in the company. In his new role, he will be responsible for broadly managing and building the company's healthcare business group. The unit has forged a reputation for partnership and collaborating with healthcare providers to develop patient-centric facilities. XL Construction's roster of healthcare projects include the El Camino Hospital Behavioral Health Center, UC Davis Midtown Clinic, numerous Kaiser Permanente facilities throughout Northern California and the County of Santa Clara Behavioral Health Center, slated for completion in 2022. "Ryan hit the ground running when he joined us last fall and made an immediate impact in bolstering our corporate office group," said Richard Walker, president, XL Construction. "We know we will benefit from his strong, relationship-oriented management approach and look forward to his increased contributions as we strengthen our management team for our fast-growing business." "I have long known XL for its strong reputation in the industry as a leader in executing high quality, technically advanced projects," said Heeter. "It has been an incredible opportunity to join the team and leverage my experience to help position the company for the future." Prior to joining XL Construction, Heeter served two years as the chief operating officer at GE Johnson Construction Company of Colorado Springs, Colo. Before that, he enjoyed a 20-plus year tenure at McCarthy Building Companies, where he held several posts including his most recent as executive vice president. He graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor's degree in construction engineering management. Heeter is a former volunteer board member for Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado and Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Council (EDC). He is also an active volunteer on the American Heart Association's Executive Leadership Team. Heeter is passionate about improving the construction industry for all participants with his greatest business passion in lean, design-build and alternative delivery models. Years ago, he was a co-founder of the Sacramento area Design-Build Institute of America. About XL Construction XL Construction is a leading general contractor whose mission is to "build to improve lives." XL partners with today's leaders in life sciences, advanced technology, corporate office, civic, healthcare and education to create places that make its communities better. The company's focus and passion for team success has earned it a network of great partners and a reputation for putting people first. XL Construction is consistently ranked among the top general contractors in Northern California. In 2020, the company was named ENR California's Top General Contractor of 2020 and the #1 Best Place to Work in the Bay Area. SOURCE XL Construction Corporation Related Links https://www.xlconstruction.com Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/05/2021 -- The COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Market Report provides a holistic evaluation of the market for the forecast period (2020-2026). This report also provides an all-inclusive environment of the analysis for the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Report. A methodological study on the prospective client& opinion about the idea, offering, or pricing can give insights in making decisions to an established leader as well as new entrant in the market" These market estimates have been considered by studying the impact of various social, political and economic factors along with the current market dynamics affecting the COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding growth. If you are a COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding manufacturer and deals in exports imports then this article will help you understand the Sales Volume with Impacting Trends. Get Free Sample PDF including COVID19 Impact Analysis, full TOC, Tables and Figures) of COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding: Get SAMPLE PDF of COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Market Study (Including Full TOC, Table & Figures)@ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/2849571-covid-19-outbreak-global-crowd-funding-industry-market Major Highlights from COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding Market Study Company / Manufacturers Competition Analysis: The COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding market provides a chapter highlighting manufacturing process analysis validated via primary information collected through Industry experts and Key officials of profiled companies. Comparative Market Share Analysis addressing Change in Product Revenue and % Market Share of Individual Companies / OEMs along with their Rank is address in a dedicated Chapter Complimented with a commentary on Top 3 players Strategic Moves & management Effectiveness that help them maintain their Market position and gain % market share in COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding market. The market estimates provided in the report are the result of in-depth secondary research, primary interviews and in-house expert reviews. Market Outlook provides thoughtful analysis of current issues facing the industry, along with current facts and statistics about the production and application in COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding Market. The latest research publication released with title COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Market by Type (, Reward-based Crowdfunding, Equity Crowdfunding, Donation & Others), by Application (Cultural Industries, Technology, Product, Healthcare & Others), by Players (Fundable, Lending Club, Kickstarter, Crowdrise, Kiva, Funding Circle, GoFundMe, Charitable, Give, Ulule, AngelList, Patreon, MightyCause (formerly Razoo), Crowdfunder, GoGetFunding, Indiegogo, InKind (formerly Equity Eats), Seed&Spark, PledgeMusic & Crowdcube) and by Regions and Country Level Break-up: : Segments Trend, Size, % Share, Growth, Estimation, and Forecast . Revenue and Sales* Estimation; Historical Revenue and sales volume is presented and further data is triangulated with top-down and bottom-up approaches to forecast complete market size and to estimate forecast numbers for key regions covered in the report along with classified and well recognized Types and end-use industry. Additionally macroeconomic factor and regulatory policies are ascertained in COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding industry evolution and predictive growth analysis. Demand & Supply and Effectiveness; COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding report additionally provides distribution, Production, Consumption & EXIM** (Export & Import). ** If applicable Have Any Query? Ask Our Expert @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/2849571-covid-19-outbreak-global-crowd-funding-industry-market Market Growth & Trend by Applications: Cultural Industries, Technology, Product, Healthcare & Others Heat map Analysis, 3-Year Financial and Detailed Company Profiles of Key & Emerging Players: Fundable, Lending Club, Kickstarter, Crowdrise, Kiva, Funding Circle, GoFundMe, Charitable, Give, Ulule, AngelList, Patreon, MightyCause (formerly Razoo), Crowdfunder, GoGetFunding, Indiegogo, InKind (formerly Equity Eats), Seed&Spark, PledgeMusic & Crowdcube Market Growth & Trend by Types: , Reward-based Crowdfunding, Equity Crowdfunding, Donation & Others Market Growth & Trend by Geography: North America (Covered in Chapter 7 and 14), United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe (Covered in Chapter 8 and 14), Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Others, Asia-Pacific (Covered in Chapter 9 and 14), China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, Others, Middle East and Africa (Covered in Chapter 10 and 14), Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Others, South America (Covered in Chapter 11 and 14), Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Chile & Others Book this research study COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Industry Market Report-Development Trends, Threats, Opportunities and Competitive Landscape in 2020 @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=2849571 Key features of the Market: -A detailed overview of the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding market -It offers in-depth analysis of changing market scenario -Latest industry trends and technological advancements -The regional outlook of the COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding market -Extensive research on qualitative and quantitative analysis. Additionally Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors list is being provided for each listed manufacturers Market Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015-2020) table for each product type which include Key Raw Materials Analysis & Price Trends Supply Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers, Industrial Chain Analysis ........and view more in complete table of Contents Check Complete Report Details @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/2849571-covid-19-outbreak-global-crowd-funding-industry-market Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding in these regions, from 2016 to 2026 (forecast). In the global version of report following regions and country can be provided on request - North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) - Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Russia and Turkey etc.) - Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia {Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam}) - South America (Brazil , Argentina etc.) & Middle East and Africa (North Africa and GCC Countries) Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. About HTF Market Report HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives". Starting Monday, April 5, eligibility for the COVID vaccine expanded to more individuals who live or work in Massachusetts. The age requirement for receiving the vaccine was lowered to 55 years or older and now residents with one qualifying medical condition - rather than two - may book an appointment. Eligible conditions include: Cancer Chronic kidney disease Chronic lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Moderate-to-severe asthma Interstitial lung disease Cystic fibrosis Pulmonary hypertension Dementia or other neurological conditions Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes Down syndrome Heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension HIV infection An immunocompromised state Liver disease Overweight and obesity Pregnancy Sickle cell disease or thalassemia Smoking or having smoked in the past Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant Stroke or cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain Substance use disorders Gov. Charlie Baker announced multiple, more qualifying medical conditions on Friday, including Type 1 diabetes, hypertension and HIV. The change comes days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added those conditions to the federal list of eligible comorbidities. The state will open vaccinations to all people ages 16 and up on April 19, Patriots Day. How to book an appointment at a large-scale vaccination site A website seeking to streamline access to the COVID-19 vaccine for Massachusetts residents launched last month. People who live, work or study in Massachusetts can pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at a large-scale vaccination site by going to mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine. After registration is completed, residents will receive weekly updates regarding their eligibility. We will contact you when there are appointments available for you and provide you with a link to use to select and book your appointment, the website states. The website is only for the states seven large-scale vaccination sites: the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, the DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers, the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, the Natick Mall in Natick and the former Circuit City in Dartmouth. Are appointments still available elsewhere? Yes, the states website is only for large-scale vaccination sites. There are hundreds of other vaccination locations now open across the commonwealth. How to get an appointment at local and regional vaccination sites Want to get the vaccine at a grocery store or local board of health-run site? Availability varies but new appointments are available daily. Search for appointments here. How to get an appointment at CVS Appointments can be made directly through the pharmacys website. CVS Health is expected to post new appointments online daily. Walk-in vaccinations without an appointment will not be provided. Massachusetts CVS locations were among the first nationwide to offer vaccination appointments. Eventually, vaccines will be available at pharmacy locations across the country, with the company estimating its vaccination capacity at 20 to 25 million shots per month. Got a news tip or want to contact MassLive about this story? Email newstips@masslive.com or message us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also call our news tips line at 413-776-1364. Related Content: Three people died and seven were injured when the roof of a factory collapsed at Baba Mukand Singh Nagar here on Monday, officials said. Forty people, mostly labourers, were rescued from the site. Of the injured, the condition of three were stated to be critical, officials said, adding efforts were on to find out where more people were trapped under the debris. "The factory owner was lifting the lintel level without permission of the municipal corporation," Deputy Commissioner Varinder Sharma said. Teams of the Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and civic body were undertaking the rescue operations. One person was rushed to a hospital where the doctors declared him dead. Another was found dead under the debris, while the third person succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, officials said. A case has been registered against the factory owner and the contractor, Ludhiana Police Commissioner Rakesh Aggarwal 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.) Addis Ababa, 5 April 2021 (SPS) - The African Union (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security, Adeoye Bankole, called on the African organization to "play a stronger and more active role" to bring lasting peace in Africa. In a tweet at the end of his meeting with the representative of the Sahrawi Republic to the AU, Lamine Baali, at the headquarters of the continental organization in Addis Ababa, Adeoye Bankole clarified that they had agreed to "the need for a peaceful settlement to conflicts and regional security to silence the guns." The African PSC recently demanded that Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) engage in direct talks without preconditions, in accordance with Article 4 of the AU Constitutive Act and the relevant provisions of the CPS Protocol. The PSC underlined the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities and to initiate dialogue, by creating an environment conducive to the conduct of negotiations between the Sahrawi Republic and Morocco, in its final declaration concerning the meeting on Western Sahara held on March 9, as part of the follow-up to the implementation of point number 15 of the decision of the 14th extraordinary session of the AU under the theme "Silencing the guns". (SPS) 062/090/700 3 1 of 3 Eileen Fischer / Eileen Fischer Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed Photo / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Plan b in Fairfield is pausing operations due to COVID-19, according to its owners. The restaurant, which specializes in burgers, beer and bourbon, looks forward to resuming operations later this year after a period of reinvestment, according to a statement. FREDERICTON - New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health says she's concerned by the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the province, which is putting pressure on the hospital network. Specimens to be tested for COVID-19 are seen in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 26, 2020. Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting 10 new cases of COVID-19 today. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck FREDERICTON - New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health says she's concerned by the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the province, which is putting pressure on the hospital network. Dr. Jennifer Russell said all the new cases reported in the hard-hit Edmundston area, in the northwest of the province, involve the mutation of the novel coronavirus first identified in the U.K. "This is the worst that things have been in the pandemic since it began and it is all the result of the U.K. variant," Russell said in an interview Monday. New Brunswick reported 10 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, including three in the Edmundston region, which has 135 of the 168 active reported cases in the province. That region borders Quebec and Maine and is under a red COVID-19 alert level. "The U.K. variant brings with it a higher transmission rate, but it also brings a higher risk of mortality and morbidity and a higher risk of hospitalizations and ICU admissions," Russell said. Fourteen patients are hospitalized with the disease, including eight in intensive care. Over the weekend, the president of the Vitalite Health Network, which includes the Edmundston hospital, said COVID-19-related hospitalizations are threatening to overwhelm the health system. Dr. France Desrosiers said some patients at the Edmundston hospital may have to be transferred. "The Edmundston Regional Hospital will soon reach its maximum capacity in terms of patients requiring acute care," Desrosiers said in a statement. "We will have depleted all available resources to provide safe health care during an emergency situation. The transfer of patients to other facilities is imminent." Russell said so far, one non-COVID-19 patient has been transferred to another hospital, adding that local authorities met Sunday with Ambulance New Brunswick and the Health Department to discuss a plan in the event more patients need to be moved. Officials said the three new cases in the Edmundston area involve contacts of a previously reported infection. In Moncton, the seven new cases are under investigation, officials said Monday. "My preliminary information from my staff is they are all connected," Russell said about the Moncton cases. Russell said while vaccines are a vital part of the plan to end the pandemic, New Brunswickers must continue to follow health orders. "Until we receive enough vaccines to allow the majority of New Brunswickers to be vaccinated, it remains critical for everyone to remain vigilant and follow public health guidelines," she said. The province has reported a total of 1,662 COVID-19 cases and 30 deaths linked to the virus. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2021. New Delhi: For a change, some good news is coming from the Valley. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti posted her first tweet after a long period of three years of joining the microblogging site when on Sunday she took to Twitter to share a short promotional film about the state's tourism department. The promotional film of duration five-minutes is titled 'Warmest Place on Earth' and aims to counter the negative perception about the Valley. It has drawn over 43,500 views. Meanwhile, Opposition and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday welcomed CM Mufti on Twitter with a tweet that read, "25,000 followers later @MehboobaMufti finally broke her silence on twitter with a tourism promotion video. Welcome to Twitter CM Sahiba." 25,000 followers later @MehboobaMufti finally broke her silence on twitter with a tourism promotion video. Welcome to Twitter CM Sahiba. https://t.co/qnH8fmYpVv Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) September 25, 2017 Omar had on Sunday hit out at Mufti in a tweet for terming the situation in Kashmir peaceful. "There is something disconcerting about the CM claiming this just days after her minister survived an attack that killed 3 people!," Omar had tweeted. There is something disconcerting about the CM claiming this just days after her minister survived an attack that killed 3 people! https://t.co/onyBDnw7al Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) September 24, 2017 He was reacting to a news report which quoted Mehbooba saying that the situation in Kashmir was peaceful and it was the media which was creating a negative perception about the Valley. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Thandiwe Newton reclaims real name The actress formerly known as Thandie Newton is reclaiming her real name: Thandiwe (pronounced tan-DEE-way). The 48-year-old actress, whose full name is Melanie Thandiwe Newton, told British Vogue that her name was misspelled in the credits of her first movie Flirting, co-starring Nicole Kidman, in 1991, and it stuck for 30 years. Ironically, she played a character named Thandiwe, but told the publication that shell be credited as Thandiwe Newton in all future projects. Thats my name. Its always been my name. Im taking back whats mine, she told the magazine. Newton, whos been nominated for two Golden Globes and won an Emmy Award, is known for roles in Westworld, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Crash, 2012, Mission: Impossible II, and The Pursuit of Happyness. Loki trailer Tom Hiddleston returns as Marvels God of Mischief in the first trailer for Loki, a new Disney+ series set after the events of Avengers: Endgame. The show is described as a fish-out-of-water story about Loki, whos recruited by Owen Wilson and the TVA (Time Variance Authority) to fix reality after he stole the Tesseract. Loki premieres June 11 on Disney Plus. SNL highlights Saturday Night Live tackled recent controversies surrounding Rep. Matt Gaetz (played by Pete Davidson), Pepe Le Pew (Kate McKinnon) and Lil Nas X (Chris Redd) in a Britney Spears (Chloe Fineman) talk show skit. Other SNL highlights included host Daniel Kaluuya trying to convince his family to get the Covid-19 vaccine, Weekend Update on President Joe Bidens new New Deal, a viral video apology parody, and a marketing meeting about Beanie Babies. MORE BUZZ: New Black Widow trailer teases Natashas secrets ( SF AI software writes new Nirvana song ( RS Jeezy marries Jeannie Mai ( BB Big Ang star Linda Torres dies at 62 ( E! Zack Snyder shares deleted Joker We Live in a Society clip ( SF Journey band members settle $10M lawsuit, will go Separate Ways ( BB Kevin Durant fined $50K for derogatory language with Michael Rapaport ( E! Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page will not return for season 2 ( SF Bhad Bhabie breaks OnlyFans record, earns $1M in 6 hours ( BB Justin Bieber releases surprise gospel EP on Easter ( RS Ricky Martin shows off massive leg tattoo ( ET The Right Stuff canceled after 1 season on Disney+ ( SF The Weeknd donates $1M for Ethiopia hunger relief ( BB Armie Hammer departs Broadway show ( RS Zendaya voices Lola Bunny in new Space Jam: A New Legacy ( SF Jessica Simpson says she tested positive for Covid-19 ( BB Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news about movies, TV, music and celebrities. In the past week, the World Socialist Web Site International Amazon Workers Voice (IAWV) has received a number of reports from Amazon workers in the Baltimore area revealing a growing number of COVID-19 infections in their facilities. Amazon warehouse and fulfillment center in Shakopee, Minnesota [Credit: Tony Webster/Wikimedia Commons] Theyre spreading like wild fire, said Fred, a worker at the BWI5 Fulfillment Center (FC), referring to COVID-19 infections. The workers name has been changed to protect him from retaliation. Fred shared with the IAWV a generic Amazon text alert which said that the company was recently notified that individuals who work at BWI5 have received a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. According to the alert, they were last onsite on 3/21/20213/27/2021. Keeping with Amazons well-established practice of not sharing pertinent details, such as the number of cases or the departments that infected individuals frequented, the alert reveals that an untold number of COVID-19 infections have been spotted at the FC throughout the week. Another worker, a leading member of the Amazon independent rank and file safety committee at BWI2 facility, stated that the company had begun putting up Plexiglas walls around work stations. They arent saying anything in words, but their actions tell you things are getting worse. Another worker at the facility stated that conditions had become deadly. Maryland has seen over 400,000 COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began. In the past month, the states daily case rate has nearly doubled, from around 750 cases daily in early March to 1,200 now. Cases in the Baltimore area have doubled over the same period. The increase in infections come after Maryland Republican governor Larry Hogan dropped basic social distancing measures to contain the pandemic. It has taken less than a month for the decision, which was implemented without input from the states coronavirus task force, to create a public health crisis. Given the fact that major industrial sites have played a major role in the spread of infections, it is possible that Amazon bears a considerable responsibility for this rising caseload. The company operates four Fulfillment Centers (FC), two sorting centers, five delivery stations, Prime and Air hubs as well as nearly a dozen Whole Foods locations, employing thousands of workers altogether, in the Baltimore area. The growth in infections follows the announcement in February that Amazon would return to in-person stand up meetings for all staff members. It has announced that the meetings, which consist of groups of workers gathering to engage in warm up exercises and other unsafe practices, will become daily requirements again this month. Workers have reported rising numbers of cases connected in particular to Amazon Fulfillment Engine (AFE) departments in the fulfillment centers. The AFEs receive goods from the shipping docks, which are then put through a three-part process involving induction, in which a worker places items inside a plastic tote and sends them to be re-binned. A re-binner then separates items from the totes and gives them to a packer, who then prepares the items to be shipped out. One worker described the AFE department as the COVID pit. AFEs are really bad. They can stink, the worker said. He described the department as super-hot and fast paced, where managers tell you a rate [the amount of merchandise a worker is supposed to handle on a minute-by-minute basis] that is more than the required amount. If pickersworkers who bring items from the shipping docks to the AFEbring goods to the wrong area, then rotting, unsorted food and other things can accumulate in the department, creating a multitude of hazards. Social distancing is almost non-existent in these areas, and masks, which can hinder breathing in such a fast-paced environment, often wind up around a persons chin. Eighty percent of people dont wear their masks properly down there, the worker said. He added that managers didnt enforce masks as long as workers do their jobs. A recent company email, forwarded to the IAWV by an AFE worker, explained that Amazon is ending its staggered shift policy on April 11. This change allows us to both maintain our social distancing commitment to keeping each other safe while also improving our Outbound work flow and building capacity to better serve our customers [emphasis added], the email reads. In other words, the company is planning on ending its staggered shift policy to increase profits. Theyre horrendously disorganized, the worker said, adding, but when it comes to controlling you, theyre masters. Like the suspension of stand-up meetings, the staggered shift times were minor concessions granted to workers during the first weeks of the pandemic. As with the removal of $2 hazard pay and the ending of unlimited unpaid time off (UPT) last spring and summer, the reversion to old routines is part of Amazons effort to claw back the safety measures implemented in the first months of the pandemic. Last year, a wave of wildcat strikes by auto, manufacturing and logistics workers forced a temporary shutdown at auto plants and other major manufacturers. Those strikes, which involved thousands of Amazon workers in Europe and North America, saved untold lives. However, these work stoppages were largely uncoordinated, and the companies, with assistance from the United Auto Workers and other bribed and corrupt trade unions, were able to force workers back on the jobs as the pandemic continued to devastate the population. In response, workers began building, with the assistance of the World Socialist Web Site and the Socialist Equality Party, their own independent rank and file safety committees in order to expose and oppose unsafe working conditions, and to begin preparations for a general strike to halt the homicidal policies being adopted by corporations and their political representatives in the United States and internationally. This includes the formation of a committee at Amazon's BWI2 warehouse in the Baltimore area. To join a committee at your workplace, or for help forming one, contact the World Socialist Web Site by filling out the form at wsws.org/workers. Flash A boy born last week on the Spanish island of Ibiza has become the first newborn in Spain with COVID-19 antibodies, after his mother received the vaccine in the third trimester of her pregnancy, according to local media reports. A sample from the baby's umbilical cord analyzed at the Hospital Son Espases in Mallorca confirmed that he had developed antibodies against COVID-19, the Spanish newspaper ABC reported. Manuel Grandal Martin, deputy director of the Madrid Hospital Directorate, told Xinhua on Friday that the protection that the baby has is equal to that of someone who has been vaccinated. "At the moment, he is perfectly protected, but it is not yet known how long it will last," said Grandal. The case of the infant, named Bruno, is part of a study on the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women. The study monitors 88 pregnant women who have caught COVID-19 during pregnancy, including those who are asymptomatic. Other specialists believe this result opens the doors to the possibility of vaccinating pregnant women to immunize both themselves and their babies, who receive the antibodies through placenta. Grandal explained there has so far been a lack of information about the effects of the vaccine on pregnant women, although there is no evidence that doing so is harmful. Berlin: The nationalist Alternative of Germany was hit by party infighting on Monday just hours after winning its first seats in parliament; with its co-chief Frauke Petry declaring that she wont join its Bundestag group. I decided after careful reflection that I will not sit with the (AfD) parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Petry told a press conference alongside other key figures in the party before abruptly leaving the room. Petry, who has long been locked in a dispute with more hardline AfD colleagues, won a seat in yesterdays election and said she would still serve as an MP. Her decision caught her colleagues by surprise at the press conference, and came a day after the AfD made history by sending dozens of lawmakers to parliamenta first since World War II for an openly anti-immigration and Islamophobic hard-right party. Read | Angela Merkel wins fourth term in Germany, faces tricky coalition talks Petry pointed to dissent within the party, and said there was no point hiding that. She had openly criticised one of the partys two leading candidates, Alexander Gauland, for saying that the AfD would go after Chancellor Angela Merkel and her government. That is rhetoric that I think... would not be seen as constructive by voters, she told public broadcaster ZDF. During the campaign, she also said Gaulands claim that Germany should be proud of its World War I and II soldiers would cause voters to shun the party. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Students from colleges across Tauranga are planning to hold an intergenerational march on Friday, demanding climate action. As climate change affects every New Zealander and every part of society, we are inviting everyone to join us, says School Strike 4 Climate NZ spokesperson Ash Putt-Fallows. This rally will be intergenerational. Parents, teachers, aunties, uncles and grandparents are asked to join youth on April 9 to stand up for climate justice, and the many issues that follow such. Aquinas College student and SS4C NZ spokesperson Isaac Jarden and Mount Maunganui College student Zara Barlow are coordinating the Tauranga march which will be held as part of a nationwide strike on Friday. We want to create a statement that climate action has to be taken, says Isaac. We are sacrificing a day of education, because this is more important. As people who cant vote, we are getting out into the streets to make sure our voices are heard. The Tauranga march will leave from The Strand, go up Devonport Rd to Elizabeth St where the Bay of Plenty Regional Council building is located, then along to Grey St, and through the Tauranga City Council building by the Tauranga Library Arcade and back to the Tauranga waterfront. The march has been officially lodged as an event with Tauranga City Council and Maori wardens will be assisting with traffic management. The march will go near to both councils, says Isaac. Tauranga City Council have responded to us thank us for alerting them to the strike, but we havent heard anything back from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council yet. We are fed up with seeing government take insufficient action. We are getting the word out to as many students as possible to join us and demand that government take climate action. The event will take place on Friday from 12pm to approximately 3pm, with the march from 12.30pm 1pm. In 2019, hundreds turned up for the third School Strike 4 Climate NZ intergenerational climate change march. Last year, the march was unable to go ahead due to the Covid-19 lockdown. COVID-19 may have stopped us in our tracks in the past. However, I tend to ask myself, why we cant respond to this Climate Emergency, in the same way that we responded to COVID-19? says SS4C NZ spokesperson Ethan Reille. Why cant we direct such a can do attitude towards this crisis, and why cant we unite behind climate change, the same way we united behind COVID-19? Isaac says that health and safety will be their main priority on Friday. Organisers will be wearing masks and we will be encouraging people to wear masks and to stay home if unwell, says Isaac. We need everyone to come together and make their voices heard, says Ash. A sustainable future isnt just about stopping climate change or creating a greener environment, its also about ensuring a sustainable economy and jobs. We need everyone to come as a collective to create this for future generations. Ash says they have collated a list of demands from people across New Zealand which reflects the urgency and need to act to stop climate change. Our demands focus on what climate action New Zealanders want from our government, says Ash. The demands include prohibiting the implementation of, and phase out the use of fossil fuels nationwide; investing in a 100 per cent renewable energy economy; investing and implementing in a just transition; honouring its [the Governments] responsibility to our Pacific Island neighbours; decreased agriculture emissions; and investment into climate education. Im striking as a last resort. It shouldnt have come to this but we must make our voices heard and demand action be taken by the government for the sake of our planet and our future generations, says Isaac. Joe Simone, President, Simone Development Companies The endless need to sanitize surfaces to avoid contagion has some medical providers asking their landlords to modify interior doors so that they will automatically open when someone approaches, said Joe Simone. Patients visiting their primary care providers will see considerable evidence of technology becoming more prevalent in the examination room, according to Joseph Simone, President of Simone Development Companies. Simone said doctors use laptop computers during visits; examination equipment is now digital and wi-fi connected; and office staffers communicate with patients by text or email. Simone Development, a leading developer of state-of-the-are healthcare facilities, has accommodated technologys growing presence by building examination rooms with high-speed internet ports and increased electrical wiring for the new gear. Now the pandemic is accelerating other healthcare trends, particularly touchless tech and automation. Weve already seen hands-free technology at work with hand sanitizer stations and hand-washing sinks. The endless need to sanitize surfaces to avoid contagion has some medical providers asking their landlords to modify interior doors so that they will automatically open when someone approaches, said Joe Simone. Illness screening protocols will require many of these automated doors to be connected to thermal sensors at entrances, where the devices will temperature check visitors before doors open. Medical office landlords should expect to install more thermal sensors as the technology becomes more affordable, Joseph Simone added. Simone said medical office builders will also have to consider how they will build self-sanitizing examination or waiting rooms and which technologiesultraviolet lights, ceiling misting systems or otherswill work best for tomorrows medical practices. Simone Developments architects are already incorporating into their designs the post-pandemic protocols that will become permanent, while allowing space flexibility to incorporate tomorrows demands. About Simone Development Companies Simone Development Companies is a full-service real estate investment company specializing in the acquisition and development of healthcare, office, retail and industrial properties in the New York tristate area. Headquartered in the Bronx, the privately held company owns and manages more than 6 million square feet of property in the Bronx, Westchester County, Queens, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut. The companys portfolio includes more than 100 properties and ranges from multibuilding office parks to healthcare and industrial space. Haiti - Justice : Detainees in Haiti at the gates of hell Human rights report on conditions (2020) in prisons and detention centers in Haiti... Prisons and detention centers throughout the country were life threatening due to being overcrowded, poorly maintained, and unsanitary, and providing insufficient nutrition. BINUH reported that prisons and detention centers had an occupancy rate of 345 percent. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23478-haiti-flash-haiti-world-champion-of-prison-overcrowding.html Physical Conditions: Overcrowding at prisons and detention centers was severe, especially at the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince and the prison in Cap Haitien, where each prisoner had 8.6 square feet (74 cm2) of space https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8161-haiti-justice0-62-m2-per-prisoner-in-haiti.html . In many prisons detainees slept in shifts due to the lack of space. Some prisons had no beds for detainees, and some cells had no natural light. In other prisons the cells often were open to the elements or lacked adequate ventilation. Many prison facilities lacked adequate basic services such as plumbing, sanitation, waste disposal, electricity, ventilation, and lighting. Prison conditions generally varied by gender; female inmates had more space per person in their cells than their male counterparts. As of November approximately 365 prisoners were held in makeshift and unofficial detention centers such as police stations in Petit-Goave, Miragoane, Gonaives, and some parts of Port-au-Prince. Local authorities held suspects in these facilities, sometimes for extended periods, without registering them with the HNPs Directorate of Prisons. Authorities in Port-au-Prince maintained separate penitentiaries for adult men, adult women, and minors. In Port-au-Prince all male prisoners younger than 18 were held at the juvenile facility at Delmas 33. Due to the lack of documentation, authorities could not always verify the ages of detainees. At times authorities mistakenly detained minors believed to be 18 or older, whose ages they could not confirm, with adult inmates. Authorities moved the vast majority of these minors to juvenile detention centers within two months of verifying their ages. Outside the capital, due to lack of prison space and oversight, authorities sometimes did not separate juveniles from adult prisoners or separate convicted prisoners from pretrial detainees, as the law requires. There are specific provisions for juvenile offenders. Children younger than age 13 are not held responsible for their actions. Until age 16, children may not be held in adult prisons or share cells with adults. Juvenile offenders (anyone younger than 18) are placed in re-education centers with the objective of having the offender successfully rejoin society. There were two rehabilitation centers, both in Port-au-Prince, which held offenders up to age 18. Because of poor security, severe understaffing, and a lack of adequate facilities in some detention centers, prison officials often did not allow prisoners out of their cells for exercise. In the National Penitentiary, prisoners spent approximately one hour per day outside of confinement, but in all other facilities, prisoners had 15-20 minutes to bathe before returning to their cells. International and local observers said prisoners and detainees suffered from malnutrition. Approximately 1,000 inmates within the penitentiary system were acutely malnourished. Prisoners access to adequate nutrition was problematic. The HNP was responsible for the delivery of food to prisons. Human rights observers reported that delays in fund disbursement and payments to contracted food suppliers reduced the number of meals fed to prisoners. Some prisons had kitchen facilities and employed persons to prepare and distribute food. Prison authorities generally gave prisoners one or two meals a day, consisting of broth with flour dumplings and potatoes, rice and beans, or porridge. None of the regular meals provided sufficient calories, according to medical standards. Authorities allowed regular deliveries of food to prisoners from relatives and friends. International and local observers also reported a lack of basic hygiene, poor health care, and waterborne illnesses within the prison system. The NGO Health through Walls reported that unsanitary conditions and overcrowding led to high rates of tuberculosis and other communicable diseases https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20013-haiti-flash-nightmare-at-the-national-penitentiary.html . Most detention facilities had only basic clinics and lacked medications. Many lacked medical isolation units for patients with contagious illnesses. Few prisons had the resources to treat serious medical situations. Some very ill prisoners were treated at hospitals outside of prisons, but many hospitals were reluctant to accept prisoners as patients since there was no formal arrangement between the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Public Health regarding payment for treatment. Administration: The countrys independent human rights monitoring body, the Office of Citizen Protection (OPC), investigated credible allegations of inhuman conditions in prisons. The OPC regularly visited prisons and detention facilities throughout the country and worked closely with NGOs and civil society groups. Independent Monitoring: Authorities permitted representatives from the United Nations, local human rights NGOs, and other organizations to monitor prison conditions. These institutions and organizations investigated allegations of abuse and mistreatment of prisoners. Improvements: To decrease the number of inmates in prisons, 415 detainees received a presidential pardon in June and were released https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31101-haiti-politic-415-prisoners-pardoned-by-president-moise.html . Following special court hearings, the government released an additional 627 detainees to reduce the prison population and avoid mass infection. Pretrial Detention: Prolonged pretrial detention remained a serious problem due to the arbitrary application of court rules, court discretion, corruption, and poor record keeping. The judicial system rarely observed the constitutional mandate to bring detainees before a judge within 48 hours. Many pretrial detainees never consulted with an attorney, appeared before a judge, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8898-haiti-justice-95-of-inmates-atnational-penitentiary-are-incarcerated-without-trial.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23647-haiti-justice-more-than-75-of-prisoners-in-haitian-prisons-have-never-been-tried.html or received a docket timeline. In some cases detainees spent years in detention without appearing before a judge. According to the RNDDH, pretrial detainees constituted 78 percent of the prison population in October, up from 72 percent at the same time in 2019. Prison population statistics did not include the large number of persons held in police stations around the country for longer than the 48-hour maximum initial detention period. Statistics were not available on the average length of stay in pretrial detention. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31101-haiti-politic-415-prisoners-pardoned-by-president-moise.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23647-haiti-justice-more-than-75-of-prisoners-in-haitian-prisons-have-never-been-tried.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23478-haiti-flash-haiti-world-champion-of-prison-overcrowding.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20013-haiti-flash-nightmare-at-the-national-penitentiary.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8898-haiti-justice-95-of-inmates-atnational-penitentiary-are-incarcerated-without-trial.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8161-haiti-justice0-62-m2-per-prisoner-in-haiti.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16781-icihaiti-humanitarian-the-state-can-not-feed-all-the-inmates-of-its-prison.html HL/ HaitiLibre Now working on a new study of how estrangement affects grief, Dr. Pillemer sees among those studied unfinished business and bereavement-related regrets. They have more complicated grief, he said in an interview. His advice, when possible, is to consider reconciliation, especially if death is expected or imminent, asking the question: Will I feel better if I do this? He said anticipated regret is very common. People talked about it a lot. Will I miss the chance to reconnect? For Harriet Brown, author of Shadow Daughter: A Memoir of Estrangement, her mothers death at 76 was emotionally complicated. Ms. Brown had left home at 16 and never returned. But the day we spoke, the ninth anniversary of her mothers death, Ms. Brown said she had cried. She wasnt a good mother to me. I never felt mothered, so its a different kind of grief about what is never going to happen. I miss what I longed for and that I never had, Ms. Brown said. She did try to visit her mother in the hospital, where she was sedated and on a ventilator, hoping to offer moral support to her father and sister. But when Ms. Brown saw her mother again she felt such terror instead, realizing anew why she was estranged, and glad of her decision to end the relationship. Kaitlyn Luce, an artists manager in Nashville, lost her father, then 64, in October 2015, when she was 25. He had suffered a massive stroke and was in a Florida hospital. A 15-hour drive is a long time to think about what youre going into, she said. Her father, who had alcoholism and bipolar disorder, had been physically and verbally abusive to her for years, Ms. Luce said. I hadnt been speaking to him for about a year and had told him I didnt want a relationship with him. I really couldnt put up with it anymore. She went to his hospital room, but didnt see or speak to him. I immediately broke down, she recalled. One of the things I tried to figure out was how I was going to say goodbye to my dad since the possibility of him coming through this was slim to none. I didnt have a good answer. (Natural News) Several dozen heads of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Economic Forum (WEF), and various other globalist bodies have declared that the Great Reset needs to include the establishment of a global pandemic treaty to ensure that all humans are vaccinated in accordance with government edicts. WEF head Klaus Schwab, who looks an awful lot like an aged Heinrich Himmler of the Nazi SS, says humans who refuse to go along with the plan are a threat to everyone else. He, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and many of the other usual suspects all agree. These international leaders signed on to a letter that says the next phase of the plandemic transition into a New World Order necessitates that the worlds social engineers and societal architects build a more robust international health architecture that will protect future generations. The letter goes on to declare the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) as the biggest challenge to the global community since the 1940s, adding that there will definitely be other pandemics and other major health emergencies in the years to come. No single government or multilateral agency can address this threat alone, the letter adds. The question is not if, but when. Together, we must be better prepared to predict, prevent, detect, assess and effectively respond to pandemics in a highly co-ordinated fashion. The Covid-19 pandemic has been a stark and painful reminder that nobody is safe until everyone is safe. Chinese virus vaccines are the first piece of the Mark of the Beast Schwab stated just a few weeks ago that he believes nobody will be safe unless everybody is vaccinated. It does not matter if a vaccine is experimental and still undergoing clinical trials, which is the case for all Chinese virus vaccines currently being distributed. If the government says you should get it, then you have to get it, Schwab contends. The other signatories have essentially declared that they believe the same thing. All injections, no matter their purpose or the risks involved, must be taken by all humanity in order for everyone to feel safe against scary germs from China or elsewhere. This will bring about a public good that will fulfill the tenets of the New World Order as long planned by the secret societies, and as delineated on the Georgia Guidestones, in the Noahide laws, and in other key deep state texts that function as blueprints for a future totalitarian world. The Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic is just one piece of this much larger agenda, which involves injecting all of humanity with the first piece of the Mark of the Beast. Once the vaccine software is installed, more components will be added later to bring about total and absolute worship of the beast. Nobody will be able to buy or sell anything without first being vaccinated. By agreeing to get vaccinated, people are giving their worship and allegiance to the New World Order beast system known as Western medicine, which is forever enslaving them through lies and deception. The main goal of this treaty would be to foster an all of government and all of society approach, strengthening national, regional and global capacities and resilience to future pandemics, the letter further reads. This includes greatly enhancing international co-operation to improve, for example, alert systems, data-sharing, research and local, regional and global production and distribution of medical and public health counter-measures such as vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and personal protective equipment. More related news about the global transition into the new age can be found at Prophecy.news. Sources for this article include: LifeSiteNews.com NaturalNews.com New Bill to amend Inland Revenue Act will deny citizens equal protection of the law: Chartered Accountant/BASL By Ranjith Padmasiri View(s): View(s): Two Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions challenging the constitutionality of a new Bill to amend the Inland Revenue Act will be taken up in the Supreme Court tomorrow. The new Bill, titled Inland Revenue Amendment to amend the Inland Revenue Act No. 24 of 2017 is being challenged by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and Raja Nihal Hettiarachchi, a senior professional in auditing, taxation and accountancy. The petition by the BASL has been filed by its President Saliya Pieris and Secretary Rajeev Amarasuriya. The petitioners note that Clause 47 of the Bill seeks to introduce a new section 190A, which purports to impose a professional duty on any auditor, tax practitioner, tax advisor or approved accountant vis-a-vis the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue. The professional duty that can be owed by any auditor, tax practitioner, tax advisor or approved accountant can only be towards his client, and not the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue. In particular, the professional duty owed by an Attorney-at-Law providing services as a tax practitioner can only necessarily be towards his client, and cannot ever be towards the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue, the petitioners point out. As such, the petitioners argue that Clause 47 is violative of Article 14 (1) (g) of the Constitution which stipulates that every citizen has the freedom to engage by himself or in association with others in any lawful occupation, profession, trade, business or enterprise. The petitioners also take issue with Clause 47 for empowering the Commissioner General to institute legal action before a Magistrates Court against a person who in his or her opinion,deliberately misinterprets any provision of this Act or any other Act administered by the Commissioner-General, or any regulation, rule or order made thereunder. Interpretation is to convey ones idea of the meaning of any word or conduct or event, etc. There can be no doubt whatsoever that legal provisions by their very nature are subject to interpretation vis-a-vis their scope, applicability, relevance, consequence, etc. they further note. Moreover, any interpretation is a purely subjective point of view of the person interpreting and cannot be visited with criminality only for the reason of taking that point of view as the correct or appropriate one, they add. The petitioners note that Clause 47 of the Bill seeks to make the Commissioner General the Prosecutor, the Judge, the Jury and the Executioner. Meanwhile, Clause 40 of the Bill seeks to amend the Inland Revenue Act to enable a full-time employee of the taxpayer to disclaim and/or evade all responsibility and/or liability for the contents of the return, whilst imposing on every other person who prepared, filled or assisted to prepare or fill for a payment the return or part of the return responsibility for same. As such, the clause is in violation of the Constitution, they argue. The petition filed by Raja Nihal Hettiarachchi, too, expresses similar objections to the Constitutionality of the Bill, particularly in relation to Clause 47 and 40. He states that insofar as Chartered Accountants are concerned, the Institute of Chartered Accountants Act No. 23 of 1959 (as amended) regulates the conduct of Chartered Accountants and the Rules of the Court regulate the conduct of Attorneys-at-Law, and both provide for penalties/procedures to be followed for any breach of the professional duty owed to a client. However, Clause 47 seeks to impose on such professionals a purported professional duty towards the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue. He also points out that Clause 47 provides for a prevention order prohibiting the auditor, tax practitioner, tax advisor or approved accountant from practicing in such capacity. A Chartered Accountant however, is subject to the control of the Institute of Chartered Accountants as stipulated in the Institute of Chartered Accountants Act No. 23 of 1959 (as amended). Therefore, such a draconian provision will necessarily undermine the Rule of Law, and lead to extreme abuse and rampant corruption in revenue administration, and will subject the taxpayer to be at the whims and fancies of the tax officials in respect of Return of Taxes and remedies, and thereby, deny the citizen equal protection of the law guaranteed and protected by Article 12 (1) of the Constitution, he contends. Since Independence, the agriculture sector has remained the main source of national income and occupation in India. In 1947, 72 per cent of the total working population was engaged in agricultural sector, but still a majority of Indias poor (some 770 million people or about 70 per cent) inhabit the rural areas. Though due to the high growth rates of the industrial and services sectors, the share of agricultural share in India's economy has progressively declined to less than 15 per cent, yet its importance in the country's economic and social development can't be denied. On road to self-sufficiency The Green revolution of the 1960s witnessed a drastic increase in total agricultural production, particularly wheat and rice. The second phase of the Green Revolution further boosted it in the 1980s, which was accelerated further by the liberalisation policy of the late 1990s. However, the results of the Green revolution were not uniform over the entire country. It particularly resulted in enhanced cultivation and production of wheat and rice in the northern states, and other cash crops such as cotton and onion in the western and southern states. But it neglected the cultivation of pulses and other cereals. Though, India is considered to be a global agricultural powerhouse, yet the sector suffers from serious maladies. According a World Bank report of 2010, India is the world's largest producer of milk, pulses, and spices, and has the world's largest cattle herd (buffaloes), as well as the largest area under wheat, rice and cotton. It is the second largest producer of rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, farmed fish, sheep and goat meat, fruit, vegetables and tea. But in spite of this the Indian farmer remains poor, though he contributes a lot to the economy. As per experts' opinion the factors which contribute to the poor performance of the Indian agricultural sector are multi-dimensional, such as: poor access to reliable and timely market information to the farmers, absence of supply and demand forecasting, poorly structured and inefficient supply chains, inadequate cold storage facilities and shortage of proper food processing units, large intermediation between the farmers and the consumers, besides regional disparities are some of the major causes of the losses for the farmers. The World Bank report lists that one of the biggest issues facing the agricultural sector in India is low yield: India's farm yield is 30-50 per cent lower than that of developed nations. Average farm size, poor infrastructure, low use of farm technologies and better farming techniques, decrease in soil fertility due to over fertilisation and sustained pesticide use, are leading contributors to low agricultural productivity. Thus, measures to increase productivity will need increasing yields, diversification to higher value crops, and developing value chains to reduce marketing costs. The sharp rise in food-grain production during India's Green revolution of the 1970s enabled the country to achieve self-sufficiency in food-grains and stave off the threat of famine. Agricultural intensification in the 1970s to 1980s saw an increased demand for rural labour that raised rural wages and, together with declining food prices, reduced rural poverty. However agricultural growth in the 1990s and 2000s slowed down, averaging about 3.5 per cent per annum, and cereal yields have increased by only 1.4 per cent per annum in the 2000s. The slow-down in agricultural growth has become a major cause for concern. India's rice yields are one-third of China's and about half of those in Vietnam and Indonesia. The same is true for most other agricultural commodities. Reforming the sector What we need is a pragmatic, realistic and holistic approach to be adopted by the policy makers to address the maladies faced by the Indian agriculturists. Besides resolving the regional disparities in crop patterns, the government also needs to promote cultivation and change in eating habits of the populace. One route to this could be propagating the inclusion of millets and other high nutritious cereals, in the eating habits of the populace. This besides increasing the earning potential of the farmers in the drought prone or less irrigated areas will also result in making better use of the cultivable area across the country. Further action in this regard could be taken by the government by supporting and collaborating with international institutions like International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), which are engaged in popularising the cultivation and use of highly nutritious crops like millet and sorghum. ICRISAT, as per its mandate strives to be the change catalyst through a partnership approach to help rural communities develop their own solutions and engages with them to bring the vision to reality. Its inclusive approach ensures participation of women and youth, a must in finding sustainable and profitable solutions, besides contributing to several of the UN SDGs. As ICRISAT's research area focuses on the drylands, it has an extra specialisation on crops that survive in these harsh climates, such as Chickpea and Groundnut, besides nutri-cereals like Sorghum, Pearl millet and Finger millet. Most of these crops besides being highly nutritious are also good for the planet as they have a low water footprint, lowers the carbon footprint, are good for the soils, use fewer chemicals, etc. Further they are good for the small farmer as they survive in the harshest climates, have multiple uses, have potential to significantly increase yield and cater to an untapped usage and demand. Last month, the UN General Assembly unanimously declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, the resolution for which was sponsored by India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while endorsing this announcement expressed gratitude to all the nations, which initiated and co-sponsored this resolution. In a tweet, he said that India is honoured to be at the forefront of popularising millets, whose consumption furthers nutrition, food security and welfare of farmers. Both the cultivation and usage of these cereals and grain legumes could be achieved by focused efforts initially to popularise these smart foods to bring them into mainstream food habits. The strategy adopted to achieve this should involve and ensure that small farmers and rural communities benefit by receiving on-farm support, connecting farmers to value chains, linking smart food with health activities on the ground, and advocacy for policy support, research and development. Policy makers will thus need to initiate and accomplish policy actions and public programmes to shift the agricultural sector away from the existing policy and institutional regime that appears to be no longer viable and build a solid foundation for a much more productive, internationally competitive, and diversified agricultural sector in the country. In addition, we'll have to promote increased cultivation of those crops, which besides being nutritious and profitable are also able to counter the environmental challenges. (Asad Mirza is a political commentator based in New Delhi. He can be contacted at asad.mirza.nd@gmail.com. The views expressed are personal) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen participates in a meeting with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and business leaders to discuss a coronavirus relief package in the Oval Office of the White House on February 9, 2021, in Washington. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Patrick Semansky Haiti - BRH : 165 million dollars wasted on the foreign exchange market During the first 3 months of the year the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) injected 165 million dollars into the foreign exchange market (150 million in January and February) and 15 million in early March. Once these injections were carried out we could see that the exchange rate which climbed at a dizzying pace was able to regain a certain stability but, once the two amounts in question had been mopped up, in the days that followed we could see an upward trend in the exchange rate and/or the stability of the Gourde could not be held in the long term, explains economist Michaelle Paraison According to Paraison "It is high time for the monetary authorities to know that the injection made on the foreign exchange market cannot provide a lasting solution to the overheating problem given the rise of the US dollar against the Gourde, and each time there is overheating we will be in a perpetual restart which will only generate results in the very short term so it is only waste." Parison underlines "today the proof is great we need 78.87 Gourdes to acquire 1 US dollar on the formal foreign exchange market and/or 98.00 Gourdes to acquire 1 US dillau on the informal foreign exchange market, therefore, despite the interventions of the monetary authorities exchange rate keeps climbing the ranks. Injection is not the right solution at momentum." The economist Paraison suggests opting for a total stabilization approach for the Gourde based on 5 points: Make the Gourde the only currency in circulation in Haiti; Increase national production; Establish the competition authority, the market policeman, and the financial market authority; Have a better mastery of the operating mechanisms of the informal foreign exchange market which to date represents the Achilles heel for the BRH; Get out of the political crisis and curb Speculation and Corruption Believing "Once these 5 points have been implemented, we can expect a culture of results, provided that the actors concerned fully play their role." HL/ HaitiLibre Mumbai, April 5 : The Bombay High Court on Monday invoked Home Minister Anil Deshmukh's recent statement in which he had expressed his readiness to face any inquiry into the corruption allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. "The press release of Shri Deshmukh suggests that he is not averse to facing any inquiry. It is therefore, ordered accordingly," a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G. S. Kulkarni said, directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a 'preliminary probe' into the matter within 15 days. Soon after the court verdict, Deshmukh announced that he had voluntarily decided to quit his post and submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. In his terse resignation letter to the CM, Deshmukh said: "In the wake of the HC ruling, I feel it would be improper for me to continue in the post on ethical grounds. Hence I have decided to voluntarily keep away from the post. Kindly relieve me from this responsibility." The high court bench added that the allegations made by Singh in his 'letter-bomb' of March 20, 2021 -- which prompted another petitioner to lodge a police complaint -- were of "a serious nature and against the highest functionary of the Government of Maharashtra, when it comes to the functioning of the Police Department". "Prima facie, the issues are such that the very faith of citizens in the functioning of the police department is at stake. If there is any amount of truth in such allegations, certainly it has a direct effect on the citizens' confidence in the police machinery in the State," said Chief Justice Datta and Justice Kulkarni in their order. Since it was an issue of the credibility of the state machinery, the court cannot remain a mere spectator and that such allegations could not remain unattended, especially when, prima facie, they pointed to a cognizable offence against high ranking public officials. After the allegations surfaced in the public domain, there is a "legitimate public expectation of a free, fair, honest and impartial inquiry and investigation" into these, necessitating a probe by an independent agency to instil public confidence and safeguard the fundamental rights of the citizens. In the present case, Deshmukh was the Home Minister, and the police department was under his directions and control. "There can be no fair, impartial, unbiased and untainted probe if the same were entrusted to the state police force, the probe has to be entrusted to an independent agency like the CBI," the court ruled. However, the court said that the CBI need not register a First Information Report immediately as the Maharashtra government has already set up a 'high-level committee' to probe the matter. "The Government Resolution by the state government for a high-level committee leads us to believe that there is no interference required," said Chief Justice Datta. After the probe is over, the CBI Director was at liberty to decide the future course of action and if it was not proceeding further, the agency would inform the parties concerned accordingly. The court said its directions were issued for an effective probe so that "the truth is unearthed and the Devil, if any, shamed in accordance with the procedures established by law". The court made it clear that its observations in the order were to address the rivals claims and "are without prejudice to the rights and contentions of the parties who might figure in the position of an accused in future". The judges further said that the CBI preliminary probe and further action, if at all required, "would proceed uninfluenced by the fact that this Court has ordered such an action", while disposing off all the petitions. Besides Singh's PIL, the court heard three other pleas filed by Ghanshyam Upadhyay seeking a court-monitored SIT, another by Mohan Bhide wanting a retired HC or SC judge to probe and a third by Jayshri Patil for a CBI or any other independent agency probe. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in) Killeen, TX (76540) Today Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High around 75F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low 64F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. New Delhi, April 5: It is not often that a film trailer evokes interest among cine-goers and actors alike and that is what the recently launched teaser of 'The Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' did. Praised lavishly by Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan, among others, it is written, directed and stars popular actor Madhavan. S.Ravi New Delhi, April 5: It is not often that a film trailer evokes interest among cine-goers and actors alike and that is what the recently launched teaser of 'The Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' did. Praised lavishly by Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan, among others, it is written, directed and stars popular actor Madhavan. Based on the true events related to S. Nambi Nararyan, an Indian Space Research Organisation, falsely accused of espionage, not many either know or remember this bespectacled and unassuming scientist. Who he was, what was he accused of and how he managed to get justice? Reading about him, many readers are bound to immediately connect him to Edmond Dante, the main protagonist of the famous literary classic "Count of Monte Cristo" by the French author Alexandre Dumas. Like him, Narayanan's happy and steady life was turned upside down, when he was hauled for being a traitor. Nambi Narayanan who? Born in a Tamil Brahmin family in Nagercoil, Travancore, Narayanan, while working in Thiruvananthapuram's Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station, was inspired by Vikram Sarabhai, the then ISRO Chairman, to study at Princeton. In a record time of 10 months, he completed the master's programme in chemical rocket propulsion. Foreseeing the need for liquid fueled engines, Narayanan as the ISRO's cryogenics division introduced the technology in the country in 1970s. Ironically, this is what he was accused of selling to others. US pressure To circumvent US pressure to scuttle the agreement between India and Russia for transfer of technology to develop cryogenic fuel-based engines, it was decided to fabricate four engines along with two mockups. Following this, a global tender narrowed down on an Indian company to do the fabrication. Alas! it was at this stage that Narayanan, at the height of his career, was accused of being a spy and leaking important defence secrets to two alleged Maldivian Intelligence officers, Mariam Rasheeda and Fauzia Hassan. Accused of overstaying, it was during Rasheeda's interrogation, the cops made a case that she contacted ISRO scientists suspected of transferring the technology. This led to Narayanan's arrest along with D. Sasikumaran, another ISRO scientist, both of whom were accused of passing secret documents to foreign countries, especially Pakistan. With Pakistan being named, there was a frenzy among the public for punishing the guilty. Interrogated by the Intelligence Bureau, Narayanan claimed that he was subjected to torture and asked to implicate other ISRO officials. Amazingly the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation within 20 days of it being registered. It was in 1996, CBI in its closure report stated that spying allegations were unproven and false leading to the discharge of the implicated persons. Continuing the crusade Having borne torture and tarnishing of reputation, in 2013, Narayanan filed a case seeking justice and exposing of the conspiracy behind his plot to tarnish him. The three-judge Bench of the Court in 2018 ordered a compensation of Rs.50 lakh to Narayanan for "mental cruelty" and for being "unnecessarily arrested and harassed" by the Kerala police, though the State Government decided to pay Rs.1.3 crore. In 2019, he was conferred the Padma Bhushan Award. A committee under Justice DK Jain was also set up to look into Narayanan's complaint against police officers who framed him. Celluloid version In 2017, Madhavan announced that he will be acting in the biopic The Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, describing it as the "extraordinary story of an unsung hero" who was "neither an actor nor a sportsman". Besides acting, Madhavan also shares credit for screenwriting and direction along with Anant Mahadevan. What Madhavan says in the released trailer sums well the entire crux of the movie and the ill-famous case. "My name is Nambi Narayanan. I spent 35 years in rocketry and 50 days in prison. My nation paid the price of those 50 days and this story is about that. It is not about me." Hopefully, the nation will wake up to the fact that there is much more to this case than meets the eye and it needs to be revealed! (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/ A man wearing a protective mask and gloves walks in front of Banco do Brasil (Bank of Brazil) during the COVID-19 outbreak in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 24, 2020. (Amanda Perobelli/File Photo via Reuters) COVID-19 Death Risk on the Rise for Young, Middle Aged Adults in Brazil: Study The risk of death in young and middle-aged adults in Brazil after contracting COVID-19 is on the rise, researchers have found. The researchers noted that Brazil is currently suffering a deadly surge of COVID-19 infections, which has been attributed to the spread of a new strain known as P.1 (B.1.1.28.1). They examined public COVID-19 data from the southern Brazilian state of Paranathe largest state in the southern half of the countrywhich has seen a total of 553,518 positive cases from September 2020 through March 17. Their report, published on medRxiv on April 2 ahead of peer review, found that the proportion of patients who died either held steady or declined between September and January. However, starting February, fatality rates rose for almost all groups over age 20. From January to February, these rates tripled among COVID-19 patients aged 20 to 29, from 0.04 percent to 0.13 percent, and doubled among those aged 30 to 39, 40 to 49, and 50 to 59. Individuals between 20 and 29 years of age whose diagnosis was made in February 2021 had an over three-fold higher risk of death compared to those diagnosed in January 2021, the researchers said. Taken together, these preliminary findings suggest significant increases in case fatality rates in young and middle-aged adults after identification of a novel SARS-CoV-2 strain circulating in Brazil, and this should raise public health alarms. Its unclear what is driving the growing infection rate among Brazils younger population. Medical professionals have suggested that limited vaccines and the P.1 variant that first emerged in the city of Manaus late last year, coupled with the UK variant, have contributed to the rise. Government data shows that last month, more than 2,030 Brazilians aged 30 to 39 died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Thats roughly double the number recorded in January. Of those in their 40s, there were approximately 4,150 fatalities in March, compared to 1,823 deaths in January. For those aged between 20 and 29, fatalities spiked from 242 to 505. Local doctors also told CNN last week that young Brazilians are getting sicker after being infected with COVID-19 than during previous waves of the pandemic. The P.1 strain features mutations associated with higher viral infectivity and greater resistance to antibodiesthough experts caution that more study is needed to verify the fitness of the mutant virus. Last year, we had more critical elderly patients. Now its completely distinct. Were dealing with a substantial number of severe patients in their 30s to 50s, Dr. Anne Menezes from Manauss Getulio Vargas Hospital told Al Jazeera. Reuters contributed to this report. Carole Baskin has claimed she'd be dead if Tiger King star Joe Exotic hadn't posted a lurid clip of him shooting a blow-up doll dressed to look like her in the head on YouTube because it made a hitman he'd hired to murder her back out of the plan. Speaking to FEMAIL, the Big Cat Rescue founder, 59, from Texas, said she was 'really surprised' Joe received 'only 22 years' in prison for animal abuse and plotting to have her killed - admitting she expected him to receive the maximum 80-plus year sentence. She added that the threat to her life was 'so much more' than what viewers saw in the compelling true-crime Netflix documentary series watched by 64 million households in lockdown. Carole and Howard are keen to set the record straight, which is why they agreed to appear in Louis Theroux's new documentary Shooting Joe Exotic, on BBC Two tonight. Big Cat Rescue founder Carole Baskin, 59, from Texas, pictured with husband Howard, says she was 'really surprised' Joe received 'only 22 years' in prison for animal abuse and plotting to have her killed. Also pictured: Louis Theroux, who interviews the couple in his new documentary Louis Theroux: Shooting Joe Exotic, on BBC Two tonight Carole claims she'd be dead if Tiger King star Joe Exotic hadn't posted a lurid clip of him shooting a blow-up doll dressed to look like her in the head (pictured) on YouTube because it made a hitman he'd hired to murder her back out of the plan Carole said Joe, 58, had been threatening her for 15 years, after she began campaigning to end his practice of rearing cubs and charging people to have their picture taken petting them at his zoo or in shopping malls. In 2013 she won a $1million civil suit against him over a trademark infringement issue - by which point Joe was well and truly out for revenge. Carole claimed he would implore his fans to 'rape and kill' her by convincing them she wanted to 'take their pets away', and twice tried to hire hitmen to murder her. She added that him filming himself shooting a blow-up doll with a sex toy in its mouth designed to look like her and posting it on his YouTube channel actually saved her life because it made one of the men he'd hired to shoot her back out. 'I thought that his sentence could bring 80 plus years and I felt like there was good enough evidence for him to have gotten the 80 years. I was really surprised that it was only 22,' Carole said. 'The threat [to my life] was so much more than what people saw in Tiger King. Joe had been threatening me for 15 years and the way he started was by trying to whip up these people who follow him into believing that I was going to come and take all of the exotic animals away from him. 'He'd say I was going to take their pets from them, their dogs and their cats and their goldfish, and that they needed to stop me and the only way they were going to stop me would be to rape me, to break my legs, to kick me. Then he started saying to kill me, put a bullet through my head. He had this YouTube channel, every night he's on there just railing, trying to get somebody to kill me.' Carole claimed Joe would implore his fans to 'rape and kill' her by convincing them she wanted to 'take their pets away', and twice tried to hire hitmen to murder her In 2015, Carole said she received a phone call from a woman whose husband - a sharp shooter from the military - had been offered money to kill her by Joe. Not long after she received another call from a woman whom Joe had also approached about her murder. Joe, whose full name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, was arrested in 2018 and convicted the following year on 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two counts of attempted murder-for-hire for a plot to kill Carole. He had banked on being released by former President Trump before he left the White House in January, with his legal representative so 'confident' he would be pardoned they had a limousine outside FMC Fort Worth waiting to take him home, but claimed he was 'too innocent and too gay' when he wasn't granted clemency. 'It wasn't because Joe was talking online and saying things online that I felt like my life in danger, it was because all of the actions he was taking behind the scenes to actually kill me,' Carole explained. Carole and Howard have spoken openly about feeling 'tricked' by Tiger King's producers, who reportedly gave them the impression the documentary series would focus on the plight of the animals - a 'Blackfish for big cats'. She said they hope Louis Theroux, pictured, will have 'more integrity' Carole's husband Howard, who joined her for the interview, added: 'That sharp shooter was apparently willing to [kill Carole] and then the report we got from someone who was close to him was that once Joe shot the doll in the head on his YouTube channel, that guy backed away and said "no, now they're going to suspect us".' Carole and Howard have spoken openly about feeling 'tricked' by Tiger King's producers, who reportedly gave them the impression the documentary series would focus on the plight of the animals - a 'Blackfish for big cats'. Instead, the show placed a large emphasis on 'hero' Joe's long-running feud with 'villain' Carole, whom he repeatedly accused of killing her second husband Don Lewis - who mysteriously disappeared in 1997, six years after they married in 1991, and was legally declared dead in 2002 as he is yet to be found. Carole vehemently denies having anything to do with Don going missing, but acknowledged 'these allegations have been made for 23 years'. A decade on from when he first met Joe Exotic for the documentary America's Most Dangerous Pets, Louis returns to Oklahoma in response to a direct call from Joe to tell the 'real story' 'There was nothing new for those allegations to be on there, it's just nobody had ever given someone a megaphone like Tiger King gave to Joe,' she said. 'The only reason that people like Joe bring up the tragedy of my husbands disappearance is because there's no argument for what they do, and so they have to deflect away from the issue of animals being abused at their hands, and the best way they've found to do that is to say "You can't listen to her, she killed her husband".' Speaking about her portrayal as an interfering, eccentric cat-lady in Tiger King, she added: 'I don't think [Howard and I] came out of it initially thinking Joe was the hero and I was the villain because we knew that people have always said these lies, but nobody has ever believed them because there's so much evidence out there to the contrary. 'Then when the calls started coming in it was like, it's clear people are not looking at the information, the facts, they're just going based on this surface level lie that they've been told, so it's been shocking.' Carole vehemently denies having anything to do with her second husband Don Lewis (pictured together during their marriage) going missing, but acknowledged 'these allegations have been made for 23 years' After Tiger King, Carole previously said her phone rang every two minutes for three months straight, telling the Guardian: 'Every time I answered the phone, it was somebody screaming threats and saying they wanted to kill me, they wanted to kill my family, they wanted to kill the cats. Our lives were just a living hell for the first three months.' While 'the tide is now receding', Carole said she still gets woken up in the middle of the night by abuse from people who are only just catching up on the documentary series. 'Probably three or four times a week I still get awakened in the middle of the night, because I have to leave my phone on in case a bob cat gets hit by a car, Im the person in the state that people call. 'I get awakened by people that just now have seen Tiger King for the first time and come away with the same misconception that so many did at once, and railing in hatefulness from that, so it still happens - but nearly with the intensity that it did in the first three months.' A decade on from when he first met Joe Exotic for the documentary America's Most Dangerous Pets, Louis returns to Oklahoma in response to a direct call from Joe to tell the 'real story'. During tonight's documentary Louis meets with the Baskins at Big Cat Rescue and on the site of Joe's old park (pictured) - now owned by Carole and Howard and up for sale, with covenants in the deed that state it can't be used to house exotic animals During the programme he meets with the Baskins at Big Cat Rescue and on the site of Joe's old park - now owned by Carole and Howard and up for sale, with covenants in the deed that state it can't be used to house exotic animals. Carole said: 'We can only hope that Louis Theroux will have the level of integrity that we believe that he has; we believed that the [Tiger King] producers were good people and that they were actually working to expose the abuses that these animals suffer and we were fooled.' Netflix producers Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin have previously insisted Carole spoke freely to them about her personal life, her childhood, her alleged abuse by her first husband and the disappearance of her second, Don. 'With any project that goes on for five years, things evolve and change, and we followed it as any good storyteller does,' said Chaiklin. For now Big Cat Rescue remains closed to the public due to Covid-19 - with Carole doing everything from Cameo videos to Dancing on the Stars to earn enough money to keep it going. 'We've had no visitors for a year, so we've lost over $1million,' she said, adding that they had to lay off half their staff and have only managed to stay in the black thanks to donations. 'Regardless of what happens with the economy, we've got 51 big cats who still need to eat every day.' Louis Theroux: Shooting Joe Exotic is on BBC Two tonight (Monday 5 April) at 9pm. The Operational Command East with the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) provocatively announced Saturday that it will hold joint military exercises known as Exercise Cossack Mace with NATO forces later this year. The statement comes as violence continues to escalate between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in the eastern Donbass region of the country. SSO fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during training [Credit: Wikipedia/ArmyInform] While joint Ukrainian-NATO drills are often announced with clarifying statements that they are purely defensive operations, the AFUs statement differed in that it made clear that it would simulate an offensive attack against not only separatist-controlled Donbass but Russian forces as well. In particular, defensive actions will be worked out, followed by an offensive in order to restore the state border and territorial integrity of a state that has been subjected to aggression by one of the hostile neighboring countries, the statement said, clearly referring to Russia. Saturdays statement was followed up on Sunday with the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ominously posting a video to its Facebook page, celebrating the 72nd anniversary of NATO, along with the hashtag #WeAreNATO. For over six years, Ukraine has been mired in an ongoing civil war in eastern Ukraine between government forces and separatists that has claimed the lives of approximately 14,000, displaced 1.4 million and left 3.5 million in need of humanitarian assistance. For much of the six years, the fighting has remained at a relatively low level of persistent shelling and shootings back and forth, while avoiding a full-out war. The Ukrainian governments recent statements and actions show that is now planning for such a scenario, and is expecting NATO backing. NATO was founded as a military alliance in 1949 by the United States and eleven other European countries to carry out war against the numerically superior military of the Soviet Union. Despite the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the alliance has continued to exist as an instrument of Western imperialism aimed against countering now-capitalist Russia. While the Stalinist bureaucracy was preparing to dissolve the Soviet Union and fully restore capitalism, working hand in glove with U.S. imperialism, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was given assurances that NATO would not expand its borders in a post-Soviet world. Yet it has done precisely that, adding Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic just eight years later in 1999. NATO has continued to expand eastward and most recently added Montenegro and North Macedonia, both formerly part of Yugoslavia. Prior to the 2014 U.S.-backed coup that installed the right-wing anti-Russian government of Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine had maintained a non-aligned status in regards to NATO. In 2014, it embarked on a course of integration with NATO. In February 2019, the Ukrainian government passed a constitutional amendment, stating its commitment to join both NATO and the EU and in June of this year became a member of NATOs Enhanced Opportunities Partnership program. While current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was previously ambiguous on his stance towards NATO during his election campaign in 2019proclaiming his support for EU membership while saying little about the Western military alliancehe now regularly begs for his countrys full inclusion in NATO. In 2020, Ukraine was granted enhanced status with NATO, granting it access to interoperability programs and exercises, and more sharing of information. Speaking to HBO earlier this year, when asked what he would say to the newly-elected United States President Joe Biden if given the chance to speak with him, Zelensky quickly replied, I have a very simple question: Mr. President, why are we still not in NATO? On Sunday, Zelensky likewise congratulated NATO on its anniversary, tweeting Congratulations to NATO partners on the anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty! Look forward to extending our practical cooperation to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security. Count on support of Allies in granting MAP to #Ukraine. The Army of Ukraine is strong & continues needed reforms. Already in 2021, a ceasefire negotiated between Russia, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has fallen apart with increasing attacks and killings on both sides. At the same time, the Zelensky administration has step-by-step ramped up anti-Russian hysteria by sanctioning pro-Russian opposition leaders, shutting down pro-Russian media outlets and adopting a controversial language law aimed at limiting Russian language use in the country. Most recently, the Ukrainian government announced a strategy aimed a full mobilization of the country for war and the retaking of Crimea. For its part, the oligarchic capitalist government in Moscow, which has emerged out of the Stalinist destruction of the USSR, has continually sought to make a deal with Western imperialism. Last week, Putin held talks with the heads of state of France and Germany, conspicuously without the involvement of either Kiev or Washington. However, without a deal with NATO members France and Germany, the Putin government has now also resorted to saber-rattling and is preparing itself for a potential war. This weekend videos appeared of tanks moving towards the countrys borders with Ukraine, increasing the chance of an accidental outbreak of hostilities between Ukrainian forces across the border. Berlin and Paris released a joint statement on Saturday night, stating, We are closely monitoring the situation and in particular Russian troop movements, and call on all sides to show restraint and to work towards the immediate de-escalation of tensions. Also on Saturday, Boris Ruge, the vice chair of the Munich Security Conference, threateningly declared that there will be a price to pay if Russia escalates, alluding that there would be consequences for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is set to deliver gas from Russia to Germany. The United States meanwhile has continued to back its military protege in Kiev, with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reassuring his Ukrainian counterpart, Defense Minister Andrii Taran, that Washington will not give up on Ukraine in case of war, in a phone call held on April 1 at the initiative of the American side. In a meeting on April 2, President Biden pledged Zelensky unwavering support against Russia. The Western bourgeois press has paid little attention to the growing danger of war in East Ukraine. In the few reports that have emerged, Russia is universally blamed for aggression, putting reality on its head. At the same time, the crisis is increasingly described as a test for the Biden administration, which has signaled since its inauguration that it would pursue an extremely aggressive course against both China and Russia. Speaking to Foreign Policy, Jim Townsend, a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary for Europe and NATO, dismissed the escalating tensions as simple gamesmanship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Biden. Theyre probing, theyre trying to see what [the U.S.] is going to do, what NATO would do, what the Ukrainians would do. Is this a jumpy administration, or is this an administration thats going to act with resolve? Theyre doing all these things to assess where the new administration is. Anne Applebaum, a right-wing media pundit who is married to a former Polish foreign minister, described the situation in Ukraine along with a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan as one of two crises the Biden administration needs to be prepared for. To the war-mongering and nationalist hysteria by the ruling class, the working-class must counter pose a program of socialist internationalism. In order to prevent the outbreak of a war that has the potential to turn into a world war and end in the deaths of millions and the ruination of the lives of millions more, workers in the Ukraine, Russia and internationally, must fight on an independent basis, for the construction of a socialist anti-war movement. EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell has assured the Ukrainian government of "unwavering EU support" in the conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country. Borrell said on Twitter on April 4 that he spoke by phone with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and added that he was "following with severe concern the Russian military activity surrounding Ukraine." He said the matter would be further discussed at the next meeting of EU foreign ministers. Borrell's call with Kuleba comes after a call on April 2 between U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which Biden sought to reassure Zelenskiy of "unwavering" U.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukrainian and Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk region have accused each other of attacks over the weekend. The tensions come after Ukraine alleged last week that Russia had been massing troops at their shared border. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded by saying that Russia was "moving troops within its own territory at its own discretion, and this shouldn't concern anyone." Russia, which annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014, has consistently denied involvement in the fighting in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk regions despite significant evidence to the contrary. "Russia is not interested in any conflict with Ukraine, especially a military one," Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko told state news agency RIA Novosti in response to the recent allegations. Germany, Russia, France, and Ukraine are part of the so-called Normandy Format set up to try to resolve the Ukraine conflict. Germany and France recently expressed concern about the "growing number of cease-fire violations." "We are closely monitoring the situation and in particular Russian troop movements and call on all sides to show restraint and to work towards immediate de-escalation," they said in a statement. Based on reporting by dpa CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Cedar Rapids and Marion are pursuing federal assistance to help pay for millions of dollars worth of tree debris cleanup in waterways as recovery from last summers devastating derecho continues. The two Linn County communities are navigating federal agencies policies for disaster recovery as they work to clear debris-filled waterways and wooded areas. Although federal help is not guaranteed, local and federal officials say they are in communication and are confident about reimbursements. Given its projects size and scope, Marion has been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as crews continue to clean up three waterways within the community. The estimated $15 million project is in progress as contractor Southern Disaster Recovery removes tree branches from Dry, Indian and Wanatee creeks. Marion has been working with disaster recovery consulting firm Tidal Basin to help navigate through the various projects, City Manager Lon Pluckhahn told The Gazette. Cedar Rapids, on the other hand, has applied to the Natural Resources Conservation Service an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for assistance with its debris removal through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program. It provides assistance for debris removal from stream channels, road culverts and bridges, addressing erosion-related watershed impairments. The city of Cedar Rapids has identified damage related to debris removal in waterways for both NRCS-EWP and FEMA, city Finance Director Casey Drew said in a statement. The next step will be for the federal agencies to determine which program will pay for the cost of waterway debris removal. If funding is awarded through the ag departments NRCS program, the citys cost share is 25 percent. Funds for the local share will come from reserves in sanitary sewer operations and stormwater utility operations programs, according to City Council documents. Cedar Rapids has applied for $3.08 million in assistance through the NRCS to cover 13 sites out of 23 identified in damage assessments, with the citys cost share coming to $769,841.25 for those projects. Crews or contractors will be clearing debris, removing fallen trees and seeding areas where trees were removed. Sewer Operations Manager Justin Koller said all the waterway projects are estimated to cost $6.45 million, with an approximate $2 million match required for Cedar Rapids. These sites are eligible for federal help because of the risk of flooding or risk of damage to other city infrastructure, Sewer Utility Program Manager Dave Wallace said. Cedar Rapids officials point to FEMA policy stating that the citys debris-filled waterways are under NRCS authority. Debris removal projects are ineligible under FEMA from federally maintained navigable waterways; flood control works under the authority of NRCS, which are those that are part of the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program; agricultural land; and unimproved land, including heavily wooded areas. Some unimproved areas identified as project cleanup sites include land around Seminole Valley, Morgan Creek and Cherokee Parks, according to locations the city provided. All but one of the 13 projects listed are west of Interstate 380 and do not include the Cedar River itself. Because Cedar Rapids has been working with NRCS, the identified waterway projects are not eligible for FEMA funding, according to the FEMA policy guide, even in the case that NRCS does not have sufficient funding or does not provide assistance. Other projects for which Cedar Rapids has not gone through NRCS could still be eligible for FEMA funding, depending on the determination the agency reaches. FEMA also does not typically provide funding for costs associated with debris removal activities conducted after 180 days from the start of the incident period, according to the policy guide. The derecho was Aug. 10, 2020 _ over seven months ago. Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Director Scott Hock said the city is making cleanup for improved areas, such as city parks and rights of way, a higher priority before moving into timber areas. The timeline on doing work in those areas and the scope of work needed is unclear because work has not wrapped up on improved areas, Hock said. Some places, we can just come back in and plant some seedlings in a year so that they grow up, and well be able to get some native (species) back in and have a healthier timber area, Hock said. Amal Eltahir, assistant to the city manager in Marion, said the city has been relying on the FEMA policy guide in terms of its projects eligibility and is expecting 75 percent reimbursement from FEMA and 10 percent from the state. Marion officials point to the part of the FEMA policy guide that states debris removal from waterways that is necessary to eliminate the immediate threat to life, public health and safety or improved property is eligible for help. Debris removal also is eligible if the debris could cause damage to structures, is causing or could cause flooding to improved property in the event of a five-year flood, the policy states. To solve the gap between paying for the projects and receiving potential reimbursements, Marion is taking out a short-term, $20 million loan to help pay for recovery costs. Budget manager Zachary Wolfe previously told The Gazette that taking out a loan gives the city more flexibility than bond financing. If reimbursements come quickly, the loan is expected to cost the city about $200,000. If the opposite happens, the cost will be closer to $400,000, Wolfe said. In the case that Marion does not receive the FEMA reimbursement it is expecting, Eltahir said it would not impact the current financing plans. However, the city will have to think about refunding the short-term loan with a longer term one a couple of years from now, Eltahir said. FEMA officials told The Gazette that though funding is not guaranteed, the agency is working closely with Marion on its waterway project as well as other projects with various local jurisdictions. But thorough eligibility reviews are being conducted, especially with projects valued at $1 million or more. No determinations have been made regarding eligibility for FEMA Public Assistance funding for waterway debris removal, according to a statement FEMA provided to The Gazette. FEMA and the city (Marion) are early in the project formulation stage. Projects need to be closed out, or finished, for jurisdictions to apply for FEMA reimbursements, and the process can take months. Local jurisdictions such as cities and counties are considered sub-applicants under the state, so when projects are approved for reimbursement, FEMA obligates funding to the state, which then distributes the funds locally. As of mid-March, FEMAs Public Assistance program had obligated $18.9 million to the state for derecho disaster recovery projects that include debris removal, emergency protective measures and restoration of damaged infrastructure and facilities. FEMA has obligated one of Marions 13 projects as of mid-March and has approved $9.9 million in reimbursement for debris removal, according to a FEMA official. Though not in waterways, FEMA is working with Cedar Rapids on 23 other projects, two of which have been obligated, including a project related to buildings and equipment and a project involving roads and bridges for a little more than $200,000. FEMA also provided over $11 million in individual assistance grants to about 3,080 households in 12 Iowa counties, with $7.7 million of that going to 2,177 Linn County households. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Recently, we have come across many incidences such as the zomato case and vikram tiwari acquittal after 20years, there have been a massive backlash of women and feminists on the social media. Whosoever was at fault in these cases, the gendered right wing got another opportunity to express their abhorrence for modern feminism. This article is an attempt to explain how feminism is not a pejorative, and is actually a fight for equal opportunity. Further in this article we shall see how law has played a part in establishing patriarchy and the attempt of the judiciary in reducing the same. Though, the Indian judiciary has tried to reduce patriarchy, yet it is not enough so long as the society is adhered to embracing the patriarchy. INTRODUCTION Feminism is quite a popular word these days, and thanks to the escalated use of social media platforms everybody seems have a different interpretation of the term. While women are coming out to speak up for themselves, there is another group in existence who is condemning the same. Very often we come across posts which highlight the issues that are being faced by the men in the society and in any sense it is not being dismissed that they do not face challenges. The question however is on the manner it is put up and of course the intellect behind it. For example- This is a social media post which describes when and why women want equality. Now many may think what is the use of highlighting this? The point is we as a society and as a generation have actually dropped the ball in understanding feminism. Feminism in no sense means hatred towards men. It aims to demolish patriarchy. Toxic masculinity, another quite in trend word, is the real issue for men, which also is a result of patriarchy. Patriarchy has not only oppressed women, but it also includes oppression of men by men. Our ancestors as a society have created a set of norms which has defined what and how a man should be and what is the place of a woman. These patriarchal norms have become so deep rooted that we have normalised that the man in the family has to work and women has to look after the household. While women working and establishing themselves at workplaces just like men, has become a normal thing, men as homemaker is yet a taboo. This happens only because as per the patriarchal norms it is unacceptable and such roles created in the past have become a prototype. Feminism tends to break these rules. It seeks to establish equality. Feminist Jurisprudence is philosophy of law which studies the social, economic and political equality between the sexes. Although there are different schools of feminist jurisprudence, all of them agree on the point that throughout the history women have been suppressed and the only reason for that suppression is physical differences. Due to the fact that men were physically stronger, they could dominate the women completely ignoring the fact that even though men and women are built different, women are intellectually, psychologically, morally and socially equal to men. Men are no superior to other gender. Law has played an important role for women to achieve equality and justice. Women in most parts of the world have voting rights, education rights, right to profession, right to contest election etc. But, there is still a lot to do. There are instances where the legal system has also treated women like chattel, as if the rights being granted were theirs to give. Here comes another social media post asking what the fight is for, MISOGYNY: THROUGH A LEGAL SPECTACLE The Constitution of India through article 14, 15, 16 and 21 had sought to establish equality between men and women. It has been clearly expressed in article 14 that no one shall be denied equality before law or equal protection of law. Section 16 lays down provision for equal opportunity in public employment and section 21 speaks for right to protection of life and liberty. These are the human rights protected by the Constitution of India. Apart from we have Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act, the Dowry Prohibition Act, Prohibition of Child Marriage act, Special Marriage Act, Indian Divorce Act, Maternity Benefit Act, Sexual Harassment Of Women at Workplace Act and the list goes longer. So many acts still such hue and cry. If we look closely around us, the facial picture and the reality within is different. We do not have to focus on the sexual harassment issue, though it is the harshest example of misogyny, lets take a different example. Recently, the Supreme Court of India has decided the case Ankita Meena v. University of Delhi, in which the Court directed the university to issue the result of the Petitioner. However, the petition was filed in 2018 before the Delhi High Court stating the facts that she could not attend the minimum number of classes due to her pregnancy and the teachers strike which the High Court dismissed stating If a law student does not attend lectures or obtain the requisite percentage of attendance, he cannot think of taking a leap to another year of study. Mercy does not come to his aid as law requires a student to digest his experience and gradually discover his own ignorance and put a progressive step thereafter. And the same was denied to her even after the SCs orders for which she had to approach the court thrice. This case comes as an embarrassment on the face of society who has the audacity to ask the women what they are crying for where they are forcing them to choose between education and motherhood. Despite having enforced Maternity Benefit Act, the HC failed to consider her case. If we take into consideration the issue of education, even though the constitution provides women right to education as fundamental right, several rural areas of our country do not consider it proper for their daughters and wives to step outside the house for proper education and profession. The law indeed recognises these rights, the society still looks at women as their property. In the now very well known case W.Kalyani v. State Tr.Insp.Of Police & Anr, the court held that only men can be prosecuted for adultery and not men. Though the provision for adultery has been quashed as a criminal wrong, it is actually quite late for same. This law till now did not only just treat as a property of their husband, but, it also treated them as if women do not have the mental capacity on what is happening. If a woman gets involved in illegitimate relationship with a man, she would also be liable for it because she knows what she is doing. Exempting her from liability of acts done by her is also gender bias. Although this provision has been removed, it took a long time for the judiciary to understand a simple concept that women are individual beings and not merely someones wife. In Sri Rakesh B v. State of Karnataka, which deals with rape, the court has very vehemently stated the explanation offered by the complainant that after the perpetration of the act she was tired and fell asleep, is unbecoming of an Indian woman; that is not the way our women react when they are ravished. Even if the allegations come out to be false, such statement by the judges in the court strips the lady out of her dignity. Such instances discourage the even those who have truly suffered sexual atrocities. The fact is, this is not the only incident where such abhorrent remarks have been made by the courts. The recent incident where the CJI asked a man if he would marry the girl who he allegedly raped multiple times is an example hoe compromise is sought out as a solution for snatching away a womans bodily autonomy and her honour. Further in V. V. Prabhakaran v. T. Chandramathi, the Kerala High Court quoted kautilya wife should be minister in purpose, slave in duty, Lakshmi in appearance, Earth in patience, Mother in love and prostitute in bed. These are just a few examples. There are many such statements given our learned judiciary who is bestowed with the responsibility of safeguarding citizens rights and maintaining a balance. And the fact the judiciary is using such language becomes disturbing because we expect these people to guide the society in the rightful directions. Even the statement given is not the deciding statement, if it is given by the learned judiciary it is going to leave an impact on the general public. We can never forget that our society is divided in for and against any of the concerning issue and many would deem it fit for a rapist to marry the girl he raped completely forgetting the fact that even though she becomes his wife, the previous act will still be a rape. Apart from these cases, the prostitutes in India still are not treated as a human beings. The women working at the brothels in the redlight areas, most of them earn money as a daily wage earner. Most of these women have begun this work either because of poverty or exploitation. They face several health issues. We presently do not have any policies for sex workers. Even during the pandemic when everybody was seeking relaxation from government, nobody looked forward towards them as if they are not even human beings. Even in vikram tiwaris case where the administration was largely at fault, the gendered right wing people were focussing on how women empowerment laws are being misused instead of highlighting the lacunae in the administration. However, the fact that we have PWDV Act but even today women face death at the hands of their beloved husbands because they refuse to serve tea. CONCLUSION There is so much to tell on the question constantly being put up on what is the need of feminism, women today have all rights. But cutting to the short, the answer is NO! Women do not get to enjoy all the rights being provided to the by the statutes. The clear reason for it being patriarchy, fathers patriarchy over daughter, husbands over wife and brothers over her sister. Even today, in 2021, women still face Victorian-era mentality. There are countries Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua where abortion is prohibited. Several states in USA such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia have also passed bills which prohibit abortion in almost all situations which includes rape too. These bills are called heartbeat bills. This deprives a woman of her bodily autonomy to have children and choice of motherhood. A woman has right to choose whether she wants a child or not, with whom she wants a child and when she wants a child. Ayesha Bano in India killed herself because of dowry. Many Muslim states do not allow women to travel without their husband or their husbands permission. Again, in Mali little girls faced sexual violence because they were not dressed as per the codes fixed by the armed group. While it may seem to some people that women have been given equal rights, look beyond the facial pretence of equality. Just because one does not realize the prevailing inequality it does not mean it is extinct. Human beings have been gifted with the capacity to think and contribute to this society, unlike animals whose only purpose is survival. Before understanding the real fight, even if the issues are as big as sexual violence over children as punishment or as small as right to choice of clothes, we should stop disgracing feminism just because toxic masculinity also exist. Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Her Twitter Account Got Suspended Following Easter Tweet Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Twitter suspended her account for a second time in two weeks, coming after she made a tweet referring to Easter Sunday. Twitter suspended me again by mistake yesterday after I tweeted, He is risen. Everyone knows thats a LIE, and it was no mistake, she wrote on Twitter after announcing shes back online. Twitter on Monday confirmed that it was a mistake. We use a combination of technology and human review to enforce the Twitter Rules across the service. In this case, our automated systems took enforcement action on the account referenced in error. This action has been reversed, and access to the account has been reinstated, a spokesperson for Twitter told news outlets. When she was suspended, Greene went on Gab, an alternative to Twitter, to suggest that it was her Christian faith that played a role in Twitter suspending her account. After tweeting, He is risen! Happy Easter! I was suspended this morning for 12 hours!, she wrote. Was it my Christian faith? In mid-March, Twitter suspended Greene before reinstating her account, blaming the move on an error. That suspension came as a House Democrat introduced a long-shot resolution to expel her from Congress over her previous social media posts and activity. No reason given from Twitter after multiple attempts to contact them, a spokesman for her office told The Epoch Times at the time. This move eliminated any possibility for Congresswoman Greene to defend her reputation, her seat, and most importantly the votes of 230,000 Georgians in the 14th District on the Twitter platform. This is yet another attempt by the Silicon Valley Cartel to silence voices that speak out against their far-left woke orthodoxy, her office added at the time. House Democrats led a successful effort to strip Greene of her political committee assignments over her previous social media posts and comments. Previously, Greene denounced the move as a form of cancel culture that is intended to silence conservative voices. Since January, Twitter and Facebook have banned or locked out several prominent conservative figures and groups, including former President Donald Trump, Project Veritas, Kevin Sorbo, The Gateway Pundit, and others. Project Veritas and The Gateway Pundit both reported that Twitter provided no explanation for the ban, while Sorbo, after he was banned from Facebook, made a similar claim. The Epoch Times contacted Greenes office and Twitter for comment. [April 05, 2021] WELL Health Completes Acquisition of Intrahealth -Boosting its Digital Health SaaS Revenue and Expanding its EMR Business to International Markets Intrahealth is a transformational acquisition for the WELL EMR Group as it transitions the business unit from solely providing OSCAR EMR (1) services to being a provider of multiple EMR product offerings in global markets. services to being a provider of multiple EMR product offerings in global markets. Intrahealth is an enterprise class EMR provider supporting approximately 15,000 clinicians providing care for millions of patients from small clinics to large health delivery organisations in its global network across Canada , Australia and New Zealand . , and . Over the past 12 months Intrahealth generated approximately $9M in revenues with over 20% in EBITDA margin (2) . Over 80% of Intrahealth's revenue is high margin recurring revenue. in revenues with over 20% in EBITDA margin . Over 80% of Intrahealth's revenue is high margin recurring revenue. WELL also anticipates integrating Intrahealth to the apps.health marketplace in the coming months, paving the way for third party app developers to have their digital health applications available on both OSCAR Pro and Intrahealth platforms. VANCOUVER, BC, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL) ("WELL" or the "Company"), a company focused on consolidating and modernizing clinical and digital assets within the healthcare sector, is pleased to announce it has closed the share purchase agreement dated March 7, 2021 with the shareholders of Intrahealth Systems Limited, a New Zealand company ("Intrahealth"), and acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Intrahealth (the "Transaction") for total consideration of approximately $19,250,000. Intrahealth is a provider of enterprise class EMR and clinical healthcare software with customers in Canada, New Zealand and Australia. "We are pleased to welcome the talented Intrahealth team to WELL Health," said Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO of WELL. "We are very excited about this highly complementary and accretive acquisition as it expands WELL into a multi-product EMR company, boosts our digital health revenue, increases our global footprint and creates numerous cross-selling opportunities. This is a transformational acquisition for our WELL EMR Group as it positions WELL as a leading international EMR operator." Founded in New Zealand, and now headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Intrahealth is engaged in the business of providing a suite of flexible software solutions to a wide variety of customers including health authorities, hospitals, public health outpatient centres, community health, home care, ambulatory care and diverse health care professionals. Intrahealth provides highly configurable software solutions that also support mobile platforms and seamless access to virtual care/telehealth solutions. Intrahealth's solutions for hospitals include patient administration system, bed management, waiting list management, enterprise-wide scheduling, case management, medication management, emergency room operations and ward management, among many other features. Intrahealth supports approximately 15,000 healthcare professionals across its global network of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Over the past 12 months, Intrahealth generated more than $9M in revenues with over 20% in EBITDA margin(2). Approximately two-thirds of Intrahealth's revenue is generated in Canada and over 80% of Intrahealth's revenue is high margin recurring revenue. Dr. Mark Matthews, CEO of Intrahealth commented, "We look forward to being a part of the larger WELL Health ecosystem, which enables us to leverage the management, capital allocation and shared services expertise of WELL while continuing to grow and serve our customers. WELL is aligned with our vision of global expansion and provides Intrahealth with additional products and services for our customers." Intrahealth will operate as a stand-alone business within the WELL EMR Group and be operated by its current CEO, Dr. Mark Matthews. Intrahealth's Profile EMR is an integrated practice management and EMR package which will be marketed and sold alongside WELL's OSCAR Pro product. The acquisition is a key milestone for the WELL EMR Group as it expands its addressable market to a previously unrealizable level with the restructuring to a multi-product business unit with customers worldwide. WELL also anticipates integrating Intrahealth to the apps.health marketplace in the coming months, paving the way for third party app developers to have their digital health applications available on both OSCAR Pro and Intrahealth. Transaction Details: WELL paid a purchase price of approximately $19,250,000 to complete the Transaction consisting of: (i) $10,683,750 paid in cash on the closing date, subject to standard closing adjustments; (ii) $3,850,000 paid in 477,667 WELL common shares issued on the closing date at the 5 day volume weighted average trading price prior to the announcement of the Transaction; (iii) a holdback of $866,250 payable by WELL in cash within 90 days after the closing date, subject to a working capital adjustment; and (iv) up to $3,850,000 payable by WELL as a 3-year time-based earn-out payable in cash or WELL common shares at the election of WELL and subject to adjustment based on achievement of annual recurring revenue targets of Intrahealth on a post-closing basis. Toronto based M&A advisory firm WD Capital Markets acted as advisor to Intrahealth and arranged the transaction with WELL. Footnotes: 1. EMR is an acronym for "Electronic Medical Records". OSCAR is an acronym for "Open Source Clinical Application Resource", which is an EMR platform originally developed by McMaster University's Department of Family Medicine. 2. EBITDA is a Non-GAAP measure. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") should not be construed as alternatives to net income/loss determined in accordance with IFRS. EBITDA does not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. The Company believes that EBITDA is a meaningful financial metric as it measures cash generated from operations which the Company can use to fund working capital requirements, service future interest and principal debt repayments and fund future growth initiatives. EBITDA margin is EBITDA as a percentage of total revenue. WELL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES CORP. Per: "Hamed Shahbazi" Hamed Shahbazi Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director About WELL Health Technologies Corp. WELL is an omni-channel digital health company whose overarching objective is to empower doctors to provide the best and most advanced care possible while leveraging the latest trends in digital health. As such, WELL owns and operates 27 primary healthcare clinics, is Canada's third largest digital Electronic Medical Records (EMR) supplier serving approximately 2,200 healthcare clinics, operates a high-quality telehealth service in Canada and the United States and is a provider of digital health, billing and cybersecurity related technology solutions. WELL is an acquisitive company that follows a disciplined and accretive capital allocation strategy. WELL is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WELL". To access the Company's telehealth service, visit: tiahealth.com, and for corporate information, visit: www.well.company. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including, without limitation: the expectation of Intrahealth being immediately accretive to WELL; the expansion of the business into new markets and globally; the Transaction positioning WELL as a leading international EMR operator; the expectation that Intrahealth will be operated as a stand-alone business under the leadership of Dr. Mark Matthews; and the integration of Intrahealth into the apps.health marketplace. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may", "should", "will", "could", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "anticipate", "expect", "believe" or "continue", or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. WELL's statements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and conditions, many of which are outside of WELL 's control, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding the Transaction, including: that WELL's assumptions in making forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect; adverse market conditions; risks inherent in the primary healthcare sector in general; that future results may vary from historical results; and that market competition may affect the outcome of the Transaction and the business, results and financial condition of WELL following the closing of the Transaction. Except as required by securities law, WELL does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/well-health-completes-acquisition-of-intrahealth--boosting-its-digital-health-saas-revenue-and-expanding-its-emr-business-to-international-markets-301261900.html SOURCE WELL Health Technologies Corp. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain and the Taiwan Foreign Ministry extended condolences for the loss of lives of 22 security personnel in the Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh on Saturday, after being ambushed by 400 Maoists. Lenain tweeted, "Heartfelt condolences for the losses suffered by the security personnel in #Chhattisgarh. Our thoughts go out to the families of the victims and to the injured, for whom we wish a speedy recovery. France stands with India in the fight against terrorism in all its forms." Taiwan Foreign Ministry on Monday also condoled the killings of security personnel and prayed for the recovery of the injured. The Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted, "Our deepest condolences on the loss of life and injuries in the Chhatisgarh ambush. Thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims, and heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded. Taiwan stands with India and supports its national integrity." Meanwhile, the wreath-laying ceremony of soldiers who lost their lives in the Naxal attack at the Sukma-Bijapur border was held at Bijapur on Monday. Forces ambushed by 400 Maoists While hunting for Maoist commander Hidma, security forces were ambushed on Saturday, following which an encounter broke out where the security forces were met with nearly 400 Maoists that opened fire upon the jawans. 22 jawans have been martyred in the encounter. The security forces consisting of DRG, CRPF, STF, and Cobra commandos were deployed in an anti-Maoist operation on April 2. 760 personnel from Tarrem, 200 from Usur, 195 from Pamed, 483 from Sukma's Minpa, and 420 personnel from Narsapur were involved in the anti-terror operation. Image : ANI New Delhi, April 5 : BYJU'S will acquire Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) through a strategic merger. The deal size is pegged at close to $1 billion, according to a person familiar with the transaction. This partnership brings together two of the largest and most-trusted education brands in India - combining Aakash's pedagogy expertise in the test-prep segment with BYJU'S content and tech capabilities. After the integration, BYJU'S will make further investments to accelerate Aakash's growth. Amit Dixit, Co-Head of Asia Acquisitions and Head of India Private Equity at Blackstone, said: "We invested in AESL because it is one of the leading education brands in India with a professional management team, best-in-class corporate governance and a 33-year track-record of exceptional results. We have always believed omni-channel will be the winning model in test prep and tutoring, and we look forward to being a part of the partnership between the two foremost companies in Indian supplementary education - Aakash and BYJU'S. The combination of Aakash and BYJU'S is highly synergistic and we are excited to help build India's largest education company." With over 215 centres, Aakash provides test preparatory services to students preparing for medical and engineering entrance exams, school/board exams, KVPY, NTSE, Olympiads, and other Foundation level exams. Byju Raveendran, Founder and CEO, BYJU'S said, "Our complementary strengths will enable us to build capabilities, create engaging and personalised learning programs. The future of learning is hybrid and this union will bring together the best of offline and online learning, as we combine our expertise to create impactful experiences for students." Byju's further added, "The pandemic has brought the importance of the blended format of learning to the forefront. As we unite our forces to bring together decades of expertise and experience, this partnership will further accelerate Aakash's growth and success." Aakash Chaudhry, Managing Director, AESL said: "Together with BYJU'S, we will work towards building an omni-channel learning offering that will accelerate test-prep experience to the next level. While this partnership will enhance our operational verticals, Aakash will continue to operate as a separate entity with the same passion and commitment with which its Founder & Chairman J C Chaudhry incepted it. We are excited to partner with BYJU'S, and will strive to deliver long-term value to our students, employees, investors, and other stakeholders." The addition of Aakash is a significant step towards strengthening BYJU'S product offering. It reiterates the company's focus on creating impactful learning products for students by adding more verticals, subjects, and languages to the same platform. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Blog: A volunteer's actions are a drop in the ocean Living with other cultures is a great way to realise how much we don't know, says ADRA Slovakia volunteer. Font size: A - | A + Martin is an EU Aid Volunteer in Istanbul helping displaced families to integrate into Turkish society through the organisation Small Projects Istanbul. His deployment was a part of the HVA - Humanitarian Volunteers in Action, through the sending organisations ADICE (France), MONDO (Estonia) and ADRA Slovakia, a non-governmental organisation with 27 years of experience in implementing humanitarian, developmental and volunteering projects for those in need in Slovakia and abroad. ADRA Slovakia aims to help people lead dignified and free lives while better preparing them for a possible humanitarian crisis. Related article: Blog: How a collective garden could help vulnerable groups during the pandemic Read more My name is Martin Pavelka and I am an EU Aid Volunteer from Slovakia, currently deployed as a Volunteer & Program Coordinator in Istanbul, Turkey by the French organization ADICE. Before coming to Turkey, I spent a year working as a SlovakAid Volunteer with internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Georgia as a Grant & Project Manager. My host organisation, Small Projects Istanbul (SPI), is an NGO with a mission to integrate and provide livelihood opportunities for 250+ displaced families from the MENA region. SPI is a community centre with a womens social enterprise branch called Muhra. At SPI, I engage in various educational, recreational, psychosocial, and social cohesion activities to help the refugee community (mostly Syrian) better integrate into Turkish society. Turkey is currently a host to some 4 million refugees, the largest number worldwide. Unfortunately, the number of local organisations working with this population is insufficient and their effectiveness is often questionable. SPI is a clear exception. However, due to the Covid-19 crisis, weve had to transform our projects and activities into an online platform. During my deployment in Georgia, I knew that I wanted to stay in the field of international development. The EU Aid Volunteers' programme allows professionals to spend a year in a developmental or humanitarian context and contribute to the growth of the local host organisation. This was a great opportunity to experience something new and support the local environment with my skills. Dont imagine overcrowded camps and flimsy tents Related article: Volunteering in developing countries is an adventure from beginning to end Read more My host organisation SPI and I seek to help refugee families from the Middle East and North Africa by creating a safe place for them to learn, connect with each other and increase their livelihood opportunities. We not only work with children and young people but also with women. More than forty displaced women work in our social enterprise Muhra, where they create jewelry and sew sustainable clothing. All of them have the chance to participate in various trainings such as sewing, tailoring, 3D printing or computer courses. As a Volunteer Coordinator, I am responsible for the recruitment, training, and retention of our volunteers, who are the driving force of our organisation. Most of our volunteers are Turkish and Syrian, but quite often we accept other candidates, mostly from Europe. Apart from volunteer management, I am responsible for implementing and monitoring more than twenty activities on a weekly basis. International team of volunteers (Source: ADRA Slovakia) The community we work with is already established in Istanbul. Most of the parents go to work and their children go to school. Still, their biggest obstacles include social stigmas, employability, and lack of funds. In total, more than two hundred and fifty families are registered at SPI. Each family has four children on average. Though most of our beneficiaries come from Syria, we work with a number of families from other countries, such as Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, and Palestine. They all have the status of Refugee under temporary protection. Like fragments from a movie Members of the displaced community have taken the difficult path of fleeing their homeland due to war, persecution, and injustice. Now, they face challenges with integration into local Turkish society. Some stories that I hear from my Syrian friends and colleagues sound almost like fragments from an action movie. However, for them, it was a harsh reality. Now, they seem to be enjoying joyful moments more than the others. Sometimes, I get invitations to drink tea or coffee at their homes. Our community faces many challenges, such as social isolation, the language barrier, and difficulties accessing services and relevant information. They often don't know their rights and where to seek help. The Turkish bureaucracy is unreal. Processing one confirmation of residence or registration of a foreign mobile phone can take months. This naturally requires patience and financial resources. One of our goals is to serve as an information point for our community. Impact of Covid-19 on human lives Related article: Blog: Humanitarian aid during the COVID-19 pandemic Read more Despite the current situation with Covid-19, I decided to stay in Istanbul. It is my home now. Overall, life in the city has calmed down but it has not completely stopped. Non-profit organisations often operate through grants from international donors. How development and humanitarian sectors will continue to operate during this crisis is not clear. The coronavirus affected not only our organisation but also our beneficiaries, the refugee community. Many families have lost their jobs and their source of income. As a response, we try to find ways to provide them with at least some financial assistance so they can cover their most basic needs. At the same time, we started distributing food packages to the most vulnerable families. We also launched online activities, targeting children and young people. Through these efforts, we teach Turkish, provide homework support, and conduct creative activities. Online communication has its limitations but we have not been deterred. I believe that this programme is a huge help to parents and relieves families of considerable stress from homeschooling. Professionally and personally enriching I work with a very international and diverse team where everyone comes from a different background. Therefore, I try to express my ideas simply and disassociate myself from my own norms and beliefs. I try to listen fully to what others say without the need to convince them of my truth. Thanks to intercultural sensitivity and communication skills, I feel that I can connect with various people - on both a professional and personal level. Additionally, I have become more resilient and internally strong and have learned how to work with limited resources. Related article: Blog: I'm not a local, but I don't feel like an expat anymore Read more Working in a team in which everyone has a different mindset is always a bit challenging. Living in the context of other cultures is a great way to realise how much we don't know and how many cultures there are in the world. Its also a reminder that we are all interconnected. I think it is necessary to constantly learn something and to regularly step out of ones comfort zone as well. My actions will not save the world; they are more of a drop in the ocean. Illusions and exaggerated expectations from any humanitarian deployment must be set aside. Otherwise, there may be a great disappointment. Prejudice rooted in all of us We often hear terms like migrant, asylum seeker, or refugee. It is important, though, to understand the differences between them. A migrant usually voluntarily crosses the borders of their own country. The reasons can be due to work, study, or volunteering. Refugees, however, flee their homes due to war, persecution, loss of liberty, etc. If they stay in their home countries, they would be in danger of death, torture, or imprisonment. The media and educational institutions should be responsible for providing unbiased information about migration. Unfortunately, the opposite is often true, and only very extreme situations will be given space in the headlines of tabloid newspapers. Additionally, the phenomenon of climate change is having an increased impact on human lives, and it will contribute to the migration of Slovak people both within and to other countries. Then we will perhaps understand migration first-hand. When you meet refugees, you understand that on a human level, we are all equal. Prejudices are, however, deeply rooted in all of us. The change in perception will happen only if civil society, the media, and local governments start to raise awareness and educate citizens about such topics. In recent years, a lot has changed thanks to travel, study exchange, and globalisation. For example, the elderly, through the experiences of their grandchildren, slowly become acquainted with the topic of diversity and sensitivity to other cultures. I hope very much that the global coronavirus pandemic does not slow down this movement. 30. Mar 2021 at 7:01 | Martin Pavelka Between network, cable and streaming, the modern television landscape is a vast one. Here are some of the shows, specials and movies coming to TV this week, April 5-11. Details and times are subject to change. Monday HEMINGWAY 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). Lynn Novick and Ken Burns look back at the life of Ernest Hemingway in this new three-part documentary, which airs over three consecutive nights beginning on Monday. The program aims to give an evenhanded assessment of Hemingways life and legacy, recognizing the uglier elements (racism and anti-Semitism) while paying tribute to his work. The result is a documentary that is cleareyed about its subject and emotional about his legacy, James Poniewozik wrote in his review for The New York Times. It celebrates his gifts, catalogs his flaws (which included using racist language in his correspondence) and chronicles his decline with the tragic relentlessness its subject would give to the death of a bull in the ring. Tuesday FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (1994) 10 p.m. on TCM. The director Mike Newell and the screenwriter Richard Curtis worked together on this classic British romantic comedy, about two people (played by Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell) whose love develops in fits and starts. It is, Janet Maslin wrote in her review for The Times, elegant, festive and very, very funny. Wednesday EXTERMINATE ALL THE BRUTES 9 p.m. on HBO. Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) blends archival footage, clips from Hollywood movies, scripted scenes and animation into a rumination on the history of European colonialism and American slavery in this new four-part series. The first two parts air on Wednesday at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.; the second two air on Thursday night at the same times. ASHLAND, Ore-- Late last week, Rogue Retreat and the City of Ashland announced that they will be teaming up to create a new Urban Campground for the city of Ashland. The plan, is to open up the campground by June of 2021, and have plenty of tent sites and at least 10 Pallet Shelters. Ashland was awarded a 300,000 dollar grant recently from the State of Oregon Emergency Shelter Grant-CARES act. The funding, will help address the need for non-congregate shelter for homelessness households and will help prevent the spread and mitigate the effects of COVID-19. The grant from Oregon Housing and Community Services will allow the city to partner with Rogue Retreat to establish and run and urban campground in Ashland. The city and Rogue Retreat have yet to identify and secure a location for the campground but are in the process of vetting possible locations and hope to secure one the next couple of months. A remote 11-acre island in the west Highlands with no buildings or amenities has sold for four times its 80,000 asking price. A buyer from south of the border paid 311,000 and beat off over 100 other bidders for the uninhabited Deer Island, which had belonged to the same family for 500 years. The island's nearest neighbour is Richard Branson's sister. Vanessa Branson, 62, and husband Robert Devereux, bought the much larger Eilean Shona island, across a stretch of water, for about 1.3million in 1995. Deer Island (rear) - or Eilean an Fheidh - on Loch Moidary, in the west Highlands, boasts no houses or amenities and is covered in a patch of native woodland The island's nearest neighbour is Richard Branson's sister. Vanessa Branson, 62, and husband Robert Devereux, bought the much larger Eilean Shona island, across a stretch of water, for about 1.3million in 1995 Deer Island, sitting in the middle of the beautiful Loch Moidart in the west Highlands, was on offer for less than a one-bedroom flat in Inverness or Aberdeen or a garage in South London. Boasting neither a house nor amenities, the secluded space is covered in native woodland, something the newest owner of the island would have to care for and maintain. One prospective buyer told agents he wanted it "as somewhere to park his yacht" while another who wanted it as a base for kayaking. Named in Gaelic as Eilean an Fheidh (Deer Island), the isle was sold for the first time in 500 years by Future Property Auctions. A buyer from south of the border paid 311,000 and beat off over 100 other bidders for the uninhabited Deer Island, which had belonged to the same family for 500 years Situated near to Castle Tioram, the traditional seat of the MacDonalds of Clanranald clan, the uninhabited plot of land will afford the mystery buyer unparalleled seclusion and privacy. Auctioneers had said that there is "zero chance of intrusion" on the uninhabited island that is around 45 miles from Fort William. In total there were 145 bidders each vying for a chance to own a part of the Highlands. The price tag has stunned many potential buyers as it is the same as a garage on the Shaftesbury Estate (pictured) in Battersea, South London The listing said: "The uninhabited island is located within an extremely popular sea loch certain to appeal to investors from all over the world." Across a stretch of water is Eilean Shona, a small neighbouring island owned by Vanessa Branson, 62, the sister of Richard Branson. She and her husband, Robert Devereux, bought the island for about 1.3 million in 1995. Eilean Shona, which is thought to derive from the Old Norse phrase for 'sea island', was once leased to JM Barrie, the author of Peter Pan. It was while on the island with his foster sons that Barrie reportedly adapted the 1904 play for its first screen outing in 1924. Syracuse, NY A Mattydale man is going to prison after admitting he ignored multiple warning signs of an undiagnosed medical condition before crashing into a neighbors living room in June 2019, killing the neighbor. Its not the first time Bryan Walters, 60, had killed someone: In 1980, Walters struck a pedestrian on Butternut Street with a snowplow, killing her, according to The Post-Standard archives. But there was ample other evidence that Walters shouldnt have been driving at the time of the June 1, 2019 crash at 202 Mohawk Dr., down the street from Walters home. His license had been suspended by the state Department of Motor Vehicles after two crashes within the recent past. People had warned him he was acting oddly the day of the crash. And a medical professional had warned Walters not to drive, saying it was unsafe for him to do so, according to an indictment. However, Walters actual medical or mental ailment had not been diagnosed before the fatal 2019 crash, prosecutor Chris Bednarski told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. Walters has since been seeing doctors to figure out his problem, but none of that evidence had been disclosed in court, the prosecutor indicated. On Monday, Walters pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter, a felony, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, in the death of Eugene Addison, 70. County Court Judge Stephen Dougherty promised to sentence Walters to 1 to 3 years in prison. Bednarski had pushed for 3 to 9 years in prison, but Walters negotiated the plea deal directly with the judge. Defense lawyer Graeme Spicer had advocated for probation. Dougherty noted that Walters prior fatality happened long ago and that Walters had lived a law-abiding life for decades. There was no alcohol, no drugs, the judge said. It was literally a horrible accident that should have been avoided. Mr. Walters should never have been driving. That said, the judge added, Walters should spend time in prison for what hed done. Bednarski said that Addisons family was disappointed in Walters promised sentence, though noted that they were happy to avoid a trial. The judge promised to explain his reasoning for the sentence further when the family came for sentencing. Walters remains free until then. His lawyer, Graeme Spicer, said that his client had doctors appointments in June and July related to his ongoing medical condition. The judge allowed sentencing to be delayed to July. That will mark the second time Walters will have been sentenced behind bars for killing someone. After the 1980 crash, that killed 50-year-old pedestrian Dolores Louise Cirbus, he spent five weekends in jail and five years on probation. He was also charged in 1986 with speeding and drunken driving, Post-Standard archives show. But then he remained out of trouble for more than 30 years. The DMV suspended Walters license on Dec. 18, 2018 after two prior crashes attributed to the same medical condition as the 2019 fatal crash. A day after the suspension, on Dec. 2, 2018, Walters was involved in a crash with a woman who was driving out of a parking lot at a church on Brewerton Road in Cicero, according to the victims lawsuit against him. He was driving a 2017 Dodge coupe in that crash, as well, though it wasnt clear if that was the same car that plowed into Addisons living room months later. In the June 2019 crash, Walters ran a stop sign, careened over a front lawn, plowed into the stone wall of the house and crashed into the man sitting in his living room. Addison was killed. Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070. RBPC Three events during this weeks Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) the worlds largest and richest student startup competition will be livestreamed, according to an announcement from the Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business. Hosted by Rice Jones and the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, the RBPC gathers teams from 54 universities and six countries to compete for more than $1.2 million in prizes and investments. The elevator pitch competition on Tuesday, April 6, and the live final round and awards presentation on Friday, April 9, will be broadcast on YouTube and the RBPC website. Watch the livestreams on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/ricealliance or at https://rbpc.rice.edu/2021-competition. Yale SOM names top 40 cases of 2020 A case study on the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore claimed the top spot in the annual review of case usage conducted by the Yale School of Managements Case Research and Development Team, dethroning Coffee 2016, the top case in the last two annual surveys. Marina Bay Sands case examines the intersection of marketing, operations, and sustainability at the luxury resort. Coffee 2016 fell to second place and a note on Search Fund Company Boards took the third spot. Cases on Shake Shack, Volkswagen, Cadbury, Netflix, Endesa, and the Mayo Clinic rounded out the top ten. All of the top 40 cases are available for purchase from Yale Management Media. USC Marshall announces series of new humanistic leadership courses The University of Southern Californias Marshall School of Business has announced a series of Executive Education courses aimed at helping mid-career professionals and executives navigate the next wave of automation from artificial intelligence. The new non-degree, short courses focus on the humanistic capabilities that define the new era of leadership. Professionals are now included in AI workplace disruption, said Tim Blakesly, assistant dean and executive director of Marshalls Executive Education programs. It is not just manufacturing that is being impact by automation and other disruptive technologies. Story continues Right now, we are looking at the marketplace and asking: What remains of work after the routine aspects are replaced by technology. Its the human factors. We see technology freeing us up to be better at the parts of the job that AI currently cant replace. This provides the opportunity to re-skill to focus on the Humanistic super skills, and we look for our course offerings to expand as we learn more. DONT MISS UNC HOSTS MBA & UNDERGRAD STUDENTS IN INDIA CLIMATE CHANGE COMPETITION The post Worlds Largest, Richest Business Plan Competition To Be Livestreamed appeared first on Poets&Quants. Pristina, April 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Apr, 2021 ) :Lawmakers elected Kosovo's most popular politician Vjosa Osmani as president Sunday, overcoming an opposition boycott that had kept parliament short of a quorum one day earlier. The 38-year-old law professor, a standard bearer of a generation determined to fight corruption, received 71 votes from the 82 deputies present, and was thus "elected president of the republic", speaker Glauk Konjufca declared. "I will work for the strengthening of the state, the rule of law," Osmani told lawmakers, adding that "I will be the president of all". Osmani was backed by Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his Vetevendosje movement which won more than 50 percent of the vote in a general election in February. That poll turned the page on a 120-member legislature which had been dominated by former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) guerillas who fought Serb forces in a bitter 1998-99 war. The victory on Sunday on the parliament's third attempt resolved a stalemate caused by members including the former guerrillas and minority Serbs both boycotting the vote on Saturday. Osmani and Kurti must now mend a weak economy that provides Kosovars with an average monthly salary of just 500 Euros (less than $600), and has pushed youth unemployment to around 50 percent. Many young people have emigrated to Switzerland and Germany, and Kurti and Osmani both pledged more "justice and jobs" during their campaigns. With six female ministers in a 15-strong cabinet, their new administration is also pushing back on longstanding exclusion of woman from power. "Today, Kosovo elected a woman president," a visibly moved Osmani said Sunday, adding "the girls have the right to be wherever they want... every dream of yours can become a reality" in remarks addressed to young women. Meanwhile Belgrade's continued refusal to recognise Kosovar independence remains a source of tension beyond the territory's frontiers. Osmani had stood in as president for several months for Hashim Thaci, a former guerilla leader who was charged in November with war crimes at a special international court in The Hague. The European Union and United States will likely press the new government to resume a dialogue with Serbia aimed at easing regional tensions. Meanwhile, Osmani and Kurti must quickly get to grips with a lack of Covid-19 vaccines and an overwhelmed health system as the country struggles to stem the coronavirus pandemic which has killed 1,900 people. MINNEAPOLIS - The Minneapolis police chief testified Monday that now-fired Officer Derek Chauvin violated departmental policy and went against our principles and the values that we have in pressing his knee on George Floyds neck and keeping him down after Floyd had stopped resisting and was in distress. File-This Feb. 17, 2021, file photo shows Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo addressing the media on preparations for the upcoming Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. The trial of a former Minneapolis police officer in George Floyd's death is expected to turn toward the officer's training on Monday after a first week that was dominated by emotional testimony from eyewitnesses and a devastating video of Floyd's arrest. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP, Pool, File) MINNEAPOLIS - The Minneapolis police chief testified Monday that now-fired Officer Derek Chauvin violated departmental policy and went against our principles and the values that we have in pressing his knee on George Floyds neck and keeping him down after Floyd had stopped resisting and was in distress. Continuing to kneel on Floyd's neck once he was handcuffed behind his back and lying on his stomach was in no way, shape or form part of department policy or training, "and it is certainly not part of our ethics or our values, Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said on Day Six of Chauvin's murder trial. Arradondo, the citys first Black chief, fired Chauvin and three other officers the day after Floyds death last May, and in June called it murder. While police have long been accused of closing ranks to protect fellow members of the force charged with wrongdoing the blue wall of silence, as its known some of the most experienced officers in the Minneapolis department have taken the stand to openly condemn Chauvins treatment of Floyd. Actor Steven Thompson poses for a picture next to a poster of George Floyd in Los Angeles Friday, April 2, 2021. Thompson is choosing not to watch the televised trial of Derek Chauvin, the white police officer charged in the death of George Floyd, has provoked strong emotions among many Black men and women, all tinged with an underlying dread that it could yield yet another devastating disappointment, even though he feels there is a strong case against him. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) As jurors watched in rapt attention and scribbled notes, Arradondo testified not only that Chauvin, a 19-year veteran of the force, should have let Floyd up sooner, but that the pressure on Floyds neck did not appear to be light to moderate, as called for under the department's neck-restraint policy; that Chauvin failed in his duty to render first aid before the ambulance arrived; and that he violated policy requiring officers to de-escalate tense situations with no or minimal force if they can. That action is not de-escalation," the police chief said. "And when we talk about the framework of our sanctity of life and when we talk about our principles and the values that we have, that action goes contrary to what we are talking about. Arradondo's testimony came after the emergency room doctor who pronounced Floyd dead said he theorized at the time that Floyd's heart most likely stopped because of a lack of oxygen. Dr. Bradford Langenfeld, who was a senior resident on duty that night at Hennepin County Medical Center and tried to resuscitate Floyd, took the stand as prosecutors sought to establish that it was Chauvins knee on the Black mans neck that killed him. Langenfeld said Floyds heart had stopped by the time he arrived at the hospital. The doctor said that he was not told of any efforts at the scene by bystanders or police to resuscitate Floyd but that paramedics told him they had tried for about 30 minutes and that he tried for another 30 minutes. A woman holds a George Floyd picture while seated on a concrete barrier near the Hennepin County Government Center Monday, April 5, 2021, in Minneapolis where the second week of testimony in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin continues. Chauvin is charged with murder in the death of George Floyd during an arrest last May in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Under questioning by prosecutors, Langenfeld said that based on the information he had, it was more likely than the other possibilities that Floyd's cardiac arrest the stopping of his heart was caused by asphyxia, or insufficient oxygen. Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death May 25. The white officer is accused of pressing his knee into the 46-year-old man's neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds, outside a corner market where Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes. Floyds treatment by police was captured on widely seen bystander video that sparked protests around the U.S. that descended into violence in some cases. The defence has argued that Chauvin did what he was trained to do and that Floyd's use of illegal drugs and his underlying health conditions caused his death. Nelson, Chauvin's attorney, asked Langenfeld whether some drugs can cause hypoxia, or insufficient oxygen. The doctor acknowledged that fentanyl and methamphetamine, both of which were found in Floyd's body, can do so. In this image from video, prosecutor Steve Schleicher questions witness Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides Monday, April 5, 2021, in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis. Chauvin is charged in the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd. (Court TV via AP, Pool) The county medical examiner's office ultimately classified Floyd's death a homicide a death caused by someone else. The report said Floyd died of cardiopulmonary arrest, complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression. A summary report listed fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use under other significant conditions but not under cause of death. Prosecutor Steve Schleicher noted that while some people may become more dangerous under the influence of drugs or alcohol, some may actually be more vulnerable. Arradondo agreed and acknowledged that this must also be taken into consideration when officers decide to use force. Before he was pinned to the ground, a frantic Floyd struggled with police who were trying to put him in a squad car, saying he was claustrophobic. Arradondo said officers are trained in basic first aid, including chest compressions, and department policy requires them to request medical assistance and provide necessary aid as soon as possible before paramedics arrive. In this image from video, Minneapolis Police Inspector Katie Blackwell testifies as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides Monday, April 5, 2021, in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minn. Chauvin is charged in the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd. (Court TV via AP, Pool) We absolutely have a duty to render that, he said. Officers kept restraining Floyd with Chauvin kneeling on his neck, another kneeling on Floyds back and a third holding his feet until the ambulance got there, even after he became unresponsive, according to testimony and video footage. The officers also rebuffed offers of help from an off-duty Minneapolis firefighter who wanted to administer aid or tell officers how to do it. Langenfeld testified that for people who go into cardiac arrest, there is an approximately 10% to 15% decrease in survival for every minute that CPR is not administered. Nelson noted on cross-examination that department policies direct officers to do what is reasonable in a given situation. He asked whether officers need to take the actions of a crowd into account, and Arradondo agreed. Nelson has suggested that onlookers many of whom were shouting at Chauvin might have affected officers' response. Nelson also questioned whether Chauvins knee was on Floyds neck, playing a few seconds of bystander video side-by-side with footage from an officers body camera that Arradondo agreed appeared to show Chauvins knee on Floyds shoulder blade. But prosecutors quickly got Arradondo to note that the clip played by Nelson depicted only the few seconds before Floyd was moved onto a stretcher. Minneapolis police Inspector Katie Blackwell, commander of the training division at the time of Floyds death, also took the stand Monday. She said Chauvin, whom shes known for about 20 years, received annual training in defensive tactics and use of force, and would have been trained to use one or two arms not his knee in a neck restraint. I dont know what kind of improvised position that is, she said, after being shown a photo of Chauvin with his knee on Floyds neck. She said Chauvin also was a field-training officer, receiving additional training so he would know what prospective officers were learning in the academy. The city moved soon after Floyd's death to ban police chokeholds and neck restraints. Arradondo and Mayor Jacob Frey also made several policy changes, including expanded reporting of use-of-force incidents and attempts to de-escalate situations. Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd Webber reported from Fenton, Mich. TORONTO, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - The Company's results for the 2021 first quarter will be issued by press release on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 after the close of business at 5:00 p.m. ET. An Investor Conference Call will be hosted by Martin L. Juravsky, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and John G. Reid, President and Chief Executive Officer on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. ET to review the results. The dial-in telephone numbers for the call are 416-764-8688 (Toronto and International callers) and 1-888-390-0546 (U.S. and Canada). Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the call to ensure that you get a line. A replay of the call will be available at 416-764-8677 (Toronto and International callers) and 1-888-390-0541 (U.S. and Canada) until midnight, Wednesday, May 19, 2021. You will be required to enter pass code 762761# in order to access the call. If you would like to unsubscribe from receiving notices of our Investor Quarterly Conference Calls, you may do so by emailing [email protected]; or by calling our Investor Relations Line: 905-816-5178. If you have any additional questions, please contact our Investor Relations Department at [email protected] or 905-816-5178. SOURCE Russel Metals Inc. Related Links http://www.russelmetals.com Saudi Arabia has hiked its crude oil prices for Asian buyers by $0.40 per barrel and cut those for European and U.S. buyers by $0.20 and $0.10 per barrel, respectively, Reuters has reported, noting the increase is for May cargos, from the prices for April cargos. This means the May shipments price for Arab LightSaudi Arabias flagship gradewill cost Asian buyers $1.80 above the Oman/Dubai average, which is used as basis for price-setting. The Oman benchmark was trading above $63 a barrel at the time of writing, and the Dubai contract was above $64 a barrel. The news is unlikely to be welcome by the two biggest buyers of Saudi crude, China and India, especially by India, which has been vocal in its opposition to OPECs price-raising efforts. The worlds third-largest consumer of oil has repeatedly called on the cartel to stop cutting production and let prices slide. Meanwhile, it has started looking for alternatives to Middle Eastern oil. We have asked companies to aggressively look for diversification. We cannot be held hostage to the arbitrary decision of Middle East producers. When they wanted to stabilize the market we stood by them, a government source told Reuters in early March. India imports as much as 80 percent of the crude oil it consumes. Of this, some 60 percent comes from Middle Eastern producers. According to unnamed sources cited by Reuters, India could diversify into more U.S. crude and crude from the worlds newest producerGuyana. Meanwhile, the government has asked refiners to review their contracts with Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern producers and use their collective bargaining power to get better terms, The Hindu reported this weekend. China, in the meantime, is gobbling up cheap Iranian oil despite U.S. sanctions and may not need to continue buying at the rates it did last year, when crude was dirt cheap wherever it came from. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Will permits to mine copper become a key political battleground in the future? One of the earliest tangible impacts of the arrival of the new Biden administration mining was the rescinding of publication of an environmental report relating to the multi-billion dollar Resolution copper project in Arizona. The idea of rescinding a publication is a typical word-wrangle from a culture thats increasingly bent on mangling its own language, but what it means essentially is that although the US Forest Service did in fact publish an environmental report into Resolution, its now saying that it didnt and thats the important bit. Because under a deal struck during the Obama administration, Rio Tinto was allowed to swap certain parcels of land into the Resolution tenements, in exchange for swapping out others, subject to the publication of an environmental report by the Forestry Service. With the report published the swap could go ahead, and progress on Resolution, which has already had US$1bn invested into it by owners Rio Tinto ( )(ASX:RIO) and BHP ( )(ASX:BHP). Handily for US policy-makers neither of these companies are American, so their lobbying efficacy is somewhat diminished. Look at it then as a trial run for the Biden administration in its approach to mining. By unpublishing a document the Presidents new secretary of agriculture, Tom Vislack, who oversees the Forestry Service as part of his role, gets to test the water. The unpublishing effectively halts the project with a minimum of fuss, since publishing either the same or a revised document effectively lets it go ahead again. Its the type of system-gaming that politicians love the world over, and do so well. So far, the reaction has been relatively muted. Rio Tinto put out a non-committal statement full of the usual bland corporate-speak, BHP Group didnt comment, and a representative of the local Apache tribe was quoted as saying that a decision that prevented foreign" mining companies from desecrating tribal land was all to the good, Copper market commentary focussed mainly on Rios ongoing issues with another of its major developments, the giant You Tolgoi mine in Mongolia. There is significant local support for Resolution too, in the context of the employment it will bring, but local mayors and community leaders aren't yet getting much of a hearing. Safeguarding blue-collar jobs was more of a Trump talking point and doesn't play well in the land of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, where identity rather than class is key in the language of lifting up the downtrodden. In the medium to long-term implications will be significant. President Biden has talked a very good game on the environment. On the one hand that makes digging up thousands of acres of US countryside less than desirable. On the other hand, the materials to fuel a green revolution have got to come from somewhere, and is it really right that the US outsource the environmental destruction that goes with mining to poorer, third world countries? Its not an issue that would particularly have troubled the Trump administration, which was more focussed on the blue-collar jobs such projects bring, and hence its publication on Resolution in its final days. But for Biden, trying to balance competing elements inside his own progressive wing, while also endeavouring to appear pro-business and pro-America is going to be tricky. Can the same administration really veto huge mining projects that will provide essential materials for electric vehicles whilst also highlighting the threat of relying on imports from China and elsewhere? Actually, the answer may well be yes. Politicians are very good at kicking cans down the road, and in the case of Resolution, the Democrats appear to have it down to a fine art. The environmental publication is the perfect device. In the meantime, a company - not by co-incidence homegrown in America - which already has several copper mines up and running across the US, Freeport McMoRan ( ), is likely to apply for permission to expand operations at three locations. And because these mines are already permitted for production, overall opposition to these plans is likely to be much less significant. So US copper production will continue to grow, to a degree. The real test will be when Antofagasta ( ), a London-listed company run out of Chile, tries to permit its huge Maturi project in Minnesota. This project made considerable headway under President Trump. The betting now is that under President Biden, it wont. Japan and Germanys defence and foreign ministers are planning to hold a 2 plus 2 dialogue in mid-April, as reported by the daily Yomiuri on April 5. The 2 plus 2 talks will also be the first among both the nations and they are expected to exchange ideas in order to elevate a free and open Indo-pacific against Chinas assertiveness in the region, the Japanese newspaper reported citing several unidentified sources. The report also said that even though the exact schedule is not yet confirmed, the two parties are looking forward to holding the meet on April 16. Japan, United States and other nations have grown increasingly concerned with Chinas aggressive foreign policy approach in the Indo-Pacific region. Amid tensions, the German frigate is reportedly expected to set sail for Asia in August and will also become the first warship of the European country to cross the South China Sea since 2002 on its return journey. Japan-Germany military information protection pact Last month, Japan Times reported citing its own sources that Japan and Germany are expected to formally conclude a military information protection agreement soon. The pact to share the military secrets as well as prevent leaks. Most probably, this agreement would be signed in the upcoming high-level meeting. Earlier in September 2020, Germany drew up diplomatic as well as trade guidelines for the Indo-pacific region seeking to reverse course from its heavy focus on China and instead of boosting its own security presence in Asia. The new security agreement will enable Japan to share its military information more conveniently while removing a major obstacle to exporting defence equipment to Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had reached a broad agreement on an information protection pact in February 2019 during her visit to the foreign nation. However, at the time, both nations remained unsuccessful to formally conclude such a pact in a timely fashion due to long discussions on differences. Image credits: AP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court today at his corruption trial to hear prosecutors make their allegations against him. Prosecutors say Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister used his political influence as 'currency' to buy favours from media executives and wealthy businessmen. The evidentiary phase of the trial was beginning as Israel's political parties were meeting the country's president to weigh in on whether Netanyahu should form the next government after a close election or step down to focus on his legal woes. Between witness testimony in a Jerusalem courtroom and the consultations at the president's office across town, it promised to be a day of extraordinary political drama, bringing into sharp focus Netanyahu's efforts to stay in power. He is Israel's longest-serving prime minister and has clung to power through four hard-fought elections in less than two years, even as he has faced allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The March 23 election was largely a referendum on his leadership but produced no clear verdict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court today (pictured) at his corruption trial to hear prosecutors make their allegations against him Israel's political parties began meeting President Reuven Rivlin to recommend which candidate should be tasked with forming the next government. After each election, Israel's president is responsible for designating a party leader to try to put together a governing majority. T hat decision is usually clear cut, but Mr Rivlin faces a difficult choice given the fragmented election results that left the Knesset, Israel's parliament, divided between 13 parties with broad ideological differences. Neither Netanyahu's allies nor his foes secured a governing majority in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. So his fate could come down to Naftali Bennett, a right-wing former ally with whom he has strained ties, and Mansour Abbas, the leader of a small Arab Islamist party who also has yet to commit to either the pro or anti-Netanyahu blocs. Later on Monday, Mr Bennett recommended himself as the next prime minister, deepening Israel's political deadlock. His right-wing Yamina party had been in a position to serve as a kingmaker but it declined to take sides. Yamina has just seven seats in parliament, making it a long shot to be able to form a governing coalition. Mr Bennett is hoping he can become a consensus candidate who can bridge the deep divides between the rival factions. Mr Rivlin was earlier quoted by Israeli media as saying he did not see how any ruling coalition could be formed and expressing concern Israel would go into a fifth round of elections. Prosecutors say Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister used his political influence as 'currency' to buy favours from media executives and wealth businessmen. Pictured: The court files are brought to the Jerusalem District Court ahead of the third hearing of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in East Jerusalem on April 5 The three key cases brought against 'Bibi' Case 1000: Fraud and breach of trust The first case officially opened in 2016, and involves valuable presents and gifts - such as cigars and bottoms of champagne - allegedly received by Netanyahu and his wife from several wealth acquaintances in exchange for favours. Case 2000: Fraud and breach of trust The second case relates to recorded conversations between Netanyahu and Arnon Mozes, chairman and editor of Yedioth Ahronoth, one of the largest newspapers in circulation in Israel. The conversations are said to have discussed legislation that could harm a major competitor of the newspaper - Israel Hayom, despite it being seen as pro-Netanyahu. In exchange, Netanyahu is said to have received positive coverage. Case 4000: Bribery, fraud and breach of trust The fourth case alleges that Netanyahu promoted regulatory decisions favourable to the controlling shareholder in the Bezeq telecom giant, Shaul Elovitch. Netanyahu was both Prime Minister and minister of communications at the time, and is said to have received positive coverage by by Mr Elovitch's Walla news site in exchange. Advertisement At the Jerusalem District Court, Netanyahu sat with his lawyers as lead prosecutor Liat Ben-Ari read out the charges against him. 'The relationship between Netanyahu and the defendants became currency, something that could be traded,' she said. 'The currency could distort a public servant's judgment.' Netanyahu's lawyers sought to make a rebuttal but were cut off by Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman, who said they had already responded to the charges earlier in the trial. The judge then ordered a brief recess, during which Netanyahu left the courthouse. Outside the courtroom, dozens of supporters and opponents of the prime minister gathered to protest on opposite sides of the building amid a heavy police presence, highlighting Israel's deep divisions. Anti-Netanyahu protesters have held weekly demonstrations for months, calling on him to resign. Just a few miles away, a delegation from Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party formally recommended him as prime minister in a meeting with Mr Rivlin. Netanyahu is charged with accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust in three cases. The first involves him allegedly receiving gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from wealthy friends, including Hollywood film producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. In the second case, he is accused of trying to orchestrate positive coverage in a major Israeli paper in exchange for curbing distribution of a free pro-Netanyahu tabloid. The third, dubbed Case 4000, which will be the focus of Monday's first witness testimony, alleges that he backed legislation worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the owner of Israeli telecom giant Bezeq in return for positive coverage on its news site Walla. Outside the courtroom, dozens of supporters and opponents of the prime minister gathered to protest on opposite sides of the building amid a heavy police presence, highlighting Israel's deep divisions. Pictured: A protester wearing a mask, depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attends a gathering outside the district court in Jerusalem on April 5 Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the charges against him as part of a media and law enforcement 'witch hunt' to unseat him. His trial began last year and could last for another two years. In January, prosecutors alleged 315 instances of Walla being requested to amend its coverage so it was more favourable to Netanyahu and his family. They said 150 of them involved Netanyahu himself. According to the charges, Shaul Elovitch, CEO of Bezeq, 'exerted heavy and continuous pressure' on Ilan Yeshua, the former chief editor of Walla, to change articles on the website to meet the demands of Netanyahu and his family. Pictured: Supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gather outside the district court in Jerusalem on April 5, 2021. Netanyahu is charged with accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust in three cases Mr Yeshua, who took the stand after Netanyahu left, said he regularly received requests from Mr Elovitch and aides to the prime minister, asking him to smear the prime minister's political opponents, including Mr Bennett. He said he then passed along the requests to the site's top editors. Mr Bennett, who could play a major role in the formation of the next government, was referred to as the 'naughty religious one' in the internal messages, Mr Yeshua said. Israeli law does not require prime ministers to resign while under indictment, and Netanyahu has refused to do so. That has left the country deeply divided. Am emergency unity government formed last year to address the coronavirus crisis was mired in political bickering and fell apart in less than a year over its inability to approve a budget. Netanyahu passed Israel's founding father David Ben Gurion in 2019 as the country's longest-serving prime minister, having held the office continuously since 2009 and for several years in the 1990s. Belagavi : , April 5 (IANS) Former Karnataka Minister and Sleaze CD case accused Ramesh Jarkiholi on Monday reportedly tested Covid positive and was admitted in hospital. He was taken to the hospital in Gokak taluka in this Karnataka district after he developed breathing problems late Sunday night. The BJP leader has failed to appear before the Special Investigation Team probing the case since Friday, citing health reasons. His lawyer Shyam Sundar had said that Jarkiholi had developed a fever and cough. Testing Covid positive now, he may be advised to be in isolation for a few days. "Jarkiholi is in the ICU as he has breathing problems, his oxygen level is low and he has low blood pressure. He is also diabetic. He is under observation and we have advised him to rest for the next three to four days," Gokak taluk hospital's Dr Ravindra told reporters. The doctor said that the 60-year-old legislator was also diagnosed with low saturation and blood pressure levels. He also added that his cook and driver have also tested Covid positive and they have also been admitted to hospital. Jarkiholi had travelled to Maharashtra's Mahalakshmi temple in Kolhapur on March 30, even as the SIT was waiting to interrogate him. He has failed to attend two interrogation sessions - one of them was scheduled for Monday and the other one earlier on Friday. The BJP leader had, however, deputed his counsel with a letter saying that he was not well and will appear before the investigating team once he has recovered. The Gokak MLA, who was the state Water Resources Minister, was forced to resign on March 3 after visuals of him in a compromising position with a woman surfaced on March 2 evening on news channels. The woman in the Sleaze CD filed a complaint and soon the police registered a FIR against Jarkiholi, who was accused him of raping her twice after promising her a government job. The woman in the Sleaze CD has recorded her statement before the magistrate in a special court in Bengaluru. Jarkiholi has maintained that the videos are fakes. Meanwhile, the woman's legal counsellor, Jagadesh K. N. Mahadev told reporters that he suspects that the BJP leader was trying to avoid arrest but he cannot do it for a long time. "Law has its own process, it will catch up with him soon," he said. Jarkiholi's lawyer Shyam Sundar countered, saying that his client was neither misleading the court nor the SIT that is probing the case. "My client had been co-operating to his fullest capacity," he told reporters. San Francisco schools Superintendent Vince Matthews plans to remain on the job for another year, rescinding his retirement announcement as the embattled school district navigates a series of crises. His decision, announced Monday, offers the school board a reprieve from managing a superintendent search amid reopening classrooms for the first time in a year while dealing with upheaval, controversies and chaos. The school district has struggled to reopen schools while facing an uproar over racist tweets from a school board member who in turn filed an $87 million lawsuit against the district and five colleagues over the issue; a recall of three school board members; a pending legal fight over changing the admissions process to Lowell High School, and a lawsuit over the boards vote to rename 44 schools. The board is expected to reverse the renaming Tuesday with another vote. If the board began a search for an experienced urban superintendent right now, its choices might be slim, said Dan Domenech, executive director of the School Superintendents Association. Right now, with everything the way it is, everything going on, (the job) would not be desirable, Domenech said. A qualified candidate with a record of success would likely look at the job posting and think: No, I dont need that, he added. A year from now, with things being better, then I think the job will definitely be more attractive. Matthews submitted his resignation just under a month ago, saying he would retire at the end of the school year and that he wanted to give the school board the opportunity to pick a new superintendent who is aligned with their approach. The announcement was a subtle acknowledgment that Matthews had repeatedly tangled with the school board, including a denial of his request in June to hire a reopening consultant. More recently, after months of public sessions on reopening, the elected officials have offered conflicting feedback on which students in upper grades they would like to see return for in-person learning before summer. The board also fired administrators supported by Matthews, including Brent Stephens, who is now the superintendent in Berkeley. Then last week, board member Alison Collins filed a lawsuit against the district and her fellow board members over their decision to strip her of the vice presidency and her positions on committees over racist tweets she posted in 2016 against Asian Americans. In a surprise twist, Matthews announced early Monday he would stay in the job for another year. The Board of Education has since asked me to delay my retirement and I have agreed to remain with SFUSD for another year, until June 30, 2022, he said in a social media post. SFUSD needs stability and focus at this time. I am dedicated to supporting all of our SFUSD community as we navigate the many challenges and opportunities that lay ahead in the coming year. The board, which has repeatedly listed equity and fighting racism among its top priorities, would likely look for an experienced superintendent with a background in an urban district to replace Matthews, despite a dearth of diverse superintendents across the country. Less than 9% of superintendents nationwide in 2020 identified as Black, Latino or a person of color, according to the School Superintendents Association. The candidate pool could be even smaller in the coming months, Domenech said. It is tough out there, and superintendents are being knocked around left and right to the point where were seeing significant retirements and resignations this year over previous years, he said. Keeping Matthews in place provides much-needed stability, continuity and leadership, said Supervisor Matt Haney, a former school board member. The school district is facing unprecedented challenges and chaos and division at the board; now isnt an ideal time at all to go through the hard, high-stakes process of choosing a new leader, Haney said. Choosing a new superintendent right now would have been obviously very challenging. Vince staying another year is definitely good news. In San Francisco, the district faces a significant budget deficit, estimated at $100 million next year, although federal and state pandemic funding could help offset that in the short term. But the citys public schools also face a loss of enrollment as families have left for private schools or nearby public districts that have reopened, which could mean a loss of state funding in future years. San Francisco Unified, with 52,000 students, is among the last urban districts to reopen in the state and the country, with schools set to reopen on April 12. COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California. Right now, its time for the San Francisco school board to focus, said board President Gabriela Lopez, in a statement announcing Matthews decision to stay. Its still our goal to get all of our students back to in-person learning, and stabilize our budget as soon as possible. Far from shying away from this challenge, we are ready to do this. Mayor London Breed recently addressed the possible difficulty in filling the superintendent position given the upheaval. The problem we have is the leadership, and when I say the leadership (I mean) the elected members of the school board, she said during a recent news conference. Things have become way too political. And even though people may have an intention of wanting to help our kids and support our educators, the fact is not everyone understands how to do that. So from my perspective, if you dont know what youre doing, you should step aside, or at least bring in the right consultants or people which the city has offered on numerous occasions to help support you in your efforts. Matthews will retain his current salary of $329,000, district officials said. In the meantime, it could take a year to select a new superintendent, Lopez said. With Matthews staying on the job, the board will not have to select an interim chief while it conducts a search. The district needs stability, she said. While I understood his desire (to retire), his commitment to the well-being of our young people has shone through, Lopez said. He is best positioned to get all our students back to in-person learning. Chronicle staff writer Trisha Thadani contributed to this report. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker Tulsa schools have a long shopping list of projects for when federal stimulus money makes it to Oklahoma. Teachers and administrators are thinking of ways to put the pandemic-plagued 2020-2021 academic year firmly in the rear view mirror by making schools better than they were before. "It's so exciting," said Ebony Johnson, chief learning officer for Tulsa Public Schools. "We've been through so much as a country, through the pandemic. And so to be able to get these dollars ... it's exciting because we get to dream." The $1.9 trillion stimulus bill signed into law by President Joe Biden last month sets aside more than $120 billion for education. The money, including $81 billion already released, will flow from Washington to the states and then be dispersed to districts. Then districts can pay for area-wide programs and direct money to schools like Monroe Demonstration Academy, a middle school in Tulsa. "We're able to partner with different organizations, we're able to provide stipends for teachers who want to work during the summertime," said Rob Kaiser, Monroe's interim principal. "Funds that wouldn't typically be available during a typical year are now available to us to do this work and do this work really well." Students at Monroe, like all students across the Tulsa public schools, will get access to free after-school care, starting this year. Free summer school day camps that include academics as well as activities like biking will be available, as well as free one-on-one tutoring for students who want it. And for high school seniors, there will be "Operation Graduation," a program that will help students catch up in the evenings to ensure they can get their diplomas this year. Planning for growth Many of the plans are aimed at helping students get back up to speed, and deal with the academic and emotional fallout from remote learning. But they're also the kinds of things school systems like Tulsa have wanted to do for a long time. Tulsa Superintendent Deborah Gist said the federal money will "not only provide direct services to our children and families and make sure that we're helping them to recover from the pandemic, but it's also going to help us grow and expand." The school system will increase pay for teachers for working over the summer and providing tutoring, a move that school leaders say can help keep teachers working in the district. The stimulus money from last month's law is scheduled to last until 2024, though Gist hopes the changes it pays for will stick around even after the extra resources are used up. It will be a while before it's clear if the stimulus money can transform schools the way that some school leaders hope. But in the short term, some teachers are already breathing a sigh of relief. Tulsa's 2020 Teacher of the Year, Laura Grisham, a speech and debate teacher at Monroe, said she's not involved in deciding where the money goes but is energized by the prospects. "Things like our summer school programming, like our after-school programming, being able to compensate teachers for their time, that stuff can't happen without this stimulus money." In the small town of Miami in the central U.S. state of Oklahoma, people do not have as much money as they used to. Many lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are even homeless. At two restaurants Zacks Cafe and The Dawg House customers are now doing their part to help others. When they are ready to pay for their meals, they can add another food item. On the walls in each restaurant are receipts for the donated meals. A receipt is a paper showing what has been purchased. Someone who is hungry can come in, choose a receipt, sit down and have something to eat. Jennifer White owns The Dawg House, which opened last September. She sells hot dogs with extra items like meat, cheese, and bacon. She started the idea of the giving wall during the pandemic. Within eight hours, she said she had a wall filled with receipts. The Dawg House only has eight tables, so not that many people can visit at one time. But in six months, customers have purchased 600 extra meals. Some who had no money at the time took down the receipts to eat and then returned to pay for more meals so someone else could eat. Others would buy their own meal and then pay for another 10 or 50. That says a lot about how amazing our community is, White said. Lasay Castellano recently left Zacks Cafe to return to school. She said the restaurant serves about 600 people a day. And she has been putting up the receipts for two months. We have a lot of homeless people here, she said. Were having a hard time keeping [the receipts] on the wall. The town of Miami has not just been hurt by the health crisis. Two large snowstorms in February forced many people without homes into hotels. However, the town is beginning to return to normal activities. The areas casinos have reopened and restaurants now welcome people for in-person meals. White remembered when two parents came in with their children recently. She said, They seemed like they had a lot going on and got to sit for an hour and a half or so to just have a meal, have fun and laugh, and not worry about how much they were having to spend. Im Dan Friedell. Emily Leshner and Leanne Italie wrote this story for The Associated Press. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. How have you been helping other people during the pandemic? Tell us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story receipt n. a piece of paper on which the things that you buy or the services that you pay for are listed with the total amount paid and the prices for each amazing adj. causing great surprise or wonder casinon. a building or room that has games (such as roulette or blackjack) for gambling Show your baby your love, and you'll get a kinder, gentler adult child as your reward, a new study suggests. More than 20 years ago, researchers in Israel began studying the impact on newborns of time spent in physical contact with their mothers. The investigators followed these infants, born in the mid- to late-1990s, for two decades. Now, their latest resultsbased on nearly 100 young adultsshow that the maternal contact received all those years ago had a measurable impact on social brain functioning decades later, and the ability to empathize and relate to others. "What proximity to the mother's body did was enabling mother and infants to be more in tune, more in sync with one another throughout the 20 years of their development. That synchrony in turn sensitized the brain to be better able to empathize with the emotions of others," said study author Ruth Feldman. She is a professor of developmental social neuroscience at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya in Israel with a joint appointment at Yale Child Study Center in New Haven, Conn. The study included three categories of babies: full-term healthy infants who could easily have contact with their moms; preemies who were incubated and for at least a couple of weeks could not have physical contact with their mothers; and more stable preemies whose moms committed to hold them, skin-to-skin, for at least an hour a day for at least 14 consecutive days. That third group of babies would otherwise have had limited physical contact with their mothers during the study, but their mom's warmth took the place of the incubator for those hours, Feldman said. "We believed that proximity to the mother's body would be beneficial for the children for a variety of reasons, for the attachment, for the self-regulation, just like any other mammalian young that needs all the provisions that are in the mother's body and physical proximity," Feldman said. The researchers periodically checked in with the children and their families and assessed their interactions, their "mother-child social synchrony," starting with nonverbal cues and responses early on. Over time, mothers and children built more complex abilities to see the other person's side, and allowing the person to have their opinion, Feldman said. "You see adult mother-children interactions that are positive and mutual, and they're both sitting on the couch and they're laughing together," she noted. In early adulthood, they assessed the grown children's brains. "What we looked for in the brain was the brain's ability to empathize with the different feelings of others, to empathize with the other person's sadness and distress, but also empathize with another person's joy," Feldman said. The areas of the brain that were specifically sensitized were the amygdala and the insula, she said. Feldman described the amygdala as a center of non-conscious identification of emotions, and the insula as an area where you integrate signals from your own body with signals from another person's emotional state. "Those two areas were sensitized by the life-long synchrony to function better, to be better able to have empathy with others," Feldman said. The study adds to the data that the early years of life are profoundly important, said Dr. Michael Yogman, a pediatrician at Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts. He called the research "groundbreaking." Parents become more sensitive to their baby's cues when they're regularly in direct contact, even if it's not skin-to-skin, said Yogman, past chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on psychosocial aspects of child and family health. "That begins to synchronize biorhythms, circadian rhythms, hormonal variation and the host of changes in the brain that [Feldman] documents," Yogman said. Yet even for preemies who did not receive this type of contact in those early weeks of life, when they went home to loving, comforting parents, they still did well, he noted. "So that speaks to the resilience, all is not lost, but we're learning more and more about high-quality care early on, that parenting really matters in these early years," Yogman said. Though the study didn't focus on fathers' synchrony with children, Yogman said he thinks when fathers are engaged early on, the impact can be quite similar. Feldman agreed. When fathers are committed to infant care, there are pathways that would make fathers just as beneficial to the baby, she said. "I assume that any loving, stable relationships in the child's life are important," Feldman said. "And I also assume that fathers would be very meaningful, and the parents most likely will be more beneficial than grandparents, but grandparents could be hugely beneficial." The study was published online March 30 in the journal PNAS. Explore further Even in a pandemic, child vision tests are crucial More information: Adi Ulmer Yaniv et al. Synchronous caregiving from birth to adulthood tunes humans' social brain, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2021). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Adi Ulmer Yaniv et al. Synchronous caregiving from birth to adulthood tunes humans' social brain,(2021). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2012900118 Copyright 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Mumbai, April 5 : Portending fresh troubles for the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, the Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary probe into allegations of corruption levelled against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh by former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G.S. Kulkarni has asked the CBI to complete its 'preliminary probe' within 15 days on the issues raised by Singh in his 'letter-bomb' last month. However, the court said that the CBI need not register a First Information Report (FIR) immediately as the Maharashtra government has already set up a 'high-level committee' to probe the matter. "The Government Resolution by the state government for a high-level committee leads us to believe that there is no interference required," said Chief Justice Datta. Terming the matter as 'extraordinary and unprecedented', the bench observed that Deshmukh is the Home Minister who leads the state police force and hence there should be an independent probe. The court has asked the CBI to make its preliminary investigations in accordance with the law within 15 days and after that, the agency may use its discretion to decide the future course. Besides Singh's PIL, the court heard three other pleas filed by Ghanshyam Upadhyay seeking a court-monitored SIT, another by Mohan Bhide wanting a retired HC or SC judge to probe and a third by Jayshri Patil for a CBI or any other independent agency probe. Shortly after the High Court verdict, the Bharatiya Janata Party Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis demanded Deshmukh's resignation to ensure an independent probe, and questioned the silence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other MVA leaders in the matter. In his plea, Singh had sought a thorough probe by the CBI into his allegations that Deshmukh had asked arrested policeman Sachin Vaze 'to collect' Rs 100-crore per month and also challenged his own (Singh) transfer as Commandant-General, Home Guards. The state had strongly objected to the plea on grounds that Singh made the allegations only because he was shunted out of his post as Mumbai police chief. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Twice weekly lateral flow testing kits regardless of symptoms Everyone in England will be able to access free, regular, rapid coronavirus testing from Friday, the Government has announced. The rapid lateral flow tests (LFTs), to use twice a week, have so far been available to people most at risk and who need to leave home for work, including frontline NHS workers, care home staff and residents, and schoolchildren and their families. The tests will be available regardless of whether people have symptoms from April 9. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Massive efforts have been made by the British public to stop the spread of the virus. "As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine programme and with our roadmap to cautiously easing restrictions underway, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted. "Thats why were now rolling out free rapid tests to everyone across England helping us to stop outbreaks in their tracks, so we can get back to seeing the people we love and doing the things we enjoy." The offer of free testing is being expanded to companies with more than 10 workers where on-site testing is impossible. The expanded regular testing offer for people without symptoms will be delivered through a home ordering service, which allows people to order lateral flow tests online to be delivered to their home. Tests can also be delivered through workplace testing programmes on-site or at home, community testing, offered by all local authorities, collection at a local PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test site, such as Newbury Showground, and on-site at schools and colleges. A new Pharmacy Collect service is also launching which will provide an additional route to regular testing. People aged over 18 without symptoms will be able to visit a participating local pharmacy and collect a box of seven rapid tests to use twice a week at home. The best route for testing can be found at www.NHS.UK/get-tested If testing at home, people will need to register their results online or by calling 119. They should self-isolate if positive and order a confirmatory PCR test. Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 should book a test online or by calling 119. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Since 2008, photographer Frank Frost has partnered with the Albuquerque Public Schools Foundation to recognize seniors in high school who have selflessly given back to their communities, usually without recognition or praise. These young adults have already made a difference in their schools and neighborhoods and inspire their peers and all of us to do the same. Selections are made by a committee of community partners and volunteers, and the decision is not an easy one. Each Selfless Senior not only represents themselves and their families, but the amazing work of countless high school students who are making a positive difference in our city each and every day. This years selectees are: ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Sophia Rio Chavez Albuquerque High School Throughout my life, my family has instilled a sense of civic duty and giving back to our community. Working with my Youth Group at the Safe House and serving food to the homeless showed me the significance of delivering compassion and love to those around me. I found happiness volunteering at Serendipity Day School and was humbled by teaching the little ones how to read and share. Although becoming Student Body President of my school during COVID has been a challenge, working alongside a dedicated officer team, we have spread positivity virtually keeping students involved and motivated. When I graduate from high school my hope for Albuquerque is that individuals find the silver linings of 2020 and commit to showing kindness to one another. Griselda Montes Atrisco Heritage Academy High School As a complicated year where everyone was having trouble adjusting and adapting to the fact that we have to protect ourselves from a virus it is hard. We faced new challenges like having to do online schooling that benefited us in a way where we had to learn more about how certain apps work, and that can help us later in life. We need to understand that we need to keep our heads up, keeping going forward and not to be afraid of coming out of our comfort zones because life can be tough and we need to find solutions to overcome our obstacles. When I graduate from high school my hope for Albuquerque is to be a safe place where people can grow. Taylor Christiansen Cibola High School I feel very honored to receive this award and to represent my school. I am blessed to be able to give back to Seed2Need, a Corrales food pantry project, lead my schools Operation Smile student club, and participate in volunteer opportunities organized by my church. In the midst of quarantine, my younger brother and I launched our apparel and accessory brand, All Sick. With every purchase we give back a portion of the proceeds to a featured non-profit organization. I have been taught that where much is given, much is required. The beautiful thing about serving others is that we receive so much more than we give. When I graduate from high school, my hope for Albuquerque is that it continues to be a beacon of diversity and opportunity for all. Cameron Ortega Del Norte High School Even though I volunteer with Roadrunner Food Bank, send letters to our veterans, read books to and interact with younger ages, I believe that being kind every day and putting a smile on your face makes a big difference in not only your own life, but for those around you. Even though it seems smaller than those other huge selfless activities, saying Hi or even giving someone a compliment can really make someones day or even without knowing you can save a life. When I graduate from high school my hope for Albuquerque is that we learn to come together as a community to do better things for our hard-working citizens like our teachers, doctors, firefighters, nurses, police officers, fast food, retail and construction workers. Melina Vugrin Eldorado High School Fight for what you care about. I recently discovered Justice Ginsburgs guidance, but the sentiment has driven my call to service. I always connected with animals. They enrich our lives as pets, service animals and wildlife, but they cannot advocate for themselves when experiencing cruelty. Much of my volunteering has focused on helping animals, through organizing supply drives, volunteering at rescues and data analysis supporting animal welfare legislation. The time spent on these efforts never felt like work because I believe in the cause. My passion is animal welfare, but I recognize the cause may not speak to everyone. So, when I graduate from high school, my hope for Albuquerque is that each of us recognize our individual passions and that we take action to further them. Ariana Magana-Ramirez Highland High School I am proud to have participated in creating and catering our schools Tutoring Diners, where families could enjoy a free and nutritious meal and students could get free tutoring on anything they needed. Once a month I participated in peaceful protests to fight for issues like DACA and voting. These amazing opportunities that were available at my school have not only helped me give back to my amazing community but have also shaped the person I am to this day. I am a proud Chicana who will fight for what is right and help the community I have been raised in. When I graduate from high school my hope for Albuquerque is to become a strong community by coming together, despite our differences, and by helping each other out. Maura Johnson La Cueva High School Teen suicide and depression are major issues in New Mexico. I, like so many of my peers, have struggled with mental health. Recognizing when you need a break is one of the first steps to taking ownership of your mental health. This idea is what inspired me to reach out to New Mexico legislators with hopes of passing a bill that would allow for mental health absence days in schools. It wasnt easy finding the courage to speak up about the issues that I saw in my community, but I hope that I can inspire my peers and friends to do the same. When I graduate from high school, my hope for Albuquerque is that students feel brave enough to lean on each other, ask for help when they need it, learn self-care strategies and, most importantly, speak out when necessary. Ayanna Teague Manzano High School One of the highlights of my week is going to work. In my virtual senior year, I was elected as Secretary of Student Senate and President of our Black Student Union. Being so involved can tend to be stressful so I always tell myself to take it one day at a time. Life sometimes tends to feel rushed and even when everyone is going at a fast pace, I remind myself and others to value each and every day, hour and minute of life. When I graduate from high school my hope for Albuquerque is that even in the most chaotic of situations we can all take time to realize that there is no such thing as a time restraint on life and we should enjoy our work and what we do. Tyler Chavez Rio Grande High School I never wouldve thought I wouldve earned something so insane as being a Selfless Senior. Genuinely, I have always just wanted people to feel comfortable around me and want everyone to feel appreciated. My parents have always raised me to just treat everyone with respect, and after my father passed away earlier this year, I really took everything he and my mother had taught me and tried to really use that every day. I try and treat everyone with respect and go that extra mile for anything, whether its opening the door for someone, carrying things or just anything that someone around needs help with. Im just a normal kid. When I graduate from high school my hope for Albuquerque is that the community and the people can have a healthy relationship with each other, and everyones opinions are heard in one way or another. Sarah Rutherford Sandia High School For me, volunteering is two-fold. Its not about the recognition, which is nice, but about what I, you, people give back to the community and the great feeling you get while doing so. The organizations that I volunteer for such as Fat Katz cat rescue and Wanagi Wolf Rescue are dear to my heart. It is a wonderful stress reliever and a great way to show love and compassion to animals that have been abused, forgotten or just left out. Its a fantastic feeling knowing that I can give in a small way, to a world that is much greater than me. When I graduate from high school my hope for Albuquerque is that as a city, as a community they can give back to what has given us so much! Isaiah Baca Valley High School A smile is the most impactful action that inspires me to do my best and strive for success.. My father being a five-time cancer survivor and my mother being on a feeding tube for 10 years has driven my passion to become a doctor. My goal is to become a reconstructive plastic surgeon here in New Mexico and give back to a community that has given me so much. Im proud to have volunteered to altar serve at Holy Family Parish each Sunday for the past 11 years. My favorite aspect was witnessing the smiles of those who I had helped and I hope in becoming a plastic surgeon that I can offer care to those with deformities and give them confidence that shows in their smile. When I graduate high school my hope for Albuquerque is that even though we are struggling during this dark pandemic, that we can stick together and persevere as a community. Jade Mendoza Volcano Vista High School Throughout my time at Volcano Vista, I have learned to be the light in the darkness. For me, being the light means creating and being a part of service projects based on spreading kindness. This year I took part in a month-long project designed to show appreciation to students, staff, spirit, and the community called Dude Be Nice Month. It made me realize now more than ever we need to come together as a community and support one another. If you have the chance to make someones day better do it because every interaction you have with someone is a chance to leave a positive impact on their life. This life is beautiful and so are you. When I graduate from high school my hope for Albuquerque can be found in the answer to this question, How can you be the light?' Natalia Hernandez West Mesa High School When people say it doesnt hurt to be nice to others, it truly doesnt. Small gestures such as sharing a smile or holding the door for a stranger can brighten someones day. I enjoy serving my community and seeing the impact I have on those around me; hoping they will inspire others to spread positivity. When I graduate from high school my hope for Albuquerque is for us to see past the barriers we may encounter to make a statement for the betterment of our future. Francesca Miles New Futures School A year ago, I was a high school dropout. I was a teen parent and scared of what the future would hold for me and my child. I heard about New Futures and I never expected to meet all of the incredible people I met and how much they would change my life. The teachers and staff at New Futures opened a number of doors for me, as well as pushed me towards my future goals of becoming a zoologist and opening my own wildlife rescue. I have also found an incredible amount of joy in supporting and coaching youth volleyball, fostering animals for Central New Mexico Beagle Rescue amongst other rescues and assisting in a classroom for students with disabilities. To all of you younger students, teen parents, or anyone struggling know that the skys the limit and you can do anything you put your mind to. When I graduate high school, my hope for Albuquerque is that we can all learn to be more supportive of each other and our community. Google will be rejecting apps in the Play Store to protect the other apps the users has installed. Apps have been using this information to profile users, and target them with ads, as well as selling this data to other comapnies. A user's list with installed apps can potentially tell the developer about the interest that a user has, and the type of services they have access to. Google has announced to change its system on the Play Store from May 5, the policy says that the app developers will have to provide a solid reason why the tech giant should allow them to access other apps on users' smartphones. Apps that will fail to meet the policy requirements will be removed from the Play Store. Dr Da Costa Aboagye, the Leader of Risk Communication for Ghanas COVID-19 Response, has advised Ghanaians to adhere to the Stay home preventive measure on Easter Monday. One of the preventive measures against the COVID-19 infection is to stay home, he said, and urged Ghanaians not to engage in the usual Easter Monday partying, visiting of friends and family, and avoid the beaches. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency Dr Aboagye said the Presidents directive, being enforced by the Ghana Police Service, must be obeyed to keep the virus at bay. Staying at home this Easter Monday will help to avoid social gatherings, which could promote the spread of the COVID-19 infection, he said. We have to do everything possible to stay home and to protect the declining of cases, we must not repeat what happened during the Christmas and New Year season. He urged the media to use their platforms to educate the public to adhere to the protocols as the nation worked to control the cases. Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), said the first batch of Ghanaians who were vaccinated would receive the second jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine by the end of April to May, as government found various alternatives to procure more vaccines. The longer ones vaccination status, which is about 12 weeks, the better, he said. 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 Advertisement New York City's annual Easter parade and Bonnet festival was virtual on Sunday for the second year in a row. Despite being an online event, several people still headed to Fifth Avenue to show off their creations. For the second straight year, the Fifth Avenue Association asked New Yorkers to post photos of themselves in their Easter best to Instagram. Dating to the 1870s, the march through Midtown was one of the city's most unique and festive occasions, with participants donning elaborate hats as they marched along eight blocks between East 49th and 57th streets. A woman wearing a costume participates in the Easter Bonnet parade on Easter Sunday amid the coronavirus pandemic in New York City People in costumes attend the Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival at Fifth Avenue in New York City. The annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival went virtual for the second year, but some people took part in the tradition amid COVID-19 pandemic Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic The annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival along Fifth Avenue was officially held virtually again this year but plenty decided to head to the location The annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival, a New York City tradition that dates to the 1870s, was held virtually on Sunday for the second consecutive year but plenty still showed up Alan Wager, left, and Robert Levinstein, right, poses during the Easter Bonnet parade on Easter Sunday People were asked to share photos of their creative bonnets on Instagram with the hashtag #EasterOnFifth Avalon Alexander interacts with an NYPD Mounted Unit horse during the Easter Bonnet parade on Easter Sunday People wearing costumes participate in the Easter Bonnet parade on Easter Sunday A woman wearing a mask and costume poses during the Easter Bonnet parade Seven-month-old Mila with her Mom outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral on Easter Sunday in New York A woman carries dogs in costume during the Easter Bonnet parade on Fifth Avenue in midtown on Sunday The brightly colored procession didn't move up Fifth Avenue this year but plenty headed to the usual location For the second straight year, the Fifth Avenue Association asked New Yorkers to post photos of themselves in their Easter best on Instagram The tradition began as a way for the middle and upper classes to show off their church finery after the Easter Sunday service, but has since turned into a way for people to show off their creativity and imagination. Worshippers celebrated their second Easter of the pandemic with some social distancing and other health measures still in place. After all-virtual Easter services last year, St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City was at half-capacity for Sunday's Mass meaning around a congregation of 1,000 was allowed inside. Worshippers spaced themselves out in the vaulted neo-Gothic cathedral, which can seat more than 2,000. The choir sang through masks. A man wearing a mask and costume looks away during the the Easter Bonnet parade Abby Lloyd (front) poses with others in costume during the Easter Bonnet parade on Easter Sunday amid the coronavirus Mila Mazurok, 7 months old, from Maryland sits on a bench posing during the Easter Bonnet parade on Easter Sunday The annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival, is a New York City tradition that dates to the 1870s, Maria Balacio, from Queens, poses during the Easter Bonnet parade on Easter Sunday The Easter Bonnet Parade started more than 150 years ago in 1870 and features the best of the best of Easter bonnets Even though it was virtual this year, that didn't stop a few die-hard fans from coming to Fifth Avenue to show off their over-the-top creations The annual Easter Parade is usually the point at which New Yorkers dressed in their finery take an iconic stroll up Fifth Avenue. It was virtual for the second consecutive year Patricia Ann Parenti wearing a costume poses during the Easter Bonnet parade on Easter Sunday The tradition, which has run since the 1880s, began as a way for the middle and upper classes to show off their church finery after the Easter Sunday service, but has since turned into a way for people to show off their creativity and imagination A man dressed as Jesus walks past people in Rockefeller Center during the Easter Bonnet parade A view of the atmosphere during the Easter Bonnet parade outside St. Patrick's Cathedral on Easter Sunday Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan greets children during Easter Sunday Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral Cardinal Timothy Dolan receives chocolate from a child as he greets people at the end of the traditional Easter service Reverend Ed Dougherty sprinkles holy water during a mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City People attend the traditional Easter Sunday service, amid the coronavirus disease at St. Patrick's Cathedral, in New York 'It's certainly better than last year, when nobody could come,' said Archdiocese of New York spokesman Joseph Zwilling. 'This is certainly a step forward. 'Each Sunday, there've been more and more people coming, that's a really encouraging sign. People are getting vaccinated, they're feeling more comfortable coming out,' he said. 'We want to do it safely. We'll follow the guidance of the medical professionals and hope to go back to 100 percent capacity soon.' Cardinal Dolan celebrated Mass from inside St Patrick's while churchgoers were able to access his sermon both online and in-person at reduced capacity. Tickets were required to attend Mass while COVID safety protocols were also in place. The cardinal delivered a message of hope and healing. A view shows a socially distanced Easter Sunday service at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church in Dallas, Texas Members of the Alice Drive Baptist Church praise team perform during an in-person Easter service at the church in Sumter, South Carolina In person Easter Celebration Service at Calvary Baptist Church in New York. A man wears a protective mask as he lights a candle on a tomb before Easter service at sunrise, held by Christ Church and Washington Parish at Congressional Cemetery, in Washington State The Lock family sits within their socially distanced 'pod' as they attend an Easter Sunday sunrise service at White Rock United Methodist Church, the church's first in-person service in over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Dallas, Texas Hundreds of Catholics gathered in the mammoth Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota, for the Easter Vigil service Saturday evening. Every other pew was kept empty and masks were mandatory. Still, the solemn liturgy marked a new, hopeful beginning for the congregation after a turbulent year. In Detroit, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church opened for in-person Easter services for the first time in more than a year, with capacity limits and social distancing rules in place. The Rev. Charles Christian Adams told the Detroit Free Press that people need church, especially after the congregation lost at least 14 members to COVID-19. Grandchildren and two sons of Home Missionary Larry Craig, climb on Sunrise Rock where every year, for decades, dozens of parishioners have gathered in the Mojave Desert to celebrate sunrise Easter service held by him. Parishioners pray below a white cross since 1934, that commemorates veterans at White Cross World War I Memorial in Cima, California Craig family camping for sunrise Easter service, toast marshmallows. Every year, for decades, dozens of parishioners have gathered at Sunrise Rock in the Mojave Desert to celebrate sunrise Easter service Attendants line up to receive sacramental bread from the priest on Easter Sunday service at St. James Catholic Church in Louisville, Kentucky People attend an Easter Sunday service at St. James Catholic Church in Louisville, Kentucky, pictured on Sunday Volunteers, Gina Stipo and Barb Schaefer collect donations during Easter Sunday service at St. James Catholic Church Members of Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church's choir perform during a drive-in Easter service, with social distancing in place at the church in Sumter, South Carolina Children race for eggs at an Easter egg hunt held by St. Luke CommunityUnited Methodist Church at Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, Texas Children decorate eggs before an Easter egg hunt on a vacant lot in the Morningside neighborhood, Detroit, Michigan Tonee Carpio said physically being in St. Vincent de Paul Church in Austin, Texas, meant a lot to her after services last year were offered only online. She said being in church helps keep her Filipino culture alive in her city, since some prayers are offered in her native Tagalog. 'When youre inside a church, you become more solemn, you can focus on God,' she said. Chuck Wilcox, left, Linda Maria and Ray Maria. Every year, for decades, dozens of parishioners have gathered at Sunrise Rock in the Mojave Desert to celebrate sunrise Easter service Home missionary Larry Craig, left, flanked by his son Larry Craig, singing hymns, holds yearly sunrise Easter service on Sunrise Rock in the Mojave Desert White Cross World War I Memorial on Sunday People attend an Easter Sunday sunrise service at White Rock United Methodist Church, the church's first in-person service in over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Dallas, Texas Rev. John Kellogg, Rector of Christ Church, wears a protective mask as he celebrates Easter service at sunrise, held by Christ Church and Washington Parish at Congressional Cemetery, in Washington Rev. John Kellogg, Rector of Christ Church, celebrates Easter service at sunrise, held by Christ Church and Washington Parish at Congressional Cemetery, in Washington Micah Craig, left, Paul Craig and Larisa Craig practice Easter hymns night before sunrise Easter service, sitting around a campfire In Florida, Eastgate Christian Fellowship in Panama City Beach hosted its annual sunrise service on the beach In Florida, Eastgate Christian Fellowship church had to scrap the service last year because all beaches were closed Pastor Janelle Green estimated that about 400 people participated as they sat socially distanced along the beach St. Vincent de Paul Church in Austin, Texas conducts Easter services on Sunday In Florida, Eastgate Christian Fellowship in Panama City Beach hosted its annual sunrise service on the beach. The church had to scrap the service last year because all beaches were closed. Pastor Janelle Green estimated that about 400 people participated. Robin Fox of Palm Bay, planned to spend Sunday driving her mother to Orlando to get a second dose of vaccine at a Federal Emergency Management Agency walk-up site. 'She's getting that freedom on the same day that people go to church to celebrate Jesus being risen, so I said to her, 'it's kind of like you're being risen also,'' Fox said. Members of the Veal family and friends join in praying during the Westside Easter Sunrise Service at Will Rogers State Beach park on the Santa Monica Bay on the Pacific Coast in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday Rev. Russels Governale serves communion during a Spanish-language Easter service at St. Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church, Sunday, in New York. The parish has lost 80 members to COVID-19 Parishioners of St. Paul's Episcopal Church stand to worship during an Easter sunrise service held on the burial grounds outside of Old St. Luke's Church in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. For many congregants, this was the first in-person worship service they have attended since the coronavirus surge in November Pastor Will Bredberg, of the First Baptist Church of West Los Angeles, far left, preaches during the Westside Easter Sunrise Service at Will Rogers State Beach park on the Santa Monica Bay in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles People attend an Easter sunrise service at the Palm Eastern Mortuary and Cemetery, Sunday, in Las Vegas Jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny has been moved to a sick ward after complaining of a cough and temperature, the Izvestia newspaper has reported. Earlier in the day, Navalny said in an Instagram post that a third prisoner in his quarters had been sent to the hospital with suspected tuberculosis. In the post, Navalny said prison doctors had officially diagnosed him with a "severe cough" and a temperature of 38.1 degrees Celsius, which indicates a slight fever. President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic, 44, is currently incarcerated in Correctional Colony No. 2, about 100 kilometers from Moscow, which is known as one of the toughest penitentiaries in Russia. Navalny said his prison unit consists of 15 people, three of whom have been hospitalized with suspected tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs and is spread from person to person through tiny droplets released into the air mainly via coughing and sneezing. It has largely been eradicated in developed countries and a person with a healthy immune system often successfully fights it. In his April 5 post, Navalny said his prison unit had been malnourished with clay-like porridge and frozen potatoes. He is currently on a hunger strike to demand better conditions. Malnutrition and weight loss undermine an immune system's ability to fight tuberculosis. Navalny had previously complained of acute back and leg pain as well as not being allowed to sleep by his guards. Navalny criticized recent news reports by state-owned media that he is serving in a prison with comfortable conditions. He invited state media correspondents to come stay the night in his prison with tuberculosis-infected cellmates. Russian police arrested Navalny in January upon his return from Germany on charges of violating his parole, sparking large-scale protests. The anti-corruption fighter had been recuperating in Berlin for several months after being poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent. Navalny has accused agents of Russia's Federal Security Service of attempting to assassinate him with the poison. A Moscow court in February found him guilty of violating the terms of his parole from an older embezzlement case that is widely considered to be politically motivated. His suspended 3 1/2-year sentence was converted into jail time, though the court reduced that amount to 2 1/2 years for time already served in detention. Navalny's imprisonment has drawn a chorus of international criticism, with the United States and its allies demanding his unconditional release and vowing to continue to hold those responsible for his poisoning to account. Jakarta, April 5 : At least 18 people were killed and 62 missing after their villages were hit by cold mudflows from a volcano on Indonesia's Lembata island, an official said on Monday. Volcanic debris from Mount Lewotolok engulfed homes on Sunday following heavy rain, Thomas Ola, the head of Lembata district in East Nusa Tenggara province, told dpa news agency "Fourteen villages are still totally isolated, with roads inaccessible," Ola added. The death toll is likely to increase as information was still being collected from villages, he said. Mount Lewotolok has been rumbling for months. In another part of the province, the death toll in flash floods and landslides that hit villages on Adonara island rose to at 55, with more than 20 still missing, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. The climatology and meteorological agency predicted that some parts of Indonesia could face extreme weather, with heavy and torrential rain, strong winds and large waves during the week ahead. Disaster-prone Indonesia has recorded 968 disasters as of March 30 this year, most of which are wet hydrometeorological hazards with 870 occurrences, including 414 hazards caused by flooding. In the end this place is more important than me. One day Im gonna leave, but this place can continue on because of what it does. The mission can keep going. - John Valentine, Army Veteran, Father of Four and CEO of Operation Phantom Support. John Valentine, Army Veteran, CEO and Founder of the non-profit Operation Phantom Support believes in supporting military families. The entire mission of the non-profit is to assist Soldiers, Veterans, 1st Responders, and their families who are in need. Often families of deployed service members rely on the additional support offered through this organization. Covid hit the non-profit hard as their donations decreased significantly, leaving them with a deficit of $7,000 per month. They have reached out to their community and businesses for additional support. A local news station covered the story and it was featured on CBS, Yahoo, MSN, and several local outlets, making their mission known on a broader scale. Operation Phantom Support was started in 2014 in order to support the Active Duty Members, Honorable Veterans, First Responders, and their Families. With continuing support, they have been able to grow and expand their reach each year. 24% of Veterans and 27% of Active Duty Military indicated that they wanted resources and knew how to access Food and Nutrition programs in a poll conducted by the Institute of Veteran and Military Families in 2020. According to the Center and Budget of Policy Priorities, 97,000 Veterans in the state of Texas are recipients of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. A 2016 report from the Government Accountability Office indicated that more than 23,000 active-duty troops used the food stamp program in 2013, which is the last year for which such information was available. To find out more about Operation Phantom Support, reach out to John Valentine at http://www.phantomsupport.org. John Valentine is a leader in his community, ensuring that families get the support they need through the food pantry and numerous other programs designed to support the families of Active Duty, Veterans and First Responders. He served 21 years in the U.S. Army and continues to serve his community. A man leaves a convenience store while wearing a required face mask in Houston, in this Thursday, June 25, 2020, file photo. Although nearly a fifth of U.S. states don't require people to wear masks to protect against COVID-19, some businesses are requiring employees and customers to be masked on their premises. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) Several weeks have passed since Texas ended its COVID-19 mask mandate. But if you want to pick up a snack at Soul Popped Gourmet Popcorn in Austin's Barton Creek Square Mall, you'll still be turned away if you aren't wearing a face covering. "We cannot afford to take chances with the lives of my staffers. They're young people and their parents have entrusted me with their care," says owner De J. Lozada. She's also concerned about her 85-year-old father, who will soon return to his part-time job in the store. Eighteen states currently have no mask requirements, including some that have never made face coverings mandatory. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lifted his state's mask mandate on March 2, and Indiana expects to end its mandate on Tuesday. But many business owners like Lozada are keeping their own rules in place, requiring staffers and customers alike to wear masks for the sake of protecting everybody, particularly their employees. And the law is on an owner's side. A company's premises are private property, so owners can insist that customers wear masks, just as restaurants can require that diners wear shoes and shirts in order to be served, says Michael Jones, an attorney with the law firm Eckert Seamans in Philadelphia. "Storeowners, business owners have the absolute right to require customers, vendors, anyone who comes onto their property to wear a mask," Jones says. It's legal as long as owners don't enforce their requirements in a discriminatory way, he says. If a customer enters a store without a mask, is asked to leave and doesn't, that could be trespassing under the law. Lozada says she would call 911 if faced with that situation. Most retail chains require employees and customers to wear masks. One exception, Foot Locker, says each store is following the requirements of the state where it's located. Employers have an obligation under federal law and some state laws to provide a safe workplace for their employees, and that can include requiring everyone on the premises to wear masks. In the COVID-19 section of its website, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration notes that employers are required to have a workplace "free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm." When employees at Inteplast Group question why they have to wear masks, managers at the plastic products manufacturer can point to the law, says Brenda Wilson, senior director of human resources and communications of the Livingston, New Jersey-based company that has facilities in 22 states. At this point, masks to protect against COVID-19 are as important as the eye and ear protection that factory workers must wear. But she says Inteplast's customers also need to be protected. A customer enters a store with a face mask required sign displayed in Dallas, in this Tuesday, March 2, 2021, file photo. Although nearly a fifth of U.S. states don't require people to wear masks to protect against COVID-19, some businesses are requiring employees and customers to be masked on their premises. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File) "They are depending on us to get the products out. If we have an outbreak and that results in losing manufacturing capacity, then no one's going to win," Wilson says. Many employees want their bosses to require masks. The 16 massage therapists who work for Amber Briggle cannot maintain the recommended six-foot distance from their clients and still do their work. She requires masks for everyone at her two Soma Massage locations in Denton, Texas. She told her customers in a blog post, "these same masks have kept all of us healthy since we reopened in Maywe haven't had a single COVID case transmitted here despite the thousands of people we've seen." When some clients objected, saying they wanted to be more comfortable and weren't worried about safety, Briggle has stood firm. "I've told them, 'you can put your mask on or you can leave.' And they'd leave. We'd offer them a mask, and they'd leave," she says. But requiring masks has brought Briggle new customers, including some who canceled memberships at spas where masks are not required. Even with masks, Briggle and her staff have had three COVID-19 scares, when clients called after appointments to say they'd tested positive for the virus. The three therapists were taken off the schedule and their clients were notified. Neither the therapists nor their clients tested positive. But some owners don't want their customers or clients to feel uncomfortable. When clients at Vanessa Perry's Houston-based credit counseling service ask if they can take off their masks, she says OK. "We are keeping our distance and letting our clients do what makes them comfortable," says Perry, owner of Impeccable Credit Services. Perry and her staffers remain masked. Perry did research before deciding on her mask-optional policy for clients. The increasing numbers of vaccinated people in Houston, and the fact that the majority of Perry's clients are seen online, have convinced her that the chances of a client spreading the virus are diminishing. But when a prospective client comes to Justin Hill's San Antonio, Texas, law office without a mask, Hill takes them out on the patio for their conversation. He often finds that when he and a would-be client disagree about masks, it's a sign that they might not work well together on a case. "Some of them, we've realized might not have been the perfect fit," says Hill, whose practice specializes in personal injury cases. 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. In the crowded New York City Democratic mayoral primary, with the odds stacked against a Republican capturing City Hall, organized labor could have a large say in determining who will lead the citys post-pandemic recovery. The last time there was a competitive Democratic primary, health care workers union 1199SEIU helped propel then-candidate Bill de Blasio to a general election victory. That year, the citys Big 4 unions 1199SEIU, the United Federation of Teachers, District Council 37 and 32BJ SEIU split their support evenly among the four leading Democratic contenders. This year, the largest unions to endorse thus far have backed three candidates: New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Maya Wiley, who used to serve as a counsel to de Blasio. Yet its former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, a newcomer to city politics, who has jumped out to an early lead in the polls. Organized labor is far from a monolithic constituency. Unions run the political gamut from the more conservative police unions to generally pro-development trade unions to unions like 32BJ SEIU that are closely aligned with the progressive movement. As such, their priorities often diverge when it comes to deciding which candidates to support. Organizations like unions that can mobilize their base, and instruct their base, will have a lot of impact, said Joshua Freeman, a labor historian at Queens College. Labor is certainly a player here, but the fact that they are all over the map in terms of who they are supporting dilutes their power. Public sector unions are unique in that they have a say in electing their ultimate employer, and in this election cycle municipal labor leaders have an eye on the upcoming round of collective bargaining. Whoever New Yorks next chief executive is, addressing the fiscal crisis will be at the forefront of their agenda, and union leaders are already making it clear that they want the sacrifices that the citys essential workers made during the pandemic to be recognized by the next administration. One of the concerns that we have is that, similar to what we saw after Sept. 11 with the economic downturn, there was an inclination to try to protect businesses and business interests above people, said Henry Garrido, the executive director of District Council 37, the largest municipal workers union in New York City. Labor is certainly a player here, but the fact that they are all over the map in terms of who they are supporting dilutes their power. Joshua Freeman, Queens College labor historian Garrido, who has endorsed Eric Adams, said that austerity budgets following previous tragedies increased economic inequality, and he wants the next mayor to protect the lives and the well-being of essential workers, rather than sacrificing them for the sake of keeping the business community happy. Private and public sector unions often have differing views on tax policy, economic growth and development. Trade unions, for instance, keep close tabs on how economic policies could impact the construction industry, and their political agenda skews toward spurring development. Our priorities are a lot of times around job creation because we work our way out of a job every day unlike a public sector employee who has an office to go back to five days a week, year after year, said Mike McGuire, political director of the Mason Tenders District Council. McGuire has endorsed Scott Stringer, saying that his experience as comptroller best qualifies him to steer the city through the coming fiscal crisis. In addition to concerns around policy, existing relationships frequently factor into who unions endorse. Maya Wiley, who counts Patrick Gaspard, a former 1199SEIU political director, as a close ally, received that unions coveted endorsement in February. Katie Moore, Eric Adams campaign manager, previously worked as the political director of the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, which has backed the borough president. The Uniformed Sanitationmens Association has backed former New York City Sanitation Department Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, and a number of trade unions have endorsed Scott Stringer, who as comptroller regulates the prevailing wage schedule. Another important factor in the weakening solidarity among labor unions and the progressive movement was when Amazon pulled out of a deal to locate a headquarters in Queens in February 2019. For starters, there were unions entrenched on both sides of the fight. But there were additional fissures that were laid bare among organized labor and the Democratic Socialists of America, which opposed the Amazon deal. In August 2019, a leaked DSA memo detailed the organizations plans to infiltrate city unions, which triggered sharp responses from labor leaders. Despite that past friction, there is also ideological convergence between the DSA and many labor unions, which have rallied together around many causes. The relationship status is: Its complicated, said Evan Stavisky, a partner at The Parkside Group, a political consulting firm that works with labor clients. One of the concerns that we have is that, similar to what we saw after Sept. 11, with the economic downturn, there was an inclination to try to protect businesses and business interests above people. Henry Garrido, District Council 37 executive director Over the past few years, the DSA has eclipsed the Working Families Party, which for years joined progressive activists and labor unions under a single banner. The WFP began to lose clout in 2018, when several unions withdrew from the party following a dispute over whether to endorse Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The party was always a little bit tough to hold together because you had different constituencies within it, said Steven Malanga, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank. I think right now the DSA is kind of a purer form that is starting to supersede the Working Families Party. The DSA has indeed raised its profile with recent wins most notably Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs seismic 2018 congressional campaign and the 2020 state legislative races and they will face a major test in the 2021 New York City elections. The large unions, on the other hand, have a long track record of playing kingmaker in New York City, but early primary polls show them struggling to move the needle against an outside mayoral candidate who has not wooed organized labor as aggressively as many other candidates. I think Andrew Yang has complicated the calculus for a lot of these unions, and I think there is probably a recognition on the part of organized labor that as Yang begins to consolidate in both perception and reality somewhat of a front-runner status, their collective ability to help one candidate is much stronger than if they were divided up, said Neal Kwatra, the founder of Metropolitan Public Strategies and former political director of the Hotel Trades Council. Last month, DC 37 and 32BJ SEIU rolled out their endorsements of Eric Adams on consecutive days. And a few influential unions the UFT, Transport Workers Union and the New York State Nurses Association havent endorsed a candidate yet. Harry Nespoli, chair of the Municipal Labor Committee, told City & State that his organization, which represents around 100 municipal unions, plans on hosting Zoom calls with the remaining candidates this month. Who knows which candidates are going to be there in April? Nespoli said. You always have other people that you know that you are looking to support if the candidate you are saying you want to go out for and you want to help become mayor isnt there. There are still months to go before the June primary, and even though a candidate new to the citys political scene has taken the lead, the race is still fluid. Stavisky said: If youre running for office in New York City, you have to be a schmuck not to realize that this is a union town, and youre better off having labor endorsements than not. News Phoenix, Arizona - Arizonas largest vaccination site at State Farm Stadium, described as a national model by President Biden, will transition to an indoor site at Gila River Arena in Glendale on Friday, April 23 as temperatures heat up in Arizona. Home to the Arizona Cardinals, the State Farm Stadium site has administered more than 632,000 doses since opening January 11. It has become one of the largest mass-vaccination sites in the country, providing more than 10,000 doses per day this past weekend. The new site will keep up the momentum as COVID-19 vaccine appointments move from the outdoor, drive-thru site at State Farm Stadium to a new, air-conditioned venue just down the street at Gila River Arena. Both venues are managed by ASM Global. Arizona is so thankful to the Arizona Cardinals, Michael Bidwill and the Bidwill family, and all of the partners who stepped up to help make our first state-run vaccination site a national success, said Governor Doug Ducey. This is a true team effort, and the mission to get Arizonans vaccinated continues with this new location. The success of State Farm Stadium as a COVID-19 vaccination site is truly a testament to the value of teamwork and ingenuity, said Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill. Where no template existed, a model was created that is being replicated across the nation and now across the street. We are continually grateful to all of the projects deeply-committed partners and especially to the tens of thousands of volunteers who keep it running on a daily basis. The State Farm Stadium site will move to nighttime hours starting Monday, April 5, to avoid daytime heat. It will conclude operations the morning of April 23 and move indoors to Gila River Arena, home to the Arizona Coyotes. Operating from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, the new Gila River Arena site will have the capacity to administer 1,000 shots per hour. President Biden and others have cited the State Farm Stadium operation as a model for mass-vaccination, said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). This site will continue to be a national model for mass vaccination as we shift outdoor operations to indoor locations. Gila River Arena and city of Glendale, in partnership with ADHS and the Arizona Cardinals, are making it possible to continue vaccinating while the Glendale operation gets closer to administering 1 million doses. The shift to an indoor site in Glendale is one of a number of changes ADHS will make to continue vaccination momentum while moving away from outdoor sites as temperatures heat up: An indoor vaccination site at Yuma Civic Center transitioned to a state operation on Monday, March 29, with 8,000 appointments per week initially and capacity for 4,000 appointments a day. An East Mesa distribution center operated by Dexcom opens Monday, April 5, as the Valleys first state-run indoor drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site, replacing the outdoor site currently operating at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. The site will start out offering 3,000-4,000 appointments a day. The new indoor vaccination site in Glendale will use Gila River Arenas main concourse to check in and vaccinate patients who have appointments, while the arenas seats will be available for individuals to spend their 15 or 30 minutes of observation after vaccination. Vaccine recipients will enter through the venues main entrance at Gate 4, and parking at the site will be complimentary. As the managers of Gila River Arena, and in conjunction with our industry leading Venue Shield protective program, ASM Global being called upon to help move the needle and activate our resources, and local partnerships, to take one step closer to getting our business and lives back to normal, is something we are immensely proud to participate in. said Dale Adams, General Manager for Gila River Arena. This transition continues momentum generated by a partnership with the Arizona Cardinals, who made State Farm Stadiums parking lot available to create the first state-run vaccination operation in Arizona. The Arizona Cardinals have been fantastic partners throughout, and they remain connected and supportive of the indoor site in cooperation with Gila River Arena, Dr. Christ said. Other partners at the Glendale operation are the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, Arizona State University, and Walgreens. At 11 a.m. every Friday, ADHS makes appointments available at state-run sites for the following week. Registration for these and many other sites is available at podvaccine.azdhs.gov or by calling 844-542-8201 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Both resources offer assistance in English and Spanish. I encourage all Arizonans to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible at a location near them. Its safe, its effective and its completely free, Governor Ducey said. Information about all vaccination sites across Arizona can be found at azhealth.gov/findvaccine, To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination, please visit azdhs.gov/COVID19Vaccines. Bengaluru, April 6 : Iron ore miners have urged the Karnataka government to remove the trade barriers, which are preventing them from doing business and export the raw material, an industry body official said on Monday. "The state government should file an affidavit in the Supreme Court to lift the ban on exports of iron ore and abolish e-auction in the state for level-playing field," G. Santesh, Chairman (southern region), Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (Fimi), told IANS here. In response to a writ petition by the Hubli-based NGO Samaj Parivartana Samudaya, the apex court in 2011 had banned miners in the southern state from exporting iron ore and pellets so as to first meet the needs of domestic end-users (steel and sponge iron plants). "The state government has been losing Rs 8,000 crore annual revenue for over a decade due to the restrictive trade practices, while competitors in other states like Odisha are free to export their iron ore as per the Centre's Exim policy," asserted Santesh. The annual revenue includes royalty and taxes which the miners pay to the state government for mining iron ore in the leased mines, located largely in Ballari district in the state's northwest region. While end-users like steel plants are free to buy iron ore from any miner in the country or even import them, Karnataka mining firms are forced to sell the raw material only through e-auction on the top court's direction. "As 45 million tonnes of iron ore are mined against the demand is for 36 million tonnes, we should be allowed to export the surplus 9 tonnes of the raw material and pellets to sustain our business," Santesh said. The iron ore industry has the potential to drive socio-economic development and create hundreds of jobs in the state with policy amendments. The apex court's appointed central empowered committee (CEC) has also recommended to the top court to ease the conditions it imposed on the local miners following the unearthing of the multi-crore mining scam by the state Lokayukta (ombudsman). Expressing concern over the non-utilisation of the special fund set up over a decade ago on the apex court's direction, Santesh said the mining sector pays 35 per cent royalty and taxes on its income to the state exchequer. "We have contributed Rs 2,336 crore to the DMF (District Mineral Fund) and a corpus of Rs 18,000 crore has ben accumulated over the last six years under the special purpose vehicle (SPV)," added Santesh. COLUMBUS, Ohio - A Hamilton County judge on Monday temporarily halted enforcement of a law requiring fetal remains to be buried or cremated after a surgical abortion. Last years Senate Bill 27, which the legislature passed and Gov. Mike DeWine signed Dec. 30, would have gone into effect Tuesday. But Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Alison Hatheways order prevents the law from taking effect until 30 days after the Ohio Department of Health writes rules -- which would first require public input and comment -- around the law. At this point we dont know what this requires to comply with it., said Freda Levenson, the ACLU of Ohios legal director, which filed the suit. The devil is in the details, as the expression goes. We dont know how were supposed to comply. So when we see these rules and theyre enacted, then clinics will be able to figure out compliance. There could be a problem if they cant comply. There might be challenges to the fetal tissue law. But at this point, we dont know. SB 27 requires physicians to inform pregnant women 24 hours before their surgical abortions that they have the right to determine the final disposition of the remains and the available methods and locations for disposition. Minors seeking an abortion would first have to obtain consent from a parent, guardian or court. SB 27 states if a woman declines to exercise the rights under the bill, then the abortion facility would have to determine whether to cremate or bury the remains. The law carries a penalty of a first-degree misdemeanor for clinic workers who dont comply with the requirement to bury or cremate fetal remains. In addition to the ACLU of Ohio and ACLU, the lawsuit was filed last month by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Fanon A. Rucker of The Cochran Firm-OH on behalf of Ohio abortion providers. Tuesdays ruling protects abortion access in Ohio for now, according to a statement by the plaintiffs, which include Preterm-Cleveland. There is a history of aggressive enforcement against abortion providers in Ohio, and this ruling ensures that abortion providers are not vulnerable to severe sanctions, fines and penalties, including potential license revocation, during this interim period as we await final rules and regulations from the Ohio Department of Health, the statement said. More coverage: Gov. Mike DeWine signs bill requiring fetal remains be buried, cremated after surgical abortion Ohio Senate passes bill to require burial, cremation of fetal remains after abortion Ohio Medicaid chooses Aetna to manage care of kids with complex mental health needs Ohio records 2,918 new coronavirus cases for Sunday and Monday: Update Nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts are entering the fourth week of strike action. St. Vincent is owned by Tenet Healthcare, a Dallas, Texas-based conglomerate that has so far spent at least $22 million to hire strikebreaking replacement nurses. After a series of federally mediated negotiations, the nurses, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, took their demand for safe ratios and patient care to the picket line on March 8 . Roughly 700 nurses maintain the picket in shifts. Two entrances, one to the parking garage and to the loading docks, have become hotspots. Last week, the hospital installed two surveillance towers to monitor both entrances 24/7, under the pretext of maintaining safety. Worcester police officers, paid for by the hospital to keep the entrances open at a rate of $30,000 a day, installed a surveillance camera of their own. Left to right: Louisa Moraes, Mary Marengo, Joe Stafford (Credit: WSWS) Even before the pandemic, medical-surgical nurses at St. Vincent were facing a rise in patient acuity, increasing demands on their labor, which have led to burnout and adverse patient outcomes. Studies have shown that safe ratios lead to better patient outcomes and lower morbidity. Administrators at St. Vincent Hospital, however, like at so many other hospitals, have flexed ratios in order to maximize profits. Before the pandemic, nurses would regularly have to care for six or seven patients, even though their contract called for a maximum of five. When St. Vincent Hospital was forced to cancel profitable elective procedures at the beginning of the pandemic, many staff were furloughed, some leaving for good. The intensive care unit (ICU) was overrun, nurses converted the progressive care unit into a makeshift ICU and medical-surgical nurses were maxing out on assignments full of COVID-19 patients, some of whom should have been in the ICU. Nurses are not the only staff who have been forced to work under unsafe ratios. Ancillary staff, including secretaries, personal care assistants (PCAs), critical care technicians, operating room technicians and respiratory therapists, have all had to take on assignments far beyond what is safe. In a video posted to Facebook by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1445, which represents many ancillary staff and recently came to a sellout agreement to avert a strike by its 600 members, some PCAs reported working for 60 hours a week and caring for up to 20 patients at once, when safe levels max out at six or seven. Striking nurses at St. Vincent do not receive strike pay from the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) and must demonstrate financial need to access the unions ad hoc relief fund. Meanwhile, the parent company of St. Vincent Hospital, Tenet Healthcare, with no lack for resources, has been spending with over $5 million a week in an effort to break the strike. Nurses to whom the World Socialist Web Site spoke on Thursday expressed anxiety over the decision to be made soon by the state as to whether or not they will be eligible for unemployment benefits. Hospital administrators have waited until the last minute to submit paperwork to the state in order for this process to begin in a clear-cut attack on the nurses financial survival. As reported March 31 by the Worcester Telegram, some nurses are reporting financial distress. Meredith Mongeon, 49, a St. Vincent nurse of five years and a single mother of two, told the Telegram that she has needed to rely on the food bank and the recent government stimulus check to make ends meet. While the MNA refuses to provide its nurses with strike pay, dozens of union bureaucrats take home six figures annually, and the union is the second biggest lobbyist of the state government on Beacon Hill, only outspent by the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, which lobbies for the health care industry. Instead of furnishing strike pay for the thousands in dues paid annually, the union has set up a relief fund to receive private donations, which the MNA matches dollar for dollar, reminiscent of philanthropist charities. So far it has raised $69,400 in donations. If matched, the approximately $140,000 makes a pitiful dent in the millions of dollars owed to the hundreds of nurses who soon will have been without a paycheck for four weeks. By comparison, the MNA controlled $11.2 million in net assets and $9.2 million in cash as of June of last year, according to the latest LM-2 filings with the US Department of Labor. The cash on hand alone would be sufficient to pay the nurses $750 per week in strike pay for over 17 weeks. The union also spent more than $9 million on salaries for union officials in the preceding 12 months, including for more than 50 staffers making more than $100 per year. When WSWS reporters spoke with the union's executive director Julie Pinkham (annual compensation: $214,746), she noted that the high demand for vaccination workers at nearby state-run facilities might serendipitously provide some of the striking nurses with temporary employment in order to make it through the strike. David Schildmeier, MNA director of public communications, (annual pay $169,983), told the Telegram that the union has provided extensive resources to assist nurses in finding alternative work during the strike to ensure that all the nurses, no matter their circumstances, have the support they need to stay on strike as long as it takes. In other words, instead of providing strike pay, the MNA is advising its memberswho are putting their jobs on the line and sacrificing their paychecks as they walk the picket linethat they should seek alternative work, creating the conditions in which the nurses could be permanently replaced. There is widespread popular support for the nurses within the Worcester community. They receive a steady stream of support from the car horns of passersby on the busy thoroughfare. On March 24, a candlelight vigil was held on the picket line by community coalition representing 21 interfaith organizations. An online poll run by the Telegram showed widespread approval of the strike, while Facebook commenters were quick to identify and denounce a pro-Tenet op-ed in the Telegram, written by a former St. Vincent vice president. However, the MNA and the UFCW have refused to mobilize this support for the striking nurses. The MNA is the third largest union of professional nurses and other health care workers in the US. According to the MNA, it has more than 23,000 members working in 85 health care facilities, including 51 acute care hospitals, as well as a growing number of nurses and health professionals working in schools, visiting nurse associations, public health departments and state agencies. However, the strength of this membership has not been mobilized to stop St. Vincent from bringing in replacement nurses to cross the picket lines or to organize strikes at other health care facilities across the state, where nurses and other health care workers face similar conditions. The UFCW came to a deal with St. Vincent, keeping support staff on the job in the midst of the nurses strike, undermining their struggle. The expansion and unification of their strike with other struggles of the working class requires the formation of rank-and-file factory and workplace committees, completely independent of the pro-capitalist trade unions. The World Socialist Web Site encourages the nurses of St. Vincent hospital, along with ancillary staff who are members of Teamsters Local 170 and UFCW Local 1445, to form their own rank-and-file committees, uniting their struggle with other health care workers in Massachusetts, the US and internationally. A powerful contingent of health care workers could become a powerful force alongside rank-and-file committees formed by educators, Amazon workers and autoworkers. Such committees are the form through which workers can advance their own demands, including emergency measures to stop the coronavirus pandemic and ending the unsafe reopening of schools and workplaces, with full compensation for workers and small businesses. The World Socialist Web Site and the Socialist Equality Party are working to promote and assist in the establishment of such independent workers organizations, connecting the growth of the class struggle to a socialist political perspective and program. We urge workers interested in establishing such committees to contact us today . Mozambique is in the throes of an insurgency by Islamic State-linked militants, which has left a British man among those killed. Dozens were killed in an attack last month in the town of Palma - with Briton Philip Mawer among them. Chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay reports on pictures of the aftermath passed exclusively to Sky News. The first pictures of the attack by Islamist militants on the northern Mozambique town of Palma show scenes of absolute carnage and a hectic rescue mission to save survivors who were being hunted down by insurgents. The bodies of people murdered after being pulled from cars and lorries are littered across the town. A series of photographs and videos, passed exclusively to Sky News, are the first glimpse at the scale of the assault on the town of 52,000 people by the militants who are aligned to Islamic State. The attack had been predicted by analysts for weeks. The insurgency in the north of the country has been growing since 2017 and Palma, just six miles from Africa's largest gas production facility, was already surrounded and effectively cut off. It is feared this attack is just a precursor to a larger insurgency spreading south throughout the country. Eyewitnesses say the militants launched a series of attacks on outlying villages ahead of the main assault, causing civilians to flood into Palma to find safety. The militants infiltrated the people heading into town and then attacked military positions. "The Mozambique army was completely caught off guard, they were being attacked from the inside," a security analyst who did not want to be named told Sky News. "They didn't know which way to turn, some just abandoned their positions and ran," he said. The pictures show clouds of smoke billowing from military installations, banks and shops as the militants worked their way through the town looting and killing. Terrified civilians ran for cover in any compound they could find. Story continues From the air, groups of people waiting for rescue, can be seen next to messages fashioned from stones and sheets and written on the ground. "Help" and "SOS" are the most visible. The militants continued to launch a series of attacks and ambushes on government forces attempting to enter the town. Videos show helicopters of the Dyck Advisory Group, a private armed contractor hired by the government, landing and attempting to rescue people who survived the initial assault on 24 March. The helicopters could only take a few people at a time, and so each rescue mission involved multiple trips, all the time under fire. The pictures show DAG helicopters engaging with militant positions in Palma - sometimes attacking buildings with guided missiles. Sky News understands that the DAG helicopters were also tasked with retrieving the bodies of people who had attempted to escape. Photographs and videos show cars overturned and broken on the main road to the town's beach. They had been part of an escape attempt by a convoy of cars from the Amarula Lodge hotel, popular with expats. The convoy was attacked as soon as it left the hotel compound's front gate and turned right. The vehicles then turned left on to the main road to the beach, where, travelling at high speed, they were ambushed again. Amongst the bodies recovered was British born Phil Mawer, the catering manager at the Amarula. Only a handful of more than a dozen cars involved in the daring escape made it to a beach rendezvous point. Four can be seen abandoned on the water's edge. Analysts say this was a sophisticated and well thought out attack. A large vessel beached itself in shallow waters as the main assault began. It is believed it was carrying supplies of ammunition and weapons for the insurgents who were seen visiting and revisiting the ship throughout the period of the attack. Another sequence of photographs show men in uniforms calling for the DAG helicopters to land. The pilots, apparently suspicious, landed away from the men who immediately disappeared into a wood where a large group of insurgents were gathered. Sources say they believe it was an attempted ambush on the helicopter crew. Thousands of people have now escaped from Palma, but hundreds remain, many of them pleading for access to the fortified oil production facility six miles from the town and operated by the French company TOTAL. The facility is now in the hands of the military and the TOTAL staff have all been evacuated. Many fear that this was a so-called "Spectacular" operation by the insurgents and could indicate an ultimate ambition by the militants to spread further south. DAG operations have now ceased in the area along with their helicopter support after their contract came to an end. The company's owner, Lionel Dyck, gave a bleak assessment of the future. "I fear that without airborne rapid reaction, and good ground force occupation, many people may fall victim to the insurgency - as it will sweep the south," he said. Highlights Google WiFi app will be shut down post-May 25. The controls for Google WiFi and OnHub routers will be transferred to Google Home. Users will also be able to use Google Assistant for WiFi settings post the migration. Google is planning to remove the function control of its smart routers from its Google WiFi app. The tech major will reportedly transfer this control to the Google Home app going forward. This function control includes that of Google WiFi and OnHub routers which are currently configurable through the existing Google WiFi app. The app allows users to alter various settings of the WiFi components, including turning it on/ off, check Internet speeds or display a WiFi password. A new report by The Verge states that the app will lose this functionality by May 25. This means those owning a Google WiFi or OnHub router will not be able to make any changes to their networks using the app post the mentioned date in May. The report states that the app will only be good to show the network status post-May 25. Subsequently, the company will completely remove the app from the Google Play Store as well as the Apple App Store. The entire control will instead be shifted to the Google Home app. In a blog, Google explains these possible actions in detail. It notes that with the migration, users of Google Home will be able to manage their Google Wifi network from the app. They will be able to add a Nest Wifi point to an existing Google Wifi network. Also, they will be able to add a Nest Wifi router as an add-on point to an existing Google Wifi network. The basic functions to be enabled by the app will include the option to rename Wifi devices, change the room of a Wifi device and even set up a new Wifi device. It will also let users change and add Wifi managers. The move will also bring Google Assistant support to Google WiFi for the first time. This means users will be able to use voice commands to perform the necessary actions related to their WiFi settings, like turning it off or on, check internet speed, and show Wi-Fi password on Nest displays to guests. As for these WiFi managers, Google says that the existing managers in the Google Wifi app will be removed when users add their Google Wifi devices and settings to the Google Home app. They will also no longer be able to add or remove managers in the Google Wifi app. Instead, users will need to add others as Google Home app home members in order to give them access to their Wi-Fi and device settings. The computer system of one of the nations largest school districts was hacked by a criminal gang that encrypted district data and demanded $40 million in ransom or it would erase the files and post students and employees personal information online. Broward County Public Schools said in a statement Thursday that there is no indication that any personal information has been stolen and that it made no extortion payment to the ransomware gang, which as an apparent pressure tactic posted screenshots of its online negotiations with the district to its dark website. The Fort Lauderdale-based district said it is working with cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident and remediate affected systems. Efforts to restore all systems are underway and progressing well. We have no intention of paying a ransom. The district did, after two weeks of back and forth, offer to pay $500,000, at which point the ransomware criminals apparently ended negotiations, according to the hackers screenshots. The district declined further comment outside its statement. With 271,000 students, Broward is the nations sixth-largest school district with an annual budget of about $4 billion a fact the hackers kept returning to as they demanded $40 million, to be paid in cryptocurrency. The ransomware caused a brief shutdown of the districts computer system in early March, but classes were not disrupted. It is a possible amount for you, the Conti gang said early in its negotiations with a district official, whose name does not appear in the screenshots and has not been released. Its data-locking malware is one of the top 10 strains of ransomware. This is a PUBLIC school district, the Broward negotiator replied. You cannot possibly think we have anything close to this! The FBI usually investigates such attacks, but said Thursday it would not confirm if it was investigating this one. An epidemic of ransomware attacks has been plaguing government agencies, businesses and individuals for the past three years. Most are Russian-speaking gangs based in Eastern Europe and enjoy safe harbor from tolerant governments. The more sophisticated groups identify their targets in advance, infect networks through phishing or other means and often steal data as they plant malware that encrypts a victims network. After the ransomware is activated, the criminals demand money to unlock the malware and refrain from posting or selling stolen data. In the case of corporations, that data could be trade secrets. In the case of retailers or government agencies it could be Social Security, bank account numbers and birth dates. Conti claimed it stole from Browards system Social Security numbers, birth dates and other student and employee information. Public school districts have been frequent targets of ransomware attacks. The districts of Baltimore County, Maryland; Fairfax County, Virginia; Hartford, Connecticut; and Fort Worth, Texas, were among those hit last year. Overall, ransomware attacks disrupted learning at 1,681 schools, colleges, and universities in 2020 and at least 544 so far this year, said analyst Brett Callow at Emsisoft, a cybersecurity firm. Seven districts had personal data published. Many ransomware cases go unreported due to the liability and stigma attached to victims. Cybersecurity firms have good data on ransoms paid in part because negotiations between victims and hackers occur on dark websites that researchers learn about through shared malware samples where criminals typically leave ransomware notes with instructions and demands. An entire subindustry has also emerged to help victims manage the emergencies. The average ransom paid to hacking gangs nearly tripled from $115,000 in 2019 to $312,000 in 2020, according to the cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks. It said the highest ransom paid by an organization doubled last year from to $10 million, up from $5 million in 2019. In Contis negotiations with Broward, after the gangs initial $40 million demand, it said it was willing to negotiate: it would accept $15 million in Bitcoin but it had to be delivered within 24 hours. Otherwise, it would upload the personal information it claimed to have and permanently lock the computer system. Conti said legal claims against the district for losing the data would exceed $50 million, so it should consider its demand a bargain. Pay $15M and you guys are guaranteed to solve your problem, Conti told the district. The district insisted it still couldnt afford it and, in any case, didnt have access to Bitcoin. Ransomware gangs demand payment in cybercurrency because it can be difficult to trace. Conti upped its threat by suggesting it had found damaging information about an unnamed royal family in Browards database an allegation the districts negotiator found absurd. What do you mean about a royal family we are a public school district, the negotiator replied. The negotiations continued for two weeks, with Conti eventually lowering its demand to $10 million. The district made its $500,000 counteroffer. That is the last screenshot posted. The negotiation is bizarre, said Callow, the Emsisoft analyst. The Conti operators are experienced extortionists, so its odd that they seemed not to know who they were dealing with and demanded an amount that a public school district was never likely to pay. I cant explain it. ___ Bajak reported from Boston. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Cyber Florida Education K 12 Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/MSP First District Trooper Herman Brown of the Michigan State Police was sometimes actually thanked by people he arrested. Most of the time, his longtime fellow trooper Sgt. Sharon McDonald attests. That included people who were being their wildest or worst selves when Brown arrived on the scene. Youre acting silly, he would tell them. Calm down. He would then offer an affirmation. Youre still a good person, he would say, his words matched by voice and demeanor. A QAnon-Curious Mom Helped Lead Michigan Back to COVID Hell After almost 28 years as a road dog patrolling Monroe and Lenawee counties in a radio car, he still chose to see the best in his fellow humans. He made people feel special, McDonald said. He understood we dont generally meet people on their best day, she told The Daily Beast. And he never judged them on the five- or 10-minute interactions we have with people. handout He also still loved his job. He would start every tour with a standard transmission to the dispatcher. This is Unit 1414. Ill be checking into service and Ill be taking a mighty bite out of crime. Along with the other standard equipment, Brown would have a mask in this time of COVID-19. He observed all the recommended precautions, McDonald said. In an October ruling on a lawsuit brought by the GOP-dominated Michigan legislature, the state Supreme Court voided Gov. Gretchen Whitmers mask mandate. A mask order by the state health department remains in place, but it is not enforceable in the way of the seat-belt law that can get you a ticket from a state trooper. Too many people were too careless in Michigan even as variants began to circulate. The proof of that: a surge of new COVID-19 since early March, the state now leading the country in cases per capita. Brown seemed to have picked a good time to depart for a two-week vacation to Florida with his girlfriend. But he was either already infected with COVID-19 or caught it down there, where Gov. Ron DeSantis enforces no rules whatsoever. Story continues Brown did not let on to his fellow troopers back at the Monroe Post No. 14 that he had fallen ill. He was still texting, acting like he was still on vacation, McDonald said. He didnt want us to worry, Then in mid-March, the girlfriend called his fellow troopers to say that Brown was in a Florida hospital on a ventilator. His radio car was still parked where he left it when he went on vacation, and it seemed impossible he would not be fine. He could not receive visitors, but McDonald figured she would travel down to Florida and drop off a trooper teddy bear. I knew I couldnt see him, she later said. Then, at 5:30 a.m. last Monday, McDonald got a call at home from Browns girlfriend. As soon as I said hello, I could hear her crying, so I knew, McDonald recalled. The news hit the other troopers just as it would any family that lost an irreplaceable loved one. A lot of grown men crying, McDonald later said. I think more than just one woman. She took solace in the thought that Brown had known how they all felt about him. You couldnt help but love him, she said. And this was not the way they imagined losing a fellow cop. Being a police officer, you expect something job-related, she said. You get hurt or killed on the job. Here was a different kind of threatone that hasnt gone away, not even close, despite vaccines and a year of lockdowns and misery. Were used to watching suspects hands and never turning our back, McDonald said. This is something you cannot defend yourself from. Despite all the precautions they had all taken, the best of them had fallen. We know how careful we have been, she said. And he was just a reminder of this invisible enemy is out there. If it gets you, it gets you. That was certain. Still, there were so many unknowns. I dont think well ever find out, McDonald said. I dont think well ever truly know where or how or why this happened. In the unreality of the loss, McDonald remembered what made Brown so special. There will never be another Trooper Brown, she declared. Whenever he arrived at the scene, you expected things to calm down and be handled properly. Nothing surprised him Even when somebody was running around screaming and yelling. New Yorks Mystery Surge in COVID Cases Is Freaking Experts Out She said that Brown often stayed in touch with young people he arrested. Just to guide them in the right direction, help them make better decisions than they were, she said. He did that on his own time. But a kid did not need to be troubled to get Browns attention. A 6-year-old boy invited Browna former Marineto visit his school on Veterans Day, and the trooper stayed through the morning, attending class and walking the halls with his thrilled host. He attended the assembly, where he stood on the bleachers with the kids during the Pledge of Allegiance. A photo shows him standing huge and in uniform, but with a smile that put the surrounding youngsters at obvious ease. That was truly him, McDonald said. He also was what McDonald termed a big man who loved to bake. His specialty was his grandmothers chocolate pound cake. We always asked for the recipe and hed say, You know what, I forgot it as soon as I made it, McDonald recalled. We were hoping at his retirement he might [finally give it up]. He had passed the 25-year mark, so he could have retired at any time, but he kept at it. They now had to keep going without him, and McDonald was out on patrol the day after Browns death when a woman driving with a youngster lowered her window. They said they knew Trooper Brown and sent their condolences, she said. McDonald began to cry, which uniformed sergeants are not supposed to do at the wheel of their radio car. I put on my sunglasses, she told The Daily Beast. She and her fellow troopers will continue to patrol as the virus surges in Michigan, with 8,413 new cases reported on Saturday. Hospitalizations surpassed 2,700, more than twice the number when Brown left for vacation. McDonald figures they may never know whether Brown took the COVID-19 with him or caught it in Florida. What they do know is his radio car is still where he left it. Were waiting for him to come back, she said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Bengaluru, April 6 : Karnataka has assured support to the US-based Triton Electric to make electric vehicles (EVs), including cars, in the state, an official said on Monday. "In a virtual meeting, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa assured the state government's support to Triton founder-chief executive Himanshu Patel for making EVs at Ramanagara near Bengaluru," said the official in a statement. The New Jersey-based Triton EV is the second electric car maker to evince interest to invest in the southern state after the world's leading EV maker Tesla announced in mid-January to set up its research and development (R&D) centre in this tech city before foraying into India with its EVs. Triton EV is the arm of Triton Solar, which makes solar panels and batteries. It designs and builds products for car enthusiasts. "Patel evinced interest to invest in Karnataka and said he would explore the prospects during his visit to India soon," the official said. As the state is keen to support the entry of new age firms like Triton, Yediyurappa told Patel that customised facilitation would be provided to roll out EVs. The state government is setting up a EV cluster at Ramanagara, about 40km west of Bengaluru on way to Mysuru, in about 500 acres of land to create an EV ecosystem for electric car makers and vendors. "We are revising our EV policy to make it more investor-friendly. Our new industrial policy lays stress on making Karnataka a part of the global supply chain across verticals," said the official quoting the Chief Minister. State industry secretary Rajkumar Khatri told Patel that the state's industrial policy focused on advance manufacturing, R&D and innovation to become first in the country's innovation index. State industry commissioner Gunjan Krishna said the state is offering more concessions to attract investments and has simplified the procedures to acquire land for setting up production plants. Tesla had registered its Indian subsidiary with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) in Bengaluru on January 8, with Rs 15 lakh authorised capital and Rs 1 lakh paid-up capital. "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 and Karnataka and wish him all the very best," Yediyurappa had tweeted on January 12. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The crime spree began just before 6:20 a.m. in the 100 block of South Western Avenue in West Town, according to an online statement from Chicago police. The 22-year-old man who was on his way to his job as a security guard said a couple of people approached him and attempted to rob him. He had already seen the people trying to rob someone else and in a matter of moments, they were demanding his belongings too. New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced on Monday (April 5) that those who are affected by the COVID-19 virus should not be disenfranchised during the Assam Assembly polls. Arora had addressed day one of the ECs two-day international virtual election visitors programme for election officials from other countries. The programme includes virtual visits to five polling stations during polling on Tuesday for 110 delegates from 26 countries. He said, Those who are COVID affected and quarantine should not be disenfranchised. Those who are COVID affected and quarantine should not be disenfranchised: Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner. pic.twitter.com/Louac4hsnk ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2021 Meanwhile, Assam is all set to witness direct and triangular contests in 40 assembly constituencies that are going to polls in the last of the three phases on Tuesday (April 6) to decide the fate of 337 candidates, including senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his five cabinet colleagues and BJP state unit president Ranjeet Kumar Dass. The fate of 20 sitting MLAs - eight from the Congress, five from the BJP, three each from the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and the BPF and one from the AGP -- will be decided in the final phase. Polling will begin at 7 am and end at 6 pm, with the timing extended by an hour to ensure that COVID protocols are maintained in the constituencies spread across 12 districts. (With inputs from ANI) Live TV Welcome Guest! You Are Here: NEW YORK (AP) The New York Philharmonic and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts are accelerating the reconstruction of Geffen Hall because of the lull granted by the novel coronavirus pandemic and now plan to reopen the auditorium in fall of 2022, about 1 1/2 years ahead of the original schedule. Rather than rebuild in phased segments around seasons, the Philharmonic said Monday it will relocate for the 2021-22 season and split concerts that year between Lincoln Centers Alice Tully Hall, a 1,086-seat venue more typically used for chamber concerts and recitals, and Jazz at Lincoln Centers 1,233-seat Rose Theater, located at Columbus Circle, less than half a mile from Geffen Hall. Philharmonic President Deborah Borda said a full season will be announced in late May or early June to start in late September, and that in light of COVID-19 the first 1 1/2 months of concerts will be performed without intermission. The Philharmonic traditionally performed programs on Thursdays, Friday, Saturday and Tuesday nights, but Borda said its union contracts had changed to allow it to shift to Sunday matinees from Tuesdays. The Philharmonic and Lincoln Center said Monday they had raised $500 million of the $550 million needed for the project, up from $360 million committed when the earlier timetable was announced in December 2019. Once the closure of the Hall was mandated because of COVID, we realized the Phil would be out of work for an extensive period of time and it made sense to accelerate the construction, Lincoln Center chair Katherine Farley said in an interview with The Associated Press. It also gave us an opportunity to be part of New Yorks economic recovery, because this project and is going to create 6,000 jobs. Construction jobs are expected to be held 30% by minority- and women-owned business, and 40% of the construction work is to be performed by minorities and veterans. Borda said COVID-19 has caused the Philharmonic to add state-of-art ionization and air exchanges. Story continues During the time we were planning the acceleration, we did a tremendous amount of logistical planning, she said. We also did some maintenance of things that needed to be done, prosaic things like fixing the roof and so forth. And we were also able to do some targeted demolition. As of now, we are ready to go full steam ahead. The rebuilt Geffen Hall is to have a capacity of under 2,200, down from 2,738, with the rows in the orchestra cut from 43 to 33, and the stage moved forward 25 feet, allowing seven rows of wraparound seating behind the orchestra. About two-thirds of the third tier will be eliminated. The original timetable was to have the hall closed from May to October in 2022 and again from May 2023 until February 2024, with part of the 2023-24 season relocated to Carnegie Hall, the Philharmonics home from 1891 to 1962, and to New York City Center. Size of the lobby space will be doubled, and there will be large garage doors leading to Lincoln Centers Josie Robertson Plaza. The sidewalk studio for education activities and areas for art installations are intended to be open 18 hours daily. There also will be new dining options and east and west patron lounges, which will be available for performances and rentals. A digital organ will be installed at the hall, which has been without an organ since the original 45,000-pound Aeolian-Skinner organ with 5,498 pipes was removed in a 1976 renovation. Diamond Schmitt Architects is the lead firm of the renovation design with Akustiks and Fisher Dachs Associates. Public spaces are by Tod Williams Billie Tsien. Opened in 1962 as Philharmonic Hall at a cost of about $21 million and designed by Max Abramovitz with acoustics by Bolt, Beranek and Newman, the orchestra's auditorium has been criticized for a sound that emphasizes brass and muddles lower strings. Changes made during many summers included adding reflecting panels on side walls, removing the original sound clouds and installing a stepped ceiling. The building was named Avery Fisher Hall after a $10.5 million gift in 1973, and three years later, there was a major renovation with the input of Cyril Harris, the acoustician for the praised Metropolitan Opera House next door. Another renovation in 1992, this time with Artec Consultants as the acoustician, included suspended panels. Panaji, April 5 : Sudin Dhavalikar, former Goa Deputy Chief Minister and opposition Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) MLA, on Monday cited the spate of Covid-19 infections in Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar's upcoming movie 'Ram Setu's team, to make a case for controlling the spread of the second wave of the pandemic in Goa. Speaking to mediapersons, Dhavalikar said 46 persons in Akshay Kumar's 'Ram Setu' film crew had tested positive for the infection and Goa must take note of the rapid spread of Covid-19 infection and take necessary steps to arrest the spread of Covid-19 in the state. "As many as 46 persons from Akshay Kumar's film crew have tested positive. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane should exercise caution... Stop what is happening in Goa. There is a need to exercise caution," Dhavalikar added. As many as 46 persons working on the 'Ram Setu' film set, including Akshay Kumar, have tested positive for Covid-19. "Pramod Sawant and Vishwajit Rane should remain serious about the pandemic. If the infection count increases in Goa due to tourism, then the responsibility for that has to rest with somebody. If Covid-19 control leads to revenue loss, then everyone must be ready to bear it," Dhavalikar said, adding that nearly 50,000 cases have been reported in neighbouring Maharashtra which does not bode well for Goa. Dhavalikar's warning comes amid accusations levelled against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Goa for not cracking down on flagrant violation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the state, especially along the coastal belt which has seen a steady stream of tourists over the last few months. The MGP leader said the birthday felicitation of BJP MLA Dayanand Sopte on Sunday in his assembly constituency of Mandrem, which thousands of people had attended despite imposition of prohibitory orders in view of the Covid-19 pandemic was shocking. "Does Chief Minister Pramod Sawant not know the provisions of Section 144? No face masks and social distancing was maintained at the Mandrem felicitation," Dhavalikar added. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text To the Editor: So we now have Republican pundits and legislators railing against the concept of proof of vaccination, because it will somehow abrogate their liberties. To them, I ask, How about the liberty of people to travel overseas? International travel, admission to museums and concerts overseas, and ability to fly or go on a cruise are all heading toward mandating proof of vaccination. Even domestically, eventually many private businesses, including gyms, restaurants, concert venues and movie houses, are likely going to mandate proof of vaccination. Israel has already addressed this with a secure app. What is the problem with these politicians, who are already blaming the Biden administration for what are really private nongovernmental efforts from I.T. professionals to create this software? Jeffrey Kaufman Needham, Mass. To the Editor: Re Italy Begins Requiring Health Care Workers to Get Vaccine or Lose Pay (news article, April 1): Health care workers have the right to refuse vaccination. However, they do not have the right to put their patients at risk for disease and actually have an ethical and moral responsibility to reduce harm. If health care workers, for whatever reason, do not get a vaccine, they should remove themselves from the health care setting. Poonam Gupta will be new director general of the policy think tank Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). Gupta, the first woman director general of NCAER, will succeed Shekhar Shah who has led since 2011 and will complete his second five year term in early May. Nandan Nilekani, president of the think tank, said We are delighted to have Poonam succeed Shekhar at the end of his successful tenure. She brings a set of unique experiences and perspectives that will accelerate, deepen and broaden our research agenda with impact and rigour Gupta is currently working as a lead economist at the World Bank, Washington DC. Prior to joining the World Bank in 2013, she was the Reserve Bank of India chair professor at the Institute of Public Finance and Policy and a professor of macroeconomics at ICRIER. BATON ROUGE, La. -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has received a Brand Excellence Award from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) for Brand Innovation. The annual Brand Excellence awards honor Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that excel in developing and enhancing the overall Blue brand image. Blue Cross received the award for Brand Innovation, which recognizes an innovative program that provides measurable impact to customers and the Blue brand. Blue Cross was recognized for the insurers partnership with the State of Louisiana over the past year on the COVID-19 Louisiana Outbreak Tracker. Blue Cross Analytics & Data team developed the tracker using their proprietary Pi (Performance Insights) platform. Even before the first COVID-19 case was identified in Louisiana in early March 2020, Blue Cross team members and state officials were using the tracker to monitor the novel coronavirus spread. They aggregated, analyzed and modeled diverse data for both Blue Cross members and members of state Medicaid plans. Together, this population represents two out of three Louisianians. Data feeds were in near-real time and exchanged through secure use agreements to protect privacy. The COVID-19 tracker allowed the state to make projections about rates of hospitalizations, deaths and healthcare facilities capacity. This gave state officials important information they needed to allocate crucial medical resources, implement mitigation measures like school closings and mask mandates and, ultimately, save lives. That partnership continues today, as Blue Cross works with the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to provide analysis that can assist with COVID-19 vaccine prioritization. Nearly one in three Americans trust the Blue Cross and Blue Shield brand to provide affordable, accessible and high-quality healthcare coverage to them and their families, said Kim Keck, BCBSA President and CEO. We are proud to recognize Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and their innovative COVID-19 Louisiana Outbreak tracker for the depth and impact of the solution, especially during the pandemic, along with its broad impact on the communities they serve. We are proud that at such a critical time for the state, our team was able to support the COVID-19 response through our analytics and data capabilities and technology, said Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Chief Analytics & Data Officer Somesh Nigam, Ph.D. Public-private partnerships like this one are an example of how success can happen through collaboration. And, we continue supporting the states COVID-19 response in other ways, including with our clinical resources and community outreach to encourage people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Blue Cross insights and expertise on this COVID-19 data project have helped the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) and our state during a time of unprecedented need and uncertainty, said LDH Secretary Dr. Courtney Phillips. The additional data visualization, analytics and statistical modeling capacity that the Blue Cross team contributed have informed many of the difficult decisions that state leaders have made throughout the pandemic. The working partnership between LDH and Blue Cross was established very early in the pandemic and it has evolved and grown over the course of the last year, said Jeanie Donovan, Policy Director at LDH. Im deeply grateful for the time and talent the Blue Cross team has devoted to this partnership and appreciate their willingness to work hand-in-hand with us. This marks the 26th year that BCBSA has presented the prestigious Brand Excellence Awards to recognize Blue companies nationwide in categories that promote the brand, including attracting new customers, fostering loyalty among existing customers and brand innovation. ETCHMIADZIN. Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II on Sunday receivedat the Mother See of Holy EtchmiadzinEuropean Parliament member (MEP) Francois-Xavier Bellamy, accompanied by French Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Lacote. In the morning of the same day, the French guests had attended the Easter Divine Liturgy in the Yerevan cathedral, the information system of the Mother See informs Armenian News-NEWS.am. During the meeting, the Catholicos of All Armenians expressed his appreciation to the authorities and friendly people of France for their support and assistance to Armenia during the hard and difficult days at all times. Also, Karekin II expressed hope that the support of friendly countries will contribute to the stabilization of the situation and the restoration of justice in the region. MEP Bellamy, for his part, emphasized that this is his first visit to Armenia and he considers it a great honor to be in the ancient Christian country. The MEP touched upon the goals of his visitto get acquainted with the post-war situation, the existing problems, in particular, the preservation of the Armenian spiritual and cultural values of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). The Catholicos of All Armenians, presenting in detail the damage caused by the second Artsakh war and the existing challenges, expressed hope that this military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan and the other phenomena arising from it will receive a proper reaction from the international community and the European Parliament. He's well known as an activist as well as an award-winning actor. And on Sunday, Mark Ruffalo used his win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards to make a plea to de-stigmatize mental illness. The actor, who won for his dual role in the HBO miniseries I Know This Much Is True, said: 'Mental illness is a real thing and I just think it's really important that we're honest and open about it and have no fear and no shame.' He's well known as an activist as well as an award-winning actor. And on Sunday, Mark Ruffalo used his win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards to make a plea to take mental health seriously In the HBO mini series, Ruffalo, 53, plays twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey. Thomas is a schizophrenic and is confined to a secure hospital. The limited series follows Thomas as he tries to get his twin out of institutional care. Ruffalo was honored for outstanding performance by a male actor in a miniseries or television movie, beating out Hugh Grant (The Undoing), Ethan Hawke (The Good Lord Bird), Bill Camp (The Queen's Gambit) and Daveed Diggs (Hamilton). It's his third SAG Award, having previously won for Spotlight in 2016 and The Normal Heart in 2015. The actor, 53, said in his acceptance speech: 'Mental illness is a real thing and I just think it's really important that we're honest and open about it and have no fear and no shame' Ruffalo was honored for outstanding performance in a miniseries or television movie for the HBO mini series I Know This Much Is True. He plays twins, one of whom is a schizophrenic confined to a secure hospital and the other who tries to care for him on the outside It's his third SAG Award, having previously won for Spotlight in 2016 and The Normal Heart in 2015. The awards were announced during a slick pre-taped one-hour TV presentation Sunday Facing the unique challenges of a pandemic-era awards show, SAG-AFTRA's awards committee decided against a Zoom-heavy affair. Instead, the awards were handed out in a slick one-hour TV presentation Sunday night made up of pre-produced pieces and top-secret acceptance speeches shot ahead of time. The show, that aired on TBS and TNT, also featured stars such as Viola Davis, Riz Ahmed, Cynthia Erivo, Sterling K. Brown, Dan Levy, Rita Moreno, Common and Daisy Ridley talking about being an actor. On the occasion of Easter 2021, Namrata Shirodkar shared a throwback family photo from her favourite holiday. She took to her Instagram handle to post the old picture, featuring her kids Sitara and Gautham. In the picture, Namrata and her kids are seen sitting by a river with snowy mountains in the backdrop. As mentioned in the caption, they were waiting for the perfect boat to take them far and away. Namrata's favourite family vacation photo In the picture, Mahesh Babu is missing as he is clicking the picture. Here, the actor is seen wearing an all-black outfit and sporting black tinted sunglasses. Sharing the family picture on social media, Namrata Shirodkar said that this picture is from their best holidays in Austria. Talking about the same, the actor said, "Austria's unmatchable beauty.. Wanna go back!!". Namrata Shirodkar wrote: Pristine snow capped mountains.. the sweet scent of fresh flowers that filled the air Waiting for the perfect boat to take us far and away Throwback to one of our best holidays! Austria's unmatchable beauty.. Wanna go back!! #TravelDiaries #HappyEaster Fans' reactions Several fans and followers of Namrata Shirodkar commented on the actor's photo. One of the users wrote, "Cute situ papa and Goutham", while another added, "Lovely view and picture too". A fan commented, "@namratashirodkar kiti sunder location.pan mage chhota pillu naraz ka disat aahe ?kay zala tila" (Namrata Shirodkar it's a beautiful location but why does the little munchkin in behind looks upset?). Another fan added, "Wow madam ! Very beautiful picture". Check out some more fans' reactions below. Namrata Shirodkar recently celebrated World Happiness Day by sharing a post featuring her family and friends. Here, the actor created a collage of her throwback pictures. She is seen posing with her kids, Mahesh Babu and other friends. She also penned a heartfelt caption dedicated to her people. She wrote, "Happiness for me is my world filled with my people who I love!! My circle of life Happiness is a state of mind.. it's yours if you want it ". Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Panaji, April 5 : Two swimmers, late on Sunday, leaped into the Mandovi river to swim its breadth, in symbolic protest against the arrest of "political arrests" of social activists across the country. But only one swimmer, Sudeep Dalvi, organiser of the protest, swam ashore. On Monday, several hours after the two swimmers plunged into the warm waters of the casino-lined Mandovi river, the body of the other swimmer, 56-year-old Manuel Pereira, was recovered near a fishing jetty on the banks across Panaji. The Goa Police have filed a case of unnatural death in connection with the death of Pereira, a resident of Candolim beach village in North Goa. The protest swim 'Swim for Justice' was organised by Sudeep Dalvi, a 41-year-old activist, in protest against indiscriminate arrests of activists across India, and also to mark the anniversary of his own arrest by the Goa Police for allegedly promoting hatred and disobeying the orders of a government servant, following a controversial social media post, which Dalvi had uploaded. "Still, after one year, (the) government hasn't submitted the case to sessions court, nor filed a charge sheet or initiated the case," Dalvi claims, adding that the 'Swim for Justice' exercise was also aimed to "attract the attention of the current government". Dalvi was scheduled to swim across the Mandovi river alone and Pereira joined in at the last minute, according to live videos of the event which were circulated on social media by several supporters who had arrived at the Betim ferry wharf; the starting point of the swimming adventure. According to Dalvi, Pereira lagged behind him during the swim and was even thrown a buoy by a feeder boat which transport gamblers from the wharf to the many offshore casino vessels which are anchored in the Mandovi river. "A casino boat saw him, approached him in my presence, threw a lifebuoy at him before he submerged, (believed now) due to the suction generated by its engines. This all, just happened in a radius of 10 to 15 metres around me and I believed he had been taken up..." Dalvi claims. Dalvi claims, that other persons who had joined in the protest, namely other activists like Avertano Miranda and Kenneth Silveira, had also seen the buoy being flung in the direction of the struggling Pereira. Dalvi has in the past swum across the Mandovi river, which is around half a km in breadth near Panaji, in solidarity with other causes. But Pereira's tragic death has also attracted criticism on social media, with some users questioning why precautionary measures were not taken during the protest swim. Dalvi, however, claims that he alone was meant to swim across the river as part of the protest and Pereira joined in at the last minute. According to police inspector in-charge of the Panaji police station Sudesh Naik, a case of unnatural death has been registered and the body has been sent for post mortem. "We are investigating the matter and if during the course of the investigations we find culpability then we will accordingly register an offence," the police official also said. Across all categories - image quality, usability and speed - the Colorado 1650 obtained exceptional results MELVILLE, N.Y., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that Keypoint Intelligence released its Field Test Report, which assessed the Canon Colorado 1650 64-inch roll-to-roll printer in three categories image quality, usability and speed. Across all categories, the printer obtained exceptional results and Keypoint Intelligence highlighted, "an all-round impressive performer, the Colorado 1650 is a standout choice for virtually all wide format printing applications." Canon Colorado 1650 Achieves Outstanding Results in Keypoint Intelligence Field Test Based on tests conducted by Keypoint Intelligence's production print expert technicians, the report proved the Colorado 1650 to be a true workhorse, demonstrating high speeds in all test scenarios. Impressively, it was found to be three times faster than the competitive average across each quality mode tested. In addition to its speed, the printer's automatic maintenance, user replaceable components and on-the-fly ink replacement features were all recognized as contributing factors for its increased uptime and faster turnarounds. The technicians noted that Canon's FLXfinish curing technology makes it easy to produce both gloss and matte finishes without the need to change inks or media. Furthermore, in switching output finish, there was no impact on image quality, even at the most productive speeds. The FLXfinish also enhances the printer's handling of porous materials such as soft signage and uncoated media because its UVgel technology ensures that each ink droplet is immediately fixed on the media, allowing for highly controlled dot gain and more precise image quality. In the report, color images were cited as being "routinely vibrant, while delivering exceptional neutrality in black-and-white half-tones." In addition, "the Colorado 1650 delivered superb PANTONE color accuracy, generating Delta E00 measurements no greater than 2.32 on average across 15 corporate colors," a key benefit for print service providers. Story continues Notably, the report also emphasized that, given its extremely accurate dimensional stability, modular design and matte finishing capabilities, the printer is very well positioned for the growing digital wallpaper marketplace. The printer was found to be easy to configure and its double-sided printing and print-side-in substrate support functionalities enable improved media handling and facilitate longer, unattended print runs. Further recognizing its ease-of-use, the report talked of the Colorado 1650's user-friendly interface and how it enables print service providers to reduce downtime due to its transparent "at a glance" status monitoring, a simple to navigate 10.5-inch smart control panel and a remote control app. "We're delighted that our Colorado 1650 has undergone Keypoint Intelligence's stringent wide format signage assessment and that, as the report indicated, it performed so well. At Canon, it's our highest priority to ensure that we can offer our customers and partners a solution that delivers breakthrough productivity, maximum quality and media versatility," said Shinichi Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "To date, the Colorado series has seen close to 2,000 installations worldwide and feedback from our customers and partners has been very encouraging. This independent Keypoint Intelligence endorsement is a powerful way for us to strengthen the quality and productivity assurance we offer to customers and partners, and it provides proof of the printer's excellent fit for the fast-growing digital wallpaper marketplace." Access the full Canon Colorado 1650 Field Test Report from Keypoint Intelligence. About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $30.4 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2020 and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2020. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA. Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office. Specifications subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by channel partners and may vary. All third party trademarks belong to their respective owners. CONTACT: Nicole Esan, niesan@cusa.canon.com Canon Colorado 1650 Achieves Outstanding Results in Keypoint Intelligence Field Test Canon logo Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canon-colorado-1650-achieves-outstanding-results-in-keypoint-intelligence-field-test-301262272.html SOURCE Canon U.S.A. Inc. Click here to read the full article. Half of Republicans believe the lie that the January 6th attack on the Capitol was mostly peaceful and largely a non-violent protest, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday. Delusional Republican respondents also told pollsters that left-wing activists were to blame for the insurrection and were trying to make Trump look bad. Eighty percent of Democrats and 60 percent of Independents, however, rightly believe that Trump and his mob were responsible for the attack that left five dead and dozens injured. But the Republican delusion doesnt end with the Capitol attack. Sixty percent of Republicans still buy into the lie that the presidential election was fraudulent and was stolen from Trump. Elected Republicans are at least partly responsible for their constituents lack of a grip on reality. As Reuters points out, not only have top GOP leaders avoided language condemning Trumps mob, 12 Republicans in Congress voted against a resolution to honor Capitol Police officers who put their lives on the line that infamous day. Republicans have their own version of reality, John Geer, an expert on public opinion at Vanderbilt University, told Reuters. It is a huge problem. Democracy requires accountability and accountability requires evidence. Unsurprisingly, Trump is still lying about what happened that day. During an interview on Fox late last month, the former president said the attack on the Capitol posed zero threat and claimed his mob was hugging and kissing the police and the guards. Of course, Trump conveniently neglected to mention that two of his supporters present at the Capitol attack have been arrested and charged with using bear spray to assault Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the riot. Hugs and kisses indeed. It has been a difficult week for Northern Ireland as violence not seen for many years returned to the streets. While we optimistically hope for strong leadership and calm heads, events of the last few months make that scenario increasingly unlikely. There are so many agendas at play that picking through them to assess how and why we have ended up at this awful juncture would require a dissertation rather than a column, but what we do know is that political unionism has been moving toward the hardline for some time. A loss of a political majority at Stormont, demographics changing faster than the architects of the state could have predicted 100 years ago, were all causes of concern long before Brexit came along. Leaving the EU was always going to place Northern Ireland in an unusual position that required mitigating measures. Experts predicted this but unionism, and specifically the DUP, ignored the warning signs at their own peril. Those rioting in Sandy Row, Newtownabbey and Derry at the weekend have little interest in the complexities of sanitary and phytosanitary checks at the sea border, but they do know they're angry, they know because they have been told to be angry by those who helped create the situation we now find ourselves in. They may not understand the complex trading arrangements contained in the protocol, but they do understand that they have been betrayed by the very British Government that their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were slavishly loyal to. Directing anger at the PPS decision not to prosecute 24 members of Sinn Fein, towards the PSNI and specifically the Chief Constable, Simon Byrne, was always a dangerous tactic. There are sections of loyalism who have been itching to take their opposition to the Brexit arrangements onto the streets. The events of the last week and verbal attacks on the PSNI will be twisted by those hawks within loyalism as justification for recent events. Chasing Jim Allister for the hardcore loyalist vote is a dangerous game to play. It makes the Ulster Unionist Party's decision to mimic the TUV and DUP tactic and also call on Simon Byrne to resign all the more baffling. The party has been in a state of seemingly unstoppable decline for many years. Rather than aim for the moderate unionist vote, they seem determined to fight it out in an already crowded market for the patronage of loyalism. Come next year's Assembly election the Alliance Party are likely to sweep up the votes of those within unionism who are horrified by recent events, people who want economic and political stability. Rather than the UUP focusing on this section of unionism they seem determined to destroy what is left of the party by trying to be a sub-section of the DUP. Steve Aiken's disastrous performance on the BBC Nolan show on Friday appeared to show a leader who called for the Chief Constable's scalp without fully knowing why. He performed so badly, not because he is a terrible politician or even a poor media performer; he tanked during the interview because he could not explain a policy with any real conviction. The party blindly followed the DUP and TUV into calling for Mr Byrne's resignation fearful of the loyalist backlash if they didn't, rather than standing their ground and having a policy based on proper leadership over populism. What those elected to represent the people of Northern Ireland, unionist, nationalist or other, must always remember is that words matter, words carry power, the wrong words in the past have cost lives and the right words at the right time have also helped strengthen the peace. As we head into the summer, I hope that the peace we have enjoyed over the last few years is lasting, a return to the long hot summers of discontent of the past would be economically disastrous as we try and come out of pandemic restrictions. Indoctrinating a new generation of young people with violent outcomes, 23 years after the Good Friday Agreement, is a shameful indictment on those trusted with nurturing the peace process. It did political unionism no harm at all to have an angry barking dog in the corner of the room when they were attempting to put pressure on the British Government over the Brexit protocol. But as we discovered last week, that angry dog is difficult to control when let off the leash. Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy shared that even though the goals in the national strategy for researching, developing, and applying AI in Vietnam until 2030 are quite challenging, they are feasible as being administrated by the three ministries of Science-Technology, Information-Communications, and Education-Training. The collaboration of these three ministries displays our belief that human resources training is the vital factor for the growth of science-technology, in particular AI, in Vietnam, said the Deputy Minister. He added that the priority of AI implementation at present is in the fields of national defence, public healthcare, and environment natural resources management. On March 31, the International Center for AI Research a cooperation between Hanoi University of Science & Technology and Naver Group from the Republic of Korea formally came into operation. The center is a hub for all AI research units, boosting the link with international counterparts, especially those in developed countries. This center not only conducts foundation studies to develop Make in Vietnam core programs but also promotes the implementation of AI in various fields in life so that the digital transformation process can be more effectively sped up in the nation. The centers Director Prof. Ho Tu Bao commented that there is a wide gap in AI research between Vietnam and other developed nations like the US or Japan. However, this gap is gradually narrowed thanks to talented human resources in the country, who have gained much experience working in international corporations. Therefore, the missions raised in the national strategy are achievable. In a similar effort to upgrade the level of AI power in Vietnam, FPT Group and Mila Quebec AI Institute formed a cooperative relationship via a strategic agreement for the period of 2020-2023 in the middle of 2020. Signing this agreement is an important action to provide FPT Group with more opportunities to work with global AI giants like Google, Microsoft. At the same time, FPT Group received the approval of Binh Dinh Province Peoples Committee to create a large-scaled AI educational center here. This center is expected satisfy the demand of high-quality human resources on AI and other high technologies for the whole country. Sharing the same determination, many major Vietnamese technological enterprises such as Bkav, Vingroup, Viettel, VNPT, CMC have poured much capital into the implementation of AI technology in manufacturing activities and the digital transformation process. Obviously, AI has allowed automation in several stages of an organizations operation, especially in the time of Covid-19 pandemic. It has saved much money while greatly boosting the work performance in these units. Seeing such an impressive achievement, technological companies in Vietnam now aim at a higher goal of brining AI to the general public via international-leveled applications and products. By Tran Luu Translated by Thanh Tam DANBURY Distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is accelerating locally and statewide as health care providers continue to try to reach the neediest communities. The mass vaccine clinic at the Danbury Fair Mall began distributing doses to 1,000 people daily on Monday, an increase of 400 doses from when the site opened on March 4. They are ramping up, which is good, said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, who visited the Danbury clinic on Monday to receive her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. The Community Health Center, which is running the clinic along with Danbury Hospital, hit 200,000 doses distributed at its sites across the state on Monday, with plans to distribute 35,000 doses this week, said Mark Masselli, chief executive officer of the federally-qualified health center. Eventually the health center plans to hit 50,000 doses a week, he said. Statewide, the organization added 50 vaccinators Monday, with plans to add another 40 next week, Masselli said. The health center is talking to the mall about adding two more drive-thru lanes, which could allow the site to surpass 1,000 daily doses, said Amy Taylor, vice president of the organizations western region. Efforts like this have helped Connecticut rank in the top three states for vaccine distribution, Bysiewicz said. Over a fifth of the state is fully vaccinated, with 43 percent of residents receiving at least their first dose, she said. Across the state, 2 million doses have been distributed the vaccine, with nearly 1.3 million residents getting their first shot and almost 810,000 people fully vaccinated, the governor said at his Monday press conference. Its really quite impressive, Bysiewicz said. This comes as COVID cases rise in the state and Danbury, which had 492 COVID cases in March, up about 58 percent from February, according to the latest data from the city. The city averaged 40.8 daily new cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period, according to state data from Thursday. Thats an increase from 28.6 the previous week. Demand for testing has increased due to travel and the rising number of cases, Taylor said. The number of people tested at the health centers site in Danbury was in the mid-200 range last week, but she expected that to increase on Monday. Relieved for dose two Bysiewicz received her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine in front of a small group of legislators, health center leaders and her staff late Monday morning. Im smiling while this is happening, she said just before the needle went into her left arm. Yay, she cheered afterward. All right, Im so excited. State Rep. David Arconti, D-Danbury got his first dose after her. Bysiewicz later said she was relieved to have both doses and that shed keep her vaccine card close. Just in case I need this as a passport, she said. Once more people are eligible for the vaccine, the state could see a vaccine passport system potentially led by the private sector that could allow those who are fully inoculated to do certain activities, the governor has said. Shortly after, the Easter Bunny arrived with a gift from President Joe Biden purple and golden eggs that went to vaccine providers, including the Community Health Center, across the country, instead of the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. The gold one had the presidents dogs, Chance and Major, while the purple one was signed by the Bidens and had the Easter Bunny wearing a mask. Thats very important for everybody to keep wearing masks, Bysiewicz said. The Easter Bunny got vaccinated, too, with a video posted on the app TikTok, Taylor said. Reaching vulnerable communities Masselli said Danbury has been one of the best communities to partner with in the vaccine effort, with the local health department and Danbury Hospital making sure there are not gaps in service. In addition to its four mass vaccination sites and clinics at its health centers, the organization brings mobile vaccine clinics to places of worship, homeless shelters and other trusted community institutions to reach residents who may struggle to get an appointment because of reasons like transportation, Taylor said There are two mobile teams in each west and east region, she said. Were taking vaccines to vulnerable populations, Taylor said. The health center recently held a clinic at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, a primarily Spanish-speaking Catholic church in Danbury, and plans to distribute at the Portuguese Cultural Center in Danbury next week, she said. Other clinics are planned at similar locations statewide. These clinics are often held on weekends, when 350 doses are distributed, she said. The organization has gotten better at ensuring residents from those communities and not others who could access the vaccine elsewhere are actually signing up for those clinics. Weve been improving upon our registration process, Taylor said. At these mobile clinics, about 75 percent of recipients are from the Zip codes with a socially vulnerable population that the state wanted providers to get 25 percent of their doses to, Masselli said. A mobile unit from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is traveling across the state, with a large chunk of clinics scheduled in Bridgeport but two planned for Danbury. Bysiewicz there are plans to add more dates. Efforts to reach vulnerable communities are at the top of the list, she said. The Community Health Center plans to hold clinics with colleges like Western Connecticut State University and Wesleyan University before students return home at the end of the semester, he said. Beginning this weekend, high school students will start to receive their doses of Pfizer at the Danbury site and other Community Health Center clinics, Taylor said. Danburys clinic will be open for eligible public and private school students, she said. Students will be encouraged to decorate their cars. It will be fun, Taylor said. Mark Smith's Investor Presentation Will be Webcast Live Starting at 2:00 PM Eastern CENTENNIAL, Colo., April 5, 2021 /CNW/ -- NioCorp Developments Ltd. ("NioCorp" or the "Company") (TSX: NB) (OTCQX: NIOBF) is pleased to announce that CEO and Executive Chairman Mark A. Smith will present to investors on the Elk Creek Superalloy Materials Project (the "Project") during the H.C. Wainwright Spring Mining Virtual Conference on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. (PRNewsfoto/NioCorp Developments Ltd.) Mr. Smith will provide an overview of the Project and its plans to produce the critical minerals niobium, scandium, and titanium once project financing is secured and the Project is operational. Each of these elements is considered crucial to a variety of infrastructure, transportation, battery, and national defense technologies. NioCorp is also currently reviewing the potential of adding commercial rare earth products to its product offering. NioCorp's presentation will begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 and will be conducted via Zoom video conferencing. The public may join the webcast at https://journey.ct.events/view/e8bd5fd0-836d-4183-b464-0f9c6189b896. In addition to being webcast live, Mr. Smith's presentation also will be available for viewing at https://journey.ct.events/view/e8bd5fd0-836d-4183-b464-0f9c6189b896 for 90 days following the live presentation. Additionally, a replay of the presentation will be available on NioCorp's website at https://www.niocorp.com. Mr. Smith also will conduct 1x1 virtual meetings with investors who are registered to attend the virtual conference. Institutional investors who wish to participate in the conference, including scheduling time to meet with Mr. Smith, can click on the following link to register for the conference www.hcwevents.com/mining. Once your registration is confirmed, you will be prompted to log into the conference website to request a one-on-one meeting with the Company during various time slots on either April 19 or 20, 2021. Story continues Rare Earth Production is Now Also Being Considered by NioCorp NioCorp is currently conducting a review of the economic potential of expanding its planned product suite of niobium, scandium, and titanium to also include rare earth products. A recently completed geologic and metallurgical evaluation of all of the rare earth data associated with the Project shows that, of the 20,364 assay intervals in the Elk Creek database, 13,287 (65%) contain a complete suite of analytical data for all commercial rare earth elements. Included within this dataset are 661 assays where the Total Rare Earth Oxide ("TREO") assay results are greater than one percent. More information on these results can be seen here. NioCorp's current plan to extract and purify niobium, scandium, and titanium from the Elk Creek ore involves putting these critical minerals into solution, which also solubilizes the rare earth elements. NioCorp is now considering the economic potential for recovering the solubilized rare earths into commercial rare earth products. Qualified Persons: Scott Honan, M.Sc., SME-RM, COO of NioCorp Developments Ltd. and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has read and approved the technical information contained in this news release. # # # @NioCorp $NB $NIOBF #ElkCreek #Niobium #Scandium #ElkCreek #rareearth For More Information Contact Jim Sims, VP of External Affairs, NioCorp Developments Ltd., 720-639-4650, jim.sims@niocorp.com About NioCorp NioCorp is developing a superalloy materials project in Southeast Nebraska that will produce the critical minerals niobium, scandium, and titanium. Niobium is used to produce superalloys as well as High Strength, Low Alloy ("HSLA") steel, which is a lighter, stronger steel used in automotive, structural, and pipeline applications. Scandium is a superalloy material that can be combined with aluminum to make alloys with increased strength and improved corrosion resistance. Scandium is also a critical component of advanced solid oxide fuel cells. Titanium is used in various superalloys and is a key component of pigments used in paper, paint and plastics and is also used for aerospace applications, armor and medical implants. NioCorp is also evaluating the rare earth potential of its Nb/Ti/Sc Resource. Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimers Certain statements contained in this news release and in the video referenced may constitute forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the potential of economically producing rare earth products in addition to the company's currently planned suite of products. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause a change in such assumptions and the actual outcomes and estimates to be materially different from those estimated or anticipated future results, achievements or position expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause NioCorp's plans or prospects to change include risks related to the Company's ability to operate as a going concern; risks related to the Company's requirement of significant additional capital; changes in demand for and price of commodities (such as fuel and electricity) and currencies; changes in economic valuations of the Project, such as Net Present Value calculations, changes or disruptions in the securities markets; legislative, political or economic developments; the need to obtain permits and comply with laws and regulations and other regulatory requirements; the possibility that actual results of work may differ from projections/expectations or may not realize the perceived potential of NioCorp's projects; risks of accidents, equipment breakdowns and labor disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions; the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated expenses in development programs; operating or technical difficulties in connection with exploration, mining or development activities; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities of grades of reserves and resources; and the risks involved in the exploration, development and mining business and the risks set forth in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators at www.sedar.com and the SEC at www.sec.gov. NioCorp disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/niocorp-to-present-on-the-elk-creek-superalloy-materials-project-at-the-hc-wainwright-global-mining-investor-conference-on-april-20-2021-301262397.html SOURCE NioCorp Developments Ltd. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2021/05/c4404.html Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Chhattisgarh on Monday to chair a high-level meeting in connection with the in the state's Bastar region that claimed the lives of 22 security personnel, a senior official said. Shah will reach the Jagdalpur airport (in Bastar district) at around 10.35 am, following which he will attend the wreath-laying ceremony to pay respect to the martyred personnel at the Police Lines here, he said. It will be Shah's first visit to the Bastar region after assuming the charge of Union home minister, he said. In Jagdalpur, the wreath would be laid on the mortal remains of 14 security personnel, while tributes would be paid to the other deceased jawans at the Bijapur district headquarters, the official said. Shah will later chair a high-level meeting at the Police Coordination Centre here on the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) situation. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, senior officials of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will attend the meeting, he said. Shah will then leave for the Basaguda camp of the CRPF in Bijapur in a chopper and will have an interaction and lunch with the CRPF and state police personnel there, he said. He will later go to Raipur and visit three hospitals where the injured personnel are admitted. Shah will leave for Delhi at 5.30 pm on Monday. Twenty two security personnel were killed and 31 others injured in the gunfight with Naxals between Jonaguda and Tekalguda villages along the border of Sukma and Bijapur districts on Saturday. Out of the total 22 fatalities, the CRPF lost eight men, including seven commandos of the CoBRA (CRPF's elite unit) and one jawan of the Bastariya battalion, eight of the other deceased were from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and six from the Special Task Force (STF). One jawan is still missing, 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.) Phuket inmates in quarantine in Surat Thani following cluster outbreak PHUKET: Seven inmates from Phuket are under observation for 14 days at the Thung Khen Prison in Surat Thani following one officer and five inmates visiting from Narathiwat testing positive for COVID-19 after joining an anti-drug activity at the Surat Thani prison. COVID-19Coronavirushealth By The Phuket News Monday 5 April 2021, 12:58PM Visits to Phuket Prison have been suspended for one month following an outbreak emanating from Nathiwat resulting in a cluster scare in Surat Thani. Photo: The Phuket News / file The Phuket inmates have had swab test samples taken, Kusak Kukiattikoon, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) has confirmed. They are considered as low-risk and will complete the quarantine on April 16, he said. Phuket Provincial Prison Commissioner Suchart Silapachai told The Phuket News this morning, Im confident in the disease control measures of the public health officer. The seven inmates are now in the quarantine for 14 days in Surat Thani Prison and will be tested many times before being released from the quarantine. Before being discharged from quarantine, their swab tests must be negative. If the test is positive, they have to go through the treatment process in a hospital there, he said. If their test results are negative, when they return to Phuket they still have to face quarantine for 14 days in special areas [at Phuket Prison] and be tested again, Mr Suchart explained. PPHO Chief Mr Kusak over the weekend explained that the Phuket inmates were attending To Be Number One activities held at the Diamond Plaza Hotel. The team of Phuket inmates was the ninth team to join an activity, while the inmates from Narathiwat was the first team, so they did not have the chance to come into direct contact with each other, he said. The first team did not join the opening ceremony, and they also left the hotel immediately after finishing their activity, which took them about two hours in the room, he explained. The activity room was cleaned every time after one team finished their performance, Mr Kusak added. Phuket Prison Chief Mr Suchart explained, The seven inmates are all female, but the Narathiwat inmates are all male. They had to be separated during their preparation for their activity and from other inmates in the Surat Thani Prison. While the Narathiwat team was taking part in the activity, the Phuket inmates were not in the same room, and the hotel management confirmed they cleaned the room every time after a team finished, he said. I trust in the disease controls measure. If they are infected, they will not be allowed to come to Phuket for sure, Mr Suchart said. Regardless, Corrections Department Director-General Aryut Sinthoppan yesterday (Apr 4) announced that prison visits have been suspended nationwide for one month from April 5 to May 5 after it had been confirmed that 112 officials and inmates at the Narathiwat prison were now reported to have been infected with COVID-19. Phuket Prison Chief Mr Suchart confirmed this morning that Phukte Prison is enforcing the ban on visits from people outside the prison, starting today (Apr 5). During the month, relatives can communicate with prisoners by video calling through Line. They can also transfer money to the inmates and buy items made by prisoners, he said. Inmates who have been allowed to work outside the prison while wearing tracking devices as a reward for good behaviour are also now not allowed to venture outside the prison, Mr Suchart added. At this stage, we are not allowing them to go outside, while we also are not allowing people to go inside the prison, he said. For new inmates, they have to be swab tested and face at least 14-21 days quarantine in our special areas before entering normal areas [inside the prison], Mr Suchart noted. The swab tests are conducted on days one, three and 12, he said. Normally, our inmates have to wear facemasks all the time, but they sometimes do not wear them. We do not want to put pressure on them to strictly wear them all the time. We only encourage them and ask for thor cooperation, he added. This time, rumor has it that Google is looking into ways to step into the car business. However, at this point, no specifics are available, and nobody knows for sure if the Mountain View-based search giant plans a full hardware investment or it just wants to focus on the service and software side of such a project.But on the other hand, reports that have been swirling around the web lately indicate that Google has already been involved in a series of talks over a potential car project with none other than Hyundai, the same company which at one point was in pole position to manufacture the Apple Car.On the other hand, given everything is still in the speculation stage, nothing should be taken for granted. As far as Hyundai is concerned, theres nothing true, and the company isnt working with Google on a car.At least, that is according to a report coming directly from China (translation needed), though dont be too surprised if additional information on a possible collaboration makes the headlines rather sooner than later.One of the reasons Apple is believed to have dropped the talks with Hyundai over the manufacturing of an Apple Car is the South Koreans spilling the beans on the project , as the carmaker briefly confirmed the project back in January.So now Hyundai denies the talks with Google from the very beginning, which makes many believe the company has learned its lesson and there might actually be some truth behind the latest rumors.While no confirmation of a Google car exists, the search giant investing in such a project wouldnt necessarily be surprising, especially because right now, several of its long-term rivals are looking into a similar expansion. If the reports are accurate, the Apple Car , for example, should be here by 2024 or 2025. AS Covid-19 deaths show little sign of abating, good news has come to Trinidad and Tobago of a vaccine gift from the United States. According to Shante Moore, Charge dAffaires at the US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago, this gift comes with no hidden conditions and imposing conditions as other countries are doing. DAYTON, Ohio, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Winsupply Inc., one of the largest distributors in the nation, has purchased the assets of Allegheny Pipe & Supply, a distributor of industrial pipe, valves and fittings located in Coraopolis, Penn., a borough located just west of Pittsburgh. The company is regarded as a prime distributor of carbon and stainless steel pipe, valves, fittings and related products with onsite cutting, grooving, and threading capabilities for the Pittsburgh area and beyond to the tri-state region of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. Third generation owners Jim Morse, president of Allegheny Pipe & Supply, and his brother, Tom Morse, vice president, plan to re-invest in substantial ownership in the company with Winsupply Inc. as the majority owner. Jim Morse will remain president and Tom will be second in command. The location will continue to do business as Allegheny Pipe & Supply, with the legal name Winsupply Coraopolis PA Co. "The Winsupply business model is perfect for owners like Jim and Tom Morse who wanted a succession plan that allowed them to stay in the business," said Monte Salsman, president of Winsupply Acquisitions Group. "Jim and Tom are great people and we are thrilled to be partners with them. They are true entrepreneurs who are deeply respected by their customers, vendors and community. We are excited about growing with them and expanding the Winsupply opportunity in the Pittsburgh area. "They will continue to have local decision-making as owners but now with the major support of Winsupply. They have a strong inside and outside sales team with a combined 200-plus years of experience, are customer-focused, and they want to continue to grow." In the Winsupply business model, Winsupply is the majority owner of its companies, reflecting its shared-ownership business model in which local entrepreneurs have autonomy to decide how their company will best serve their customers, and to share in the financial risks and rewards of ownership. About Winsupply Inc. Winsupply Inc. (www.winsupplyinc.com) is a leading supplier of residential and commercial construction and industrial supplies and equipment headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. The privately-held company has nearly 620 wholesaling locations in 45 states and offers entrepreneurs the unique opportunity to own a meaningful part of the local business. Collectively, Winsupply is known as "The Winsupply Family of Companies" and includes Win-branded locations, Noland Company, Carr Supply, Security Plumbing & Heating Supply, APCO, and other regional suppliers the company has acquired. In the family are companies conducting business-to-business wholesale distribution of supplies and equipment in plumbing and heating; hydronics; pipe, valves and fittings; HVAC and refrigeration; electrical; fastening hardware; waterworks and utility; pumps; turf irrigation and landscape; and fire system fabrication. Follow Winsupply on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Contact: Maury Williams Director of Communications, Winsupply Inc. [email protected] SOURCE Winsupply Inc. Grounded by the pandemic, a travel photographer spent the year pedaling the roads around his home, resulting in a series of poetic self-portraits. A year ago, as a travel photographer grounded by the pandemic, I started bringing a camera and tripod with me on my morning bicycle rides, shooting them as though they were magazine assignments. It started out as just something to do a challenge to try to see the familiar through fresh eyes. Soon it blossomed into a celebration of traveling at home. Sunbeams sift through the forest canopy in the ancient wood known as the Weald, not far from the village of Burwash. As an Edward Hopper fan, I couldnt resist this curiously evocative night-lit street corner on London Road and Grand Parade, along the seafront at St. Leonards-on-Sea. Daybreak on Sluice Lane, one of the little lanes on the marsh. I live in a faded seaside town called St. Leonards-on-Sea, in Sussex, on the south coast of England. If youve not heard of it, youre in good company. Its not on anybodys list of celebrated English beauty spots. Indeed, most of my riding is across flat coastal marsh or down-at-the-heel seafront promenades. Image Plans by lamplight: consulting the map in one of the old-fashioned Edwardian shelters along the seafront promenade in Bexhill-on-Sea. Theres history here, of course. This is England after all. The lonely marshes I pedal across most days are where William the Conqueror landed his men in 1066. Otherwise, except for being a haunt for smugglers, this stretch of coast dozed away the centuries until the Victorians brought the railways down from London. A sunburst over the marsh. Lockdown and the falling off of traffic brought out a notable increase in birds. Sea mist, a smoldering sunrise and shimmering low-tide sands. This scene, at Hastings, felt straight out of a J.M.W. Turner painting. A thousand years ago these lonely marshes near Pevensey were where William the Conqueror landed his men in 1066. Then, for a few gaudy decades, St. Leonards and the other nearby seaside towns became popular bucket-and-spade holiday spots, Englands own Costa del Sol that is, until budget airfares and the real Costa del Sol, the one in Spain, lured the crowds away and plunged the area into a long and not-so-genteel decline. Image Inspired by the old railway posters from the glory days of the English seaside holiday, I pedaled to Beachy Head and captured this view along the coastal road with a glimpse of the iconic chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters in the distance. As for me, Im a transplant. I moved here from Australia. After the initial novelty wore off, that of being in England, it assumed a sort of shrugging familiarity the usual shops, takeaways, a downbeat seafront, rough around the edges but with not-too-inconvenient access to Gatwick and Heathrow and flights to more interesting places. But a year of exploring St. Leonards and its surrounds, camera in hand, chasing the light, has changed all that. Its brought home the truth that you dont need to board a plane and jet off to the far side of the world to experience a sense of travel or the romance of difference. It lies waiting on your doorstep if you look. Sussex or the Serengeti? A boiling red sun breaks over the marsh. Ive come to learn precisely where the sun will break the horizon and to plan my shots accordingly. Hard frost and a pink dawn along the old marsh road, near Pevensey. Sea fog over the English Channel, Bexhill-on-Sea. You dont need to go far. Indeed, I havent been able to. With the various lockdowns that have been imposed on us over the past year, its been either discouraged or downright illegal to stray far from your residence. All these images were captured within a 10-mile radius of where I live, and most of them much closer than that. Image Morning sun at the King George V Coronation Colonnade, in Bexhill-on-Sea inspired by an Edward Hopper painting, I plan my outings and set out each morning well before dawn in order to be where I want to be in time to catch the first light. In summer that can mean leaving the house as early as 3 a.m. In winter, its cold starlight, the crunch of frost under my wheels, occasionally snowflakes swirling in the glow of my headlamp. Exploring Wickham Lane, near the town of Winchelsea as if pedaling into an old oil painting. St. Leonards-on-Sea by the light of a violet dawn. Who needs a passport? This is three miles from home. I was shooting in a pea-soup fog in the marsh when I heard the purr of a car engine behind me. At the time I was annoyed by the intrusion, but later, when I got home, I loved the sense of drama and menace in those looming headlamps. I carry everything I need on my bicycle and work entirely alone. Im both the photographer and the cyclist in the photos. That parts taken a bit of getting used to. Ive never been comfortable in front of the camera. As a journalist, Ive always said I had a great face for radio and the perfect voice for print. But needs must when the devil drives. What with social-distancing requirements and zero budget, Im all Ive got. These images, though, arent meant to be about me. Theyre meant to represent a cyclist on the landscape, anybody you, perhaps. Image Battery Hill, near the village of Fairlight. Suffering for my art, I made multiple ascents up this 14 percent grade to capture this image. The hills here arent high, but they can be awfully steep. Creating these images has required not only a new way of visualizing, but a whole new photographic skill set. The first question most people ask is how I trigger the shutter when Im a hundred yards away on my bicycle. Simple. I use whats called an intervalometer, a programmable timer that allows me to preset whatever delay I need and then have the camera fire off a chosen number of frames. Thats the easy bit. Anyone can take a self-portrait. The seafront at St. Leonards-on-Sea an hour before dawn. Old oaks near Wartling, in frost. A spin along Bottle Alley, a 1930s colonnaded promenade along the seafront in Hastings. Placing yourself artistically in the scene is a far trickier proposition. It requires juggling a maddening number of details, most of which you never think of until you start doing it and look critically at the results. Everything matters, from the drape of light and shadow, to the set of your headlamps, to your body language on the bicycle. You have to be actor, director, location scout, gaffer, key grip, even wardrobe assistant: I always carry a spare jersey or two in different colors to make sure I can work with any backdrop. Image Daybreak at my favorite of the Edwardian shelters on the seafront at Bexhill-on-Sea. Showcasing quintessentially British seaside architecture, these old shelters have a lovely sense of frivolity to them all this just to provide a bit of shade for people promenading along the seafront. Whats more, you have to play all these roles in real time, in rapidly shifting light, in an uncontrolled environment where cars, pedestrians, dog-walkers, horses, cyclists and joggers can and do! pop up out of nowhere. It can be hugely frustrating, and yet at the same time intensely satisfying when it all comes together. Freezing mist, near Normans Bay. Sunday morning, Cambridge Road, the town of Hastings. Sunburst over a Sussex country lane. Its addictive, too. Over the past year Ive become a keen student of local geography not just the layout of the towns and the architecture and the contours of the landscape, but when and where the light falls as the seasons progress. I know the tide tables like an old salt and follow the phases of the moon. Ive developed a peasants eye for weather. I can tell at a glance, when I step outside my door, those mornings when an evocative mist will be rising miles away on the marsh. I plan my outings with the same jaunty expectancy I used to feel on my way to the airport. And when I push off down the street, the world becomes big again, the way it used to be when I was a child: rich in detail, ripe for discovery. Image A crescent moon and a flock of sheep, along a country lane near the village of Brede. By the time I return to the house, several hours later, having witnessed the sunrise and put however many miles of Sussex countryside beneath my wheels, I feel as though Ive been places, seen things, traveled in the grand old sense of the word. And, ever the travel photographer, I bring back pictures of where Ive been. A hill before sunrise, homeward bound on the Pevensey Marshes. To reach this little lane by Rye and catch this light, I had to leave home at 3 a.m. Moonset over the marsh, on a quiet lane near Normans Bay. Like a bad water pump that fails to circulate coolant in a car engine, a failing heart struggles to pump blood through the body, causing symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling in the legs and feet. As heart failure progresses, the heart itself becomes increasingly unable to contract effectively, owing to changes in the molecules that control the heart, particularly a small gaseous molecule called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is carried by red blood cells and acts as a signal to relax arteries and increase blood flow to heart tissue. It is also produced within heart cells, where it chemically combines with proteins in a process known as S-nitrosylation. More than 20,000 known S-nitrosylation events turn proteins "on" or "off," including proteins that make up the heart's beta-adrenergic receptor (AR) system - the system that regulates the "fight-or-flight" response that allows physical activity. In heart failure, both S-nitrosylation and AR activity are altered, with significant impacts on cardiac function. Moreover, AR is a key member of a class of receptors known as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are the targets of ~50% of all drugs, and how changes in nitric oxide levels and S-nitrosylation affect GPCRs involved in disease remains unclear. But now, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM), in collaboration with scientists at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals in Cleveland, have an opportunity to explore these basic mechanisms, thanks to a new $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. The insights gained from the collaboration could break new ground in the development of heart failure therapies. "Signaling through ARs and GPCRs in the heart is complex," explained Walter J. Koch, PhD, W.W. Smith Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology, Director of the Center for Translational Medicine at LKSOM, and a senior co-investigator on the new grant. "We want to know more about the details behind these signaling mechanisms and especially whether S-nitrosylation can be modulated or manipulated to prevent heart failure." "We see this leading to new therapeutic approaches," said co-investigator Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, Robert S. and Sylvia K. Reitman Family Foundation Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Innovation, Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry, and Director of the Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and co-founder and President of the Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Dr. Koch and Dr. Stamler have worked together for more than two decades to better understand mechanisms underlying heart failure. "We know that increased heart damage is linked to altered AR activity; what we've discovered is a new role for nitric oxide in controlling the AR system," Dr. Stamler said. Dr. Stamler discovered protein S-nitrosylation and has helped demonstrate its ubiquitous role in the control of protein function. His work led to the realization that aberrant S-nitrosylation is a causal factor in many diseases, including heart failure-- among the most common causes of death in the developed world. Dr. Koch's laboratory, meanwhile, has made major advances in understanding how GPCRs and proteins known as GPCR kinases (GRKs) contribute to heart function and heart disease. Of particular importance in heart failure is GRK2 activity, which increases in the injured heart. "We know from studies in animals that GRK2 is S-nitrosylated and that S-nitrosylation is necessary for normal heart function," Dr. Koch said. "But we need to figure out how exactly S-nitrosylation goes awry and leads to increases in the amount of heart damage. "Dysregulated S-nitrosylation of the AR system is now being linked to the progression of congestive heart failure, a huge medical problem," Dr. Koch added. "We think new approaches to treatment are on the horizon." ### Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after the Bombay high court asked the CBI to file an FIR in an extortion case on Monday. Deshmukh met Chief Minister Uddhav Thakeray to tender his resignation, NCP chief Nawab Malik told news agency ANI. After the high court order, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh met Pawar Ji & party leaders & said he doesn't want to remain in the post. He went to tender his resignation to the CM. Party has requested to the CM to accept his resignation: State Minister & NCP leader Nawab Malik pic.twitter.com/oukzN05833 a ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2021 Earlier today, Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis demanded Deshmukh's resignation after the Bombay HC directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into allegations of corruption and misconduct made against the latter by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh. On March 25, Singh filed criminal public interest litigation seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh, who he claimed asked police officers, including arrested cop Sachin Waze, to collect Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants. "Truth will come out in the preliminary inquiry. It is improper for Deshmukh to continue as minister after the HC order. He should resign on moral grounds, face the probe and come back to the ministry if he is found to be innocent," Fadnavis told reporters, adding that Thackeray must ask Deshmukh to resign if the NCP leader refuses to quit. Fadnavis also alleged the Thackeray government had decided not to allow the CBI to take up cases in Maharashtra but the Bombay HC and the Supreme Court had the power to direct such investigations. He added that the CBI probe will reveal how an extortion racket was carried out with "blessings of the government and ministers", he said. In a big setback to the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court today asked the CBI to start a preliminary inquiry in 15 days into corruption allegations by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. The court acknowledged that since the state government has already launched a high-level probe in the case, the CBI should lodge an FIR only after 15 days and decide on a future course of action after the preliminary probe. While hearing a plea filed by Dr Jaishri Patil regarding the allegations of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, the Bombay HC said Deshmukh is the state home minister and no impartial probe can be done by the police. Also read: Param Bir Singh vs Anil Deshmukh: Bombay HC directs CBI to start preliminary probe in 15 days For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. Rich And Miserable, the 2019 Trotter of the Year at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, moved even closer to $500,000 in career earnings with a 1:54.2 victory in the $11,200 featured event on the Sunday twilight card. Driver Tyler Buter spotted the Explosive Matter gelding third from post 7 before the :28 quarter, then brushed him to command and put up middle splits of :57 and 1:26. Blenheim made a good charge in the stretch, but the :28.2 last split put up by Rich And Miserable was enough to keep him one-and-a-half lengths ahead of that rival. The Todd Buter trainee, owned by Buter Farm Inc., Lynette Buter, William and Carol Fuhs, boosted his career bankroll to $494,636 as he recorded his 25th win in 74 trips behind the gate. The veteran has done especially well at Pocono, as his record at the mountain oval is 11 wins in 19 starts, including his last two outings. Aflame Hanover, getting away from Borgata Series company, completed a wire-to-wire 1:51 victory with a :26.3 last quarter under no urging from driver Marcus Miller, who along with Matt Kakaley had three wins on the card. The victory was the first of the year for the gelded son of Russell Hanover, who now has career earnings $379,624 for trainer Linda Schadel, co-owner with husband Tony Schadel. The fillies will see their first Bobby Weiss Series action on Monday afternoon, with four $17,500 divisions of the first preliminary leg for sophomore pacers in consecutive events, Races 10 through 13. First post on Monday afternoon is 12:30 p.m. (EDT); program pages will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html. (PHHA / Pocono) President Joe Biden View Photo President Joe Biden delivered remarks on the March job numbers. Biden was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: Well, good morning. This morning, weve learned that our economy created 900,000 jobs in March. It means the first two months of our administration has seen more new jobs created than the first two months in any administration in history. But we still have a long way to go to get our economy back on track after the worst economic and job crisis in nearly a century. But my message to the American people is this: Help is here. Opportunity is coming. And at long last, theres hope for so many families so many families. Credit for this progress belongs not to me, but to the American people hardworking women and men who have struggled through this pandemic, never given up, and are determined to get the country back on track, as well as their families. But I think its also a reflection of two things were doing here. First, the new economic strategy weve launched: one focused on building from the bottom up and the middle out, and one that puts government on the side of working people and that rewards work, not wealth. When we invest in the American people, its not just those at the top that make our economy grow. Theyre the ones that make it grow: ordinary Americans. We saw the economy gain traction in March as the American Rescue Plan moved and got passed, bringing new hope to our country. And were going to continue to implement that law in the weeks ahead. By April 7th next week over 130 million households will have gotten their $1,400 per-person rescue check. Funds are on their way to local communities to put educators, healthcare workers, home healthcare aides, police, firefighters, sanitary workers back on the job. Theyre getting more aid for small businesses, and were also going to hang an open sign again on the door to rehire folks that had to be let go. And in the months ahead, a new Child Care Tax Credit will cut taxes and provide help to millions of families with young children. There is nothing nothing I know youre tired of hearing me say this, but I mean it: Theres nothing the American people cannot do if we give them a chance. And the American Rescue Plan does precisely that for hardworking middle-class folks at long last. Secondly, todays report also reflects the progress weve made on my other key priority: getting the American people vaccinated. Weve turned around a slow-moving vaccination program into being the envy of the world. Yesterday, we set an all-time record for Thursday vaccinations, ending a seven-day period that was the first-ever where we administered 20 million shots in 70 [sic] days in 7 days. Thats 20 million shots in a week. No other country has come close to doing that. So weve made significant progress on that front, but the fight is far from over. We know that vaccines are safe and effective. Were vaccinating more people than any other country on Earth. We also have progress on jobs and progress on vaccinations. But in the face of this great news, I need also to make this clear and direct statement to the American people: The progress that we have worked so hard to achieve can be reversed. On the economic front, the benefits and the impacts of the American Rescue Plan are temporary by design. It was a it is a rescue plan. But as we get the economy back on its feet, we need to do the hard work of building back better for good, for not just for a while, but for good; not just the short term, but for good. Thats why I proposed the American Jobs Plan on Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Its an eight-year program that invites and let me put it another way. Ive heard from everybody all across the country about the need for infrastructure. How many times have we heard, This is this is infrastructure week over the last four years? About every second week was infrastructure week, but no infrastructure was built. Well, this is an eight-year program that invests in our roads, our bridges, broadband, airports, ports, and fixing our water systems. Its going to repair our VA hospitals across the country. Many of them are more than 50 years old and are in real need of help. It will invest in research and development to outcompete China and the rest of the world. Independent analysis shows that if we pass this plan, the economy will create 19 million jobs good jobs, blue-collar jobs, jobs that pay well. Thats long-term jobs for pipefitters, healthcare workers, those who work in the steel factories and the cutting-edge labs as well. The new report out this week shows that nearly 90 percent of the infrastructure jobs created in the American Jobs Plan can be filled by people who dont have a college degree. Seventy-five percent of those good-paying jobs dont need a associates degree. Its a blue-collar blueprint for increasing the opportunity for people. This an economic opportunity for those whove helped build the country and have been ignored or neglected for much too long by our government. Its a once-in-a-generation investment in our economic future a chance to win the future paid for by asking big corporations, many of which do not pay any taxes at all, just to begin to pay their fair share. And it wont raise a penny tax on a family making less than $400,000 a year no federal tax, no addition. When Congress comes back after this Easter break, Im going to begin meeting with Democrats, Republicans about this plan. Ive spoken to Republicans on the phone. Im going to be looking forward to meeting with them. They all have their ideas about what it will take, what they like, and what they dont like. Thats a good thing. Thats the American way. Debate is welcome. Compromise is inevitable. Changes in my plan are certain. But inaction is not an option. The American people have been promised action on infrastructure for decades. Theyve been promised that after our leaders would take our country and make it more competitive for decades. Ive made my plan to address this long-overdue need. And its clear: Polls already shows strong support for infrastructure investment for the American people, whether theyre Democrats, Republicans, or independents. Congress should debate my plan, change it, and offer alternatives if they think thats what they have to do. But Congress should act. Likewise, on the virus, our program there, too, can be undone. As fast as were moving, more adults remain to be vaccinated in April, May, and June than have already been vaccinated in February and March. We are not even halfway done yet. Too many Americans are acting as if this fight is over. It is not. Ive told people that if my administration did the hard work of getting shots to all Americans in the next few months and if the American people continued to do their part mask up, practice social distancing we could have a more normal July 4th. But this is still April, not July. We arent there yet. And so, cases are going up again. The virus is spreading more rapidly in many places. Deaths are going up in some states. So I ask, I plead with you: Dont give back the progress weve all so fought so hard to achieve. We need to finish this job. We need every American to buckle down and keep their guard up in this homestretch. Wear your mask. Keep safe distance from one another. Wash your hands. Get vaccinated when its your turn. Thats how were going to beat the virus, cast off the weight of the pandemic thats holding our economy back. While the earliest signs from this job report thats announcing today are promising and the American Rescue Plan is starting to make a real difference, todays report also reminds us how deep a hole we started in. After a year of devastation, there are still 8.4 million fewer jobs today than there were last March. 8.4 million. We created 900,000 again. But 8.4 million jobs fewer today than last March. So, too many Americans who have been unemployed for longer than six months. Too many women have been forced out of the workforce. Unemployment among people of color remains far too high. Yes, weve made progress by starting to build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out. And, yes, the American Rescue Plan is laying the foundation for that economy. But we still need the American Jobs Plan to build on that foundation to build this country back better. So, the bottom line is this: Todays report is good news. Todays report shows that the country can what it can do when we act together to fight a virus, to give working people the help they need. But we still have a long way to go, but I know that we are going to get there and were going to get there together. May God bless you all. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. Police are investigating an unauthorised loyalist parade in Portadown. Police have appealed for witnesses after a 16-year-old boy had his nose and jaw broken in a savage attack in north Belfast on Friday evening. The teenager was targeted by four men who punched and kicked him. They also directed a torrent of sectarian abuse at him during the assault at the junction of the Deerpark and Oldpark Roads around 9pm. Police are treating the vicious incident as a sectarian hate crime. The PSNI's Inspector Nick Browne said: "Two of the men were described as being dressed in black and had their hoods up. "The victim was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries. "Anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or who may have any information, is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 532 of 03/04/21, or submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/." Oldpark DUP councillor Dale Pankhurst condemned the assault. He said it was "an appalling and cowardly attack that should be condemned by all". He added: "I would encourage anyone with information to bring it forward to the police." The councillor said he had been in touch with the PSNI to request information about the incidence of sectarian attacks in the area. "I've written to the chief inspector at Tennent Street to ask for the number of sectarian hate crimes in the north Belfast area over the past 10 years, to see what the trajectory is," he said. "I suspect the number has gone up. "We are growing increasingly concerned at the number of attacks that are happening." Local SDLP councillor Paul McCusker said assaults like Friday's cannot be tolerated. The current Belfast deputy Lord Mayor added: "This is an appalling incident and deeply distressing for the local community. "After seeing a video of the incident, this attack on the young person was aggressive and those involved were intent in causing harm. "We have seen an increase of groups of young people from across Belfast coming to north Belfast and this needs addressed. "We need to work to prevent these incidents and make it clear that they cannot be tolerated in the community." Mr McCusker added: "No one supports this." All of those appointments and the promise vis-a-vis Feinsteins seat left one major group, Asian-Americans, still waiting for its due in the complicated machinations of identity politics. When, therefore, Attorney General Xavier Becerra was tapped by President Joe Biden to become health and welfare secretary, Newsom was virtually compelled to name an Asian-American successor even more so in response to the recent spate of anti-Asian violence. By choosing Bonta, who was born in the Philippines and as a child came to California with his parents, Newsom closed the circle of identity appointments and ensured that all of the major groups would remain loyal during the ensuing recall campaign. Bonta, in fact, is a two-fer appointment in that he also identifies with the most liberal, or progressive, the wing of the Democratic Party and thus may placate its activists who sometimes fault Newsom for moving leftward too slowly. Beyond identity politics, Bontas ideological positioning is the most important aspect of his selection, because it gives a big boost to those seeking to overhaul Californias criminal justice system to make it less punitive and more restorative. Bonta has championed the cause in the Legislature, including landmark legislation to abolish cash bail that was overturned by voters last year. Sam Kerr's first-half hat-trick helped Chelsea to a 6-0 win over Birmingham that moved them up to 50 points in the Barclays FA WSL table Action Images via Reuters Sam Kerr shone yet again as her first-half hat-trick helped guide Barclays FA Womens Super League table-toppers Chelsea to a thumping 6-0 win over Birmingham City on Sunday at Kingsmeadow. Fran Kirby, who has similarly performed to an impeccably high standard this year, also bagged a brace in the second period of the match while Norwegian winger Guro Reiten also etched her name onto the scoresheet. Kerrs performance now sees her lead the top-scoring ranks with the same number of goals (17) and assists (5) as Arsenals Vivianne Miedema, but Kerr has done so at a rate of 75 minutes per goal in comparison to Miedemas 88. The confidence in [Sam Kerr's] play right now is better than I've ever seen her. She delivers the fatal blow whenever the team needs it, that's what's so exceptional, Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said of Kerrs performance. These games can be tricky if you don't get the first goal early enough, but she pounces in the right moments to put us in the lead. Chelsea have now reached the 50-point mark with three league games remaining and their meeting with Manchester City after the international break will likely be title-defining. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. At the opposite end of the table, Martha Thomas stole the show as West Ham recorded an unexpected 5-0 win at Reading on Saturday. The Irons went into the clash at the bottom of the table and having failed to win in 2021, yet they found themselves three to the good within 11 minutes thanks to goals from Kenza Dali, Katerina Svitkova and Thomas. Thomas then netted a further two in the first half before a goalless second was played out at the Madejski Stadium. After the match, West Ham head coach Olli Harder said: It was a fantastic performance from Martha. The last few games have been difficult for her in terms of having to create chances for herself, and hopefully this will do the world of good for her confidence. We have five games left and I felt this type of result was coming, I'm just glad it happened today. Story continues The three points - and the improved goal difference - could prove crucial for Harders side as they look to secure WSL safety. They now sit two points off the foot of the table having played the same number of games as bottom side Aston Villa. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Manchester United have seen their Champions League qualification hopes fall out of their grasp. At one point, the Reds sat at the top of the table, but they now look likely to finish fourth. Sundays 1-0 loss away to Brighton further cemented that, as there had previously been hope that third-placed Arsenal would slip up in the remaining handful of matches. Inessa Kaagmans first-half penalty condemned a United side without Christen Press and Hayley Ladd - who were both absent through injury - to defeat. The Reds misfortune was Arsenals gain, however, and it looks as if Joe Montemurro will cap off his tenure in charge of the Gunners with qualification for European competition. They secured a comfortable 4-0 triumph away to Bristol City on Sunday, with Miedema bagging two while Danielle van de Donk and Beth Mead also chipped in. Bristol City now sit just one point and one place ahead of Aston Villa in the fight to avoid relegation, with the latter holding two games in hand over Matt Beards side. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Villa suffered an unfortunate 3-1 loss at the hands of Everton at Walton Hall Park on Sunday afternoon. The hosts opened the scoring in the first half through Lucy Graham, and Hayley Raso then had a goal disallowed on the stroke of half-time as she was offside in the build-up. Graham had a penalty saved by Villa stopper Lisa Weiss before Izzy Christiansen doubled Evertons advantage from the spot, and Simone Magill added a third ahead of Chloe Arthur's late consolation for the visitors. Manchester City secured their 12th WSL victory in a row against Tottenham Hotspur 3-0, and they are now level with Arsenal for the best ever winning run within a single WSL season. City, who were without the injured Lucy Bronze and who had to have Aoife Mannion replace Alex Greenwood at late notice, went ahead early on when Becky Spencer put the ball into her own net. Janine Beckie and Caroline Weir scored too as the Blues ran out as comfortable victors. New Delhi: On April 9 this year, the by-election for the Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency was being held which witnessed the lowest ever turnout, 7%, in its electoral history, and mobs of locals tried to attack some polling stations. As a result, eight civilians died in firing by security forces. Almost the same day a video went viral showing a civilian tied to the bonnet of an army jeep whom the army described as human shield against the stone pelters and justified the move. The incident occurred in Kashmirs Budgam district and the video was widely shared on social media sites. Major Leetul Gogoi, who ordered to use the human shield had claimed that the human shield was leading a mob of stone pelters and drove him for over five hours across 17 villages over 28 kilometers. The man in the video was identified as 26-year-old Farooq Ahmad Dar, a resident of Chill Village in Beerwah sub-district, who ironically was among the very few villagers who went out to cast their vote on that day. Farooq said he was paraded through several villages for about five hours before his family members and villagers got him released from the armys custody in the evening. An interim report of a police inquiry into the infamous incident backs the claim of Farooq that he had gone out to vote that morning. Police saw voter mark on Dars finger the day we went to investigate the case, a senior police official in Budgam told HT. During investigation, it came to light that the victim Farooq Ahmad Dar had cast his vote at polling booth in his native village, Chill. After casting his vote, he along with Hilal Ahmad Magrey left for Gampora for a condolence meeting, the report says. The interim report says the investigation of the instant case is going on and after obtaining reports from District Election office Budgam/Coy Commander 53 RR Camp Beerwah and analysing of video clips the investigation of the instant case will be concluded on its merits. Please check my name in the list of voters. If I voted for democracy, why would I stop others from voting and pelt stones? asks Farooq. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. LATEST April 6, 10:15 a.m. The alleged attacker in an incident of anti-Asian racism that reportedly took place at a North Beach sports bar has been identified by the victim's mother as retired pro boxer Pat Lawlor. Gino and Carlo owner Frank Rossi told SFGATE on Monday that Lawlor was a regular at the bar, but was otherwise unaffiliated with it. A report from the San Francisco Chronicle also confirmed Lawlor's identity. (SFGATE and the Chronicle are both owned by Hearst, but operate independently of one another.) San Francisco police have yet to confirm the attacker's identity to SFGATE. Lawlor, nicknamed the Pride of the Sunset, was a boxer from 1987 to 2005. Over the course of 40 matches, reported the San Quentin News, he nabbed a record of 23-16-1, with 7 knockouts. In his post-boxing life, he was previously the morning bartender at Aces. In a 2020 interview with the Irish Sun, Lawlor said he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He also told the newspaper that he had "struck a woman" in the past and had served time in prison "for a reckless DUI." April 5, 12 p.m. A TikTok detailing an alleged incident of anti-Asian racism at a San Francisco sports bar went viral over the weekend, claims that its owner has vehemently denied. Still, the video has resulted in a bombardment of negative reviews for the business on Yelp. In the video posted on TikTok Sunday by Sofia Enguillado, she alleges that her son was attacked outside of the North Beach establishment Gino and Carlo on Friday. The video shows two images of a young Asian man with one of his eyes bruised and swollen. A suspect not affiliated with the bar was arrested following the attack, San Francisco police said. According to a Facebook post she shared, Enguillado claims that the owner of Gino and Carlo kicked her son out from the bar, despite him repeatedly stating that he was waiting for his family at one of the tables. The owner, Frank Rossi, then called an individual for backup, she alleged. "Get the fk out of here," she alleges the owner said, according to the video. "You don't even belong here." An individual Enguillado identified as connected to the restaurant shoved the dog sitting with her son, she alleged. "He called my son a dumbass, hovered over my son and punched him," she said. A representative for Rossi confirmed to SFGATE that the individual is a customer at the bar. The suspect's identity was not confirmed by San Francisco police to SFGATE. She also alleged that owner Frank Rossi forced him out and yelled that the attack was his son's fault "for not leaving the premises." "If you're Asian, this is the type of service you get waiting for pizza in Little Italy North Beach, San Francisco," a caption on the video reads. Next door to Gino and Carlo is Golden Boy Pizza. San Francisco police told SFGATE that a physical altercation in which the son sustained non-life threatening injuries took place on the sidewalk before officers arrived on the scene. After police contacted the alleged attacker, a suspect was arrested for assault and battery Friday after the incident. Police do not believe that the attack was "predicated by hate." In a response to the video, Rossi explained that the "unfortunate incident" took place after the "underaged guest," ostensibly the man in the video, "refused to leave" Friday evening. Police corroborated that claim, stating that the attack took place after the victim was kicked out of the bar "due to his age." "No Gino and Carlo employees were involved in the physical altercation," a statement from Rossi's representative read. "We don't condone violence or racism of any kind." Since the video of the incident was posted Sunday, it has received more than 700,000 views and has ignited a wave of one-star Yelp reviews on the bar many of them protesting anti-Asian violence, but some others peddling misinformation on the incident. The incident comes as a torrent of violent attacks and robberies afflict the Asian community in the Bay Area and throughout the nation in recent weeks. Enguillado, the victim's mother, did not respond to repeated requests for comment from SFGATE. The prime suspect in the fatal shooting of a police officer is still too ill to be questioned by detectives more than six months later. Louis De Zoysa, 23, allegedly shot Matt Ratana, 54, in the chest while handcuffed at Croydon Custody Centre, south London, on September 25 last year. Sergeant Ratana died after being shot in the heart at 2.15am as he was preparing to search the suspect who had been arrested on suspicion of intent to supply drugs and possession of ammunition. The 23-year-old, of Norbury, south London, was also hit in the neck by a bullet and was left critically ill and partially paralysed. He spent five months in a critical condition in St George's Hospital in Tooting. In February, it emerged De Zoysa had contracted Covid in hospital and was still too ill to be questioned by detectives in another setback to the investigation. Louis De Zoysa (pictured in a school photo in 2013), 23, allegedly shot Matt Ratana, 54, in the chest at Croydon police station, London, on September 25 last year He is still under arrest for the alleged killing of Sergeant Ratana but a spokesman for the Met Police said the clock had not started on his custody time limit. An inquest into the death of Sergeant Ratana, who was from New Zealand, heard the suspect had been stopped by officers on patrol at around 1.30am on September 25. Their search of the suspect found drugs and ammunition, and he was arrested for being unlawfully in possession of ammunition and for possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply. The suspect was handcuffed with his hands behind his back and taken by police officers to a holding room in the police station to be searched. But as Mr Ratana entered the holding room as part of his duties the suspect produced a firearm and discharged the weapon several times. Sergeant Ratana died after being shot in the heart at 2.15am as he was preparing to search the handcuffed suspect. Police and paramedics treated him at the scene and he was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead at 4.10am. Following the officer's death, his girlfriend of five years, Su Bushby, who lived with the officer in Goring, West Sussex, described him as a 'gentle giant' who was her 'soul mate'. Sergeant Ratana died after being shot in the heart at 2.15am as he was preparing to search the suspect A police officer lays flowers outside Croydon Custody Centre following the death of Sergeant Ratana Flowers are laid outside Croydon Custody Centre in south London after Sergeant Ratana was shot in the chest Paying tribute to him she said: 'I had the pleasure of sharing five years of my life with this lovely man - my gentle giant, with his infectious smile and big heart. I think of him with tenderness and love. 'Matt was my partner, friend, confidant, support and soul mate. 'He will be greatly missed but never forgotten. Matt will always be in my head and in my heart.' A spokeswoman for the Met Police said: 'A 23-year-old man remains in police custody. The Police and Criminal Evidence clock has been paused while he receives hospital treatment.' In February, De Zoysa's parents said he had drawn pictures of what happened in the moments leading up to Sgt Ratana's death. While speech problems caused by his injuries meant he had been unable to give his lawyer full details of the events, they revealed he had drawn pictures of what took place. The first of them was seized by police as part of their inquiry and the second is now in the hands of his legal team. His mother Elizabeth said: 'Louis drew a picture of what happened because he's been very, very anxious about the police presence and the police took it. [The drawing] was unprompted.' The drawing could be used in a trial and also as part of an Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation into the incident. House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks as Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) (L), Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) (R) listen during a news conference ahead of the House vote on the Equality Act on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 25, 2021. (Al Drago/Getty Images) How the Equality Act Ends Religious Freedom in America Commentary It has been well established that the Equality Act would spell the end to the fundamental freedom of religion in America. Yet the majority of faith leaders continue to ignore this and other growing tyrannies against freedom. Last year, when we were all told by an administration friendly to faith that they needed 15 days to flatten the curve, churches willingly and responsibly complied. But as the lockdowns stretched on month after month, a curious thing happened. Casinos, strip clubs, and marijuana dispensaries were allowed to reopen, but churches were deemed nonessential and remained closed. No justification, nor any scientific data, was or has yet been provided by government leaders as to why people socially distancing in a church posed a greater health risk than people shopping at Walmart or gambling at the Luxor. Rather, the practice of gathering in corporate worship was deemed a threat to public health. And any attempt by places of worship to reopen was met with harassment and fines by local and state governments. It was just after Easter last year that several faith leaders, me included, started to sound the alarm over the dangerous precedent being set. We knew something was wrong, and since that time, weve seen challenge after challenge to our first freedom. This downward trend has now been accelerated by a new administration hostile to any religion it cant control, and the Equality Act is their silver bullet. Not only does the Equality Act elevate sexual preference and gender identity to the same level as race, gender, and religion, it also specifically strips religious groups from being protected. Throughout our nations history, places of worship, religious organizations, and faith-based nonprofits have been exempted from government regulations on practices such as hiring and public accommodations. These protections were reiterated by President Bill Clinton and the overwhelming bipartisan support of Congressincluding then-Senator Joe Bidenwith the passage of the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Government should be held to a very high level of proof before it interferes with someones free exercise of religion. This judgment is shared by the people of the United States as well as by the Congress. We believe strongly that we can never, we can never be too vigilant in this work. Under this act, the government couldnt force a Christian church to hire an atheist, an Orthodox Jewish congregation couldnt be forced to violate its practices concerning gender roles observed in daily religious practice, and Muslim mosques, which oftentimes separate genders during prayers, werent subject to public accommodation laws. By specifically denying access to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Equality Act removes this protection. Its guilty until proven innocent legal approach shifts the burden of proof from the government to religious organizations. Rather than the government being required to demonstrate that its new laws dont hinder religious freedom, the Equality Act would require faith-based organizations to prove their beliefs and practices arent an attempt to discriminate. Its a disaster in the making. Dennis Prager famously wrote that the events of 2020 were the test of our lifetime for religious leaders and that many were failing miserably. The Equality Act is a test we cannot fail. In the early days of America, it was the so-called Black Robe preachers who stood for truth, fought for religious freedom, railed against slavery, and argued for the very idea of American independence. They were so successful in this endeavor that they were viewed by the British as singlehandedly sowing the seeds of our nations birth. We must take up their mantle in our time, and when we do, we will see a new birth of freedom in this country. If we fail, we already know from history what will happen. Pastor Cristian Ionescu, who fled Romania to escape religious persecution, has spoken publicly about how his country went from freedom to totalitarianism. The Romanian communists knew that the church was the only thing standing in their way, so they subverted religious teaching to bring it into line with their agenda. For those churches who resisted, the regime isolated and then even eliminated those voices. If Paul Revere were here today, he would be sounding the alarm that Big Tech, Big Inc., and Big Government are engaged in a coordinated effort to achieve a New American Unity, a unity in which there is one voice, one set of values, and a unitary religious doctrine. This is not the end of freedom of religion in America, it is the end of America herself. We have two paths before us. We can choose the road to a Chinese Communist Party model of state-approved religion with state-approved dogma and repression of dissent, or we can choose the path of freedom. As Joshua once enjoined the Israelites to choose this day whom they would serve, its for every faith leader in America to make a choice. For me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Brian Gibson is pastor of HIS Church and founder of PeaceablyGather.com. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday threatened to start a farmers' tractor agitation in after Delhi, and said time has come to gherao the state capital Gandhinagar and also break barricades if needed. Talking to reporters outside the Sabarmati Ashram here, Tikait claimed farmers in were unhappy and suffering. Hundreds of farmers have been camping at Delhi's borders since November last year against the Centre's three agriculture reform laws. They are demanding a repeal of the three laws along with a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce. The protesting farmers took out a tractor rally in Delhi on January 26. "Farmers will conduct an agitation in using their tractors. Time has come to gherao Gandhinagar and block roads. If needed, we will have to break barricades too," Tikait said. The BKU leader is on a two-day tour of Gujarat since Sunday to campaign against the Centre's three farm laws. On the second day of his visit, Tikait, accompanied by former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela, paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram. "Farmers are suffering because there is no agitation here. There is no backing from courts also. Farmers are compelled to say they are happy and making profit. Please give us that technology which is helping Gujarat's farmers to reap benefits," said Tikait. He claimed farmers of Banaskantha are compelled to sell potatoes for Rs 3 per kilogram. "Is that enough to make farmers happy? We have come here to remove fear from the minds of farmers. We will agitate in a peaceful manner," Tikait said, when asked about his future plans for Gujarat. Later, Tikait and Vaghela reached Karamsad town in Anand district and paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at his native place. Tikait then headed to Bardoli in Surat, where he would address farmers in the evening. (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.) CORINTH, N.Y. -- Douglas Smead has spent 70 years wondering about the fate of his oldest brother, a U.S. Army private who went missing during savage fighting in bitter cold weather around the Chosin Reservoir, in what is now North Korea, in the early months of the Korean War. Pvt. Walter A. Smead disappeared while his artillery unit was holding a hill, covering the retreat of other forces and then itself falling back. He was listed as missing in action. After three years, the military declared him presumed killed -- but his body was never found, and his fate in some sense remained unknown. Not anymore. Relatives of the 24-year-old soldier, who grew up in the northern Saratoga County hamlet of Hadley, were recently notified that the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, using a DNA match from Doug Smead, has identified Walter's remains as among those returned by North Korea in the wake of the Donald Trump/Kim Jong-un summit in Singapore in 2018. The family received phone calls from a notification officer on St. Patrick's Day. Now, tentative plans are being made to bury the remains --- a few arm bone fragments -- at Saratoga National Cemetery late this summer, with full military honors. "When I saw the name on caller ID, I just knew what it was," said Doug Smead's daughter, Bonnie Wolff, who lives outside Philadelphia and has taken an interest in her uncle's case. "I haven't had a better day in a long time, with the pandemic." Her 84-year-old father, who lives in the village of Corinth about 30 miles north of Schenectady, is Walter Smead's youngest brother. While they were too far apart in age to be close, Doug Smead actively tried to determine what happened. In 1955, he enlisted in the Army, thinking he might solve the mystery. He was stationed in Korea -- though by then the active fighting was over -- where, as a member of the Signal Corps, he tried working the phones. The effort was to no avail. "I was Signal Corps, so I had access to telephones," Smead recalled last week. "I made calls to headquarters, and from there to Japan. [The call] came through as from headquarters, so they thought it would be important. You'd have a little old private calling a major. Of course, I thought he was a private, too." But, Smead found, authorities had "no idea" what had happened to Walter, whose status was changed from MIA to "presumed killed" at the end of the fighting in 1953. Doug Smead got out of the Army after two years, came back to Corinth and worked a 40-year career at the International Paper mill in the village, then its largest employer. He never forgot his brother. And the military, in its slow, precise way, never gave up. In 2003, the Army asked Smead for a blood sample, the sample later used to make the DNA match. He said they didn't tell him why the sample was needed. But the POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which since World War II has analyzed and identified thousands of unidentified military remains from World War II, Korea and Vietnam at a state-of-the-art laboratory in Hawaii, was doing its work with the blood sample and newly available remains, matching DNA. It officially updated Walter Smead's status to "accounted for" on March 16. There were more than 7,500 service members unaccounted for at the end of the Korean War, and just 591 had been positively identified as of last week. Those positively identified include 71 people from the boxes of remains North Korea turned over to the United States in 2018. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency says its mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting for missing personnel to their families and the nation, and it adds several dozen service members a year -- sometimes more -- to its list of those accounted for, based on analysis of bone fragments, DNA, and other factors. While the Smead remains were turned over through a diplomatic summit, there have also been periods, especially between 1996 and 2005, when Korean and American teams have been allowed to conduct searches in North Korea, including digs around Chosin in 2001 and 2005. Brutal Battle Walter Smead spent much of his short life in the Army. He served in Europe at the end of World War II and was called up again for Korea. There, he was a member of Battery A, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry. Four years after the Korean Peninsula was divided along the 38th Parallel in the wake of World War II, the war began in June 1950, when forces from Communist North Korea invaded the South. While they were initially successful on conquering most of the country, U.S./U.N. forces under Gen. Douglas MacArthur counter-attacked, and pushed the communists back to nearly the Chinese border by November. That prompted the Chinese to enter the war in support of North Korea, the precipitating event that led to the Chosin Reservoir fight. An overwhelmingly large Chinese force attacked Army and Marine divisions encamped around Chosin in bitterly cold, subzero weather, leading to enormous losses on both sides and the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Chosin is not only infamous for its brutality but because the battle changed the course of the war: It ended any thinking that the U.S./U.N. forces would achieve an easy and complete victory. The sides would fight for nearly three more years, settling into a stalemate and a return to the original dividing line, which remains today. During the battle, 4,385 U.S. Marines and 3,163 U.S. Army personnel were listed as casualties of fighting, with thousands more listed as casualties of the freezing weather. The fighting over a two-week period was so bloody, and U.S. losses so high, that those who survived branded themselves "The Chosin Few" or "The Frozen Chosin." During the Chinese attack, Seventh Division units, including Smead's, held out for five days on the east side of the reservoir, giving the Marines more time to organize a retreat, military historians say. Smead is listed as having died on Dec. 6 near the south end of the reservoir, holding the Chinese attackers at bay while other units beat a strategic retreat. "Every once in a while I get to thinking about what he must have been thinking, and it's just devastating," Bonnie Wolff said. She said the family has had members serve in the military going back to the American Revolution, but it isn't really a "military family" serving wasn't a tradition, but seen more as a way to advance and get away from small towns dominated by mills, as Hadley and Corinth once were. Growing up, Wolff and her brother knew there was a Purple Heart medal in the basement, though their dad didn't talk much about his missing brother. But she knew he was a missing soldier, and when the POW/MIA Accounting Agency held a meeting for families of the missing in Philadelphia a few years ago, she went out of curiosity. "As I saw other people stand up and say, 'My dad was found,' or 'My brother was found,' it gave me chills," she recalled. "Just knowing that that has happened gives hope." Wolff is glad the identification was made while her father is still alive and she appreciates the North Koreans for returning the remains, which she believes were found when excavation was being done for a power plant. "The Koreans are very strategic about what they do, so I don't know if it was convenient for them. But either way, we are grateful to them," she said. Walter Smead's aren't the only Chosin battle remains to be returned to the Capital Region in recent years. In 2018, the remains of Army Pvt. First Class John Martin were returned to his family in Albany and Martin was interred at Saratoga National Cemetery. Those remains weren't identified until 17 years after they had been turned over to U.S. custody. This article is written by Stephen Williams from The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, N.Y. and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com. Regular Covid testing will result in a 'public health disaster' with thousands forced needlessly to self-isolate, an academic has warned. Officials hope the multi-billion-pound scheme, under which everyone in England will be invited to take two free tests a week, will help to ease the country out of lockdown safely. The Prime Minister insisted it will 'stop outbreaks in their tracks' and is necessary to ensure that the sacrifices made in recent months 'are not wasted'. But Allyson Pollock, a professor of public health at Newcastle University, warned the rollout of mass testing is 'going to do more harm than good'. Branding it a 'scandalous waste of money', she said regular testing when cases were low would result in more false positives than actual cases, forcing people to self-isolate unnecessarily. Her argument was backed up by a review of all studies into lateral flow tests the type that would be used which suggests the country is already at the level where there may be more false than true positives. 'The Government is rolling this out without any good evidence of the cost, the harms or the benefits,' Professor Pollock told LBC radio. 'Lateral flow tests are a problem because they miss people. Cases are falling to rock bottom now the majority of cases will be false positives and that will result in people having to isolate unnecessarily.' She added: 'It's giving a lot of money to commercial companies where the tests have not been evaluated and piloted in proper public health settings. This is a public health disaster.' Government experts are satisfied the DIY swabs, widely used by schools, care homes and the NHS, are a key tool in reopening society. The tests are said to have identified 120,000 cases that might not otherwise have been picked up. From Friday, people will be able to request packs of test kits for home use to collect from a pharmacy, or be tested at council-run sites or in workplace schemes. Taking 15 to 30 minutes to produce a result, they are faster, cheaper and easier to use than the 'gold standard' PCR (polymerase chain reaction) laboratory tests. Ministers have agreed anyone testing positive will be offered a PCR test to confirm the result. But critics fear LFTs are not sensitive enough to be relied on, particularly in detecting the asymptomatic cases that make the virus so difficult to control. Last month, a major review of 64 studies found that the rapid antigen tests correctly identified an average of 72 per cent of infected people, falling to 58 per cent of asymptomatic cases. Expensive business: Mass testing could cost the country untold billions When infection rates were low in the community, the tests picked up far more 'false positives' than positive samples. Speaking last month, Jon Deeks, professor of biostatistics at the University of Birmingham, said: 'One of the issues which should have been picked up is these tests work a lot less well in people who are asymptomatic.' He described using the tests every week on the entire population as 'beyond reckless'. Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser to Test and Trace, said 'the risk of false positives is extremely low less than one in 1,000'. Boris Johnson told the No 10 briefing last night testing 'will be a great advantage to us all'. This perverse plan will spark fear-mongering and anxiety COMMENTARY by Dr John Lee The Governments announcement yesterday of twice-weekly testing for everybody in the country who wants it could hardly be more perverse. It flies in the face of both good public health policy and official assurances about the most effective way to combat the virus. Just as normality appears to beckon, the goalposts have been moved again. This colossal exercise will cost untold billions and lead to new bouts of fear-mongering and anxiety. It will do nothing for Britains already-battered public finances, with national debt and annual deficit already at record peacetime levels because of ministers financially cavalier responses to Covid. Predictably, the Government are remaining tight-lipped about the cost of the new testing regime. But at, say, a low Government price of 5 per PCR test, and even if only 25million people test twice a week, the cost would easily soar above 1billion per month. Such financial profligacy might not matter if such mass testing were proven to be effective against the virus. Instead, I am far from alone in fearing it will do nothing of the sort. No test is 100 per cent reliable. The more tests conducted, the greater the number of errors. As health officials have admitted, less than 0.1 per cent of these lateral flow tests is thought to produce a false positive result, wrongly indicating that a patient has contracted the disease. The Governments announcement yesterday of twice-weekly testing for everybody in the country who wants it could hardly be more perverse That may sound like a tiny fraction, but it means that for every million people tested there will be almost 1,000 false positives. Since the Government wants the entire population to be tested twice a week, that implies a false positive rate of around 120,000 people every week all people being wrongly told that they have the virus. Think of the implications. That is a population the size of a large city, every month, being compelled by law to go into self-isolation when they are not even infected. From there, they are expected to order a more reliable and far more expensive PCR test, which will confirm that they are not infected. By this time, they have pointlessly wasted time at home, missing out time with family, earning money in a job or exercising. The human cost will only soar. And in truth, the total of false positives could be even higher. A study last year by Oxford University and Porton Down put the false positive rate at between 0.32 per cent and 0.39 per cent, which could mean almost half a million people per week being mistakenly required to shield if the whole country was testing. Whatever the final tally of false positives, these erroneous infection rates will be a health disaster, feeding an incorrect belief that vaccines are not working and the country at large remains in mortal danger. It will be catnip to those over-cautious voices on the Governments Sage committee at least one of them a Communist party member who believe that lockdowns, masks, social distancing and other illiberal, authoritarian regulations are to become our new way of life, perhaps forever. The Government insists that this mighty new show of testing is essential to catch asymptomatic cases: that is, infected people who show no symptoms. But this is yet another absurdity. If you have no symptoms, you are not personally at any risk. And just as importantly, despite repeated claims to the contrary, there is no credible scientific evidence that asymptomatic people are a significant risk for transmitting the disease to others. One thing seems all too clear from yesterdays announcement. We are all going to pay far too high a price for this expensive and ill-conceived scheme. Two Scranton Republicans want state Rep. Marty Flynn thrown off the May 18 special election ballot for the vacant 22nd state Senate District seat. Charlie Spano and Arthur J. Albert, better known as Joe Albert, contend Flynn never personally filed a valid financial interest statement on time. Instead, a man named Luke Borwegen electronically filed Flynns financial interest statement March 18 and an unknown person filed an unsigned, written copy with the Pennsylvania Department of State a day later, their challenge says. Borwegen is Flynns campaign manager, but Albert and Spano say Borwegen is neither a candidate nor a public official. That and the unsigned copy mean Flynn personally never filed a financial interest statement in time as required by the state Public Official and Employee Ethics Act, according to the challenge they filed Thursday asking the state Commonwealth Court to remove Flynn as a candidate. The deadline for filing nominating papers, which must include a financial interest statement, was March 29, according to the Department of State calendar for the special election. The law specifically says failing to file a financial interest statement means someone can be removed from the ballot. Flynn, D-113, Scranton, faces Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak, a Republican, in a special election intended to fill the last 18 months of former state Sen. John Blakes term. Blake resigned March 8 to take a job as U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwrights new district director. Democrats chose Flynn as their nominee March 13. Republicans chose Chermak as their nominee March 25. We want to make sure its as clean as can be, Spano said. Follow the rules. Hes done it before. ... Whats the big deal? Flynn said he filed an amended financial interest statement Thursday. He identified Borwegen as his campaign manager. Attorney Adam C. Bonin, Flynns lawyer, said the amended statement was filed electronically by Flynn personally Thursday evening after he learned of the challenge, with a physical copy provided to the Department of State on Friday. It was an understandable human error and this should resolve this, Bonin said. Courts have consistently ruled for 30 years against removing people from the ballot for ticky-tack matters, he said. Attorney Thomas W. King III, the lawyer for Spano and Albert, said March 29 was the filing deadline. Thats too late, King said of Flynns filing Thursday. Thats acknowledging were right. The court had not set a date for a hearing as of Monday afternoon. The case could hinge on whether someone other than a candidate may electronically file a financial interest statement on the candidates behalf. King said he knew of no previous cases decided on noncandidate electronic filing. Bonin provided a 2011 Commonwealth Court ruling in an Armstrong County school board race that centered on the lack of a signature on a financial interest statement. In that case, a candidate filed an unsigned financial interest statement, but the court said that wasnt a good enough reason to throw her off the ballot. SCOTUS grants cert to address circuit split over "harmlessness" in federal habeas review | Main | US Sentencing Commission releases "Overview of Federal Criminal Cases, Fiscal Year 2020" April 5, 2021 "Doing Away With Disorderly Conduct" The title of this post is the title of this new article by Rachel Moran recently posted to SSRN. Here is its abstract: Disorderly conduct laws are weapons the powerful wield against the unpopular. All fifty states and many municipalities have disorderly conduct laws that criminalize speech and conduct ranging from unreasonable noise to opprobrious language. Although these laws are facially neutral, their astounding breadth and vagueness serve as a rubber stamp for law enforcement to surveil and criminally charge marginalized people. Their targets include communities of color, people with unpopular religious or political beliefs, and people whose mental health struggles render them incapable of complying with societal expectations of order. While courts and scholars have criticized these laws for decades, none have explicitly called for their abolition. This article does so. The article examines both the constitutional flaws of disorderly conduct laws and the many societal harms they enable, before ultimately concluding that any minimal good they accomplish cannot justify the damage they inflict. Amidst a growing national reckoning over the crisis of abusive and discriminatory policing, this article provides a timely critique of the criminal laws that empower such policing. It uses disorderly conduct laws as a lens through which to examine the extraordinary costs of overcriminalization and the vulnerable people who most often bear the brunt of such costs. While disorderly conduct laws are not the only criminal laws legislatures should consider eliminating, they are both constitutionally and socially problematic to a degree few other criminal laws achieve. April 5, 2021 at 10:23 AM | Permalink Comments I have many times seen the police use a charge of "disorderly conduct" to arrest a citizen for what is plainly protected free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This includes a University of Kentucky student who was a passenger in the back seat of an SUV, rolling down a street on a Saturday U.K. football day. As the car passed a group of 3 police officers standing at the curb, the intoxicated student stuck his left arm out the window and gave the police his middle finger, turned up! The police got into their vehicles, chased down the SUV and arrested the passenger for (1) public intoxication and (2) disorderly conduct. Even the police department's training manual explicitly tells officer-trainees that they cannot arrest citizens for cussing them out or giving them the middle finger. Yet these officers did it anyway. The student-defendant spent the weekend in jail. When he was arraigned at 1 p.m. on the following Monday, the Judge did not appoint counsel to represent the young man. Instead, she told him that if he pleaded guilty, she would sentence him to "time served" and he could go home that day, within 2 hours. Of course, the Judge knew (or should have known) that flipping off the police is not disorderly conduct, but she covered for them anyway, and did not even appoint an attorney for the 20 year old. The misuses of "disorderly conduct" charges can get pretty outrageous. Posted by: Jim Gormley | Apr 5, 2021 11:40:01 AM Post a comment Burma Myanmar Junta Spokesman: Daw Aung San Suu Kyis Father Would Think Her Stupid A screengrab from the video: CNN's Clarissa Ward (left) talks to regime spokesperson Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun (right). Since seizing power from the countrys democratically elected government in February, Myanmars military regime has been struggling on all fronts. Two months on, the men in uniform continue to perform poorlyexcept when it comes to killing their own citizens, something they have excelled at, having taken the lives of more than 500 people during their crackdowns. Nationwide public resistance to their rule continues unabated. Undeterred by arrests and forced evictions at the hands of the regime, huge numbers of civil servants are still refusing to work for them. Local administrative offices have been set alight. On the propaganda front, they are faring no better. Just ask CNN! The Myanmar military regimes spokesperson has attracted public ire for his comments on the countrys democratically elected leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, during an interview with the network, saying he believed her fatherindependence hero General Aung Sanwould think she was stupid. Led by the networks chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward, a CNN team has been on a guided tour of Myanmar since last week, attempting to cover, with the regimes permission, what is going on in the country. Following the military coup in February, the entire country erupted into protest against the regime, calling for the uprooting of the military dictatorship. In response, the junta has killed more than 500 people, including children, during its nationwide crackdowns on protesters. On Sunday, during a sit-down interview, Ward asked regime spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun if he thought Gen. Aung San, who founded the Myanmar military more than seven decades ago, would be horrified if he were alive today to see what was happening in the country. According to a leaked video clip of the interview, the spokesperson replied via an interpreter, If I have to [imagine myself] in his place, he would say How stupid my daughter is. In the footage, Ward is visibly stunned by the reply, responding, How stupid my daughter is? Apparently, it wasnt the answer she was expecting. Making matters worse, rather than lingering on the question of how Gen. Aung San would respond to the killing of civilians by the military he founded, the leader of the Tatmadaw (military) information team clumsily trotted out the militarys longstanding line of attack on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, one that has become a tired cliche by nowher marriage to a foreigner, the late Michael Aris, who was British. The brigadier general implied that Gen. Aung San would disapprove of his daughters marriage to a foreigner because an article in Myanmars 2008 Constitution bans anyone with a foreign spouse from taking the countrys leadership position. The charter was drafted by the military and many believed that the provision in question59(f)was specifically included to bar Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from the presidency. The worst was yet to come, though. Apparently unsatisfied with offering a reply that was totally irrelevant, he offered another that was totally inaccurate. That [ban from the presidency for having a foreign spouse] was not our invention. It was already stated in the 1947 Constitution, which was drafted under the supervision of Gen. Aung San. In an embarrassing gaffe for an officer tasked with speaking for coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and his regime, the spokesperson revealed he hadnt done his homework when it comes to Myanmars history. Article 49 of Myanmars 1947 Constitution, which deals with eligibility for the office of president, makes no mention of foreign spouses; it simply states that no person shall be eligible for election to the office of President unless he or she (a) is a citizen of the Union who was, or both of whose parents were, born in any of the territories included within the Union, and (b) is qualified for election to the Union Parliament. Defining the qualifications of an elected person, Article 74 of the charter prohibits any person who is under any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a foreign power, or is a subject or citizen or entitled to the rights and privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign power. After the interview clip went viral, Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun unsurprisingly came in for public scorn on social media for insulting the Myanmar peoples leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Many ridiculed him by observing that it if anyone was stupid, it was the brigadier general himself, who not only answered the interviewers question with an irrelevant statement, but also quoted an imaginary provision of the 1947 Constitution. You may also like these stories: Four Myanmar Soldiers Killed in Grenade Attack in Sagaing Region Chinas Policy on Myanmar Junta Endangers its Interests: Analyst Shadow Government Outlines Federal Union Plan for Myanmars Future Adding an industry veteran like Jonathan will help us continue our momentum in the alternative risk solutions space, said Tracy Stopford, managing director and RISC co-leader. NFP, a leading insurance broker and consultant that provides property and casualty (P&C), corporate benefits, retirement, and individual solutions, today announced that Jonathan McKenzie, vice president, head of US captive management operations, and Ramon (Rob) Ramos, senior account executive, have joined NFPs Risk and Insurance Strategy Collective (RISC). RISC is a specialty practice within NFP that provides a comprehensive range of tech-forward alternative risk, captive consulting and on-going captive management solutions. These additions reflect NFPs focus on adding specialists that help clients overcome complex risk challenges and continued commitment to the captive industry. McKenzie comes to NFP with more than 20 years of captive and risk management experience. Most recently, he served as head of captive management at Alterna, where he developed captive insurance operations, providing financial and regulatory services to US-domiciled captive insurance companies. McKenzie will work closely with Tracy Stopford and Kara Tencellent, managing directors and co-leaders of RISC, to advance operational and business development initiatives, while creating innovative client facing technology and analytics resources that enhance clarity and value for clients. In addition to leading a team of finance and insurance professionals, McKenzie will assist with the growth and further development of NFPs management solutions for new and existing clients. He will report to Stopford. Ramos, who joins NFPs RISC team with over 17 years of experience in the captive industry, most recently served as an account executive with Marsh Management Services. Prior to Marsh, he was with USA Risk Group for over 10 years and spent time in public accounting. Throughout his career, Ramos has been closely involved in all aspects of the management of captive insurance companies. He has managed a portfolio of diverse companies across multiple key domiciles. He will report to McKenzie, assisting in the development of new business opportunities for RISC. Both McKenzie and Ramos are active members of many captive associations. They will continue to serve on various committees within the captive industry. Adding an industry veteran like Jonathan will help us continue our momentum in the alternative risk solutions space, said Stopford. The breadth of his experience, depth of captive market knowledge and extensive industry relationships will help drive our growth and enhance our ability to help clients identify and understand creative and innovative alternative risk solutions that align with their needs. Im excited to join the NFP team and have the opportunity to work with Tracy and Rob, who both have exceptional experience in the captive space, said McKenzie. The diverse expertise and proven dedication to the captive industry across the RISC team puts us in a great position to enhance the insight and value we deliver to clients. About NFP NFP is a leading insurance broker and consultant providing specialized property and casualty, corporate benefits, retirement, and individual solutions through its licensed subsidiaries and affiliates. NFP enables client success through the expertise of over 5,800 global employees, investments in innovative technologies, and enduring relationships with highly rated insurers, vendors, and financial institutions. NFP is the 5th largest benefits broker by global revenue, 5th best place to work in insurance and 6th largest US-based privately owned broker (Business Insurance); 9th commercial lines agency by P&C commercial lines revenue and 10th largest property and casualty agency (Insurance Journal); and 12th largest global insurance broker (Bests Review). Visit NFP.com to discover how NFP empowers clients to meet their goals. This story originally appeared on Jewish Food Society Recipe Roots: Chesterfield, CT > Brooklyn > Long Island In her interfaith family part Italian Catholic, part Ashkenazi Jewish Mindy Martorana serves recipes from her husbands family like meatballs and gravy that she learned from her mother-in-law Josephine. From her side of the family, she makes her grandmother Alices rich dairy noodle kugel on Easter, the fourth of July, and says it may have even graced the familys Christmas table in years past. I use food to remind my children about their culture and what my roots were like, she says. Her familys history can be traced through the layers of that kugel. Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, Mindys great grandmother Celia became ill with tuberculosis, forcing her to leave her family on the East Coast to seek treatment in a sanatorium in California. Her children went to live with their aunt, known affectionately in the family as Tonta Sonny, on a farm in Chesterfield, Connecticut. Tonta Sonny was part of the New England Hebrew Farmers of the Emanuel Society, an agrarian community for Jewish immigrants, many of whom escaped religious persecution in Europe and were living in crowded urban centers. Alice, Mindys grandmother was just four years old when she arrived on the farm. [Sonny] would have been who taught her to cook, Mindy explains, including the kugel. By the late 1950s, when Mindy was little, the kugel was a family staple. Living just two floors downstairs from her grandparents in a Brooklyn apartment building, Mindy fondly remembers Alice making kugel and her signature pot roast upstairs. When Mindy and her parents moved to Long Island in 1964, the kugel traveled. Her grandparents would take the Long Island Railroad to visit and everytime they came, she brought her kugel, baked in a disposable pie plate, says Mindy. We couldnt wait for her to come. The kugel followed her to college, when her grandmother made it for friends who lived in the dorms away from home. And, when Mindy married and started a family, the kugel recipe was passed down. It arrived, written by hand on a thin piece of paper wishing Mindy: Happy eating and a happy and healthy New Year. With love, Grandma. This is an opinion column. I have a terrible back. Repeated lower back injuries forced me to abandon distance running, which I loved. Crossfit and boot camp type workouts? Forget it. Thats how I found myself walking into a local yoga studio a few years ago. I needed a form of exercise that would allow me to stretch and strengthen my body--particularly my core--without the risk of heavy or repetitive impact. What I discovered in the studio was an activity that did just that and more. Aside from the movement, theres a lot of deep breathing, stillness, and focusing on one thing at a time involved in yoga practice--things that are highly beneficial to our mental and physical health but I find difficult to do independently. My mind races from days spent in front of screens, jumping quickly from post to post, idea to idea, image to image. Alabama banned yoga in public schools in 1993, based on concern around its origins in Hinduism. And those origins are a fact. If you dont believe me, ask the Hindu groups that are mad about yogas mass commercialization, which strips it of its spiritual context. The Hindu American Foundation has a Take Back Yoga campaign designed to return yoga to its roots as a religious discipline. They are not charmed by our western adaptations like yoga+spin, dog yoga, goat yoga, etc. From their website: Most of what is billed as yoga around the world is not the yoga described in the Yoga Sutras or any of the original texts. Rather it has morphed into a form of asana without faith, devotion, or understanding underlying it, and therefore, more akin to mere exercise. Mere exercise. In its purest form, yoga is more than mere exercise, and my fellow conservatives are right to view it with suspicion. But HAF is correct that Americanized yoga is something altogether different. My experience leads me to believe that the language of Representative Jeremy Grays bill (HB 246), designed to lift the wholesale ban on yoga in Alabama public schools, is on target. Grays own experience with yoga as a college cornerback convinced him of its physical benefits and proved that yoga doesnt have to be practiced in a religious context. Like Gray, I am a Christian. I am a conservative, Evangelical, theologically rigid type. I have been in yoga classes with numerous instructors, each of whom has a different style. Admittedly, a few have been the sort who embrace yogas spiritual aspect and take it in a direction that conflicts with my theology. I dont chant mantras (Why would anyone chant things they dont fully understand, in a language they dont even speak?). I dont acknowledge or participate in rituals that hint at religious pluralism. Like the opponents of HB 246, I would not want my child in a class that included those elements. On the other hand, many instructors approach yoga in a way with which Im entirely comfortable. Theyre all about just focusing on the benefit of good breathing and paying attention to your physical self as you move through the different postures, strengthening various muscle groups and improving balance. They use English names for the essential positions rather than the traditional Hindu names. I leave those classes stronger, more flexible, and more relaxed thanks to the restful postures that end most sessions. I even have a friend who teaches something called Holy Yoga, which keeps the meditative moments in a class but places a distinctly Christian emphasis on it with scripture and prayer. What does all this mean? It means that yoga has so many interpretations as to render the term almost useless. It also means that Alabama schools can feasibly allow a form of exercise that borrows the most useful elements from yoga and places hard exclusions on the parts with a religious or spiritual connotation. HB 246 aims for this sweet spot, stating that chanting, mantras, mudras, use of mandalas, and namaste greetings shall be expressly prohibited. Well, I should hope so. If we are barred from leading children to pray in the Christian tradition, we must apply the same standard to the corporate expression of other religions. After passing the House, the bill stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee last week on a tie vote. However, it was carried over by Senator Tom Whatley and can be revisited when more committee members are present. This is good, as I think the bill deserves another look. Record numbers of students are battling ADHD, anxiety, and other conditions that make learning difficult. Studies show that yogas slow, intentional pace and movements yield real, measurable benefits to these kids. It helps them release pent-up energy, improves their ability to focus, and even improves their social skills. I empathize with the groups and individuals who view yoga with suspicion because I probably would be among their number if not for my own experience. But practiced within the thoughtful guardrails provided by HB 246, this form of exercise can provide tangible benefits to Alabama students. Dana Hall McCain writes about faith, culture, and public policy for AL.com. You can follow her on Twitter @dhmccain. Burma Four Myanmar Soldiers Killed in Grenade Attack in Sagaing Region Feature caption - Myanmar soldiers deploy to block protesters in Kale town, Sagaing Region on Mar. 1. / Khonumthung News Four soldiers died on Sunday afternoon when a grenade was hurled into a truck as local residents fought back after the soldiers had shot at anti-regime protesters erecting road blocks in Sagaing Regions Tamu. The junta forces opened fire in Tamu, which lies near the border with India, around 4pm on April 4, as well as using slingshots to target protesters and attempting to destroy roadblocks set up by local residents. Protesters fought back for two hours, according to a Tamu resident who wished to stay anonymous. But while some of the anti-coup demonstrators sustained injuries, no civilians in Tamu died Sunday. Since a protester was shot dead and seven others injured by soldiers in Tamu on March 25, both protesters and local residents have taken up arms, using improvised explosive devices and shields to defend themselves against the security forces. All the residents of the town have united in opposition to the security forces after the death of protester Ko Myo Min Aung, also known as Ko Pho Kalar, 33, on the night of March 25, said Tamu residents. Junta forces also detained three severely injured people who were on their way to a hospital in Sagaing Regions Kale Township. The following day, four soldiers died as Tamu residents began to defend themselves. On April 2, six members of the security forces died when striking police officer Thang Hou Gin led an attack on security forces deployed in Tamus fire station. Thang Hou Gin was killed in the incident, making him the second Tamu resident to die in the Spring Revolution, the resident told The Irrawaddy. Over the last ten days, at least 14 soldiers have been confirmed dead even as the regimes security forces have intensified their brutal crackdown on protesters, who are now reacting to the violence by any means possible. One protester said that Tamu residents of all ages have been supporting the student protesters, with striking police officers leading the defense against the regime forces. Soldiers were once again patrolling the town on Monday, but the protester said that the people would continue to defend themselves. People across the Sagaing and Magwe regions have also been defending themselves against the juntas forces. To the south of Tamu, villagers in Kale and Yinmarbin Townships are using traditional, homemade percussion lock firearms and homemade gas pressure guns firing glass or steel balls to defend themselves against the regime. https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-villagers-take-homemade-weapons-regimes-security-forces.html Villagers in Gangaw Township of Magwe Region have also clashed with security forces, after the military sent reinforcements to the soldiers attacking protesters in Kale Township. Since the militarys Feb. 1 coup, the junta forces have used live rounds, hand grenades and explosives during two months of deadly crackdowns on peaceful anti-regime demonstrations. Protesters across Myanmar have been defending themselves since mid-March with traditional homemade firearms, homemade gas pressure guns, handmade bows and arrows and Molotov cocktails. As of Sunday evening, at least 564 people have been killed nationwide by the security forces and more than 2,600 are being held in detention. You may also like these stories: Chinas Policy on Myanmar Junta Endangers its Interests: Analyst Shadow Government Outlines Federal Union Plan for Myanmars Future Russia Plots Its Next Moves on the Myanmar Chessboard To improve security and safety of social network environments for students, especially secondary students, Hanois Bac Tu Liem district has implemented the pilot model "For a healthy environment on social networks. The signing ceremony on the pilot model "For a healthy environment on social networks" between Bac Tu Liem District's Education and Training Department and the local police agency. Teenagers are more vulnerable to unhealthy information on social networks and can make misperceptions and take regrettable actions, said Major Phuong Minh Thang, Deputy Chief of Bac Tu Liem District Police Agency. There are 16 secondary schools with a total of nearly 13,000 students in Bac Tu Liem District. According to Thang, the local police agency solved 16 cases of abuse of children under 14 years old, including children being seduced by people that they befriended on the internet and then were sexually harassed by these individuals. Some 14-year-old students even committed suicide, leaving a note saying they were suffering from depression and pressure in life but were unable to share this with family members. This behavior is partly due to the frequent use of social networks. Police in Bac Tu Liem District advised the local People's Committee to implement the pilot model at Phuc Dien Secondary School. The police will coordinate with the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Applied Science and Technology in Crime Prevention and Fighting of the People's Police Academy to plan electronic lessons with appropriate content. This model will then be applied to the remaining 15 schools in the district. Ms. Do Thi Kim Loan, Principal of Phuc Dien Secondary School, said that for many years, the school has regularly held seminars about laws and regulations, including educating students to use social networks properly. These seminars are usually in forms of on-stage performances, games, questions and answers, among others. Thanks to such activities, students have made positive changes in perception and behavior. When there is coordination between the district police, school and parents, it can help teenagers learn how to use social networks more safely, Loan said. Our school is trying to ensure that all of our students have basic knowledge about the Law on Cyber Security and use social networks safely and effectively, as well as know how to stay away from criminals and societys vices in cyberspace, said Loan. PV Scrambling to escape a flame-engulfed boat on Easter Sunday, a father cradles his two-year-old child as they bolt down the jetty. A long-weekend trip with friends ended in horror after a boat suddenly exploded north of Sydney, leaving four people in induced comas with severe burns. CCTV footage from the Hawkesbury River Marina, at Brooklyn, captured the moment the vessel exploded near Dangar Island just after 5pm when the skipper turned on the ignition shortly after refuelling. The group can be seen casually strolling back to the watercraft after a brief pit stop at the jetty to refuel before packing into the vessel. Several people crowd around the skipper in the stern while others stand on the bow, waiting to take off. CCTV footage from the Hawkesbury River Marina, at Brooklyn, captured the group piling onto the boat moments before it exploded on Easter Sunday The boat exploded when the skipper turned on the ignition, the force knocking those on the stern to the ground But as the key strikes the ignition, the stern combusts and flames pour over all of those standing at the rear of the boat, with the force knocking them flat. A couple and a two-year-old child standing on the bow dash down the front of the vessel to jump onto the boardwalk as the father tightly clutches the infant, footage shows. Those in the front quickly clamber over the sides of the boat back onto the wharf to escape, with several people doubling back to help stumbling friends. Eleven people were on or near the boat when it exploded, with the injured running back to the marina where bystanders turned the area into a makeshift triage, filling containers with water and grabbing hoses to soothe burns, 9News reports. Meanwhile, local postman Cain Betterson jumped in his tinny and rushed to the boat to try and extinguish the flames. Revving his tinny's motor, he sprayed water at the flames before turning to fire extinguishers, then rammed the boat away from the wharf. 'I know the old girl puts up a big bit of water so it was the best I could do and get it away from the bowser,' Mr Betterson said. 'With the amount of fuel that's on that and the amount of fuel that's here and all the residents I love all these people here.' Emergency services rushed to the scene where they found eight people injured and flames devouring the boat. A NSW Ambulance spokesperson said two patients were rushed to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition while four people were taken to Royal North Shore Hospital in a serious condition. Two others were treated for minor injuries by paramedics at the scene. A female victim, 27, is fighting for her life at Royal North Shore Hospital with burns to 60 per cent of her body, while two other woman, aged 25 and 29, and a man, 22, remain in serious conditions and in induced comas at the same hospital. The group ran down the jetty, with a father clutching his two-year-old child, as the boat burned in the Marina Six people were rushed to hospital after a boat exploded at the Hawkesbury River Marina, at Brooklyn (pictured), just after 5pm on Sunday The 25-year-old suffered burns to 40 per cent of her body, while the 29-year-old and 22-year-old sustained burns to 12 per cent of their bodies. A 33-year-old man, and another man whose age is yet to be determined, were taken to Westmead where they are being treated for minor burns. NSW Ambulance inspector David Morris said the explosion was the most catastrophic he had seen in his 15-year career. 'It's one of the worst incidents I've seen in my 15-year career in ambulance, and thankfully we had all the other emergency services here to help us out,' Morris told media after the incident. An onlooker said they were eating ice creams at the marina when they noticed the mother and toddler taking pictures near the bow of the vessel. The woman appeared to be taking pictures with the little one right up until the explosion, which occurred at the other end of the boat. 'Thankfully the couple with the baby were on the bow of the boat and not near the explosion,' the witness said. 'We witnessed a really horrific scene.' Another witness said a woman with 'several kids' had stepped off the boat moments earlier to buy ice cream nearby, The Daily Telegraph reported. Local postman Cain Betterson (pictured) rushed to the boat to try and extinguish the flames One woman is in a critical condition, three people are in a serious condition, and another two suffered minor injuries Rural Fire Service volunteers treated the patients at the scene until paramedics arrived. 'NSW Ambulance along with other emergency services established a triage area to assess all of our patients,' NSW Ambulance inspector David Morris said in a statement on Sunday evening. 'Once the area was established, patients were reassessed by NSW Ambulance medical teams. 'NSW Police provided assistance in escorting these patients to various hospitals with medical teams awaiting their arrival.' Two crews from Marine Rescue Hawkesbury began extinguishing the flames before the RFS arrived to put out the fire with assistance of Fire and Rescue NSW. Fire and Rescue NSW said firefighters were tasked with driving ambulances to allow paramedics to treat patients in transit because of the seriousness of their injuries. The vessel has sunk in shallow water with a slow fuel leak, with hazardous materials experts called in to contain it. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. [April 05, 2021] Graham Holdings Company to Acquire Leaf Group Ltd. Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of Leaf Group Ltd. (NYSE: LEAF) at $8.50 per share in an all cash transaction valued at approximately $323 million. Leaf Group, headquartered in Santa Monica, CA (News - Alert) , is a consumer internet company that builds enduring, creator-driven brands that reach passionate audiences in large and growing lifestyle categories, including fitness and wellness (Well+Good, Livestrong.com and MyPlate App), and home, art and design (Saatchi Art, Society6 and Hunker). "At Graham Holdings, we look for businesses that can prosper under our ownership and Leaf Group's collection of marketplace and media brands make for a growing company that can do just that. We're thrilled to partner with Sean (Moriarty) and his team and look forward to driving profitable growth at Leaf Group," said Timothy J. O'Shaughnessy, chief executive officer, Graham Holdings Company. Sean Moriarty, chief executive officer of Leaf Group, said, "We could not be more pleased to be joining forces with an organization with such a rich history and shared commitment to excellence. Together, we look forward to ontinuing to build on the strong momentum Leaf Group generated over the past year, with the additional resources and expertise of Graham Holdings helping us further grow the reach of our young brands and innovate for our customers, creators and audiences." The transaction is expected to close in June or July of 2021 and is subject to approval of the Leaf Group shareholders, regulatory approval and the satisfaction of other closing conditions. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this press release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "foresees," "could," "forecasts," "estimates" or other words or phrases of similar import. It is uncertain whether any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what impact they will have on the results of operations and financial condition of the combined companies or the price of the Company's stock. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the ability to close the announced transaction, the ability to realize the potential benefits of the acquisition, the possibility that the closing of the transaction may be delayed, the outcome of any legal proceedings related to the transaction, and other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For additional information about other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Company's periodic reports and other filings with the SEC (News - Alert) , including the risk factors identified in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and further disclosures in the Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005195/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] LAWRENCE - Whereas most people look at Antoine Vollon's sumptuous painting "Mound of Butter" and see pure, yellow joy, University of Kansas Professor of Art History Marni Kessler sees a severed head and underlying rancidity. Same sort of thing when she looks at Edouard Manet's "Fish (Still Life") and Edgar Degas's "Portrait of a Man" bracketed by cuts of meat. Kessler's new book, "Discomfort Food: The Culinary Imagination in Late Nineteenth-Century French Art" (University of Minnesota Press, 2021), explains in sometimes personal as well as exquisitely researched historical detail a series of paintings of food by French masters in ways different than they have previously been understood. It's not that the author set out to be a contrarian or Debbie Downer. It's that she could not avoid it. For Kessler, the paintings evoke the then-contemporary Paris morgue, where curiosity-seekers beheld dead bodies fished from the Seine and put on public display, the guillotine on which political prisoners were beheaded and the slaughterhouse established outside city limits to staunch the stench and the offense to polite sensibility of back-alley butchers. Kessler's work on Manet's painting with its squirming eel also brought back, as she describes, memories of her own disgust at being invited to bait a hook on childhood fishing outings. "This book is different from my first book for me because it's very much connected -- obliquely, but in my heart -- to my own family and friends, my world, my life," Kessler said in a recent interview. "How could it be otherwise when you're writing about representations of food? If you're really thinking about the deep significance of food, you must also see that it is connected to all those things." Our knowledge of the taste and smell of food brings up all sorts of associations in the mind of someone viewing its image, Kessler believes. "Something fundamentally visceral is unleashed when we stand before images of edible things," she writes in the book. "Food has the capacity to tie us ... to our memories, our families, our traditions, our happinesses and our losses." Kessler writes that she never stopped thinking about the way Vollon's "Mound of Butter" made her feel a combination of enthralled and uneasy the first time she saw it in the National Gallery of Art 15 years ago. "I understood that this was a painting that far exceeded any superficial sense of the glory of butter," Kessler said. "I felt there was this unctuousness within the dazzling brushwork. I could see that the mound looked like it was melting -- and I detected a head. My friend didn't see it, but what I saw was a particular painting, which I cite in the chapter, that I had learned about as a graduate student, and I couldn't help but wonder whether the artist had been thinking about that painting, too. Whether he was or he wasn't isn't something I will ever be able to or want to prove. However, I can speculate about it and try to build the case." To do so, Kessler delved into a variety of topics in 19th-century French history. She cites evidence that butter "was one of the most highly adulterated substances" at the time. "And so my argument hinges on the fact that butter was often an amalgamation of things - some poisonous -- unrelated to it, and that it generated anxiety for contemporaries," she said. "Butter is also inherently fragile and protean, and the artist builds upon those qualities by referencing the shape of a head, and ... thus also forging a connection to the guillotine, which was still in use and highly contested throughout the 19th century. It was not just a device from the revolution of 1789, but, rather, it became increasingly controversial, especially in the second half of the 19th century. And so suddenly this painting opened out in ways I could not have anticipated. It was the recognition that this painting both is and isn't just about butter that drew me to it in the first place. I had no idea until I started to do my research how complex butter was at the time, and how it was so very fraught for people then. Gradually I came see how the seeming simplicity of an edible substance could simultaneously engage such disquiet and how that tension could hold so much meaning." Leaning in to that recognition and acknowledgement of food's inherent discomfort "led the project along," Kessler said. The insight was certainly there when she discussed Manet's "Fish (Still Life)" with a friend. She recounted their conversation: "I wish I could write about this painting. I so much want to write about that majestic lemon, and the copper pot is remarkable, too. It is such a beautiful painting; so affecting. But that eel! I just cannot do it! That eel disgusts me. And she said, 'Maybe you should confront the eel.' It was a totally offhand remark, but what a meaningful point she made. And it was in the process of working on this painting and truly confronting the eel, both literally and metaphorically, that I discovered some of the reasons why this painting had such a pull for me, one of which was the way the mullet at the center of it just broke my heart. It looks so melancholic." Kessler said she's pleased with her colleagues' initial reactions to the book. She looks forward to speaking about it for the Hall Center, in cooperation with the Lawrence Public Library, in a virtual book talk set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 28. "The book is rooted in the archive and scholarship," she said. "It is rooted in the images and close analysis. But it also expands upon certain conventions of the academic book, turning it into something that can encompass the personal in a way that I think - and I hope readers think -- is meaningful. I've been hearing from people that they really appreciate this aspect of the book, and I'm touched by that." Image: "Mound of Butter" oil on canvas by Antoine Vollon, 1875/1885. Credit: Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington ### How detectives from Scotland Yard, Romania, Germany, and Italy nabbed the so-called Mission: Impossible gang, which pulled off a string of daring warehouse heists. We exported certain goods for which payment is fully realised. Now, the foreign buyer has raised some claims due to improper packing and late shipment. We want to remit these claims. What is the treatment of such export claims by RBI and under the laws? As per Para C.22 of RBI Master Direction no. 16/2015-16 dated January 1, 2016 (as amended), on Export of Goods and Services, AD Category-I banks may remit export claims on application, provided the relative export proceeds have already been realised and repatriated to India, and the exporter is not on the caution list of the RBI. In all such cases of remittances, the exporter should be advised to surrender proportionate export incentives, if any, received by him, says the RBI. Reading this provision, in harmony with Rule 96B of the CGST Rules, 2017, I am of the opinion that you must surrender proportionate refund of the IGST paid on the export goods obtained, or the proportionate refund of the unutilised input tax credit obtained, because sending back part of the export proceeds realised effectively amounts to shortfall in realisation of export proceeds. There are 11 trade terms in Incoterms 2020. We understand that the Bill of Entry captures only CIF, CFR and FOB. Is that so? In the ICEGATE, the drop-down menu gives four options of Incoterms CIF, C&F, C&I and FOB. We are registered under the Composition Scheme. What is the due date for filing our annual return for the year 2020-21? You have to file the annual return for the year 2020-21 on or before April 30, 2021. We want to start exports. We understand that we can furnish a Letter of Undertaking (LUT) and export without payment. When are we required to furnish the LUT? You must furnish the LUT in form RFD-11 online before carrying out exports. Para 2.87 of the Handbook of Procedures, Vol. 1, says that realisation of export proceeds shall not be insisted under Foreign Trade Policy, if the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or any Authorised Bank (authorised by RBI for this purpose) writes off the requirement of realisation of export proceeds on merits and the exporter produces a certificate from the concerned Foreign Mission of India about the fact of non-recovery of export proceeds from the buyer. However, this would not be applicable in self-write-off cases. What is meant by write-off the requirement of realisation of export proceeds on merits? In my opinion, it means that the bank must be satisfied about the bona fides of the case and that in spite of his best efforts, the exporter is or would be unable to realise the export proceeds. That satisfaction would depend on the facts of the case. For example, the cost of legal recourse may be disproportionate to the unrealised amount of the export bill, or where even execution of a Court decree in favour of the exporter would be difficult. Business Standard invites readers SME queries related to excise, VAT and exim policy. You can write to us at smechat@bsmail.in [April 05, 2021] Full Circle Fiber Invests in Reel Telecommunications Reel Telecommunications ("Reel" or the "Company"), a communications construction services firm, announced that it has been acquired by Full Circle Fiber Partners ("Full Circle"), an affiliate of Mill Point Capital. Reel will continue to operate independently under its new name, Reel Broadband LLC. Reel is a fast-growing business that will continue to expand its leadership in telecommunications infrastructure services within the Full Circle Fiber platform. The Reel team includes tenured, industry-experienced management with a proven track record of providing quality service under demanding timeframes. Since the Company's founding in 2001, Reel has specialized in a wide variety of services, including project management, fiber optic replacement & splicing, aerial & underground construction and engineering & design. The Company is headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida, with additional offices in Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Georgia and the Bahamas. Mill Point is a middle-market private equity firm focused on control investments in North America. Mill Point employs an Executive Partner model and has extensive experience investing in transactions in the communications and business services sectors. The board of Full Circle includes communications industry veterans such as Wayne H. Davis. Reel marks Full Circle's fourth acquisition in the communications services space, following investments in Knight Broadband, Noble Broadband and MTC Consulting in 2020. Under the ownership of Full Circle, Reel wil continue to build upon its strong track record of performance and reliable customer service, while executing on the variety of opportunities in front of the Company today. The combination of Reel's expertise in the telecommunications sector, with Full Circle's existing presence in the cable space, immediately enhances the platform's value proposition while expanding customer relationships and geographical reach. Les Smith, Chairman of Reel, commented, "We are thrilled to be joining the Full Circle family, and are excited about their commitment to our growth going forward. I am extremely proud of the extraordinary track record our team has built over the years, and look forward to the next chapter for Reel." "Under the leadership of Les Smith and Wes Parsons (News - Alert) , Reel has established a proven history of dependable execution for its customers. We look forward to partnering with the entire Reel team to support the extensive growth opportunities in front of the Company as well as the broader Full Circle platform," said Michael Duran, Founder and Managing Partner of Mill Point. About Reel Headquartered in Deerfield Beach, FL, Reel specializes in a wide variety of telecommunications construction services, including project management, fiber optic replacement & splicing, aerial & underground construction and engineering & design. Reel has an outstanding reputation in the North American communications industry for new build, rebuild, upgrades, telephone construction and storm restoration projects. Reel is a pioneer in the field, at the forefront of technology and innovation. For more information, please visit www.reeltel.com. About Mill Point Capital Mill Point Capital is a middle-market private equity firm focused on control-oriented investments in the industrial, IT services and business services sectors. The firm works with executive partners to leverage its investment professionals' experience while providing strategic and operational guidance to drive long-term value creation in its portfolio companies. Mill Point is based in New York, NY. For more information, please visit www.millpoint.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005456/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 05, 2021] ASTS Global Education Makes Students Industry-Ready With Certif-ID BANGALORE, India, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ASTS Global Education Inc. is a pioneer technical training provider. An ISO 9001:2008 Certified company, ASTS Global Education aims to provide top-notch education by industry experts. Students are equipped with in-demand job skills in domains like oil and gas, piping and structural engineering design and analysis, marine / offshore structural engineering and solar power engineering. ASTS Global Education aims to create a robust pool of young, talented individuals with advanced knowledge and credentials required to get jobs in the fast-paced technology industry. "We believe that the skills gap can be bridged with proper training experience and verifiable credentials. We intend to upskill our students and provide them with a competitive edge, making them a perfect fit for the industry," said Shanil Muhammed, Managing Director - ASTS Global Education India Pvt Ltd. "Through the Certif-ID platform, we are revamping our certificate issuance, tracking and verification process. This will amplify our student's visibility, ensure security and educational continuity." "Our approach is to support ASTS Global Education and provide a technologically advanced system that will not only simplify task-heavy processes but also boost student enrollment and quality of learning," said Mike Wild, Director, Certif-ID. "Certif-ID is designed to add to the benefits that ASTS Global Education already offers, levelling the playing field for students and improving access to global jobs." Highlights: Brand Protection - Strengthens its brand against fraud, taking advantage of blockchain technology to issue tamper-free, traceable certificates. - Strengthens its brand against fraud, taking advantage of blockchain technology to issue tamper-free, traceable certificates. Operational Efficiency- Improves efficiency by adopting a robust SaaS platform to automate and streamline the entire student certification process. Improves efficiency by adopting a robust SaaS platform to automate and streamline the entire student certification process. Data Analytics- Uncovers marketing opportunities and delivers relevant courses by collecting, monitoring and analysing data across the organisation. Digital Certificates: A Faster, Simpler and Safer Option Embracing blockchain technology transitions students' physical records to secure, digital records, which can be accessed as and when needed, from anywhere. It increases process efficiencies, helps save time and space. Through Certif-ID, ASTS Global Education will gain access to a platform powered by blockchain technology. ASTS Global Education can easily manage their student records and create and issue certificates through the platform. On one hand, the encrypted certificate will empower students with verifiable skills sets. On the other hand, the platform helps in reducing labour intensive administrative processe. Apart from issuing blockchain-powered digital certificates that can be accessed and verified from across the globe. ASTS Global Education is using Certif-ID to list their courses. As the platform is skills-driven, ASTS Global Education's courses will be visible to learners with similar interests, thereby improving their enrolment, retention and learning levels. "ASTS Global Education was issuing paper certificates to domestic and international students. But the pandemic made it difficult for us to print and courier the paper certificates. We needed a better, more secure means by which we could manage not just the certificate issuance but also the verification process," said Shanil Muhammed, Managing Director - ASTS Global Education India Pvt Ltd. "Using Certif-ID, we have realised that issuing digital certificates that are verifiable and tamper-proof from the ease of a computer is the way forward." With Certif-ID's blockchain-powered solutions, ASTS Global Education achieves the following: Simplified batch creation, data management and certificate issuance process Ability to issue digital certificates from any laptop/desktop system with login credentials Creating and issuing digital certificates that can be instantly verified, re-issued and/or revoked Data insights from advanced analytics to tailor course and institute offerings Transition From Paper to Verifiable Digital Certificates Issuing digital certificates via Certif-ID upholds certificate quality and integrity. The issued certificates are immutable or non-duplicable. Certif-ID reduces the time taken to print, sign and seal certificates before sending them to learners to zero days. It also increases the certificate verification speed, without compromising on data integrity. Certif-ID's innovative, easy-to-use, integrated solutions is a scale-as-you-grow platform. It is highly scalable, giving ASTS Global Education the benefits of increased efficiencies, faster go-to-market, as well as better spend and learning outcome. "We train over 200 students every year and we needed a simple system to issue secure course completion certificates," said Shanil Muhammed, Managing Director - ASTS Global Education India Pvt Ltd. "We now issue digital certificates directly into student's inboxes and Certif-ID profiles (SkillPass) for our non-government programs. It has not only helped our students but has also helped in solidifying our brand image." SkillPass powered by Certif-ID is used to record video CVs, generate Europass CV and to save and provide access to education and professional documents to interested recruiters. SkillPass fuels students' visibility and growth by offering personalised recommendations based on their skills, which helps them construct their career pathway confidently. Building Trust Through Transparency and Traceability The Certif-ID blockchain-powered hub has supported ASTS Global Education, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, to manage course offerings and certificate issuance processes effectively. "Certif-ID is a centralised certificate management system. It allows you to list training programs, create and manage batches, customise certificate templates by adding your own images and text. Simply upload a list of names and corresponding data to each certificate and issue certificates via email," said Mike Wild, Director, Certif-ID. Post signup, Certif-ID's onboarding team helped ASTS Global Education integrate their existing LMS with the Certif-ID platform and walked them through the certificate issuance process, ensuring they have all the information and resources needed for a smooth onboarding experience. "With Certif-ID, our team gets clear visibility into the number of enrollments in each course, the batches and certificates to be issued. Certif-ID's data analytics dashboard is well built to display top courses and the number of certificates being verified. Certif-ID has positively benefited our brand reputation and has positioned us as a technology-advanced training institute," said Shanil Muhammed, CEO, ASTS Global Education. "An added advantage that our students will receive is the ability to share access to their SkillPass only to those whom they choose. Recruiters with access can verify student credentials and make an apt hiring decision. We at ASTS Global Education appreciate the support we have received from Certif-ID." About Certif-ID Certif-ID is a dedicated skills community. It is a global networking platform built on blockchain technology, connecting technical training institutions, industry professionals and recruiters. On the platform, technical training institutes can issue digital certificates placed on the blockchain, optimising their certification and placement processes. Technical professionals can build their SkillPass to showcase their skills, record online interviews, plan their learning journeys, store all relevant information in a digital portfolio and share their credentials with potential recruiters. Recruiters can screen and source candidates based on competency, verify their digital records and reduce recruitment efforts. Connecting key stakeholders in the technical sector, Certif-ID focuses on streamlining the sourcing process, bridging the skills gap between education and employment while establishing trust and transparency. Website: https://digitalcertificates.certif-id.com/ Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1480600/ASTS_Global___Certif_ID.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1274361/Certif_ID_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes for the attraction of Qatars investment in high technology, infrastructure, financial, energy and agricultural sectors. I would like to emphasize that Ukraine is open to attracting foreign investment, including Qatar's sovereign and investment funds, in such areas as high technology, infrastructure, financial, energy and agricultural sectors, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the Qatari media published on the Presidents website. The trade and economic cooperation is the basis of Ukraine-Qatar relations, the President noted. According to him, bilateral trade reached almost $150 million at year-end 2020, being twice as much as, for example, in 2018. The dynamics of trade turnover also increased. The Head of State hopes that the second meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Ukraine-Qatar Commission on Economic, Trade and Technical Cooperation will be held this year. He stressed that the Large Construction project and the investment in the agricultural sector, among other things, were promising for investors. This summer we are launching a historic land reform that establishes transparent relations in the agricultural sector. Ukraine is known for its rich chornozems around the world. Two-thirds of our territory is fertile soil. And this is more than 42 million hectares of agricultural land. Therefore, we have many areas for investment in the agricultural sector: animal husbandry, processing of agricultural products, logistics infrastructure, Zelensky said. Ukraine is a powerful supplier of metallurgical products and a reliable supplier of agricultural and food products, the President noted. Our country is ready to act as a guarantor of world food security. Ukrainian exporters are already able to implement the necessary certification procedures, first of all, compliance with halal requirements, Zelensky stressed. As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska make a state visit to Qatar on April 5. ol Coalition MPs have been urged to vote down the governments planned overhaul of the $3 trillion superannuation sector, with Labor warning a proposal to let the treasurer block investments by funds could set a dangerous precedent for corporate Australia. The Morrison government unveiled major super reforms in last years federal budget to make the retirement sector more accountable, limit the creation of multiple super accounts and cut fees. Labor financial services spokesman Stephen Jones: We are unaware of another instance where, during peacetime and without any national security concerns, a Treasurer has been given the power to cancel an investment decision. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But the super industry and Labor have raised concerns about several measures in the Your Future Your Super legislation, including giving the government the ability to block funds from making spending decisions and investments it does not like. Labors financial services spokesman, Stephen Jones, has now written to 90 Coalition MPs warning the legislation could see investment decisions weaponised in parliamentary decision making by future governments. First Minister Arlene Foster has expressed her sadness following the death of a man in an incident involving a jetski in Co Fermanagh during the Easter weekend. A mans body was recovered from the River Erne at around 3.40pm on Saturday, police said. Ms Foster tweeted: Very tragic news coming from Fermanagh today. My condolences to the family at this devastating time. Very tragic news coming from Fermanagh today. My condolences to the family at this devastating time. https://t.co/CYlwUHQdpW Arlene Foster #WeWillMeetAgain (@ArleneFosterUK) April 4, 2021 Read More Emergency services attended the scene close to the Cloonatrig Road at Bellanaleck. A police spokesperson said the mans death was not being treated as suspicious and a post-mortem examination will take place. Oman Tourism College (OTC) has signed a partnership agreement with W Muscat, to provide its students with various specialised training opportunities within its facilities. The agreement was signed by Dr Abdulkarim Al Mughairi, Dean of OTC and Gerald Chevasson, General Manager of W Muscat. The signing is in line with OTCs continuous endeavours to strengthen its network of relations with entities operating in the tourism sector, in order to provide practical training for its students and ensure their readiness to join the job market upon graduation. Commenting on the signing, Dr Abdulkarim Al Mughairi said: At OTC, we seek to establish partnerships with various tourism and hotel establishments to exchange experiences, share knowledge and develop the current academic curricula. This way we can stay updated with the current trends in the tourism and hospitality sectors and keep pace with the requirements of the job market. Moreover, entering into such partnerships will contribute towards diversification of the work environment that will prepare our students for training, as part of their graduation plan. Through these collaborations, we aim to provide the tourism sector with Omanis with the best competencies and skillsets, who will lead the progress and development of the tourism and hospitality industry in the Sultanate, with suitable practical experiences. Were incredibly excited to be working with OTC to help bring to the market a pool of new well-trained Omani talents. Learning from international best practices, it is partnerships like these that will propel the countrys hospitality offerings to a new level of service and experience, said Gerald Chevasson, General Manager of W Muscat. Since opening our doors in 2019, we have recognised our responsibility to share our knowledge and expertise in the industry with its next generation of movers and shakers and we look forward to supporting them on their way to realising their dreams. OTC continues to place great emphasis on various training programmes to enhance the skills and knowledge of its students. This prepares them for their role in developing the tourism and hospitality sectors within the Sultanate and take advantage of the job opportunities it provides. - TradeArabia News Service Researchers at the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed DeepTCR, a software package that employs deep-learning algorithms to analyze T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing data. T-cell receptors are found on the surface of immune T cells. These receptors bind to certain antigens, or proteins, found on abnormal cells, such as cancer cells and cells infected with a virus or bacteria, to guide the T cells to attack and destroy the affected cells. "DeepTCR is an open-source software that can be used to answer questions in research into infectious disease, cancer immunology and autoimmune disease; any place where the immune system has a role through its T-cell receptors," said lead study author John-William Sidhom, an M.D./Ph.D. student at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Department of Biomedical Engineering working in the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. The research was published March 11 in Nature Communications. Sidhom was inspired to develop the software after attending a presentation on the use of deep learning for the medical sciences at the 2017 meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. "I was doing research on T-cell receptor sequencing, and it struck me that this was the right technology to better analyze T-cell sequencing data," he says. Deep learning is a form of artificial intelligence that roughly mimics the workings of the human brain in terms of pattern recognition. "Deep learning is a very flexible and powerful way to do pattern recognition on any kind of data. In this paper, we use deep learning to identify patterns in sequencing data of the T-cell receptor," says Sidhom, adding that the way the software explores T-cell receptors is analogous to an internet search. "When someone performs an internet search for an image of cats or dogs, the query doesn't involve looking for images that have a caption that labels the image as a cat or dog, but rather applies an algorithm that explores the features of the images and recognizes patterns that identify the images as a cat or dog. This is deep learning." DeepTCR is a comprehensive deep-learning framework that includes both unsupervised and supervised deep learning models that can be applied at the sequence and sample level. Sidhom says the unsupervised approaches allow investigators to analyze their data in an exploratory fashion, where there may not be known immune exposures, and the supervised approaches will allow investigators to leverage known exposures to improve the learning of the models. As a result, he says, DeepTCR will enable investigators to study the function of the T-cell immune response in basic and clinical sciences by identifying the patterns in the receptors that confer the function of the T cell to recognize and kill pathological cells. One of the main challenges of analyzing TCR sequencing data is distinguishing meaningful sequencing data from inconsequential data, and DeepTCR helps perform this analysis. "There are a lot of sequences in someone's immune repertoire. There are a lot of pathogens that someone can be infected by, so the immune response is very broad. As a result, there is a sea of noise in the immune response, and only parts of it are important at a certain time for a certain infection," Sidhom explains. "I may have T-cell responses to a thousand different viruses, but when the flu impacts me, I only need to utilize a small subset of those T cells to fight the flu. The main thing that the algorithm can do is isolate and match the right T cells to specific responses." The software package, which employs a type of deep-learning architecture called a convolutional neural network, provides users the ability to find T-cell sequencing patterns that are relevant to a specific exposure, like a flu infection, a cancer or an autoimmune disease. "When presented with a lot of data, our algorithms can learn rules of these TCR sequence patterns. For example, we may not know the rules for how the body responds to flu, but with enough data, our software can learn those rules and then teach us what they are," says Sidhom. "It is very well-suited to identify complex patterns in a very, very large immune repertoire to identify the interacting partners between a T-cell receptor and its antigen." ### In addition to Sidhom, others participating in the research were H. Benjamin Larman, Drew M. Pardoll and Alexander S. Baras. The research was supported by the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, philanthropy of Susan Wojcicki and Dennis Troper in support of Computational Pathology at Johns Hopkins, the Johns Hopkins-Bristol-Myers Squibb Immuno-Oncology Consortium, and the National Institutes of Health Cancer Center Support Grant. Full Article (@FahadShabbir) Greece, Cyprus and Serbia aim to enhance trilateral cooperation in energy, transport and migration, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Monday ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th April, 2021) Greece, Cyprus and Serbia aim to enhance trilateral cooperation in energy, transport and migration, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Monday. The meeting of top Serbian, Greek and Cypriot diplomats, Nikola Selakovic, Dendias and Nikos Christodoulides, respectively, was held in Belgrade earlier in the day. The Greek foreign minister outlined the three major prospects for the development of their cooperation. "Energy first. We strive for energy security by creating alternative sources and alternative routes, and in this context, we support the planned Serbia-Bulgaria [gas] interconnector. We already have a liquefied natural gas station, and we have started the construction of a floating storage regasification unit, which can make a significant contribution to Serbia's efforts to access other sources," Dendias said. The top diplomat then named transport as the second major field to cooperate in. "We attach great importance to the pan-European X corridor, which will connect Thessaloniki through North Macedonia and Serbia to Salzburg. It is very important to have routes from the ports of Piraeus and Thessaloniki to the north so that we can quickly transport products," Dendias added. The issue of migration in Greece, Cyprus and Europe, in general, became the third major point of discussion in Belgrade. "Both we and Cyprus are on the first line in the Eastern Mediterranean in terms of migration flows to the European Union. In this regard, I think there is a clear understanding of the need for Turkey to fully comply with the 2016 agreement," Dendias said. In 2016, Ankara signed an agreement with the EU, under which the bloc paid over $6 billion to Turkey in return for the latter's efforts to limit the migrant influx. World Insights: George Floyd case underscores thorny issue of U.S. police reform 10:35, April 05, 2021 By Matthew Rusling ( Xinhua WASHINGTON, April 4 -- The ongoing murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin who last year killed unarmed black man George Floyd underscores the issue of police reform, which U.S. President Joe Biden has said he wants to address. The full video of Floyd's arrest played by prosecutors in opening statements in the trial shows that Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for about 9 minutes and 30 seconds, instead of the widely reported 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd could be heard pleading with Chauvin multiple times, saying that he couldn't breathe. Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The incident sparked nationwide protests and led to even some calls to de-fund the police. "Biden wants the police to work closely with the communities they serve and avoid the aggressive tactics that have been used in certain places," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. "This includes a ban on chokeholds and greater accountability when law enforcement actions lead to death or bodily harm," West said. During Biden's six terms as a senator, he had strong backing from cops' organizations. He pledged to address police reform during his campaign, as well as the broader issue of racial inequality in the United States. But the issue is not an easy one to tackle, as police have a tough job, and are often confronted with situations in which their lives are at stake and they must make split-second decisions, experts say. Republicans take a pro-law enforcement stance, and fear that any of Biden's potential reforms could mean inhibiting officers' ability to control violent crime, or that they could put officers' lives in danger. West said Republicans will condemn the Democratic moves as making it harder for police officers to enforce the law. Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua that Biden could take a number of steps toward police reform. One is to legislate a grant program for municipalities to build up community policing in their police departments. The vague phrase covers many activities that those who support de-funding the police favor, especially using social workers and paramedics to help handle many police calls where the threat of violence is low. Another is to pass legislation that would wind down mass incarceration, as the extraordinary size of the aging U.S. prison population is more and more expensive. This subject has bipartisan legs in Congress, and it has many different aspects, some of which would pass with little difficulty, Ramsay said. Moreover, Attorney General Merrick Garland's Department of Justice (DOJ) can resume federal investigations of abuse in local police departments and sue them, Ramsay said. If a police department doesn't want to face DOJ lawyers in court, it can sign a consent decree which commits it to change its behavior with DOJ supervision -- this tool was abandoned by the DOJ under former U.S. President Donald Trump, Ramsay said. "We are about to see whether Garland brings it back and how forcefully he uses it," Ramsay said. But critics said some Republicans claim the DOJ is shackling the police out of political correctness. "Police reform is not going to be police reform. Who knows what they'll put" into an executive order or bill to reform police, GOP strategist and TV news personality Ford O'Connell told Xinhua. He was referring to criticisms that over half of Biden's recent COVID-19 rescue package was what many called a progressive wish list that had nothing to do with COVID-19. (Web editor: Du Mingming, Bianji) The resulting spike called 2P, for the two new proline molecules it contained was far more likely to assume the desired tulip shape. The researchers injected the 2P spikes into mice and found that the animals could easily fight off infections of the MERS coronavirus. The team filed a patent for its modified spike, but the world took little notice of the invention. MERS, although deadly, is not very contagious and proved to be a relatively minor threat; fewer than 1,000 people have died of MERS since it first emerged in humans. But in late 2019 a new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, emerged and began ravaging the world. Dr. McLellan and his colleagues swung into action, designing a 2P spike unique to SARS-CoV-2. In a matter of days, Moderna used that information to design a vaccine for Covid-19; it contained a genetic molecule called RNA with the instructions for making the 2P spike. Other companies soon followed suit, adopting 2P spikes for their own vaccine designs and starting clinical trials. All three of the vaccines that have been authorized so far in the United States from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech use the 2P spike. Other vaccine makers are using it as well. Novavax has had strong results with the 2P spike in clinical trials and is expected to apply to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization in the next few weeks. Sanofi is also testing a 2P spike vaccine and expects to finish clinical trials later this year. Two prolines are good; six are better Dr. McLellans ability to find lifesaving clues in the structure of proteins has earned him deep admiration in the vaccine world. This guy is a genius, said Harry Kleanthous, a senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He should be proud of this huge thing hes done for humanity. But once Dr. McLellan and his colleagues handed off the 2P spike to vaccine makers, he turned back to the protein for a closer look. If swapping just two prolines improved a vaccine, surely additional tweaks could improve it even more. At least 87 people are dead and dozens more still missing after flash floods and landslides hit Indonesia and neighbouring East Timor, officials said Monday Lembata, Indonesia, April 5 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Apr, 2021 ) :At least 87 people are dead and dozens more still missing after flash floods and landslides hit Indonesia and neighbouring East Timor, officials said Monday. Torrential rain unleashed a deluge and subsequent landslides, turning small communities into wastelands of mud and uprooted trees and forcing thousands into shelters. Cyclones continued to pound the hard-hit region Monday, hampering efforts to reach trapped survivors. Indonesia's disaster agency said about 66 people have been killed so far. Another 21 people also died in East Timor, said an official in the tiny half-island nation of 1.3 million that lies between Indonesia and Australia. Many of the deaths were in Timor's inundated capital Dili. In Indonesia's remote East Flores municipality, mud has washed over homes, bridges and roads, while strong waves have prevented search teams from accessing the hardest-hit areas. On Lembata, an island east of Flores, parts of some villages were swept down a mountainside by torrents of mud and carried to the shore of the ocean. Soon after flash floods began tearing into resident Basir Langoday's district in the early morning, he heard screams for help from a nearby home covered in rubble. "There were four of them inside. Three survived but the other one didn't make it," he told reporters. Langoday and his friends scrambled to try and save the trapped man before he was crushed to death. "He said 'hurry, I can't hold on any longer," Langoday added. - 'Medicine, food, blankets' - Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed "deepest condolences" over the devastation. "I understand the deep sorrow suffered by our brothers and sisters because of this disaster," he said in a nationwide address. VO1FN: The 144 MHz Trans-Atlantic SDR Monitoring Station John Desmond EI7GL writes in his blog about the VO1FM monitoring station in St. Johns Newfoundland that will be listening for trans-Atlantic FT8 signals The station is expected to start monitoring 144.174 MHz from the end of May. Read John's post at https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2021/04/vo1fn-144-mhz-trans-atlantic-sdr.html Follow EI7GL on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ei7gl The recent spate of large supply chain data breaches has affected government organizations across the national, state and local levels. The SolarWinds attack discovered in December of last year exposed many top U.S. federal agencies to Russian hackers. This breach, billed as one of the largest of all time, came through an infected update from a software provider. This was followed pretty quickly by the revelation that French government agencies had been hacked in a multiyear effort, also by the Russians, that used a network monitoring tool similar to SolarWinds. And just in the last few weeks, we have heard that Accellion, a company that offers security software , was breached by ransomware hackers who used network access to infiltrate many of their clients. The list of victims includes several government organizations such as New Zealands National Bank and Washington states Auditors Office that handles unemployment claims (Imagine the banking and payment information the hackers can access!). It seems these sophisticated hacking groups, known as advanced persistent threats (APTs), have decided to take on a hack once, breach many strategy to increase the impact or profitability of their efforts. And indeed, this method can be a real force multiplier in terms of the number of organizations and volumes of data they can access. Attacks through third parties have been around for years most notably the Target hack in 2013 where 40 million credit card numbers were stolen but only recently have the state-sponsored bad actors really capitalized on these types of attacks.These efforts are often focused on either surveillance or intelligence rather than monetary gain, though they are not without financial elements, especially for groups affiliated with poorer countries. These groups try to go after long-term persistence in a network get in the system and stay there for a while rather than smash and grab efforts, like earlier hackers. Perhaps it's just to wreak more havoc, like ransomware hackers who want to infect all your backups and live servers. Or, as in the case of the recent Russian hacks, they are more interested in gathering data to advance national intelligence goals. And in some cases, particularly those with extremist elements, they might be looking for access to industrial controls in critical infrastructures to cause real-world or kinetic events. This was demonstrated by the joint (allegedly) U.S./Israel effort to hack Iranian centrifuges in their nuclear program, which was successful in destroying thousands of centrifuges. And the Russians have been particularly active in this area, shutting down a Ukrainian power plant and affecting operations at several other industrial plants. This doesn't just apply to large governments or major facilities. A small water plant in Oldsmar, Fla., was recently breached by unknown hackers who managed to adjust levels of chemicals in the water supply to highly dangerous levels. An observant plant operator who noticed and corrected the setting was the only thing that stood between the hackers and a major health impact on the area.From these examples, we can see that hackers are highly interested in using government third-party suppliers at all levels, from the Pentagon to small water processing plants. And it is clear that they have significant resources to do this. It is estimated that it took over 1,000 Russian developers to write the software for the SolarWinds malware. Statistics like that can make hackers appear like an overwhelming threat to defend against, especially for smaller counties or city governments.However, inaction is not an option. Small governments must protect their citizens rights and safety as much as big governments, perhaps more so, since they are more closely connected to the daily lives of their constituents.What can be done in the short and medium-term? A formal third-party risk management (TPRM) program would be ideal. However, if you don't have the resources for that, do an audit of any and all vendors who might have access to your systems and data in any capacity. Many small cities and entities like municipal utility districts (MUDs) use proprietary software packages which are often operated by mom-and-pop developers with little concern for security. Such was the case in the Florida water plant hack. You must insist they bring their security up to par, or you find an alternative solution.And dont forget your software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers either. Just because the software or data does not reside on your infrastructure does not make it any less sensitive or critical. Once the review is done, you have to go through and remediate any gaps you find, whether that is through new policies and procedures (no sharing accounts or simple passwords) or technical controls, which may cost money and impact local budgets.In the bigger, long-term picture, the federal government has to take cybersecurity more seriously, both from a funding and a legislation standpoint . There is some hope that this will happen with the new administration, but it remains to be seen if talk will turn into action and real change. Only with a concerted effort across all levels of government, big to small, national/state to local, will we be able to overcome this cyber assault and keep our citizens safe and secure. BARRY COUNTY, MI -- A woman was has died following a one-car crash on Lockshore Road in Barry Countys Prairieville Township. The Barry County Sheriffs Office responded to the incident about 7 p.m. Sunday, April 4. The 26-year-old driver veered off the road and collided with a tree, according to a press release issued by the sheriffs office. The driver was heading northbound on Lockshore Road near West Hickory Road. The woman was then transported to a Kalamazoo hospital where she died from her injuries. No other passengers were in the vehicle. Drugs or alcohol have not been named factors at this time, according to the press release. Police are still investigating the incident. Barry County deputies were assisted at the scene by Michigan State Police, Prarieville Fire Department and Pride Care EMS. Read more: Michigan man charged with 28 felony counts after allegedly shooting at police Man dies after vehicle goes off road, hits culvert in Ottawa County One dead after shooting in Walker Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the worlds largest aluminium smelter ex-China, today (April 5) launched its mini Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) campaign titled The Right Choice. The campaign, which was inaugurated by Albas Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali, will be held virtually from April 5 to 12 and broadcasted live via virtual platforms to Alba employees and contractors workers. Commenting on the campaign, Al Baqali stated: We are what we repeatedly do, and Safety Excellence is a habit entrenched in our culture and Values. Safety is practiced every day individually and collectively in Alba this is our forever motto. The Right Choice campaign demonstrates our ONE-team spirit in making Safety a first choice in everything we do. The Right Choice Campaign is different from its predecessors as it highlights the joint efforts exerted by teams to improve the overall Safety, Health and Environment in Alba. A total of 27 teams submitted their initiatives, which were then shortlisted by a judging panel who chose a winner for each of the Safety, Health and Environment categories. The week-long campaign will also feature special lectures by external speakers from the Supreme Council of Environment, General Directorate of Traffic, and International Organisation for Child Protection.--TradeArabia News Service Wanted Graves County Man Found in Jefferson County By West Kentucky Star Staff JEFFERSON COUNTY - The McCracken County Sheriffs office reported that Aaron Foss of Graves County has been taken into custody.The 32-year-old Foss was arrested in Jefferson County, Kentucky by the Shively Police Department.Foss has been sought for outstanding warrants out of McCracken County. He is also facing additional charges in Jefferson County. ATLANTA, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Audi of America has selected DEKRA North America as the partner for the Audi Authorized Collision Repair (AACR) program. DEKRA will provide multi-level service for the AACR program beginning today. The AACR program includes more than 200 repair facilities nationwide, each selected for its commitment to quality and safety. Technicians at approved facilities undergo specialized training and use Audi Genuine Parts, specialized tools, and approved procedures to ensure that every vehicle is returned to factory condition. "The absolute focus of the Audi Authorized Collision Repair program is the customer," said Mark Allen, Collisions Program Manager for Audi of America. "Throughout the collision repair process, we seek to not only meet the needs of our customers, but to delight them. Audi of America selected DEKRA as our partner because of our shared commitment to service excellence, quality, and safety." DEKRA will provide comprehensive collision program solutions for the AACR program, with focus on the areas of compliance, program management, and reporting. Using its proven procedures and extensive experience in auditing, DEKRA will validate and ensure ongoing compliance of approved facilities, as well as auditing new facilities to grow the AACR network. New data collection, analytics, and visualization methods will be introduced to improve reporting and insights. "DEKRA will give us a better understanding of how parts are used, repairs are completed, and, ultimately, how we can better serve our customers," said Mark Allen. As one of the world's leading safety companies, DEKRA will also bring new tools and solutions to the partnership. DEKRA's i2i technology will offer accurate, comprehensive audits and inspections. A parts management solution will be implemented to further develop the restricted parts program, and DEKRA iQC Live will provide an option for real-time, live monitoring throughout the repair process. "Collaboration, transparency, and accountability are at the heart of our partnership with Audi of America," said Christian Ruecker, General Manager of Automotive Services for DEKRA North America. "The AACR program is one of the best in the industry, and DEKRA will bring improved reporting, validation, and management support to further enhance the offering." ABOUT DEKRA NORTH AMERICA DEKRA NORTH AMERICA protects people, assets, and our community by providing comprehensive testing, inspection, certification and consulting services around the globe. DEKRA NORTH AMERICA is a service unit of DEKRA S.E., a global leader in safety since 1925 with over 45,000 employees in 60 countries across all six continents. ABOUT AUDI OF AMERICA At Audi of America, we believe the Future is Electric. Our U.S. model lineup will be 30 percent electrified, including fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, by 2025, and globally we are committed to net CO2 neutrality by 2050. In 2020, Audi sold 186,620 vehicles in the U.S., and this year, we look forward to the next chapter in our journey to reinvent premium mobility with the arrivals of the fully electric Audi e-tron GT and Audi Q4 e-tron. Learn more about who we are and how we're working to create a more electric, innovative, and inclusive future at audiusa.com or media.audiusa.com. SOURCE DEKRA North America A three-cornered battle is on the cards in 31 assembly seats that are set to go to polls on Tuesday in the third phase of Bengal elections, with the seeking to breach fortresses, and Left Front-ISF-Congress alliance hoping to make a mark in areas, where identity politics has gained ground. More than 78.5 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise and decide the fate of 205 candidates -- prominent among them being leader Swapan Dasgupta, minister Ashima Patra and CPI(M) leader Kanti Ganguly -- in three districts -- Howrah, Hooghly and South 24 Parganas. Tight security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful voting, with 618 companies of CAPF deployed to guard 10,871 polling stations, all of which have been marked "sensitive" by the Election Commission. State police forces will also be deputed at strategic locations to aid the CAPF. With the Covid-19 situation in the state taking a turn for the worse, polling will be held amid strict adherence to health protocols across all 31 constituencies -- 16 in South 24 Parganas (part II), seven in Howrah (part I) and eight in Hooghly (part I). The had won all but one seat of these 31 segments in the 2016 assembly elections. The Congress had managed to bag Amta constituency in Howrah district. The saffron party, however, left the Left and the Congress behind to emerge as the main contender of the Mamata Banerjee-led party after the 2019 general election. The Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, held by political heavyweight and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, will be closely watched, as four of its seven assembly segments will go to polls in the third phase, and the rest will follow suit in the fourth phase on April 10. The Indian Secular Front (ISF), floated by Peerzada Abbas Siddiqui, has turned out to be a cause of concern for the TMC, as the outfit holds sway in several parts of South 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, having sensed the ISF's potential to eat into her party's minority vote base, had been hitting out at Siddiqui, alleging that he has been propped up by the BJP, a charge vehemently denied by the cleric, who is taking on the ruling party with gusto. Clashes between the ISF and TMC supporters have been reported from Bhangar and Canning East in South 24 Parganas, as the Siddiqui-led party gears up to give the ruling dispensation a tough fight in association with the Left Front and the Congress. Adding to the ruling camp's woes, the has fielded sitting MLA and TMC turncoat Dipak Halder, who wields considerable influence in the area. Sharpening its attack on the TMC over issues ranging from corruption to political violence, the BJP held power- packed campaigns across the three districts over the past few days, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who addressed several public meetings. Besides, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union minister Smriti Irani held a slew of rallies in these areas. The TMC chief, who is still recuperating from her injuries, traversed the length and breadth of the three districts on her wheelchair, highlighting her government's development schemes, and hurling barbs at the BJP over price rise, and other central government policies. (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.) According to the grant, she will use the additional space to create a food manufacturing center to support minority owned food and beverage business owners. The center will be a site for co-packing, production and research and development. The grant funds will enable her to develop a pilot program to support two minority owned businesses from the stages of R&D, through processing, packaging to bringing the products to market. Startups will have access to incubator space, capital, skilled workforce and regulatory training, Green said in the grant proposal. The government is facing a legal challenge over claims it funnelled cash to Tory areas with its "levelling-up" fund. The leafy market town constituencies of Rishi Sunak and Robert Jenrick are among areas to benefit from an unusual funding formula that critics accused of amounting to "pork parallel politics". Now legal campaigners from the the Good Law Project are will take the government to court contending that the design of the 4.8bn Levelling Up Fund is unlawful. They cite an investigation by the National Audit Office, which found that the government's list of targets for the cash had been published without supporting information to explain why they had been chosen. The House of Commons' cross party Public Accounts Committee had also said the lack of transparency had left to concerns of "political bias" in the allocation of funds. Read more: Forty out of the first 45 schemes to be approved in March had at least one Conservative MP. In a letter of claim sent last week, the campaigners argue that the project is unlawful on four counts. They say ministers appear to have breached their duty under the equality act to carry out an equalities impact assessment, breached their common law duty of transparency, acted irrationally because of flaws in their methodology, and that decisions were tainted by irrelevant considerations/improper purpose, namely the electoral advantage (or potential electoral advantage) of the Conservative party. Jolyon Maugham, the barrister who founded the campaign group, said: "If you think that it's coincidence that Tory marginals are huge beneficiaries I have a fine bridge to sell you. To ensure the Tories don't use public money for party purposes, the Good Law Project is suing." The campaigners cite Chris Hanretty, Professor of Politics at Royal Holloway, University of London, who looked at the funding formula and evidence presented by the National Audit Office and government. "On the basis of the data collated by the ministry and published by the NAO, there is robust evidence that ministers chose towns so as to benefit the Conservatives in marginal Westminster seats," he wrote. "This evidence is robust in the sense that the effects persists even when controlling for other town characteristics that might justifiably affect selection. "Choosing towns to benefit a particular party goes against the seven principles of public life (the Nolan principles), and in particular the obligation to 'take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias'." UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 June 2021 Members of the Household Cavalry during the Major General's annual inspection of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in Hyde Park, London PA UK news in pictures 2 June 2021 Hannah Vitos of the Blenheim Art Foundation, poses for a photograph next to artist Ai Weiwei's Gilded Cage (2017) sculpture in the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 1 June 2021 People swim in the Sky Pool, a transparent swimming pool bridge across two exclusive residential blocks standing next to the US Embassy in Nine Elms, in London, Tuesday, June 1, 2021 AP UK news in pictures 31 May 2021 People enjoy the hot weather at Brighton beach Reuters 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 The Good Law Project has previously challenged the government to court over alleged cronyism in PPE contacts, clean air, and access to remote education during the pandemic. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: The 4.8bn Levelling Up Fund is open to all places in Great Britain and will play a vital role in helping to support and regenerate communities. The published methodology makes clear the metrics used to identify places judged to be most in need. It would not be appropriate to comment on potential legal action. Then there was President Dwight Eisenhower, whose administration was behind the biggest annual mass deportation of undocumented workers in U.S. history after 1.3 million people were rounded up in 1955. Most were returned via trains and planes to Mexico, which welcomed the deportees back because the country was going through a labor shortage. The Andrews governments flagship Suburban Rail Loop project will not be a continuous line connecting Melbournes western and south-eastern suburbs, with commuters forced to change trains at least once to complete the 90-kilometre journey. Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan confirmed on Monday the new Melbourne Airport station would feature an interchange and indicated passengers could also be required to change trains at other stations. Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan, with her backbench colleagues and Nicole Stoddart from the Suburban Rail Loop Authority (far right), providing an update on the underground line at Clayton station. Credit:Joe Armao Given ... thats a 90-kilometre loop, I think its fair to say there will need to be key points on that loop, just as there is on the existing train network interchange, Ms Allan said. Interchanging is just part of a modern rail network. It hasnt necessarily been a feature of Melbournes network because we havent had the population that needs a different sort of rail network. INDIANAPOLIS -- The high incidence of COVID-19 and resulting sudden changes in the health of many long-stay nursing home residents across the country have amplified the importance of advance care planning and the need for periodic review of the process, especially as widespread vaccination changes the calculus of the disease. Two new studies from Indiana University and Regenstrief Institute focus on POLST, a medical order form widely used in nursing homes that documents what life-sustaining treatments a person prefers to receive or not receive, such as hospitalization or comfort-focused care. The studies, published online ahead of print in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS), found discrepancies between medical orders recorded in the POLST form and nursing home residents' (or surrogate decision-makers, for those unable to make their own decisions) current treatment preferences and explore reasons for the lack of agreement. "COVID has elevated the importance of making advance care planning decisions and periodically reviewing these choices, because, as we have seen very clearly over the past year, major care decisions may need to be made quickly and needs may change," said research leader Susan Hickman, PhD, director of Indiana University Center for Aging Research at Regenstrief Institute and a professor at IU School of Nursing and IU School of Medicine. "Our finding that nursing home residents or their surrogate decision-makers often no longer agreed with their POLST form highlights the critical need to work with nursing homes, residents and their families to ensure these documents are reviewed regularly and updated to reflect current situations and preferences." The researchers found that less than half of all POLST forms of the 275 study participants matched current treatment preferences for resuscitation, medical interventions, and artificial nutrition. However, the POLST was more than five times as likely to agree with current treatment preferences when these orders reflected preferences for comfort-focused care. In interviews, participants reported the mismatch was due to factors including a lack of key information when they filled out the form and not revisiting POLST when the resident experienced a change in condition. "One of the more surprising findings of our work was that a notable number of individuals whose current treatment preferences did not match POLST did not desire to update their POLST form," said Dr. Hickman. "Obviously, nursing homes and clinicians need to work on educating people about the importance of these decisions. We are working to help them with these efforts." ### In addition to Dr. Hickman, authors of "Factors associated with concordance between POLST orders and current treatment preferences" are Regenstrief Institute Research Scientists Alexia M. Torke, M.D. and Greg A. Sachs, M.D.; Rebecca L. Sudore, M.D., University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, Qing Tang, M.S., and Giorgos Bakoyannis, PhD, of IU School of Medicine and the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI; Nicholette Heim Smith, BSN, and Anne L. Myers, MPH, of IU School of Nursing and Bernard J. Hammes, PhD of Respecting Choices, a division of C-TAC Innovations. Authors of "Reasons for Discordance and Concordance between POLST Orders and Current Treatment Preferences," in addition to Dr. Hickman, are Regenstrief Institute Research Scientists Alexia M. Torke, M.D., and Greg Sachs, M.D., both also of IU School of Medicine; Nicholette Heim Smith, BSN and Anne L. Myers, MPH of the IU School of Nursing; Rebecca Sudore, MD of University of California San Francisco School of Medicine; Bernard J. Hammes, PhD of C-TAC Innovations. Both studies were funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health under grant number R01NR015255. About Regenstrief Institute Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its research scientists are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe. Sam Regenstrief, a nationally successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute's research mission. About IU School of Nursing Indiana University School of Nursing is one of the largest nursing schools in the nation that offers a full range of programs from undergraduate to doctoral. Over 22,000 IUSON alumni across the globe are empowered to be leaders in clinical practice, research, education, and innovation. The School's DNP program is ranked #1 in Indiana according to 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools Rankings with the master's program ranked in the top 50 in the United States. About IU School of Medicine IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. About Susan Hickman, Ph.D. In addition to leading the IU Center for Aging Research at Regenstrief Institute, Susan Hickman, PhD, is a professor at Indiana University School of Nursing, a professor and Cornelius and Yvonne Pettinga Chair of Aging Research at IU School of Medicine, and the co-director of the IUPUI Research in Palliative and End-of-Life Communicating and Training (RESPECT) Signature Center. GREENWICH, Conn., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Brynwood Partners VIII L.P. (" Brynwood VIII ") announced today that it has acquired De Wafelbakkers from its current owners, The Oklahoma Publishing Company (" OPUBCO "), a subsidiary of the Anschutz Corporation. Terms and conditions of the deal are not being disclosed. De Wafelbakkers is a leading manufacturer of branded, co-manufactured and private label frozen pancakes, waffles and French toast in the U.S. The Company's great-tasting products are sold to grocery and mass retailers, as well as into foodservice outlets nationally. De Wafelbakkers is headquartered in North Little Rock, AR where it operates a 100,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility. The Company also manufactures products from its 98,000 sq. ft. facility in McDonough, GA. De Wafelbakkers employs approximately 650 people across its two plants and satellite headquarters. "We are pleased to announce the acquisition of De Wafelbakkers," said Henk Hartong III, Chairman and CEO of Brynwood Partners. "Brynwood already has a presence in the breakfast category through its dry mix offerings with its Hungry Jack and Arrowhead Mills brands, owned by Brynwood portfolio company Hometown Food Company. We also have extensive experience in the frozen manufacturing space and believe that we can partner with the management team to accelerate performance in the De Wafelbakkers business. The frozen pancake, waffle and French toast market is a growing space and we are excited to be invested in the category with such a significant manufacturing player." The De Wafelbakkers acquisition increases Brynwood's footprint in the food and beverage space. Their portfolio includes Harvest Hill Beverage Company, Carolina Beverage Group, Hometown Food Company, Buitoni Food Company and Great Kitchens Food Company. De Wafelbakkers increases the total Brynwood manufacturing platform to 16 facilities, approximately 4,100 employees and more than $2.2 billion in annual sales. Story continues "On behalf of Brynwood Partners VIII, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to OPUBCO and the Anschutz Corporation for being such great partners to us on this transaction," said Ian MacTaggart, President, CFO and COO of Brynwood Partners. "We look forward to working closely with the Company's management team and loyal employees to transition the business to its next phase of growth." Brynwood VIII was represented by Holland & Knight on legal matters and did not have investment banking representation. William Blair served as the exclusive advisor to De Wafelbakkers. About Brynwood Partners: Brynwood Partners, founded in 1984 and based in Greenwich, CT, is an operationally-focused private equity firm that makes control investments in North American-based lower middle market companies. The firm targets non-core brands or companies operating exclusively in the consumer sector. Brynwood Partners currently manages more than $1 billion of private equity capital for its limited partners, which include U.S. and international pension funds, fund-of-funds, endowments, foundations, high net worth family investment offices and financial institutions. For more information on Brynwood Partners, please visit www.brynwoodpartners.com. Brynwood Partners logo Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brynwood-partners-viii-lp-acquires-de-wafelbakkers-301261650.html SOURCE Brynwood Partners VIII L.P. A report that found people who identify as 'white Irish' typically earn considerably more than the average white Briton challenges old stereotypes, an economist has said. The Sewell Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (Cred) found that the average earnings of Chinese, Indian and 'white Irish' exceed those of white British people - with the Irish topping the list, having average earnings 41% higher that the white British. At the other end of the scale were Pakistani and mixed white/black African communities, earning 15% less on average than white British people. The report found that while white Irish scored very well in terms of educational attainment, Irish Traveller children did worst of all in terms of educational achievement. Economist Dr Esmond Birnie said the Irish in Britain were "prospering", and this challenged old and lazy stereotypical views. He told the Belfast Telegraph: "The immediate explanation for this is a relatively high level of educational qualifications: higher percentages of the white Irish having at least 3 A-levels and progressing to high education. "The white Irish unemployment rate was also relatively low." The landmark review, published in recent days, said Britain was no longer a country where the "system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities". Its chairman said it had found no evidence of "institutional racism", and the report criticised the way the term has been applied, saying it should not be used as a "catch-all" phrase for any micro-aggression. The Commission put forward a series of recommendations for actions to tackle the ethnic disparities it identified around pay, education and employment. The report also highlighted a growing divergence in educational achievement between black Africans and black Caribbeans in the UK, saying that the black Caribbean group was the only ethnic group who performed lower than white British pupils. But the panel faced a backlash over the report, commissioned in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, with politicians and other public figures describing it as insulting and divisive. Dr Birnie, senior economist at the Ulster University Business School, added the prosperity of Irish people in Britain was a less headline-grabbing conclusion, but a highly significant one. He continued: "According to Sewell Commission data, in 2019 the median pay of those self-identifying as white Irish in England and Wales was 40.5% higher than those identified as white British. "In fact, no other ethnic group in England and Wales was paid as well - they were top of the pay league table." Dr Birnie added: "All this is very far from the old stereotypes of the Irish in Britain as navvies or in low wage manual jobs. "In fact, for some time they have been more likely to be employed in financial services than construction or hospitality," he added. "Commentary on Ireland-UK economic relations can be dominated by the big political shifts - Brexit, the Protocol, rumours of a border poll - but sometimes it is the underlying private sector actions, migration and family ties which are just as powerful and the Irish in Britain are, on average, prospering." J&J takes over vaccine plant where 15M of its doses were contaminated in mixup with AstraZeneca Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Biden administration has stopped the production of the Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine at a plant in Baltimore after a contract manufacturer mixed up ingredients from the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, spoiling millions of doses of the latter's vaccine. The contract manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions, which had been making both vaccines, was asked Saturday to halt production, and Johnson & Johnson will now solely produce its single-dose vaccine at the plant, The New York Times reported. The contract manufacturers mistake has contaminated about 15 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but it was found out before any of the spoilt doses were shipped, The Times (of London) noted. The American company Johnson & Johnson said it was assuming full responsibility of the facility in Baltimore, and pledged to deliver 100 million doses for the U.S. by the end of May. "While the AstraZeneca vaccine has yet to be authorized for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Biden administration has entered loan deals to send 2.5 million and 1.5 million U.S.-manufactured doses to Mexico and Canada, respectively," according to The Epoch Times. The Anglo-Swedish firm AstraZeneca, which was developed in partnership with Oxford University, has been asked to move its production from the Baltimore plant. Its vaccine has not been approved in the U.S., but it was producing doses with the hope that it would soon be authorized for emergency use. AstraZeneca confirmed in a statement on Saturday that its looking for an alternative location. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans has raised concerns about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however. In a statement released in March, the archdiocese urged the faithful to refrain from taking the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines due to its use of aborted fetal cells in production and testing. The statement began by acknowledging that all coronavirus vaccines have used "morally compromised cell lines created from two abortions that occurred, one in the 1970s and one in the 1980s." However, the archdiocese added: " ... though there was some lab testing that utilized the abortion-derived cell line, the two vaccines ... available from Pfizer and Moderna do not rely on cell lines from abortions in the manufacturing process and therefore can be morally acceptable for Catholics as the connection to abortion is extremely remote." The archdiocese maintained that it "must instruct Catholics that the latest vaccine from Janssen/Johnson & Johnson is morally compromised as it uses the abortion-derived cell line in development and production of the vaccine as well as the testing." "We advise that if the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine is available, Catholics should choose to receive either of those vaccines rather than to receive the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine because of its extensive use of abortion-derived cell lines." The AstraZeneca vaccine has been criticized in the U.S. for using outdated data in the results of its clinical vaccine trial and not counting some coronavirus infection cases. AstraZeneca, however, is cheaper than other vaccines on the global market. It's also stored more easily and has already started shipping to low- and middle-income countries that signed onto the global vaccine sharing program Covax. But recently, most countries in the European Union, including Spain, France, Italy and Germany, have suspended the use of AstraZenecas vaccine amid fears of rare blood clots and abnormal bleeding. The pharmaceutical company and health officials in the region insist, however, there is no cause for alarm. Emer Cooke, executive director of the European Medicines Agency, said at a news conference last month that they were still studying the possibility of rare side effects from the vaccine, but there was no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions. While the investigation is ongoing, we are currently still firmly convinced that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing COVID-19, with its associated risk of hospitalization, outweigh the risk of the side effects, she said, according to The New York Times. MELBOURNE - Australian fashion icon Carla Zampatti, known for elegant designs and efforts to empower women over more than half a century, has died aged 78 after a fall in Sydney, her family said on Saturday (April 3). Actors Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett, as well as former prime minister Julia Gillard, were among the influential Australians who wore the clothes of Zampatti, hospitalised last week after a fall at an outdoor opera performance. "She continued to thrive as a businesswoman through enormous radical and social change, designing clothes for women fighting for liberation through the women`s rights movement in the 1960s to empowering women today," the family said in a statement. In the early 1970s Zampatti became one of the first designers to introduce swimwear into her collections in then socially conservative Australia. Born in Italy in 1942, before her family emigrated to Australia in 1950, Zampatti produced her first small fashion collection in 1965 before setting up Carla Zampatti Pty Ltd five years later. "It is amazing what you can do with an incredible amount of youthful optimism and very little money," Zampatti told the Australian Associated Press in 2009. A savvy businesswoman who opened dozens of boutiques across Australia, Zampatti held several directorships, and served as chairwoman of Australian public service broadcaster the Special Broadcasting Service. "We have lost a truly great and inspirational Australian," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement, adding that Zampatti was not only a fashion industry icon but a pioneer as an entrepreneur and a champion of a multicultural approach. "Her contribution to our nation will be timeless, just like her designs." On Zampatti`s online memorial page, a customer who identified herself only as Louise wrote, "It is true of every piece I wear from the CZ line-I feel confident, elegant and empowered....Thank you for the years of inspiration." Zampatti was the mother of three children from two marriages and a grandmother of nine, her family said. Sometimes your own children are the toughest crowd. That proved true for Gwyneth Paltrow, 48, who received a good roasting from her own daughter for her recent morning routine that was shared with Vogue. Paltrows 16-year-old daughter Apple Martin provided some top-notch content for Goops TikTok channel where she narrated a morning with my mom, Gwyneth Paltrow. So first, my mom drinks her GoopGlow Super Powder and she eats nothing except for dates and almond butter, so she will have that, Martin explained. I suppose the GoopGlow is a part of cleanse, which shes been on since the day I was born, apparently. Martin continued, explaining, Its 8 a.m. and shes been doing this since 7 a.m.. She just prances around the bathroom putting on her millions of GoopGlow products for her glowing skin. And then she gets to work making some more vagina eggs and candles, also vagina candles, and vagina perfumes just everything vagina, Apple joked, poking fun at her moms infamous candle. And yeah, thats my moms morning routine! The caption of the video fittingly read, When you get roasted by your gen z daughter This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Paltrows morning routine, which was posted across Vogues social media channels, was met with harsh criticism in the comments for some of her techniques, especially in the clip where she only put sunscreen on the high points of her face rather than using it all over. It is recommended that SPF should be applied to all areas of the face, including your eyelids to prevent UV damage, which can cause skin cancer as well as lead to premature aging, wrinkles and sunspots. Vogue please dont promote improper use of SPF, its irresponsible, one commenter wrote on Instagram. SPF should not be applied like highlighter. Another added, Theres so much wrong with this. Paltrow and her company, Goop, have had a long history of controversy, from being slammed for "deceptive" health claims in 2017 to the 2020 Netflix show "The Goop Lab" which gained attention first for its "terrifying" trailer that teased exorcisms, psychedelics, psychic mediums, and energy healing. One woman also claimed that she was able to complete years of therapy "in about five hours." Story continues Last month, Paltrow personally responded to the backlash she received after sharing a post on Goop in February about battling COVID-19 early on in the pandemic, which included a list of products she recommended as remedies for inflammation that she linked to the virus. The Shakespeare in Love star addressed the controversy in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Some of the backlash came from Stephen Powis, the National Medical Director of National Health Services (NHS) England, who said that her suggestions were really not solutions wed recommend. When asked if the criticism of her suggestions, including the comments made by Powis, reach her, Paltrow replied, Sometimes, but it's usually that I always find it's for their own amplification. We really are not to say at Goop that we have never made mistakes because of course we have in the past, but we're very much in integrity and we're careful about what we say, she continued. We always feel like we understand why a lot of that (criticism) becomes clickbait for people." ADVERTISEMENT An Oyo woman, Suliyat Taofeek, has been charged to court after she and her family were arrested by the police over a horrific torture of a 13-year old girl. The girl, Aliah Oluokun, spent several days in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, with bodily injuries, including on her private part, PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported. After efforts to help Mrs Taofeek stave off justice by some local powerholders in Oyo failed, PREMIUM TIMES understands, the police charged her to the Chief Magistrate Court last Thursday. She was granted bail. The police said other suspects with whom Mrs Taofeek conspired to torture Aliah were at large. According to the court filings seen by PREMIUM TIMES, she is charged with assaulting Aliah, beating her with sticks and pressing her lap with a hot knife and causing her bodily harm in Oyo Town on February 22, all contrary to the criminal code of Oyo State. Meanwhile, Aliah was also arraigned for stealing but was also granted bail, following a plea by her lawyer, Muideen Olagunju, working pro bono. Aliahs legal representation was facilitated by Oyo Global Forum, OGF. Mrs Taofeek and her family had accused Aliah of stealing money at their shop, located at the Borobore area of Oyo Town, on February 22. They were then reported to have used extreme torture to force her to confess. Photographs reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, complimenting disclosures by family and security sources, suggest a sharp object was used to inflict injuries on Aliahs thighs and hands, pepper was applied to her private part, and a plier was used to cause her wounds on her toes. Aliahs family had been responsible for her medical bills at a local hospital in Oyo before ex-Oyo Central senator, Monsurat Sunmonu, asked that she be taken to UCH in Ibadan for better care and settled her bills there. OGFs chairman, Olorunpoto Rahaman, We are baffled though that only one person was charged for the assault against the girl. Efforts are in top gear to spread the dragnet to other assaulters including the husband of the current accused and two of their grown up children. They were all arrested by the Police before now and they were released on bail. They now claim the released fellows are at large. Mr Rahaman also condemned the police for making Aliah sleep in a cell before she was arraigned and granted bail. They could have released her to us and made us commit to presenting her in court, he said. Davinson Sanchez was targeted by racist abuse on social media following Tottenham's match against Newcastle on Sunday. The Colombian defender posted screenshots of his Instagram account, which show emojis of monkeys being posted in the comments. "Nothing changes," Sanchez wrote on the post, alongside a sleeping emoji. Tottenham spoke about from their official account after their player's post. "We are disgusted by the racist messages received by Davinson Sanchez today and are calling on social media platforms to take action," Tottenham said in a statement on Twitter. "We stand with you, Davinson and all those continuing to suffer abuse online." This incident follows the scenes that unfolded at the Estadio Ramon de Carranza in Spain on Sunday, where Valencia staged a walk-off in protest of alleged racial abuse from Juan Cala towards Mouctar Diakhaby. Reuters | Amman The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Jordans Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said yesterday that the countrys former Crown Prince, Prince Hamza, had been liaising with foreign parties over a plot to destabilise the country and had been monitored for some time. The authorities intercepted communications between Prince Hamza and foreign parties over the timing of steps to undermine Jordans security, Safadi said at a news conference. Evidence showed Prince Hamza had been communicating with outside entities, the so-called Jordanian opposition, and had recorded two videos in Arabic and English in an incitement attempt, Safadi added. He also said the wife of Prince Hamza had also made contact with a representative of a foreign country to secure escape. He added Jordanian intelligence had intercepted certain communications at what he called the zero hour, adding that it was clear they had moved from design and planning into action, Meanwhile, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa held a phone call with Jordanian Monarch His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein. His Majesty the King affirmed Bahrains full solidarity with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and its support for all decisions and measures taken by HM King Abdullah to preserve the security and stability of Jordan and safeguard its gains against any attempt to undermine them. His Majesty confirmed that the security and stability of Jordan is an integral part of the security and stability of Bahrain, based on the solid historical ties that bind the two kingdoms. HM King Hamad bin Isa called Allah the Almighty to preserve Jordan and its people under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah. HM the Jordanian Monarch expressed his deep appreciation to His Majesty the King for Bahrains support for Jordan and its people, which embody the depth of the strong ties and the distinguished fraternal relations, wishing Bahrain and its people continued progress and prosperity. The faithful flocked to churches and families to parks on a sunny Easter Sunday in New Orleans, as clear skies and mild temperatures drew people out to stretch their legs a year into the coronavirus pandemic. Beyond the weather and the holiday itself, Sunday seemed to be a welcome chance for social gatherings and a bit of time outside the confines of the home now that case counts are at a low ebb and vaccinations are climbing. People are really longing to get out and let their hair down without being cooped up, David White said Sunday as he surveyed the tents, grills, volleyball net and other gear his family set up at City Park. The Whites got started at 6 a.m. to make sure they got a prime spot. You can go anywhere in the park and see people, go everywhere and smell barbecue, he said. Hours earlier, masked parishioners had filed into the pews at St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter for Easter Mass, a service that brought in locals and tourists alike. no.easter.040521.4712.JPG Diana Turner and her husband, Jimmy Miller, greet friends in City Park on Sunday, April 4, 2021. (Photo by Brett Duke, NOLA.com and The Times- Miami residents Paul Love and his wife, Diep Vuong, lit devotional candles in St. Louis after deciding to stop in during a work trip to Houston. The trip made sense because of their recent vaccinations and the relatively low case counts, and they wanted to see the cathedral for Easter. Were being pretty careful, as careful as we can be, Love said. Outside, onlookers gathered around a performer escaping a straitjacket while tables at nearby restaurants filled up and couples and families strolled along the levee. Audubon Park was filled with people who had claimed spaces with sheets to sit or sunbathe on, and outside of Liuzza's by the Track, a band wearing Hawaiian shirts noodled away on a pleasant tune as passersby stopped across the intersection for a listen. Masks were relatively rare among those taking in the day outside, though in most cases, people gathered in small clusters of family or friends and remained distanced from those around them. Both the state and the city still require masks in gatherings and indoors. The crowds and lack of protective gear were enough to likely cause some heartburn for epidemiologists and public health professionals, though they largely appeared in line with existing restrictions. The lack of widespread outbreaks after other outdoor holidays over the past year suggests Easter festivities will not cause a significant spike in COVID-19 cases. And many interviewed were quick to volunteer that they have been vaccinated. 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 +4 New Orleans music venues still under limited capacity, but city waives these fees for 2021 With music venues in New Orleans still facing the tightest coronavirus capacity restrictions of any in the state, Mayor LaToya Cantrell announ On the City Park lawn, Phyliss Mercadal sat with her daughter and grandchildren while her son-in-law tended to chicken on a grill. While the family has seen each other over the past months, this was their first real outing together since the start of the pandemic. What a year its been, she said. Davina Anderson, her daughter, added, Were just happy to be outside. New Orleans reported 155 new coronavirus cases over the past week, a rise from the prior two weeks but a 30% drop from the beginning of March. The current weekly case counts are lower than the average number of new infections that were being reported in the city during the spike at the beginning of the year. Statewide, the 1,871 cases reported last week are among the lowest counts in a year. About 36.3% of New Orleanians have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and about 21.6% have completed a vaccination series. Statewide, about 26.6% have had at least one shot and 16.8% of the population are fully vaccinated. Gov. John Bel Edwards eliminated most caps on occupancy last week, though the state still requires businesses maintain social distancing and limits the number of people at large events. New Orleans has maintained a stricter set of standards, with businesses limited to 75% of their pre-pandemic capacity and alcohol sales cut off at 11 p.m., though Mayor LaToya Cantrell bumped up the number of people allowed at gatherings this week. Despite the palpable sense Sunday that life might just be returning to something resembling normal, the virus remained very much on some people's minds. I just hope people dont gather in big crowds and make the numbers go back up, Anderson said. In this photo illustration, a Twitter logo is displayed on a mobile phone with President Trump's Twitter page shown in the background in Arlington, Va., on May 27, 2020. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) Supreme Court Dismisses Lawsuit Over Trump Blocking Critics on Twitter The Supreme Court moved on April 5 to dismiss a lawsuit from former President Donald Trump that asked the justices to allow him to block critics on Twitter. The nations highest court agreed with the Department of Justice (DOJ), which told it in January that the case would become moot when Joe Biden was sworn in as president. That transition will moot this case, as then-President Biden will have no ability to control the use of Donald J. Trumps personal Twitter account. Because this case warrants review but will become moot pending such review, the Court should follow its established practice of granting certiorari and vacating the judgment, the DOJ said in a filing (pdf). Under Trump, the DOJ had asked the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling from the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, which, in 2019, ruled that Trump violated the First Amendment when he prevented some users from viewing or commenting on his Twitter posts. Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall said in the 2020 petition that the appeals court erred by not making a distinction between the presidents official communications on Twitter and the personal nature of his decision to prevent certain users from interacting with him. The Supreme Court agreed with the DOJs latest position, vacating the appeals court judgment and remanding the case to the court with instructions to dismiss it as moot. The lawsuit was brought by a group of users who were blocked by Trump, along with the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas agreed with the dismissal but said it was rather odd to say that something is a government forum when a private company has unrestricted authority to do away with it. The disparity between Twitters control and Mr. Trumps control is stark, to say the least. Mr. Trump blocked several people from interacting with his messages. Twitter barred Mr. Trump not only from interacting with a few users, but removed him from the entire platform, thus barring all Twitter users from interacting with his messages. Under its terms of service, Twitter can remove any person from the platformincluding the President of the United Statesat any time for any or no reason,' wrote Thomas, a George H.W. Bush nominee, referring to Twitters ban of Trump in early January, while the Republican was still in office. The petitions highlight two important facts. Todays digital platforms provide avenues for historically unprecedented amounts of speech, including speech by government actors. Also unprecedented, however, is the concentrated control of so much speech in the hands of a few private parties. We will soon have no choice but to address how our legal doctrines apply to highly concentrated, privately owned information infrastructure such as digital platforms. Punjab: GADVASU becomes first university to get PMMSY funded fisheries project April 05,2021 | Source: Krishijagran Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana becomes the first Indian varsity to receive fisheries development project under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), launched by Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, GOI in 2020 with an estimated budget outlay of Rs. 20,000 crores for a period of 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25), to harness production potentials of marine & inland aquatic resources. Dr. Meera D. Ansal, Dean, College of Fisheries, informed that University will be developing a Capacity Building Resource Centre under the sanctioned project with total budget of Rs. 183.85 lakh, for promoting low volume intensive aquaculture technologies like Re- circulatory Aquaculture system (RAS) and Biofloc Aquaculture in the region through an integrated research, demonstration cum skill development module. The said facility will cater the much sought after training needs to set up intensive aquaculture systems in Punjab and its neighbouring states, she added. Low volume smart aquaculture technologies like RAS, biofloc based aquaculture and aquaponics are essentially required in the modern world to develop resilience against climate change and achieve envisaged production targets, with only 10-15% land/water requirements as compared to traditional culture practices, said Dr. Inderjeet Singh, Vice Chancellor, GADVASU. He further added that the upcoming centre will be an asset for the region, offering hands on training to the stakeholders aspiring to adopt such intensive technologies in small land holdings, especially in the semi urban and urban areas. Furthermore, the university intends to receive more funding under PMMSY to provide State of Art utility services to fish/shrimp farmers of the country, said Dr. Singh. Dr. J. P. S. Gill, Director of Research, GADVASU informed that the Vet Varsity? has developed a brand name at national and international levels, owing to its significant innovative R&D contributions in uplifting the livestock and fisheries sectors; and with? the present PMMSY funded project, the university will be achieving another milestone in serving the fisheries sector. CHICAGO, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Webster Dental Care ("WDC"), an industry leading dental service organization with eleven (11) locations, welcomes Dr. Christie Wright to its expert team. Dr. Wright received her Doctor of Dental Medicine from Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine. "Dr. Wright displays a strong commitment to her patients and the community," said Webster CEO Michael Errin Rios. "Her giving spirit directly embodies what Webster Dental Care stands for." Dr. Wright discovered her passion for helping people through her early volunteer work. Over time, she realized that many people did not go to the dentist due to fear, anxiety, or bad experiences. Dr. Wright decided that she wanted to make a difference in how people viewed dentists and inspire people to learn how to care for their teeth in a comfortable and trustworthy environment. When asked what drives her passion for dentistry, Dr. Wright said, "Giving people the confidence to smile brings sunshine into my life." WDC is actively seeking dental professionals who are interested in joining our outstanding team. More than fifty-six (56) dentists have found success and professional fulfillment with us. If you are a dental practice owner interested in merging or selling your practice, please contact our CEO at (312) 275-2000 or [email protected]. ABOUT WEBSTER DENTAL CARE, LTD. Webster Dental Care (WDC), founded in 1976, delivers exceptional dental services at its eleven Chicago area locations. WDC pioneered clinics that offer both general dentistry and specialists for your convenience and comfort. Our 88 dentists, specialists, and hygienists provide quality and affordable service that exceeds your needs. Our vision is to improve health and wellness by bringing our model of convenient, patient-focused dental service to a location near you. Contact Information: Rachel Spears, Human Resources Officer, 847-763-5890, [email protected] SOURCE Webster Dental Care Related Links http://www.webdentalchicago.com A century-old home that is known for its distinctive red roof could be sold for $11million. The house, which was built in 1922, sits on 546 square metres of land at 10 Goodwin Terrace in Burleigh Heads, on the Gold Coast. Owners Brian and Lauren McMaster bought the three-bedroom home for $7million in 2020 and planned to build a standout family home in its place. The location of the home, which overlooks the ocean, has drawn plenty of interest from buyers who see it as a prime opportunity for residential development. The house, which was built in 1922, sits on 546 square metres of land at 10 Goodwin Terrace in Burleigh Heads, on the Gold Coast The location of the home, which overlooks the ocean, has drawn plenty of interest from buyers who see it as a prime opportunity for residential development The McMasters are currently in talks with property investment company Spyre Group and have placed the home under contract for $11million, Gold Coast Bulletin reported. Real estate Amir Prestige is overlooking the deal though has remained tight-lipped on any further details. The $11million price tag breaks down to $20,146 a square metre for the property, smashing the residential site record that sat at $18,541. The price of the house has grown astronomically since it was built in 1922. The original owners sold it for just $49,000 in 1977 and changed homeowners several times, each time raising the market price. Engineer John Howe bought the then-two bedroom home for $3.9million in 2005. He added a third bedroom under the house before selling it for $4.75million in 2016. Distribution service owner Jay Mcphee bought the house and resisted offers from the new home owners for three years before finally caving to pressure. Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Real Valladolid could line up in Monday's La Liga clash with Barcelona. Real Valladolid will be attempting to stretch their unbeaten run in La Liga to five matches when they travel to Camp Nou on Monday evening to face Barcelona. Sergio Gonzalez's side, who are currently 16th in the table, three points clear of the relegation zone, will again be without the services of a number of first-team players this weekend. Jota, Pablo Hervias, Raul Garcia and Kiko Olivas remain on the sidelines through injury, while Fabian Orellana will be unavailable for selection through suspension. Valladolid will also be without five players through coronavirus, with Luis Perez, Kike Perez, Michel, Joaquin Fernandez and Roberto Jimenez all returning positive tests. There is a chance that Maranhao could be available for selection, though, with the 24-year-old, who has scored three La Liga goals this season, recovering from the problem that has kept him on the sidelines since December. Jordi Masip is expected to start between the sticks against his former club, while there should also be positions in the back three for Bruno Gonzalez and Javi Sanchez. Oscar Plano could be handed an advanced midfield role, meanwhile, with Sergi Guardiola and Shon Weissman likely to operate at the front two, potentially leaving fit-again Maranhao on the bench. Real Valladolid possible starting lineup: Masip; Sanchez, Gonzalez, El Yamiq; Janko, Alcaraz, Mesa, Olaza; Plano; Weissman, Guardiola > Click here to see how Barcelona could line up for this contest Algiers, 5 April 2021 (SPS) - President of Algeria, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune affirmed Sunday evening that the Western Sahara issue remains a decolonization issue and its settlement implies a return to the relevant UN decisions, expressing his wish to see the brothers (Moroccan Kingdom and Polisario Front) reach a solution accepted by both parties. During his regular meeting with officials of some national media, President Tebboune stressed that the issue of Western Sahara is on the agenda of the fourth United Nations Committee on Decolonization. "All international parties approve of this approach without exception. It is therefore appropriate to leave the way to the UN to settle this conflict," he added. Regarding the positive points recorded by Algerian diplomacy at the last session of the African Union (AU), especially after the adoption of Algeria's recommendations by the continental organization regarding the recent position of the AU Peace and Security Council vis-a-vis the conflict in Western Sahara, President Tebboune said that "the AU had shown integrity in its approach. "Attempts to perpetuate the conflict cannot be the solution," said President Tebboune, stressing the imperative for the AU Peace and Security Council to consider this issue and inform the UN Security Council of the decisions taken at the continental level to achieve a final and just solution to this issue. President Tebboune expressed wish to see the two parties to the conflict (Morocco and Polisario Front) reach a final solution without one party imposing its opinion on the other. (SPS) 062/090/T (Photo : Screenshot From Commons.Wikipedia.org) Good News for Nvidia RTX 3090 and PS5 Restock? Top Chip Provider Plans to Inject $100 Billion Capital to Fix Global Shortage Gamers crawling to purchase the new Nvidia RTX 3090 or even the new PS5 restock have suffered an extremely scarce year. The top global chip manufacturer, however, might be making moves that could bring the shortage to an end! Shortage on available chips TSMC has promised that it will spend a whopping $100 billion over the next three years to increase the total capacity of its production facilities. The Wall Street Journal also noted that it will be a new investment record for not just the company but for the entire industry. According to PhoneArena, TSMC actually takes the chip designs from Intel, Apple, AMD, MediaTek, and other companies. Due to the massive demand for 5G chips and chips for Nvidia RTX 30 series and the new PS5 restock, manufacturers have struggled to keep up with the supply. TSMC injects $100 billion According to CEO C.C. Wei, despite utilizing the company's fabs at over 100%, TSMC still can't keep up with the strong client demands. The company is now even hiring thousands of new employees and expanding the overall production capacity. Pierre Ferragu, a New Street Research analyst, notes that the whopping $100 billion, which TSMC plans to spend over three years, is now double what they had to spend the last three years. The company also explained the main reason for doubling its budget because TSMC is now working very closely with customers to address their needs more sustainably. TSMC expenses During the start of 2021, it was said that the capital expenditures are expected to range around $25 billion to $28 billion mostly as the company would get ready to ship out new 3nm chips some time next year. Some time last year, TSMC launched chips that were produced with a 5nm process node starting with the 2020 Apple A14 Bionic. The smaller the whole process node, the larger the number of transistors that can fit into a fixed square mm, which would make the components much more powerful and even energy-efficient. Building certain new lines to be able to produce 3nm chips is a huge expensive task. Read Also: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 April 2021 Buyer's Guide: Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg, and More! Samsung chip manufacturer Back in November, TSMC was able to complete the plant structure for its very own 3nm fab at the whole Southern Taiwan Science Park or STSP. The competition is also spending a lot of cash. Intel has just recently announced that it would spend a whopping $20 billion in order to build two different chip factories in the US back in 2024. Intel, which were once bragging about having a three-year lead compared to rivals, is now finding themselves behind foundries just like TSMC and even Samsung when it comes to the process node of their very own cutting-end chips. Samsung, which is now the second-largest contract foundry in the world, is planning to shell out $116 billion by 2030 to be able to diversity its whole production chips. Related Article: Nvidia New Resizable BAR Allows RTX 30-Series to Get 10-20% Better Gaming Performance: How to Use It This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian Buenconsejo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Capitol Police is "struggling to meet existing mission requirements" in the aftermath of this year's second attack at the complex, union chief Gus Papathanasiou said in a statement this weekend, NBC News reports. Why it matters: The union says the agency is approaching "a crisis in morale and force numbers" just as calls for heightened security are renewed in the aftermath of the death of Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans on Friday. Driving the news: Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to review Capitol security measures, told ABC's "This Week" that Capitol Police "are going to have to recruit hard" in order to fulfill the security measures his task force proposed last month. The plan calls for expanding the force by 1,100 officers and filling approximately 300 current vacancies. Papathanasiou called on Congress to implement the proposal, which also calls for more mobile or retractable fencing. What he's saying: "We are struggling to meet existing mission requirements even with the officers working massive amounts of forced overtime," Papathanasiou said, adding that the agency is down 233 officers below its normally 2,000-member force. "In the next 3-5 years we have another 500 officers who will be eligible to retire. Many of these officers could put in their retirement papers tomorrow. Ive had many younger officers confide in me that theyre actively looking at other agencies and departments right now." we have another 500 officers who will be eligible to retire. Many of these officers could put in their retirement papers tomorrow. Ive had many younger officers confide in me that theyre actively looking at other agencies and departments right now." "We have now lost two officers in the line of duty this year," he said. "Another officer has taken his own life and we have 80 officers who were seriously injured in the insurrection. Some of those injured officers may never return to duty." Go deeper: Capitol review panel recommends more police, mobile fencing Foreign investment in Cuba and the government's deplorable policy in this regard are recurrently analyzed. Solutions are even proposed, ones successfully tested in other countries that have financed their development with foreign capital including ideologically akin sates, such as China and Vietnam - that could be imitated on the island. The notion that foreign investment is an important, even essential, element is usually taken for granted, being implicit in every analysis, but it is rarely explained, which leads to a lack of understanding of the countrys current situation and, above all, of how wrongheaded - or ill-intentioned - its economic management has been. It is essential to understand Cuba's need for foreign investment in order to be able to gauge how errantly, or with how much malice, the government is handling the issue. The first thing is to be clear on the fact that the only path to development without alternatives or shortcuts is through an accumulation of fixed investment: machinery, infrastructure, technology and the coordination of socially distributed knowledge. The difference between a rich and a poor nation hinges on the productivity of its work force, which depends entirely on the cumulative level of its fixed investment. Switzerland is richer than Tanzania because its workers use better tools, not because they are more industrious, or blonder. Fixed investment, however, is not a manna that rains down from the heavens. To accumulate infrastructure and technologies, they must be created, or purchased. In both cases, a prior accumulation of capital is required, i.e., savings, something that only arises when less is consumed than is produced. Obviously, Cuba has no savings, the very little it consumes exceeds the pittance it produces, this being partially reflected in its foreign debt - which would be even greater but for the fact that, at this point, few lend to it, and much has been forgiven. Mainly, then, it is obvious from the widespread physical deterioration afflicting the country. Dilapidated cities, mucky, ramshackle towns; Chernobyl-like factories, technologies as obsolete as the ideology of the PCC, antiquated means of transportation, streets and highways with more potholes than in Kabul, and obese bureaucrats with two mistresses while they feign to be businessmen and governors. Since the very outset, the Castro system has been devouring the nation. Only commitments undertaken by Soviet and Venezuelan dictators kept this anti-economic system from utter collapse, in a country where, in the 1960s Sergio Corrieri could order a Dry Martini at the Mandarin while seducing Daisy Granados in Memories of Underdevelopment. As long as there is Castroism the major international institutions IMF, WB, IBRD will not open their financial faucets for Cuba. And, as it has already been established that Cuba has no savings of its own, it is simple to understand that the only option available to pay for the fixed capital the nation requires, a sine qua non to bolster the productivity of its workers, is to use the savings generated by other societies. The healthiest mechanism - preferable to state indebtedness - for those foreign savings to reach Cuba is through direct foreign investment, which is blocked, not by the Yankees, but by Castroism. Indeed, the impoverishment in which Cuba is mired means that its only possibility for development is, inescapably, foreign investment. A very similar situation was suffered in the first decades of the twentieth century, after 30 years of wars and "reconcentrations," a situation that was being overcome thanks to strong American investments, which had been generating fixed capital on the island since the mid-nineteenth century, and that were giving rise to, in a natural evolutionary process, savings and more Cuban entrepreneurship ... before El Comandante arrived and ordered a stop to this. From the economic point of view, the innumerable barriers that still obstruct foreign direct investment in Cuba are incomprehensible, because nothing, absolutely nothing will increase the productivity of Cuban workers if does not endow them with better technology, infrastructure and knowledge. However, instead of tackling reform from this angle, the Government is fiddling around with its "Ordering Task," squandering valuable time and scarce resources in a futile effort to resuscitate a dead horse that it has been beating for years, the Socialist State Enterprise, as, in its callousness, Castroism does not want any competition. Who would work for the State if foreign entrepreneurs, starting with Cuban expatriates, could open modern industries and services in Cuba? Instead, the Government has opted for the concoction of its Tarea Ordenamiento, stirring up the same ingredients it has been cooking with for 60 years when what Cuba needs is a Red Bull. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 23:38:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The number of visitors at Beijing's major tourist attractions during the Tomb-sweeping Day holiday bounced back to 98.7 percent of the 2019 level, city authorities said Monday. The 182 major tourist spots in the Chinese capital received nearly 6.1 million visits during the three-day holiday that concluded on Monday, said the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism. The total revenue of the tourist spots reached 290 million yuan (44 million U.S. dollars), up 8.7 percent from that in 2019 before the COVID-19 onslaught, according to the bureau. Tomb-sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, was observed on April 4 this year. It is a traditional Chinese holiday for people to pay tribute to deceased family members, worship ancestors and go on spring outings. The holiday this year saw many Chinese revive their travel plans cancelled during the Spring Festival, which the government called for celebrating locally to minimize infection risks. Enditem Washington: Florida Republican Matt Gaetz says he will not leave Congress and denies that he had sex with an underage girl. In a column appearing in the Washington Examiner, a conservative news outlet, the embattled politician predicted that some of my feckless colleagues in Congress would call for him to step down. No, I am absolutely not resigning, he wrote on Monday (Tuesday AEST) in one of his first public comments about the allegations. Florida Republican Matt Gaetz denies he had sex with a 17-year-old. Credit:AP Gaetz, starting his fifth year in Congress, has been battling to preserve his political career since reports last week that he was under federal investigation for possible sex crimes. An aggressive and high-profile ally of Donald Trump, Gaetz has so far received almost no public support from his congressional Republican colleagues and none from the former president. CORVALLIS, Ore. - Researchers in the Oregon State University College of Science have taken a key step toward new drugs and vaccines for combating COVID-19 with a deep dive into one protein's interactions with SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. The virus' nucleocapsid protein, or N protein, is a prime target for disease-fighting interventions because of the critical jobs it performs for the novel coronavirus' infection cycle and because it mutates at a comparatively slow pace. Drugs and vaccines built around the work of the N protein carry the potential to be highly effective and for longer periods of time - i.e., less susceptible to resistance. Among the SARS-CoV-2 proteins, the N protein is the viral RNA's biggest partner. The RNA holds the genetic instructions the virus uses to get living cells, such as human cells, to make more of itself, and the N protein binds to the RNA and protects it. Published in Biophysical Journal, the findings are an important jump-off point for additional studies of the N protein and its interactions with RNA as part of a thorough look at the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, transmission and control. Elisar Barbar, professor of biochemistry and biophysics at Oregon State, and Ph.D. candidate Heather Masson-Forsythe led the study with help from undergraduate students Joaquin Rodriguez and Seth Pinckney. The researchers used a range of biophysical techniques that measure changes in the size and shape of the N protein when bound to a fragment of genomic RNA - 1,000 nucleotides of the 30,000-nucleotide genome. "The genome is rather large for a virus and requires many copies of the N protein to stick to the RNA to give the virus the spherical shape that is necessary for the virus to make more copies of itself," Barbar said. "Our study helps us quantify how many copies of N are needed and how close they are to each other when they stick to the RNA. " Biophysical studies of N with large segments of RNA by nuclear magnetic resonance are rare, Barbar said, because of the difficulty of preparing the partially disordered N protein and long RNA segments, both prone to aggregation and degradation, but these kinds of studies are a specialty of the Barbar lab. Other researchers' studies generally have been limited to much smaller pieces of RNA and smaller pieces of the N protein. Rather than just looking at the RNA-binding regions of the N protein on their own, the 1,000-nucleotide view allowed scientists to learn that the protein binds much more strongly when it's a full-length dimer - two copies attached to one another - and to identify regions of the protein that are essential for RNA binding. "The full protein has structured parts but is actually really flexible, so we know that this flexibility is important for RNA binding," Masson-Forsythe said. "We also know that as N proteins start to bind to the longer RNA, the result is a diverse collection of bound protein/RNA complexes as opposed to one way of binding." Drugs that thwart the N protein's flexibility would thus be one potential avenue for pharmaceutical researchers, she said. Another possibility would be drugs that disrupt any of those protein/RNA complexes that prove to be of special significance. ### A National Science Foundation Early-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) supported this research through the NSF's Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. The Oregon State nuclear magnetic resonance facility used in the study is funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, and the NIH also supported the native mass spectrometry data acquisition portion of the research. Zhen Yu, Richard Cooley, Phillip Zhu and Patrick Reardon of Oregon State and James Prell and Amber Rolland of the University of Oregon were the other researchers on the project. Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME), an international energy futures and commodities exchange in the Middle East, has launched Alternative Crude Ecosystem (ACE) - a bilateral trading platform to trade multiple crude grades through the exchange. DME, which is based in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the regions leading global financial centre, will make the platform available for all participants and will offer traders the opportunity to trade bilateral barrels of Dubai, Upper Zakum, Murban, Basrah Light, Basrah Heavy, Al Shaheen and Oman versus the DME Oman Sour Crude Benchmark futures This new functionality allows Middle East Crude participants a way to execute multiple Over the Counter (OTC) crude grades as differentials against DME Oman futures. The new service offered by DME will shed the light on the growing importance and the status of DME Oman as a strong and reliable Benchmark for the Middle East, representing consistent fair value for Sour Crude barrels to the East of Suez. Raid Al-Salami, Managing Director, DME said: We are always looking to enrich our customers experience and enable them to benefit from what the market has to offer. ACE is a unique platform where it combines Futures and OTC in one transparent window for the very first time, offering all participants opportunities to optimize their trading activities and manage their exposure across multiple crude grades. Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority said: DIFC would like to congratulate DME on the launch of their Alternative Crude Ecosystem (ACE) which innovatively provides an opportunity to trade a range of crude grades as differentials to DME Oman. We are pleased to see DME continue to develop their position as the premier international energy futures and commodities exchange in the Middle East from DIFC, the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region. Our enabling platform continues to provide opportunities for clients to innovate and together we are shaping the future of finance. Salim Al-Aufi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Oman said: The Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM) support all continuous improvement initiatives in the oil markets, as it enhances the price discovery and offers a fair price for the key commodity of the region. DME Oman has been the benchmark for us since 2007. We believe DME has successfully passed a major stress test in 2020 and presented itself as the natural benchmark for crudes produced in our region. With the launch of ACE, national oil companies across the region will have the opportunity to discover the fair price for grades based on the DME Oman benchmark. TradeArabia News Service Glenn Greenwald has revealed how he was bound and held at gunpoint for an hour during a robbery at the farm in Brazil where he is currently living. The journalist, part of a team that won a Pulitzer for reports about government surveillance programs based on leaks by Edward Snowden, endured the terrifying home invasion near Rio de Janeiro, early last month. Greenwald, 54, described the harrowing attack in which he had a gun forced into his mouth, in a detailed essay over the weekend. The writer told how he had been at the 'isolated' farm on his own with just an off-duty cop hired to provide security, and 12 dogs on the property at the time of the March 5th home invasion. Glenn Greenwald, 54, was the victim of a violent robbery at his farm near Rio last month His family, his husband and two young children were in Rio at the time. The first indication that something was amiss came at 9:30pm when Greenwald noticed his dogs were barking far more than usual. No sooner had he gone outside to investigate, he was apprehended. 'Three men wearing full black face masks descended on me, all pointing guns at me,' he wrote.' The men marshaled him into the house while two other men held his security guard face-down on the floor at gunpoint. The home invasion occurred at the remote farm he is renting with his husband and two children Greenwald noted in February that is often the subject of abusive and threatening email messages The thieves wanted money and were irritated to find there was very little apart from a few hundred dollars, some kitchen appliances and clothes. 'They did not believe that, which drove them to a considerable amount of anger,' he wrote. 'They ended up staying for an hour, though it seemed like much longer. Driven by the belief that I was hiding valuables refusing to believe my assurances that I would not do that with five men pointing guns at me they attempted various forms of psychological terror. 'They repeatedly threatened to shoot the police officer in the head, repeatedly kicked him so hard that they cracked several of his ribs, ordered me to open my mouth and stuck a gun in it as they demanded to know where the rest of the money was, smashed my phone and tablet against a wall when they could not figure out how to erase the hard-drive, and just generally tried to create a climate of extreme fear,' he wrote. Greenwald described how both he and the security guard had their arms and legs bound with cord while the robbers made their getaway in his car after ransacking the home for an hour. Looking back on the incident one month on, Greenwald said that it appeared to him the thieves were 'desperate' and 'not professional criminals.' 'They were more nervous, agitated, desperate and disorganized than brutally or cooly efficient. That night, after leaving, they foolishly committed at least three other armed invasions of stores in the area using the car they stole from us.' The stolen car, which registered to Greenwald's husband, was quickly picked up by police later on and the identity of the criminals was soon uncovered. Five robbers ransacked the home near Rio, pictured, but were 'frustrated' after they were only able to get away with a few hundred dollars in cash, clothes and kitchen appliances 'I was struck by how desperate these armed invaders seemed to be. One of them said to me that I did not need to worry as long as I did not react, because they were there not to kill anyone but to steal because, he said, they had no jobs. But then minutes later, they were back to threatening, and it was after that that they physically assaulted the officer and put the gun in my mouth. 'They would frequently issue demands such as telling me to get a credit card to use phone apps to transfer money to their account only to abandon the plan seconds later and frenetically move to some other idea.' Greenwald notes that he feels extremely grateful that neither his husband nor his two young children were at home at the time of the attack and were not subjected to the trauma. He also admits that he was reluctant to write about the encounter but was encouraged to do so by colleagues who felt it might be 'beneficial to remind people of the impact of this kind of violent crime.' President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree on vaccination of the population against coronavirus, providing for the creation of a National Vaccination Plan against COVID-19, according to which the majority of the adult population of Ukraine should receive their vaccinations by the end of this year. Corresponding document No. 139/2021 "On the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine dated April 2, 2021" On the National Plan for Vaccine Preventive Treatment of Acute Respiratory Disease COVID-19 Caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus, Until the End of 2021 "was announced on the President's website on Sunday. According to the decision of the NSDC, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine within seven days must ensure the development and approval of the National Vaccination Plan against COVID-19, taking into account the best international experience, the press service of the head of state reported. "In particular, the minimum required monthly number of vaccinations should be established, the sources and timing of the supply of vaccines for the prevention of coronavirus disease, the persons responsible for the implementation of the plan, the ultimate goal of which is to cover the majority of the adult population of Ukraine with vaccinations no later than December 2021 for the formation of herd immunity to the coronavirus," the President's Office reported. They note that the government should intensify negotiations with manufacturers of vaccines against COVID-19, as well as attract international technical assistance for the implementation of the vaccination campaign in Ukraine. "The Ministry of Health should take urgent and effective measures to supply to Ukraine as soon as possible the required amount of vaccines for the specific prevention of coronavirus disease and ensure public access to vaccination; ensure effective awareness-raising on vaccination," the message says. The President's Office also emphasizes that the decision provides that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should take urgent measures aimed at increasing the efficiency of cooperation with foreign states and international organizations on the supply of vaccines against COVID-19 to Ukraine. The decree on the entry into force of the NSDC decision comes into force from the day of its publication. As reported, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said that in the near future, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will sign a decree on the vaccination of the population of Ukraine. CLOUD Carlson's successor at AWS retains her mandate for growth, long-term partnerships Amazons public sector cloud computing arm as the market knows it today and all that its been since 2010 has had one primary face and voice at the top. But that is about to change. Teresa Carlson is the architect of Amazon Web Services public sector business, which made its ambitions in the cloud market battle known by hiring her away from Microsoft nearly a decade ago. She is now leaving to join big data software company Splunk as president and chief growth officer, that company said Monday. Succeeding Carlson at AWS is Max Peterson, currently vice president of international sales for the public sector shop. Peterson joined AWS in 2012 from Dell Technologies, where he was vice president and general manager of its civilian and intelligence business. It is hard to overstate what AWS has become in the federal government market over 10 years and particularly the last seven since it shocked the market to win CIAs C2S cloud contract in 2013. Perhaps not that surprising now in retrospect given the thousands of agencies using AWS cloud today. Were really proud about the work Teresa has done to help public sector customers around the world reimagine digital transformation and achieve mission success, and we wish her the best moving forward, an AWS spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The transition comes amid two other big ones at Amazon. AWS CEO Andy Jassy will succeed Jeff Bezos as chief executive for all of Amazon, while former Tableau Software CEO Adam Selipsky was hired to run the cloud business. Peterson and Selipsky will lead the effort to keep AWS at the top of the overall cloud hosting markets food chain. Gartner says AWS holds 45 percent of the public cloud hosting market as of 2019, according to the research firms most recent estimates. Microsoft holds 17.9 percent of the total public cloud infrastructure market but saw growth of 57.8 over the prior year versus AWS rate of 29 percent. Setting aside the drama over that cloud hosting contract named JEDI: a key cog in AWS public sector approach has also been to ink partnerships with nearly every federal systems integrator in the market. In the fall of last year, Carlsons role was expanded to include business in certain highly-regulated industries that included financial services, telecommunications, energy, and the aerospace and satellite vertical unveiled in Summer 2020. Regardless of how its structured or who leads it though, Amazon is a cloud company with the AWS business being its profit engine. Which helps AWS reinvest into the offering, lower prices and pretty much just continue that cycle. Carlsons first day at Splunk will be April 19, but a connection to AWS remains in practice for her as both companies are partners. She will report to Splunk CEO Doug Merritt, who referenced the companies past collaborations involving her. Ive had the privilege of getting to know her as a partner during her tenure at AWS, and know shell be an excellent addition to our team, Merritt said in a statement. DEAR ABBY: Last year, my across-the-street neighbor backed into my car. At least, that's what I think happened. My car was parked legally on the street, and there was a huge dent in it. I called the police and, based on the location of the dent and the neighbor's driveway, the officer determined that the neighbor had backed into it. Furthermore, light blue paint from my car was on her car's bumper. When the officer went across the street, the neighbor came running out screaming at him. She was hysterical and belligerent, and she denied it. Eventually, the officer told me that even though he was certain she did it, there was nothing he could do since it was her word against mine. I had never met this woman before, but she is mean, and I often hear her screaming and cussing at her small children. Last week, I arrived at work to discover that my company had hired a new clerk. I'll give you one guess who it is. I don't think she realizes I'm her neighbor. I must interact with her often at work, and so far, I've been professional but chilly toward her. At some point, she's going to see me in my yard and realize I'm her neighbor. Should I clear the air now, or should I pretend it never happened? I'm still angry because she cost me a lot of money. -- ANGRY NEIGHBOR DEAR NEIGHBOR: I see nothing to be gained by "clearing the air" with someone you know is emotionally unstable. Let it ride, keep your distance and remain cool. If her problems manifest at the office, she may not be there long. And at home, stay away from her AND her driveway. DEAR ABBY: I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for almost four years. We live together along with my two older sons, ages 30 and 33. He doesn't spend much time with me because he's either working or hanging out with the guys at the bar. I do have jealousy issues. He looks at and talks to other women when I am with him. My former husband used to be out every day until late in the evenings until I caught him cheating with my best friend. It's hard for me to trust again. I truly love my boyfriend, and I don't want to lose him. Should I be jealous or let it go? -- UNDERVALUED IN INDIANA DEAR UNDERVALUED: Your insecurity is something you need to work on because your jealousy could drive a wedge between you and your boyfriend. If his looking at and conversing with women were a threat to your relationship, it's likely something would already have happened. Did your former husband look at women and engage them in conversation? I have a hunch he didn't do it openly. That your best friend helped him cheat was another betrayal, for which you have my sympathy. But please don't project their sins onto your boyfriend. Talk to him. Tell him you need more time together. Make plans for a regular date night and arrange for your sons to be absent. If you still don't have enough of his company and he likes hanging out with his guy friends at the bar, consider tagging along occasionally. Trash-talking couple banned from daughter-in-law's house DEAR ABBY: I have meddling in-laws. Anytime my husband of 20 years and I have a disagreement, he calls his parents to complain about me. On six different occasions, I found messages and Facebook chats between my husband and my in-laws in which they called me a bad mother, a terrible person, crazy, evil, the devil and disparaged my family. Because of this, I have cut off contact with his relatives, and they cannot come to our house. My husband insists on being around them, and we argue because I want our 9-year-old son to have only limited contact with them. I don't want them tearing me down in front of him. I also expect my spouse to spend time with me and our son at holidays, but my husband says I'm being unreasonable and I should just "move on and let it go." His parents refuse to apologize. They say they have done nothing wrong. I need some objective advice. -- MISERABLE IN MISSOURI DEAR MISERABLE: The person who has done something wrong is your husband. He should not have gone running to Mommy and Daddy when you had a disagreement. What they did was accept his side of the story and support their wounded child. I don't blame you for not wanting your son subjected to any smack talk from his grandparents. Wanting to shield him from that doesn't make you crazy, evil, etc. Bury the hatchet with them if it's possible, and drag your husband to a licensed marriage and family therapist so he -- and you -- can learn to disagree like adults. DEAR ABBY: My mother keeps buying me (and my now-teenage daughters) clothes from a catalog for elderly women. Think lots of bird prints, florals and elastic-waist pants. She's an amazing mother and grandmother and an inspiration in my life. I appreciate her generosity and that she thinks of us. However, none of us wear the clothes, and I don't want to hurt her feelings by telling her we are "pretty particular" when it comes to style. We are very frugal and even shop second-hand stores for some clothing. Should I speak up, or quietly continue donating the clothes? The last thing I want is to hurt her. -- WINCING IN LANSING, MICH. DEAR WINCING: Do NOT tell your mother you and your daughters have been donating the clothes she orders for you. DO tell her that teenage girls these days dress much differently than women her age and yours, and that it would be "prudent" to ask them what they might like or gift them money to buy something of their own choosing. It's the truth, and she should hear it. As to what she is ordering for you, thank her for her generosity and point out that since the pandemic began most women have been wearing jeans, sweats, leggings, etc. and that while you are grateful for her, you think she should be aware of it. Fashions change, and there is nothing so constant as change. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. An Idaho-based Greek fast casual chain is looking to make the jump to the Southwest with plans to expand in New Mexico in the near future. Gyro Shacks menu consists largely of its namesake gyros as well as other Greek-inspired options like rice bowls, breakfast gyros and salads. Were just really excited to grow, president Seth Brink said. Weve taken a lot of time during COVID to take a step back and thankfully we were able to maintain our sales. The planned expansion into Albuquerque coincides with a regional expansion including other parts of New Mexico and Arizona, Brink said. He said the company is looking to expand through franchising options and is aiming to find franchisees to open three or four locations in Albuquerque. The company is also looking at other metro areas like Santa Fe for franchises. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Brink said that depending on a franchise agreement, Albuquerque could see its first Gyro Shack location open this year and a New Mexico location could include some local fare. As you look at coming into the New Mexico market, Albuquerque specifically, obviously we will have to do something with chiles because I think that we will get run out of the state if we dont, he said. Gyro Shack currently operates nine locations in Idaho, according to a company spokesperson. Stores range from less than 500 square feet to 1,800 square feet with most of the business coming from drive-thru and delivery sales. A news release announcing the expansion said ideal franchisees should have three to five years of restaurant experience and have a minimum net worth of $500,000 for a single unit. For more information, visit gyroshack.com/franchise/. Chase Bank adding two more ABQ locations Chase Bank is continuing its expansion into New Mexico with two more branch locations planned to open in Albuquerque. The two locations at 8001 Wyoming NE and 9261 Coors NW are both slated to open in the second half of the year, said Maura Cordova, a bank spokeswoman. In late 2020, the company announced plans to move into the Albuquerque market. At the time, Cordova said Chase already had over 140,000 consumer customers and 6,200 business customers in the state despite not operating any physical branch locations in New Mexico. The two additional bank branches brings the total number of Chase branches to four. Kids shoehorn maker makes the bigs An Albuquerque-based company selling childrens shoehorns will soon be carried by Amazon and Zappos. Bright Kids LLC, the manufacturer of Little Piggie Shoehorns, was launched in 2019 by Tina Bagon in order to help her children put on their shoes in the morning, according to a news release announcing the deal. Ive worked diligently to develop a tool for busy parents that will make the morning routine a little easier on everyone, Bagon said in the news release. The Little Piggie Kids Shoehorn line is designed with the anatomy of little feet and little hands in mind. The shoehorns are available in five different colors and characters and can be purchased at brightkidsllc.com, amazon.com or zappos.com. Promotional product firm opens showroom Bright Ideas Group, an Albuquerque-based promotional products company, officially opened its new retail space in the Northeast Heights last week. The new location at 7400 Montgomery NE will serve as the main showroom for the company and is directly next to Bright Ideas sister stores Rowan Apparel and Embroidery Plus, company spokeswoman Esmeralda Trujillo said. Trujillo said the new location is kind of like a one-stop shopping experience for promotional products. We have a ton of promotional products on display ranging from tumblers to shirts to little gadgets, she said. Anything that you can put your name on or brand or logo, weve definitely got it. While the showroom moved from its previous location on Jefferson, Trujillo said the printing press is remaining at the Jefferson location. We feel like being more centrally located and near our sister stores, that it would be an easier shopping experience, she said. Bright Ideas is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Consulting company leaves Downtown After 44 years in its Downtown office, Architectural Research Consultants Inc. is moving to the Northeast Heights. ARC specializes in providing services ranging from master planning, spatial condition assessment, evaluation and research, according to Erma Sedillo, office administrator. The companys new address is 4906 Alameda NE. Sedillo said an open house will be held at a later date. Law firm with ABQ presence rebrands Phoenix-based law firm Lewis Roca has shortened its name from Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP, according to a spokeswoman for the firm. The century-old law firm operates an Albuquerque office at 201 Third NW. Pilar Martinez covers retail and commercial real estate for the Journal. She can be reached at pmartinez@abqjournal.com. A few years ago, Joshua Vatnsdal was visiting his family cottage in rural Manitoba when he had an unshakable idea. A few years ago, Joshua Vatnsdal was visiting his family cottage in rural Manitoba when he had an unshakable idea. "The local store just closed in the area and everyone was left with very few places to go get their food nothing healthy and everything you could get being packaged, big-box-store items," he told the Free Press Sunday. "I immediately thought, how nice would it be to have a mobile version of local items for people to purchase?" Like countless other business plans cracked up at the dinner table, Vatnsdal put "that grandiosity" to bed. It wasnt until the economic stupor caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that he realized maybe his idea wasnt so far-fetched after all. As a carrier for Canada Post, he couldnt help but notice just how many Amazon orders among planeloads of packages he would unload every single day. "Every one of them was a reminder of action I could be taking to help local businesses, while bigger stores flourished," Vatnsdal said. Enter: Prairie Flavours a new venture thats an online company promising to deliver and sell only Manitoba-made products the idea being that anytime someone orders a product, Vatnsdal will either deliver it to them or set up a mobile shop for them to pick it up. From cookies and curries to colourful soaps and all sorts of accessories, Vatnsdal will launch his website this week to help support small businesses from small communities. Deliveries kick off April 15, using a decommissioned ambulance that hes repurposed. Around 60 vendors have already signed up with their products. "Right now, Im not taking any profit on this," he said. "For me, this is just a way to help those that are struggling when Im not doing my day job." Deliveries within the perimeter of Winnipeg will take place every Thursday night and Friday afternoon per week, if orders are placed by the preceding Wednesday. After April 28, Vatnsdals delivery truck will begin to make rounds in rural areas, where he will set up mobile shops for about four hours at a time, with locations to be communicated in advance. Hes created four different zones for delivery, aptly named in the theme of road-trip adventures: Gimli Glide: Lockport, Selkirk, Clandeboye, Petersfield, Matlock, Dunnottar, Ponemah, Winnipeg Beach, Sandy Hook, Gimli. Lockport, Selkirk, Clandeboye, Petersfield, Matlock, Dunnottar, Ponemah, Winnipeg Beach, Sandy Hook, Gimli. Victoria Beach Venture: Lockport, Selkirk, Gull Lake, Beaconia, Grand Marais, Grand Beach, Lester Beach, Belair, Hillside Beach, Victoria Beach. Lockport, Selkirk, Gull Lake, Beaconia, Grand Marais, Grand Beach, Lester Beach, Belair, Hillside Beach, Victoria Beach. West Hawk Waggle: Falcon Lake, West Hawk Lake, Rennie, Whitemouth, Seven Sisters, Beausejour, Garson, Birds Hill. Falcon Lake, West Hawk Lake, Rennie, Whitemouth, Seven Sisters, Beausejour, Garson, Birds Hill. Steinbach Shuffle: Grande Pointe, Ile-des-Chenes, Niverville, Mitchell, Steinbach, Blumenort, St. Anne, Dufresne, Lorette. "Theres definitely an appetite for this," said Vatnsdal. "I mean, Im myself someone who wants to do his part in supporting businesses. So, Im hoping more people want to support this kind of thing. "At the end of the day, I strongly believe that the only way to get outside this pandemic with our local business community still sticking around is by doing our part and shopping at their stores first before we go out to those other big stores." Temur.Durrani@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @temurdur 39 Shares Share As a physician and businessperson who has dedicated his career to improving health equity, I consider news about vaccines going into arms bittersweet. An uncomfortable question remains: Whose arms are they going into? Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services points to an inequitable rollout. White, non-Hispanic Americans are receiving more than their equitable portion of vaccines, while Black and Hispanic/Latinx Americans are receiving fewer shots compared with their share of the U.S. population. Why is this happening? Because the American health care system meets its diverse multicultural population with one-size-fits-all care. In other words, the standard of care, which leaves millions of Americans behind, is not culturally relevant care. As my colleague Abner Mason points out, What this approach says to people is: We dont care what your journey is, how you got here, or what you think about health care. None of that matters. Youre all going to be treated the same. When we treat people like this (and also make it difficult to access care in the first place), its not surprising that they dont trust or engage with the system. Its not surprising that despite millions of shots going into arms every day, vaccine hesitancy remains high in many communities, access remains low, and the pandemic is poised for another resurgence. If physicians and other clinicians want to improve health equity during the pandemic and beyond, we must work to ensure that culturally relevant care becomes the new standard of care. But how can we do this? Systemically, we face an uphill battle. The Biden administration has committed to improving health disparities as part of its COVID-19 response strategy, which aims to protect those most at risk and advance equity. But theres a long way to go. Federal support mattersorganizations like federally qualified health centers do a fantastic job of meeting patients culturally sensitive needsbut scaled local delivery is what moves the health equity needle. For now, much of the responsibility to build connections with underserved, diverse, and vaccine-hesitant populations falls on us, Americas clinicians. And culturally relevant care is one of the most effective tools to help us unite with patients and improve each others well-being. Culturally relevant care informs best practices for a patient visit. It dictates whether you stand or sit, what you say and how you say it, the breadth of knowledge you bring to the conversation, and more. Its success can be measured by whether you achieved a desired outcome, such as informed consent for a procedure or the administration of a vaccine. But whether the patient felt welcome, safe, understood, and comfortable putting their trust in you are less-discussed benchmarks. Heres an example: In primary care settings, physicians often emphasize the importance of cervical cancer screening for female patients. For most women, this is a simple subject to discuss. But for trans men, such conversations require a high degree of cultural sensitivity and mutual understanding. Get it right, and you can build trust with a diverse American that ripples out into the local community. Neglect cultural sensitivity, and the opposite effect occurs. Heres another example: In late April, a Muslim patient whose chart shows a long history of healthy blood pressure presents with hypertension. Cultural sensitivity in this scenario requires an awareness that Ramadan occurs in the spring, meaning your patients vitals may be affected by their religious observation of that holiday, which can include fasting. Its important to acknowledge that a patient may have short-term elevated blood pressure before pursuing therapeutic strategies for a reading that amounts to a brief anomaly in their chart. This communicates something powerful to the patient: My clinician understands me. They respect my choices. They acknowledge what makes me who I am. Practicing culturally relevant care means we can account for the social determinants of health, barriers to access, and the emotional disconnect that results from the status quo, one-size-fits-all approach many patients have come to expect. It helps us reach into underserved communities and lift them up, which is essential during a pandemic that disproportionately affects low-income and diverse Americans. If we, as clinicians, can align around the fact that we exist to serve all patients, we must realize that culturally relevant care is more than a situational deviation from the norm. Rather, it must represent the new normalthe new standard of care. Vik Bakhru is a surgeon and health care executive. Image credit: Shutterstock.com MANCHESTER, N.H., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business was selected as the number one telecommunications provider in the Granite State by New Hampshire Business Review readers. This is the 10th year in a row that Comcast Business has received this honor as part of the publication's Best of Business (BOB) Awards program. Comcast Business was recognized for its innovative service offerings designed to meet the needs of today's businesses, backed by the outstanding local employees who are instrumental in supporting Comcast Business offerings. The annual New Hampshire Business Review BOB awards identify, recognize and honor the top companies across the state. This year, more than 4,700 readers cast their votes using anonymous online surveys to assess satisfaction. The publication unveiled the winners from more than 10 different categories during a virtual event on Thursday, April 1. "We are grateful to once again be named New Hampshire's best telecommunications provider. It is an honor to be recognized for our outstanding products and services for the tenth year in a row, though this recognition wouldn't be possible without the support from our customers who we can't thank enough for their continued vote of confidence in us," said Barry Bader, vice president of Comcast Business for Comcast's Greater Boston region, which includes New Hampshire. "This award is further proof of Comcast Business' continued commitment to developing and providing innovative technology solutions to help our customers remain agile and compete in today's increasingly digital world." New Hampshire Business Review is the state's only business newspaper, reaching more than 50,000 subscribers every other week. It is part of McLean Communications of Manchester, a publishing company that also includes New Hampshire Magazine, ParentingNH and New Hampshire Home Magazine. To view a full list of the 2021 winning businesses, visit www.bobawardsnh.com. For more information on Comcast Business, visit https://business.comcast.com/. About Comcast Business Comcast Business offers Ethernet, Internet, Wi-Fi, Voice, TV and Managed Enterprise Solutions to help organizations of all sizes transform their business. Powered by an advanced network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is one of the largest contributors to the growth of Comcast Cable. Comcast Business is the nation's largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and has emerged as a force in the Enterprise market; recognized over the last two years by leading industry associations as one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services. For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @Comcast Business and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social . SOURCE Comcast Cable The agreement on the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine fixes Russia's violation of its legal obligations amid the temporary occupation of the Crimean peninsula and provides Ukraine with additional arguments when considering in international courts the issues of bringing Russia to justice and loss compensation for the occupation of Crimea, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko said. "The Russian Federation unilaterally denounced the agreement on the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine in March 2014 to avoid responsibility for the seizure of Crimea. Ukraine did not recognize this denunciation. We continue to consider the agreement valid, since it fixes Russia's violation of its legal obligations amid the temporary occupation of the Crimean peninsula," Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. He said the arguments for this are that the agreement fixes the temporary nature of the basing of the Black Sea Fleet; leaves in force Russia's obligations not to have nuclear weapons in its composition; establishes the total number of personnel, ships, weapons and determines the places of temporary deployment; obliges the military formations of the fleet to respect sovereignty and legislation of Ukraine. "Violation of the agreement's provisions provides us with additional arguments in the possible consideration in international courts of issues of bringing Russia to justice and loss compensation for the occupation of Crimea. We do not forget that for the deployment of the Black Sea Fleet Russia bears financial obligations to Ukraine. Ignoring mutual settlements also creates grounds for debt claims," the spokesperson said. He said that by committing armed aggression and occupying part of Ukrainian territory, Russia violated numerous norms of international law, in particular, bilateral treaties. "The Ukrainian side is carrying out systematic work to restore the violated rights of Ukraine. Let us also return to the issues of restitution, in particular under the agreement on the Russian Black Sea Fleet," Nikolenko said. VIJAYAWADA: Efforts to resolve the Amaravati and three capitals issues are heading nowhere and appear to be back to square one. The government is planning to execute three capitals plan under which the executive capital would be shifted to Visakhapatnam and judicial capital to Kurnool, leaving Amaravati as the legislative capital. A speedy verdict on cases pertaining to Amaravati in the High Court is hope for in government circles so as to start the shifting government process on Ugadi. However, the High Court has decided to start hearing the Amaravati case from scratch and postponed the hearing to May 3 thereby dashing the hopes of the state government. The High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N. Jayasurya decided to start afresh online and physical hearing of the petitions. According to reports, more than 100 petitions have been filed by farmers from the Amaravati region against the three capital proposal. The pro-Amaravati farmers are conducting protests and agitations continuously for the past 474 days in Velagapudi, Mandadam and Rayapudi demanding continuation of Amaravati as the only state capital. Political analysts state that restarting the whole process will take a lot of time. They stated that with the appointment of Chief Justice Goswami, some arguments will have to be made again since the bench has been dissolved after the transfer of Justice J.K. Maheswari. They opined that the process would take a couple of months for hearing of a bunch of petitions related to decentralisation of governance and CRDA repeal Acts. On the other hand, the YSRC leaders buoyed by the successes in gram panchayat, municipalities and municipal corporation elections were considering that this was most appropriate time to shift capitals. Sources pointed out that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy preferred to go Vizag without legal litigations. A farmer from Amaravati, Aluri Yugendhar, who filed a petition against the government, said that they had expected that Justice Maheswari would complete the whole process but before that he was transferred. TD leader G Ramakrishna said that had the previous CJ been there, We could have had a final judgment by the end of January. Now, the new CJ will have to go through all these records first and familiarise himself with the nomenclature which might take time. Minister for municipal administration Botsa Satyanarayana said that the government was ready to shift the executive capital to Visakhapatnam on the day they had decided on the three capitals. He said there was no question of going back on the proposal. He said that as the case is in the High Court, they are waiting for the courts' verdict. He said that the government would present its arguments in HC in support of three capitals during the hearing. Rarity on Oregon Coast Beaches, Sevengill Shark Washes Up at Gearhart Published 04/04/21 at 6:55 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Gearhart, Oregon) A real rarity washed up on the north Oregon coast this week, discovered after a local couple were walking on the beaches of Gearhart. (All photos courtesy Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium) On Wednesday, March 31, Coreen Mitchell and her husband were taking a stroll when they ran across a shark. They called Seaside Aquarium, and as the facility is part of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, it responded to the scene to pick up the deceased animal and investigate. Tiffany Boothe of the Seaside Aquarium grabbed many photos and explained it was a Broadnose Sevengill shark, about six feet long. The shark was dead before washing in and had what looked to be bites from another shark, Boothe said. Broadnose sevengill sharks are one of seventeen species of sharks that can be found off the Oregon coast. Aquarium manager Keith Chandler said he and the aquarium have only encountered a small handfull of these since he started with the attraction 40 years ago - roughly every ten years. According to Oregon Coast Beach Connection records, Seaside Aquarium encountered one in 2020 and two in 2011. Even though there's plenty of them off the Oregon coast, they're quite a rare sight since they live way offshore. Like their name suggests, the broadnose sevengill shark is unique in that it has seven gills while most species of sharks have five gills (apart from two species of sixgill sharks), Boothe said. They can be found off the eastern and wester Pacific, Argentina, and South Africa in estuaries, bays, and at ocean depths from nearshore to 400 feet. Smaller sevengills feed on fish and squid but as they get bigger they start to prey on marine mammals and are known to hunt in packs. They get up to 400 pounds and nearly ten feet long. Are they dangerous to humans? Boothe said likely not but there may be some leeway on that issue. Boothe said there has never been a documented attack on a human by a sevengill along the Oregon or Washington coast, even though they are known for being quite aggressive when feeding. Worldwide, they have only been responsible for five attacks on humans since the 17th century and none were fatal, Boothe said. Though the jury is still out on that one since human remains have been found in the stomachs of some sevengills. When news stories like this are published, many on social media go a little overboard and declare something major is wrong with the ocean. As if an occurrence like this is a sign of some form of doom. That is not the case, however. Stuff washes up all on the time along the Oregon coast and Washington coast. In fact, what people should be asking is why doesn't MORE stuff wash up? Considering that every square meter of water down in that Pacific Ocean is crammed with life forms of one kind or another, it's actually a little odd or even alarming more isn't seen on the beaches. Chandler said the answer to that is rather simple as well: most things just sink to the bottom after they die, and there they get consumed. Those things a little closer to shore run more of a chance to get washed up onto a beach, he said. However, there are those natural but slightly odd upwelling events where storms cause lots of stuff to get dredged up from the bottom of the ocean and dragged onto land. In the case of the sevengill it's likely it was closer to shore and died not very long ago. If he had been out there longer he may not have washed up, Chandler said. He would've sunk to the bottom like everything else before he could've come in. The Seaside Aquarium recovered the shark and it will be used as an educational tool for a local school group. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted The Dunamaise Arts Centre Portlaoise is delighted to be one of the partner venues in the first online Gate At Home production of the new play by Frank McGuinness which will have its world premiere streamed from the Gate auditorium from 22nd to 24th April. Brought to you in a collaboration between The Gate Theatre and the NASC venues across Ireland, the Dunamaise team is looking foward to presenting what they say is a much-anticipated play starring two highly renowned Irish actors, Stephen Rea and Judith Roddy. This moving new play about an Irish father (Stephen Rea) and daughter (Judith Roddy) at visiting hour in a nursing home during the pandemic, Frank McGuinness, whose extraordinary plays have been produced around the world to critical acclaim, wrote the play during lockdown for the two renowned Irish actors Stephen Rea and Judith Roddy. Caitriona McLaughlin, the newly appointed Artistic Director- designate of the Abbey Theatre, will direct the production. The play quietly observes a daughter visiting her elderly father in his nursing home. His mind is beginning to wander, but conversations about the past can be dangerous, and family memories can look very different, depending on who is telling the story. Gate At Home is a new artistic initiative of bespoke productions streamed from the Gate Creative Studio re-creating a unique and distinctive performance experience viewable from home. I am thrilled to bring this dynamic creative team together for our first Gate At Home production, said Selina Cartmell, Gate Director. The Gate team have worked so hard to make this production happen, despite the ongoing financial challenges of the pandemic. With the welcome government investment of our vital Arts Council funding, last month we were able to announce the Gate Creative Studio, the Gate Masterclasses, and a series of commissions for Irish writers and theatre companies. Now we are especially grateful to bring theatre production back to the Gate in 2021. The Visiting Hour Cast and Creative Team: Cast: Stephen Rea and Judith Roddy; directed by Caitriona McLaughlin; set and costume design by Katie Davenport; lighting design by Paul Keogan; sound and composition by Tom Lane. The play will be performed and recorded in the Gate auditorium and streamed to audiences each day at 7.30pm. Running time 60 minutes. A captioned version of the production will be streamed on 23rd April. Tickets are on sale from www.dunamaise.ie or directly from The Gate Theatre at www.gatetheatre.ie . Early bird ticket prices are 20 until 2nd April . Concession tickets 15, Standard tickets 25, Household ticket 40, Support the Gate ticket 50. Read also: SHOUT OUT FOR CREATIVITY TO LAOIS CHILDREN The Digital Tour is presented in partnership with venues around Ireland in the NASC Theatre group including Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise; An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny; Backstage Theatre, Longford; glor, Ennis; Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick; Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire; Siamsa Tire, Tralee; Town Hall Theatre, Galway and Lyric Theatre, Belfast. About the playwright Frank McGuinnesss extraordinary plays have been produced around the world to critical acclaim, including The Factory Girls, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, Someone Wholl Watch Over Me and Dolly Wests Kitchen. His adaptations for theatre form an exceptional body of work with translations of the plays of Racine, Sophocles, Ibsen, Lorca and Strindberg. Productions of his plays at the Gate include Innocence (1986) and The Bread Man (1990). Adaptions include Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen (1988), Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov (1990) and The Threepenny Opera by Bertold Brecht (1991). His play Gates of Gold (2002), commissioned by the Gate, was a work of fiction inspired by the lives of Gate founders Hilton Edwards and Michael MacLiammoir. It offered a fascinating glimpse into a unique partnership, two lives devoted to each other, and to the theatre they founded. Why is Biden in such a hurry? Democrats are operating under the assumption that they have only two years. They could easily lose the Senate next year, and then theyd have to get judicial nominees that Republicans would be willing to vote for. So I think were going to see a big push from Biden. So far, what distinguishes Bidens nominees from his predecessors? Federal judicial nominees have typically been somebody from the U.S. attorneys office, a local prosecutor or a partner in a law firm. But after Trump put 220-some judges on there many of them very conservative, most of them white males and some of them with very little legal experience the Biden folks concluded they needed to get different kinds of people on the courts. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, in Chicago, has a totally white lineup of judges. So Biden picked Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, who is a Black woman and a former federal public defender. Public defenders see the federal courts from another side from the perspective of the defendant. Thats a big change. I think Biden wanted to make a statement about the kinds of judges he wants: people with different life and legal experiences. There are currently 68 vacancies, with another 26 scheduled to open this year. Does that limit how transformative Biden can be? The transformation is going to be in the types of judges. Biden is going to have a hard time matching Trumps numbers, which were over four years. And that was a concerted campaign by Mitch McConnell, to the exclusion of many other things. CONTRACT AWARDS Patent & Trademark Office finalizes awards for $2B software contract The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded five companies positions on a 10-year, $2 billion contract for broad software development and systems integration services. Booz Allen Hamilton, Halvik Corp., Riva Solutions, Science Applications International Corp. and Steampunk emerged as the final winners as announced in an award notice Friday. For USPTO, this comes nearly a year after the agency initially selected a field of 24 competitors that that then vied for the final slots. That downselect for the Business Oriented Software Solutions contract looked like one but technically was not as USPTO has procurement rules unique to the agency. One of those differences is an exemption from rules on using full-and-open competition for procurements -- a factor that two protestors found out the hard way when they were not chosen for the field. Work areas for BOSS include software development and integration, testing, configuration management, production, software maintenance and transition, and program management. Companies will also vie to help in architecture and design, coding, defect triaging and user experience design. (Natural News) China is fast gaining a reputation as the global dumping ground for Frankenstein-style experiments, which create hybrid animals and risk unleashing deadly viruses. Despite the controversial World Health Organization (WHO) report that dismissed the lab leak theory as the origin of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), it is still widely believed that the disease originated from a virus at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). This is why German scientist Dr. Roland Wiesendanger found it inexcusable and irresponsible that some countries were outsourcing risky biotechnological research in China. But many countries, particularly in Europe, prohibit some forms of biotechnological research for ethical reasons. China, on the other hand, has no qualms in carrying out all kinds of dangerous and ethically controversial research. Because of these circumstances, China is viewed as a dumping ground and giant test tube for all kinds of dangerous and ethically controversial research outlawed by Western countries, similar to how it became a dumping ground for recyclable waste in past decades, according to Christina Lin, a California-based foreign and security policy analyst. China seeks to establish itself as biotech superpower China is planning to build seven more high-security labs similar to the WIV by 2025 as the country seeks to establish itself as a biotech superpower. Chinese scientists also created a model for studying SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by creating mice with human-like lung characteristics. They used gene-editing technology to give the mice lung cells the ACE2 receptor, which allows the virus to infect humans. An official from the U.S. embassy in Beijing told the Washington Post that there was an entire galaxy of activity, including labs and military labs in Beijing and Wuhan playing around with coronaviruses in ACE2 mice in unsafe labs. Chinese scientists are known to have been tinkering with viruses to make them more infectious. Known as gain of function experiments, they were originally banned in the U.S. in 2014 but reintroduced by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2017. (Related: Covid-19 is just the beginning as communist China plots new killer viruses.) Such studies were known to help scientists prepare for a pandemic, but they could also cause irreparable damage if the virus escaped from the lab. NIH had funded this dangerous research in the WIV through a grant to the EcoHealth Alliance, but there is no proven link between these experiments and COVID-19. Dr. Wiesendanger said a virus tinkered within the lab could be even more devastating than COVID potentially with a death rate of up to 80 percent. Current biotechnological methods, as used in gain of function experiments, could potentially be used to combine properties of viruses with a very high human-to-human transmission rate and a very high death rate, he said. We urgently need international regulations and surveys for these types of experiments. Ethical concerns are of no concern in China Chinese scientists have also made headlines in creating hybrid animals. In 2019, Chinese scientists worked with Spanish-born biologist Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte to create human-animal chimeras, in this case monkey embryos to which human cells are added. The team claimed to have created a human-monkey hybrid embryo using groundbreaking scientific techniques. The scientists injected human stem cells into a monkey embryo that had been genetically modified to deactivate the genes that control organ growth. Stem cells are the bodys master cells with the potential to become any type of tissue or bone. The team said the cells survived and formed a hybrid embryo. It is said the creature could have grown and been born, but scientists aborted the process. The embryos had a red line at 14 days gestation, which means they couldnt grow and develop a nervous system. Scientists on the team from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California and the Murcia Catholic University in Spain admitted it was carried out in China to dodge ethical concerns. Federal funds cannot be used to create mixed human-monkey embryos in the U.S. In Canada, putting non-human stem cells into human embryos was a crime under the Assisted Human Reproduction Act. Head transplant, monkey-pig hybrid, smart monkey, gene-edited babies and super soldiers Italian scientist Sergio Canavero has been carrying out head transplant experiments with Dr. Ren Xiaoping at Harbin Medical University in China. Canavero and Ren want to carry out the worlds first human head transplant on a human. A head transplant was due to be carried out on severely disabled Russian man Valery Spiridonov. Their work is sponsored by the Chinese government. The duo published in a scientific journal the results of the transplants which showed that monkeys and dogs were able to walk again after their spinal cords were fully transected during surgery and then put back together again. Pictures released of the experiments show a monkey with its head stitched onto its neck, while other images show mice whose spines had been severed being taught to walk again. The worlds first monkey-pig hybrids were born as part of experiments at the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology in Beijing. Stem cells from macaque monkeys were grown in a lab and then injected into pig embryos five days after fertilization. Of more than 4,000 implanted in sows, ten piglets were born. But only two were chimeras animals with cells from two different species and both died in a week. That same year Chinese scientists gene hacked a group of monkeys to make them smarter in an experiment branded reckless by experts. The experiment involved exposing monkeys to human genes that affect the development of human brains. Chinese scientist He Jiankui created the worlds first gene-edited babies in 2019, with his team involved in the birth of three spliced tots from two women. He said he had used a tool called CRISPR to try to disable a gene that allows the AIDS virus to enter a cell, in a bid to give the girls the ability to resist the infection. The CRISPR tool has been tested elsewhere in adults to treat diseases, but many in the scientific community denounced his work as medically unnecessary and unethical because any genetic changes could be passed down to future generations. The experiment was dubbed monstrous by others within the scientific community. According to experts, gene-editing in people could divide humans into subspecies and can cause mutations, genetic problems and cancer. Chinese scientists have also conducted tests on members of its armed forces, aiming to develop biologically enhanced soldiers, a US intelligence chief has said. John Ratcliffe, who served as President Donald Trumps director of national intelligence, made the claim in a newspaper editorial warning that China posed the greatest threat to America today. In his piece, Ratcliffe said Chinese authorities had conducted human testing on members of the Chinese army in hopes of developing soldiers with biologically enhanced capabilities. While the potential leveraging of [gene editing] to increase human capabilities on the future battlefield remains only a hypothetical possibility at the present, there are indications that Chinese military researchers are starting to explore its potential, he said. Follow WeirdScienceNews.com for more news and information related to weird and bad science. Sources include: TheSun.co.uk TechnologyReview.com Independent.co.uk Reuters.com After taking a helicopter tour of the reservoir on Monday morning, Representative Vern Buchanan, Republican of Florida, said at the news conference that he was concerned about the leaking of wastewater into a nearby creek. I know theyre making some progress, but to see the water spewing out, it looked pretty contaminated to me, Mr. Buchanan said. Mr. Buchanan thanked the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for their unified command on the leak, but expressed concerns about the impact the leak could have on homes, property and the environment. When I see water flowing into Tampa Bay, frankly, it makes me sick about it, Mr. Buchanan said. Scott Hopes, the acting Manatee County administrator, said the most recent estimate since Sunday was that slightly less than 300 million gallons of wastewater remained in the reservoir, down from about 340 million gallons. Additional pumps were expected to come online on Monday, which Mr. Hopes said would more than double the rate at which water was being taken out of the reservoir, to 75 million to 100 million gallons a day from 35 million gallons on Monday morning. You can see how we can more rapidly deplete the volume in a retaining pool, which is at greater greatest risk, Mr. Hopes said, adding that by the end of Monday the county expected to have a clearer picture of the situation. Dale Rucker, chief technical officer for hydroGEOPHYSICS Inc., a company in Tucson, Ariz., that offers geophysical services to the environmental, engineering, mining and oil and gas industries, said Florida officials were facing extraordinary circumstances. Customarily, he said, the discharge of so much wastewater would require permits, environmental assessments and public input. Nine of Irelands forest owner groups have come together to form a national body, the Irish Forest Owners (IFO). Currently involved are Donegal Woodland Owners Society, Westmeath/ Longford Farm Forestry Group, Irish Wood Producers, Inishowen Forest Owners, Laois Farm Forestry Group, North East Forestry Group, Offaly Farm Forestry Group, Waterford Forest Owner Group and Wicklow Private Woodland Owners. The Westmeath Farm Forestry Group which incorporates Longford (WFFG) has over 30 members from both Longford and Westmeath. A spokesperson for the group James Ham said we see forestry and woodlands as an important enterprise, benefiting all farms. Our aims are to keep forest owners up to date on issues concerning their forestry, to share knowledge and promote learning, and to encourage and help owners to take an active part in the management of their own woodlands, thereby maximising returns. Chairman of the IFO, Nicholas Sweetman, Wexford said: The IFO is a body formed to support the forestry industry by supporting individual primary producer groups. We formed this group to ensure the voice of all forest owners is heard in planning for the future of Irelands forests. Our members are the custodians of Irelands forests and we want to work with all stakeholders to create a forestry industry that generates a long term income for private woodland owners, while creating a valuable and sustainable resource for future generations. There are over 390,000 hectares of private forestry, comprising 49% of the national forest estate. Over 25,000 private growers have planted 268,000 hectares of grant-aided forestry between 1980 and 2019. More than 140,000 hectares of this is ready for various stages of harvesting from first thinning to clearfell. It is of great importance that the growers and not third parties are the ones to primarily benefit from the harvesting of this timber and also obtain reward on their stock of forestry carbon credits said Mr Sweetman. The development of private forestry producer groups is essential if owners are to keep control of their forestry business and optimise economic return, and for the growth of a sustainable forestry industry in Ireland. The IFO will promote and facilitate a greater involvement of forest owners in their sector through a well-developed producer group structure. Immediate key issues for the IFO are resolving the ongoing forest licensing crisis and actioning a clear plan for the swift implementation of a more meaningful Ash dieback support plan. The Irish Forest Owners will shortly commence a programme of engagement with key stakeholders. For further information you can contact James Ham on 087 2794045 In the case of this here two-wheeler, that something special would be notoriety. Aside from the fact youre looking at a first-year Knucklehead (according to Harleys numbers, about 1,500 of them were made back in 1936), it was also the star of several high-profile events over the years.It was back in 2003 when the bike climbed the highest on the ladder to success. First, it was part of a massive Harley event in Milwaukee, meant to celebrate the companys 100th anniversary, and then its image was used on a Miller collectible beer can released that same year.The bike is presently part of the John Bernard Estate after being purchased back in 1989. It was restored by Dick Winger, a member of the board of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, and now the plan is to make use of all of these things to get as much money for it as possible during the Mecum Las Vegas auction at the end of the month.The EL is as original as they come, boasting the telltale red and black paint scheme and the 61ci engine sitting inside the framefor reference, the engine number is 36EL1586. Most importantly, the two-wheeler has barely been used, as the seller claims there are just 40 miles of use on it, though thats probably since the restoration was completed.The Knucklehead is selling with a title, but no mention on how much it is expected to fetch (or on the reserve for it, for that matter) is made. Seoul/New Delhi, April 5 : LG Electronics said on Monday that it will withdraw from the mobile business after years of money-losing performance amid intensifying competition with bigger rivals. The South Korean tech powerhouse said in a regulatory filing that its mobile communications (MC) unit will no longer produce and sell handsets after July 31, citing its long slump and fierce competition in the industry. The decision came two months after the company said its MC division is open to "all possibilities" for its future operations. LG's mobile business has been in the red since the second quarter of 2015. Its accumulated operating losses reached 5 trillion won (US$4.4 billion) last year. LG, once the world's third-largest handset maker, reportedly had talks with Vingroup of Vietnam and Volkswagen of Germany to sell the mobile business, but the talks fell through, according to industry insiders. LG said its exit from the mobile business will lead to a decline in revenue for the company in the short term but will eventually improve its financial status and management efficiency in the longer period, reports Yonhap news agency. Analysts said that LG's operating profit could go up by 1 trillion won this year if it withdraws from the loss-making mobile business. LG has been striving to make a turnaround in its mobile business in recent years, shifting its smartphone production base to Vietnam while expanding outsourcing deals. To boost its premium smartphone sales, LG last year launched the Explorer Project, its new mobile category highlighted by a different form factor. Under the project, the company released the Wing, a dual-screen smartphone with a rotating form factor, but its sales were apparently disappointing. This year, LG was scheduled to launch a smartphone with a rollable OLED display after it teased the product at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021. However, the company reportedly scrapped the plan. Analysts said LG's efforts were not enough to turn the table as the company was overshadowed by Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple Inc. in the premium segment, while Chinese brands dominated the budget phone sector. "Its strategic smartphone models like the Velvet and the Wing performed poorly and with the 5G momentum passing its peak, the company has lost ground in the premium smartphone market with little cards left to play," said Koh Jung-woo, an analyst at NH Investment & Securities. "Its rollable smartphone brought attention at CES and is enough to boost its technology prowess, but it is not likely to lead to meaningful sales." According to market researcher Counterpoint Research, LG was the world's ninth-largest smartphone vendor with a market share of 2 percent after shipping 24.7 million smartphones last year, down 13 percent from a year earlier. Officials with Harness Racing B.C. and the province's thoroughbred industry recently met with government officials in an attempt to secure added funding. Over a Zoom session, the B.C. government informed the horse racing community that it could not meet its request for funding as the industry has lobbied for nearly the last year to subsidize racing while casinos remain closed in the pandemic. Its just been a battle," Nigel Holmes, executive director of Harness Racing British Columbia (HRBC) told Trot Insider. "We worked closely with the thoroughbreds in trying to come up with our end goal of funding from the government. And when it came back 'no', it was devastating. It was really...it was a setback. Were going to still go forward and work on the outskirts of it all, and see if we can get messages to the government." With the industry's funding as it stands, "unless the government has a change of heart" the 2020-2021 harness racing season in British Columbia will conclude by the end of April. "Had we had the funding, we couldve raced in conjunction with the thoroughbreds on different days," Holmes added, "but we couldve raced into May and June, and thats kind of unheard of out here. Great Canadian [Gaming] was kind enough to let us continue racing without funding." With a purse model that's directly linked to expanded gaming revenue at racetracks, and with the province's casinos shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic since last year, a number of questions remain regarding purses. The province is currently going through a third wave that's decimated the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, and Holmes could only speculate as to when the province would be able to resume expanded gaming. Ive heard July potentially opening up. Julys going to be here quicker than we know it. So lets say casinos dont open until September, then when does the money start to flow into the horse racing business? Great Canadians got 26 locations across the country with casinos and racetracks, and Im sure theyve got some bills to pay. So how quickly is it going to be before we can get funding to the racetracks? Is it going to be October? I dont know. And if the government only allows [a] 50-person limit inside those casinos, then whats that going to mean for us? Weve got way more questions than answers. "Here we sit. The reality of it is well enjoy our last few weeks." As of press time, Fraser Downs will be the only track conducting harness racing in Canada for the foreseeable future after Ontario's shutdown order closed tracks as of April 3. HRBC issued a statement to its members on Wednesday (March 31) regarding the government's latest decision. The full statement appears below. ATTENTION: HRBC MEMBERSHIP This morning we had an industry phone call at 8:15 a.m. with Doug Scott, the Assistant Deputy Minister. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the industry on the status of our funding request. It was stated that the government does not have good news and is currently not in a position financially to support the horse racing industry. Obviously this was not the answer we had wanted and it puts us in a position of not being able to race beyond our current April dates. The HRBC Board of Directors will meet early next week to further discuss our next steps and strategize on how we as an industry move forward. We will be looking to the Horse Racing Industry Management Committee (HRIMC) to support us and keep the pressure on the government in helping to sustain horse racing. As an industry we will also be looking to put the pressure on the government to increase our share of the slot revenues once casinos reopen. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but hopefully, by working together we can get through this next tough time. Nigel Holmes, HRBC Executive Director Pune, India, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Europe prothrombin complex concentrate market size is projected to reach USD 398.9 million by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.9% during the forecast period. The substantial advantages offered by prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) will be the primary driving force behind this markets growth, forecasts Fortune Business Insights in its report, titled Europe Prothrombin Complex Concentrate Market Size, Share & Covid-19 Impact Analysis, By Product (4-factor PCC and 3-factor PCC), By Application (Acquired Coagulation Deficiency and Congenital Coagulation Deficiency and By End User (Hospitals & Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Specialty Clinics, and Others), 2020-2027. PCC (factor IX complex) is a medication comprising blood clotting factors II, IX, and X, indicated for treating bleeding in patients with hemophilia B. This line of treatment offers a host of benefits, especially when compared to Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP), a leading anticoagulation-reversal therapy. Industry Development: August 2019: Octapharma AG announced the launch of its 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate, Pronativ, indicated to arrest and reverse surgical blood loss. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/europe-prothrombin-complex-concentrate-pcc-market-104721 Increasing Geriatric Populations across Europe to Create Market Opportunities An emerging factor driving the Europe prothrombin complex concentrate market growth is the rapidly aging populations across the continent. According to the latest data released by the UNs Population Division, nearly 25% of Europes people are aged 60 years and above. Moreover, the European Commission (EC) predicts that the proportion of people above the age of 80 in the EU-27 will increase from 5.8% to 14.6% between 2019 and 2100. Older persons are at a heightened risk of acute liver injury and also face increased susceptibility to the fibrotic response. Prothrombin complex concentrate has proven to be highly effective in treating patients with liver disease as they frequently develop coagulopathy. A study conducted in 2019 by researchers from the Royal Free Hospital, London and University College London found that PCC therapy was effective in improving coagulation test results in patients with liver disease, without any excess thrombotic events. Such research studies proving the efficacy of PCC treatments, complemented by a rising number of older persons, will bolster the prospects of this market in Europe. Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/europe-prothrombin-complex-concentrate-pcc-market-104721 Germany to Spearhead the Europe PCC Market; the UK to Display Promising Growth Germany is anticipated to headline the Europe prothrombin complex concentrate market share during the forecast period owing to a large pool of patients suffering from congenital factor IX deficiency. In 2019, the countrys market size stood at USD 46.0 million. In the UK, on the other hand, the rising incidence of hemophilia B will be the principal growth driver for the countrys market. Further, the market in Scandinavia will be propelled by the strong presence and operations of CSL Behring in the region and the wide popularity of its prothrombin complex concentrate brand, Confidex. The COVID-19 pandemic eruption has wreaked unprecedented havoc across nations, brought the world economy to a grinding halt, and has given rise to widespread uncertainty, anxiety, and panic across industries. Governments are taking the necessary steps to pull their countries out of this crisis, while private companies are exploring alternative strategies to survive these hard times. At Fortune Business Insights, we are striving to gain market intelligence to equip you with updated information and aid your efforts at wading through this crisis. We are offering precise market reports based on our expertise and experience in the field of market research. Quick Buy Europe Prothrombin Complex Concentrate Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/104721 List of Key Companies Profiled in the Europe Prothrombin Complex Concentrate Market Report: Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Tokyo, Japan) Kedrion S.p.A (Lucca, Italy) Grifols, S.A. (Barcelona, Spain) Sanquin (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) Octapharma AG (Lachen, Switzerland) CSL Limited (Melbourne, Australia) New Product Introductions to Charge up Market Competition The competitive dynamics of the Europe prothrombin complex concentrate market are dictated by the presence of a limited number of key players, mainly pharmaceutical giants in Europe. These companies are concentrating on releasing new PCC products to capture the growing regional demand for efficient solutions to manage bleeding disorders. Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/europe-prothrombin-complex-concentrate-pcc-market-104721 Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Epidemiology of Coagulation Factor Deficiency For Key Countries Recent Industry Developments Partnerships, Mergers & Acquisitions Regulatory Scenario For Key Countries Analysis in Relation to Alternatives to PCC PCC Market: Reimbursement Scenario & Key Industry Trends Impact of COVID-19 on Europe PCC Market Europe Prothrombin Complex Concentrate Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2016-2027 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Product - By Value (US$, Mn) 3-factor PCC 4-factor PCC Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Application-By Value (US$, Mn) Acquired Coagulation Factor Deficiency Congenital Coagulation Factor Deficiency Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By End User - By Value (US$, Mn) Hospitals Ambulatory Surgical Centers Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Country/Sub-region U.K. Germany France Italy Spain Scandinavia Rest of Europe U.K. Prothrombin Complex Concentrate Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2016-2027 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Product - By Value (US$, Mn) 3-factor PCC 4-factor PCC Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Application-By Value (US$, Mn) Acquired Coagulation Factor Deficiency Congenital Coagulation Factor Deficiency Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By End User - By Value (US$, Mn) Hospitals Ambulatory Surgical Centers Others TOC Continued.! Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/europe-prothrombin-complex-concentrate-pcc-market-104721 Have a Look at Related Reports: ePharmacy Market Size, Share and Global Trend By Product (Over-the-Counter Products, Prescription Medicine) and Geography forecast till 2026 Microfluidic Devices Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Device Type (Chips, Sensors, and Others), By Material (Glass, Silicon, Polymer and Others), By Applications (Pharmaceutical & Life Science Research, Diagnosis & Treatment, and Others), By End-user (Diagnostic Centers, Research Institutes, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies, Healthcare Facilities and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Orthopedic Implants Market Size , Share & Industry Analysis, By Product (Joint Reconstruction; Spinal Implants; Trauma Implants, Dental Implants; Orthobiologics, and Others) End-user (Hospitals, Orthopedic Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Anticoagulants Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Disease Indication (Pulmonary Embolism (PE), Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Attacks, Others), By Route of Administration (Oral, Injectable), By Distribution Channel (Hospitals Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies, Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. 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Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Fortune Business Insights LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs A Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office sergeant who died Friday night in an off-duty car crash was a 12-year veteran and a "go-to guy" for the department, Constable Mark Herman told the Houston Chronicle. The sergeant, Marcus Sam, was involved in a single-car crash at U.S. Highway 290 and Fairbanks North Houston Road in northwest Houston. Herman said Houston police are conducting the investigation and could not release more details about the wreck. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-06 01:30:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Fuel tankers started rolling in Zambia Monday following the resumption of work by drivers who hade been protesting over unfair treatment, leading to critical gasoline shortages in the country. The gasoline crisis is to be eased soon as many fuel tankers started crossing into the country from different border entries, escorted by the police officers and officers from the country's revenue collection agency, the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA). Pictures posted on social media platforms showed long queues of trucks entering the country while other pictures showed fuel was offloaded from tankers in various service stations as motorists waited. Local drivers complained that they were treated unfairly under a 50-50 transportation system between local and foreign fuel tanker drivers, saying foreigners were getting a huge chunk of the business. So they packed up the trucks in protest, which led to the gasoline crisis. The tanker drivers resumed operations after the intervention by President Edgar Lungu who directed for the full implementation of the 50 percent fuel volume allocation and a meeting with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). Minister of Energy Mathew Nkhuwa said a meeting was held, with the local transporters agreeing to reduce oil transportation rates to match those charged by foreign transporters, and urged OMCs to ensure that the directive was adhered to. Nkhuwa said OMCs have been complaining about the exorbitant prices charged by local transporters hence their decision to engage the foreign ones. He said the situation has now normalized as more fuel was expected to start coming into the country. Some parts of the country, especially Lusaka, the country's capital, experienced a critical shortage of fuel in the last two days resulting in long queues in a few filling stations that had the commodity. A local think-tank has urged the government to put in place a system that will always be ready for incidences that might affect the distribution systems of petroleum products. Paul Hakoola, director of the Continental Leadership Research Institute, said fuel was one of the key drivers of the economy hence the need to ensure that there were no disruptions in the supply chain. "The Institute recognizes that petroleum is a fundamental pillar that drives the economy and there have to be proper backup support systems that can ensure that the economy and end users are protected from sudden disruption in the distribution chain of petroleum products," he said. He expressed concern that the country lacked proper backup systems to fall back on in times of disruptions to ensure economic stability. Patriotic Truck Drivers National Mobilization Chairperson Isaac Kangombe thanked the Zambian president for intervening in the matter, saying it was gratifying that the issue of implementation of the 50 percent has been addressed. He urged the fuel transporters to ensure that fuel was delivered to all parts of the country. Enditem Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare (R) and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang inspect honour guards during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 9, 2019. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) How One Renegade Province in the Pacific Is Standing Up to Beijings Pressure, Bribes, Belt and Road In September 2019, two Pacific nationsthe Solomon Islands and Kiribatidecided to drop diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in favor of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). The move was the latest step in the Beijing regimes continuing efforts to chip away at Taiwans international standing. In the face of the Solomon Islands national governments decision, Daniel Suidani, the premier of the Islands most populous region, Malaita Province, has continued to stand firm in his support for Taiwan, despite pressure from federal colleagues and Beijing. What we have seen with the PRCs involvement in other countries in the region is that everything looks quite good at the start, but at the end of the day, the countries eventually find it difficult to handle the problems that come with dealing with China, he told The Australian. As far as Malaita goes, we dont want any help from the PRC, as we dont want to have any constraints put on our independence. Traditional dancers at an Ocean Event at Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands, on Nov. 25, 2019. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Upon winning the provincial election in June 2019, Suidani said he was approached by agents acting on Beijings behalf and was offered 1 million Solomon Island dollars (U.S. $125,200) to switch allegiance to the PRC from Taiwan. I received the offer by phone, and they told me where they were and said they wanted to meet with me to discuss it, he said. I knew I needed to take a strong stance against such an offer, and I drove to where they were staying so I could tell them that I do not accept. When I arrived, I made up my mind that it is not right for me to even go up and see them. I called and said I was not for sale and they should keep their money. Suidani said he wasnt able to comment on whether other politicians received bribery offers, but if Beijing was willing to approach him, then it was likely other leaders were being propositioned. He believes the PRC may have helped fund election campaigns for parliamentarians, which may have spurred the national Parliaments decision to switch diplomatic recognition. Protesters gather outside the Parliament House building during the veteran politician Manasseh Sogavare press conference in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on April 24, 2019. (Robert Taupongi/AFP via Getty Images) The prospect of Beijing interfering in the Solomon Islands democracy didnt dampen Suidanis resistance. Just a month after the diplomatic switch occurred, Suidani, with fellow leaders support, launched the Auki Communique, rejecting the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) ideology and its Belt and Road Initiative. Let us remind ourselves that China or the PRC is no ordinary country like many other countries of the world. They have a global ambition to dominate the world, he told a crowd at the provincial assembly. For instance, China overwhelmingly targets destitute countries like Solomon Islands that cannot pay their debts and loans. China has confiscated parts or entire seaports from countries that are unable to pay their debts. In June 2020, during the initial outbreak of COVID-19, Suidani approached Taiwan for assistance in its pandemic response. The move sparked a strong response from the Solomon Islands foreign affairs minister and the local Chinese embassy, particularly for referring to Taiwan as the Republic of China, which implies that the island is a self-governing entity separate from Beijing. Such divisive statement from a provincial premier threatens the unity of the country at a time when we need to work together in keeping COVID-19 from entering our borders and not politicize the virus, Foreign Affairs Minister Jeremiah Manele said in a statement. A spokesperson from the Chinese embassy responded with the statement, The claims and actions by the Malaita provincial leaders are illegitimate, inappropriate, and entirely wrong. It breaches the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China and hurts the national feelings of the Chinese people. Days later, Suidani told The Australian that the federal government seized a shipment of medical supplies from Taiwan, calling it an act of defiance. With the Solomon Islands and Kiribati choosing to align with Beijing, the remaining South Pacific island nations to retain diplomatic relations with Taiwan are Tuvalu, Nauru, Marshall Islands, and Palau. Efforts to isolate Taiwan on the diplomatic world stage come as Beijing continues its soft power push into the region via propaganda, foreign aid, and infrastructure investment under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI is Beijings trillion-dollar, global infrastructure funding scheme that has been criticized for leaving developing countries laden with debt. Workers take down a Belt and Road Forum panel outside the venue of the forum in Beijing on April 27, 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) The United States and Australian governments have responded to Beijings efforts in the Pacific with their own counter-initiatives. Taiwan Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Wu has warned that Beijing could eventually militarize the South Pacific beyond foreign aid and diplomatic relations, transforming it into another South China Sea. We have seen reports that China is interested in reopening this radar station in Kiribati and building a naval base in the Western Province of Solomon Islands, he said during the 2019 Pacific Islands Dialogue. I certainly dont want to see the Pacific turned into another South China Sea, with us one day all sighing that it is too late for us to do anything. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 22:36:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday said that COVID-19 cases are surging in two western prefectures, including Osaka, but the situation does not mean the country is entering the fourth wave of infections. The Japanese leader's comments, made during an upper house Audit Committee session, however, did include for extra vigilance to be paid nationwide, local media reported. Suga was responding to a question from main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) member Yukihito Koga, who had quizzed the prime minister as to whether the COVID-19 state of emergency for Osaka and Hyogo prefectures were ended too early in late February. Suga said that there is a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in both prefectures and that more people were moving around Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures since a state of emergency for the Greater Tokyo region was lifted two weeks ago. But, he said, despite concerns that in addition to the two western prefectures, cases may also rise again in Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures again, "the current situation has yet to reach a major nationwide surge that can be called a fourth wave," public broadcaster NHK quoted Suga as saying. Suga also said that Osaka and Hyogo prefectures had both met the criteria for the state of emergency to be lifted. But opposition parties' skepticism over the timing of the lifting of the state of emergency for Osaka and Hyogo prefectures has been underscored by stricter measures coming into effect Monday for the two western regions as well as Miyagi prefecture in Japan's northeast, under a revised law that does not require declaring a state of emergency. The tougher measures are effective for one month until May 5 and have been implemented based on a revised law enabling the central government to declare a situation that falls short of a state of emergency in which special measures can be taken to counter the spread of the virus. The stronger measures that can be taken by the three prefectures could include imposing fines on bars and restaurants that ignore requests to shorten their operating hours. Businesses are also being urged to promote remote working for their employees, and large spectator events have had the number of attendees capped at 5,000 in the prefectures, under the tougher measures. The designation as being on the verge of a state of emergency can be applied when infections are surging in a situation equivalent to Stage 3, the second-highest on the government's four-tier alert system. Osaka and Miyagi prefectures have already reached Stage 4, the highest on the government's alert scale, based on the volume of weekly infection cases per 100,000 people. Hyogo Prefecture is at Stage 3, the health ministry said. The western prefecture of Osaka, meanwhile, has seen its number of new daily COVID-19 cases surpass those of Tokyo, the epicenter of the virus since its outbreak in Japan. Tokyo on Monday reported 249 new COVID-19 infections, while Osaka confirmed 341 cases. Infection numbers, however, tend to be lower on Mondays as fewer hospitals and clinics are open on weekends. On Sunday, cases in Osaka stood at 593, a day after hitting a single-day record of 666 infections, according to the health ministry and local authorities. "The virus is rapidly spreading in the central areas of the three prefectures," said Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister in charge of the nation's virus response. "We will swiftly utilize the stronger measures to prevent it from spreading to the entire region," he said. Last Thursday, Japan's central government granted the requests of the three prefectures to take the stronger measures and be designated as being on the verge of a state of emergency under the revised law, but some local officials believe the measures don't go far enough. "Infections are spreading at workplaces and universities, and there are many people for whom transmission routes are unknown. Restrictions on dining establishments alone won't stem the spread," a senior official of the Osaka prefectural government was quoted as saying on the matter. The head of the government's COVID-19 subcommittee, Shigeru Omi, meanwhile, has also voiced caution Monday stating that anti-viral measures were becoming increasingly difficult, NHK reported. Omi said that it has "become harder to get people's cooperation for changing behaviors to contain the virus," adding that "there has been a notable increase in people traffic." The expert in virology also said that a steady increase in the number of new infections involving new strains of the virus, including the rising cases in Tokyo, was contributing to the difficulties. He said the full effects of the increase in people's movement following the state of emergency being lifted for the Greater Tokyo area would be known within the coming two weeks and that Tokyo's situation could soon resemble Osaka's. Enditem Senate Official Allows Expanded Use of Reconciliation, Smoothing Path for Infrastructure The ruling by the Senate parliamentarian means that Democrats can essentially reopen the budget plan they passed in February and add directives to enact the infrastructure package or other initiatives. Democrats win crucial tool to speed infrastructure plan through Congress over Republican opposition. A highway construction project adds three lanes to the I-95 Rappahannock River Crossing in Fredericksburg, Va. Credit... Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA, via Shutterstock A top Senate official ruled on Monday that Democrats could use the fast-track budget reconciliation process for a second time this fiscal year, potentially paving the way for them to move within months to push through President Bidens $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan over Republican opposition. The ruling by the parliamentarian means that Democrats can essentially reopen the budget plan they passed in February and add directives to enact the infrastructure package or other initiatives, shielding them from a filibuster that requires 60 votes to overcome. They had already used the budget maneuver, which is known as reconciliation, to push through Mr. Bidens nearly $1.9 trillion stimulus last month without any Republican votes. But with some Democrats reluctant to dismantle the filibuster, the rest of Mr. Bidens agenda risks stalling amid Republican objections. With the Senate divided 50-50, Democrats effectively need 10 G.O.P. senators to join them to move forward on nearly any major legislation. Seeking alternative avenues, Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, had argued that the rules permitted the Senate to revisit the budget blueprint, which allowed for passage of the pandemic relief plan, and take at least one more crack at reconciliation before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Because there was no precedent for doing so, Mr. Schumer asked Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian, for guidance. On Monday, she blessed the gambit, according to Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Mr. Schumer. The ruling allows Democrats additional tools to improve the lives of Americans if Republican obstruction continues, Mr. Goodman said in a statement, adding that some parameters still need to be worked out. He said no final decision had been made on legislative strategy for another round of reconciliation this year, but added that her ruling is an important step forward in case Democrats decide to use this key pathway. But the plan is sure to undergo rounds of debate and adjustments to woo the necessary support even among Democrats. On Monday, Senator Joe Manchin III, a centrist Democrat from West Virginia, told a radio host in his home state, Hoppy Kercheval, that as the bill exists today, it needs to be changed. Mr. Manchin said he was against raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, up from 21 percent, and would demand changes be made before voting on the bill. If I dont vote to get on it, its not going anywhere, he said, adding that several other Democrats were against the plan in the current form. So were going to have some leverage here. Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, a Republican, vetoed an anti-transgender bill. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:33 - 0:00 transcript Arkansas Governor Vetoes Anti-Transgender Bill Gov. Asa Hutchison vetoed a bill banning gender-affirming surgery and medication for minors, saying he believed medical decisions should be left up to families and doctors. I was told this week that the nation is looking at Arkansas, because I have on my desk another bill passed by the General Assembly that is a product of the cultural war in America. I dont shy away from the battle when it is necessary and defensible. But the most recent action of the General Assembly, while well intended, is off course, and I must veto House Bill 1570. If House Bill 1570 becomes law, then we are creating new standards of legislative interference with physicians and parents as they deal with some of the most complex and sensitive matters involving young people. It is undisputed that the population of minors who struggle with gender incongruity or gender dysphoria is an extreme minority. But while they are a minority, they deserve the guiding hand of their parents and of the health care professionals that their family has chosen. House Bill 1570 would put the state as the definitive oracle of medical care, overriding parents, patients and health care experts. While in some instances the state must act to protect life, the state should not presume to jump into the middle of every medical, human and ethical issue. Gov. Asa Hutchison vetoed a bill banning gender-affirming surgery and medication for minors, saying he believed medical decisions should be left up to families and doctors. Credit Credit... Staton Breidenthal/The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, via Associated Press Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas vetoed a bill on Monday that would make it illegal for transgender minors to receive gender-affirming medication or surgery a rare Republican rejection amid the growing conservative effort to restrict transgender peoples health care and participation in society. The Arkansas State Legislature could override Mr. Hutchinsons veto of the bill, known as H.B. 1570. Republicans hold large majorities in both chambers and passed the bill last month with mostly party-line votes: 70 to 22 in the House and 28 to 7 in the Senate. I was told this week that the nation is looking at Arkansas because I have on my desk another bill passed by the General Assembly that is a product of the cultural war in America, Mr. Hutchinson said in announcing his veto. I dont shy away from the battle when it is necessary and defensible, but the most recent action of the General Assembly, while well intended, is off course. Chase Strangio, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union who has fought anti-trans legislation in Arkansas and other states, said that while he and other advocates needed to be tentative in our celebration because of the possibility of an override, Mr. Hutchinsons veto was significant both practically and symbolically. First and foremost, its such an important rebuke of this sweeping range of legislation targeting trans youth across the country, Mr. Strangio said. Referring to two states that are considering similar bills, he added: I hope Alabamas watching. I hope Tennessees watching. Raquel Willis, a transgender activist and writer, called the veto a great signal to the trans community and all of our supporters that the energy that were putting into this fight has a real impact. The lead sponsors of the bill State Representative Robin Lundstrum and State Senator Alan Clark, both Republicans did not respond to a request for comment. Mr. Hutchinsons veto was striking not only because he is a Republican, but also because just last month he signed bills that allowed doctors to refuse to treat people based on religious or moral objections and that barred transgender women and girls from competing on womens sports teams in high school or college. He argued that H.B. 1570 was overbroad, extreme and does not grandfather those young people who are currently under hormone treatment, and said, The state should not presume to jump into the middle of every medical, human and ethical issue. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Senate Democrats roll out a plan to raise taxes on multinational corporations. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon will release a new tax plan on Monday. Credit... Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times Senator Ron Wyden, the Oregon Democrat in charge of writing tax legislation, released a new plan on Monday to overhaul the way the United States taxes multinational corporations, in what could be a blueprint for how lawmakers will finance President Bidens $2 trillion infrastructure proposal. The proposal, which is co-authored by Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, could raise hundreds of billions of dollars from companies that operate across international borders, according to analyses of similar proposals by congressional scorekeepers. We need an international tax system that rewards companies making investments here in the U.S., Mr. Warner said in a statement. Particularly in cutting-edge technologies that will dictate the future success of our economy and ability to create good-paying jobs. In addition to raising revenue, the plan seeks to discourage companies from shifting profits and jobs to low-tax countries to avoid paying taxes in America. It also creates new incentives through the tax code for companies to invest in research and manufacturing in the United States. The proposal would tweak several aspects of President Donald J. Trumps signature 2017 tax law, which created a series of new mechanisms for how the United States taxes multinational companies. It would increase the rate of a global minimum tax that was included in that legislation and change how it is applied to income that corporations earn in various countries overseas. It would also alter two other parts of the 2017 law in ways that the senators say would better encourage investment in America. Those measures mirror the Biden administrations ambitions on international taxation. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen called for global coordination on an international tax rate that would apply to multinational corporations regardless of where they locate their headquarters. Such a global tax, she said, could help prevent a race to the bottom in which countries cut their tax rates in order to entice companies to move headquarters and profits across national borders. Together we can use a global minimum tax to make sure the global economy thrives based on a more level playing field in the taxation of multinational corporations, she said. Bidens cabinet will fan out to push his infrastructure plan as G.O.P. opposition solidifies. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about the American Jobs Plan while touring a water treatment plant near Oakland, Calif., on Monday. Credit... Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Amid increasing opposition from Republicans over his $2 trillion infrastructure proposal, President Biden is dispatching five administration officials this week to sell a plan the administration says will not only rebuild roads and bridges but also reverse long-running racial disparities. Mr. Biden is hoping the five cabinet members can build support both in Congress and throughout the country for the first piece of a two-part plan to rebuild the American economy. The officials Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; Marcia L. Fudge, the housing secretary; Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo; Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm; and Labor Secretary Martin J. Walsh will work to court the bipartisan backing Mr. Biden has said he seeks for the package. When youre in a situation where you cant turn on a water fountain in school because the water affects your health, thats infrastructure, Mr. Biden said Monday as he returned to Washington from spending the weekend at Camp David. Also Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris toured a water treatment plant in San Leandro, Calif., near Oakland, to highlight the benefits of the American Jobs Plan. We must understand the equities and inequities of distribution and access to clean water, especially clean drinking water, the vice president said, calling the issue a big part of the presidents infrastructure plan. The public relations campaign comes as Republicans appear to be coalescing around a message of their own: Mr. Bidens plan is really a giant social welfare initiative and tax increase masquerading as infrastructure. Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, said he had pitched the White House on a smaller package, around $600 billion, more narrowly focused on traditional infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, airports and ports and funded by user fees and other revenue streams that would not require raising corporate taxes. While Mr. Bidens plan includes hundreds of billions of dollars for such projects, there are also hundreds of billions in spending for things like in-home care. Republicans argue that is not infrastructure. My advice to the White House has been, take that bipartisan win, do this in a more traditional infrastructure way, and then if you want to force the rest of the package on Republicans in the Congress and the country, you can certainly do that, Mr. Blunt said on Fox News Sunday. Mr. Biden responded to that sentiment on Monday, accusing Republicans of changing their definition of what counts as infrastructure. Its kind of interesting, he told reporters. When the Republicans put forward an infrastructure plan, they thought everything from broadband to dealing with other things were worth paying for. He also disputed Republican claims that raising taxes on corporations and businesses, as Mr. Biden envisions in his infrastructure proposals, would drive companies to leave the United States for other countries. Theres no evidence of that, he said. Youre talking about companies in the Fortune 500 that havent paid a single penny in tax for 3 years. At least 10 Republican votes would be needed in the Senate to overcome a filibuster and pass the infrastructure bill under normal procedures, though Democrats have not ruled out using a parliamentary budget tool known as reconciliation to skirt the filibuster and approve the package with only Democratic votes. Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Nicholas Fandos and Biden thanks immigrants for choosing us as he struggles with a surge at the border. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:03 - 0:00 transcript Biden Thanks Newest Citizens For Choosing the United States President Biden thanked newly naturalized American citizens for choosing us in his official video message released April 5. Welcome, my fellow Americans. First and foremost, I want to thank you for choosing us, believing that America is worthy of your aspirations. Every immigrant comes from America, from different circumstances, and for different reasons. But you all have one thing in common courage, the courage it takes to sacrifice and make this journey. The courage to leave your homes, your lives, your loved ones, and come to a nation that is more than just a place, but rather an idea. And today youve earned a new title equal to that of an American president. The title Im most proud of citizen, citizen of the United States of America. I look forward to standing with you as you embrace your new rights and responsibilities, as you build your lives and legacies here as generations have done before you in this great nation of immigrants. So welcome, my friends. Welcome, my fellow Americans. Welcome President Biden thanked newly naturalized American citizens for choosing us in his official video message released April 5. Credit Credit... Amr Alfiky/The New York Times President Biden, navigating the perilous politics resulting from the influx of migrants at the border with Mexico, on Monday released a video thanking newly naturalized citizens for having the courage to come to the United States. You all have one thing in common courage, Mr. Biden said. The courage it takes to sacrifice and make this journey. The courage to leave your homes, your lives, your loved ones, and come to a nation that is more than just a place but rather an idea, in which everyone is created equal and deserves to be treated equally. A poll released Monday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 40 percent of Americans disapprove of the administrations handling of the surge in children at the nations southern border, with only 24 percent approving. A third had no opinion. Mr. Bidens remarks part of a message presidents often record to be played at the end of naturalization ceremonies struck a different tone than former President Donald J. Trumps emphasis on the duties of immigrants during a video he recorded during his first year in office. You have earned a new title equal to that of an America president, the title Im most proud of citizen, Mr. Biden said. His statement, while consistent with his comments in the past, comes at a time of increased pressure at the border and growing criticism from Republicans who claim Mr. Bidens pledge to implement a more humane immigration policy has spurred a new wave of migration from Central America. The authorities apprehended more than 170,000 migrants at the southwest border in March, the most in any month for at least 15 years and up nearly 70 percent from February, government documents obtained by The New York Times showed last week. Thousands of children remained in detention facilities, and border agents released an increasing number of migrant families into the United States. More than 18,700 unaccompanied children and teenagers were taken into custody last month after crossing the border, including at port entries, nearly double the roughly 9,450 minors detained in February, the documents show. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Trump argues that his fund-raising was done legally, in response to a Times investigation. Recurring donations swelled former President Donald J. Trumps campaign coffers in September and October, just as his operations finances were deteriorating. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times Former President Donald J. Trump on Monday responded to a New York Times investigation revealing that his re-election operation had refunded more than 10 percent of what it had raised online $122 million of $1.2 billion and that a flood of refunds had come after his campaign set up weekly recurring donations by default for online donors. Contributors had to uncheck a box to opt out, and the box became increasingly hard to find as his campaigns financial struggles grew. Our fundraising efforts, working together with the Republican party, were all done legally, Mr. Trump said in a statement. The Times reported that many donors had unwittingly become repeat contributors to Mr. Trumps campaign because of the prechecked boxes. Retirees, military veterans, nurses and political operatives were among those ensnared. Many complained to their credit card companies and banks that they had been victims of fraud. Records show that the Trump operation refunded 10.7 percent of what it raised in 2020 on the digital donation-processing site WinRed, compared with a 2.2 percent refund rate for President Bidens operation on ActBlue, the Democratic platform. How Refunds to Trump Donors Soared in 2020 Refunds are shown as the percentage of money received by each operation to date via WinRed and ActBlue. Trump By September, the Trump operation began to have online donations recur weekly by default. 10% By June, the Trump operation and the R.N.C. had added a second pre-filled check box. 8 Around March 2020, the pre-filled check box first appeared on Mr. Trumps online donation form. 6 4 Biden 2 0 Jan. 2020 Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total online refunds in 2020, in millions $122 Trump $21 Biden Trump By September, the Trump operation began to have online donations recur weekly by default. 10% By June, the Trump operation and the R.N.C. had added a second pre-filled check box. Around March 2020, the pre-filled check box first appeared on Mr. Trumps online donation form. 8 6 4 Biden 2 0 March July Sept. Nov. Jan. 2020 May Total online refunds in 2020, in millions $122 Trump $21 Biden Trump 10% By June, the Trump operation and the R.N.C. had added a second pre-filled check box. 8 6 4 Biden 2 0 March May July Sept. Nov. Jan. 2020 Total online refunds in 2020, in millions $122 Trump $21 Biden Trump 10% 8 6 4 Biden 2 0 June Nov. Jan. 2020 Total online refunds in 2020, in millions $122 Trump $21 Biden Mr. Trump, who did not rebut any of the figures in the article, focused on a different number, arguing that his campaigns dispute rate the tally of formal complaints to credit cards had been less than 1 percent of transactions. A very low number, he said. That would still represent about 200,000 disputed donations, which his campaign had previously said added up to $19.7 million. Mr. Trumps campaign has previously declined to say if the former president personally knew about the prechecked box scheme, and he did not speak to that in his statement. But he did not denounce the tactics. Before our two campaigns, 2016 and 2020, Republicans would always lose small dollar donations, Mr. Trump said in his statement. Now we win, or do very well, because we are the Party of Working Americans, and we beat the Democrats at their own game. We learned from liberal ActBlue and now were better than they are! Capitol Police formally identify the man who rammed officers last week. Police officers collecting evidence at the scene where a car slammed into Capitol police officers last week. Credit... Amr Alfiky/The New York Times The U.S. Capitol Police on Monday formally named Noah R. Green, 25, as the man who rammed his car into two officers outside the Capitol last week, killing one of them. In its first update since the attack on Friday, the agency also released a photograph of a large knife, which the police said Mr. Green held as he exited his car and charged toward a third officer, who fatally shot him. The Capitol Police did not say where Mr. Green got the knife or provide a motive for the attack, which he appeared to carry out alone. Investigators for the F.B.I. and the Washington Metropolitan Police have been scouring Mr. Greens social media accounts for clues. They have also been speaking with his family and friends in Virginia, where he was raised and studied at Christopher Newport University. Image The knife that is part of evidence from the Noah Green attack at Capitol on Friday. Credit... DC Police Department, via Agence France-Presse Getty Images A former college football player and financial adviser, Mr. Green struggled with mental health issues in the months before the attack and became intensely focused on the Nation of Islam and its leader, Louis Farrakhan, who has repeatedly promoted anti-Semitism. In Facebook posts in March, he wrote about facing some of the biggest, unimaginable tests in my life and spoke in sometimes apocalyptic terms about the last days of our world as we know it. Though far smaller in scale than the Jan. 6 riot, Mr. Greens attack was the second time in just under three months that the Capitol has come under attack, and that the force charged with protecting it has lost one of its officers. William F. Evans, 41, an 18-year veteran of the force and a father of two, died on Friday shortly after being hit by Mr. Greens car, police said. A second officer who was struck, Ken Shaver, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. Mr. Shaver was discharged from a Washington-area hospital on Saturday with a boot on his foot. Dozens of Capitol Police officers waited outside to applaud him. This attack, combined with the violent events of the Jan. 6 insurrection, have left our officers reeling, the Capitol Police Union wrote in a statement on Saturday. Union leaders urged Congress to act urgently to ramp up security at the Capitol. Wide-ranging reviews of the security failures on Jan. 6 are continuing in the House and the Senate. Lawmakers are also weighing what is needed to keep the Capitol complex safe and accessible to the public. A task force assembled by House leaders has already recommended hiring 800 new officers, developing mobile fencing around the complex and other measures. Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, said Monday evening that the incident on Friday served to underscore the need for a security supplemental that will ensure the safety of members, staff, Capitol workers, and the Capitol Police. We must improve intelligence collection and review, bolster the capacity and training of the Capitol Police, and make physical security improvements to the Capitol Complex, she said in a statement, adding that her committee was working on emergency funding to address the security needs. Emily Cochrane contributed reporting. The Supreme Court vacates ruling that Trump violated the First Amendment by blocking people on Twitter. Justice Clarence Thomass opinion reflected frustration about letting private companies decide what the public may read and see. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times The Supreme Court on Monday vacated an appeals court ruling that President Donald J. Trump had violated the First Amendment by blocking people from his Twitter account after they posted critical comments. A unanimous three-judge panel of the appeals court ruled in 2019 that Mr. Trumps account was a public forum from which he was powerless to exclude people based on their viewpoints. The Supreme Courts move was expected, as Mr. Trump is no longer president and Twitter has permanently suspended his account. More surprising was a 12-page concurring opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas musing on what he called the dangerous power a few private companies have over free speech. Todays digital platforms provide avenues for historically unprecedented amounts of speech, including speech by government actors, he wrote. Also unprecedented, however, is the concentrated control of so much speech in the hands of a few private parties. We will soon have no choice but to address how our legal doctrines apply to highly concentrated, privately owned information infrastructure such as digital platforms. No other justice joined the opinion, and Justice Thomass views on the First Amendment can be idiosyncratic. But his opinion reflected widespread frustration, particularly among conservatives, about letting private companies decide what the public may read and see. The appeals court feared that then-President Trump cut off speech by using the features that Twitter made available to him, Justice Thomas wrote. But if the aim is to ensure that speech is not smothered, then the more glaring concern must perforce be the dominant digital platforms themselves. Advertisement Continue reading the main story A former aide of Matt Gaetz said the F.B.I. questioned him in its inquiry of the Florida lawmaker. Representative Matt Gaetz has moved aggressively to distract from the heart of the inquiry and portray it as another liberal witch hunt aimed at a conservative. Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times A former aide to Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, said on Monday that he had recently been questioned by the F.B.I. as investigators seek to determine whether the congressman violated federal sex trafficking laws. The aide, Nathan Nelson, said that the F.B.I. agents who showed up unannounced on Wednesday believed he may have resigned last year after learning about illegal activities by the congressman. Speaking to a dozen reporters on Monday outside his home in Santa Rosa, Fla., Mr. Nelson denied any such knowledge and dismissed accusations of wrongdoing against Mr. Gaetz as baseless. Neither I nor any members of Congressman Gaetzs staff had any knowledge of illegal activities, Mr. Nelson said. He added that he thought the investigation was an attempt to discredit a very vocal conservative. Mr. Nelson, a retired Air Force captain who advised Mr. Gaetz on military issues from 2017 to last fall, conceded that he had no specific knowledge of the Justice Department investigation, which is said to focus on whether the congressman had sex with a 17-year-old girl and paid other women who were recruited for sex. Mr. Nelsons remarks were arranged and publicized by Mr. Gaetzs House office. They come as the congressman has moved aggressively and at times misleadingly to distract from the heart of the inquiry and portray it as another liberal witch hunt aimed at a conservative, like those targeting his ally former President Donald J. Trump. Folks wont be surprised that bizarre claims are being made about me shortly after I decided to take on the most powerful institutions in the Beltway: the establishment; the F.B.I.; the Biden Justice Department; the Cheney political dynasty; even the Justice Department under Trump, Mr. Gaetz wrote in an Op-Ed on Monday in The Washington Examiner. He said he was not a monk, and certainly not a criminal and denied having sex with a minor or paying for sex. To this point, there are exactly zero credible (or even noncredible) accusers willing to come forward by name and state on the public record that I behaved improperly toward them, he wrote. The Times first reported the existence of the investigation last Tuesday. People briefed on the case said it stems from a broader investigation into an associate of Mr. Gaetzs, Joel Greenberg, the former tax collector in Seminole County, Fla., who has already been indicted on dozens of counts accusing him of an array of crimes, including sex trafficking of a minor between the ages of 14 and 17. Mr. Nelson, who is partially paralyzed from a military service injury, said he had not spoken to Mr. Gaetz in months and did not know Mr. Greenberg. Nicholas Fandos and Corporations become ensnared in the debate over Georgias new voting law. A protest in March against Delta Air Lines over its tepid response to a voting rights bill in the Georgia legislature. The company came out against the bill after it was signed into law. Credit... Nicole Craine for The New York Times On March 11, Delta Air Lines dedicated a building at its Atlanta headquarters to Andrew Young, the civil rights leader and former mayor. At the ceremony, Mr. Young spoke of the restrictive voting rights bill that Republicans were rushing through the Georgia state legislature. Then, after the speeches, Mr. Youngs daughter, Andrea, a prominent activist herself, cornered Deltas chief executive, Ed Bastian. I told him how important it was to oppose this law, she said. For Mr. Bastian, it was an early warning that the issue of voting rights might soon ensnare Delta in another national dispute. Over the past five years, corporations have taken political stands like never before, often in response to the extreme policies of former President Donald J. Trump. But for corporations, the dispute over voting rights is different. An issue that both political parties see as a priority is not easily addressed with statements of solidarity and donations. Taking a stand on voting rights legislation thrusts companies into partisan politics and pits them against Republicans who have proven willing to raise taxes and enact onerous regulations on companies that cross them politically. It is a head-spinning new landscape for big companies, which are trying to appease Democrats focused on social justice, as well as populist Republicans who are suddenly unafraid to break ties with business. Companies like Delta are caught in the middle, and face steep political consequences no matter what they do. It was very hard under President Trump, and the business community was hoping that with a change of administration it might get a bit easier, said Rich Lesser, the chief executive of Boston Consulting Group. But business leaders are still facing challenges on how to navigate a range of issues, and the elections issue is among the most sensitive. At first, Delta, Georgias largest employer, tried to stay out of the fight on voting rights. But after the Georgia law was passed, a group of powerful Black executives publicly called on big companies to oppose the voting legislation. Hours later, Delta and Coca-Cola abruptly reversed course and disavowed the Georgia law. On Friday, Major League Baseball pulled the All-Star game from Atlanta in protest, and more than 100 other companies spoke out in defense of voting rights. The groundswell of support suggests that the Black executives clarion call will have an impact in the months ahead, as Republican lawmakers in more than 40 states advance restrictive voting laws. But already, the backlash has been swift, with Mr. Trump calling for boycotts of companies opposing such laws, and Georgia lawmakers voting for new taxes on Delta. On Monday, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, charged that the actions were part of a coordinated campaign by powerful and wealthy people to mislead and bully the American people. Our private sector must stop taking cues from the Outrage-Industrial Complex, he said. Americans do not need or want big business to amplify disinformation or react to every manufactured controversy with frantic left-wing signaling. Mr. McConnells populism is situational. He has been a champion of tax cuts for large corporations for decades, and was a major force behind the push to roll back limits on political donations by the wealthy. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The Biden administration is vastly expanding food assistance programs. Miguel Leonardo and David Serrano helped to distribute food boxes through the New Life Centers of Chicagoland in Chicago last month. Credit... Lucy Hewett for The New York Times With more than one in 10 households reporting that they lack enough to eat, the Biden administration is accelerating a vast campaign of hunger relief that will temporarily increase assistance by tens of billions of dollars and set the stage for what officials envision as lasting expansions of aid. The effort to rush more food assistance to more people is notable both for the scale of its ambition and the variety of its legislative and administrative actions. The campaign has increased food stamps by more than $1 billion a month, provided needy children a dollar a day for snacks, expanded a produce allowance for pregnant women and children, and authorized the largest childrens summer feeding program in history. We havent seen an expansion of food assistance of this magnitude since the founding of the modern food stamp program in 1977, said James P. Ziliak, an economist at the University of Kentucky who studies nutrition programs. Its a profound change. While dollars and decisions are flowing from the Agriculture Department, the tone has been set by President Biden, who issued an executive order in January telling aides to address the growing hunger crisis and later lamented the car lines half a mile each, just to get a box of food. The push reflects an extraordinary shift in the politics of poverty driven, paradoxically, both by the spread of hardship to more working-class and white families and the growing recognition of povertys disproportionate toll on minorities. With hunger especially pronounced among Black and Latino households, vital to the Democrats coalition, the administration is framing its efforts not just as a response to pandemic needs but as part of a campaign for racial justice. This crisis has revealed how fragile many Americans economic lives are and also the inequities of who is struggling the most, said Stacy Dean, who is leading the effort as a senior official at the Agriculture Department after a prominent career as an anti-hunger advocate. Its an incredibly painful picture, and it is even more so for communities of color. Like other policies being pursued by the White House including a temporary child allowance that is expected to cut child poverty nearly in half the effort to reduce hunger reflects a new willingness among Democrats to embrace an identity as poverty fighters that they once feared would alienate the middle class. Democratic senators warn that dark money could spread after an upcoming Supreme Court case. The Supreme Court in Washington. Credit... Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times Around 50 groups have filed amicus briefs in a coming Supreme Court case pitting charities against the state of California in a fight over donation disclosures. A new brief from 15 Democratic senators explained how untraceable donations, or dark money, make their way into politics through social welfare charities. The senators warned that siding with the charities will increase the political influence of wealthy individuals and corporations, the DealBook newsletter reports. The case was brought by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, a social welfare nonprofit affiliated with the Koch network, against the state, which requires charities to privately disclose major donors in tax documents. The foundation says that anonymity is protected by the First Amendment and that disclosure could expose donors to threats. An appeals court sided with California, however, and the foundation wants the justices to reverse the ruling. The Capitol riot on Jan. 6 put a spotlight on corporations direct and indirect political donations; justices agreed on Jan. 8 to hear the case and arguments will take place later this month. Business interests want to create a broad expansion of dark money rights, the senators brief stated, referring to untraceable donations that are often routed via nonprofit groups. The court case is an influence campaign disguised as a technical legal fight, the senators said. The Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers are among the trade groups supporting the foundations demand for anonymity. Anonymous donors work like covert intelligence operations, the senators wrote. The donors give millions annually to charities that spend it in an effort to influence politics and policy. The senators pointed to congressional appropriations rules blocking disclosure efforts by the I.R.S. and S.E.C. over the past decade as evidence that the groups have swayed lawmakers behind the scenes. They also cite the number of amicus briefs filed as evidence of this issues significance, noting that briefs are an element of the business lobbys influence campaigns. The federal government is siding with California, more or less, telling the justices in a brief that the charities constitutional claim is wrong but that the case should be sent back to the lower courts for more analysis. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Tel Aviv, April 5 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to a Jerusalem court on Monday as the corruption trial against him resumed with opening arguments and witness testimony. Netanyahu, 71, is the first sitting premier in Israel's history to stand trial,reports dpa news agency. He is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases. Prosecutors allege Netanyahu systematically accepted expensive gifts and tried to improve media coverage of him in return for favours. He last appeared in the Jerusalem District Court in February, when he formally denied all of the charges against him. On Monday, lead prosecutor Liat Ben-Ari began laying out the case. She said Netanyahu had abused his immense power for personal gain and granted perks to media outlets in order to help him get re-elected. Ben-Ari, according to media reports, stressed in her speech that everyone is equal before the law and that the indictment against Netanyahu is based on solid evidence. Israel's longest-serving leader was present during the prosecutor's address, after which he left the courtroom. Witness testimony and questioning were also due to begin on Monday as the trial ramps up. Going forward, three witnesses are expected to take the stand each week the trial takes place. Among other allegations, Netanyahu is suspected of having granted benefits to the telecom giant Bezeq when he held the Communications Ministry portfolio while also serving as Prime Minister. In return, the Bezeq-owned Walla news site is said to have given Netanyahu favourable coverage. Former Walla Chief Executive Ilan Yeshua is the first witness to be questioned in the trial. In addition to the Bezeq probe, there are two other cases levelled at Netanyahu. In one, Netanyahu is accused of having negotiated a deal with the publisher of a critical newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, to improve its coverage of him in exchange for weakening a pro-Netanyahu paper, Israel Hayom. In the other, Netanyahu is accused of having received gifts from billionaires in exchange for his assistance in business and personal areas. He and his wife, Sara, allegedly received a "steady supply of" boxes of expensive cigars and Champagne, as well as other gifts worth a total of 690,000 Israeli shekels ($192,000) between October 2011 and December 2016 from Israeli film producer Arnon Milchan and Australian businessman James Packer. In return, among other things, Netanyahu is suspected of having intervened in favour of an extension of Milchan's tax exemption, as well as arranging a US visa for him. Amid heightened police presence demonstrators gathered outside the building, with Netanyahu opponents holding a large banner that read "Crime Minister". There was also a large crowd of supporters. Yves here. Comparatively few recall that Martin Luther King fell into disfavor in the US when he became an early critic of the War in Vietnam. King described how the cost of the conflict fell disproportionately on young black men and that military spending drained resources from social programs. But he also stated that as an advocate of non-violence, he had to stand for it in all settings, which included opposing US aggression abroad. Were fans of Liz Theoharis, and we hope you appreciate her use of the anniversary of Kings Beyond Vietnam, and his assassination a year later, to see how little has changed in the past half-century plus. By Liz Theoharis. Originally published at TomDispatch Fifty-four years ago, standing at the pulpit of Riverside Church in New York City, Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his now-famous Beyond Vietnam sermon. For the first time in public, he expressed in vehement terms his opposition to the American war in Vietnam. He saw clearly that a foreign policy defined by aggression hurt the poor and dispossessed across the planet. But it did more than that. It also drained this country of its moral vitality and the financial resources needed to fight poverty at home. On that early spring day, exactly one year before his assassination in 1968, Dr. King warned that a nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death, a statement that should ring some bells in April 2021. In his sermon, Dr. King openly wrestled with a thorny problem: how to advance nonviolent struggle among a generation of Black youth whose government had delivered little but pain and empty promises. He told the parishioners of Riverside Church that his years of work, both in the South and the North, had opened his eyes to why, as a practitioner of nonviolence, he had to speak out against violence everywhere not just in the U.S. if he expected people to take him at his word. As he explained that day: As I have walked among the desperate, rejected, and angry young men, I have told them that Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems But they asked, and rightly so, what about Vietnam? They asked if our own nation wasnt using massive doses of violence to solve its problems, to bring about the changes it wanted. Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today: my own government. A Global Pandemic Cries Out for Global Cooperation In 2020, the planet was swept up in a devastating pandemic. Millions died, tens of millions suffered. It was a moment, in Reverend Kings spirit, that would have been ideal for imagining new global approaches to Americas ongoing wars of the past century. It would similarly have been the perfect moment to begin imagining global cooperative approaches to public health, growing debt and desperation, and intellectual property rights. This especially given that the Covid-19 vaccines had been patented for mega-profits and were available only to some on this suffering planet of ours, a world vulnerable to a common enemy in which the fault lines in any country threaten the safety of many others. Internationally, at the worst moment imaginable, U.S.-backed institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund continued to demand billions of dollars in debt payments from impoverished countries in the Global South, only forgiving them when their governments fell into step behind the U.S. and Europe, as Sudan has recently done. Moreover, Washington had a golden opportunity when the search for a Covid-19 vaccine threatened to change patent laws and force pharmaceutical companies to work with low-income nations. Instead, the U.S. government backed exclusive deals with Big Pharma, ensuring that vaccine apartheid would become rampant in this country, as well as across the rest of the world. By late March, 90% of the nearly 400 million vaccines delivered had gone to people in wealthy or middle-income countries, with vaccine equity within those countries being a concern as well. Another menacing development is the thematically anti-Chinese legislation being developed in Congress right now. Three weeks ago, just as the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was nearly across the finish line, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was quietly laying the groundwork for another major legislative package focused on further inflaming a rising cold war with China. For Republicans, legislative action on China is in theory an absolute bullseye, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has already made it clear that his support for Schumers bill will only come if it includes a large increase once again in defense spending. The timing and tenor of this debate, steeped as it is in Sinophobia, economic brinkmanship, and military hawkishness, is more than troublesome. Just a few weeks ago, eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were gunned down in Atlanta by a man plagued by his own toxic mix of religious extremism, white supremacy, and sexism. This followed a year in which there were close to 4,000 documented anti-Asian hate incidents in this country, fueled by a president who blamed the Chinese for Covid-19 and regularly used racist nicknames for the pandemic like the Chinese virus and the kung flu. In addition, an aggressive and potentially militarized anti-China bill is irresponsible when tens of thousands continue to contract the virus daily here at home and we are only beginning to understand the long-term economic consequences of the pandemic. At a time when there are 140 million poor or low-income people in this country, a fully revived and funded war not against China but against poverty should be seen as both a moral responsibility and a material necessity. At least now, poverty seems to be getting some attention in the pandemic era, but how sad that it took the disastrous toll of Covid-19 on American jobs, housing, and nutrition to put poverty on the national agenda. Now that its there, though, we cant allow it to be sidelined by short-sighted preparations for a new cold war that could get hot. Cruel Manipulation of the Poor An inhumane approach to foreign policy and especially wars in distant lands was only half of the spiritual death that Dr. King warned about back in 1967: the other half was how the militarization of this society and a distortion of its moral priorities had brought war and immiseration home. That was what he meant in his sermon when spoke about the cruel manipulation of the poor. In 1967, King saw how American soldiers were fighting in Vietnam on the side of the wealthy and the secure, while we create a hell for the poor. That hell was being created both in the Agent Orange-saturated lands of Vietnam and Laos and, in a different fashion, in so many poor and abandoned communities in the United States. Dr. King mourned the brutal solidarity of disproportionately poor Black, Brown, and white Americans fighting together against the poor in Vietnam, only to return to a nation parts of which were still committed to inequality, discrimination, and racism (despite the struggle and advances of the Civil Rights movement) and remarkably blind to their suffering. In those last years of the 1960s, he watched as the promise of President Lyndon Johnsons War on Poverty was betrayed by massive investments in what President Dwight D. Eisenhower had first dubbed a military-industrial complex, and in a reactionary narrative, which would only become more emboldened in the years to come, that blamed the poor for their poverty. Sadly, the decades to follow would, in so many ways, affirm his fears. And yet to note a spark of hope amid the pandemic gloom the last year has finally awakened an earnest concern on the part of some in the government to revive the spiritual health of the nation by committing in significant ways to the material health of the poor. Indeed, ARPAs investments in poor and low-income communities should be celebrated, but the question remains: Why is the Biden administrations Covid-19 legislation so historic and rare? Why is it so unprecedented for the U.S. to invest $1.9 trillion in our own people in a country that, in these last years, has squandered 53% of every federal discretionary dollar on the Pentagon? How is it that weve become so steeped in a militarized economy that we dont bat an eye when politicians propose more funding for the military, even as they say spending on human welfare is irresponsible and unaffordable? In the lead-up to the passage of ARPA, stalwart old guard Republicans attacked the legislation. In an op-ed for the National Review, Senator Marco Rubio denounced increased welfare spending as not pro-family and repeated the tired myth that welfare, by supposedly creating dependency, actually breaks up the nuclear family. So immersed was Rubio in his disdain for the poor that he punctuated his piece with this nonsensical claim: If pulling families out of poverty were as simple as handing moms and dads a check, we would have solved poverty a long time ago. Is it really necessary to affirm in 2021 that more money in peoples pockets actually does mean less poverty? Meanwhile, longtime senior Democratic economic adviser and former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers argued that the Covid-19 bill was the least responsible policy in four decades. He had, of course, long been a champion of the austerity policies that helped lead to enormous increases in inequality and poverty in this country. (Many other economists dispute his claim.) Its telling as well that members of the Biden Administration have distanced themselves from him. Pro-austerity and anti-poor economic policies promoted by influential figures like Rubio and Summers are, in part, whats kept America in a spiritual death spiral since the days of Dr. King. A country now constantly haunted by death has long been consumed by violence and crisis. Sometimes, its the literal physical violence of another mass shooting, driven by rage, hate, and desperation, or the further militarization of the border, or the use of militarized police violence to clear the most vulnerable from homeless encampments. Other times its policy violence, whether involving punitive work requirements for food stamps or the refusal to expand Medicaid and make healthcare available and affordable to all. And always, in the background, as Dr. King would certainly have noted, if he were giving his sermon today, is the violence of Americas never-ending wars that have eaten so many trillion dollars and killed and displaced so many people in distant lands. Of particular concern today is the potential death of democracy that the insurrection of January 6th at the Capitol seemed so ominously to signal. I will never forget listening to a long-time organizer in Flint, Michigan, explain that before they took away our water, they had to take away our democracy. This was true in the fight for racial justice, welfare, and decent wages during the days of Dr. King and its no less true in our many human rights struggles today. After all, since 2020, at least 45 states have introduced voter suppression bills, with the recent one in Georgia being only the most egregious and publicized. Such legislation is being proposed and passed by extremist politicians who understand that limiting access to the ballot through racism and a demonization of the poor is the surest way to prevent real and lasting change. A Moral Revolution of Values Immediately after cautioning about the spiritual death of the nation in that classic sermon of his, Dr. King made an abrupt and hopeful turn, reminding his audience that a moral revolution of values was urgently needed and that America, the richest and most powerful nation in the world, can well lead the way in this revolution of values. There is nothing except a tragic death wish to prevent us from reordering our priorities so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war. As both a preacher and theologian, he was acutely aware of the story of Jesus. After all, Dr. King, like the Jesus of the Bible, knew that a transformation of society in the image of peace would involve a full-scale reordering of priorities, dependent on a willingness to reject a politics of death and embrace one of life. For that to happen, however, society would need to be flipped right side up and that, in Jesuss time, in Dr. Kings, or in our own, represents a herculean task, one never likely to happen based on the goodwill of those in power. It requires the collective efforts of a movement of people committed to saving the heart and soul of their society. In this moment following Easter Sunday 2021, 53 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., may we listen to his concerns and honor his enduring hopes by committing ourselves to building exactly such a movement here and now. 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REDDING, Calif. Shasta County residents ages 16 and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday, April 5. The Pfizer vaccine is the only brand that is approved for use for ages 16-17, public health said. A parent or guardian must be present when their child or the minor is vaccinated. COVID-19 Vaccine: Frequently Asked Questions The next Pfizer vaccine clinic is scheduled at Shasta College on Friday, April 9. Click here to make an appointment. Two first-dose Pfizer clinics have also been added at Rite Aid in Anderson on April 10 and 11, click here to sign up. CERRO GORDO COUNTY, Iowa - A woman was rescued by a passerby after she was trapped in a vehicle after a rollover crash late Monday morning. The Cerro Gordo Co. Sheriff's Office said the crash happened at 11:39 a.m. at Lark Ave. and 300th St. The driver, 61-year-old Donna Rench, of Manly, was eastbound on 300th St. when her 2005 Ford F-150 entered the north ditch and rolled. Rench was trapped inside the vehicle but was freed by a passerby as the vehicle started on fire. She was taken to MercyOne North Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol, Mason City Fire Department and Medics, and the Clear Lake Fire Department assisted at the scene. Photo: BC Gov Flickr The B.C. government has announced 1,889 new COVID-19 cases, including 129 in the Interior Health region, over the past two days. Including the partial update issued by the province on Saturday, there have been 4,040 new cases confirmed over the past four days. New cases were confirmed over the long weekend as follows: April 1/2 1,074 new cases April 2/3 1,077 new cases April 3/4 999 new cases April 4/5 890 new cases B.C.s total since the pandemic began now sits at 104,061 cases. There are now 8,490 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C. with 318 people in hospital, 96 of whom are in intensive care. The government did not release data on deaths, variants or active cases during its Saturday update, resulting in some large totals announced Monday. Since April 1, there have been 916 new confirmed COVID-19 cases that are variants of concern in B.C., for a total of 3,559 cases (588 are active). This includes 2,771 cases of the B.1.1.7 (U.K.) variant, 51 cases of the B.1.351 (South Africa) variant and 737 cases of the P.1 (Brazil) variant. There have been 23 new COVID-19 related deaths since April 1, for a total of 1,486 deaths in British Columbia. To date, 893,590 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca-SII COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C. The province announced Monday it is rolling out online vaccine bookings for all people over the age of 71 and Indigenous peoples 18 and older, and those who have received their 'clinically extremely vulnerable' letter in the mail, starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Inc. Magazine drops Dave Ramseys company from Best Workplaces list amid lawsuit Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Editorial leaders at the New York City-based Inc. Magazine have axed evangelical financial guru Dave Ramseys Ramsey Solutions from its 2020 Best Workplaces list after the company revealed in court documents connected to an ongoing lawsuit that a pregnant employee was fired for having premarital sex. Ramsey Solutions was named a 2020 Inc. Best Workplaces honoree, having met objective criteria through an application and employee survey process. Ramsey has the right to manage its business in accordance with its values, and the court system will determine the merits of the lawsuit, Inc. stated in an update. Upon learning about the company's righteous living policy and how it is applied, we believe that it is incompatible with our standards of organizational excellence and have made the editorial decision to remove the company from our 2020 Best Workplaces list. In a recent motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by former administrative assistant Caitlin O'Connor, lawyers for the company said the employee was terminated last June because she isnt legally married to the father of her child. The Company Conduct provision in the companys handbook states: The image of Ramsey Solutions is held out to be Christian. Should a team member engage in behavior not consistent with traditional Judeo-Christian values or teaching, it would damage the image and the value of our good will and our brand. If this should occur, the team member would be subject to review, probation, or termination. The company's code of conduct also incorporates a righteous living policy, which prohibits premarital sex. Ramsey Solutions lawyers argue that at least 12 other employees have been disciplined for having sex before marriage in recent years. The others were either terminated or resigned before they could be fired, court documents show. OConnor alleged in her lawsuit filed in July 2020 that just days after she informed the companys head of human resources, Armand Lopez, that she was 12 weeks pregnant and wanted to submit paperwork for maternity leave and other legally protected accommodations, she was fired for violating Ramsey Solutions Company Conduct policy. The company said at least two employees were fired for having extramarital sex. Additionally, every employee who engaged in premarital sex was also terminated. Since the companys response to OConnors lawsuit was made public, Ramsey Solutions has faced criticism. "I thought it was terrible, both from a leadership and empathy standpoint," Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of Chicago-based staffing company LaSalle Network, which has ranked 12 times on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing U.S. private companies, told Inc. "The whole concept of being able to track if somebody is or is not having sex is absolutely crazy." He further argued that a company that prohibits employees from having premarital sex could seem hypocritical if it doesn't apply that same standard to its customers or its leadership. In a Q&A posted on his companys website, Ramsey makes it very clear that he is serious about the companys moral code of conduct and takes a zero-tolerance approach to sins like extramarital affairs. We have a moral code of conduct at our office. I fire people if they have extramarital affairs. The hilarious thing is I put that on Twitter and people go, Wont you get sued for that? Uh, no, youre allowed to discriminate against infidelity, he wrote. Ive got a right to tell my employees whatever I want to tell them. They freaking work for me. This is an employment-at-will state, which means if I decide I dont like people with green eyes, I dont have to hire you. I dont have to keep you anymore. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki addressed the president's stance on canceling student debt. In her Monday briefing, Psaki said the White House is open to cancelling up to $50,000 per person. However, she did not offer many specifics beyond that, including whether Biden supports it. See more stories on Insider's business page. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki left the door open on Monday to a potential executive order that would cancel up to $50,000 of student debt per borrower. Psaki was asked what President Joe Biden's stance on the issue is after his chief of staff, Ron Klain, recently said Biden is looking into his "legal authority" to use executive action for such a move. Biden's press secretary reiterated his willingness to cancel up to $10,000 if it were done through legislation in Congress, but grew more cautious on details for the rest of her answer. "I think that would naturally be the first step before it's a larger amount beyond there," Psaki said. "What Ron Klain was referring to is the fact that there's an ongoing review. "It's both a policy review and a legal review - so Department of Education and Department of Justice - to look at what the options are, and what authority could be recommended to the president. So that was the process he's referring to." Biden's Department of Education has already moved to cancel billions in student debt, but in his messaging, the president has been more willing to go big on the economy writ-large rather than satisfying the urge from his left to do the same on student loan reforms. Previously, Biden said he "will not make that happen" when asked about canceling up to $50,000 at a CNN town hall in February. "His position hasn't changed," Psaki said during the briefing, avoiding any indication that the president is personally in favor of moving up to the $50,000 figure. When a reporter followed up to point out Biden was previously against going that far, Psaki reiterated her previous answer. "At the same time, we haven't ruled out options, but that review is ongoing and there isn't a conclusion on it," she said. Read the original article on Business Insider New lineup of leaders for digitalisation era On April 5 the National Assembly (NA) will elect the new state president and vice state president, prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and ministers, as well as other government members. After the election, the new state president and the new prime minister will take their oaths before the NA, constituents, and the public. Last Wednesday, professor in economics Vuong Dinh Hue, Politburo member and secretary of Hanoi Party Committee, became the new chairman of the NA and the chairman of the National Election Council. Replacing Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, 64-year-old Hue has become the 12th NA chairperson since 1946 when the countrys first general election was held. All 473 deputies voted in his favour. After the ballot, Hue took the oath of office, I vow to be completely faithful to the country, people and the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. I will do my utmost to well accomplish all tasks assigned by the Party, the state, and the people. Born in the central province of Nghe An, and since being admitted to the Party Central Committee in 2006, he has held various high-ranking positions such as state auditor general (2006-2011), minister of finance (2011-2013), head of the Central Economic Commission (December 2012-April 2016), deputy prime minister (2016-2020), and then secretary of Hanoi Party Committee since February 2020. In addition to incumbent NA Vice Chairman Do Ba Ty who will continue remaining in his position until the 15th NA tenure, other NA new vice chairmen were also elected last week, including Tran Thanh Man, Politburo member and president of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee; Nguyen Duc Hai, member of the Party Central Committee and chairman of the NAs Finance and Budget Committee; and Nguyen Khac Dinh, member of the Party Central Committee and secretary of the Party Committee of central Khanh Hoa province. In early February, at the 13th Party Central Committees first plenum, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was re-elected as general secretary of the Party Central Committee in the 13th tenure with high consensus. Under the Political Report, which is the most important document adopted at the recent 13th National Party Congress organised in Hanoi from January 25 to February 2, Vietnams socioeconomic development goals have been set out, requiring the countrys top leadership to take drastic actions to drive the nation forward, especially in times of global uncertainties coupled with the pandemic affecting the whole economy. Under the Political Report, Vietnam is set to become a developing nation with modernity-oriented industrial development exceeding the lower middle-income level by 2025; a developing nation with modern industrial development and a higher middle-income level by 2030 when there will be the centenary of the founding of the Party; and a developed nation with a high income level by 2045 when Vietnam will see the centenary of the national independence. In the 2021-2025 period, Vietnam is aimed to hit an average annual GDP growth rate of 6.5-7 per cent; a level of $4,7005,000 in per capita GDP by 2025; a ratio of over 25 per cent for processing and manufacturing industry in GDP; a ratio of 20 per cent for digital economy in GDP; a rate of over 6.5 per cent in the increase of labour productivity, and a ratio of 45 per cent for total factor productivity in economic growth by 2025. To hit these goals, it has been demanded that high-tech application in many sectors of the economy and fostering innovation be considered one of the key solutions. Last October, Party General Secretary Trong signed and enacted the Politburos Resolution No.52-NQ/TW on some and policies to actively participate in Industry 4.0. Active participation in Industry 4.0 is the inevitably objective requirement of special significance for Vietnam to achieve breakthroughs in socioeconomic development, the resolution noted. Under the resolution, Vietnam has set a goal to increase the GDP share of the digital economy to 20 per cent by 2025, and 30 per cent GDP by 2030 when all people can access the 5G service. The country expects to become one of the leading hubs for startups and innovation in Asia by 2045. It also aims to increase the broadband internet coverage rate to 100 per cent (accessible by all communes) and labour productivity by 7 per cent annually from now to 2025. Jeff Paine, managing director of the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) told VIR that one of the key solutions to Vietnam to achieve higher sustainable growth is to foster digital transformation, based on the countrys great IT potential. Under the AICs statistics, in Vietnam, users turned to the internet for solutions to challenges brought about by lockdowns. A significant number of Vietnamese tried new digital services: 41 per cent of all digital service consumers were new (higher than the regions average), with 94 per cent of them intending to continue their behavior post-pandemic. In 2020, e-commerce drove significant growth in Vietnam, at 46 per cent. Overall, Vietnams gross merchandise value is estimated to reach $14 billion in 2020, up 16 per cent on-year. Vietnams overall digital economy is estimated to hit $52 billion in value. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, among the six largest economies in ASEAN, Vietnam has the third-highest high-speed internet cost at $2.41 per megabit per month. YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. A stable operational situation with no incidents has been maintained along the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact of the Armenian state border overnight April 4-5, the Defense Ministry of Armenia told ARMENPRESS. According to the information provided by the Armenian National Security Service, no border incidents were registered in Vorotan-Davit Bek section of the Goris-Kapan inter-state road which is under the responsibility of the NSS border troops. The Armed Forces of Armenia and the NSS border troops confidently control the border situation along the entire borderline. Sensex crashed nearly 1,400 points in early trade as rising Covid-19 cases in the country took a toll on investor sentiment. India recorded over 1 lakh coronavirus cases on Sunday, the highest single-day rise since the pandemic began last year. Sentiment on Dalal Street was also affected after the Maharashtra government imposed a night curfew in the state from 8 pm to 7 am from today. The state will also go for a complete weekend lockdown from 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday. Sensex lost 1,391 points to 48,638 and Nifty slipped 388 points to 14,479 in early trade. On April 1, Sensex and Nifty, ended higher amid broad-based buying. Sensex reclaimed 50,000 by closing 520 points, or 1.05 per cent higher at 50,029, while the NSE Nifty 50 settled at 14,867, up 176 points or 1.2 per cent. Market was closed on April 2 on the occasion of Good Friday. Top Sensex losers were IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, SBI and ICICI Bank falling up to 6.52%. IT stocks bucked the trend with HCL Tech, Infosys and TCS rising up to 0.94% on Sensex. Of 30 Sensex stocks, 27 were trading in the red. Banking stocks led the losses with BSE bankex plunging 1,527 points to 36,711. Bank Nifty too slipped 1,418 points to 32,439 Share Market LIVE Updates: Sensex plunges 1,300 pts, Nifty below 14,500; Bajaj twins, IndusInd Bank top losers Consumer durables stocks were among the top losers with the BSE index falling 755 points to 32,053. Hemang Jani, Head Equity Strategy, Broking & Distribution, Motilal Oswal Financial Services said,"Market over the next few days would monitor as to how the situation pans out in Maharashtra and also in other states especially 8-10 other states where the covid cases are rising rampantly. Apart from this, Q4 earnings would start pouring in from mid-April with Infosys and Wipro being among the early ones to declare numbers. We are expecting strong 4QFY21 numbers for the IT sector and expect robust FY22 outlook from the management despite cost pressures. Overall, we believe IT and Metals to fare better in comparison to other sectors given the cost pressures faced during the Q4. Thus, April is likely to be highly volatile with Q4 earnings, rising covid cases and higher bond yields to determine the trend." IT stocks rose after Indian currency slipped 31 paise to 73.43 against the US dollar in opening trade. BSE IT index was the only major gainer among 19 sectoral indices rising 185 points to 26,954. At the interbank forex market, rupee opened at 73.38 against the US dollar, then fell further to 73.43, registering a decline of 31 paise over its previous close. AR Ramachandran, Co-founder & Trainer, Tips2Trades said, "Even though global cues are positive with the S&P 500 breaching the 4,000 mark, the deteriorating Covid situation in India has led to a sharp fall in the major indices today. Technically, 48,240 remains a strong support for Sensex, below which 46450 could be possible. Nifty will have a strong support at 14,414-14,350. 14,750 will act as a strong resistance for this week. While few of us are lucky enough to really excel at one thing and most of us are truly brilliant at nothing Leonardo da Vinci was a genius in so many respects it would take all week to list them. He designed bridges, submarines, helicopters, bicycles on paper at least centuries before they were built. He had an unrivalled understanding of the human body, thanks to spending thousands of hours dissecting corpses. He was a brilliant musician who designed his own instruments, an avid reader, an accomplished astronomer and archaeologist. Oh yes, and he was a rather talented artist. Famously, in an application to the Duke of Milan for a job as an engineer designing bridges, weapons, armoured vehicles and public buildings, it was only in the 11th paragraph that he mentioned his artistic ability. Likewise in painting, I can do everything possible, he wrote. Leonardo, a lavish new eight-part drama starring Poldarks Aidan Turner (pictured), which promises to shed light on the great Renaissance thinkers life, has caused a stir and not just among Poldark fans This is the godfather of art who created a clutch of the worlds most famous paintings, for goodness sake, including the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper (the most reproduced religious painting of all time) and the Salvator Mundi, which became the most expensive painting ever sold at public auction in 2017 when it went for 342 million. On top of all that, he was also fantastically beautiful his famous Vitruvian Man (a naked anatomical drawing) is thought to be a self-portrait and liked nothing more than strutting about in very short pink and purple tunics with lavender oil in his lustrous dark curls. So, its no surprise that Leonardo, a lavish new eight-part drama starring Poldarks Aidan Turner, which promises to shed light on the great Renaissance thinkers life, has caused a stir and not just among Poldark fans. Because the drama, which is billed as the untold story of Leonardos private life and arrives on Amazon Prime next week, has fudged fact and fiction so recklessly and, like Netflixs The Crown, without warning to viewers that art historians, critics and biographers are apoplectic, dismissing it as a Monty Python version of the Renaissance and profoundly dishonest. While few of us are lucky enough to really excel at one thing and most of us are truly brilliant at nothing Leonardo da Vinci was a genius in so many respects it would take all week to list them Indeed, this time it seems the writers havent just fiddled around the edges of the truth. The entire premise is built around Leonardos arrest for the murder of his female muse, Caterina da Cremona, with whom the story goes he was besotted. Despite the fact that, in real life, there was no such murder, no arrest, no persuasive evidence at all that Caterina even existed other than being the name of Leonardos mother and any passion was extremely unlikely as Leonardo was gay. The closest he ever got to prison was when he was once arrested for several acts of group sodomy. As art historians will know, it was Caravaggio, a painter born a century later, who killed a man. Why they have conflated the two is anyones guess. But perhaps the oddest thing is why on earth the shows creator felt the need to add anything to perk up a life like Da Vincis. As Dr Daisy Dunn, classicist and art historian, says: Leonardos art and ideas and the world he inhabited are fascinating enough. This is, after all, a man who, half a millennium later, is still viewed as the most fascinating, enigmatic and diversely talented individual ever to have lived, loved by pretty much everyone other than his younger rival Michelangelo. Born in 1452 in Anchiano, Tuscany, close to the town of Vinci (hence the name), Leonardo was the illegitimate son of a teenage orphan Caterina and Ser Piero, a lawyer and notary. Da Vinci was also fantastically beautiful his famous Vitruvian Man (a naked anatomical drawing) is thought to be a self-portrait and liked nothing more than strutting about in very short pink and purple tunics with lavender oil in his lustrous dark curls It was not the most auspicious start and he received only basic tuition in reading, writing and maths. But experts insist that it was his circumstances that allowed his extraordinary brain to set its own pace, flitting between art, sculpture, science, architecture and engineering reading, researching and teaching himself everything he knew. His talents were evident almost immediately. As a boy he was modelling the heads of women and children that could easily have passed as the work of a master. He designed levers and cranes for lifting great weights, machines to be worked by water, and others to tunnel through mountains. He was even the first to raise the question of making a diverted channel in the River Arno from Pisa to Florence. He was interested in everything and anything both scientific and natural: apparently he couldnt visit a market without buying caged birds, just to set them free. His vast brain whirred at impossible speeds, easily distracted, forever moving onto the next challenge, throughout his life leaving a trail of unfinished projects. In many ways, Leonardo was deeply modern illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, easily distracted, but confident to forge his own path. So goodness only knows what hed think of Aidan Turners fictional depiction if he were to wake up now So much so that his biographer, Walter Isaacson, suggests that, had he lived today, he may have been medicated out of his creativity. Happily, he was not, and when he was 15 his father arranged an apprenticeship with the noted sculptor and painter Andrea del Verrocchio, of Florence, who was almost immediately upstaged by the young Leonardos talent and his novel approach of using oil paint rather than old-fashioned egg-based tempera, and applying it in many thin layers to create a stunning illusion of light. And there, at the top of his craft, he stayed painting, scribbling endless sketches and embracing everything Florence had to offer, including the men until, aged 23 and along with three other young men, he was twice anonymously accused of committing sodomy with a 17-year-old male prostitute called Jacopo Saltarelli. Luckily for Leonardo, one of his fellow accused had a connection with the powerful House of Medici and they were let off. While he was at ease with his homosexuality, he took it as a warning and moved away, eventually to Milan where he did a bit of everything from design, engineering and art. It was in Milan that he started his extraordinary journals stretching to over 28,000 pages and bursting with questions such as Why is the sky blue? or How does the heart function? It seems the writers havent just fiddled around the edges of the truth. The entire premise is built around Leonardos arrest for the murder of his female muse, Caterina da Cremona, with whom the story goes he was besotted. Despite the fact that, in real life, there was no such murder, no arrest, no persuasive evidence at all that Caterina even existed and any passion was extremely unlikely as Leonardo was gay All of which, naturally, he would then answer in great and accurate detail all penned backwards in his signature mirror writing. Who knows why perhaps because he was left-handed and didnt want to smudge it, or maybe to make his jottings harder for others to read. Ironically, the one thing that never really flowed was his art. He worked slowly, was always abandoning projects for new challenges and loathed being clogged up by commissions, however grand. He began the Mona Lisa in 1503 and worked on it for years, but never finished it. The Last Supper was already peeling and flaking in his lifetime because hed used the wrong kind of paint. It was something the young Michelangelo taunted him about. Even aside from their contrasting artistic styles Michelangelo working in the sharp lines of sculpture and Leonardo with his famous thumb smudge they couldnt have been more different. Leonardo with his dandyish colours, very short hems and love for society, while Michelangelo was solitary, often alarmingly unwashed and forever agonising over his own homosexuality. Eventually, Leonardo got his revenge. It was he who objected to the nudity of Michelangelos David in 1504, declaring the need for a decent ornament an odd decision for man who had an entire section in his journals entitled On The Penis. But as a result, Davids white marble genitals were covered for the next 40 years. He died, aged 67, in France, his head gently cradled by his great friend King Francis I as he passed away. Although somehow, despite his astonishing talent, he never quite achieved the fame he deserved during his lifetime, not that he really cared. In many ways, Leonardo was deeply modern illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, easily distracted, but confident to forge his own path. So goodness only knows what hed think of Aidan Turners fictional depiction if he were to wake up now. The saying goes, "You can't believe everything you find on the Internet." As simple as that sounds, navigating social media can often blur the line between reality and fantasy. This proves especially difficult when trying to fight a global pandemic. Researchers at Virginia Tech are now looking into how social media misinformation influences people's intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, especially those within the Appalachian region, with help from a grant funded by the Fralin Life Sciences Institute and the Data and Decisions Destination Area. "There is evidence to suggest that Appalachia - our community - may be particularly vulnerable to misinformation about the vaccine," said Michelle Rockwell, lead investigator on the grant and research associate for Carilion Clinic and research assistant professor with the Fralin Life Sciences Institute at Virginia Tech. "We'd like to improve understanding of vaccine misinformation and other factors related to vaccine readiness." The Fralin Life Sciences Institute aims to improve the human condition by supporting innovative environmental and life sciences, research, education, and outreach. The institute was thrilled to fund this grant to support Dr. Rockwell and her team's timely and important research; this grant aligns with our mission to impact society by taking a problem-centric approach to bringing faculty together who are tackling issues like infectious disease and other life sciences-related challenges." Matt Hulver, Executive Director, Fralin Life Sciences Institute As the United States rushes to vaccinate, misinformation has spread like wildfire across online platforms, more so than before the pandemic. False claims about infertility and DNA changes stemming from the COVID-19 vaccine often spread faster than vaccine truth. Combined with rising social media use in the Appalachian region and existing barriers to health care access and quality, misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine makes for the perfect storm. "The vaccine is the major way that we're going to get out of this pandemic," said John Epling, medical director of research for the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Carilion Clinic and collaborator on the project. "Concerns about the vaccine are of course always legitimate, but in this case, there is sort of a clear and present danger of the pandemic. Misinformation, intentionally or otherwise, can really derail our best chance to get out of this pandemic." Vaccine hesitancy is not a new phenomenon, but in the midst of a pandemic, having bad information could prove costly in the race to vaccinate and outpace COVID-19 strains. "We respect that people have hesitation and have concerns, and we all should be cautious in making important health-related decisions," said Rockwell. "We are concerned about the quality of the information people are using in making their decisions." Rockwell and her collaborators, who come from a variety of disciplines, are hoping to learn what misinformation was being spread, but also how health care and public health stakeholders could combat misinformative posts. The study surveys over a thousand people within Appalachia, a geographical region which consists of over 25 million people across 13 states, to gauge their willingness to receive the vaccine and their trust in health care influencers, media sources, health care, and science in general. The researchers found that a higher percentage of the sample were extremely unlikely to receive the vaccine compared to national numbers. When it comes to trust, people most trusted their primary care provider and often prefer to receive the vaccine at the office of a primary care provider. Rockwell and her team are also testing how interventions can stop the spread of misinformation. A subtle misinformation warning "nudge" from a trusted health influencer made people less likely to share real-life, "super-spreader" misinformation. "Just seeing that misinformation warning, a very subtle nudge, makes a difference in people's interpretation of misinformation and especially their likelihood of sharing it," said Rockwell. "To us, that is a very actionable step for healthcare providers and organizations." Misinformation has been shown to be especially challenging to counteract, but the study findings hints at intervention from trusted health care influencers having an impact. "One of the major sources of accurate health information is one's own doctor or health provider," said Epling, also a professor of family and community medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. "So, if medical practices and clinicians rose to that role of communicator a little bit and engaged a little bit in social media, it could help." An ongoing part of the study will use business analytics to map the language around COVID-19 vaccination across Twitter and Reddit. With such vast misinformation flying across platforms and at the tip of people's fingers, shuffling through social media for grounded information can prove difficult. "The Internet is a pretty distracting place, so definitely take the time to think about things before you share them," said Adrienne Holz-Ivory, associate professor in the School of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and collaborator on the study. "When you see something posted and it seems overly partisan, it's probably a good idea to fact check it first before you share it with others." Diversifying sources and doing the extra research can always help. But even then, social media misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine can be especially confusing and littered with uncertainty. The study also lays an emphasis on interdisciplinary work with the following researchers collaborating on the project: Jeffery Stein, assistant professor from the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Julie Gerdes, assistant professor from the Department of English in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Jeremiah Brown, graduate student from the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Michelle Seref, collegiate associate professor in the Department of Business Information Technology in the Pamplin College of Business. Onur Seref, associate professor in the Department of Business Information Technology in the Pamplin College of Business. This group, along with Rockwell, Epling, and Holz-Ivory, hope to shed more light on vaccine hesitancy going forward, combat misinformation, and support the health and recovery of Appalachia. Ukraine values every investor that stimulates economic development, creates jobs and helps to get out of difficult situations. "Ukraine values every investor that stimulates economic development, creates jobs and helps to get out of difficult situations facing us. The Verkhovna Rada is ready for a constructive dialogue with business to create equal and clear working conditions. Today, the main steps for economic growth of our state were discussed during a meeting with representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine," Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov posted on Facebook. According to him, the Parliament passed a law on investment nannies and renewed the liability for illicit enrichment. "At the same time, a draft law on industrial parks, which will help business work in our country, is pending consideration. An equally important aspect of successful work is the rule of law. The Verkhovna Rada is already considering the bills on the new regulations of the Constitutional Court, anti-corruption and judicial reforms," Razumkov said. The Verkhovna Rada Speaker is convinced that it is possible to create all the conditions for economic strengthening and development of Ukraine only by joint efforts of central and local authorities and the business. "After all, it is the business that pays taxes, fills the budget and helps to go through the trials that exist today," Razumkov said. As reported, on March 30, the Verkhovna Rada passed at second reading the bill that unlocks large-scale privatization. The bill lifts the ban on large-scale privatization auctions, which was imposed in 2020 in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. ol Two new phones have graced Samsungs F-series in India welcome to the Galaxy F12 and F02s. The F12 is a rebadged Galaxy M12 while the F02s is nothing but a Galaxy M02s in new colors. Samsung Gaalxy F12 With the F12, youre getting a 6.5-inch waterdrop notch display with HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. Theres an Exynos 850 at the helm aided by 4GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB of expandable storage. Theres a 48MP main camera on the back alongside a 5MP ultrawide snapper, and two 2MP modules for macro shots and depth data. The battery comes in at 6,000 mAh and you get a 15W charger in the box. Pricing for the Galaxy F12 with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage starts at INR 10,999 ($150) while the 4/128GB model goes for INR 11,999 ($163). First sales begin on April 12. Samsung Gaalxy F02s The Galaxy F02s also brings a 6.5-inch waterdrop notch display but scales down the resolution to 720x1600 pixels. Around the back, you get a 13MP main cam alongside two 2MP units for macro shots and depth data. The Snapdragon 450 is the SoC of choice paired with 3/4GB RAM and 32/64GB storage which is expandable via microSD. The battery comes in at 5,000 mAh. Pricing for the Galaxy F02s with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage starts at INR 8,999 ($123) while the 4/64GB model goes for INR 9,999 ($136). First sales begin on April 9. ELECTRIC VEHICLES PM'S PLAN: Boris Johnson has vowed to 'ban new sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2030' . He announced 2.8billion in funding as part of his ten-point green plan, including 1.3billon on the rollout of electric car charging points. REALITY: The 2030 target is viewed by the industry as 'incredibly ambitious' with car companies facing an uphill battle to meet demand on time - and the UK charging network needing to be increased to 20 times the size it is today. The AA says the 2030 target is 'incredibly ambitious', with the three major concerns around electric cars for drivers being the initial cost of the car and availability, perceived single-charge range anxiety and charging infrastructure. Only three years ago, Theresa May's government said the ban would be implemented in 2040 - two decades from now - but Boris Johnson has brought forward the target by ten years. The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders says this is now an 'immense challenge' for car makers who have just over nine years to switch from a century of producing vehicles with combustion engines to ones with electric motors. It has also raised questions over how many people can afford - or want - to buy electric cars. Pure battery-electric new cars held only a 5.5 per cent share of the new car market in the first ten months of the year. Electric vehicles are generally more expensive than conventionally-fuelled models, largely due to the cost of the battery. Many drivers fear being unable to access a charging point mid-journey. RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said setting a date is 'the easy part'. He went on: 'What happens in the lead up to this cliff edge? And how do we create a genuinely affordable mass market in electric cars between now and 2030?' Currently, less than 1 per cent of the UK's 33 million cars are plug-ins. Meanwhile experts have also warned the charging point network would have to grow by up to 20 times the level it is now. More than 1,200 charging devices for public use were installed in the UK between July and September, recent Department for Transport (DfT) analysis shows. That meant 19,487 devices were available on September 30. This is up 7 per cent from three months earlier. But Jim Holder, editorial director of What Car?, suggests the number of devices needs to be 10 or even 20 times higher than it is now to cope with the increased demand. Prices of petrol and diesel models may remain stable for the next few years as many people still use traditionally-fuelled cars even after the sale of new ones is banned, but the cost could drop in the years to come as people switch to electric. OFFSHORE WIND PM'S PLAN: Installing thousands of offshore turbines to produce enough energy to power every home by 2030, based on current electricity usag. Boris Johnson is also boosting the government's previous 30GW target to 40GW. REALITY: The wind farm push will cost private firms 48billion in investment over the next decade and require one turbine to be built every weekday within that period - almost doubling the number currently being constructed. Up to 48billion of investment through the private sector is said to be needed to quadruple capacity to the Prime Minister's target of 40 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. The cost of offshore wind has come down dramatically over the past ten years, with government contracts down from 150 per megawatt hour to just 40. In comparison, the cost of the Hinkley Point C nuclear contract was 92.50 per MW/hour, while the next new build Sizewell C is expected to be about 60 per MWh. The UK currently has a capacity of 10GW, up from 1GW in 2010, with a further 10GW already committed to be built before 2027 following government auctions. An extra 20GW is therefore needed to get to 40GW, requiring a massive ramp-up of the supply chain to hit the target in the new environmental plan. The further 20GW will be allocated in a government auction planned for late 2021, but the projects wouldn't get decisions on investments from companies involved until 2022. The workforce would then be mobilised by 2023, with the project finished by 2025 or longer - creating a four to five year time span between allocation and completion. The 40GW figure can only be achieved by building 2,600 turbines producing 12MW each the equivalent of building one each weekday throughout this decade. Given the time lag after awarding contracts, the construction target is 200 turbines per year in the early part of decade, but 300 per year by the late part of the 2020s. This will be a dramatic increase from the 100 to 200 turbines per year which have been built in recent years. Oxford-based consultancy Aurora has carried out research on the cost implications of the Government's drive for wind farms and believes it could reduce energy bills. Asked about the cost to consumers, a spokesman told MailOnline today: 'To give a simple answer, I would say it would be roughly the same or slightly less than not doing this, and the reason for that is the cost of offshore wind has come down so dramatically to enable that.' HYDROGEN PM'S PLAN: Working with industry to generate five gigawatts of the low carbon fuel by 2030. Boris Johnson wants to ramp up production with the hope of heating an entire town with the low-carbon fuel by the end of the decade REALITY: Households will need to replace 25million gas boilers over the next 20 years and the switch will also see huge amounts of refurbishments required to make homes more energy efficient, such as double or triple glazing all windows. There is potential to replace gas boilers with hydrogen, or even a hybrid of hydrogen boilers and heat pumps, but they will need energy efficient homes to reduce the demand for hydrogen which has to be manufactured. Tim Harwood, who is in charge of hydrogen projects at Northern Gas Networks, which owns local gas grids in north-east England, told the Financial Times that much of the possible disruption caused would depend on hydrogen-ready boilers. He said if the government would mandate these types of boilers in homes, 'they are easily convertible to hydrogen when the time comes by just simply changing a few small parts and probably half an hour disruption'. Households will need to replace 25million gas boilers over the next 20 years and they will have to be replaced at a rate of 600,000 a year by 2028, representing a huge challenge External pipeworks that delivers the hydrogen to homes and boilers will need to be changed, because hydrogen is a less dense gas - and it is often compressed and stored under high-pressure so it has sufficient energy content for processes. The Citizens Advice charity said new meters will also need to be made to ensure people are billed correctly, and billing methodology will also need to change to reflect the energy used in a home, rather than the volume of gas delivered. Another alternative to gas boilers is heat pumps or district heat networks which can pipe hot water in underground pipes to bring heat to homes from a central source, such as an energy from waste plant or even former mines. Heat pumps are installed in individual houses and are powered by electricity, working a bit like a fridge in reverse to generate heat from the outside air, or sometimes the ground, to provide heating and hot water in the home. NUCLEAR PM'S PLAN: Investing in new technology to develop mini-reactors. Decision still pending on major new power stations like Sizewell C in Suffolk. The Government has pledged 525million to develop large and small-scale nuclear plants. REALITY: Unions say they are disappointed there was no specific reference to give the go-ahead to the development of Sizewell C, with the 525million pledge said to be a 'drop in the ocean' compared to the cost of the Suffolk site. One of the major rows brewing following the release of the Government's ten-point environmental plan was a lack of any guidance on whether the new nuclear power station Sizewell C will be going ahead in Suffolk. Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, the plant's managing director, said Sizewell C was the only large-scale nuclear project ready to begin construction, delivering the always-on low-carbon power Britain needs. But Alison Downes of Stop Sizewell C said: 'Despite heavy briefing by EDF and the nuclear industry, the Prime Minister's 10 Point Plan has given no green light to Sizewell C, nor any suggestion on how it might be funded. The pledge of 525million to be split between large, small and advanced reactors is a drop in the ocean compared to the 20billion cost of Sizewell C.' The Unite union also said it was disappointed there was no specific reference to give the go-ahead to the development of Sizewell C. Assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: 'We welcome the commitment to nuclear as an important low-carbon element of the energy mix, but we also need meat on the bones as to how these projects are to be financed and brought forward to completion.' Sue Ferns, deputy general secretary of the Prospect union, said: 'The Government's commitment to a green economy is welcome but this plan is not yet the green jobs revolution we need. All of the points in the plan are sensible, especially those on renewables, hydrogen and nuclear, but they will quickly need both detail and funding to make them into a reality. 'In particular the commitment to new nuclear is important but we still need a clear commitment to building Sizewell C and a whole generation of new plants.' A spokesman for the Sizewell C Consortium, a group of around 150 companies, unions and other organisations backing the project, said: 'Sizewell C is the only large-scale nuclear project that is ready to start and it will provide jobs and apprenticeships during this parliament. 'It will boost the economic recovery and over the lifetime of the project will create tens of thousands of jobs in the UK industrial heartlands. We urge the Government to commit to Sizewell C.' PUBLIC TRANSPORT PM'S PLAN: Approving plans for a 5billion investment in buses, cycling and walking with new cycle lanes set to benefit from a share of a 2billion fund. Plans for thousands of green buses are also included. REALITY: Cycle lanes have proven to be hugely controversial during the Covid-19 crisis, causing major traffic delays - so this new policy will cause fury among motorists who already feel the Government is ignoring them The Government is planning hundreds of miles of new cycle lanes as part of its new plan, which will anger critics of the schemes which have been implemented across the UK to encourage people onto two wheels during the pandemic. Under the Department for Transport's 'active travel' scheme, councils have already been granted 42million in taxpayer money to turn over vast sections of road to pedestrians and bikes, and in some cases, to close them off altogether. Rather than improving local areas, opponents say the schemes - which are part of the 2billion plan - have worsened gridlock and pollution, caused delays for 999 services and hurt firms which rely on trade from passing traffic. The Alliance of British Drivers has already accused the Conservatives of waging war on motorists, but the Government has cited survey evidence suggesting eight out of ten people support measures to reduce traffic in their area. JET ZERO PM'S PLAN: Supporting the development of the world's first commercial zero carbon plane. Boris Johnson added that 'we will do the same with ships', and pointed out that it is a century since the first nonstop transatlantic flight REALITY: The zero carbon plane is still only a concept, with the most advanced designs produced by Airbus which are still 15 years away from entering service if everything goes to plan - and won't even be able to travel across the Atlantic Boris Johnson's announcement on planes comes two months after Airbus revealed a fleet of zero emissions aircraft which are primarily powered by hydrogen fuel and are carbon neutral. Airbus claims the three hydrogen-hybrid concepts will be the world's first zero-emission commercial aircraft. The planes are called the turbofan, turboprop and the blended-wing body and are earmarked to enter service by 2035, Airbus says. However, one major drawback of the turbofan is that it will not be able to travel across the Atlantic. The plane will have a capacity of 200 passengers and, according to Airbus, be able to travel 2,300 miles without the need for refuelling. The turboprop is designed for short-haul trips and runs on propellers. The propeller-driven machine will have half the capacity of its bigger brother, the turbofan., with room for 100 people and a maximum journey of around 1,150 miles. EasyJet and Airbus launched a joint research project last year to consider hybrid and electric aircraft as a way of reducing the environmental impact of aviation, but the airline industry has been devastated this year by the coronavirus pandemic. HOMES AND BUILDINGS PM'S PLAN: Making homes, schools and hospitals greener and warmer, with improved insulation and heat pumps phased in to replace conventional boilers. REALITY: The change towards heat pumps and even hydrogen boilers will require some significant improvements in insulation for homes, with double or triple glazing, draught proofing and high levels of loft and wall insulation. Tackling climate change will spell an end to the carbon polluting gas boilers that heat the majority of UK homes, as well as oil boilers which some off-grid homes currently use, but will require some serious improvements in insulation. They are most likely to be replaced by heat pumps or district heat networks which pipe hot water in underground pipes to bring heat to homes from a central source, such as an energy from waste plant or even former mines. Heat pumps are installed in individual houses and are powered by electricity, working a bit like a fridge in reverse to generate heat from the outside air, or sometimes the ground, to provide heating and hot water in the home. Air source heat pumps look like an air conditioning unit on the outside of buildings, and may need bigger radiators or underfloor heating to work best. They work more efficiently in buildings that are energy efficient and well-insulated - so there is a need for homes, including old, Victorian draughty properties, to be transformed to make them cosier. There is also potential to replace gas boilers with hydrogen, or even a hybrid of hydrogen boilers and heat pumps, but they will need efficient homes too to reduce the demand for hydrogen which has to be manufactured. So whatever type of house people live in and however it is heated, by the 2030s it will have to be much cosier than many are today, with double or triple glazing, draught proofing and high levels of loft and wall insulation. This could include external wall insulation on the outside of properties, potentially changing the look of homes. Just as we have to phase out gas for heating, we will also have to stop using it to cook, with gas hobs replaced by induction hobs. And with climate change already having an impact on life in the UK, with more intense heatwaves and an increased risk of flooding, by the 2030s homes may increasingly be fitted with measures to protect against these risks. They could range from tinted windows and trees planted outside to provide shade in hot conditions to removable air brick covers and treated wooden floors to prevent flooding and damage from flood water in at-risk areas. CARBON CAPTURE PM'S PLAN: Becoming a world-leader in technology to capture and store harmful emissions. The Government says these developments will be backed by 1bn of government investment for clusters across the North, Wales and Scotland. REALITY: The main carbon capture association admits there is an 'incredible amount of work that is needed', and the technology is so costly and new that multiple companies are having to work together to build the systems One of the major problems with carbon capture systems is the technology are so expensive and modern that companies are having to work together to build them. Among the four hubs being given part of the 200million is Net Zero Teeside, which is a joint effort by oil companies including BP, ENI, Equinor, Shell and Total, with BP leading. The ambitious idea is to capture carbon dioxide, compress it, and pipe it into the North Sea to be injected into spent oil reservoirs, which would effectively trap it. But there will be concerns that the number of companies having to work together on a single project could lead to clashes, potentially delaying attempts to reach Government targets. The Carbon Capture and Storage Association, the trade body for the sector in the UK, has admitted 'there is an incredible amount of work that is needed to enable these targets to be reached'. NATURE PM'S PLAN: Protecting and restoring the natural environment, including planting 75,000 acres of trees every year. The Government also wants to rewild 30,000 football pitches worth of countryside. REALITY: Green MP Caroline Lucas has said that Boris Johnson's environmental strategy 'fails to rise to the gravity of this moment'. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'When you put it the context of the scale of the climate and nature emergencies face, and indeed the scale of job emergencies we face, then it's nowhere near ambitious enough. 'It's not urgent enough, it's not bold enough - it completely fails to rise to the gravity of this moment.' She said the scale of new investment is only a 'fraction' of what is needed and the strategy is 'inconsistent' over its protection of nature. 'There are individual aspects to welcome but, as a whole, it doesn't add up to the kind of ambitious strategy that we need,' she said. INNOVATION & FINANCE PM'S PLAN: Developing new green technology and making the City the global centre of green finance. The Government says this will be through its sovereign bond, carbon offset markets and disclosure requirements. REALITY: The starting position has been made harder with London now lagging behind, having lost its crown as global green finance leader to Amsterdam and Zurich last month The Government has set out its plans to make the City of London the global centre of green finance, but it faces an uphill battle after the capital lost its crown as global green finance leader. The latest Global Green Finance Index released by the Z/Yen think tank said London had slipped behind Amsterdam and Zurich last month, having been at the helm for two years. The index ranked 74 financial centres across the world for their public, private and non-profit investment in sustainable development projects, according to City AM. Over the past three years, the amount raised in green bonds on the London Stock Exchange has almost tripled, from 8billion in 2017 to 22.4billion this year. But London has fallen behind Amsterdam and Zurich for green finance depth and quality, which looks at the extent of green finance markets and the quality of products that can be traded there. New Delhi: A group of women posing naked for a photoshoot on a balcony was arrested in the Marina district Dubai for violating local laws. They were charged with public debauchery for conducting nude photoshoot outdoor. The video footage of the photoshoot surfaced online on Saturday which shows the women having their photo taken on a balcony. The group included eleven Ukrainian women who were detained by the local law enforcement, according to a report by BBC. A Russian was also detained in the case, who faces up to 18 months in prison. The Ukrainian consulate has said that it will visit the women on Tuesday. Public debauchery carries a sentence of up to six months in prison and a 5,000 dirham (about Rs 1 lakh) fine. "Such unacceptable behaviours do not reflect the values and ethics of Emirati society," a police statement said. The police added that the local laws will be applicable to everyone who lives in or visits the country and that there are no exceptions even for tourists. Live TV One of Britain's biggest companies is worried that the shift towards flexible working could harm women's careers. Aviva is concerned that female workers may feel more pressure than men to work from home and so miss out on promotion opportunities. So far the insurer hasn't seen any gender divide, but says it is monitoring closely in case a split emerges post-pandemic. Concerns: Aviva is concerned that female workers may feel more pressure than men to work from home and so miss out on promotion opportunities The FTSE 100 firm said there is a risk managers could fall into the trap of promoting workers who they see around the office, rather than making judgements on who is producing the best work. This in turn could lead to more men in senior roles if they return to the office while women feel obliged to work flexibly in order to balance family responsibilities. Aviva is running a trial on its own flexible working plan. Danny Harmer, chief people officer, told the Mail that the insurer will be keeping a close eye on its gender pay gap reporting and promotions data, to make sure this does not unravel years of work on stamping out inequality. She said: 'Fast forward a few years of hybrid working, what are the potential unintended consequences businesses might be creating? 'If, for example, carers and in particular female carers opt to work away from the office more than their male colleagues, could this have an impact on female promotion rates because of visibility?' Across all UK companies, women earned 15.5 per cent less than men in 2020, down from 17.4 per cent in 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics. But Harmer is worried the pay gap could start to climb again. Nationwide, Lloyds Bank, HSBC, Standard Chartered and PwC are giving their workers more freedom to choose where they will work. Gwen Rhys, chief executive of networking group Women in the City, said: 'It's likely to be women who take the work-from-home option more than men. 'I think men will go back to the office before women and it will be they who get noticed, get networking and get the opportunities. It could be a trap for women' City grandee Baroness Morrissey, a mother of nine, said the solution is for firms to be prescriptive about what they want and expect from staff. 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the way we work, and get it right,' said the 55-year-old. Remember that the state cut funding for sobriety checkpoints in 2017. And now quite a few Republicans and lawyers support the push back over the alleged violation of civil liberties. Read more . . . Disney+ has released another trailer for Loki ahead of its summer release. The new clip sees Loki (Tom Hiddleston) reprimanded by the Time Variance Authority with Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson) taking on his role as a handler. Following on from the events of Avengers: Endgame, Loki is dealing with the fallout of absconding with the Tesseract and breaking the flow of reality. Who's been a naughty God Of Mischief? Disney+ has released another trailer for Loki ahead of its summer release. The new series sees Tom Hiddleston reprise his villain role Although Loki insists he can be trusted, Mobius replies, 'Loki, I've studied almost every moment of your entire life, you've literally stabbed people in the back like 50 times.' 'Well, I'll never do it again!' Loki quips in response. The trailer takes us all over the universe and different points in time, with Loki tasked with helping correct the timeline he disturbed. A far cry from Marley and Me: The new clip sees Loki (Hiddleston) reprimanded by the Time Variance Authority with Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson) taking on his role as a handler It's all kicking off: Following on from the events of Avengers: Endgame, Loki is dealing with the fallout of absconding with the Tesseract and breaking the flow of reality Marvel has kept tight-lipped about the plot of the series, with the official synopsis reading: 'In Marvel Studios Loki, the mercurial villain Loki resumes his role as the God of Mischief in a new series that takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame.' The new trailer comes after a poster debuted on Disney+'s Twitter on Thursday afternoon. The one-sheet shows Loki wearing the same prison jumpsuit as he was wearing in the Super Bowl trailer, revealing he's locked up at the Time Variance Authority (TVA) He's got a point: Although Loki insists he can be trusted, Mobius replies, 'Loki, I've studied almost every moment of your entire life, you've stabbed people in the back like 50 times' Hope he cleans up that mess: The trailer takes us all over the universe and different points in time, with Loki tasked with helping correct the timeline he disturbed What's going on here? Marvel has kept tight-lipped about the plot of the series, which will drop on Disney+ on June 11 Loki is seen wearing some sort of restrictive collar around his neck, which has a label that reads, 'Danger Time Displacement Stay Clear.' The collar makes sense when you take into account what the TVA really is, chroniclers of the entire multi-verse timeline. The TVA was first introduced in Thor #372, which hit the shelves in 1986, whose primary task is monitoring all of the worlds of the multiverse and eliminating any timelines deemed too dangerous. Use your words, not your fists: It seems Loki is still getting into scrapes as a quick clip saw him having a physical altercation Locked up for lockdown: Loki is seen wearing some sort of restrictive collar around his neck, which has a label that reads, 'Danger Time Displacement Stay Clear' Oh, now it makes sense: The collar makes sense when you take into account what the TVA really is, chroniclers of the entire multi-verse timeline The multiverse was first confirmed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, and will be explored more thoroughly in the upcoming sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is set for a March 2022 release. If someone is apprehended by the TVA and found guilty of their crimes, their entire history and presence will be erased from the timeline via the Retroactive Cannon. The show is confirmed to take place after the events of Avengers: Endgame, with Loki believed to be travelling through time to alter events of human history, which would certainly put him within the TVA's crosshairs. Who's that girl? Loki is seen chilling out and watching some shooting stars with an unidentified mystery woman Purple haze: Loki is seen chilling out on a purple planet after spending the day with his lady friend Lovely lady: Alongside Tom and Owen, other stars include Gugu Mbatha-Raw (pictured) Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant Alongside Tom and Owen, other stars include Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant. Kate Herron directs all six episodes of Loki, with Michael Waldron serving as the head writer. Loki will be the third Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series to debut on Disney Plus this year, following WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which debuts on Friday. Crime never pays, Loki! The show is confirmed to take place after the events of Avengers: Endgame, with Loki believed to be travelling through time to alter events of human history After Loki debuts, Marvel Studios will release What If... ? in mid-2021, along with Ms. Marvel and Hawkeye in late 2021. The studio also has several other shows in development such as Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Secret Invasion, Ironheart and Armor Wars. Loki premieres on Disney+ on June 11. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 23:02:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze (C) attends a press conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, April 5, 2021. Tikaradze said on Monday the Chinese vaccine that arrived in Georgia earlier last week is safe and effective. Georgia on Saturday received the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines it purchased from China. The newly-arrived vaccines manufactured by China's Sinopharm Group are the third type of vaccine Georgia has introduced in the country so far. (Photo by Tamuna Kulumbegashvili/Xinhua) TBILISI, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze said on Monday the Chinese vaccine that arrived in Georgia earlier last week is safe and effective. "Sinopharm vaccine is recognized by the strict regulator of Hungary, on the basis of which we decided that Sinopharm could be allowed on the Georgian market," Tikaradze said at a press conference in Tbilisi. Li Yan, the Chinese ambassador to Georgia, said at the press conference that China will continue to work alongside Georgia to fight the pandemic and help build a community of common health for mankind. Georgia on Saturday received the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines it purchased from China. The newly-arrived vaccines manufactured by China's Sinopharm Group are the third type of vaccine Georgia has introduced in the country so far. Georgia on March 15 launched its nationwide inoculation campaign against COVID-19 after receiving its first batch of vaccines from COVAX. According to the government's plan, people working in the health sector will be eligible to get vaccinated first. Georgia plans to vaccinate at least 60 percent of the country's population by the end of 2021. According to Georgia's National Center for Disease Control, the country on Monday registered 228 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing its total to 284,061. Enditem Fourteen episodes down and we still can't get used to how the mafia-legal K-drama "Vincenzo" shook us with its twist and turns and its slow burn romance unfolding bit by bit. And now, Chacenzo fans are celebrating after Vincenzo Cassano (Song Joong Ki) and Hong Cha Young (Jeon Yeo Bin) finally locked their lips! Read on to find out how it all went down. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Vincenzo' Episode 13 Recap: 2PM's Taecyeon Gets an Epic Surprise from Song Joong Ki Babel Group's Paper Company After Vincenzo's grotesque surprise for Jang Han Seok (2PM's Taecyeon) - pouring him pig's blood in front of the media - Babel Group's new chairman was arrested for anti-union activities. However, Choi Myung Hee (Kim Yeo Jin) insists that the prosecutor doesn't have credible evidence to prove the accusations. This was not until Vincenzo showed them the voice recorder that contains the interview from the man who used to work under the union group. Prosecutor Jung In Guk (Ko Sang Ho) said that Jang Han Seok, together with Jang Han Seo (Kwak Dong Yeon), Choi Myung Hee, and Han Seung Hyuk (Jo Han Chul) will be charged for new cases. But right after Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young (Jeon Yeo Bin) left, Chief Prosecutor Hwang Jin Tae (Seo Jin Won) demanded Prosecutor Jung to release the Babel Group's chairman and told him to do another investigation to have more credible evidence. He then didn't have a choice but to follow the order. Jang Han Seo Tried to Betray His Brother Again After what Vincenzo did to his brother, Jang Han Seo decided to set a meeting with the Italian lawyer. The two met alongside Mr. Han in a fancy restaurant. Jan Han Seo started to pinpoint his intention on why he called Vincenzo. The chairman's brother offered that he will help Vincenzo kill Jang Han Seok so he can have Babel Group. Surprisingly, Vincenzo declined and stated he never tried to betray his family because they might end up destroying each other in the end. New Alliance from the Geumga Plaza Residents Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young gave Park Seok Do (Kim Young Woong) the time to present all his knowledge about paper companies. With the help of Mr. Na Deok Jin (Na Chul), the two lawyers found out more information about the Jason Fund, Jang Han Seok's paper company. Mr. Na explained that the money is laundered through an art gallery and the documents are grounded by high security. Apart from Park Seok Do, Seo Mi Ri (Kim Yoon Hye) made a confession to the Jipuragi Law Firm squad. She revealed that she knew about the gold in the basement, and she was the one who designed the system to protect the gold and open the vault. The Jipuragi team was shocked to know Seo Mi Ri's identity. Seo Mi Ri swore she will help them to fix the system to regain their access to the basement, as long as they will get the gold bars out together - wherein each and everyone agreed into. Vincenzo Accidentally Proposes Marriage to Hong Cha Young Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young made a visit at the Ragusang Art Gallery. They checked the security and tried to look for a natural and easier way to enter the private room where the real painting was kept. With the help of Geumga Plaza residents, the duo was able to book their private event inside the art gallery. Seo Mi Ri used her hacking skills to manipulate the booking system. Meanwhile, in order to make their mission a success, the two needed to disguise themselves as a couple. Vincenzo escorted Hong Cha Young to pick the right dress to wear and bought her exquisite jewellery that fits the lady lawyer. The two arrived at the gallery and started to act like a couple - but little did the they know that the man who was originally booked for a visit planned tohave an intimate marriage proposal to his girlfriend. Vincenzo had to kneel down and ask Hong Cha Young for marriage. With this unexpected turn of events, the two were put on a spot. After Hong Cha Young "accepted" the proposal, now with a ring on her finger, the art gallery director asked them to kiss. Hesitant, Vincenzo said it would be embarassing to kiss in front of others, but he was caught off guard when Hong Cha Young grabbed and kissed him. He was surprised at first, but Vincenzo reciprocated - and the two shared several seconds kissing passionately at the gallery. Vincenzo, Hong Cha Young, and the Geumga Plaza Squad Fulfill Their Mission Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young pretended to that they would purchase art pieces at other galleries since the director wouldn't want to show them the rare gallery piece they wanted. In the end, the director permitted them to enter the private room where the art, titled "Nothing," was kept. After hearing a commotion outside caused by the Geumga Plaza residents, the director left the couple for a while. Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young used this as their opportunity to hack the system with the help of Seo Mi Ri and Ms. Yang (Jung Ji Yoon). They found the international transactions and transferred them into their USB device. The squad finished their mission and had a dramatic slowmo exit while leaving the gallery. Before Episode 14 ended, Choi Myung Hee found the person who they can work with to get rid of "Vincenzo." This signals a new battle between the Babel Group and the Jipuragi team. New "Vincenzo" OST Released The blossoming romance between Hong Cha Young and Vincenzo wouldn't be complete without the new OST, "Is This Love" by Aalia, released on April 4 and was played during the much-awaited kissing scene of our two main leads. Indeed, it blended well in the momentum, making everything look so perfect! Give the song a listen here! Have you watched "Vincenzo" Episode 14? What part did you enjoy the most? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below! For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars. Kdramastars owns this article. Written by Shai Collins The project will strengthen the governance and the management structure of the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoHFW) and its subsidiaries The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a $32 million Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project to improve management capacity and quality of health services in Mizoram, situated in the North East region of India, particularly for the benefit of underserved areas and vulnerable groups. The project will strengthen the governance and the management structure of the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoHFW) and its subsidiaries, improve the quality and coverage of services delivered by the state government health systems, and invest in a comprehensive Quality Assurance program which would enable quality certification of health facilities. A key focus will be to strengthen the effectiveness of the state health insurance program; build synergies with the Government of Indias Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY); and thereby reduce financial barriers in accessing hospital services, prevent catastrophic out of pocket expenditure for health by poor families and expand coverage. The Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project will benefit the people across all eight districts of the state. It will also benefit health sector staff, specifically at the secondary and primary levels, by strengthening their planning and management capacity along with building their clinical skills and competencies. While Mizoram performs better than the national average on many key health indicators, access to quality health services is a challenge, particularly in rural areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has also adversely impacted the delivery of essential health services, said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in India. This project will support the state governments efforts to deliver quality healthcare for the poor and vulnerable and those located in remote areas. Christian conservative GoFundMe alternative under attack By Rachel Alexander The left is coming after conservatives on every platform. Its not just social media users but the owners of those companies and other platforms. GiveSendGo , a Christian crowdfunding site that launched in 2015 to help Christians raise money for things like mission trips and medical bills, has been dragged into the fray merely for allowing a fundraiser for Kyle Rittenhouse. The left wants to shut the site down, hacking it and trying to get payment processors and hosting companies to drop the site. There were 700 complaints to GiveSendGos hosting provider in January alone. The left smears GiveSendGo by calling it a platform for Trumpist hate. Discover Card will not allow its customers to use the card for donations, and Facebook banned links to the Rittenhouse fundraiser. I spoke with siblings Jacob Wells and Heather Wilson who founded and run the site. GiveSendGo is different from the narcissistic GoFundMe in that the focus of fundraising is tied to sharing the hope that you have. Its not divorced from the money. The pair generously donate 10% of the proceeds they receive to fundraisers on the site. The site could have ducked taking on fundraisers for controversial people like Rittenhouse, but once the siblings observed death by deplatforming they knew they had to take a stand. Jake Gardner was a Nebraska bar owner who committed suicide after being indicted in the fatal shooting of a black protester. The tragic series of events began during riots after the death of George Floyd. Gardners dad pushed a protester who would not leave the area near the bar. The protester pushed back, and so the younger Gardner displayed his handgun. Two protesters jumped on his back and he fired two warning shots. They left, but James Scurlock, a young black man who had been involved in vandalism earlier, tackled him and put him in a headlock. Gardner begged Scurlock to release him, but he didnt, so he shot him. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine wasnt even going to press charges at first, believing Gardner had acted in self defense. But obviously due to public pressure, he asked a grand jury to review his decision. Meanwhile, Gardner was trying to raise money for his defense, but was being deplatformed everywhere. People like Nebraska State Sen. Megan Hunt piled on and incited more hate by calling him a white supremacist. His bar was known for hosting Republican events, which no doubt intensified the vicious reaction. But he wasnt a hateful person, in 2017 he went to the Trump inauguration and was interviewed about the Womens March, and he said they have a right to be out there protesting. Gardner moved to California to escape the hate. A decorated veteran who had served two tours in Iraq, he suffered two brain injuries. He found out about GiveSendGo due to the publicity surrounding Rittenhouse, but it was too late. Just two days after the fundraiser was started, the jury indicted him for manslaughter and other felonies, and he killed himself. The Jake Gardner family has since set up its own GiveSendGo fundraiser. Wells and Wilson said never again. GiveSendGo is going to stand and allow people on both sides of a legal battle to raise funds for legal fees, instead of censoring people they dont think are worthy, they are going to be a platform that provides hope, forgiveness and second chances. They do not feel the court of public opinion should override the justice system.Fortunately the Rittenhouse fundraiser, which is what first put GiveSendGo in the spotlight, helped the young man when needed. Rittenhouse said the fundraiser is what got him through the time when he was locked up in jail. And it hasnt been easy. Wilson had to change her phone number after the calls started coming in swearing at her and calling her a white supremacist. One left-wing activist used the site to raise money for a radical LGBT cause clearly to harass them. But he ended up being surprised at how kindly he was treated, admitting on Facebook that they really do stand for freedom. Other famous conservatives who have been targeted who use the site include Trump attorney Sidney Powell , former USPS employee Richard Hopkins , who told Project Veritas about voter fraud, and Melissa Carone, the elections worker who testified during Michigan legislative hearings about voter fraud. Matt Braynard , former Director of Data and Strategy for the Trump campaign, raised $675,437 for his Voter Integrity Project to investigate election fraud, exceeding his goal of $590,000. The left has figured out that GiveSendGo isnt going to shut down these types of fundraisers, and has stopped bombarding them with complaints about them. The siblings are still feeling out the parameters of what is acceptable content. While the site focuses on allowing free speech, they have standards, so profanity is not allowed. They have a prayer team, which calls people when they start a campaign as their prayer partner. Theres a prayer button that people can select instead of contributing money, and a prayer wall for people to post requests for prayer. Wells and Wilson tell me they are well-prepared for attempts to shut them down. They have backup plans ready to go at the flip of a switch, such as alternative hosting servers. They are beginning to incorporate cryptocurrency. The frustrating thing they have noticed is that 90% of the complaints come from fake email addresses its just a very small number of activists faking all the outrage against them. Its a hypocritical double standard that GoFundMe allows fundraisers for all kinds of evil people, but wont let a lot of regular conservatives fundraise. Its even more appalling that the left is trying to destroy alternative platforms like GiveSendGo. We must stay vigilant, shedding light on the situation and supporting those who dare to stand up to the woke crowd like GiveSendGo, because eventually theyre coming for the rest of us too. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative . She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications.mericano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's legal and political troubles will play out simultaneously on Monday, at his corruption trial and in the president's residence. Judges ordered Netanyahu to be in court for the prosecution's opening argument on three cases involving charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Meanwhile, President Reuven Rivlin will begin talks over who should lead the next government after a fourth inconclusive election on March 23. How can he be on trial and remain prime minister? Under Israeli law, a prime minister is under no obligation to stand down unless convicted. No other minister is protected in this way, so there are legal and political reasons why Netanyahu wants to stay at the top. Netanyahu has pleaded not guilty. He contends he is the victim of a politically orchestrated "witch hunt" by the left and media to oust him, and that receiving gifts from friends is not against the law. Could he go to jail? Bribery charges carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years and/or a fine. Fraud and breach of trust are punishable by up to three years in jail Whats it all about? CASE 4000 Prosecutors allege Netanyahu granted regulatory favours worth around 1.8 billion shekels (about 425 million) to Bezeq Telecom Israel. In return, prosecutors say, he sought positive coverage of himself and his wife, Sara, on a news website controlled by the company's former chairman, Shaul Elovitch. Netanyahu has been charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Elovitch and his wife, Iris, have been charged with bribery and obstruction of justice. The couple deny wrongdoing. CASE 1000 Netanyahu has been charged with fraud and breach of trust over allegations that he and his wife wrongfully received almost 700,000 shekels (178,000) worth of gifts from Arnon Milchan, a Hollywood producer and an Israeli citizen, and Australian billionaire businessman James Packer. Prosecutors said gifts included champagne and cigars and that Netanyahu helped Milchan with his business interests. Packer and Milchan face no charges. CASE 2000 Netanyahu allegedly negotiated a deal with Arnon Mozes, owner of Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, for better coverage in return for legislation to slow the growth of a rival newspaper. Netanyahu has been charged with fraud and breach of trust. Mozes has been charged with offering a bribe, and denies wrongdoing. Will a verdict come soon? Unlikely. The trial could take years. But proceedings could be cut short if Netanyahu seeks a plea deal. Do Israelis still care? Yes. The corruption case was a polarising issue in recent elections. Thousands of demonstrators gathered weekly outside his official residence and across Israel under the banner of "Crime Minister", demanding he quit. But his right-wing voter base sees "King Bibi" as strong onsecurity and an influential voice for Israel abroad. Meanwhile, Israel is facing unprecedented political paralysis, an economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus, a new U.S. administration hoping to revive nuclear talks with Iran and a looming International Criminal Court war crimes investigation. As a long-time Microsoft partner, IRONSCALES has been sharing our perspective on modern phishing threats with the worlds preeminent technology brand for many years. Were excited to be in the position where we can more efficiently engage Microsoft customers IRONSCALES, the pioneer of self-learning email security, today announced the expansion of their Microsoft partnership. As a newly-selected member of the One Commercial Partner (OCP) program, IRONSCALES will build deeper connections into Microsofts partner ecosystem as the technology giant co-sells its award-winning anti-phishing platform as a preferred solution on the Azure Marketplace. IRONSCALES inclusion into Microsofts OCP program is a testament to its leadership in the email security industry. Last year, the company increased annual recurring revenue by 72%, driven by a 44% increase in new channel partnerships. In addition, IRONSCALES increased total customers by 155% last year, with the majority coming from Microsoft Office 365 environments. As a long-time Microsoft partner, IRONSCALES has been sharing our perspective on modern phishing threats with the worlds preeminent technology brand for many years. As an Integrated Email Security Solution (IESS) vendor, we have been discussing new ways to mitigate and remediate business email compromise, CEO spoofing and credential theft, said IRONSCALES founder and CEO Eyal Benishti. Were excited to be in the position where we can more efficiently engage Microsoft customers. Through this partnership, a Microsoft Assisted Growth team will work in tandem with IRONSCALES to accelerate the companys Azure marketplace optimization, lead generation and sales pipeline, as well as improved average deal size and add-on services for existing customers via Microsoft. To help solve the email phishing epidemic, IRONSCALES helps where email security hurts the most, in the inbox with pre-message and post-message delivery, detection, and remediation. Through a self-learning platform that provides for fast, easy, and seamless collaboration, IRONSCALES puts its customers on offense, empowering them to defend against sophisticated email attack techniques predictively, proactively and automatically. Using a decentralized approach to threat intelligence sharing, IRONSCALES makes anti-phishing effortless and seamless for both security professionals and end-users. Additionally, IRONSCALES is the only email security provider to offer mobile applications for iOS and Android, enabling security analysts to access the platforms incident response center while on the go, providing unprecedented access to make time-sensitive decisions on phishing mitigation and resolve incidents immediately with one click. For more information about IRONSCALES AI-driven self-learning email security platform, visit http://www.ironscales.com and follow @ironscales on social media. About IRONSCALES IRONSCALES is the future of phishing protection, incubated inside the worlds top venture program for cybersecurity and founded by alumni of the Israeli Defense Forces elite Intelligence Technology unit. We offer security professionals and end users an AI-driven, self-learning email security platform that provides a comprehensive solution to stop tomorrows phishing attacks today. Using the worlds most decentralized threat protection network, our platform accelerates the prevention, detection and remediation of phishing attacks already inside your email with threat removal times in seconds, not minutes or hours. We give organizations of all sizes complete anti-phishing protection against any type of phishing attack, right now. IRONSCALES and our customers are Safer Together. Learn more: http://www.ironscales.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. Customers and a bartender at Crimson House said they were happy to be able to have a drink at the restaurant Sunday, the day Gov. Tom Wolfs eased restrictions for restaurants and venues took effect. They can resume bar service, serve alcohol to customers without a meal and the curfew for removing alcoholic beverages from tables has been lifted. Additionally, capacity for indoor dining is now at 75% for restaurants that self-certify with the state and 50% for those that havent gone through the online certification process. Only a few people took a seat at the bar when brunch started at the Pottsville restaurant, but all the seats were filled by noon. Conlan Budwash, of Pine Grove, and Dave Cantwell, of Minersville, were among the first bar patrons, both ordering Yuengling Flight beers. Im enjoying it, Cantwell said, holding his beer. Im glad to be back. Budwash said sitting at the bar was nice and doing so is a sign of better things ahead. That the world is getting back to normal, he said. Co-owner John Challenger said before the restrictions loosened, many customers told the restaurants bartenders they couldnt wait to sit back at the bar. He said being open at 75% capacity and having bar seating is huge for them. Were excited, he said at the restaurant Sunday morning. Crimson House served brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and it included a visit from the Easter Bunny., played by Eline Zwart, an exchange student from the Netherlands studying at Nativity BVM High School. Marge Minchoff, of Pottsville, came to the restaurant with her friend, Edie Chromis, also of Pottsville. Minchoff only had wine Sunday, while her friend had a meal and said it felt good to have it. Shara Stepen and her friend, Jon Pontician, both of Pottsville, were among those who came for brunch. She said the increased capacity feels great. Pontician said while it is nice to be getting back to normal, people still have to be cautious. Lead bartender Ben Jacobs was busy filling drink requests from behind the counter Sunday. He said having it open is a weight lifted off my shoulders, adding the last time he served someone was just before St. Patricks Day in 2020. Im glad to be back to work, he said. Takeout still popular While capacity is increased and restrictions on serving alcohol have been relaxed, restaurants are still encouraged to offer outdoor dining, takeout and curbside pickup. Requirements such as wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing are still in effect. For Chris Clauser, owner of Friedensburg Country Restaurant in Wayne Township, takeout orders are what many of his customers prefer more than a year into the pandemic. He said the eased restrictions dont have a noticeable effect on the business as the tables already have to be spaced out. Between Saturday and Sunday, the staff filled 50 takeout orders. The restaurant offered Easter dining from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Clauser said six people called about ordering takeout before 11 a.m. Bob Madrigal, of Schuylkill Haven, was among those who picked up a takeout order Sunday afternoon. He said he has been getting takeout a lot during the pandemic as he isnt comfortable dining in. Its a way to support local businesses, plus its good food, he said. Meanwhile, Robert Beck, of Schuylkill Haven, enjoyed lunch after a church service with his son, Keith Beck, and daughter-in-law, Marge Beck, who were visiting him from Mechanicsburg. Keith Beck said it was nice to see diners spaced out, adding that he was thankful to be able to do anything as a family. His father added that with more people receiving the coronavirus vaccine, people are becoming more comfortable with doing things. Dining nearby was Red Lord, his wife, Joyce Lord, brother, David, and nephew, Jason Stamm, his wife, Ashley Stamm, and their children, Andi Stamm, 2 and Gage Stamm, 8, all of West West Terrace. Joyce Lord said it was nice that the restaurant allowed indoor dining. We couldnt do it last year, she said. A New York man sentenced to years in prison for crashing a commercial bus in Covington Twp. while high on cocaine, killing a woman and injuring others, asked a Lackawanna County judge to reduce his sentence. First Assistant Public Defender Joseph Kalinowski argued Monday that Judge Michael J. Barrasse essentially gave Charles Dwight Dixon the statutory maximum by sentencing him March 8 to state prison for nine years, nine months to 20 years for the 2018 crash. With that type of sentence ... with everything either maxing out or in the aggravated range, there is a concern that the court may not have fully considered Mr. Dixons background and personal characteristics, as well as the surrounding circumstances in this offense, Kalinowski said during a brief virtual hearing. Dixon, 52, of the Bronx, admitted in December he was impaired by cocaine Oct. 14, 2018, when his Big Red Bullet bus carrying 15 passengers crossed the median on Interstate 380 and crashed into trees. The collision killed 33-year-old Rebecca Blanco of Vacaville, California. Barrasse said he is aware of the arguments Kalinowski made throughout the case and reviewed the presentence investigation. Barrasse did not issue a ruling Monday but noted that Kalinowski and Deputy District Attorney Brian Gallagher agree the sentence should be reduced by a few months because the facts underpinning his guilty plea for driving under the influence are identical to those in his plea to homicide by vehicle while DUI and aggravated assault while DUI. The stand-alone DUI count should merge. The remainder of the sentence Barrasse set is fair and appropriate, Gallagher said in court documents. A sentence in the standard range would be a gross miscarriage of justice. The adjusted sentence should be 9 to 20 years. Dixon was held Monday at Lackawanna County Prison. Her father owned, and often worked on, a beautiful motorcycle: a 1955 Vincent Black Shadow. Kushner describes, at age 7, computing that engine oil under the nails, the ability to kick-start a four-stroke or handle a suicide clutch these were not just skills but character. Image The novelist Rachel Kushner, whose new collection of essays is The Hard Crowd. Credit... Gabby Laurent Her own motorcycles come to include an orange 500 cc Moto Guzzi, a Kawasaki Ninja and a Cagiva Elefant 650. Her boyfriends tended to be mechanics. In what might be this books best essay, Girl on a Motorcycle, she describes riding the Kawasaki, when she was 24, in the Cabo 1000, a dangerous and illegal 1,000-mile race down the Baja Peninsula, often on unpaved roads. She describes herself as kinetic and unfettered and alone. At one point she hits 142 miles per hour. She is going nearly as fast when another biker pulls out in front of her and she is forced off the road and wipes out. There are predatory ambulances; there are bad Samaritans. Girl on a Motorcycle was first published in an anthology titled Shes a Bad Motorcycle: Writers on Riding, which appeared in 2002. All the other essays here were written a decade or more after that one. Whats interesting about Girl on a Motorcycle is how fully developed Kushners voice already was. Its a wary voice, cool and wise, with real power and control. Theres some Denis Johnson in it. She describes the love for his work, and for the wrecked characters in it, that she and others felt this way: It was hero worship of totaled souls, by totaled souls. Johnsons characters drove big old cars. About a $60 Chevrolet, a narrator in his collection Jesus Son comments: It was the kind of thing you could bang into a phone pole with and nothing would happen at all. The cars Kushner comes to own are in vastly better shape: a 1963 Chevy Impala and a 1964 Ford Galaxie. New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the operation against naxals in Chhattisgarh, in which 22 security personnel were killed, was "incompetently" executed and "poorly designed". "Our jawans are not cannon fodder to be martyred at will," Gandhi said on Twitter. If there was no intelligence failure then a 1:1 death ratio means it was a poorly designed and incompetently executed operation. Our Jawans are not cannon fodder to be martyred at will. pic.twitter.com/JDgVc03QvD Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 5, 2021 Out of the 22 fatalities in the Saturday naxal attack in the state, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) lost eight men, including seven CoBRA commandos, while one jawan is from the Bastariya battalion, eight from the DRG and five from the Special Task Force. Citing a media report quoting CRPF Director General Kuldeep Singh as saying there was no intelligence failure in the operation and an equal number of ultras were killed, Gandhi said, "If there was no intelligence failure then a 1:1 death ratio means it was a poorly designed and incompetently executed operation." Officials on Sunday had said that a CRPF inspector is still missing. Thirty-one security personnel were also injured in the ambush by naxals. PORTLAND, Ore, April 5, 2021 Beginning April 5, Bradley DeVault will be joining MUL Railcars, Inc. (MULR), a subsidiary of Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc., as Assistant Vice President Sales, primarily focusing on commercial opportunities in South Texas. Mr. DeVault brings over 15 years of experience in the chemical, petrochemical and railroad industries to MULR. For the past two years, he served with LyondellBasell, of Houston, TX, as rail sourcing manager. Prior to this role, Mr. DeVault held positions with ExxonMobil and BNSF Railway in various roles, including fleet management, contract negotiations and terminal operations. MULR CEO, Andy Vestergaard said that "Brad has a unique understanding of the importance of relationships in the railcar leasing business, having been a customer in railcar sourcing roles at two very large shippers. Further, Brad has expert knowledge in new car acquisition, as well as remarketing activities. We all look forward to the contributions Brad will make to the team." Mr. DeVault has an MBA from Baylor University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tulsa. He will be based out of Houston, TX. About Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc. Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc. (Mitsubishi HC Capital) is a prominent global leasing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company focuses on leasing, installment sales, various types of asset business. Mitsubishi HC Capital is publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE:8593) and the Nagoya Stock Exchange (NSE:8593). As one of the industry's leading companies, Mitsubishi HC Capital's business extends beyond conventional leasing and finance, with the company offering a wide variety of services including eco- and energy-related services, real estate, medical and long-term care services, sales finance, overseas market-entry support, used equipment trading business and global asset business. About MULR MULR is based in Portland, Oregon and is a growing, fully-integrated, rail operating lessor servicing railroads, shippers, suppliers, distributors, and utilities throughout the U.S. MULR offers a complete railcar leasing solution set with railcar asset management, regulatory support, specialized services and leasing products that provide customers with the options they need. CONTACT: Christina Chu, [email protected] SOURCE MUL Railcars, Inc. Sinopharm is one of the vaccines being used to inoculate the population. The Ministry of Health is seeking to provide more information on the WHO approved vaccine which is produced by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products The claim: We began seeing the increase in unaccompanied minors going back to last April 2020. This is not something that happened as a result of Joe Biden becoming president. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. PolitiFact rating: Half true. Its accurate to say that the number of children traveling alone to the border has been increasing since last April, but her statement downplays the fact that February saw a record increase in unaccompanied minors encountered by Border Patrol agents. Escobar also said that these increases are not a result of Joe Biden becoming president. Experts say that the pull factor created by Bidens policy change to stop expulsions of the minors is one of several factors driving the uptick in unaccompanied minors. Discussion Escobar joined CNN host Jake Tapper on March 14 to defend President Joe Bidens response to the influx of unaccompanied children at the southern border and shift blame to the Trump administration. The number of unaccompanied children encountered by Border Patrol increased sharply earlier this year, from 5,858 in January to 9,457 in February a 61 percent increase, according to federal data. Its the largest one month percentage increase since U.S. Customs and Border Protection began reporting the data in 2010. Is this a crisis? Tapper asked Escobar. There is no doubt, Jake, that what were seeing today is an enormous challenge, Escobar replied, adding that the uptick is a consequence of the Trump administrations immigration policies that the Biden administration is is working day and night to amend. We saw the increases dating back almost a year. And this was during the Trump administration. Migration patterns are complex and driven by numerous factors beyond changes in U.S. immigration policy, experts say. The first part of Escobars statement is accurate the number of unaccompanied minors encountered at the border has been increasing since April 2020. But this trend generally follows seasonal migration patterns. Migration numbers typically peak in the spring, usually in May, and decrease in the late summer. But in 2020, the steady rise continued through the winter. According to Art Arthur, a former immigration judge and a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a think-tank that advocates for low immigration numbers, migration numbers across the board fell off a cliff in late March 2020. Thats when the Trump administration activated Title 42, a provision of the 1944 Public Health and Safety Act that allows Border Patrol to expel any migrant for health and safety reasons, in this case to limit the spread of COVID-19 into the U.S. Since migration numbers bottomed out in April 2020 because of Title 42, the increases in migrant numbers throughout the remainder of 2020 returned monthly totals closer to average levels, Arthur said. But that steady rise changed in February, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported the 61 percent uptick. About PolitiFact PolitiFact is a fact-checking project to help you sort out fact from fiction in politics. Truth-O-Meter ratings are determined by a panel of three editors. The burden of proof is on the speaker, and PolitiFact rates statements based on the information known at the time the statement is made. See More Collapse Its a bigger spike than weve seen in any February ever, Arthur said. That uptick occurred in the same month the Biden administration suspended Title 42 for unaccompanied children only, leaving it in place for all other categories of apprehended migrants, much to the chagrin of immigrant advocates. The uptick in unaccompanied minors was recorded soon after that change was announced by the White House. I cant identify a single other factor that would point to that, Arthur said. Theres no other variable other than that. While Arthur highlights the White Houses policy change as a pull factor that was a primary driver behind Februarys uptick, other experts underscore the push factors driving migrants out of their origin countries. Migrants and migrant children travel from their origin countries primarily Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador to the southern U.S. border for a multitude of reasons: worsened economic conditions due to COVID-19, cartel violence, corruption, natural disasters, agricultural diseases or droughts and, among others, the vagaries of U.S aid. These issues have factored into peoples migration decisions for decades. One such push factor challenged the Central America region in November, when two category-4 hurricanes struck Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala within a two-week span. More than 200 people were killed, and millions were left in need of aid. The hurricanes exacerbated poverty and worsened access to clean water, giving an extra nudge to people considering northern migration. There are clearly push factors coming out of all those countries, regardless of what our policies are, said Ruth Wasem, a professor of public policy at the University of Texas. And its hard to say that pull factors created by liberalized U.S. immigration policies are stronger than the push factors driving migrants away from their origin countries, she said. To Wasem, its no surprise border authorities are reporting high numbers of unaccompanied minors after four years of austere immigration policies under the Trump administration, which revamped the asylum-seeking processes in many ways that reduced the number of asylum seekers entering the U.S. But the near closure of the U.S.-Mexico border under Trump doesnt mean that migrants stopped packing their bags for the U.S. Trump basically shut down our immigration system and ended the laws on the books, Wasem said. So theres going to be a pent-up number of people that were waiting to come, or that were en route. Theres little doubt that migrants, and young children in particular, are being sent across the border inspired by Bidens new immigration policies. But Wasem says that the hope Biden administration policies have inspired in migrants is hard to measure. Are people coming because the thought of Bidens presidency gives them hope? That might be. But you cant measure that, she said. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 02:55:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi (R) and his Romanian counterpart Bogdan Aurescu attend a press conference in Amman, Jordan, on April 4, 2021. Safadi on Sunday met with Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu and discussed bolstering cooperation in the fields of economy, investment, energy, agriculture, information technology, and defense. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua) AMMAN, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi on Sunday met with Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu and discussed bolstering cooperation in the fields of economy, investment, energy, agriculture, information technology, and defense. The two officials reviewed regional and international developments of common interest, including the Palestinian issue and efforts aimed at launching serious and effective negotiations to resolve the conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. Safadi commended Romania's firm stance towards achieving a just and comprehensive peace through the two-state solution. The two sides also agreed on exerting more efforts to resolve regional crises, including the situation in Syria, and achieve security and stability that paves the way for prosperity for all people. The Romanian foreign minister stressed the significance of Jordan's stability to the security of the region. Enditem Your options to receive a COVID-19 vaccination just increased, now that St. Lukes Hospital will be able to administer more vaccinations Monday as it moves its clinic from the main hospital to the Chesterfield Mall. The clinic will be held at the former H&M store on the upper level. The larger space at Chesterfield Mall offers greater flexibility for St. Lukes to increase its vaccination capacity for the community as more groups become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Missouri and vaccine supply increases. Michael Staenberg, President of The Staenberg Group, is providing the space to St. Lukes for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. We are grateful for the generosity of Michael Staenberg in providing the space at Chesterfield Mall for our vaccine clinic, said Michael Klevens , MD, MBA, St. Lukes network medical director of emergency services. Serving as a vaccinator site is part of our healthcare mission, and we are encouraged by our communitys eagerness to receive the vaccine so that everyone can get back to doing the things they enjoy with those they love. British Prime Minister will unveil a traffic light system to relaunch travel on Monday, offering hope for airlines and European holiday resorts struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic. Johnson has already announced a staggered plan to ease restrictions in the months ahead. He now wants to enable travel to resume without setting back efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Britain. At a 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) news conference, he will outline a system ranking countries as red, amber or green, based on their levels of infection and vaccination, and on the presence of variants. Noel Josephides, chairman of travel group Sunvil, said the industry ideally needed a month to prepare. He hoped any testing requirements could involve cheaper and rapid tests if customers were going to be persuaded to book. "The tour operating and travel agency business cannot go through another summer of earning nothing. No one's earned anything for over a year now," he told Reuters. Britons are among the highest spending tourists in Europe. Josephides said airlines and hotels were waiting to decide whether they would resume operations. British media suggested countries on the green list, requiring only testing before and after travel, could include Portugal, Malta, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Under the plan, travel would not resume until May 17 at the earliest. Countries on the amber list would require self-isolation. Those on the red list would require quarantine. Airlines such as EasyJet, Ryanair and British Airways, plus holiday groups such as TUI, hope to avoid a second lost summer but Covid-19 cases have risen in continental Europe. Johnson is also widely expected to confirm plans to allow all retail, outdoor hospitality and hairdressers to open in England on April 12, with trials of "vaccine passports" taking place to help relaunch mass events. The government is offering everyone in England two rapid tests a week, to break chains of transmission and spot asymptomatic cases. "As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine programme and with our roadmap to cautiously easing restrictions underway, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted," Johnson said in a statement. Britain has given AstraZeneca and Pfizer shots to more than half the adult population, and the reopening of schools in March has so far caused no spike in cases. WILTON Deborah List is glad she didnt wait. Lists son, Luke Schwartz, 16, was diagnosed last summer with a rare kind of thyroid cancer. She had hoped her sons condition meant he would be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine. But Gov. Ned Lamont instead decided the vaccine would be rolled out based largely on age. We were sort of panicked, List said of the governors plan. We thought we would be able to get Luke a vaccine within days, and then it changed. Instead of waiting, List took her son to get vaccinated in Vermont, where the family also has a home. Unlike Connecticut, Vermont began allowing people 16 and older with certain medical conditions to start getting the vaccine last month. On March 16, Schwartz got his first dose of the vaccine and hes slated to get his second dose on Tuesday. It feels good, Schwartz said of his partial vaccination. Its only one step, but its a step in the right direction. As all Connecticut residents 16 and older became eligible last week, Lamont said those with five medical conditions, including cancer, would get enhanced access to the vaccine. But List said she doesnt regret her decision. This doesnt mean Luke would have been able to get an appointment right away, she said. Ive yet to get a call from a doctor saying, We have an opening for Luke (for the vaccine). Throughout his young life, List said her son has suffered from various health issues, including dysautonomia, a disruption of the nervous system that manifests in such symptoms as rapid heart rate, an inability to control body temperature and confusion. Its like having a teenager with dementia, List said. Schwartzs condition requires having a team of doctors to treat his symptoms, his mother said. It was during a visit to one of these doctors that led to Schwartzs diagnosis with Medullary thyroid cancer. According to the American Thyroid Association, Medullary thyroid cancer accounts for 1 to 2 percent of thyroid cancers in the United States. Receiving that diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic was scary for List and the rest of the family. This is a kid we did not want getting COVID, she said. But she had hoped his condition would boost his chances of getting the vaccine early. When that wasnt the case, List said, she knew she had to do something. She got the appointment in Vermont, even though it meant driving for hours. The effort, List said, was worth it to protect her family. Though Schwartz isnt fully vaccinated yet, she already has peace of mind that he has at least partial protection. He went (last) week for blood work and it was the first time I wasnt entirely anxious about the experience, she said. For her son, he wishes Connecticut prioritized at-risk residents like himself from the start. It would have been nice to have people at higher risk first in line because if they get (COVID) its much worse, he said. New Delhi: Earthquakes are a common phenomenon on the Earth's surface. Do you know that Mars too observes disturbance on its crust layer on the outer surface? In a recent development, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Insight Lander has detected two large seismic tremors on the surface of Mars. The intensity of these tremors is measured at 3.3 and 3.1 on the Richter scale. Scientists have given it the name of Markquake. According to the reports, the Insight lander has experienced at least 500 earthquakes on the surface of Mars, but data for two of these have been captured. Scientists say that unlike earthquakes on Earth or the Moon, Marsquake neither travels directly from the source through the planet nor does it scatter. Rather these two categories remain in between. NASA has detected several earthquakes on Mars in March this year through the Inside Lander launched on 5 May 2018. With this, NASA has also received new data to study its geomorphology and seismic activity. The earthquake data found on Mars have also strengthened the concept of scientists which is known as Cerbus fossae. According to this, the shapes formed by volcanic eruptions on the surface of Mars are also active seismic zones. It is being told that the Insight lander has recorded more than 500 earthquake tremors on Mars during its three years of activity. Insight Lander found two earthquakes in March and recorded two earthquake tremors of 3.3 Richter Scale on 7 March and 3.1 Richter Scale on 18 March. It is generally not easy to capture such clear seismic data on Mars. Most of the time on this red planet, winds are moving at a high speed. Due to which many times earthquake data fly away. NASA last got clear information about seismic activity at the North Pole of Mars two years ago. NASA's Insight Lander has been successful in recording clear data on two seismic signals, three years after it may have revealed big about Mars. Dr Taichi Kawamura, a researcher at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, pointed out another distinguishing feature of the large marsquake recorded via the lander. They reported that they resembled earthquakes that travel directly from the source through the surface of the planet. Live TV PRINCETON, N.J., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Goals of Care Coalition of New Jersey (GOCCNJ), New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well (NJAAW), and New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute's (NJHCQI) Conversation of Your Life (COYL) program are hosting a free virtual town hall meeting on April 16th led by experts in advance care planning. The purpose of this event is to provide information and tools for the public to encourage thoughtful conversations about their wishes with family, friends and healthcare providers, and execute written advance directives (healthcare power of attorney and living will) in accordance with NJ state laws. Individuals living with serious illness, their families, and caregivers are encouraged to attend, along with anyone seeking more information about advance care planning. The virtual program takes place on April 16th from 12 pm to 1:15 pm over ZOOM. To register, please visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EG29iM9_SYCjMTylNGdGRA "Advance Care Planning: How to Ensure Your Wishes Are Known and Honored" is being held in conjunction with National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), a 50-state annual initiative sponsored by The Conversation Project that begins on April 16th. More information about NHDD can be found at www.nhdd.org and www.theconversationproject.org. "In New Jersey, people may think about their wishes for treatment prior to a medical emergency but too often do not record those wishes or discuss them with those who matter most to them," says Dapa Wilcox, Community Coordinator for NJHCQI's COYL program. "In a medical emergency, patients can't always speak for themselves and don't always get health care treatment that aligns with their preferences. Documenting and sharing goals of care ahead of time can help address this issue." A 2019 poll by the NJHCQI in partnership with the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick shows that 61% of New Jerseyans have given a great deal or at least some thought to their wishes for medical care towards the end of their life. But only 47% have talked to someone about their wishes, 42% have designated someone to make decisions about their care if they are unable, and just 30% have a written document detailing their wishes. The COYL program aims to address this disconnect by providing NJ residents with advance care planning information and resources that support having these conversations before they are unable to speak for themselves. Carl Archer, Certified Elder Law Attorney and NJAAW Board member adds, "We know the documents surrounding end-of-life care can be confusing and the process of completing them can be overwhelming for some. Our goals are to encourage planning for future care today and to educate the public about the legal documents used to indicate preferences for medical treatment in order to prevent crises and unintended consequences." "Making healthcare decisions is difficult for most families for a variety of reasons including a lack of advance care planning," notes David Barile, MD, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of GOCCNJ. "With the proper documents to instruct care, fewer families and healthcare providers will have to struggle with making these difficult decisions during a medical crisis and we can do a better of job of ensuring that we deliver care that is aligned with the patient's wishes," he says. "We are pleased to partner with NJAAW and NJHCQI to support people through the advance care planning process." About GOCCNJ GOCCNJ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the only network of organizations in NJ working together to make certain that patients with serious illness get the care they need and no less, and the care they want and no more. We believe human interests, values, and dignity must be at the core of medical decision-making. As such, we aspire to create a standard of care for NJ where people explore their wishes for care towards the end of life, express those wishes, and have their wishes honored. Through research, education and advocacy, GOCCNJ's mission is to ensure that policy makers, healthcare providers, patients, and family caregivers have the information, resources, training, and tools they need to promote high-quality, person-centered advance care planning, palliative care, and end-of-life care services. About NJAAW NJ Advocates for Aging Well, formerly NJ Foundation for Aging, has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the aging experience since 1998. It is the only statewide nonprofit focused solely on providing leadership in public policy and education to enable older adults to live with independence and dignity in their communities. NJAAW's social action issues include senior housing and hunger, elder economic security, older workers and transportation. The award-winning Aging Insights, a monthly topical TV program produced by NJAAW, connects caregivers, seniors and their families to community-based services and resources. The show is available on youtube.com/c/njadvocatesforagingwell, NJAAW's website at njaaw.org and on more than 70 public-access TV stations. NJAAW also presents educational forums and an Annual Conference (June 3-4, 2021) offering development opportunities and best practices for professionals entrusted with caring for seniors. About NJHCQI The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute's mission is to improve the safety, quality, and affordability of health care for everyone. The Quality Institute membership comes from all stakeholders in health care. Together with over 100 members, they are working towards a world where all people receive safe, equitable, and affordable health care and live their healthiest lives. About COYL The Quality Institute's Conversation of Your Life (COYL) initiative aims to improve advance care planning from a cultural and community perspective. COYL provides community leaders and local partners with tools to develop engaging community conversations around advance care planning. Generously supported by The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, COYL is currently active in 15 counties and continues to grow statewide. SOURCE Goals of Care Coalition of New Jersey Related Links goalsofcare.org State-run on Monday said it has convened an extra-ordinary general meeting (EGM) of shareholders this month for seeking approval to the allotment of preferential shares to the government for Rs 3,000 crore. The bank on March 31 had informed about getting Rs 3,000 crore capital infusion from the government. "The board of directors of the bank will be considering of equity shares of Rs 3,000 crore to Government of India after obtention of shareholder's approval in the extra ordinary general meeting and other related regulatory approvals. "This proposal will be considered by circulation on or after April 8th, 2021," it said. shares closed at Rs 67.25 apiece on BSE, down 3.72 per cent from the previous close. (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.) As the Marketing & Communications Leader for the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, it is my actual job to share the benefits of Spiritual First Aid with you and the world. This is a role I absolutely love and definitely fan-girled my way into after first connecting with the incredible resources provided by this team during my tenure on staff at a church in the early days of COVID-19 shutdowns. I count it a unique privilege to hold my position because I get to both spend my professional hours helping other leaders understand the basic tenets of the worlds first evidence-based and biblical peer-to-peer intervention while also learning more each day about how I can personally work this out in my everyday life. An opportunity to practice what I preach came up in late March when tornadoes hit my community near Birmingham, Alabama. During the afternoon of March 26, a severe thunderstorm charted a 100-plus mile path through my state and neighboring Georgia, generating roughly 50 tornados. Homes were damaged across the state, including in neighborhoods just south of my suburban home. My family and I planned to camp at a local state park the night of the storm but reconsidered when we watched the forecast. Instead of an evening under the stars we spent our hours huddled in our safe space with our two large dogs. Im grateful we cancelled our reservation - the tornado hit the park while we were at home in our safe space. The morning after the storm dawned bright and beautiful and I knew that although my home was fine inside and out, many of my not-so-distant neighbors were waking to much different realities. I also knew with complete certainty that God equipped me in advance to serve so I grabbed my heavy work gloves, laminated tip sheet, and Book of Common Prayer, hopped in the car, and headed to a neighborhood whose name I heard on the news during the storm. I grew up in Wichita, Kansas and learned from a young age that storm cleanup requires a lot of spontaneous helping hands the morning after, along with willingness to stay engaged in more organized cleanup efforts in the weeks and months following the initial work. I have firsthand experience - my college apartment complex was hit by a tornado eight days before graduation. Without the many people who lent their support in the aftermath of the storm, my experience would have been much more difficult. As the miles passed and I neared the neighborhoods impacted by the Alabama tornadoes, I witnessed the randomness of the storm. A cars bumper twisted in a powerline strung from a pole still upright across the street from an entire row of downed lines and poles. The windows of one building were completely blown out while its neighbors remained completely intact. Personal items in trees. A bike on a roof. Tornadoes unnerve me in many ways, but particularly in how they dont ever seem fair. Unlike a hurricane or blizzard that impact wide swaths of communities, tornadoes often seem to pick and choose their targets. I heard this sentiment expressed throughout the morning I spent helping with cleanup and it opened the door for me to begin serving as a Spiritual First Aid caregiver. As I listened to my neighbors process their experiences, I engaged in conversations about their most pressing Belonging, Livelihood, Emotional, Spiritual, and Safety needs, following the BLESS Method. Heres what happened, step by BLESS Method step: Belonging: in this step we watch interpersonal interactions and assess relational needs. Thankfully, many people in my community felt the same inclination I did to come out and help. Livelihood: this offered the biggest challenge in my case as this normally requires asking resource questions and processing material losses. Fortunately, our local news organizations were quick to publish phone numbers and addresses for community assistance. The one time someone mentioned this need, I simply texted a link to an article. Emotional: providing emotional care opens the door for lament and in addition to helping clear debris and drive supplies, this seemed like the most valuable form of assistance I provided. Letting people be sad about their losses and crying with them moves Saint Pauls words in Romans 12:15 off the Bibles pages and into practice (weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice). Spiritual: as a Christian and Better Samaritan in training, I always set out into any situation with the gospel in mind. I hold a Master of Divinity degree (M.Div.) from Fuller Seminary and a strong urge to turn as many moments as possible into gospel-preaching opportunities! However, the BLESS method helps me realize that this impulse is often about me and my inclination to ride into helping situations with a savior mentality, which is rarely helpful. When people are hurting, they dont need to hear a sermon, they need to see one. As I worked, I kept the Book of Common Prayer on my dashboard and the Holy Spirit opened opportunities for conversations about Jesus and for prayer. Safety: fortunately, the families I worked with directly have local safe places to stay as they prepare to rebuild their homes. While I will never fully understand why God creates space for tornadoes and the devastation they bring, I am eternally grateful to have a framework and set of tools in the form of questions I can use to help provide care whenever and wherever God calls me to serve. If you would like to join me in serving as a Spiritual First Aid caregiver, click here for more information about resources and training opportunities. Christa Cordova works with faith-based organizations and churches as an engagement strategist. Her current work includes leadership of the marketing and communications team at the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College. She holds degrees from Fuller Seminary (Master of Divinity, '18) and the University of Kansas (Journalism, '03). Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dubai-based Jetex, a global leader in executive aviation, is inviting residents and visitors to the worlds most exclusive Iftar experience in the skies above the UAE offered during the Holy Month of Ramadan. The once-in-a-lifetime luxury hospitality experience offers breathtaking aerial views of iconic landmarks and natural vistas in the country against the setting sun, apart from an exquisite culinary treat. The journey commences just before sunset at the Jetex VIP Terminal in Dubai. After being welcomed, the guests are chauffeur-driven to their private jet. The aircraft will then take-off and follow the sunset towards Abu Dhabi giving travelers magnificent views of some of the UAEs most celebrated destinations from the skies. The crew will choose the most optimal altitude and cruising speed to ensure that passengers enjoy sensational window views throughout the flight. A delicious iftar will be served once the sun sets midway through the flight. The menu will include traditional Ramadan delicacies prepared with a special Jetex gourmet flair to make the occasion truly memorable. Up in the sky passengers might have to wait about four minutes longer to break their fast as they may spend more time to enjoy the spectacular sunset. The journey will continue as the aircraft cruises above the rolling dunes of the desert towards Al Ain and onwards to the UAEs mountain range in the East. The spectacular mountain sights will include the countrys highest peak Jebel Jais, located in the Hajjar Mountains, and the Hatta Mountains. Passengers will get a glimpse of the Indian Ocean and Fujairah before the flight continues towards Ras Al Khaimah and follows the azure Arabian Gulf coastline of Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Sharjah. Finally, passengers will enjoy Dubais world-famous evening skyline, including the majestic Burj Khalifa, as well as the Palm Islands and The World prior to landing back at the Jetex VIP Terminal. Upon arrival, they will be invited to enjoy the rest of the evening in one of the lounges of the Jetex VIP Terminal with elegant service and amenities at their leisure. Adel Mardini, Founder & CEO of Jetex, commented: Once again, Jetex is taking private jet experience to a next level. Iftar in the Sky will give the millennia-old tradition a truly new dimension relevant to the XXI century while providing support to the charity programs of Dubai Cares, which is so relevant and important during the Holy Month of Ramadan. This is a contribution that we are proud to make on behalf of Jetex and our passengers. The unforgettable travel experience is priced from AED 66,000 for up to six travelers and will be available between 13 April and 12 May 2021. Suhour packages are available as well. In celebration of the spirit of the Holy Month, Jetex will donate 10% of all proceeds from Iftar in the Sky to Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, to support its programs aimed at empowering underserved children and youth with access to quality education. Since its inception in 2007, Dubai Cares has successfully launched education programs reaching over 20 million beneficiaries in 60 developing countries. The UAE-based global philanthropic organization is also playing a key role in helping achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning by 2030. Commenting on the collaboration, Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Cares and Member of its Board of Directors said: Ramadan represents a time for the community to come together in the spirit of generosity and giving back to those less fortunate. The Iftar in the Sky experience by Jetex, gives UAE residents the opportunity to connect with their loved ones for an unforgettable journey while also contributing towards the greater good by supporting less privileged children and youth. We thank Jetex for this meaningful initiative that will help us elevate the reach of our educational programs worldwide. To ensure the highest levels of safety and comfort of travelers, the aircraft cabin will be thoroughly sanitised using the signature Jetex bipolar ionization technology before and after each flight. Moreover, all the necessary COVID-19 measures and social distancing rules will be in place at all times. For reservations, please contact Jetex Premier Experience at experience@jetex.com or telephone +971 4 212 4000. - END - About Jetex: An award-winning global leader in executive aviation, Jetex is recognized for delivering flexible, best-in-class trip support solutions to customers worldwide. Jetex provides exceptional private terminals (FBOs), aircraft fueling, ground handling and global trip planning. The company caters to both owners and operators of business jets for corporate, commercial and personal air travel. To find out more about Jetex, visit www.jetex.com and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Attachments The false claim that Israel is bound to lose either its Jewish or Democratic identities By Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser In his first interview as Secretary of State, Antony Blinken told Wolf Blitzer on CNN on February 8, 2021, that President Biden strongly supports the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since it is the only way to ensure Israels future as a Jewish and democratic state, and the only way to give the Palestinians a state to which theyre entitled. This mantra is repeatedly articulated by many leaders and opinion-shapers around the world and especially in the United States, Europe, and the Israeli left. If Israel refuses to accept the two-state solution, more or less in the version promoted by the Palestinians and their supporters, it will have to choose between being Jewish and being democratic. This line of argument first appeared in a 1977 essay by the late-U.S. Undersecretary of State George Ball, How to Save Israel in Spite of Itself, in Foreign Affairs. It was prominent in President Carters bestselling book Palestine Peace not Apartheid, and has been adopted by policy-makers and pundits since then as an unrefuted motif. Voting in the Israeli-Arab town of Jaffa This judgment states that if Israel does not accept a Palestinian state and sticks to the status quo, it would inevitably have to either integrate the Palestinian population as part of a one-state solution and thus lose its Jewish majority and Jewish identity or, alternatively, deprive Palestinians of full citizenship and full rights and then lose its democratic nature and transform into an apartheid regime. According to this logic, since the Palestinians decline any two-state solution that is not based on the 1967 lines with minor land swaps and eastern Jerusalem as their capital and a solution to the refugee problem based on their claim of return without Palestinian recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people then Israel must accept these principles to escape the dangerous fate that awaits it. Secretary Blinken and many of those who parrot this message do so out of concern and friendship for Israel and also out of their conviction that, as Blinken emphasized to his Israeli counterpart, Israelis and Palestinians should enjoy equal measures of freedom, security, prosperity, and democracy. They may well be convinced that this is a correct and true forecast or at least a highly plausible assessment and thus feel obliged to save Israel from such a problematic fate. Some are worried that Israel might not understand the danger by itself because, in their opinion, Israel is not attentive enough to the good advice they give and because they fear that Israel is under the influence of messianic extremists at home or powerful political forces in the United States. They feel obliged to urge Israel to adopt these policies to save itself, and some think that if not, pressure on Israel would have to be applied. Some, especially among left-leaning Israeli groups, think that to avoid such a bitter destiny, Israel should act unilaterally and not link the end of the occupation to reaching an agreement with the Palestinians. Even if it has to maintain some military presence in the areas for security reasons, Israel should uproot the Jewish communities in the West Bank as soon as possible to pave the way to ending the occupation entirely. Other proponents of this message are less friendly to Israel and are motivated more by their commitment to the Palestinian cause and out of their belief that such a solution to the conflict is required because it is in line with what they believe to be international law. Others, including some who consider themselves Israels friends, see the Palestinian cause and the UN resolutions supporting it, such as UNSCR 2334 that was promoted by the Obama administration, as just reasons why Israel should heed their advice. Wobbly Legs on which the Save Israel Message Stands Two weak arguments are proffered by those who seek to convince the stubborn and self-destructive Israelis to save Israel. According to the first opinion, this doomsday scenario is inevitable because, in their view, the status quo is unsustainable. They are convinced that there is no way that Israel will be able to control the Palestinians forever, not even for a short period, without facing the need to choose between Israels Jewish character and its democratic identity. The second argument states that, regardless of how long it might take before this choice becomes realistic, the current situation in which Israel rules over the Palestinians is corrupting Israeli soldiers engaged in the practice of occupation and is poisoning the soul of the entire Israeli society, which tolerates the occupation and represses its guilt. Therefore, the proponents of this view feel that it is in Israels best interest to end the occupation with alacrity. This logic is based on several unfounded assumptions. First, it assumes that the relevant areas Israel took under its control in 1967 are Palestinian territories or, as the United Nations and many others look upon them, as OPT an acronym for Occupied Palestinian Territory or territories. This supposition is based on a plethora of annual, legally flawed, politically-generated, non-binding UN resolutions adopted by an automatic majority that arbitrarily determined that the territories are Palestinian. There is no legal or historical basis to back up such an assumption. This postulation is also built on the claim that the population of these areas in June 1967 was Palestinian as if the history of these lands began only then. Another assumption is that because Israel is the stronger party in the conflict, it can afford to take security risks and should be the side that makes the first move. Moreover, they claim that Israeli security concerns could be met from within the vulnerable and exposed 1967 lines, with some minor modifications. A more extreme version of this logic claims that Israel has already crossed the point where it had to decide between its Jewish character and its democratic nature and has, in fact, already become an apartheid state. This approach is adopted by Israels enemies and those who delegitimize it, such as the BDS movement, groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and radical groups in Israel who ostensibly claim to be human rights NGOs, and even by some members of the left-leaning group Commanders for Israels Security. The remedy proposed by these groups is unilateral separation, namely, uprooting most of the Israeli communities from the OPT, even without an agreed settlement of the dispute. Some self-proclaimed pundits believe that is not going to be enough, since Israel had already lost its democratic nature within the 1948 boundaries, and especially in light of the way it treats its Arab citizens. These sophomoric thinkers see the only option as being that Israel would cease to be the nation-state of the Jewish people and become the state of all its citizens. The Reaction of Most Israelis and Their Real Aspirations Most Israelis consider these warnings about the inevitable need to choose between being Jewish or being democratic and the urgent messages to Israel to save itself as misguided, dangerous, patronizing, condescending, and undemocratic, as well as indicative of gross ignorance of the situation in Israel and disregard for the rights of the Jewish people. The messages of the more radical groups are seen by most Israelis as offensive, hostile, anti-Zionist, and even anti-Semitic. Most Israeli voters lean more and more toward parties that reject these exhortations. This does not mean that Israelis prefer the status quo. Most would gladly change it by reaching an agreement with the Palestinians, but an agreement that would guarantee a different outcome than the one demanded by the Palestinians and their supporters. The people of Israel insist on an agreement that includes Palestinian recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, as well as one that really addresses Israels security concerns. Others prefer to change the status quo with Israel becoming the sovereign authority over much of Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley, more or less along the principles enunciated in President Trumps vision for peace and prosperity. Specifically, those areas are necessary for Israels security, including the Israeli communities in these areas. Despite all of the above, virtually no one in Israel envisages a situation where Israel takes complete control and extends its sovereignty over the towns and other densely populated Palestinian areas, namely Areas A and B in Judea and Samaria and Gaza, thus turning the Palestinian population living there into Israeli citizens in a way that threatens the Jewish and democratic nature of Israel. This reduces as absurd and irrelevant the entire demographic calculus often used by those concerned about Israel losing its Jewish majority. It also renders irrational and immaterial the entire debate of how many Palestinians live between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea and how many of them live in the areas taken from Jordan in 1967 (2-3 million?) or Gaza (more than 2 million?). Get the Facts Straight Most of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza already live under Palestinian rule, and no one intends to dismantle the two entities that govern them. These two are the Palestinian Authority that functions as the ruling entity for the Palestinians living in the areas that Israel took from Jordan in a war initiated by Jordan in 1967, and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip that Israel had taken from Egyptian military control in 1967, and which Israel evacuated entirely in 2005 after transferring rule over the Palestinian population to the Palestinian Authority in 1994. In these areas, the PA and Hamas respectively make all the political decisions, carry out elections at their own will, issue their own laws, and care for the needs of the population, with the exception of decisions that may affect Israels security. As a matter of fact, they are preparing to conduct elections for their independently elected governing bodies in the coming months in their territories if they decide to proceed with the election process they have embarked on, which is still uncertain. This renders as wrong and misleading the argument often used by Israels opponents, as well as occasionally by its friendly critics, that Israel employs two different legal systems in Judea and Samaria one for Israeli citizens and one for Palestinians. The law in the area retained by Israel pursuant to the Oslo Accords (specifically area C, in which there are no sizeable Palestinian population centers) is based on already existing Jordanian and British mandatory laws, with additional orders issued by the Israeli military commander, who is considered by both international and Israeli law to be the legal authority controlling the area. Israeli citizens present in the area are subject, on a personal basis, to Israeli law, and Palestinians living there are subject to Palestinian laws issued by the Palestinian Authority, with the exception of regulations that pertain to Israels security, which is under Israeli responsibility, according to the Oslo accords. The number of Palestinians living in area C under direct Israeli control is negligible, and if Israel were to extend its sovereignty over parts of that area, they would likely prefer to adopt the same arrangement that applies to the Arab population of eastern Jerusalem, namely, to become Israeli residents enjoying full rights of social security, freedom of movement inside Israel, and all the other advantages Israel has to offer, while at the same time remaining citizens of the Palestinian entity. Secondly, if a permanent status agreement cannot be reached between Israel and the Palestinians, the existing status quo is far more stable and sustainable than the doomsday prophecy repeated by those who try to warn Israel. In fact, this status quo solves ongoing day-to-day tensions between the two parties. While Palestinians may feel obliged to express their political commitment to change such a status quo, they nevertheless appear to realize that they cannot achieve their desired end-state, or alternatively, they are unwilling to pay the price of forcing a change. Therefore, they consider it to be a tolerable situation. What the Palestinians Want The Palestinian Authority and Hamas aspire to see the present status quo replaced by a Palestinian state over all the pre-1967 territories, with an Israeli readiness to accept a right of the Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to their original homes (even if this right would be implemented only marginally), but they are unprepared to accept Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people since they are committed to the struggle against Zionism until its demise in line with the Phases Plan adopted by the Palestinian National Council in 1974. While they realize that they do not have the military and political power to impose such a solution on Israel, they have no intention of adapting their goal to enable an agreement that may be acceptable to Israel. Furthermore, from a domestic political point of view, they cannot afford to make such a change after propagating this narrative to their population for more than 100 years. Maintaining the status quo, on the other hand, enables them to avoid paying the heavy price that any such move either total confrontation with Israel or changing their narrative may entail, and this provides them with many benefits. It allows them to keep presenting themselves as eternal victims who are entitled to international attention and political and financial support. It gives them the opportunity to keep fighting a never-ending conflict with Israel while absorbing Israels limited military response that reflects Israeli reluctance to change the status quo. Israel, too, prefers the status quo for several reasons. Even if Israel wanted to, it does not have the political power, whether internationally or locally, to force its conditions on the Palestinians or to convince them to change their narrative. Israels leadership and security establishment tend to refrain from risking the stability of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, which enables Israel to avoid the need to govern the Palestinian population in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. To a large extent, such a status quo is what former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin had in mind when he concluded the Oslo agreements in 1993-1995. His vision, as he detailed in his last address to the Knesset in October 1995, included a Palestinian entity that is less than a state, that provides the Palestinians with self-rule, Israeli military control of the Jordan Valley in the widest meaning of the term, Israeli responsibility for its own security throughout the area, an ongoing settlement presence, and Jerusalem as the united capital of Israel. Most Israelis are not troubled by any moral and psychological impact of a prolonged occupation. Most Israelis serve in the IDF and they recognize it as an inevitable part of defending themselves against a permanent and ongoing threat in their own backyard. What troubles Israel is the military buildup of the Palestinian terror organizations in Gaza, the hostile actions taken by the Palestinians in the international legal and diplomatic spheres, and the ongoing incitement to terror and hate by the Palestinians, manifested, among other things, by their Pay to Slay policy of paying handsome salaries to convicted terrorists and their families. However, none of these Palestinian actions constitute a good enough reason for Israel to change the status quo. Instead, Israels actions are usually intended to restore and maintain the status quo and deal with deviations from it. For example, despite the growing threat from Gaza and the repeated indiscriminate launching of rockets against Israeli civilian targets, Israels military efforts focus on strengthening its deterrence to restore the status quo ante and not bring about a fundamental change in Gaza. When Israel had the option of extending its sovereignty to additional territories in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley in mid-2020, Israel ultimately chose to maintain the status quo and preferred to establish normal relations with several Arab states instead, because even the supportive Trump administration was hesitant to allow a unilateral extension of Israeli sovereignty. Clearly, Israel prefers to refrain from prejudicing the existing status quo and replacing it with a worse situation for its security and interests, as suggested by those who claim to be concerned over Israels future. The Importance of the Abraham Accords The stability of the status quo was strengthened considerably by the Abraham Accords. The thesis that normalization of relations with the Arab world cannot happen until Israel makes progress towards an agreement based on the PA version of the two-state solution was proven wrong. That thesis, previously considered an essential condition that would require Israel to change its policy and opt for an agreement based on the Palestinian and Western/international demands, essentially evaporated. Once the pragmatic Arab states accepted the status quo, they realized that linking normalization that serves their vital interests to a solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would not materialize made no sense and harmed their interests. They realized that any chance that Israel would accept a change in the status quo that harmed its interests was virtually nonexistent. Those who are committed to changing the status quo at almost any price are mainly those who want Israel to be erased from the map, such as Iran and some radical Sunni players. The American position for a long time was that a solution is necessary and possible, and consecutive administrations tried their best to bring the parties to agree on a two-state solution. It appears that the Biden administration realizes that though reaching an agreement would be an outstanding achievement, it is beyond reach, and hence it focuses its efforts on improving the status quo with a view of keeping the two-states option viable. In this context, the U.S. declares that it opposes any unilateral step taken by the parties that may harm the possibility of reaching a two-state solution in the future and plans to focus on improving the standard of living of the Palestinians. However, it is not clear how they are going to do that as long as the Palestinians keep promoting their struggle against Israel in international forums and support terror and, in so doing, materially breach the Oslo agreements. Another problem with the false threat that Israel may lose its Jewish or democratic identity if the status quo is not changed to meet Palestinian demands is that those who make this threat believe that it is Israels responsibility to change the situation. Quite often, as mentioned above, the proponents of this idea claim that since Israel is the stronger party to the conflict, it should make the bigger and first move, and it can afford to take risks. This approach is misleading and ignores the reality that the main obstacle to reaching a settlement to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is the Palestinian narrative. According to this narrative, the struggle against Zionism until its demise is the core identity of the Palestinian people. The Dangers to Israel of Withdrawal from the West Bank Accepting the premise that Israel should withdraw from Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley is dangerous for many reasons. Firstly, it would make defending the areas remaining under Israeli sovereignty considerably more difficult for obvious topographic and demographic reasons. Moreover, the new situation would be virtually irreversible, despite Israels conventional military advantage. Any claim to the contrary is unrealistic wishful thinking. The case of Gaza is very telling in this respect, as is the case of South Lebanon and other examples worldwide (from Vietnam to Sinai). Fighting hybrid terror organizations which are heavily armed is not an easy task for any modern army. With Israels current presence and freedom of action in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, its security forces manage to minimize the level of Palestinian terror. But as long as the Palestinian narrative of struggling against Zionism is unchanged, the threats that may emanate from these territories to Israel remain considerable. Secondly, it would be counterproductive to securing a stable solution to the dispute in the future. Such a settlement could not be reached without a substantial change in the Palestinian narrative that would reflect an abandoning of their Phases Plan of 1974. The effort to convince the Palestinians to change their narrative is echoed in Secretary of State Blinkens references to his expectation that the Palestinians end the incitement and the payment of salaries to terrorists, but it is not central to the Biden administration approach to the conflict, Pay to Slay, and the ICC. Lastly, the entire concept of the necessity to transfer Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem to Palestinian control to protect Israel from losing its Jewish or democratic identity ignores not only Israels justified security needs but also the historical and legal rights and aspirations that stand at the core of Zionism. For the Jewish national movement, the return of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland is based on its historic sovereign presence in its land that extended over all of the areas that were under the British mandate of Palestine. The language of the July 24, 1922, mandate given to Britain was unequivocal, and it still constitutes an internationally legally binding document. It states that recognition has thereby been given to the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and to the grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country and that The Mandatory shall be responsible for seeing that no Palestine territory shall be ceded or leased to, or in any way placed under the control of the Government of any foreign Power. Israel does not deny that the Palestinian people have rights, and it is ready to share the land with them, but it does not regard the lands in question as Occupied Palestinian Territory. For Israel, and according to the Oslo Accords, these are disputed lands, subject to bona fide negotiation of their permanent status, and Israel, as the nation-state of the Jewish people, has absolutely no obligation to surrender its rights to these lands voluntarily or its right to live within recognized and secure borders, as recorded in UN Security Council Resolution 242. Conclusion There is no reason to worry about Israel losing its Jewish or democratic identities, nor does Israel need to adopt rash and dangerous decisions to avoid such a fake threat. Those who try to employ such arguments to press Israel to adopt a solution to the conflict that ignores its security needs and its fundamental and inherent legal, historical, and security rights are either wrong or frustrated with the lack of better arguments. Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser is Director of the Project on Regional Middle East Developments at the Jerusalem Center. He was formerly Director General of the Israel Ministry of Strategic Affairs and head of the Research Division of IDF Military Intelligence. Home You are here: World Flash At least 44 people were killed and the number of victims may rise after flash floods and landslides hit East Nusa Tenggara province in central Indonesia on Sunday, Spokesman of the National Disaster Management Agency Raditya Jati told Xinhua. The spokesman said that nine people were injured when the natural disaster hit Flores Timur district and Bima district. The disaster buried dozens of houses, swept away several others houses and destroyed five bridges. Earlier the agency reported that the disaster killed at least 23 people. Most of the victims were found in Flores Timur district, according to Jati. Unfavorable weather conditions have hampered access to the impacted areas, he said. All the wounded persons have been treated at nearby health clinics, he said. Risk assessments of the impact of the natural disaster have been undertaken, according to Jati. The meteorology and geophysics agency has forecast that heavy downpours, strong winds and huge waves may occur within a week, he said. April Is Child Abuse Prevention Month By West Kentucky Star Staff MURRAY - National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of communities to work together to help children and families thrive. Its a time to work together to implement effective strategies that support families and prevent child abuse and neglect. Throughout the month of April we are challenging community members to help our program serve even more children in Marshall and Calloway Counties. We are collecting donations for our Fill the Calendar campaign. As well as providing local businesses with Pinwheels for Prevention displays to raise awareness of Child Abuse Prevention Month.Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, families have been under more financial and emotional stress, which historically, can fuel a rise in cases of child abuse and neglect. At the same time, children are not in the public eye at schools or daycare, the doctors office or other locations where caring individuals may be able to spot signs of abuse and neglect. Throughout the pandemic, our CASA by the Lakes volunteers have remained committed to providing best-interest advocacy for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. They have adapted to a new normal of Zoom and Facetime calls, socially distant visits and virtual court hearings.The number of children in Marshall and Calloway Counties coming into care continues to grow and we aim to meet that need, said Angelia Boyd, Executive Director. Every child deserves the support of caring, consistent, trained adults to help them find a safe, loving home, where they can heal and thrive.Currently, there are over 9,100 children in foster care throughout the state of Kentucky who have experienced abuse or neglect, ushering them into the dependency court and foster care systems. A child in foster care may have faced physical, psychological and/or emotional trauma only to endure long periods of uncertainty in the system as they wait to go home, be adopted or simply wait to see what happens next. On average, a child in foster care will move into multiple homes and attend multiple schools. All this chaos and inconsistency has long-term effects. But having a caring, consistent adult-someone who listens, checks in and puts the childs best interests before all others-can make all the difference.Our CASA volunteers are trained, quality community volunteers who advocate on behalf of dependent, abused and neglected children in Marshall and Calloway Counties. Once assigned to a case by the Judge, our volunteers get to know the children on a personal level, advocate for their safe and timely placement, as well as provide a voice for these children in the courtroom.CASA by the Lakes is a member of the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (National CASA), a nationwide network of programs in nearly 1,000 communities. In recent years, our local program has seen a growth rate in total cases of 38.7%, 37.5% increase in children served and a 25.7% increase in new volunteers. But we still need your help! As cases continue to increase, so does our need for volunteers.If you are interested in making a donation or becoming a volunteer at CASA by the Lakes, visit our website at www.casabythelakes.org or call 270-761-0164. Below is a recap of all the witnesses who testified at Derek Chauvin's trial through April 16, in order of appearance. PROSECUTION 911 dispatcher Jenna Scurry The prosecution's first witness on March 29 was Jenna Scurry, a 911 dispatcher who watched live video of police kneeling on Floyd and testified that she called the officers' supervisor with concerns about their use of force. It was Scurry who sent officers to the Cup Foods at 38th and Chicago Avenue on May 25, 2020, after receiving a call about a man using a counterfeit bill. Scurry told how she had seen surveillance footage of the incident from one of the city's pole mounted cameras and been struck by a 'gut instinct' that 'something wasn't right'. The video, which had not previously been released publicly, showed Chauvin and fellow officers Lane and Kueng perched atop Floyd next to a squad car while officer Thao looked on. Scurry noted that she wasn't watching the stream the entire time because she was fielding other calls. But she said that as she glanced away and back again, she was struck that the officers hadn't moved and asked a colleague if the screen had frozen. 'I first asked if the screens had frozen because it hadn't changed. I thought something might be wrong,' she said. She said that she hadn't wanted to be a 'snitch' but she recognized what appeared to be use of force and stated: 'I took that instinct and I called the sergeant.' Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank played audio from the call, in which Scurry said: 'I don't know if they had to use force or not. They got something out of the back of the squad and all of them sat on this man. So I don't know if they needed to or not but they haven't said anything to me yet.' 'You can call me a snitch if you want to,' she added. She said she made the call to 'voice my concerns' and noted that she had never made one like it to a police sergeant before. Cross examining Scurry, Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson was at pains to underscore gaps in what she saw and the facts that she had no police training, little knowledge of what the calls to which she sent officers actually looked like and pointed out that her attention was not trained on the screen at all times. Bystander Alisha Oyler Alisha Oyler, a cashier at the Speedway gas station opposite Cup Foods who recorded video of Floyd's arrest was the state's second witness. 'Trying not to cuss' and frequently failing to recall events Oyler explained that she had first noticed police 'messing with someone' outside the Dragon Wok restaurant opposite Cup Foods. She said she had watched officers handcuff Floyd and take him across to the now infamous site of squad car 320 in front of the store's entrance and continued to record events on her cell phone as she stepped out to have a cigarette. She said she had done so because the police were 'always messing with people and it's not right'. MMA fighter and bystander Donald Williams Donald Winn Williams II, a mixed martial arts fighter and the prosecution's third witness who had yelled at Chauvin to check for a pulse and accused him of placing Floyd in what he called a 'kill choke', testified first on March 29 before continuing on March 30. Williams became emotional as he spoke about how he called 911 after Floyd was placed in an ambulance because: 'I believed I had just witnessed a murder. I felt the need to call the police on the police.' He began to cry as jurors were played audio of the call, in which he named officer 987 and said: 'He just pretty much killed this guy. He wasn't resisting arrest. He had his knee on his neck. He wasn't resisting arrest or nothing, he was handcuffed.' Williams said he witnessed Chauvin 'shimmying', or adjusting his position on Floyd's neck, in a recognized martial art maneuver designed to double-down on and tighten a choke hold. He told how he watched Chauvin squeeze the life out of Floyd, who he said was in 'tremendous pain' and 'faded away like a fish in a bag'. He said that when he called Chauvin out for using a blood choke the officer looked him straight in the eye and did not stop. Williams also told how Officer Tou Thao put his hands on his chest and pushed him back to the curb when he tried to intervene. At the end of his 911 call Williams was heard shouting at Thao: 'Y'all murderers man, y'all murderers.' On cross-examination, Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson attempted to undercut William's presentation of himself as a controlled and professional observer of events who remained schooled by his training and experience in sports and security. Nelson appeared to be trying to provoke Williams into a display of anger as he repeatedly tried to discredit his claims to having remained calm. 'You started calling [Chauvin] names didn't you?' Nelson asked. 'You called him, 'a tough guy.' You called him 'such a man,' 'bogus.' You called him a 'bum' 13 times. You called him a 'bitch.'' But while Williams agreed to all of these assertions he would not be persuaded to agree to Nelson's characterization of him as 'angry' or threatening. Asked if he had told Officer Tou Thao that he hoped he would shoot himself he said: 'No..I said you will shoot yourself in two years because of what you did.' Bystander Darnella Frazier, 18 Darnella Frazier, who was 17 years old when she recorded the most famous viral video of Floyd's arrest last spring, took the stand on March 30 and told how she felt helpless as she watched him lose consciousness. 'There's been nights I've stayed up apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more and not physically interacting, not saving his life,' Darnella, now 18, said. 'But it's not what I should have done - it's what [Chauvin] should have done.' Darnella - who was not shown on camera in court because of her age - asserted that Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd's neck even harder as the growing crowd begged him to stop - and that he didn't remove his knee even when paramedics were searching for a pulse. 'I heard George Floyd saying: "I can't breathe, please get off of me." He cried for his mom and he was in pain,' Darnella said. 'It seemed like he knew it was over for him. He was terrified, he was suffering. This was a cry for help.' When an ambulance arrived, Darnella said paramedics had to tell Chauvin to remove his knee from Floyd's neck. Darnella said that she felt 'threatened' by both Chauvin and Thao who she said 'were quick to put their hands on their mace' when a woman who identified herself as a firefighter asked Chauvin to check for a pulse and she and Darnella made to move towards Floyd where he lay. Asked if, at any point, Chauvin had 'got up or let up' she said: 'If anything he actually was kneeling harder. It looked like he was shoving his knee in his neck.' At the close of her testimony Darnella broke down as she told jurors how witnessing and filming Floyd's death affected her life. 'When I look at George Floyd I look at my dad, I look my brothers, I look at my cousins, my uncles because they are all black,' she said. 'I have a black father, black brother, black friends and I look at that and I think how that could have been them.' Bystander Judeah, nine Nine-year-old witness Judeah, took the witness stand on March 29 and described how she and her cousin Darnella, who testified earlier, had gone to Cup Foods for snacks on May 25 when they found Floyd pinned to the ground by Chauvin and two other police officers. The girl, who was not shown on camera due to her age, gave gut-wrenching testimony about how Chauvin refused to remove his knee from Floyd's neck even after paramedics arrived and 'asked him nicely to get off of him'. 'He [Chauvin] still stayed on him [Floyd],' Judeah said. She said the medics eventually 'just had to put him off, get him off of him.' 'I was sad and kind of mad. If felt like he was stopping his breathing and kind of hurting him,' Judeah said of Floyd. Judeah is pictured second from the right in a green shirt in video from Floyd's fatal confrontation with police that was shown in court Bystander Alyssa, 18 The prosecution's fourth witness on March 30 was an 18-year-old named Alyssa, who told how she had walked towards the incident and started recording on her friend's cell phone because she felt 'something was wrong'. Alyssa broke down in tears as she described what of Floyd, saying: 'It's difficult [to talk about] because I felt like there wasn't anything I could doand I felt like I was failing him, failing to do anything.' Alyssa said that Chauvin did not move his knee even on the arrival of paramedics and in fact she saw him put more weight on Floyd's neck as the minutes ticked by. 'He [Chauvin] didn't really take his eyes off him [Floyd] for the most part. At one point I saw him put more and more weight onto him. I saw his back foot lift off the ground and his hands go in his pocket.' 'I saw him move his knee down more, make little movements,' she added. The prosecution played the video recorded by Alyssa, in which she could be heard shouting: 'He's not moving. Check his pulse. Tell me his pulse right now. It's been over a minute [since he moved].' She told the jury: 'I knew that time was running out. He was going to die.' Finally she said, there came a point when 'I kind of knew that he was dead and not breathing, no longer fighting, no longer resisting.' Bystander Kaylynn, 17 Alyssa's friend, 17-year-old Kaylynn, was the last minor to testify on March 30. She said that it was the police officers who were 'hostile' not the crowd recalling how Chauvin was 'digging his knee into George Floyd's neck' and 'grabbed his mace and started shaking it at us' when onlookers shouted at him to check for a pulse. 'I was scared because I didn't know what was going to happen,' she said. Asked directly what she was scared of, she replied: 'I was scared of Chauvin.' Off-duty firefighter Genevieve Hansen Off-duty Minneapolis firefighter and paramedic Genevieve Hansen, 27, caused a stir in the courtroom on March 30 when she was admonished by Judge Cahill for repeatedly interrupting and talking back to Chauvin's attorney Nelson during cross examination. Hansen had wiped away tears as she recalled how she had identified herself as a first responder and begged to help Floyd when she believed he was dying outside the Cup Foods store on May 25, 2020. But soon after her demeanor changed as she was questioned by Nelson, who asked if she would describe bystanders at the scene of Floyd's arrest as upset or angry. Hansen replied: 'I don't know if you've seen anybody be killed, but it's upsetting.' At this point Judge Cahill stepped in and cautioned Hansen for being argumentative, telling her to 'just answer his questions'. Minutes later Cahill sent the jury out for the day before turning to an increasingly combative Hansen and telling her in no uncertain terms: 'You will not argue with the court, you will not argue with counsel.' Under direct examination, Hansen explained how her desperate pleas to be allowed to provide Floyd with life-saving medical assistance were ignored by the officers who pinned him down and blocked by officer Thao. 'I tried calm and reasoning, I pleaded and was desperate. I was desperate to help,' Hansen said. Her calls fell on deaf ears as Chauvin remained unmoved and Officer Thao told her to remain on the curb, at one point saying: 'If you really are a Minneapolis firefighter you would know better than to get involved.' In court Hansen said: 'That's exactly what I should have done. There was no medical assistance on the scene and I could have given [it].' 'The officers were leaning over his body with what appeared to be the majority of their weight on him,' she said. 'He wasn't moving, he was cuffed and three grown men putting all their weight on somebody that's too much. 'Chauvin seemed very comfortable with the majority of his weight balanced on top of Mr Floyd's neck. In my memory he had his hand in his pocket. He wasn't distributing the weight on the car, on the pavement.' Hansen said that she had assessed that Floyd had a 'altered level of consciousness,' that concerned her greatly. She said that his face was 'smooshed' into the pavement and said: 'I was really concerned. I thought his face looked puffy and swollen which would happen if you were putting a grown man's weight [on him]. 'I noticed some fluid coming from what looked like George Floyd's body and a lot of time we see a patient release their bladder when they die - that's where my mind went. He was restrained but he wasn't moving.' Hansen said she recognized that Floyd was unconscious because he was not responding to the 'painful stimulae' of Chauvin's knee on his neck. 'What I needed to know was whether or not he had a pulse anymore,' she said. But she said she was not permitted access to the scene and the officers ignored her offers to talk them through CPR. She said she felt 'helpless.' 'There's a man being killed,' she said, 'and had I had access I would have [helped]. This human was denied that right.' Before she took the stand jury saw video she had recorded on the scene and heard audio of the 911 call she placed immediately after. Her voice trembling with shock and emotion she could be heard telling the operator: 'I literally just watched police officers not take a pulse and not to do anything to save a man and I am a first responder myself and I literally have it on video.' In an uncomfortable cross-examination, Hansen refused to be drawn into an admission that she would be distracted from her job if a threatening crowd were gathered telling her she was 'doing it wrong'. Time after time Nelson attempted to get an admission out of her until she said: 'I think a burning structure where there are buildings and homes and people living on either side is much more concerning than 20 people. 'I'll repeat myself, I know my job, I'm confident in doing my job and there's nothing anybody can do to disturb me.' When he asked if she had grown angry, she said she had been 'desperate' before admitting: 'I got quite angry after Mr Floyd was loaded into the ambulance and there was no point in trying to reason with them anymore because they had just killed somebody.' Cup Foods employee Christopher Martin Cup Foods clerk Christopher Martin testified on March 31 about how his coworker called the cops on Floyd because he believed he used a counterfeit $20 bill on May 25. Looking back, Martin said he wished he'd never raised alarm about the bill because he believes Floyd might still be alive if he hadn't, telling the court: 'This could have been avoided.' Martin told the court that he became suspicious of the bill because it had an unusual 'blue pigment so I assumed it was fake'. 'The policy was if you took a counterfeit bill you had to pay for it out of your pay-check,' Martin explained. 'I took it anyways and was planning to just put it on my tab - until I second guessed myself and eventually told my manager.' The manager then instructed Martin to go outside and bring Floyd back, he said. When Floyd refused, a co-worker called police. One of the responding officers was Chauvin. Martin said that the two things he noticed about Floyd were his 'size' and he appeared to be 'high'. However he said that he did not find Floyd's demeanor to be threatening, saying: 'He seemed very friendly, approachable, talkative, he seemed just to be having an average Memorial Day living his life. But he did seem high.' Martin said he went back to manning the cash register when police arrived but soon after noticed a commotion at the front of Cup Foods and went outside, where he saw Floyd pinned to the ground. 'I saw people yelling and screaming I saw Derek [Chauvin] with his knee on George's neck on the ground,' he said. 'George was motionless, limp and Chauvin seemed veryhe was in a resting state, meaning like he just rested his knee on his neck.' Martin, who lived above the store, said: 'I pulled my phone out first and called my mom and told her not to come downstairs. Then I started recording. 'Later on that night I deleted it because when they picked George up off the ground the ambulance went straight down 38th and the quickest way to get to the hospital is straight down Chicago Avenue.' Martin said he assumed from this that Floyd was already dead and deleted his recording as he didn't want to have to show it to anybody or answer questions about it in the aftermath. Asked how he had felt as he absorbed what he had just witnessed, Martin said 'disbelief and guilt'. Martin, who had earlier told jurors that he had almost not reported the fake bill and only done so after second-guessing himself, said: 'If I would have just not taken the bill this could have been avoided.' Asked if he still worked at Cup Foods, Martin's voice cracked as he said: 'No. I didn't feel safe.' Bystander Christopher Belfrey, 45 Christopher Belfrey testified on March 31 about video he recorded when he drove past Cup Foods and say officers Lane and Kueng approaching Floyd in his car. Belfrey, 45, said he started recording when parked directly behind Floyd's SUV because he was 'startled' to see Lane draw his handgun. He explained that he pulled to the other side of the street, not wanting to 'get in the middle' of whatever was occurring and continued recording. The court watched the footage in which Floyd can be seen, apparently cuffed and compliant, seated against a wall having been removed from his vehicle. According to Belfrey, Lane and Kueng then walked Floyd across to their squad car and put him in it. Belfrey said that he had simply gone home at that point because 'I thought he was detained. I thought it was over.' Bystander Charles McMillian, 61 Charles McMillian, who was the first person to confront police about their treatment of Floyd on the day of his fatal arrest, broke down in tears as the prosecution played footage of cops wrestling with the handcuffed black man. McMillian, 61, said he was driving by the Cup Foods convenience store when he noticed officers struggling with Floyd and pulled over simply because he was 'being nosy'. In footage from Lane's body camera McMillian was heard calling out as cops grappled with Floyd in their squad car. McMillian said he 'tried to make the situation easy,' by telling Floyd: 'You can't win.' Floyd could be heard telling McMillian: 'I'm not trying to win. Don't do me like that, I'm claustrophobic.' As he described how Floyd began to cry out for his mother minutes later while pinned to the ground by the officers, McMillian wept as he revealed that he understood how Floyd felt after losing his own mom. 'I couldn't help but feel helpless. I don't have a mama either, but I understand him. My mom died June 25th,' the witness said through tears. He revealed that he had experience of being handcuffed himself and as Floyd became more agitated, having been apparently calm as he was walked towards officers Lane and Kueng's squad car, McMillian said he tried to help. The court played footage of the events as McMillian described them. One clip of McMillian on the sidewalk was spliced with body camera footage of Floyd in the squad car. 'I'm watching, you know, Mr Floyd,' McMillian said. 'He collapsed onto the back seat and I'm trying to get him to understand when you make a mistake, once they get you in cuffs you got to wait there. Once they get you in cuffs you can't win.' McMillian then described how he continued to try to help Floyd after officers Lane, Kueng and Chauvin had pinned him to the ground. '[Floyd] kept saying: 'I can't breathe. Mama they're killing me, they're killing me.' He started saying: 'My body's shutting down.'' As more of the video was played McMillian's voice could be heard urging Floyd: 'Get up and get into the car. Get up and get into the car man.' Floyd responded: 'I can't.' Later McMillian could be heard telling Chauvin: 'Your knee on his neck, that's wrong man.' Of his own part in the scene, McMillian said: 'I was trying to help him. He appeared to be in and out [of consciousness], with foam around his mouth. I said: 'Man he said he can't breathe,' and they said: 'Well if he keeps talking he can breathe.'' The jury was shown body-cam footage in which McMillian told Chauvin: 'I don't respect what you did.' The officer replied: 'Well that's one person's opinion. We got to control this guy because he's a sizeable guy and looks like he's probably on something.' Minneapolis Police Lt Jeff Rugel Lt Jeff Rugel, who runs the Minneapolis Police Department's Business Technology Unit, testified on March 31 to authenticate officers' body camera footage and other video evidence from the scene. Brief footage from Chauvin's camera was played, revealing his perspective as he approached Floyd for the first time. Chauvin was seen with his hands around Floyd's neck as he and Officer Thomas Lane struggled with to get him into a squad car. After a chaotic, blurred portion of footage, Chauvin's camera fell to the tarmac and there was no more footage from his perspective. In footage recorded by Lane's body camera, Chauvin's camera could be seen lying beneath the squad car. It's unclear exactly how the camera came to be on the ground during the confrontation. Rugel told the jury how that Minneapolis police policy demands that officers wear their cameras at all times and to activate them during any activity or public interaction. Asked if Chauvin wore a body camera and if that was 'the box on the floor [beneath squad car 320]', Rugel said: 'Yes.' George Floyd's girlfriend Courteney Ross Courteney Ross broke down in tears within minutes of taking the stand on Thursday as she described how she and Floyd first met in 2017 at the Salvation Army's Harbor Light Center, a shelter where he was working as a security guard and she was visiting her son's father. The married mother-of-two said she was touched when Floyd asked to pray with her because she was going through a hard time in her own life - and they kissed in the lobby that same day. Ross - who wore a gold necklace with her late boyfriend's name - began crying even harder when Frank pulled up a photo of Floyd. Then she laughed as she called the photo a 'dad selfie', before telling how hard it was for Floyd to be so far away from his two daughters, who lived in Texas. She described the man who had called out for his mother in his dying moments as 'a mama's boy' who was 'devastated' and 'broken' by her death in May 2018. 'He seemed like a shell of himself like he was broken, he seemed so sad,' she said. 'He didn't have the same kind of bounce that he had.' Ross was then asked to tackle head on the issue of drug abuse with which, she admitted, both she and Floyd struggled. She said that they were both addicted to opioids having been prescribed them for chronic pain - including oxycodone, which he took in pill form, obtaining it through other people's prescriptions to make sure the pills were safe. 'Both Floyd and I, our story it's a classic story of how many people get addicted to opioids. We both suffered from chronic pain. Mine was in my neck and his was in his back. 'We both have prescriptions. But after prescriptions that were filled, and we got addicted, and tried really hard to break that addiction many times.' Though he tried to get clean, she said it was something that he struggled with 'every day'. In March 2020, she said, she noticed 'behavioral changes' that made her suspect that Floyd was using again, or more, and that she too fell into heavier use at that time. On cross examination by Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson, Ross revealed that that she and Floyd both purchased opioids from Morries Lester Hall, a friend who was in the passenger seat of Floyd's car on the day he died. Jurors heard that Hall sold controlled substances to both her and Floyd and that she 'did not like Morries at all'. Ross told the court how, in March 2020, just two months before Floyd's death, he purchased pills that she did not recognize as the opioids to which both she and Floyd were addicted. She said the pills, which she believes landed Floyd in the hospital due to an accidental overdose, appeared 'thick' and were not uniform, and that when she took them they did not have the same effect as opioids. 'The pill seemed like it was a really strong stimulant. I couldn't sleep all night. I felt very jittery,' Hall said. Ross also revealed that Floyd had been hospitalized twice in March on one occasion due to a drug overdose that saw him hospitalized for five days. Paramedics Seth Bravinder and Derek Smith Paramedics Seth Bravinder and Derek Smith testified on Thursday as the jury was shown shocking new images of EMTs loading Floyd into an ambulance and attempting to resuscitate him. Bravinder and Smith were asked by the prosecution to explain what was happening in graphic video and stills of Floyd being placed on a stretcher and treated in the ambulance. Some of the images came from video recorded by witnesses on the scene, while others came from the body camera of officer Thomas Lane, who rode with Floyd to the hospital. Asked to describe Floyd's condition, Smith said: 'In lay terms, I thought he was dead,' as the prosecution showed a screengrab of him checking for Floyd's pulse. Video showed Smith gesturing to Chauvin to remove his knee from Floyd's neck so they could put his limp body on a stretcher. In images shown during Smith's testimony, Floyd was seen slumped, and with his mouth bloodied as Smith said he did not have an obvious physical injury that would explain his dire condition. Smith told the court that Floyd's pupils were 'large and dilated'. Bravinder was asked during his testimony what a medic would expect to see in the eyes of a patient who had suffered an opioid overdose. 'We look to see if their pupils are really small, constricted, pinpoint,' he said. But when Nelson countered, asking what methamphetamine one of the substances found in Floyd's blood - does to the pupils, Bravinder said: 'It dilates them.' Smith told the court that he detected a flicker of electrical activity in Floyd's heart as they sped to the Hennepin County Medical Center and administered a shock in hopes of restarting a pulse. But, he said, Floyd remained 'in his dead state'. Both Bravinder and Smith testified that they wanted to get Floyd into the ambulance quickly because he was in cardiac arrest. Bravinder added: 'On top of that there was also a crowd of people who were yelling and in my mind we had to get away from that because running a cardiac arrest takes lot of mental power, can be taxing and we want to do that in the optimum environment to be in a controlled space.' Bravinder said he stopped the ambulance en route to the hospital and went into the back to assist his partner when Floyd's cardiac monitor was showing 'asystole' - the medical term for 'flat-lined'. 'It's not a good sign,' Bravinder said. 'Basically just because your heart isn't doing anything at that moment. There's not it's not pumping blood. So it's not it's not a good sign for a good outcome.' Asked if it was important to start resuscitation efforts as soon as a pulse was lost, Bravinder said: 'Yes, as soon as possible.' 'The longer a patient goes without receiving resuscitation the less likely it is that resuscitation will be successful.' Cross-examined by Nelson, Bravinder confirmed he had personally been called out to emergencies involving drug overdoses and that police were called to such cases as a matter of course. Nelson asked: 'Is that because sometimes when people are treated for an overdose and they come round they become aggressive and violent?' Bravinder responded: 'Yes.' Minneapolis Fire Department Captain Jeremy Norton Minneapolis Fire Department Captain Jeremy Norton testified on April 1 about the initial confusion that saw their fire rig arrive at Cup Foods to assist paramedics only to find that the ambulance had pulled off the scene and was treating Floyd a few blocks away. He explained that they had received very little information beyond receiving a call out to Cup Foods which was elevated from code 2 (non-emergent), to code 3, (lights and sirens en route). According to Norton the only information he had was that the patient had sustained 'a mouth injury'. On arrival at the store Norton found 'people upset' and searched for a patient. Norton said: 'I was looking for a patient. The call was confusing because I didn't have a lot of information so was essentially looking on the floor for someone.' The fire rig ultimately joined the ambulance crew at 36th and Park Avenue, two blocks away. By the time he saw Floyd he was, he said: 'Face up on the stretcher. He had an advance airway in an he had the Lucas compression device in place and working.' Norton cleared Lane out of the ambulance and took over attempts to resuscitate Floyd who was, he said, 'to all intents and purposes dead'. Minneapolis Police Department Sergeant David Pleoger David Pleoger, who recently retired as a sergeant with the Minneapolis Police Department and was Chauvin's supervisor, testified on April 1. The jury heard new audio of Chauvin speaking with Pleoger moments after Floyd's death, saying: 'I was just going to call you come out to our scene we had to hold a guy down he was going crazy, wouldn't go in the back of the squad.' Pleoger said that Chauvin did not tell him that he had applied his knee to Floyd's neck or that he had held him down for any length of time. 'I believe he told me he'd become combative he mentioned he'd injured either his nose of his mouth and eventually having struggled with him,' Pleoger recalled. 'He said he'd suffered a medical emergency and an ambulance was called.' As supervising shift sergeant, Pleoger was tasked with investigating any use of force incidents that occurred during his shift 3pm to 1am. Describing the call he'd received from 911 dispatcher Jenna Scurry, Pleoger said: 'She called to say she didn't want to be a snitch but she had seen something while viewing a camera that she thought was concerning.' Pleoger had not received a call from Chauvin at that time and initially told Scurry that what she saw 'might not count'. According to Minneapolis Police Department policy officers are required to report use of force incidents under certain circumstances but not if it is a 'take down', which Pleoger who had not been called by any of the officers on the scene - initially assumed was the case. The jury was shown footage from Pleoger's body camera in which officers Chauvin, Thao, Kueng and Lane could be standing near the site of where they took down Floyd. Pleoger instructed Chauvin to identify and speak with witnesses, to which the officer replied: 'We can try but they're pretty hostile.' Additional video showed Pleoger arriving at the hospital where Floyd was pronounced dead, in which Chauvin appeared to be wringing his hands. Asked if he had an opinion as to when Chauvin's restraint should have ended, Pleoger responded: 'Yes [it should have ended] when Mr Floyd was no longer offering up any resistance.' MPD Sergeant Jon Edwards Sgt. Jon Edwards, who was called to secure the scene in the aftermath, testified that two of the officers involved were still at the site when he arrived and that he was ordered to remove the crime scene tape just hours after his death was confirmed. Edwards said he encountered Lane and Kueng at the scene when he arrived and he instructed them to turn on their body cameras. Edwards said: 'I asked them to chill out because I knew from Sergeant Pleoger that he had a couple of escort sergeants coming down to transport them to interview room 100.' Edwards told jurors that at approximately 10.13pm news came through that Floyd had died and the situation was confirmed as a critical incident. By then homicide was on the scene and Lane and Kueng were transported to City Hall to be interviewed. Edwards testified that he was then ordered to remove the crime scene tape he had earlier put up at about 3.30am. MPD Lt Richard Zimmerman Richard Zimmerman, the head of the Minneapolis Police Department's homicide division, told jurors that Chauvin's use of force in arresting Floyd was 'totally unnecessary' because a handcuffed person doesn't pose a threat and kneeling on someone's neck can 'kill them'. Zimmerman, who responded to the crime scene after Floyd's deadly arrest, testified that he had watched multiple videos showing the moment the officer knelt on the black man's neck after handcuffing him. Having watched the videos, Zimmerman was clear: 'Pulling him down to the ground face down and putting your knee on his neck for that amount of time is just uncalled for.' He added that once Floyd was handcuffed, he saw 'no reason why the officers felt they were in danger and that's what they would have to feel to use that level of force.' Zimmerman told jurors that kneeling on the neck of someone who is handcuffed and in the prone position is 'top-tier, deadly' force and should not be used. 'If your knee is on a person's neck, that can kill him,' he said. Asked by prosecutors whether a handcuffed person was a reduced threat, Zimmerman said: 'Once a person is cuffed, the threat level goes down all the way. They are cuffed, how can they really hurt you. 'You getting injured is way down. You could have some guy try to kick you or something, but you can move out of the way. That person is handcuffed, you know, so the threat level is just not there.' Zimmerman, who is trained every year in the use of force, told jurors he had never been trained to 'kneel on the neck of somebody who's cuffed and in the prone position'. 'Once you secure or handcuff a person you need to get them out of the prone position as soon as possible because it restricts their breathing,' he said, adding that having your hands cuffed behind your back 'stretches the muscles back through your chest and makes it more difficult to breathe'. Dr Bradford Langenfeld Dr Bradford Langenfeld, the medic at the Hennepin County Medical Center who pronounced Floyd dead, told jurors on April 5 that he believed the cause of death last May 25 was asphyxia. He told the court, 'Any amount of time that a patient spends in cardiac arrest without CPR markedly decreases the chances of survival' before explaining that those chances dropped by 10 to 15 percent with each passing minute. There was nothing in the paramedics' reports, he said, to suggest that they were concerned that Floyd had either suffered a heart attack or drug overdose. Dr Langenfeld also told how paramedics had fought to revive Floyd for 30 minutes by the time he arrived in his ward but that despite their efforts he was in cardiac arrest and save for occasional Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA) activity in the heart not strong enough to establish a pulse he flat-lined. The medic could not recall whether or not Floyd was still cuffed on arrival but he did remember seeing indentations from the handcuffs on his wrists. Dr Langenfeld said he had considered a host of possible causes for Floyd's cardiac arrest and concluded that hypoxia oxygen deficiency or asphyxia was most likely, he said 'based on the information that I had.' He declared Floyd dead after 30 minutes in the hospital, by which time he had been without a pulse for close to an hour. Speaking softly and soberly he recalled, 'In the absence of any apparent reversable cause, [I felt that] the likelihood of any meaningful outcome was far below 1 percent and we would not be able to resuscitate Mr Floyd, so I then pronounced him dead.' The court also heard from Dr. Bradford Langenfeld Monday, pictured, the medic at the Hennepin County Medical Center who pronounced Floyd dead Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo told jurors that Chauvin 'absolutely did not' follow police policy on de-escalation or use of force when he pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. In explosive testimony on April 5, Arradondo said Chauvin's use of force 'absolutely' violated the department's policy and belief in 'the sanctity of life,' and that the pressure he used was contrary to all departmental teachings. He said: 'Once Mr Floyd had stopped resisting and certainly once he was in distress and trying to verbalize that, that should have stopped. 'Once there was no longer any resistance and clearly when Mr Floyd was no longer responsive and even motionless to continue to apply that level of force to a person proned out, handcuffed behind their back that in no way shape or form is by policy, part of our training, certainly not part of our ethics or values.' Shown a still image taken from the bystander video Arradondo said: 'When I look at the facial expression of Mr Floyd that does not appear in any way shape or form that that is ight to moderate pressure [as per policy]. 'That action is not de-escalation and when we talk about the framework of our sanctity of life and principals and values that we have that action goes contrary.' Arradondo, Minneapolis's first black police chief, also told the court that he agreed the Chauvin had violated policy by failing to provide any medical aid to the clearly suffering Floyd. He fired Chauvin and three other officers the day after Mr Floyd's death on May 25 last year and in June called it 'murder'. As well as his clear condemnation of the actions he described as violating policy, Arradondo told the court that Floyd's alleged crime - passing a fake $20 bill at Cup Foods store - did not rise to the level of violent crime that demanded use of force or a custodial arrest. Inspector Katie Blackwell Inspector Katie Blackwell, former commander of the Minneapolis police department's training division, took the stand on April 5. She said that she has known Chauvin for close to twenty years having first served as a community officer with him. And she herself appointed Chauvin, who was by far the most senior officer on the scene May 25, to the role of Field Training Officer, responsible for training and mentoring new recruits. But when shown an image of Chauvin, with his knee on Floyd's neck, Blackwell was damning. She said, 'I don't know what kind of improvised position that is.' According to Blackwell officers are taught to use one or two arms, not knees, for neck restraints and to constantly reassess the situation. She also said that 'positional asphyxia' was a concept known to her for as long as she had been an officer roughly the same period of time that Chauvin has served. She echoed testimony already heard by the jury regarding the dangers of keeping a person in the prone position one in which they are not able to adequately breath. For that reason, she said, officers are taught to put suspects on their side, in the side-recovery position or sitting upright 'as soon as is possible.' MPD Inspector Katie Blackwell also gave evidence Monday. She told jurors about the training officers recieve Ker Wang, Crisis Training Coordinator On April 6 the court heard from Sergeant Ker Wang, 49, Crisis Training Coordinator with the MPD and the man who wrote significant portions of that training. He said that he recognized Chauvin's name, not because he knew him personally, but from training. The court heard that Chauvin took part in a 40-hour crisis training course in 2018 though this was not a course in which Wang had personally instructed him. Wang described a 'crisis' as anything that took an individual 'beyond their coping mechanisms' and said that the primary goal of any intervention was to 'de-escalate' and restore the situation to a pre-crisis level. Steve Schleicher asked Wang to talk the jury through the Critical Decision Making Model a graphic of five spheres around a central sphere. Wang, who introduced the model to MPD training in 2018, explained how the outer spheres which contained the topic headings: Information Gathering, Threat/Risk Assessment, Authority to Act, Goals and Actions, Review & Re-Assess linked to the 'key pillars of procedural justice' expressed in the centre 'Voice Neutrality Respect Trust.' The model could be read and enacted in any direction, as officers respond to crisis in a state of flux and constant reassessment. He said that every officer could apply this model, 'like memory' and in doing so 'can slow down time,' in a crisis situation. He said, 'I believe in this model because it works.' When Nelson cross-examined the witness he sought to widen the focus from Chauvin's assessment of and actions towards Floyd to take in the context of the crowd the part that they played in events and the extent to which their understanding of them was limited. He pointed out that an officer had to consider 'the totality of the circumstances,' which 'is more than just how you react to the person being arrested.' Wang agreed with Nelson's statement that this included, 'citizen bystanders, what to do when a citizen bystander starts filming you, how to identify when a citizen constitutes a risk.' The model was, Nelson asserted, 'a very dynamic, ever-changing thing based on the information that comes to the officers in real time.' Much of that may be invisible to the onlookers, he said such as tactical thinking, knowing that medical help is on the way, considering officer safety. Nelson then steered toward a presentation of Chauvin's conduct and appearance as textbook. Referencing training he said, 'An officer should appear confident, they should be able to try to stay calm, they should try speak slowly and softly, they should avoid staring or eye-contact' Wang agreed. They should, he said, in all respects attempt to 'create time and distance.,' acting only when it was 'safe and feasible' to do so. Lieutenant Johnny Mercil Minneapolis Police Department's use of force expert and the man in charge of officer training told jurors on April 6 that Chauvin's knee on Floyd's neck is not, and never has been, an MPD trained neck restraint. Asked by prosecutor Steve Schleicher if such a level of restraint would be authorized when a subject is handcuffed Lieutenant Johnny Mercil replied, 'I would say no.' Mercil also told the court that officers were taught to use the minimum amount of force needed to detain someone. Asked about leg neck restraints Mercil explained that, while not taught to officers, they were something that might be shown to young cadets. But they would not look like the restraint carried out by Chauvin on May 25. As Schleicher walked him through the training and concepts in MPD's Use of Force Mercil told the court that officers are not taught to use leg neck restraints and never have been. Mercil was responding to a picture of Chauvin with his knee pressed into Floyd's neck shown to him in court. According to Mercil officers are taught how to deliver conscious and unconscious neck restraints with their arms and only under very limited circumstances when the level of resistance and threat would make such a measure proportional. MPD medical support coordinator Nicole MacKenzie Nicole MacKenzie, Minneapolis police medical support coordinator, testified that it is 'very difficult to focus on a patient if you don't feel safe', arguing a noisy crowd could have made it hard for officers to hear Floyd struggling to breathe. She told jurors on April 6 that treating a person under the eyes of a noisy crowd was 'incredibly difficult.' MacKenzie said: 'It might sound wrong but bystanders do sometimes attack EMS crews so sometimes just getting out of the situation is the best way to diffuse it.' 'It's incredibly difficult [to treat under those circumstances] because you're trying to be heads down on a patient [but] it's very difficult to focus on the patient if you don't feel safe around you.' MacKenzie also said Floyd could have displayed 'super-human strength' due do 'Excited Delirium' brought on by the consumption of the illicit drug speedball. Explaining this potential side-effect of taking the illicit drug MacKenzie said, 'The person might be experiencing elevated body temperature, the heart rate might be extremely elevated and insensitive to pain. Because you don't really have that pain/compliance edge that would normally control somebody's behavior. 'Somebody experiencing this might have what we would call super-human strength, lifting things they wouldn't normally be able to lift, breaking things.' One of other officers at the scene, Thomas Lane, said he was 'worried about excited delirium' and suggesting rolling Floyd on his side. The prosecution established that Chauvin had undergone training in CPR and AED as well as other first aid before MacKenzie told the jury that trained officers must provide medical aid when necessary. It was not enough, she said, for an officer to simply call for an ambulance and wait when in a 'critical situation'. She talked the jury through the basic steps in which officers are trained to establish responsiveness and if no response is forthcoming to check for breathing and a pulse before commencing chest compressions. Asked if it was true to say that if a person can talk they can breathe, MacKenzie said, 'No sir, somebody can be in respiratory distress and still be able to verbalize it.' But under cross-examination MacKenzie agreed that the policies on rendering emergency medical aid were 'somewhat qualified or contingent on what was going on at the scene at the time.' Put simply the scene had to be safe, she accepted, before an officer should turn their attentions to first aid or CPR. Nelson focused again on the scene. Painting the picture of a busy road and volatile, vocal crowd he asked if it would be possible for an officer to confuse the gasps of 'agonal' ineffective 'breathing' with effective breathing and if this mistake would be more likely, 'when there's a lot of noise and commotion.' MacKenzie agreed on both points. Use-of-force expert Jody Stiger Derek Chauvin's use of force was 'excessive', according to Jody Stiger, a Los Angeles police sergeant who gave testimony as the state's use-of-force expert on April 6. Stiger told the court that he has served in some of the most dangerous places and some of the most dangerous beats Skid Row, gangs, narcotics both in uniform and undercover and on LAPD's Use of Force Board, as a peer reviewer of high profile uses of force. Stiger was also a tactics instructor of six years and has travelled nationally in his capacity as an aid to the Inspector General an independent oversight entity in LAPD consulting with police forces across the country to establish consistent standards and training nationwide. He has conducted 2500 use of force reviews including use of deadly force. Stiger told the jury that he had reviewed all of the state's materials body-worn cameras, cell and pole-camera video footage, reports and MPD manuals and training materials. He told the court that he also took into consideration legal standards, the level of the offense and the person's actions. Asked about Floyd's crime attempting to pass a fake $20 bill he said, 'Typically you wouldn't even expect to use any force.' He said officers were initially justified in their use of force because Floyd was 'actively resisting' but said 'once he was placed in the prone position on the ground he slowly ceased his resistance and at that point the ex-officers should have slowed down or backed off their force as well.' Instead, he noted, 'They continued the force that they were utilizing from the time when they put him on the ground.' Stiger told the court that the officers could have continued trying to talk to Floyd and noted that Kueng had already established some sort of rapport. But despite this he said that they had not behaved unreasonably in their efforts to get a struggling Floyd into the back of the squad car. He recalled, 'Mr Floyd was actively resisting moving around clearly, trying to get out. He didn't want to be there and the officers were initially trying to place him in the back seat, grabbing the seat belt and things of that nature and eventually the decision was made to remove him from the vehicle.' He said, 'They were pulling him from the driver side, passenger door the street side pulling on his legs and his arms and once they got him out he kind of went on his knees. 'He was saying he couldn't breathe, saying he was claustrophobic. Numerous times he stated he was afraid, he had had covid and couldn't breathe and he had anxiety and was claustrophobic.' Jody Stiger, 50, who gave testimony as the state's Use of Force expert, said Chauvin's use of force was 'excessive' Senior Special Agent James Reyerson, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension officer James Reyerson, the lead investigator in Derek Chauvin's murder case on April 7 reversed his testimony regarding George Floyd's declaration, 'I ate too many drugs', later clarifying he heard: 'I ain't doing no drugs'. Defense attorney Eric Nelson had played the clip to the court from one of the officer's body-worn cameras at the scene last May 25. Asked if he recalled hearing that Reyerson said no he did not. After the segment was played in court, when asked again if he had heard it he said, 'Yes I did.' But in a stunning about face, when recalled by the prosecution and played a longer portion of the bodycam footage, Reyerson said that he now believed Floyd to be saying, 'I ain't doing no drugs.' Reyerson told the jury both the patrol car Floyd was pulled out of and the car he was in were processed on May 27, two days after Floyd's death, then again in December 2020 when the prosecution requested a search of the Blue Mercedes SUV before the defense asked to see squad 320 in January. It was at that time a half- chewed speedball pill was found bearing Floyd's DNA and saliva. BCA forensic scientist and Lead Crime Scene Investigator McKenzie Anderson BCA forensic scientist and Lead Crime Scene Investigator McKenzie Anderson told the jury on April 7 how she had found a crumpled and open packet of Suboxone a medication given to adults with an opioid addiction in the driver's seat footwell of the Mercedes Floyd had arrived in, as well as an unopened packet on the seat. She also told them about two round white pills found in the center console of the car. Jurors were shown pictures of all of these findings. Anderson and her colleagues had not found the pills or containers on an initial search of the Mercedes on May 27 when she photographed the interior and searched with little sense of what she might be looking for. The car was searched again on the request of the Attorney General's office December 9 when the pills and $20 bills stuffed between the passenger seat and center consol. Anderson told jurors that she 'didn't give any forensic significance' to the small white pill clearly visible on the floor on the passenger side of the vehicle's back seat in the first set of pictures. She explained that she had been looking for blood or something to do with fake bills. The potential significance was immediately spotted by the defense who requested a second search of the car having seen the half-chewed pill in pictures. On a second search Anderson found the white pill as well as several other small irregular shaped white objects that could, she said, have been parts of a pill. There were no visible markings on either the pill or the fragments, all of which, she said had a rough texture and irregular shape. There was one fragment, stuck to the back seat and reddish-brown in color, that, she said, seemed 'consistent with the other pieces,' except for the color difference. Forensic testing found Floyd's DNA in saliva left on the half-chewed pill which was found to be a 'speedball' or compound of methamphetamine and fentanyl when sent to drug chemistry division. Forensic scientist Breahna Giles BCA's Breahna Giles was the forensic scientist tasked with analyzing the glass pipe and pills found in the Mercedes. On April 7 she testified that she found traces of THC the psychoactive component found in marijuana in residue scraped from the pipe and determined the pills, which had pharmaceutical markings, to be a compound of Oxycodone and Acetaminophen. She also tested the tablet and fragments found in the back of squad 320 and found the partial white pill to be methamphetamine as well as identifying methamphetamine in the fragments found. Under cross-examination Giles said that there was the presence of other substances but not enough to make a positive determination of its nature. Asked by Nelson, 'But that was fentanyl?' she said she could neither confirm nor deny its presence. Eleven nanograms of Fentanyl was found in Floyd's bloodstream. BCA's Breahna Giles was the forensic scientist tasked with analyzing the glass pipe and pills found in the Mercedes. She found traces of THC the psychoactive component found in marijuana in residue scraped from the pipe and determined the pills, which had pharmaceutical markings, to be a compound of Oxycodone and Acetamenophin Forensic chemist Susan Neith Forensic chemist Susan Neith was the last witness on April 7. She also tested the pills from both vehicles and told the jury that she found trace levels of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the pills taken from the back of the squad car. She put the levels of fentanyl at less than 1 percent the amount she said she would expect to find in street fentanyl. But put the levels of methamphetamine at between 1 and 2.9percent which she said was much lower in her experience than that found in street drugs which she would expect to come in at 80 to 90 percent. Forensic chemist Susan Neith was the last witness of the day. She also tested the pills from both vehicles and told the jury that she found trace levels of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the pills taken from the back of the squad car Pulmonology expert Dr Martin Tobin Dr Martin Tobin, a specialist at the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital and Loyola University's medical school in Chicago, testified he believed Floyd's cause of death was due to a lack of oxygen that damaged his brain and caused his heart to stop. During his hours-long testimony on April 8, he said there were several factors that he said made it difficult for Floyd to breathe, beyond Chauvin's knee on his neck: Officers lifting up on his handcuffs, the hard street, lying face down, his turned head and a knee on his back. 'A healthy person subjected to what Mr. Floyd was subjected to would have died as a result of what he was subjected to,' Dr Tobin said. Tobin, analyzing a graphic presentation of the three officers holding down Floyd for what prosecutors say was almost 9 1/2 minutes, testified that Chauvin's knee was 'virtually on the neck' for more than 90% of the time by his estimate. Chauvin also kept his knee on Floyd's neck for 3.02 minutes after Floyd had 'reached the point where there was not one ounce of oxygen left in the body,' Tobin said. When asked if Dr Tobin, based on his medical expertise, had determined a cause of death for Floyd after viewing videos from the scene, he said: 'Mr Floyd died from a low level of oxygen... The cause of low level of oxygen was shallow breathing. Small breaths that weren't able to carry the air through his lungs. 'He was being squashed between the two sides,' Dr Tobin said as he described the position Floyd was in lying face down on the ground with the officers pinning him down. Dr Tobin told the court that the impact of the pressure of the officers and handcuffs rendered movement so impossible that Floyd's left lung was greatly affected. 'When you breathe you use your diaphragm, next thing you recruit is the big muscles in the neck, when those are wasted up then you're relying on these kinds of muscles to get air into the right side.' Elsewhere in his testimony, Dr Tobin said he'd calculated that Floyd's lung capacity was reduced by 43 percent when Chauvin was pinning him down. Forensic toxicologist Dr Daniel Isenschmid Dr Daniel Isenschmid took the stand on April 8 and told how he found traces of fentanyl and methamphetamine when he tested blood drawn from Floyd at the hospital and urine from his autopsy. He told the court that even though there was a high level of fentanyl in Floyd's bloodstream 11ng ml where a 3ng ml could be lethal individual tolerance had to be taken into account. The toxicology expert suggested Floyd's tolerance have been high as a regular user. He also pointed to the presence of norfentanyl a metabolic of fentanyl. Isenschmid said that he wouldn't expect to see this in a case where death had occurred as a result of fentanyl overdose because the body wouldn't have had a chance to metabolize the drug. He described the level of meth in Floyd's bloodstream 19ng ml - as no more than he would expect to find in the blood of a patient who had consumed a single legally prescribed dose and his amphetamine was below reportable levels. Forensic expert Dr William Smock Dr William Smock took the stand on April 8 and testified that Floyd died from positional asphyxia, which he said was 'a fancy way of saying he died because he had no oxygen left in his body'. 'When the body is deprived of oxygen, in this case from pressure on this chest and back, he gradually succumbed to lower and lower levels of oxygen until he succumbed and he died,' he said. Smock said that he had considered and dismissed other causes including the defense's causes of choice fentanyl overdose and excited delirium. One by one he explained the symptoms of excited delirium including excessive sweat, being unaffected by pain and super-human strength and dismissed them pointing out that Floyd was cold to the touch, complaining of pain from the moment he was on the ground and unable to throw the police officers from his back. Asked by prosecutors how many of the 10 recognized symptoms he observed, Smock answered: 'Zip.' He discarded fentanyl overdose as a possible cause of death because he said, Floyd was not falling into a coma, snoring, or slowing down in breathing. He was, instead, fighting for his life and demonstrating 'air hunger' as he struggled to breathe. He pointed to Floyd's weakening voice as evidence that the life was draining from him and recognized Floyd's dying moments in his altering facial expressions and anoxic seizure when his legs kicked out straight behind him. Smock explained that since Floyd was a chronic drug users the levels of narcotics and their metabolites found in his blood stream really meant very little. 'You don't rely on the level, you look at the patient,' he said. The defense has pointed to the fact that there was no bruising on Floyd's neck and throat post mortem as proof that Chauvin's knee did not dig into him until the life was squeezed out of him. But Smock, who is also a specialist in strangulation, said: 'You can be fatally strangled and died of asphyxia and have no bruising.' Dr William Smock, a forensic medicine expert, told the jury in Derek Chauvin's murder trial on Thursday April 8 that when George Floyd cried out 'I can't breathe' he was exhibiting the desperation of 'air hunger' Forensic pathologist Dr Lindsey Thomas Forensic pathologist Dr Lindsey Thomas, who works as a medical examiner in Reno and Salt Lake City, testified on April 9 that Floyd died as as result of 'low oxygen' or 'asphyxia.' Thomas said that in this case the autopsy itself did not tell her the cause of death in her investigation but the 'unique' amount of documentation in terms of videos and records was vital in establishing 'mechanism' of death. She agreed with Hennepin County Medical Examiner Dr Andrew Baker's finding that the cause of death was 'cardiopulmonary arrest, complicating law enforcement subdual restraint and neck compression'. Thomas told the court that there are no physical findings in autopsy that show low oxygen but there are sometimes findings consistent with a cause of death that may result in low oxygen. She gave as an example a partial hanging in which a person may have petechiae, tiny burst blood vessels in the eye. She said that she had found such supporting signs in Floyd's autopsy. According to Thomas, 'Mr Floyd had superficial injuries on his face, shoulders and wrists. What that does is it supports what I saw in the videos which is that he's being forcibly restrained and subdued and trying to move into a position by rubbing his face against the ground, pulling against his handcuffs and by pushing with his shoulder. 'And he also had some scrapes on his knuckles on his right hand and again that was from him pushing trying to get into a position where he could breathe.' She explained: 'There are really two parts; cardiopulmonary arrest which doesn't really provide much additional information because essentially we all die when our heart and lungs stop, but as a forensic pathologist I would use it to differentiate from cardiac arrest. This is not a sudden cardiac arrest. 'This is a death where both the heart and lungs stopped working and the point is that it is due to subdual restraint and compression.' Thomas concluded: 'The activities of the law enforcement officers led to Mr Floyd's death.' And by that she meant placing him in the prone position, handcuffing him and kneeling on his back and, specifically, neck. Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr Andrew Baker Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr Andrew Baker, who performed Floyd's autopsy, took the stand on April 9 and said that he did not find the cause of death to be asphyxia or low oxygen levels and that he did not believe that Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's neck for 'the majority' of the time. In a massive departure from the prosecution's contention, Baker said: 'In my impression from the video it would appear that Mr Chauvin's knee was primarily on the back, on the side or the area in between Mr Floyd's neck (and back).' Under cross examination, Baker told the court that asphyxia was 'a very common cause' of the deaths that he had seen across 2,900 to 3,000 autopsies but it was not the conclusion that he came to before, or after, having seen the videos of the incident on May 25, 2020. In a startlingly brief direct questioning by Jerry Blackwell, Baker told the court that Floyd died because being pinned down on the ground with his neck compressed was, 'just more than he could take,' given his severe underlying heart disease. Asked if, in his opinion, the positioning of Chauvin's knee would cut off Floyd's oxygen supply, Baker said: 'In my opinion it would not.' In his view, he said: 'It was the stress of that interaction that tipped him over the edge given his underlying heart disease and his toxicological status.' The doctor told the court that he had deliberately avoided all video footage until after he conducted the autopsy because he did not want to introduce any 'bias' that might, 'lead [his] examination down any particular path'. In his conclusion Floyd's death occurred 'in the context' of law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression but he did not give the cause of death as set out by others. Cardiologist Dr Jonathan Rich Dr Jonathan Rich, a cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, took the stand on April 12 and said Floyd would still be alive if it weren't for Chauvin's restraint as he asserted that the black man did not have heart disease and his tolerance for fentanyl was so high that the drug played no role in his death. 'In this case Mr George Floyd died from a cardiopulmonary arrest,' Rich told the jury. 'It was caused by low oxygen and those low oxygen levels were produced by the prone restraint and positional asphyxia that he was subjected to.' Rich refuted key arguments from the defense when he said he had considered and discounted Floyd's cause of death as having originated from the heart itself or being the result of an overdose. 'After reviewing all of the facts I can state with a high degree of medical certainty that George Floyd did not die from a primary cardiac event and he did not die from a drug overdose,' he said. Instead, he said Floyd 'was just unable using all of his muscles, his accessory muscles, he was unable [to breathe] because of the position he was subjected to'. 'The heart thus didn't have enough oxygen either which means the entire body didn't have enough oxygen,' he said. Asked whether he thought Floyd would be alive today were it not for 'Mr Chauvins subdual and restraint of nine minutes and 29 seconds on the ground', Rich said: 'To a high degree of medical certainty, he would have lived.' Rich told the court that, in his view: 'Mr George Floyd's death was absolutely preventable.' He said the first thing that could've been done to prevent Floyd's death would have been to simply not place him in the prone position at all. After that happened, Rich said Floyd should have been moved into the side recovery position when his complaints of not being able to breathe became audibly weaker. While Floyd had high blood pressure which could, Rich said, become a problem over time if not treated, he told the jury: 'Every indicator is that Mr Floyd had an exceptionally strong heart because he could generate pressures at some points upwards of 200.' Rich explained that a problem with some of the patients he sees who are suffering heart failure is that they cannot generate pressures of even 80 as a top number. Normal blood pressure is around 120/80. As doctors Martin Tobin, William Smock and Lindsey Thomas had before him, Rich asserted that the deterioration he observed in Floyd was not the sudden loss of consciousness of a primary cardiac event, but the slow seeping way of one deprived of oxygen for a prolonged period of time. 'In the course of the restraint I was looking to see if his deterioration occurred rapidly,' Rich said. 'A primary cardiac event, the most common arrhythmia is ventricular fibrillation, when that happens the individual will look relatively okay and then they will immediately become unconscious. 'On the other hand if the cause is from something else for example low oxygen levels you will typically see that happening more gradually and slowly. 'I could see his speech starting to become less forceful, his muscle movements becoming weaker until eventually his speech and muscle movements were absent. And then of course he was in a PEA (Pulseless Electrical Activity) cardiopulmonary arrest.' Turning to the autopsy report, Rich said that he had found no evidence of the sort of tell-tale damage to the heart that a heart attack would have left behind. And while he called Floyd's arterial disease 'notable', he said it was not something that surprised him because it is so common. What was most significant, he said, was that Floyd's arteries were only partially blocked, not completely occluded a sign of that a heart attack had occurred. Rich discounted a fentanyl or methamphetamine overdose saying that he felt the latter 'played no substantive role at all'. He said from what he had seen, Floyd's behavior his talkativeness, alertness, ability to walk was the opposite of what a person would witness in an opiate overdose. On cross examination, Nelson tried to take the sting out of Rich's testimony that Floyd would be alive today were it not for Chauvins actions. Flipping the outcome back on Floyd, Nelson asked: 'If Mr Floyd had just got into the seat of the squad car do you think he would have survived?' Rich tip-toed into his answer, denying Nelson the straight yes or no that he sought. 'Had he not been restrained in the way in which he was, I think he would have survived that day. I think he would have gone home had he not been subjected to the prone position that he was,' he said. 'So in other words,' Nelson summed up for the court. 'If he had just gotten into the squad car.' Philonise Floyd, George Floyd's younger brother Floyd's younger brother Philonise Floyd broke down in tears at trial on April 12 as the court was shown pictures of his slain sibling - as a young boy, sleeping in his smiling mothers arms, as a teenager studying, pen in hand and as a young athlete who got a basketball scholarship to South Florida before transferring to Gainesville, Texas, where he played football, and smiling with his seven-year-old daughter Gianna in his arms. Philonise, 39, recalled his oldest brother as a 'leader,' who organized his younger siblings and made sure they had their school uniform each morning and a snack before school. He said that people in their community would go to church just because they saw that Floyd was there. He said that his older brother always wanted to be taller and to be the best, measuring himself as he grew and throwing hundreds of hoops in a bid to be the 'best' at basketball. Philonise recalled playing video games and catch with Floyd growing up before telling the court with a smile that his brother 'couldn't boil water' but would make the best 'banana and mayonnaise and syrup sandwiches'. Toward the end of his brief testimony, he told how broken Floyd was by his mother's death, saying that at the funeral, 'George just sat there at the casket saying: "Mamma" over and over again. 'He was just kissing her. He didn't want to leave the casket.' George Floyd's brother Philonise Floyd testified at Derek Chauvin's murder trial on Monday afternoon (pictured) Use-of-force expert Seth Stoughton The prosecution's final witness, use-of-force expert Seth Stoughton, testified on April 12 that Floyd did not pose a threat during his fatal arrest and said officers should have relented after the handcuffed black man pleaded: 'I can't breathe' 27 times. Stoughton, a former cop turned law professor, was asked to provide his analysis of body camera video of Floyd pinned to the ground by Chauvin and two other officers on May 25 in Minneapolis. In a damning sequence prosecutor Steve Schleicher asked: 'Did Mr Floyd present any threat of escape? Did he present any threat to physical property? Did he present any threat to the physical safety of officers or anyone else?' Again and again Stoughton answered: 'No he did not.' Asked: 'Did he present any sort of threat at all?' Stoughton again said: 'No he did not.' Stoughton concluded: 'No reasonable officers would have believed that was an appropriate, acceptable or reasonable use of force.' Stoughton said it was 'never' necessary or reasonable to place Floyd in a prone position, adding: 'It's clear from the number of officers the fact that he's handcuffed and has been searched he doesn't present any threat of harm, his actions don't suggest he's any threat of escape.' 'Given the range of alternatives available to officers its just not appropriate to prone someone when theyre already compliant,' Stoughton said. Stoughton went on to draw a distinction between 'threat' and 'risk'. He explained: 'Threat is not some abstract notion. It's specific; threat "of" something. Threat exists when the individual has the physical ability, the opportunity and apparent intention to cause whatever harm we're envisaging. 'That's how we identify threat. Risk you can think of as a potential threat. Risk is something officers can use tactics and communications to address. The goal is to prevent risk becoming threat and that threat to turn into whatever the apparent harm intended is.' He added: 'While threat can justify use of force, risk can't.' Stoughton said that he considered a use of force review as 'kind of a balancing of harms. The idea is an officer cannot use more force than the situation justifies. 'The foreseeable effects can't be disproportionate to the perceived threat.' That is exactly what he concluded they had been on May 25, 2020. Stoughton told the court: 'Before he fell silent Mr Floyd said: "I can't breathe" by my count at least 27 times. If somebody is describing that they're in distress then officers have to take that into account.' 'The officers are maintaining Mr Floyd in that prone position but there are some indicators that the foreseeable effects are occurring and that hes experiencing positional asphyxia. 'Not only does he indicate it with the words he's using but [as the restraint continues] his voice is slower and thicker.' According to Stoughton a 'reasonable officer' would 'absolutely' have been aware of Floyd's complaints and in fact Chauvin can be heard acknowledging both them and, later, Officer J Alexander Kueng telling him that he could not find a pulse. Returning to his threat assessment as a vital part of establishing the reasonableness of force used Stoughton said: 'Somebody who does not have a pulse does not present a threat in any way.' Stoughton also dismissed the notion that the crowd posed any credible threat or could be perceived as such by a 'reasonable officer'. He pointed out that the first negative comment from the crowd came more than three minutes into the restraint and he noted Officer Tou Thao's flippant comment: 'This is why you don't do drugs, kids' as an indication that the officers were not truly afraid of trouble. 'That's relevant because if you are concerned about a crowd you don't say things that are likely to exacerbate that situation,' he explained. 'A comment like: "This is why you don't do drugs, kids," is not rapport building.' After Floyd had been removed by paramedics Chauvin returned to his squad car and could be heard in a interaction with a bystander. Paraphrasing what he could recall, Stoughton said that Chauvin attempted to justify his actions by saying, 'something akin to describing Mr Floyd as a pretty big guy, possibly intoxicated possibly on drugs and that officers needed to keep control over him'. According to Stoughton: 'All of those individual statements are true; Mr Floyd was a larger individual and there was ample reason to think he may have been impaired by alcohol or drugs. 'But a reasonable officer in this situation would have perceived that they could have maintained control over him without putting a knee on his neck or keeping him in that position. 'The sanctity of human life is the absolute priority in policing. On cross examination, Nelson pressed Stoughton: 'Does the reasonable officer decide whether they should be put in the squad car or does the suspect decide whether they should be put in the squad car...the suspect does not get to dictate I get to sit on the ground or in the front of the squad car?' Stoughton agreed they did not. Nelson re-iterated Stoughton's view that the use of the prone position was never reasonable suggesting that 'reasonable minds' can disagree. 'On this particular point? No,' Stoughton countered. Stoughton agreed that the use of force is often not very pretty but that that did not necessarily mean that it was unlawful. But he added: 'I don't think that's the case here.' DEFENSE Retired Minneapolis police officer Scott Creighton Retired Minneapolis police officer Scott Creighton was the first witness to take the stand for the defense on Tuesday April 13 as the court watched body-camera footage of Floyd's arrest on May 6, 2019. In a remarkably brief direct examination Nelson asked Creighton what he had observed of Floyd as he approached his vehicle. Creighton told the jury that Floyd was not responsive and that he had to 'physically reach in [to the car] because I wanted to see his hands.' In the video Floyd can be heard saying: 'I don't want to be shot' before Creighton pulled him out of the car. Under cross examination by Erin Eldridge, Creighton observed that the situation had 'escalated really quick' once Floyd refused to show his hands and that he was compelled to pull his gun. He described Floyd as 'incoherent' but able to walk and talk. Nelson had hoped to show the jury that, under similar circumstances, when approached in a car by an officer with his gun drawn, Floyd rapidly ingested drugs and pretended to have a medical emergency. On re-direct Nelson asked if Creighton had heard his partner instructing Floyd to 'spit it out'. Creighton said, he may have done. Retired Minneapolis Police Officer Scott Creighton (pictured) testified about what he witnessed of Floyd during an arrest on May 6, 2019 Retired paramedic Michelle Moseng Retired paramedic Michelle Moseng was the prosecution's second witness on Tuesday April 13 as Nelson drew out the parallels between May 6, 2019 and what he contests took place on May 25, 2020. Moseng was called to Floyd's arrest during which he had required medical care. According to Moseng, Floyd was agitated and upset and told her that he had been taking seven to nine opioids oxy and Percocet every twenty minutes throughout the day and another just before the officer had approached the car. When asked for details of her physical assessment of Floyd she revealed that she recorded a blood pressure of 216 over 160 so high that she recommended he be taken immediately to hospital. Floyd told her, she said, that he had not been taking his blood pressure medication, 'for months'. In an aggressive cross-examination, Eldridge peppered the witness with questions demanding her acknowledgement that Floyds blood oxygen, pulse, respiration, heart rhythm and EKG were all normal. 'And you took him to the hospital and he was monitored for two hours and he was released,' Eldridge said, to which Moseng answered: 'Yes.' Michelle Moseng (pictured) was the paramedic called to administer medical aid during Floyd's arrest on May 6, 2019 George Floyd's friend Shawanda Hill The third witness called by the defense was Shawanda Hill, the woman who was in the car with Floyd and his friend Morries Hall, on May 25, 2020, after having bumped into Floyd in Cup Foods where he offered to give her a ride home. At times hard to hear and irritable, Hill told Nelson that Floyd was 'happy, normal' and 'alert' when she spoke to him in the store. But back in the car after she had been on a call with her daughter Hill said she saw that Floyd had suddenly fallen asleep before Cup Foods clerks came out to confront him about using a counterfeit $20 bill. By then, she said: 'He was already sleeping. When they came to the car and when they came try to wake him up, I tried to wake him up over and over, he kept, he'd wake up, then say something, then nodded back off. He did that a couple of times.' Hill went onto relate how she had struggled to get Floyd to focus when the police arrived, telling him: 'Baby that's the police, open the door, roll down the window.' Hill said Floyd was 'startled' when Officer Thomas Lane pulled his gun, prompting him to grab at the steering wheel and plead: 'Please don't shoot me, please don't shoot me.' Judge Cahill spoke to Hill, who had been named in earlier testimony as a heroin dealer, ahead of the jury being seated after a brief morning break. He explained to her that the attorneys might ask her whether or not she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and that, though he did not think the questions would incriminate her and he had instructed the limit of their scope, she had the right to consult and attorney regarding invoking her Fifth Amendment right. She said she did not need one and that she was 'ready to go'. In his brief cross-examination Assistant Attorney General Frank Matthew established that, despite his sleepiness, Floyd was not short of breath or complaining of chest pains at any point. Minneapolis Park Police Officer Peter Chang The fourth witness for the defense was Minneapolis Park Police Officer Peter Chang, who arrived at Cup Foods after officers Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng had already confronted Floyd. The jury was shown video from Chang's body-camera, which revealed Floyd's friends reactions to his arrest for the first time. Chang described a relatively calm scene on his arrival at Cup Foods where he saw Kueng next to Floyd who was seated on the ground, handcuffed and leaning against the wall outside Dragon Wok restaurant. Chang told the court that he had been 'concerned for the officers' safety' due to the 'very aggressive crowd' that gathered outside Cup Foods on 38th and Chicago as police struggled with and subdued Floyd. As the scene in front of Cup Foods clearly becomes more heated, Chang can be seen pacing to and fro - movement he explained to Nelson as due to checking on his fellow officers safety - and repeatedly telling Hill and Hall to stay put as they agitate to see whats going on. He informs them: 'Right now they're grabbing an ambulance for your buddy. He might have heart himself.' Cautioning both to stay away from the car and the scene, he tells Hill: 'Shawanda you're not helping.' In a very brief cross-examination Frank established that there had never been a 'code 3' or emergent call out to the scene at Cup Foods and undercut Changs concern for his fellow officers by pointing out that he knew there were four officers on scene and that none ever radioed for help. MPD Medical Support Coordinator Nicole MacKenzie Minneapolis Police Department Medical Support Coordinator Nicole MacKenzie made her second appearance on the stand directly before the court broke for lunch on Tuesday. When appearing as a state witness last week, MacKenzie gave her opinion that treating a person under the eyes of a crowd, hostile or otherwise, 'is incredibly difficult'. She also told the court about 'excited delirium', saying that it could give a person, 'super-human' strength. Today Nelson focused on the symptoms of the condition and recent training materials that, he established, of which Chauvin as a veteran would not have had knowledge. In contrast, rookie Lane did and in body-worn camera footage he can be heard expressing concern that Floyd may be suffering from excited delirium. MacKenzie explained that Lane would have received training that included the acronym NOTACRIME of signs and actions cadets were trained to note and take. She talked the jury through each letter. She said that a person may be Naked, exhibit violence towards Objects, by Tough and unstoppable. The onset could be Acute, the person Confused and Resistant as well as Incoherent, the condition could be due to Mental health issues and always required an EMS to be called early as it could lead to a sudden cardiac arrest. In another brief cross Frank established from MacKenzie that as a medical support coordinator it was not her job to diagnose conditions. She agreed she would always defer to a paramedic. Minneapolis Police Department Medical Support Coordinator Nicole MacKenzie made her second appearance on the stand directly before the court broke for lunch on Tuesday Use-of-force expert Barry Brodd Barry Brodd, a former cop and use-of-force expert who specializes in police and civilian defense cases, testified for Chauvin's defense on Tuesday April 13 and said the defendant did not use deadly force against Floyd. In fact, Brodd argued that Chauvin's placing the handcuffed black man in the prone position and kneeling on his neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds did not constitute use of force at all. 'It's a control technique. It doesn't hurt,' Brodd said. 'It's safe for the officer, safe for the suspect and you're using minimal effort to keep them on the ground.' During direct examination by Nelson, Brodd said Chauvin was 'justified' and acting 'with objective reasonableness' in his interactions with Floyd. He told the jury that police officers 'don't have to fight fair', explaining that they can use a level of force that is 'one up' from the level of any resistance. He noted that when dealing with suspects who are under the influence of drugs, officers can 'find themselves in a fight for their life in a heartbeat'. Brodd also leaned in to the defense narrative that Chauvin and his fellow officers felt 'threatened' by the gathering crowd. Brodd's confident testimony took a turn when prosecutor Steve Schleicher stepped up to cross examine him, wasting no time in tackling the assertion that keeping Floyd in the prone position did not constitute a use of force and did not hurt. He asked Brodd if he truly believed that it is unlikely that 'orienting yourself on top of a person on the pavement with both legs [on top of them] is unlikely to produce pain?' Brodd conceded that it could. Schleicher countered that if that position could produce pain, by Brodd's logic, it could also constitute a use of force. Looking at the all-too-familiar image of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck, Brodd was forced to concede: 'Shown in this picture, that could be use of force' - but argued that Floyd had grown increasingly non-compliant. Schleicher then showed a screengrab of Floyd pinned to the ground and asked: 'What part of this is not compliant?' Refusing to deviate from his narrative Brodd insisted: 'I see his arm position. A compliant person would have both their hands in the small of their back and be resting comfortably.' The disbelief clear in his voice, Schleicher asked: 'Did you say resting comfortably?' 'At this time when he's attempting to breathe by shoving his shoulder into the pavement,' Brodd replied. Pathologist Dr David Fowler Dr David Fowler, the former chief medical examiner of Maryland, took the stand on April 14 to share his conclusion that Floyd's death should have never been ruled a homicide because there were too many competing potential causes of death. One of the potential causes Fowler presented was Floyd's exposure to exhaust from the squad car he was pinned next to, which the witness said could have caused some degree of carbon monoxide poisoning. But on cross examination by trial attorney Jerry Blackwell, Fowler was forced to admit that he had no concrete evidence to support the carbon monoxide poisoning theory. Blackwell seized on the fact that Fowler had never set eyes on the squad car or attempted to simulate the conditions to sample possible levels of carbon monoxide in Floyd's vicinity. The prosecutor bluntly challenged: 'For that matter cutting even more to the chase how do you even know the car was on?' Fowler said that it was a question he had specifically asked and that he had observed water dripping from what appears to be a tail pipe. Blackwell pressed: 'You just assumed based on observing something dripping from a tail pipe that the car was on?' 'It's not an assumption,' Fowler bit back. 'It's an evaluation based on an indicator that the car was running.' The carbon monoxide point was one of many on which Fowler contradicted the opinions of medical experts who testified before him. Blackwell drilled down on those contradictions while attempting to chip away at Fowler's credibility, at one point telling him: 'You're not a toxicologist..a pulmonologist.. a cardiologist, a physiologistYou don't treat patients.' Fowler's earliest contradiction across more than five hours of testimony came when he shared his conclusion that Floyd died from a 'sudden cardiac arrhythmia' due to his underlying heart disease during his restraint by police. That conclusion was refuted by Dr Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County chief medical examiner who performed Floyd's autopsy. Among the 'significant contributing conditions' that he listed was the presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine, paraganglioma - the adrenalin secreting-tumor that Floyd had - and his exposure to the squad car exhaust. Fowler also said that Floyd had an enlarged heart, which meant he needed more oxygen to function, and that methamphetamine use heightened his risk of cardiac arrhythmia. Later in his lengthy and technical testimony, Fowler cited multiple studies which challenged the notion that the prone position - in which Floyd was held for nine minutes and 29 seconds - is inherently dangerous. He also referenced studies which concluded that it doesn't matter how much a person weighs if they are applying a single knee to another person - and a double knee restraint makes only a modest difference. According to those studies a person transfers just 23 percent of their bodyweight during a double knee restraint. So, Dr Fowler said, Chauvin who he viewed as applying a single knee restraint for most of the restraint would have been applying less than 30 to 35 pounds of weight to Floyd. Asked if any of that weight compromised Floyd's neck structures, Fowler said: 'None of the vital structures.' 'There was absolutely no evidence of any injury to the skin or deeper structures of the back or neck,' he said, citing photos from Floyd's autopsy. In fact, he said the pressure applied to Floyd was less than the amount necessary to even bruise him. PROSECUTION - REBUTTAL Pulmonology expert Dr Martin Tobin The state recalled its star medical witness, pulmonologist Dr Martin Tobin, to the stand for its rebuttal on April 15. Tobin told the jury that the defense expert who testified at length yesterday, Dr David Fowler, was 'simply wrong' in his conclusions that carbon monoxide played any role in Floyd's death. Addressing Fowler's claim that the levels of carbon monoxide in Floyd's blood could have been between 10 and 18 percent, Tobin said: 'I believe it is not reliable.' Tobin started to tell jurors that his view was based on arterial blood gas obtained from Floyd in Hennepin County Medical Center when Nelson objected. Before the witness stepped up, Judge Cahill warned the state that he would declare a mistrial if Tobin sought to introduce any new evidence during his rebuttal to Fowler's testimony. Instead Tobin walked the fine line and explained: '[Floyd] had an arterial blood gas obtained, so that's sticking a needle into the artery and you measure a number of different items like the pressure of oxygen, carbon dioxide, acid, and the oxygen saturation and that is how much of the hemoglobin the protein in the blood that carries the oxygen.' Asked for Floyd's oxygen saturation levels, Tobin told the court: 'It was 98 percent saturated with oxygen when they measured it at Hennepin County Medical Center and that was 9.16pm.' As for what, if anything, that tells about Floyd's carbon monoxide levels, Tobin said: 'If hemoglobin is saturated at 98 percent, all there was for everything else was two percent. 'The maximum amount [of carbon monoxide] was two percent, it could be something else but two percent is within the normal range.' Pressing that point he told the jury: 'You and I have somewhere between zero and three.' He said Fowler's statement that Floyd's carbon monoxide could have increased to between ten and 18 percent was 'simply wrong'. Tobin also cast doubt on Fowler's testimony with respect to the hypopharynx the area of the throat that, he said, would not have been narrowed by Chauvin's knee on his neck. Fowler said he could find no research to support the notion that it would have. Today Tobin said: 'There's at least a dozen maybe 20 studies that show the relationship between how if you lower the size of the lungs you must get a decrease in the hypopharynx.' But he said there was no specific research into how pressure on the neck narrows it because 'we try to do research and studies that might be puzzling'. Tobin explained: 'If you think about sticking your fingers into your neck you know it's going to narrow the hypopharynx. It's common sense.' In a brief cross-examination, Nelson pointed out that Tobin had not produced for the courts review any of the dozens of articles which he cited. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Following the rebound seen in the previous session, treasuries moved back to the downside as trading resumed on Monday. Bond prices regained some ground after an initial drop but remained firmly in negative territory. As a result, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, climbed 4.1 basis points to 1.720 percent. The weakness among treasuries came as the release of strong U.S. economic data reduced the appeal of safe havens such as bonds. The Labor Department's closely watched jobs report, which was released while the markets were closed on Friday, showed employment in the U.S. spiked by much more than expected in the month of March. The report said non-farm payroll employment surged up by 916,000 jobs in March after climbing by an upwardly revised 468,000 jobs in February. Economists had expected employment to jump by 647,000 jobs compared to the addition of 379,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month. The bigger than expected increase in employment reflected widespread job growth, with employment in the leisure and hospitality sector once again leading the way. The stronger than expected job growth resulted in a continued decrease by the unemployment rate, which fell to 6.0 percent in March from 6.2 percent in February. The drop matched expectations. With the decrease, the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since hitting 4.4 percent in March of 2020, when coronavirus lockdowns were just starting to take effect. The Institute for Supply Management also released a report this morning showing its reading on activity in the service sector soared to an all-time high in March. The ISM said its Services PMI surged up to 63.7 in March from 55.3 in February, with a reading above 50 indicating growth. Economists had expected the index to rise to 58.5. 'Respondents' comments indicate that the lifting of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic-related restrictions has released pent-up demand for many of their respective companies' services,' said Anthony Nieves, Chair of the ISM Services Business Survey Committee. Looking ahead, the U.S. economic calendar for Tuesday is relatively light, potentially lead to a choppy trading day. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de As the National Art School approaches its centenary on the site of Sydneys old Darlinghurst Gaol, it has announced an amnesty. At least 50 paintings, sculptures and other works from the schools collection have gone missing, says Deborah Beck, the archivist and collections manager. Thats ironic: the historic sandstone campus was originally built to house the states most notorious criminals including bushrangers Frank Gardiner and Captain Moonlite. Suspicion falls on former students and staff who may have borrowed a favourite piece, forgetting to return it. Most of the missing artworks arent worth much in monetary terms, Beck says. Their value lies primarily in their connection to the school. National Art School curator Deborah Beck with Anita Aarons sculpture Portrait bust of a woman 1939, which was returned to the school in 2015 after it was removed sometime in the 1980s. It is now on display in the NAS Archive and Collection rooms. Credit:Edwina Pickles People took things because they were getting damaged, including sculptures from the 1920s, Beck says. Some were returned once the school had a safe, climate-controlled collection area; others are still missing. Piers Morgan has defended his criticism of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Oprah Winfrey interview, saying he finds their 'smearing' of the royal family and the Queen 'disgusting', and pointing out that the only member of the family forced to apologize for racism has been Prince Harry. Morgan, the Editor-at-Large of DailyMail.com, left his British breakfast show, Good Morning Britain, on March 9 amid controversy over the bombshell royal interview. He said he did not believe Markle's version of events, and said her insinuation that the establishment was racist was 'disgusting'. On Monday Morgan, in his first television interview since leaving his show, told Tucker Carlson that he stood by his condemnation of the couple, and of Markle in particular. Piers Morgan appeared on Tucker Carlson Today on Monday to discuss the Oprah interview Morgan doubled down on his criticism of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and of Winfrey He said he did not believe the royal family were racist, and noted it was 'ironic' that Prince Harry is the only one forced to apologize for racist language. The Prince made a video diary in 2006, while in the British army, in which he describes an Asian member of his platoon as 'our little Paki friend'. 'I have met the royals many times and I don't believe they are racist at all,' Morgan said on Fox Nation's Tucker Carlson Today show. 'In fact, the only member of the royal family who has had to publicly apologize for being racist is Prince Harry, who a few years ago had to apologize after using a deeply offensive racist term about a Pakistani soldier, that he was working with. 'And he used other racial slurs as well in that story which was published by a British tabloid. 'Which may explain his hatred for the British tabloids.' The prince made the comments in footage shot while training as an officer at the Sandhurst military academy in 2006. A year before, he was forced to make a public apology for wearing a Nazi swastika at a fancy dress party. When the 2006 footage emerged, in 2009, St James's Palace issued a public apology, saying: 'Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause. 'However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon. There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend.' The couple spoke to Winfrey for an interview which aired on March 7 in the U.S. Morgan concluded: 'But he's the only one. Isn't that ironic? That wasn't mentioned by Oprah Winfrey - and it should have been.' Morgan also took issue on Monday with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex making allegations of racism, without naming the specific individuals involved. They claimed that someone senior within the family had asked how dark their son Archie's skin would be. Morgan said that he wanted to know more about the context - whether the remarks were innocent and harmless, or with a malicious undertone. He also noted how both he and his friend Sharon Osbourne, who defended Morgan for voicing his opinions, had been forced from their jobs. Osbourne left daytime chat show The Talk on March 26, after a heated row on March 10 when she defended his right to air his views. 'If you're going to accuse people of racism - and I have a real vested interest in this debate, because I have been accused of racism simply for disbelieving Meghan Markle, who we now know was not telling the truth throughout that interview. 'And I feel very angry about that, and very aggrieved about that,' he said. Morgan said he was 'very angry' about being branded a racist for disbelieving Meghan's story 'And I have seen friends of mine, like Sharon Osbourne, being removed from their job for defending me, because apparently they were defending a racist. 'I have seen Don Lemon at CNN, the guy who sits in my old office, who I thought was a friend, actually say on his show that I had committed an act of racism by disbelieving somebody. That's an act of racism? 'So you have the Queen, and frankly every member of the royal family, is still smeared with the idea it may have been them who expressed concern over the skin color of Archie. Well, did they? And if so, who was it? 'As a British taxpayer, who helps pay for the royal family, I would like to know, actually, if there is a real racist inside the palace.' Prince Harry subsequently told Winfrey that it was not the Queen or Prince Philip. Morgan also called into question Winfrey's conduct during the interview, asking why she didn't press for more answers or clarification. 'My problem with this whole interview is that these incredibly damaging allegations were tossed out there, and none of them were challenged properly,' he said. 'None of them were challenged based on actual reality. None of them were asked, well, who is this person?' Russian President Vladimir Putin will address the Federal Assembly with the annual message on April 21, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media. "The president will address the Federal Assembly with the annual message on April 21," TASS cited the spokesman as saying. Peskov added that the venue of the event would be announced later. Different options are being considered, he said. "Let us not anticipate events. I believe that in the near future we will open accreditation for the mass media and at the same time announce the place where it will be held," Peskov said. He preferred to keep quiet about the themes of the forthcoming address. "Traditionally we never disclose the content or any of the themes that will be touched upon in the message. We will not do this now, too," he said. "As far as the indexing of pensions for employed pensioners is concerned, the government has been working actively on this issue. It is true that the Cabinet of Ministers has sent different proposals on this score to the president," Peskov said when asked if the issue of pensions would be touched upon in the presidential message. He added that "no decisions have been made (on indexing pensions for working pensioners)." Carnegie Mellon Uses AI, Robots To Explore Qatar's Waters April 05, 2021 Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar's (CMU-Q) Associate Teaching Professor Gianni Di Caro is using artificial intelligence and a fleet of autonomous marine robots to better explore the marine environment around Qatar. To better understand marine environments, researchers create information maps of data such as depth, water quality and salinity. This information is critical for a country like Qatar, which balances offshore oil and gas operations with the preservation and sustainability of a fragile marine ecosystem. Typically, information maps are created by a manually operated boat sampling data at pre-defined points, one at-a-time and sharing that information every a few months. Di Caro said this method has serious drawbacks, including the fact that sampling is sequential and static. It also doesn't adaptively select where to sample based on gathered evidence, since data processing is done offline. Di Caro's team has rethought the process and is using artificial intelligence to coordinate a fleet of unmanned and relatively small aerial and marine robots to gather data over a large area. "Using this swarm approach allows sampling data from different locations at the same time and continually and automatically adapting the mission to freshly gathered data, resulting in more accurate maps," said Di Caro, who teaches computer science. The project is called Teams of Aquatic/Aerial Robots for Marine Environment Monitoring, or TARMEM, and is funded by a grant to CMU-Q from the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF). Led by Di Caro, the team also includes Italian investigators Filippo Arrichiello from the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, and Enrico Simetti from the University of Genova. While the swarm approach improves efficiency and accuracy in map building, it is a very complex task to coordinate a fleet of autonomous air and sea robots. "One immediate complication is that the aerial vehicles run out of power relatively quickly," said Di Caro. "We have therefore designed the system so the robot boats also serve as carriers and recharging stations. This enables us to execute missions over longer periods of time, in fully unattended modality." Artificial intelligence methods are used throughout the system to coordinate the complexity of multiple autonomous vehicles collecting and sharing data while also navigating unpredictable environmental conditions. AI methods allow for the online distributed planning of sampling activities, collision-free navigation while maintaining network connectivity, distributed data sharing, and seamless interaction between the robots in the air and those in the water. Because of this extensive, innovative use of AI methods, TARMEM was selected for the QNRF Research Outcome Seminar on Artificial Intelligence, and the QNRF Research Matters newsletter. The multi-year project will next focus on validation and outdoor testing in marine environments. In 2004, Carnegie Mellon and the Qatar Foundation began a partnership to deliver select programs that will contribute to the long-term development of Qatar. Today, Carnegie Mellon Qatar offers undergraduate programs in Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Computer Science and Information Systems. More than 400 students from 52 countries call Carnegie Mellon Qatar home. Graduates from CMU-Q are pursuing their careers in top organizations within Qatar and around the world, and many have started their own entrepreneurial ventures. With 13 graduating classes, the total number of alumni is nearly 1,000. Singapore joins Interpol-led task force to combat COVID-19 related scams Singapore is joining an Interpol-led global financial crime task force which will be looking into a number of areas, including COVID-19-related scams, according to media reports. The task force, initially comprising Singapore, the United States, UK and Ireland, will look at illicit money flows in transnational financial crimes and how countries can combat these crimes more effectively. Photo: Connected to India Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the city-state joining the task force due to a need for greater international cooperation against the rising threat of cyber fraud globally, Channel News Asia (CNA) reported. The task force, initially comprising Singapore, the United States, UK and Ireland, will look at illicit money flows in transnational financial crimes and how countries can combat these crimes more effectively. This comes as Interpol has seen an increasing trend of online COVID-19 vaccine scams as countries roll out their vaccination programmes, with the networks conducting these scams having possible financial links in Singapore and other major financial hubs, according to the Channel report. Interpol said in a news release that cyber criminals have set up illicit websites claiming to be legitimate national or world organisations offering pre-orders for COVID-19 vaccines. These websites offer to get payment in Bitcoin and other processing methods. Using trademark logos of major pharmaceutical companies producing approved COVID-19 vaccines, the fake websites are suspected of being used to conduct phishing attacks and dupe victims into giving charitable donations, Interpol said. In addition to opening up their computer to cyberattacks when attempting to purchase alleged COVID-19 vaccines online, people also run the risk of having their identity stolen, it said. Interpol secretary-general Jurgen Stock said in a statement that the networks behind these crimes have global ambitions. Interpol is assisting law enforcement around the world to both identify criminal networks and to dismantle them, he said. The world police body will also organise a global virtual meeting with its member countries to discuss the threats and disruption methods in this area. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form The government on Sunday amended the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 by promulgating an Ordinance to provide pre-packaged resolution for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The amendment allows the Centre to notify the minimum amount of default value, not more than Rs 1 crore, for pre-packaged insolvency resolution process. The government had last year suspended fresh insolvency proceedings for six months from March 25, when a nationwide lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus infections. The suspension was extended twice by three months till December 24, 2020 and then March 24, 2021. The Ordinance said MSMEs are critical for India's economy as they contribute significantly to its gross domestic product and provide employment to a sizeable population, and it is considered necessary to urgently address the specific requirements of MSMEs relating to the resolution of their insolvency due to the unique nature of their businesses and simpler corporate structures. Also read: Govt to resume fresh insolvency proceedings under bankruptcy "It is considered expedient to provide an efficient alternative insolvency resolution process for corporate persons classified as micro, small and medium enterprises under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, ensuring quicker, cost-effective and value maximising outcomes for all the stakeholders, in a manner which is least disruptive to the continuity of their businesses and which preserves jobs," it said. The IBC Amendment Ordinance, 2021 makes available the pre-packaged route to genuine and viable cases, to ensure least business disruption, Soumitra Majumdar, Partner at J Sagar Associates, told news agency PTI. "While modelled on debtor-in-possession approach, it vests significant consent rights to the financial creditors, such that the mechanism cannot be misused by errant promoters. Further, adopting the plan evaluation process akin to Swiss Challenge, it retains competitive tension such that promoters propose plans with least impairment to rights and claims of creditors," Majumdar said. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) provides for a market-linked and time-bound resolution of stressed assets. (With inputs from PTI) Also read: Cheque-bounce cases can't be filed or continued against firms facing IBC proceedings, says SC Monday, April 5, 2021 Here is an article from the New Orleans States-Item from November 27, 1963. Had Kerry Thornley seen Oswald in New Orleans in September 1963, he would have mentioned it, no? He sure seemed anxious to talk about Oswald. Garrison would go and charge Kerry Thornley with perjury for denying he had met Oswald in New Orleans in September 1963. They only overlapped for about three weeks in New Orleans and Oswald wasn't known to frequent bars in the French Quarter (where they supposedly met). I am sure that, had they met, Thornley would have been super interested in learning more about Oswald defection to the Soviet Union, and his subsequent return to the United States. Other Kerry Thornley Blog Posts Kerry Thornley Writes Sylvia Meagher Was Kerry Thornley the Second Oswald? Was Thornley the Second Oswald? Yes, Again DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 05th Apr, 2021) His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, approved the Emirates Development Bank (EDB) Strategy to provide a sizeable AED30 billion financial support to businesses and start-ups in a major step to drive the national economy. Launched to support "Operation 300bn", the EDB Strategy aims to leverage the Banks role as a key driver of the national economy to provide the largest support network for the industrial sector. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, "Advancing the national economy is a top priority that requires a joint effort of all our economic entities in the coming phase." He added, "We must adopt a distinctive vision that meets global trends and sustains development to maximise the industrial sectors revenue and boost the broader economy. "The Emirates Development Bank Strategy presents a giant leap that will leverage the banks role as a key driver of the national economy. Providing effective financial solutions will support the role of SMEs as main players in shaping our national economy." The EDB Strategy was launched in the presence of H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; and H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, among other delegates and officials. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid had launched Operation 300bn earlier in March as a 10-year comprehensive strategy to more than double the industrial sector's contribution to the country's GDP, positioning the UAE as a global industrial hub by 2031. Supporting Operation 300bn Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of EDB, presented the Banks strategy pillars and objectives. Under the strategy, the Bank allocated a portfolio of AED30 billion to support priority industrial sectors over a period of five years, which will contribute to financing more than 13,500 SMEs and creating 25,000 jobs. Al Jaber noted that the launch of the strategy is based on the Banks role as a key driver of the national economic development that provides a large support network for the industrial sector in line with the Industrial Strategy 2021-2031 objectives. He said, "Operation 300bn is a comprehensive national programme aimed at enhancing the contribution of the industrial sector to the UAEs sustainable economic growth. Through close collaboration, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and the Emirates Development Bank will extend support to large corporations, SMEs and entrepreneurs across various industries including healthcare, infrastructure, food security and technology." Al Jaber noted that EDB will act as a critical financial engine for the national industrial strategy Operation 300bn, alongside its continued mandate to provide Emiratis with housing finance. "The new EDB strategy will help accelerate industrial development and the adoption of advanced technology through dedicated financing programmes and will also provide dedicated investment funds that will support entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs. " In addition to providing flexible housing solutions, EDB will complement its offering to companies and entrepreneurs with training, counselling and guidance for UAE citizens and residents. "EDB aims to cultivate a spirit of innovation, with a focus on the industries our leadership have identified as critical to the nations long-term sustainable growth," he said. Al Jaber noted, "EDB will provide other tools including supply chain support, project financing, long-term financing, business accelerators, equity capital financing, and a business growth support fund." He added that maintaining and furthering sustainable economic development in the post-COVID-19 era is a priority for the UAEs leadership. "We are grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for approving the Emirates Development Banks new strategy, which aims to stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation across the UAEs vibrant industrial sector by providing financing solutions to large companies, entrepreneurs and SMEs." "Through the directives of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE continues to reinforce its global reputation for progress and ingenuity as it prepares for the next 50 years." He added, "His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is confident our country will reach many important milestones in the next 50 years. And His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has emphasised the need for a unified national effort, calling on the entire country to multiply their efforts ten-fold to ensure the nations ambitious goals are met." Al Jaber stated that "Alongside the close cooperation between the Ministry and the EDB, Operation 300bn is the result of a tremendous collaborative effort with our stakeholders, which has in turn enabled and allowed us to develop practical, integrated solutions that we can begin implementing right away." EDBs Priorities Al Jaber stressed that in the next phase, EDB will step up the financial support provided to the industrial sector. Its priorities include establishing partnerships with UAE banks to extend financial services to small and medium industrial companies and increasing its direct financing by 73 percent in 2021 to support priority sectors, while also focusing on underserved sectors with extensive financial solutions. The Bank will also launch an AED1 billion investment fund for start-ups and SMEs in 2022 and targeting industrial companies in priority sectors that need financing and investment. Driver of the National Economy The Strategy extends the Banks continuous role in advancing the national economy. Since its inception, the Bank has supported 550 companies, allocating AED1.8 billion business loans to SMEs. The Bank provided housing loans worth AED2.4 billion, besides its $750 million 5-year Senior bond under a $5 billion programme. Released from Prison, Algerian Christian Faces Persecution in Tunisia Share Tweet TIZI-OUZOU, Algeria, April 5, 2021 (Morning Star News) After Slimane Bouhafs was released from prison in 2018, having served nearly two years for violating Algerias blasphemy laws, further persecution drove him to Tunisia. Threats on his life continue there, and he is stuck in legal limbo missing his daughters wedding on Friday (April 2). My daughter who gave so much to me, who has always supported me, she is getting married without me being able to be by her side, Bouhafs said in tears on Thursday (April 1). It is a very great pain that I am suffering. Initially sentenced to five years in prison in 2016 for messages he posted on Facebook favoring Christianity over Islam, Bouhafs benefited from advocacy efforts that drew international attention, and he received a partial presidential pardon in 2017 that resulted in his release on April 1, 2018. Like many Christians branded as blasphemers of Islam, his troubles did not end with his release. Hateful people still wanted my life, Bouhafs, 54, told Morning Star News. Once I found two tires on our car gutted with a knife. I was getting threatening phone calls. I registered the numbers and filed a complaint, but the prosecutor did not care; no follow-up. After his release, the government cut off disability benefits he had received due to a condition that caused him to stop working as a security guard in 1999, he said. Before that, he had worked as a policeman until 1994. For 19 years I usually received my due [benefits], but since my release, nothing, he told Morning Star News. The Algerian Islamist state stole part of my life and even my salary. I was left without a penny. Fearful for himself and his family, he decided to seek asylum in Tunisia, as obtaining a visa for Europe or North America was impossible, he said. Bouhafs arrived in Tunisia in October 2018 where he has been threatened repeatedly by phone and on social media, he said. Once, three people on a motorbike accosted me in the middle of the street, in front of a multitude of people coming and going, Bouhafs said. They asked for my papers with threats. I gave them my papers and told them I was a refugee. After taking a look, they handed them to me. It was then that they insulted me and threatened me without anyone intervening. One of the men had an Algerian accent, he said. I went straight to the police station to file a complaint. Unfortunately, there at the police station I was more mistreated, Bouhafs told Morning Star News. After finding articles on Google and finding out that I am a Christian and had been in jail accused of undermining Islam, the agents stood up against me, and they also insulted and mistreated me. I could only leave the premises forgetting the complaint. He began filing for asylum with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in November 2018, but his case was held up by several administrative delays, he said. During that period, I was very ill to the point where I was admitted to the hospital for 11 days, he said. I was experiencing indescribable anguish and stress. I only thought of one solution, suicide. I was given treatment which allowed me to resume. Occasionally he was able to receive visits from family members, he said, but the coronavirus pandemic has closed the borders, and he is now isolated. Following publication of his case in an Algerian newspaper in June 2020, administrative processes improved, and he was able to obtain a refugee card in October, he said. Bouhafs said he did not understand why the UNHCR has not found a host country and authorized his departure. Honestly, I do not understand why they do not let me go, why I do not have my ticket, when countries have agreed to receive me. I find that unfair and humiliating, Bouhaf said. I ask that the authorities concerned act quickly, without further delay, to allow me to reach a country of asylum, and that my family can join me. Troubled Journey Bouhaf is the father of three children, a 30-year-old son and two daughters, 28 and 19. His oldest daughter, Thilleli, recalled the trouble her fathers conversion in 1999 brought family members, who remain Muslim. My mother is a Muslim, but she suffered a lot because of my fathers conversion, Thilleli told Morning Star News. He had been threatened by several people. Once he was assaulted by an individual with a knife, in 2003. The case took several years in court, but with no positive outcome. Even the investigating judge mistreated my father at every hearing. A group of Muslims in their village began talking about killing him for abandoning Islam, she said. Our family was totally isolated; after that, we were forced to flee to settle in town, in Bejaia, Thilleli said. It lasted three years. Bouhafs journey to faith in Christ began with caring for a terrorist, he said. He had enlisted in the police force in 1990, just before the outbreak of civil war between the government and Islamist rebels, Algerias Black Decade (1991-2002), with top estimates of deaths reaching 260,000. I loved my country, and I wanted to fight terrorism to save my country, Bouhafs said. In 1994, we arrested an Islamist terrorist whom I took care of, treating and feeding him because I felt sorry for him then. His encounter with the Muslim prisoner led him to question Islam, he said. My talks with this person changed my life and my convictions as the Muslim that I was, he said. What I saw and heard in this person, added to that all the victims slaughtered, burned and killed by the terrorists, had pushed me towards the door to leave this religion. Since that year, I no longer wanted Islam, or rather Islamism. In 1998 he accompanied a friend to a Roman Catholic priests house in Bejaia, who provided him with books containing testimonies of people who had encountered Christ. Later Bouhafs obtained a Bible, and his studies led him to put his faith in Christ in 1999 and find fellowship in a Protestant church, he said. My soul finally found the peace I so longed for, but at the same time a storm broke out against me, Bouhafs told Morning Star News. All of the society I lived in had suddenly risen up against me. He received all manner of insults and death threats, he said. I was persecuted on all sides; I felt unwanted everywhere, he said. Not just me, but even my children and my wife had to endure persecution, even though they did not join me in my Christian faith. But to these pains was added the joy of seeing many people from the region agree to follow me to become Christians. For me, it was a great victory. The pressures nearly led to the break-up of his marriage, he said. Because of my faith, my poor wife suffered, Bouhafs said. I went to the gendarmerie station in Bou Salem on several occasions to lodge a complaint against all these attacks, but the gendarmerie did not respond. They did nothing. He was arrested on July 31, 2016 in a cafe by plainclothes police, and it was only under interrogation at the gendarmerie brigades Bou Salem quarters 15 kilometers (nine miles) from his home that he began to understand the accusations against him, his daughter said. Officers took him to the Beni-Ourtilene court of justice, where he was tried and sentenced by 6 p.m., essentially in secret and without an attorney, then taken to prison in Setif, advocates said. He was sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 100,000 dinars (US$750) for Facebook posts deemed blasphemous to Islam and Muhammad. My father told me that that day was the longest and most painful day of his life, Thilleli told Morning Star News. On top of all that, he was gone without his meds, which made him nervous and stressed. Bouhafs added, When I was in prison, I suffered a lot. I even came close to death after being poisoned. I suffered doubly from my disease and stress. The Algerian League for Human Rights (LADDH) advocated for his release on grounds that he had merely expressed his opinion of preference for another kind of religious worship, noting that the Algerian constitution recognizes freedom of worship. His attorney demanded charges be dropped based on the irregularities and formal defects observed during his arrest and then of its judgment at first instance on July 31, 2016 at the Beni Ouartilane court, though ostensibly his sentence was reduced by two years merely on grounds of mitigating circumstances. LADDH advocated for a presidential pardon on the basis of Bouhafs poor health, and the partial pardon granted on July 4, 2017 reduced his sentence further, so that he served less than two years. Since leaving Algeria a year later, Bouhafs has been waiting for more than two years for a country of refuge to open its doors to him and his family. Honestly, Im stuck I am as scared here as I was in Algeria, Bouhafs said. I am as threatened here as I was in my country. Algeria ranked 24th on Christian support organization Open Doors 2021 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, up from 42nd place in 2018. Tunisia ranked 26th on the list. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: GettyImages/Lemon_tm SAN DIEGO (AP) James R. Mills, a former Democratic legislator who led Californias senate during most of the 1970s and was credited with saving thousands of historic landmarks, has died. He was 93. Mills died on March 27 after battling kidney cancer, his family members told the San Diego Union-Tribune. During his 22 years representing San Diego in the state Assembly and Senate, the former middle school history teacher authored a law called the Mills Act to save historic buildings from being torn down by lowering property taxes for owners who preserve them. He also authored legislation that created San Diegos 54-mile (87-kilometer) trolley system and Old Town State Park. Mills also served as senate pro tempore from 1971 to 1980, the bodys top leadership position. He introduced a constitutional amendment in 1966, later approved by voters, that made the Legislature a full-time operation. Before then, lawmakers held a full legislative session every other year, with limited gatherings to pass a budget and deal with other pressing items in between. The shift was intended to help the Legislature respond more quickly to the needs of a fast-growing state. But after it was implemented, Mills came to regret the changing, saying he felt that it robbed legislators of the time off necessary to reflect on what they were doing, and what they had done. After he left the Legislature, Mills chaired the Metropolitan Transit Development Board in San Diego for nine years. Its headquarters is named after him. He also served stints on Amtraks board and the California High Speed Rail Authority. Dad believed that government existed to serve the people, and he fought for fairness, education, environmental protections, the coastline, the climate and public services, his daughter Beatrice Germain said. He was a real old-school progressive, and we are all proud of what he contributed. Besides Germain, Mills was survived by daughter Eleanor Howard, son Bill Mills and nine grandchildren. Associated Press The turnover of local freight companies increased by 47pct in 2019 compared to 2015 and by 163pct compared to 2010, to 66.4 billion lei, but for 2020, KeysFin analysts estimate a decline of about 2pct, to near the level of 65 billion lei, according to a company release. The estimate is based on the change in consumption behaviour (food retail to the detriment of durable goods) generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Romania is a strategic hub for freight transport in the region, but our competitive advantages were not maximized in the year of the pandemic. Even if there are companies growing in this market, the decline in industry shows the lack of a clear strategy to capitalize on the position of our country, as well as our internal human resources. Also, unfortunately, poor infrastructure is limiting freight business. For 2021, we believe the situation will only improve if the lost business is replaced by new sources of income, such as transport from pharma or other fields whose volumes have increased considerably," said Roxana Popescu, managing director at KeysFin. According to the analysis, the number of companies in the field increased by 22pct compared to 2015 and by 60pct above the level of 2010, to 41,500 companies in 2019. Their net result increased by 35pct compared to 2015 and by 2.8 billion lei against the loss of 0.4 billion in 2010, to 2.4 billion lei in 2019. Of the 41,500 companies analyzed, approximately 23,900 (58pct) recorded profit, 13,300 (32pct) had losses, and the rest had a net zero result in 2019. By type of company, large companies had the worst performance. The National Railway Transport Company CFR Marfa, a company ranked 4th in terms of turnover, recorded by far the largest loss in the industry, of 237.4 million lei (35pct of turnover) in 2019. The largest local carriers are mentioned in the analysis: Aquila Part Prod Com SRL, Grup Feroviar Roman SA and Carrion Expedition SRL. Cumulatively, in 2019, the top 10 local freight companies had a turnover of 5.86 billion lei, 8.9pct of the total industry. The number of employees in the local freight industry increased by 18pct compared to 2015 and by 43pct against 2010, to approximately 187,500 in 2019. For 2020, KeysFin analysts estimate a decrease in the number of employees to near the level of of 178,000, based on data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Regarding the largest employers, these are the Romanian Railway Transport Company SA, with 5,400 employees, representing 2.9pct of the total, Grup Feroviar Roman SA, with 2,200 employees and 1.2pct of the total, and Aquila Part Prod Com SRL, with 2007 employees and 1.1pct of the total. The first 10 local employers had 18,000 employees in the payrolls in 2019, respectively 7.2pct of the total employees in the industry. The volume of transported goods decreased by 2pct compared to 2019, to 394 million tonnes in 2020, according to data released by the INS. Road freight transport increased by 4pct compared to 2019, to 266.5 million tonnes in 2020, while rail freight transport decreased by 15.5pct to 49.7 million tons, air transport decreased by 14.9pct to 40,000 tonnes, maritime contracted by 11.1pct to 47.2 million tonnes, and inland waterway transport also decreased by 8.2pct compared to 2019, to 30.5 million tonnes in 2020. As a share of the mode of transport in the year of the pandemic, KeysFin analysts observe an increase in road transport of 3.8 pp, to 67.7pct of the total, followed by rail transport with 12.6pct of the total (decrease of 2pct compared to 2019), maritime transport with 12pct (annual reduction of 1.2pct) and inland waterways with 7.7pct of the total (annual contraction of 0.5pct) in 2020. KeysFin analysis is based on annual financial data, unadjusted, aggregated, reported by companies to the Ministry of Finance (at the end of the period). All figures are expressed in lei, and the data were extracted at the beginning of 2021. Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra on Monday thanked Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for not imposing a total lockdown. Mahindra who is known for his witty and often inspirational social media posts, took to Twitter urging people to strictly follow COVID protocols so that the current curbs imposed by the state government "can be lifted sooner rather than later." Posting the formal order passed by the Maharashtra government which detailed the activities that are allowed and prohibited in the state, Mahindra wrote, "Thank you @CMOMaharashtra for not imposing a total lockdown. My heart goes out to shop owners who face continuing hardship. It's now our responsibility to strictly follow Covid protocols so that these restrictions can be lifted sooner rather than later." The industrialist had earlier appealed to the CM not to enforce lockdown as it would hurt the poor, migrant labourers and small businesses. "The problem, @OfficeofUT ji, is that the people a lockdown hurts most are the poor, migrant workers & small businesses. The original lockdowns were essentially to buy time to build up hospital/health infrastructure. Let's focus on resurrecting that & on avoiding mortality." The problem, @OfficeofUT ji, is that the people a lockdown hurts most are the poor, migrant workers & small businesses. The original lockdowns were essentially to buy time to build up hospital/health infrastructure. Lets focus on resurrecting that & on avoiding mortality. https://t.co/sRoWonrJEp anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) March 29, 2021 The Maharashtra government on Sunday, April 4, imposed a fresh set of curbs comprising a weekend lockdown and a night curfew on weekdays to stem the surge in coronavirus cases in the state. Also Read: 'Lockdowns will be debilitating': Anand Mahindra suggests way to curb COVID spread in Maharashtra The restrictions were announced by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray following a Cabinet meeting chaired by him. The night curfew in Maharashtra will be in effect from 8 PM to 7 AM, whereas the weekend lockdown will be in force from 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC will be in place during the day on weekdays. The measures will be in force until April 30. Also Read: Uddhav Thackeray meets business leaders to discuss COVID-19 mitigation plan Meanwhile, essential services are excused from the ambit of the said restrictions. Maharashtra on Sunday recorded 57,074 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest one-day surge in the state ever since the pandemic began last year. Also Read: 'Comical, but physically taxing': Anand Mahindra on 'Murga' walk punishment for face mask violators Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government will be formed in West Bengal and the party would retain power for the second time in Asam. Addressing a public gathering in Sarbhog in Barpeta district of western Assam on Sunday, Shah said that the BJP will win more than 200 Assembly seats in West Bengal. "In the first two phases of election in Assam (on March 27 and April 1) the BJP has secured people's mandate to form the government once again in the state. After five years of the BJP rule we can now proudly say that in Assam there is neither terrorism nor there is agitation and protests, no illegal immigration, there is only peace, all-round development, progress and prosperity," he said. The former BJP national president said that after formation of the BJP government once again in Assam two lakh jobs would be created in the government sector and eight lakh jobs in private sector, thus a total of 10 lakh jobs would be created in the state in a year. The Home Minister in his speech on the last day of the election campaign ahead of the third and final phase of Assam assembly elections on Tuesday, said that it was decided to create Guwahati as the 'Start-up Capital' of the entire northeast region and also the South East Asia. Lambasting the opposition parties, Shah said that the Congress party aligning with AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) led by Badruddin Ajmal would never be able to stop illegal immigrations in Assam and they would not be able to protect Assam and its people. "Had there been the Congress government in Assam, not a single rhinoceros would be alive today. It was Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal whose strong governance and strict policy led to complete elimination of poachers of rhinoceros from Assam," he observed. The Home Minister cut short his campaigning in Assam and returned to Delhi in wake of the Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh that left at least 22 security personnel dead. The Supreme Court has vacated a ruling that prevented former president Donald Trump from blocking people on Twitter through his personal account, @realDonaldTrump. The US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York upheld a ruling that Trump could not block his critics on the platform, because he used it as a means of communication with the public while in office. After Trump lost his bid for re-election, the Justice Department urged SCOTUS to deem the case as moot. It argued in a January brief that because the account was Trump's personal one and the plaintiffs sued him in his capacity as president, he would "no longer be a party to this case" after President Joe Biden's inauguration. SCOTUS agreed with the DoJ. "Because of the change in Presidential administration, the Court correctly vacates the Second Circuits decision," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote. The ruling won't matter much to Trump, however. Twitter permanently banned him "due to the risk of further incitement of violence" in the wake of the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol. He's reportedly planning to launch his own social network. The lower-court decision had implications for other elected officials and how they communicate on social networks. The public interest in preventing impermissible viewpoint discrimination in government-operated social media accounts weighs heavily in favor of keeping the Second Circuits judgment in place, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which sued Trump in this case, wrote in a brief. The institute agreed that the ruling was moot, but instead claimed that it was because of Trump's Twitter ban. Under the First Amendment, US government officials and entities cant suppress opposing viewpoints. Last year, the Army was criticized for blocking someone who asked about war crimes on its Twitch channel. While we would have liked the Supreme Court to leave the Second Circuits ruling on the books, were gratified that the appeals courts reasoning has already been adopted by other courts, and were confident it will continue to shape the way that public officials use social media," Knight Institute executive director Jameel Jaffer said in a statement. Meanwhile, Justice Thomas wrote separately to note that while the plaintiffs had a point that "some aspects of Mr. Trumps account resemble a constitutionally protected public forum," there was a "principal legal difficulty that surrounds digital platforms namely, that applying old doctrines to new digital platforms is rarely straightforward." He suggested that it was odd to determine an elected official's Twitter account could be deemed "a government forum when a private company has unrestricted authority to do away with it." He also wrote it was unprecedented for a "few private parties" to hold "the concentrated control of so much speech," and added that, "We will soon have no choice but to address how our legal doctrines apply to highly concentrated, privately owned information infrastructure such as digital platforms." Updated 4/5 1:55PM ET: Added a statement from the Knight Institute. Suez Canal shutdown shows the vulnerability of the global economy to extreme events Posted on 5 April 2021 by Guest Author This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD A critical global shipping node Egypts Suez Canal was reopened on Monday, March 29, six days after being shut down when the 400-meter-long container ship Ever Given became lodged in the canal. A statement by the Suez Canal Authority initially blamed the incident on high winds and a sand storm that reduced visibility, but later said that strong winds were not the only cause, and that an investigation was ongoing. There is no clear indication at this point that climate change played a role in the sandstorm that led to the ships blocking the canal, but the incident raises intriguing questions that likely will prompt research into any correlation. The multi-day shutdown of one of the worlds busiest shipping chokepoints underscores the vulnerability of the global food system and economy to disruptions. That vulnerability is playing on the stage of increasingly extreme weather, rising seas, and an increasingly just-in-time world of shipping. Figure 1. MODIS satellite image from March 23, 2021, the day of the grounding of the container ship Ever Given in the Suez Canal. A cold front over Egypt was causing a widespread dust storm that affected the Red Sea, Suez Canal, and waters of the Mediterranean Sea. (Image credit: NASA Worldview) Meteorology of the event The high winds and sand storm that contributed to the grounding incident were caused by a cold front trailing to the south of a low-pressure system centered near southern Turkey. As the cold front swept eastwards across Egypt on March 23, powerful winds of 25-30 knots (29-35 mph) blew along the axis of the Red Sea from the south-southeast, into the southern end of the Suez Canal, as seen in the 6 UTC analysis from the GFS model (Figure 2). The Ever Given became stuck at 05:40 UTC that day. According to the GFS analysis, a sharp wind shift, with winds blowing out of the southwest to west, was present near the spot where the Ever Given blocked the canal, about five miles north of its connection with the Red Sea. The New York Times reported that winds in excess of 70 mph blew in the region where the Ever Given became stuck; the owner of the ship, BSM, said that initial investigations suggest the vessel grounded due to strong wind. The strong winds were accompanied by large amounts of sand and dust, reducing visibility and making navigation more challenging. Winds this strong are uncommon in the region, but strong winds have delayed shipping traffic or closed the Suez Canal on at least two occasions December 11, 2010, and February 11, 2015. Figure 2. The GFS model analysis from 6 UTC March 23, 2021, at the time of the grounding of the Ever Given. Sustained south-southeasterly winds of 25-30 knots (29-35 mph, yellow-green and yellow colors) were blowing across the Red Sea into the entrance of the Suez Canal. The black wind barbs show a sharp wind shift was present near the southern portion of the canal, where the Ever Given became stranded. (Image credit: Tropical Tidbits) A video Tweeted by Vakrio Technologies showed the course and heading of the Ever Given as it entered the canal, demonstrating that the canal is initially angled from southwest to northeast. Ever Given passed very close to the northwest bank of the canal at the start of its traverse, presumably pushed by the strong south-southeasterly winds blowing into the canal entrance from the Red Sea. For unknown reasons, the vessel was moving at 15 mph, well in excess of the 10 mph speed limit in the canal. As explained in an excellent analysis in the Financial Times (free registration required) by Brendan Greely, when a ship gets too close to a bank, shallow-water hydrodynamic forces can act to spin the boat a well-known phenomenon known as the bank effect, where the water speeds up between the boat and the bank, the pressure drops, and the stern is pulled into the bank while the bow is pushed away from shore. Possibly because of the bank effect, the Ever Given then slewed close to the opposite (east) bank of the canal. At that point, the canal is oriented north-south, and the vessel angled its heading to the left, perhaps again due to the bank effect, or possibly in response to a crosswind that had developed due to a wind shift to a more westerly direction. The ship again came close to the west (left) bank, potentially because of a swirling wind that briefly blew from the south, reducing the cross-wind component that was pushing the boat to the right. The Ever Given finally ran aground with its stern on the west bank of the canal and its bow on the east bank (Figure 3), suggesting that the bank effect may have acted to spin the ship and lodge it in the canal when it came too close to the west bank. Figure 3. Sentinel-2 satellite image of the Ever Given stuck in the Suez Canal on March 24, 2021. The stern of the ship was lodged against the west bank of the canal. (Photo credit: Pierre Markuse) Near-record March heat preceded the March 23 sandstorm An extraordinary March heat wave preceded the cold front and sandstorm that contributed to the canal-blocking incident; the day previously, Kharga, Egypt, recorded a scorching temperature of 44 degrees Celsius (111.2F), just 0.2 degrees Celsius below the highest March temperature ever recorded in the nation, according to weather records expert Maximiliano Herrera. The day of the sandstorm (March 23), Luxor, Egypt, hit 43.6 degrees Celsius just 0.6 degrees Celsius below the March national record. Herrera documented that on the day after the sandstorm, Mitribah, Kuwait hit 44.6 degrees Celsius (112.3F) the hottest temperature ever recorded in the Arabian Peninsula in March. Extreme heat dries the soil, allowing winds to more readily mobilize sand grains and create a dust storm. For example, a study of a high-impact sandstorm over the Middle East during August-September 2015 found that unusually hot and dry conditions preceding the event were responsible for its near-record intensity. The simulations showed that what was very unique about this storm is that, first, it was preceded by a very hot period, and so the land that was not covered with vegetation would be drier and it would be easier to entrain sand grains from it, said study co-author Eli Bou-Zeid, in an interview with the Climate News Network. Similarly, when the strong cold front swept through Egypt on March 23, 2021, the winds behind the front were able to loft an unusual amount of dust and sand into the air because of the earlier hot conditions. That created difficult circumstances for navigation on the Suez Canal. Climate change is increasing the incidence of such extreme heat events, and may have played a role in the blockage of the Suez Canal if reduced visibility is determined to have played a role in the ships grounding. Figure 4. The GFS model analysis from 6 UTC March 23, 2021, at the time of the grounding of the Ever Given, showing the departure of temperature from average. Temperatures were as much as 20 degrees Celsius (36F) above average to the east of a cold front moving across Egypt. (Image credit: Tropical Tidbits) Wind a more likely culprit than poor visibility Wind appears to be the main culprit for the grounding of the ship, however, with the sandstorms strong and variable winds making it more difficult to navigate the passage. For now at least, its speculative whether climate change may have increased the odds of the strong wind event on March 23. However, the large-scale weather pattern responsible for the sandstorm was quite extreme, and climate change could have contributed to make this event more extreme. Observations of the upper-level air patterns at 500 millibars (about 18,000 feet) on that date showed a very amplified and wavy jet stream pattern, with a strong ridge of high pressure over the Middle East and a strong trough of low pressure just to its west over the central Mediterranean Sea (Figure 5). Both features were about two standard deviations from the mean. There has been a sharp increase in similar global weirding extreme jet stream patterns in summer, as a result of a phenomenon known as quasi-resonant amplification or QRA described in detail in an October 2018 realclimate.org post by Michael Mann and reported in this writers 2018 post at Weather Underground. Modeling studies have shown that climate change may be responsible for the observed increase in summer QRA events, potentially because of how the Arctic is warming up more than twice as fast as the planet overall. A March 2021 study, Large scale connection to deadly Indian heat waves found that QRA events can also occur in spring, and may be connected to deadly April and May heat waves that affected India in 2010-2015. But Dr. Stefan Rahmstorf, a co-author of the 2018 QRA study, wrote in an email that there was no evidence of QRA conditions during the week leading up to the Suez Canal sandstorm on March 23. Dr. Mann, lead author of the 2018 QRA study, added, Our work certainly supports the increased incidence of persistent weather extremes of this sort (in fact, theres a new study just out that further confirms that these events are indeed increasing in Europe during the warm season), so the connection is plausible but not confirmed. Thus, it is possible that climate change may have increased the odds of the unusually amplified jet stream pattern responsible for the March 23 wind event in Egypt, but this possibility is speculative, and only more research may lead to further understanding of a possible connection with a changing climate. Figure 5. Northern Hemisphere 500-millibar heights (in decameters, or tens of meters) from the GFS model analysis from 6 UTC March 23, 2021, at the time of the grounding of the Ever Given. Colors show how much the predicted 500-mb height deviates from the average for this time of year, in standard deviations. Ridges of high pressures are shown in orange, and troughs of low pressure are blue; Egypt was located at the boundary between a strong trough of low pressure and strong ridge of high pressure. (Image credit: Tropical Tidbits) Climate change increasingly likely to threaten global trade chokepoints While the connections to climate change of the grounding of the Ever Given and closure of the Suez Canal are speculative, the event serves as a warning that climate change can be expected to cause an increase in extreme events that will impact critical global trade chokepoints. As explained in a 2017 report from Chatham House, much of the food required to feed 2.8 billion people passes through 14 critical shipping chokepoints (Figure 6): maritime corridors such as straits and canals, coastal infrastructure in major crop-exporting regions, and inland transport infrastructure in major crop-exporting regions. These chokepoints are at risk of closure due to three factors: 1) Extreme weather events or sea level rise; 2) Security and conflict hazards from war, political instability, piracy, organized crime and/or terrorism; and 3) Decisions by authorities to close a chokepoint or restrict the passage of food (for example, by imposing export controls). Thirteen of the 14 critical chokepoints have had a closure or interruption in transit at least once between 2002-2017, with the Strait of Gibraltar the only exception. Many of these events had potential climate change connections: for example, the 2011 and 2012 heat waves in the U.S. that led to multiple derailments of trains where railroad tracks warped in excessive heat. Figure 6. Key global chokepoints for shipping. (Image credit: Chatham House, adapted from Rodrigue, J.-P., Comtois, C. and Slack, B., 2017, The Geography of Transport Systems, New York: Routledge The report explained, Climate change is increasing the threat of disruption by acting as a hazard multiplier across all three categories of chokepoint risk. It will increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather, leading to more regular closures of chokepoints and greater wear and tear on infrastructure. Rising sea levels will threaten the integrity of port operations and coastal storage infrastructure, and will increase their vulnerability to storm surges. Climate change is expected to aggravate drivers of conflict and instability. It will also lead to more frequent harvest failures, increasing the risk of governments imposing ad hoc export controls. The forced closure of the Suez Canal due to a possibly climate change-related event should act as a warning: Climate change will cause disruptions to critical global trade chokepoints more frequently in the coming years, and we need to take strong actions to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce vulnerabilities to chokepoint disruptions. Every day throughout 1964, a postman called Eric Clague would deliver another bulging sack of fan letters to 20 Forthlin Road, Liverpool, where Paul McCartney had been brought up, and where his father still lived. That year, The Beatles were the four most famous young men in the world. In the first week of April, all top five singles in the American charts were by The Beatles. Who was Eric Clague? Six years before, he had been a junior constable in the Liverpool police force. On July 15, 1958, while off-duty, he had been driving a standard Vanguard sedan along Menlove Avenue when a 44-year-old woman stepped into his path. He braked, but too late: his car hit the woman, hurling her into the air. An ambulance arrived, but there was nothing to be done. Julia Lennon was dead. At that time, Eric Clague was a learner driver who was not supposed to be driving alone. His case was brought to court. Though an onlooker claimed Clague had been speeding, he denied it. The jury chose to believe him, and returned a verdict of misadventure. As he left the courthouse, Julias sister, Mimi, waved her walking stick at him. I got so mad . . . that swine . . . If I could have got my hands on him, I would have killed him, she said. Who would have imagined that the same man who drove the car that killed John Lennons mother (pictured together) would go on to become the postman whose job it was to deliver thousands of fan letters to Pauls family home? Despite his acquittal, Clague was suspended from duty and resigned from the police force shortly after. He then took a job as a postman, which is how he came to be making deliveries to the Allerton district of Liverpool. He never told a soul of his involvement in the death of Julia Lennon until he was eventually tracked down by a reporter 40 years later, in 1998. I have been haunted by this for all these years, Clague confessed. Hardly a week goes by when I dont think about it. Ever since The Beatles became famous I have been expecting this to come out. To be honest, Ive been dreading it . . . I remembered how the family had blamed me, and I wanted to tell them that there was really nothing I could have done. Mrs Lennon just ran straight out in front of me. I couldnt avoid her. I was not speeding, I swear it. It was just one of those things that happen. I read later how his mothers death had affected John Lennon terribly. I feel desperately sorry about that. But, as I say, it was just an accident. Only after The Beatles became world famous did Clague read in a newspaper that Johns mother had been killed by a car in Menlove Avenue, Liverpool. During research for his book One Two Three Four: The Beatles In Time, Craig Brown kept chancing upon remarkable coincidences surrounding the coming together of the band, and later serve as the inspiration for some of their songs I put two and two together and realised that it was his mum that Id killed. Everything came back to me and I felt absolutely terrible. It had the most awful effect on me. The Beatles were everywhere, especially in Liverpool, and I couldnt get away from it. My postmans round took me to Forthlin Road, where Paul McCartney used to live. At the height of The Beatles fame, I used to deliver hundreds of cards and letters to the house. I remember struggling up the path with them all. But, of course, they just reminded me of John Lennon and his mother. Its something I have always kept deep inside. I havent even told my wife and children. I suppose I will have to now. Who would have imagined that the same man who drove the car that killed John Lennons mother would go on to become the postman whose job it was to deliver thousands of fan letters to Pauls family home? While I was researching my book One Two Three Four: The Beatles In Time, I kept chancing upon remarkable coincidences like this. For instance, in October 1963, when She Loves You was top of the UK charts, and well on its way to selling a million copies, Paul McCartney was asked to judge a dancing contest on the TV pop show, Ready Steady Go! For instance, in October 1963, Paul McCartney was asked to judge a dancing contest on the TV pop show, Ready Steady Go! Paul picked a 14-year-old girl called Melanie Coe as the winner Four teenage girls had to mime to Lets Jump The Broomstick by Brenda Lee: the winner would get a signed copy of The Beatles LP Please Please Me. Paul picked a 14-year-old girl called Melanie Coe as the winner. The producer of the show was so impressed that he offered Melanie a years stint as a background dancer on the show, which meant she rubbed shoulders with stars such as Cilla Black, Stevie Wonder and Dusty Springfield. Had she not been picked out that day by Paul McCartney, might Melanie Coe have remained content with the life of an ordinary schoolgirl? Instead, she grew restless and took to roaming discos in London, against her parents wishes. On one occasion, she even bumped into John Lennon and his entourage in a club off Carnaby Street, and John invited her to join them for a drink. As in The Beatles song, she was just 17. Touched by these two chance encounters, the first with Paul, the second with John, what young girl could have resisted the lure of adult life? Unfortunately, it wasnt long before Melanie became pregnant. One afternoon she left a note and left home, off to live with a croupier in Bayswater, West London. But what McCartney would not realise was that Coe's shot at fame would end in her becoming pregnant and running away from her family - leading to the Beatles-penned song Shes Leaving Home On February 27, 1967, Paul McCartney happened to be reading the Daily Mail when a story head-lined A-LEVEL GIRL DUMPS CAR AND VANISHES caught his eye. It told the story of desperate parents searching for their daughter, Melanie Coe, who seemed to have everything money could buy. I cannot imagine why she should run away, her father was quoted in the newspaper as saying. She has everything here. She is very keen on clothes, but she left them all, even her fur coat. Without realising Melanie was the very same girl he had picked to win the prize three years earlier, Paul was inspired by the story to write Shes Leaving Home. I started to get the lyrics: she slips out and leaves a note and then the parents wake up . . . It was rather poignant, he recalled. When I showed it to John, he added the Greek chorus, long sustained notes, and one of the nice things about the structure of the song is that it stays on those chords endlessly. John found the chorus Sacrificed most of our lives, We gave her everything money could buy simple to write: these were the very same complaints he had heard so often on the lips of his strict Aunt Mimi. The Beatles recorded Shes Leaving Home on the evening of March 17, 1967. By this time, Melanie Coe was back home with her parents, who had managed to track her down. When she first heard the song on the Sgt Pepper album, released at the end of May, she had no idea it was about her. But I remember thinking it could have been about me, she said. I found the song extremely sad. It obviously struck a chord. It wasnt until later, when I was in my 20s, that my mother said, You know, that song was about you. Melanies mother had seen an interview with Paul on television and he said hed based the song on the Mail article. The most interesting thing in the song is what the father said: We gave her everything money could buy, Melanie said. And in the newspaper article, my father says almost those words. He doesnt understand why I would have left home when they bought me a car and they always bought me expensive clothes and things like that. Quite by chance, Paul McCartney had also hit another nail on the head: before starting work as a croupier, Melanies older boyfriend had, like the man in the song, worked in the motor trade. Coincidences such as these occurred in The Beatles story so often that, at times, I began to feel they were pointing to some sort of deeper synchronicity: it was almost as though a series of apparently random events had conspired to shoot these four working-class boys from Liverpool to the forefront of popular culture. Back in 1957, Paul had been a bright grammar-school boy, so much so that he had been encouraged to take two of his O-Level exams Spanish and Latin a year early. But over the course of the year, Paul grew steadily more interested in records and guitars, and, like so many boys his age, let his studies slip. This meant that he failed his Latin GCSE, which meant he was forced to remain in the Remove, alongside boys much younger. Among his new classmates was a 14-year-old he recognised from the bus as a fellow smoker. He had never spoken to him before, but now that they were in the same year, the pair of them began to grow close. This boy was called George Harrison. So if Paul had worked a little bit harder at his Latin, he would have passed his O-level, which would have propelled him up a year, and George Harrison would never have been invited to join The Beatles. And Paul would never have been born but for the chance decision by Hermann Goring to bomb Liverpool one particular night in November 1940. On that night, Mary Mohin, a 30-year-old midwife, was visiting her friend Gins mother in Scargreen Avenue. By chance, Gins brother Jim, 38, a member of the wartime Fire Brigade, was also there. The sirens started to sound and, as the bombs began to fall, Jim and Mary, both unmarried, started to chat. The conversation flowed and, by the time the all-clear had been sounded, they both felt that they were meant for one another. After a brief engagement, they married on April 15, 1941. Just over a year later, Mary gave birth to their first child, a boy. They christened him James Paul McCartney. That John ever met Paul was almost as random. On July, 6, 1957, Pauls school friend, Ivan Vaughan, suggested they go to the church fete at Woolton, where two of his mates would be playing in a skiffle group. If Ivan had come up with some other idea, Paul would never have gone to the church fete, and so would never have encountered John, who was, after all, nearly 17, while Paul had just turned 15. As for Ringo, if he had not been an extremely sickly child, its unlikely he would ever have learnt to play the drums. At the age of seven, he had been in hospital for a year following a burst appendix, which had then caused peritonitis. On his first night in hospital, the doctors had warned his mother he was unlikely to survive. He was back in hospital for his 14th birthday, this time with pleurisy and TB. Convalescing in a hospital in the Wirral, he used to look forward to the fortnightly arrival in the ward of a music teacher, who would bring along a selection of percussion instruments tambourines, maracas, triangles, tiny drums. The children were expected to join in, playing Three Blind Mice and London Bridge Is Falling Down. But the young Ringo stubbornly refused to participate unless he could play a drum. When the teacher left, Ringo would continue drumming on his bedside cabinet, in the absence of anything more drummable. This time, he remained in hospital for two years. By the age of 21, he had become the drummer with Liverpools top band, Rory Storm And The Hurricanes; in July 1962, The Beatles invited him to replace Pete Best. Coincidences abound in The Beatles story: from 1963 to 1967, Paul lived with his girlfriend, actress Jane Asher, and her family in Londons Wimpole Street. Janes mother, Margaret, was a professor at the Guildhall School of Music, and she was happy to teach Paul the recorder: he played it on Fool On The Hill. By chance, 15 years earlier, one of Margaret Ashers students had been George Martin, whom she had taught to play the oboe. Lennons second wife, Yoko Ono, always claimed that, before she met John, the only Beatle she could name was Ringo, because Ringo means Apple in Japanese. Quite by chance, when The Beatles set up their own company, they gave it the name Apple. One of the most random chances of all was surely Brian Epsteins decision to pay a visit to the Cavern Club on Liverpools Mathew Street. Epstein ran his familys record store, but was much more interested in classical music, so would have preferred to be visiting the Philharmonic. When the four young musicians sauntered on to the stage, he recognised them from his shop: they were the ones who lounged around in the booths, listening to the latest discs and chatting to the girls, with no intention whatsoever of buying a record. Between songs, the three yobs with guitars started yelling and swearing, turning their backs on the audience and pretending to hit one another. Epsteins assistant, Alistair Taylor, noticed Brians eyes widen with amazement. Neither of them was used to such abusive behaviour. After the show Taylor said: Theyre just awful. They are awful, agreed Brian. But I also think theyre fabulous. Lets just go and say hello. Today, most Beatles historians agree that, without Epsteins brilliant management, The Beatles would never have got off the ground. John Lennon was intrigued by such coincidences. He had a particular fascination with the number 9, and was often keen to point out that he had been born on October 9 and lived at 9 Newcastle Road, Wavertree, Liverpool. All the names in that address contain nine letters, as does the name McCartney. Johns songs included One After 909 and 9 Dream, and Revolution 9 appeared on The Beatles ninth album. Nine seems to be my number, Lennon once observed. So Ive studied it, and its the highest number in the universe; after that, you go back to one. Of course, like searching for human faces in a cloud, those who look hard enough for a particular pattern in life will eventually find it. Needless to say, many fans have spent an inordinate amount of time finding meanings in Beatles lyrics that their composers never imagined. For instance, some fans convinced themselves that each verse of Come Together contained a description of a different Beatle George, the holy roller; Ringo, the shooter of Coca-Cola; Paul, the good-looking one whos so hard to see. As was so often the case, this interpretation never occurred to John, who had composed it. But, in a funny way, this does not necessarily mean it is untrue: when it comes to The Beatles, you cannot help but feel that they were propelled by forces beyond themselves. One Two Three Four: The Beatles In Time by Craig Brown is published by Fourth Estate, 9.99. 2021 Craig Brown Arizona officials are putting farmers in south-central Arizona on notice that the continuing drought means a substantial cut in deliveries of Colorado River water is expected next year. A joint statement issued Friday by the state Department of Water Resources and the Central Arizona Project said an expected shortage declaration will result in a substantial cut to Arizonas share of the river, with reductions falling largely to central Arizona agricultural users. The Central Arizona Project is an aqueduct system that delivers Colorado River water to users in central Arizona and southern Arizona, including farmers, cities and tribes. A shortage declaration would prompt the additional reduction to take effect under 2019 drought contingency plan hashed out by the seven states in the rivers basin Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming to lessen the effects. The statement said the current thinking is that Arizona would be expected to reduce its use of river water by a total of 512,000 acre-feet in 2022, up from 192,000 acre-feet currently, but that supplies for cities and tribes are not expected to be affected. These reductions are painful, but we are prepared, the statement said. As we face the prospect of a hotter and drier future, we are confident that with our long history of successful collaboration among our diverse stakeholders agriculture, tribes, cities, environment and industry we will continue to find innovative and effective solutions to sustain Arizonas Colorado River supply. Arizona is entitled to 2.8 million acre-feet of river water. An acre-foot of water is enough water to cover an acre with water one foot deep. Steve Miller, chairman of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors, told the Casa Grand Dispatch it was unclear how farmers in the region will adapt. Will there be less crops grown? Probably, Miller said. Whatever happens in the future, theres constantly new technology or improvements in drought-resistant crops. We have very efficient farmers here in Arizona. Casa Grande farmer Nancy Caywood said farms should be very concerned by the prospect of their water allotments being reduced and should pick their crops carefully. What is going to happen to farms if they end up going bankrupt? Caywood said. Its a bad situation all over. Im not seeing selling our land, turning acres of beautiful farmland into solar energy or homes, as a good solution either. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Agribusiness Arizona CLARKSTON, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SideKick Operators (SideKick), the Texas-based strategic investment and advisory firm, is excited to announce its recent partnership with the Oscar W. Larson Company (Oscar Larson or the Company) and Trive Capital (Trive). Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Clarkston, Michigan, Oscar Larson is a growing and leading end-to-end provider of installation, testing, inspection, planned maintenance and repair services for fuel infrastructure across North America SideKick chairman Phil Miner said, We are thrilled to become partners with the Oscar Larson and Trive team. They put people first and lead with a service first mentality. SideKick is a co-investor alongside Trive and the shareholders of the Oscar W. Larson Company. SideKick is also serving as a strategic advisor to the Oscar Larson management team as the company expands nationally and broadens their offerings to better meet the needs of their customers. President Charles Burns said, We are excited about our partnership with Trive and Sidekick. Our teams share a passion for unrivaled service. We believe that this is the right combination to accelerate our growth and expansion. About SideKick Operators For more than 4 decades, the partners of SideKick Operators have been building long lasting and sustainable companies across North America. SideKick is a strategic firm investing in mission critical trades providing repair, maintenance, inspection, and testing services. The company joins in partnership with business leaders to build national brand reputations through operational excellence. SideKick comes from a history with a deep rooted appreciation for founder and family-owned businesses. About Trive Capital Trive Capital is a Dallas, Texas based private equity firm managing approximately $2 billion in aggregate capital commitments. Trive focuses on investing equity and debt in what it sees as strategically viable middle-market companies with the potential for transformational upside through operational improvement. We seek to maximize returns through a hands-on partnership that calls for identifying and implementing value creation ideas. The Trive team is comprised of seasoned investment professionals who have been involved in over 100 middle-market transactions representing in excess of $6 billion in revenue across Trives targeted industry sectors and situations. About Oscar Larson Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Clarkston, Michigan, Oscar Larson is a leading end-to-end equipment distributor and provider of installation, testing, inspection, maintenance and repair services to fuel infrastructure and other customers across the Midwest. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210401005805/en/ For inquiries, please contact Morgan McGee mmcgee@sidekickoperators.com Source: SideKick Operators The special legislative oversight committee on the COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers Home held its eighth hearing since October Monday, featuring testimony from experts on veterans health and wellness. The oversight committee was formed in response to the pandemic which claimed the lives of at least 77 veterans at the state-run facility on Cherry Street in Holyoke. The oversight committee is tasked with scrutinizing the response to the outbreak at the Western Massachusetts facility, the hardest hit of the states long-term care facilities. The committee hearing overlapped with another hearing in front of a joint legislative bonding committee as proponents work feverishly to pass a $400 million bond bill for a new Holyoke facility. The clock is running on an April 15 deadline to secure up to $260 million in federal funding to subsidize construction. Under the law, the state cannot do further planning or design work on the project until the bond bill is passed. There are only two soldiers homes in the state, and plans have been in the works since 2018 for a new, $200 million facility to replace the home in Chelsea. The Holyoke facility was built in 1952. The homes in Chelsea and Holyoke are governed by separate boards of trustees and operate under separate governance structures a frequently maligned disparity. Thomas Lyons, chairman of the board of the Chelsea Soldiers Home, told the committee Monday that leaders with the Chelsea home created a COVID-19 task force as early as January 2020 to respond to the pandemic. Leadership at the home said: It looks like were going to have a crisis on our hands, Lyons recalled, noting that staff at the Chelsea home worked hard early in the pandemic to bring data to the board and react swiftly to it. An independent report by Boston attorney Mark Pearlstein cited failures in leadership and communication as central to the breakdown at the Holyoke home during the pandemic. Former Superintendent Bennett Walsh was ousted over his response to the pandemic and has since been indicted for criminal neglect; he has denied any wrongdoing. The board of trustees recently voted to hire Rick Holloway, administrator at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise, as Walshs permanent replacement. Lyons also had words of caution for the committee. Its OK to look back, but dont stare. Lets not get too caught up staring at what happened, but rather come up with some creative ideas on how do we move forward? he said. The oversight committee is co-chaired by state Rep. Linda Dean Campbell and state Sen. Michael Rush. Also providing testimony were Andrew McCawley, president and CEO for the New England Center and Home for Veterans in Boston, and Nathalie Grogan, research assistant, Center for a New American Security, a think tank in Washington D.C. that conducted a veterans needs assessment in 2020. Groghan said the veterans population in Massachusetts is shrinking at a greater rate than the rest of the country. This could pose a risk to a still-vulnerable population. As the population gets smaller they are at risk of losing resources, which could have tragic results, Groghan said. While the oversight committees initial deadline to produce a report and recommendations for new legislation and reforms was March 31, it has been extended to an unspecific date. Related content: Pakistani officials say a terrorism court judge and three of his family members have been shot dead in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Judge Aftab Afridi, his wife, their daughter-in-law, and 2-year-old grandson were attacked by gunmen near the town of Swabi late on April 4 as they were returning home after attending a wedding, police officials told RFE/RL. Afridi's bodyguard and driver were seriously wounded by the assailants, who fled the area after the attack. Police said on April 5 that at least four suspects were detained in the killing. A police official was quoted by local media as saying that "apparently, it was a targeted attack." Afridi, a prominent lawyer and human rights activist, had been assigned to the terrorism court in Swat two months earlier. Terrorism courts in Pakistan were established to hear cases ranging from terrorist financing to the prosecution of perpetrators of militant attacks. Critics say Pakistan's sweeping anti-terrorism laws have also been used to silence critics of the powerful military. With reporting by Pamir Halimzai, Dawn, and AP United Kingdom Police reportedly crashed into a Catholic Good Friday Service and threatened fines on all who attended Mass. The Christian Post reported on Sunday that the London Police was accused of "brutally exceeding their powers" for shutting down the Lord's Passion service of the Christ The King Polish Church in Balham, London last Good Friday. A video showed one police as saying that those who attended will be fined for 200 each unless they go home, Sky News noted. "You are not allowed to meet inside with this many people under law. At this moment in time, you need to go home. Failure to comply with this direction to leave and go to your home address ultimately could lead you to be fined 200 or, if you fail to give your details, to you being arrested. It's Good Friday, and I appreciate you would like to worship, but it is unlawful," the police officer was heard in saying in the said video. The Wandsworth Times, on the other hand, explained the video showed the very moment the police was shutting down the service after they have intervened due to alleged breach of safety rules imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The media outlet said that the metropolitan police issued a statement immediately after the video had gone viral to explain their side on the matter. "You may have seen video showing police officers at one of a series of church services in #Balham. Please see our statement below," the Wandsworth Police tweeted on Saturday. In the statement, the Wandsworth Police stated that they came to the church at 5 p.m. on Good Friday in response to a call that informed them of a queuing crowd on Balham High Road outside the church. Officers then responded to the call and went to the church and did find "a large number of people inside the church" with "some people not wearing masks and those present were clearly not socially distanced." "We are particularly concerned about the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus as a result of large indoor gatherings at which people are not socially distanced and some are not wearing masks. As such officers made the decision that it was not safe for that particular service to continue," the statement said. The police said that they understood the "sensitivity of the situation" since they knew that the service was one of the events normally conducted by the church for Easter. Thus, their officers actually talked with the priest "outside the church" and only came inside after they were invited to "address the congregation." The statement clarified that "no fixed penalty notices were issued" in line with the incident despite what was stated by one of their officers in the video. The statement went on to say that the local police are continuously "with church authorities" on the matter. Meanwhile, a statement released by the Christ The King Polish Church in their website say that those present "obeyed their order without objection" after being told the service was "illegal" and should stop. "We believe, however, that the police brutally exceeded their powers by issuing their warrant for no good reason, as all government requirements were met. We believe municipal police officials have been misinformed about the current place of worship guidelines, saying the reason for their intervention is the continuing ban on public celebration in places of worship in London due to the lockdown on January 4, 2021," the statement said. The statement expressed "regret that the rights of the faithful have been wronged on such an important Day for every believer, and that our worship has been profaned" since local government guidelines allow the celebration of such services in places of worship as long as sanitary rules are complied with. It stressed that scheduled services until Easter Monday will continue and asked its congregation "to observe the current sanitary requirements in the Church and the space of social life, and to pray that such situations will not be repeated." In addition, the statement mentioned that their Polish Catholic Mission superiors have been informed about the incident, whose explanation they await from the local police. The statement invited those present during the worship service to file a complaint directly to local police and provided the link for it. The latest Trident scam, in which CBI booked the developers of the hotel project near Hitec City on charges of a Rs 1,285 crore bank fraud, will only add to the ongoing tussle between the state government and the banks. -By arrangement Hyderabad: The Telangana state government and several public sector banks are at loggerheads over mortgaged government lands and assets developed on them by loan defaulters, which is collectively worth thousands of crores. The latest Trident scam, in which CBI booked the developers of the hotel project near Hitec City on charges of a Rs 1,285 crore bank fraud, will only add to the ongoing tussle between the state government and the banks. While the state government tries to regain ownership of land parcels in situations wherein developers defeat the purpose for which the allocation was made, banks argue that the government had permitted mortgage of the property and hence cannot reclaim the land or the assets built on them. Documents available with Deccan Chronicle revealed that the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government leased about five acres to a consortium of companies to build, operate and transfer (BOT) the hotel project after 33 years. Initially, a five-star hotel, Trident was to be built at a cost of Rs 214 crore but the scope was extended, involving two hotels Trident and Oberoi. Though the second hotel remained incomplete, the project cost shot up to nearly Rs 1,300 crore. As the construction of the second hotel was stopped midway, the hotel building has a mysterious look. Half of it is just a skeletal structure, adjoining the Trident. Documents also revealed that Golden Jubilee Hotels Pvt Ltd, against which the CBI booked the case, had given an undertaking to lenders that it would deposit the entire sales turnover into an escrow account with the Bank of Baroda. Later, however, it alleged that the operating company had diverted the amounts to a separate bank account without its knowledge and approval. The agreement is clear that the project is built on a BOT basis and will become state property after the end of the concession period. We have to immediately move to protect our interests, a senior tourism official told this correspondent. In a similar case, the state government issued orders for resuming five acres which were gifted by the then Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy government to one Dr Krishna Swaroop Reddy in the prime Khajaguda area for a mere Rs 55 lakh under the pretext that he would build a state-of-the-art hospital and treat the poor in it. A former Rajya Sabha member who enjoyed huge powers during the YSR term, is said to have made a killing out of this deal. Three years later, the doctor mortgaged the property to Andhra Bank for Rs 90 crore and then defaulted on repayments. The lender approached the High Court against the government order resuming the five-acre land. We have been fighting several such cases, a bank official said on condition of anonymity. A study published in JACC shows that clonal hematopoiesis is an important pathological process that accelerates and aggravates the clinical progression of heart failure, independently of the presence of The adult human body produces hundreds of billions of blood cells every day. This essential process unavoidably leads to the appearance of mutations in the DNA of the progenitor cells. These are known as somatic mutations because they are acquired, not inherited. While most of these mutations are innocuous, occasionally a mutation gives affected cells a competitive advantage that allows them to expand progressively, generating clonal populations of blood cells. This phenomenon is known as clonal hematopoiesis. Now, a team of scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) and the Hospital Universitario Virgen de Arrixaca in Murcia has discovered that the presence of these acquired mutations in blood cells increases the risk of rapidly progressing heart failure, one of the chief causes of death in the world. Clonal hematopoiesis is linked to aging, because over time there is an increasing chance that a culprit mutation will be produced, explained Dr. Jose Javier Fuster, coordinator of the study published today in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). "Recent studies showed that people with clonal hematopoiesis have a higher risk of developing hematological cancers and dying. Curiously, however, the death of these patients is often due not to the cancer, but to cardiovascular causes." This new discovery has stimulated great interest in the possibility that clonal hematopoiesis might contribute to the increase in cardiovascular risk associated with aging. Heart failure is the main cause of hospitalization among people older than 65 years and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. "There is established evidence linking clonal hematopoiesis to an increased risk of atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of most heart attacks and a high proportion of strokes," commented Dr. Domingo Pascual-Figal, an external investigator at the CNIC and a cardiologist at the Hospital Universitario Virgen de Arrixaca in Murcia. Earlier experimental studies by CNIC scientists had also demonstrated that certain mutations that cause clonal hematopoiesis accelerate the development of atherosclerosis and the progression of heart failure symptoms in mice. In the new study, which included input from the CNIC Genomics and Bioinformatics Units and investigators at Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol in Badalona (Barcelona), the research team analyzed how the presence of mutations linked to clonal hematopoiesis affects the clinical progression of patients with ischemic or non-ischemic heart failure. The scientists monitored the genomic DNA sequence of blood cells from the heart failure patients over many years to detect the presence of clonal hematopoiesis and assess its possible connection with the progression of their disease. Commenting on the results, Dr. Fuster said that, independently of the origin of heart failure, "the presence of these mutant blood-cell clones aggravates disease progression and worsens prognosis." Dr. Pascual-Figal explained that the specific study finding was that "clones with mutations in 2 genes frequently linked to clonal hematopoiesis, TET2 and DNMT3A, were associated with a higher risk of heart-failure-related hospitalization and death." For the researchers, these findings "demonstrate the importance of clonal hematopoiesis as a pathogenic process that accelerates and aggravates heart failure progression, independently of the presence of atherosclerosis." The authors conclude that their study supports the emerging idea that "clonal hematopoiesis represents a new cardiovascular risk factor and an important link between aging and cardiovascular disease." The results, moreover, "open the way to the development of personalized therapies for patients with these somatic mutations, with the aim of preventing heart failure progression." The CNIC currently has several ongoing projects aimed at exploring the effects of somatic mutations and clonal hematopoiesis in more depth. The aim is to devise personalized strategies to prevent and treat patients with these mutations. ### The study was funded by a Beca Leonardo para Investigadores y Creadores Culturales (2019) from the Fundacion BBVA, the Carlos III Institute of Health, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and the Fundacion Seneca de Ciencia y Tecnologia de la Region de Murcia. About the CNIC The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), directed by Dr. Valentin Fuster, is dedicated to cardiovascular research and the translation of knowledge gained into real benefits for patients. The CNIC, recognized by the Spanish government as a Severo Ochoa center of excellence, is financed through a pioneering public-private partnership between the government (through the Carlos III Institute of Health) and the Pro-CNIC Foundation, which brings together 12 of the most important Spanish private companies. By Roselle Chen NEW YORK (Reuters) - Asian Americans and community activists rallied against anti-Asian hate crimes on Monday outside a New York courthouse where a man charged with assaulting a 65-year-old Asian woman in a hate crime was due to face his first hearing before a Manhattan Criminal Court judge. Police have identified Brandon Elliot, 38, as the man seen in a video kicking the woman to the ground and then kicking her head several times on March 29 near Times Square. Elliot was on lifetime parole since 2019 after serving a prison term for murdering his mother in 2002, according to local media citing court records. He was arraigned last week on two charges of second-degree assault as a hate crime and one count of first-degree attempted assault as a hate crime. "This attack would not have happened if he was not released," said Phil Wong, president of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance of Greater New York, standing in front of the courthouse, where demonstrators raised signs to "speak up against Asian hate" and to support the police. The New York Times identified the victim as Vilma Kari, an immigrant from the Philippines, citing a law enforcement source. Hate crimes reported against Asian Americans increased 149% annually in 2020 in 16 major U.S. cities, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. Concern over such crimes was heightened when six Asian women were among eight people shot dead last month at Atlanta-area spas. In California, Orange County prosecutors on Monday charged a man with hate crimes for throwing rocks at an Asian woman and her 6-year-old son as they drove, cracking their car's windshield. "The man later told police Koreans in the area were trying to control him," the District Attorney's office said. A 28-year-old man was charged with felony violation of civil rights and vandalism with a hate crime enhancement, plus a misdemeanor count for throwing the rock, prosecutors said. (Reporting by Roselle Chen in New York; Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta in Vista, California; Editing by Richard Chang and Dan Grebler) Tupelo Mostly Cloudy 85 Hi: 86 Lo: 65 Feels Like: 86 More Weather Columbus Mostly Cloudy 85 Hi: 85 Lo: 65 Feels Like: 88 More Weather Oxford Mostly Cloudy 81 Hi: 83 Lo: 60 Feels Like: 81 More Weather Starkville Partly Cloudy 85 Hi: 86 Lo: 63 Feels Like: 88 More Weather A seasonable day with just a very, very slim chance for a few showers, will be the weather story for our Friday. Better chances for some rainfall and some thunderstorms will be in our weather forecast for next week, due to a greater amount of low pressure in our area. MIDDLETOWN A college professor and native Sicilian, Angelo Glaviano is seeking to shed light on the contributions of fellow Italians, particularly Sicilians, in Middletown through a video and companion book project with colleague Daniel Nocera. What brought me into this project was giving credit to Sicilians who came here and made this country a success, said Glaviano. Glaviano, who has taught Romance languages at Middlesex Community College for 28 years,said he had already met his professional goals and was searching for something else when he had a conversation with a neighbor who said the Irish and the Sicilians built this country. That conversation inspired him to tell the story of local Italians. Glaviano, who lives in South Windsor, is working on the project with Nocera, the colleges corporate media producer, who does the filming. They should have no shortage of interview subjects as Middletowns Italians make up the citys largest minority ethnic population, with many hailing from the same town on the island of Sicily, Melillo, Middletowns sister city. The two started the project this past winter and hope to finish possibly in spring 2022. In addition to individual interviews, they plan on filming attendees at the 100th anniversary of the St. Sebastian feast and festival at St. Sebastians Roman Catholic Church, which local Italians built so they would have a church of their own. The three-day festival honoring the patron saint was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Glaviano, born and raised in Sicily, met his wife, Amy, from Canton, in Normandy, France, where they were studying as college students. He was learning French and working on his thesis. They eventually married in Sicily and moved to the U.S. after a few years, he said. When he came to Middletown, he thought he was hired by the college because he was a minority. Their response, said Glaviano, was: You, a minority in Middletown! Most people here are where you come from! Glaviano said hes now aware of the citys sizable Italian population, particularly those from Sicily, and believes the culture has been absorbed into the community, especially in local business. Yet, he feels there has been a negative perception of Sicilians, partly due to popular culture and the movie industry, such as an association with the Mafia. Sicily ... is a mixture of our history reflecting the influence of all past invasions, including the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Spaniards and Germans, said Glaviano. Those influences created a rich culture, distinct from Italy. All these influences created the Sicilian language, said Glaviano, which he values. Nevertheless, at times people associate this dialect with ignorance, he said. Sicilians speak their mother tongue, but are taught Italian in school as a foreign language. If you dont speak Italian, youre (considered) a hick, he said. Growing up, Glaviano said he heard people speak disparagingly of Sicilians and, when he was in France, he wouldnt tell people he was Sicilian, but said he was from Rome. Sicily was prosperous and powerful and then went into a decline, experiencing illiteracy, poverty, starvation and mass emigration, said Glaviano. People started leaving who never thought of going away, he said. So Sicilians came here because they needed a place where you had guaranteed success, said Glaviano. It was a place where they would overcome the language barrier and exploitation and endure, he said. A 1972 City Plan and Zoning report stated that Italians had become well assimilated into Middletown. It also said: They are reluctant to speak of the prejudice which they as a group were greeted in America. Little by little, the Sicilian community in Middletown grew. Sicilians would go to the Irish Catholic Church, but the Irish had Italians sitting in the back, said Glaviano, so they eventually built of church of their own, St. Sebastian. Typically, immigrants would rent a small apartment, then a larger one and then move into a house and out of the neighborhood, which indicated success, said Glaviano. That is what pretty much everyone did, he said. The Sicilian culture is to do your best, be grateful and dont expect a thank-you, said Glaviano. But he feels Italians should be proud of their accomplishments and would like to make his documentary and book available to others though the local library and the community college. At first, he didnt know where to start the project, but through Facebook he found Middletown families who have been here since the beginning. Theyre like nobility, he said. For example, he found Middletown native Bill Corvo, a lawyer as well as editor and publisher of the former Middletown Bulletin, who took it over from his father, Max. Corvo told him that Max, born in Middletown, joined the precursor to the CIA at 21 and was instrumental in the American invasion of Sicily in World War II, where there were virtually no losses unlike in Normandy. It made me proud of being a Sicilian, said Glaviano. He plans to talk to Carmelo Mazzotta Jr., who in 2007 published Notes of My Memories, which describes his familys immigrant experience and the everyday life of Sicilians in Middletown Another interviewee is actor Steve Scionti, formerly of Middletown, now of Idaho. Sciontico wrote the one-man play, Hear Whats in the Heart A Shoemakers Tale, which played at the Oddfellows Playhouse here and eventually Broadway, in which he played his grandfather, who was a shoemaker in town, said Glaviano. Other interviews include Tommaso Progano, chef and owner of the Cantina Cafe Restorante, and Sebastian Giuliano, former mayor of Middletown. But his effort isnt just about Sicilians, said Glaviano. When an African student at the community college saw the interview with Tommaso talking about saying goodbye to his grandfather in Italy, the student began crying. He said, I went though the same thing, said Glaviano. Anyone who watches this, they will say, thats me, said Glaviano. Who didnt have to adjust in coming here? Anyone wishing to get involved in the project can email Glaviano at aglaviano@mxcc.comment.edu. The American belief has long been that each generation will have a better lifeeconomically, technologically, socially, personallythan the previous one. But this idea of linear historical progress did not exist in most other cultures. All ancient culturesChinese, Babylonian, Hindu, Greek, and Romanhad different views. Some saw history as cyclical, and others saw history as a slow decline from past golden ages. The idea that history was moving in the direction of continual progress and improvement in the human condition simply did not exist. Then, however, came Christianity. As Robert Nisbet writes in his book History of the Idea of Progress, Christian thinkers gave to the idea of progress a large and devoted following in the West and a sheer power that the idea could not have otherwise [in the absence of Christian beliefs] acquired. The Greeks thought that the accumulation of human knowledge led to a mild, temporary improvement in the human conditionbut only between conflagrations. But Christian philosophers endowed the idea of progress with new attributes which were bound to give it a spiritual force unknown to their pagan predecessors. Christianity, then, offers unparalleled resources for cultural hope. (We are not for the moment talking about individual hopehope for life after death. We are talking about corporate hope, social hope, hope for the future of society, of the human racehope for a good direction to history.) Looking at the arc of history through the lens of Christs resurrection, we can make four broad statements about the nature of Christian hope: It is uniquely reasonable, full, realistic, and effective. Christian hope is reasonable First, there is formidable historical evidence that the resurrection of Christ actually happened. This makes Christian hope different from any other variety. N. T. Wright explains that the resurrection of Christ presents evidence that demands explanation from historians and scientists. It cant simply be dismissed. He writes, Insofar as I understand scientific method, when something turns up that doesnt fit the paradigm youre working with, one option is to change the paradigm. We are not to exclude the evidence just because our old paradigm cant account for it, but we are to include it within a new paradigm, a larger whole. A failure to provide a historically plausible alternative explanation for the eyewitness accounts and the revolutionary, overnight worldview change of thousands of Jews is not being more scientificit is being less so. Various kinds of Western progressivism believe history is moving toward more individual freedom or class equality or economic prosperity or technologically acquired peace and justice. But these views are not hypotheses that anyone can test. They are hope so hopesbeliefs that are not rooted in the empirical realm. The resurrection of Christ, however, includes powerful evidence from the empirical realm and, while still requiring faith, provides a highly reasonable, rational hope that there is a God who is going to renew the world. Christian hope is full Every religion has offered people a hope for a life after death. Our secular culture, in radical contrast, is the first in history to tell its members that both individuals and world history will end in ultimate oblivion. In the end, we go to nothing, both as a civilization and as persons. Other religions are ultimately spirit-ist in the sense that they believe matter is unimportant and in the end all that will exist is spirit. Secularism, of course, is materialist in its belief that there is no soul or supernatural reality, that everything has a scientific, physical cause. Article continues below Christianity differs from both. It does not merely offer the prospect of a wholly spiritual future in heaven. The resurrection of Jesus, to cite the Greek New Testament, is arrabon, a down payment, and aparche, the firstfruits of a future physical resurrection in which the material world will be renewed. It will be a world where justice dwells, every tear will be wiped away, death and destruction are banished forever, and the wolf will lie down with the lamb; these are lyrical, poetic ways of saying that this world will be mended, made new, liberated from its bondage to death and decay (Rom. 8:1823). This is the fullest possible hope. The resurrection of Christ promises us not merely some future consolation for the life we lost but the restoration of the life we lost and infinitely more. It promises the world and life that we have always longed for but never had. Christian hope is realistic The philosophy of G. W. F. Hegel has long been highly influential for Western thought. Hegel taught that history was proceeding through a dialectic in which, in each age, conflicting forces reached a new, greater synthesis. This meant that every age was better than the one before and history was moving upward in a series of unbroken steps. That, as we have seen over the last century, is simply unrealistic. Christianity offers an infinitely greater and more wonderful destiny for human history and society, but it does so realistically. If we look to the death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus, we see a very different divine model. His life was not in any way a series of upward steps. He emptied himself of his glory and came and died, yet this descent led to an ascent to even greater heights, because now he rules not only the world in general but also a saved people. It was only through his suffering and descent that he was able to save us and ascend. This is not the Hegelian merger of equal and opposite forces. Jesus did not synthesize holiness with sin or life with death. He defeated sin and death through death. But neither are Jesus life and ministry the random sequence ruptures described by the postmodernists. Jesus goes through darkness to eventually bring us to greater light. History is moving toward a wonderful destiny, but not in a series of successively better and better eras, going from strength to strength. That is not how God works. The secular idea of progress is naive and unrealistic. It is wrong to base a society on the assumption that every generation will experience more prosperity, peace, and justice than the one before. But the postmodern alternative robs us of any hope. Christianity, however, gives us a noncynical but realistic way to see history. Christian hope is effective Finally, Christian hope works at the life level, the practical level. The New Testament uses the word hope in two ways. When it comes to hoping in human beings and ourselves, our hope is always relative, uncertain. If you lend to someone, you do so in the hope that person will pay you back (Luke 6:34); if we plow and thresh, we do so in the hope that there will be a harvest (1 Cor. 9:10). We choose the best methods and wisest practices to secure the outcome we want. We insist to ourselves and others that we have it sorted and under control. But we do notwe never do. This is relative, hope so hope. But when the object of hope is not any human agent but God, then hope means confidence, certainty, and full assurance (Heb. 11:1). To have hope in God is not to have an uncertain, anxious wish that he will affirm your plan but to recognize that he and he alone is trustworthy, that everything else will let you down (Ps. 42:5, 11; 62:10), and that his plan is infinitely wise and good. If I believe in the resurrection of Jesus, that confirms that there is a God who is both good and powerful, who brings light out of darkness, and who is patiently working out a plan for his glory, our good, and the good of the world (Eph. 1:912; Rom. 8:28). Christian hope means that I stop betting my life and happiness on human agency and rest in him. Article continues below A person who gets a diagnosis of cancer will rightly put relative hope in doctors and medical treatment. But the main source of dependence must be upon God. We can have certainty that his plan and will for us is always good and perfect and that the inevitable destiny is resurrection. If a cancer patients main hope lies in medicine, then an unfavorable report will be devastating. But if that hope is in the Lord, it will be like a mountain that cannot be shaken or moved (Ps. 125:1). Isaiah 40:31 says that those who hope in the Lord are not anxiously holding on but always renewing their strength and even soaring. Hope in God leads to running and not growing weary and walking and not being faint. Jesus has secured this for us by his death and resurrection. When this assurance abides in us, our immediate fateshow the current situation turns outcan no longer trouble us. Hope comes from looking at him. Timothy Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. This article is adapted from HOPE IN TIMES OF FEAR, by Timothy Keller, published by Viking, an imprint of the Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright 2021 by Timothy Keller. [ This article is also available in ] Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo testified on Monday that officer Derek Chauvin violated the department's training policies and its "values" by kneeling on George Floyd's neck after he had stopped resisting. Arradondo, called as a prosecution witness at Chauvin's murder trial, said the use of force against Floyd was reasonable during the "first few seconds" of his May 25, 2020 arrest but it should have ended quickly. "It is contrary to our training to indefinitely place your knee on a prone, handcuffed individual for an indefinite length of time," the police chief of the Minnesota city said. "That in no way, shape or form is anything that is by policy," he said. "It is not part of our training and it is certainly not part of our ethics or our values. "Once Mr. Floyd had stopped resisting, and certainly once he was in distress and trying to verbalize that, that should have stopped," Arradondo said. The 45-year-old Chauvin, who is white, was seen in a video taken by a bystander kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed Floyd for more than nine minutes as the 46-year-old African-American man complained repeatedly that he "can't breathe." Arradondo, 54, Minneapolis's first Black police chief, fired Chauvin and the three other officers involved in the arrest that led to Floyd's death the day after the incident. The harrowing video of Floyd's arrest touched off protests against racial injustice and police brutality in the United States and around the world. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and manslaughter. Another senior Minneapolis police officer, Inspector Katie Blackwell, testified on Monday about the training in the use of force that Chauvin and other officers received. Blackwell, who headed the police training unit, was shown a picture of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck and asked if that was an approved neck restraint. Story continues "I don't know that kind of improvised position that is," she said. "It's not what we train." - 'Hypoxia' - Eric Nelson, Chauvin's attorney, introduced video at one point that he said showed Chauvin's knee on Floyd's shoulder blade and not on his neck. Prosecutors countered that the video depicted the moment when paramedics arrived and Chauvin had removed his knee from Floyd's neck to get up. Also testifying on Monday was the doctor who treated Floyd when he was brought to the emergency room at the Hennepin County Medical Center. Bradford Wankhede Langenfeld said Floyd was in cardiac arrest when he arrived and 30 minutes of efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. He said a lack of oxygen was the most likely reason Floyd's heart had stopped beating. "I felt that hypoxia was one of the more likely possibilities," Langenfeld said. Prosecutors are seeking to prove that Floyd's death was due to asphyxiation while Chauvin's defense attorney claims it was due to illegal drugs in his system. Langenfeld said the two paramedics who brought Floyd to the hospital did not mention any drug use or the possibility that he had overdosed. Arradondo and Blackwell were the latest police officers to be called by the prosecution to testify against Chauvin. Lieutenant Richard Zimmerman, the longest-serving officer in the Minneapolis Police Department, testified last week that Chauvin's use of force against Floyd was "totally unnecessary." Zimmerman said he had reviewed bystander and police bodycam video of Floyd's arrest and Chauvin had violated department policies on the use of force. "Pulling him down to the ground facedown and putting your knee on a neck for that amount of time, it's just uncalled for," Zimmerman said. The first five days of the trial also featured emotional testimony from bystanders who witnessed the arrest and urged Chauvin to remove his knee from Floyd's neck. The nine-woman, five-man jury hearing the case in a heavily guarded Minneapolis courtroom has also been repeatedly shown the graphic video of Floyd's arrest. Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge -- second-degree murder. The other three former police officers involved in the arrest -- Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng -- are to be tried separately later this year. cl/bgs Mr. Mulgrews appeal to the state highlighted his diminished leverage in the negotiations, in part because teachers have been eligible for the vaccine for nearly three months, and well over 65,000 education staffers have been vaccinated. Closures have accelerated in recent weeks and months, as middle and high school students have returned to their buildings after months of all-remote learning. The vast majority of New York City students roughly 700,000 out of 1 million have chosen to learn remotely full time, which means the closure rule did not affect most families. But the city is giving all families an opportunity to switch from remote learning to classroom instruction for the rest of the school year, so that number may shift. Some students will get full-time instruction, while others will go in a few days a week and learn from home the rest of the time, based on individual school capacity. Families have until the end of the day on Friday to switch. The citys schools have had very low virus transmission in classrooms since they began to reopen last fall. In recent weeks, some epidemiologists and medical experts have told ProPublica and the education news site Chalkbeat that New Yorks two-case rule was arbitrary and had led to unnecessary closures, and called on the mayor to adjust it. The way to beat Covid is not by closing schools excessively, but by suppressing transmission both inside and outside of schools, Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, the citys health commissioner, said during a news conference on Monday. The closure rule was settled last summer during a period of intense turmoil between City Hall and the union, at a moment when it was unclear whether Mr. de Blasio would be able to reopen schools at all. The city and union eventually agreed on a host of safety rules that cleared a path for New York to become the first large school district in America to reopen schools for all grades. Several of those rules have changed over the last eight months. The mayor said over the summer, when the average citywide test positivity rate was hovering under 1 percent, that the entire school system would shut if the positivity rate hit 3 percent, which it did in November. He closed the school system for several weeks but came under significant pressure from parents and experts to set a different threshold. NASHVILLE, Tenn. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee is kicking off Second Chance Month by hosting a roundtable conversation on criminal justice policy with conservative thought leaders, including former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, former Governor Rick Perry, Pat Nolan, Brooke Rollins and Josh Smith. Criminal justice reform is still somewhat of a conservative frontier, and with our strong proposals, we can reduce recidivism, save taxpayer dollars and make Tennessee communities safer, said Gov. Lee. I look forward to a thoughtful discussion on how Tennessee can lead the nation in balancing the notion of justice with the public safety outcomes we all expect. The American Conservative Union Foundation (ACUF) has consistently scored legislation in states across the country similar to that which Governor Lee has proposed, said David Safavian, General Counsel for ACUF. We view the underlying tenets of his approach as built on conservative ideals of improving community safety, advancing human dignity, reducing wasteful spending and the belief in redemption. Roundtable Discussion on Conservative Criminal Justice Reform Wednesday, April 7 11:15 a.m. CT About the Panelists: Newt Gingrich: A fearless visionary and historian, Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich is one of the foremost economic, social, political, and security-focused conservative thinkers today. He is well-known as the architect of the Contract with America that led the Republican Party to victory in 1994 by capturing a majority in the United States House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. Today, Newt is Chairman of Gingrich 360, a full-service American consulting, education and media production group that connects the past, present, and future to inspire audiences, solve challenges and develop opportunities. Pat Nolan: Pat Nolan is the Director Emeritus of the American Conservative Union Foundations Nolan Center for Justice. Nolan is a leading voice on criminal justice reform, highlighting the skyrocketing costs of prison, fiscal responsibility in the criminal justice system and reforms for non-violent offenders. Nolan is the author of When Prisoners Return, which describes the important role of the Church in helping prisoners get back on their feet after they are released. He is a frequent expert witness at Congressional hearings on important issues such as prison work programs, juvenile justice, prison safety, offender reintegration and religious freedom. Gov. Rick Perry: Rick Perry is a former United States Secretary of Energy, serving under U.S. President Trump from March 2017 to December 2019. Prior to joining the Administration as Secretary of Energy, Perry served as the 47th Governor of Texas. As Governor of the Lone Star State, Perry championed conservative principles including leading the nation in criminal justice reform efforts, which eventually became a national blueprint for reform. Brooke Rollins: Brooke Rollins is an attorney who served as the acting director of the United States Domestic Policy Council under President Donald Trump and oversaw the White House Office of American Innovation. Rollins was president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, an Austin-based free-market think tank, from 2003 through 2018. Rollins previously served as deputy general counsel, ethics advisor and policy director to Texas Governor Rick Perry. Josh Smith: A Tennessean who was formerly incarcerated, Josh has spent the past 15 years actively involved in criminal justice reform in Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee and countries in Central America. Smith has supported programs that provide hope, training and reentry support for prisoners and their families who earnestly want a new life, including hiring and mentoring many felons. In June of 2019 he was named to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lees Criminal Justice Reinvestment Task Force. He and his wife of 23 years, Tracy, are now driven to reshape the reality for offenders, from the time they enter prison through their re-entry. ### Size apparently does matter when gauging the breeding capacity of a ram. An unscientific gander at furry testicles the size of a small handbag distinguishes who the top studs are in Rams, an Australian comedy drama about brothers who are rival sheep farmers. As the top breeders in a local livestock show, their rams get the most attention, but the brothers have barely spoken in years. The bloodline of their prized sheep is one of the few things that ties them together. Sam Neill, who starred as the dashing paleontologist in the Jurassic Park movies, plays Colin Grimurson. Hes the younger brother and is more diligent and social. Michael Caton plays the older brother, Les, who with his shaggy gray beard and sagging body has let bitterness and alcoholism take over his life. The brothers maintain separate flocks of the same line of heritage sheep. In a coincidental timeliness of the films release, its set in a world disrupted by plagues, natural disasters and resistance to change, government and science. A sheep disease has quietly infiltrated the region. In a dry season, massive fires rage through the forests and fields. The farmers are split over trust in the government and whether its solutions to the sheep illness are necessary or misguided rules imposed from afar. Theres even a bit of wrangling over species preference, as the heritage-line breeders look down their noses at the prospect of raising the more common and profitable Merino sheep and worse, one farmer gets nothing but grief for having diversified into raising alpacas. All of the chaos threatens to turn the brothers tense truce into a winner-take-all war. The brothers best rams go head-to-head in a sheep judging contest, but problems arise when Colin suspects Less ram has Ovine Johnes Disease (OJD). That would be devastating, because the disease spreads long before a sheep shows symptoms, and the Australian government controls outbreaks by slaughtering affected herds. It has programs to compensate farmers, but the farmers would rather save their sheep. Rams is an adaptation of the 2015 Icelandic film Hrutar. It was filmed in the beautiful and rugged areas of western Australia, but with more star-power in the cast. It added some comedy, much of it involving sheep reproduction and the dirty work of farming. The brothers feud is complicated. Their homes are a stones throw apart, but they keep their distance. They practically share a sheepdog, which at times runs written messages between them like a carrier pigeon. Caring for sheep is the only thing they mutually respect. They barely talk to each other, and that both makes some of their silent discoveries visually powerful and also muffles the drama of the films main thrust. Sheep are a humorous choice for a grand battle between two stud farmers. The film also touches on toxic masculinity. Colin has spent a lot of time isolated on his farm, and while he loves his sheep, he barely notices or tolerates overtures from Kat (Miranda Richardson), a local veterinarian torn between the farmers and assisting government efforts to control the outbreak. Leon Ford is amusing as a technology-happy young bureaucrat. The humor there gets predictable at times, as he seems to care more about his smartphone reception than the prospect of destroying flocks of animals. The drama hangs on what the various plagues push the brothers to do, and whether they would rather preserve the genes of their family or their familys prized sheep. "Rams" opens on April 9 at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge. Musical shows 'Comedy of Tenors' and 'Nunsense' open at Jefferson Parish stages After almost 900 performances at New York Citys Metropolitan Opera, Anthony Laciura is a familiar face to opera lovers. Fans of Martin Scorse Third, with their newfound autonomy, the states should radically expand their distribution channels. GPs of course need to be adequately compensated for being at the front line of the vaccination campaign. Its the falsest of false economies to try to ensure no doctor makes a cent from delivering COVID-19 vaccines. We should err on the side of speed rather than penny-pinching. The cost of delay is massive, dwarfing any windfall to GPs. But distribution must extend well beyond GPs. If we were to roll out our COVID-19 vaccine at the rate we administer flu vaccines each year, wed be well on our way to vaccinating at the rate of 200,000 a day we need to finish by the end of the year. Just as we do with the flu vaccine, we should roll out COVID-19 vaccines through pharmacies with extreme urgency. And we should also utilise large public venues like the SCG and MCG to deliver vaccines at an industrial scale, as in the US. Loading Last, the part of the process the federal government is squarely responsible for vaccine procurement needs to be radically ramped up, no matter the cost. We need more doses of the high-efficacy vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna, and the relatively high-efficacy and single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. While Europe has blocked exports of some vaccines, production in the US is beginning to outstrip its domestic consumption and it has been exporting doses to Canada. Given our special relationship with the US, we should be aggressively pursuing vaccines from this market as well. The government must get more doses of the vaccines now, from wherever it can, and pay whatever price the producers demand. Thats the price we pay for being inadequately prepared but its nevertheless well worth paying. Australias vaccine rollout has been an abject failure, largely because the roles and responsibilities of the feds and states have been imperfectly and opaquely defined. The quickest way to end the blame game is to make it clear to the public exactly who is to blame and for what. Both the feds and states have an incentive to clear that up. The sooner they do so, the sooner the pace of our rollout can increase ten-fold, as it desperately needs to. China reported its biggest daily jump in new COVID-19 cases in more than two months, as a city on the border with Myanmar in southwestern Yunnan province accounted for all new local cases. Ruilis local government put residents in its urban area under home quarantine, launched a massive testing drive and began restricting people from leaving and entering the city from last week after reporting COVID-19 patients. The city accounted for all of the 15 new local cases reported on April 4. The total number of new COVID-19 infections, including imported infections originating from overseas, stood at 32, marking the highest total since Jan. 31. Genetic analysis of the cases discovered in Ruili suggest the new local infections stem from viruses imported from Myanmar, state media reported. Of the new patients reported in the city, 11 of them were identified as Myanmar citizens. Ruili is a key transit point for Yunnan province, which has struggled to monitor its rugged 4,000 km (2,500-mile) border with Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam for illegal immigration amid a wave of unauthorised crossings last year by people seeking a haven from the pandemic. Local authorities have also begun a vaccination drive in Ruili in a bid to contain COVID-19 and build up herd immunity in the city. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, stood at 18, matching the total from a day earlier. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland China now stands at 90,305, while the death toll remains unchanged at 4,636. The first testimony was a historic plunge for the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (CVJR) into the early years of independent Mali. The fate of Fily Dabo Sissoko and Hamadoun Dicko, political opponents of Malis first president Modibo Keita, and Kassoum Toure, an influential trader, were recounted by their children. Decades later, they and many other Malians still want the truth about the death sentences handed down against them on 1 October 1962 by a Bamako peoples court in the trial of 91 people accused of conspiracy and anti-national activities for taking part in demonstrations against the creation of the Malian franc. We speak on behalf of these hundred vilified and humiliated families, said Oumar Hamadoun Dicko, spokesman of the victims group. On 20 July 1962, a violent demonstration of shopkeepers broke out in Bamako demanding the release of Kassoum Toure, their leader detained by the police. Suspected of being the instigators of this movement, Fily Dabo Sissoko and Hamadoun Dicko were arrested by soldiers a few hours later in front of their family. They broke everything in our house. They took us out of our rooms with rifle butts and arrested my father, whom we never saw again, recalls Oumar, Hamadoun Dickos son. The two political opponents and the shopkeeper were tried without the assistance of a lawyer, witnesses told the CVJR, and given a death sentence which was later commuted to hard labour for life. To serve their sentence, they were sent to one of the countrys most severe prisons in Kidal. They died there two years later, in 1964. The circumstances of their deaths are not clear. The government of the time said the prisoners died following an attack by an armed rebel group in the desert as they were being transferred. This version is refuted by their sons, who find it convenient that only the prisoners were killed, when they were accompanied by soldiers. They believe that it was actually a firing squad that shot their fathers. And now, 57 years later, they are demanding the truth and answers. Disappearances blamed on the army As in the CVJRs two previous public hearings on 5 December 2020 and 8 December 2019, the victims want answers, most often to questions addressed to the authorities. Of the eleven incidents on the programme for this hearing, six concerned cases of disappearances attributed to the Malian army. Why does an army that is supposed to protect the population commit such acts? asked Ousmane Macinanke, whose father was abducted by soldiers in 2013 in Kona, near Mopti, central Mali. He was the pillar of the family, we dont know anything about what happened to him or why. Let them tell us if he is alive or dead, and if he is, let them show us his grave so that we can finally mourn him, said the 41-year-old jeweller, who could not contain his tears as he told his story. By evoking these abuses, the victims have reopened wounds that are sometimes more than 50 years old. These hearings are not intended to stir things up, but rather to allow the families to share their pain with the entire Malian people, said the president of the CVJR. When her turn comes to testify Fatoumata Traore says her only hope is to find her husband alive and be a family with their daughter, born three days after his abduction. In 2015, when she was only 16 years old, her husband and five other men were abducted by elements of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), an armed group that signed the 2015 peace agreement. As there was no news, all the wives remarried except Fatoumata Traore. She remains hopeful, but her research has so far proven fruitless, and all her questions unanswered. She now survives by selling food. At the end of her testimony, she asked for help so that she and her daughter can lead a decent life and urged the CVJR to do everything possible to find her husband. We thank her, we have taken note of her requests, her recommendations and her words. We will report on it, replied the Commission President in his formal tone. I wish the Commission would fight These hearings, limited in number of testimonies and spaced out in time, have for some witnesses a taste of too little. Bassirou Camara, one of the older brothers of Abdoul Karim Camara, a student leader who died depending on the accounts, which differ under police or military torture in 1980 and whose grave has never been indicated to his family, challenged the president of the CVJR: The victims speak, full stop. It should not be limited to that. If I come here to say I forgive, it is because I have no other alternative, there is no confrontation with the perpetrators. I wish the CVJR would fight to tell us where our brothers grave is. The credo should be victims speak, the CVJR acts. The CVJR does not have a judicial mandate and therefore cannot carry out confrontations, replied the president of the commission, Ousmane Oumarou Sidibe, assuring that everything will be in the final report. We support and appreciate the approach, but Mali is a country of reports and opinions that are lie sleeping. I hope that your work will not be in vain, Camara retorted, adding that if we do nothing against injustice, Mali will be nothing. The CVJR has three more public hearings to hold before its mandate ends in December 2021. The Supreme Court handed a major victory to Google on Monday, siding with the tech titan in its $8 billion copyright clash with Oracle over the Android operating system. In a 6-2 ruling, the nations highest court said Googles adoption of a portion of Oracles Java SE code to create its world-dominating Android smart phone interface qualified as permissible fair use. Google released its Android platform in 2007, and it quickly became the most popular operating system on smartphones around the globe. According to the new 40-page ruling, Google copied roughly 11,500 lines of code from the Java SE program during the creation of Android, an amount the court considered only a small fraction of the millions of lines of code that ultimately created a new and transformative product. Google copied those lines not because of their creativity, their beauty, or even (in a sense) because of their purpose. It copied them because programmers had already learned to work with the Sun Java APIs system, and it would have been difficult, perhaps prohibitively so, to attract programmers to build its Android smartphone system without them, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote. Further, Googles basic purpose was to create a different task-related system for a different computing environment (smartphones) and to create a platform the Android platform that would help achieve and popularize that objective, he wrote. The amount of copying was tethered to a valid, and transformative, purpose, he wrote. Two conservative justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. Thomas wrote that he believed Oracles code at issue here is copyrightable, and Googles use of that copyrighted code was anything but fair. The courts newest member, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, did not participate in the decision because it was argued in October, after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg but before she was sworn in. Google called Mondays ruling a victory for consumers, interoperability, and computer science. Story continues The decision gives legal certainty to the next generation of developers whose new products and services will benefit consumers, Kent Walker, Googles chief legal officer, said in a statement. Oracle said the outcome would help Google tighten its alleged stranglehold on the market. The Google platform just got bigger and market power greater. The barriers to entry higher and the ability to compete lower. They stole Java and spent a decade litigating as only a monopolist can, Oracles chief legal officer, Dorian Daley, wrote in a statement. Fellow tech giants Microsoft and IBM had thrown their support behind Google in the closely watched case. The Motion Picture Association and the Recording Industry Association of America were among those supporting Oracle and tighter copyright laws in general. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a hearing evidence stage for his trial over alleged corruption crimes, at the Jerusalem district court, in Salah El-Din, East Jerusalem, on April 5, 2021. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP) Israels Netanyahu in Court as Parties Weigh In on His Fate JERUSALEMPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus corruption trial resumed Monday, with a key witness painting a picture of an image-obsessed Israeli leader forcing a prominent news site to flatter his family and smear his opponents. The testimony came as Netanyahus chances of securing another term in office following last months parliamentary elections appeared to be dwindling in high-stakes political talks hosted by the countrys figurehead president just a few miles (kilometers) away. In a nationally televised address, Netanyahu accused prosecutors of persecuting him in an attempt to undermine the will of the voters and to drive him out of office. This is what a coup attempt looks like, he said. In a post-election ritual, President Reuven Rivlin was consulting with the various parties elected to parliament before choosing a candidate to form a new government. With both Netanyahu and his main rival, Yair Lapid, failing to gain the support of a majority of lawmakers, Rivlin faces a difficult task, and the country risks plunging into an unprecedented fifth consecutive election campaign in the coming weeks. Late on Wednesday, Lapid called on the countrys anti-Netanyahu factionsa patchwork of parties with vast ideological differencesto put aside their differences and form a unity government. He said he had even offered Naftali Bennett, leader of a small right-wing party, a power-sharing rotation, with Bennett serving first as prime minister. Anyone who saw Netanyahus reckless performance today understands he cant carry on in his job, Lapid said. We know how to bridge divides. We dont hate one another. Netanyahu has been charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. Mondays proceedings, the first in two months, marked the beginning of the evidentiary phase, in which a long line of witnesses are to take the stand against the prime minister. The session focused on the most serious case against Netanyahuin which he is accused of promoting regulations that delivered hundreds of millions of dollars of profits to the Bezeq telecom company in exchange for positive coverage on the firms popular news site, Walla. Ilan Yeshua, Wallas former chief editor, described a system in which Bezeqs owners, Shaul and Iris Elovitch, repeatedly pressured him to publish favorable things about Netanyahu and smear the prime ministers rivals. The explanation he was given by the couple? Thats what the prime minister wanted, he said. Israeli businessman Shaul Elovitch and his wife Iris attend the hearing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus trial over alleged corruption crime at the Jerusalem district court in Salah El-Din, East Jerusalem on April 5, 2021. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP) He said the pressure went on for hours on end over several years. The Elotviches, who are also defendants in the case, chose photos, headlines, word choice and other content. Yeshua said they also ordered him to write unfavorable articles about Netanyahus rivals, giving them pejorative nicknames. Naftali Bennett, a former Netanyahu ally turned rival, was known as the naughty religious one, and former Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, who is of North African descent, was called smiley and the Arab. Yeshua said he never spoke directly to Netanyahu, and that requests also came from intermediaries, including former Netanyahu aide Nir Hefez, who has turned states witness and is also expected to testify against the prime minister. It was clear that I needed to comply with Nirs requests to put up positive articles, and remove negative ones, Yeshua said. He said his staff was furious about the pressure and one editor even nicknamed the prime minister Kim, after the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. He said Shaul Elovitch referred to Netanyahu as the big guy, and would also show him text messages from the prime ministers son, Yair, asking for articles to be changed or taken down. At one point in the proceedings, Iris Elovitch screamed out: How much can you lie? In another case, Netanyahu is accused of accepting gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from wealthy associates, including Hollywood film mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. In the third case, Netanyahu is accused of trying to orchestrate positive coverage in a major Israeli newspaper in exchange for curbing distribution of a free pro-Netanyahu tabloid. Netanyahu denies all charges. In his televised statement, Netanyahu accused prosecutors of conducting a witch hunt against him. They didnt investigate a crime. They didnt look for a crime, he said. They went after a man. They went after me. At the beginning of Mondays session, Netanyahu sat with his lawyers as lead prosecutor Liat Ben-Ari read out the charges against him. The relationship between Netanyahu and the defendants became currency, something that could be traded, she said. The currency could distort a public servants judgment. He then left the courthouse before Yeshuas testimony. Outside the courtroom, dozens of supporters and opponents of the prime minister gathered to protest amid a heavy police presence, highlighting Israels deep divisions. A police officer stands guard in front of protesters as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus motorcade arrives at the District Court in Jerusalem for a hearing in his corruption trial on April 5, 2021. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP Photo) While a ruling could be months or even years away, the proceedings are expected to take place up to three days a week. The March 23 election was seen as a referendum on Netanyahus leadership, with his opponents saying a politician on trial for serious charges is unfit to rule. The election, Israels fourth in two years, ended in a deadlock. After a day of consultations, neither Netanyahus allies nor his foes secured a 61-seat governing majority. Parties recommending Netanyahu hold a total of 52 seats, while parties recommending Lapid hold 45 seats. Two Arab parties, holding a total of 10 seats, and the small New Hope party, led by a former Netanyahu ally who now opposes him, did not recommend any candidate. Bennett, leader of the right-wing Yamina party, recommended himself as a compromise candidate. Yamina has just seven seats in parliament. But Bennett is hoping he can become a consensus candidate who can bridge the deep divides between the rival factions. Rivlin has until midnight Wednesday to choose a prime minister-designate who would be given up to six weeks to form a coalition. If he feels there is no clear choice, he also could send the issue straight to the Knesset, ordering lawmakers to choose a member as prime minister or force another election. Israeli law does not require prime ministers to resign while under indictment, and Netanyahu has refused to do so. Some of Netanyahus opponents have talked about passing legislation that would bar an indicted politician from serving as prime minister in order to disqualify him ahead of another election. By Ilan Ben Zion The Xiaomi MI 11 Pro and MI 11 Ultra are coming in hot in the market. The new smartphones feature amazing specs and exceptional camera performance, which some of the best in the whole industry. The Xiaomi MI 11 is a smartphone that was first launched in China in late December last year. The phone has plenty of premium features that could rival some of the flagship smartphones available in the market. The Xiaomi MI series traditionally offers affordable prices until last year when Xiaomi added the new premium periscope camera setup. Xiaomi MI 11 has a 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.38 mm size, 6.81' AMOLED display, and 120HZ refresh rate. The phone hardware features Corning Gorilla glass Victus, Hi-Res Audio, and Dual speakers by Harman Kardon and supports 5G technology. Xiaomi MI 11 Pro MIUI 12 System Update Gizchina reported that Xiaomi has opened its MIUI 12 for an internal/public beta version. After successfully loading this, the MIUI system will automatically receive continuous updates for the Xiaomi MI 11 Pro and MI 11 Ultra. You can download the method from MIUI or Xiaomi's stock recovery. XDA-Developers give specific instructions on how to install and activate MIUI with the Local Update method. Transfer the download .zip file to your phone, and ensure you place the file in the "downloaded_rom" folder in the internal storage of your device. If no such folder exists, create one in your internal storage base directory. Within your phone, navigate to Settings > About Phone > System Update, and then press the three-dot icon in the top-right corner, and select "Choose Update Package". If the "Choose Update Package" option is missing, tap on the MIUI logo 10 times to activate the option. Choose the downloaded .zip file. Wait for the update to install. Read Also: Samsung Android Apps Crash: How to Uninstall WebView and Fix the Issue Xiaomi MI 11 Pro Specs The new MI 11 Pro uses a 2K + 120Hz + E4 quad-curved flexible screen. Its hardware uses a Snapdragon 888 processor, LPDDR5 RAM, and UFS 3.1 Storage. It supports Dolby Vision and features DisplayMate A+ certification. The phone also supports WiFi 6 high version. In terms of hardware, the smartphone is also IP68 dustproof and waterproof, with top-notch heat dissipation technology using phase-change thermal conductivity. This device uses the world's first super-fast charging "silicon oxide negative electrode" and runs with 5000 mAH battery life while supporting 67W wireless and wired fast-charging. The MI 11 Pro uses a Samsung GN2 sensor and 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens that supports 5x optical zoom, optical image stabilization, and 1920fps video shooting. The smartphone is available in three colors of black, green, and purple. The price is expected around $791 to $868 depending on the storage variant. Xiaomi MI 11 Ultra The MI 11 Ultra ultimately shares the same specs as the MI 11 Pro. However, its camera has a bigger upgrade with 50 MP Samsung GN2 super-outsole main cameras. The hardware has two new IMX586 auxiliary lenses and supports a 120x periscope telephone lens. The Ultra uses a 128" ultra-wide-angle lens with DTOF. Lastly, the MI 11 Ultra has a new 1.1-inch Osmo rear display which brings a new set of capabilities to the smartphone's photography. The smartphone is available in either black or white color. The price is expected around $913 to $1066 depending on the storage variant. Related Article: Xperia 1 III Release Date, Specs, Rumors: Sony Sets Major Reveal for New 5G Phone Brussels, April 5 : Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has assured the Ukrainian government of "unwavering support" in the conflict with pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country. "Talked to Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Following with severe concern the Russian military activity surrounding Ukraine," Borrell tweeted on Sunday after a telephone call with Kuleba. "Unwavering EU support for (Ukraine's) sovereignty and territorial integrity." The top diplomat added that the matter would be further discussed at the next meeting of EU Foreign Ministers. During the weekend, Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists in the conflict-hit Donetsk (Donbas) region accused each other of attacks. Germany and France, which are helping to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict through the so-called Normandy format, also expressed concern about the "growing number of ceasefire violations". "We are closely monitoring the situation and in particular Russian troop movements, and call on all sides to show restraint and to work towards immediate de-escalation," they said in a statement. Insurgents have controlled parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, collectively known as Donbas, along the Russian border for almost seven years. According to UN estimates, more than 13,000 people have been killed since then. Despite an agreed ceasefire, at least 21 soldiers have been killed on the government side since the beginning of the year. According to the separatists, about 23 people have been killed in the same period. A peace plan agreed in 2015 is on ice. Meanwhile, the International Red Cross recently pointed out that parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions were among the most heavily mined areas in the world. KONNOR PERRIN, Chariho boys lacrosse, freshman: Perrin established a school record for assists in a game with nine in the Chargers 22-0 win over Ponaganset. Perrin leads the team with 21 assists to go with 14 goals. LILA RICH, Stonington girls track, senior: Rich won two events at the ECC Division I track meet. Rich was first in the high jump (5-0) and the pole vault (10-0) as the Bears finished third at the meet. MADIGAN HILTZ, Westerly boys lacrosse, senior: Hiltz scored seven goals and had three assists in pair of victories for the Bulldogs. Hiltz has 17 goals and seven assists for the season. ADDIE HAUPTMANN, Wheeler softball, junior: Hauptmann was 4 for 9 with a home run and six RBIs in two games. For the season, Hauptmann is hitting .617 with eight homers and 42 RBIs. She has 50 hits. Vote View Results It's the second Easter holiday spent amid a pandemic, but this year felt different than last year for some families. The Cornerstone Word of Life Church held three in-person Easter services on Sunday and then wrapped up the holiday with a concert. Briana Long said seeing how different the Easter services were last year compared to this year, reminds her we too can rise up from anything. Being together again, its just powerful. It speaks a lot for humanity, like, we did this," she said. "We were able to do this, we can conquer anything, just like Jesus did. He conquered the grave and he rose that third day, and were rising. Long has gone to Cornerstone Word of Life Church for as long as she could remember. A year ago, Long wasn't sure when she'd see her church family again, let alone worship in-person again because of the pandemic. Like Long, Melissa Longino is grateful to celebrate Easter in person with her church family. I love being able to experience all my families. Robert Conover, an associate pastor of the church, said having an in-person Easter service and celebration again, made everyone respect and value the holiday even more now. Its about being able to be together. Its just different," he said. "Its kind of difficult to explain but its got a different atmosphere to it, its got a different vibe to it and just this overwhelming sense of community, and love, and togetherness is just something you cant explain. Longino agreed. I think it makes us seem more real. Like, my struggle is not unique, your struggle is not unique, were all here doing this together, and I think its great were coming back out and were coming without fear. Everyone said they're glad we've come so far in a year, and it resonates back to the meaning of Easter. The church does require masking inside the building. It also provides live-streaming for those who choose not to attend in-person. Maria Bakalova has revealed that Sacha Baron Cohen checked if she was 'ok' to film her interview scene with Rudy Giuliani after he refused a Covid test. The Bulgarian actress, 24, who played teenager Tutar in Borat 2, was seen duping the 76-year-old into thinking she was a conservative reporter and leading him into a hotel room during a controversial scene in the movie. Reflecting on the now infamous moment in an interview with GQ Hype, Maria admitted that she was 'freaking out' and worried about coronavirus. 'I was freaking out': Maria Bakalova has revealed that Sacha Baron Cohen checked if she was 'ok' to film her interview scene with Rudy Giuliani after he refused a Covid test Maria explained: 'There was a moment when I think, "Am I going to be able to ask that question?" 'Because if I asked, "Will you come with me in the bedroom?", will you come? It is a scary situation, as for a person who is being interviewed, why are you going there? Why are you lying there? 'So I was freaking out when I was supposed to ask that question [suggesting they go to the bedroom].' Maria also detailed how the scene was shot on the same day that Guiliani refused a Covid test, only adding to her apprehension. Scene: The Bulgarian actress, 24, who played teenager Tutar, was seen duping the 76-year-old (pictured in November) into thinking she was a conservative reporter and leading him into a hotel room during a controversial moment in Borat 2 She said: 'And at the same time, this was after Coronavirus started. And we knew earlier that day that he refused to have a Covid test.' Despite the lawyer's flat-out refusal, the Borat cast decided to go through with the shoot and it was Sacha who checked Maria was fine to continue. She continued: 'Yes [Guiliani refused a test]. And eventually we were we're like, "OK, let's do it. Let's do it." But that was one of the things that Sacha asked me [was she OK to go ahead]. And I was like, "OK, let's do it".' Sacha has also previously spoke about the crew's concern over the former Mayor of New York City, who did contract the virus in December, not having a test. He told Variety: 'There was this debate of what do we do? Do we go ahead with this scene? What happens if he has coronavirus? We concluded that it was worth the risk.' In the movie, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Maria interviews Giuliani about Covid and the leads him into a hotel room, where he reclined on a bed and appeared to put his hands down his pants, before he was interrupted by Sacha Baron Cohen's character. Concerns: The actress, 24, admitted that she was worried about the risk of coronavirus but decided to go through with the scene 'She's 15. She's too old for you,' Borat screams in the scene filmed in July, waving Giuliani off his 'daughter' Tutar. Giuliani later pointed out, 'I was fully clothed at all times,' and told a reporter he was merely tucking in his shirt, not doing anything untoward. 'I lean back and I tuck my shirt in and at that point they have this picture that they take, which looks doctored by in any event,' the former mayor of New York told WABC radio back in October. Elsewhere in her GQ interview, Maria admitted she thought Sacha was mad for thinking they'd be able to fool Giuliani in the film. She said: 'When I first saw the script I asked him [Sacha] who's going to play Rudy Giuliani? Or who is going to play Mike Pence? 'And he said they're going to play themselves. "Oh, my God," I thought, "you've lost your mind. That's never gonna happen!" Checking in: Maria added that it was Sacha Baron Cohen (pictured as her dad in the film) who asked if she was 'ok' to film the interview scene Maria also candidly chatted about spending a whole day at the White House, saying that she got to go 'everywhere'. She said: 'I spent a whole day at the White House and it was really impressive. It's the White House! It's beautiful. 'I was with [Trump-supporting] One American News with the reporter Chanel Rion and I went everywhere at the White House. [Laughs.] Which is also kinda scary! 'But somebody, I think, got suspicious from another media [outlet], wondering were these people at One American News bringing some people, and so then we had to leave.' Since her breakout performance, Maria has been nominated for a BAFTA, Oscar and Screen Actors Guild award. Hitting back: Giuliani said the video was a 'complete fabrication' and he was 'tucking in his shirt' after the video of the scene appeared in October Discussing how she found out about her Academy Award nomination, Maria revealed that Judd Apatow told her while they were working on upcoming movie The Bubble. Maria explained: 'Subconsciously, I knew exactly at 12.20pm they're going to announce the nominees. But I didn't want to watch it. 'We were shooting a scene where you can see my hands and they were shaking like crazy. And I was able to see the time it was 12.12pm, 12.15pm, 12.20pm and I see people holding their phones, looking at something but nobody's reacting. 'And then Judd came over, and I'm like, "He's not saying it on the mic, so he's coming closer to not embarrass me in front of all the people." 'And then he told me that I've been nominated for an Academy Award. I think I had a moment of craziness because everybody started cheering. 'And it's insane, because it's even more precious when it's shared with more people.' Read the full feature online at GQ Hype now. CHICAGO, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Relativity today announced that its secure, end-to-end SaaS platform RelativityOne, is now offered in Korea. Intellectual Data is the first e-discovery service provider in Korea as well as the first Relativity partner in Korea to offer RelativityOne, matching the growing need for enterprise cloud services in Korea and throughout Asia. Relativity customers and partners in Korea can now control their data in-country and innovate faster with a flexible and extensible cloud platform. With RelativityOne, users can streamline their technology stack to manage large volumes of complex, unstructured data and reduce risk with proactive threat prevention, 24/7 monitoring, automated security processes and leading compliance certifications. The Korean litigation landscape is evolving, whereby digital forensics will play a larger role in Korean companies' foreign litigation. Amid the pandemic, many international companies look to partner with Korean law firms and litigation service providers to conduct e-discovery inspections across borders. Such global matters require collaboration across several jurisdictions, resulting in Korean firms to assess workflow efficiency while still maintaining the utmost data security. Firms are beginning to turn to cloud-based systems like RelativityOne to ensure a seamless process and the security of all data. "Korea is a rapid growth market for us in terms of Relativity usage," said Georgia Foster, Managing Director, APAC at Relativity. "After long-standing demand from our customers to bring RelativityOne to Korea, we are delighted to now offer our trusted SaaS solution deployed locally for the Korean market." The deployment of RelativityOne in Korea will provide Intellectual Data's customers with the choice to leverage a more powerful cloud platform in addition to Relativity Server (On-Premises). "We're pleased to announce our expansion with Relativity, becoming the RelativityOne launch partner in Korea," said Yongmin Cho, CEO, at Intellectual Data in Seoul. "We look forward to continuing to take part in bringing the best technology to Intellectual Data's customers with the addition of Relativity's cloud-based solution, RelativityOne." Intellectual Data will offer RelativityOne as a localized solution to address the increasing need for e-discovery services in the Korean market and throughout Asia. As more evidence is requested through the e-discovery process from foreign authorities, the number of cases involving Korean parties has grown, resulting in an increased appetite for enterprise cloud solutions that can automatically scale to project needs, while keeping sensitive data inside Korea. "As cloud adoption continues to rise throughout Asia, I am extremely excited about our partnership with Intellectual Data. Combining their expertise in the Korean market with the scalability, extensibility and security of RelativityOne, our community of users will be able to tackle a diverse set of e-discovery, regulatory, and compliance challenges with ease," said Foster. RelativityOne is currently available across 11 global geographies with two more to be added in 2021. About Relativity Relativity makes software to help users organise data, discover the truth and act on it. Its SaaS platform RelativityOne manages large volumes of data and quickly identifies key issues during litigation and internal investigations. The AI-powered communication surveillance platform, Relativity Trace proactively detects regulatory misconduct like insider trading, collusion and other non-compliant behaviour. Relativity has more than 300,000 annual users in 49+ countries serving thousands of organisations globally primarily in legal, financial services and government sectors. Please contact Relativity at [email protected] or visit http://www.relativity.com for more information. About Intellectual Data Intellectual Data is the first Korean eDiscovery service provider in Korea. It specializes in providing end-to-end eDiscovery services for each client's custom IT environment with Korean legal industry expertise and experiences to support cross-border legal disputes. Our robust security and technology practice in place provide the client a comprehensive suite of secured environment of client's data and cost-effective solutions to eDiscovery, data analytics and other litigation support needs in Korea. Please visit www.inda.kr for more information. Media Contacts Mila Taylor Relativity [email protected] Angie Cho Intellectual Data [email protected] SOURCE Relativity Related Links http://www.relativity.com EDWARDSVILLE Two men from Springfield, Illinois, have been indicted by a Madison County grand jury related to a gunfight in late August in several Collinsville parking lots. Jessie R. Bates Jr., 33, and Marlin R. Thompson Jr., 27, were indicted on charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony. Bates was also indicted for unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony. The case was originally presented by the Collinsville Police Department. According to court documents and information from the Collinsville Police Department, on Aug. 29 the two allegedly traded gunfire in the parking lots of the Waffle House restaurant and St. Louis Break Co. near Collinsville Crossing and N. Bluff Road. At least one person later identified by police was struck by gunfire but not seriously wounded. Several vehicles were also hit by bullets. Jose Cerna, a detective with the Collinsville Police Department, said the incident was the result of a dispute between the two, but did not elaborate. According to the indictment, the two suspects fired at each other, and Bates had a felony conviction for manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance out of Macon County in 2018, making him ineligible to possess a firearm. It was also noted in court documents that Bates had a long criminal history. Other indictments handed down last week include: Austin D. Norton, 27, of Granite City, was indicted on charges of home invasion, a Class X felony, and residential burglary, a Class 1 felony. The case was originally presented by the Glen Carbon Police Department. According to court documents, on May 27 Norton allegedly entered a home in the first block of Lucinda Drive while a resident was there to commit theft, and sprayed them with pepper spray. Terry L. King Jr., 36, of Collinsville, was indicted on charges of aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony, and unlawful restraint, a Class 4 felony. The case was originally presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. On March 4 King allegedly strangled a household or family member, and prevented them from leaving a residence. Ashley N. Newton, 33, of Edwardsville, was indicted on charges of aggravated assault, a Class 4 felony. The case was originally presented by the Alton Police Department. On Feb. 5 Newton allegedly spit on an Alton police officer. Shawn O. Bell, 37, of Alton, was indicted on charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a Class X felony; unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, a Class 3 felony; and aggravated assault, a Class 3 felony. The case was originally presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. According to court documents, on April 18, 2020, Bell allegedly was in possession of more than 15 grams of methamphetamine and 30 grams of cannabis with intent to deliver, and struck a woman in the head on Illinois 3. Michael J. Fosnock, 36, of Litchfield, was indicted on a charge of unlawful possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, a Class X felony. The case was originally presented by the Illinois State Police. On Oct. 14 Fosnock allegedly was in possession of between 15-100 grams of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. The politician father of TV and radio personality Erin Molan has announced he has been diagnosed with an 'aggressive' form of cancer. Jim Molan, the Liberal Senator for NSW and former Army major general, announced on Monday he would be stepping back from work following the shocking diagnosis last week. 'Whilst this news has come as a shock, I have many reasons to be positive,' he said in a statement. Jim Molan (left), the politician father of TV and radio personality Erin Molan (right) has been diagnosed with an 'aggressive' form of cancer Mr Molan and his wife share three children, including television personality Erin Molan Pictured: Jim Molan 'I am receiving the best possible care from my clinicians and have the love, support and prayers of my family.' Mr Molan will begin treatment as soon as possible, vowing to fight the disease. 'I have never been afraid to fight the battles that need fighting and this is no exception,' he said. The 70-year-old will undergo further testing this week to determine the exact prognosis and best treatment plan. Mr Molan first entered politics in 2016 after a successful 16-year military career. Following his retirement in 2008, he released a biography titled Running the War in Iraq, which detailed his experience as Chief of Operations in Iraq between 2004 and 2005. Despite announcing he would step back from politics to focus on his physical health, Mr Molan said his office would remain committed to 'working on the issues that matter' alongside the Morrison government. Erin Molan is yet to make a public statement on her father's diagnosis. She previously discussed the pair's close relationship during an interview with Stellar Magazine in 2020, crediting her tough-as-nails father for helping her through her first years as a television journalist, when she claims she was mercilessly trolled. After an onslaught of particularly nasty trolls attacked her on Twitter, she called her dad, hoping for a pep talk. What she received instead was far more important. 'I remember him saying, ''Have you been shot at by the infidel in Iraq? No, so toughen the f*ck up. Who cares?'',' she recalled. Jim Molan, the Liberal Senator for NSW and former Army major general, announced on Monday he would be stepping back from work following the shocking diagnosis last week 'I am receiving the best possible care from my clinicians and have the love, support and prayers of my family,' Mr Molan said in a statement Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry are leading a coalition of 22 states urging the Ninth Circuit to uphold the Second Amendment and once again declare Californias law limiting magazine capacities as unconstitutional. California politicians are at it again, convinced that their agendas should override the Constitutional rights of the people, said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Attempts to undermine the Second Amendment or any of our civil rights and liberties should be met with deep skepticism and vigorous opposition. An 11-member panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will rehear a case challenging California Penal Code 32310, which bans and criminalizes certain ammunition magazines. The Ninth Circuit has already ruled the law violates the Second Amendment and struck it down April 2020, but Californias Attorney General is appealing. Forty-one states, including Arizona, permit the standard 11+ capacity magazines that Californias law bans. The Second Amendment states, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The states argue in their amicus brief that Californias law banning the possession of commonly-used arms, even in the home for self-defense, strikes at the core of the Second Amendment. The right to self-defense is essential to millions of Americans. The magazines affected by Californias law are essential to bearing arms because they are standard and integral to some of the most popular firearms in America. By banning the mere possession of magazines necessary to operate millions of guns, California has essentially barred use of those guns, including in the home for self-defense. As the Ninth Circuit 3-judge panel has already properly recognized, the Second Amendment has been particularly useful in guarding the possibility of self-defense in many disadvantaged communities. The same is true for women; guns can serve as a force equalizer and allow women to protect themselves more effectively against abusers and assailants. Similarly, those in high-crime communities where law enforcement is stretched thinor worse, where police are afraid to enter at all often cannot rely on the State for prompt protection against criminals and so highly value the right to own weapons for self-defense. Oral arguments are scheduled for June 20, 2021. Duncan v. Rodriquez Background In 2016, California passed the law banning the possession of magazines capable of holding ten or more rounds, making it a misdemeanor. California residents were required to give up their magazines or face a year in jail. A lawsuit was filed to strike down the law. In 2017, a U.S. District Judge of California blocked the law from taking effect. Californias Attorney General then appealed to the Ninth Circuit where, in August 2020, a three-judge panel ruled the law was unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. Californias Attorney General once again appealed the ruling and an 11-member panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will rehear the case. A Gloucester County grand jury has indicted a 79-year-old man on a single count of first-degree murder in the September beating death of his wife. Stanley C. Wilson, of Glassboro, is accused of killing 76-year-old Sarah Wilson following an argument at the couples Somerset Road home. He allegedly punched and choked the woman during a dispute that began the afternoon of Sept. 30 and resumed that evening in the den as they watched TV. The defendant began drinking and pushed his wife into a lamp, according to prosecutors. The victim was sitting on a love seat couch watching TV, where she eventually slid to the floor and the defendant did not check on her, Assistant Prosecutor Sarah Spanarkel said during a hearing in October. Instead, Wilson left the house and later returned, finding his wife still on the floor. He continued drinking and fell asleep in a chair, Spanarkel said. When he awoke the next day, he knew his wife was dead, as she was cold to the touch, the prosecutor noted. He left the house and visited with multiple family friends. When he described the fight with his wife and allegedly said he may have killed her, a family friend called 911. The victim died of blunt force trauma to the chest. The defendant in this matter beat his wife to death with his bare hands, Spanarkel said last year. In the defendants confession, he explained that his wife just cannot do certain things in his house. Public defender John D. Cirrinicione sought Wilsons pre-trial release in October, describing him as a man of faith with a clean record and ties to his community. Cirrinicione argued that events didnt necessarily play out as the prosecution described. Based on the severity of the charge, Wilsons failure to report his wifes injuries in a timely manner and the potential he could face the rest of his life in prison, Superior Court Judge Michael Silvanio ordered him held pending trial. He remains in Salem County Correctional Facility. Efforts to reach Wilsons current attorney he is now represented by private counsel were unsuccessful Monday. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 20:33:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JAKARTA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government opens access for foreigners married to Indonesians to enter the country with tight health protocols, an official said on Monday. Arya Pradhana Anggakara, spokesman for the Directorate General of Immigration of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, said that foreigners and their children can apply for limited stay visas for family reunifications. "After being closed for about two months, finally starting today, they can apply for electronic visas to enter the Indonesian territory," said Anggakara. The same access is also provided for foreigners with passports or diplomatic visas, holders of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) business travel cards, and limited or permanent residency permits. Even so, Indonesia has not yet opened access for visa-on-arrival and visa-free during the COVID-19 pandemic, except for foreigners with essential purposes such as businesses, works, or humanitarian reasons. Enditem South End Fire Department / Contributed Photo NEW HARTFORD Members from the South End Volunteer Fire Department and New Hartford Volunteer Fire Department responded to a chimney fire on Sunday a home on Pine Hill Road. Officials said units were on the scene for roughly an hour. Appeal: One of the three billboards that will be erected in the city Billboards seeking justice for murdered journalist Lyra McKee will be erected in Londonderry this week in an attempt to prick the consciences of those who have information about her killing. Featuring a large image of Lyra and her words - "Here's to better times ahead and saying goodbye to bombs and bullets once and for all" - they will go up in three locations in Derry ahead of the second anniversary of her death on April 18. Her family have paid for the billboards, which say #justice4Lyra, #failureisnotanoption and #useyourvoice. They will remain in place for a month. The 29-year-old was shot dead by the New IRA as she stood with her partner Sara Canning and local residents beside a PSNI Land Rover during a riot in the Creggan estate. Her sister Nichola McKee Corner said: "The billboards will bring Lyra back into the consciousness of those who live in the area, especially those who have information about the man responsible for shooting her. "They are a reminder to people that, two years on, Lyra is still awaiting justice. We need them to come forward with what they know. "Those involved in the murder of my sister will now have to look at her picture as they go about their daily life. "They will have to see the person that they took from us, took from Sara, took from her friends and society. "If someone was 'brave' enough to fire a gun up a street and kill a priceless human being, then he should find the courage to accept responsibility and hand himself in." Nichola said her family was inspired by others also campaigning for justice: "We think of the Ballymurphy and Bloody Sunday families, the McGurk's Bar families, and the family of Lisa Dorrian. Their fighting spirit gives us inspiration and strength. "They have shown us that families, sadly and regrettably, have to campaign for justice in Northern Ireland if they are to have any hope of securing justice for the murders of their loved ones." Last Wednesday the McKees launched an online campaign appealing for information about Lyra's killer on what would have been her 31st birthday. Justice4Lyra.com includes PSNI video footage from the night of the murder, Lyra's own writings, including articles for the Belfast Telegraph, and tributes to her from journalist friends. The young writer was the main carer for her disabled mother Joan, who died of a broken heart 11 months after her youngest child. Paul McIntyre (52), of Rinmore Drive in Derry, is currently on bail charged with Lyra's murder, although it is not claimed he was the gunman. He denies the charges. Neil Sheerin (28), from Tyrconnell Street, is charged with possessing the gun used in the murder, which he denies. Christopher Gillen (40), of Balbane Pass, faces charges in connection with rioting on the night Lyra was shot. In a report made public last week, the United Nations has revealed that the French military launched an airstrike on a wedding ceremony in Mali at the beginning of the year, slaughtering at least 22 people. The airstrike took place at 3:00 p.m. on January 3, near the town of Bounty in the center of the country. According to the report by the United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the religious ceremony for the marriage had taken place the evening before in Gana, approximately seven kilometers away. The following morning, approximately 100 people came from their homes in Bounty and smaller surrounding settlements to celebrate the marriage. As is normal in the local custom, the men were gathered in a separate area from the women and children. The French airstrike hit the gathering of men, killing 22. French soldiers of the 126th Infantry Regiment and Malian soldiers, March 17, 2016. (Wikimedia Commons) Little has been publicly reported about the victims, except that they were aged between 23 and 71. The report states that 19 of the victims were civilians, and three were members of an armed Islamist group named Katiba Serma. However, it makes clear that there is no evidence that any of them were involved in any ongoing military operations against French armed forces and were therefore also protected under international law. The MINUSMA report is the product of a weeks long investigation on the ground by a team of 19 UN staff, including two police science investigators. From January 4 to February 20, they traveled to the towns of Bamako, Sevare, Douentza and Bounty. They conducted interviews with more than 115 people individually and another 200 people in groups, including family members of the victims, witnesses, and representatives of local community associations and medical responders. Their report exposes the lies of the French army and the Macron government following the attack. Immediately after the airstrike, the Macron government insisted that it had hit a gathering of 30 members of an armed terrorist group. On January 20, Minister for the Armed Forces Florence Parly was questioned about the attack during a hearing before the Senate Commission for Foreign Affairs. Parly called reports of an attack on civilians as an example of information warfare and rumours being used to discredit the French occupation of the Sahel. French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly (Source: US Secretary of Defense - photo by Lisa Ferdinanho) We have seen this again recently when on all sorts of social media networks, France has been accused of being at the origin of a strike having supposedly killed civilians, she said. It is not necessarily a question of rumors spread by local actors, but also a game of powers, competitors who see only advantages in Europeans leaving this theater, to be able to better deploy there themselves Asked why the French army had not made public its evidence supposedly proving that the victims were members of an armed terrorist group, Parly claimed that this was impossible because it would show our enemies what we know about them. All of these statements have been exposed as hollow lies. The report constitutes clear evidence of a French war crime. The massacre makes clear the criminal and neocolonial character of the entire military operation led by France in the Sahel. How many other similar attacks, attributed by Paris to the killing of armed terrorist groups have taken place but gone unanswered? The civilian casualties of this war are systematically covered up by the occupiers. Parlys denunciations of social media networks testifies to the acute consciousness in the French military brass and Macron government of the enormous popular opposition in the French and African working class to the operations of French imperialism in the Sahel, and their determination to conceal the nature and victims of the occupation. Even in the wake of the UN report, Paris has doubled down on its lies. On March 30 the armed forces published a statement, Reaction to the MINUSMA report on the January airstrikes in Mali. It makes no attempt to answer the substantial evidence provided in the 36-page report. It simply asserts in a gangster-like manner that the only concrete sources that the report is based on come from local testimony. It is impossible to [give credence to] sympathisers or individuals under their influence. Aerial view of the site of the French airstrike in Bounty. [Credit: MINUSMA] In reality, the report provides ample and detailed evidence to substantiate its conclusions. Throughout its investigation, the MINUSMA team maintained correspondence with the French army. A January 7 army communique claimed that the totality of intelligence information in real time permitted [French forces] to characterise and formally identify the gathering as belonging to GAT [armed terrorist group]. The MINUSMA report states: No information on the elements or probatory intelligence that the [French] Barkhane forces disposed of has been communicated to MINUSMA. According to the armys own version of events, it monitored the group for one hour and a half before launching the airstrike. The UN report comments: It appears difficult in the circumstances (one hour and a half of observation) that the party responsible for the attack could have determined that all the participants in the gathering [almost 100 people] were members of an armed terrorist group. The characterisation of an entire gathering of people as members of an armed group, excluding de facto the presence of civilians, in such a period, and in such proximity to inhabitated areas, raises significant concerns. It notes that a forensic examination of the scene of the airstrike found no evidence of destroyed arms, munitions or motorcycles that are typically used as means of transport by militia. The French media has largely passed over the revelations of the French war crime. Le Monde devoted two news articles to the event and moved on. One can only imagine the wall-to-wall media reports, editorials and news columns that would follow were a similar report produced about the operations of a major rival of French and European imperialism, including China or Russia. In its concluding segments, the MINUSMA report calls for the French and Malian governments to conduct an investigation into themselves, including an independent and transparent investigation to examine the circumstances of the attack and its impact on the civilian population in Bounty. The response already made by the French government to the latest revelations makes clear the illusory character of any such appeals. In fact, the latest massacre is the inevitable outcome of the neocolonial character of the war itself, which is aimed at the subjugation of the resource-rich region and where the entire population is therefore viewed as enemies. France launched its intervention in Mali in 2013, after its overthrow of the Gaddafi regime during the 2011 NATO war in Libya that destabilized the entire Sahel. It has maintained a permanent occupation of between 4,000 and 5,100 troops, alongside Reaper drones and manned bombers. While it is waged under the banner of combating separatist and Islamist terrorist groups, its real aim is the assurance of French neocolonial control over the resource-rich and strategically important region, which includes uranium supplies used for French energy production and neighbors what is believed to be the third largest gold supply in the world. The format of organization of the first summit of the international Crimean Platform scheduled for August 23 is still being discussed. The first Crimean Platform summit is scheduled for August 23, the day before the Independence Day. Of course, the pandemic has put many events on hold, and we are now discussing in what format the summit will be organized. We gather a huge coalition because we understand that our common home is impossible without Crimea, Iuliia Mendel, Spokesperson for the President of Ukraine, said on air of the Dom TV channel, Ukrinform reports. At the same time, she stressed that President Volodymyr Zelensky talked to the leaders of many countries about the Crimean Platform. Mendel noted that the creation of this platform was already welcomed by such countries as Lithuania, Great Britain, Turkey and more than a dozen other countries. And some countries have already consented in principle that they will take part in this negotiation process, the President's spokesperson added. Crimean Platform is a new consultative and coordination format initiated by Ukraine to improve the efficiency of the international response to the occupation of Crimea, respond to growing security challenges, step up international pressure on Russia, prevent further human rights violations, protect victims of the occupying power and to achieve the de-occupation of Crimea and its return to Ukraine. The Crimean Platform is expected to operate at the level of heads of state and government, foreign ministers, in the dimension of inter-parliamentary cooperation and expert network. The Crimean Platform is to be launched officially at an inaugural summit in Kyiv in August 2021. l The forced encampment by the Chinese Communist Party of nearly 2 million members of minority groups in Chinas western Xinjiang province is perhaps the largest coerced collectivization of humanity since the Soviet Union disbanded its Gulag prison system. Torture, forced sterilization, and forced labor are the hallmarks. The world has taken notice: Global companies and foreign leaders are raising concerns, and there is a burgeoning movement to boycott next years Winter Olympics in Beijing. But while the world recognizes the undeniable scale of this tragedy, it is not paying much attention to another method of 20th-century totalitarian domination that the CCP is emulating. The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has institutionalized discrimination by an elite, relatively wealthy minority against the rest of the population on a scale and with a degree of deliberation unseen since the apartheid-era in South Africa. Chinas apartheid system is based on the longstanding practice of hukou, a ruthless permanent caste system maintained with vigor by the party. Hukou has in common with South African apartheid decades of social and economic domination by an entrenched minority in this case, the urban political and economic class of the Chinese Communist Party over the majority population. South African apartheid allowed generations of white Afrikaner leaders in government and business to maintain both economic and social control over the majority (black) population. Similarly, in China, the CCP depends on hukou to control the 900 million rural poor while relying on their cheap labor to keep so-called first-tier cities afloat. The urban elite and middle class in Beijing, Shanghai, and other tier-one cities accept the system without reservation or even much recognition, much as their South African counterparts did. Chinas apartheid relies on an internal-passport system that follows the bearer for his or her life. The system is straightforward: You are born urban or born rural, and you carry that with you until you die. This designation is enforced through an intricate system of quotas and restricted access to schools, jobs, health care, and the social safety net (such as one exists in the PRC). Story continues The government uses the restrictions to control urban migration, throttling it to ensure sufficient labor for the fast-growing cities. Hundreds of millions of rural migrants to the cities form a permanent underclass, granted access to services health care, education, unemployment stipends only at the level available to their rural hukou status. In their book Invisible China, Stanford University scholar Scott Rozelle and researcher Natalie Hell write that the system has created two Chinas: the Republic of Urban China and the Republic of Rural China. While Rural China citizens can travel to Urban China, they write, even if rural parents move from their villages to the big cities for work . . . they are not legally entitled to send their kids to urban public schools or to access urban public hospitals. Since there is not enough access to urban jobs or services for the roughly two-thirds of China that has rural hukou status, migration to cities often splits rural families apart. Fathers or mothers or older sons may migrate to the city, leaving daughters and grandparents behind. Chinese apartheid thus sustains the vast disparity in incomes between the cities and the countryside, where the World Bank estimates and the CCP generally acknowledges that hundreds of millions live on about $5 per day. While the wealth gap in the United States is decried by progressive politicians, it is no coincidence that a recent analysis of OECD data for 24/7 Wall Street and USA Today placed South Africa and China the modern eras premiere practitioners of apartheid at No. 1 and No. 2 on the list of top 15 countries with the widest disparity between rich and poor. Both systems depend on systemic chauvinist policies by a prosperous advantaged minority against an impoverished majority. But what South Africa abandoned, China continues. The hukou works alongside another program known as dibao. Begun as a means-tested basic income for lower-income urban dwellers, the system is now in place across the country. In the hands of Xi Jinpings CCP, dibao is just another form of economic and social control, helping to maintain the apartheid system. According to a recent analysis in SupChina by Alexis Smith, the government intrusively monitors each stipend recipient, relying upon neighbors and others in the community to report whether the individual is living beyond his or her means. This affects the recipients ability to take a higher-paying job, pursue an education, or seek other ways to improve his or her station in life. The system also contributes to the widespread practice of neighbors spying on neighbors to curry favor with local government officials. Chinese apartheid also is instrumental in the CCPs projection of Chinas strength to the world. Beijing has created the perception that it can control economic and social mobility, manage its growth in an orderly fashion, and sustain its prosperity. In fact, Chinas apartheid is a sign of profound weakness and fragility, just as South Africas was. Maintaining such a tight rein over most of the population to the benefit of urban party officials and their vast network of acolytes including and especially the entire business class and public officials at every level of government requires constant surveillance and ensures, in return, constant lies and deception. Economic projections are a web of misinformation from the local party officials all the way to the top, each layer determined not to be the one to suggest that its portion of the rigged system is failing. The danger this poses takes many forms. For instance, what bridge or rail inspector will dare acknowledge that a hastily constructed project that depends on cheap migrant labor might be faulty? As a result, building collapses, rail and bridge catastrophes, dam failures, and other infrastructure tragedies are common in China. Given the CCPs tight control over publicly available information, such disasters often are not reported. In a New York Times piece in 2015 entitled Beware of Chinas Safety Record, Chinese writer Murong Xuecun wrote that when such disasters occur, the only government competence on show is with information control: hiding facts, forbidding media reporting and rapidly closing social media accounts suspected of spreading rumors. Or consider the so-called Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This is Chinas subsidized infrastructure diplomacy, which the CCP wants the world to see as global soft-power projection and as a sign of Beijings global influence. A feature of the program, though, is that hukou and its endemic corruption are being exported. Many BRI projects in partner countries require the use of cheap imported Chinese labor as a condition of the deals. This suggests that BRI is not soft power, but a projection of Chinas weakness, with potentially dangerous results. Reuters reported in 2019 that BRI agreements call for about 30 nuclear-power plants to be built by 2030 in dozens of countries around the world by Chinese state-owned companies. But Murong noted in the New York Times that, from everything we know of Chinese building and supervision practices, an accident in a Chinese nuclear power station is just a question of when and where. Of course, the United States and its democratic allies and partners have their challenges and imbalances. But transparency, accountability, and the ability to self-correct are hallmarks of democratic capitalism. These correctives do not exist in China, and the trends are in the other direction. Technology is allowing for even greater control by the CCP over the everyday lives of its citizens in every dimension. By contrast, there is worry in the U.S. and elsewhere about the deleterious impact of Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other social media on democratic norms. This will be managed through the democratic process that will attempt to find equilibrium. As always, it will involve a legislative balancing act. In the end, voters will hold leaders accountable. In China, that cannot happen because all those platforms are banned and there is no voter voice, even as the CCP relies on facial recognition, data capture, monitoring of digital bank activity, and other forms of techno-totalitarianism. While that may reflect the power of the state, it shows not strength but weakness and fear fear of its own people. South African apartheid was brought down by its own inconsistencies, by courageous internal reformers, and by global consensus that apartheid was in the same class as slavery and piracy and had to end. Ultimately, it failed because it was a profound source of true weakness in the South African body politic and society. The same is true for Chinese apartheid. More from National Review After receiving 928,900 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in February and early April, Vietnam will continue to receive some 4.1 million doses in May as part of its efforts to build community immunity this year. A medical worker at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases gets a shot of Covid-19 vaccine. Vietnam will continue to receive some 4.1 million doses of the vaccine in May. Photo: VNA To reach the goal, the country needs up to 150 million doses of the vaccine for its people, according to the Ministry of Health. However, the global shortage of the vaccine has slowed down Vietnams vaccine purchase and imports. Accordingly, the ministry is working hard to receive Covid-19 vaccine supplies and seeking help from countries and organizations to bring home more doses of the vaccine. Late last month, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long had worked with the ambassadors of the European Union (EU), the United States and Japan in Vietnam and representatives of some international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Population Fund on vaccine supplies. The minister requested the EU side to support Vietnam with policies approaching Europes Covid-19 vaccine supplies not only via the COVAX program but also via direct supply sources and other programs. Speaking to U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink, the head of the national health authority suggested the United States create favorable conditions for Vietnam to access drugmakers such as Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. The two parties also reached consensus about forming a temporary working team to approach and provide support linked to the vaccine. Earlier, the ministrys Drug Administration of Vietnam called on local drugmakers to speed up the work to develop Covid-19 vaccines as well as contact Pfizer and other drugmakers such as Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Sinovac to diversify vaccine supply sources. SGT Security forces apprehended a supporter of terrorist groups who plotted to blow up a police station where he regularly registered after serving his prison term, the suspects female acquaintance said during a questioning, according to a video released by Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) on Monday. "I was aware of that. He was plotting a terror attack, purchasing components for making explosives. On April 5, he was going to carry out a terror attack at a police station where he had to register regularly," the young woman said. The witness specified that he wanted to blow up the police station and was making improvised grenades for that purpose. As the FSB press office reported, a Russian national born in 1996 who was earlier convicted for criminal offenses was apprehended in Kislovodsk in the North Caucasian Stavropol Region. He was plotting to carry out an attack on law enforcers with improvised explosives in the interests of international terrorist organizations, TASS reported. During the search measures, FSB operatives seized components for improvised explosives, striking elements and extremist literature from the suspect and also found instructions for making explosive substances and explosives in his communications means, the FSB said. The security forces also apprehended the suspects three accomplices in Kislovodsk. They were complicit in organizing a channel for financing militants of terrorist structures in Syria. They set up a cell of the Islamic State terrorist organization (outlawed in Russia) for committing terror-related crimes on the territory of the Stavropol Region, the FSB said. Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) have concluded arrangement to embark on indefinite strike. The joint unions are embarking on the strike over the non-implementation of the FCT Civil Service Commission Act. The Chairman of JUAC, Matilukoro Korede, while briefing reporters on Monday in Abuja, said the FCT Civil Service Commission Act could not remain on the shelf, while the administration continued to deny workers the benefits that would accrue from it. Mr Korede said the refusal of FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello to implement the act signed three years ago by President Muhammadu Buhari, had put their fate on hold for too long and this cannot be allowed to continue. He said that the just concluded three days warning strike last week was a sign that issues affecting their welfare would not be further subjected to political bottlenecks. He said the joint unions in FCTA and FCDA were prepared for an indefinite strike that would cripple all government activities. According to him, the workers patience has been exhausted as the administration has refused to do the needful after several meetings with the labour leaders. Mr Korede said workers had been resilient in demanding for the implementation of Executive Order 1 of 2004. He said the order was abolished the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory long before the signing of act, which should allow FCT workers to advance in the service like their counterparts in the states. He said that full implementation of the Executive Order 1 of 2004 and the FCT Civil Service Commission would ensure the removal of the Permanent Secretary, who was posted from the Federal Civil Service Commission. It will also give opportunity to FCT workers to advance more in administrative cadre, while a qualified worker from the system can be appointed FCT Head of Service as obtained in states. The chairman said that without the implementation of the act, FCT workers would continue to remain under administrative limitations that would not allow them to grow with their counterparts in the states. It was a huge relief when the National Assembly hearkened to the voice of the staff of the FCT Administration by enacting, passing into law and gazetted it with the consent of the President and the FCT-Civil Service Commission in 2018. This is three years down the line; the big question is why has it been difficult to implement it till date? The FCT-Civil Service Commission is created by an act of parliament just like the Federal Civil Service Commission and those of the States Civil Service Commission with primary responsibility of appointment. Among the demands of the workers are the removal of all FCTA staff from the Accountant-General of the Federation Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). Others include immediate release of all pending cases of conversion, upgrading, advancement and abolishment of casualisation of workers on FCTA especially in Transportation Secretariat, Water Board and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, promotion and discipline also known as (APD), within the FCT, Mr Korede said. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT COLUMBUS, Ohio While passing on a statewide run, Franklin County Recorder Danny OConnor is the latest Ohioan to announce a run for Congress without knowing which communities he might represent. OConnor, a Columbus Democrat, had said he was considering running for U.S. Senate in 2022, and also had been rumored as a possible candidate for a down-ballot state office. He raised his profile statewide and even nationally in 2018, when he lost to now-U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson in a hotly-contested special election for a Columbus-area seat. But OConnor announced Monday hes running for Congress, without specifying the district. Thats because its not clear what his district will look like. We know were going to have congressional representation in Central Ohio, OConnor said in an interview, making clear he does not plan to challenge Columbus Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty. I live in the 12th District right now. But the people in Ohio basically told our state to get our [stuff] together and draw some districts that are fair and decent, so theres real representation and less gerrymandering. Im hopeful that the folks who are in charge of all that give us fair and un-gerrymandered maps, and well see what things look like. OConnor currently lives in the 12th Congressional District, which Balderson, a Zanesville Republican, represents. But the 12th District, which stretches from Mansfield through north Columbus and east to Zanesville, likely will look much different next year after Ohios political maps are redrawn. Because of new rules meant to increase political competitiveness and limit how many times counties can be split, one possible outcome could be a swing district anchored in the Columbus suburbs, which have trended more Democratic in recent years. Its unclear when the new lines will be released Ohios 2022 political maps are in limbo after the Census Bureau announced its results wont be released until Sept. 30, six months late and past some deadlines in Ohios constitution laying out the new redistricting process. Lawmakers say their plan is to finish the maps by the end of 2021, while the filing deadline for the 2022 primary is in March, although state lawmakers have said they could push the election and the accompanying filing deadline back a month. OConnor isnt the only congressional candidate to announce running for a seat before the districts are drawn. Max Miller, former aide to Republican President Donald Trump from the Cleveland area, has announced his plans to challenge U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez in the 2022 Republican primary, buying a house in Rocky River, where Gonzalez lives. But Gonzalezs solidly Republican district could turn out very different after redistricting, and could even be Democratic-leaning, depending on the maps. The 2020 Democratic nominee for the 12th District, Alaina Shearer, also has announced plans to run for Congress. Depending on what redistricting looks like in Columbus, OConnor, if he makes it through a Democratic primary, could draw Balderson, or Upper Arlington Rep. Steve Stivers, a Republican whos considering a Senate bid, or although it seems less likely, even Champaign County Rep. Jim Jordan, as an opponent. OConnor said all congressional Republicans voted against the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that included $1,400 direct payments to many Americans. When push came to shove, when the opportunity came to put money into pockets after getting the hell kicked out of them, none of them considered lifting a finger to help working families. As far as Im concerned, theyre all the same person, and well treat them all the same, he said. OConnor said he plans to run in part against Republican opposition to the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, signed by Democratic President Joe Biden last month, as well as Bidens infrastructure bill, which has yet to be introduced. OConnor said he decided to run for Congress and not statewide because he felt he could make more of an impact on wage growth and jobs and economic opportunities as a member of the House. While OConnor lost to Balderson by 4 points in the 2018 general election, Democrats lost ground in the 12th District in 2020, with Scherer losing by 14 points. Mapping apps have become a handy tool for travelers, helping them find their way along unfamiliar routes, but one of Connecticuts U.S. senators is taking a stand against one of the major downsides to such navigation apps. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is calling on technology giants including like Google and Apple to upgrade their mapping apps that use global positioning systems to keep commercial vehicles off limited-access highways such as the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways. Blumenthal said he has sent letters to the chief executive officers of Google and Apple as well as those at other companies that use GPS for mapping apps. The apps currently dont provide any notification about commercial traffic restrictions, such as it being banned from the Merritt and Wilbur Cross. Its infuriating, Blumenthal said of instances when commercial vehicles get stuck on the parkwayor hit an underpass. This is a topic that is close to my heart because Ive been stuck on the parkway when this happens. It makes traffic impenetrable because there is no way off these road if youre caught between exits. The Merritt, also known as Route 15, stretches from Greenwich to the Housatonic River, where the highway become the Wilbur Cross in Milford. Last year, there were 581 instances in which Connecticut State Police cited a commercial truck driver for using the Merritt or Wilbur Cross, he said. And Blumenthal said there were 21 occasions last year when a bridge along one of the two roads was stuck by a commercial vehicle. State Trooper Curtis Booker said the penalty for commercial vehicles caught on the parkways is $92. Commercial truckers caught on the parkways frequently blame the mapping apps they use for not having warned them that commercial traffic is banned from the roads. Blumenthal said state lawmakers need to consider increasing the penalty for the violation. More prominent signage at on-ramps along both parkways, similar to the ones used to notify drivers if they are getting on a highway traveling in the wrong direction, also would be helpful, he said. Wes Haynes, executive director of the Merritt Parkway Conservancy, said the highway has 68 historic bridges, 35 of which are underpasses that carry the road beneath streets located above. An estimated 25 million vehicles travel on the Merritt annually, according to Haynes. Responsible truckers use fee-based apps that do indicate the ban on commercial vehicles on both roads, he said. It is the free apps that are the problem, according to Haynes. Free app providers have shown no interest in voluntarily ensuring public safety by providing accurate information, adding warnings for users driving trucks, he said. The King Street bridge on the Merritt Parkway, located just over the state line from Greenwich, has been hit nearly 150 times in the past decade, according to DOT officials. One such incident occurred in late January. While the DOT keeps records of when crews are dispatched to make repairs, an agency spokesman said there is no database that tracks whether bridge strikes have become more common as GPS-enabled apps have proliferated. The bridges on the Merritt were built between 1936 and 1940, while those on the Wilbur Cross were built between 1938 and 1942, according to Haynes. Its a very special road, he said. All were trying to do is keep it safe. luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com Advertisement Models detained in Dubai for flouting public decency laws are from former Soviet states, it has emerged. They are all understood to be from Russia, Belarus and Moldova - with 11 confirmed as Ukrainian by the country's foreign ministry. A Russian man who was detained as an organiser of the 'lewd' shoot on a balcony in the United Arab Emirates has been identified by the Moscow media as Alexey Kontsov, 33. It is understood he told police he was in a nearby apartment and had filmed the spectacle showing the naked women. He claims to have then made the 'fatal mistake' of sharing the explicit video, a potential crime in the UAE. He has hired lawyers to call for his release from a Dubai jail. Russian media outlet Life - a media group controlled by Vladimir Putin's suspected partner and former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva - reported some 40 models were involved in a project which has caused major upset in Dubai. Fewer were visible on the naked rear picture that sparked fury in the UAE. It could lead to large fines or six months in jail for those who took part. In this picture, at least 19 women can be seen preparing for the naked shoot, which was reportedly for an Israeli porn site The second image shows nine nude women standing on a balcony in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, one clothed woman is pictured sitting inside on a sofa Some of the girls who took part in the naked balcony photoshoot were pictured together enjoying their time in Dubai Russian Alexey Konstov, 33, was detained and named as an organiser of the shoot on a balcony in the United Arab Emirates. He claims he has nothing to do with the stunt The shoot on Saturday was on a balcony in the upscale Dubai Marina area and was seen by people from neighbouring skyscrapers. Some of those taking part in the naked video are understood to be visible in a group picture - captioned 'Little Family' - showing their faces. Two Ukrainians in their mid-20s named Yana and Diana, seen riding a camel, on their Instagram accounts - can be identified in the lurid balcony picture from their distinctive tattoos. Both are on the 'Little Family' picture. Another Ukrainian model Dariya Khorunzhenko, 19, from Poltava, is known to be among the group in the graphic photograph. Ukrainian models Ekaterina Kashenko, who doubles as an eyebrow stylist, and Sophia Tkachuk, are also among the group. Russian media also identified models Anastasia Kashuba, 20, and Tatyana Borisenko, in her early 20s. Borisenko is also an amateur makeup artist from Kyiv. She has posted on social media from Dubai. Marianna Fedchuk, also in her early 20s, from Uzhgorod has also been named. She shared pictures of herself in Dubai on Instagram. All the identified Ukrainian models had posted videos or images from Dubai on their social media. Russian online news outlet Mash reported that the photoshoot also included the daughter of a Russian businessman and former banker. The woman, 21, denied being at the Dubai shoot on Monday. All the 40-strong group of women are believed to age from late teens to early 20s. They shared pictures of their ride along Jumeirah Beach Residence, a sandy Dubai beach, with their Instagram followers. She showed off her skimpy bikini in the video which also shows her distinctive tattoos also seen at the balcony photoshoot The mid-20s Ukrainian beauty had also tagged herself in a picture enjoying a drink on a balcony in Marina walk, Dubai Marina. Yana has a big tattoo of flowers on her left leg and had recently posted a picture of herself showing off the ink in a bikini in Dubai Ukrainian model Yana had also posted pictures on Instagram showing that she was in Dubai with a location stamp. Yana was initially identified because she featured in an image, dubbed the 'Little Family' picture, where the girls all show their faces Another Ukrainian model, Diana, was also identified from the balcony images because of two recognisable tattoos. The mid-20s Ukrainian sports a curved knife and a flower high on her right thigh, making her recognisable in the balcony pictures Diana was also identified from the 'Little Family' picture where the girls all showed their faces, unliked in other images. Diana's large thigh tattoo make her easily recognisable from images taken on the Dubai marina balcony, she is believed to have been arrested along with several other women Ukrainian model Ekaterina Kashenko was also identified from the 'Little Family' image and is known for being an eyebrow stylist back home. The Ukrainian beauty also sports several tattoos of leaves and a large crescent moon on her chest and neck Ukrainian Sophia Tkachuk was another of the models identified as taking part in the naked balcony photoshoot. The model was identified after she was tagged in several pictures on Instagram by fellow Ukrainian models Yana and Diana Marianna Fedchuk (left and right), also in her early 20s, from Uzhgorod has also been named. She shared pictures of herself in Dubai on Instagram Diana has a second recognisable tattoo - a rose on the inside of her right forearm - which made her easily recognisable in the balcony photos The UAE's public decency laws, which cover nudity and other 'lewd behaviour', carries penalties of up to six months in prison and a 5,000 dirham (983) fine. The sharing of pornographic material is also punishable with prison time and a fine of up to 500,000 dirhams under the country's laws, which are based on Islamic law, or Shariah. There has been speculation that the women were involved in a shoot for an Israeli version of an unidentified US adult website. The Ukrainian foreign ministry said today that it believes 11 of its female citizens have been detained in Dubai. 'On April 3, Dubai police detained a group of people in connection with a violation of public morals. According to preliminary information, among the detainees (are) 11 Ukrainian citizens,' said statement. Diplomats are due to visit the detainees on Tuesday and will 'ensure that the rights of the Ukrainian women are respected'. Late on Saturday, videos and photographs depicting over a dozen naked women lined up on a balcony while being filmed in Dubai's upmarket Marina neighbourhood in broad daylight were splashed across social media. It came as a shock in the federation of seven Arab sheikhdoms, where tamer behaviour - like kissing in public or drinking alcohol without a licence - has landed people in jail. A group of people have been arrested by Dubai police after women (pictured) were spotted posing naked on a balcony in the city The 15 models in the naked photoshoot (pictured) were part of a publicity stunt for an Israeli website State-linked newspaper The National reported it appeared to be a 'publicity stunt,' without elaborating. Dubai police said those arrested over the 'indecent' video had been referred to the public prosecution. 'Such unacceptable behaviours,' the police statement said, 'do not reflect the values and ethics of Emirati society.' The UAE, while liberal in many regards compared to its Middle Eastern neighbours, has strict laws governing expression. People have been jailed for their comments and videos online. The country's majority state-owned telecom companies block access to major pornographic websites. Violations of the public decency laws, including for nudity and other 'lewd behaviour', carry penalties of up to six months in prison and a 5,000 dirham (983) fine South Jersey drivers and residents will be able to question state Department of Transportation officials on April 7 about the partial collapse of an I-295 retaining wall on March 25. The forum makes good on a request made by 5th district state legislators who wrote to Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti on March 29 requesting a public forum. It will be held on Zoom at 6 p.m. Preregistration is required and this link to the sign-up form also provides space for questions to the DOT. The forum will be hosted by State Senators Nilsa I. Cruz Perez, Assemblyman William F. Moen, Jr., and Assemblyman William W. Spearman, all D-Camden, who wrote the letter. Blogger 42Freeway.com first reported the news about the forum date. The retaining wall partially collapsed on March 25, forcing the DOT to close the right lane of I-295, which remains closed, and make temporary repairs to the wall. Drone photos show what appears to be a sinkhole that the unused roadway sunk onto. The lawmakers sought a public meeting in the wake of public questions theyve received about the incident and how it will affect the ongoing $900 million I-295 Direct Connection project. Construction on that project to build a better and safer junction between I-295, 76 and Route 42 started in 2014 and was scheduled to be completed in 2028 before the collapse. The wall is part of Direct Connection. Whats most valuable is to bring the Commissioner into the conversation. By Wednesday, it will be almost two weeks from when this occurred, said Moen on Monday morning. The goal is to make sure the public has the opportunity to hear from commissioner and to ask questions. Legislators received a commitment from the DOT last week to hold the forum. Lawmakers said their goal is for the commissioner to give a briefing about what occurred and then, what the expectation is to repair the wall and provide a general update on the Direct Connection project, he said. Its what we hoped for and the best opportunity in the middle of a pandemic to get answers for the public, Moen said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Advertisement President Joe Biden criticized Republicans who claim his $2.3trillion spending package has nothing to do with infrastructure and dismissed claims higher corporate taxes might push companies abroad as he returned from a weekend at Camp David. The president briefly spoke to reporters after landing back at the White House with First Lady Jill following Easter weekend with their family. 'There's no evidence to that,' he said in response to a question about tax hikes. 'You're talking about companies in the Fortune 500 that haven't paid a single penny in tax for 3 years. Come on man.' When asked if he was worried, he responded: 'Not at all, not at all.' In response to GOP criticism that the plan contains too many social initiatives, he insisted that clean water, investment in schools and the expansion of high speed rail in the plan are all 'infrastructure' 'I'm going to push as hard as I can,' Biden said. 'Everybody else in the rest of the world is investing in infrastructure and we're going to do it here.' The president has proposed hiking the corporate tax rate in the US to 28 percent from 21 percent, which would partially undo the Trump administration's cut from 35 percent in its 2017 tax bill. The administration also wants to increase the international minimum tax rate that American companies pay on their foreign profits to 21 percent. That tax plan would generate about $2 trillion over 15 years to pay for his $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal. President Joe Biden made his comments after he and first lady Jill Biden returned to the White House after spending the Easter weekend at Camp David President Joe Biden dismissed concern that his plan for higher corporate tax rates in the US might cause companies to move abroad President Joe Biden walks over to speak with reporters on the Ellipse on the National Mall after spending the weekend at Camp David Republicans have charged the high tax rate will see companies flee the United States to establish themselves abroad in countries with a lower tax rate. And GOP lawmakers have complained Biden's infrastructure plan contains more than infrastructure. Biden's plan spends billions on what are traditionally considered infrastructure projects - roads, bridges, highways, ect - but it also funds additional projects such as broadband internet across the nation, affordable housing, home- or community-based care for the elderly and people with disabilities, and a Civilian Climate Corps. The president took issue with Republicans' charge that his infrastructure package has too many items not related to infrastructure. He said that clean water is infrastructure, investing in schools is infrastructure, high speed rail is infrastructure. 'That's infrastructure,' he told reporters at the White House. 'It's kind of interesting. When the Republicans put forward an infrastructure plan, they thought everything from broadband to other things were worth paying for infrastructure,' he said. 'When you're in a situation where you can't turn on a water fountain in school because the water affects your health, that's infrastructure. I'm talking about making sure we take asbestos out of schools, that's infrastructure. I'm talking about building high speed rail, that's infrastructure. I'm talking about making sure we are in a situation where we can redo federal buildings that are absolutely leaking energy every single day, that's infrastructure, in addition to roads and bridges and broadband,' he noted. 'They know we need it,' he said of Republicans. The president argued the rest of the world was investing in infrastructure so the United States should too. 'I'm going to push as hard as I can, to compete with the rest of the world,' he said. 'Everybody else in the rest of the world is investing billions and billions of dollars in infrastructure and we're going to do it here.' The Bidens spent the holiday weekend with their family and returned to the White House on Monday after the long weekend at Camp David President Joe Biden took issue with Republicans' charge that his infrastructure package has too many items not related to infrastructure President Joe Biden salutes a Marine as he disembarks from Marine One upon arrival at the Ellipse on the National Mall Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri said he told the White House if they want bipartisan support on an infrastructure plan, it needs to have just infrastructure Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri said he told the White House if they want bipartisan support on an infrastructure plan, it needs to have just infrastructure. 'I think it's a big mistake for the administration. They know I think it's a mistake,' Blunt said on 'Fox News Sunday.' 'And I also think it would be an easy victory if we go back and look at roads and bridges and ports and airports and maybe even underground water systems and broadband. You'd still be talking about less than 30 percent of this entire package and it's an easily doable 30 percent.' 'The other 70 or so percent of the package that doesn't have very much too do with infrastructure,' he noted on ABC's 'This Week.' Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday urged the adoption of a minimum global corporate income tax as part of the administration's effort to offset any disadvantages from their plan to increase the U.S. corporate tax rate. Yellen said the administration would work with other advanced economies in the G-20 to set a minimum. 'We are working with G-20 nations to agree to a global minimum corporate tax rate that can stop the race to the bottom,' she said in a virtual speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. 'Competitiveness is about more than how U.S.-headquartered companies fare against other companies in global merger and acquisition bids,' Yellen noted. 'It is about making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods.' The U.S. is involved in talks with about 140 nations to develop a global agreement on minimum levies, led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, but participants haven't yet reached a deal. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged the adoption of a minimum global corporate income tax, an effort to offset any disadvantages that might arise from the Biden administration's proposed increase in the U.S. corporate tax rate President Joe Biden's corporate tax plan would generate about $2 trillion over 15 years to pay for his ambitious $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal. 'Together we can use a global minimum tax to make sure the global economy thrives based on a more level playing field in the taxation of multinational corporations, and spurs innovation, growth, and prosperity,' Yellen said. It was Yellen's first major address as Treasury Secretary. In her remarks, she acknowledged the US had stepped back for its global leadership role under the previous administration. 'Over the last four years, we have seen firsthand what happens when America steps back from the global stage,' Yellen said. 'America first must never mean America alone.' President Trump lowered the US corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent in his 2017 tax cut legislation, claiming that American firms were moving abroad because of the high rates at home. That move, according to the Tax Foundation, took the U.S. corporate tax rate from the highest among the 37 advanced economies in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to the 13th highest. Many analysts have argued, however, that few large U.S. multinationals paid the full tax. According to the Tax Foundation, the global corporate tax average in the G7 is 24%. Republicans have objected to the tax increases. 'What the president proposed this week is not an infrastructure bill. It's a huge tax increase, for one thing. And it's a tax increase on small businesses, on job creators in the United States of America,' Republican Senator Roger Wicker said Sunday on 'Meet the Press.' Wicker argued Biden's increased corporate tax rate will mean fewer jobs created in America. He also pointed out Biden is asking the Senate to reverse its support of Donald Trump's 2017 tax cut package, which lowered the corporate tax rate that Biden is now trying to increase. 'That's going to cut job creation in the United States of America,' he said. 'And it's the very reason we lowered those tax rates in 2017. It's a plan that worked. And, if the President wants a bipartisan plan, how can he possibly try to get something passed that every single - that repeals a bill that every single Republican in the Senate voted for in 2017.' And some Democrats are also questioning Biden's method of paying for his plan. Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told the Wall Street Journal he didn't think paying for the full cost of the plan through tax increases was necessary. 'When you're borrowing money for current consumption versus borrowing money for investment it's a different thing,' he said. 'What the president proposed this week is not an infrastructure bill. It's a huge tax increase,' Republican Senator Roger Wicker said Sunday on 'Meet the Press' Given the tight Democratic majorities in Congress, Biden can't afford to lose any members of his party when it comes time to vote on the massive infrastructure package. But the legislative process is expected to move slowly with the plan not coming up for a vote until later this summer. 'We're just asking corporations to pay their fair share at a rate, by the way, that would be lower than it's been for most of my life. Now, again, if folks on the Hill have other ideas about how to pay for it, we're going to be interested to hear those ideas, but there is a clear vision to pay for this bill in full,' Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday on 'Meet the Press.' Changes are expected to Biden's original proposal in order to get the legislation passed on Capitol Hill. Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey said he wanted to see the administration consider alternatives to the corporate tax increases to try to court Republican votes. 'I think on the corporate piece, if it's a nonstarter for the Republicans and it means we can't get bipartisanship, I'm eager to hear their other ideas,' he said. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-06 00:58:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Tan Jingjing WASHINGTON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The United States is likely to see a rise in new COVID-19 cases during the spring break, mainly among the young population, a leading epidemiologist told Xinhua in a recent interview. Stanley Perlman, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa, told Xinhua he is very concerned that COVID-19 infections may be increasing again after drops in cases, deaths and hospitalizations for weeks. The country has seen a rise in new cases in 27 states. Currently the seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases is about 61,000 cases a day, a 10 percent increase over the previous period, according to the latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many Americans are traveling during the spring break. Disregard for public health measures from spring breakers and tourists will likely result in a spike of COVID-19 cases, health experts have warned. "This is already a problem. It is suspected that we will see a rise in cases," Perlman said. He expected the surge of cases may be mainly in the young population, and the deaths may not increase much. Perlman urged cautiousness from the public to wear masks and practice social distancing, as coronavirus variants threaten to outpace vaccinations. "Virus variants may contribute to increased spread of infections," Perlman noted. The country recorded more than 13,000 infection cases of coronavirus variants as of April 1, according to the latest data of the CDC. Among these cases, 12,505 cases were caused by the variant known as B.1.1.7, which was originally detected in Britain. There were 323 cases of the strain initially discovered in South Africa, called B.1.351, and 224 cases of the P.1 strain first discovered in Brazil. In addition, the B.1.427 and B.1.429 variants, two coronavirus strains first detected in the western state of California, are also being closely monitored by the CDC. The five coronavirus strains are currently classified by the CDC as "variants of concern," as evidence shows an increase in their transmissibility, increased hospitalizations or deaths, significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures. In a blunt message for all Americans ahead of the spring break, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky urged them not to travel. "We really, really would advocate for not traveling right now." Enditem Pune, April 5 : Modern Technology Consulting Firm Searce on Monday announced it has achieved the Google Cloud Managed Services Provider (MSP) Status as part of the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Programme. Entry into this programme helps the Pune-based company's clients to further leverage Searce's deep technical expertise in cloud modernisation consulting, hands-on implementation support, and 24x7 cloud operations support. Ash Willis, Managing Director, Partnerships and Alliances at Google Cloud APAC, said: "As one of our top partners in India and the wider APAC region, Searce is an important enabler for our growth ambitions, and we look forward to working closely with them to deepen their Google Cloud skills to drive data-driven, digital transformation across enterprises and start-ups." As a Google Cloud Managed Services Provider, Searce's tech consulting and implementation expertise will be augmented with offerings to help clients get onto Google Cloud faster and manage their infrastructure at scale. Searce's investments into dedicated client success functions coupled with its existing cloud reliability engineering practice allow clients to have access to cloud consulting and implementation packages, hands-on support "whenever needed," infrastructure and application-level monitoring along with ongoing optimisations and continuous improvement. "Being recognised by Google Cloud as an MSP is a great testament of our deep technical abilities in providing advanced cloud consulting services to our clients," said Hardik Parekh, Founder and CEO, Searce. "As a full-stack service provider, Searce offers a single-window 24x7 consulting and cloud managed services for Google Cloud's platform, Google Workspace, Maps and AI/ML solutions. This, coupled with our 750+ people global delivery engine supports digital natives and enterprises across the US, Canada, the UK, India, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia," Parekh added. KYODO NEWS - Apr 5, 2021 - 17:37 | All, Japan A Mie prefectural assemblyman revealed the names and postal address of a local same-sex couple on his blog without their consent and refused to delete the information, despite the central Japan prefecture working toward eliminating discrimination against LGBT individuals, Kyodo News learned Monday. Takatora Kobayashi, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, repeatedly refused the couple's request to delete their address from his blog before finally doing so on Monday afternoon. "I am deleting because I am causing trouble to people around me, as I heard that the secretariat of the prefectural assembly, the assembly's chairman and vice chairman are receiving phone calls," Kobayashi wrote on his blog. The assemblyman revealed the names and postal address of the couple -- Masahiro Shimada, 45, and Katsunori Kano, 41 -- after they sent a letter of inquiry to Kobayashi about an LGBT partnership program in the prefecture, following his Twitter post last month saying, "A local partnership system is a strategy to push the national government into a corner." As Japan does not legally recognize same-sex marriages, many municipalities including Iga in the prefecture where the couple live started introducing a partnership certificate program so that sexual minority couples have equivalent rights to married couples. On April 1, Mie Prefecture implemented an ordinance banning anyone from revealing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity without consent or good reason, the first among the nation's 47 prefectures. The prefecture is also set to introduce a partnership certification system for sexual minority couples in September. Shimada and Kano sent the letter to the assemblyman's office on March 15 to ask for an explanation about his tweet. Kobayashi, 47, then posted on his blog on March 30 a photo of an envelope showing the pair's names and postal address, with a comment saying that demanding an answer by sending an unsolicited letter was "very aggressive and malicious." The couple had asked Kobayashi in person to delete their address from his blog and demanded an apology, but the assemblyman said they should retract the inquiry in return. This the couple did and made their decision public via social media, but Kobayashi still refused to comply because he said they had not contacted him in person about the retraction. Related coverage: Nearly 60% of Japan municipalities say current LGBT system inadequate Tokyo ward responds to controversy by certifying LGBT families Japan granted 93 foreigners permission to bring their same-sex spouse Baghdad, April 5 : Two rockets on Sunday landed near an Iraqi military air base in Salahudin province north of capital Baghdad, the Iraqi military said. A statement by the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said that the rockets landed at 12:15 p.m. local time (0915 GMT) at the edge of Balad air base, some 90 km north of Baghdad, without causing casualties, the Xinhua news agency reported. The rockets were fired from al-Dojama, an area located across the Tigris River in the neighbouring Diyala province, the statement said, adding that the air base houses Iraqi jet fighters. Balad is the largest military air base in Iraq and still houses some US experts and advisers. The US troops withdrew more than a year ago after the base came under a series of rocket attacks by unidentified militias. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Iraqi military bases housing US troops across Iraq, as well as the US embassy in the Green Zone, have been frequently targeted by mortar and rocket attacks. Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio (TNS) NASHVILLE, Tenn. Masks and physical distancing are proving to have major fringe benefits, keeping people from getting all kinds of illnesses not just COVID-19. But its unclear whether the protocols will be worth the pain in the long run. The teachers at New Hope Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, were chatting the other day. The private Christian school has met in person throughout much of the pandemic requiring masks and trying to keep kids apart, to the degree it is possible with young children. And Nicole Grayson, who teaches fourth grade, said they realized something peculiar. We dont know anybody that has gotten the flu, she said. I dont know of a student that has gotten strep throat. Its not just an anecdote. A study released in March in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, led by researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, found that across 44 childrens hospitals the number of pediatric patients hospitalized for respiratory illnesses is down 62%. The number of kids in the U.S. who have died of the flu this season remains in the single digits. Deaths have dropped dramatically, too, compared with the past 10 years: The number of flu deaths among children is usually between 100 and 200 per year, but so far only one child has died from the disease in the U.S. during the 2020-21 flu season. Adults arent getting sick either. U.S. flu deaths this season will be measured in the hundreds instead of thousands. In 2018-19, a moderate flu season, an estimated 34,200 Americans died. Its not just the masks and physical distancing that are tamping down communicable disease, said Dr. Amy Vehec, a pediatrician at Mercy Community Healthcare, a Tennessee clinic that gets federal funding. Its become a serious societal faux pas to go anywhere with a fever so parents dont send their ailing kids to school, she said. They are doing a better job of staying home when theyre sick, Vehec said. That includes adults who may feel ill. Isolating when feeling bad could be kept up after the pandemic. But the isolation, the distance and the masks are not working for many kids, Vehec said. Children with speech trouble arent seeing their teachers mouth to learn how to speak correctly, for instance. I think it has been a necessary evil because of the pandemic, and I have completely supported it, but it has had prices. Its had consequences, she said. Kids education is suffering, among other things. And with COVID-19 vaccines unavailable to children for a while yet, it may be another year of masks in schools. Some experts, like researchers trying to improve masks, argue that more societies should embrace masking as some Asian countries have. But even infectious disease experts like Dr. Ricardo Franco of the University of Alabama at Birmingham doubt thats practical. Im a little skeptical that this crisis will be enough for a widespread culture change, given how difficult its been to achieve a reasonable culture shift in the previous months, Franco said. The most realistic setting for lasting change may be within health care itself. Doctors and nurses didnt usually wear masks before COVID-19. Dr. Duane Harrison, who directs an emergency department for an HCA hospital outside Nashville, mentioned a physician colleague who has worn a mask since he got out of medical school. We used to joke and clown with him about this, Harrison said. Until this. Now that everyone wears masks, Harrisons department has found the same thing many other workplaces have: Employees arent calling out sick, unless its COVID-19. When COVIDs done, this is a practice that most of us will probably continue, Harrison said. Because we wont be worried about runny-nose kids and elderly people who dont know theyre sneezing in your face. Some hospital systems, including Nebraska Medicine, have started to relax universal masking requirements for their staffs. But even vaccinated staffers still have to wear a mask when seeing patients. Intermountain Healthcare in Utah has signaled masks will continue to be required when a statewide mandate lifts in April. But even believers in the effectiveness of masks have their doubts about the medical community keeping it up. The larger question is: Is everyone going to need a break? asked Dr. Joshua Barocas, who studies infectious diseases at Boston University. Whatever the future holds, public health officials say, the time has not yet come to drop mask requirements as the U.S. waits for more people to get a COVID-19 vaccine. But eventually, even doctors and nurses are ready to see smiling faces again. I know Im going to need to retire my masks at some point in the future, Barocas said, for a little bit. (KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. This story is part of a partnership that includes Nashville Public Radio, NPR and KHN.) (c)2021 Kaiser Health News; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC Vietnam is working to realise its goal of being listed in Top 4 in ASEAN and Top 50 of the world in terms in artificial intelligence (AI) research, development and application by 2030. Vietnam targets to be in top Top 4 in ASEAN and Top 50 of the world in terms in AI research, development and application by 2030. The target was set in a National Strategy on AI Research, Development and Application by 2030 recently approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The strategy aims at stepping up AI research, development and application to make it an important technological industry of Vietnam. By 2030, Vietnam will become a centre for innovation and development of AI solutions and applications in the Southeast Asian region and the world. The country aims to build 10 AI brands of high prestige in the region, develop three national centres on big data and high performance computing, and connect big data and high performance computing centres nationwide into a network and form 50 open datasets in all socio-economic fields to better serve AI research, development and application. Last month, the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), in collaboration with Naver Corporation of the Republic of Korea, inaugurated an international AI research centre, aiming to connect AI research units nationwide, and application in industry across the globe. The inaugural of the centre will assist with basic research studies on the creation of Make-in-Vietnam technologies, and the application of AI in various sectors so as to speed up digital transformation and the fourth industrial revolution in Vietnam. The HUST and Naver Corporation of the Republic of Korea will partner to operate the centre for the development of in-depth research and training of skilled personnel in AI. Director of the AI centre Ho Tu Bao said that Vietnam is lagging behind developed countries like Japan and the US in AI research; however, the gap will be reduced thanks to Vietnams talented human resources. In the past time, Vietnam technology corporations such as FPT, Bkav, Vingroup, Viettel, VNPT and CMS Telecom have invested big in AI as well as applied the technology into their business, contributing to the nations digitalisation process. In mid-2020, FPT Corporation and the AI Institute of Mila, Canada, signed a strategic cooperation deal for 2020-2023 to promote AI application in Vietnam. The cooperation agreement focuses on contents of AI technology development and research for FPT, strategic consultation on Mila experience to build an FPT Research Complex in Quy Nhon of Vietnams Binh Dinh Province, and the training and exchange of AI human resources. Once completed, the FPT Research Complex will make significant contributions to helping Vietnams AI reach out to the world. VNA Vietnam strives to enter worlds Top 50 in terms of AI by 2030 Vietnam sets a goal of being listed in Top 4 in ASEAN and Top 50 of the world in terms of artificial intelligence (AI) research, development and application by 2030. All Tech Stocks Revolve Around This Disruptor Silicon Valley is the birthplace of American tech. Giants like Google and Apple have become the face of Californias disruption hub. But long before we were typing Google searches into our iPhones, Silicon Valley got its name by creating the worlds most important industry: computer chips. Computer chips, also called semiconductors, are the brains of electronics. These days, the entire world runs on semiconductors. There would be no iPhone, Amazon Webstore, or online messaging apps without them. Temperature sensors in air conditioners are powered by tiny microchips. Rice cookers cook rice to perfection because built-in semiconductors control the heat. The chip inside pacemakers sends electrical pulses to the heart to keep it beating regularly. every modern system runs on chips 11.8 billion five billionths of a meter, or 1,000X smaller than a red blood cell From flying across oceans to hailing a ride on our smartphones when we land; streaming movies to buying stuff online; from checking out groceries to paying for dinner with your credit card:You cant grab a packet of microchips off the shelf at Walmart. But the latest cameras, TVs, washing machines, ovens, and refrigerators are all made smart by semis. In 2019 there were 300 billion computer chips sold. Thats roughly 40 for every man, woman, and child in the world. And chip companies raked in $450 billion:Virtually all of human progress over the past 60 years has been driven by computer chips becoming more powerful. Remember, chips are the brains of computers. And the more brain cells (transistors) a chip has, the faster it is.The NASA supercomputer that sent Neil Armstrong to the moon in 1969 had 2,000 transistors. But get this: there arebrain cells packed onto the chip inside the new iPhone! Keep in mind, modern chips are no larger than your thumbnail:All the tech progress in our lifetime has come from chipmakers figuring out how to cram more transistors onto these microchips. Its how we can do things on our pocket-sized smartphones that IBM mainframes larger than a double-decker bus never could.In short, semiconductors are the most important goods the world has ever known. They are the fuel powering every modern technology. And they are also key to every future disruption you can think of.Self-driving cars, artificial intelligence, computer vision, space tourism, genomic medicine. You name it, these world-changing disruptions ALL need faster chips.Youre might already be familiar with chip giant. Nvidia, Qualcomm, and AMD are often referred to as chipmakers, but thats a misnomer. These companies dont actually make semiconductors. Theyre more like architects, crafting blueprints and intricate designs for the chips.When it comes to physically manufacturing the chips, they hand the reins to. TSMC is the worlds largest semiconductor manufacturer. Today, roughly 70% of top-shelf chips pass through its factories. And its list of clients reads like a whos who in the tech world.Its made the chips inside every Apple iPhone and Mac since 2014. Its produced Nvidias chips since the 90s. Giants like Qualcomm, Google, and AMD pay TSMC billions of dollars a year.Most investors have never heard of TSMC, likely because it doesnt make any chips of its own. Its a dedicated manufacturer, only producing chips for big-name tech giants. Most of TSMCs factories are on the island of Taiwan. My contact John told me its plant in Hsinchu is the most incredible building hes ever set foot inside.Once you pass through security, you have to throw on a protective cover-all suit with masks and gloves. Then you walk into an air shower. Its a special chamber that blasts you with filtered air to remove any particles, like dust or hair.The semiconductors TSMC makes are so fine, a single speck of dust can ruin them. Its so-called cleanroom must be thousands of times more purified than outside. John said the air is so sterile you have to drink gallons of water to stay hydrated.What stood out most was how he described TSMCs factory robots:A monorail-like track bolted to the ceiling loops around the factory. The shuttles zooming around above your head are carrying partly-finished chips, some worth more than solid diamonds.These robots travel 400,000 km a day, combined. Its the equivalent of running around planet Earth 10 times!TSMC recently stole Intels crown as the worlds leading chip manufacturer. Remember, all tech progress has been fueled by chipmakers cramming more transistors onto these tiny silicon wafers. This process is the closest thing to magic in the real world.The chip inside Apples new iPhone has a transistor etched into it every 5 nanometers. ThatsChipmakers refer to the task of producing ever faster chips as recipes. Making chips is just like baking a cake. You can have all the right ingredients (or machines), but you must get the mix just right for it to work.Intel pioneered chipmaking back in 1968. And until recently, it always cooked the recipe correctly before anyone else. That allowed it to keep producing the worlds fastest chips.But Intel was four years late to the latest chip innovation, allowing TSMC to leapfrog it for the first time ever.And thats transformed it into the worlds most important tech company.Think about it: when Apple and Nvidia need new chips made, who will they call? It can only be TSMC. These firms spent roughly $550 million designing their latest chips. When youre ploughing that kind of money into design, you will only hire the best chipmaker to build them. TSMC is like the sun, sitting at the center of the tech universe. Every company reliant on faster chips now revolves around it.As chipmaking gets more complex and expensive, TSMC is leaving its rivals in the dust.In 2001 there were 30 chipmakers vying for the #1 crown. Today, TSMC is the only chipmaker in the world capable of making leading-edge chips. Intel and Samsung are the only others left standing, and both are 12 years behind.TSMCs only problem is figuring out how to make more chips. Apple, Nvidia, AMD and a handful of others have booked out its entire capacity until the second half of 2021.Ive followed this disruptor for a couple years now, and its among the most consistent performers youll ever lay eyes on. Its grown sales 15X since 2000, and business has gone vertical over the past decade:Remember, semiconductors are the fuel of our modern world. Every future disruption you can think of relies on faster and faster chips. As the principal supplier of those chips, TSMC is now the most important tech company in the world.I call it a forever stock. Buy the stock today and lock it away for 10 years. Watch along the way as it compounds your initial investment into a small fortune. The Great Disruptors: 3 Breakthrough Stocks Set to Double Your Money" Get my latest report where I reveal my three favorite stocks that will hand you 100% gains as they disrupt whole industries. Get your free copy here. By Stephen McBride http://www.riskhedge.com 2021 Copyright Stephen McBride - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. A little friendly help can come in handy when you see yourself faced with a foe, and recent research released in the journal Royal Society of Open Science has discovered that some monkeys call for help too. The Study of Wild Putty-Nosed Monkeys Taking a look at a population of putty-nosed monkeys (Cercopithecus nictitans), the scientists discovered that females would make use of specific calls to target just the males, who would rush in like "hired guns" to protect the females from predators. The research team, in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS) Congo Program and the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, viewed 19 different groups of wild putty-nosed monkeys for the study. Each was discovered within Mbeli Bai, a designated region for research that stays within the forests in Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Northern Republic of Congo. Groups making use of specific warning calls is natural among primates, who have learned to answer warning calls and respond appropriately, sometimes even answering calls of other species (captive orangutans have even accustomed to a new method of communicating not seen in the wild). Also Read: Wild Monkey Gave Birth with the Help of Fellow Monkey Midwife The Alarm Call Among the forest guenons (monkeys from the genus Cercopithecus, both putty-nosed monkeys) males have some of the loudest alarms but they are not certainly more specific than female calls, as just one sound can be used for many purposes. The scientists on this study had in mind to test if differences in sex came into alarm call strategies experimentally, so they secured the help of a "leopard," a moving model that was persuasive enough to make the putty-nosed monkeys believe they are been attacked. They unleashed the leopard on male and female groups differently, to notice how the other monkeys, of different sex, react to their calls. Interestingly, when female monkeys sighted the leopard and sounded the alarm, the males would come running but the same result didn't occur when it was the males sounding the alarm. Sex-Dependent Replies Before the recruited males discovered what was happening, they would make noise while approaching which the researchers propose could help in establishing the value of the male within the group. The call of the male would then change once they sighted the leopard to a specific call of anti-predator, and it was only at this point that the females would quit vocalizing. The different plans could be tied to the fact that males that involved less in such events which are defensive may get chased out of the group earlier than those who take the lead, a motivation that may have driven the sex-dependent replies to predators and warning calls. Kek The specific call males made when coming close to the leopard was a new one to the scientists, who called it "kek", which to their understanding has never before been announced in observational research of putty-nosed monkeys. There are not too many reasons why this might be, but it could imply that kek is a population-specific call. If this is true, it would be an indicator for vocal production study among these monkeys, a large scoop for science as it's widely trusted that this type of learning isn't found within the animal kingdom. Related Article: Monkeys Display Behavior Similar to Autism, Study Says For more news, updates about monkeys and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! New Delhi: The wait for close to 17 lakh students is finally over as the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has declared the results of 10th Board exams on Monday (April 5). The results can be accessed through the official website of BSEB at biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in. Alternatively, students can also check the scores at bsebonline.in. Due to heavy traffic on the website, students may face slowness and might have to give it more than one try to download their scorecard. Apart from checking the results online students will also have the option to get their scores through SMS. For this, all they need to do is type "BSEB", add space and then type your Roll Number and send this SMS to 56263. The students will receive their results in reply to their message. A total of 16.84 lakh students appeared for the Bihar Board Matric exams this year. Out of these 8,37,803 were girls, while 8,46,663 were boys. The exams were conducted across 1525 centres. Live TV Welsh Ambulance Service choir raising charity funds with its latest virtual performance This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 5th, 2021 A virtual choir formed by staff of the Welsh Ambulance Service is raising money for a charity close to their hearts with the release of its latest video. Entitled You Will Be Found, it comes from the musical play and soon-to-be-film, Dear Evan Hansen and was chosen by choir organiser Mads Matthews-Williams for its message of hope and emotional support. Mads, who works as a Medical Priority Dispatch System Auditor based in Carmarthen, said: This time we decided to try and raise some money for The Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC). Sometimes as ambulance people we forget we may need help ourselves and always try to be the strong one. Myself and other members of the choir have been supported by TASC in the past and they really do make you feel less alone. Two of our members have even been trained as counsellors by TASC and volunteer as peer support workers. Speaking of the song choice, Mads said: I love the musical and this song stood out as a good message about reaching out. Its positive and uplifting and many of us are feeling a bit isolated as we come out of lockdown. With some 20 performers from all corners of Wales, the project even drew one man out of vocal retirement. Alan Griffiths, a Non-Emergency Patient Transport team leader from Pontardawe said: I just wanted to sing again, having previously been in a choir. It was nice to sing again, and hopefully one day Ill do it again without the need be on a screen. Gemma Tavill, Clinical Advisor for the NHS 111 Wales service said: The lyrics of the song hit home with myself and I know they will with family. Growing up I was always in choirs and wanted to join in and feel part of a team other than a work team again. The choir are asking people who view the video and enjoy it to consider making a donation of whatever they can afford to TASC via a JustGiving page which can be found here. Jasmin Rana, TASCs Director of Income Generation and Supporter Engagement, said: Ambulance staff have one of the most stressful jobs in the UK, and the continuing and long-term impacts of Coronavirus are making their job that much harder. At TASC, were passionate about supporting the mental, physical and financial wellbeing of the UKs ambulance community, but we cant do it alone. Were so grateful that the Welsh Ambulance Choir have chosen to support TASC and raise vital funds for our cause; demand for our services is growing year-on-year and with support of people like Mads, Alan and Gemma, we can continue being there for the UKs lifesavers when theyre struggling for years to come. Dear Evan Hansen was written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the team behind the mega successful The Greatest Showman and has enjoyed great success since its debut in 2016, even winning three Olivier awards in 2020. NEWS FLASH Air Serbia has inked an agreement with Qatar Airways and Flydubai which enables the latters business class passengers to use the Serbian carriers Premium Lounge at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. The two have so far used Belgrade Airports Business Club lounge, which is currently closed. In addition, the Air Serbia Premium lounge can also be used by the national carriers corporate card members, business class passengers and those who purchased an Economy Comfort ticket. Air Serbia has also entered into a partnership with Collinson, the company behind Priority Pass, LoungeKey and Lounge Pass, which will enable those using these programs to access the Air Serbia Premium Lounge as of April 12. We believe that a greater number of passengers and an expanded offer will contribute to Air Serbias improved positioning on the global map of premium lounges, the airlines General Manager for Commercial and Strategy, Jiri Marek, said. Air Serbia has inked an agreement with Qatar Airways and Flydubai which enables the latters business class passengers to use the Serbian carriers Premium Lounge at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. The two have so far used Belgrade Airports Business Club lounge, which is currently closed. In addition, the Air Serbia Premium lounge can also be used by the national carriers corporate card members, business class passengers and those who purchased an Economy Comfort ticket. Air Serbia has also entered into a partnership with Collinson, the company behind Priority Pass, LoungeKey and Lounge Pass, which will enable those using these programs to access the Air Serbia Premium Lounge as of April 12. We believe that a greater number of passengers and an expanded offer will contribute to Air Serbias improved positioning on the global map of premium lounges, the airlines General Manager for Commercial and Strategy, Jiri Marek, said. Air Serbias Premium Lounge represents the first airline-specific lounge in Serbia. Since its opening in September 2015, it has been visited by 125.500 passengers. As of November 2016, the lounge has been open for travellers flying out on select airlines from Belgrade, and as of May 2017, entry to the Premium Lounge is offered as a part of Air Serbias ancillary services. The lounge has a capacity to seat eighty people, and offers a-la-carte and buffet dining, bar, showers, bathrooms, prayer room, USB ports and a meeting area. When New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio took office in 2014, every municipal collective bargaining agreement had expired, and union leaders were demanding $7 billion in retroactive pay. Though only one municipal union had endorsed him during the primary, de Blasio was seen as a friend of organized labor and, five months after taking office, the mayor reached a nine-year $5.5 billion contract with the United Federation of Teachers, which set the pattern for pay raises for all of the citys 300,000 workers. As de Blasios second term winds down, the most recent round of contracts negotiated under his administration is set to expire at a moment when the city is facing its worst fiscal crisis in years. Since personnel costs account for more than half of the budget, the outcome of the next round of collective bargaining will have a considerable impact on New Yorks finances in the coming years. When the next round of bargaining begins, and which union sets the pattern for the others, will come down to strategic decisions on the part of both the unions and the city either the current administration or the one that succeeds it. In 2014, the UFT set the pattern and, in 2018, it was District Council 37, the largest municipal workers union, which settled with the city first. DC 37s contract expires in mid-May, while the UFT contract does not expire until next September. We are the first one in line in terms of expiration of the contract, so yes, we have an expectation that we probably would be one of the likely candidates to set the pattern, said Henry Garrido, executive director of DC 37. Garrido told City & State that he did not want to negotiate on a back heel and would probably seek to initiate negotiations before the expiration of his contract, but after the state completes its budget. Even if we dont get to sign a contract with this administration, we could start getting the groundwork going, he said. Garrido added that many factors are in play, including that the union has around 10,000 workers without a contract whose negotiations the city put on hold due to COVID and economic conditions. But not everybody is sure that the city will be willing to engage in negotiations over the next round of contracts. Some unions would love to start now, but I dont think this administration is ready to sit down and discuss that right now, said Harry Nespoli, chair of the Municipal Labor Committee, a group representing municipal unions. Nespoli criticized the de Blasio administration for not moving to settle with unions that are ready to accept the current rounds pattern, claiming the city didnt want to wrap it up. Nespoli said he believed that the next round of bargaining would fall to the administration that comes into office in 2022. Its not that DC 37 cant start talking with somebody, but who are they going to talk with? he said. I dont think this administration is going to be sitting down with them to discuss the next round. The deputy press secretary for de Blasio, Laura Feyer, told City & State in an email that the administration had settled virtually 100% of contracts in the first round of bargaining in 2014 and 84% in the second in 2018. This has resulted in settled contracts spanning for over 10 years for most city employees, she said. We will continue to work with unions on the best path forward in light of the changing fiscal picture. The Police Benevolent Association, one of the unions with an unsettled contract right now, is currently in arbitration, and some other uniformed unions including the Uniformed Firefighters Association and the Detectives Endowment Association are awaiting the outcome of that proceeding. In response to the fiscal strain brought on by the pandemic, the city emptied most of its labor reserve, which now has just enough to fund the current pattern for the still-unsettled contracts. There is no money available for raises beyond this current round, and the citys 2021 adopted budget, moreover, included $1 billion in unspecified labor savings. I dont know where theyre going to find it, Nespoli said. Nespoli, who is president of the Uniformed Sanitationmens Association, said that he was always discussing ways to lower costs with the city, and pointed to health care savings that the Municipal Labor Committee negotiated during previous rounds of collective bargaining. Two contracts ago, we saved $2.5 billion for the city of New York, and the last contract, we saved two-point-something billion dollars, and then got sick, and died, and everything, he said. Whoever takes over this administration has to recognize what the city workers have done. The Citizens Budget Commission, a nonpartisan fiscal monitor, has put out recommendations, including standardizing work rules and creating more flexibility with job assignments, which could generate savings for the city. According to its President Andrew Rein, the city should be looking to increase the efficiency of government in light of the fiscal stress it is under. Therein lies the potential win-win here, which is that when you change work rules and increase productivity you can actually save the city money, be more efficient and, to some degree, self-fund raises for workers, he said. According to the Citizens Budget Commission, health insurance premium costs grew at an annual average rate of 7% between 2009-2019, and 95% of New York City employees choose health plans with no contribution, which means that one avenue to generate savings could be through new premium-sharing arrangements. Garrido said DC 37 had been working with the MLC and the de Blasio administration on achieving savings through changes to prescription drug and health care benefits, as well as the actuarial assumptions of pensions. Were working on that billion-dollar hole, he said. DC 37 would also be seeking new work rules around telecommuting, Garrido said, as well as health and safety provisions related to the pandemic, which could include hazard pay. Marchs $1.9 trillion federal stimulus bill included more than $5 billion in unrestricted aid that New York City can use to fill budget gaps, which raises the possibility that unions could ask for a portion of that sum to fund salary raises. But Rein said applying that funding to recurring expenses could create a future budget hole, which he likened to finding a $100 bill on the sidewalk and renting a bigger apartment. Two of the most consequential decisions that this administration will make for the next administrations fiscal future will be how it uses federal funds and whether, and how, it might settle this labor contract, Rein said. YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. The authorities do not see any problem for making changes to other provisions of the Electoral Code as well after getting the opinion of the Venice Commission before the elections, if there is consensus over it, Head of the ruling My Step faction of the Armenian Parliament Lilit Makunts told reporters today, asked whether other changes to the Electoral Code are expected after getting the opinion of the Venice Commission. In fact, we have divided the new changes to the Electoral Code into two parts. We have already adopted the part relating to the proportional system at the plenary session of the Parliament. At this moment it has been submitted for the Presidents signing, we will soon see what is taking place over the proportional system mainly. As for the second part, we will discuss the issue when we get the official notification of the Venice Commission, which provisions will be adopted for the coming early parliamentary elections and which ones will be delayed. It will be discussed in the Parliament and we will decide, she said. He stated that in this context its important to take into account to what extent its realistic to make those changes also by the Central Electoral Commission. If there are provisions which will facilitate the procedures, they will be adopted, if not, the issue will be put up for the future. Lilit Makunts also informed that during this period they have had quite intense discussions with the President of the Central Electoral Commission who has presented his views not only over making amendments to the package, but also some approaches which can be a problem in terms of time for the CEC itself. As for the whole composition of the pre-election list of the Civil Contract party, Makunts said maybe there will be new names in the list. Armenia will hold early parliamentary elections on June 20. 1. After Akshay Kumar Gets Hospitalised, 45 Junior Artistes Of 'Ram Setu' Test COVID-19 Positive Indiatimes FWICE (Federatioon of Western India Cine Employees) General Secretary Ashok Dubey confirmed the news and said, "Ram Setu has been taking full precautions. It is really unfortunate that 45 people from our Junior Artistes Association have tested positive. They have been quarantined." 2. Amid Startling Number Of COVID-19 Cases In Mumbai, Visuals Of Crowded Juhu Beach Shock Celebs Indiatimes The rise of covid-19 cases is also a result of public negligence. People have returned back to normalcy while the second wave of coronavirus is at its peak in the country. Here are some visuals of Mumbai's Juhu Beach where people had gathered in large numbers as if the pandemic was long over. 3. Kangana Ranaut Calls Out CM Uddhav Thackeray For Imposing Partial Lockdown In Maharashtra Indiatimes Kangana Ranaut took to Twitter to express her views on the same. Calling out CM Uddhav Thackeray for imposing partial lockdown, she wrote, "Right after this meeting he closed the theatres for whole month, such a shame, why cant worlds best CM announce complete lockdown for a week and break the chain of virus transmission. This partial lockdown is not stopping the virus but only the business #maharashtralockdown". 4. 'Gyaan Devi Without Mask', Kangana Trolled For Not Wearing Mask After Slamming Partial Lockdown Indiatimes After criticising CM Uddhav Thackeray for imposing partial and not complete lockdown in Maharashtra, Ranaut made an appearance sans the mask yet again. She got down from her car and posed for paparazzi. 5. Nawazuddin Feels 'Gangs Of Wasseypur' Changed His Career Completely & We Couldn't Agree More Twitter I feel all films change your life in some way. However, if I had to pick one, I would say Gangs of Wasseypur changed my career completely. Apart from it, there have been several other films too from which I have learned a lot in my life. Whatever character I play, I get to know about his life and thoughts. That is one of the advantages of doing varied roles. NEW HAVEN It may not be well-known to the world-at-large yet, but if youre looking for information about how New Haven grew to be the city you see today at least over the past four decades and four mayors it is being preserved and digitized in the Hilton C. Buley Library at Southern Connecticut State University. The New Haven Mayoral Archive, while not yet complete, already is accessible online and is housed on the first floor of the library, which has a street address of 501 Crescent St. in Hamden, Southern officials said. It showcases the personal papers and other records from the administrations of former New Haven mayors Biagio Ben DiLieto, who served as mayor from 1980-1990, John Daniels (1990-1994), John DeStefano Jr. (1994-2014) and Toni Harp (2014-2020). It includes everything from correspondence to proclamations, newspaper articles, photographs and campaign literature from as far back as 1980 the year Ronald Reagan was first elected president and Ella Grasso stepped down as governor of Connecticut because of illness, Southern said in a release. Daniels, elected after a long career as a state senator, was New Havens first African-American mayor. Harp, also elected after a long tenure as a state senator, was the citys first female mayor. DeStefano, once a DiLieto staffer, served for 20 years the longest tenure of any New Haven mayor. DiLieto was elected after previously serving as the citys police chief. Its been a very exciting and unique opportunity for us, said SCSU Director of Library Services Clara Ogbaa. Beginning when DeStefano donated his papers, We started digitizing these materials and now they are online, and people are using them from all over the U.S. It means a lot to us, Ogbaa said. They are of great historical and cultural value for students here at Southern and even at Yale. They are actually unique items that you cant get anywhere. So we are excited to house them and present them ... as well as make them accessible to people, she said. This is not a flash-in-the-pan move. ... This is something we really hope to grow as a collection, said Patrick Crowley, metadata librarian for cataloging and digital projects at Buley Library. Even now, the archive harbors lots of material. Among the 100,000 documents in his collection, DeStefano even donated the scrapbook his mother kept since he first went to work for the DiLieto administration, with the first clipping dating to 1982, he said Monday. His collection also includes every speech, every relevant file about rebuilding the Q bridge and a lot of my political stuff, including poll results, he said. Nothing was held back and together the collections represent a rich source of research opportunities, DeStefano said. What better location than New Havens premier education institution for these documents, which ultimately belong to the public? Harp also held little back. We sent most everything to Southern more than they wanted, probably, said Harp, who said she likes the idea of her papers and records being available in a public university library. Its interesting because I thought it would just be there and no one would be interested in it, but I did meet with a professor who was doing work with the Yale School of Architecture, Harp said Monday. Theyre doing something on 100 women at Yale and shes been looking at my archive as part of a story shes doing on Harp, she said. Im hoping that all the other mayors who come behind me will be at Southern, too, or at least there will be a link to the archive if theirs are stored elsewhere, Harp said. DeStefano, who teaches a class on cities in the spring at Yale College, said he made the decision eight years ago to donate his papers to Southern after also discussing it with Yale largely because (SCSU) agreed to digitize it. Its searchable, DeStefano said. His material was the first of the four that SCSU received. The extensive archives of the late Mayor Richard C. Lee, who served from 1954-1969, are in the Sterling Library at Yale, as are the archives of the late Mayor Frank Logue, who served from 1976-1979, and Logues brother Ed Logue, who was Lees redevelopment chief and also did significant work in Boston and New York State. There were no archives from either the DiLieto or Daniels administration prior to this one being established at Southern, said DeStefano. Crowley said of the Daniels papers, Those are very special. Those were carefully solicited by members of the faculty because they were gathered after-the-fact. Because of that, Daniels stuff including a great deal that is much more personal ... a lot more photographs, Crowley said. Thats a very interesting collection because it shows the mayor in a much more personal way. The same is true of the DiLieto collection, he said. Crowley said the papers are part of an uncommonly interesting archive. They bring together official and personal papers across multiple administrations, Crowley said. The strong core of official mayoral papers has attracted (other) papers that are more personal and are outside of what state archives are legally required to retain. In addition to paperwork representing the day-to-day operations of local government, the archive also includes more personal insights into the individuals governing, including aides, who defined New Haven public policy, he said. The DeStefano collection came in before I was here and the person who did the absolute lions share of the work ... Jackie Toce ... led up the really monumental job of digitizing all of the papers, Crowley said. Even though the New Haven Mayoral Archive hasnt yet been formally dedicated, its getting good use, said Toce. Our political science and history students have already been using it, said Toce, head of technical services at Buley Library. Weve supervised interns from those departments and we have had one student use the papers for his thesis, she said in the release. Since there are so many different aspects of city government covered in the archive: economics, education, arts, etc., it could be used across more disciplines, too. Weve also had quite a few non-Southern students and researchers use the digital archive. Bruce Kalk, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Southern, said that after DeStefano donated his papers to Buley eight years ago, SCSU alumnus and author Neil Proto who DeStefano said worked for the city for a few years during DiLietos administration in the early 1980s endowed a fund for a mayoral archive. Neils vision has been to make Southern a destination of choice for the exploration of New Havens recent past, Kalk said. The collections cover the full range of mayoral activities, from community policing to economic development to the citys enormous school rebuilding program. The archive also includes information on school reform, the New Haven Promise program created to give more New Haven students an opportunity to attend college a U.S. Supreme Court case involving the city and other issues, including the citys town-gown partnerships. A fall exhibition of the archive is currently being planned, officials said. mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com Hundreds of people have been killed in violent crackdowns on protests over the past two months, according to media and other accounts. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a nonprofit human rights organization based in Myanmar, has tallied 557 deaths and more than 2,750 arrested since the protests began. Protesters began taking to the streets after the Feb. 1 coup by the military, in which de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other government leaders were arrested. Eggs bearing slogans such as "Spring Revolution" and "We Must Win" as well as drawings of a three-finger salute were in the hands of thousands of protesters across Myanmar Sunday, in a nod to the Christian holiday. Demonstrations against military rule continued in Myanmar Sunday, with many protesters using Easter eggs to aid their movement. On Sunday, protests drew thousands into the streets in Yangon and Mandalay, among other cities. Local news outlets reported that security forces opened fire on a crowd of protesters in the city of Pyinmana in central Myanmar, killing at least one person. In Naypyitaw, the capital, police fired on protesters on motorbikes, killing two men, the Irrawaddy news site reported. One man was killed earlier in the northern town of Bhamo, the Myanmar Now news outlet said. Police and a spokesman for the junta did not answer telephone calls seeking comment. During his Easter Sunday address, Pope Francis acknowledged the young people of Myanmar, praying for those "committed to supporting democracy and making their voices heard peacefully, in the knowledge that hatred can be dispelled only by love." Sunday's so-called "Easter Egg Strike" is one of many themed protests over the past two months, including a "Flower Strike" in which protesters laid flowers in public places to honor victims of security forces. And a "Silent Strike" that left the streets of the country deserted. "Easter is all about the future and the people of Myanmar have a great future in a federal democracy," said Dr. Sasa, the United Nation international envoy for the ousted civilian government, on Twitter. A member of the Christian minority in what is largely a Buddhist nation, Sasa uses only one name. "May this Easter bring the new hope and strength to United States of Myanmar," he tweeted. The junta, which had been turning off internet service at night, told internet service providers last week to shut down wireless broadband service until further notice, according to Ooredoo, one of several providers to report the move Thursday. This internet shutdown was condemned by several dozen UN member countries via a statement written by Lithuania, France and Greece. Protesters have used the internet and their cellphones to publicize violent acts by security forces against protesters and to organize against military rule. (Natural News) All media in China is either aligned with, controlled by, or operated by the Chinese government, so it is natural to expect everything that flows from those outlets to be Communist-approved propaganda. But when American media outlets become propaganda distributors for the Chinese, thats another thing altogether. The National Pulse reported in recent days that USA Today and CBS News quoted Dr. Ian Lipkin in stories to debunk a claim made by former Centers of Disease Control and Prevention chief Dr. Robert Redfield in late March that he believes, based on evidence hes seen, that the COVID-19 virus escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, as others have speculated in the past. I am of the point of view that I still think the most likely etiology of this pathogen in Wuhan was from a laboratory, you know, escaped, Redfield told CNNs Dr. Sanjay Gupta during an interview that was taped in January but only aired in full recently. Now, other people dont believe that, thats fine. Science will eventually figure it out. Its not unusual for respiratory pathogens that are being worked on in the laboratory to infect the laboratory worker. I do not believe this somehow came from a bat to a human. And at that moment in time, the virus came to the human, became one of the most infectious viruses that we know in humanity for human to human transmission. Normally, when a pathogen goes from a zoonotic to human, it takes a while for it to figure out how to become more and more efficient, Redfield, a virologist by training, continued, adding that he does not believe that the release was intentional. Im allowed to have opinions now, he told Gupta. Most of us in a lab, when trying to grow a virus, we try to help make it grow better, and better, and better, and better, and better, and better so we can do experiments and figure out about it. Thats the way I put it together. Hes not alone by a long shot. Chinese researchers have said as much, and so, too, has former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said in February there is significant evidence to substantiate the claim. But American media instead relied on Lipkin, who simply mouthed the same claim the China-allied World Health Organization and the Chinese government itself have put forth: That the virus jumped from an animal to humans. That seems to be the most likely and plausible explanation, particularly since weve seen so many of these viruses emerge in just this way, Lipkin, director of the center for infection and immunity at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, told USA Today, citing the first SARS virus, Zika, and West Nile. The fact that we havent seen it before, doesnt mean it was created in a laboratory, he told CBS News. The modifications that have been exploited by the virus are not ones that we would have predicted, he said, adding, even if we wanted to design such a virus, we wouldnt have known how to do it. We should be moving away from finger-pointing, Lipkin told CBS after saying there is no evidence to suggest that it was created in a lab. The National Pulse reported: In 2016, Lipkin received the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, presided over by Chinese Communist leader Xi Jinping. The award is Chinas top science honor for foreign scientists, and, as quoted in a Columbia University press release, Lipkin said: It solidifies my relationship with dear friends and colleagues in the Chinese Academy of Science, Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, and with the people of China all of which are wholly-owned and operated Chinese Communist Party entities. The American media is worse than their Chinese counterparts because they willingly allow themselves to be ministers of propaganda whereas Chinese media figures dont have a choice. See more reporting like this at Pandemic.news. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com FoxNews.com NaturalNews.com The husband of a missing California mother who vanished in January thought she was having an affair and offered a hit man $20,000 to kill the man he suspected her of cheating on him with, an anonymous source has claimed. Maya 'May' Millete, 39, vanished in January, days before she was due to meet with a divorce lawyer to discuss leaving her husband Larry. Larry has not been arrested, nor has anyone else, in relation to the mother-of-three's disappearance. Maya's family are convinced he is to blame for her vanishing. In the days beforehand, they say she told them: 'If anything happens to me, it's Larry.' Now, an anonymous source is claiming to FOX News that Larry suspected his wife of having an affair, and that he offered to pay a hit man $20,000 to kill the man last summer. The source said he was still talking about it in January, in the says before Maya went missing, and that he seemed 'pretty serious' about it. Maya 'May' Millete, 39, vanished in January, days before she was due to meet with a divorce lawyer to discuss leaving her husband Larry Larry has not been arrested, nor has anyone else, in relation to the mother-of-three's disappearance Maya's family backed up the anonymous source's claim that Larry suspected she was having an affair. One unnamed relative told FOX that he said of the apparent boyfriend 'I want to do something to that fool.' They did not confirm to FOX whether or not she was having an affair, or if Larry just suspected her of it. Maya's family previously spoke out about their frustration with the police investigation into her disappearance. They are adamant her husband is involved, and say they had been having problems for a year beforehand. They have publicly shared an image he sent them once of a bloody photograph of the pair at an altar, surrounded with flowers. The couple with their three kids. Maya's family say they had been arguing frequently Police say they are looking into the claim that Maya's husband thought she was having an affair and the murder-for-hire plot Larry has not made any public comment. He has retained an attorney and, according to police, is no longer fielding their questions. A spokesman for the Chula Vista Police Department told FOX that they were aware of the murder-for-hire claims and are investigating them. Maya's brother-in-law previously told DailyMail.com that they went on a camping trip not long before she vanished and that she and Larry were arguing during it. 'They argued a lot and it was a little bit uncomfortable. It was weird because Larry was acting different. He wasn't acting like Larry. 'He was acting different... They were done. The relationship was done. You could just tell,' Richard Drouaillet said. The family are now campaigning on a GoFundMe page to raise money to pay for a private investigation because they think the police are not acting quickly enough. They say Larry has not helped them in any public searches for Maya. Israels Netanyahu in court as parties weigh in on his fate Israels Netanyahu in court as parties weigh in on his fate View Photo JERUSALEM (AP) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus corruption trial resumed Monday, with a key witness painting a picture of an image-obsessed Israeli leader forcing a prominent news site to flatter his family and smear his opponents. The testimony came as Netanyahus chances of securing another term in office following last months parliamentary elections appeared to be dwindling in high-stakes political talks hosted by the countrys figurehead president just a few miles (kilometers) away. In a nationally televised address, Netanyahu accused prosecutors of persecuting him in an attempt to undermine the will of the voters and to drive him out of office. This is what a coup attempt looks like, he said. Taken together, the court testimony and political consultations pointed to an increasingly uphill struggle for Netanyahu as he fights for his political life. In a post-election ritual, President Reuven Rivlin was consulting with the various parties elected to parliament before choosing a candidate to form a new government. With both Netanyahu and his main rival, Yair Lapid, failing to gain the support of a majority of lawmakers, Rivlin faces a difficult task, and the country risks plunging into an unprecedented fifth consecutive election campaign in the coming weeks. Late on Wednesday, Lapid called on the countrys anti-Netanyahu factions a patchwork of parties with vast ideological differences to put aside their differences and form a unity government. He said he had even offered Naftali Bennett, leader of a small right-wing party, a power-sharing rotation, with Bennett serving first as prime minister. Anyone who saw Netanyahus reckless performance today understands he cant carry on in his job, Lapid said. We know how to bridge divides. We dont hate one another. Netanyahu has been charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. Mondays proceedings, the first in two months, marked the beginning of the evidentiary phase, in which a long line of witnesses are to take the stand against the prime minister. The session focused on the most serious case against Netanyahu in which he is accused of promoting regulations that delivered hundreds of millions of dollars of profits to the Bezeq telecom company in exchange for positive coverage on the firms popular news site, Walla. Ilan Yeshua, Wallas former chief editor, described a system in which Bezeqs owners, Shaul and Iris Elovitch, repeatedly pressured him to publish favorable things about Netanyahu and smear the prime ministers rivals. The explanation he was given by the couple? Thats what the prime minister wanted, he said. He said the pressure went on for hours on end over several years. The Elotviches, who are also defendants in the case, chose photos, headlines, word choice and other content. Yeshua said they also ordered him to write unfavorable articles about Netanyahus rivals, giving them pejorative nicknames. Naftali Bennett, a former Netanyahu ally turned rival, was known as the naughty religious one, and former Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, who is of North African descent, was called smiley and the Arab. Yeshua said he never spoke directly to Netanyahu, and that requests also came from intermediaries, including former Netanyahu aide Nir Hefez, who has turned states witness and is also expected to testify against the prime minister. It was clear that I needed to comply with Nirs requests to put up positive articles, and remove negative ones, Yeshua said. He said his staff was furious about the pressure and one editor even nicknamed the prime minister Kim, after the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. He said Shaul Elovitch referred to Netanyahu as the big guy, and would also show him text messages from the prime ministers son, Yair, asking for articles to be changed or taken down. At one point in the proceedings, Iris Elovitch screamed out: How much can you lie? In another case, Netanyahu is accused of accepting gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from wealthy associates, including Hollywood film mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. In the third case, Netanyahu is accused of trying to orchestrate positive coverage in a major Israeli newspaper in exchange for curbing distribution of a free pro-Netanyahu tabloid. Netanyahu denies all charges. In his televised statement, Netanyahu accused prosecutors of conducting a witch hunt against him. They didnt investigate a crime. They didnt look for a crime, he said. They went after a man. They went after me. At the beginning of Mondays session, Netanyahu sat with his lawyers as lead prosecutor Liat Ben-Ari read out the charges against him. The relationship between Netanyahu and the defendants became currency, something that could be traded, she said. The currency could distort a public servants judgment. He then left the courthouse before Yeshuas testimony. Outside the courtroom, dozens of supporters and opponents of the prime minister gathered to protest amid a heavy police presence, highlighting Israels deep divisions. While a ruling could be months or even years away, the proceedings are expected to take place up to three days a week, an embarrassing and time-consuming distraction that is certain to amplify calls for Netanyahu to step aside. The March 23 election was seen as a referendum on Netanyahus leadership, with his opponents saying a politician on trial for serious charges is unfit to rule. The election, Israels fourth in two years, ended in a deadlock. Netanyahu is desperate to stay in power, hoping to use his office as a bully pulpit to lash out against prosecutors and potentially forming a government that could grant him immunity. But that scenario was looking increasingly distant Monday. After a day of consultations, neither Netanyahus allies nor his foes secured a 61-seat governing majority. Parties recommending Netanyahu hold a total of 52 seats, while parties recommending Lapid hold 45 seats. Two Arab parties, holding a total of 10 seats, and the small New Hope party, led by a former Netanyahu ally who now opposes him, did not recommend any candidate. Bennett, leader of the right-wing Yamina party, recommended himself as a compromise candidate. Yamina has just seven seats in parliament. But Bennett is hoping he can become a consensus candidate who can bridge the deep divides between the rival factions. Rivlin has until midnight Wednesday to choose a prime minister-designate who would be given up to six weeks to form a coalition. If he feels there is no clear choice, he also could send the issue straight to the Knesset, ordering lawmakers to choose a member as prime minister or force another election. Israeli law does not require prime ministers to resign while under indictment, and Netanyahu has refused to do so. Some of Netanyahus opponents have talked about passing legislation that would bar an indicted politician from serving as prime minister in order to disqualify him ahead of another election. ___ Associated Press writer Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed to this report. By ILAN BEN ZION Associated Press Egypts first female ships captain says she was subject to a fake news campaign blaming her for grounding the Ever Given container ship in the Suez Canal, despite working on a ship that was hundreds of kilometres away at the time. Marwa Elselehdar was working as a first mate on the Aida IV in Alexandria when the 200,000-tonne Ever Given got stuck, blocking one of the worlds busiest shipping routes. The 29-year-old is a figure celebrated by feminists in Egypt. In 2015 she became both the youngest and the first female Egyptian captain to navigate the newly expanded Suez Canal. Two years later, she was honoured by Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, during Womens Day celebrations. Her Instagram account a mix of motivational messages and chronicles of her life on board boasts over 30,000 followers. But when the Ever Given became an online sensation, a rumour mill was telling the world that she was to blame. I felt that I might be targeted, maybe because Im a successful female in this field or because Im Egyptian, but Im not sure, she said. Headlines that had previously celebrated her successes were doctored to say she was to blame and fake social media accounts set up in her name. The rumour was spreading widely in Egypt and Ms Elselehdar was concerned her reputation could be damaged. This fake article was in English so it spread in other countries, she said. I tried so hard to negate what was in the article because it was affecting my reputation and all the efforts I exerted to be where I am now. In an interview with BBC Arabic, Ms Elselehdar said that she had faced sexism at every turn of her education. She studied at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Alexandria at a time when only men were admitted. She applied despite the restrictions and was only accepted after a legal review by Hosni Mubarak, the then president. People in our society still dont accept the idea of girls working in the sea away from their families for a long time, she said. But when you do what you love, it is not necessary for you to seek the approval of everyone. After addressing the fake news in a video on her Instagram account, Ms Elselehdar said she was encouraged by the response despite the previous negativity. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2021) Read More New York, April 5 : Over 10,000 Asian-Americans gathered in New Yorkfor a "Stop-Asian-Hate" rally. The demonstrators on Sunday assembled at Foley Square in Lower Manhattan, and marched to City Hall Park and across the Brooklyn Bridge before ending at Cadman Plaza, reports Xinhua news agency. Local officials, victims of hate crimes and people from various ethnic communities participated in the event. During the event, John Chan, convener of New York-based Asian American advocacy group the Coalition of Asian-Americans for Civil Rights (CAACR) and chairman of Asian-American Community Empowerment, lashed out at the inaction of the government in the face of rising anti-Asian hate crimes in New York. Decrying the government's silence on Asian hate crimes, Chan encouraged Asian-Americans to get registered and cast their votes. "We're not begging for respect. We should unite together and make our own decision," said Chan, adding that too many people now are afraid of walking out of their homes. He also appealed to the federal government to designate April 4 the "Stop Hate Day". A couple of anti-Asian hate and violence cases were reported in New York last week despite continuous denouncement of such crimes. Organisers of the rally urged the government to track cases and data on hate crimes, give top priority to the issue, and crack down on hate speeches and actions. New Yorkers have held more than 10 rallies since the shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16, in which six Asians were killed. BYJU'S will acquire Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) through a strategic merger. The deal size is pegged at close to $1 billion, according to a person familiar with the transaction. This partnership brings together two of the largest and most-trusted education brands in India - combining Aakash's pedagogy expertise in the test-prep segment with BYJU'S content and tech capabilities. After the integration, BYJU'S will make further investments to accelerate Aakash's growth. Amit Dixit, Co-Head of Asia Acquisitions and Head of India Private Equity at Blackstone, said: "We invested in AESL because it is one of the leading education brands in India with a professional management team, best-in-class corporate governance and a 33-year track-record of exceptional results. We have always believed omni-channel will be the winning model in test prep and tutoring, and we look forward to being a part of the partnership between the two foremost companies in Indian supplementary education - Aakash and BYJU'S. The combination of Aakash and BYJU'S is highly synergistic and we are excited to help build India's largest education company." With over 215 centres, Aakash provides test preparatory services to students preparing for medical and engineering entrance exams, school/board exams, KVPY, NTSE, Olympiads, and other Foundation level exams. Byju Raveendran, Founder and CEO, BYJU'S said, "Our complementary strengths will enable us to build capabilities, create engaging and personalised learning programs. The future of learning is hybrid and this union will bring together the best of offline and online learning, as we combine our expertise to create impactful experiences for students." Byju's further added, "The pandemic has brought the importance of the blended format of learning to the forefront. As we unite our forces to bring together decades of expertise and experience, this partnership will further accelerate Aakash's growth and success." Aakash Chaudhry, Managing Director, AESL said: "Together with BYJU'S, we will work towards building an omni-channel learning offering that will accelerate test-prep experience to the next level. While this partnership will enhance our operational verticals, Aakash will continue to operate as a separate entity with the same passion and commitment with which its Founder & Chairman J C Chaudhry incepted it. We are excited to partner with BYJU'S, and will strive to deliver long-term value to our students, employees, investors, and other stakeholders." The addition of Aakash is a significant step towards strengthening BYJU'S product offering. It reiterates the company's focus on creating impactful learning products for students by adding more verticals, subjects, and languages to the same platform. 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. She recently revealed she hid her toned post-baby body because she 'didn't want anyone else to feel bad'. And Vogue Williams turned heads as she left Global Studios in London after her Heart FM show on Sunday. The Irish star, 34, smiled in the sunshine as she strolled home in a leopard print maxi dress and large gold hoop earrings. Racy: Vogue Williams turned heads as she left Global Studios in London wearing a leopard print maxi dress on Sunday The presenter looked happy as she strutted along the street in the statement dress and black military boots. She accessorised with a large shopper bag and a pair of glamorous black sunglasses. Her caramel tresses were pulled back into an effortlessly chic ponytail, which left her large gold hoop earrings on display. Vogue completed the outfit with a cute silver heart charm necklace and a slick of clear lipgloss. Sunshine smiles: The presenter looked happy as she strutted along the street in the statement dress and black military boots The outing comes after Vogue explained that she 'didn't want to make anyone else feel bad' about how she'd lost the weight following the birth of her second child. Speaking to The Sun, the mother-of-two said: 'There is so much pressure put on women about this and I didn't want to add to that when, instead of worrying about losing the baby weight, we should be worrying about where our pelvic floor is at and how our mental health is doing. 'It's purely down to my body type that I went back to how I was before without too much effort, and I did find myself trying to hide that for the first few months. Stylish: She accessorised with a large shopper, a pair of glamorous black sunglasses and completed the outfit with a cute heart charm silver necklace 'I just didn't want to make anyone else feel bad by being all, "hey, look at me after having a baby," because the last thing anyone wants to see is someone who's lost the weight quicker than you.' Vogue added that it's impossible to win online as people will always comment on posts, whether it's saying she lost weight fast or carried the baby weight. Elsewhere in her interview, the doting mum-of-two chatted about how shes finding motherhood with her second child, admitting that shes more laid-back with Gigi. Flawless: Her caramel tresses were pulled back into an effortlessly chic ponytail with her large gold hoop earrings on display Vogue, who also revealed she and Spencer would like definitely four children, praised her daughter saying the tot is very easy going and happily settles herself. Although loving life with her new addition, Vogue said it has been hard at times having to see family members miss out on Gigis first year because of the pandemic. Careful to emphasise that other families have it much worse, the Irish star explained that her brother has never seen his niece and her mum has only met Gigi once. 'I didn't want to make anyone else feel bad': The outing comes after Vogue Williams revealed she hid her toned post-baby body (pictured six weeks after giving birth) Vogue, who controversially jetted to St Barts with her brood in December, added that shes not been home to Ireland in more than a year with many people there still waiting to meet her daughter. Turning her attentions to lockdown, Vogue said the third lot of UK restrictions have been the toughest for her as it felt never-ending at times. She also revealed that she went back to therapy as her anxiety was pretty bad and has been taking some medication to help. Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (second from left) and Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (left) meet with Brunei Sultan Hassan Hassanal Bolkiah (second from right) and Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah in Bandar Seri Begawan, April 5, 2021. After lengthy discussions, leaders of Southeast Asian nations are to meet in Jakarta to talk about the crisis in Myanmar, the governments of Brunei and Malaysia announced Monday but without specifying a date. The top-level special meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations will take place at ASEANs headquarters in the Indonesian capital, the leaders of Malaysia and Brunei agreed after a bilateral meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan on Monday, days after China and Russia said it supported such a move. [B]oth leaders agreed for ASEAN leaders to meet to discuss the ongoing developments in Myanmar and tasked their respective ministers and senior officials to undertake necessary preparations for the meeting that will be held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, said a joint statement by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Hassanal Bolkiah, the sultan of Brunei, which holds this years chairmanship of the regional bloc. Referring to the situation in post-coup Myanmar, the two urged all parties to refrain from instigating further violence, and for all sides to immediately exercise utmost restraint and flexibility. BenarNews contacted representatives at the ASEAN Secretariat, but they declined to comment. An Indonesia foreign ministry spokesman said the meeting is still under discussion, without confirming that it would take place. The spokesman referred further questions to Brunei. On March 19, Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo and Malaysias Muhyiddin called for an emergency meeting of ASEAN leaders to discuss the situation in Myanmar. As of Monday, at least 570 people had been killed by security forces across Myanmar since the military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyis elected government on Feb. 1, according to information posted online by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), an NGO. The situation in that country has become even more violent and fluid since March 27, when the junta killed at least 114 protesters in the single deadliest day of post-coup blood-letting. ASEAN has been roundly criticized for not reaching a consensus on how to deal with the junta in member-state Myanmar. A special meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers on March 2 had failed to agree on a joint call for releasing Suu Kyi and other democratically elected Myanmar leaders detained by the military. Critics have said that ASEANs foundational principle of non-interference in members domestic affairs is an obstacle. Last week, China and Russia backed calls for an ASEAN leaders emergency meeting on Myanmar. China has good-to-excellent relations with ASEAN members Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, in addition to Myanmar. So far, Beijing has been muted in its response to the military coup in Myanmar and its violent aftermath. The Asian superpower has mostly called for stability, unlike Western nations which have condemned the toppling of an elected government and the ensuing violence. If this meeting fails to materialize, ASEAN as a community has little relevance. Lets hope Myanmar will not be represented in the meeting by the military junta, because otherwise the summit will likely be deadlocked, Dinna Prapto Raharja, an international relations analyst at Synergy Policies, a private think-tank in Jakarta, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. The special meeting of the regions top diplomats last month included the Burmese militarys appointed foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, who apprised the meeting of voting irregularities in the November election, Reuters had reported, citing Myanmar state media. The military had alleged voting fraud tied to the Nov. 8 general election, which Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy won handily, according to polling authorities. Before the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting, top Indonesian diplomat Retno Marsudi met Wunna Maung Lwin and Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai in Bangkok on Feb. 24. Retno had said she told Wunna Maung Lwin that the wishes of the Myanmar people must be heard, as she called for an inclusive democratic transition process. At the upcoming special meeting, Indonesia should emphasize the need for a ceasefire and an end to violence, Dinna said. After that, ASEAN needs to mediate talks between the Myanmar military and civilian leaders to allow them to form a government that is acceptable to all, considering Myanmar is ethnically and religiously diverse, she said. Thai-Myanmar border Meanwhile, a joint statement from more than 200 individuals and 56 Thai rights organizations called on Thailands government to give sanctuary to displaced people, who have fled into Thailand in the wake of military strikes in neighboring Karen state. Burmese air strikes on March 27 had targeted villages controlled by Karen National Union (KNU) rebels. On Friday, Thailand said it was providing humanitarian assistance to more than 1,000 people who crossed the border from Myanmar into Thailand last week. The [Thai] state must not deny an asylum request. The security forces must let those asylum seekers who flee from violence and persecution stay in Thailand in compliance with the humanitarian principles and human rights, said the statement posted on the Facebook page of the Friends Without Borders Foundation, a Thai NGO. In the event of an influx of displaced persons from areas of persecution, Thailand should allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) access to such groups so the agency is able to screen people for protection. A Myanmar group that helps people from the state of Shan, which also borders Thailand, expressed grave concern on Friday about the safety of thousands of internally displaced people (IDP) housed in camps. According to a statement from the Shan State Refugee Committee, the army had announced it would start attacking border positions of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), the NGO said in a statement. Like the KNU, RCSS/SSA is also an armed, ethnic insurgent movement. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. PROCEEDS WILL BE USED TO INCREASE FLORIDA CULTIVATION CAPACITY, ACCELERATE DISPENSARY OPENINGS AND ACCELERATE GROWTH IN CORE FLORIDA MARKET Capital Will Also Fund Improvements to Michigan Cultivation Facility MIAMI, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Cansortium Inc. ("Cansortium" or the "Company") (CSE: TIUM.U), (OTCQB: CNTMF), is pleased to announce the closing of the sale of approximately US$12 million of units ("Units") at a purchase price of US$0.70 per Unit (the "Private Placement"). The Private Placement, originally contemplated as a US$10 million financing, was increased by the Company due to investor demand, and a subsequent closing is expected in the next few days. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (each, a "Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company (a "Warrant Share") for a period of 24 months following the closing date at an exercise price per Warrant Share equal to US$0.90. Proceeds from the Private Placement will provide the necessary capital to accelerate the Company's growth initiatives in both Florida and Michigan. In Florida, where the Company currently operates two cultivation facilities and 24 retail dispensaries (with 3 more to be opened shortly), the proceeds from the Private Placement will be used to: (i) immediately complete Phase 2 of the Company's new Sweetwater cultivation facility, more than doubling that facility's annual production capacity from 3,000 lbs. to more than 6,000 lbs. of high quality flower, (ii) construct a new building at the Sweetwater facility to more efficiently trim, process and package the increased flower supply; and (iii) create four additional grow rooms in the Tampa cultivation facility to increase the supply of flower and biomass by approximately 2,400 lbs. annually and to improve operating efficiencies In addition, proceeds from the Private Placement will help accelerate opening two new dispensaries in Pennsylvania and an additional two in Florida by year-end, thereby increasing the Company's dispensary footprint to 31 locations. In Michigan, the Company will expand its existing cultivation facility and construct additional support infrastructure to capitalize on the strong demand for recreational cannabis throughout the state. "I am pleased with the tremendous progress that we have made since I have become Cansortium's CEO and we are now in a position to focus on expansion and growth", said Robert Beasley, Chief Executive Officer. "Cansortium's future has never been brighter and management is focused on executing our operating plan and continuing to capitalize on our strong asset base." Neal Hochberg, Chairman, added, "The Private Placement is another milestone for the Company delivering important growth and expansion capital. We are confident that we will refinance our short-term maturities, which will simplify our balance sheet and provide additional growth and working capital. The Board has tremendous confidence in our management team and the successful completion of the Private Placement further enables them to create additional value for all of our stakeholders." Canaccord Genuity acted as Financial Advisor to Cansortium on the Private Placement. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Shares and Warrants and any underlying securities shall be subject to a four month hold period from the closing date for Canadian investors. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws. Accordingly, these securities may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of Cansortium in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Cansortium Inc. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, and operating under the Fluent brand, Cansortium is focused on being the highest quality cannabis company in the State of Florida driven by an unrelenting commitment to operational excellence from seed to sale. Cansortium has developed strong proficiencies in each of cultivation, processing, retail, and distribution activities, resulting in successfully operating in the highly regulated cannabis industry. In addition to Florida, Cansortium seeks to create significant shareholder value in the attractive markets of Texas, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, where the Company has secured licenses and established operations. Cansortium Inc.'s common shares trade on the CSE under the symbol "TIUM.U" and on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol (OTCQB: CNTMF). Investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com. Forward-Looking Information Certain information in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on many opinions, assumptions, and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of this news release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to the factors described in the public documents of the Company available at www.sedar.com. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Company; however, these factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE Cansortium Inc Related Links www.cansortium.com A thief who preyed on a 91-year-old retired teacher and stole more than 6,000 from her is advertising herself as a live-in carer for dementia sufferers on employment website LinkedIn. The Sunday World publishes the first images of convicted thief Mary Ann O'Sullivan from Kinsale, Co Cork, who describes herself as a self-employed live-in carer on her LinkedIn profile - experienced in palliative and dementia care. We can also reveal how one particularly brazen theft of money from retired teacher Catherine Beardsmore - to fund the wholesale purchase of beauty products O'Sullivan (57) was selling on through her own business Aloe Harmony - gave investigators the break they needed to charge her. O'Sullivan - originally from Horsehill, Kinsale, Co Cork but now resident in Malaga, Spain - was given a four-month suspended sentence after she pleaded guilty to 27 counts of stealing money belonging to Ms Beardsmore, to whom she is distantly related, at AIB Bank Kinsale between December 24, 2014 and April 20, 2017. Expand Close OSullivan was helpful in early days. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp OSullivan was helpful in early days. Read More Sources who have spoken to this newspaper have issued a warning to the public to carefully watch over elderly relatives, saying thefts such as that carried out by O'Sullivan are reaching epidemic proportions. "The woman targeted by Mary Ann O'Sullivan is one of the loveliest, kind-hearted ladies you could ever hope to meet," a source told the Sunday World. Read More "She retired here from the UK and came to Kinsale because of a connection going back to World War II. "When Ms Beardsmore was a child she was sent to Kinsale from her home in the UK to keep her safe from the bombings that took place during the war. "In recent years, that love she had for Kinsale from her childhood saw her move back here following her retirement from teaching in Wales. "There is no doubt but that in the early days, after Catherine came to Kinsale, Mary Ann O'Sullivan did appear to be trying to help her. She helped set up a joint emergency bank account for her so that her teacher's pension could be lodged here." The Sunday World understands that gardai became aware of issues relating to O'Sullivan's access to the pensioner's finances only after a concerned friend of Catherine's alerted them that large sums of money seemed to be missing. Discovered It is understood, were it not for this woman, the thefts may never have been discovered. "This friend cannot be praised highly enough for looking out for Catherine," a source said. What the examination discovered was that O'Sullivan had also set up a secret second joint account to which she was diverting funds. "And over a three-year period Mary Ann O'Sullivan spent thousands of euros of Catherine's cash on herself. As well as the unexplained spending, all correspondence relating to Catherine's accounts had been diverted to Mary Ann O'Sullivan." The Sunday World understands that a key moment in the probe occurred when it emerged O'Sullivan had used money from Catherine's account to order beauty products wholesale from a Belfast-based company. "O'Sullivan was selling these products through Aloe Harmony - a business of her own that she had set up in Kinsale," a source said. "This was incontrovertible proof that the money was not being used for Catherine's benefit." Sources say that, given Mary Ann O'Sullivan's conviction, there is valid reason for concern over her profile on LinkedIn publicising herself as a carer for vulnerable people. In the post, O'Sullivan describes herself as a "self-employed, live-in carer, experienced in palliative, dementia, cerebral palsy, elderly and youth care". She adds she has 10-plus years experience in this role. Although O'Sullivan would require garda vetting if she was to seek out such a role in this country, it is unlikely the same background checks would apply in her role as a 'self-employed' carer in Spain. Attempts to contact O'Sullivan and ask whether she intends on continuing in the role of a carer were unsuccessful. A mobile phone number listed to her from her time in Kinsale is dead while a message to her Facebook page did not elicit a response. Read More Details of the scale of O'Sullivan's theft from Ms Beardsmore emerged during her sentencing hearing at Bandon District Court last week. The court heard how, although O'Sullivan had previously appeared to be of exemplary character and had no prior convictions, she had preyed financially on her elderly relative over a three-year period. The money was taken from an account in AIB Bank, Kinsale between December 24, 2014 and April 20, 2017. Pension Det Garda Mick Brosnan of Kinsale Garda Station told Judge Colm Roberts that O'Sullivan had assisted Ms Beardsmore, who was a distant relative, with her financial affairs when she retired to Kinsale. The 91-year-old was having her teacher's pension from the UK paid into a Barclays bank account there. O'Sullivan assisted her in setting up a joint emergency account with both their names on it at AIB Bank in Kinsale. This account was set up with both the knowledge and consent of Ms Beardsmore. However, O'Sullivan without permission or consent, also set up a second joint account with AIB and from 2014 to 2017 she stole 6,427 from this secret account in 27 transactions. Judge Roberts said that pensioners must be protected from persons who prey on their vulnerability and that O'Sullivan had committed a major breach of trust. He said he feared such an offence was happening to other elderly people nationwide who put their financial affairs in the trust of relatives. "We have to protect the elderlyI have a duty to mark the seriousness of this crime so that people don't engage in this type of offence." Defence solicitor Denis Healy said that O'Sullivan wanted to enter a guilty plea and had brought 6,500 in compensation to court - more than the amount that she had stolen. Judge Roberts suspended a four-month sentence, taking into account her guilty plea, her lack of previous convictions and repayment of the funds. he National Steering Committee on the National Plan of Action for Overcoming Consequences of Explosive Remnants of War, the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Mine Remedy (GICHD) and the International Center Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (IC-VVAF) sign a MOU on cooperation and assistance in overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines in Vietnam in the 2012 2015 period, Hanoi, March 27, 2013. (Photo: VNA) Kendrick Jan, a San Diego attorney representing Dawn Frankfother and Cathy Flanagan in one of the appeals, raised concerns in an interview with the Tribune over the calculations used to determine the attorneys fees, but said the specific objections have not been finalized. AM Best has revised outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of a- of Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. of Idaho and its \ subsidiary, Western Community Insurance Co. The companies, collectively referred to as Farm Bureau of Idaho Group, are domiciled in Pocatello, Idaho. The ratings reflect Farm Bureau of Idahos balance sheet strength, which AM Best assessed as very strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The revision of the outlooks to stable is a response to the groups improved exposure and risk management as reflected in favorable underwriting performance and operating profitability over the past several years, according to AM Best. Management changes, rate increases, claims restructuring, and purchase of top layer reinsurance based on better modeled data have all contributed to a more comprehensive and effective ERM program, according to AM Best. Farm Bureau of Idaho writes personal and commercial lines of insurance, as well as farm and ranch coverages. Topics Trends Agribusiness Police have confirmed that a further five officers have been injured during violent disorder that took place in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus on Sunday. The police previously confirmed some 27 police officers have been injured across several nights of trouble in Belfast and Derry. It now brings the total number of police officers injured during violent clashes in Belfast and Derry to 32. In a statement on Monday afternoon, the PSNI condemned the violence which saw disorder start at around 9pm in the vicinity of the Cloughfern roundabout in Newtownabbey on Sunday. Read More Groups of around 20 to 30 masked individuals set bins on fire, while police officers were attacked with petrol bombs when moving in to the area. Police confirmed one officer was left with a leg injury. About an hour later, in the North Road area of Carrickfergus, a crowd of up to 50 people gathered and 20 petrol bombs were pelted at police along with masonry. Four officers were injured after they were all struck by masonry and sustained leg, foot and neck injuries. Chief Superintendent Davy Beck described the violence as 'senseless' and urged those with influence in the community to do what they can to prevent any further disorder. "There is absolutely no justification for the shameful scenes we have witnessed on our streets. This orchestrated violence is senseless and reckless," he said. "The disorder last night left five of our officers injured, officers who were on duty protecting life and property, and our thoughts are with them as they recover. A number of our vehicles were also damaged last night and that damage is being assessed today. In a time when we are asking everyone to pull together in a health crisis, the people orchestrating this violence and those carrying it out are working against their own community. To those who are involved in orchestrating this violence, and to those who are involved in it, stop. It is causing nothing but harm and distress to the local community. To those in our community with influence, I would urge you to use that influence so we do not see any further disgraceful scenes of violence on our streets so we can ensure young people do not get caught up in criminality and that they are kept safe and away from harm. "The community, who we know just wants to live in peace, can be reassured that their Police Service has additional resources available to respond to incidents and we will continue to work to keep people safe. We will continue to work with our partner agencies, community and elected representatives and the people to ensure everyone can all live in a peaceful society." DENVER (AP) Aaron Gordon scored 24 points against his former team, rallying the Denver Nuggets past the Orlando Magic 119-109 Sunday night. Those are my brothers, man, Gordon said, but business is business. Gordon said he was proud of his teams resilience, evidenced by its 72-44 recovery in the second half. A lot of teams that get down by 18 in the first half, they would just let go of the rope, they would just give up, Gordon argued. Not these guys. Its a testament," he said, to where this team can go. Gordon scored Denver's first dozen points, then helped the Nuggets erase an 18-point halftime deficit for their 14th win in 17 games and their 10th straight over the Magic. Poor offense, poor defense, poor effort, Denver coach Michael Malone said of his team's awful first half, which he called our worst half of the season. Which was followed by a masterpiece. It was great to see the comeback, but I'd rather see 48 minutes of that kind of basketball, Malone said. Jamal Murray added 22 points and Michael Porter Jr. 20 for Denver, which got 17 points, 16 assists and nine rebounds from Nikola Jokic. Chuma Okeke and Terrence Ross led Orlando with 19 points each. Rookie R.J. Hampton, who was dealt by Denver in the Gordon trade, scored 16 points, including Orlando's first seven. It was definitely fun to see those guys and compete against those guys," Hampton said. They're a great basketball team. Malone said before tip-off that he didnt have to give Gordon any advice about keeping his emotions in check going against his former team that dealt him to Denver last week after seven seasons in Orlando. But he did admonish his team not to take Orlando lightly because they're a rebuilding team, one that's also riddled by injuries and illnesses. If we think we can just show up because were playing a team that doesnt have maybe a marquee name, were going to find ourselves in a ballgame," Malone warned. Story continues They sure did. The Nuggets trailed by double digits for most of the first half, and after cutting their deficit to 54-47, they surrendered the final 11 points of the second quarter and trailed 65-47 at halftime. Denver erased all of that in the third quarter before Ross put Orlando back on top 86-85 with a jumper in the closing seconds. But the Nuggets pulled away in the final minutes for their fourth consecutive win since the big trade for Gordon. TIP-INS Magic coach Steve Clifford called his teams injury epidemic like nothing Ive ever been through before as a head coach or an assistant. Sidelined against Denver were: Cole Anthony (ribs), Michael Carter-Williams (non-COVID illness), Markelle Fultz (left ACL), Harris (strained left adductor), Karim Mane (hamstring) and Otto Porter Jr. (left foot). Limited were Chasson Randle (hamstring), James Ennis III (non-COVID-illness) and Mo Bamba (non-COVID illness). Nuggets: The Nuggets played a video tribute to Harris in the second quarter, which earned him a standing ovation from the 4,050 fans at Ball Arena in the first game open to the public since before the pandemic hit last year (employees and front-line workers were at last game). Hampton, a rookie, got his video tribute later in the quarter. ... Denver was outshot in the first half 57 percent to 39 percent. UP NEXT Magic: Hosts the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. Nuggets: Host the Detroit Pistons and former teammates Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee on Tuesday night. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak has assured that consultations within the Normandy format are ongoing and announced talks between Ukraine, Germany and France. "Consultations with our partners in the Normandy format take place weekly, several times a week. Last week, I spoke twice or thrice with representatives of France and Germany. I think that a video conference or talks between the three countries Germany, France and Ukraine will take place in the nearest future," Yermak said in a video comment to Ukrinform. According to him, the negotiation process continues. "Ukraine has a principled position: we must achieve peace, we must stop the war, we must return all our lands and all our people," he said. At the same time, Yermak stressed that the talks between the leaders of France, Germany and Russia, which took place last week, had nothing to do with the Normandy format. As Ukrinform reported, on March 30, President of France Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President of Russia Vladimir Putin held a conversation through video conferencing, one of the topics of which was the situation in eastern Ukraine. The leaders of France and Germany, in particular, stressed that Russia needed to commit itself to ensuring the ceasefire in Donetsk and Luhansk and helping overcome the crisis in compliance with the Minsk Agreements. Later, Presidents Spokesperson Iuliia Mendel said in a comment to Ukrinform that Ukraine continued negotiations with all countries of the Normandy format and no decisions regarding Ukraine could and would be made without Ukraine's participation. ol Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of the Etihad Aviation Group, has selected Rom Top Aviation Ltd as its general sales agent (GSA) for the State of Israel. The appointment comes ahead of the April 6 launch of Etihads scheduled twice-weekly Abu Dhabi-Tel Aviv service and as official Israeli government figures point to rising trade with the UAE following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two in the wake of last years signing of the Abraham Accords. The new three-and-a-half hour service will link two vibrant economic and technological centres and further facilitate trade avenues between the two nations within the region and beyond, explained Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Sales and Cargo, Etihad Aviation Group. Since the establishment of relations, there has been increased interest in trade and investment between the UAE and Israel, and Etihad Cargo can assist in realising these emerging opportunities. Given Israels recognised prowess within the medical and food production fields, there is an anticipation of strong demand for the specialised PharmaLife and FreshForward products. Etihad Cargo, which was last year named Best Cargo Airline in the Middle East by the prestigious trade publication Air Cargo News, has already played a major role in establishing relations between the UAE and Israel. In October 2020, it became the first GCC carrier to operate a commercial passenger flight to and from Tel Aviv. This is an honour to be awarded the GSA of Etihads activities in Israel. On behalf of Rom Top Aviation and myself, we are committed to the success of Etihad Cargo in Israel, and I am sure this is going to be a fruitful cooperation, said Irit Krief, Owner, Rom Top Aviation. TradeArabia News Service COLUMBIA Gov. Henry McMaster and other top South Carolina officials are appealing a federal judge's ruling that blocked the state's strict abortion ban from taking effect. U.S. District Court Judge Mary Geiger Lewis granted a preliminary injunction March 19, ruling the new law banning most abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy is likely to be found unconstitutional after lengthier court hearings. In an April 2 filing, lawyers representing McMaster, S.C. House Speaker Jay Lucas, state Attorney General Alan Wilson and Upstate solicitor Walt Wilkins notified the court of their plans to appeal Lewis' ruling to the higher Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over several East Coast states. In a tweet about the decision to appeal, McMaster said "No fight is more worthy of our time and energy than the fight to protect life in South Carolina." Jenny Black, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, criticized McMaster and Lucas for doubling down on trying to "make abortion nearly inaccessible." The organization and their partners "are ready to fight back against this attack and every effort to chip away at our fundamental rights," Black said. "This law is just another example of their cruel, unconstitutional pursuit to take away health care access at any cost." The law would prohibit abortions after a fetal or embryonic "heartbeat" is detected, which typically occurs around six to eight weeks in most pregnancies. The only exceptions would be in cases of rape or incest, or if the life of the mother or child would be in danger without an abortion. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! The only three women's health care clinics in South Carolina that perform abortions the Greenville Women's Clinic and and two Planned Parenthood clinics, in Columbia and Charleston immediately sued the state over the bill. Lewis temporarily halted the measure the day after McMaster signed it into law. A few weeks later, Lewis issued an extension of the temporary block in a scathing 22-page ruling, writing that "it is nothing short of baffling when defendants here make the fanciful, misbegotten, and misguided argument that the act is constitutional, although surely, all the while knowing full well that it is not. "This case does not present a close call," Lewis wrote. "In fact, based on the law, the court is unable to fathom how another court could decide this issue differently than how this court has decided it." If the Fourth Circuit upholds Lewis' ruling, South Carolina could then appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Supporters of the ban have often said their ultimate goal is to get the nation's high court to overturn or amend its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that found women have a constitutional right to abortion access before the fetus can be viable outside the womb, which is generally considered to be around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Even with the addition of three conservative justices in recent years, the Supreme Court has yet to indicate much interest in overhauling its abortion precedent. Over the last few months, the high court has repeatedly punted on deciding whether to take up a blocked Mississippi law that would ban abortions after around 15 weeks of pregnancy. For as much as Nevers might try to divorce itself from Whedon amid his ongoing controversies, theres no denying that hes all over it -- and that, in many instances, his approach is effective. The series has so much mythology and so many characters (far more than I could feasibly list in this review), but its vision and characters are nonetheless immediately distinct and cohesive. Its just also undeniable that its vision and characters are also ones Whedon has used before, over and over again, often with diminishing returns. This tendency towards repetition isnt altogether unusual for creators who find a lane and stick to it; you only have to look so far as the Aaron Sorkins or Ryan Murphys of the TV world to know that. But its interesting, to say the least, to watch a show so obviously borne of its creator and know that it will soon be forging ahead without him. COLOMBO/MUMBAI (Reuters) - Sri Lanka on Monday banned imports of palm oil and new palm plantations, and told producers to uproot existing plantations in a phased manner, in a surprise move that baffled the edible oil industry. Palm oil imports and the number of plantations have been increasing in recent years in Sri Lanka, a leading producer of coconut oil. Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in a statement the aim was to "make the country free from oil palm plantation and palm oil consumption." Environmentalists say palm oil production has led to widespread deforestation and damage to ecosystems. Sri Lanka imports around 200,000 tonnes of palm oil every year, mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia, traders estimate. "Those companies and entities which have done such (palm oil) cultivations shall be required to remove them in a phased manner with 10% uprooting at a time and replacing it with the cultivation of rubber or environmental friendly crops each year," the statement from president's office said. Sri Lanka's palm oil industry has invested 26 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($131 million) and the country has around 11,000 hectares of palm plantations - just over 1% of the total area planted with tea, rubber and coconut, according to estimates from the country's Palm Oil Industry Association. ($1 = 199.0000 Sri Lankan rupees) (Reporting by Waruna Karunatilake in COLOMBO and Rajendra Jadhav in MUMBAI. Editing by Mark Potter) Mandeep Kaur, who is New Zealands first Indian-born female police officer, was promoted to senior sergeant rank in the month of March. Mandeep was presented with her new badge by New Zealand police commissioner Andrea Coster at a ceremony in Wellington. According to a local NZ media outlet, the 52-year-old started her career 17 years back when she joined in 2004 and since then there has been no looking back for her as she became a source of inspiration for several Indians. High Commissioner of India to NZ Shri Muktesh Pardeshi received Inspector Rakesh Naidoo & newly appointed Senior Sergeant Mandeep Sidhu of NZ Police & discussed policing & community engagement. He presented a book on Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Sergeant Sidhu.@nzpolice @MukteshPardeshi pic.twitter.com/r6k7CTy1p3 India in New Zealand (@IndiainNZ) March 9, 2021 According to the official New Zealand Police website, Mandeep was the first female Indian-born officer in the New Zealand Police. Her journey to become a police officer came with many personal and cultural barriers, which she faced while raising her two children on her own. However, she is proud to have overcome these challenges to be where she is today. Who is Mandeep Kaur? Mandeep came to New Zealand as an immigrant. She was born and brought up in the Punjab capital of Chandigarh. She has also spent a bit of time in Australia, where she moved to at the age of 26. She initially worked as a taxi driver as well. Now, she is a frontline officer in road policing, family violence, investigation support, neighbourhood policing and community policing. She has even formed a New Zealand Police Bhangra-dancing group, which performed in their Police uniforms at Aotea Squares Diwali festival last year. Mandeeps religion is a big part of her life and she regularly also worships at Gurudwara. She has defied all odds to join the police force as she had faced a lot of social stigmas, and the fact that she belonged to a conservative family, which made her journey all the more difficult. However, now, as a community relations officer, Mandeep has attended a host of programmes and community meetings in the past decade. Her role involves attending community meetings, hosting media programmes, visiting family violence victims and attending to any other matters where there is a need for ethnic or cultural advice. (Image: Twitter) This is regarding Saturday Night Live. I havent watched SNL in years, especially when they got a little too political. Now theyre getting political about our Second Amendment, that we have a right to bear arms. Its not so much the right to bear arms, its the amendment people. When you start to change one, you change them all then and then what do we have? No history. The people that are killing are the people that are getting these guns illegally, or someone neglected to do the background check. If we become a little bit more stringent on background checks, maybe it wouldnt happen as often. But what I see in Chicago, it looks like maybe theyre not getting their guns legally. BANGALORE, India, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insurance Telematics Market is segmented by Type (Cloud, On-Premise), by Application (Passenger Vehicle, Commercial Vehicle). The report covers global opportunity analysis and industry forecast from 2020 to 2027. It is published on Valuates Reports in the Insurance Category. The global Insurance Telematics market size is projected to reach USD 3556 Million by 2026, from USD 1574.2 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 11.9% during 2021-2026. Telematics refers to technologies used to collect vehicle information and transmit it wirelessly to outside systems. Telematics is frequently powered by in-vehicle telecommunication systems (telematics)-technology that can be self-installed using a plug-in system or is already included in original equipment installed by vehicle manufacturers. Major factors driving the growth of insurance telematics market size are the increasing number of laws and regulations related to driver safety and decreased cost of connectivity solutions. Opportunity to provide tailored insurance products based on vast amounts of telematics data. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3W179/global-insurance-telematics TRENDS INFLUENCING THE INSURANCE TELEMATICS MARKET SIZE Rising consumer demand for high connectivity and intelligence within their vehicles and increasing government initiatives to encourage telematics services in their respective countries are all contributing to the growth of telematics market size. The increasing adoption of Telematics by automotive insurers is expected to drive the growth of the insurance telematics market size. Harnessing large volumes of data from real-time sources can help insurers develop new products and refine pricing strategies. When combined with a robust operating strategy, advanced analytics can significantly increase underwriting profitability and provide a valuable market differentiator. The high adoption of UBI (Usage-Based Insurance ) is expected to increase the growth of the Insurance telematics market size. Under this model, customization features such as insurance premium payment based on driving activity and degree of exposure have resulted in substantial performance. Get Free Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Othe-3W179/global_insurance_telematics_market INSURANCE TELEMATICS MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Because of the industry's creative practices and preferred use of cloud technologies, cloud deployment is gaining momentum. Several key players are now focusing on cloud platforms to provide UBI services. This, in turn, is expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for the cloud segment. Based on application, the passenger vehicle segment is expected to be the most lucrative segment. Enterprises in the telematics sector are active in managing a fleet of insured cars within an interconnected digital supply chain. Therefore, fleet management practices for passenger vehicles are expected to witness lucrative opportunities in the near future. Based on region, North America is expected to be the most lucrative segment. The presence of key players, technological advances, and high demand for interconnected services are the major factors contributing to North America's Insurance telematics market size. North American insurance firms have accelerated their adoption of cloud solutions and software and data migration to the cloud network. INSURANCE TELEMATICS MARKET SEGMENTATION By Region North America United States Canada Europe Germany France UK. Italy Russia Nordic Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China Japan South Korea Southeast Asia India Australia Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America Mexico Brazil Middle East & Africa Turkey Saudi Arabia UAE Rest of Middle East & Africa . Inquire for Regional Data: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Othe-3W179/global_insurance_telematics_market Insurance Telematics Breakdown Data by Type Cloud On-Premises Insurance Telematics Breakdown Data by Application Passenger Vehicle Commercial Vehicle Leading Companies Covered in this Report are: Agero Aplicom Masternaut Mix Telematics Octo Telematics Sierra Wireless TomTom Trimble Verizon Enterprise Solutions Buy Now for Single User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Othe-3W179&lic=single-user Buy Now for Enterprise User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Othe-3W179&lic=enterprise-license SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. 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SIMILAR REPORTS - Vehicle Telematics Market size is projected to reach USD 139420 Million by 2026, from USD 53380 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 14.7% during 2021-2026. - The Telematics Control Unit (TCU) market size was valued at USD 2675.5 Million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 12060 Million by 2027, at a CAGR of 24.0% during the 2021-2027. - Automotive Telematics Market size is expected to grow from USD 76,942.44 Million in 2019 to USD 182,191.26 Million by the end of 2025 at a CAGR of 15.44%. - The Connected Car Market size is expected to grow from USD 64,941.56 Million in 2019 to USD 170,256.69 Million by the end of 2025 at a CAGR of 17.42%. - The Telematics Market is segmented by Type Automotive OEM, After Market, by Application Automotive, Insurance, Healthcare and by various regions. - The Passenger Vehicle Telematics Market is segmented by Type Remote Message Processing System, Brake System, Transmission Control System, by Application Passenger Car, Commercial Vehicle and by various regions. - Commercial Vehicle Telematics Market is segmented by Type Services, Solutions, by Application Aftermarket, OEM and by various regions. - The In Vehicle Telematics Market is segmented by Type Embedded, Integrated, by Application On Road Assistance, Driver Monitoring, Emergency Calling, Billing Services and by various regions. - Electric Vehicle (EV) Telematics Market is segmented by Type, Plug and Play Telematics, Hardwired Install Telematics, by Application Passenger Car, Commercial Vehicle and by various regions. - The Off-Highway Vehicle Telematic Market is segmented by Type Cellular, Satellite by Application Construction, Agricultural, Mining, Others and by various regions. - Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) Market is segmented by Type Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance (PAYD), Pay-How-You-Drive Insurance (PHYD), Pay-As-You-Go Insurance (PAYG), Distance Based Insurance, by Application Men, Women and by various regions. Click here to see related reports on Insurance Telematics Market Report ABOUT US Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains detail research methodology employed to generate the report, Please also reach to our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources CONTACT US Valuates Reports sales@valuates.com For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91 9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg Oaks whether red, white, black or scarlet are hardwood royalty in Connecticut forests. No other tree sustains such a variety of wildlife from birds to snakes, lizards to squirrels and deer, butterflies to black bears. They can be Methuselahs, living for hundreds of years. The famed Connecticut charter oak our state tree, the white oak was nearing 1,000 years old when a storm finally took it down in 1856. Their leaves sequester carbon dioxide and the dead leaves leaf litter replenishes the soil. Which is why Doug Tallamy thinks people should think of them as trees that can grace front yards, as well as back-forty woodlots. The oaks is at the top of the list of trees in our landscape, Tallamy said last week in a Zoom talk with the Aspetuck Land Trust. Tallamy, who lives in Pennsylvania, is a professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware. He has increasingly turned his attention to the superiority of native trees and shrubs to promoting biodiversity, compared to ornamentals that sit and do nothing for the environment. In his latest book is The Nature of Oaks, Tallamy studied a year in the life of an oak in his yard and all the benefits that ensue. People who know oaks agree. Eugene Reelick, owner of the Hollandia Nursery in Bethel, said he sells seven or eight species of young oaks. I love them, Reelick said. Theyre beautiful and they add so much to the environment. Jeff Ward, a forester with the Connectiut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, said that oaks have always been a part of the states landscape. Theyve been a predominant species since forever, Ward said In todays forests, there are more red maples in Connecticut woods than any other species. But in terms of overall importance, the oak family blows away everybody else, Ward said, making up about 40 percent of the state forest biomass. Oaks really took over in Connecticut around the turn of the last century, when clear-cutting for charcoal, forest fires and the demise of the American chestnut suddenly opened up the woods. Oak seedlings, which need a lot of sunlight to succeed, grew aplenty without a heavy forest canopy to stunt them. You can see a lot of big oaks around, said Sean McNamara, owner of Redding Nursery. Theres a massive one near my parents house. Oak seedlings do most of their early growing under the ground, establishing a good root system. When theyre young, they grow a root the size of a carrot, said Ward of the agricultural experiment station.. But once established, they take off. Tallamy said the oak thats the subject of his book has grown to be 45 feet tall in 18 years. And they give back. Tallamy said a mature oak will throw off 3 million acorns in its lifetime. Those acorns feed a host of creatures, from scurrying chipmunks to trotting turkeys to squawking blue jays to acorn weevils. They even feed wood ducks, Tallamy said. Wood ducks will dive to eat the acorns that fall into the water. Theyre also a tree that, in winter, holds onto its leaves longer than maples of hickories. Those dry leaves provide birds a sheltering screen from the wind. Throughout the year, Tallamy said, there is insect life on oaks. Even in winter, chickadees and titmice hop along oak tree branches finding dormant caterpillars. On the ground, its leaf litter is home to thousands of nematodes, mites and springtails. As the year progresses, beetles, spiders, and gall wasps and newly-hatched all call oaks their home. Migrant warblers time their arrivals to feast on them. Tom Philbrick, professor of biology and environmental science at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, said wherever there are surfaces, insects gather. Trees are a biosphere unto themselves, he said. Tallamy said people dont think of oak trees as something they can plant theyre too big, too slow-growing. If they fall on the house, theyll wreck it. But Tallamy said, there are excellent smaller oak species that offer all the benefits without gigantic worries. And with the world entering its sixth great period of extinction, he said, people have to think of their entire yards as living places supporting biodiversity rather than just lawns and azaleas. I dont like the term backyard habitat, Tallamy said, because it doesnt speak of what you do with your front yard. Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com The false narrative that is the Chinese Communist Party's official rhetoric on Christian minorities in China is a cover-up for what persecuted Christians actually experience under the regime, an article says. Firsthand accounts of persecution, arrests without warrants, and abuse in the hands of authorities in "re-education" camps have come to light thanks to those who managed to get out alive. But for those who don't, it's a reminder of how China's iron fist works against those who defy the government. In a new op-ed by Dr. Yiedi Yeh for ChinaAid, he discusses how CCP's official rhetoric on religious minorities is a far cry from the devastating realities of persecuted Christians in China. Chinese authorities and its state-run media are quick to condemn any report coming from researchers in the west, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. Anything that doesn't come from a Chinese official or is not vetoed by the Chinese authorities is labeled misinformation. Under Xi Jinping, the Chinese Constitution's law that guarantees the fundamental right to religious freedom lies in a gray area. Citizens are only allowed religious freedom if their churches are registered with the Chinese government. If not, it will be subjected to countless raids, arrests without warrants, and persecution through torture and other human rights violations. Moreover, state-run media will only publish church-related news if it is approved by the government, which means any news of persecution is often swept under the rug. The truth, contrary to the CCP's official rhetoric, is that Christian churches in China face a larger crackdown by its police. But people won't find this in China's mainstream media. For them, all is well. In 2015, the Chinese government issued a "Sinicization'' plan that ordered all doctrines and operations of all officially recognized religions to comply with the core values of communism and that the leaders of the CCP must be recognized by all religious organizations. Those who don't will face criminal penalties. Since then, four major house churches have closed: Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC) in Sichuan, Zion Church and Shouwang Church in Beijing, and Rongguili Church in Guangzhou. Their leaders have been heavily persecuted, with Pastors Wang Yi of ERCC and John Sanqiang Cao being subjected to 9 years and 7 years in prison, respectively. What the CCP's official rhetoric won't tell anyone is that the Chinese government has used several suppressive measures against unregistered house churches and their leaders, including threats, harassment, increased surveillance, house arrests, criminal detention, and more. What they hope to do is finally dismantle such house churches or make them succumb to the state-controlled Three-Self churches. But China remains unsuccessful in covering up crimes against Christian minorities. According to International Christian Concern, the plight of persecuted Christians in China has caught the attention of religious individuals in the west, who have been increasingly aware and concerned for their safety. A poll released by Aid to the Church in Need-USA revealed how those who said they were "very concerned" about persecution has increased to 67% versus just 41% in 2020, indicative of a shift to a more global awareness and hopefully, action against communist China. OTTAWA - A new survey suggests seniors in Quebec are much happier about their province's vaccine rollout than their neighbours are about how things are going in Ontario. A couple leaves a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Montreal, on Tuesday, March 23, 2021. A new survey suggests seniors in Quebec are much happier about the province's vaccine rollout than their neighbours in Ontario. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson OTTAWA - A new survey suggests seniors in Quebec are much happier about their province's vaccine rollout than their neighbours are about how things are going in Ontario. The survey by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies shows 61 per cent of Quebec respondents reported being satisfied with the province's daily vaccine numbers. That is a slight decrease from when the same question was asked two weeks earlier, but higher than the 41 per cent of those in Ontario who said they were satisfied. Across Canada, 49 per cent of respondents said they were at least somewhat satisfied. Jack Jedwab, president of the association, said that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, people have compared their situation to how others are doing, and that vaccine rollout is no different. Ontario and Quebec seem to be the sort of natural benchmarks for one another," he said. "Quebecers feel theyre doing better. The online poll of 1,523 adult Canadians was conducted March 26-28. The weighted sample size in Ontario was 585 and 357 for Quebec. The survey cannot be assigned a margin of error because web polls are not considered random samples. The survey also found nearly 76 per cent of Quebecers aged 65 to 69 reported being satisfied with the number of vaccines being administered daily in their province. That number was only 27 per cent in Ontario. Jedwab said some of the discrepancy reflects the fact that Quebec opened up vaccinations to people younger than 70 earlier than Ontario did. By March 22, Montrealers aged 60 and older could book a shot, which didn't happen for those living in Toronto or nearby Peel Region until last Friday after the poll was done. The survey also shows vaccinated Quebecers to be happier with their province's rollout, compared to those in Ontario who have received a shot. The large difference between how older Ontario and Quebec residents feel about daily vaccination numbers isn't shared by those younger than 55 who are not yet eligible for a shot, Jedwab said. The survey shows 49 per cent of people polled between the ages of 18 to 34 reported some level of satisfaction with their provincial vaccine numbers, compared to 56 per cent two weeks ago. Jedwab says they will have to see whether that gap widens, but believes the change suggests people younger than 35 feel disproportionally affected by more contagious COVID-19 variants than those 55 and older. Doctors have been warning for weeks that more young people are being hospitalized with infections caused by more transmissible mutations of the virus, which is hitting essential workers. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2021 You are here: China The total number of passenger trips topped 51.43 million Saturday, the first day of the nation's three-day Tomb-sweeping Day holiday, official data showed. The reading jumped 157.26 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Transport. China's railways are expected to see an increase in passenger flows during the three-day Tomb-sweeping Day holiday from Saturday to Monday. April 2 saw approximately 11.8 million railway trips, setting a single-day record for this year, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (CSRC). A peak of more than 14 million passenger trips in a single day is expected on April 3, said the CSRC. The latest data also show that airlines handled nearly 1.54 million passenger trips in China on April 3, a jump of 369.2 percent compared to the first day of the holiday last year. Tomb-sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, falls on April 4 this year. It is a traditional Chinese holiday during which people pay tribute to deceased family members. Many also spend the holiday traveling. When the $2.1 trillion Cares Act was enacted just over a year ago, Democrats in Congress, mistrustful of the Trump administration's ethical track record, made robust policing a top priority for the gusher of new spending. The law, intended to stem the economic pain caused by the coronavirus pandemic, created new oversight bodies and directed more than $270 million to new and existing watchdogs. A House subcommittee with the power to issue subpoenas quickly got to work with queries to private corporations and government agencies. One year later, the conversation in Washington over how to oversee a new, nearly $2 trillion relief package administered by the Biden administration is decidedly more muted. The latest legislation, called the American Rescue Plan, created no new oversight bodies, although it appropriated more than $200 million in new funding for existing ones. To date,more than $5 trillion in government spending has been appropriated to respond to the pandemic and ensuing economic calamity. Yet, over the past year, oversight from three separate watchdog entities has been either undermined by partisan disagreements, slowed by bureaucratic hurdles or constrained by funding, according to interviews with those tasked with carrying out oversight, outside experts and advocates. One of the watchdogs created by the Cares Act has yet to receive a chair, hampering its work. Another watchdog faces budget constraints with just three dozen full-time staff so far. Democrats say they spent much of the last year battling the obstructionism of the Trump administration and a GOP-controlled Senate with little interest in holding Trump accountable. Republicans say now that a Democratic president is in the White House, Democrats in Congress appear to have less desire to conduct rigorous oversight of the executive branch. "The temperature has cooled on oversight, which is regrettable since it's needed as much now," said Bart Naylor, a policy advocate at Public Citizen, a nonprofit, progressive-leaning consumer rights group. "We do have a huge amount of money flowing out of Washington and it needs to find its way to working people and not to the C-suite." Compared with the last time the United States faced a catastrophic recession, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the contrasts are stark. By April 2009, five months into his tenure, the special inspector general investigating the bank bailouts, Neil Barofsky, had already testified six times before Congress. Barofsky's equivalent for this stimulus effort, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery Brian Miller, has not testified before Congress since taking office in June. His spokeswoman said he has received no requests from Congress to do so. The congressional panel set up in 2008 to oversee $700 billion in government spending to strengthen the financial sector held 15 hearings in its first year, including sessions outside of Washington to highlight the importance of their work to Americans in Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Its current analogue, a congressional panel created to oversee the U.S. Treasury's actions in the midst of the coronavirus, never received a chair and has held three Washington-based hearings. The dangers of the pandemic itself have undoubtedly played a role in dampening accountability measures, by limiting the ability of members of Congress and other overseers to meet in person to collaborate, while also slowing down hiring. The different causes of the two crises also contributed to the differences in accountability: one, a diffuse, public health pandemic-induced economic shutdown, the other, a specific set of financial institutions engaging in irresponsible behavior. Yet, open government advocates say there is a risk that Democrats in Congress, who hold the majority in both chambers, may take their focus off policing of government relief spending now that there is a Democratic administration in power. Two months into the Biden era and more than a year after the pandemic began, the House subcommittee created by the Cares Act to undertake coronavirus oversight has continued to focus on the Trump administration's failed pandemic response, while heaping praise on President Biden's team. The panel held 10 hearings between June and October, then no more until March. In March, Rep. Steve Scalise (La.), the highest-ranking Republican on the subcommittee, criticized Democrats for the five-month hiatus "during some of the most impactful months of the pandemic." The committee chair, Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), replied that the pause in hearings was due to Republicans' refusal to name members to the panel. "At the end of the day, one of Congress's jobs is to check the power of the executive branch, and that's an important responsibility whether the president is of the same party that controls the House of Representatives," said Molly Reynolds, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution. Russell Anello, deputy staff director for the House Oversight select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis, said the subcommittee has been active despite the delay in hearings, including by releasing documents resulting from committee probes. "We're continuing to do vigorous oversight," he said. A spokesperson for the select subcommittee also said they "will not hesitate to investigate" the Biden administration, and that the body has already pressed the administration on worker protections and small business loan fraud. Congress also tasked a different panel, the Congressional Oversight Commission, modeled on a similar watchdog created during the financial crisis, with overseeing a specific $500 billion appropriated to the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve. Its predecessor, launched in 2008, gave its chair, then little-known university professor Elizabeth Warren, a high-profile national stage. Those Great Recession-era hearings produced widely shared clips of Warren questioning Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, and the panel was credited by some observers with forcing changes to Treasury policy that saved taxpayers $1 billion. That panel published 15 of its 30 reports during its first year while holding 15 hearings. Its Cares Act equivalent has published 11 reports so far detailing the scope and impact of that relief, particularly that of Fed emergency lending facilities, while holding three hearings. It also drew attention to a $700 million loan by the Treasury Department to a troubled trucking company backed by a private equity company with ties to the Trump administration. But the panel never received the leadership it was supposed to, because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) failed to agree on and appoint a chair for the commission, which has two Democratic and two Republican appointees. One leading contender, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Joseph F. Dunford Jr., eventually took himself out of the running. "When you have a body that is created to perform oversight and then no chair is appointed for months and months, it certainly doesn't send a signal that this is an important body and that oversight matters," said Noah Bookbinder, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonprofit focusing on ethics in government. The lack of a chair has made decision-making among the four members more complicated and dependent on bipartisan consensus. A former Democratic-appointed member, Bharat Ramamurti, left late last year to serve in the Biden administration and has yet to be replaced. Another member, former Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala of Florida, lost her reelection bid but remains on the committee. "We need a chair and we need another Democratic representative on the Senate side," Shalala said in an interview. "The commission itself is continuing its work. But we need a bigger analytical capacity and we need ... centralized staff." An aide to Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), who sits on the commission, said a major obstacle to naming a chair was the difficulty in finding people who did not have perceived or potential conflicts of interest in their financial holdings or would have been able to make the necessary divestitures. "You've got to find somebody who Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell both agree on, but also someone who will say yes," said Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.), who also sits on the commission. But he said the lack of a chair did not hamper the commission's work, because it did not prevent the members from hiring the staff they needed. The Toomey aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal dynamics, also emphasized that even without a chair, the commission fulfilled its required role under the Cares Act by producing monthly reports and holding hearings. And he disputed the comparison with their financial crisis-era predecessor. "One was $700 billion dollars, the other was a handful of ... lending facilities that never actually met the scale that was initially allocated," he said, referring to Federal Reserve credit lines created under the Cares Act, which made relatively few loans and were wound down by the Trump administration late last year. In an interview on March 19,commission member Shalala said she had been assured by House staffers that Pelosi was close to agreeing on a chair with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). Spokesmen for Schumer and Pelosi did not respond to requests for comment. Shalala and Hill both defended the work of the commission as having provided robust analysis and questioning of the lending programs. The programs under the scope of the commission have largely wound down, though the panel could still conduct retrospective oversight delving into unexamined details, like the presence of foreign investors benefiting from Fed loans or the use of the programs to purchase securities backed by private student loans. The Fed ultimately adopted some of the commission's recommendations, such as lowering the minimum loan size in the Main Street Lending Program, meant to support small and medium businesses and nonprofits, and changing fee structures to encourage banks to make loans to smaller borrowers. But the Fed's changes came in late October, just a few weeks before the program ended. The commission said in an emailed statement that it "remains operational and is committed to executing its responsibilities and completing reports regarding outstanding loan obligations, per its statutory mandate. However, with the closure of the Fed's Cares Act lending facilities, there is no new lending or related activity happening, limiting the need for additional public hearings at this time." The panel struggled at times to get forthright answers from the Trump administration, including on a Treasury program that made loans to companies deemed critical to national security. Former Pentagon official Ellen Lord declined to testify publicly at a commission hearing in December, and the commission ultimately found the Pentagon provided "a very weak case" for how the trucking company, YRC, qualified for a $700 million loan. Indeed, lack of cooperation from Trump's executive branch was a continuing problem for investigators. A January Government Accountability Office report looking at past stimulus spending targeted the Trump administration's decision to send thousands of ventilators abroad, at a cost of $200 million. The GAO noted that the White House did not respond to questions, even though it had coordinated U.S. policy on the donations. And Clyburn, who runs the special House Oversight subcommittee, also repeatedly called out the Trump administration last year for blocking its investigations by withholding documents, refusing interview requests, and in one case, ordering the deletion of an email showing political interference at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A separate Cares Act oversight body, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, shares much in common with the 2008 Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which was charged with overseeing $700 billion in government aid, and eventually built a team of 140 full-time employees. Its work led to 389 criminal convictions, including dozens of bankers and scammers. By comparison, the pandemic inspector general is also charged with overseeing at least $700 billion in funding provided in the Cares Act. Yet the office had hired 34 full-time employees by the end of January, it said in its most recent report, and plans to hire 66 employees by September. The inspector general's first report detailed challenges in hiring staff and procuring basic equipment. Additionally, the pandemic inspector general's office has also been constrained by its budget - $25 million in the Cares Act - half of what the TARP inspector general received, said Sarah Breen, a spokeswoman for the pandemic inspector general's office. The agency is "striving to get into the annual budget cycle," she added. Though the Cares Act provided hundreds of millions of dollars for oversight, much of that went to inspectors general at individual agencies and the GAO, which serves as Congress's watchdog over the federal government. The pandemic inspector general's office has also publicly questioned whether it has jurisdiction over the Paycheck Protection Program, although members of Congress have individually suggested the inspector general's remit is broad. Breen said the office has asked Congress to clarify whether it intended to grant the special inspector general jurisdiction over the PPP and that it plans to state a definitive position on the question in a later report. But even as the pandemic inspector general struggles to account for past spending, it has no jurisdiction over the nearly $2 trillion dollars that Congress just passed in March as a part of the latest pandemic stimulus effort. For its part, the Biden administration has tapped Gene Sperling, a former top White House economic official in the Clinton and Obama administrations, to oversee Biden's coronavirus relief spending package. Sperling's role will be focused on making sure aid gets out to states and individuals quickly and communicating with local officials. A spokesman for the Biden White House did not respond to a request for comment. Opener Fakhar Zamans scintillating 193 was not enough for Pakistan who lost the second ODI to South Africa by 17 runs at The Wanderers on Sunday (April 4) as the hosts levelled the three-game series. Fakhar was left to do it all on his own as Pakistan reached 324/9 in reply to South Africas 341/6, his power-hitting including 18 fours and 10 sixes for the record score in ODIs in Johannesburg, beating the 175 by Herschelle Gibbs against Australia in 2006. It was also the best score by a visiting player to South Africa, with the next highest in Sundays Pakistan innings being 31 from captain Babar Azam. Fakhars magnificent innings of 155 balls ended in bizarre fashion when he cantered home for a second run off the first ball of the final over, but a throw from the fence by Aiden Markram was a direct hit and the batsmans excellent chance for a second double-ton in the 50-over format was gone. The tourists had elected to field first and South Africas impressive total was boosted by four fine half-centuries, each different in their make-up. Newly-appointed captain Temba Bavuma scored 92 from 102 balls and warmed to his task as the innings wore on, while opener Quinton de Kock looked edgy and had luck in his 80 from 86 balls. Rassie van der Dussen, who got a century in the first match in Pretoria on Friday, kept up his good form with a powerful 60 from 37 balls that included four sixes, before David Miller finished the innings with 50 not out from 27 balls. Seamer Haris Rauf was comfortably the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with 3-54 from his 10 overs. The third and final ODI is scheduled for Pretoria on Wednesday but South Africa will be without leading players De Kock, Miller, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje as they head to the Indian Premier League. Tehran, April 5 : The first consignment of jabs allocated to Iran under the World Health Organization's Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) program has arrived in Tehran, the country's Food and Drug Administration said on Monday. The shipment, including over 700,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, was shipped to Iran on Sunday night, Xinhua news agency reported citing Kianoush Jahanpour, the administration's spokesperson, as saying. Iran's quota under the COVAX program amounts to 16.8 million doses, Jahanpour said. So far, Iran has received 520,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, and plans to produce domestic vaccines in the next months. Meanwhile, President Hassan Rouhani recently blamed Washington's sanctions for "hindering the availability of Covid-19 vaccines" for Iranians. Rouhani said that his administration has allowed the private sector to import the vaccines, using the subsidized foreign currency and under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Iran has registered 1,932,074 confirmed coronavirus cases with 63,160 deaths. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Tennessee General Assembly is currently considering legislation (SB0775/HB0776) that would exempt certain COVID-19 relief payments received between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021, from the Tennessee excise tax. If this legislation is passed into law, taxpayers who are subject to the Tennessee excise tax will be able to deduct eligible COVID-19 relief payments on their Tennessee franchise and excise tax returns. This excise tax deduction would apply to payments received from the following Tennessee economic relief programs: Tennessee Business Relief Program; Tennessee Supplemental Employer Recovery Grant Program; Coronavirus Agricultural and Forestry Business Fund; Hospital Staffing Assistance Program; Emergency Medical Services Ambulance Assistance Program; Tennessee Small and Rural Hospital Readiness Grants Program; or Payments issued by Tennessee from the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant. Eligible COVID-19 relief payments received by a taxpayer during 2020 would be deducted on the taxpayers 2020 franchise and excise tax return, and eligible payments received during 2021 would be deducted on the 2021 return. Note: This legislation is still being considered by the Tennessee General Assembly and has not yet been passed into law. Therefore, taxpayers who file a franchise and excise tax return prior to the passage of this legislation should not deduct any COVID-19 relief payments on the return. If a taxpayer wishes to delay filing its 2020 return, pending the passage of this legislation, the taxpayer may submit an Application for Extension of Time to File, which grants a taxpayer who meets the extension requirements an extension of six months, from the original return due date, to file the return. For taxpayers who must remit an extension payment, the extension application is due on or before the taxpayers original return due date. Please click here for more information on how to file an extension. Should this legislation be passed into law, the Department will publish guidance informing taxpayers as to how they may proceed in claiming the excise tax deduction. If this legislation passes, taxpayers who have already filed a franchise and excise tax return for the 2020 tax year will be able to amend the return to take the excise tax deduction for eligible relief payments received during 2020. Advertisement Every awards ceremony has its share of fashion hits and misses, and Sunday night's SAG Awards were no different. With the show pre-taped this year amid the pandemic and the nominees unable to walk a red carpet, Hollywood's finest instead shared their looks to social media. Not everyone's style risks paid off, however, with the likes of Elle Fanning, Emily Hampshire and Kathryn Drysdale missing the fashion mark this time around. Missing the mark: Every awards ceremony has its share of fashion hits and misses, and Sunday night's SAG Awards were no different with Elle Fanning, Schitt's Creek star Emily Hampshire, and Bridgerton's Kathryn Drysdale missing the mark The Great star Elle Fanning was a disco doll in a Gucci sequin, crystal, and bead-striped short-sleeved jacket with belt and matching pants during Sunday's SAG Awards ceremony. The 1960s look, which resembled a glittery karate uniform, was paired with Gucci rings and golden platform heels selected by stylist Samantha McMillen. Schitt's Creek's actress Emily opted for something totally different as she shared snaps posing on her hotel bed wearing a baggy Polo Ralph Lauren linen suit with rolled up cuffs. The 39-year-old star offset it with a black tie, black beret and high top Converse sneakers with the laces undone. She later teemed the outfit with thick rimmed black glasses. Very casual: Schitt's Creek's actress Emily lead the worst dressed contenders as she opted for something totally different as she shared snaps posing on her hotel bed wearing a baggy Polo Ralph Lauren linen suit with rolled up cuffs Winner! Emily and her Schitt's Creek co-stars picked up the gong for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, with Emily slipping on a pair of thick-rimmed black glasses to accept the honour Arriving in an array of lavender ruffles was Bridgerton star Kathryn Drysdale, wearing a Jenny Packham purple tulle tiered gown, Jimmy Choo shoes and Faberge diamonds. Meanwhile, Merle Dandridge, star of HBO's The Flight Attendant appeared to have nailed it in a glittering corset with black pants. But the 45-year-old actress took it a step too far with an electric blue sash tied around her waist in a bow. The Japanese born beauty wore her hair in a tousled ponytail and accessorized with some statement jeweled earrings with emeralds and sapphires. All that glitters: The Great star Elle Fanning was a disco doll in a Gucci sequin, crystal, and bead-striped short-sleeved jacket with belt and matching pants during Sunday's SAG Awards ceremony Glittering: The 1960s look, which resembled a glittery karate uniform, was paired with Gucci rings and golden platform heels selected by stylist Samantha McMillen The Crown's Emma Corrin mixed styles and textures to create a bizarre mish-mash of an outfit. Despite her best actress victory at January's Golden Globe Awards, as well as last month's Critics' Choice Awards, her outfit was not a winning look. The 25-year-old, who plays Princess Diana in the Netflix series, veered away from the late royal's elegant style as she paired a delicate Prada silk frock with chunky combat boots. Adding an additional layer of texture, Emma's dress was cinched in at the waist with a black belt with a long pleated grey skirt attached. Lavender creation: Bridgerton beauty Kathryn Drysdale went a little over the top in tulle - it would have looked better without the shoulder ruffles Half of the skirt was missing so the belt still revealed some of the lace dress underneath. Emma - who is nominated for female actor in a drama series - wore her hair in a center parting and teamed the outfit with diamond jewelry. Other misses of the night included Sam McCarthy from Dead to Me, who wore an oversize cornflower blue suit with multiple blue layers underneath that totally drowned him. All tied up: Merle Dandridge, star of HBO's The Flight Attendant appeared to have nailed it in a glittering corset with black pants. But the 45-year-old actress took it a step too far with an electric blue sash tied around her waist in a bow Striking: The Japanese born beauty wore her hair in a tousled ponytail and accessorized with some statement jeweled earrings with emeralds and sapphires, but the sash overpowered the look Going all-out with color was One Night In Miami star Leslie Odom Jr. who donned a technicolor suit with matching turtleneck underneath. Facing the unique challenges of a pandemic-era awards show, SAG-AFTRA's awards committee decided against a Zoom-heavy affair in lieu of pre-produced pieces and top-secret acceptance speeches shot ahead of time. Instead of entertaining an audience, the 2021 SAGs will honor nominees with a series of docu-series style segments in a nod to their traditional 'I Am An Actor' segments which usually open the show. Too much: The Crown's Emma Corrin mixed styles and textures to create a bizarre mish-mash of an outfit. Despite her recent award show successes her outfit was not a winning look All about the accessories: Emma - who is nominated for female actor in a drama series - wore her hair in a center parting and teamed the outfit with diamond jewelry Viola Davis, Riz Ahmed, Cynthia Erivo, Sterling K. Brown, Dan Levy, Rita Moreno, Common and Daisy Ridley were just some of the stars confirmed for the hour-long show, which took place without a host. Schitt's Creek, The Crown, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom were the big winners of the night, with all three projects taking home two trophies each. Schitt's Creek won the awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy Series, The Crown was the recipient of Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series and Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was the winner of Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture. Bit too blue: Lovecraft Country actress Joaquina Kalukango donned a shiny blue number with a glittery bodice but it swamped her frame and appeared more costume than red carpet Over the rainbow: Leslie Odom Jr.'s technicolor suit with matching turtleneck wasn't one of his best looks whilst Dead To Me star Sam McCarthy was swamped by his blue look Mark Ruffalo was the very first winner of the awards show, scooping up the honor for Best Male Actor In A Television Movie Or Limited Series for his role in I Know This Much Is True. Next, Anya Taylor-Joy won the award for Best Female Actor In A Television Or Limited Series for her role in The Queen's Gambit. Taylor-Joy beat out Cate Blanchett, Michaela Coel, Nicole Kidman, and Kerry Washington for the gong. Bold style statement: As ever Jared Leto took a style risk as she shunned a traditional black suit in favour of a bright pink blazer, with matching silk cravat and shirt Following on, Jason Sudeikis accepted the award for Best Male Actor In A Comedy Series for his role in Ted Lasso wearing a 'My Body My Choice' sweater while sitting upon a plush sofa. Next Daniel Kaluuya won the award for Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, while Yuh-Jung Youn accepted the honor for Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. Gillian Anderson from The Crown won the award for Best Female Actor In A Drama Series. Jason Bateman dedicated his award to healthcare workers and 'the miracle work from scientists' as he accepted the award for Best Male Actor In A Drama Series for his role in Ozark. Similarly, Olivia Colman thanked the National Health Service as she accepted the award for Best Ensemble In A Drama Series for The Crown on behalf of the cast. On top of awards, there were skits and the annual 'I'm An Actor' segment featuring a slew of who's who in Hollywood. An In Memoriam segment also paid tribute to those lost in the past year, including Chadwick, Naya Rivera, Dustin Diamond, and Christopher Plummer. Advertisement Schitt's Creek, The Crown, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom were the big winners of the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards, with all three projects taking home two trophies each. Stripped of all the usual glitz and glamour due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's awards show was a pre-taped event lasting just one hour. The star-studded guest list watched on virtually in Zoom-style fashion from home. Schitt's Creek won the awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy Series, The Crown was the recipient of Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series and Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was the winner of Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture. Mark Ruffalo was the very first winner of the awards show, scooping up the honor for Best Male Actor In A Television Movie Or Limited Series for his role in I Know This Much Is True. Family affair! Dan Levy accepted the award for Best Ensemble In A Comedy Series alongside his father Eugene Levy and sister Sarah Levy, whom both also star in the show Moving: Chadwick Boseman's widow Simone Ledward Boseman accepted the award for Best Male Actor In A Leading Role In A Motion Picture on behalf of her late husband, who won the honor for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Sealed with a kiss: Viola Davis won the award for Female Actor In A Leading Role In A Motion Picture for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Ruffalo accepted the award virtually from home, beating out fellow nominees Bill Camp, Daveed Diggs, Hugh Grant, and Ethan Hawke. 'Acting doesn't happen in a vacuum,' Ruffalo said in his acceptance speech. 'It happens between people. And in a magical place created by a director like Derek and a writer like Wally Lamb. Mental illness is a real thing, and I just think it's really important that we're honest and open about it and have no fear and have no shame.' Next, Anya Taylor-Joy won the award for Best Female Actor In A Television Or Limited Series for her role in The Queen's Gambit. Taylor-Joy beat out Cate Blanchett, Michaela Coel, Nicole Kidman, and Kerry Washington for the gong. Honored: Mark Ruffalo was the very first winner of the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards, scooping up the honor for Best Male Actor In A Television Movie Or Limited Series for his role in I Know This Much Is True Star-studded: Ruffalo accepted the award virtually from home, beating out fellow nominees Bill Camp, Daveed Diggs, Hugh Grant, and Ethan Hawke Next, Anya Taylor-Joy won the award for Best Female Actor In A Television Or Limited Series for her role in The Queen's Gambit Next, Jason Sudeikis accepted the award for Best Male Actor In A Comedy Series for his role in Ted Lasso wearing a 'My Body My Choice' sweater while sitting upon a plush sofa. 'Man, oh, man, are you kidding me? Wow. Thank you. To all of my fellow actors. I wanted to thank my mom for bringing me to plays and musicals in Kansas City every time they came through, whether it was phantom of the opera. I want to thank my dad for taking me to go see movies. Took me to go see "Beverly Hills Cop" when I was nine years old, and I knew I wanted to be a Black cop in Detroit. I'm getting there. And again, I thank my fellow cast mates, because they make me better because I just, again, have the job. Thank you, again, amazing.' Catherine O'Hara was the recipient of Best Female Actor In A Comedy Series for her role in Schitt's Creek. 'I share this with Annie Murphy. I'm flattered anyone might believe I could be her mother. Annie is a beautiful soul, and, of course, for Eugene and Dan levy, and they're amazing writers. Their story telling gave me and everyone in the town from which I am currently estranged every possible chance to love, be loved, make happy fools of ourselves, and blossom into the best we could be. If if that wasn't enough, now this, thank you.' Competition: Taylor-Joy beat out Cate Blanchett, Michaela Coel, Nicole Kidman, and Kerry Washington for the gong The Zoom-style awards show saw celebrities watching their peers accept honors virtually Peace out: Next, Jason Sudeikis accepted the award for Best Male Actor In A Comedy Series for his role in Ted Lasso wearing a 'My Body My Choice' sweater while sitting upon a plush sofa Keeping it casual: Unlike his competitors, Sudeikis opted for a very laid-back look Big win! Catherine O'Hara was the recipient of Best Female Actor In A Comedy Series for her role in Schitt's Creek Big reaction! The cast of Schitt's Creek could be seen going wild when it was announced they had won 'What a way to say goodbye': Schitt's Creek officially ended last year after five years on air The fan-favorite series Schitt's Creek became the winner of Best Ensemble In A Comedy Series. Dan Levy accepted the award alongside his father Eugene Levy and sister Sarah Levy, whom both also star in the show. 'Oh, my goodness! Oh, man! Ok, well, first of all, to get to share this award with my brilliant sister and my incredible dad is absolutely extraordinary,' an elated Dan said. 'First of all, thank you so much to SAG-Aftra for this insane honor. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the rest of this incredible ensemble of actors who made comedy look absolutely effortless with their skill and their dedication. 'The incomparable Catherine O'Hara, Annie Murphy, Emily Hampshire, Karen Robinson, Noah Reed, Jennifer Robertson, and the great Chris Elliott, and it's worth mentioning the amazing contributions over the years from Riz, Dustin, and John. Thank you to all who voted for us. What a way to say goodbye, and thank you so much. ' Daniel Kaluuya won the award for Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Honored: Gillian Anderson from The Crown won the award for Best Female Actor In A Drama Series Giving thanks: Gillian saved the best for last when she thanked her on-again boyfriend Peter Morgan for the win Next Daniel Kaluuya won the award for Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, while Yuh-Jung Youn accepted the honor for Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. Gillian Anderson from The Crown won the award for Best Female Actor In A Drama Series. Jason Bateman dedicated his award to healthcare workers and 'the miracle work from scientists' as he accepted the award for Best Male Actor In A Drama Series for his role in Ozark. 'The biggest thank yous go to the healthcare workers that have tended to us all during this last year, and the miracle work from scientists that have given us the vaccines that are not only going to let us continue making fake lives, but most importantly, the real life that we're all yearning to get back to. So this is dedicated to them and everybody, go get your shot and let's all get back to normal.' Similarly, Olivia Colman thanked the National Health Service as she accepted the award for Best Ensemble In A Drama Series for The Crown on behalf of the cast. Going for the gold: Yuh-Jung Youn accepted the honor for Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for her role in Minari 'Go get your shot': Jason Bateman dedicated his award to healthcare workers and 'the miracle work from scientists' as he accepted the award for Best Male Actor In A Drama Series for his role in Ozark 'We're very lucky': Similarly, Olivia Colman thanked the National Health Service as she accepted the award for Best Ensemble In A Drama Series for The Crown on behalf of the cast Live from home: Celebrities were dressed to impress as they took part in the pre-taped affair Star-studded: Riz Ahmed, Lily Collins and Ethan Hawke were among the many celebrities appearing on the show Stars in stripes! Jimmy Fallon wore a black-and-white striped shirt during his appearance Hollywood stars: Mindy Kaling made a stylish cameo during the show Superstars: Sterling K. Brown shared a laugh as he partook in the ceremony 'I think I speak for all of us, we'd all like to say thank you to our wonderful National Health Service during this very peculiar year. We're very lucky in the U.K. to have you.' Next, Viola Davis won the award for Female Actor In A Leading Role In A Motion Picture for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. The late Chadwick Boseman was next announced as the winner for Best Male Actor In A Leading Role In A Motion Picture for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. His widow, Simone Ledward Boseman, accepted the award on his behalf. Logging on: The star-studded guest list watched on from the comfort of home Partner for life: Davis accepted the award alongside her husband Julius Tennon Stylish: The actress looked fabulous in a lime green dress adorned and dangling earrings 'Be a crusader': Boseman delivered a moving speech as she accepted the honor on behalf of her late husband 'If you see the world unbalanced, be a crusader that pushes heavily on the see saw of the mind. That's a quote by Chadwick Boseman. Thank you, screen actors. Thank you Chad. Thank you.' On top of awards, there were skits and the annual 'I'm An Actor' segment featuring a slew of who's who in Hollywood. Rita Moreno fangirled over a mystery actor in the segment. 'What an actor!' Rita gushed. 'Oh my God, he's great!' Rita said, before adding, 'I also think he's sexy. Yes, I'm a dirty old lady!' 'I'm a dirty old lady!' Rita Moreno fangirled over a mystery actor in the annual I'm An Actor segment Having a ball! Jason Sudeikis' Ted Lasso opened up the show with a hilarious skit showing the coach drilling his team on the show Paying tribute: An In Memoriam segment also paid tribute to those lost in the past year, including Chadwick, Naya Rivera, Dustin Diamond, and Christopher Plummer In Memoriam: The segment remembered the late Naya River and Conchata Ferrell An icon: The late Cicely Tyson was among the stars remembered Jason Sudeikis' Ted Lasso opened up the show with a hilarious skit showing the coach drilling his team on the show. An In Memoriam segment also paid tribute to those lost in the past year, including Chadwick, Naya Rivera, Dustin Diamond, and Christopher Plummer. Unlike past years, the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards celebrated the best of their craft with a pre-taped ceremony featuring pre-produced pieces and top-secret acceptance speeches shot ahead of time. Instead of entertaining an audience, the 2021 SAGs honored nominees with a series of docu-series style segments in a nod to their traditional 'I Am An Actor' segments which usually open the show. Viola Davis, Riz Ahmed, Cynthia Erivo, Sterling K. Brown, Dan Levy, Rita Moreno, Common and Daisy Ridley are just some of the stars who appeared in the hour-long show, which took place without a host. 'I can't wait to see all of the pieces come together, I think this is going to be really lovely,' actor and SAG awards committee member Elizabeth McLaughlin told ABC of Sunday's ceremony, which will air on TNT and TBS. Legend: Sean Connery passed away at age 90 on October 31, 2020 Dustin Diamond passed away at age 44 in February 2021 COVID-friendly: Unlike past years, the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards celebrated the best of their craft with a pre-taped ceremony featuring pre-produced pieces and top-secret acceptance speeches shot ahead of time A-lister: Helen Mirren dazzled in red and gold at the pre-taped show Who's who of showbiz: A glamorous Cynthia Erivo and Daisy Ridley took part in the Hollywood show SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris dazzled in a glittering top and blazer Pope Francis has used his traditional Easter Sunday address to denounce as scandalous how armed conflicts continue to rage on even as the coronavirus pandemic has triggered severe social and economic suffering. Francis tempered his Urbi et Orbi wishes of joy on the Christian feast day along with accounts of pain from the globes many armed conflicts in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe. Describing vaccines as an essential tool in the pandemic battle, Francis called for a spirit of global responsibility as he encouraged nations to overcome delays in the distribution of vaccines and ensure that the shots reach the poorest nations. Everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us, requires assistance and has the right to have access to necessary care, the pontiff said. He sounded a note of indignation at the start of his address, decrying that there has been no shortage of war and conflict during the worlds worst health crisis in a century. The pandemic is still spreading, while the social and economic crisis remains severe, especially for the poor. Nevertheless and this is scandalous armed conflicts have not ended, and military arsenals are being strengthened, Francis said, sounding angry. That is todays scandal. Expand Close Priests wearing face masks pray during Easter Sunday mass led by the Latin Patriarch at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (Oded Balilty/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Priests wearing face masks pray during Easter Sunday mass led by the Latin Patriarch at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (Oded Balilty/AP) The pope prayed that public authorities would see to it that those needing assistance have a decent standard of living. He said: Sadly, the pandemic has dramatically increased the number of the poor and the despair of thousands of people. He lamented the plight of people afflicted by war and other conflicts, citing Haiti, one of the worlds poorest countries and which has been wracked by violent protests and political strife including an alleged coup. Francis urged Haitians not to be overwhelmed by difficulties, but to look to the future with confidence and hope. Francis offered encouragement to young people in Myanmar who are committed to supporting democracy and making their voices heard peacefully. Demonstrators in Myanmar took to the streets holding painted eggs in a reference to Easter. Myanmars military has violently sought to quash those opposed to a February 1 coup that ousted a democratically elected government. Expand Close An anti-coup protester raises a decorated Easter egg along with the three-fingered symbol of resistance during a protest against the military coup on Easter Sunday in Myanmar (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An anti-coup protester raises a decorated Easter egg along with the three-fingered symbol of resistance during a protest against the military coup on Easter Sunday in Myanmar (AP) Francis thanked Lebanon and Jordan for taking in refugees from war in Syria, praying that peace finally comes to millions are living in inhumane conditions. He also prayed for ends to conflicts in Yemen and Libya. Citing suffering of people in Africa, he decried internal violence and international terrorism, especially in the Sahel and Nigeria. Other troubled areas he mentioned were Ethiopias Tigray province and Mozambiques Cabo Delgado province, which has been hit by days of fighting with rebels for control of a town. Francis prayed for the safe return home of prisoners of long conflicts in Europe, in eastern Ukraine and in Nagorno-Karabkh. Earlier in the day, Francis celebrated Easter Mass in St Peters Basilica, where the faithful in the pews barely numbered 200 in keeping with pandemic protocols, compared to the usual thousands. Hyderabad, April 5 : Actor Adivi Sesh's upcoming film "Major" will release in Malayalam language, too. The film was earlier scheduled to release only in Telugu and Hindi. The film is inspired by the life of 26/11 martyr Sandeep Unnikrishnan. "All the posters that we have released of 'Major' in the past one year, we have received a lot of love from all markets. It was also identified that there was a huge interest in this film in the Kerala market. So we decided to dub this film in Malayalam and give them a complete experience in that language," director Sashi Kiran Tikka tells IANS. Actor Adivi Sesh took to Instagram on Monday to make the announcement. Uploading the poster in Malayalam, Sesh captioned: "#MajorSandeepUnnikrishnan is INDIA's son. Still, lots of people from his hometown #Kozhikode wanted to watch the film in #Malayalam. So here goes. With all my love to the people of #Kerala. #MajorTheFilm releases in Malayalam! Hindi Telugu." "Major" is the debut production venture of Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday (April 4) slamming the Centre alleged that his government was being punished for supporting the farmers' agitation against the three new farm laws. During a 'Kisan mahapanchayat' in Haryana's Jind district, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief claimed that the BJP-led Centre brought the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) (GNCTD) Bill to punish the Delhi government. They have brought a Bill in Parliament to punish Kejriwal. We bore the brunt. They are punishing us for supporting farmers' agitation, PTI quoted the Delhi CM as saying. The GNCTD Act passed in the Parliament in March, increases the powers of Delhis Lieutenant Governor (LG). The Bill, which says "government" referred to in any law made by the Delhi legislative assembly will imply LG, was passed in the Lok Sabha on March 22. Amid huge uproar by the Opposition leaders, Rajya Sabha had passed the Bill on March 24. Kejriwal said that all powers will now be with the LG, and asked, What kind of law is this? He further said that it is the responsibility of every citizen to support the ongoing farmers agitation.Any person who is with this agitation is a patriot and the one who is against the farmers' agitation is a traitor, he added. He claimed that he is ready to make any sacrifice for the protesting farmers. The AAP supremo also condemned the alleged lathicharge on farmers at Rohtak on Saturday during a protest against Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. In a country where farmers are not respected, the nation cannot progress. Should governments support farmers or cane-charge them? We strongly condemn this incident, he said addressing a 'Kisan mahapanchayat in Delhi. (With PTI inputs) Live TV Ukraine views Qatar as one of its key partners in the Gulf region and the Arab world and is working to strengthen economic cooperation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. He said this in an interview with Qatari media outlets, the text of which was published on the website of the head of state. "Ukraine considers Qatar as one of the key partners in the Gulf region and the Arab world as a whole. We are now working to increase the volume of economic cooperation and expand cooperation between our countries in all areas of mutual interest," Zelensky said. He also said that he had a common vision with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the need to intensify Ukrainian-Qatari relations. Zelensky said that cooperation between the two countries in various fields had been significantly intensified in recent years and expressed hope that his current visit would give additional impetus to the deepening of friendly Ukrainian-Qatari relations. Zelensky said that during the visit he was accompanied by a large delegation consisting of the ministers of interior, energy and agrarian policy, a number of heads of state institutions and agencies, including in the field of infrastructure and military-technical cooperation, who will hold separate talks with their partners in Doha. "Today we plan to sign a package of bilateral documents on deepening cooperation in the legal and security spheres, in the field of food security, energy, youth and sports, healthcare. We also plan to sign documents on mutual recognition of seafarers' certificates and driver's licenses," he said. Zelensky added that it was planned to sign a number of commercial and investment agreements to expand investment cooperation between the two countries. President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska, are on an official visit to Qatar on April 5. op Flash London police said Sunday that more than 100 people were arrested after protests were staged against the British government's new crime bill in central London on Saturday. Earlier Sunday, London police said that 10 officers were left with minor injuries after police and protesters clashed in central London on Saturday. The British capital was swarmed by thousands of demonstrators as a number of protests took place simultaneously. Many were protesting the British government's proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. If passed, the legislation would give police in England and Wales more powers to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance, with those convicted liable to fines or jail terms. "Kill the Bill" demonstrators were joined by Extinction Rebellion and anti-lockdown protesters. The anti-lockdown rebels were supported by Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the London-based Evening Standard newspaper reported Sunday. Thousands turned up for the "Kill the Bill" protest alone, marching from Hyde Park to Westminster. The protesters walked past Buckingham Palace and down to Parliament Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament. The latest demonstrations came after several protests against the British government's new crime bill turned violent last month in Bristol, a populous city in southwestern England. COVID-19 regulations have since been relaxed and protests are now lawful in England and Wales. However, protest organizers must submit a risk assessment and take steps to limit the potential transmission of coronavirus, according to The Guardian newspaper. The coronavirus reproduction number, or R value, in England is between 0.8 and one, according to the latest government figures. This is compared to a figure of between 0.7 and 0.9 for the whole of Britain last week. The latest government figures showed that more than 31.5 million people have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Britain. From April 12, non-essential retail, as well as restaurants and pubs, if serving people outdoors, will be allowed to reopen in England. On Feb. 22, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his roadmap exiting the lockdown, the third of its kind since the start of the pandemic. The four-step plan is expected to see all legal restrictions in England being removed by mid-June. Experts have warned Britain is "still not out of the woods" amid concerns over new variants and the third wave of pandemic in the European continent. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. A leading scholar of cross-cultural identity, social assimilation, and exclusion, MIT historian Emma Teng recently spoke with MIT News about the current crisis of violence against Asian-Americans. Credit: Jon Sachs/School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences A string of murders and violent attacks against Asian Americans has jolted the U.S. over the last year. As shocking as these incidents are, they are not novel. Asian Americans and Asian immigrants have long had to contend with physical attacks and discrimination, something evident in the research of Emma Teng, the T.T. and Wei Fong Chao Professor of Asian Civilizations at MIT, and author of the 2013 book "Eurasian: Mixed Identities in the United States, China, and Hong Kong, 1842-1943." A leading scholar of cross-cultural identity, social assimilation, and exclusion, Teng recently spoke with MIT News about the current crisis of violence against Asian Americans. Q: There has been a wave of violence against Asian Americans over the last year. To what extent do you see continuities with the past in this regard, and to what extent are recent events different? A: As a historian, I see the continuities. On the surface, when we hear about the mass shooting in Atlanta or the incidents of violence against elders across the country, we tend to think this is a reaction to COVID-19, or the trade war with China, or recent political rhetoric. But from a historian's perspective, and from an Asian American perspective, we see a long pattern of anti-Asian sentiment and violence that dates back to the 19th century. I see this as related to American ambivalence toward Asians and people of Asian descent. On the one hand, Asian Americans are [regarded as being] needed, for labor, skills, knowledge, as trade partners. On the other hand, they're seen as competition or a threat. There's also this narrative of celebrating Asian immigrants as an example of successful assimilation, while viewing them as perpetual foreigners. I still hear this a lot: "Where are you from?" Or: "Your English is so good, where did you learn it?" We've seen anti-Asian sentiment and anti-Asian violence dating back to the 19th century. There are some famous examples, like the Rock Springs Massacre in Wyoming in 1885, in which 28 Chinese miners were killed and 78 injured, by white immigrant miners who saw the Chinese as taking their opportunities. Then there were the Pacific Coast Race Riots of 1907, in the U.S. and Canada, which targeted East Asians and South Asians. We see governmental responses with the Chinese Exclusion Law of 1882, the first U.S. immigration law that targeted a racial group for restriction and exclusion from the country, and the internments of Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II. After World War II there's economic competition driving some anti-Asian sentiment, [including] the Vincent Chin murder in 1982 [a Chinese American engineer in Detroit was killed outside a bar by out-of-work auto industry employees who thought he was Japanese, and were angry about competition from foreign carmakers], and experiences related to the Vietnam War and other wars. This pattern of scapegoating and violence has reared its ugly head again. People are noticing it in the wake of the Atlanta shootings, but it's really been since January 2020. On a more positive note, another pattern I see is the very vital role of allies to Asian Americans, who are absolutely crucial in trying to fight back against this. Q: Speaking of allies, you have a newly published paper in Modern American History, about a group of well-off Chinese students being detained in the U.S. in 1905. They had well-connected American friends who could help them out with the authorities. How much is there a class element in the way different Asian Americans are treatedis it possible to generalize? A: The King incident from 1905 happened here in Boston. There were four highly elite students from China who had studied in London and were coming to Boston to visit their friends, then go to Niagara Falls, then back to China. But because they didn't have the right paperwork they were detained at the port of Boston and not allowed to enter. And in this case their white Euro-American allies stepped forward, protested to President Roosevelt, wrote letters to the newspapers, and really advocated on their behalf. The timing of this incident, in 1905, was right when Chinese merchants in Shanghai and Canton were talking about boycotting American goods to protest the injustice of Chinese exclusion. President Roosevelt acted very quickly [and] made it possible for these students to travel through the U.S. Class is very much baked into it. The Chinese Exclusion Act only targeted laborers, and it made an exemption clause for various categories of migrants, students, merchants, teachers, diplomats, and travelers for curiosity or pleasurein other words, elite travelers. But at the same time, what I show in the article on the King incident is, sometimes even class privilege doesn't protect the Chinese from racial harassment. Q: Circling back to what you said a little earlier, do you feel Asian Americans have more allies in society at this point, when it comes to standing up against violence? Is it more possible today in some ways to bring attention to anti-Asian sentiment and violence in America? A: When looking at racism and violence, it's really important not to divide Asian Americans from other minority groups in the United States. This isn't just the targeting of Asian Americans versus the targeting of African Americans or others. There is a very broad history in the United States of dispossessing indigenous people from their lands, enslaving people of African descent, and demonizing undocumented immigrants and other forms of opporession or exclusion. It's part of a whole picture that cannot be divided. One thing more specific to the Asian American experience is the model minority myth, which I think has contributed to the invisibility of Asian Americans. The model minority myth perpetuates this idea that Asian immigrants are successful at assimilating into American society, they're highly educated, they have high incomesin other words, they don't have social "problems." This is highly problematic and hides the fact there are many diverse Asian American and immigrant groups in this country, ranging from South Asians to East Asians, and Southeast Asians, as well as Pacific Islanders, some of whom live in poverty and really struggle in our educational system. I think it represents a real blind spot in our culture. One of the big differences today is the role of social media, which is a double-edged sword. We get news of these incidents quickly and can protest and make our voices heard, but social media has also been stoking a lot of anti-Asian sentiment. A lot of the things I've seen on social media are horrifyingly ugly, almost worse than anything I've seen in 19th-century history. But I do think there are more allies [across groups] and more pan-Asian-American solidarity today, a recognition that this impacts all of us regardless of country of origin, or how long you've been in this country, and that there's strength in numbers. In the 19th century, there wasn't any pan-Asian solidarity. The pan-Asian American movement was more emergent around the Vincent Chin incident, which also garnered support from diverse civil rights activists, but I do think it is stronger today. I think people will look back on the Atlanta shootings as a turning point. Explore further The model minority myth hides the racist and sexist violence experienced by Asian women This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. I'm not getting the COVID vaccine. I'm not recommending that course of action and, although I do have my reasons, it's mostly just stubbornness. I don't want to follow the herd, and I won't be told what I must do for my own well-being. Not in this country. I'm still an American, even if we are becoming an endangered species. It amazes me to watch my countrymen going about their business every day having completely forgotten who they are as Americans. We must somehow relearn our heritage of liberty. It's laughable to see otherwise normal people walking around outside with masks on. Regardless of what anyone on TV or elsewhere has told them, it's extremely unlikely that you'll catch the virus while walking your dog. I see more people alone in their cars all masked up. In the past, this made me chuckle, but it's become so common that the foolishness of it gets under my skin. Does your car have COVID? Are you going to infect yourself? Where has common sense gone? Some people I talk with are still masking despite having received the vaccine. If the vaccine is so useless, then why take it at all? They're quick to say their mask is for my protection, but I don't want or need them to protect me. And if the vaccine works, then how is it that you are protecting me? This is America. I can make my own decisions about my welfare. We are adults in a free country. We can make our own choices about living our lives. We can and should be responsible for ourselves. If we're not careful, that responsibility will be taken away from us. There's a small chance that COVID may kill me, but I won't live in fear of it. That would just empower the people who feed off fear. I will take the appropriate precautions where I think it's prudent, but the law shouldn't require it. When the government forces us to stay in our homes, places limits on our ability to gather in groups or eat at restaurants, and closes "nonessential" businesses, and forces Americans to wear masks, it is violating our rights under the Constitution. Nothing in the Constitution provides for its suspension during national emergencies. The vaccine was a rush job, and we don't know the long-term effects but everyone is waiting in line for a chance to play Russian roulette. Many of them have virtually no chance of losing their lives from COVID, but they are willing to risk it all on an unproven vaccine. There's an almost 100% COVID survival rate for young people. They often have very few symptoms and sometimes are not even aware that they're sick. Only the elderly and primarily those with underlying health issues are at greater risk than they would be from the common flu. Is this why we've turned our society upside-down and relinquished our freedoms to greedy, power-hungry politicians who want to keep it this way forever? Wouldn't it be smarter to protect those who are at risk? I know that the country is turning against the old America, but I refuse to yield. Americans don't cede their autonomy to anyone, and least of all to the government that is our servant. COVID is being used as a pretext to unravel the Constitution and implement a socialist government. Sadly, our population has been so hopelessly indoctrinated by the media, teachers, professors, and entertainers, that it seems impossible to reach them. We know about people turning in their neighbors for not wearing masks in public or for gathering in groups larger than the prescribed limits. Informing on people is the hallmark of a Marxist regime. Now we're being told we can't travel if we don't get the vaccine and a COVID passport. How long before "anti-vaxxers" will be required to wear an identifying armband? And even as this is being pushed for American citizens, you don't need ID to vote or enter the country at our southern border. This is the new America. This has all happened so fast that the new nation-scape still seems surreal to me. Sometimes it feels as though the old America is still alive but there's an unsettling distrust in the air and people walk around dressed like bandits, trying to communicate with each other through half a face. Relearning and asserting our birthright of freedom is the only way forward for America. We must remember who we are as a nation and what it is that made us great. It seems appropriate to recall the words of Patrick Henry on March 23, 1775, at the dawning of the American revolution: Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! Frank Liberato is a pseudonym. Image: Currier & Ives print of Patrick Henry's famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. Public Domain. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Burma Shadow Government Outlines Federal Union Plan for Myanmars Future CRPH spokesman U Yee Mon. / The Irrawaddy U Yee Mon is the spokesman for the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), a body representing the lawmakers of the National League for Democracy (NLD) elected in the 2020 general election. He spoke to The Irrawaddy recently about the prospects for federalism in Myanmar, a national unity government, a national unity consultative council, a federal army, the possibility of civil war and the stance of ousted leader State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. First of all, I would like to know why the CRPH was established? Lawmakers are those who the people have given a mandate to. Now that the whole country is under the boot of the military, we believe that the responsibility to oppose the coup has fallen on our shoulders. This is why the CRPH has emerged. The CRPH is moving in the right direction in an orderly manner so far. It has won strong popular support. And all the CRPH members are safe so far. And we have the strength to move forward. This is encouraging. Can you explain about the government to be formed by the CRPH? We now have an acting government led by acting vice-president Mahn Win Khaing Than. Soon, there will be a new government formed under the mandate of the 2020 election. That new government is intended to be a national unity government (NUG). It will comprise both NLD and non-NLD members, especially ethnic leaders. We are holding wide-ranging discussions. Along with the NUG, the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) will also be formed. The CRPH on March 31 issued a Federal Democracy Charter and also announced the annulling of the 2008 Constitution. In fact, the charter was not entirely drafted by the CRPH. It was drafted and approved by at least four groups, including elected lawmakers and political parties, CDM (civil disobedience movement)/strike leaders, protest leaders, and civil society organizations representing women and youth. The NUCC will be formed based on those four groups. The NUG in consultation with the NUCC will implement the political roadmap outlined in the Federal Democracy Charter. Young people are especially interested in the idea of a federal army. Could you explain how the CRPH is preparing for this? As we will establish a democratic federal Union, we need an army that will safeguard that Union and that system. The federal Union army must be first a professional army and not one that uses violence against civilians, second, it must be under the management of the civilian government, third, it must be comprised of different ethnic groups. The current military are overseen by the military council and, far from protecting the people, it has become a terrorist army that mercilessly kills the people. And it also looks to maintain its dominance in politics by using force. Under such circumstances, it has become the responsibility of the legitimate government to implement security sector reform. We have to prepare, train and organize systematically for this. Can you explain which ethnic groups and leaders have participated in drafting the Federal Democracy Charter? I have said that the charter is the common agreement. Due to the restrictions on individual groups given the current situation, we agreed that the CRPH should take the responsibility to issue the charter. Though the Federal Democracy Charter generally outlines the rights of ethnic states, it does not clearly state the territory of the Bamar ethnic group or the other regions. Can you explain? A parliamentary session will be held to design a federal democracy constitution according to the roadmap outlined in the Charter. The structure of the federal units will be designed along with the constitution. Some people are frustrated with the CRPH, saying that the group can do nothing more than issue statements. What has the CRPH done and what are the improvements on the ground? We understand that there is some frustration. The CRPH has taken responsibility for the future of the country. It is working to resolve the political crisis that has been going on for more than 70 years, while fighting the military dictatorship. Discussing federalism is not as easy as it seems. We need to take time to avoid making mistakes. Only when we can build national solidarity, will we be able to win this fight. If we win this fight, it is fair to say the country will become a federal democracy. People know what the CRPH can do. Issuing statements is part of our work as politicians to inform the people. There are suggestions that civil war may break out when the peoples resistance to the military dictatorship reaches its peak. Do you think that will happen? What support will the CRPH provide if it does happen? People, including Gen-Z, are determined to remove the military elites who have bullied and exploited the country for so many years. Myanmars Spring Revolution will use all the means possible. Whether there will be a civil war will depend on the military. People across the country are resisting the military coup in various forms. The death toll is nearly 600. How long will people have to continue their resistance? We feel as much pain as the people who have lost family members to the junta. What I can tell now is we are finding ways to end this game in a short time. Is the CRPH open to negotiating with the military council, as some regional countries have suggested? If so, how will the CRPH negotiate? If not, why does the CRPH choose not to negotiate? It is said politics is war without bloodshed and war is politics with bloodshed. There can be negotiation to reduce bloodshed. But we cant forgive and forget. The military must answer for its arbitrary killings. It must be willing to abolish the 2008 Constitution and implement the roadmap outlined in Federal Democracy Charter. Then the channel for negotiation may be open. How will the CRPH use the donations made by the public? We are very grateful to the people who have actively raised funds for the CRPH. To answer your question, we will use the funds on works to establish the federal democratic Union. Ethnic groups are concerned that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD leaders will not endorse the current commitments if they are released. What does the CRPH say about that? Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is a very charismatic leader. We believe she would accept that solutions (to solve the crisis) can change depending on time and circumstances. What is your message to the people of Myanmar who are anticipating a peoples government and democracy? It is the people themselves who will decide history. I would say that public support is vital for the CRPH. You may also like these stories: Russia Plots Its Next Moves on the Myanmar Chessboard Easter Sunday Sees Myanmar Death Toll at Hands of Military Regime Topping 560 Myanmars 10 Peace Signatories Back Elected Govt (Newser) Donald Trump was once president, and he once had a Twitter account. But because neither of those things is true anymore, the Supreme Court is tossing a lawsuit related to them both. The court vacated a lower-court ruling that Trump violated the constitutional rights of critics by blocking them from his since-banned Twitter account, reports the Hill. Those blocked users had sued Trump, accusing him of running afoul of the First Amendment. In the decision released Monday, the court didn't rule on the merits of the case, reports Axios. Instead, it declared the issue moot given that Trump lost his bid for reelection. story continues below But Justice Clarence Thomas, for one, thinks the court will have to revisit what he sees as a bigger picture raised in the disputethe amount of power wielded by Twitter and other tech giants, per the Washington Post. It's "unprecedented" to have "control of so much speech in the hands of a few private parties," Thomas wrote. "We will soon have no choice but to address how our legal doctrines apply to highly concentrated, privately owned information infrastructure such as digital platforms. A new look is needed because "applying old doctrines to new digital platforms is rarely straightforward," he added, per NBC News. (Read more President Trump stories.) Former Spotify exec Erika Clarke and ex-Lifetime exec Colleen Grogan have joined Apple TV+ as the streamer ramps up its non-scripted efforts. Erika Clarke's official title, according to LinkedIn, is "Non-Fiction Programming Executive." Grogan's title is slightly different on LinkedIn, as "Executive, Apple TV+ Nonfiction." The two hires are the first U.S.-based non-fiction executives hired by Molly Thompson since the A&E IndieFilms founder Molly Thompson joined as Head of Documentaries/Non-Fiction in 2019. Erika Clarke, who joined Apple in January, was previously executive producer at Spotify Studios, where she co-ran the companys podcast studio division that included original content, according to LinkedIn. Colleen Grogan, who is based in New York, joined Apple last September. Grogan was previously SVP of development for Breaking Amish producer Hot Snakes Media. Apples slate of documentaries and non-fiction series thus far includes Boys State, Beastie Boys Story, Billie Eilish: The Worlds A Little Blurry and upcoming The Supermodels from Imagine Documentaries and Barbara Kopple and Todd Haynes The Velvet Underground. For more, read the full Deadline report. Archive: Apple TV News One of Australias leading health economists has urged the federal government to increase the number of COVID-19 vaccines it has on order but warned a larger supply alone will not lift the rate of coverage unless issues with delivery are quickly overcome. The government maintains the rate of vaccinations is quickly rising, with Australia likely to reach the 1 million mark on Tuesday and the number of clinics providing immunisations around the country doubling this week. It has been under fire for the slow pace of the rollout, with its original goal of 4 million vaccinations by the end of March ditched in late January after shipments of AstraZeneca doses were repeatedly blocked by the European Union. Stephen Duckett, the director of the Grattan Institutes health program and a former federal Department of Health secretary, said Australia should have had more diverse vaccine options from the start. Medaria Arradondo speaks during a news conference in January 2018 in Minneapolis. AP Photo/Matt Slocum Medaria Arradondo said Chauvin violated department policies in his interaction with Floyd. Using force on Floyd after he was handcuffed was in "no way, shape, or form" policy, he testified. He said Chauvin also violated policy requiring officers to provide medical aid in emergencies. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo testified Monday that fired officer Derek Chauvin violated the department's use-of-force policy on the day of George Floyd's death. While Arradondo said choke holds are authorized in some situations, he told the jury the use of force he saw in a video filmed by a bystander was not objectively reasonable. "Once Mr. Floyd had stopped resisting and certainly once he was in distress and trying to verbalize that, that should have stopped," Arradondo said. "There is an initial reasonableness, trying to just get him under control in the first few seconds," he said. But Arradondo said that use of force should have stopped when Floyd was no longer resisting and especially when he was motionless. "To continue to apply that level of force to a person proned out, handcuffed behind their back, that in no way, shape, or form is anything that is by policy," the police chief said. "It's not part of our training. It's not part of our ethics or our values." Chauvin is charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death. Floyd died in May 2020 after Chauvin kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes, while Floyd begged for his life and eventually became unconscious. When paramedics arrived at the scene, Floyd didn't have a pulse and police had not begun CPR. Arradondo testified that Chauvin also violated department policy requiring officers to provide medical aid during emergencies. Read the original article on Insider Over the weekend, Manatee County, Florida, was under a state of emergency, with more than 300 homes ordered to evacuate due to a wastewater reservoir spill. Phosphate Leak After a major leak at a large pond at the old Piney Point phosphate mine threatened to burst a facility that stores water contaminated with hazardous materials, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proclaimed a state of emergency on Saturday. Officials have warned about the risk of the reservoir collapsing and flooding the immediate area. Residents living by the Piney Point reservoir received a text message advising them to evacuate the area immediately because the reservoir was "imminently collapsing." Later Saturday, officials extended the evacuation area to cover more houses but said they had no plans to open shelters. State of Emergency According to the state department of environmental protection, a breach was discovered on Friday in one wall of a 77-acre reservoir with a depth of 25 feet that contains millions of gallons of water containing phosphorus and nitrogen from the old phosphate mine. To minimize the chance of a collapse, officials are draining water from the reservoir and pouring it into Port Manatee's bay. Officials attempted to block the breach with rocks and materials but were unable. On Saturday, Gov. Ron DeSantis proclaimed a state of emergency in the county. He said the water being dumped is mostly saltwater "mixed with legacy process water and stormwater runoff" at a press conference on Sunday. Related Article: EPA Called Out to Respond to Water Contamination in New York Radioactive Flood At a press conference on Saturday, Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes claimed that the most pressing issue was that the water might flood the city, considering the low population density. According to Hopes, once the pond sunk, it would put other parts of the plant in jeopardy. "We're talking about the possibility of around 600 million gallons leaving the detention pool and flowing across the entire area in a matter of seconds and minutes," he added. Water Irregularities According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the water is safe to drink. "Except for pH, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and total ammonia nitrogen, it meets water quality requirements for coastal waters. It's mildly acidic, but not to the point that it's a challenge." Officials are working on getting in more tanks to empty the reservoir, according to DeSantis, and are pumping out 33 million gallons a day. Nikki Fried, Florida's agriculture commissioner, encouraged DeSantis to call the state cabinet's immediate meeting, noting that the Piney Point land has already experienced similar leaks. Previous Disasters After a large sinkhole opened up in a phosphogypsum stack pond in 2016, more than 200 million gallons of polluted wastewater from another fertilizer plant in central Florida leaked into one of the state's largest aquifers. There are at least 70 gypsum stacks in the United States, with around 27 in Florida, mainly in the state's west-central region. Since the piles covering the structure can exceed 500 feet in height, the gypsum stacks' pollutants cannot be seen from the ground. Also Read: Dystopic Water: Scientists Turn Smart Aerogel into Drinking Water For more environmental news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! The Mexicans might not be the most likable people on Earth but nobody doubts their vicious expediency. For instance, hottie Yanet is one of the most popular weather ladies in all of Mexico for reasons that should be obvious. Here in this cowtown, a local flex for credibility hopes in vain that viewers make informed decisions based on logic and reason when all of human history suggests the opposite. The FOX4 Weather Team been named The Most Accurate Weather Forecast for Kansas City Deets: "This accuracy has been verified by an independent company called WeatheRate. This company is non-partisan, not connected in any which way to the station or any station/company in the country. It independently evaluates weather forecasts when stations input their data into the platform each evening Monday through Sunday." As always, we note that historically MOST KANSAS CITY WEATHER PEOPLE are ranked among the most inaccurate in the nation. You decide . . . Taxpayers have footed the bill for an Australian womans extra time in managed isolation, after she refused to get a Covid-19 test. Australian woman Lucinda Baulch spent 28 days - 14 days longer than usual - in the Grand Mercure in Wellington after refusing to get a test. The vet nurse flew to New Zealand to deliver three children to their caregivers in February. She refused a test, arguing she had not been provided with enough evidence of its safety or effectiveness. However, it was later revealed that she had protested against Covid-19 protection measures in Australia and she had starred in a series of YouTube videos with a notorious conspiracy theorist during her elongated period in managed isolation. RNZ made a request under the Official Information Act for details of the costs incurred by New Zealand taxpayers in keeping Baulch in MIQ for 28 days. In its response, a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment MBIE - official says there is no requirement to charge more if people stayed longer in MIQ. "Regarding the additional 14 days, there is no provision to charge any additional amount if someone has to stay for longer than the initial 14 days. If, for example, they have contracted Covid-19, or are a close contact of someone with Covid-19, or have refused to be tested for Covid-19". Lucinda Baulch. Photo: Stuff. The MBIE official says they are withholding the details relating to the costs Baulch incurred during her initial 14 days stay due to privacy reasons. They also are withholding general information about the costs of staying at any particular MIQ facility, as it could "prejudice the ministry's ability to carry out commercial negotiations with MIQ facilities". The official says it is not possible for MBIE to calculate an accurate "cost to the taxpayer" as other agencies involved, such as NZDF, Ministry of Health, and New Zealand Police, are all responsible for their own funding. However, a Cabinet Paper from July last year estimates the average cost for a single traveller over 14 days in MIQ would be around $7000. This does not include costs such as transporting people, or MBIE's overheads to operate the MIQ system. New Zealand Covid-19 update On Sunday, the Ministry of Health reported six new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation from the previous three days. There were no community cases. Before the long Easter weekend, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins urged Kiwis to be vigilant and to remember the importance of using the Covid-tracer app. The app now has 2.7 million registered users and there were 615,005 poster scans in the 24 hours to 1pm on Sunday. For Easter, Hamiltons Ibis Tainui Hotel prepared bunny face cloths, egg and spoon races, hot cross buns and the like to brighten up the confinement - and to give staffers a boost as well. It had to be planned in advance, as hotel staffers cant go into returnees rooms once theyre checked in. Returnees were given a riddle clue one morning so they could begin their Easter egg hunt. Ibis Tainui Hotel manager Niraj Kumar hoped it would make a difference to those in isolation as they need the celebrations more than regular guests. Global toll Its been a year since our lockdown. A year ago, Covid-19 tipped the lives of New Zealanders upside down and forced five million people indoors amid an unprecedented nationwide lockdown. Since then, Auckland has been through four lockdowns, a vaccine rollout has begun, and New Zealand has successfully managed to eliminate Covid-19 in the community. Excluding our closed border, life is relatively back to normal here. However, thats not the case with many countries overseas. The global number of cases has reached 131.1 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. Global deaths have surpassed 2.8 million. The United States continues to record the most cases and fatalities - 30.7 million infections, and 554,985 deaths. Brazil and India have had the second and third most cases, with 12.9 million and 12.4 million infections, respectively. What should I do? Anyone who wants to get tested can find their local testing centres by visiting the Ministry of Health website. 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. [April 05, 2021] Majesco Adds New Capabilities in Distribution Management Platform Majesco, a global leader of next-generation cloud insurance platform software for insurance business transformation, today announced the general availability of new key capabilities to Majesco's Distribution Management platform. "Our latest product release for Majesco Distribution Management, includes major ease of use capabilities for our customers," said Manish Shah, President and Chief Product Officer at Majesco. "We have now enabled carriers to quickly and automatically identify and notify under performers and route them to termination if necessary. In addition, we added enhanced communication preferences, through configurable notifications, which can be sent directly to producers or their parent organization, and mass onboarding of producers through a file upload, particularly valuable when bringing on large distribution groups." This latest release highlights Majesco's continued strategic investment in distribution management by expanding innovative, new digital, distribution and data capabilities to speed distribution on-boarding and optimize the distribution operation to drive profitable growth. Some of the key new capabilities include: Distributor Performance - Enables carriers to configure rules that automate identification of under performers and flag for termination. The approval workflow includes low performance warning notifications sent to producers prior to review of a potential termination decision. After review, the termination can be cancelled if performance is met or accepted. - Enables carriers to configure rules that automate identification of under performers and flag for termination. The approval workflow includes low performance warning notifications sent to producers prior to review of a potential termination decision. After review, the termination can be cancelled if performance is met or accepted. Communication Personalization - Enhanced capabilities through configuration of communication and notification preferences for distributors or their parent organization. This capability will enable carrier's flexibility to better service ditribution channels that can influence growth in business from those channels. Enhanced capabilities through configuration of communication and notification preferences for distributors or their parent organization. This capability will enable carrier's flexibility to better service ditribution channels that can influence growth in business from those channels. Rapid Mass Onboarding -New mass onboarding that speeds and streamlines the onboarding process and enables hundreds or thousands of producers to be onboarded simultaneously through a simple file load rather than a manual process, accelerating business growth. "Insurers acceleration of new products, new business models, and new ways of engaging with customers is driving an increase in the use of new channels," said Karlyn Carnahan, head of Celent's North American Property Casualty practice. "If a carrier wants to fully exploit the potential of its various channels, they must think very differently about distribution management, compensation and segmentation. Distribution management platforms must continue to evolve to enable insurers to manage their distribution force with increasing sophistication." Today's insurers must bring together a range of distribution, data and digital capabilities as a foundation of a next-generation distribution operation to effectively expand their reach, brand and customer engagement in a multi-channel world. Majesco Distribution Management offers a next generation solution to manage the complexities of a changing distribution landscape using technology that keeps the insurance providers on the leading edge by reducing the time to implement a new distribution arrangement or consolidate the existing channel landscape onto a common platform. From managing multiple channels, to handling complex and high-volume changes, and personalizing payment schedules for channels, to accommodating integration with existing core insurance systems, Majesco Distribution Management enables agility, innovation and speed. About Majesco Majesco provides technology, expertise, and leadership that helps insurers modernize, innovate and connect to build the future of their business - and the future of insurance - at speed and scale. Our platforms connect people and businesses to insurance in ways that are innovative, hyper-relevant, compelling and personal. Over 200 insurance companies worldwide in P&C, L&A and Group Benefits are transforming their businesses by modernizing, optimizing or creating new business models with Majesco. Our market-leading solutions include CloudInsurer P&C Core Suite (Policy, Billing, Claims); CloudInsurer LifePlus Solutions (AdminPlus, AdvicePlus, IllustratePlus, DistributionPlus); CloudInsurer L&A and Group Core Suite (Policy, Billing, Claims); Digital1st Insurance with Digital1st eConnect, Digital1st EcoExchange and Digital1st Platform - a cloud-native, microservices and open API platform; Distribution Management, Data and Analytics and an Enterprise Data Warehouse. For more details on Majesco, please visit www.majesco.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005068/en/ [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] New Delhi, April 5 : A Delhi court on Monday granted bail to businessman Anoop Kumar Gupta, accused in the alleged Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case. Special Judge Arvind Kumar of Rouse Avenue Court said: "The accused is 62 years of age and has roots in society. Further it is noted that accused is suffering from number of diseases and is under treatment." The court directed Gupta to not influence the witnesses or tamper with the evidence, cooperate in the investigation and not leave the country without its permission. "The accused is admitted to bail on his furnishing personal bond in the sum of Rs 5 lakh with two sureties of the like amount with further conditions that the accused shall not tamper with evidence and shall not try to contact or influence the witnesses...," the judge said. The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Gupta, through his companies KRBL Ltd and its subsidiary KRBL DMCC, laundered proceeds of crime to the tune of $24.62 million, transferred from AgustaWestland to RAKGT of Dubai. The allegations were denied by senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing on behalf of Gupta, arguing that these companies have no connection with AgustaWestland and have never received any money in their accounts. A KRBL statement said that Gupta "will abide by the conditions imposed by the Hon'ble Court, and will extend full cooperation in the ongoing investigation, if called upon to do so". The case pertains to the buying of 12 AgustaWestland helicopters from the Italian defence manufacturing giant Finmeccanica at an estimated cost of Rs 3,600 crore for ferrying VVIPs and it was alleged that bribes were paid to middlemen and others. The purchase was cleared in 2010 by the then UPA government. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden shared well-wishes with Americans celebrating Easter on Sunday and encouraged them to get Covid-19 vaccinations as a moral obligation. 'We share the sentiments of Pope Francis who said that getting vaccinated is a moral obligation, one that can save your life and the lives of others,' the President said in a video posted on his Twitter account. 'By getting vaccinated and encouraging your congregations and your communities to get vaccinated, we not only can beat this virus, we can also haste the day when we can celebrate the holidays together.' The first lady said there is 'hope all around us' and mentioned families receiving financial help, businesses recovering and an increase in Americans receiving vaccinations against the virus. The message from the Bidens comes as health officials race to vaccinate as many Americans as possible amid concern over a potential fourth wave of coronavirus infections. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Saturday that more than 4 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine had been reported administered in 24 hours, setting a new record and bringing the seven-day average to more than 3 million a day. Across the country, about 165 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered, according to data published Sunday by the agency. About 32% of the population -- 106 million people -- have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 18.5% of the population -- about 61 million people -- have been fully vaccinated. Data published by the CDC may be delayed, and doses may not have been given on the day reported. Biden is the second Catholic president in US history, and weekly Mass is expected to be a fixed part of his schedule. That's a level of devotion to regular religious services not seen from recent presidents, who were professed Christians but intermittently attended church or worshipped privately while in office. The President, who is spending the holiday at Camp David with his family, empathized with families across the country who are not celebrating together because of the coronavirus pandemic. 'The virus is not gone and so many of us still feel the longing and loneliness of distance,' Biden said. 'For a second year, most will be apart from their families, friends, full congregations that fill us with joy. Yet as the Gospel of John reminds us, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.' Vice President Kamala Harris also released a video wishing the country a happy Easter, saying there is 'always reason for hope.' 'Today, we are celebrating hope and our faith in renewal. Hope in the number of people now vaccinated, now safer from this virus,' Harris said. 'Hope in the children who are going back to school for the first time in a year. Hope in the grandparents who are able to hug their grandchildren for the first time in a year. Hope for a brighter tomorrow for us all.' She added that next year, Biden and the first lady are looking forward to starting the White House's annual Easter Egg Roll that was canceled once again because of the pandemic. This story has been updated. With Maharashtra in the grip of the second wave of Covid-19, the Maha Vikas Aghadi Government on Sunday announced a "week-end lockdown" across the state besides stringent weekdays norms to combat the sweeping pandemic. The decision was taken at an emergency Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, after he held detailed discussions with all stakeholders over this weekend. The weekend curfew would commence on Fridays at 8 p.m. and end at 7 a.m. on Mondays. While public transport in Mumbai including local trains would continue to run as usual, emphasis will be given to Work From Home (WFH) to minimise crowds. The new rules and guidelines, which include a night curfew from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. and prohibitory orders during the day, will take effect from 8 p.m. on Monday night. Detailed guidelines will be issued shortly, said Mumbai Guardian Minister Aslam Shaikh. The situation would be reviewed again on April 15 after which the future course would be decided. Over the last two days, Thackeray held wide ranging consultations with a cross-section of society to get their views before toughening the norms. He also spoke with Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and his estranged cousin and MNS President Raj Thackeray. Maharashtra is currently reporting 40,000-plus new Covid infections daily, which has resulted in a huge strain on the state's medical health resources. 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. A US District Attorney who offered a plea bargain to Tom (71) and Molly (37) Martens over the murder of Irish father of two Jason Corbett has been flooded with objections from North Carolina citizens appalled at the deal. Widower Mr Corbett (39) was beaten to death in August 2015 with a metal baseball bat and a concrete paving slab in the bedroom of his Winston-Salem home by the former FBI agent and his daughter, the Limerick businessmans second wife. The father and daughter last month won a North Carolina Supreme Court appeal on evidential technicalities, and a full retrial was ordered. However, Davidson County District Attorney Garry Frank having considered the Supreme Court judgement and the massive backlog of murder trial cases caused by the pandemic has offered the duo a plea-bargain deal to voluntary manslaughter. They must accept the offer within seven days or face a full retrial. Read More If accepted, instead of facing 20-25-year prison terms, they will be likely to receive a jail term of five years and seven months. Both will have served four years in custody by August, meaning they could be free by March 2023. Mr Corbetts sister, Tracey Corbett-Lynch, speaking to the Irish Independent on her return from North Carolina, said her family were overwhelmed and grateful for the support they received in Ireland and North Carolina since the plea deal came to light. It has meant so much to us because this has been an absolute nightmare for our family, she said. The support and sympathy of ordinary people has meant so much. The outpouring of support from North Carolina, in particular, has been overwhelming. Jasons murder, our fight for justice and the challenges, such as consideration of offering plea deals, leave families such as ours powerless and suffering so much more than is necessary. The Corbett family launched a petition on www.change.org called Retrial for Molly and Tom Martens which aims to garner public support for blocking the plea deal. It secured almost 7,000 signatures across Ireland and the US within 48 hours, with the number still climbing. The Corbett family have signalled that they will also take legal action to challenge the plea-bargain deal. Ms Corbett-Lynch said it wasnt acceptable that a factor in the plea-bargain decision was the backlog of murder cases in North Carolina. Ms Corbett-Lynch, her husband David Lynch, and Mr Corbetts two children, Jack (16) and Sarah (14), all travelled to the US state to meet with Davidson County prosecutors and police last week to support the retrial process. They were shocked to learn of the plea-bargain offer. We hold firm to our statement that a plea deal in this case is tantamount to letting the Martens get away with murder, she said. Should a plea-bargain proposal be presented to a judge in the coming days, we will be filing a motion to voice our fervent opposition. We remain completely opposed to the District Attorney offering any plea deal to Tom and Molly Martens who admitted killing Jason Corbett, leaving his children, then aged 10 and eight, orphaned. We have heard the District Attorney say that he must make his decision on whether to seek a retrial in the context of having other murder cases to pursue cases which have been delayed by Covid-19. But this is not a reason to devalue the life of Jason and allow the Martens to escape justice for what they did. Both Tom and Molly Martens insisted they acted in self-defence after claiming Mr Corbett had attacked Ms Martens. However, they were found to be uninjured at the scene. In contrast, the Irish fathers skull had been shattered. Mr Corbett had been drugged, attacked while asleep in bed and then beaten even after he was dead. The Martens 2017 murder trial also heard the duo then stalled ringing emergency services just to ensure he was dead. Ms Corbett-Lynch said the Irish family did everything in their power to support prosecutors and police in the six-year campaign for justice. Jasons children travelled, at the request of the District Attorney, from Ireland to North Carolina and they spent two harrowing days presenting new evidence of years of child abuse perpetrated against them by Molly Martens, she said. Stephen M. Keller/Southwest Airlines Former Southwest Airlines pilot Michael Haak was charged with exposing his genitals mid-flight. The act is said to have occured in August 2020 on a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando. Federal prosecutors charged Haak with indecent exposure on April 2. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. A Southwest Airlines pilot "intentionally committed an act of lewd, indecent and obscene exposure of his genitals in a public place" while captaining a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando in August 2020, the Department of Justice alleges. Michael Haak, who is no longer a pilot for Southwest, was criminally charged with exposing his genitals mid-flight, according to documents filed April 2 in Maryland federal court. Notably, Haak was in charge of flying the plane in question, Southwest flight WN 6607 from Philadelphia to Orlando. Haak is accused of a "lewd, indecent, or obscene" act on an aircraft "of which he was the pilot in command." He's being charged in federal court because events that occur mid-flight are under federal jurisdiction. If convicted, Haak could face up to 90 days in prison and/or a fine of up to $500. It's unclear at what point during the flight Haak is accused of exposing his genitals. A non-stop flight between Philadelphia and Orlando on Southwest takes about 2.5 hours. Few details of the event are included in the one-page court filing. A Southwest representative told ABC News that the company was unaware of the incident until it was contacted by investigators, at which time Haak no longer worked for the company. The airline told Insider it is complying with federal investigators and, "takes all matters related to workplace conduct very seriously." Haak could not be reached for comment. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Southwest Pilot charged wit... by Graham Got a tip? Contact Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (bgilbert@insider.com), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please. Read the original article on Business Insider Opinion Article 5 April 2021 As a consequence of the pandemic caused by COVID19, the tourism sector suffered huge impacts due to low occupancy rates. Considering the situation, some chains undertook a series of infrastructure, design and even construction projects in order to improve their services for once this global emergency has passed. The current traveler, whether for tourism or business, demands fast Internet connection, HDTV, IPTV, the ability to carry out videoconferences, in-room Check Out, Video streaming, digitally control temperature and light intensity, digital curtain systems, communicate with reception using their cell phone, among other services. This makes all the difference and in many cases is what leads to one hotel being preferred over another. In the pandemic and post-pandemic era, one of the services that made this difference was Room Office, where the rooms are transformed into private offices with all the necessary supplies to carry out remote work. Aware of the digital transformation that the industry is experiencing, Furukawa Electric, a Japanese company that manufactures complete solutions for communications network infrastructure, presents the five trends that guests expect to see in hotels in 2021. Fiber optics in the room These optical networks exponentially increase the value of the services provided by a hotel, allowing implementation of solutions such as security through images, access control through facial recognition, room personalization, automated check-in/out, digital signage, among others, which will improve user experience and increase revenue for owners. Among the advantages of fiber-based products, transmission supported over long distances without suffering electromagnetic interference, the high transmission capacity (foundation of the technologies of the future), the reduced dimensions, etc., stand out. In addition, fiber optics offers a high degree of security for transmitted data, since it is transported in the form of light. Future proof networks It should be noted that the biggest challenge is being aware of the importance technology has in all areas, so that technology can go hand in hand with 5G networks in the tourism sector. These promise much faster data upload and download speeds, broader coverage and much more stable connections. In addition to being able to download content at a higher speed, 5G will allow technologies that were limited by 4G to be developed and implemented. In other words, the connection between smart devices will be much more efficient. Big Data to benefit the guests Hotels collect, cross-check and analyze the relevant information they generate from their customers and that allows their tastes and needs to be defined (such as the type of pillows they prefer, the ideal temperature in the room, whether they like coffee or tea, or the type of activities they like to do on vacation). The main function of Big Data is to mix the data that the hotel already has with studies of customer profiles on social media, as well as to personalize the service, improve the marketing strategy, improve customer satisfaction and thus be at the forefront of the sector. Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence is another of the trends that is going to take on greater prominence in 2021 within the technological solutions of the tourism sector. Communication through these AI systems, chatbots, with customers will be consolidated as a new form of communication between establishments and customers. Some hotel chains are already introducing virtual assistants among their services that will help the customer manage hotel services or that can help to personalize the environment of their room (temperature, light, curtains, music, television). Mobile technology The cell phone has become a tour guide, travel agency, best restaurant locater, map, etc. It is present during all stages of the purchase process. In fact, according to TripAdvisor, 45% of users use their Smartphone for everything related to their vacations That is why the need arises to adapt hotel communication and services to these devices. Since, by having flight and hotel reservations, preferences, plans, among other things synchronized all on the same device, the experience becomes that much more enjoyable. Laserway Solution: green and future proof. So, understanding this new wave of guest needs, Furukawa offers the hotel sector a solution capable of integrating the various services within a unified communication system, optimizing the management and physical installation spaces, as well as contributing to the care of the environment while providing great savings in installation costs. The Laserway Solution is based on passive optical elements that can transfer data through light pulses over long distances, without the need for electricity (thus avoiding problems such as electromagnetic interference). In addition, it is ecological and efficient, since it allows optimizations of up to: 70% savings in cables; 35% savings in racks; 95% savings in ports; 70% savings in space; 80% savings in plastic and 70% savings in energy. In short, it can generate savings in CAPEX of up to 50% and 70% in OPEX. Returning to what was presented at the beginning, the hotel industry must seek to increasingly satisfy the requirements of guests, with digital needs that demand cutting-edge solutions; And to achieve this, the necessary technology is already at your fingertips or, rather, just a click away. Check out our cases of Success here. A group of tenants living in an East Oakland apartment building filed a lawsuit against their landlord Monday alleging inhumane living conditions and harassment. The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, accuses Michael You, the landlord at 1821 28th Ave., of violating local and state laws by trying to force out the tenants and refusing repairs. The alleged conditions include cockroach and mice infestations, no hot water, bad plumbing, low water pressure, broken windows, damaged walls and floors, malfunctioning stoves and refrigerators, and extensive mold, according to the complaint. The lawsuit seeks an immediate court order from a judge to address some of the living conditions and will seek monetary damages. You did not respond to a request for comment. But in February he told The Chronicle his tenants didnt complain about the condition of the apartments before the pandemic. The tenants and their lawyer said they did. Admittedly, it is a tricky time to be involved in managing property, You said in February. I do need the cooperation of the tenants to ensure access as well, and to help reduce the risk of infestation by good housekeeping standards. David Levin, an attorney representing the tenants, said they will ask for at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, but have not determined a total amount. The Bay Area's best journalism, sent every weekday morning Read more stories like this in the Bay Briefing newsletter. SIGN UP The tenants, mostly low-income Latino families, complained at a news conference Monday about what they described as untenable living conditions. We dont have hot water, we are living with mildew and mold in our apartment, and we have pests like rats and roaches, said Evelyn Rivas, a resident. The main thing we are asking for is just for our living conditions to be better, for the landlord to provide a decent living situation for us. Angelica Rivas, another tenant, said she is forced to boil hot water in her kitchen for hot showers for her and her children. She said when she turns on her water faucet, cockroaches spill out. Angelica Rivas and Evelyn Rivas are not related. This is a bad situation, especially for my daughters, she said. They feel traumatized by this. Rivas and her neighbors went on a rent strike last March to demand that You make repairs. You said in February that it is troubling that he has not received rent. The tenants are members of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, a community organization that supports economic, racial and social justice. He issued multiple eviction notices to tenants since the rent strike began. The tenants say the landlord and others have harassed them by demanding rent payments either by letter, phone or in person, according to the lawsuit. Oakland, which has one of the strongest eviction moratoriums in the state, prohibits evictions for nonpayment of rent at most residential units during the pandemic. The statewide eviction moratorium allows for notices to be sent as long as it includes a form for tenants to fill out if they are unable to pay rent due to the pandemic. You has sent that form with the notices. Housing experts say it can be confusing for landlords and tenants to know which moratorium to follow. On March 15, California began offering financial assistance to landlords and households to pay past due rent and utility bills. On Monday, Levin said You has been saying for months and months that repairs will be completed, but hasnt made any. Thats why we are taking legal action now, he said. The lawsuit alleges that the tenants are at risk of displacement and homelessness. Evelyn Rivas said she is unable to simply move rents are too expensive in Oakland, and she has an elderly father whom she cares for, making it even more difficult to move. Landlords need to know they cannot allow these living conditions to persist, said Ruby Acevedo, a staff attorney at Public Advocates, a nonprofit law and advocacy organization. She is also representing the tenants. Their profound neglect and greed will not be tolerated, and they cannot exploit tenants who are of limited resources and income, Acevedo said. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani Swiggy has raised about $800 million in a new financing round, the Indian food delivery startup told employees on Monday, as it looks to expand its business in the country quarters after the startup cut its workforce to navigate the pandemic. In an email to employees, first reported by Times of India journalist Digbijay Mishra, Swiggy co-founder and chief executive Sriharsha Majety said the startup had raised about $800 million from new investors, including Falcon Edge Capital, Goldman Sachs, Think Capital, Amansa Capital and Carmignac, and existing investors Prosus Ventures and Accel. "This fundraise gives us a lot more firepower than the planned investments for our current business lines. Given our unfettered ambition though, we will continue to seed/experiment new offerings for the future that may be ready for investment later. We will just need to now relentlessly invent and execute over the next few years to build an enduring iconic company out of India," wrote Majety in the email obtained by TechCrunch. Majety didn't disclose the new valuation of Swiggy, but said the new financing round was "heavily subscribed given the very positive investor sentiments towards Swiggy." According to a person familiar with the matter, the new round valued Swiggy at over $4.8 billion $4.9 billion. The startup has now raised about $2.2 billion to date. Swiggy had raised $157 million last year at about $3.7 billion valuation. That investment is not part of the new round, a person familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. He said the long-term goal for the startup, which competes with heavily-backed Zomato and new entrant Amazon, is to serve 500 million users in the next 10-15 years, pointing to Chinese food giant Meituan, which had 500 million transacting users last year and is valued at over $100 billion. "We're coming out of a very hard phase during the last year given Covid and have weathered the storm, but everything we do from here on needs to maximise the chances of our succeeding in the long-term," wrote Majety. Story continues Swiggy last year eliminated some jobs -- so did Zomato -- and scaled down its cloud kitchen efforts as it attempted to stay afloat during the pandemic, which had prompted New Delhi to enforce a months-long lockdown. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Monday's reveal comes amid Zomato raising $910 million in recent months as the Gurgaon-headquartered firm prepares for an IPO this year. The last tranche of investment valued Zomato at $5.4 billion. During its fundraise, Zomato said it was raising money partially to fight off "any mischief or price wars from our competition in various areas of our business." A third player, Amazon, also entered the food delivery market in India last year, though its operations are still limited to parts of Bangalore. At stake is Indias food delivery market, which analysts at Bernstein expect to balloon to be worth $12 billion by 2022, they wrote in a report to clients earlier this year. Zomato currently leads the market with about 50% market share, Bernstein analysts wrote. We find the food-tech industry in India to be well positioned to sustained [sic] growth with improving unit economics. Take-rates are one of the highest in India at 20-25% and consumer traction is increasing. Market is largely a duopoly between Zomato and Swiggy with 80%+ share, wrote analysts at Bank of America in a recent report, reviewed by TechCrunch. "The food delivery business is the strongest it's ever been, and we're now well on our way to drive continued growth over the next decade. In addition, some of our new bets like Instamart [grocery delivery business] are showing amazing promise while we've also made strides in setting up some of our other adjacencies for liftoff very soon." The Lewis Center for the Arts Program in Theater at Princeton University will present The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh, a play inspired by the life of the first Chinese women believed to set foot on American soil in 1834 and her life as a sideshow curiosity. The filmed production is directed by Princeton alumnus Richard Peng and features Princeton senior Jacy Duan in the title role with scenic and sound design by senior Minjae Kim. The film can be viewed on April 9 and 10 at 8 p.m. Live conversations will be offered on April 8 at 2 p.m. and April 9 at 9:45 p.m. All events are free. The Chinese Lady tells the story of 14-year-old Afong Moy as shes brought to the United States from Guangzhou Province in the early 19th century. Believed to be the first Chinese woman to come to the United States, she was put on display for the American public as The Chinese Lady. For the next half-century, she performed for curious audiences, showing them how she eats, what she wears and, the highlight of the event, how she walks with bound feet. Duan and Kim proposed the show as their senior thesis toward a certificate in the Program in Theater, similar to a minor. I came upon The Chinese Lady last year when I was on the hunt for a play centered on an Asian-American woman, said Duan. This would be my first time ever playing a character written to be Asian. I chose this play because when I first read it, Afong Moy felt like a friend, Duan continued. She felt like someone I knew: All at once as a distant Chinese ancestor, my Chinese grandmother, my immigrant Chinese mother, and myself. When proposed last spring, the production was planned as a live performance; however, the project team had to reimagine the show as a filmed presentation. The play was filmed onstage in the Lewis Centers Wallace Theater a few weeks ago following Princetons COVID-19 safety guidelines and with sound and set design by Kim, costume design and stage management by junior Megan Pan and lighting design by sophomore Angelica Qin. Duan is a sociology major from Los Angeles pursuing certificates in theater and Asian-American studies. A live conversation with playwright Suh and Professor of English and American Studies Anne Cheng and Associate Professor of History Beth Lew-Williams will be held on April 8 at 2 p.m. A live talkback with the show team will take on April 9 following the stream at 9:45 p.m. Recordings of these discussions will be available on-demand through April 11. The film will be close-captioned in English and Chinese and the conversation events will be live-captioned in English. For more information, visit arts.princeton.edu. The United States has put Johnson and Johnson in charge of a plant that ruined 15 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine and has stopped British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc from using the facility, a senior health official said on Saturday. J&J said it was "assuming full responsibility" of the Emergent BioSolutions facility in Baltimore, reiterating that it will deliver 100 million doses to the government by the end of May. The Department of Health & Human Services facilitated the move, the health official said in an e-mail, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. AstraZeneca, whose vaccine has not been approved in the United States, said it will work with President Joe Biden's administration to find an alternative site to produce its vaccine. White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Import License complements PlantX's success in creating a diverse infrastructure of partnerships with plant-based vendors across the United States. With the Import License, the Company seeks to make the most of its partnerships within the plant-based space to increase awareness of the plant-based lifestyle by providing access to a greater selection vegan and vegetarian food choices throughout Canada. PlantX's new operational capabilities have potential for bridging gaps between the United States and Canadian plant-based marketplaces. "We are extremely pleased to be at the forefront of bringing US-manufactured plant-based goods to Canada," said Julia Frank, PlantX CEO. "The new license marks a crucial step in our expansion as leaders in the plant-based space, by ensuring that we can be first to market in Canada with plant-based brands originating in the USA." To obtain the Import License, PlantX had to meet rigorous food safety standards and requirements that promote the health of Canadian consumers. The Import License allows PlantX to distribute vegan and vegetarian manufactured packaged products such as vegan dairy substitutes, snack foods, processed fruits and vegetables, infant foods, nuts, grains, spices, fats and oils. PlantX strives to go above and beyond to serve the needs and health of its plant-based community and this Import License will enable the Company to accelerate those efforts by making it easier for Canadian customers to purchase their favorite US-manufactured plant-based brands. "As a Canadian company, we are very passionate about contributing to the health of the Canadian public" said PlantX Founder Sean Dollinger. "The new import license will open new doors to how we can promote the wellbeing of our customer in Canada by helping them access an ever-growing variety of plant-based products". Corporate Update The Company announces that it has granted 3,851,000 stock options ("Options") to purchase common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Company's incentive stock option plan. The Options are exercisable for a five (5) year period at a price of $0.80 per Common Share. One quarter (1/4) of the Options will vest every three (3) months from the date of grant. The Company also announces that it has granted 2,687,000 restricted share units ("RSUs") to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company pursuant to terms and conditions of the Company's restricted share unit plan. The RSUs have a term of one (1) year of which one quarter (1/4) of the RSUs will vest every three (3) months from the date of grant. An aggregate of 40,276 RSUs were granted to Northern Equities Inc. ("Northern Equities"), which provides investor relations services to the Company including services to raise awareness of the PlantX brand, deliver new communication channels to PlantX customers and retailers and increase stakeholder engagement. To the knowledge of the Company, Northern Equities and/or its principals do not own or control any securities of the company. About PlantX Life Inc. As the digital face of the plant-based community, PlantX's platform is the one-stop-shop for everything plant-based. With its fast-growing category verticals, the Company offers customers across North America more than 10,000 plant-based products. In addition to offering meal and indoor plant deliveries, the Company currently has plans underway to expand its product lines to include cosmetics, clothing and its own water brand but the business is not limited to an e-commerce platform. The Company uses its digital platform to build a community of like-minded consumers, and most importantly, provide education. Its successful enterprise is being built and fortified on partnerships with top nutritionists, chefs and brands. The Company eliminates the barriers to entry for anyone interested in living a plant-based lifestyle and thriving in a longer, healthier and happier life. The Company website is http://investor.PlantX.com/. Forward-looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. The forward-looking information contained herein includes, without limitation, the import of products from the United States, the use of the Import License and business and strategic plans of the Company. By its nature, forward-looking 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. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this press release including, without limitation: the Company's ability to comply with all applicable governmental regulations including all applicable food safety laws and regulations; impacts to the business and operations of the Company due to the COVID-19 epidemic; a limited operating history, the ability of the Company to access capital to meet future financing needs; the Company's reliance on management and key personnel; competition; changes in consumer trends; foreign currency fluctuations; and general economic, market or business conditions. Additional risk factors can also be found in the Company's continuous disclosure documents which have been filed on SEDAR and can be accessed at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this press release and is based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations and opinions of management on the date such forward-looking information is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. SOURCE PlantX Life Inc. Related Links https://plantx.com/ On Monday, the Ministry of Finance borrowed 580 million lei off banks through a benchmark government bond issue of a residual maturity of 63 months, at an average yield of 2.59% per annum, according to data published by the National Bank of Romania (BNR). The nominal value of Monday's issue was 500 million lei, and the banks bid 951.3 million lei. An additional auction is scheduled for Tuesday, when the government wants to raise another 75 million lei at the yield set on Monday for bonds. The Ministry of Finance has planned for April 2021 loans from commercial banks of 4 billion lei, of which 500 million lei through an issue of discounted treasury certificates and 3.5 billion lei through eight issues of government bonds. Adding to that would be 525 million lei through additional sessions of non-competitive bids related to bond auctions. The amount is 675 million lei more than the one planned for March 2021 - 3.85 billion lei in total - and it will be used to refinance public debt and finance government deficit. Advertisement Thousands of tourists are still being let into the UK every day even though Britons have been banned from overseas trips - with recent arrivals including a holidaymaker from Peru who wrote on a visa form that he 'wanted to visit Big Ben'. Of the around 20,000 people arriving in the country every day, some 40 percent - or 8,000 - are tourists, figures compiled by Border Force staff revealed. This rises to 80 or 90% at Gatwick and Eurostar terminals, while at Heathrow the proportion is around 20 to 30%, according to data gathered by whistle-blowers. Hundreds are arriving on tourist visas issued by the Home Office, The Times reported, in a revelation shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds called 'outrageous'. Despite overseas tourists continuing to enter the UK - provided they have a negative Covid test - international holidays for Britons will be not be permitted until May 17 at the earliest and anyone trying to leave for a holiday can be hit with a 5,000 fine at the airport. Passengers have also had to have a form declaring that their trip is allowed under lockdown rules from early last month, but Border Force staff said they had no powers to deny them entry as long as they had followed testing and quarantine requirements. Boris Johnson is set to today unveil a traffic light system ranking destinations as red, amber and green, according to the percentage of the population that has been vaccinated, the rate of infection, any emerging variants and the country's access to reliable data and genomic sequencing. Sunseekers returning from countries in the green category will not have to isolate, although they will need to have tests before and after they fly. Those coming back from red list countries would have to quarantine in a hotel for ten days, while arrivals from amber destinations will have to isolate at home. Boris Johnson is today set to unveil a traffic light system for holidays ranking destinations as red, amber and green; He has urged everybody to take two free Covid tests a week to help safeguard the unlocking of the country; The PM prepared to brief the Cabinet today that the conditions have been met to allow shops, gyms and hairdressers to reopen as planned on April 12; Millions of Britons filled up parks and commons during pleasant weather over the weekend; Hairdressers and barbers are allowed to reopen in Scotland from today as further lockdown restrictions are lifted; Mr Johnson looks at risk of failing to get Commons approval for vaccine passports, as Michael Gove promised MPs who are critical of the scheme the chance to vote against it. Of the around 20,000 people arriving in the country every day, around 40 percent - or 8,000 - are tourists, figures compiled by Border Force staff revealed. Pictured is a file photo of arrivals at Heathrow One tourist who had a Home Office visa wrote on the application form that he wanted to 'visit Big Ben' (pictured last month) A member of Border Force staff said: 'There are hundreds upon hundreds of arrivals up and down the UK every day from people who are basically coming here on a two-week holiday. 'There are no grounds to refuse them arriving during a pandemic isn't one of them. 'As long as they've got an address where they say they'll quarantine, and they've completed their pre-departure tests, they've got their certificates and everything else, they've got means and a return ticket, we've got no grounds to refuse them.' One tourist who had a Home Office visa wrote on the application form that he wanted to 'visit Big Ben', the Times reported. Kevin Foster, minister for future borders and immigration, said: 'We do not recognise these figures. We are enforcing tough health measures at the border for the small minority of people coming to the UK, including those entering on a visitor visa for legitimate reasons. 'Since January 2021, we have paused all decisions on visitor visas to applicants applying from a 'red list' country or where it is apparent an applicant has visited one of those countries in the last ten days. 'Border Force officers also have the right to refuse entry to any visitor who they believe has travelled to the UK to carry out activities not permitted under current local health restrictions, such as holidays or tourism, or who will not comply with self-isolation and testing requirements.' The Immigration Services Union told MailOnline: 'Border Force staff report increasing numbers of travellers arriving to have holidays in the UK, to visit friends and family for non urgent reasons. 'Travellers cannot be refused entry simply for breach of the Covid regulations. They can only be issued with a notice of intention to fine. If they otherwise qualify for entry under the Immigration rules they must be admitted. 'This not only undermines the Governments stated tougher approach to our borders but also seriously damages staff morale when visitors have to be admitted to visit with friends and family where staff have been prohibited from doing so, something for over a year.' The Home Office could not account for why a visa had been issued for visiting Big Ben. Travellers arriving in the UK must now show proof of a negative Covid test taken more than three days before departure and complete a form with an address for where they will quarantine for 10 days upon arrival. People arriving from 'red list' countries must stay in a hotel. The Prime Minister will unveil a traffic light system that will see destinations rated as red, amber and green The Prime Minister will today re-affirm May 17 will be the earliest that foreign holidays can resume and a new traffic light system comes into effect. But he will say he is unable to advise yet whether any countries will be classed as green on this date. A Government source said last night: 'It is too early to predict which countries will be on which list over the summer. As such, we continue to advise people not to book summer holidays abroad.' One scientist said yesterday the traffic light system could be too simplistic to stop the spread of new cases. Professor Gabriel Scally, a member of the Independent Sage committee, said: 'It is not quite as simple as looking at what the situation is in an individual country from which a flight originated. We know people will mix together from all over the world, and this is what spurred the autumn surges of cases.' Malta's health minister yesterday said there was 'no reason' why holidaymakers should not be allowed to travel between countries that have vaccinated a high proportion of their population. Christopher Fearne told Radio 4's The World This Weekend: 'Malta by the summer will probably be one of the safest places to travel to certainly in Europe and probably in the world. 'That is because we are vaccinating at a high rate.' Malta has announced British travellers who have had both doses of the vaccine are welcome from June 1. Travel chiefs urged Mr Johnson to add a fourth tier to the system which would eliminate the need for testing or quarantine to very low-risk countries. Chief executive of easyJet John Lungren, Jet2 boss Stephen Heapy and Manchester Airports Group boss Charlie Cornish have handed ministers 'independent and scientifically-robust' research they each commissioned which suggests safe travel 'to Europe and beyond will be possible this summer, in many cases without any restrictions'. At a press conference this evening, the Prime Minister will confirm the next stage of the release from lockdown is on schedule with shops, gyms and hairdressers allowed to reopen from next week Boris Johnson will today urge everybody to take two Covid tests a week to help safeguard the unlocking of the country. At a press conference this evening, the Prime Minister will confirm the next stage of the release from lockdown is on schedule with shops, gyms and hairdressers allowed to reopen from next week. Pubs, restaurants and cafes will also be allowed a limited reopening for outdoor customers. But ministers fear that even this cautious freeing of the economy could lead to a surge in cases that could slow the further release from lockdown, or even send it into reverse. Today they will unveil a multi-billion-pound scheme inviting everyone in England to take two free Covid tests per week. The fast-turnaround tests, which produce results in just half an hour, do not require lab analysis and will be available for use at home. Mr Johnson last night said the huge testing programme was needed to ensure that the sacrifices made in recent months are not wasted. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was vital that people take up the testing offer, adding: The vaccine programme has been a shot in the arm for the whole country, but reclaiming our lost freedoms and getting back to normal hinges on us all getting tested regularly. Writing in the Mail, Jenny Harries, head of the new UK Health Security Agency, said twice-weekly testing could help us get back to normal. She added: If we are going to reclaim our lost freedoms for the long term, we must ensure we can withstand expected but unpredictable attacks in the form of variants of the virus. That will require us to use the massive testing capacity to discover where variants of concern are and respond to them swiftly. Hundreds have hit Britain's beaches and parks for Easter Sunday amid gloriously warm temperatures in the South of England as lockdown restrictions are eased. Pictured: Durdle Door in Dorset Visitors flock to Durdle Door in Dorset on a day of warm spring sunshine and a cool breeze during Easter Sunday Government sources confirmed that the surge in testing was likely to lead to a rise in detected case numbers, which yesterday fell to just 2,297 the lowest figure since September 5. However, the move will fuel concerns among Tory MPs that any rise in cases could lead to further releases from lockdown being delayed. Former minister Steve Baker said that even the false positives generated by tens of millions of additional tests could be enough to knock the Governments road map off course. Q&A: How will the regular testing programme work? What is being proposed? Ministers want everyone in England to take a Covid test twice a week to help quickly identify any surge in cases as the economy and society are unlocked in the coming months. How will it work? People will be able to order so-called lateral flow tests for use at home, or get tested at work or at sites run by local councils. They are already used by millions of children following the return to school last month. What are lateral flow tests? These pregnancy-style tests can deliver results at home within half an hour. Like a regular test they involve taking a swab from the back of the throat and nose but the samples do not have to be sent for laboratory analysis. Are these tests reliable? They are not as sensitive as a standard PCR laboratory test. One study found they missed 40 per cent of asymptomatic cases. However, they perform much better at picking up cases where people have a high viral load. The Government says they have picked up 120,000 cases which would not otherwise have been identified. What if I test positive? People who test positive will be asked to self-isolate in the normal way, as well as providing details of their contacts to the Test and Trace service. What about false positives? Recent analysis by NHS Test and Trace suggests fewer than one in a thousand lateral flow tests will produce a false positive. However, anyone who does test positive will be offered a PCR test to confirm the result. How much will this cost? Officials were tight-lipped about the likely cost, but acknowledge it will run into billions of pounds. Lateral flow tests are much cheaper than the standard PCR ones, with some reports suggesting the Government can buy them for as little as 5 each. But if 25 million people were to test twice a week, the cost would still top 1 billion a month. What will it cost me? Nothing. The Government will pick up the bill for all tests. Advertisement Mr Baker, deputy chairman of the 70-strong Covid Recovery Group of MPs, said: It is now obvious that in an environment of low prevalence, mass asymptomatic testing makes false positives a real issue. Todays announcement introduces a universal mass testing regime for England which is likely to become part of the new normal and remain in place for many months. NHS and care home staff, along with millions of school children are already using fast-turnaround tests twice a week. The tests are said to have identified 120,000 cases that might not otherwise have been picked up. Government sources said that more than 100,000 businesses have also requested test kits to run their own schemes designed to make workplaces Covid secure. Under the new regime, which will be introduced on Friday, people will be able to request packs of test kits for home use. Individuals will also have the opportunity to get tested at council-run sites or as part of workplace schemes. And a new Pharmacy Collect scheme will be introduced, allowing adults to pick up boxes of seven rapid tests. Mr Johnson said the rollout will help stop Covid outbreaks in their tracks. He added: As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine programme and with our road map to cautiously easing restrictions under way, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted. Dr Susan Hopkins, of Public Health England, urged everyone to take up the testing offer, saying they were vital in breaking the chains of transmission. A major new advertising campaign will be launched this week encouraging Britons to take up the tests. Mr Hancock said that, with one in three people infected with Covid showing no symptoms, mass testing would be fundamental in helping us quickly spot positive cases and squash any outbreaks. The new drive will use so-called lateral flow tests which provide on-the-spot results in the same way as a pregnancy test. Users still have to take a swab from their nose and throat, but the results can be determined at home in half an hour, without the need for laboratory analysis. Health sources last night said the tests produced fewer than one false positive in a thousand. But this could still result in almost 1,000 false cases for every one million taken. Ministers have now agreed that anyone testing positive will be offered a gold standard PCR test to confirm the result. New technology means these tests can also now be used to detect new variants of the virus, allowing their spread to be picked up more quickly. The Government was unable to say how much the new scheme would cost. But with tests thought to cost at least 5 each, take-up of 25million would generate a bill of more than 1billion a month. We all want a return to normality regular tests can only help, writes DR JENNY HARRIES The new UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) launched last week with the unique mission to protect the nations health, both from existing hazards such as hepatitis or radiation risks but also from external and emerging threats. As its first priority, it will continue the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Regular, rapid testing means we are finding cases of the virus that we wouldnt otherwise detect, which prevents transmission to families, friends and communities and which could ultimately save lives. Around one in three people experiences no symptoms when they contract the virus and by getting tested regularly people will rapidly break chains of transmission that could begin unwittingly. Twice-weekly testing using lateral flow devices, commonly known as LFDs, has already protected millions of people who need to leave home for work, including frontline NHS workers, care home staff and residents, and schoolchildren and their families. Regular, rapid testing means we are finding cases of the virus that we wouldnt otherwise detect, which prevents transmission to families, friends and communities and which could ultimately save lives, writes Dr Jenny Harries Regular testing in the months ahead can help us all get back to normal, and from this Friday we will make twice-weekly LFD testing available to every person in England. An LFD is the testing equivalent of a Formula 1 pit stop. With a rapid turnaround time of 30 minutes for a result, these swab tests can be done from the comfort of a living room and are capable of quickly giving a snap verdict on whether someone is or isnt likely to be infectious. Just like an experienced mechanic, people get quicker at doing the test, and get better results, the more frequently they carry them out. Vaccines are tipping the scales in our favour but as cases, deaths and hospitalisation charts continue to fall, the importance of our testing and tracing capabilities grows. An effective testing and tracing system is our radar for spotting new outbreaks and suppressing them and for watching out for new variants. The new variant in Kent, which rapidly increased cases across the country, is a stark reminder that viruses are shapeshifters and they mutate all the time. Regular testing in the months ahead can help us all get back to normal, and from this Friday we will make twice-weekly LFD testing available to every person in England. Pictured: A student uses a swab at a testing site in the University of Hull's Allam Sport Centre If we are going to reclaim our lost freedoms for the long term, we must ensure we can withstand expected but unpredictable attacks in the form of variants of the virus. That will require us to use the massive testing capacity to discover where variants of concern are and respond to them swiftly. Our diagnostics system is ready for testing on a level that matches the vaccination rollout, both in scope and ambition. The UK is now a testing juggernaut. At the most recent count we have been testing over a million people a day, genome sequencing 32,000 tests in a week, and we have traced and contacted 3.2million who have tested positive in the past year, and a further six million of their contacts. Regular testing is a way we can all help to bring about the return of much that has been missing in all of our lives and I have every confidence people will continue to give their selfless support in this next stage, just as they have throughout this pandemic. Dr Jenny Harries is chief executive of the UKHSA. Nature seekers, this San Antonio park has a stunning new feature you're going to want to try. The highly anticipated skywalk portion of the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park officially opens to the public Monday, April 5. The elevated walkway is is 1,000 feet long, six feet wide, and elevated 18 feet off the ground, offering spectacular views. It also connects pedestrians to the land bridge, which opened in December 2020. The skywalk opens at noon, shortly after Mayor Ron Nirenberg and former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, as well as other community leaders, host a grand opening celebration. It's the first walkway of its kind built in San Antonio, according to a news release from the city. READ ALSO: Texas' newest state park just a four-hour drive from San Antonio Visitors should use the NW Military Entrance for Phil Hardberger Park, 8400 NW Military Hwy. Upon entering, drive down to the Urban Ecology Center (you can't miss it). After parking, walk about half a mile from the center to the skywalk. (It should take 10 to 15 minutes to get there.) The skywalk will be open to the public during park hours, from sunrise to sunset every day. No bikes are allowed on the walkway. It's also ADA-accessible and features a seating area for anyone who wants to relax under the trees. "The Skywalk is one of the most unique features of the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge," Hardberger stated in a release. "I like to describe it as zip-line powered by your feet. Visitors will get a squirrel's eye view of the trees and ground below, offering a new perspective of the park and its animal inhabitants." Phil Hardberger Park is a 330-acre natural area park nestled amid a busy urban core. In addition to providing a space for recreation, Hardberger Park is a learning landscape with a gathering hall, outdoor classrooms, dog parks, play areas, and miles of trail. For more information about the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge and Phil Hardberger Park, please visit philhardbergerpark.org. AN Bord Pleanala is examining whether plans for a massive housing development at Mungret should be decided upon in Limerick or Dublin. Limerick City and County Council is seeking to build 253 residential units at Dromdarrig, near Mungret College. A key plank of the Limerick 2030 plan, the units are projected to be in a mix of 36 two-bed houses, 110 three-bed houses, 26 four-bed properties, and two six-bed community dwellings. Also on the application is 37 two-bed apartment units, and 42 one-bed apartment units. Some 146 houses and apartments are intended for private sale and rental, with 50 houses deemed to be affordable units intended for private sale and rental. A total of 55 of the apartments are being planned as being designed as independent living for older people, with 25 social-rental. Normally on public projects such as these, it will be the role of Limerick councillors to decide whether this should go ahead in the form of a vote at the metropolitan meeting. However, one local party has sought clarification from An Bord Pleanala to see if an Environmental Impact Study is required. If the national planning appeals body decides it is, then ultimately it will decide on the application. However, if it finds no environmental study is necessary, the plan will revert back to Limerick councillors to decide upon, with a consultation process on the project last week reaching its conclusion. Local Fine Gael councillor Daniel Butler said: A number of residents have approached me in relation to concerns they have around the development. They are all very valid. The main concern is the council is planning to take away three-quarters of the green area they have for an unknown reason and this will have a significant impact on them. He added: There are other issues relating to boundary treatment and accessibility, and they are all very valid. Im supportive of what their issues are, and Id hope we could overcome them. Cllr Butler acknowledged its a delicate area in relation to wildlife streams and nature. Last month, it emerged that Limerick City and County Council purchased the lands for over 2.3m in 2014. The information came to light following a question at the metropolitan district meeting from Sinn Fein councillor Sharon Benson. She admitted concern over the make-up of the development, pointing out its rare for the council to be deciding on a development which will contain some private homes. The new 1,000 student Mungret Community College secondary school is to be built nearby. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 15:57:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Misbah Saba Malik, Li Hao ISLAMABAD, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Shazia Tariq, a 28-year-old tailor in the Gwadar district of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, is elated on finding a platform to earn good money and polish her skills in a tailoring center founded by "Chinese brothers and sisters" in her hometown. "I had been a tailor since years and I stitched hundreds of dresses for people living in my village," Tariq told Xinhua. "When I heard about job creation at the tailoring center in my area, I jumped at the opportunity and now it is providing me a chance to further polish my skills besides giving me monetary benefits." Tariq, the single breadwinner of her family after her husband lost his small business amid the COVID-19 lockdown, said she takes a decent amount back home to bear household expenses and it gives her a sense of empowerment. "It is just the beginning. Our Chinese brothers and sisters are transforming Gwadar and changing the fate of the area. I believe that they will also change the fate of women like me in the center by giving us opportunities to make the best use of our skills to build our future," she said. As one of the pillar projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Gwadar port has been operated by China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) since 2013. The tailoring center project was supported by the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi and implemented by the COPHC in collaboration with a local women development organization to support skillful women of Gwadar and help them towards empowerment. Zaitoon Abdullah, a social worker and coordinator of the tailoring center, told Xinhua that in the initial phase, samples made by the women are being sent to different companies and educational institutes in Gwadar while in the second phase they will prepare uniforms for Chinese companies and educational institutes. "The women come to the center and make different samples to be sent to the institutes and companies, and they are being paid a monthly stipend by Chinese brothers who have not only provided jobs to locals in Gwadar and good education to our children but are also making local women financially independent," Abdullah said. She said in the next step, they will stitch uniforms for Chinese companies and a school built by Chinese for locals in Gwadar. "Women in Gwadar are very talented, but they did not have any platform to show their skills. There are several vocational training institutes to teach basic stitching skills to women, but the center is the first of the kind to provide an opportunity to skilled women to generate income in an organized way," she said. Most of the women at the center are not much educated, while having big dreams to do something for themselves and their families, so they joined the center and work hard to see their dreams coming true, she said. She added that they will get a great chance to enhance their skills by working on the modern machines provided by China. Chairman of the COPHC Zhang Baozhong said the tailoring center is also a starting point for the COPHC to build a complete textile industry chain covering textile printing, garment designing and making in Gwadar to let the locals benefit from industrial development. "So far, some Chinese and Pakistani textile enterprises have expressed their willingness to cooperate with our tailoring center to provide technological training and management support, and order our products," he said. To make daily commute convenient, the center is providing free pick up and drop off services. Local people and public representatives said the tailoring center is a "big step" for women empowerment in the area, which will act as a source of motivation for others. "Gwadar is a small area. Here everyone knows each other. The few women going out of their homes in traditional dress in good vehicles and coming back home in time are the role models for others to follow and make a mark in the society," Majid Sohrabi, former mayor of Gwadar, told Xinhua. Enditem Image: Thomas Schirrmacher Someone in the line of the Huguenotsthe French Protestants who had to flee from persecution in the 16th and 17th centurieshas shown up to remind us what todays priorities for Christian witness should be. I refer to Thomas Schirrmacher, who became Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) on March 1. His family lineage dates back to the Huguenots. Symbolically, Schirrmachers inauguration ceremony took place just down the road from Wittenberg, where five centuries ago Martin Luther pried open the controls exerted by the Catholic Church and triggered the Protestant Reformation, from which todays evangelicals are descendants. Now Schirrmacher, a German like Luther and a theologian, is leading this worldwide community of evangelicals. Raised in a home of university professors, Thomas grew up meeting Evangelical leaders who visited his home. He went on to study theology and cultural anthropology, accumulating multiple earned Ph.D. degrees and honorary doctorates and publishing prolifically. Schirrmacher is not just a theologian and author; he is also experienced as a diplomat. He knows politics as well as he knows theology. He has met with many prominent Muslim leaders in the world and has built respectful relationships with the full range of Christian denominations and movements. I came to appreciate Schirrmachers style 16 months ago, when I joined him to spend a day with leaders of Nahdlatul Ulama, an Indonesian-based Islamic movement that seeks to foster respect and understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. As intense and articulate as he is, his framing of our conversation that day was first built around friendship and understanding. His grasp of cultural differences, even slight variations and nuances, started the days meetings off in a warm and gracious fashion even as we pressed each other on some difficult issues. Why Global Leadership Matters to Evangelicals This is the first time in its history that the World Evangelical Alliance has been led by a theologian. Many other esteemed theologians, such as John Stott and J. I. Packer, have made important contributions to the WEA, but none have felt called to devote so much of their lives to the organization as Schirrmacher has. Schirrmacher has become Secretary General at a strategic time. The WEAs governing body, the International Council, has adopted a plan called Roadmap 2030 with four priorities for the coming decade: developing vibrant and effective national evangelical alliances; advocating strongly for those who are suffering; coordinating and affirming the many networks, denominations and missions that make up the global evangelical landscape; and nurturing strong and effective ministries in governance and leadership. Today, the WEA has become a natural center for evangelicalsglobally, regionally and nationally. It needs a great Christian mind at this crucial time to lead the largest network of evangelicals worldwide in fostering unity, preserving core Evangelical theology, speaking on behalf of its many communities, and strengthening the evangelical community in discipleship and witnessing for Christ. He is uniquely qualified to guide the WEA as the evangelical community faces these challenges brought about by a changing religious landscape and an acceleration of this global movement. First, the center of the global church is moving from established Catholic and Protestant structures to a Spirit-led horizon of Bible-centered movements. Historically, no religious community has experienced such amazing growth as evangelicals in the past six decades, from 90 million in 1960 to over 600 million today and still growing. In many places, including the global south, evangelical movements are experiencing growth that is not happening in the West. But they are also young and lacking guidance from a long theological or organizational tradition. The WEA has years of experience to assist church leaders in their ministry. Second, this growth has opened up enormous opportunities for evangelicals to influence the world. But because of our decentralized nature, evangelicals have no center like the Vatican. We need a Spirit-guided way to come together in unity, communicate our identity, encourage fellowship, champion biblical theology, and catalyze effective, collaborative action. The WEA is the organization best positioned to help us find common ground. Third, this past year was one of the bloodiest yet for Christian believers. On an average day, 8 Christians are killed, 23 are raped or sexually harassed, and 10 are unjustly arrested or imprisoned because of their faith. During 2020, there were more than 9,000 attacks on Christian churches in 51 countries, according to Open Doors. And Christians are not the only victims of persecution. In western China, hundreds of thousands of Muslims are held in gulag camps, and we have no idea how many have died. The WEA has built a strong presence at the United Nations in Geneva, the primary place in the world where human rights issues are addressed head-on. Where countries are violating religious liberties, the WEA team carefully builds credibility by getting their facts straight and constructing persuasive arguments. The WEA is leveraging the critical mass of our global evangelical community to stand up effectively for Christians and others who face persecution because of their faith. Although COVID-19 has seized much of our attention in the past year, other pressing issues also defy our ability to manage them alone: religious nationalism rearing its head in parts of the Western world and in Asia, religious persecution that violates our accepted norms of human rights, horrible instances of racial exclusion, and much more. Jesus call for unity wasnt just a biblical idea about being nice to each other; it also called for practical outworkings that transform our ways of thinking and living. The WEA is doing many of these things in ways that no other entity can do. Thomas Schirrmacher in becoming the WEA Secretary General is not only strategic in his planning and enthusiastic in executing those plans, but he has surrounded himself with able and experienced people who believe deeply in fostering unity and working towards spiritual well-being in the church globally. New Delhi, April 5 : Telugu star Rashmika Mandanna recently courted pan-India limelight starring in Badshah and Yuvan Shankar Raja's new music video "Top Tucker", and is all set for her Bollywood debut. Rashmika has a working birthday on Monday, facing the camera for the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer "Goodbye", which she has signed even before her debut Hindi film "Mission Majnu" released. Rashmika, who is known for roles in hit Telugu films such as "Geetha Govindam" and "Dear Comrade" among others is amused that fans down South have coined the term "National Crush" to describe her. She prefers to underplay the adulation. "I am aware of it but at the same time I am not. I know that there is so much love for me out there but I am not swayed by it. I know where my roots are and I know what all this is. I am mindful of who I am a person, so it is not that I am like 'Oh my God!, I get to be swayed away by all love, appreciation'. I am totally grounded and my team hates me for it, but that is the kind of person I am," shares Rashmika, who shares screen space with Sidharth Malhotra in her debut film "Mission Majnu". The film is currently on floors and the actress will wrap her shoot in the coming week. Her next film after "Mission Majnu" is the Big B-starrer "Goodbye". Rashmika shares an interesting anecdote about the film. "Initially when I read the script, it was just about the script because nobody told me anything about who was going to be cast beside me! I liked the script and later I was told that, Bachchan sir would be in the film and I was like, 'wait, come again. what?!' It sounded too good to be true and I thought someone was playing a prank," she recalls. "Until the announcement was done, I was like, 'ok, is this happening? what is happening, please someone tell me'. Then the announcement happened and I was like 'ok, this is happening'," Rashmika adds and giggles thinking about her reaction. The actress made her acting debut with the 2016 Kannada film "Kirik Party" followed by the Telugu debut "Chalo". She recently entered the Tamil industry with "Sulthan". Rashmika believes she is a pan-India face because language was never an obstacle in her mind. "I always believed in breaking barriers. I was never okay with films having language or any other barriers. I think a year down from debuting in Kannada, I was already working in Telugu industry, and two years down in Telugu industry. My first Tamil film has released a year after that, I have Hindi releases now. For me, I never liked the idea of being in one industry. If an actor's film releases only in a particular language then they are only Kannada or Tamil actors. I never liked boundaries and people know it because from day one I have been saying the same thing. I call myself a pan-face, because I think that as a person, I can build around anything and do any work in any industry or language and I can do a damn good job," she claims. Our current system has served us well Amanda Vanstone thoughtfully touched on some of the resurrected chatter surrounding a possible Australian republic. However, I feel that this is on par with demanding that the AFL be disbanded because of a poor seasonal performance by an established team. Our current constitutional state of affairs is a bulwark in times of both political upheaval and social precariousness. The Crown rightly keeps total power and authority from being exercised in an absolute sense by politicians. And lets stop all this semantic nonsense about independence and an Australian head of state. We achieved independence in 1901 and today any Australian man or woman can rise to be our governor-general, our executive head of state. Regardless of whether we find the British monarchy endearing or not, it has, by and large, brought about both a remarkable and unique form of governmental and social stability, and it does importantly keep us connected to our historic, Christian roots. The institution will always be bigger than the individual, and so our current system of rule will ensure the people of this Great South Land can navigate their own unique cultural journey upon the faithful foundational building blocks that birthed this most enviable world destination. Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn I hope Vanstone will lead the charge Amanda Vanstone, for once, I think, is spot on. The comedy of the royals is irrelevant to the fact that Australia has every reason to ditch the monarchy and become a republic and to do it in the most straightforward way possible. I hope she will lead the charge. Rosemary Kiss, Rippleside Both houses must have a say For once I agree with Amanda Vanstone. Australia must become a republic so we can stand free as an independent nation, and we must do so with absolutely minimal changes to our current system. The strength of our current system lies, as has been observed of Britains system, not in the power that the monarchy holds to exercise itself, but rather in the power that its existence denies to others. This system seems to work far better than those systems in countries where presidents are elected and therefore the presidency is politicised. Our head of state must remain politically neutral. The power to appoint currently resides with the prime minister, and Vanstone suggests that the PMs awareness of his or her personal legacy would be sufficient to ensure the integrity of the appointment of an unpoliticised head of state. While this awareness may be strong for many PMs, I think that I, and many others, would feel more comfortable were the PMs choice to be either recommended from, or reviewed by, a conscience vote from a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament. Chris Young, Surrey Hills THE FORUM GPs are ready and able There are clarion calls for better vaccine rollout, mainly from people who know little about the subject, such as airport CEOs and licensed clubs, implying that venue limitation is a problem. The time-honoured experts in vaccine delivery are GPs. With upwards of 43,000 GPs in Australia, and 4700 practices registered and ready, we could deliver 1.88 million vaccines weekly, at a convenient location near everyone, safely. Limitations include vaccine supply, discussed by many. We have the trained experienced staff. We have been ready for some time now. Where do these proposed mass vaccination centres imagine that they will get their staff? McDonalds knows all about service delivery, at a place near you, not in a central mega-centre. My practice is quietly administering 400 doses weekly, and could do more. General practice has the experience, staff, proven ability, location and all infrastructure requirements. We could be better supported by a parsimonious government. The community certainly supports us. The discussion needs to move away from hospitals and imagined mass-vaccination centres to community delivery by people who are trusted and can actually do it. Dr Clyde Ronan, Yarrawonga Medical Clinic, Yarrawonga Wheres national cabinet? Economists Steven Hamilton and Richard Holden plead with the federal and state governments to Stop blaming each other (Comment, The Age, 5/4) for the unmitigated disaster and abject failure of our vaccine rollout. Their clear-sighted analysis recognises the dual problems of supply and distribution which the federal government controls. Their pragmatic approach requires the federal government to broaden its quest for high-efficacy vaccines and to authorise the states to manage the all-important distribution of them. Wheres the national cabinet when its desperately needed? Kevin Burke, Sandringham Its not just economics A Push for mass vaccination centres to lift tourism (The Age, 5/4) somewhat misses the point. Of course we need many more of the centres, but COVID-19 vaccination isnt about boosting particular industries. Its about protecting health and saving lives. Thats why government bungling and the snails pace of the rollout is so serious. Its not just economics. Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills Careful what you wish for Amanda Vanstone is spot on. The popularity of the members of the royal family ought to have no bearing on whether our constitutional tie to the Windsors should be severed. Nor should it matter whether the Queen is still on the throne. Speaking to friends from abroad, including Brits, one often encounters curiosity that a country as mature as ours should choose to have a foreigner who lives on the other side of the world as head of state. They think it cant be good for our self-esteem, and they are right. She is also correct in asserting a shift to a republic should entail only minimal change to our constitutional arrangements. Figuratively speaking, why not just go through the constitution, cross out Queen and write in Governor-General? Those who insist an Australian republic must have a directly elected president should be very careful what they wish for. Indeed, as much as I support, in principle, a change to a republic, I would vote against a proposal based on that model. Sam Fisher, Ashburton Unclear on the concept Well said Ross Gittins (Wealth, happiness is not found in the search for meaning, Business, 5/4). Dogma should not be the order of the day. Sadly many who claim Christianity fail to understand Jesus life and teaching is all about love and compassion for the other and not about self and wealth accumulation. How can our Prime Minister and other Coalition members sprout their Christian belief and fail to understand the central tenet of faith to love and serve the other. Ray Cleary, Camberwell A smart, kind proposal Well done to Nationals MP Anne Webster. Your proposal for a pandemic amnesty for undocumented agricultural workers is both smart and kind. Under your vision, regional Victoria can be kept safe and more economically viable. What a new look for our sometimes cruel Home Affairs Department if the Morrison government were to say yes to your conference motion. Please dont give up. Marie Douglas, Camberwell I beg to differ I take issue with two comments made by Amanda Vanstone in her article Tread lightly on way to republic (Comment, The Age, 5/4). First, she claims that monarchists and direct elect republicans say we cant trust politicians, which she claims is superficial gibberish. We elect them. We can sack them. Has she followed the case of Andrew Laming? In any other sphere of activity he would be sacked by now. If, as he claims, he will not seek re-election we have to wait until the end of the current period of Parliament to be rid of him. Everyone knows why he hasnt been sent to the crossbench, the PM wants to retain his majority in the house. So much for the we can sack them philosophy. The second point relates to Ms Vanstones comment Id leave as much as we can the same. Yes, Id let the prime minister sack a governor-general and vice versa. Does this mean that she believes that it is acceptable for a non-elected official to sack a democratically elected member of parliament, who has been elected by his party to act in the capacity as PM? This would be one of the first things I would change in an Australian republic. Brian Tait, Blackburn North Lessons not learnt Im baffled by the recent incident at Kalkallo involving Victoria Police. Didnt force command promise changes to prevent another Bourke Street Mall-like disaster? Yet when armed officers, presumably also carrying capsicum spray and Tasers, backed off from a suspect carrying a knife, they unleashed a chain of events that resulted in still another dangerous and costly high speed chase (in a police car no less), unnecessary property damage and injuries to officers. It reads more like a game of rock, paper, scissors. The only good point here is that innocent bystanders were not hurt or killed this time, but that seems more like good luck than good planning on the polices part. The lessons have been taught. Why arent they being learnt? Mark Kennedy, Sebastopol Give them some space It is a joy to see kangaroos along the track to Bushrangers Bay (Peninsula anger over roo culls, The Age, 5/4). A sign of overpopulation is dead roos by the side of the road. I have never seen any. I have, however, seen acres of farming land being converted into housing developments all over the Peninsula. The kangaroos have nowhere to go, because there are too many people wanting a slice of their paradise. Leave our kangaroos some space, dont kill them. Jan Kendall, Mount Martha Peril in the skies I have a photo that fell out of my brothers RAAF logbook of a group of trainee pilots at Point Cook in 1950. I was told one young man in the group was killed when his Wirraway crashed into a tree shortly afterwards. Another died in Korea and two, including John, my brother, were lost in later training incidents. One man was critically injured while crop-dusting on leave, an occasional undertaking by RAAF pilots in those days. The deadly perils of non-combat flying back then are underestimated. Thanks, Tony Wright, for another evocative article (In memory of the pilots and planes, Insight, 3/4). Peter McCarthy, Mentone Improve the training Platitudes abound in aged care workforce discussions (Call for shake-up in aged care staffing, The Age, 5/4). The education of personal carers needs a tectonic shift. Until the 1970s nurses learnt their vital skills under an apprenticeship model. It worked well with strong employer investment and commitment. But nurses moved on to a university education to place them on a par with their colleagues in the other health professions. It is now time for personal carers, the dominant aged care occupation, to move on from traineeships to apprenticeships. Such a move would deliver enhanced status and rigour to this Cinderella occupation. The development of the aged care Certificate III curriculum needs to be freed from the logjam of overloaded committees and multiple jurisdictions. The authority for course approvals should be given to a national body such as the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. It would probably make infection control a compulsory unit. Carol Williams, Elder Care Watch, Blackburn Laissez-faire lunacy Its the job of the Commonwealth government to properly fund secular education and that includes at the tertiary level. Not content with trying to destroy public education, the ABC, and the rights of workers, the Morrison government is now idly watching the destruction of independent, comprehensive university education (Uni set to slash subjects and jobs, The Age, 3/4). This is laissez-faire to the point of lunacy. I could not believe at the time that a majority of voters selected these vandals to pamper themselves while their country sank. Theres no doubt fear and greed will still feature at the next election, but surely we wont get fooled again? John Laurie, Victoria No place for politics Reading Madeleine Boultons Sobering lesson in the politics of miscarriage (online, The Age, 5/4) made me wonder what exactly is at play controlling womens ability to terminate a pregnancy safely. Having to drive 160 kilometres (while juggling work and small children) to a pharmacy that is able to dispense that kind of medication is unfathomable. Why could she not access it locally? Why are these particular chemists not registered to dispense it? Politics should have no place where it should be a matter of reasonable and safe healthcare for all women, no matter where they live. Jessica Hill, Burwood AND ANOTHER THING Empathy training I couldnt give a fig about Andrew Lamings demise. Do I need empathy training? Jon ONeill, Waurn Ponds Credit: Empathy training? Simple. Have the assessment boxes ticked. Done. Youre now empathetic. Bruce Watson, Clifton Springs Higher education Whats the point of encouraging high school students to select STEM subjects when universities cant afford to teach them at tertiary level? Will we have to import our next generation of scientists like we do our cars? Margaret Ludowyk, Brunswick The republic debate Amazing. I never thought that I would ever agree with Amanda Vanstone (Tread lightly on way to republic, Comment, 5/4) Ray Jones, Box Hill North Australia needs to become a republic, but we dont need to elect or appoint a president. Peter Hendrickson, East Melbourne Donald Trump For letter writers Donald Trump was the gift that never stopped giving. For some of his supporters his was the team that never stopped taking. Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill Politics Just how bad would the federal Coalition be if the Liberal Party didnt select its politicians based on merit? Phil Alexander, Eltham At least one case of the new Indian COVID variant was detected in Northern California, according to researchers at Stanford University. Stanford Health Care spokesperson Lisa Kim said that the new variant has two mutations in the spiky protein that the virus latches onto. This includes one found in the California strain. Kim said in an emailed statement that they believe this is the first described case with this variant in the U.S., according to an NBC News report. The patient is said to be from the San Francisco Bay Area by the school's Clinical Virology Laboratory. READ NEXT: Biden Speech Keynotes: COVID Relief Bill, Post-Pandemic View Indian COVID Variant Later in March, the Indian COVID variant was first detected in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil, according to health officials. Health officials and experts warned against linking the variants with the surge in new infections in India, according to an Associated Press report. Scientists have been looking at which ones might make the virus spread more easily or might make people sicker once they contracted the virus. Three COVID variants have been determined to be variants of concerns, such as those detected in South Africa, Britain, and Brazil. Dr. Rakesh Mishra, the director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, said that the genetic mutation of this COVID variant might help the virus spread more easily and escape the immune system. Mishra warned about relating it to the current surge. "Fourth Wave" Meanwhile, epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm said that he believes the U.S. is seeing a "fourth wave" of infections due to COVID variants that have emerged over the past few months, according to a Fox News report. Osterholm said the variants pose a huge problem despite the existing vaccines. Osterholm said that in some ways, the U.S. is in a new pandemic. "The only good news is that the current vaccines are effective against this particular variant B.1.1.7," he was quoted in a report. Osterholm's chief concern was that the B.1.1.7 or also known as the British variant appears to be more contagious among children, saying that this variant is very much affecting at transmitting the virus at a certain younger age range. He cited the case in Minnesota, wherein they have had 749 schools with cases. Minnesota has 5,123 public schools and PK-12 schools. This would mean that 14 percent of schools in the state of Minnesota have reported a COVID case. Twenty-five states have reported an increase in COVID cases. The country has reported an average of 63,000 new cases daily over the past week, which sets a 17 percent increase from the previous week, according to The Guardian report. The new COVID cases are most apparent in states like Michigan and New York. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said that she has a feeling of impending doom. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden has called on local state officials to reinstate their mask mandates as the U.S. is seeing an alarming uprise in case numbers. "Please, this is not politics. Reinstate the mandate if you let it down," Biden was quoted. READ MORE: House Passes $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Bill, Here's What's Next WATCH: First confirmed Indian COVID-19 variant in the U.S. found in Bay Area - from KRON 4 America's dreaded 'fourth wave' of coronavirus is never going to come, a former chief U.S. regulator predicts. 'There's enough immunity in the population that you're not going to see a true fourth wave of infection,' Dr Scott Gottlieb, former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner told CBS Face the Nation. The U.S. is now seeing a seven-day average of 63,282 new coronavirus cases a day, up from 54,507 three weeks prior. But the trend is driven mostly by a handful of states, and certain lower-risk demographics who are not yet vaccinated, Dr Gottlieb says. In fact, young people are driving the latest uptick in COVID-19 cases, as the increasing rate of vaccination in older Americans is preventing the most serious cases among seniors, said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Dr Rochelle Walensky on Monday. 'Cases are increasing nationally, and we are seeing this occur predominantly in younger adults,' she said. She cites the increasing spread of variants, but also a rise in youth sports and extracurricular activities as contributing to the steady increase in cases over the last four weeks. The good news, however is that these young adults are not likely to die if they do contact COVID-19. As a result, the average number of daily deaths has remained below 1,000 for the past five days. As of Sunday, 797 Americans were dying a day, including 222 that day, and the death toll has now surpassed 555,000. Hundreds of deaths a day are nothing to be dismissed, but the U.S. recorded less than half a many deaths yesterday than it did the previous Sunday. Half of U.S. states - including Michigan, Nebraska an Vermont - have seen infection rates rise over the past two weeks, which experts say were all but inevitable as governors begin reopening their jurisdictions. But the U.S. is now giving more than three million Covid vaccinations a day, a clip that Dr Gottlieb is confident will outpace the spread of the virus, even with the rising prevalence of variants. Experts are torn by what to make of the rising infection rates, with some, like Gottlieb, arguing its an expected fluctuation in the pandemic's tide, and others arguing that they're worrying signs the pandemic will drag on. 'There's enough immunity in the population that you're not going to see a true fourth wave of infection,' Dr Scott Gottlieb, former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner told CBS Face the Nation on Sunday The seven-day rolling average of new infections is now above 63,000 a day, but fewer than 1,000 Americans are now dying of COVID-19 every 24 hours 'What we're seeing is pockets of infection around the country, particularly in younger people who haven't been vaccinated and also in school-age children' said Dr Gottlieb, who now sits on the board of directors for Pfizer. During the week ending in March 25, the U.S. saw more than 64,000 new pediatric infections, the second week in a row of increases among children. Children made up 19.2 percent of new cases that week. That's more than the 13 percent of cases they have accounted for throughout the pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has deemed it safe for schools to reopen because infection rates among children are so low, and kids rarely die of COVID-19. Nevertheless, as children return to in-person classes, an uptick in infections among kids who have spent much of the last year at home is hardly a surprise. Nor is it surprising that as states allow more people to dine indoors and resume somewhat normal activities with just a third of U.S. adults vaccinated against COVID-19, adult cases would increase. These increases have been seen in at least 25 states over the past two weeks. All eyes have turned to Michigan, which saw more than 5,600 new cases yesterday. That's nearly four times as many new infections as were reported in the state a month prior. It follows Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer's decision to allow restaurants to expand indoor dining to 50 percent of standard capacity. Whitmer stuck to her guns and refused to roll back reopening. Instead, she blamed the high prevalence of Covid variants in her state, and the failure of residents to follow the state's policies to slow the spread of coronavirus. Michigan is not the only state seeing a spike. Michigan is seeing four-times more daily infection than it did a month ago, including 5,600 on Sunday New infections rose to nearly 11,000 a day in New York last week, but have begun to trend downward again. In New Jersey, more than 4,500 people are now testing positive a day, up from 3,200 a month prior. Florida is now seeing a steady rise in cases, with more than 6,000 confirmed Sunday - an increase of a third from mid-March. Spring Breakers descended upon the state, prompting violent clashes as law enforcement tried to stop them from maskless partying. Puerto Rico, Nebraska and Vermont have now all surpassed Michigan for the most greatest increases in new infections in the past 14 days, according to DataUSA.io. Nebraska has seen new infections rise 77 percent over the past two weeks, and Vermont's cases have surged by nearly 36 percent. The number of new cases in Puerto Rico is now nearly double what it was 14 days ago, rising 88 percent since mid-March. And there's been a worldwide uptick in new cases. Together, these trends have some experts worried - especially those who are working closely with the Biden administration - that a fourth surge will kill more Americans and prolong the pandemic. Dr Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist and adviser to President Biden, warned that the U.S. is 'just at the beginning of this surge,' in a Sunday Meet the Press interview. He predicted that the next two weeks will see a record number of new COVID-19 cases worldwide. 'And we're now, I think, in that cycle where the Upper Midwest is just now beginning to start this fourth surge,' he said of the U.S. Experts are divided, with some placing their bets on the virus, and others predicting that vaccines are pulling ahead. Dr Gottlieb, who served as FDA commissioner under former President Trump, believes the latter. With a third of the adult population of the U.S. vaccinated and more than three million shots going into arms a day, the nation is on track to reach herd immunity with 75 percent of Americans vaccinated by July according to Bloomberg's tracking. From left, actors Um Tae-goo, Jeon Yeo-been and Cha Seoung-won pose during a press conference for "Night in Paradise" on Jeju Island, Friday. Courtesy of Netflix By Kwak Yeon-soo Writer-director Park Hoon-jung's new film, "Night in Paradise," is a noir-themed crime thriller that deviates from conventional gangster movies. It places a superheroine at the forefront and offers rare glimpses of tranquility amid a bloody gang war. Park, whose screenwriting credits include "I Saw the Devil" (2010) and "The Unjust" (2010), previously directed the gangland crime drama "New World" (2013) and the female-centered heroine franchise film "The Witch: Park 1. The Subversion" (2018). The film revolves around a mobster named Tae-goo (Um Tae-goo) who is being chased by organized crime gangs. He flees to Jeju Island and meets Jae-yeon (Jeon Yeo-been), a mysterious woman with impressive sharpshooting skills, but who is suffering from a terminal illness. Cha Seoung-won plays gang chief Ma, who is intimidating but funny. Park said he chose to set the film in Jeju because he wanted to spotlight its natural beauty, yet draw the picture of a tragic story on the island. "One day, the cinematographer sent me a photo of a palm tree in the moonlight swaying in the strong wind. That was exactly the image I had about the film. I wanted it to be beautiful but sad. When I see something beautiful, I feel painfully sad and ask myself, 'When will I be able to see this again?' I hope the audience feels the irony coming from the background and the story," he said during a recent press conference for the film. "Night in Paradise" was the only Korean film to be invited to the 77th Venice International Film Festival's out-of-competition section. On being touted as, "One of best gangster movies coming from South Korean cinema in recent years," by festival director Alberto Barbera, Park said, "I thought I must have done something good in a past life. I was very lucky." Cha said he is proud to have been invited to Venice, saying, "It's a pity that we couldn't physically make it to the festival. It would have been really nice to walk the red carpet and engage with film enthusiasts." Actor Um Tae-goo in a scene from "Night in Paradise" / Courtesy of Netflix Um said that he took the role because he wanted to work with director Park. He gained 9 kilograms to play the troubled Tae-goo in "Night in Paradise," and to perform the brutal, bloody action scenes. "Most of all, it was interesting to play a character with the same name as me. I asked director Park later if he took it from my name, but his answer was 'no,'" he laughed. "I personally don't like doing action sequences because it's painful. However, my preference doesn't necessarily affect my film choice. I loved the script and have always wanted to work with Park. Thanks to the amazing stunt team, I was able to shoot action scenes safely," he said. Jeon, who instantly rose to stardom with "After My Death" (2018) and is currently starring in the hit tvN drama series "Vincenzo" alongside Song Joong-ki, talked about how "Night in Paradise" differs from other conventional noir-themed films as well as her relationship with Um on set. "I've always admired Hong Kong noir films, and from an early age, I've wanted to be in those films. Unlike other noir-themed films, in which female characters are marginalized, Jae-yeon takes the center stage in 'Night in Paradise,'" she said. The 32-year-old actress said she became close friends with Um. "We became very good friends thanks to director Park, who frequently took us out for lunch and dinner. We realized that we have similar attitude toward acting," she said. "Night in Paradise" will be available on Netflix starting on April 9. Bloomberg pundit Noah Smith had a very revealing interaction on Twitter the other day that Ive been meaning to write about ever since. It began with Smith sharing a screenshot of an article by journalist Yasha Levine which condemns US imperialist escalations against China and ties them to the sudden spike in anti-Asian hate crimes weve been seeing. Smith shared his screenshot with the caption, I hold by my prediction that the American Left is going to split into A) social democrats, and B) foreign-policy-obsessed pseudo-tankies. How do we stop the B group from driving the narrative? one of Smiths followers asked him. Well, first we teach everyone the word tankie! Smith replied, with a Substack article he authored explaining that any leftist who opposes western imperialist agendas against China should be branded with that label and dismissed. https://twitter.com/Noahpinion/status/1376584135548936199?s=20 Which is just so refreshing in its honesty, really. Its been obvious for ages that such pejoratives are being used by imperialists to control the narrative in a way that benefits ruling power structures, but its not often youll have a mainstream narrative manager come right out and say that this is exactly what they are trying to do. Smiths admission that he is training his audience to bleat the word tankie at any leftist who is obsessed with a tiny trivial matter like US foreign policy in order to control the dominant foreign policy narrative is born out by the rest of his Twitter activity, which sees him repeating that word constantly and weaponizing it against anyone who expresses skepticism of the empires official foreign policy narratives. Tankie used to be a term which referred specifically to British communists who supported the Soviet Union, but under the facilitation of narrative managers like Smith its enjoying a mainstream resurrection in which it is commonly weaponized against anyone to the left of Bernie Sanders who opposes US imperialist agendas. I wrote against anti-imperialism for years without anyone ever applying that pejorative to me, but now it comes up on a near-daily basis. I havent changed the basics of my beliefs or my approach to anti-imperialism, but the widespread use of tankie as a pejorative against people like me most certainly has changed. It joins the ranks of famous weaponized pejoratives like Russian bot, CCP propagandist, Assadist, and the one size fits all perennial favorite conspiracy theorist in labels which can be applied to ensure the dismissal of anyone who voices skepticism of narratives that are being promoted by known liars to facilitate the agendas of murderous psychopaths. Another new crowd favorite is genocide denier, a label that gets applied to anyone who points out the glaring plot holes in the imperial Uyghur narrative which narrative managers are overjoyed about being able to use because it lets them equate skepticism of a geostrategically significant US narrative with Nazism. What these pejoratives accomplish, as Noah Smith is well aware, is the ability to inoculate the mainstream herd from the wrongthink of anyone to whom that label has been applied. That way they never have to engage the argument or the evidence that gets laid out contradicting the official imperial line; as long as they can convince enough people to accept their pejorative as legitimate, they have a magical phrase they can utter to dispel any anti-imperialist argument which appears anywhere in the information ecosystem. https://twitter.com/aaronjmate/status/1378142326204293124 This is a major part of an imperial narrative managers job these days: smearing anti-imperialists and critical thinkers as untrustworthy. The debate is never to be engaged and counter-arguments are never to be made; why engage in a debate you will probably lose when you can simply explain to everyone why nobody should listen to the other side? A perfect example of this would be the recent smear piece the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) put out on The Grayzone with the title Strange bedfellows on Xinjiang: The CCP, fringe media and US social media platforms. As explained in a thread by Grayzones Aaron Mate, the government-funded and arms industry-funded think tank ASPI makes no effort in its report to dispute or debunk any of the reporting that The Grayzone has been putting out on China or on anything else. Rather, they simply work to associate the outlet with the Chinese government by citing incidents in which Chinese officials shared Grayzone articles on social media. By fallaciously associating The Grayzone with the Chinese government, narrative managers now have a weapon which enables them to dismiss the outlet as CCP propaganda. As anyone who has been active in anti-imperialist online discourse knows, this is an extremely common tactic which narrative managers and their indoctrinated herd use to dismiss questions, criticisms and evidence which is inconvenient to the US-centralized imperial war machine. Try countering their claims with a well-sourced article full of robust argumentation and solid evidence, and theyll dismiss you with a Ha ha, THAT outlet? That outlet is propaganda! Because it came from an anti-imperialist outlet like The Grayzone or Consortium News instead of an outlet which never fails to support US military agendas like The New York Times. But its a completely ridiculous tactic if you think about it. All theyre really saying is You cant use that anti-imperialist outlet to substantiate your anti-imperialist position! You can only use the pro-US outlets which have helped deceive westerners into backing every US war! Its also logically fallacious; attacking the source instead of the argument is what people do when they cant attack the argument. Citing an empire-targeted government sharing an anti-imperialist article as evidence that that government is tied to that outlet in some way is an equally absurd argument; obviously governments are going to cite evidence and arguments which favor them, and the imperialist western media isnt going to be publishing such evidence or arguments. The fact that western anti-imperialists and nations like Russia and China both oppose western imperialism doesnt mean western anti-imperialists work for Russ or China, it means those groups all oppose western imperialism for their own reasons. Since western imperialism is the most murderous and oppressive force on this planet, its to be expected that multiple different groups will oppose it. Pay attention to the way imperial narrative managers try to use smears and pejoratives to file away anti-imperialists into a dont listen to the things this person says box, and help others pay attention to it too. This is no more legitimate an argument than the Wizard of Oz yelling Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, and it should be treated with no more respect than that. _____________________ New book: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for at my website or on Substack, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking me on Facebook, following my antics on Twitter, or throwing some money into my tip jar on Ko-fi, Patreon or Paypal. If you want to read more you can buy my books. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what Im trying to do with this platform, click here. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, has my permission to republish, use or translate any part of this work (or anything else Ive written) in any way they like free of charge. Bitcoin donations:1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PHA2EX5Zm2 GOP Senator John Barasso says that Biden officials told him to delete photos of migrants crammed in like sardines at the holding facility. Biden Officials Ordered To Delete Photos of Migrants GOP Senator John Barasso said that Biden officials told him to delete the photos of migrants that included the unaccompanied migrant children who were crammed like sardines at the holding facility, according to a published report in the Daily Mail. According to a published report in FOX News, the GOP Senator was with 18 Senators including Sen. Ted Cruz who went to the border last weekend. However, none of them complied with the order to delete the photos. Additionally, Barasso said during an interview 'No one did. You've seen the video coming out of all of these kids crammed together under the foil blankets, huddling together.' Sen. Barasso described the migrants at the holding facility crammed in like sardines. He also said that the order was released because the Biden administration is trying to hide the real situation at the holding facility to the public. Pentagon Approves to House Unaccompanied Migrant Children in Its Military Base Reason of Biden Administration Why Photos Must Be Deleted In a recently published article in Foxnews, the main reason why the Biden administration told them to delete the photos because they would violate children's privacy. This is even though the photos released were obscured. Meanwhile, the GOP Senator further said that the situation is both humanitarian and national security. He also described the numbers of migrants as very historical and most of them were unaccompanied children or minors who traveled without their parents. According to the critics of the Biden administration, the surge or spike of unaccompanied migrants to the border is due to Biden's move to end Trump's policies towards the migrants. However, Pres. Biden denied ad said that his policies were not the cause of the surge. Unaccompanied Officials To Be Housed at the Military Base in California The U.S. Pentagon has already approved to allow the Human and Health Services to house temporarily the unaccompanied migrant children at Camp Roberts. But it is still not known as to how many unaccompanied children could be placed at the military base. The HHS first requested the Defense Department to house the unaccompanied migrant children and the U.S. Pentagon gave its approval on Friday. However, the Defense Department clarified that they only provide this assistance for as long as it will not compromise its military missions. Read also: US Military Officials Confirm Pentagon Is on High Alert, on the Lookout for Russian Activities Number of Children Border Authorities Encountered Border authorities said that they have encountered more than 9,000 unaccompanied children since February. This is so far the highest in a single month since May 2019 where there were 11,000 unaccompanied minors arrived at the border. Moreover, the unaccompanied minors will be released to their sponsors, relatives, or parents after they are processed by the Border Patrol. On the other hand, adult migrants will not receive the same treatment compared to unaccompanied children. @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 400tmax/iStockBy Devin Dwyer, ABC News (WASHINGTON) -- In the multi-billion Supreme Court clash between two titans of tech, Google emerged as the victor on Monday. In a 6-2 opinion by Justice Stephen Breyer, the court said that Google's use of 11,000 lines of code -- copied without permission from Oracle's Java program -- to create the Android smartphone operating system -- constitutes fair use as a matter of law and does not require compensation. "We assume, for arguments sake, that the material was copyrightable. But we hold that the copying here at issue nonetheless constituted a fair use. Hence, Googles copying did not violate the copyright law," Breyer wrote. The decision reversed a lower court ruling in favor of Oracle, which had sought $9 billion in damages from Google for copyright infringement. The stakes in the case -- dubbed the "copyright case of the century" -- are significant for both companies, the software industry and everyday American investors. Millions of Americans' 401k retirement savings plans include investments in Google. Experts have said a decision in favor of Google, allowing the copying of code as "fair use," could facilitate more rapid development of new consumer products and technological innovation -- essentially allowing companies to build on each other. But there could be a downside: Some start-up companies fear the decision could harm their ability to turn a profit if giants like Google can swoop in and copy without compensation. Justice Clarence Thomas, in a dissent joined by Justice Samuel Alito, blasted the decision as "anything but fair." "Oracle spent years developing a programming library that successfully attracted software developers, thus enhancing the value of Oracles products. Google sought a license to use the library in Android, the operating system it was developing for mobile phones. But when the companies could not agree on terms, Google simply copied verbatim 11,500 lines of code from the library," Thomas wrote. "By copying Oracles work, Google decimated Oracles market and created a mobile operating system now in over 2.5 billion actively used devices, earning tens of billions of dollars every year. If these effects on Oracles potential market favor Google, something is very wrong with our fair use analysis," he wrote. Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not participate in the decision as she was confirmed to the bench after the case was argued. "The Supreme Courts clear ruling is a victory for consumers, interoperability, and computer science," Kent Walker, Google's senior vice president of global affairs, said in a statement. "The decision gives legal certainty to the next generation of developers whose new products and services will benefit consumers." The Google platform just got bigger and market power greater," Dorian Daley, Oracle's executive vice president and general counsel, said in response. "The barriers to entry higher and the ability to compete lower. They stole Java and spent a decade litigating as only a monopolist can. This behavior is exactly why regulatory authorities around the world and in the United States are examining Google's business practices." Copyright 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. "The order restricting 50 per cent of seating capacity in cinema halls in eight districts, including Bengaluru where Covid cases have been rising will be applicable from Wednesday (April 7) up to April 20," a civic official told IANS. Relenting to the Kannada film industry's demand, the Karnataka government deferred enforcing 50 per cent seating in about 200 cinema theatres in eight districts to April 7 to contain the Covid pandemic, an official said on Sunday. The other seven districts across the southern state are Bengaluru Rural, Bidar, Dakshina Kannada, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Mysuru and Udupi. To reduce the surging cases, state Chief Secretary P. Ravikumar on April 2 ordered theatres in the eight districts to restrict seating to 50 per cent of their capacity from Saturday to maintain social distancing and follow Covid appropriate behaviour. "A revised order was issued on Saturday to apply the restriction from April 7, as hundreds of fans bought online tickets in advance for all shows till Tuesday (April 6) for films released on Friday and imposing the restriction would have disappointed them and caused loss to the film industry," said the official. A Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) delegation, led by Sandalwood superstars Shivarajkumar, Puneet, Yash and Sudeep urged state Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday to defer the order by a few days, as the theatres were following the guidelines to contain the virus spread. "As theatres have been complying with the guidelines in force since October, 2020 when they reopened after 6-month lockdown, no positive cases were reported from the fans who watched films in their halls," KFCC president Jairaj told reporters after the state government rescinded its earlier order. One the new Kannada films released on Thursday was 'Yuvarathna,' starring Puneet, second son of matinee idol and Kannada thespian Rajkumar. "About Rs 40 crore has been invested in making Yuvarathna, a blockbuster. Its producer and distributors would have suffered heavy loss because the cost of a show is the same for 100 or 50 per cent seating capacity," asserted Jairaj. Short of lockdown and night curfew, the state government reimposed stringent restrictions across the state till April 20 to contain the pandemic as cases crossed 10-lakh mark on last Thursday, including over 4.4-lakh in Bengaluru, which has been the epi-centre of the virus that broke out in the state in mid-March, 2020. The theatres have made wearing a face mask, thermal screening, maintaining social distancing and sanitising hands mandatory to all fans for admission. For more stories click here: Kollywood l Malayalam l Bollywood l Telugu VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 5, 2021 / Black Tusk Resources Inc. ("Black Tusk" or the "Company) (CSE:TUSK)(OTC PINK:BTKRF)(FRA:0NB) is pleased to announce that the company has begun diamond drilling on its Lorrain Property located near Lorrainville in western Quebec. The Lorrain claims cover an ultramafic rock unit documented to host platinum group element (PGE) mineralization, as well as copper, nickel, silver and cobalt. In particular, historic drill hole LA-01-06 intercepted a 13.2 metre interval averaging 0.89 gpt combined platinum and palladium, 3 gpt silver, 0.59% copper and 0.6 % nickel (see Black Tusk news release dated March 8, 2021). Drill hole LA-01-06 was drilled into an elongate north-south trending peridotite-gabbro body. The mineralized intercept contains pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite ranging from 3 to 25 percent of the core, as logged in 2001. The reader is warned that historic drill results are yet to be verified by Black Tusk. The initial drilling by Black Tusk that is now underway is designed to verify results reported from the 2001 drill hole LA-01-06 and to sample mineralization for the full suite of PGE elements (platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), iridium (Ir), osmium (Os), rhodium (Rh) and ruthenium (Ru)), as well as the other metals of interest (Cu, Ni, Co, Ag). The magnetic high feature associated with the host rock offers several kilometres of potential targets for step out drilling to further test and expand upon the mineralized zone. Furthermore to the Lorrainville drill program, Black Tusk recently completed 8 holes, totalling 2584 metres of drilling at their 100% owned McKenzie East gold project, located in Val-d'Or, Quebec. Black Tusk drill core samples have been sent to ALS laboratory in Val-d'Or and the company expects to receive all assays back in the coming weeks. In addition to the ongoing Black Tusk drill programs in the Quebec Abitibi greenstone belt, the company is pleased to welcome Siarhei Kadach and Vladimir Morgunov to the TUSK Board of Directors. "Mr. Kadach and Mr. Morgunov bring a wealth of international business and mining experience to Black Tusk and we look forward to having them on the team' stated Richard Penn, Black Tusk CEO. Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions as of that date. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to exploration and development; the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing; the Company's limited operating history; the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations; fluctuations in the prices of commodities; operating hazards and risks; competition and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Prospectus dated September 8, 2017 available on www.sedar.com. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions, and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. On behalf of the Board of Directors Richard Penn CEO (778) 384-8923 Lorrain claims overlying regional geology, with drill hole locations and mineral showing indicated. Lorrain claims overlying elongate regional magnetic high, with drill hole locations and mineral showing indicated. SOURCE: Black Tusk Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/638963/Black-Tusk-Begins-Diamond-Drilling-on-Lorrain-PGE-Property-Abitibi-Quebec The Church of England's first black female bishop has criticised the conclusions of a government report on race and said Britain is not yet 'a model for other white-majority countries'. The Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, who became the Church of England's first black female bishop in 2019, voiced her concerns following the release of a 250-page report by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities last week. The landmark review, which was commissioned in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, concluded that the country is no longer a place 'where the system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities'. The report also said the 'success of much of the ethnic minority population' in education and the economy 'should be regarded as a model for other white-majority countries'. However Ms Hudson-Wilkin, the Bishop of Dover, said there were 'serious issues' with the report's findings and that Britain would become an example when there was diversity in all areas of leadership. The Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin criticised the conclusions of a 250-page report published by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities last week She told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'I think what concerned me most about that report was about this blanket thing that Britain can now be an example to other majority-white people. No, it is not an example. 'Is it getting some things right? Absolutely yes. 'But we will become an example when I walk into large establishments, or any establishments, for that matter, and I don't see black people only sweeping the floors, doing the cleaning and the catering. 'I will know when I see black people sitting around every table up and down this land. 'When I see black people in leadership in all walks of life, then we will be able to say - and I will happily say that Britain can become a model country. 'We are not there yet so please let's not kid ourselves. 'Do we have issues in relation to families, absolutely. This is right across the border and I've always said every time the government creates a law that they ought to have a department for the family. 'The building block of the community where they check everything through that. How does this law impact on family life? 'I think there are serious issues around that report if it is telling us we are now a model (country).' Ms Hudson-Wilkin also said tackling the subject of race required a 'multi-disciplinary approach' and that the Government could not use this report to 'wash its hands of this problem.' She told The Church Times: 'Do we have a problem concerning families? Yes, I believe we do, but this will not be fixed by simply blaming the families it needs a multi-disciplinary approach. Ms Hudson-Wilkin said Britain will only become an example when there was diversity in all areas of leadership Demonstrators take part in a Black Lives Matter protest in Trafalgar Square, London, following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis 'This is way beyond ''Physician, heal thyself'';. I know we are in Holy Week, but the Government cannot ''do a Pilate'' and use this report to wash its hands of this problem.' The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities insisted racism is a 'real force' in Britain and must be tackled, while hailing progress over recent decades Last week, the report published by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities said racism is a 'real force' in Britain and must be tackled, while hailing the country's 'model' progress over recent decades. The review said geography, family influence, socio-economic background, culture and religion all impact life chances more than racism. The report - which was criticised as an 'insult', 'whitewash' and 'disgraceful sham' by Labour MPs - said in terms of overall numbers white boys from low income families were the most disadvantaged. It also hit out at the 'casual' use of the term 'institutional racism', saying there was little evidence to support the claims. The report also said the term 'racism' was often 'misapplied' to 'account for every observed disparity' - suggesting that firms should 'move away from' unconscious bias training. But it has since attracted criticism for being 'culturally deaf' and out of step with public opinion. Ms Hudson-Wilkin added: 'One of the dangers... when some of us have achieved and attained certain heights, whatever those heights may be, we run the danger of thinking it's all well. 'It is not and we should never mistake the fact that we have attained something to think that it is perfectly all right.' PricewaterhouseCoopers will give UK staff Friday afternoons off this summer and allow them to choose the amount of time they spend working from home as part of a post-pandemic shakeup of working patterns. The accountancy firm announced its hybrid working model would include a reduced working day at the end of the week during July and August, and anticipates most of its 22,000 staff will clock off at lunchtime after a more compact working week. The announcement comes as companies grapple to work out what post-pandemic working patterns will look like after workers who have spent months working remotely start returning to the office. PwC will allow its employees to choose the times they start and finish their working days, and expect their staff to spend between 40% to 60% of their time with their colleagues, either in offices or at client sites, it said in a statement Wednesday. We want to help enshrine new working patterns so they outlast the pandemic, said Kevin Ellis, chairman and senior partner at PwC. Without conscious planning now theres a risk we lose the best bits of these new ways of working when the economy opens up again. The firm will take a phased approach to introducing the new policies, after telling its employees in England and Wales this week that its offices are open for those who want to go. The new policies come after consultation with employees, and more details will be announced in the coming weeks, the statement said. New Policies PwC isnt alone among finance firms racing to adapt to new post-pandemic working norms. As the vaccination rollout in the U.K. picks up and the country takes the first steps on its roadmap out of lockdown, companies such as Deutsche Bank AG and Standard Life Aberdeen Plc are opting to give their staff the choice of spending more time working from home. IWG Plc, the worlds largest flexible office landlord, has also said that there has been a surge in large companies seeking more access to sites across its locations. Companies need to adapt their thinking and take a holistic approach to their future of work, said Allison English, deputy chief executive officer of workplace research firm Leesman. Not all companies have embraced such policies. David Solomon, chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., has called remote work an aberration that we are going to correct as quickly as possible. Photograph: The PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) building stands in Birmingham, UK, on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. Photo credit: Jason Alden, Bloomberg. Related: Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics COVID-19 Union Home Minister Amit Shah pays tribute to the 14 CRPF Personnel who lost their lives in Bijapur Naxal attack, in Jagdalpur, Monday, April 5, 2021. (PTI) Raipur/ New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the government is determined to take the ongoing fight against the unrest created by naxals to its logical conclusion. The minister, who is on a visit to Chhattisgarh, made the comment after paying tributes to the 22 security personnel who were killed by naxals in the state on Saturday. "Paid tributes to the brave security personnel who were martyred while fighting the naxalites at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh," he said in a tweet in Hindi. "The country will never forget your bravery and sacrifice. The whole country stands behind the bereaved families. We are determined to take the ongoing fight against the unrest created by the naxals to its logical conclusion," said Shah. The minister will chair a meeting at the Police Coordination Centre in Jagdalpur to review the security situation arising out of Saturday's incident and also meet some of the injured security personnel in hospitals, an official said. Thirty security personnel were injured in the ambush by naxals and were admitted to different hospitals in the state, officials had said on Sunday. After arriving in Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur town from Delhi, Shah paid his last respects at the Police Lines here, where the mortal remains of 14 personnel were kept in coffins draped with the national flag. Besides Shah, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and other dignitaries also laid wreaths on the coffins. This is Shah's first visit to the Bastar region of the state after assuming charge of Union home minister, an official said. The review meeting in Jagdalpur, will be attended by Chief Minister Baghel, senior officials of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), he said. Shah will then leave for the Basaguda camp of the CRPF in Bijapur in a chopper and will have an interaction and lunch with the CRPF and state police personnel there, he said. Security personnel were ambushed by naxals when they were out on a combing operation in a forest along the Bijapur and Sukma districts of the state. Out of the total 22 fatalities, the CRPF lost eight men, including seven commandos of the CoBRA battalion (CRPF's elite unit) and one jawan of the Bastariya battalion, eight of the other deceased were from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and six from the Special Task Force (STF). One CRPF inspector is still missing, officials said. The home minister on Sunday vowed to give a befitting response to the Naxals and said that the battle against the extremists will be won through joint efforts by the central and state governments. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A motorcyclist died Sunday evening in a crash in Grand Rapids, police said. Officers responded to a two-vehicle personal injury crash around 5:50 p.m. Sunday, April 4 in the 4100 block of Eastern Avenue SE. Police discovered the motorcyclist, a 55-year-old man, dead at the scene, said Sgt. John Wittkowski of the Grand Rapids Police Department in a statement issued Sunday night. An initial investigation has determined the man was headed north on Eastern Avenue SE when his motorcycle hit a passenger vehicle as it pulled out of a driveway, Wittkowski said. Speed is considered a factor in the crash, Wittkowski said. Eastern Avenue SE is temporarily closed to traffic while police investigate and clear the scene. No details were available on the status of any occupants of the passenger car. The Grand Rapids Police Departments Traffic and Forensic Services units responded to the scene of the crash, Wittkowski said. Read more from MLive: Racist graffiti found in stairwell at Albion College 3 women injured, 1 critically, in stabbing at Ann Arbor hotel Firefighters stop grass fire from spreading to homes in Van Buren County Woman killed in northern Michigan, suspect found dead after police chase Man dies after vehicle goes off road, hits culvert in Ottawa County Michigan man charged with 28 felony counts after allegedly shooting at police One dead after shooting in Walker Family alleges coverup in inmates death at Muskegon County Jail House where landlord allegedly killed couple burns again, firefighters say Patna: The students who appeared for the Bihar Board class 10th examination should know that the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB), Patna is expected to declare their BSEB 10th result 2021 on Monday afternoon at around 3 pm. Under the topper verification process, a total of 20 students with the highest marks are e called to the BSEB office, where they are interviewed by a panel of experts. Reports were that the Bihar Board class 10th Results 2021 would be delayed due to the Holi festival, but the BSEB official clarified that the matric results would be declared as per the scheduled date. The Bihar board official told a news portal, BSEB Chairman Anand Kishor had announced that the matric result will also be announced very soon and the students can expect it by April 7. There has been no delay in the process of result preparation. The matric results will be announced by April 7. The student should follow the steps given below to check their Bihar Board class 10th Result 2021. 1. First, they should visit Bihar Board's official website biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in 2. On the homepage, they should click on the Bihar Board result link 3. Now, enter your required credentials like roll number, roll code, and registration number 4. Once you click on Submit, your class 10th result will be displayed on your screen 5. Download your result and take a printout for future reference The students are advised to keep an eye on the BSEB's official social media handles also, as the first information about the result declaration may come there. Apart from biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in, the student can also login at other websites- bsebonline.in, and biharboardonline.com to check their Bihar Board 10th Result 2021. Chinese vessels anchored at Whitsun Reef, some 175 nautical miles west of the Philippine island province of Palawan in the South China Sea, March 27, 2021. The Philippines on Sunday claimed that the continued presence of Chinese vessels in Manilas maritime territory in the South China Sea revealed that Beijing plans to occupy more features in the disputed waterway. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzanas latest statement came after the Chinese Embassy in Manila a day earlier defended the presence of Chinese boats at the Whitsun Reef saying it was part of Chinas Nansha Islands Beijings name for the Spratly Islands. China should respect Philippine sovereignty over the Kalayaan Islands, and its sovereign rights over its Exclusive Economic Zone as defined by UNCLOS and affirmed by the arbitral award, Lorenzana said in a statement, referring to the Spratly Islands by its Philippine name, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Whitsun Reef is about 175 nautical miles off the Philippine island province of Palawan and within the countrys 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The continued presence of Chinese maritime militias in the area reveals their intent to further occupy features in the West Philippine Sea, Lorenzana said, referring to the South China Sea by its Philippine name. The Philippine defense secretary was citing a July 2016 U.N.-backed tribunals ruling that affirmed the Philippines sovereign rights in the waterway. China claims the Spratly Islands in addition to almost all of the South China Sea and rejects the tribunals ruling. The Philippines had said last month that 220 Chinese ships were seen moored at Whitsun Reef on March 7, and showed no actual fishing activities. Manila on March 22 lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing over the presence of the vessels. Lorenzana said that as of Saturday, 44 of those Chinese vessels were still near the reef and ought to leave. Beijings earlier explanation that the vessels were fishing boats sheltering in bad weather was not true, he claimed. I am no fool. The weather has been good so far, so they have no other reason to stay there. These vessels should be on their way out, Lorenzana said. "The Chinese Ambassador has a lot of explaining to do." Niu'e Jiao part of China's Nansha Islands The Philippine defense secretarys statement was part of an escalating war of words between him and the Chinese Embassy in Manila over the weekend. The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Saturday denounced Lorenzanas demand from earlier in the day that the Chinese vessels must leave our sovereign territories. It also called Lorenzanas Saturday statement perplexing. The Niu'e Jiao is part of China's Nansha Islands. The waters around Niue Jiao have been a traditional fishing ground for Chinese fishermen for many years, the Chinese Embassys statement on Saturday said. Niue Jiao is the Chinese name for the Whitsun Reef. The Chinese fishermen have been fishing in the waters for their livelihood every year. It is completely normal for Chinese fishing vessels to fish in the waters and take shelter near the reef during rough sea conditions. Nobody has the right to make wanton remarks on such activities. But Lorenzana said on Sunday that he didnt buy that explanation and that China had used similar tactics to occupy Scarborough Shoal and Mischief Reef, which the Philippine calls Panatag Shoal and Panganiban Reef, respectively. They have done this before at Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc and at Panganiban Reef brazenly violating Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights under international law, Lorenzana said. In 2012, the Chinese seized Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground within the 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines in the South China Sea, after a two-month standoff with the Philippine Navy Mischief Reef is one of several submerged natural features in the disputed waterway, which China has reclaimed and transformed into military installations. Summon the Chinese ambassador Renato Reyes, secretary general of Bayan, or the New Patriotic Alliance, a grouping of left leaning organizations in the Philippines, said Manila needs to get an explanation from the Chinese ambassador. Malacanang should summon the Chinese ambassador and ask him to explain his recent statements that insult the Philippines ... and disregards our sovereign rights in our EEZ, Reyes said in a statement, referring to the presidential palace in Manila. If he does not change the statements made, he should be expelled from the country. Chinas overweening arrogance is an affront to our nation. It has illegally annexed Juan Felipe Reef, claiming it as part of Chinas territory and effectively disregarding our EEZ. According to Reyes, President Rodrigo Dutertes actions in the past few years and Manilas dependence on COVID-19 vaccines from China had placed Philippines EEZ in a precarious position. Duterte is perceived to have been soft on Chinas intrusions in Philippine territorial waters in the South China Sea since he assumed office in 2016. After years of soft-pedaling on the issue, Duterte in September declared that the 2016 international arbitration courts ruling in favor of the Philippines claims in the South China Sea were beyond compromise. A Philippine defense historian and analyst said the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic would also hamper Manilas response to the Chinese ships. Even though the Philippines is mounting a more aggressive response, complete with protests and sorties and patrols, the dire economic situation of the country may make it difficult for the Manila to sustain such operations, Jose Antonio Custodio, of the Institute of Policy, Strategy and Development Studies, told BenarNews on Saturday. Thus, the Chinese expect that once the Philippine activities peter out against them, they will just tighten their hold on the area. Given the pro-Beijing posture of Duterte, he may consider these initial actions as face saving. Custodio said the Chinese vessels' presence at Whitsun Reef is characteristic of Chinas grey zone tactics through its maritime militia to enforce Beijing's outrageous and illegal claims on the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea. The analyst was referring to China escalating its military build-up in the disputed waterway, by deploying ships and aircraft to the region. Six other Asian governments Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have territorial claims or maritime boundaries in the South China Sea. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesias EEZ. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 05th Apr, 2021) Mustafa Al Kadhimi, Prime Minister of Iraq, has said that the UAE is a land of success, expressing his appreciation for its honourable stances towards Iraq and its people. Al Kadhimi noted that the UAE has stood with Iraqi people in their war against Daesh, and participated in the reconstruction of Iraq, praising its pioneering initiatives to rebuild the historic Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul. The Iraqi Prime Minister made the comments during his recent visit to the UAE, telling the Emirates news Agency (WAM), "I am happy to be in my second country, the Emirates, with which we share so much." Al Kadhimi went on to praise the stances of the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, towards Iraq, and his keenness to preserve the security, stability and prosperity of its people. He also stressed the depth and importance of Iraqi-Emirati relations, expressing his aspiration to further build on to serve the peoples of the two countries and the region. The Prime Minister noted that the successes achieved by the UAE in various fields make every Arab nation proud to link with, stressing his country's eagerness to enhance economic and investment relations and develop opportunities for cooperation in many fields. "The UAE stances towards Iraq have been honourable," he said, noting that in the war against Daesh, the UAE stood with the Iraqis and was keen to assist them and participate in the reconstruction process. In this regard, Al Kadhimi praised the UAE's pioneering initiative to rebuild and restore the al-Nuri Mosque and its Al Hadba Minaret in the city of Mosul, saying that this historic mosque, is firmly rooted in the conscience of every Iraqi and Arab. "We all suffered after its destruction at the hands of terrorist groups, and the outstanding efforts of the UAE with this will lead to its revival," he stated. On the joint cooperation in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, the Iraqi premier said, "I renew my thanks and appreciation to the UAE for supporting Iraq during the pandemic, providing it with various medical aids and vaccines. "We will not forget the noble humanitarianism of the UAE when it rushed to support Iraq as soon as the world was affected by this pandemic," he added, noting that the cooperation between the two countries in confronting the pandemic also includes coordination, exchanges of scientific and research experiences, as well as cooperation in developing a vaccine. The Arab official congratulated the leadership, government and people of the UAE as the country approaches its Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary of the nation). He said, "The UAE is the home of success, and we are proud of all its achievements over five decades, as well as its pioneering initiatives across various domains." He explained, "Iraq is keen to benefit from the successful experiences of the UAE - which is a prominent model for development and urbanisation. We pay tribute to the UAE for all its achievements, and we look forward to benefiting from its experiences." Speaking about the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church to Iraq, the Iraqi prime minister said that everyone in the region is searching for stability and peace; and that the Pope's visit was an important message to emphasise the importance of tolerance, coexistence and acceptance of others. "The region has suffered greatly, and the time has come for this to be part of the past, and we must look to the future and work to enhance coexistence and belief in the values of pluralism, regardless of our cultural or national differences," he said. Al Kadhimi expressed his happiness to visit the UAE and his thanks and appreciation for the warm reception during his visit, stressing that Iraq is keen to strengthen its relationship with the Arab world. The UAE recently announced a US$3 billion investment in Iraq that will fund an initiative to strengthen economic and investment relations, create new opportunities for cooperation, and advance economic, social and development growth in support of the Iraqi people. There was a time last year when the guardians of Edehzhie would head out on the land in the Northwest Territories and worry what their communities might look like when they returned. Guardians of the Edehzhie protected area in the Northwest Territories are trained in the use of wildlife cameras as seen in this handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Indigenous Leadership Initiative MANDATORY CREDIT There was a time last year when the guardians of Edehzhie would head out on the land in the Northwest Territories and worry what their communities might look like when they returned. That was when COVID-19 started to sweep across Canada, threatening the country's northern communities, including those around the protected area known as Edehzhie in the Dehcho region of the N.W.T. Established in 2018 between the Dehcho First Nations and the federal government, Edehzhie is the country's first Indigenous Protected Area. It covers more than 14,000 square kilometres of land more than twice the size of Banff National Park. Edehzhie is known as the "breadbasket" of the Dehcho region, because of its abundance of wildlife, plants and fresh water. As part of the agreement between the Dehcho and Canada, eight people were hired as guardians to monitor activities on the land. They are from the four surrounding communities of Fort Providence, Jean Marie River, Fort Simpson and Wrigley. "They're essentially our eyes and ears on the ground," said Ashley Menicoche, one of four Edehzhie community co-ordinators, from her home in Fort Simpson. As in the rest of the country, the pandemic caused much of the N.W.T. to lock down and strict public-health measures were put in place. "We were thinking, because you have to be six feet apart, how are you going to do that when youre sharing a tent and its -30 C?" Menicoche said. The guardians learned to adapt. They stayed connected through satellite phones and other satellite devices while out on the land. Dahti Tsetso, deputy director of the national Indigenous Leadership Initiative, is also the former director of lands and resources for the First Nations. She said she and a guardian would have Zoom meetings from her back deck in Fort Simpson. "Theres hundreds of kilometres between us and yet, through Zoom, were all able to connect. Funnily enough, because of the pandemic, the ability to create a strong sense of community between everyone was sort of forged through video conferencing," Tsetso said. The pandemic also meant Menicoche and her team developed more outdoor, land-based programs with the guardians and surrounding communities. "We built this foundation during COVID and we're still able to do things out on the land while the rest of the world was on lockdown," Menicoche said. "I was out in the bush last weekend and I just lay some tobacco down and thanked the Creator that were still able do this." University researchers based in southern Canada who couldn't travel to the N.W.T. because of isolation requirements also turned to the guardians for help. The team collected water samples for researchers and set up 80 wildlife cameras in Edehzhie. The guardians program also pairs local youth with each guardian, something Menicoche said ensures traditional knowledge is passed on to the next generation. "Theres a lot of knowledge out there that needs to be shared before our elders pass on. And with this program, the youth come to me and tell me how much they've learned." Menicoche said some of the guardians overcame addictions during the pandemic while spending time on the land. "To see them work together and overcome their addictions and their challenges out there in Edehzhie was amazing ... these guys have built a relationship together that is phenomenal. This job has made then come together as one," Menicoche said through tears. "The transformative impact of these programs on our communities and on Canada is really important. And I think its really important that Canadians know this story," Tsetso said. After seeing how successful the guardians program could be during a pandemic, Menicoche and Tsetso want to see the program grow for future generations. "If we can get more guardians and more elders to work together, we can make this last a lifetime. We can do some powerful stuff. We can get more guardians to be our protectors of our land and our water," Menicoche said. "It makes me really emotional to try and project how much more meaningful it will become, especially because I have little kids. I really want that for my kids, for other peoples kids," Tsetso said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2021. This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship Shares of hit a fresh record high of Rs 1,425 after rising nearly 3 per cent on the BSE in intra-day trade on Monday, which propelled the company's market capitalisation (market-cap) beyond Rs 6 trillion mark. The stock surpassed its previous high of Rs 1,406.25, touched on March 16, 2021. At 10:01 am, was trading 2 per cent higher at Rs 1,411.80, with a market-cap of Rs 6.01 trillion, the BSE data shows. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 2 per cent or 1,030 points at 48,999. In the past two months, has outperformed the market by surging 12 per cent, against 3 per cent decline in the benchmark index. Infosys, last month, informed the stock exchanges that a meeting of the board of directors of the company will be held on April 13 & 14, 2021, to approval and take on record the audited consolidated financial results of the Company and its subsidiaries for the quarter and year ending March 31, 2021 (Q4FY21). Acceleration in digital technologies, improved demand post Covid-19, ramp up of previous deal wins and migration to cloud are driving revenues of IT companies. Hence, analysts expect IT companies to report healthy Q4FY21E revenues. We believe improved traction in BFSI, retail, manufacturing, hi tech and life-science will drive revenues in the quarter. This, coupled with cross currency tailwind, will further boost revenue growth in the quarter. Further, IT companies are also seeing a demand tailwind in terms of cost takeout by clients (led by higher offshoring & automation), vendor consolidation opportunities, lift & shift deals and traction in small & medium deals, which could further propel demand in coming quarters, ICICI Securities said in IT sector result preview. The brokerage firm expects Infosys to report 4.5 per cent quarter on quarter (QoQ) increase in revenues in constant currency terms mainly led by traction in cloud migration, ramp up of deal wins and Vanguard deal. The company is also witnessing a healthy deal pipeline led by lift & shift deals, acceleration in digital technologies and cost take out deals. With cross currency tailwind, we expect dollar revenues to increase 5.3 per cent QoQ. However, we expect margins to decline 132 bps QoQ due to wage hikes, higher travel & facility cost partially offset by automation and offshoring. The profit after tax (PAT) is expected to increase 22 per cent year on year (YoY) due to low base and savings in travel & facility cost, it said. The brokerage firm Nomura expects Infosys to report 3.2 per cent QoQ constant currency (CC) and 3.8 per cent QoQ USD growth in Q4 led by the ramp-up in deals won in Q3 (highest-ever TCV of USD7.13 billion with around 73 per cent net-new) and continued momentum across verticals (excluding Energy where the outlook remains weak). We expect sequential EBIT margin dip of 130bps led by full-quarter impact of wage hikes (typically ~150bps impact) and rising attrition levels. Deal win momentum is likely to be tepid after strong Q3 and lower than usual deal announcements. The brokerage firm expects Infosys to guide for USD revenue growth of 12-14 per cent and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins of 22-24 per cent for FY22F (we build in USD revenue growth of 16 per cent and EBIT margins of 23.4 per cent for FY22F), it said. GREENWICH Big changes are coming to Chabad Lubavitch of Greenwich, as the cultural, religious and educational organization plans for a major relocation from central Greenwich to a historic property on Lake Avenue. The organization, which runs preschool programs for youngsters and adult learning classes as well as Jewish religious services, is selling its two buildings on Mason Street and Lincoln Avenue. It will be moving its operations to the campus of the former Carmel Academy at 270 Lake Ave. An independent Jewish day school, Carmel Academy closed its doors a year ago at the end of the school year. Many of its students transferred to the Leffell School in Westchester County, N.Y., which is dedicated to Jewish religious education. Rabbi Rabbi Yossi Deren of Chabad Greenwich said the relocation was a positive step for the organization and the larger community. This is a good thing for the community, Deren said. Chabad is a community organization; were here to serve the families and individuals of the beautiful community of Greenwich. To have this kind of facility allows us to provide better services, and thats what its all about. Chabad has used the Carmel site for Camp Gan, a summer camp, since 2000, and it has transferred its preschool operations to the site already. The school has about 54 youngsters currently enrolled, including a kindergarten class. The Japanese School of New York also operates at the Lake Avenue site and will continue to do so, Deren said. The price of the Carmel site is set at $20 million, and a fundraising program will commence to raise funds. The proceeds of the sale of the two properties downtown will go toward the acquisition of the Lake Avenue property, he said. The organizations Mason Street site has been listed for sale at $3.6 million, and an adjacent property on Lincoln Avenue is listed for $2.5 million, according to the organization. When Carmel Academy announced its closure a year ago, Head of School Nora Anderson said in a statement: Given the current realities of finances and enrollment, we believe that the very best way to ensure a continued, top-quality educational experience for our students is to seek the expanded opportunities and economic efficiencies that come with joining a larger, mission-aligned institution. Carmel Academy, previously known as Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy, was founded in 1998 in Port Chester, N.Y. It moved to Temple Sholom two years after its founding and remained there until 2006, when the school purchased the 17-acre campus on Lake Avenue. Deren said the site has a long heritage, and his organization was very mindful of that. The campus was once the home of Rosemary Hall, an all-girls private school that operated in Greenwich from the early 1900s until 1971, when it merged with a boys school to become Choate-Rosemary Hall in Wallingford. Were going to be mindful of two very important factors: maintaining the tranquility of the neighborhood. And respecting the historic nature of this gem of property. Chabad sees itself as a stewards of this land and its buildings, Deren said. Chabad had earlier sought to move into the historic Greenwich Armory on Mason Street in 2019, but those plans failed to advance amid concerns about parking and conditions imposed by the towns Planning and Zoning. Commission. In early 2019, Chabad Lubavitch of Greenwich received the approval to build a new synagogue and preschool at 226 and 230 Mason St. as well as at 16 Havemeyer Place. But it also required Chabad to reduce the size of the new building and preserve the entire structure of the historic Greenwich Armory, instead of part of it as was proposed. Originally, the organization had proposed a 20,913-square-foot building. But with the conditions, it could have built only a 14,000-square-foot building so it abandoned those plans. COEYMANS Sara Pruiksma grabbed the gray package from her husband on a fall 2019 morning and noticed a pungent smell. She had spent much of her time trying to help Democratic candidates get elected to local office in Coeymans that election cycle. She had been vocal in her advocacy for new leadership. But as she opened the package, she got a sense of the towns dirty, political strife: A clear plastic bag filled with feces was inside her mail. You have been pooped on, a label on the bag read. Police were called, but they never pinpointed a suspect. For Pruiksma, and the other Democratic candidates who also received a feces-filled package at the time, the message was clear. Opponents of the Democratic candidates, Pruiksma said, were trying to mess with them. It was really awful. It felt very threatening, Pruiksma said. Its completely unacceptable. Now, Pruiksma, an artist, has decided to take an even more public stance by running for town board. Joining her are two other Democrats. Cindy Rowzee, the towns clerk, is challenging Town Supervisor George McHugh for his position, which he won in 2019. Yvonne Shackelton, a data analyst, is vying for town council. Together, the women who are marketing themselves as the A-Team, a nod to their administrator, artist and analyst jobs are aiming to flip a local government that is controlled by Republicans. The candidates say they want to bring transparency to their town and rebuke the insular approach to government that they say was especially evident last year, when the town passed more local laws than usual during a pandemic, which made giving and receiving feedback more difficult. And the women say the recent homophobic comments from Albany County Legislator George Langdon IV, who was formerly a Coeymans Town Board member, is an example of the repugnant attitude that has plagued Coeymans politics for years. The town is 15 miles away from Albany, but mostly rural - now a contentious dichotomy between those who moved to Coeymans for its pastoral setting and historic homes near the Hudson River, and those who grew up when the LaFarge Cement plant on Route 9W was king and want to continue to see industrial development flourish. McHugh could not be reached for comment on this story after several attempts by phone and email. All of the towns board members, Daniel Baker, Linda Bruno, Zachary Collins and Brandon LeFevre, also could not be reached for comment. Bruno, the only woman on the board, and Baker are up for re-election this year. Following calls for his resignation, Langdon apologized in a statement last week, saying that he has never been homophobic, and that he deeply regrets the foolish off-the-cuff comment that has caused so much pain. The current Coeymans Town Board put out a statement Wednesday that said they were "unfamiliar with the context" of Langdon's comments or of the event he attended. "However, all of us have many close friends, some lifelong, as well as family members within the LGBTQIA community, and if they or anyone else felt insulted by Legislator Langdons remarks, then we would hope he would publicly apologize for his comments and clarify any remarks or opinions he may have shared that were offensive," the board wrote. "Albany County Legislator Langdons opinions and comments certainly do not reflect the beliefs or opinions of the Coeymans Town Board. Albany County Legislature Chairman Andrew Joyce, a Democrat, said at a rally Friday that the legislature will vote on articles of censure against Langdon, the first time it's been done in the body's 52-year history, at its April 12 meeting. The censure is the largest rebuke the legislature can do; it cannot remove an elected member. The three Democratic candidates said they didnt believe the towns statement went far enough to support the LGBTQ community or to admonish what Langdon said. I am deeply disturbed by (Langdons) comments, Pruiksma said. Its cruel and completely unjust. One of the ways Rowzee wants to bring transparency to Coeymans is by instituting financial disclosure statements for elected officials. We want to bring a change to Coeymans, Rowzee said. We want to bring back that hometown feel. And bringing back that hometown feel, she said, means running a scandal-free local government. Former Town Supervisor Stephen Flach, who hosted the seminar where Langdon made the homophobic comments, gave himself a $15,000 raise while in office. He narrowly lost the next election cycle to Democrat Philip Crandall after suspicions arose about Flach being too favorable to the Port of Coeymans and its owner, Carver Laraway. The town police chief investigated Flach for allegedly releasing information that allowed Laraway to win a town bid on a house, but Flach was never charged. And Crandall, who was in office after Flach, faced controversy himself in 2014 when he faced disciplinary charges for intervening in three cases involving his relatives and elected officials. Crandall resigned his judgeship, but he denied the allegations. As McHugh took over as town supervisor, he too faced questions of being too tied up with the port, given that he was a former general counsel for Carver Companies. He was also a real estate agent who represented a Carver warehouse at another port location in South Carolina. As the three Democratic challengers wait to see if voters give them an opportunity to govern, Pruiksma said she will have zero tolerance for the kind of harassment she experienced a couple of years ago. If anybody is starting that kind of stuff, or does that kind of stuff, it's not going to be met with any kind of relaxed opinions, she said. Boy, do we have news for you: our favorite Queens-bred bridal shop employee turned childcare provider is finally coming back into our lives. Thats right, after a long, long wait (its been 22 years since the show went off the air), all six seasons of The Nanny are now streaming on HBO Max. I dont know about you, but Ive been anticipating this moment for years, maybe decades?! At least since I first got a Netflix membership in the early 2010s. And now its here, and right in the middle of Passover, too some television mana from heaven for us Jews. If youve never watched The Nanny before (is that even possible?!), the show stars Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a nasal-voiced, impossibly fashionable, very-much-loveable, and yes, incredibly, loudly Jewish bridal consultant from Flushing, Queens. After Fine gets fired from her job by her ex-boyfriend, who runs the bridal shop, she accidentally lands a gig nanny-ing for the three kids of Maxwell Sheffield, a handsome British widower, and Broadway producer. ADVERTISEMENT The show aired between 1993 and 1999, and, aside from being a widely adored hit internationally (including in my home country of Israel), it was also groundbreaking when it came to Jewish representation, in many small and big ways. The show was Dreschers brainchild, along with her then-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson. It was based on Dreschers own life experiences in Queens, and many of the characters were named after relatives and friends including Fines parents, Morty and Sylvia. Drescher absolutely insisted that her character had to be Jewish, despite pushback from studio execs. Drescher recounted that entire story on LA Magazines The Originals podcast: When we got green-lighted to write the pilot for The Nanny, I guess the network was already talking to major sponsors like Procter & Gamble, who said, It sounds great well buy the show outright. But the nanny has to be Italian, not Jewish, Drescher told host Andrew Goldman. But Dresser said she knew that this character needs to be written very close to me and all the rich and wonderful characters that I grew up with. Peter and I have a brand of comedy thats rich in specificity, and not only couldnt we have written it that way if the character were Italian but I couldnt have performed it that way, she explained. So we kind of mustered up our chutzpah and said, No, Fran Fine must be Jewish. The Nanny wound up being the first sitcom centering a single Jewish woman, and one who, while not too religiously observant, isnt coy about her Jewishness at all. Other actresses have straightened their hair, or tried to conceal their accents, or even changed their names. Fran Drescher did none of those things, in fact, she made a living from embracing and even accentuating them. Fran Fine was larger than life, from her big curls to her Yiddishisms, to her undying love for Barbra Streisand, to her outfits each one a technicolor masterpiece (to this day, there is nothing I want more than to own all of Fran Dreschers outfits). Did some people call her a Jewish caricature? Sure. But for many young Jewish girls like myself, Fine was something to aspire to confident, colorful, and authentic. She felt cut from the same cloth as so many of the Israeli women I grew up with (well, minus the Queens accent). She was real and endearing because her character was so true to Dreschers own essence. Drescher also surrounded Fine with other amazing Jewish characters, often played by wonderful Jewish actresses. From the delightful Renee Taylor who played her mom, Sylvia Fine, to future GLOW star Jackie Tohn, who played Fines cousin in a guest episode. Dreschers own parents, Morty and Sylvia (Drescher, not Fine!) also made their appearances in the show, as extras and relatives. Then of course there was Yetta, Fines grandmother, all purple big hair and huge spectacles, who was played by Ann Morgan Guilbert, who is forever an icon. Watching the show today, after many years of nostalgic reminiscing, Im pleasantly surprised at how well it holds up. The characters are still just as delightful and familiar and even the Jewish jokes still land. Its hard to say which episodes of The Nanny are the most Jewish the show rarely ever goes a full five minutes without some Jewish quip! But some highlights include a bris-centered episode called The Unkindest Cut, The Kibbutz, in which Fine reminisces about her time in Israel, and The Hanukkah Story, in which Fine remembers the Hanukkahs of her youth in anticipation of her first Hanukkah with Mr. Sheffield. Then, of course, there are a host of incredible Jewish guests. Fine has many suitors in the show played by Jewish actors, from Richard Kind, to Jason Alexander, to even Jon Stewart. And many incredible Jewish legends star in the show as themselves, from puppeteer extraordinaire, Shari Lewis, to the legendary Elizabeth Taylor and Bette Midler. So yes, while were still hoping for a Nanny reboot starring Cardi B, and while were still anticipating the premiere of The Nanny musical on Broadway (by showrunner Rachel Bloom, no less!), this return of the flashy girl from Flushing sounds like exactly what the doctor prescribed! Your kind is the kind of political leadership we want as a nation. Leadership that recognizes that respect for people irrespective of faith, religion or ethnicity in a manner that fosters national cohesion is what we desire and deserve as a people. There is light ahead of you and only God can put that light off. No man and I mean no man can dim your light. These were the words of Rt. Rev. Dr. Daniel S.M Torto, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Accra, when the Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, joined members of the Anglican faith in Easter worship on Sunday, April 4, 2021. Noting that Ghana is a collection of persons from different tribes and religious persuasions, Rt. Rev.Torto indicated that Vice President Bawumias continuous engagement with the Christian community despite being a Muslim, as well as members of all other tribes and faiths marked him out as a leader worth supporting and emulating. Good leadership is not about what faith one belongs to. It is not about whether one belongs to a minority tribe, ethnicity or faith. In fact, for us as Christians, the best gift God gave us did not come from a majority tribe or ethnic group. Neither did it come from the rich family. Otherwise, the Virgin Mary would not have been the one to give birth to Jesus. Mary and Joseph also came from minority and non-recognizable tribes and families and yet they gave birth to the saviour. Today, we are privileged to have in our midst the Vice President of the Republic, H.E Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. Even more refreshing and noteworthy is the fact that he is a Muslim but chose to worship with us on the day of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I take pride to say that such a unique leader who believes in religious tolerance and acceptance is the number two gentleman of my country. Mr Vice President, I do not intend to flatter you but I just say the whole world, the entirety of Ghana and the Christian community has taken a keen interest in your humility, respect for people and the diligence with which you approach your work. Your kind is the kind of political leadership we want as a nation. Leadership that recognizes that respect for people irrespective of faith, religion or ethnicity in a manner that fosters national cohesion is what we desire and deserve as a people. I know God brought you from your humble beginning to this point for a purpose. Be assured that his purpose for you in life on this earth is not yet done. Therefore do not be perturbed by the sayings of those who can only talk doom for your future. There is light ahead of you and only God and put that light off. No man and I mean no man can dim your light. We will continue to keep you in prayers and the Lord Jesus for whose resurrection you are celebrating with us today shall surely come to your rescue at the right time. Source: Graphiconline.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 American education: Child indoctrination, struggle sessions and debt slavery By Sam Jacobs Seemingly overnight, a large segment of America has gone insane. Were not talking about the culture of paranoia and safety that has metastasized in the wake of COVID-19 hysteria . Were talking about the ideological shift, particularly on cultural issues, that has occurred since the start of the Obama Administration. To pick an easy example, it would have been fairly uncontroversial even five years ago to say that men should not be allowed to compete in womens sports, regardless of what they might subjectively identify as. And yet, this is now a subject contention across a number of sports, including mixed martial arts and powerlifting. Whats more, having the wrong opinion and expressing it publicly might make you the subject of a public shaming, up to and including losing your job and being de facto blacklisted from your industry. The point isnt to litigate the specific topic of trans identified men competing in womens sports. We use this only as one example of a broader cultural shift. Another, far more troubling development, is how quickly a significant and powerful minority of Americans grew to believe that America is a fundamentally racist country and that white Americans are somehow uniquely evil by virtue of their birth. Both of the above are extreme viewpoints and would have been recognized as such even five years ago. Now, one can have ones name blackened for taking the wrong viewpoint. But this change did not come out of nowhere. In fact, its the product of decades of indoctrination of generations of Americans through what is called education. We use scare quotes here, because there is little evidence that American schools educate their students anymore if, by education, we mean imparting knowledge rather than ideology. This isnt simply something to handwave away as those crazy kids on college campuses and their left-wing professors. Generations of far-left indoctrination have created a critical mass of Americans openly hostile toward American values and the very notion of liberty itself. If one is looking for an explanation for how we got to this point, a deep and critical view of education from kindergarten through post-graduate is in order. The punchline? Youre paying for it in the form of Americas student loan program, which is little more than a massive welfare program for universities with multi-billion dollar endowments. What Do We Mean When We Say Indoctrination? When discussing any subject, its important to define terms. So when we say indoctrination, what is it that were talking about? What do we mean by that? We mean it in the ordinary sense of being taught to think in terms of a specific ideology, rather than being taught how to think critically. Whats more, it is worth looking at the ideological bedrock on which the indoctrination exists. Not only are students not taught to think critically, but the first premises of the ideology they are indoctrinated in are rooted in hostility toward Western civilization . We have written about this with regard to the Frankfurt School in another article, which explores the ideological underpinnings of Americas indoctrination of youth. The short version is that American youth, since at least the 1960s, with significant acceleration in the 1980s, have been indoctrinated with hostility toward Western civilization in general, with the obvious corollaries of hostility toward whites, the nuclear family , Christianity, private property and men. Perhaps most troubling is the view that Western civilization and the aforementioned categories are uniquely evil and responsible for the lions share if not all of the worlds evil. This indoctrination has active elements, but primarily relies upon passive elements to do its heavy lifting. While one might immediately balk at a narrative being forced onto them, one is much less likely to resist the imposition of a narrative delivered passively, in the background, as if it werent a narrative at all, but simply a basic truth that is beyond questioning. This is precisely how the leftist worldview is presented to children as young as five ; not merely actively pushing the narrative that the world prior to 1965 or 2015 was a hellscape of white, cisheteronormative patriarchal oppression and exploitation, but using this narrative as the background that permeates all other truths. One example of how this works in practice is an AP history curriculum that relentlessly mentions race . But it is how race is mentioned that is the key takeaway. Rather than a balanced, nuanced and exploratory discussion of Americas complicated racial history, the curriculum simply notes when there are too many white men in a presidents cabinet, presenting it as a given that there are a certain threshold of minority members to be met so that the cabinet would not be considered racist. There is also the reductive nature of indoctrination. That is to say, concealing truths that contradict the narrative being pushed. Children are not taught certain things, or they are simply not mentioned, such as the fact that the United States didnt invent slavery, but it did fight one of the bloodiest wars in human history to end it. These lies by omission are, much like the passive narrative, arguably a much more potent means of indoctrinating children than beating them over the head with modified slogans presented as knowledge. We will get into the specifics of how this indoctrination works as we move through this article. However, what we mean by indoctrination is a substitution of ideological conformity training for critical thinking skills, with a basis in the Western tradition. School Indoctrination Examples As we dive into specific examples of how schools indoctrinate, keep in mind that indoctrination is not limited to these ideologies. Critical Pedagogy: The Ideology of Indoctrination This indoctrination is not occurring by accident. It is a concerted agenda of the far left under the rubric of what is known as critical pedagogy. One should immediately take pause whenever something includes the word critical. The urtext of critical pedagogy is Pedagogy of the Oppressed , a book by Brazilian Marxist educator Paulo Freire. Critical pedagogy believes that the purpose of education is not to educate, but to help students question and challenge domination, and the beliefs and practices that dominate. These are, of course, leftist code words for indoctrinating children into a radical left-wing world view. Far from a marginal ideology, it is the prevailing educational philosophy of the 21st century. If youre looking for a clearinghouse of articles about how it works from the perspective of educational proponents, you need look no further than a teachers union magazine the articles are almost universally dripping with critical pedagogy. We strongly urge you to head down to the library and pick up a physical copy of an issue. It will be very eye opening. In the following text, we will explore what critical pedagogy looks like in practice. But also the various specific iterations it takes, such as critical race theory and gender ideology. We believe this will shed a great deal of light on how children are being indoctrinated in the public schools. Indoctrination Starts Early: Critical Race Theory for Kindergarteners One of the biggest misconceptions about the indoctrination of youth is that it begins in college. There is an often touted statistic about how few college students change their opinions and world view over the course of a four-year liberal arts education. This ignores just how early the indoctrination of youth in America and the Western world begins. If we told you that kindergarteners were being educated in critical race theory and gender ideology, you would probably think that we were making it up, but this is, in fact, happening as we speak and has gone on for years. Indeed, the primary and secondary education systems largely get a pass when the subject of far-left campus hijinks is brought up. But this is 13 years of training where children are systematically prepared for the further indoctrination that takes place once they get to higher education. Theres a good chance that youve never heard of the Racial Literacy Curriculum from the oddly named company Pollyanna. Before launching into our own opinions on the curriculum, it is worth noting what the company has to say about itself. Racial Literacy Curriculum aims to help students acquire an awareness of their own racial socialization and skills for engaging in productive conversations about race and racism. Anyone who has been paying attention knows that these are essentially code words for anti-white racism and white racial self-loathing. The curriculum begins in kindergarten with a unit titled The Physical World Around Us A Celebration of Skin Colors and trains children as young as five to begin noticing race. First graders begin indoctrination about the importance of social awareness and empathy. By third grade, the curriculum becomes much more explicit in its aims. The third-grade unit is titled Stories of Activism How One Voice Can Change a Community (and Bridge the World). This is also the age where children are introduced to slavery. [S]tudents will understand and analyze the power of an action and/or voice and how we can be agents of communal, social, political, and environmental change. It goes without saying that there is a very specific notion of what kind of change is called for. Fourth graders will learn about the largely discredited theory that it was the availability of certain resources that provided some cultures with an advantage over others. The goal here is for students to be able to analyze history and other social assertions that fabricate myths of racial superiority, including the ability to critique and dispel Eurocentric perspectives[.] Curriculum for fifth and sixth graders is little more than extended denunciation of American history as one of genocide, enslavement and exploitation. Two of the questions asked of fifth graders are Why do Eurocentric perspectives dominate the historical narrative of immigration? and [W]hat were the forms of resistance and various contributions made by those who lived in the U.S.? Sixth graders will be taught that American society is a society thats plagued with violence and efforts of dehumanization. Seventh grade curriculum is called What is race? and the answer is basically coterminous with the critical race theory and cultural Marxist definitions of race. This prepares students for their eighth-grade unit, which is the apotheosis of the entire project: Racism as a Primary Institution of the U.S. How We May Combat Systemic Inequality. Here, students will upack [sic] sophisticated ideas like white privilege and white supremacy. The stated goal of this unit and thus, the entire project is that students will set commitments for rectifying current social ills, such as learning and planning how to carry out anti-racist activism and/or social advocacy in their communities and/or to improve their everyday lives. Not only is this a troubling left-wing agenda being delivered to your children on your dime, its also worth asking what any of this has to do with education. The above is little more than an age-appropriate (so-called) version of radical critical race theory. It is not education, it is propaganda. Elementary schools in Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, California, Rhode Island, Missouri, and Illinois have begun indoctrinating children in this. But more than simply stupid or crazy, this is an incredibly troubling curriculum. What, after all, will the world look like when the lions share of Americas educated people have been force-fed the narrative that whites are the source of the worlds problems from the age of five? What will a majority-minority America look like when Americas largest ethnic group is pilloried as uniquely, historically evil? These are all critical questions, particularly with Joe Biden appointing critical race theorist and San Diego school superintendent Cindy Martens to Deputy Secretary of Education, who told white teachers they were guilty of spirit murdering black children and urged them to undergo antiracist therapy. She has also stated that only black Americans know who America really is. Sexual Indoctrination of Children in Americas Schools Sex education in public schools has always been a controversial topic. However, with respect to people who have opposed it for years, the content of Sex education in public schools is far more troubling today than it was 20, or even 10 years ago. This is because of the way that public schools teach very young children about transgender ideology and abortion. Children as young as six are being taught about transgenderism and not just as a social phenomenon, which might be troubling enough but also as a valid life choice, simply one of many in the marketplace of Sexuality. Children from kindergarten to fifth grade are shown the YouTube videos Queer Kid Stuff, which we have linked to so that parents can inspect the material for themselves. Was this done in New York, San Francisco or Portland? No, it was inflicted on children in Superior, Colorado, a small town of about 13,000. The same school invited the Trans Community Choir to perform a play about a transgendered bird. Queer Kid Stuff is designed for children as young as three. Not only is this wildly inappropriate for children, it further Sexualizes children and, to the point of this article, indoctrinates them in a radical gender ideology that is likely not the values their parents want to pass onto them. There is some appetite to federalize this agenda, if you can believe it. The Equality Act would extend the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to Sexual and gender identity (SOGI). As pointed out by a very valuable article from the Heritage Foundation , this would lead to a deluge of increased gender and Sexual propaganda aimed at your children without respect to your personal values or consent of such a curriculum. Five states (California, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey and Washington) as well as the District of Columbia already have SOGI laws. It is explicitly banned in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah, with Florida and North Carolina mandating that all Sexual education focus on monogamous heteroSexual marriage. Some states are even encouraging children to identify as trans by providing medical treatment without parental consent . Denying your childs gender identity (not a real thing) can be considered abuse and neglect , with the attendant consequences. But the Heritage Foundation article points out that SOGI education is largely an attempt to take such propaganda outside of the carefully watched realms of Sex ed and introduce it everywhere. This would include mandating that children read gender propaganda in their literature and history classes, places where there is far less attention paid by parents to what their children are learning, in the naive assumption that the culture wars have not yet entered these classes. Even such seemingly unassailable classes such as math and phys ed will be home to deconstructions of the gender binary and celebrations of trans-identified athletes. Children are also being indoctrinated with pro-abortion propaganda . Indeed, a 2016 California law mandates teaching children about abortion as a form of birth control. While the law requires that such education be "medically accurate and objective, a California teacher found themselves in hot water when they showed children videos of what abortion actually looks like . And lest you think this is limited to kooky California, note that Chesterfield, MO (population 47,605) public schools were providing abortion referrals to children as part of their Sex ed curriculum. College Brainwashing and University Indoctrination All of this, however, is simply a prelude to the indoctrination which your children will endure once they are sent off to higher education. This is not only where the most robust and intrusive indoctrination occurs of course, because the children are finally out of the clutches of their parents but the leftist indoctrination also becomes a sort of semi-official state religion that all are required to pledge fealty to. Fully 72 percent of all American college professors describe themselves as liberal , with only 15 percent describing themselves as conservative. But as we will see, liberal really just means leftist and in many cases, committed Marxists. These people dont simply hold ideas you disapprove of, they actively seek to indoctrinate your children in contempt and hatred of your values and you. This isnt just a contempt for Christians, conservatives and libertarians. Conventional, middle-of-the-road liberals are likewise subject to this scorn. The professors are only one part of the equation. There is also the growing army of diversity consultants, effectively racial and Sexual commissars who police every interaction on campus and whose presence looms large. Even the suspicion of wrongthink can ruin a young persons academic career and to some extent their life. This army of diversity consultants is incentivized to find racism and injustice without regard to whether or not it actually exists, hence the growing number of infractions against the intellectual orthodoxy that prevails on college campuses today. This is intense pressure that would be hard for fully grown adults to resist, let alone young people away from home for the first time and ripped away from their support networks. Dissent is not required. A lack of proper enthusiasm is enough. And these are only the foot soldiers of the enforcement of ideological conformity. There is also a seasoned cadre of administrators with the power to enforce their regime. A commitment to social justice as viewed by the far left is increasingly considered a necessary part of ones education . Many times, students are subject to what are effectively Maoist struggle sessions during their orientations . Students are told that such widespread beliefs are judging individuals regardless of race, or believing that America is a meritocracy is a microaggression or a small act of racism . Whats more, denying that one is a racist is seen as proof that a person is a racist in a strange age of Catch-22 logic. There is significant evidence that this environment transforms the ideological view of students. An extensive study conducted on college students in the 1990s found that there were significant changes in world view , that these conformed with the ideology of the faculty and that they were so dramatic that they could not be explained simply through the maturing of young minds. There is an additional layer to this onion that is especially troubling: A college degree is required for an officers commission in the United States military. Thus, when President Barack Obama purged the military command structure , there were easy replacements culled from this indoctrination process in Americas universities. The list of shenanigans taking place on Americas college campuses is far too long to even begin to dive into here. However, if you are looking to follow the latest and greatest in leftist madness on Americas college campuses, The College Fix and Campus Reform are great resources for news in this area. But as we said in the introduction: The punchline here is that youre footing the bill for all of it, while your kids are consigned to a life of debt peonage. The Role of Student Loans Were often told that there has never been a better time to be an American because of an abundance of cheap consumer goods. And while this is somewhat true, it ignores the fact that the cost of houses, healthcare and college education have increased significantly over a short period of time. In the case of a college education, this is particularly problematic because, right or wrong, students are told nearly from the time they are old enough to walk that they need a college degree to get a good job. Between 2008 and 2018, the cost of a college education has increased by 25 percent . One of the primary drivers of this is the federal student loan program. Like many government programs, it is sold to the public as the means of leveling the playing field and increasing fairness throughout society. However, the main result of the federal student loan program is that the cost of a college education has gone through the roof. Its fairly easy to understand why. For the last 50-plus years, the federal government has effectively given colleges a blank check for education. No matter how much money is needed for a college education, the federal government will underwrite it. The Parent PLUS Loan is the biggest culprit. With no cap, parents may borrow as much as they need not just to pay for their childrens education, but also lodging, books (which are often themselves price gouged) and any miscellaneous living expenses associated with a college education. Whats more, thanks to bankruptcy reforms introduced by Senator Joe Biden , it is impossible to discharge student loans in bankruptcy like every other form of debt. Only 30 cents for every dollar spent on education actually goes toward education. Whats more, administrators have increased 60 percent between 1993 and 2009, while the number of full-time faculty has actually come down. Meanwhile, academic standards continue to decline and its easy to offer politicized disciplines like Womens Studies, African-American Studies, Post-Colonial Studies, Gender Studies and Whiteness Studies (the last of these being unique in that it is a pillorying of whites rather than a deification of them, as other ethno-narcissistic disciplines are) with zero educational content when the free money machine is turned on full throttle. So what can be done about all this? For one, a college education is necessary for a certain style of gainful, white collar employment, regardless of whether or not the degree is actually related to the employment. Only 27 percent of college graduates are actually employed in fields related to their academic discipline. In part, this is because college education is a proxy for IQ tests , which are illegal in employment. This ban should be lifted. IQ Test Ban: A Major Driver of the University Crisis The ban on IQ tests is a major driver of the university crisis. A somewhat little-known 1971 Supreme Court case, Griggs vs. Duke Power Company , is responsible for this and is a case study in unintended consequences. The Supreme Court, in its infinite wisdom, ruled that IQ tests were too broad and, thus, racist. The only way to get a similar picture of prospective employees was a college degree, which forced a number of people who have no business in academia to obtain college degrees as a prerequisite of employment. Part of this is a basic question of intelligence. People are either able to understand certain concepts and complete certain tasks or they arent and this strongly correlates with IQ. But there is also the matter of soft skills doing things you dont want to do, showing up on time, working well with others which are also inadvertently measured by IQ tests. Its not that every person with a high IQ has good soft skills. Many, of course, do not. But it is, however, true, that measuring IQ is a good proxy for measuring soft skills. Part of the argument is that IQ tests dont actually measure anything, but this is demonstrably false: IQ tests are just about the only thing the social sciences have produced thats actually science as it would be understood in any other scientific field. Whats more, IQ tests are neither linguistically nor culturally biased as is often claimed . They are able to meaningfully measure cognitive ability in humans regardless of these subjective factors. Jordan Peterson has pointed out that if IQ is inaccurate, then psychology as a discipline simply doesnt work. Throwing out IQ testing for job employment means that employers have to find some other way to determine if applicants are up to the tasks performed. Without IQ to rely on, employers opted, in the main, for requiring a college degree. This, despite the fact that four years spent studying sociology or English literature or American history, fails to prepare one for a career in maintaining spreadsheets and sending emails. These tasks could easily be covered in business classes at the high school level. But again, employers are prevented from using what is a quick, easy and inexpensive metric for employment because of disparate impact. While its certainly true that mean IQ scores for black Americans are lower than those for whites, there is no reason to believe that this is unchangeable. While individual IQ is fairly plastic after a certain age, group IQ is not. One example is that women generally scored lower on IQ tests than men, but now generally score higher . There is no need to rely upon mumbo jumbo about how the tests are racist its possible to raise group IQ and, in fact, the black-white IQ gap has narrowed considerably . There is also a phenomenon, known as the Flynn effect , where the average IQ in America has increased by three points every decade. Put simply: Individuals cannot get meaningfully more intelligent after a certain age, but groups can increase their average IQ rather dramatically in short periods of time. But, as is often the case, the complicated and controversial truth lost out to the quick and easy fix that lined the pockets of insiders. Rather than figuring out how to close the IQ gap, something that would have taken time and also probably money and effort college degrees now became a de facto requirement for gainful employment. Three generations of Americans were told that a college degree was a necessity for the American Dream. More to the point, it was required for all manner of white collar employment, specifically due to the ban on IQ tests. With the market flooded, universities could charge whatever price they liked and the cost of a college education increased accordingly. Between 2009 and 2019 alone, the cost of college increased by 25 percent . Another driver is that the cost of college is now underwritten by the federal government in the form of student loans. In 1993, the federal government began securing student loans . Unlike Medicare, where the government will only reimburse up to a certain amount that is deemed to be the value of the service, colleges have a blank check. The government will simply come up with whatever students cant afford. Whats more, the drive to forgive student loans is little more than a boondoggle for the upper middle class, who hold the lions share of these loans. Forgiveness might be a solid bargaining chip in reform of the entire system, which would necessarily mean doing away with the student loan system as we know it. In a perfect world, this would be financed, not by passing the bill onto the American taxpayers and consumers, but by making colleges pay for their role in the debacle in the form of heavily taxing their endowments to pay for it. Peter Thiel has suggested making universities foot the bill anytime someone discharges their student loans in bankruptcy , on the basis that they were responsible for the bad loans in the first place. For those who are able, pulling your kids out of public schools and being seriously skeptical of private alternatives, many of which are just as bad is in order. Conservatives and libertarians might balk at such nakedly confiscatory taxation, but todays colleges are little more than indoctrination factories for the foot soldiers of a cadre of militants intensely hostile toward Western civilization and the American way of life. We should be mindful about salvaging whatever we can from them while aggressively kneecapping their ability to brainwash our children and attack our freedoms . Sam Jacobs is a writer for Ammo.com where this originally appeared . reported its biggest daily jump in new Covid-19 cases in more than two months, as a city on the border with in southwestern Yunnan province accounted for all new local cases. Ruili's local government put residents in its urban area under home quarantine, launched a massive testing drive and began restricting people from leaving and entering the city from last week after reporting Covid-19 patients. The city accounted for all of the 15 new local cases reported on April 4. The total number of new Covid-19 infections, including imported infections originating from overseas, stood at 32, marking the highest total since Jan. 31. Genetic analysis of the cases discovered in Ruili suggest the new local infections stem from viruses imported from Myanmar, state media reported. Of the new patients reported in the city, 11 of them were identified as citizens. Ruili is a key transit point for Yunnan province, which has struggled to monitor its rugged 4,000 km (2,500-mile) border with Laos, and Vietnam for illegal immigration amid a wave of unauthorised crossings last year by people seeking a haven from the pandemic. Local authorities have also begun a vaccination drive in Ruili in a bid to contain Covid-19 and build up herd immunity in the city. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which does not classify as confirmed cases, stood at 18, matching the total from a day earlier. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in mainland now stands at 90,305, while the death toll remains unchanged at 4,636. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th April, 2021) The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced on Monday that it agreed with India's Panacea Biotec to produce 100 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus in India annually. "RDIF ... and Panacea Biotec, one of the leading vaccine and pharmaceutical producers in India, announce cooperation to produce 100 million doses per year of Sputnik V, the world's first registered vaccine against coronavirus," the fund said in a press release. RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev noted that cooperation with Panacea Biotec would be an "important step to produce the vaccine in India and to supply our international partners around the world. " "We are pleased to collaborate with RDIF to produce Sputnik V for global markets. Panacea Biotec brings decades of vaccine manufacturing and distribution know-how to scale-up Sputnik V supplies. Panacea Biotec will produce Sputnik V in its internationally accredited facilities complying to strict GMP standards and prequalified by WHO [World Health Organization]," Panacea Biotec Managing Director Rajesh Jain said. Romania remains the largest producer of sunflower in the European Union, in 2020, both in terms of production, with a total of 2.07 million tonnes and 1.22 million hectares, according to the provisional data announced by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Last year, the total sunflower harvest decreased due to drought by 1.497 million tonnes, respectively 42pct, compared to 2019 when it exceeded 3.569 million tonnes. Following Romania in the ranking of countries with the highest sunflower production in the EU are: the neighbouring countries Hungary, with a total of 1.749 million tonnes and a cultivated area of 617,000 hectares, and Bulgaria - 1.66 million tonnes (810,000 hectares), and France - 1,655 million tonnes (775,000 hectares).Romania has consistently held the first place in the European Union in sunflower production, and also in terms of the cultivated area, since 2015, with a significant seed export potential as well, considering that the domestic consumption needs a total of only 750,000 tonnes.According to the Ministry of Agriculture, last year Romania exported 1.544 million tonnes of sunflower seeds to the intra- and extra-community space, collecting almost 606 million euros. Unfortunately, the export of sunflower seeds is eight times higher than the export of oil, and the revenues more than four times. The Agriculture Ministry data show that last year a quantity of 190,600 tonnes of sunflower oil was delivered on the foreign market, and the amount collected slightly exceeded 150 million euros.On the other hand, in 2020 a quantity of 250,700 tonnes of sunflower seeds worth 207.1 million euros was imported. Photo: 123Go Trailer/YouTube Four years after the immortal words, Theres been a mistake. Moonlight, you guys won Best Picture, Damien Chazelles jazzsplainer La La Land continues its reign of terror. Last week, a new state-backed movie musical called The Wings of Songs dropped in Chinese theaters, and both the Guardian and the New York Times have reported that it is part of a government propaganda campaign to silence and disavow reports of forced labor, reeducation camps, and ethnic genocide against Uyghur Muslims in the province of Xinjiang. Far from being oppressed, the musical seems to say, the Uyghurs and other minorities are singing and dancing happily in colorful dress, a flashy take on a tired Chinese stereotype about the regions minorities that Uyghur rights activists quickly denounced, reads the Times description of the film. The Wings of Songs also scrubs its Uyghur characters of any Islamic signifiers, depicting them as fully assimilated. And we have La La Land to thank for it. According to the Guardian, the state-run Global Times reported that overseas blockbusters such as La La Land have inspired Chinese studios to produce their own domestic hits. AUSTIN, Texas, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Google platform just got bigger and market power greater the barriers to entry higher and the ability to compete lower. They stole Java and spent a decade litigating as only a monopolist can. This behavior is exactly why regulatory authorities around the world and in the United States are examining Google's business practices." - Dorian Daley, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Oracle About Oracle Oracle offers suites of integrated applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at oracle.com . Trademarks Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. SOURCE Oracle Related Links www.oracle.com These days, more people than ever are interested in the royal family from their day-to-day lives to the dramatic misadventures that often make headlines. One topic that always draws in pop culture fans of all ages and interests is the idea of the line of succession. With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle retired from their roles as senior royals, many fans are wondering how the line of succession will change, and whether there is a chance for Prince William to assume the throne ahead of his father, Prince Charles. (L-R) Prince Charles and Prince William | Anwar Hussein/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II is not going to rule forever RELATED: 15 Times People Tried to Kill the British Royal Family Born in 1926, Queen Elizabeth II has been ruling England since 1952. As one of the longest-reigning monarchs in world history, she has seen many incredible events over the course of her lifetime and been witness to many amazing moments in history. At the age of 94, she is still healthy and strong, performing her royal duties each and every day, just as she has done for decades. Still, the queen will not live forever, as much as many of the good people of England might wish that to be so. There will come a time when she is no longer fit enough to rule, and when that time comes, the oldest of her four children, Prince Charles, will be the one to succeed her. Prince Charles is set to ascend the throne after Queen Elizabeth II In Athens, Their Royal Highnesses join representatives from Greece, Cyprus, France and Russia at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier for a wreath laying ceremony. HRH lays a wreath at the memorial, which is dedicated to Greek soldiers who died during conflict.#RoyalVisitGreece pic.twitter.com/oEWjrGKXqj The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) March 25, 2021 RELATED: Who Are the Most Important Members of the Royal Family? The British line of succession can be confusing, and things are complicated by the fact that the royal family has grown so much in recent years. Each one of the queens four children has married and had children of their own, building a large, often twisted family tree. Still, when it comes to the line of succession, things are pretty set in stone. After Queen Elizabeth II passes away or steps down from her role as queen, her oldest son, Prince Charles, will take over for her. Second in the line of succession to the throne is Prince William, Prince Charles oldest son. Prince William was born into his role as the future monarch, and from the time he was a small boy, he has trained hard for the job, regularly attending royal events before he was a teenager. These days, Prince William has a family of his own, but he is still preparing for the day when he will take over from his father, Prince Charles. Could Prince William become the king before Prince Charles? The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have shared a message thanking everyone who has been part of Time to Changes campaign to end mental health stigma. Find out how you can continue to be involved here https://t.co/IqLUgWG8WT@KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/hEBesBFZhI Time to Change (@TimetoChange) March 25, 2021 RELATED: The Royal Family Is Forbidden From Eating This 1 Vegetable Prince Charles has not always been the most popular royal. His contentious divorce from Princess Diana in the 90s meant that he became a somewhat reviled figure for those who loved Princess Diana, and his public affair with Camilla Parker Bowles only served to further tarnish his public image. In the past decade, Prince Charles has been able to recoup his popularity somewhat but for many royal fans, hes still not the ideal monarch. Some fans have wondered whether Prince William, who is far and away more beloved by the public than his father, might get bumped ahead in the line of succession and become king before Prince Charles does. Still, according to a report by MSN, this is highly unlikely to ever happen. While abdication has happened within the royal ranks before, most notably in 1936 when Edward VIII abdicated, it is reportedly not something that is favored by the royals at all. Therefore, with Prince Charles as the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history, he seems well-prepared to assume the throne, even if he is not the most popular royal with many fans. The Albany County Republican Party provides a strong voice and leadership to benefit every citizen and business in the county. Thats what it says on the county GOP Facebook page. Keep that in mind for a moment while you consider the words of county Legislator George Langdon IV. Speaking at a recent seminar on constitutional liberty, Mr. Langdon, a Coeymans Republican, made disparaging remarks about gays and lesbians. The comments have spurred calls for him to resign as unfit for his office. Sorry, when you have homosexual relationships, its not perpetual, he said in part. Give them an island, theyll be gone in 40 years. (Really? Is he suggesting straight people cant have gay kids? Then he scores low on science as well as on basic human decency.) Yes, we know this is a typical Trumpian sideshow act. Its what passes nowadays for conservative virtue signaling, the kind without the virtue. As the video was shared and the outrage grew, Mr. Langdon apologized, and said he regretted his comments. Which brings us back to the Albany County Republican Party. With one exception Republican Bill Misuraca, mayor of Ravena party leaders have not meaningfully condemned Mr. Langdons remarks. That strong voice they claim to have has been silent. Why? Here are two possible explanations: 1. The county GOP condones Mr. Langdons homophobia and sees nothing here to apologize for. 2. The county GOP is too afraid of alienating bigoted constituents to speak out. Both explanations lead to the same conclusions: that GOP leadership is socially and morally bankrupt, and that its claim of a strong voice and leadership to benefit every citizen has an asterisk after it, and a footnote that lists the exceptions the people they arent interested in helping, the ones they arent working to benefit. Shame on the Republican leadership for their complicity. And Republican residents of Albany County, ask yourselves: Is this what you want your party to be? Go online, then go outside Fill the canteen, find the bug spray, check the first aid kit. And if youre planning to hike some favorite High Peaks routes, theres something new on the prep list this year: Reserve a time slot. The Department of Environmental Conservation and the Adirondack Mountain Reserve announced a pilot program requiring visitors to make a reservation to park in the AMR lot and head out to some popular trailheads. Rangers will help enforce the rule. The states been hesitant to introduce a permit system. But the surge in High Peaks traffic growing even before the pandemic has harmed the fragile ecosystem. Good for the AMR for going ahead, and good for the DEC for backing them up. The fact that the reservations are tied to parking may lead to some confusion. Even hikers who cycle in or are dropped off will need a parking permit. If too many groups hike longer than planned, theres a chance spaces might not empty in time for someone with a later reservation. But even if the systems not perfect, its a strong idea, and a necessary one, for making sure visitors dont love the mountains to death. There will be plenty of time for fine tuning once its clear what all the bugs might be. Harvey Weinstein has filed an appeal on his rape and sex crimes conviction, claiming he didn't receive a fair trial and that the incidents were 'indisputably consensual' and that many of the women who gave evidence at his trial just think he is 'loathsome'. The disgraced movie mogul's lawyers filed a 166-page appeal in Manhattan on Monday, in which they claimed the judge allowed too much testimony about Weinstein's reputation and character. Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison. He is already 69 and, as his lawyers routinely pointed out during the trial, in poor health. Weinstein was convicted of one count of criminal sexual assault in the first degree and one count of rape in the third degree last February. He was cleared of three other charges. He was sentenced on March 11. 'Simply put, the prosecution tried Weinsteins character, not his conduct,' his attorneys said in their appeal on Monday. 'With a year behind us and emotions subsided, the transcript of the case confirms what we always believed: that Mr. Weinstein did not receive a fair trial... We have the utmost confidence that the Appellate Division will correct these mistakes and send this case back before a different judge, ' they said. They say the jury ignored the facts of the case, focusing instead on the public persona of Weinstein that had been created, and that the incidents themselves were 'indisputably' consensual. Harvey Weinstein with his walker at court in February last year. He has filed an appeal on his rape and sex crimes conviction, claiming he didn't receive a fair trial Weinstein was convicted of raping Jessica Mann (left) and forcibly performing oral sex on Mimi Haleyi (right). Both women agreed to be identified as part of the case and they both gave evidence They also argue that it was unfair for the court not to rule out a juror who had written a book about predatory older men and younger women, who Weinstein's team had objected to. 'Harvey Weinsteins alleged behavior toward women in the film industry became a cause celebre in 2017. 'Advocacy journalists published many unvetted allegations against Mr. Weinstein; within months, a new movement was spawned, known under the meme, #MeToo. 'The vast majority of the allegations described socalled inappropriate, but noncriminal behavior. 'As a result, Mr. Weinstein was ultimately fired from the company he built, and those who claim they were victimized by sexual importunities are suing for financial compensation. 'A man who once stood as a giant in Hollywood is now scorned and treated as a pariah,' his attorneys wrote. Weinstein said it wasn't fair other accusers like Annabella Sciorra, whose claims were not being prosecuted, were allowed to give evidence Weinstein was put on trial for alleged crimes against two different women; Jessica Mann, who said he raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013, and Mimi Haleyi, who said he forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006. Those were the only allegations that were prosecuted but dozens more women have publicly alleged he sexually assaulted or harassed them. At the trial, other women whose claims were not being prosecuted were invited to give evidence. That included Annabella Sciorra, who said Weinstein raped her in her apartment in the early 1990s. Her claims fell outside of New York's statute of limitations so was not included. Weinstein's attorneys claimed in their appeal that the two incidents over which he was charged were 'indisputably' consensual. 'Because the evidence on the charged offenses was weak, the prosecution inundated the jury with copious tales of alleged misconduct (much of which was not criminal in nature) that served no legitimate evidentiary purpose but merely depicted Weinstein as loathsome,' they said. They also said the trial became like a 'carnival' because of the media attention and that his right to a fair trial was 'woefully neglected'. 'The trial court should have exercised the utmost vigilance in protecting this most important right of the defendant. Instead, the trial court was cavalier in its obligation to safeguard this right and the consequences for Mr. Weinstein were disastrous,' they said. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Tesla has been able to smash their initial delivery estimates of EVs in only the first quarter of 2021! This shows that Elon Musk's main bet on both Europe and China is now starting to pay off. Tesla 3 months into 2021 According to the story by Bloomberg, the results then marked a pretty strong start to a year in which the Tesla CEO Elon Musk is now counting on global operations in order to assist the scale-up production and sales. Palo Alto, the California-based Tesla, delivered a whopping 184,800 cars around the world during 2021's first three months. The sales were able to beat the previous 169,850 average estimates from a Bloomberg survey of a number of analysts and even beat the Q4 figure by a whopping 4,000 vehicles. Webush's Dan Ives noted in a research note on Friday, according to Yahoo News, that this was a "massive home run," especially for the Tesla bulls. Tesla estimates for 2021 Ives even believes that both China and Europe were even particularly robust this quarter, and it now puts the trajectory to exceed a whopping 850,000 for 2021, which is way ahead of all the whisper expectations. Elon Musk is generally pushing straight into China which is already the country with the world's largest automotive market, and this also includes EVs. The company is reportedly pushing efforts in order to gain a foothold, especially against competition coming from some other local electric-vehicle startups and even the Volkswagen AG. Auto sales are also forecasted to rise in the nation for 2021 for the very first time since 2017. Read Also: Why is Elon Musk Obsessed with Dogecoin? History About This Cryptocurrency Tesla China movement Premier Li Keqiang, back in March, noted to the National People's Congress that the government will also make moves to help boost the total number of different EV charging stations as well as battery-swapping facilities. According to analyst Jefferies in a research note, Tesla's main volume now stands apart from many other automakers who are now showing declines, partly due to the electronic-chip shortage. The company saw an incredible run back in 2020 that even saw its total stock price rise by over 700%. Tesla's total shares fell around 6% this year on April 1. Tesla has just recently refreshed the popular Tesla Model X SUV and Tesla Model S sedan. None of the Model X and S EVs were actually made during that quarter, and there were only a total of 2,000 delivered. The Tesla Model X and S are both made only at the Fremont, California factory, while the Model 3 and the Model Y are both made in a Tesla plant in Shanghai. It now plans to build an additional two factories this year, namely in Texas and yet another one near Berlin. Related Article: Tesla Rare Jobs: German Gigafactory is Looking for 15-Year Experience in Battery Cell Production-- Salary up to $360,000 This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian Buenconsejo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A landmark store in Fort Oglethorpe is closing its doors. Sears Shoes will be having a liquidation sale. Owner Jerry Sear has notified customers that the sale will begin this Thursday. His family, Solomon Sir, came to America in the early 1920s and opened a shoe repair shop in Chattanooga. Sir legally changed his name to Sear in the 40s. The family had businesses located in Jacks Alley on Market Street and in East Chattanooga on Glass Street. Their son, Jerry, worked at the stores doing just about everything. The family decided in 1964 to open a business in LaFayette, Georgia. That was the same year Jerry got a business degree at the University of Chattanooga and married. In 1967, Jerry Sear relocated to Fort Oglethorpe continuing his family's tradition. The city was only 18 years old and he found a building on Highway 27 just a couple of blocks before Chickamauga National Park. Mr. Sear said he always offered top quality name brand footwear and at below discount prices with less emphasis on a fancy building and fixtures. His customers included many well-known Chattanoogas. The late Rev. Ben Haden, Hamilton County Executive Dalton Roberts, and many others would visit the store frequently. Rev. Haden said it was one of the only stores where he could find his size. He called it the big shoe store in the country. Dalton Roberts said he enjoyed going south and visiting with his good friend Mr. Sear. The veteran businessman said its now time to call it a day and enjoy his family and friends. Elle syncs with your internal systems in days The ThinkTECH Accelerator program provided us a unique forum to share our solution with community banks as they work to integrate their internal processes to improve the speed and convenience of their offerings while maintaining a high-touch personal experience Shastic performed a demonstration of its AI-Assisted banking automation technology, during the 2021 Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) third annual ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator Demo Day. Shastic was selected from hundreds of applicants from around the globe competing for a place in the award-winning and globally recognized ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator, powered by The Venture Center and with support from the State of Arkansas. The virtual event highlights ICBAs ongoing effort to foster fintech-community bank collaborations that produce tangible, relevant solutions to help community banks achieve their business objectives and deliver an exceptional customer experience for which they are known. Were grateful for the opportunity to participate in the ThinkTECH Accelerator program, which provided us a unique forum to share our solution with community banks as they work to integrate their internal processes to improve the speed and convenience of their offerings while maintaining the high-touch personal experience for which they are known, CEO of Shastic, Joseariel Gomez said. "We selected the most promising fintech solutions in critically important areas and paired them with the best and brightest industry stakeholders to refine timely, relevant solutions that solve for community bank pain points," ICBA Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer Charles Potts said. Were thrilled with the evolution of these offerings, which will allow our members to continue to be innovative and responsive to the shifting needs of their customers while continuing to move our industry forward. This years cohort companies rose to the challenge of attending an all-virtual accelerator, meeting with over 100 individual banks over the course of 12 weeks, Wayne Miller, executive director of The Venture Center said. We are proud of the work they have done in this new format and are greatly impressed with their overall performance, Wayne Miller, executive director of The Venture Center said. With input from community bankers, and with a wealth of new connections, we are sure this cohort will continue to find success. About Company Shastic created Elle, an AI-Assisted process automation platform for financial service providers. Through artificial intelligence, RPA and text-messaging, Shastic interconnects internal banking systems to speed communication, reduce underwriting exceptions and shorten processing cycles by 30%. To learn more, visit https://shastic.com. About ICBA The Independent Community Bankers of America creates and promotes an environment where community banks flourish. ICBA is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, and high-quality products and services. With nearly 50,000 locations nationwide, community banks constitute 99 percent of all banks, employ more than 700,000 Americans and are the only physical banking presence in one in three U.S. counties. Holding more than $5 trillion in assets, over $4.4 trillion in deposits, and more than $3.4 trillion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community, community banks channel local deposits into the Main Streets and neighborhoods they serve, spurring job creation, fostering innovation and fueling their customers dreams in communities throughout America. For more information, visit ICBAs website at http://www.icba.org. The bank's loans & advances rose 0.8% to Rs 172,850 crore as on 31 March 2021 compared with Rs 171,443 crore as on 31 March 2020. Gross retail disbursement during the quarter jumped 154.73% to Rs 7,828 crore in Q4 March 2021 from Rs 3,078 crore in Q4 March 2020. Deposits increased by 54.7% to Rs 162,947 crore as on 31 March 2021 from Rs 105,364 crore on 31 March 2020. Sequentially, deposits rose 11.4% in Q4 March 2021 from Rs 146,233 crore in Q4 March 2020. The bank's CASA improved by 51.8% to Rs 42,587 crore as on 31 March 2021 from Rs 28,063 crore as on 31 March 2020. CASA/Total Deposits (excluding Certificate of Deposits) ratio stood at 27.3% as on 31 March 2021 as against 28.5% as on 31 March 2020. Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) was at 122.7% as on 31 March 2021 as against 120% as on 30 December 2020 and 37% as of 31 March 2020. Shares of Yes Bank were down 0.63% at Rs 15.65. Yes Bank was under moratorium for 13 days in March 2020. It resumed full-fledged banking operations from 18 March 2020. This came after a consortium of eight public and private banks, led by State Bank of India, agreed to infuse capital into Yes Bank to rescue it from the brink of a collapse. Yes Bank is a full service commercial bank providing a complete range of products, services and technology driven digital offerings, catering to corporate, MSME & retail customers. The private sector bank's net profit grew by 16.5% to Rs 150.71 crore in Q3 December 2020 from Rs 129.37 crore in Q2 September 2020. The bank's total income grew by 9.5% to Rs 6,518.37 crore in Q3 FY21 from Rs 5,952.14 crore in Q2 FY21. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Council Expected To Certify May Candidates, Award Bid The Hillsboro City Council will meet in a regular session Tuesday, April 6, at 6 p.m. The council is expected to certify unopposed candidates and cancel the city election that was scheduled for Saturday, May 1. A bid is expected to be awarded to a company for lighting and signage improvements at the Hillsboro Municipal Airport. Preston McReynolds will be considered for appointment to the Planning and Zoning Commission to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Leann Richmond when she became a city council member. The council will also consider renewal of the city's gas franchise agreement with Atmos Energy for another 20 years. In another agenda item related to Atmos Energy, the council will consider suspending the effective date proposed by Atmos to increase rates under the Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program for 45 days and authorizing the city's continued participation in the Atmos Texas Municipalities coalition. A resolution will be considered supporting an application to the Texas Public Utility Commission to change the Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) for a 39-acre tract at the intersection of Highway 81 and HCR 4231 from the Files Valley Water Supply Corporation to the city. The meeting will be held at Historic City Hall, located at 127 East Franklin Street in Hillsboro. In accordance with social distancing guidelines, the meeting will be open to the public, or it can be accessed by calling 1-646-749-3112 and entering access code 172-523-125. President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the attacks on a police headquarters and a prison in Owerri, the Imo State capital. The police earlier blamed the attacks on members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The police said no one died in the attack on its headquarters but a police officer sustained bullet wounds. In a separate statement, the prison authorities said over 1,800 inmates were freed by the attackers. In his reaction to the incident early on Monday, President Buhari praised the initial response by security guards and security forces for preventing greater loss of life and the destruction of public property, presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu said in a Monday statement. The president is currently in London for a medical check up. Read Mr Shehus full statement below. STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT BUHARI CONDEMNS DARING TERRORIST ATTACKS IN IMO v DIRECTS RELEVANT FG AGENCIES TO TERMINATE THIS ANARCHY President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the deadly insurgent attack that took place on the Police Command Headquarters and the Correctional Facility in Owerri, Imo State, on Monday, calling it an act of terrorism. In his reaction to the incident early on Monday, President Buhari praised the initial response by security guards and security forces for preventing greater loss of life and the destruction of public property. The President directed security and intelligence agencies in the state and the geo-political zone to fully mobilize and go after the terrorists, apprehend them and get them punished under the full weight of the law. He also called for the best efforts to be made to rearrest fleeing prison detainees, many of whom are believed to be deadly criminals. President Buhari then appealed to members of the public to assist the law enforcement agencies with any relevant information that could lead to the apprehension of these criminals who perpetrated this despicable act. He also urged members of the public to be vigilant as all of us have a stake in preserving our way of life from disruption by terrorists and anarchists while the Federal Government will use every available tool at its disposal to confront and terminate this bare-faced anarchy. Garba Shehu ADVERTISEMENT Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) April 05, 2021 Texas County Winds Down COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center While call centers are necessary for nearly every business and municipality, they have become particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have informed consumers of safety protocols, picked up the extra customer support traffic from an increase in e-commerce, directed citizens to COVID testing and vaccines, and answered a wide variety of consumer and citizen concerns and questions. As the vaccine rollout continues and the infrastructure to register citizens including self-service has increased, some COVID call centers have begun shutting down. In Fannin County, Texas, officials announced they will be closing the specially set up call center put in place earlier this year to help with vaccine registrations. According to the Paris News, Fannin County was the first in the region to establish a central location for any Texan to call to register for a COVID-19 vaccine. The call center initially had one paid position working 40 hours a week, but officials quickly realized they needed more people manning the phones after more than 4,000 calls came in during the first week of operation. Commissioners ultimately approved four paid positions to handle inbound and outbound calls with salaries coming from the countys general fund. It was a difficult decision for the Commissioners Court to end the Vaccine Call Center. Schedulers had to make eight to 10 calls to schedule one person. Many have received their vaccine elsewhere causing a significant delay for citizens, County Judge Randy Moore said in a statement Everyone that is currently on the Fannin County COVID Vaccine waiting list will be scheduled through our scheduling center until the list has been exhausted. Thee call center was operating in conjunction with the Texoma Medical Center in Bonham, Texas, which links with providers in the county to distribute vaccines, and more vaccine providers have come on board. Theyve created links and emails for easier registration, Moore said. Those citizens in Fannin County seeking a vaccine are being encouraged to contact a local provider. Edited by Maurice Nagle CAIRO Egypts Suez Canal must move quickly to upgrade its technical infrastructure if it is to avoid future shipping disruption, shipping industry sources said, as the major trade route tries to bounce back from a costly six-day closure. International supply chains were thrown into disarray on March 23 when the 400-meter-long (430-yard) container ship Ever Given ran aground in the canal, with specialist rescue teams taking almost a week to free her after extensive dredging and repeated tugging operations. Egypt will get two new tugboats, one next week and one in August, Suez Canal Authority (SCA) chairman Osama Rabie said after the ship was finally freed, as well as taking the biggest dredger in the Middle East and arranging for a further five new Chinese tugboats. But shipping industry sources said specialist equipment and associated procedures have long struggled to keep up with the ever increasing size of commercial vessels. The average size of most vessels has increased exponentially over the last 15 years. The ability to salvage these bigger ships has not, said Peter Townsend, a marine insurance industry veteran. The issue is getting containers off essentially a 20-story high building at sea. Michael Kingston, an international shipping specialist and an adviser to the United Nations International Maritime Organization, flagged such problems in 2013, three years before the MSC Fabiola container ship ran aground, also blocking traffic for days. The obvious way to lighten a vessel is to take the containers off. They had no way of doing it. No equipment was readily available, he said of the Ever Given incident. Lessons Learned The SCA says the canal can safely take vessels of the Ever Givens size with a maximum capacity of 20,000 TEU (20-foot containers) even in rough weather. As well as bigger tugboats, dredgers and offloaders, stricter guidelines on how ships transit the canal are needed, the industry sources said. Those could include using tugs to assist large vessels, or only permitting transit during daylight hours. Of course, there are many lessons learned from the (Ever Given) incident. Of course we have the capabilities, the SCAs Rabie said. Visiting the canal this week, Egypts President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said: We have to give a strong message to the world that the Suez Canal can transport world trade at this rate or more. It was not clear yet if the Canal would opt to extend a second channel south of the one that Egypt opened in 2015 at a cost of $8 billion along a 70-km portion of the waterway. Such an extension would allow traffic to continue flowing even if a ship were grounded. An expansion for the southern section of the canal can be under consideration, said Sisi. Its up to the technical people. We dont want to take measures just due to extraordinary situations. (Reporting by Patrick Werr in Cairo, Jonathan Saul in London; additional reporting by Mahmoud Mourad in Cairo and Roslan Khasawneh in Singapore, editing by Aidan Lewis, Kirsten Donovan) Topics Lawsuits Trends Tech The tornadoes that roared through the Deep South in late March slammed southeastern and central Alabama, ripping homes apart, snapping utility poles, hurling cars into trees. The super cell, as forecasters called it, lasted for days, starting in eastern Texas and gathering force before it petered out in Georgia. Its damage was not confined to vicious winds; it hammered Nashville with record rainfall and flooding. The dayslong severe storm came little more than a week after a weaker system that struck in mid-March. That one also started in Texas and moved east, creating havoc as far north as Kentucky and as far east as Florida. Whatever else Mother Nature may have been trying to tell us, she was clear about the future: Climate change will cause more and more extreme weather events. Climate scientists are reluctant to link any single tornado to global warming. Whatever you may have heard from the skeptics, climate experts are cautious researchers they are scientists, after all who draw conclusions only after thorough study. So far, the evidence doesnt suggest that the United States has seen more tornadoes as temperatures climb. But there is evidence that tornadoes are becoming more clustered the sort of super-cell event that ravaged parts of Alabama in late March. Climate scientists also believe that the tornado threat zone is shifting eastward. In generations past, tornado alley was a less-populated area of the southern and western Plains states, including the Dakotas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Kansas. Think The Wizard of Oz. Two severe-weather researchers Harold Brooks of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Dr. Victor Gensini of Northern Illinois University recently released a study proposing that the threat zone is moving to the more densely populated areas of the southeastern U.S. That means more people, more schools, more houses and more businesses, which translates to more damage and more deaths. Its not a big jump to say that climate change is causing this shift east. The hypothesis and computer simulations support what we are observing and what we expect in the future, Gensini told CBS News. Not that many of my fellow Southerners believe it. Most of them are fervent Republicans who scorn experts, doubt science and treat the word of Donald J. Trump as gospel truth. He infamously dismissed climate change as a hoax, so there is no need for his fans to know any more than that. Many Trumpists insist that severe weather is simply an act of God, a natural event over which humans have no control. But humans have not been good stewards of the planet. We have overused fossil fuels, which spew carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas; it traps heat closer to the surface of the planet. The Deep South will suffer from those warming temperatures as much as any part of the country. The routinely hot summers will become unbearable as temperatures continue to climb, and the beautiful Gulf Coast beaches will be swallowed up as oceans rise. Hurricanes are already growing in force, gathering velocity from warming oceans. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was one for the record books, with so many named storms 30 that forecasters ran out of letters from the Roman alphabet and started naming from the Greek alphabet. My neighborhood was bruised by two hurricanes, but the most extensive damage occurred east of Mobile in the Florida Panhandle. It was the fifth consecutive year with an above-average Atlantic storm season, according to the NOAA. Skeptics aside, Big Business takes science at its word. While the fossil fuel plutocrats have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to sow doubt about global warming, the insurance industry is pricing it in. Some property owners in areas that have already shown a propensity for high risk may soon find insurance rates unaffordable. If there is any respite from the gloomy forecasts, it lies in the presidency of Joe Biden, who has replaced Trumps flat-earthers with an administration committed to science and intent on doing what it can to avert a climate disaster. Biden is not only rolling back Trumps ill-advised slash-and-burn environmental policies, but he has also offered an ambitious infrastructure plan that would curb our dependence on fossil fuels. Lets hope its not too late. Cynthia Tucker won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2007. She can be reached at cynthia@cynthiatucker.com. NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- illycaffe, known for its premium high-quality coffee and prominent role within art communities locally and abroad, is joining SFMOMA in bringing to life this year's virtual Art Bash, a digital-only Art Party for All taking place April 12-15, 2021. illycaffe is supporting the four-day event to help the museum's mission to make the art of our time a vital and meaningful part of public life, which is the same mission pursued by illy through its ongoing role and commitment within contemporary art. This year, Art Bash will feature a series of extraordinary virtual events that celebrate contemporary art in the Bay Area and beyond with an outstanding community of artists. The online events, accessible to all, kicks off on Monday, April 12, with "In Conversation: Visionaries Virgil Abloh and Moved by the Motion" hosted by SFMOMA Curator of Contemporary ArtEungie Joo. Abloh is Chief Creative Director and founder of Off-White, and Men's Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton. Moved by the Motion is a loosely affiliated "band" of interdisciplinary artists creating live performance and film since 2013. A highlight event of Art Bash is "The All of Us: Collaborative Zine Making Organized by Alicia McCarthy," taking place on Tuesday, April 13 from 4-5 p.m. Artist Alicia McCarthy biked between San Francisco studios and galleries asking fellow artists to contribute to a new zine. Virtual attendees will watch her experience of captured interactions with Real Time and Space artists Conrad Guevara and Kate Rhoades, then Tosha Stimage's Saint Flora, and a stop at pt. 2 gallery for a peek into their creative process and can download the completed zine after the event. To raise funds in support of SFMOMA's education program, this year's virtual Art Bash also includes a special thank-you event for those making a donation, with a live auction of works by Wayne Thiebaud, Charles Gaines, Wolfgang Tillmans, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Hung Liu on Wednesday, April 14. Celebrate the close of Art Bash on Thursday, April 15 at "All Together Now: Concert and Dance Party an in-home dance party featuring Tycho, the Modern Lovers and multiple DJ's spinning tunes. illy has been an official partner of SFMOMA since 2016. With the ideal to pursue a union of beauty (ofkalos) and good (agathos) that the Ancient Greek term kalokagathia describes, illy works to spotlight strong ethical values through aesthetics that show continued improvement and positivity within humanity. A tangible expression of this beauty and good are the illy Art Collection cups. Coffee-lovers who sip illy coffee from an artist-designed cup enjoy a complete sensorial moment from the aroma and taste of the illy blend, to the aesthetic, visual and tactile contemporary art experience. The illy Art Collection transforms an everyday object into a blank canvas and over 25 years, more than one hundred internationally renowned artists have worked on this canvas. illy helps disseminate art and culture, supporting artists, institutions, and international exhibitions around the world. Most recently, illy supported SFMOMA's 2019 SECA Award exhibition, which celebrated three Bay Area artists, each with a dedicated gallery: Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle, Sahar Khoury, and Marlon Mullen. Since 1967, the SECA Art Award has honored more than 70 Bay Area artists, including ArtBash artist Alicia McCarthy who was a 2017 SECA Award recipient, with an exhibition at SFMOMA and an accompanying publication. The award distinguishes Bay Area artists whose work, at the time of nomination, has not received substantial recognition from a major institution. About illycaffe illycaffe is a family-owned Italian company founded in Trieste in 1933, whose goal from the onset has been to offer the world's best coffee. illycaffe makes a unique 100% Arabica blend that combines 9 of the world's best coffees according to illycaffe. Every day, over 8 million cups of illy coffee are enjoyed worldwide in over 140 countries, in the best coffee bars, restaurants, and hotels, in our illy brand stores, and of course at home. Thanks to its innovations, illy is contributing to technological advancement in the coffee sector. Thanks to its "Ernesto Illy Quality Award for Espresso Coffee", which was established in Brazil in 1991, illy has helped disseminate know-how, achieved higher prices for growers of high-quality illy coffee, and established partnerships on the basis of the principles of sustainable development. The company has also founded its own University of Coffee, with the goal of promoting coffee culture at all levels. The university provided comprehensive and practical training for growers, baristas, and coffee lovers covering all aspects of this product. Anything 'made in illy' is made more valuable through beauty and art, two of the brand's core values, starting with the logo designed by the artist James Rosenquist and encompassing the illy Art Collection cups, decorated by over 100 international artists. In 2019 the company employed 1405 people and had a consolidated turnover of 520.5. There are about 269 single-brand illy stores in over 40 countries worldwide. https://www.illy.com/en-us/live-happilly/art SOURCE illy Related Links https://www.illy.com/ In 1977, the longest occupation of a federal building in the history of the United States of America took place and, when it ended, the protesters had achieved what nobody thought possible: regulations covering the enforcement of a four-year old law Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The protest is now called The 504 Sit-In and for over three weeks, members of the disability community occupied the Federal Building at 50 United Nations Plaza in San Francisco, which housed the regional office of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW), the federal agency tasked with creating the regulations required by Rehabilitation Act. Section 504 states, in part: No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 705(20) of this title, shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency or by the United States Postal Service. The original protest rally at the HEW office in San Francisco was part of nationwide day of protests which began on 44 years ago today on April 5th. Unlike the protests in other cities, the organizers of the San Francisco rally had been quietly planning an occupation of the office there. Occupiers came to the rally with backpacks filled with some essentials and, when the rally concluded, the entered the building and refused to leave until HEW Secretary Joseph Califano signed the Section 504 regulations which gave guidance on how the law would be enforced. Stories from the nearly month-long occupation are riveting and dramatic. Over 100 people with disabilities of all kinds participated. People with deafness. People with blindness. People living with paraplegia, even quadraplegia. People with mental disabilities. People using wheel chairs. Men, women, straight, and queer. This committed group formed a community where everyone played a role and where everyone helped each other. They bathed in sinks. They created a makeshift refrigerator for storing medicines by encasing an air conditioner in tarps. Those with blindness attended to people with mobility issues who reciprocated by reading written materials to them. After a time, telephone service was cut off to the building in an attempt to prevent them from communicating with outside allies and the media. Deaf individuals took over, communicating using American Sign Language with those outside the building through windows to get their messages out. Allies from all quarters joined in the effort, bringing supplies, mattresses, portable showers, and other items. The Black Panthers, who had members Brad Lomax and Chuck Jackson inside the building, began to supply daily nourishing meals. One of the true hallmarks of this successful action was the cross-demographic solidarity forged in advance and during the occupation by the organizers. After a bit over a week, the protesters worked with representatives Philip Burton and George Miller to host a day-long hearing inside the building to educate the nation about their fight: The sympathetic politicians declared the 4th floor of 50 UN Plaza a satellite office of Congress, which brought television and newspaper reporters. As cameras rolled, dozens of protesters testified on one of several panels related to specific disabling conditions: blindness, deafness, addiction, and others. In a highly public way, people with disabilities were educating Americans about low employment rates, housing discrimination, lack of educational opportunities. Before the sit-in concluded, a contingent of protesters representing people with nearly all types of disabilities loaded into the back of a moving van equipped with a cargo lift that had been rented by the International Association of Machinists labor union and made an arduous trip to Washington, D.C. Once in DC, they held protests, met with lawmakers, and held vigils. Given the difficulties of getting around in the days before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the trip in the back of the dark van along with the subsequent actions took enormous fortitude, stamina, and determination. More details about this incredible action can be found HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, as well as in the documentary Crip Camp A Disability Revolution, available on Netflix. Califano signed the regulations on April 28, 1977 and America was transformed. For the first time, access to the society was opened a bit wider for people with disabilities. Years later, when the ADA was passed, this access was expanded further. Click images for larger versions In commemoration of the 504 Sit In, the amazing disability advocacy group, Detroit Disability Power, is conducting a member recruitment drive. They hope to gain 100 new members by the end of April. Heres the message from my friend, the incredible activist Dessa Cosma, Executive Director of Detroit Disability Power: We have the 504 Sit-In protest to thank for curb cuts, ASL interpreters, and so many other aspects of daily life that are essential for full participation of disabled people in American society. Essential, but not sufficient. Today, in 2021, policies and systems that exclude people with disabilities still dominate our world in Detroit and Michigan. Detroit Disability Power mobilizes hundreds of people to demand better and those demands are heard! Over the past two months, DDP has worked with other organizations to get Detroit, counties and the state of Michigan to prioritize disabled people for access to Covid-19 vaccines. You may have been one of the hundreds who amplified the call for vaccine priority and helped win those victories. Now, we are asking you to become a member to show the power of our movement so we can all achieve even more. In 1977, over 100 people put their bodies on the line to make a difference for disability rights. Today, you can make a difference by joining your political voice with ours. The sign-up form asks you to pay dues at whatever level you can afford (can be as little as $5/year). As a member, youll be able to weigh in on DDPs direction and your impact on our regions policy will be multiplied. DDPs efforts to build a humane and equitable society have the greatest impact when we speak as a large network of knowledgeable, passionate activists. By joining as an official member, you will build power for yourself and others seeking justice in Detroit and beyond. Check out our Member Manual for details on membership. I look forward to sharing more of the story of the 504 sit-in with you, and I look forward to announcing DDPs next milestone of 100 members. Please act today to become one of our first 100. Without you, were less. With you, we can go further toward justice now. You can listen to our interview last year with Dessa Cosma on The GOTMFV Show podcast HERE. The 504 Sit-In showed the power of cross-demographic solidarity in creating significant change. Today Detroit Disability Power is forging a civil rights coalition for the 21st Century, one where we all build power and access for ourselves and others, collectively, passionately, and with love and compassion for everyone. Please join me by becoming a member today. [Button image via the National Museum of American History. Newspaper images credit: Billy X Jennings | Black Panther Party Archives. Detroit Disability Power image credit: Shin-Yi Wang | Detroit Disability Power] Arvind Kejriwal on Monday urged the Centre to allow the Delhi government to open new vaccination centres and also do away with age restrictions on people so that all adults can be inoculated. The Delhi chief minister wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the same. He said if Centre removes restrictions on age-limit, the Delhi government will be able to vaccinate all citizens of the state in just 3 months. "I request you to relaxat conditions for opening a new vaccination centres as well as in the age limit for vaccination, making it available for all," Kejriwal said in his letter addressed to the prime minister. Delhi on Sunday witnessed a huge spike in cases, reporting over 4,000 infections, its biggest daily jump since the outbreak of novel began. 21 fresh deaths during the day took the overall toll to 11,081. Delhi's positivity rate has seen a sharp rise within a matter of days, rising from about 1 per cent to over 4 per cent as on Sunday. Earlier during the day, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that micro containment zones will be designated in areas where there are two or more cases. Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report: AARON, STEVE LYNN 102 MARGARETALANE EASTRIDGE, 374122222 Age at Arrest: 55 years old Arresting Agency: Red Bank Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) AZIZ, MICHAEL NADER 3635 CROPLEY AVE SAN JOSE, Age at Arrest: 37 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga DISORDERLY CONDUCT PUBLIC INTOXICATION BLAKE, JONATHAN KASEY 8918 GANN RD SODDY DAISY, 37379 Age at Arrest: 29 years old Arresting Agency: Red Bank PUBLIC INTOXICATION BOYKIN, ANTWONE CLEVON 2827 S RUTHERFORD BLD MURFREESBORO, 37130 Age at Arrest: 22 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga THEFT OF PROPERTY UNDER $1,000.00 BROWN, TODD ROBERT 1507 HICKORY VALLEY RD APT M96 CHATTANOOGA, 37421 Age at Arrest: 39 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga SPEEDING FAILURE TO MAINTAIN LANE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE SECOND OFFENSE DRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CARE BURTON, DANIEL LEE 8203 MIDDLE VALLEY ROAD HIXSON, 37343 Age at Arrest: 38 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga VIOLATION OF PROBATION (FALSE REPORTS) DANIELS, REGINALD 639 WEST 13TH STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37402 Age at Arrest: 55 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga AGGRAVATED DOMESTIC ASSAULT DAVE, MICHAEL DEWAYNE 2109 COOLEY STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37406 Age at Arrest: 48 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A WEAPON DAVIS, DARRYL ANTHONY 554 W 37TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 37410 Age at Arrest: 53 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County SIMPLE DOMESTIC ASSAULT DIXON, KELLY L 1331 KOBLAN DR HIXSON, 37343 Age at Arrest: 44 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga DRIVING ON ROADWAYS LANED FOR TRAFFIC, VIOLATION DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE IMPLIED CONSENT LAW - DRIVERS FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CARE DODDS, ERIC C 1200 TALLEY RD CHATANOOGA, 37411 Age at Arrest: 20 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED DUCKETT, BRIAN RICHARD 8321 DAISY DALLAS ROAD HIXSON, 37343 Age at Arrest: 39 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE REGISTRATION, EXPIRED FAILURE TO MAINTAIN LANE ESCOBAR, NERY MAUCELIO 1815 MULBERRY ST CHATTANOOGA, Age at Arrest: 27 years old Arresting Agency: East Ridge DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE NO PROOF OF INSURANCE FLANIGAN, MAURICE TYRONE 515 ROYAL CREST DR CHATTANOOGA, 37343 Age at Arrest: 21 years old Arresting Agency: Tenn Highway Patrol POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE UNL. CARRYING OR POSSESSING WEAPONFREEMAN, KEVIN2408 MEADE CIRCLE CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 53 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeCONTROLLED SUBSTANCES SCHEDULE VIFRIDDELL, EDWARD DEWITT11714 DOLLY POND RD BIRCHWOOD, 37308Age at Arrest: 50 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyAGGRAVATED CRIMINAL TRESPASSGEIGER, MEOSHIA ROSE808 W 42ND ST CHATTANOOGA, 37410Age at Arrest: 26 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaAGGRAVATED ASSAULT (DOMESTIC)ASSAULTGLOVER, JUSTIN MARQUEL2416 E 19TH STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37404Age at Arrest: 31 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaAGGRAVATED DOMESTIC ASSAULTTHEFT OF PROPERTYGRANT, KASHAYLA103 LYTLE ROAD APT B ROSSVILLE, 30741Age at Arrest: 18 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgePUBLIC INTOXICATIONDISORDERLY CONDUCTUNDERAGE DRINKINGRESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESSHAUGHTON, PHILLIP KEVIN9200 COBBLESTONE HILL DR OOLTEWAH, 37363Age at Arrest: 22 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaPUBLIC INTOXICATIONPOSSESSION OF METH (SELL, DEL. OR MANUFACTURING)POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIAIRELAND, DECLAN W8512 CREEK STONE DR CHATTANOOGA, 37421Age at Arrest: 19 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEJOHNSON, ASHANTI L1226 CYPRESS ST COURT CHATTANOOGA, 37402Age at Arrest: 18 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)JOHNSON, DESTINY NICHOLE209 HICKORY ST LAFAYETTE, 30728Age at Arrest: 19 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgePUBLIC INTOXICATIONDISORDERLY CONDUCTUNDERAGE DRINKINGJONES, BRADLEY AARON572 HOUSTON VALLEY RD RINGGOLD, 307368627Age at Arrest: 33 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaPUBLIC INTOXICATIONKRAUSE, AMANDA MAY219 BETH PAGE RD ESTILL SPRINGS, 37330Age at Arrest: 42 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaVIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSS DRUG PARA)MORETTI, ANGELA DARLENE178 BILL HOWARD RD OLD FORT, 37362Age at Arrest: 47 years oldArresting Agency: Collegedale PoliceBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)PATTERSON, KEELY SHAQUILLE2612 OCOEE ST CHATTANOOGA, 374062923Age at Arrest: 26 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaPOSS. OF HANDGUN WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCEPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIASPEEDINGDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEDRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CAREROBINSON, GRADY LUTHER727 E 11TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 374033104Age at Arrest: 69 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaAGGRAVATED CRIMINAL TRESPASSROUNDTREE, NANCY ELAINE4112 SWEET ST EAST RIDGE, 37412Age at Arrest: 66 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCELEAVING SCENE OF ACCIDENT W/DAMAGE TO VEHICLE AND/SANDERS, ARIL AALIYAH LABETTE701 N GERMANTOWN ROAD APT 511 CHATTANOOGA, 37411Age at Arrest: 26 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaAGGRAVATED ASSAULTAGGRAVATED RIOTCHILD NEGLECTDISORDERLY CONDUCTSMITH, ALDONTA ARSA701 E 11TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 374033110Age at Arrest: 44 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaDOMESTIC ASSAULTSTAMEY, DANNY LEE250 ROXBURY CIR HIXSON, 373435080Age at Arrest: 59 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIAPOSSESSION OF METH (SELL, DEL. OR MANUFACTURING)STEELE, ALEXIS121 CLEVELAND ROAD ROSSVILLE, 30741Age at Arrest: 19 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgePUBLIC INTOXICATIONDISORDERLY CONDUCTUNDERAGE DRINKINGSWARTZ, MICHAELA R2123 MOWBRAY PIKE SODDY DAISY,Age at Arrest: 18 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaCRIMINAL IMPERSONATIONPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIASWEARINGEN, JOHN B1206 COFFELT ROAD APT A HIXSON, 37363Age at Arrest: 30 years oldArresting Agency: Soddy DaisyAGGRAVATED ASSAULTWESTFALL, KELSI ELIZABETH7725 ASPEN LODGEWAY APT 118 CHATTANOOGA, 37421Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEDRIVING ON ROADWAYS LANED FOR TRAFFIC, VIOLATIONWILSON, BRIAN CHRISTOPHER101 CLARA LN ANDERSON, 29624Age at Arrest: 30 years oldArresting Agency: Collegedale PoliceBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) Chennai, April 5 : The ruling AIADMK on Monday urged the Election Commission of India (EC) to cancel the candidature of top five DMK leaders, including party President M.K. Stalin, General Secretary Durai Murugan and Youth Wing leader Udhyanidhi Stalin for bribing the voters. In his complaint R.M. Babu Murugavel, AIADMK's Advocate Wing Joint Secretary has alleged that Stalin's wife Durga Stalin had paid Rs 10,000 to women self-help groups in the Kolathur constituency seeking their votes as well as to canvass for her husband. Murugavel has also alleged that affiliates and associates of Stalin have been distributing Rs 5,000 to voters through G-Pay. The AIADMK leader has also sent a complaint letter to the EC against DMK's K.N. Nehru, contesting from Tiruchirappalli West, Udhyanidhi Stalin (Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni), E.V.Velu (Thiruvannamalai) and Durai Murugan (Katpadi) alleging cash distribution to voters ranging between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 by their associates and also through G-Pay. The AIADMK has also urged the EC to issue a gag order on Sun News Channel stopping it from telecasting banned videos, clippings, footage and also issue a showcause notice. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Piano virtuoso Jeremy So has been charged with grooming and sexually abusing a music student at the Conservatorium High School A celebrated pianist accused of grooming a teenage music student and sexually abusing her for three years will remain behind bars. Jeremy So began using Facebook Messenger to 'manipulate and control' the girl when she was just 13, a court has heard. So has been charged with 20 child sex offences which allegedly took place between 2009 to 2012 when he was studying at Sydney's Conservatorium of Music. The 30-year-old's alleged victim was a student at Conservatorium High School, which is next door to the University of Sydney's music school. A court has heard the award-winning virtuoso first sexually assaulted the girl when she was 14 and he was 18. So appeared in Central Local Court on Thursday when he did not apply for bail and it was formally refused. He has hired high-profile solicitor Bryan Wrench who recently helped retired NRL star Sam Burgess overturn a conviction for intimidating his former father-in-law Mitchell Hooke. A police document tendered at an earlier appearance stated So's alleged victim only felt safe to report her claims against him after she had left the music industry. The statement of facts allege So first contacted the girl on Facebook when he was in Year 12 at the selective Conservatorium High School. Jeremy So has been charged with 20 child sex offences which allegedly took place between 2009 to 2012 when he was studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (pictured) Jeremy So's alleged victim was a student at Conservatorium High School, which is next door to the University of Sydney's music school. The 30-year-old pianist is pictured 'This was the beginning of a manipulating and controlling relationship [in which the pair spent] long hours talking on MSN Messenger,' the statement said. The pair's first face-to-face meeting allegedly took place in 2009 after So graduated to the University Conservatorium of Music next door, according to The Telegraph. The relationship then allegedly continued after So took up a job with the Conservatorium High School where he tutored piano and chamber music. So, who is a keen computer gamer when not performing or practising piano, is alleged to have urged the girl to 'keep the relationship secret' in their messages. He is also accused of controlling aspects of the girl's life, including having disputes about her wearing a bikini. So allegedly described their relationship as 'raunchy'. When the girl turned 15 in 2011, So allegedly warned her in a message, 'I can get arrested for everything we've done so far I think it's a decade in prison.' Court documents allege So first contacted the girl on Facebook when he was in Year 12 at the selective Conservatorium High School. Their first face-to-face meeting allegedly took place in 2009 after So graduated to the University Conservatorium of Music next door Celebrated pianist Jeremy So began using Facebook Messenger to 'manipulate and control' a music student when she was just 13 before sexually abusing her for years, a court has heard (stock image) He allegedly also sent her a legal definition of sexual abuse of a child, adding, 'You're almost 16'. The girl allegedly responded: 'Almost isn't the same as being.' Among the charges are seven counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 16 and one count of aggravated sexual assault causing actual bodily harm. He is also charged with three counts of indecent assault and two of persistent sexual abuse of a child, as well as procuring a child under 14 for unlawful sexual activity and inciting a child under 16 to commit an act of indecency. Police allege So directed the teen to perform sex acts at his apartment, her home and inside the practice rooms of the Conservatorium High School when she was aged 14 to 16. So has performed at the Sydney Opera House and other prominent venues where he has competed in international piano competitions. He was arrested at his home in western Sydney on March 26 when a search warrant was executed at the Wiley Park residence and his electronic devices were seized for forensic examination. Police allege So directed the teen to perform sex acts at his apartment, as well as her home and inside the practice rooms of the Conservatorium High School. Students at the high school use the Conservatorium's Verbrugghen Hall (pictured) So was first refused bail when he appeared at Parramatta bail court on March 27 when magistrate George Zdenkowski said despite his clean criminal record, a 'substantial custodial penalty would be imposed' if he was convicted. Hong Kong-born So graduated from the Conservatorium with first class honours before undertaking degrees at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Detectives from the Sydney City police area command established Strike Force Millard in February to investigate his alleged victim's claims. A spokesman for NSW Education told Daily Mail Australia the department had worked closely with NSW Police to investigate the allegations against So. 'The accused no longer works at any school in NSW,' the spokesman said. 'Support will be provided to the school as required.' Pastor Greg Locke tells congregants take them stupid masks off during Easter service Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Despite federal guidance urging the wearing of masks to control the spread of COVID-19, popular internet personality Greg Locke, who leads the Global Vision Bible Church in Tennessee, mocked some of his congregants for following that advice like sheep on Easter Sunday before telling them to take them stupid masks off! Unless youre under a doctors orders and a few of you are take them stupid masks off when you come to Global Vision! There, I said it on Easter. Take them stupid masks off, Locke declared during his Holy Week sermon. Call me crazy? You come, pull up in the parking lot wearing two masks in a car by yourself. Call me crazy? Thats crack-smoking crazy is what that is. His shot at his mask-wearing attendees came after he referenced Isaiah 53:6, which says: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Its interesting God calls us that [sheep]. Not much has changed, has it? You remember this time last year? This time last year, they were like, Oh my goodness! You cannot have resurrection service; you will kill everybody. You are going to kill everybody within 250 miles. We aint killed nobody yet, by the way, the pastor said. And so the media started infusing us with fear tactics. You see, they know this verse, apparently. They know that people that are ignorant of Scripture willfully will obey any ridiculous mandate that the media gives them because it makes them feel better about themselves. While some churches chose to close during the pandemic, he praised other churches, like his, that stayed open. Since were a year in, I just want to verifiably say, thanks be to God for other churches that opened, that reopened, and thank God for churches that decided that they werent going to close at all. They saw through it. Weve never closed yet. Weve never closed one single time during all this COVID debacle, Locke said. With his congregation cheering him on, Locke added that it would have taken the entire United States military to shutter his church. They will roll up in tanks. They will drop down from helicopters. And I promise you, it wont be a dozen police out there from Wilson County and from Mt. Juliet, he declared. Its going to take the entire United States military to roll up into this parking lot and tell us, Hey, we cant worship Jesus, and that we got to shut our church down, and that we cant preach, and we cant pray You have lost your mind if you think Ive given in to that! You have lost your mind if you think Im giving into that mess! We are staying open forever! Forever! Locke has remained consistent in his opposition to mask mandates and gathering restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected more than 30 million people across the U.S. More than 550,000 people have also died from COVID-19 related illnesses, according to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. This includes former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, who also publicly eschewed wearing masks. The outspoken pastor stood his ground on the issue even when former President Donald Trump, who contracted the virus, called for mask-wearing last summer. Locke had referred to masks as idols. These have become idols. These dont do anything whatsoever. They are the dumbest thing to have ever been created by humanity, Locke declared last summer. They are scientifically proven to do Jack sprat! But Ill tell you, religiously, what theyve done, theyve divided the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. These things are so dumb. According to the CDC, masks are primarily intended to reduce the emission of virus-laden droplets. Masks are especially relevant for asymptomatic or presymptomatic infected wearers who feel well and may be unaware of the risk they pose to others. They are estimated to account for more than 50% of transmissions. Masks also help wearers reduce inhalation of these droplets. In his sermon Sunday, Locke also revealed he had several media interviews scheduled but would give up his next 50 media interviews for just five minutes on ABCs The View with co-host Whoopi Goldberg. Five minutes on The View with Whoopi Goldberg. Thats all I want, he said. Thats it! Id give up CNN. Id give up NewsMax. Id give up Fox. Id give up all. Man, me and Whoopi got some stuff to talk about on TV. Just one time can one of us preachers say 'Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father.'" New Delhi, April 5 : The assets of 134 re-contesting MLAs in the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls have shown a whopping growth of 42 per cent in the last five years -- an average rise of Rs 3.06 crore. Ruling AIADMK leader C. Vijayabasker C. from the Viralimalai constituency tops the list of these 134 MLAs. He has declared an increase of Rs 52.42 crore in his assets from Rs 9.08 crore in 2016 to Rs 61.50 crore in 2021, which is the highest in the list. Vijayabasker, who is the health Minister of Tamil Nadu, has won twice -- in 2011 and 2016 -- from Viralimalai segment and is seeking mandate for the third time. Tamil Nadu Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) made the revelation after analysing the self-sworn affidavits of these 134 MLAs. "The average assets of these 134 MLAs fielded by various parties, including independents, in 2016 was Rs 7.23 crore. The assets of these MLAs in 2021 is Rs 10.29 crores. The average asset growth for these MLAs, between the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections of 2016 and 2021 is Rs 3.06 crore. The average growth in assets is 42 per cent," the analysis said. After Vijayabasker, the assets of DMK's M.K. Mohan from the Anna Nagar constituency has increased by Rs 40.23 crore from Rs 170.97 crore in 2016 to Rs 211.20 crore in 2021. The assets of DMK's another MLA G. Anbalagan from the Kumbakonam constituency have risen by Rs 21.70 crore from Rs 20.02 crore in 2016 to Rs 41.73 crore in 2021. Anbalagan K.P. of the AIADMK from Palacodu constituency is on the fourth rank with his assets showing an increase of Rs 16.42 crore from Rs 2.40 crore in 2016 to Rs 18.83 crore in 2021. AIADMK's another leader S. Ramachandran from Arani segment is on the fifth rank in the list with a growth of Rs 12.70 crore in his assets from Rs 2.18 crore in 2016 to Rs 14.89 crore in 2021. [April 05, 2021] Wireless Telecom Group Adds C. Scott Gibson to Board of Directors as Vice Chairman Parsippany, New Jersey, USA, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wireless Telecom Group, Inc. (NYSE American: WTT ), (the Company) announced today the appointment of C. Scott Gibson to serve as an independent member and Vice Chairman of its Board of Directors (the Board). The Company also announced the formation of a Board Strategy Oversight Committee which Mr. Gibson will chair and will include existing directors Mike Millegan and Mitch Herbets. The purpose of the committee will be to contribute to the Companys long-term strategic planning, product and technology roadmap and research and development strategy. Furthermore, current Board members Joseph M. Manko Jr. and Joseph Garrity have announced they will not seek re-election to the Board at the next annual meeting of shareholders. Alan Bazaar, Chairman of the Board, commented, We are pleased and excited to welcome Scott Gibson as Vice Chairman of the Board. His experience in the semiconductor industry and experience with telecommunications software solutions make him ideally suited to lead the Boards Strategy Oversight Committee. Additionally, his experience on public boards and leading strategy development are expected to greatly contribute to our long-term planning and 5G solution development. I look forward to working with Scott as the Company addresses transformational growth opportunities, supported by 5G adoption and long-term secular investments. I also would like to thank Joseph Manko and Joseph Garrity for their invaluable contributions to the Board and the Company during their tenures. Mr. Gibson started his career at Intel Corporation serving as General Manager of Memory Components Operation. He then co-founded and served as President, and Co-CEO of Sequent Computer Systems, Inc., a computer systems company, which grew from a start-up to over $300 million in annual sales. Mr. Gibson also served on the Board of Radisys, a global leader of open technology telecommunications solutions, joining the Board in 1992 shortly after its start-up in 1987, and served as Chairman from 1992-2017, through its IPO, transitioning to his successor just ahead of the Companys sale to Reliance in 2018. Mr. Gibson has spent more than the past five years serving on public compan boards full-time. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of Northwest Natural Holding Company, a provider of water and wastewater distribution and natural gas services, and is an independent member of the Board of Directors of Pixelworks, a provider of video and pixel processing semiconductors and software. Mr. Gibson previously served as a director for several other technology companies including, Verigy Ltd. and TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc., which subsequently merged with RF Micro Devices, Inc. and became Qorvo, Inc. During Mr. Gibsons Board oversight role, TriQuint / Quorvo grew from less than $20 million per year to over $3 billion in annual sales. Mr. Gibson serves as Trustee of St. Johns Health, and the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. Mr. Gibson holds a B.S.E.E. and a M.B.A. from the University of Illinois. - END - About Wireless Telecom Group Wireless Telecom Group, Inc., comprised of Boonton , CommAgility , Holzworth , Microlab , and Noisecom , is a global designer and manufacturer of advanced RF and microwave components, modules, systems, and instruments. Serving the wireless, telecommunication, satellite, military, aerospace, semiconductor, and medical industries, Wireless Telecom Group products enable innovation across existing and emerging wireless technologies. With a product portfolio including peak power meters, signal generators, phase noise analyzers, signal processing modules, LTE PHY/stack software, power splitters and combiners, GPS repeaters, public safety components, noise sources, and programmable noise generators, Wireless Telecom Group supports the development, testing, and deployment of wireless technologies around the globe. Wireless Telecom Group, Inc.s website address is wirelesstelecomgroup.com . Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this news release may be considered "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements include declarations regarding the intent, belief, or current expectations of the Company and its management. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could materially affect actual results. Such risks and uncertainties are identified in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. Investor Contact Mike Kandell: +1 (973) 386-9696 SM Berger & Company: +1 (216) 464-6400 Marketing Contact Maria Droge: +1 (973) 386-9696 Wireless Telecom Group Inc. 25 Eastmans Road Parsippany, NJ 07054 Tel: (973) 386-9696 Fax: (973) 386-9191 www.wtcom.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] REHLATY by dnata Travel, the unique travel brand designed by Emiratis for the Emirati traveller, has revealed its most popular holiday destinations over the spring break holiday as UAE travellers look set to explore more of the world as restrictions ease for travel to more places worldwide. Now in year two of its operation, REHLATY, part of the dnata Travel Group, has revealed that 70 per cent of its bookings in 2021 so far have been for outbound travel, with the Maldives and Tanzania proving the top-selling destinations for its Emirati travellers. For this latest holiday in the UAE calendar, trending getaways of interest for REHLATYs customer base include family travel to Bosnia for an escape amidst the Olympic Mountains, family-friendly beach breaks on the Indian Ocean islands of the Maldives and Zanzibar, safari journeys across Tanzania, and beach and wildlife-filled adventures in Sri Lanka. Rehab Mansoor, General Manager at REHLATY by dnata Travel, commented: "At REHLATY, we aim to keep our finger on the pulse of travel trends monitoring destinations that are open for travel and providing accessible, safe travel from the UAE with the needs and wants of the Emirati traveller community always front-of-mind keeping travellers in the know and creating perfect holiday itineraries." "In 2021 so far, 63 per cent of our overall bookings have been for couples who trusted their dedicated REHLATY Relationship Manager to provide a tailor-made romantic getaway and a stress-free honeymoon of a lifetime. This has been followed by families who come to us to ease the process of arranging their holiday and all of the extra details they might be looking for. "From our destination knowledge, and in response to latest trends and requests, we have created new itineraries for the spring holiday and beyond, taking families, couples and groups of friends alike to the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Bosnia offering something for every type of Emirati traveller." For spring break 2021, one of REHLATYs most popular itineraries of choice covers six days in Bosnia covering its Olympic Mountains, the beautiful scenery of Lake Jablanica, and the historic town of Mostar. "Bosnia is a perfect destination for Emirati families with lots to offer, from Halal food to activities for children, family-friendly hotels, picturesque towns, the snow-covered mountain scenery and cooler temperatures," Mansoor added. REHLATY announced earlier this year that the Maldives was its most popular travel destination of choice for Emirati travellers in 2020, and this year the trend looks set to continue. Popular options for a beach retreat with REHLATY include world-class five-star resorts on some of the worlds most beautiful beaches in the Maldives, and a mix of properties in Zanzibar from Stone Town, to its pristine coast. UAE Nationals also have the choice of an extensive safari journey across Tanzania or a fixed four-day, five-night wildlife and beach itinerary in Sri Lanka. Mansoor continued: "The Maldives is more family-friendly than ever, offering a plethora of indoor and outdoor activities for all ages, and with its dry season extending to late April, now is an excellent time to travel. Zanzibar and Sri Lanka are also fantastic for families safe, laid back, and theres plenty for kids to do. We recommend excellent family-friendly hotels across these destinations that offer large suites, family rooms, or private bungalows and pool villas." "Safari journeys in Tanzania also offer a perfect family holiday, full of adventure. Meanwhile, all of our spring break itineraries and destinations can be tailor-made for couples or groups of friends, as all of our holidays are customisable for travellers working with their dedicated REHLATY Relationship Manager." - TradeArabia News Service Reuters Nowhere is this more evident than in the rising popularity of a Federal Reserve program that lets firms stash their cash overnight with the U.S. central bank in exchange for at best a small return. But usage is soaring to record highs as money market funds and other eligible firms cope with what some analysts are calling a "tsunami" of cash. The banking system is swimming in nearly $4 trillion of reserves, thanks in part to the Fed's asset purchases, a fall off in Treasury bill issuance and a rapid drawdown in the government's store of funds at the Fed. The Treasury General Account, or TGA, has dropped by nearly $1 trillion since last fall, mirrored by the surge in bank reserves. The nationally recognized San Antonio Book Festival is hosting its ninth edition April 9 -11, with only the best bibliophile content brought to you online, after a COVID-19 cancellation last spring. The festivities feature around 200 authors, with a wide array of literary options and events for every palate. From conversations with YA authors, Latinx poetry dialogues and nationally best selling novelists here are just some of the highlights. For Mango Street Mujeres The San Antonio Book Festival returns, virtually, this Friday. Here are some of the can't-miss sessions. Courtesy of San Antonio Book Festival San Antonio treasure, House on Mango Street author and award-winning writer Sandra Cisneros, who has long had involvement with the festival, will debut a new event called Sandra Cisneros Presents, where shell introduce four of her favorite writers to festival audiences. The authors include Diana Marie Delgado, author of poetry collection Tracing the Horse; John Olivares Espinoza author of The Date Fruit Elegies; Joe Jimenezs of Rattlesnake Allegory; Christine Granados, author of Fight Like a Man and Other Stories We Tell Our Children. Sat. April,10, 10 a.m. For the Historians The San Antonio Book Festival returns, virtually, this Friday. Here are some of the can't-miss sessions. Courtesy of San Antonio Book Festival Harvard professor and Texas native author Annette Gordon Reed will speak on her book On Juneteenth. (Saturday, April 10, 330 p.m.) Then, Women in Texas and Mexico, a session brought to you largely by the San Antonio Area Foundation, is an anthology that looks into the term revolutionary by examining female subversives from the last century. Session writers include: Co-editor Kathy Sosa, contributors Ellen Riojas Clark and Cynthia E. Orozco and moderator Norma E. Cantu. Friday, April, 9, 1 p.m. For the Comedy Fans The San Antonio Book Festival returns, virtually, this Friday. Here are some of the can't-miss sessions. Courtesy of San Antonio Book Festival The festivals Lit Crawl will feature an online cocktail demonstration with Desert Door Sotol and conversations, including a discussion with the minds behind Notes from the Bathroom Line, an anthology brought to you by HBO Producer Amy Solomon with work featuring 200 of the funniest women in comedy. Conversation contributors also include Seek Treatment Podcasts Catherine Cohen, Meaty author Samantha Irby, and Emily V. Gordon. Friday, April 9, 9 p.m. READ MORE: New trailhead adds more parking to Salado Creek Greenway New Delhi, Apr 5 (UNI) India has attracted total FDI inflow of USD 72.12 billion during April to January, 2021, Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement on Monday. It is the highest ever for the first ten months of a financial year and 15 per cent higher as compared to the first ten months of 2019-20 (USD 62.72 billion). The Ministry said the government is engaged in creating a business-friendly environment in the country and is emphasising on economic reforms along with providing maximum facilities to the investors. Thirty-one years after two men dressed as Boston police officers were allowed into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and stole 13 pieces of art, the heist and the $10 million reward for the recovery of the missing pieces comes to Netflix. The latest crime documentary, This Is a Robbery: The Worlds Biggest Art Heist, on the internet streaming service looks at the theft at the Gardner Museum in Boston from March 1990. More than three decades have passed and the museum, FBI and U.S. Attorneys office still have not found the 13 items stolen on March 18, 1990. According to the museum, two men in police uniforms pushed the museum buzzer and asked the guards on duty to be let in as they claimed to be responding to a disturbance. The guards broke protocol and allowed them through the employee entrance, the museum said. The two security guards were then handcuffed and tied up in the basement of the museum. The thieves stole with 13 pieces works of art in 81 minutes and left at 2:45 a.m., the museum said. The guards remained handcuffed until 8:45 a.m., when police arrived, the museum said. The best known works of art were taken from the Dutch Room, including Rembrandts Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee and A Lady and Gentleman in Black, which were cut from their frames. Johannes Vermeers The Concert and Govert Flincks Landscape with an Obelisk were removed from their frames. An ancient Chinese bronze Gu, or beaker, was taken from a table. In the Short Gallery, five Edgar Degas drawings and a bronze eagle finial were stolen. Edouard Manets Chez Tortoni was taken from the Blue Room. Thirty-one years after the heist, a $10 million reward from the museum remains for any information leading to the return of the works of art. A separate reward of $100,000 is being offered for the return of the Napoleonic eagle finial. The documentary, which comes from the producers of the Netflix hit The Irishman, examines why the art was stolen, who the suspects were at the time and how the art could be returned. Related Content: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives an update on the COVID-19 pandemic during a virtual press conference inside the Downing Street Briefing Room in central London on April 5, 2021. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) UK to Trial COVID-Status Certification in Domestic Settings The UK government said on Monday that COVID-status certification will be tested in domestic settings so that CCP virus restrictions can be eased more safely. At a press briefing held in Downing Street, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that all shops, gyms, hairdressers, and outdoor hospitality areas in England will be reopened next week following the governments roadmap out of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus lockdown. In a newly published review of the roadmap, the government said it will begin to trial COVID-status certification in certain settings, including large events. West Ham fans queue to enter the stadium prior to the Barclays FA Womens Super League match between West Ham United and Arsenal at Chigwell Construction Stadium in Dagenham, England, on Sept. 12, 2020. (Marc Atkins/Getty Images) The government said it believes that COVID-status certification could have an important role to play both domestically and internationally, as a temporary measure. COVID-status certification aims to provide reassurance that an individual is at reduced risk of transmission. This could allow some freedoms to be restored more safely, for example by allowing mass events to admit more participants, increased passenger numbers and reduced border restrictions for travellers, and social distancing rules to be relaxed, the review states. The government said that other countries are already developing their own certification systems, such as Israels Green Pass and the European Unions digital green certificate. The so-called vaccine passports have been a contentious issue in the UK. The government recognised that vaccination is not suitable for all citizens and proposed other means of demonstrating a reduced risk of transmission. A police officer speaks to people sitting outside a pub in Soho, London, on Sept. 24, 2020. (Peter Summers/Getty Images) It expects that COVID-status certification could be demonstrated by three means: an up-to-date vaccine status; a negative lateral flow or PCR test taken at a test site on the same day or the day before their admission to a venue; or by proof of natural immunity, such as through a previous positive PCR for a time limit of 180 days from the date of the positive test and following completion of the self-isolation period. The government said that there are some settingssuch as essential public services, public transport, and essential shopswhere the certification should never be required, in order to ensure access for all. But it said the certification could play a role in reducing social distancing requirements in hospitality settings. But the government said it recognises this has significant implications for businesses and their customers, so this will be further considered in consultation with industry. Last week, dozens of British parliamentarians from across the political spectrum joined hands in opposition to the possible introduction of COVID-status certificates. Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said in a newspaper interview that requiring vaccine passports for social activities would be against the British instinct. Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, called COVID certification divisive and discriminatory. Representatives of the British pub industry also wrote to Johnson to express their outrage at the idea of introducing COVID certification for hospitality venues. This could prevent millions of young people visiting the pub for months, unless they get themselves tested in advance, they said. A 60-year-old New Jersey man has died two weeks after suffering injuries in a Lehigh County crash. The Lehigh County Coroners Office is identifying the driver as Virgil Harrison of Avenel, Middlesex County. He was pronounced dead at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township. Harrison died from complications of multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was ruled accidental, according to the coroners office. Harrison was driving shortly after 10:30 a.m. March 22 when he struck another vehicle along the Route 222 North bypass in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, authorities said. The accident happened about 297 feet west of Mill Creek Road. The death is under investigation by Upper Macungie Township police and the Lehigh County Coroners Office. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. JERUSALEM It was a split-screen spectacle that encapsulated the confounding condition of Israel and its democracy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in a Jerusalem court on Monday for the opening of the key, evidentiary phase of his corruption trial. Simultaneously, just two miles across town, representatives of his party were entreating the countrys president to task him with forming Israels next government. For many in Israel, the extraordinary convergence of events was an illustration of a political and constitutional malaise afflicting the nation that gets worse from year to year. After four inconclusive elections in two years, Mr. Netanyahu, Israels longest-serving prime minister, who is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, and who denies wrongdoing, remains the most polarizing figure on the political stage. But he is also the leader of Israels largest party, which took the most seats in national elections last month. Sacha Baron Cohen appeared to be in great spirits as he was joined by wife Isla Fisher following The Trial of the Chicago 7's ensemble victory at the SAG Awards. The actor, 49, and his co-stars picked up the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture on Sunday. He looked typically dapper in a white suit jacket and added a black T-shirt underneath, while Isla, 45, also opted for a monochrome look and dazzled in a black dress. Glam: Sacha Baron Cohen appeared to be in great spirits as he was joined by wife Isla Fisher following The Trial of the Chicago 7's ensemble victory at the SAG Awards on Sunday Isla ensured all eyes were on her, even as a tiny rectangle on a Zoom grid, as she oozed glamour in the low-cut strapless number. Her auburn locks cascaded over her shoulders in loose curls and she added some statement earrings for an added touch of elegance. Isla married Sacha in 2010 after they met at a party in Sydney back in 2002, and they now share three young children together. All smiles: The actor, 49, looked typically dapper in a white suit jacket and added a black T-shirt underneath, while Isla, 45, also opted for a monochrome look and dazzled in a black dress Sacha enjoyed a night of success at the awards, after being nominated for three, including Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, for his portrayal of Abbie Hoffman. The award was ultimately taken home by Daniel Kaluuya for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah. The cast of Chicago 7 were also nominated for Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture, but this was won by Wonder Woman 1987. Speaking to AP after the win, Sacha's castmate Michael Keaton took a humble approach, giving credit to the other actors involved. Happy couple: Isla ensured all eyes were on her, even as a tiny rectangle on a Zoom grid, as she oozed glamour in the low-cut strapless number Keaton (pictured centre) said of his co-stars: 'These guys did all the heavy lifting; I showed up for a couple days. Im getting credit for not much - but Ill take it' He took a humble approach and spoke highly of Sacha, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Frank Langella, Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Strong, Yahya Abdul-Mateen, John Carroll Lynch, Mark Rylance and Alex Sharp. Keaton, 69, was a part of the winning cast for the third time, as he also captured the collective honors for his contributions to Birdman in 2014 and 2015's Spotlight. 'Frankly, its an embarrassment to me,' said Keaton, who played Ramsey Clark in movie. 'These guys did all the heavy lifting. I showed up for a couple days. Im getting credit for not much - but I'll take it.' Keaton was twice previously nominated for other SAG honors: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture for Birdman, and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie in 2007 for The Company. Taking it home: Sacha enjoyed a night of success at the awards, after being nominated for three, including Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, for his portrayal of Abbie Hoffman The victory was accepted by the film's Frank Langella (who portrayed Judge Julius Hoffman in the movie), emphasizing the 'profound injustice' revealed in the film from vaunted writer/director Aaron Sorkin. The film detailed the trial of a group of anti-Vietnam war protesters dubbed the Chicago Seven, accused of starting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. '"God give us leaders," said the Reverend Martin Luther King before he was shot down in cold blood on this very date in 1968,' Langella said. 'The trial of the Chicago Seven began 18 months later, ruled by a corrupt judge - me.' Winner: The film detailed the trial of a group of anti-Vietnam war protesters dubbed the Chicago Seven, accused of starting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention Key role: Michael Keaton, 69, played Ramsey Clark in the Aaron Sorkin movie Langella continued: 'Aaron Sorkin was determined to tell their story, and his loving and respectful direction transformed a group of disparate actors into an ensemble. Reverend King was right, we need leaders to guide us toward hating each other less. 'We owe a debt of thanks to the voices of the Chicago Seven, and most especially, Aaron Sorkin, our leader whose voice is the soul of this movie. Thank you SAG-AFTRA.' The motion picture is nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Sacha and Best Original Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. DENVER, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kicking off 2021 with a 70% YoY increase in net booking value, Evolve continues to outperform the market as demand for vacation rentals remains high. On track for a banner year, the hospitality company plans to invest in and grow its team by an estimated 50% in 2021 through roles in customer experience, technology, and sales. As evidence, Evolve recently hired Mara Castro as Senior Vice President of Customer Experience. Mara previously served as Head of Customer Experience at Warby Parker, where she led a team of 700+ team members during her 10-year tenure. She was the pioneering online retailer's very first employee, helping to build the company from its founder's apartment into the direct-to-consumer powerhouse it is today. "The most important element of scaling our business is scaling the delivery of 5-star hospitality," says Brian Egan, Co-founder and CEO of Evolve. "Mara was the architect of the customer experience that served as the foundation of Warby Parker's renowned brand; I'm thrilled to partner with her as she propels us toward our vision of becoming the most trusted hospitality brand in vacation rental." Taking a tech-enabled approach to vacation rental management, Evolve provides higher performance, more flexibility, and lower fees when compared to traditional offerings. Their disruptive 10% management fee (as compared to 30-50% rates charged by competitors) and proprietary dynamic pricing strategy have allowed Evolve listings to outperform an already booming vacation rental market. Popular short-term rental marketplaces Airbnb and Vrbo recently reported that their new hosts earned an average of $3,900 and $6,000 respectively during the first nine months of the pandemic. The average new Evolve homeowner earned $12,205. "I'm proud to be part of an innovative, rapidly accelerating company that knows that at the end of the day it's all about how you make someone feel. We're focused on creating a culture that makes everyone feel welcome, whether that be Evolvers, homeowners, guests or partners. That, to me, is the definition of hospitality," says Mara. For those interested in becoming part of a company that is redefining the industry, visit www.evolve.com for a full list of career openings and service information. About Evolve: Evolve is a hospitality company with a mission to make renting a vacation home easy for both guests and homeowners. We help guests rest easy knowing our homes are verified, our support is 24/7, and if their stay doesn't meet our standards, we'll make it right. We also make vacation rental stress-free for homeowners, partnering with them to book more and keep more of what they earn thanks to our industry-low 10% management fee. For more information, visit www.evolve.com. Media Contact: Ashley Taylor [email protected] 954-498-5752 SOURCE Evolve Subscriber content preview The TRi Energy Partnership said it could be operating within seven years, and the project could be scaled up to a four-reactor, 320-megawatt power plant. RICHLAND (AP) A Maryland-based nuclear energy company has signed a partnership agreement this week with a public utility company in Richland to develop, build and operate a commercial advanced nuclear power reactor. X-energy of Rockville, Maryland, will work with Energy Northwest of Richland and Grant County Public Utility District to build an 80-megawatt reactor on land already leased by Energy Northwest at the Hanford nuclear reservation in eastern Washington, the Tri-City Herald reported Thursday. . . . North Friendship Road Still Closed for Repairs By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's closure of a section of KY 1286/North Friendship Road in McCracken County has been extended.The road has been closed near the Buckner Lane intersection since Monday to allow a cross drain to be replaced. The closure will now end about 3pm Tuesday.This closure is just north of the U.62/Blandville Road between the St. Thomas Moore parking lot rear entrance and Buckner Lane.There is no marked detour. 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. In what seems like a concern straight from 2019, there is a new food at Disneyland that has completely overtaken the internet: a pickle dog that is part corn dog, part hot dog, part peanut butter (more on this later), and all fried. It is, in short, the kind of frankenfood that sparks intense debate between the people who must eat it at all costs, and the people who are absolutely horrified it exists in the first place. READ ALSO: Houston's best Vietnamese coffee spots are the cure to summer sluggishness Obviously, I had to try it. The pickle dog in question is available at Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs in Downtown Disney, and is accessible to the public. Its a hot dog on a stick, inside a hollowed-out pickle, which is then dipped in cornbread batter, coated in panko breadcrumbs, and deep fried. The pickle dog comes with a side of peanut butter for dipping and a bag of chips for $13. Each is made to order, and let me tell you, the woman making them was working hard, fighting a battle against a long line that just grew as the day went on. There are those who cant understand why someone would invent this food, but to me, this treat makes total sense. Disneylands giant $3 pickles and its $10 corn dogs are two of the parks most beloved foods. Under the Joey Tribbiani Principle that I just invented take Custard, good. Jam, good. Beef, good. and substitute food variables as needed this offering, before I tried it, seemed like it was absolutely going to work. Did it work? I dont know, youre just going to have to keep reading. By Jessica Torres People averse to the pickle dog tend to fall into two camps: those who detest pickles, and those who cant understand why peanut butter needs to be part of this deep-fried conundrum. Both of those were non-issues for me. I love sour pickles, especially fried. I didnt have any hesitation about the peanut butter, either. For starters, its an optional dipping sauce. But mainly, Ive eaten enough weird theme park food to know that if something sticks out as especially odd in a combination like this, its usually there for a reason. REVIEW: Topo Chico's hard seltzer is missing one big thing There are very, very few meals where peanut butter doesnt belong, Marnie Shure wrote in her pickle dog hot take for The Takeout. I would never have thought a peanut butter and bacon sandwich was life-altering until I gave it a whirl, or that a peanut butter burger was such a must-order. But that silky, savory, just-this-side-of-sweet spread has proven itself as such a culinary Swiss army knife that no matter where I see it pop up, I trust it. And now I need the Panko Crusted Pickle Dog. For me, the main issue with the whole pickle dog situation was the hot dog itself. If there were a whole table of hot dogs and nothing else, even if I hadnt eaten all day, I would turn one down. I have, actually. Thats how much I dont like them. But I am nothing if not devoted to my craft. So I ordered one. Watched it get made on the spot from dog to pickle to panko to fryer. Took it to a place where I could sit and safely take off my mask according to Disneys rules. Took many selfies. Then took a bite. Honestly? Not terrible. Actually pretty good. The cornbread to pickle to hot dog ratio somehow works to perfectly balance out the three strong flavors into one relatively mild, salty-sweet bite. By Jessica Torres Im not mad at it, Jessica Torres said. She was there with me to take photos for this story, but if I was going down, we were going down together. We both liked it enough to eat a lot more than we expected to, but even together, we couldnt finish it. That thing is huge. Where we parted ways was the peanut butter. She didnt like it, but I did. The addition of a tiny bit wasnt great, but when I tried the next bite with a little more, the texture of the peanut butter added to the whole experience. Then again, I like dipping sauces in all forms. We both felt like the breaded panko coating was overkill, and we would have liked it better without. We also skipped the chips. There was enough frying oil in the equation already. By Jessica Torres Just like it is online, the pickle dog is an attention-getter in real life. People stopped me several times to ask me what it was, and where they could get it. Ok, a nice older man said once I explained what it was. On the way out, thats my lunch. A dubious woman who had seen it trending on the internet asked me how I liked it. I was thinking about trying it, she said, but they lost me at peanut butter. I love pickles and hot dogs, but Im not sure about the peanut butter. I also spotted some influencers in the wild who were there trying the pickle dog for journalism, just like me. I loved it, said Kitra Remick, half of theme park vlogger duo Ordinary Adventures with partner Peter Sciretta. I give it a five out of five. Even if you don't love pickles, don't be scared of it because it's not too pickle-y. It just has that nice pickle crunch. Though the pickle dog is available at Disneyland, it isnt made by Disney. Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs is a kiosk operated by Working to Give, a company that operates under what they call a 50/50 principle of reinvesting 50 percent of profits into the business and giving 50 percent away to charity. Its a win-win, Sciretta said. I dont feel as bad about spending $13 on a corn dog. By Jessica Torres Its also worth noting that Knotts Berry Farm had something called the Dilly Dilly Dog as part of their Peanuts Celebration in early 2020, which was a corn dog that had a pickle around the hot dog. It was part of their Peanuts Celebration of Charlie Brown and company, which also had peanut butter foods all over the park, like a deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which must have been an absolute nightmare for parents of kids with nut allergies. It also explains why Disneylands pickle dog has the panko breading and the peanut butter on the side, as additional elements to make this offering substantially different. (Am I going down a rabbit hole of legalities right now? I am. It distracts me from thinking about my arteries.) So all things considered, I give the pickle dog a thumbs up, not because I want to eat another one, but because Im glad it exists. An internet obsession with a frankenfood like this feels very pre-pandemic. It harkens to a time when we could freely go do things. As Disneylands reopening nears, if some of us can spare brain space to care about a hot dog shoved in a pickle and dipped in goo, then breaded, fried and covered with some other goo, then nature is healing. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/05/2021 ADVERTISEMENT MIKE AND NATALIE ADVERTISEMENT ANDREW AND AMIRA ADVERTISEMENT STEPHANIE AND HARRIS ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT JOVI AND YARA ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. featured Mike Youngquist going through with his wedding to Natalie Mordovtseva Jovi Dufren and Yara Zaya getting married in Las Vegas, Stephanie Davison deciding to apply for another K-1 visa for Ryan Carr's cousin Harris, and Amira Lollysa and Andrew Kenton determining their relationship was over during Season 8's finale Sunday night on TLC.'s eighth season starred three returning couples from the franchise: Mike, a 35-year-old from Sequim, WA, and Natalie, a 35-year-old from Ukraine; Rebecca Parrott , a 49-year-old from Woodstock, GA, and Zied Hakimi , a 27-year-old from Tunisia; and Tarik Myers , a 46-year-old from Virginia Beach, VA, and Hazel Cagalitan , a 28-year-old from the Philippines.Mike and Natalie previously starred on Season 7 of , Tarik and Hazel found fame on Season 2 of : Before the 90 Days, and Rebecca and Zied first appeared on : Before the 90 Days' third season.The four new couples who starred on Season 8 of were Yara, a 25-year-old from Ukraine, and Jovi, a 29-year-old from New Orleans, LA; Stephanie, a 52-year-old from Grand Rapids, MI, and Ryan, a 27-year-old from Belize; Andrew, a 32-year-old from Roseville, CA, and Amira, a 28-year-old from France; and Brandon Gibbs, a 27-year-old from Dinwiddie, VA, and Julia Trubkina, a 26-year-old from Russia.features Americans who have fallen in love with foreigners bringing their fiances to the United States on K-1 visas.However, once the couple is in America together, the American must marry their overseas partner within the 90-day period allowed by the visa or the foreigner has to return to their home country.Below is the latest on several of 's eighth-season couples based on the finale episode.In April 2020, Mike and Natalie had reached the last day of her K-1 visa. The couple was preparing for their wedding ceremony, and Natalie said she didn't know how she was feeling."I feel like everything that could go wrong went wrong," Natalie admitted. "It's sad."On Natalie's 90th day in the United States, Michael suddenly decided that he wanted to marry her after all. If Mike could have his way, he'd wait longer and get to know Natalie better -- but he didn't want to lose her and watch her fly back to the Ukraine.Natalie had brought a white, simple dress with her from the Ukraine, and that's what she planned to wear for her backyard wedding.Mike's neighbor Tamara helped Natalie get ready, and she was battling nerves and anxiety on what was supposed to be a very happy day."I'm so overwhelmed right now. Nothing could make me feel better except seeing Michael say, 'I do,'" Natalie told the cameras.Natalie said she still loved Mike and wanted to marry him, but she just hoped for a happy day with no stress or pressure. Natalie insisted if Mike changed his mind about marrying her again, they'd be "done -- forever."Natalie just hoped Mike wouldn't hurt her again."I wasn't sure if I was 100 percent ready to marry [Natalie]. I was just kind of having doubts, but at the end of the day, love is a strange thing," Mike told the cameras."Sometimes it [doesn't] make sense, and sometimes it does. The past few days have been difficult for me and Natalie, but we're out of time. Time is here. I'm looking at her in a beautiful dress and I'm nervous and I'm scared."Mike and Natalie exchanged vows by the pond in Mike's backyard and both said, "I do."Natalie said she was grateful Mike decided to give them a chance, and she felt blessed to have more time to work on their relationship in the United States.Natalie gushed about finally having what she always wanted, and Mike's Uncle Beau noted the wedding was awesome and he felt so happy for the newly-married couple.Mike looking forward to the future but said he and Natalie were going to do a little partying first."Babies are gonna be coming," Beau joked as Mike carried Natalie into their home.Andrew was shown going out to lunch with his mother Lori and sister Connie. Amira had decided not to fly to America, and so Andrew felt like his relationship was over. After all, Amira only had three days left on her K-1 visa.Andrew's mother felt Amira had "bait and switched" her son. Since Amira spent 14 days in Serbia and then didn't get on her plane to the United States, Lori vented, "How dare you?"Lori said she felt anger and frustration and her son deserved a lot more than an explanation like, "I had an anxiety attack." Lori acknowledged her son had invested two years into this relationship and it was a very unfortunate situation.Andrew wished Amira had called her when she was feeling anxiety at the airport, and he accused her of not putting any effort into fixing their relationship and working things out."Her tone had shifted to one that was cold and distant, and I did my best to work past it. But ultimately, I should have seen the signs," Andrew explained in a confessional.Andrew believed Amira's decision was "a culmination of many things," especially since they had a few arguments before she was scheduled to fly to America. Lori, however, didn't even believe that Amira actually had an anxiety attack.Andrew was trying not to hold onto Amira and said he wasn't angry; however, he said he felt "a profound sense of defeat."Andrew said if he and Amira still wanted to be together, he'd have to reapply for her K-1 visa and that would be too much. Andrew resigned himself to thinking he and Amira simply didn't have their chance to be happy.Meanwhile, Amira was back in France after quarantining for two weeks in Serbia. Amira said she felt safer in her home country but felt "heartbroken" about the whole trip."I gave everything I had to that relationship. I did everything in my power to make it work, and in return, I'm just put in tough situations. Like, why?... I don't understand," Amira cried.Amira called her trip to Serbia "a wake-up call" because she realized that she and Andrew were "not meant to be."Amira said Andrew pressured her to have children "right away" and "that's not love."Amira returned to her childhood home and said her relationship was over and she wouldn't be getting married. Amira's father Hamdi was apparently not surprised when he heard what happened because he had never trusted Andrew.Amira said Hamdi was happy that no one was going to hurt his daughter anymore, but Amira couldn't believe things had ended up this way."I was supposed to be happy [with Andrew], and now it's over apparently," Amira said."I am in a rebuild process. I have to go back to my studies. I'm gonna finish my Bachelor degree, I'm gonna find a job, and I'm going to be an independent woman that doesn't have to rely on someone. And I'm gonna try to love myself again."Amira added in a confessional, "And I don't want to talk to Andrew ever again. I am not willing to let him control me ever again!"When Stephanie got home from Belize, she said she breathed a sigh of relief after a tumultuous trip to Belize.Stephanie was shown burning the K-1 visa paperwork she had planned to send in for Ryan."Goodbye Ryan, hello Harris!" Stephanie said.Stephanie revealed Harris was ready to get married and really wanted to come to the United States on a K-1 visa.But Stephanie still had doubts and concerns given he was living with Emma, the woman with whom he welcomed three children. Harris promised Stephanie that he and Emma were living in the same home just to co-parent their kids and nothing romantic was going on between them.Stephanie said Emma had actually given her blessing and approval via text for Stephanie to be with Harris.Just to make sure that both people were being honest and sincere, however, Stephanie decided to call Emma on FaceTime and talk to her face-to-face.Stephanie asked Emma if she'd be okay with Harris moving to the United States away from his children, and Emma said she would support the move "100 percent" because Harris would be able to make a better life for his kids."I know he will not forget his kids here," Emma said."You know, sometimes in life, you think that is your partner but it's better as friends, and Harris and I are not together. We communicate more as friends and we are more happy together like that."Stephanie was so pleased after her conversation with Emma and told Harris that they'd talk again soon."I love Harris. He is definitely the man that I've been looking for," Stephanie gushed. "So Harris and I are going to apply for the K-1 visa, and I think that he could be my happily-ever-after."Harris told the cameras that he loved Stephanie and planned to take care of her forever. Harris said he felt special because Stephanie had given him "free money."Although Harris knew his children would be hurt about him leaving Belize, he knew the move would benefit his whole family and their future.Yara was shown getting ready for her wedding day and said she wasn't sure whether Jovi was ready to leave his old life behind and stop partying for her. Not only did she want a mature husband, but Jovi was also going to become a father.A few hours from the wedding, Jovi came down with a case of jitters and wondered whether he was making the right decision.Jovi and Yara had "a very intense two years," according to Jovi, which included a miscarriage. And Jovi insisted he was making changes in his life to prove how he was ready to be married with a child.Jovi's mother Gwen said Jovi had always been "a mama's boy" and she was ready to give him to Yara and let Yara take care of him. Yara felt accepted and loved by Gwen, which was a great feeling since her own mother couldn't attend the wedding.Yara was hoping Jovi would be the man he was promising her that he would be.When Jovi saw Yara in her sparkly form-fitted wedding dress, he told her that she looked "amazing." Yara also thought Jovi looked great and noticed how he had a cute butt in his tuxedo.Yara admitted in the limo she didn't feel ready to get married, but the ceremony was about to happen regardless."Even though I want Jovi to be a better husband, I still want him to be my husband," Yara admitted."I just hope Jovi is not lying and he will really do what he tells me, that he will be a man... I really hope he will change and he will be nice."Jovi and Yara got married by an Elvis impersonator and the couple enjoyed a good laugh at the altar in their wedding chapel.After exchanging vows and officially getting married, Yara gushed about feeling happy. Gwen also expressed pride in having a new daughter-in-law and grandchild on the way.Yara wished her family could have been there, but she said it was nice to be around "the loving people" in Jovi's life such as his parents and friends."I understand it's my family too now," Yara noted.Jovi said his next step would be to apply for Yara's Green Card and move her over to the United States permanently. He also looked forward to welcoming his baby.But first, Jovi planned to spend a few extra days with Yara in Las Vegas to celebrate.(After 's one-hour finale, the two-hour episode turned into : Jovi and Yara's Baby Special. Check back with Reality TV World soon for a recap on Yara and Jovi's special).Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Mostly cloudy early then periods of showers this afternoon. High 77F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 67F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Demonstrations against military rule continued in Myanmar Sunday, with many protesters using Easter eggs to aid their movement. Eggs bearing slogans such as Spring Revolution and We Must Win as well as drawings of a three-finger salute were in the hands of thousands of protesters across Myanmar Sunday, in a nod to the Christian holiday. Protesters began taking to the streets after the February 1 coup by the military, in which de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other government leaders were arrested. Hundreds of people have been killed in violent crackdowns on protests over the past two months, according to media and other accounts. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a nonprofit human rights organization based in Myanmar, has tallied 557 deaths and more than 2,750 arrested since the protests began. On Sunday, protests drew thousands into the streets in Yangon and Mandalay, among other cities. Local news outlets reported that security forces opened fire on a crowd of protesters in the city of Pyinmana in central Myanmar, killing at least one person. In Naypyitaw, the capital, police fired on protesters on motorbikes, killing two men, the Irrawaddy news site reported. One man was killed earlier in the northern town of Bhamo, the Myanmar Now news outlet said. Police and a spokesman for the junta did not answer telephone calls seeking comment. During his Easter Sunday address, Pope Francis acknowledged the young people of Myanmar, praying for those committed to supporting democracy and making their voices heard peacefully, in the knowledge that hatred can be dispelled only by love. Sundays so-called Easter Egg Strike is one of many themed protests over the past two months, including a Flower Strike in which protesters laid flowers in public places to honor victims of security forces. And a Silent Strike that left the streets of the country deserted. Easter is all about the future and the people of Myanmar have a great future in a federal democracy, said Dr. Sasa, the United Nation international envoy for the ousted civilian government, on Twitter. A member of the Christian minority in what is largely a Buddhist nation, Sasa uses only one name. May this Easter bring the new hope and strength to United States of Myanmar, he tweeted. Our people's creativities, braveries and courages are the future of Myanmar. Easter is all about the future, the people of Myanmar has great future in federal democracy, May this Easter bring the new hope and strength to United States of Myanmar. (Photo: CJs)/Easter Egg Strike pic.twitter.com/PwKLhIQT2W Dr. Sasa (@DrSasa22222) April 4, 2021 The junta, which had been turning off internet service at night, told internet service providers last week to shut down wireless broadband service until further notice, according to Ooredoo, one of several providers to report the move Thursday. This internet shutdown was condemned by several dozen U.N. member countries via a statement written by Lithuania, France and Greece. Protesters have used the internet and their cellphones to publicize violent acts by security forces against protesters and to organize against military rule. ANN ARBOR, MI A Washtenaw County man is facing five felonies in connection with a 36-hour standoff with police where several rounds were fired but no one was injured. Omar Shafie, 32, was arraigned March 29 on three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, a count of body armor-wearing during commission of a violent crime and a count of firearms discharge in or at a building, court records show. Shafie was armed with multiple weapons and was wearing a flak jacket with multiple magazines strapped to his body when authorities attempted to evacuate him from his parents home, police said. Crisis negotiators, SWAT team members, deputies and officers from numerous police and fire agencies were on scene for nearly two days before arresting Shafie. No one was injured but police equipment was destroyed during the standoff, police said. Barricaded gunman surrenders peacefully after 36-hour standoff in Washtenaw County The arrest prompted a demonstration Sunday, April 4 outside the Ann Arbor Police Department, located downtown as 301 E Huron St, featuring several boogaloo boys armed with AR-15 rifles and tactical gear. The Ann Arbor Police Department did not respond to the barricaded gunman situation in Superior Township. The Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office handled the situation. The event was organized to draw attention to Shafies recent arrest, and to stand up for the Second Amendment, according to an event flyer promoted on social media. Timothy Teagan told people at the scene outside the Ann Arbor Police Departments that they were protesting how police handled the standoff, according to MLive reports. Teagan, a Plymouth resident, was also at the Jan. 17 demonstration in Lansing, Supporters of Omar Shafie say police mishandled the incident and that Shafie was stripped of his Second Amendment rights during the ordeal. The handful of protesters lingered outside the Ann Arbor Police Department and City Hall for around an hour, police said. Armed individuals with bullet-proof vests were marching back and forth in front of the building and streamed it on Facebook which our staff was monitoring, Ann Arbor police Lt. Mike Scherba said. Scherba said the department was aware the group was protesting the arrest of the individual involved in the incident in Superior Township. It was almost like they were trying to get attention we didnt engage them because we werent in need to do so, and they kind of got disappointed and they left, Scherba said. They were protesting legally and peacefully, so there was no reason for us to go out there. Armed boogaloo protesters get chilly reception at events in Lansing, Ann Arbor Throughout the demonstration, Boogaloo members claimed police used unnecessary force during his arrest. In a statement released Monday, Derrick Jackson with the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office said the actions the department took throughout the ordeal were appropriate to make sure individuals involved were safe. When deputies responded he was armed, refused to lay down his weapons and proceeded to barricade himself inside of his parents home, said Jackson, community engagement director at the sheriffs office. Shafies parents called 911 at about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 24, reporting that their son was suffering a mental health crisis, was armed, and had assaulted them, police said. Over the course of the day he fired his weapons numerous times, Jackson said. Many people watched his Facebook Live video where you can see him talking to officers and shooting towards the area where he believed they were, Jackson said. Arriving deputies were able to safely evacuate the family from the home, but Shafie refused to exit, leading to the standoff where he fired off several rounds, destroying police equipment, Jackson said. Even in such a dangerous situation our staff and specialty teams were able to evacuate his parents, keep neighbors safe, and ultimately help our subject get the help he needs without anyone being injured, Jackson said. Its a situation none of us want to be involved in but one we have an obligation to respond to. In a really unfortunate situation, it was the best possible outcome. Shafies attorney, Dan Geherin, could not be reached for comment. Shafie is being held at the Washtenaw County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond. READ MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Family safely evacuated as police negotiate with barricaded gunman Suspected bank robber who crashed on U.S. 23 fleeing police arraigned on 11 charges 3 new murals bring beauty back to historic Ann Arbor church Indian American Rep. Pramila Jayapal (left) of Washington speaks during a news conference with Sen. Elizabeth Warren to announce legislation that would tax the net worth of Americas wealthiest individuals, at the U.S. Capitol on March 1, 2021 in Washington, D.C., while Indian American Rep. Ro Khanna, Democrat from California, speaks during a press conference following a vote on Yemen, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. April 4, 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Under Dudkin's leadership over the past decade, PPL Electric Utilities has developed one of the nation's most advanced electricity networks, consistently delivered award-winning customer satisfaction, and firmly established itself among the industry's leaders in reliability. He brings four decades of experience in energy and telecommunications operations to his new role as COO. Raymond, a key member of PPL Electric Utilities' leadership team, has also played a central role in spearheading the Pennsylvania electricity delivery company's operational excellence over the past decade, having led both the utility's Distribution Operations and Transmission and Substation departments during her tenure. In her current role as vice president of Distribution Operations, she has overseen expansive smart grid improvements that have strengthened grid resilience and avoided more than 1 million customer power outages since 2015. "As we strategically reposition PPL to focus squarely on high-performing energy companies in the U.S., the promotions of Greg and Stephanie will help us build on our strong performance record and create additional value for all stakeholders," said Vincent Sorgi, PPL's president and chief executive officer. "As president of PPL Electric Utilities, Greg has proven himself an exceptional leader, someone who sets ambitious goals, rallies his team to achieve those goals and inspires employees to find innovative solutions to today's challenges. He is relentlessly focused on improving service to customers and is committed to creating the utility of the future," said Sorgi. "I expect that Greg will bring this same vision and energy to his new role as COO, driving continuous improvement across PPL while positioning our companies for long-term success." In his new position, Dudkin will report to Sorgi and oversee PPL's regulated utility operations in the U.S., with the heads of PPL's Pennsylvania and Kentucky utility operations reporting to him. In addition, he will oversee the process to secure regulatory approval of PPL's planned acquisition of The Narragansett Electric Company in Rhode Island and to integrate this electricity and gas delivery business into PPL. In March, PPL announced separate agreements to sell its U.K. utility business to National Grid and to acquire Narragansett Electric from National Grid. The transactions are expected to close within four months and one year, respectively, and will reposition PPL as a high-growth, U.S.-focused energy company. In her new role, Raymond will oversee electricity delivery and customer service to 1.4 million homes and businesses in eastern and central Pennsylvania, as well as PPL Electric Utilities' continued investments in infrastructure and technology to improve service to customers. This includes the company's ongoing work to strengthen and modernize the power grid and enable increased integration of distributed energy resources, including solar power and energy storage, that will advance a cleaner energy future. "I am thrilled that Stephanie will lead PPL Electric Utilities forward in delivering for our customers and the communities we serve," said Sorgi. "Her strong leadership skills, extensive experience and deep knowledge of the business make her well-qualified for her new role, and I am confident PPL Electric Utilities and its customers will be in good hands." Additional background on Greg Dudkin Dudkin, who joined PPL Electric Utilities in 2009 as senior vice president of Operations, was named president of the company in 2012. Under his leadership over the past decade, PPL Electric Utilities reduced the number of power outages customers experience by nearly 30% and increased customer satisfaction substantially, consistently earning customer satisfaction awards year after year. In addition, PPL Electric Utilities has significantly improved operational efficiency, resulting in rates well below the mid-Atlantic average, and invested more than $10 billion to strengthen grid resilience and advance a cleaner energy future. Prior to joining PPL, he served as Comcast's senior vice president of technical operations and fulfillment and as a regional senior vice president for the telecommunications company. In addition, he has 24 years of wide-ranging electric and gas utility experience at subsidiaries of Exelon Corporation, where he served in a variety of leadership positions. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware and a master's in business administration from Widener University of Chester, Pennsylvania. Dudkin serves on the board of directors of the Energy Association of Pennsylvania and serves on a number of other industry and community boards, including the Southeast Electric Exchange and the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. He is also a member of the Smithsonian Science Education Center National Advisory Board and PPL Foundation's board of directors. Additional background on Stephanie Raymond Raymond, who joined PPL Electric Utilities in 2011 as director of Project and Contract Management, has served as vice president of Distribution Operations since 2018. Prior to that, she was vice president of Transmission and Substations for four years. Before arriving at PPL Electric Utilities, she served as chief operating officer of CablenetServices Inc. and in numerous senior leadership positions for Comcast Cable Communications, General Fiber Communications, International Fibercom Inc., and All Star Telecom. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration-finance/strategic management from California State University. Raymond serves as board chair of Valley Youth House, which supports vulnerable, abused and homeless youth, and as vice president of PPL Foundation. Headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) is one of the largest companies in the U.S. utility sector. PPL's seven high-performing, award-winning utilities serve 10 million customers in the United States and United Kingdom. With more than 12,000 employees, PPL is dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and reliability and delivering superior value for shareowners. To learn more, visit www.pplweb.com. Statements contained in this news release, including statements with respect to future earnings, performance and corporate strategy, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Although PPL Corporation believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in these statements. Any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of the factors and other matters discussed in "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and "Item 7. Combined Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in PPL Corporation's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Note to Editors: Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news about PPL Corporation. Contacts: For news media: Ryan Hill, 610-774-4033 For financial analysts: Andy Ludwig, 610-774-3389 SOURCE PPL Corporation Related Links http://www.pplweb.com Cain Bettenson was heading to the pub for a beer on Sunday afternoon when he heard an almighty bang, then a lot of screaming. The 40-year-old postman from Little Wobby Beach had driven past the 28-foot Bertram flybridge cruiser as it was about to leave the Hawkesbury River Marina, and made it about 100 metres up the road before it exploded. Cain Bettenson came to help when a boat caught fire at Hawkesbury River Marina. Credit:Wolter Peeters I just high-tailed it back down to my boat and got on it and saw the boat on fire, Mr Bettenson, known as Tom to locals, told the Herald on Monday. Best way to do it was to drench it with water so I used my prop[eller] to spray the vessel. I thought there were still people on board, but they were all up on the marina, there were a few people there dealing with them. The President of Argentina has tested positive for Covid-19, despite having the Russian-made vaccine Sputnik V in January. Alberto Fernandez, 62, had the jab publicly in a Buenos Aires hospital on January 21 but came down with a fever and slight headache on Friday, prompting him to get tested. His diagnosis was confirmed with an antigen test, followed by a PCR test, over the weekend. Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez, 62, has tested positive for Covid-19, despite having the Russian-made vaccine Sputnik V in January Fernandez said: 'I'm already isolated, complying with the current protocol and following the instructions of my personal doctor. 'I have contacted the people I met in the last 48 hours to assess whether they constitute close contact.' The President's medical team said he was 'stable, asymptomatic, with parameters within normal ranges'. Fernandez has received both doses of the Sputnik vaccine, one in January and the second in February. Fernandez had the Sputnik V jab publicly in a Buenos Aires hospital on January 21 in the hopes of boosting public confidence in the vaccine Russia's Gamaleya Institute, which developed the Sputnik V vaccine, said their jab was 91.6 per cent effective against infection and 100 per cent effective against severe cases In reaction to the news, Russia's Gamaleya Institute, which developed the Sputnik V vaccine, re-iterated the high effectiveness of the jab, citing research data published in the medical journal The Lancet in February. Sputnik V's official Twitter account said: 'We are sad to hear this. Sputnik V is 91.6 per cent effective against infection and 100 per cent effective against severe cases. 'If the infection is indeed confirmed and occurs, the vaccination ensures quick recovery without severe symptoms. We wish you a quick recovery!' Fernandez's diagnosis was confirmed with an antigen test, followed by a PCR test, over the weekend It remains unclear how effective Covid-19 vaccines are at stopping the person from catching the virus. It is still possible to catch and test positive for Covid-19 after having the jab, however, the vaccine vastly reduces the likelihood of severe symptoms to the virus. Argentina was the first country in South America to rollout the Sputnik V vaccine in December and has ordered nearly 25 million doses. But the rollout has been marred in controversy after nearly 70 people received the vaccine early. The then-health minster Gines Gonzalez Garcia resigned over the debacle, but Fernandez defended his early receipt vaccine, saying it was necessary. He told reporters: 'The media in Argentina put Alberto Fernandez among the people who received the vaccine inappropriately, but I had to get the vaccine because the Argentine media said that the Russian vaccine could not be trusted. I had to call on the trust of the citizens'. Over 1.5 per cent of Argentina's population have now received two doses of the vaccine, but the country remains in a partial lockdown to stem the spread of the virus. Last week the government suspended flights from Brazil, Chile, and Mexico after seeing rising case numbers in those countries. Flights from the UK have also been suspended. To date, Argentina has had over 2,383,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 56,106 deaths. Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is now trailing her GOP challenger Kelly Tshibaka after voting to convict former President Donald Trump of inciting an insurrection. Polling from the GOP polling firm Cygnal found that Tshibaka was leading in an all-party primary, taking 33.6 per cent of the vote, compared to Murkowski's 18.8 per cent. Al Gross, an independent who was the Democratic nominee for Alaska's 2020 Senate race, came in third with 17.6 per cent. Tshibaka, Alaska's Commissioner of Administration, is viewed favorably by 61 per cent of both Trump voters and Republicans. Murkowski, on the other hand, is only viewed favorably by 10 per cent of Republicans, the poll found. Another 87 per cent of Republicans have a negative view of the incumbent. With voters from all parties, Murkowski is viewed favorably by 33 per cent and unfavorably by 63 per cent. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (left) is already losing to a GOP primary challenger after she voted to convict former President Donald Trump (right) of inciting an insurrection On Monday, Alaska Department of Administration Commissioner Kelly Tshibaka announced she would seek Murkowski's Senate seat. Tshibaka is ahead of Murkowski in an all-party primary, beating the incumbent by almost 15 points Politico Playbook first reported on the polling Monday, but the survey was conducted in late March. That's when Tshibaka first jumped in the race. Bob Lochner, Murkowski's challenger in 2016, already put his hat in, but wasn't included in the Cygnal survey. Trump took aim at Murkowski in March, telling Politico he would 'not be endorsing, under any circumstances, the failed candidate from the great State of Alaska, Lisa Murkowski.' 'She represents the state badly and her county even worse,' Trump said. 'I do not know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be - in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad Senator.' Murkowski was one of seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump of inciting the January 6 insurrection during his second impeachment trial. He has publicly vowed to make them all pay, including listing all of their names during his first big political speech since leaving office, at the Conservative Political Action Conference, last month. Tshibaka, whose run was first reported by Fox News, said she was running to represent a 'new generation of Alaska conservatives.' Her stances include being tough on immigration, pro-Second Amendment and anti-abortion. Tshibaka is an Alaska native and went to high school in the state before attending Texas A&M University and then Harvard Law School, according to the Anchorage Daily News, who shared a copy of her resume when she was appointed by Alaska's governor to lead the Department of Administration in January 2019. Bob Lochner, who ran against Murkowski in 2016, has also said he will run against the Republican senator in the primary next year She spent nearly 17 years in the Washington, D.C. working for the federal government under the Bush 43, Obama and Trump administrations. Tshibaka worked for the office of inspector general for the U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Trade Commission, the Director of National Intelligence and the Justice Department. The Anchorage Daily News also reported that she and her husband Niki are pastors and launched the Lighthouse Fellowship during their time in D.C. On her campaign website, Tshibaka describes herself as a 'fighter.' 'I fought hard to be the first in my family to pursue a college degree and attend law school. I fought to expose waste, fraud and abuse in government, and Ill bring that same fight to the US Senate where I will always defend Alaska values,' Tshibaka said. Murkowski hasn't officially announced a 2022 re-election bid but she's fought off Republican challengers before. In 2010, when former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin backed Murkowski's Tea Party challenger Joe Miller, Murkowski lost the Republican primary, but still won the general election race by mounting a successful write-in campaign. Hospitals may be excused from providing mandatory minimal healthcare service conditions, and may order family doctors and the staff of district outpatient clinics to hospitals from today, under a government decree issued. In addition, the state will take control of local council outpatients consulting rooms and transfer management of them to the heads of designated hospitals. Zoltan Jenei, head of the new national hospital directorate OKFO, is in charge of local council outpatient consulting institutes, extending his purview to family doctors. The cabinet did not divulge beforehand why it is preparing to take such significant steps, Szabad Europa observes. A considerable number of family doctors can from now on be transferred to any hospital within their county. In addition, the staff of specialist clinics can be reassigned to hospitals. From now on, the heads of all health care institutions must keep records of how many people can be taken away from them, i.e. redeployed elsewhere. If there is any change in this, the head of the institution must notify the head of the hospital under whose authority the institution lies (or the head of OKFO) within two hours. In stating that certain institutions may be exempted from having to meet the minimum conditions, the decree does not specify what the minimum standards are. This may be decided by the directors of county hospitals or OKFO director Jenei at their own discretion. At times like these, however, they can set new minimum expected conditions to the given institutions. The domestic regulation setting the current minimal standard is a huge decree, regulating basic mandatory conditions from the washing of hands to the refrigeration of the dead to the most basic mandatory conditions for each medical area and type of institution. For example, one of the minimum conditions for an inpatient intensive care unit is that the physician-patient ratio in the ward should not be worse than 1:4. Sources: szabadeuropa.hu; 444.hu The English pig sector has called for a 3.2 million Covid support package to recognise the impact of overweight pigs on producers' businesses. The request, by the National Pig Association (NPA) and processors, follows similar schemes in Scotland and NI that reflect Covid-related losses suffered by producers. The UK pig industry has been hit financially on two main fronts by the wave of outbreaks in pork plants. Higher carcase weights as a result of the backlog of pigs that has built up has led to price deductions being imposed by processors. Meanwhile, the suspension of Chinese exports from key plants, including Cranswicks Watton, Pilgrims Ashton and Quality Pork Ltds Brechin sites, are costing the industry an estimated 600,000 per week. The NPA submitted a request in March to Defra for a 3.2m compensation package for producers that reflects deductions for overweight pigs. The group's chief executive Zoe Davies said Defra had 'taken a very keen interest' in the plight of the pig sector in recent months. While she admitted it would be unprecedented for the government to award this type of funding, she said these were unprecedented times. Ms Davies said: The entire UK pig sector has been hit by this situation and, given that compensation has been paid to other sectors, such as dairy, we believe we have a very justifiable case." Additionally, the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has highlighted the 15/pig loss to processors from the China export suspension. Chief executive Nick Allen said this was based on the difference between what the Chinese market pays and what can be earned in alternative markets for the pork. With the Watton and Ashton sites typically killing around 40,000 pigs a week, it is costing the industry around 600,000 per week, he said. The news follows the Northern Irish government issuing pig and poultry producers almost 2 million worth of Covid-19 support funding. The scheme, announced last month, will provide a 4m to farmers who saw their income fall last year due to the pandemic's impact. A mask is placed on the table during a meeting between then-President Donald Trump, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, on May 20, 2020. (Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images) Canada Issues Recall for Graphene Masks Amid Health Concerns Canadian health authorities have issued a precautionary recall for masks containing graphenea nanomaterial made up of a single layer of carbon atomsciting the need to study health risks after a study in animals found the substance had some potential to cause lung toxicity. The recall, issued Friday by Health Canada, urges Canadians not to use masks that contain graphene or biomass graphene because of the potential for the tiny particles to be inhaled, which may pose a health risk. The advisory cites research showing that inhaled graphene particles had some potential to cause early lung toxicity in animals although it noted that the health risk to humans is still unknown and requires further study. Health Canada said it is working with manufacturers of the masks to assess their potential impact on peoples health. Until the Department completes a thorough scientific assessment and has established the safety and effectiveness of graphene-containing face masks, it is taking the precautionary approach of removing them from the market while continuing to gather and assess information, the agency said. Mask design may affect the potential to inhale the graphene particles, while other variables, like the type of graphene used and the amount and duration of exposure to the substance, all have a likely impact on the health risk, Health Canada said. The agency has called on people not to use the masks for now and to report any adverse events on a Health Canada reporting platform. Masks containing graphene have been sold and used by adults and children in schools and day cares in Canada, and they may have been distributed for use in health care settings, the agency said. Canadian media outlets reported that around 4.6 million graphene-coated masks were distributed to schools by the government of Quebec, a Canadian province, although its unclear how widely the masks were used. Graphene was discovered in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester, and they won the 2010 Nobel Prize in physics for their discovery. It is a novel nanomaterial, one atom thick, with a range of possible applications, including in tiny antennae, computer chips, and coatings to absorb potentially harmful waves. Health Canada noted that the substance has been reported to have antiviral and antibacterial properties, adding that some graphene-containing masks with COVID-19 claims have been sold on the Canadian market, although it did not provide specifics as to the claims. Researchers at a Hong Kong university have produced graphene masks with an anti-bacterial efficiency of 80 percent, according to a recent press release published in ScienceDaily, which also noted very promising results in the deactivation of two types of coronaviruses, although the team has not yet conducted tests with the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. According to the release, the City University of Hong Kong research team is working with laboratories in mainland China to test the graphene material with two species of human coronaviruses. Initial tests showed that it inactivated over 90 [percent] of the virus in five minutes and almost 100 [percent] in 10 minutes under sunlight. The team plans to conduct testings with the COVID-19 virus later, the release noted. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan people have witnessed a historic moment with the installation of the new Presidential Council and the appointment by the House of Representatives of the Government of National Unity, European Union (EU) President Chares Michel said in Tripoli on Sunday OMAHA, Neb., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP; and "Union Pacific" or the "Corporation") today announced the expiration of its private offers to exchange (1) certain of its outstanding notes and debentures referenced in the first table below for a combination of 2.891% Notes due 2036 (the "New 2036 Notes") and cash (the "2036 Offers"), and (2) certain of its outstanding notes referenced in the second table below for a combination of 3.799% Notes due 2071 (the "New 2071 Notes" and, together with the New 2036 Notes, the "New Notes") and cash (the "2071 Offers" and, together with the 2036 Offers, the "Exchange Offers"). The outstanding notes and debentures to be exchanged pursuant to the Exchange Offers are collectively referred to as the "Existing Notes." The Exchange Offers, which commenced on March 8, 2021, expired at 11:59 p.m., New York City time on April 2, 2021 (the "Expiration Date"). According to information provided by the exchange agent for the Exchange Offers, Union Pacific received valid tenders from holders of $1,794,759,000 aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes. Union Pacific also announced that, in accordance with its rights as set forth in its offering memorandum dated March 8, 2021 (the "Offering Memorandum") and the related letter of transmittal, it has amended the size of the 2071 Offers by increasing the aggregate principal amount of New 2071 Notes to be issued pursuant to the Exchange Offers from $1,012,201,000 to $1,012,411,000. On April 6, 2021, Union Pacific expects to deliver an aggregate principal amount of $700,977,000 of New 2036 Notes and an aggregate principal amount of $1,012,411,000 of New 2071 Notes, and will pay an aggregate of $256,608,000.90 cash consideration comprised of $98,103,969.91 payable with respect to the 2036 Offers and $158,504,030.99 payable with respect to the 2071 Offers, for the Existing Notes accepted for exchange, as described in greater detail in the tables below, plus accrued and unpaid interest on such Existing Notes and cash in lieu of fractional amounts of the New Notes. Fees and expenses related to the Exchange Offers will be recorded as interest expense and are anticipated to have a negative two cents impact on the Company's diluted earnings per share in the first quarter of 2021. The table below shows the principal amount of each series of Existing Notes that has been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the 2036 Offers as of the Expiration Date and the principal amount of New 2036 Notes and cash to be delivered for each series of Existing Notes accepted for exchange pursuant to the Exchange Offers (not including accrued and unpaid interest on such Existing Notes or cash in lieu of fractional amounts of the New 2036 Notes). Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding Principal Amount of Existing Notes Tendered for Exchange Principal Amount of Existing Notes Accepted for Exchange Principal Amount to be Delivered CUSIP Number Title of Series New 2036 Notes Cash Payment 907818EY0 3.950% Notes due 2028 $1,500,000,000 $445,220,000 $445,220,000 $445,220,000 $61,240,272.00 907818FB9 3.700% Notes due 2029 $1,000,000,000 $225,519,000 $225,519,000 $225,519,000 $27,225,474.44 907818CU0 6.250% Debentures due 2034 $160,068,000 $5,537,000 $5,537,000 $5,537,000 $2,122,055.25 907818CS5 5.375% Debentures due 2033 $149,687,000 $5,321,000 $5,320,000 $5,320,000 $1,503,432.00 907818BY3 7.125% Debentures due 2028 $175,560,000 $13,640,000 $13,640,000 $13,640,000 $4,240,948.80 907818CF3 6.625% Debentures due 2029 $398,276,000 $5,741,000 $5,741,000 $5,741,000 $1,771,787.42 Based on the amount of Existing Notes tendered in the 2036 Offers and in accordance with the terms of the 2036 Offers, Union Pacific accepted (1) all of the 3.950% Notes due 2028 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (2) all of the 3.700% Notes due 2029 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (3) all of the 6.250% Debentures due 2034 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (4) all of the 5.375% Debentures due 2033 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 19, 2021, as set forth above; (5) all of the 7.125% Debentures due 2028 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; and (6) all of the 6.625% Debentures due 2029 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above. Based on the amount of Existing Notes tendered in the 2036 Offers and in accordance with the terms of the 2036 Offers, Union Pacific did not accept any of the 5.375% Debentures due 2033 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) after 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 19, 2021. The table below shows the principal amount of each series of Existing Notes that has been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the 2071 Offers as of the Expiration Date and the principal amount of New 2071 Notes and cash to be delivered for each series of Existing Notes accepted for exchange pursuant to the 2071 Offers (not including accrued and unpaid interest on such Existing Notes or cash in lieu of fractional amounts of the New 2071 Notes). Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding Principal Amount of Existing Notes Tendered for Exchange Principal Amount of Existing Notes Accepted for Exchange Principal Amount to be Delivered CUSIP Number Title of Series New 2071 Notes Cash Payment 907818EX2 4.800% Notes due 2058 $76,570,000 $50,508,000 $50,508,000 $50,508,000 $12,945,705.48 907818DT2 907818DS4 4.821% Notes due 2044 $189,119,000 $3,700,000 $3,700,000 $3,700,000 $785,547.00 907818EG9 4.375% Notes due 2065 $600,000,000 $421,663,000 $421,663,000 $421,663,000 $66,850,918.65 907818DL9 4.300% Notes due 2042 $222,179,000 $16,064,000 $16,064,000 $16,064,000 $2,396,909.44 907818EW4 4.500% Notes due 2048 $453,374,000 $63,476,000 $63,476,000 $63,476,000 $12,894,514.64 907818DP0 4.250% Notes due 2043 $212,708,000 $25,573,000 $25,573,000 $25,573,000 $3,726,753.29 907818DZ8 4.150% Notes due 2045 $350,000,000 $116,111,000 $116,111,000 $116,111,000 $15,961,779.17 907818FC7 4.300% Notes due 2049 $688,037,000 $50,980,000 $50,980,000 $50,980,000 $8,648,757.00 907818EV6 4.375% Notes due 2038 $328,249,000 $94,910,000 $94,910,000 $94,910,000 $15,856,613.70 907818EF1 4.050% Notes due 2045 $499,715,000 $95,656,000 $95,656,000 $95,656,000 $10,524,073.12 907818EJ3 4.050% Notes due 2046 $600,000,000 $73,770,000 $73,770,000 $73,770,000 $7,912,459.50 907818EN4 4.000% Notes due 2047 $500,000,000 $81,370,000 $0 $0 $0 Based on the amount of Existing Notes tendered in the 2071 Offers and in accordance with the terms of the 2071 Offers, Union Pacific accepted (1) all of the 4.800% Notes due 2058 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (2) all of the 4.821% Notes due 2044 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (3) all of the 4.375% Notes due 2065 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (4) all of the 4.300% Notes due 2042 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (5) all of the 4.500% Notes due 2048 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (6) all of the 4.250% Notes due 2043 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (7) all of the 4.150% Notes due 2045 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (8) all of the 4.300% Notes due 2049 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (9) all of the 4.375% Notes due 2038 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; (10) all of the 4.050% Notes due 2045 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above; and (11) all of the 4.050% Notes due 2046 validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn), as set forth above. Based on the amount of Existing Notes tendered in the 2071 Offers and in accordance with the terms of the 2071 Offers, Union Pacific did not accept any of the 4.000% Notes due 2047 tendered pursuant to the 2071 Offers. The Exchange Offers were conducted upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offering Memorandum and the related letter of transmittal. The Exchange Offers were only made to a holder of the Existing Notes who certified its status as (1) a "qualified institutional buyer" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or (2) a person who is not a "U.S. person" as defined under Regulation S under the Securities Act. The New Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws. Therefore, the New Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. This press release is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. The Exchange Offers are being made solely by the Offering Memorandum and related letter of transmittal and only to such persons and in such jurisdictions as is permitted under applicable law. ABOUT UNION PACIFIC Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at www.up.com. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release and related materials (including information in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by us), contain statements about the Corporation's future that are not statements of historical fact, including specifically the statements regarding the Corporation's expectations with respect to economic conditions and demand levels, its ability to improve network performance, its results of operations, and potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These statements are, or will be, forwardlooking statements as defined by the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forwardlooking statements also generally include, without limitation, information or statements regarding: projections, predictions, expectations, estimates or forecasts as to the Corporation's and its subsidiaries' business, financial, and operational results, and future economic performance; and management's beliefs, expectations, goals and objectives and other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times that, or by which, such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking information, including expectations regarding operational and financial improvements and the Corporation's future performance or results are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Important factors, including risk factors, could affect the Corporation's and its subsidiaries' future results and could cause those results or other outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Information regarding risk factors and other cautionary information are available in the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2020, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on February 5, 2021. The Corporation updates information regarding risk factors if circumstances require such updates in its periodic reports on Form 10-Q and its subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K (or such other reports that may be filed with the SEC). Forwardlooking statements speak only as of, and are based only upon information available on, the date the statements were made. The Corporation assumes no obligation to update forwardlooking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forwardlooking information. If the Corporation does update one or more forwardlooking statements, no inference should be drawn that the Corporation will make additional updates with respect thereto or with respect to other forwardlooking statements. References to our website are provided for convenience and, therefore, information on or available through the website is not, and should not be deemed to be, incorporated by reference herein. SOURCE Union Pacific Corporation Related Links http://www.up.com Peter Maloney wanted to move back to the Chicago area from Florida, but with $44,000 in student loans to repay he figured it would be several years before he could buy a home. Maloney, 26, considered moving to Indiana, where he would be close to family and homes are less expensive. But he and his fiancee were sold on Illinois after learning about a state program that helps homebuyers pay off student loans and provides down payment assistance. In June, Maloney will close on the purchase of a two-bedroom, two-bath condominium in Plainfield. It definitely made the decision (to move) easier, and buying a home possible, he said. The SmartBuy program, offered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, has drawn interest from other out-of-state buyers too, said Executive Director Kristin Faust. The agency hopes the program, which began in December, will help remove one financial barrier to homeownership and make access more equitable. The program will pay off up to $40,000 in student loans, or a loan amount equal to 15% of the home purchase price, whichever is lower. It will also provide a $5,000 loan toward a down payment or closing costs. The state allocated up to $25 million to the program in Gov. J.B. Pritzkers 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The money is expected to serve between 600 and 1,000 homebuyers. To date, the agency has paid off an average of $24,100 in student loan debt for each buyer. Prospective homebuyers in the Chicago area must have household income of no more than $109,200 to be eligible. The home purchase price limit is between $325,000 and more than $500,000, depending on the location and type of home. The program comes with other caveats. A buyers full outstanding student debt must be paid off during the home purchase. The home must be the buyers primary residence, and if they sell within three years they must repay a portion of the student loan assistance and sell to someone who meets the programs income requirements. The sales price cannot exceed the programs limits. Story continues Buyers can apply for the program through one of about three dozen lenders that have partnered with the state. The Illinois Housing Development Authority sets the interest rate on the mortgage. Nearly 200 buyers entered the SmartBuy process between Dec. 1 and late March, and 26 had completed purchases, according to the agency. About 10 of those who had entered the process were from outside Illinois. Im getting a lot of interest, said Chanon Slaughter, a vice president of mortgage lending at Guaranteed Rate. I am getting folks literally saying I want to move back to Chicago for this program. Student loans delay first-time buyers from purchasing a home by about seven years, and current owners from buying their next home by about three years, according to a 2017 study from the National Association of Realtors. The delays could add up in Illinois. More than 2 million residents have student loan debt, with an average balance of nearly $30,000, according to the state treasurers office. Owning a home is a key way to build wealth and pass it from one generation to the next, so delays in purchasing a home ripple through the economy and individual households, Faust said. I think as a society weve said if you go to college and you do well and you graduate and you get a job, you should be able to buy a house, she said. And then instead weve saddled this generation with a lot of student debt. The U.S. Department of Education has announced a variety of student loan relief programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. But for some Illinois buyers, a more immediate path to paying off student loans was too good to pass up. Mo Hoelker, 33, didnt want to depend on government bureaucracy for loan relief when there was an option readily available, she said. She and her husband, Sam, left their Avondale apartment and purchased their first home through the program in February, a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Mount Prospect. She wondered if she could have gotten a lower rate had they not used SmartBuy. But she decided having about $18,000 in student loans paid off outweighed those potential costs over the course of roughly a decade. The several hundred dollars she used to pay in student loans each month is helping pay her mortgage, which made her more comfortable committing to a large payment, she said. I think, at the end of the day, what Ive gained by using this program truly was financial peace of mind, she said. Wintrust Mortgage, one of 34 lenders in the Chicago area working with the state on the program, has prequalified several people from other states, mostly from Indiana and Wisconsin, said Jason Accola, a senior mortgage consultant. Maloney, moving back to the area from Florida, is his only out-of-state client under contract. About $33,000 of Maloneys $44,000 in student loans will be paid off as part of the SmartBuy program. Maloney will pay off the rest of that debt. That means the roughly $400 each month hed be paying under a standard loan repayment plan can now go to his mortgage, he said. Without the program, he estimated it would have been another five years before he bought a home. It made a huge difference in being able to purchase something in an area that wed want to live, and have a little bit of space, he said. Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news. sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com (Natural News) Health authorities in the state of Washington are now observing 23 people for the Ebola virus. The 23 travelers are from the West African countries of Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where there are current outbreaks of the disease. However, state health officials are reassuring Washington residents that there is a very low risk of contracting Ebola on American soil. The Washington State Department of Health (Washington DOH) said in a March 25 statement that the 23 people will be monitored for roughly 21 days after they arrive in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an order requiring airlines to collect contact information for passengers who were in [the two West African countries], it added. The statement continued that public health officials are notified once the persons under monitoring land in the U.S., so the necessary checks can be performed. Nevertheless, the Washington DOH reiterated that the risk of getting Ebola in the U.S. is very low. The pathogen behind the rare but deadly disease is mainly found in sub-Saharan Africa. People can contract the Ebola virus through direct contact with an infected animal, or an infected person who is sick or has died. Furthermore, it can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen making it highly contagious. According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Ebola virus can live in the semen of male survivors for more than three years. Meanwhile, a separate effort by researchers discovered that the latest Ebola outbreak in West Africa may have been caused by someone who contracted the virus years earlier. The discovery shows that the virus may have hidden in a persistently infected survivor of a prior Ebola epidemic. World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergencies Program Executive Director Dr. Michael Ryan branded the findings as scary. He remarked that based on the discovery, the infection could lie dormant for years and transmit itself through sexual intercourse. (Related: Ebola survivor infected five years ago may have started new outbreak in Guinea.) Two other states are also monitoring travelers from West Africa for any signs of Ebola Washington is not the only state monitoring travelers who visited Guinea and the DRC. Health authorities are also observing an additional 45 people in Ohio and four in Oregon for any Ebola symptoms. A March 26 report by the Columbus Dispatch said Columbus Public Health is monitoring 42 individuals, while Franklin County Public Health is keeping tabs on three people. Franklin County Public Health spokeswoman Mitzi Kline told the Dispatch via email: This isnt the first time we have monitored like this. It is a public health prevention measure to assure we prevent local cases. She added that monitoring people who have traveled to areas with disease outbreaks such as Ebola is common practice. (Related: Fauci claims mandatory Wuhan coronavirus quarantines are justified but not those for Ebola.) Ohio Department of Health Medical Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff mirrored with Klines statements. During a March 22 briefing alongside Gov. Mike DeWine, the medical director said travelers who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus are observed for 21 days for any symptoms. He added that the state has been coordinating with the CDC since March 6 to monitor people coming from Ebola-stricken countries. Vanderhoff remarked: The CDC and WHO [believe] the risk [of Ebola] to the U.S. is very low. However, its not absent. Meanwhile, KGW 8 reported on March 25 that the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is monitoring four people, who had traveled to the two West African countries, for the disease. The state health agency did not say where the individuals being observed were located. OHA Chief Medical Officer Dr. Richard Leman said: We want to make sure these individuals have the support they need to monitor their health, stay in contact with public health officials and safely get help with medical services if it comes to that. Back in February 2021, the CDC reiterated in a press release that the risk of Ebola [coming] to the U.S. is extremely low. The public health agency added that it is closely following the outbreaks of Ebola in the affected countries and pledged to collaborate with them to end these outbreaks before they grow into epidemics. Visit Outbreak.news to read more news about the resurgence of Ebola in West Africa. Sources include: FoxNews.com DOH.WA.gov StrangeSounds.org Dispatch.com KGW.com CDC.gov The mother of missing 19-year-old Richard Okorogheye has said her life is a 'complete nightmare' in the wake of her son's disappearance two weeks ago. Mr Okorogheye, who has sickle cell disease, was last seen by his family when he left home in the Ladbroke Grove area of west London at 8.30pm on Monday March 22. He was reported missing two days later. He was last seen on CCTV in Loughton, Essex, in the early hours of Tuesday March 23, walking towards Epping Forest, and has not used his phone since his disappearance. The Metropolitan Police said the search of Epping Forest woodland is continuing for the fifth day today, but that nothing of relevance to the investigation had been found over the weekend. Mr Okorogheye has not been seen by his family since 22 March when he left their home in the Ladbroke Grove area of west London Police divers have been deployed and were seen in one of the areas of water in the woodland in north-east London. Speaking to The Guardian, Mr Okorogheye's mother, Evidence Joel, said waiting for information on her son's whereabouts has been 'hell'. She told the paper: 'Every day is a nightmare for me now. 'I feel completely helpless. Helpless, and also, sorry to use this word, but I feel useless. Because I want to go out there, to do something to look for him, search for him, anything. 'But I can't', she said of needing to remain at home in case he makes contact. The 19-year-old, who has sickle cell disease, was last seen in CCTV footage recorded near Epping Forest the day after his disappearance Mr Okorogheye's mother Evidence Joel previously said the Oxford Brookes University student had spoken of 'struggling to cope' with university pressures Scotland Yard previously said that detectives continue to keep an open mind about the student's whereabouts. Initial police inquiries identified Mr Okorogheye leaving his home address and heading in the direction of Ladbroke Grove at around 8.30pm. In a previously confirmed sighting on Monday March 22, Mr Okorogheye was seen boarding the number 23 bus southbound in Ladbroke Grove at 8.44pm. CCTV footage shows he was wearing all black and had a black satchel bag with a white Adidas logo, worn across his lower back. A map showing the movements of missing Richard Okorogheye, 19, last seen on CCTV, Loughton, Essex, March 23 Police divers have been seen searching a pond in Epping Forest as part of the investigation into the disappearance of 19-year-old student Richard Okorogheye. Pictured: April 2 Police search teams search a pond in Epping Forest. A confirmed sighting of him in Loughton, Essex, has police searching Epping Forest. April 1 Police divers have been deployed and were seen in one of the bodies of water in the woodland in north-east London. April 1 Police said further inquiries have established that he then took a taxi journey from the W2 area of London to a residential street in Loughton. He was captured on CCTV walking alone on Smarts Lane, Loughton, towards Epping Forest at 12.39am on Tuesday March 23. On Thursday, the force said Mr Okorogheye's phone has not been in use since his disappearance. Ms Joel previously said that her son had spoken of 'struggling to cope' with university pressures and had been shielding during the Covid-19 lockdown. On Saturday police made a direct appeal to the missing student to get in touch and 'let us know you are safe'. The search team pictured in Epping Forest, north-east London Detective Superintendent Danny Gosling said in an appeal: 'My message to Richard is clear. Our only concern is your safety. You are not in trouble and have done nothing wrong' Police teams prepare to search an area in Epping Forest on horseback on April 1 As someone with sickle cell disease, Mr Okorogheye would only leave the house to go to hospital for regular blood transfusions for his condition. She told The Guardian the current cold weather, which could cause Mr Okorogheye substantial pain, was a major concern. She said: 'We know he didn't take a jacket when he went out. That's really worrying.' A 'missing' poster for Richard Okorogheye is displayed in a window of a house on April 1, in Loughton, England On March 22, Mr Okorogheye was seen boarding the 23 bus southbound in Ladbroke Grove at 8.44pm. CCTV shows he was wearing all black and a black satchel bag with white Adidas logo Mr Okorogheye was seen boarding the 23 southbound bus in Ladbroke Grove at 8.44pm on March 22 Ms Joel added she had no idea as to what could have prompted Mr Okorogheye's disappearance, and called on his online community of friends to contact police if they have any information. She also issued a message to her son, telling him: 'Everybody misses you. And we love you very much. We want you home. Please come home.' Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting 21MIS008134. New Delhi, April 5 : ChrysCapital, one of the leading private equity funds in India, has announced its investment in Corona Remedies Private Limited (Corona), one of the country's fastest growing pharmaceutical companies, by acquiring a 27 per cent stake through an entirely secondary deal. Commenting on the investment, Kshitij Sheth, Director, ChrysCapital, said, "ChrysCapital is very excited to partner with Corona in its growth journey. The domestic pharmaceutical market is a large, attractive and resilient market with a healthy outlook. Corona is among the fastest growing companies in the Indian pharmaceutical market with presence in exciting therapeutic areas including cardiology, diabetology and gynaecology. ChrysCapital believes Corona is an excellent platform with a combination of a great management team, strong brands and superior marketing capabilities, all the ingredients to scale multi-fold and create significant value." "We are pleased to welcome ChrysCapital as an investor and partner for the next phase of Corona's journey. ChrysCapital has deep capabilities and an excellent track record of collaborating with entrepreneurs to build industry leading players, especially in pharmaceuticals. We intend to leverage our strong management capabilities and ChrysCapital's extensive sectoral knowledge to drive Corona's growth as we take it to new heights. Together, we are focused towards creating value for all stakeholders," said Nirav Mehta, Founder Director of Corona Remedies. Spark Capital Advisors and Vertices Partners advised Corona while Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas advised ChrysCapital. Founded in 2004 by Kirti bhai Mehta and his two sons, Nirav and Ankur Mehta, Corona is among the fastest growing companies in the domestic formulations sector in India. Its product range includes formulations in therapeutic segments like gynaecology, cardio diabetic, nutraceuticals, anti-infective, orthopaedic and paediatrics. Corona has scaled up rapidly due to its experienced management team, diversified product range, focus on affordable yet high-quality formulations, robust distribution network and an experienced field force of 2,000 medical representatives. ChrysCapital is one of the largest and most established India-focused investment firms. The firm has raised $4 billion across eight funds and is currently investing out of its $900 plus million eighth fund. Since inception, ChrysCapital has made 90 plus investments across a variety of sectors, including some marquee investments in the Pharmaceutical sector such as Intas Pharma, Mankind Pharma, Eris Lifesciences, Torrent Pharma, Ipca Labs, Curatio Healthcare and Zydus Cadila. The firm has realized over $5.6 billion from 70 plus full exits and has fully monetized five successive funds with strong net US dollar returns. April 05 : Actor Varun Dhawan celebrated seven years of his comedy-drama film Main Tera Hero on social media on Sunday. In his post, he said that he was nervous before the release of the film which was directed by his filmmaker father David Dhawan. Varun shared a series of BTS pictures to Instagram as he celebrated the seven years landmark of the movie release. The actor shared memories in the form of pictures from his father David Dhawan directorial that also featured Ileana D'Cruz, Nargis Fakhri, and Anupam Kher in lead roles. The first snap shared by Varun sees him flaunting his chiselled abs while Nargis and Ileana stand astounded on both his sides. Taking it to the captions, the 33-year-old actor reminisced how tensed he was for the release of his second movie and wrote, "MAIN TERA HERO 7 years ago I was nervous as hell before the release of this film. I remember my numerous phone calls with @ektarkapoor who would give me a pep talk every day." He further continued to praise his co-actors in the movie and said, "I had great co-actors like @ileana_official and @nargisfakhri making me feel like a hero and an amazing cast @sufisoul @anupampkher @rajpalofficial #saurabshukla #manojpawa helping me grow. Was such an honour to be directed by my father David Dhawan in my 2nd film." Not only his team co-actors, directors and producers; Varun also wrote an appreciation note to acknowledge his crew members including the costume designers. "Above all audience ka pyaaar was the biggest boost a newcomer like me needed," he concluded. Produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor under the banner Balaji Motion Pictures, 'Mai Tera Hero' features Varun Dhawan as Seenu, Ileana D'Cruz as Sunaina Goradia and Nargis Fakhri as Ayesha Singhal. The David Dhawan directorial big-budget movie revolves around the story of Seenu and Sunaina who fall in love with each other when he saves her from a corrupt policeman who wishes to marry her. Meanwhile, Ayesha, a rich girl Seenu meets on a train journey, also falls in love and offers to marry him. Main Tera Hero which released in 2014 was a remake of the 2011 Telugu film 'Kandireega' and marked Varun Dhawan's second movie in Bollywood after his blockbuster debut film 'Student Of The Year' with Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra. On the work front, Varun would be seen in the film Dharma Productions upcoming film 'Jug Jugg Jeeyo'. He will share the screen with actors Anil Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor and Kiara Advani. The actor was also recently shooting in Arunachal Pradesh for the supernatural thriller 'Bhediya'. The film is directed by Amar Kaushik and it also stars Kriti Sanon and Deepak Dobriyal. 'Bhediya' is slated to hit the screens on April 14, 2022. Franklin Grahams British bus signs seemed innocuous. They said, Lancashire Festival of Hope with Franklin GrahamTime for Hope. But the message, the messenger, and his history of controversial statements about homosexuality sent the seaside resort town of Blackpool into turmoil in 2018, as elected officials and administrators rushed to find a way to remove the advertisements from public transportation. Clearly this chap cannot be allowed a stage to promote this venom, wrote one city official an email to the council. Another called the evangelist and the president of Samaritans Purse a bile spewing preacher. A third official didnt know who Graham was, but looked him up on the internet and said she was a bit shocked at things Graham had said about LGBT people on Fox News. The town removed the Festival of Hope signs just 24 hours after they went up on city buses, citing heightened tension and complaints from local residents. Now, more than two years later, a British court has ruled that was an act of religious discrimination. Grahams name and record of controversial statements might be offensive to some in Blackpool, according to Judge Claire Evans, but the town was wrong to censor him. The bus sign was protected by the British Equality Act of 2010 and the European Convention on Human Rights. All religions and beliefs are characteristics protected by law, Evans wrote in a 35-page decision handed down last week. The domestic courts and the European Court of Human Rights have consistently affirmed that a pluralistic tolerant society allows for the expression of many different and sometimes diametrically opposed beliefs. According to the judge, Blackpool exhibited a wholesale disregard for the right to freedom of expression and gave preference to the rights and opinions of one part of the community, while disregarding the rights of festival organizers and the British Christians who agree with Graham. James Barrett, chairman of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association board, praised the ruling and called it a rebuke to cancel culture in the UK. It is a significant day for religious liberty and freedom of speech, he said. The court clearly affirmed that Christians and other people of faith who publicly express traditional religious views about marriage and human sexuality are protected by law. More than 9,000 people heard Graham speak at the Festival of Hope, despite the lack of bus ads. The event was supported by about 200 area churches. Blackpool and its public transportation company defended themselves against religious discrimination claims with several arguments in court last month. First, they said there was a rule against all political and religious ads, regardless of specific content. The court rejected this claim, pointing out that though there is such a rule on the books, Grahams ad was accepted at first and Blackpool officials never referenced the written policy in their discussions about removing Grahams ad. Official correspondence indicates the town normally does allow political advertising. Second, the town said the decision was made to protect city property, since the bus signs could become targets for vandalism and graffiti. The records didnt show any actual threats of vandalism, though. Instead, the town officials seem to have invented the concern as a plausible legal argument after they decided to reject the ads because of Grahams positions on LGBT issues. The posters are not offensive and they advertise what is the reality in that the conference is taking place, one transportation administrator wrote to the towns legal counsel. I am of the mind to remove the posters because from what I see our buses could become the target of people taking revenge. The legal counsel replied that I think your approach of removing the adverts to ensure that we do not have the buses becoming a target for the argument is a strong one and does not seek to take sides but is a practical response to a potential problem. Council leader Simon Blackburn was not so cautious about taking sides, though. The Labour Party member insisted the town fly the rainbow flag when Graham arrived in Blackpool. He said its obviously just the right thing to do, and communicated official solidarity with the LGBT community. Blackpools lawyers third argument was that the town was not removing the advertisements because of their religious content, but because the public would be offended by the ad. The judge said this argument would would be to give free rein to discrimination. Minoritieswhether religious, racial, or sexualonly need legal protections of their civil rights and their access to public spaces when they are considered offensive. The Equality Act and other anti-discrimination laws were designed to protect people when their presence in the public square disliked by a majority of the public. While the town was trying to distance itself from controversy and public opprobrium, Evans wrote, that is not the same as operating a policy of neutrality. She found the towns religious discrimination was explicit and stated clearly in internal discussions about the bus ads. British buses in other towns have drawn attention for displaying ads for other faith efforts, including Islamic Reliefs Ramadan campaign in 2016 and a national Atheist Bus Campaign in 2008. Earlier this year, a leftist political faction in Germany spoke out against Bible verse advertisements in public transportation there, saying they make riders feel uncomfortable. The court will now consider financial damages and rule on what Blackpool owes festival organizers. Blackpool, for its part, told the BBC it would review changes to the advertising policy on public transportation, but the resort town remains committed to promoting equality and diversity, eliminating discrimination and increasing respect, tolerance, and understanding throughout our community. The parents of Xiao Siyuan, a People's Liberation Army soldier who died at age 24, pay tribute to their son in Xinxiang, Henan province, on Sunday during the Tomb Sweeping Day, a festival to commemorate the dead. Xiao is one of four martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect China's national sovereignty and territory during the Sino-Indian border clash in June. [Photo by Yuan Xiaoqiang/For China Daily] Chinese people across the country paid tribute to nearly 2 million martyrs online during Tomb Sweeping Day on Sunday. A Chinese official website specially dedicated to martyrs launched an event for the annual festival so people could pay their respects via an online platform to those who gave their lives. The site has a searchable database listing 2 million heroes by name whom visitors could choose to honor, sweep their tombs and leave flower baskets. As of 10 pm Sunday, the website showed that more than 23 million people had mourned fallen heroes. Speaking of the festival, President Xi Jinping has said that heroes always charge forward when a calamity occurs and this embodies the great spirit of the Chinese nation. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the Chinese nation worships heroes and gives birth to a multitude of heroes. He said the accomplishments of the revolutionary martyrs will go down in history and their names will never be forgotten. The purpose of learning from the heroes, he said, is to apply their spirit in one's everyday work and demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility toward people's lives and safety. Honoring martyrs has always been part of the tradition of this festival, and this year, in keeping with the continuing COVID-19 pandemic precautions, online services enabled people to honor the deceased while avoiding mass gatherings. People from across China left comments on the martyrs website. A user from Shandong province said, "A tribute to the people's heroes, without whose sacrifice, we would not have a better life." Qiao Peiyuan, a high school student from Henan province, said: "Honor the martyrs. The martyrs of the revolution never die! May we remember them and contribute our efforts to building China!" After the event on the website, netizens used various ways of honoring martyrs on social media. On Sina Weibo, a microblogging platform, netizens discussed many topics and some of these threads soon garnered millions of comments. The topics included "The People's Heroes Never Die", "They Are Alive So Long As We Remember Them", "We Will Always Remember You" and "They Dedicated Their Last Heartbeat to the People of Their Country". China Central Television's official online account posted on Saturday night a video of three minutes of silence and called on netizens to repost it and to observe the silent vigil themselves. The video was reposted more than 4 million times. "I am truly and deeply grateful to and remember the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in order to bring us the peace we have today," said Su Hanglu of Sichuan province. "China has suffered so much. What's written in history books are just nonemotional lines but the hardships and suffering those martyrs went through are unimaginable. Each and every one of them deserves to be remembered," she said. A man who accidentally lost his iPhone 11 while paddling on a lake in March of last year recently posted photos of the handheld miraculously retrieved from the bottom of the lake after more than a year. The handheld was in need of a recharge, but otherwise worked perfectly! The owner of the iPhone, a Taiwanese man named Chen Yj, recently took to a public Facebook group to tell the amazing story of how his handheld survived a year underwater. Writing on the Bangfu1 Commune Facebook group, Chen said that he lost his iPhone 11 in March of 2020, while paddling on Sun Moon Lake, in Taiwan. Photos shared on the public group show him wearing an orange vest, with the Apple handheld around his neck. At one point, the man falls off his board, and the phone can be seen sinking to the bottom of the lake. Little did Chen know that he would not only retrieve his phone a year later, but it would be in perfect working condition. Photo: Chen Yj/Facebook To be fair, Chen had the common sense to put his iPhone in a waterproof plastic case before venturing on his little paddling trip, but even so, a year at the bottom of a lake is a long time. In his now-viral Facebook post, he wrote that a friend and business partner who had accompanied him on his paddling escapade last year, told him that he would see his phone again in a year or so, but he thought the man was joking. Photo: Chen Yj/Facebook It turned out that Chens friend was right. Due to a severe lack of rain, the water level in the area of Sun Moon Lake where he had dropped his phone went down considerably, and last month his buddy managed to retrieve his Apple iPhone from the muddy bottom. Its not clear exactly how long he searched for it, but it wasnt exactly a walk in the park. Photo: Chen Yj/Facebook A few days ago, Chen Yj got a text from his partner, informing him that he had retrieved his old phone, which totally blew him away. He was so excited that he couldnt even sleep at night, wondering if the phone still worked. He had business in that area he had to take care of in the coming days, so on April 2nd, he made the trip to his friend and they opened the waterproof case together, taking some photos of the event as well. Photo: Chen Yj/Facebook Chen didnt really have his hopes up, after all the phone had been lying on the bottom of Sun Moon Lake for over a year, and the plastic case was still caked in mud. But after opening it up, he was shocked to see that his iPhone 11 was as dry as a bone. It wouldnt boot up, but that was only because its battery was dead. Photo: Chen Yj/Facebook In his post, Chen reported that both the wireless charging and the cable charging functions worked perfectly, and once the phone had enough power, it booted and worked perfectly. Photo: Chen Yj/Facebook Chen praised the waterproof case he had used, and mentioned that his friend had also retrieved an old Nokia phone when he found his, which indicates that he was far from the only person to drop their mobile phone in the lake over the years. Photo: Chen Yj/Facebook What does it mean to strong and courageous? The phrase shows up in a few verses tied to the story of the Israelites entering the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy, Moses spoke to the people who were about to embrace Gods direction for their lives, and in Joshua God speaks to the man about to lead these people. The verse is part of a God-destined narrative. Lets take a closer look at that story and how we can apply its meaning to our own lives. What Does Be Strong and Courageous Mean? At the beginning of Joshua 1, the Israelites are getting ready to enter a new phase of life. After wandering in the desert for 40 years, they were on the brink of a fresh start. God promised them this new place after he delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Escaping Egypt wasnt easy. 10 plagues and a flip-flop Pharaoh later, the Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land. God protected his people, even as an angry Egyptian army charged toward them at the edge of the sea. He instructed Moses to raise his hand parting the waters and allowing a safe escape route. When the Israelites were safely across, he closed the path covering the Egyptians in the process. Youd think the Israelites would be grateful. Look at all God had done, the miracles hed performed. Instead, when times got hard, they complained. They questioned Gods plan of leading them out of slavery and into freedom. Because of their complaining and disobedience, many of the Israelites didnt make it to the Promised Land. God turned their exodus into a 40-year journey. After this length of time, part of the generation would die and not enter the Promised Land since they lacked faith. The leader hat had been handed off to Joshua and there he was, ready to take the survivors to their new life at last. God speaks to Joshua before he leads the people onward. Joshua 1:2, 5-6: Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to themto the IsraelitesNo one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Joshua was about to lead the Israelites into what God promised them. It wasnt just any old land. It was a specific place. As God promises in Jeremiah 29:11, he has great plans for our lives. Were each created uniquely for a purpose. God told Joshua he was ready to take what was his, to lead in his purpose. Moses had been the peoples leader for 40 years. Taking over that role was a big deal. Joshua needed to be strong. He needed to be courageous. Of course, he wasnt leading the people alone. God reminds him he will be with him. He will show up, just like he showed up in Egypt and the Red Sea. Joshua and the Israelites had been walking in the wilderness for a long time. It was time to take what was theirs. What Is the Context of Deuteronomy 31:6? Deuteronomy 31: 1-6: Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, You shall not cross the Jordan. The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said. And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. During his journey in the wilderness, Moses disobeyed God. He was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Instead, he encourages the people to be strong and courageous as they continue without him. Moses gave this encouragement in front of all the people, highlighting Joshua as an example of strength and courage. God places people in leadership roles on purpose. He gifts leaders with the skills needed to lead well, however, they still need to choose to do what God has asked them to do. Moses is encouraging Joshua to not only be strong and courageous himself but to be an example of strength and courage to the people. The passage also references Sihon and Og. While the Israelites were traveling, they needed to pass through different kingdoms. Their people fought back, trying to prevent the Israelites from reaching the land God promised them. With Gods help, the Israelites ultimately defeated Sihon and Og and were able to continue on their journey. God protected his people then, and he will protect them as they move forward into the Promised Land. How Can This Verse Be Misinterpreted? We need to discern when to be strong and courageous. These words were written for specific people at a specific time. God has a calling for each of our lives. If a situation doesnt seem to be lining up with Gods will, we should seek direction. When we walk within Gods will for our lives, we can be confident he will provide the strength and courage we need. We should not, however, use this verse as ammunition to complete any task, especially if the actions dont line up with the heart of God. Be strong and courageous. Go rob a bank. Not so much. It can be difficult to know if a certain decision is within Gods will. We can take one step at a time praying for direction. Isaiah 42:16 says, I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. God will walk with us, taking our hand and leading us through the wilderness and to our own promised land. How Can We Apply 'Be Strong and Courageous' in Our Lives Today? We can be confident that God will give us the strength and courage needed to move forward to the places he has called us. God showed up for the Israelites time and time again. We will show up for us too. God wasnt asking the Israelites to do something easy. They were to embark on a new life in a new land. That had to be scary. Many times we also face a daunting situation, but we can be confident God is with us. Being strong and courageous doesnt mean we have to rely on ourselves. We can summon Gods strength and courage. As born-again believers, God is living within us as the Holy Spirit. His strength is our strength, and his courage is our courage. Life can be challenging, but we dont have to go through it alone. We can dip into Gods strength and courage to accomplish what God has set out for us to do. God told Joshua to be strong and courageous before he moved forward with Gods plan into the land God promised him. God doesnt promise everybody everything. We all have our own unique paths and purposes. As we make decisions in our lives, we need to seek God and his will. When the decision lines up with his plan, he will give us all the strength and courage we need. Further Reading How Can Christians Be Strong and Courageous Like Deuteronomy 31 Says? Bible Verses about Courage Be Strong and Courageous: How to Rest in God When Fear Overwhelms You Photo credit: GettyImages/Orla Jenna Brooke Carlson is an elementary dual language teacher in the Chicago suburbs. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers, she enjoys spending time with other writers and perfecting her craft. She recently signed a contract for her first young adult novel, A Big Hot Mess, with Elk Lake Publishing. Along with writing, shes pursuing her dreams of creating a community of brave young women, who she can encourage to live out their dreams amid challenges and imperfection. Her days are busy, but shes determined she can conquer anything with a fuzzy blanket and a hot cup of tea. To find out more about Jenna, visit her website at jennabrookecarlson.com. This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today. Listen to our Daily Bible Verse Podcast Now! Maharashtra's Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Monday resigned from his post just hours after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into allegations of corruption and misconduct made by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni said this was an "extraordinary" and "unprecedented" case that warranted an independent inquiry. "Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has met the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, to tender his resignation," leader Nawab Malik said. "The CM is yet to accept his resignation," he added. In his resignation letter to the CM, Deshmukh said he didn't find it "morally correct to continue as the home minister after Bombay High Court order." "Deshmukh told the party he didn't wish to remain in the post after the high court order and party has requested to the CM to accept his resignation," Malik said. Minutes after Deshmukh's resignation, the BJP demanded a fair investigation into the issue. "The BJP expects that all the ramifications of this issue ought to be investigated fairly, properly and those involved must be brought to book," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Opposition BJP has been constantly pressuring the minister and ruling coalition government for the resignation of the former. Several BJP bigwigs including State party chief Chandrakant Patil, Leaders of Opposition (Council) and Pravin Darekar, Sudhir Mungantiwar and others welcomed Deshmukhs move to keep off the post to ensure an impartial probe. "Truth will come out in the preliminary inquiry. It is improper for Deshmukh to continue as minister after the HC order. He should resign on moral grounds, face the probe and come back to the ministry if he is found to be innocent," Fadnavis said earlier on Monday. On March 25, Singh filed a criminal public interest litigation seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh. In an unprecedented way, Singh, who was shunted out as Mumbai police chief after a fallout of the Antilla case, accused Deshmukh of using assistant police inspector and former encounter specialist Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore per month from bars. Singh made the allegations in a letter to chief minister after he was transferred to Home Guards Vaze has been arrested by the Investigating Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in planting the explosives. This is the second major setback for the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the past three months with a minister compelled to quit the cabinet. On Feb. 28, the Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod had quit amid a cloud over the death of a Tik-Tok star Pooja Chavan (22) in Pune on Feb. 7 after the BJP threatened to withdraw its members from a joint panel of the Shakti Bill and disrupt the legislature proceedings during the Budget Session in March. New Delhi, April 5 : Automobile major Hyundai Motor India has cumulatively sold over one million SUVs in domestic and export markets since its inception, the company said on Monday. At present, the company offers 4 SUVs in the country, namely Venue, Creta, Tucson and Kona Electric. "With over 1 Million cumulative SUV sales in domestic and export markets, we have reiterated the promise of Make-in-India over nearly two and a half decades of our presence in India," said Tarun Garg, Director (Sales, Marketing & Service), Hyundai Motor India. "This achievement also epitomises our manufacturing excellence and the unconditional admiration for Hyundai brand in India." In terms of offerings, the company launched Creta in 2015 which has recorded a cumulative sale of over 5.9 lakh units in the domestic market and over 2.2 lakh units in the export market. Similarly, Venue was introduced in 2019 as the country's first Connected SUV. HMIL has already sold over 1.8 lakh units of VENUE in the domestic market. The company currently has 10 car models across segments on offer. -- Syndicated from IANS Here's another Easter passing by and I still haven't fulfilled an ambition to walk the Camino pilgrimage, those 780km across Spain to Santiago de Compostela. This year, I'm blaming it on the restrictions imposed by Covid, rather than admit that the notion of setting off on such an April trek is probably beyond my capability. Yet, it's fascinating that in an increasingly secular world, the challenge of a pilgrimage is not only still practiced, but - until the wretched virus intervened - had been growing steadily. Perhaps because pilgrimage is about going on a journey, both inside and outside of yourself. It can be about spirituality - 43% of pilgrims who walk the Camino have a faith motive, according to Peter Stanford's new book Pilgrimage, but that means 57% do not. A pilgrimage can be about "intersecting" with the companionship of others. It can be "walking with a purpose". It can be exploring history - the idea that people have been doing this for a thousand years lends pilgrimage a meaningful sense of heritage. It can be seeking healing, either for an illness, or disability, or for recovering from some great loss - the actor Martin Sheen walked the Camino after the death of his adult son and the film he made about the Camino, The Way, in 2010, greatly boosted knowledge and interest in Compostela. (In the late 1970s, only a handful of pilgrims embarked on the walk; by 2018, numbers had reached a record 325,378.) The Camino has its own logo - the cockleshell of St James - found, even from ancient times, along the pilgrims' pathway. There are pilgrimages everywhere. Rome - always among the top 10 of world pilgrim sites - would normally be welcoming millions right now. Some still walk there, like Brian Mooney, who, in 2010 and aged 60, walked from St Paul's Cathedral in London - via the pathways of France and Italy - to get to Rome in 76 days. York, amazingly, attracts a quarter of a million pilgrims a year, even if not many walk to it. Britain has a surprising 600 sites of ancient pilgrimage, including a very successful North Wales Pilgrims Way, marking coastal monasteries of Celtic Christianity. Internationally, Jerusalem, Mecca, the Buddha trail in India and Kumbh Mela, also in India, attract many millions. Pilgrimage and tourism have been closely intertwined, a point which has been evident ever since Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, in which the joys of travel weren't restricted to the sacred. I see nothing wrong with the marketisation of pilgrimage sites - trade can help to enhance and embellish the experience. One of the most stunning journeys - a mini-pilgrimage - I ever made was to Mont St Michel in Brittany. It is absolutely transcendental when you reach the top, where Mass is celebrated in the chapel: yet the pathway was full of little shops and boutiques selling souvenirs both sacred and secular, which I thought cheerful. Pilgrimage is such a universal experience - and popular aspiration - that I feel sure it will return once the tourist industry gets back to some kind of normal. Ireland is studded with sites for pilgrimage, so many of which echo back to the great monastic period, when the Irish monks laid the basis of European civilisation. More could be made of the heritage value of pilgrim locations, like Clonmacnoise in Co Offaly, founded by St Ciaran in 544, or Clonfert in Co Galway, where the Church of Ireland cathedral dates from 1180, but the monastic traditions go back to St Brendan in the 6th century. Before lockdown halted activity, there was a steady stream of pilgrims to Clonfert, says Bryn Coldrick, a heritage consultant in Co Offaly. The nearby Catholic church has a 14th-century statue, "Our Lady of Clonfert", which every May was attracting many hundreds of pilgrims. Those coming on a pilgrim visit would also be drawn to the rich deposit of history and archaeology in the area all around. Knock, Lough Derg and Croagh Patrick have traditionally attracted pilgrims focused on a religious experience, but holy places have increasingly seen visitors with a broader agenda. According to Peter Stanford, Lourdes has been experiencing an increase in visitors who are not necessarily Catholic, but are drawn to the mystique. Lourdes, in recent years, had also been attracting more visitors from Asia. It should be mentioned that Aer Lingus was a true pioneer in enabling pilgrimages to Lourdes, having been the first airline to establish special flights back in 1954, with its inaugural aircraft, the St Colmcille (the price was 29 and eight shillings return - at a time when a good wage would be a fiver a week). It became a terrifically successful route and, by 1972, the Irish airline was Lourdes' best customer - flying in some 50,000 people a year. Aer Lingus was also the first airline to make special provision for the sick and disabled. Pilgrimage is about "stepping outside the ordinary" and the experience of the sacred, but it can also be a boost for trade, for development and for the appreciation of history and culture. Next year in Jerusalem, maybe? Bill on state protection of military personnel enacted into law RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 16:54 05/04/2021 MOSCOW, April 5 (RAPSI) President of Russia Vladimir Putin has enacted a draft law on the state protection of military personnel into law, according to the official website of legal information. In particular, the document affords state protection to civil servants of the Defense Ministry and military intelligence who participated in combating terrorism or other special operations and employees of the National Guard. The initiatives authors believe that the proposed changes must set a unified system of protection of federal servants of the State involved in special security operations and events. Previously, the state protection was applied to prosecutors, investigators, officers of institutions and bodies of the penal system, officers of Russias Federal Security Service (FSB), Investigative Committee, enforcement agencies, bodies of state security guards service, customs, tax and antimonopoly bodies, public oversight authority, Federal Service for Financial Monitoring and Audit Chamber. For most of my life I assumed that I was blessed with access to clean water. I recently learned that for decades our water here in Pennsylvania has increasingly become contaminated with microplastics, which are tiny pieces of plastic smaller than a grain of rice. The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center recently published a study testing over 50 rivers, lakes and streams for microplastics. These microplastics were found in every waterway tested, even our own Lehigh River. Our rivers and streams in Pennsylvania are contaminated because our society has embraced a disposable culture, meaning we use something once and throw it away. Much of this is single-use plastic, which when tossed in the garbage is usually sent to a landfill or burned in an incinerator. This process releases dangerous, harmful toxins into the air. River cleanups and litter control efforts are not helping, as microplastic pollution is coming from sources like car tires, clothes, cosmetics and more. If we dont work to create more practical solutions to address microplastics, like cutting plastic pollution at its source and passing producer responsibility laws that hold polluters accountable, our water supply will continue to be contaminated. We shouldnt suffer from the harmful impacts of consuming toxins for the convenience of single-use plastic. It is imperative that Pennsylvanians band together and ask their state representatives to support the Zero Waste PA package. Morgan Brettschneider Bethlehem The Red & Black sat down with Alex English, a prominent voice in the universitys Black community, to discuss racial change and his role as president of the University of Georgias chapter of the NAACP. The nation is collapsing, and despite all our social ills, we do not mean morally. No, this is a literal collapse: aging buildings, decaying bridges, crumbling streets. In the face of multiple problems, infrastructure has taken a backseat on past presidential agendas. No more. President Joe Biden has unveiled an ambitious infrastructure proposal $2 trillion that would fold jobs and green energy programs into its mammoth embrace. This is not a plan that tinkers around the edges, Biden said Tuesday afternoon in Pittsburgh. It is a once-in-a-generation investment in America, unlike anything weve done since we built the interstate highway system and the space race in the 1950s and 60s. The plan would have been a no-brainer four years ago, when former President Donald Trump abandoned infrastructure to pursue more controversial projects like the border wall. Now, it faces fierce Republican opposition despite obvious needs. This is an almost wildly ambitious plan, but the ambition of one political party is the fiscal insanity of another. Republicans are condemning the proposal as a Democratic wish list, bloated by side projects that have nothing to do with infrastructure. What do climate change, workforce innovation and broadband internet, GOP officials ask, have to do with roads and bridges? Im going to fight them every step of the way, because I think this is the wrong prescription for America, Sen. Mitch McConnell said at a news conference in Kentucky. The Biden administration argues these strands form a connective tissue that turns the disparate parts into a coherent whole. We saw this play out during the arctic blast in the Lone Star State. Ignoring the role of climate change, experts say, led to a breakdown in the electrical grid, which proved catastrophic for millions of Texans. The U.S. ranks 13th in the world in overall infrastructure, according to a World Economic Forum report in 2019. What irks Republicans most is not just the cost of the proposal, but the source of the funding. The president proposes an increase in the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent. This is anathema for Republicans, but lets remember, they dropped their aversion to the budget deficit when it came to lowering taxes in 2017. It remains unclear how the proposal would affect communities like San Antonio, but it would be sure to offset the deficiencies exposed by the winter storm. The plan would also help rebuild state ports and highways, while also expanding broadband into rural areas of the state where high-speed internet is limited. Lack of computer access negated virtual teaching efforts during the pandemic. Biden promised to put hundreds of thousands of people to work in Texas. These workers would rebuild a modern, resilient and fully clean grid, while capping hundreds of thousands of dry oil and gas wells. All these target areas are crucial in a state where the population is growing at a rate of 1,000 per day, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As we saw in Texas and elsewhere, our electric power grids are vulnerable to storms, catastrophic failures and security lapses to tragic results, Biden said. As debate progresses, Biden may have to recognize the reality that confronts every president: Ambitious plans give way to practicality. Democrats won the Senate and the White House, but the GOP achieved gains in the House. The political dynamic may force Biden to pull back on some of his goals, as he has done before, including a proposal to increase the minimum wage. This is a mammoth bill, and it should attract the support of most Americans. If some specific target areas fall by the wayside, there will be other opportunities, other efforts. This is no time to sacrifice the whole for the parts. EXCLUSIVE: The actress speaks with theGrio about narrating the documentary about the nations first Black, Greek letter sorority of which she is a member Phylicia Rashad is beloved in the culture as her immense talents have created a connection with the public across generations. Her captivating presence is once again on display as she narrates Twenty Pearls, a documentary about the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority of which she is a proud member. The legendary actress is renowed for her role as Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Rashad portrayed Clair with poise, elegance, and quick-wit as the matriarch who warned against Big Fun and endeared herself to the audience. Shes also commanded the stages of Broadway and appeared on the silver screen in films such as Creed and Tyler Perrys Good Deeds. Rashad has returned to the small screen in recent years with roles on Empire, Greys Anatomy, the Netflix Christmas musical Jingle Jangle and a recurring role on This Is Us. I am most grateful to have been able to do some work that has meant so much to people that it seems to traverse generations and that is because of the work itself, Rashad told theGrio in an exclusive interview. I dont attribute that to myself at all. I think its the work. Read More: Alpha Kappa Alpha celebrates historic achievement with Kamala D. Harris Day Actress Phylicia Rashad attends the Jazz at Lincoln Center 2017 Gala Ella at 100: Forever the First Lady of Song on April 26, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Jazz At Lincoln Center) Rashad brings her gravitas to the just-released Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, which recently premiered on Comcasts newly launched Black Experience on Xfinity channel. The documentary features interviews with AKA members such as Vice President Kamala Harris, Miss Universe Ireland 2019 Fionnghuala OReilly, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, and others. Twenty Pearls, whose title is lifted from the emblem of the first Black Greek-letter sorority and a nod to every new member being given a badge with 20 pearls, is from award-winning filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper and produced by Coffee Bluff Pictures. The doc tells the story of how nine Black women attending Howard University in 1908 changed the course of history. Story continues Since its inception, the ladies of the pink and green have lived out their creed of Service to All Mankind.For 113 years, watershed moments have included the Civil and Womens rights movements, HBCU endowments and mobilizing support for Harris historic appointment as the nations first Black woman VP. Its a documentary that puts the history of the sorority in context with the history of our nation. Youre getting parallel understandings here and that has not been done. Its revelatory in many aspects, Rashad, a Howard alum, explained. Read More: April Ryan pays tribute to Black women in new book: Its a love letter For me, even as a member of the sorority all these years, there were things that I just did not know concerning the legacy of the sorority, the women who established it and joined subsequently, and how that intention, that very pure intention to be of service and upliftment carried itself just steadily along as the organization grew. The award-winning versatile actress credited the AKAs commitment to service as one of the tenets of their legacy and longevity. The sorority boasts 300,000 members and 1,026 chapters. I think it begins with the intention with which it was founded and that attracted like minds. You see this in the documentary, she said. Its reiterated again and again how like mindsit is like a magnet for four women who would think that way. Rashad shared how a soror wanted to know what the plan of action was to address Georgia implementing voting restrictions. The service that has been provided, the activism that is ongoing, that is never-ending, that continues. I just checked my e-mail and I got an e-mail from a soror saying, So we got to do something about this. About this voter suppression. Phylicia Rashad visits SiriusXM Studios on January 13, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Rashad also has a focus on the younger generation, in particular young women. She believed a breakdown in the family and educational structures were contributing factors as to why some did not respect themselves. Theres certainly been that there are deliberate attempts to dismantle education, deliberate attempts. And when I look at schools being privatized, schools, whole school systems being privatized and owned by the same companies that own institutions for incarceration, Rashad, who comes from a family of educators, said. Im saying to myself, Nobody sees anything amiss in that? You dont see something wrong with that. So these schools become pipelines to prison. She pushed back against the notion that the older generation prioritized respectability politics. You need to go back and you need to study John Lewis, she declared. You need to go back and look at Rev. [Joseph] Lowery and C.T. Vivian. You need to go back in every country in this world. People are eliminated because theyve done good. This is not new. This has been throughout the course of history. Read More: Danielle Brooks says Mahalia Jacksons hysterectomy was necessary to include in biopic Award-Winning actress Phylicia Rashad attends the Fast Company Grill on March 09, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Fast Company ) She punctuated her point. This is not politics of respectability. Im talking about common human decency and respecting ones own self. Thats all Im talking about. Respect for ones own self. There aint nothing political about that. Rashad doesnt miss a beat. And I said it aint because I meant it. There aint nothing political about self respect. Ultimately, Rashad believed that we were all capable of making a difference in the world even if a pledge isnt taken to do so. It starts with each person knowing who they are. I think whats really important is that we grow fully into ourselves. I think thats whats really important because those women who founded it were growing into themselves. And thats really the gift thats being offered, she said. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today! The post Phylicia Rashad honors the service and upliftment of Alpha Kappa Alpha appeared first on TheGrio. Last month, an investigative report released by the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) found that Florida is dramatically undercounting the number of people who are dying from COVID-19, by thousands of cases. Florida has been one of the leading epicenters for the spread of the virus in the US, with well over 2 million infections and more than 33,000 deaths. The analysis released by AJPH was aimed at ascertaining the number of excess deaths occurring in Florida since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the state in March 2020. This meant assessing those deaths exceeding historical or previous trends after accounting for COVID-19 deaths, with special emphasis placed on forecasting monthly deaths from January to September of 2020 if the pandemic had not occurred. A comparison was then conducted with monthly recorded total deaths during the pandemic and deaths only from the virus. Results from the research suggested that Florida saw 19,241 additional people die between March and September of 2020, a staggering 15.5 percent increase in deaths for the seven-month interval. Of the excess death totals, 14,317 of them had been COVID-19 deaths not logged into the states official coronavirus tracker and 4,924 other deaths, excluding COVID-19. The study concluded that the impact of COVID-19 on mortality is significantly greater than the official COVID-19 data suggests. EMT Giselle Dorgalli, second from right, looks at a monitor while performing chest compression on a patient who tested positive for coronavirus in the emergency room. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) AJPHs findings add further insight into the far-reaching and deadly impact the pandemic has had on the state while adding damning evidence discrediting claims made by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Department of Health officials that the official numbers on COVID-19 deaths paint an accurate picture. In recent weeks, DeSantis and state officials have seized on the declining rate of infections to celebrate the governments handling of the pandemic, even though Florida stubbornly remains the third-highest state for total COVID-19 cases, behind only California and Texas. Data drawn from the AJPH report underscores the falsity of claims that Florida has contained the pandemic and the state government has succeeded in reducing mortality. Furthermore, official state data has been exploited to pursue politically motivated and homicidal policies, such as the complete lifting of lockdown measures and the back-to-school campaign to resume in-person learning. Floridas state officials have been some of the most enthusiastic proponents for these policies while showing utter indifference to the health and safety of the population. Public health scientists have noted one of the main contributors to the undercounting of deaths nationwide was the severe lack of testing and contact tracing in the early months of 2020, a result of the deliberate suppression of information on the part of the government and corporate media. The negligence of state officials in the early months was exemplified in Florida, with DeSantis avidly following the line dictated by Trump that the virus was not spreading uncontrollably throughout the country despite reports proving that government officials had been briefed on the impending danger. Hospital patients in Florida reported symptoms of the virus as early as January 1, just days before the World Health Organization began releasing its first major investigative reports on SARS-CoV-2. Florida did not announce its first two presumed coronavirus cases until March 1, well after COVID-19 reached community transmission. When case and death numbers began soaring in New York and other northeast states in the spring, DeSantis and other state officials were indulging in self-congratulatory praise over Floridas relatively low numbers. DeSantis labeled the virus a significant health threat in January, but consistently downplayed the likelihood of it spreading in Florida before the states first cases were confirmed in March. The governor then moved to institute a few meager travel restrictions to reduce transmission, including banning visitors from nursing homes and imposing quarantines on travelers from New York. These measures, however, did little to nothing to halt community spread as DeSantis refused to issue a statewide shutdown order for weeks, leading to more cities and counties to issue their own lockdowns. The Florida government was eventually forced to inaugurate its own state-mandated, 30-day lockdown and expand testing at the beginning of April, as cases began to burgeon nationwide and workers demanded that action be taken to save lives from the pandemic. Since that time, corporations, capitalist politicians and the major news media have pushed for the reopening of the economy in defiance of scientific and public health guidelines warning that the virus was not yet contained fully enough to end restrictions. Florida officials were among the first to lift shutdowns in the months of May and June, in a feverish campaign to end all previous public health measures starting with the premature reopening of restaurants and retail stores throughout the state. Since then, DeSantis has viciously opposed any new shutdowns or restrictions, even as Florida saw a massive surge in cases in June and July. At the beginning of Floridas summer wave, new daily cases were hovering around the tens of thousands, topping at 15,000 on July 12. The indifference to the lives of the population has been epitomized in the wholly inadequate approach Florida officials have taken towards testing and contact tracing, which has been overseen by Democratic Party-controlled counties and mayors as well as Republican-dominated ones. By late April, there were only 500 contact tracers for the entire state, far short of what medical experts said Florida needed to effectively contain the disease. A report from the National Association of County and City Health officials released in spring of last year said states should have had at least 30 tracers per 100,000 people, or an estimated 6,500 tracers in the case of Florida. The state, however, only maintained 2.3 per 100,000 at its highest point in May, with the FDH deputy secretary of health admitting in April that the state had no plans to hire more. The undercounting of infections and deaths led Florida data scientist Rebekah Jones to set up an independent COVID dashboard tracker and release information on social media documenting the virus spread in schools, which was found to be more than 83,000 cases across all districts. Her efforts have ended up giving a more comprehensive and detailed examination of community transmission in the state than the official state dashboard. Jones was the leading scientist in the FDH in charge of tracking the states official COVID-19 database before she was fired last May for refusing to manipulate the official figures. Jones rose to prominence as a truth-telling whistleblower in the months following the exposure of her dismissal and her efforts to expose the lies being propagated by the political establishment to justify reopening. In December 2020, she was the victim of a fascistic police raid on her home in response to her work exposing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida schools. In January, a warrant was issued for her arrest, in an anti-democratic effort by the DeSantis administration to browbeat all opposition to his homicidal policies. For workers and educators to defend their right to truthful information on the spread of the deadly virus and freedom of speech, they must wage a political struggle against the same social forces aiming to conceal this knowledge through illegal and undemocratic means, including violent repression at the hands of the police and state. This struggle raises the necessity of shutting down schools and non-essential production to contain and ultimately eradicate the pandemic. The Socialist Equality Party calls on educators to build a statewide Florida Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee to unite their struggles with educators across the US in a fight to prepare the ground for a political general strike against these policies. Visit wsws.org/edsafety to sign up and find a committee near you. This photo shows four homeless dogs that were rescued by the Korean Animal Welfare Association in Chagwon, South Gyeongsang Province, in February. Courtesy of Korean Animal Welfare Association By Lee Hyo-jin On March 7, a dog was spotted tied to the rear of an SUV vehicle driving at 80 kilometers per hour on a road in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province. The dog was hanging unconscious with its feet severely damaged. The Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA) filed a police report against the driver and owner of the dog, a man in his 60s, for animal cruelty resulting in its death, March 24. During the police investigation, the man reportedly said he had no intentions to kill the dog, claiming he had "tied the dog to the truck to make it exercise, and then picked up speed because he had forgotten about it." The incident immediately prompted an uproar among internet users calling for heavy punishment, but in many cases in Korea, animal abusers get off leniently compared with the level of the violence of their crimes. According to the Ministry of Justice, among 3,398 animal abusers whose cases were referred to the prosecutors' office between 2016 and 2020, more than half, or 1,741 people, were not indicted. Only 3 percent, or 93 cases, were submitted for a court trial. Following the revision to the Animal Protection Act, punishment against animal abusers was strengthened as of Feb. 12. Those convicted of animal cruelty resulting in death can be sentenced to up to three years in prison or fined 30 million won ($2,700), up from the previous two years imprisonment and a 20 million won fine. But stronger laws may not lead to heavier punishments, according to animal rights activists. While Korea's animal protection laws are not considered lenient compared with other countries, they pointed out a lack of awareness and knowledge on animal welfare among law enforcement authorities. "Some police officers are not fully aware of animal-related laws, nor the recent changes in the laws. In many cases, investigations are launched only when we, animal rights activists, collect evidence ourselves and submit it to the authorities who do not take animal abuse very seriously," Chae Il-taek, an official at KAWA, told The Korea Times. Also, due to the absence of specific sentencing guidelines in court, the level of punishment significantly varies according to the judges. In January 2020, a man was sentenced to four months in prison for brutally killing two stray cats. "Such a ruling shows that the punishment guidelines with a maximum three-year prison sentence will have little meaning if the law enforcement authorities do not conduct a proper investigation or the court continues to make rulings going across public opinion on animal welfare," Chae said. Lee Hyung-joo, head of Animal Welfare Awareness, Research and Education (Aware), echoed the sentiment, saying, "Some police officers as well as officials in the government's animal welfare department have low awareness and little knowledge of animal-related laws." She said the law enforcement authorities should revise their investigation manuals on animal abuse and introduce animal control officers, as in the U.S., who are in charge of animal-related crimes. Kim Ou-joon, right, in this 2015 file photo / Korea Times file Book delves into how Kim Ou-joon became enemy within liberals By Kang Hyun-kyung Choi In-ho's new book "Kim Ou-joon Is Worse than Choi Soon-sil" is the liberal commentator's sharp-tongued criticism of his fellow commentator and radio show host, Kim Ou-joon. Choi, a YouTuber and also founder of a civic group created to put pressure on politicians to adopt a liberal-minded policy agenda, opens fire at Kim, calling him a "villain" who has manipulated public opinion in his favor by using his influence. The book claims that some liberals began to harbor suspicions about Kim since his sympathetic remarks about the prosecution that investigated the corruption scandal surrounding the former Justice Minister Cho Kuk in 2019. "Choi Soon-sil had flexed her muscles behind the scenes and didn't reveal herself to the public until her controversial role came to light. She didn't deceive the public at least," the book reads. "Unlike her, Kim Ou-joon has duped the public every day with his presence in the media. What's worse is that he has manipulated the public opinion for his own sake and by doing so he deceived the people." Kim has been popular among the supporters of President Moon Jae-in and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). He rose to stardom in the late 2000s after lampooning then President Lee Myung-bak in his podcast "I am a Weasel." Currently, he is a TBS radio show host and popular YouTuber. Each of his YouTube videos has hundreds of thousands of views. Choi Soon-sil, meanwhile, is the former President Park Geun-hye's long-time friend who played a key role behind Park's impeachment over corruption scandals. Choi In-ho's new book "Kim Ou-joon Is Worse Than Choi Soon-sil' Good morning. This is a game changer, Gov. Gavin Newsom exulted last week during a news conference. We are very, very enthusiastic. Was he talking about his recent coronavirus vaccination? The latest poll in the recall campaign? No, he was reveling in news from what has long been Californias sweet spot infrastructure, baby. Perhaps more than any other part of the country, California stands to benefit from the $2.2 trillion proposal introduced last week by President Biden. As our colleague Jim Tankersley and others reported (and detailed for The Upshot and The Daily), the sweeping plan would inject huge sums of money into wider roads, faster internet, high-speed trains, charging stations for electric cars, airport terminals, upgraded water pipes and much more. If it passes a big if the state that conjured Los Angeles out of the chaparral and the nations agribusiness capital out of the swamps of the Central Valley will have big plans for the federal money. Photo: s.yimg.com By Kris Sims Troy Media British Columbians are now paying even more to heat, eat and drive to work. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus most recent carbon tax hike has found a willing follower in British Columbia Premier John Horgan. When Team Trudeau was fighting against several provinces at the Supreme Court of Canada, saying he should be able to impose his carbon tax on them, Horgan jumped to Trudeaus side like a duck on a June bug. It was sad to see. The man who used to oppose the B.C. carbon tax is now leading a government that takes more than $1.6 billion per year from people via the tax. Horgans wish came true, and the Supreme Court sided with Trudeau. Horgan has signed on to Trudeaus carbon tax backstop, handing that power over to Ottawa. The backstop is a mandatory minimum carbon tax on fuels. The B.C. carbon tax went up to $45 per tonne on April 1. That means the carbon tax now costs 9.9 cents per litre of gasoline, 12 cents per litre of diesel and 8.8 cents per cubic metre of natural gas. It will now cost an extra $7 in the carbon tax to fill up a minivan, $12 extra for a pick-up truck and $65 more for one big rig diesel truck tank that delivers everything. If you think youre avoiding the carbon tax by riding your bike, think again. Farmers use fuels to produce our food. Grain producers use natural gas to dry their crops and every agricultural product uses diesel to move to market whether theyre moving on roads or rails. That makes food more expensive. While the carbon tax culprits are hidden on our inflating grocery receipts, politicians cant hide the carbon tax on home heating. The average home uses 2,700 cubic metres of natural gas per year, so that means about $240 extra in Trudeaus carbon tax each year. Thats real money. Thats how much a weekly load of groceries for a family of four costs. Thats how much ten nights at a Vancouver Island campground costs. Thats a year of new shoes, boots and sandals for four kids. And its going to cost a lot more soon. Trudeau is jacking the carbon tax up to $170 per tonne by the year 2030. Within nine years, it will cost $27 more to fill the family minivan. By 2030, natural gas will carry a carbon tax of 33 cents per cubic metre, costing an average new home more than $890 extra per year. Many will pay more, including families who use furnace oil and propane. Some believe that they will get all this money back through a rebate, but it doesnt work like that in B.C. Carbon tax rebates vanish entirely once a two-person working family earns a $59,000 salary per year. To qualify for the full $901 annual rebate, a family of four would need to make less than $41,706. The average family income is $84,000 per year. The rebates do nothing for everyday people. The carbon tax doesnt even work. Emissions in B.C. are going up. Theyve gone up 10% in the past three years. Just because the court says the carbon tax is legal doesnt make it right. Governments of the people can still scrap this expensive failure. Its up to us to fight back and tell politicians that we cant afford their carbon taxes. Kris Sims is the B.C. Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Stag Party (p, 2, 1:50.4s; 2, 1:52.3h [$962,645]), is standing his second season at Winbak Farm of Ontario. Due to unforeseen consequences of COVID-19, his connections have decided to offer 2021 breeders a 25 percent discount. Due to the rough year that has affected the economy and the horse industry, we have decided to offer a special discount to 2021 breeders that book to Stag Party, said Eric Cherry, co-owner of Stag Party. Our industry needs horses, and we believe that it is important to continue to grow our industry with quality individuals like the offspring that Stag Party will sire. Stag Party stood his first year in 2020. His foals are now arriving. We are very excited to see Stag Partys first crop, said Pat Woods, Winbak Farm of Ontario Manager. After seeing his first foals are very correct and strong, we plan on breeding some of our best mares to him in 2021. Pictures of Stag Partys foals can be found on the Winbak Farm Facebook Page. While visiting the page, fans are encouraged to submit name ideas for the foals. We hope that this special rate will give breeders a chance to breed their mares to a stakes-winning son of Bettors Delight, said Woods. We want to be able to give back to our customers (both current and future) and to the Ontario breeding and racing industries. For more information on Stag Party, please call Pat Woods at 905.838.2145 or email him at [email protected]. More information can also be found at Winbak Farm's website. We want to make sure that 2021 breeders, who have already booked to Stag Party, understand that they will get the special discount also, said Cherry. We feel that it is important for all who choose to breed to Stag Party in 2021 to be rewarded. (Winbak Farm) Indian social commerce platform Meesho has entered the unicorn club after raising $300 million in the latest round of funding. The Series E funding round, led by SoftBank Group's Vision Fund 2, saw the valuation of the Bengaluru-based start-up rise to $2.1 billion from around $700 million in 2019. Existing investors Facebok Inc, Prosus Ventures, Shunwei Capital, Venture Highway and Knollwood Investment also participated in the latest investment round. Meesho said it will utilise the funds to strengthen its talent pool across all areas, including technology, product and business. ALSO READ: Swiggy raises $800 million from fund managers, investors Founded in 2015 by IIT-Delhi batchmates Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, Meesho provides manufacturers a platform to connect with re-sellers, who then sell their products to end-customers via social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook. The application offers payment and logistics services to these re-sellers for ease of transactions and sales. The company caters to around 1 crore re-sellers across more than 5,000 cities in India. Meesho focuses on simplifying e-commerce for small businesses in India. The company allows such businesses to reach their customers via multiple channels, including entrepreneur network, direct Meesho consumers, seller-owned storefronts and partnerships. ALSO READ: Byju's acquires Aakash Educational Services for $1 billion "SoftBank has always been excited to back founders that provide unique solutions for the local market," Bloomberg quoted Munish Varma, managing partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers, as saying. "By using the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning, Meesho has created a platform for many small business owners to sell to the next cohort of internet users." (Edited by Vivek Punj) The Administrative Court of Armenia has denied the motion by the representative of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to dismiss the lawsuit by the former chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Onik Gasparyan. Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned this Monday from the DataLex Judicial Information System. The court denied the respondent's motion, stating that the respondent had not submitted any substantiated argument that this lawsuit was no longer necessary due to a change of circumstances, and that the respondent's representative's arguments concerning the legality of the judicial acts were not grounds for dismissing this lawsuit. Onik Gasparyan had petitioned to the Administrative Court on March 10 with a request to recognize null and void the presidential decree on dismissing him from the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, which was approved by the PM's March 10 statement to consider Gasparyan dismissedby virtue of lawfrom this position. On March 17, the court had granted the lawyer's motion to consider Onik Gasparyan's lawsuit, which sought to recognize the absence of a legal relationship to dismiss Gasparyan from the position of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. At the respective court hearing on April 2, the Prime Minister's representative had submitted a motion to the court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that there was no basis for Gasparyan's lawsuit. Then, Gasparyan's representative, lawyer Aram Orbelyan had stated that no respective grounds were presented by this motion, and therefore it was subject to being denied. With a dead cell phone and ill-prepared for the nighttime hike, a Massachusetts resident was saved from potential peril atop a New Hampshire mountain over the weekend by conservation officers in the Granite State. The 40-year-old Winchendon, Massachusetts woman suffered serious injuries after falling from a rock ledge on Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, New Hampshire on Sunday. Less than a minute before her phone died, she was able to put out a call to emergency responders, who were able to rescue her in the hours that followed, officials detailed. The woman made the 911 call around 8:25 p.m., before her fall from the mountain. The Massachusetts resident reported she was on the White Arrow Trail at Monadnock State Park and didnt have a flashlight, according to a statement from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. After speaking with a conservation officer from the fish and game department for less than a minute, the womans cell phone battery died. Fortunately, 911 dispatchers were able to provide GPS coordinates for her location. She was roughly half a mile up the mountain from the end of the Old Toll Road in Jaffrey, the statement said. Personnel from the department arrived at the state park around 9:20 p.m., and two conservation officers found the woman roughly 40 minutes later. Authorities said after her phone died, she started to panic and hiked roughly 500 feet down the trail in the dark without a light before falling around 20 feet off the rock ledge and landing on the rocks below. The pair of conservation officers quickly learned the right side of the womans body was seriously injured, according to the department. The officers then called in for more help from the Jaffrey Fire Department, the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the Peterborough Fire Department and the Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team, officials said. Rescuers gave the woman medical attention and warm clothing, and they carried her in a litter to a waiting pickup truck. She was taken down the Old Toll Road, transferred to an ambulance and driven to the Silver Ranch Airpark, where she was picked up by a medical helicopter and flown to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester at 2 a.m. Monday morning, according to authorities. The department detailed how the woman started her hike at roughly 6 p.m. Sunday and was not properly dressed or equipped for the conditions. She didnt have a light source, map, compass or food and water, the agency noted. The incident could have had a much different outcome had the woman not been able to make one last call from her phone before it died, according to officials. The area of Mount Monadnock where she was hiking and fell is also known for spotty cellular phone coverage. This incident is a good reminder to all people recreating in the outdoors to prepare for the unexpected, hike with a partner or group, and carry the necessary equipment, the department said. Never rely on a cellular phone for rescue. Please visit www.hikesafe.com for a list of recommended hiking equipment. Senator Joe Manchin threatened in an interview to hold up President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill in oder to force changes that would water down his proposed corporate tax hike. 'As the bill exists today, it needs to be changed,' said Manchin, who has become a gatekeeper in the 50-50 Senate as among the most conservative members in the Democratic caucus. Manchin, who holds the seat once held by Democratic Sen. Robert C. Byrd hails from a relatively poor state that has benefitted from federal government spending projects over the years, did not say he opposed the infrastructure package. But he did threaten to use his political weight to try to refashion it. 'If I dont vote to get on it, its not going anywhere': Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) registered his problems with a 28 per cent corporate tax rate and threatened to hold up infrastructure legislation that is a top priority for President Joe Biden 'If I dont vote to get on it, its not going anywhere,' he said, in a possible reference to move to proceed to the bill under special instructions that would allow it to move with a simple majority vote. With Republicans lining up against the bill, Democratic leaders are looking to potentially move the package under an additional budget reconciliation bill. But even that would require them to have all of their members in line giving leverage to Manchin or any other Democratic senator with misgivings. 'Its more than just me, Hoppy,' he told interviewer Hoppy Kercheval of West Virginia's Metro News, the National Review reported. 'Theres six or seven other Democrats who feel very strongly about this. We have to be competitive, and were not going to throw caution to the wind,' he said. Biden wants to raise the corporate rate from its current 21 per cent up to 28 per cent. It dropped from 35 per cent in the 2017 tax cut law signed by President Donald Trump. Manchin did not come out against any increase in the corporate tax rate, and suggested he could potentially support a 25 per cent rate, which would still be an increase of four percentage points over the current level. President Biden defended the proposed corporate tax hike on Monday White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted that Biden's proposed rate would be lower than it has been historically since World War II, although it would take away some of the 2017 reduction Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has vowed to fight Biden's plan 'every step of the way.' Manchin's swipe comes after Republicans hammered the Biden plan for its tax hikes, and a small group of House Democrats threatened to withhold support if the plan does not also raise the $10,000 cap for state and local deductions. The White House continued to defend the hike, which it has made a centerpiece of its revenue side, on Monday, even as it said it was early in the process and lawmakers were welcome to offer their own ideas. The tax increases over a period of 15 years would pay for eight years of spending. 'Our view is that corporations can pay more, not that it should be on the backs of consumers and the American people through user fees, which is exactly what it would be,' said White House press secretary Jen Psaki when asked about GOP Sen. Roy Blunt's call to fund infrastructure through user fees. She said the tax rate the administration was proposing was 'lower than it was from World War II to 2017.' Biden defended the tax hike at the White House earlier Monday. Asked if he was concerns higher taxes might drive away corporations, he said: "Not at all, adding, 'There's no evidence of that.' 'You're talking about companies in the Fortune 500 that haven't paid a single penny in tax for 3 years. Come on, man,' he said. Then he plugged the $2.3 trillion package, which Republicans have slammed for going beyond roads and bridges. 'It's kind of interesting. When the Republicans put forward an infrastructure plan, they thought everything from broadband to other things were worth paying for infrastructure,' Biden said. 'When you're in a situation where you can't turn on a water fountain in school because the water affects your health, that's infrastructure. I'm talking about making sure we take asbestos out of schools, that's infrastructure. I'm talking about building high speed rail, that's infrastructure. I'm talking about making sure we are in a situation where we can redo federal buildings that are absolutely leaking energy every single day, that's infrastructure, in addition to roads and bridges and broadband.' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., vowed last week to fight Biden's plan 'every step of the way.' Eritrean forces began withdrawing from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region on Saturday, the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Why it matters: Opposition forces claimed in February that at least 50,000 civilians had been killed in the conflict that has now stretched for five months. Soldiers from neighboring Eritrea are accused of rape and destroying crops, per Human Rights Watch, and have systematically killed civilians, according to Amnesty International. Driving the news: The foreign chiefs of the U.S., France, Germany, and other G7 countries on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's announcement and condemned "human rights abuses committed by all parties" in the conflict. "We are concerned about worsening food insecurity, with emergency conditions prevailing across extensive areas of central and eastern Tigray," the statement said. The big picture: The conflict between Ethiopia's federal government and leaders in the northern Tigray region is part of a broader struggle over who really holds power in Ethiopia, writes Axios' Dave Lawler. New Delhi, April 6 : The BJP on Monday met the Election Commission of India (ECI) and urged it to take appropriate action against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly promoting enmity between the otherwise peace loving communities and other electoral offences. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar, senior leader G.V.L. Narasimha Rao and others met the poll panel and submitted a memorandum which said Banerjee in an election meeting at Tarkeshwar on April 3 had appealed to the Muslim voters not to let their votes get split among different political parties. "Instead, she exhorted that they should cast their votes en-block to her party. While making the appeal, she suggested that minorities (Muslims) must not listen to 'shaitaan' (probably ISF'S Abbas Siddiqui or AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi) and let their votes split. She further warned minority voters that they would face the biggest danger if the BJP came to power in Bengal," the memorandum said. It also pointed out that her appeal to the minority voters is highly divisive and communal in nature and she has invoked religion to exhort Muslims to remain united and only vote for Trinamool. "Not only her appeal to the minority voters is highly divisive with heavy communal undertones, she is also trying to instil fear among not only the minority voters, but also the other voters, thereby driving a wedge between them and the rest of the electorate," the BJP memorandum said. "In view of the facts as mentioned above and also to ensure that the eight-phase elections in West Bengal are held in an atmosphere free of fear, it is essential that appropriate action may be initiated against Banerjee for committing electoral offences and promoting enmity between the otherwise peace loving communities," the BJP urged. Louisiana's Republican leaders are sharply at odds over whether and how the state should redesign its primary elections, a resurfacing disagreement driven by political ideology that could have significant sway in future election victories. The divide over whether to return to closed party primaries for some or most elections is drawing particular interest because Republicans weighing in on the issue are possible contenders for governor and other statewide offices in 2023. The type of primary election in place could help determine how those bids for office fare. Lawmakers will decide whether they want to change Louisianas election system in the legislative session that starts April 12. Officials in both the Democratic and Republican parties are pushing the idea of a closed party primary, at least for congressional races where candidates from each political party run against each other and the top vote-getter from each party advances to a general election. But the drive appears to be stronger among some within the GOP. GOP disagreement emerges over whether to change Louisiana's unique open primary elections As the state Legislature prepares to debate whether to change Louisianas unique open primary election system and move to closed party primari Attorney General Jeff Landry, a conservative Republican eyeing a bid for governor, indicated he supports closed primaries for congressional, statewide and legislative races. State Senate GOP leader Sharon Hewitt, another possible gubernatorial contender, wants to start closed primaries with congressional races. Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, a moderate Republican seen as one of Landry's chief competitors for governor, opposes closed primaries entirely. I just believe that something thats not broke, why fix it?" Nungesser told a task force reviewing the issue. In an open primary, thats the fairest way. Youve got to speak to all the people of Louisiana. In Louisianas current open primary system, all candidates regardless of party run against each other for elected office. If no one candidate tops 50% in that primary, the top two vote-getters advance to a head-to-head runoff. That system has been in place since 1975, with the exception of a three-year span for congressional elections. Closed primaries are seen as favoring more ideologically driven candidates over moderates because party loyalists would sift among the contenders and advance one to a general election. In a governor's race, for example, a closed primary is seen as benefiting Landry's hardline stances over Nungesser's willingness to work with Democrats like Gov. John Bel Edwards. A task force led by Hewitt to study the issue voted Monday to recommend that lawmakers create a closed party primary for congressional races and leave the rest of Louisiana's elections alone. Each party would decide, under the recommendation, whether voters without party affiliation can participate in its primary or be sidelined. That will be the starting point for legislative debate. Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise and Democratic state Sen. Cleo Fields, a former congressman, are among the chief proponents for closed primaries for the congressional races because Louisiana's jungle primary system regularly sees the state selecting members of Congress later than the rest of the country. In competitive congressional races, particularly for open seats without an incumbent, races often are pushed into a December runoff a month after nearly every other state has settled its seats. Scalise and Fields argue that puts Louisianas newest congressional delegation members at a disadvantage in seniority, committee assignments and orientation sessions. Fields briefly persuaded lawmakers to create a closed party primary for congressional elections for the 2008 and 2010 U.S. House and U.S. Senate elections. But lawmakers reinstated the open primary system by the 2012 congressional races. The Legislature has seen a lot of turnover since then. Some Republican Party leaders have intensified their interest in closed primaries after the last two governors' races featured intraparty GOP fighting among candidates that benefitted Edwards and helped contribute to his victories. Fields suggested it would be too difficult to win legislative passage of anything more than closed primaries for congressional races, and he said even that limited closed primary bill will be hard to pass. Lets get our members of Congress to Washington at the same time as (everyone else), and then let's call it a day, he told the task force. There's not uniform agreement even among Louisiana's members of Congress. Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy who has drawn his party's ire because he voted to convict former President Donald Trump in the recent impeachment trial has panned the proposal to shift Louisiana to closed primaries. When asked about the debate in February, Cassidy replied: It seems like a stupid idea. Melinda Deslatte has covered Louisiana politics for The Associated Press since 2000. Scott Stafford has been a reporter, photographer, and editor at a variety of publications, including the Dallas Morning News and The Berkshire Eagle. Scott can be reached at sstafford@berkshireeagle.com, or at 413-496-6301 and on Twitter at @BE_SStafford. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Council of Representatives Speaker Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal affirmed that Bahrain has become a prominent example and global model in the fields of human rights, peace, coexistence and tolerance. In commemoration of todays International Day of Conscience celebration, the Speaker noted that the noble approach of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa made the values and principles of cooperation and human solidarity on which the prosperity and progress of nations are built, through multiple royal initiatives, to promote world peace and the advancement of the human conscience. She praised the governments efforts headed by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in upholding human values, strengthening the role of the state of law and institutions, rights and justice, and ensuring the health and safety of all. Zainal recalled the initiative of the late His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, to launch the International Day of Conscience, which was adopted by the United Nations for the first time in 2019, stressing that the initiative confirms the role of the Kingdom and its position in the international community. She affirmed the continuing parliamentary support for the distinguished efforts of Bahrain in serving humanitarian causes, and building a common global understanding dominated by security and tranquility, combating and rejecting all forms of extremism, terrorism and hatred among people. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey announced a surge of staffing resources to meet the growing demand for vaccinations at State Farm Stadium and throughout the state. Following the mobilization of additional staff and implementation of other process improvements, wait times at state vaccination sites have been reduced significantly to under 30 minutes today. Arizona is deploying all available resources to ensure that Arizonans continue to experience short wait times and receive excellent service while getting vaccinated, Governor Ducey said. The State Farm Stadium site is among the highest-performing mass vaccination sites in the U.S. This past weekend alone, we administered more than 10,000 doses per day. Were committed to keeping up the pace. Additional staffing support at state vaccination sites will provide certainty that staffing needs are met during all shifts and shift changes. More state staff are also stepping up to supplement existing paid staff and volunteers operating state vaccine sites. Nearly 90 additional National Guard personnel will also join the vaccination effort tomorrow. In total, more than 900 National Guard personnel are deployed to support the COVID-19 mission in Arizona. Arizonas vaccine sites are busy 24/7 and we are excited to see the strong demand for the COVID-19 vaccine, said Dr. Cara Christ, Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. These additional staffing resources will help ensure we provide everyone visiting our sites fast and friendly service. Thank you to all the volunteers, health care professionals, National Guard personnel and staff who are making this mission to vaccinate all Arizonans possible. I couldnt be prouder of Guardsmen who have joined our states first responders and community partners that are working around the clock to support Arizonas statewide vaccination effort, said Major General Michael T. McGuire, Arizonas Adjutant General and Director of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. As our motto says, were always ready and always there to serve when called upon. Arizona is also ramping up the presence of paid staff at vaccine sites. While more staffing support is on the way, volunteer participation continues to be an important part of operations at the sites. Volunteers will typically have the opportunity to receive a vaccine following their shift. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is in the process of implementing these changes, which will speed up lines at state vaccine sites: Closely monitoring throughput and wait times to rapidly implement adjustments and countermeasures; Adding 30 additional paid staff per shift; Moving to a paid staffing model for the majority of staff; Working to reduce no-shows of people signed up to volunteer and stabilize volunteer participation levels; Opening more slots for volunteers to improve volunteer yield; Reducing volunteer shifts from 8 hours to 6 hours when the new overnight hours of operation begin at State Farm Stadium on April 4 at 5 p.m.; Partnering with companies and organizations to increase volunteer yield; Requiring patients to arrive closer to their scheduled appointment time the site will no longer accept patients arriving more than 2 hours prior to their scheduled appointment times; Improving traffic control in and around the state vaccine site; and Adding a new separate entrance for staff and volunteers At 11 a.m. every Friday, ADHS makes appointments available at state-run sites of the following week. Registration for these and many other sites is available at podvaccine.azdhs.gov or by calling 844-542-8201 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Both resources offer assistance in English and Spanish. Information about all vaccination sites across Arizona can be found at azhealth.gov/findvaccine, To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination, please visit azdhs.gov/COVID19Vaccines. SOUTHPORT, N.Y. A woman was charged with DWI after a crash on Easter Sunday that killed her mother and injured her father near Elmira, according to the New York State Police. Cheryl Picarazzi, 32, of Pine City was driving east on Mountain View Drive in the town of Southport at about 6 p.m. when her vehicle went off the road on a curve and struck multiple trees, police said in a news release Monday. Her mother, Karen Lamb, 58, of Elmira, was in the back seat and was not wearing a seatbelt, police said. She was pronounced dead at Arnot Ogden Hospital in Elmira. Picarazzis father, Robert Perry, 69, was in the front seat and was wearing a seatbelt. He was airlifted to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA for serious injuries, police said. Picarazzi was transported to Robert Packer Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators believe speed and intoxication were factors in the crash. Police said additional charges are pending. In a case that went back and forth for more than a decade, the US Supreme Court has sided with Google in the dispute with Oracle over Googles use of Java code in Android. The top court decided by a 6-2 vote that Googles copying of a small fraction of the Java API did not infringe on Oracle copyrights but represented fair use. Nevertheless, Oracle still maintains that Google acted improperly. Googles copying of the Java SE (Standard Edition) API, which included lines of code to allow programmers to work in a new and transformative program, was a fair use of that material, the court decreed in the ruling issued April 5, 2021. The fact that computer programs are primarily functional makes it difficult to apply traditional copyright concepts in that technological world, the court said. Arguments in the case had been heard October 7, 2020. In a statement in response to the ruling, Oracle remained adamant that Google misused, even stole, Java. The Google platform just got bigger and market power greaterthe barriers to entry higher and the ability to compete lower. They stole Java and spent a decade litigating as only a monopolist can. This behavior is exactly why regulatory authorities around the world and in the United States are examining Googles business practices, said Dorian Daley, executive vice president and general counsel at Oracle. Ruling with the majority in the court case were Justices Stephen Breyer, John Roberts, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who joined the court in late-October, did not participate in the deliberations. In the ruling, the court said Google copied roughly 11,500 lines of code from Java SE, specifically from the Java API, to work with Android. But that was just 0.4 percent of the entire API at issue, out of 2.86 million lines of code, the court said. Shortly after acquiring Java founder Sun Microsystems in 2010, Oracle filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that Googles Android software infringed Oracle patents and copyrights. Oracle sought remedies for the alleged infringement. The case finally made its way to the Supreme Court. Lower courts had found for Google, while a US Court of Appeals reversed the decision. Gurugram, April 6 : Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who was scheduled to review the progress of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project later this week, has postponed his visit due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in Haryana. The visit, which was intended to review the ongoing work of the Expressway in Haryana's Nuh district, was scheduled to take place on Thursday. "Due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases, media tours scheduled for April 8 and April 9 for inspection of sites by Nitin Gadkari on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway stands postponed," a district spokesperson said in a statement. The foundation stone for the project was laid in March 2019. The 1,250 km long Expressway to pass through Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra will cut the travel time between Delhi and Mumbai by 13 hours from 24 hours. Recently, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had claimed in a statement that a section of the Expressway will be operational in the second half of 2022. It is expected that the proposed 12-lane expressway will ease traffic congestion on Pune-Mumbai Expressway and other highways as well besides bringing down vehicular pollution in the national capital. The total estimated cost of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project is about Rs 87,453 crore, including land acquisition cost of about Rs 20,589 crore. The carriageway will run parallel to the Delhi-Alwar route in Haryana and will exit the state at Kolgaon. In Rajasthan, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will pass through Bharatpur, Malakhera, Rajgarh, Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Indragarh, Kota and Rawatbhata. In Madhya Pradesh, it will cross Bhanpura, Garoth, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Jaora, Ratlam and Thandla. In Maharashtra, the Expressway will pass through Thane and Palghar before ending in Mumbai. The upcoming Expressway will have India's first animal bridges. These will be designed to keep the wildlife unaffected from the new infrastructure. There will be around five such bridges, passing through the Ranthambore wildlife corridor and the Mukundra wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan. Also, the toll collection on the stretch will be through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed A Chinese J-16 fighter jet performs in the sky in Changchun, China, on Oct. 17, 2019. (AFP via Getty Images) Taiwan Reports New Incursion by Chinese Jets Into Defense Zone TAIPEI, TaiwanTaiwans Defense Ministry on April 5 reported a new incursion by Chinas air force into the islands air defense identification zone, made up of eight fighter jets and two other aircraft, one of which flew through the strategic Bashi Channel. Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained over the past few months of repeated missions by Chinas air force near the island, concentrated in the southwestern part of its air defense zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. Late last month, Taiwan reported 20 Chinese aircraft were involved in one such incursion. In the latest incident, Taiwans Defense Ministry said four Chinese J-16 and four J-10 fighters were involved, as well as an early warning plane and anti-submarine aircraft, the latter of which flew to the south of Taiwan through the Bashi Channel that connects the Pacific to the South China Sea. Taiwans air force sent up a combat air patrol to warn the Chinese aircraft away, the ministry added. While there was no immediate response from Chinas Defense Ministry, the flights coincided with other Chinese military activity to Taiwans north. Japans Defense Ministry said on April 4 that the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning, accompanied by five escort ships, had transited the Miyako Strait on their way to the Pacific. Although Chinas air force hasnt flown over Taiwan itself, the flights have ramped up pressure, both financial and physical, on the islands air force to ensure its aircraft are ready to go at any moment in what security officials describe as a war of attrition. The Chinese regime views democratic Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. While Taiwans air force is well trained, its dwarfed by that of Chinas. By Ben Blanchard Tel Aviv, April 5 : Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Monday began consultations with party leaders two weeks after the country held its fourth parliamentary elections in two years which also ended in a deadlock. He met representatives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, the first in a series of meetings planned for the day with the 13 groups represented in Parliament, reports dpa news agency. Each group is to recommend a candidate to form the government and by Wednesday, Rivlin has to decide which party leader has the mandate to try and form a coalition. The March 23 election showed voters had once again evenly split, giving no candidate a clear path to victory. As has become the norm, the split lies essentially between a bloc supporting the centre-right Prime Minister and a group of other parties hoping to oust the long-serving leader. In all, 13 parties will be represented in the new Knesset. Netanyahu's Likud party again got the most votes, with 30. Next came the centrist Atid party of Yair Lapid, which has ruled out a coalition with Likud. It got 17. The conservative religious Shas party came in third place, with nine mandates. That presages another round of tough negotiations. The last election resulted in a broad, unstable coalition of political enemies that would have seen them taking turns in the prime minister's office. It collapsed after only a few months amid a fight about the budget. Few have ruled out a fifth election later this year. A key factor will be the course charted by Raam, an Arab party, that has reportedly considered supporting a Likud-run coalition without joining it, under the condition that a far-right politician who might be in the coalition be blocked from any ministerial position. South Korea's Inc said on Monday it will wind down its loss-making mobile division - a move that is set to make it the first major smartphone brand to completely withdraw from the market. Its decision to pull out will leave its 10% share in North America, where it is the No. 3 brand, to be gobbled up by smartphone titans Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics. The division has logged nearly six years of losses totalling some $4.5 billion, and dropping out of the fiercely competitive sector would allow LG to focus on growth areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices and smart homes, it said in a statement. In better times, LG was early to market with a number of cell phone innovations including ultra-wide angle cameras and was once in 2013 the world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer behind Samsung and Apple. But later, its flagship models suffered from both software and hardware mishaps which combined with slower software updates saw the brand steadily slip in favour. Analysts have also criticised the company for lack of expertise in marketing compared to Chinese rivals. Currently its global share is only about 2%. It shipped 23 million phones last year which compares with 256 million for Samsung, according to research provider Counterpoint. In addition to North America, it does have a sizeable presence in Latin America, where it ranks as the No. 5 brand. "In South America, Samsung and Chinese companies such as Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi are expected to benefit in the low to mid-end segment," said Park Sung-soon, an analyst at Cape Investment & Securities. While other well-known mobile brands such as Nokia, HTC and Blackberry have also fallen from lofty heights, they have yet to disappear completely. LG's smartphone division - the smallest of its five divisions, accounting for about 7% of revenue - is expected to be wound down by July 31. In South Korea, the division's employees will be moved to other businesses and affiliates while elsewhere decisions on employment will be made at the local level. LG will provide service support and software updates for customers of existing mobile products for a period of time which will vary by region, it added. Talks to sell part of the business to Vietnam's Vingroup fell through due to differences about terms, sources with knowledge of the matter have said. Human smuggling networks have been hawking their services on Facebook, guaranteeing illegal entry to America for Central American migrants, including unaccompanied children. The smugglers, NBC News reported, are charging $8,000 for the '100 percent' safe voyage which includes a perilous passage through the U.S.-Mexico border that has claimed the lives of many. The since-deleted messages were posted on public Facebook pages, some which were named 'Migrants from Various Countries in Mexico' and 'Migrants in the Mexico-U.S.A. Border Awaiting Hearing.' A post written in Spanish promised migrants access to 'travel to Mexico to the United States. Costs $8,000. 100 percent safe.' Another read, 'cross through Matamoros. You walk one hour, after in automobile until you arrive to your relative.' U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained six migrants from Mexico in Yuma, Arizona, last Tuesday after they were abandoned by their driver, a citizen of the United States, when the vehicle they were traveling in was stopped at a checkpoint. NBC News learned that human traffickers are using Facebook to promote illegal crossings to Central Americans and are guaranteeing passage over the Mexico-United States border for $8,000 Unaccompanied migrant children watch television at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Donna, Texas. Facebook messages seen by NBC News on public pages used by human smugglers providing illegal entry service to the United States warned parents that they would not be allowed to cross the U.S.-Mexico border if they are traveling with children A group of migrants arrives in the United States on the Texas shore of the Rio Grande after crossing from Mexico on a raft piloted by smugglers last Tuesday The smugglers updated the Facebook pages with several messages throughout the day. Meanwhile, Central Americans looking to flee their native lands due to poverty and violence sought additional information on the pages about how to get to the U.S., ignoring warnings from President Joe Biden's administration that they would be turned away. A purported smuggler, or 'coyote' as they're known to migrants, used a photo of a family sitting in what looked like an aircraft, thus ruling out crossing by land or water as the only methods of passage into the United States. 'Make your dream a reality in the United States. We are here to help you,' the person wrote. 'The journey is safe and reliable and the price is $4,500 leaving from Monterrey to San Antonio, Texas.' NBC News found that the smugglers advertised prices and methods of contacts on the pages, too. 'It's ready. 3,000 to arrive at the line/6000 to jump to your destination. Whatever state. Pay when your relatives receive you,' one of the migrant smugglers wrote. Social media networks, for example Facebook, have also been used in the past to promote the caravans of migrants that have departed from Honduras. Pictured are six of the 31 undocumented immigrants from Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador, who were found by CBP agents and local police at three stash houses in Laredo, Texas, last Monday At least 52 undocumented immigrants were found inside a tractor trailer during a checkpoint Tuesday east of Victoria, Texas, CBP said A minor walks over other children housed inside a pod for females at a holding facility for unaccompanied children that is operated by CBP in Donna, Texas A spokesperson for Facebook told NBC news that the site does not allow pages that promote the exploitation and trafficking of humans. All of the pages that were observed by NBC News have been shut down. In March, the House Energy and Commerce Committee took Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to task over the promotion of human trafficking on the platform and the mounting lies that smugglers were passing along to migrants. 'I'm talking about coyotes who are using your platform to spread this kind of information, to assist in this illegal activity that is resulting in horrible conditions for these people who are trying to come across the border,' Georgia Republican Congressman Buddy Carter, R-Ga said. Zuckerberg told the Carter that Facebook was actively working on finding ways to prevent smugglers from hawking their services through the network. A message on one of the pages highlighted the ongoing crisis of unaccompanied migrant children that behooves the Biden administration. 'Excuse me does anyone know if they are letting (people) with kids cross the bridge?' a person asked on March 24. 'Only if they enter alone,' one of the responses read, while another person said, 'they are not letting minors with parents pass.' U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows that 100,441 undocumented immigrants were encountered at the border in February, the most since June 2019 when the agency reported 104,311 encounters. The impacts have been profound. The golden torrent of fees paid by students from China, India, South Korea, Malaysia and elsewhere, which helped make some universities seriously wealthy in recent years, has diminished. The financial stability universities might have hoped would last forever has been seriously undermined. While many universities invested heavily in online systems last year to cater for remote learning by foreign-based and domestic students alike, universities revenues were hit hard as international student enrolment numbers plummeted. The most urgent concern is the continuing absence from local campuses of hundreds of thousands of international students who pay course fees at higher rates than domestic students. Australias international border closure, in place now for more than a year, has locked out these students and severely interrupted their education plans. Australias university sector is in an unprecedented crisis as it faces a series of immediate and longer-term challenges brought sharply into focus by the pandemic. Some 17,300 jobs in higher education have been lost in the past year as universities cut costs and deleted hundreds of subjects and several courses. Students who endured the difficult studying conditions in 2020 reported a considerable decline in satisfaction from their university experience. The financial crunch goes well beyond the university gate: the absence of international students over the past year is estimated to have cost the broader economy as much as $18 billion. Throughout the pandemic, though, the government declined to give universities access to JobKeeper support a strategy that ultimately led to the loss of thousands of jobs. In turn, morale among remaining staff slumped amid pressure to create online learning modules and teach from home. The shock of the pandemic-related disruptions coincides with efforts by universities to adjust their business models and course structures following the federal governments move in 2017 to back away from demand-based funding support. In many cases they did not move fast enough. Its important to remember student satisfaction was an issue before COVID-19 struck as some universities at times sacrificed quality teaching in the race to attract greater numbers of Chinese students. The weight of Chinese money has also raised, in some instances, legitimate questions about academic freedom and the theft of intellectual property under so-called Chinese government talent recruitment schemes. The federal government wants universities to develop more courses that are specifically designed to meet the future demand for jobs. Its so-called Jobs-ready Graduates funding system for universities is designed to entice more students into teaching, nursing, science, technology, engineering, maths and languages courses by offering lower fees while increasing the cost of broad-based arts and humanities degrees. The federal government also wants universities to diversify their foreign student base, and thus their geographical source of revenue, meaning there must be far less marketing of courses to students from China, for example. To that end, the government has released a consultation paper outlining the considerable range of issues that will underpin a 10-year strategy for tertiary education. The balance and regional sourcing of international students is already shaping up as a critical issue in that strategy. Will Waldron The Times Unions in-depth reporting on the injustices of the parole system has covered everything from racial disparities in parole releases to the shocking decrease in overall releases amid deadly COVID-19 outbreaks behind bars to blanket parole denial practices that reflect a lack of belief in redemption. These articles leave policymakers with a stark choice: Enact reforms to root parole release determinations in our common values of personal transformation, accountability and community safety or continue to allow people to be punished forever based solely on their worst day or, truthfully, on their race or ethnicity. The European Union (EU) foreign policy chief on April 4 vowed the blocs unwavering support for Ukraine and expressed concerns over Russian troop movements around Kyiv. On Sunday, Borrell talked with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on phone and both leaders exchanged views on the military activity by Russia. As per a Twitter update by Kuleba, Borrell expressed support by saying EU is behind you. EU foreign policy chief also expressed support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. Borrell has also invited Kuleba to participate in the EU Foreign Affairs Council scheduled for April 19 to further discuss the same issue with 27 other member states. The phonecall between EU and Ukraine officials came after Kyiv accused Russia of massing thousands of military personnel on its northern and eastern borders along with the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow back in 2014. Even though Kremlin has not denied the recent troop movements but stressed that Moscow was not threatening anyone. Talked to Ukraine Foreign Minister @DmytroKuleba. Following with severe concern the Russian military activity surrounding Ukraine. Unwavering EU support for sovereignty & territorial integrity. Will further discuss with @DmytroKuleba and EU Foreign Ministers at next FAC. Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) April 4, 2021 Key issue of our call today with @JosepBorrellF was Russias aggravation of the security situation. EU is behind you, Josep Borrell said expressing support of Ukraines sovereignty & territorial integrity, and invited me to take part in EU Foreign Affairs Council on April 19th. Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 4, 2021 However, the reports of buildup have emerged amid an escalation of armed clashes between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in the east of the nation. The year-long conflict has claimed over 13,000 lives since 2014, as per the United Nations (UN) tally. Apart from Borrell, several Western leaders including US President Joe Biden has voiced support for Ukraine. Russia had sent its troops into Crimea and annexed the European peninsula in 2014 while backing the separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine in a six-year war that has reportedly killed thousands of people. However, since July 2020, an uneasy cease-fire has been in effect. What triggered the latest Russia-Ukraine escalation? While the longstanding conflict is still unresolved, the latest escalation was triggered after four Ukrainian soldiers died on March 26 and Kyiv blamed the incident on Moscow. However, Russia denied involvement and said the soldiers died after a landmine exploded as they were inspecting a minefield. Russia also warned against the provocations from the Ukrainian side, saying it could start a war. Later, reports emerged suggesting a massive Russian troops build-up along the Russia-Ukraine border. Image credits: AP While this site has been full of the lockdown stories of Corks independent artists, its been a much different time for artists resident in the relative comfort of the music industrys firmament, also: touring plans, support slots, radio playlisting and release schedules are of course, similarly affected, but the extra complications of the behind-the-scenes machinations of industry taking place as they do add a certain pressure - theres a lot at stake. Speaking via Zoom from her home on Corks northside, Stephanie Rainey is comfortably away from such stresses, writing and recording new ideas as they come to her, and taking her own time to simply be in the moment in which we find ourselves. While much of Raineys upcoming extended-player, including imminent single Ross and Rachel was written before lockdown, its been informed by that sense of comfort and freedom. I wrote Ross and Rachel at the end of 2019, so Ive had it for a while. I wrote it with Cian Ducrot, whos blown up since, and signed a deal with Interscope. We were hanging out one day and said, lets do a session. We did two songs: one for him and one for me, and this is mine! Its on the EP, but it hasnt got the weight of some of the other songs, that depth. Its more of a story song, which I love writing too. I love the production on it, and people seem to be excited about it. Ive done more writing remotely this year than I have going over and back to London or Los Angeles With production, its been different - its been remote, but its cool. Cian produced the tune, and we went back and forth over Zoom before mixing it here at home, coming together really simply. If theres one thing the lockdown has taught me, its that simple is doable, and simple is good. Ive done more writing remotely this year than I have going over and back to London or Los Angeles, and its amazing to sit in my house, make tea, go and do my session, achieve something, and then, just be at home. Previous single No Cowboy was something of a rumination on the music business, the toll it takes, and the decisions one has to take to either assert themselves in the existing system, or to grant themselves the freedom to withdraw from it, and start afresh. Rainey speaks about what went into writing it, and how she went about addressing her experiences. Stephanie Rainey I was sitting in a studio in London, and I was at the end of my tether. This is a complete shitshow. I was really feeling the effects of it, feeling down, and thinking, this cant be what it is. That level of disappointment, things not going the way I would have wanted them, but at the same time having success in the public eye, being in the media, getting played, streaming, etc. I was struggling, and the situations I was in werent working. Theres nobody to blame, it was the wrong team, or at the wrong time. I was trying to figure out who I was as an artist, and in the middle of a record deal is not the time to be doing that. I was looking to everyone, scrambling, thinking this wasnt right. I was in studio with Johnny Wright, who I wrote this with, and had the title on my phone. I had No Cowboy written down. I sat down to the piano and played, and it clicked. Theres only one person that can fix this, or make something positive of this, and thats you. You have a choice - you either let this be the thing that makes you fall out of love with music, or you pick yourself up, sort your shit out and get on the horse - theres no cowboy on the way. For Rainey, all of this is heading toward the EPs release later in the year. As were all aware by now, writing and producing a record is different in lockdown, as is the process of promotion, extra content like videos, and so forth. As much as its been about embracing freedom and new circumstances for Rainey, its also been an adjustment, albeit a welcome one. I was lucky that I was able to go to LA to do a showcase in February of 2020. I knew I had No Cowboy, and knew that I wanted to make the video there. Ive seen the beautiful side in Hollywood Hills, and the not-so-glamourous side when you go down to Hollywood, where everyone is hustling to survive. Any artist will empathise with the struggle. Making that video with an amazing director was one positive, and had it ready before lockdown. On the other side of the coin, Ive had to learn to do a lot of things myself, that I normally would have relied on other people for. Ive been at home, and had the time to learn new skills. Im putting out a lyric video for No Cowboy - I cant do these things, and yet, I figured it out. And with radio, where it might be a long day for a short period on air, these kinds of interviews are longer and more detailed. Its created better conversations! If theres one thing the lockdown has taught me, its that simple is doable and simple is good. Lockdown also brought Rainey her first gold record, as part of the remotely-recorded Irish Women in Harmony ensemble, for their wildly-successful cover of The Cranberries Dreams, which saw over forty female vocalists contributing to the overall effort. While it sold and streamed well, and was a runaway televised success when a live version was undertaken for the Late Late Show, Rainey also saw the tune as a way to open up another, ongoing conversation. I think a lot of us have felt over the years that its a difficult road to get the same coverage as male artists It feels like a lifetime ago since we did it! May of last year, I got a DM from (Niall Horan/Britney Spears collaborator) Ruth Anne, saying hey, I want to do something with just the girls on it. (Representation) was a difficult topic at the time, and the conversation has been had respectfully, and steps have been taken. It was about getting together and creating a platform for female artists, collaborate, and get to know each other. I think a lot of us have felt over the years that its a difficult road to get the same coverage as male artists, so for us to come together, it made the conversation easier. And that reaction, it was not a planned thing. The whole thing just blew up, and it went gold! The conversation regarding gender representation on radio has been a hot topic for over a year, with the advent of the #WhyNotHer campaign and subsequent studies of gender representation in the medium shining a light on long-existing inequalities. Rainey talks about the ramifications of the conversation, and how incremental change needs to continue. You look back, and you think, the last woman we broke out of this country, that I can think of, is Imelda May. They havent been coming. The most frustrating question for me was, is it the music?. No! One of the frustrating aspects of my deal was the milestone that they wanted me to hit. Some of the tunes had garnered traction in different parts of the world, because of Spotify, but they wanted me to break top-ten radio in Ireland, before theyd bring me elsewhere to work the music. I knew. I just knew, already, that that would be such an uphill task. I feel like its a responsibility now to say to girls sitting at home, hey, its not just about being on the radio, or famous - its about making a living, being sustained. It comes down to far more than just having a career or not. The conversation is being done well, but the change still has to come. Weve done a lot to be proud of as a country, like the referendum. So many things have changed for the better. Were so good at being inclusive, that it needs to be the next step forward - more Irish music on radio, minimum requirements. Everyone knows, and wants to make change - its just a matter of making it, yknow? Stephanie Raineys music is available now on all streaming services. New single Ross and Rachel is out this month. California faith-based group helping moms out of homelessness seeks to double capacity Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A California-based Christian nonprofit that helps homeless mothers by providing housing and services is seeking to expand its campus to bring more women and their families out of homelessness. Acres of Hope, formed in 2005 and originally known as Placer Family Housing, is a ministry based in Auburn, Placer County, that offers longterm assistance for homeless mothers. At present, the charity has 12 units on its campus: 10 units are for mothers enrolled in their restoration program, each of whom has up to four children. Two other units are for mothers who've just completed their program. Jackie Turner, the ministry outreach coordinator for Acres of Hope, told The Christian Post in an interview that the ministry is seeking to expand and double the number of women who can be helped through the program. In California, each day news reports go out on how the community can deal with homelessness. Millions of dollars are coming in each year to end the crisis. Yet what continues happening is bandages. Handouts, instead of hand-ups, said Turner. Because our model is succeeding at ending homelessness for these families, we want to do more. We are working to raise awareness and funds for an expansion to our campus. We want to grow the campus to be able to serve 20 families at a time on campus. The Acres of Hope model involves a program that centers on five areas of aid for mothers and their children: mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, bodily health, and relational health. According to Turner, to strengthen these five areas, residents of the ministry have a daily structured schedule, monitored sobriety, counseling from a licensed professional, detailed case management, life skills training, education on parenting, childrens programming, and recreational activities. Acres of Hope has a model that is working, and that is because the power of Jesus Christ is transforming the lives of mothers and their children from the inside out, Turner said. They are learning the life they knew is not the life that God has wanted for them. They are rising up and becoming new creations. The charity has worked with many local churches, nonprofits and benefitted from businesses' charitable efforts. In 2019, for example, local business Collison Pros announced that it was partnering with Enterprise Rental Cars to donate to Acres of Hope. Lisa Risdal, the executive director of Acres of Hope and her team, have done amazing things to get homeless women off the street and transformed them into productive, self-sustaining members of society, said Collison Pros of the organization. Turner told CP that the program has numerous alumni who have never returned to a cycle of homelessness and are known to share testimonies with other residents of their lives today. God is the hope that resurrects lives, Turner added. I am looking at mothers who come in hopeless. Children who are in foster care, wanting to come home to mom. Some families come in afraid because they have left abuse. In all of them, I watch them transform before our very eyes, and each day they show me the Gospel is alive and active. God is still hard at work making impossibilities become realities. Mikael Jansson/VogueWestworld star Thandie Newton's name is actually "Thandiwe," but thanks to a misspelling in the credits of her first film, 1996's Flirting, she's gone by Thandie in dozens of projects. But that was then and this is now. The actress tells British Vogue in a feature piece dubbed "The Rebirth of an Icon" that it's time to take her name back, and more. Newton, who famously called out Hollywood sexual abuse last August -- promising to name names on her "deathbed" -- is embracing her roots. The 48-year-old performer, the daughter of a Zimbabwean princess-turned NIH health care worker and a former scientist from Cornwall, England, was given the name Thandiwe, which means "beloved" in her mother's native tongue, Shona. Newton, a staunch advocate for the Me Too movement, cataloged the years of racism and sexual abuse she suffered in Hollywood, beginning with her first role that led to the credits typo, and abuse, she weathered for years. Australian Flirting director John Duigan, whom Newton has repeatedly accused of abuse, said of her light-skinned complexion, "Can you be a bit darker?" she recalls to the magazine. "'Be darker by Monday." She claims to have tanned the entire weekend. "Colourism has just been the funniest," Netwon says. "I've been too Black, not Black enough. I'm always Black. I'm just like, whadda you people want!" Newton, who was 16 at the time, tells Vogue of the filmmaker, "I was traumatized. It was a kind of PTSD for sure. I was so distraught and appalled that a director had abused a young actress, and that it was happening elsewhere, minors getting abused..." Now, Newton is no longer afraid to embrace herself, her heritage -- and her name. "Im taking back whats mine," she says. By Stephen Iervolino Copyright 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. While Pennsylvania is less than 7,000 second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine away from having 2 million residents fully vaccinated, an influx of new first doses will be well on their way soon, as Phase 1B in the states vaccination rollout plan opens on Monday. Those eligible in the phase will be able to schedule vaccination appointments. There are 1,993,722 Pennsylvanians fully vaccinated by the COVID-19 vaccine, either the two-shot Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has been prioritized for education and childcare workers, as well as other specialty fields like firefighters. In total, Pennsylvania has distributed 5,597,856 doses to residents, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Healths vaccine dashboard, and 1,741,948 individuals are currently partially vaccinated. The departments vaccine dashboard doesnt include Philadelphias vaccine data, as the citys health bureau is receiving and distributing its own allotment of vaccines. According to its data, Philadelphia has 278,800 fully vaccinated and 533,099 partially vaccinated, though the data hasnt been updated since April 1. (Cant see the map? Click here.) While the vaccine eligibility expands, Pennsylvanias COVID-19 case count is increasing as well. There were 2,718 new cases reported on Monday Mondays are usually lower due to weekend reporting, but the Easter holiday exacerbated that. There were only 8,353 new tests reported to the health department. The states case count rose to 1,045,400 with the new cases. There were also five deaths reported Monday, bringing the states death toll to 25,200. Phase 1B opening starts busy April The opening of Phase 1B for vaccine eligibility is the first of three opening throughout April the Department of Health is initiating to speed up the mass vaccination of Pennsylvanians in order to meet President Joe Bidens directive of 90% eligibility among adults by April 19. Phase 1C will open on April 12, and Phase 2, which is simply everyone, will open on April 19. Pennsylvania is rapidly accelerating its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility phases to meet President Joe Biden's directive.Courtesy Pennsylvania Department of Health Phase 1B includes: People in congregate settings not otherwise specified as long-term care facilities, and persons receiving home and community-based services Correctional officers and other workers serving people in congregate care settings not included in Phase 1A U.S. Postal Service workers Manufacturing workers Clergy and other essential support for houses of worship Public transit workers Individuals caring for children or adults in early childhood and adult day programs With a huge increase in the number of eligible Pennsylvanians, the state is also receiving a pretty hefty increase of the vaccines themselves. On Monday, 815,980 doses of the three vaccines are scheduled to make it to the state for distribution to Pennsylvania healthcare providers. Thats the largest amount of vaccines the state has received in a week thus far in the vaccination program, which started on Dec. 21. Included in the shipment of doses, specifically, are: 192,700 doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine (which causes the difference between first and second doses in the total) 133,800 first doses and 133,800 second doses of the Moderna vaccine 177,840 first doses and 177,840 second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine While the first couple months of the vaccine rollout were plodding and dotted with mishaps, this type of weekly intake will likely be the norm now, and the department expects it to continue. COVID in Pa. The case increases from Monday and the weekend (5,343 on Saturday, 3,933 on Easter Sunday) have brought the states seven-day rolling case average up to 4,305 new cases per day. That average has increased by 1,000 over the last 11 days, which is a relatively similar pace to how the average increased rapidly back in November, right at the start of the huge surge in case rates. The seven-day positivity rate is up to 33.7% (Cant see the chart? Click here.) The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased as well, as state hospitals now have 2,247 patients that are dealing with the virus. Of those patients, 427 are in the ICU, and 225 are on a ventilator. In the same 11 days that the states rolling case average increased by about 1,000, the states hospitalization averaged increased by roughly 500 there have been an average of 2,142 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the last seven days, when the average was at 1,601 patients. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) COVID in the Lehigh Valley There were 215 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the Lehigh Valley on Monday 115 of them were from Lehigh County, and the other 100 were from Northampton County. The region now has had a combined total of 66,046 cases. Lehigh County, which has had a total of 34,821 cases, is averaging 161 new cases per day over the last week. Northampton County is averaging 163 new cases per day. Its total case count is up to 31,225. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) There were no new deaths in either county. The Lehigh Valleys combined death toll is currently at 1,489. Lehigh County has nearly reached 70,000 fully vaccinated residents. It currently sits at 69,439 fully covered individuals, while another 59,136 residents are partially covered by the COVID-19 vaccine. Northampton County currently has 54,397 fully vaccinated residents and 55,021 partially vaccinated residents. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com. SOUTHINGTON Under new management, Mamma Mia Restaurant on Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike is working to reestablish itself after a fire. Massimo Riccitelli is manager of the restaurant and partners with the Camputaro family that opened Mamma Mia in December 2018. Luigi Camputaro is helped by his three nephews, who also run a banquet facility in Italy. Im running things because (the Computaros) are stuck in Italy due to the pandemic, Riccitelli said. The Camputaros had renovated the former diner in 2018 and expanded the building to accommodate a 6,000 pound pizza oven special-ordered from Italy. The restaurant at 1765 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike caught fire just after 10 p.m. on April 17, 2019. Heavy damage closed the restaurant until last year when repairs were finished. Mamma Mia was ready for customers in December, according to Riccitelli. A smaller menu Mamma Mias pizza oven is still in operation and margarita pizza is still among the restaurants top selling items. Other favorites are the Mamma Mia pasta, which is stuffed fettuccini noodles with layers of cheese and ham and a Bolognese sauce. Its very filling, Riccitelli said. He reduced the restaurants menu a bit, saying with fewer customers he couldnt justify having so much food. Riccitelli did add a few items, including meatballs. This week, the restaurant sold pies for Easter. In two days, theyd sold out. Riccitelli said hes trying new things like the pies to get the word out about the restaurant. Just trying to get our name out there a little more because I dont think people know were open, he said. Help hard to find Riccitelli, who works another job, has filled in as cook, bartender and prep cook. Hes looking for workers but feels the pandemic unemployment benefits have encouraged many to stay home and make more money. People arent coming out to work, Riccitelli said. Its hard to find staff. Andreas Sophroniou, owner of Crazy Greek on Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike, said he has run into the same problem while trying to open a second location. Its hard now, you cant find people to work, Sophroniou said. Hes watched Mamma Mias progress, saying another restaurant is a good thing for the Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike area. jbuchanan@record-journal.com203-317-2230Twitter: @JBuchananRJ WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is looking into reports of human rights abuses and atrocities in Ethiopia's Tigray region, the U.S. State Department said on Monday. Department spokesman Ned Price told a news briefing that the United States is "gravely concerned" about accounts last week by CNN and the BBC of a massacre in the region by Ethiopian forces. "We are, of course, looking into these reports. We have taken close note of them and we'll continue to pay close attention," Price said. "We strongly condemn the killings, the forced removals, the sexual assaults, the other human rights abuses that multiple organizations have reported," Price added, declining to say who the United States believed was responsible. Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry has said a joint investigation with external experts into alleged human rights violations would start soon. Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous country, is struggling to control several flashpoints where ethnic rivalries over land, power and resources have ignited ahead of national elections scheduled for June. Price also welcomed an Ethiopian foreign ministry pledge that Eritrean troops would withdraw from Tigray, calling such a withdrawal an important step forward in de-escalation in the region. Eritrea and Ethiopia denied the presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray for months, despite dozens of eyewitness accounts. G7 countries including the United States called on Friday for a swift, unconditional and verifiable withdrawal of the Eritrean soldiers, followed by a political process acceptable to all Ethiopians. "The immediate and complete withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Tigray will be an important step forward in de-escalating the conflict and restoring peace and regional stability," Price told reporters. (Reporting by Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Chris Reese and Will Dunham) This article was first published by The Texas Tribune. Look whos showing up in debates over voting and elections, opposing some of the leaders of a GOP that had a long and deserved reputation as the party of big business. Big business. In Texas, American Airlines and Dell Technologies were the first corporations out of the chute, followed in less ardent language by Microsoft and Southwest Airlines. EDITORIAL: A tawdry attack on voting rights, Senate Bill 7 should be rejected by the house Theyre taking issue with pending legislation that would prohibit drive-thru voting, make it illegal for election officials to send vote-by-mail applications without being asked, block 24-hour early voting like that offered in Harris County last year, prohibit voting in tents and other temporary structures, and allow poll watchers usually from the political parties more freedom at polling and vote-counting locations. Its not their first foray into politics in Texas nor their first ride into a breach that divides once-dominant establishment Republicans from the populists and cultural conservatives like Donald Trump at the national level and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick here in Texas. Some of the same voices were raised in Texas in 2017, thwarting the Patrick-led attempt to pass laws restricting transgender Texans access to bathrooms and other public facilities. The Texas Senate approved its version of the election integrity legislation last week, and a House bill with similar provisions was the subject of a 22-hour committee hearing the next day. Gov. Greg Abbott has the issue on his list of priorities, as do Republican leaders in other states. Theyre responding to the Trump-inspired voter outcry that followed the 2020 election and its disappointing results for the incumbent president, and the unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud that outcry inflamed. TEXAS TAKE: Sign up for Texas politics and policy news, curated by the Chronicle's Austin bureau It has been a partisan battle from the get-go. The Senates vote a few days ago had all of the Republicans in favor and all of the Democrats opposed. Democrats have argued that proposed restrictions would create more voting obstacles for disabled people, poor people and people of color. In reaction to restrictive voting laws in Georgia, opponents began pressing corporations to weigh in. That idea has traveled to Texas, where a few of the states prominent corporations have joined the pitched partisan rumpus over voting rights. A larger, national group of businesses calling itself the Civic Alliance is weighing in, too: Our elections are not improved when lawmakers impose barriers that result in longer lines at the polls or that reduce access to secure ballot dropboxes. There are hundreds of bills threatening to make voting more difficult in dozens of states nationwide. We call on elected leaders in every state capitol and in Congress to work across the aisle and ensure that every eligible American has the freedom to easily cast their ballot and participate fully in our democracy. That Mitt Romney line from the 2012 presidential campaign Corporations are people, my friend is ringing again, but not in the way he meant it. He was talking about taxes. Now, it seems some of those corporations are the sort of people who show up at political rallies and legislative protests: activists. That sometimes puts them at odds with leaders of the party that for decades has been their home. The response from supporters of the voting bills was immediate. More virtue-signal pearl clutching from a woke corporation. Fair elections and election integrity matter to Texans, tweeted Cat Parks, vice chair of the Republican Party of Texas. Texans are fed up with corporations that dont share our values trying to dictate public policy, Patrick said in a news release. The majority of Texans support maintaining the integrity of our elections, which is why I made it a priority this legislative session. But some old-school Republicans are still around. Major Texas employers are stepping up and speaking out against voter suppression, and for good reason, tweeted former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, who blocked Patricks way on the bathroom bill four years ago. Texas should not go down the same path as Georgia. Its bad for business and, more importantly, its bad for our citizens. And another San Antonio Republican, state Rep. Lyle Larson, did his best to distinguish the Texas conversation from the national one, and to point out that Democratic voters arent the only ones who might be hurt by the Texas legislation: 64% of Texas Republicans cast their ballots early. Republicans cast half of all absentee ballots in Texas 2020 general election. Among all Republican voters 55 or older in Texas, 91% voted early or by mail. Are we trying to make it harder for Republican voters to vote? The corporations that jump into this might be people, but dont have voting rights at stake. They do have businesses to protect and legislative risks ahead if they cross the same legislators they hope will support them on taxation, law, economic development and other matters more common to their interactions with state government. Its unusual to see them in a voting fight, but they must think its good business, or they wouldve stayed out. Disclosure: Dell, Microsoft and Southwest Airlines have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here. "Armenia" bloc: We plan to meet with residents of Shirak Province Armenian water resources come under Azerbaijani control, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, Jun. 4 digest Armenia acting PM: Health insurance is inevitable Armenia Investigative Committee launches criminal case regarding keeping of bodies and remains of deceased servicemen Opposition "Armenia" bloc representative: Authorities are actually busy bribing voters Armenia legislature passes law to help ease requirements for future teachers Russia ambassador visits Meghri, Armenia border checkpoint (PHOTOS) Armenia ruling party's candidate for anti-corruption commission member not elected Armenia acting premier: There will be statement in coming days about exposure of high treason Dollar loses value in Armenia Armenia acting PM: Our task is to support our farmers so that engaging in agriculture is planned activity China Daily: Water tribe prospers ashore in Fujian China calls for closer security, economic cooperation with Afghanistan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: There was proposal from Azerbaijans Aliyev on Meghri issue CIS Observation Mission continues to monitor snap parliamentary elections in Armenia Nepal reports first death from 'black fungus' Armenian analyst: High-ranking US delegation's visit to Armenia can't be viewed as support to incumbent authorities "Armenia" bloc: Things can't get any worse in the country from the perspective of censure Edmon Marukyan calls on people to vote for Bright Armenia Party to establish unity in the country Armenia Ararat Province deputy governor sacked Russian Ambassador says Russia makes significant contributions to ensuring of Armenia's security Azerbaijan reports 3 deaths from mine explosion in Karvachar Sarkissian to Nigmatulin: Armenia, Kazakhstan have lot in common ECHR fails to accept Azerbaijan's application against Armenia Government as new and separate case Head of Armenia's Verin Shorzha: Azerbaijanis operating equipment to move from one military post to the other Iran produces trial batches of Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine President welcomes Catholicos of All Armenians who has arrived in Artsakh Armenia PM chief of staff: Possibility of full-scale war still exists in region Alaska offers free COVID-19 vaccines to everyone Two Azerbaijan reporters die in landmine explosion in Artsakhs Karvachar Over 120 Nobel laureates urge G7 countries to step up efforts to tackle climate change Downtown Yerevan murder solved, murder suspect is foreigner Armenia former President Kocharyan: These authorities really have nothing to say Armenia parliament holding 2nd special session in one day Armenia ruling party MP unexpectedly admits that member candidate for anti-corruption commission is his wife Court fines 12 Australian media outlets 1.1 million for reporting on Cardinal George Pell Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan instrumentalizes captured people as political hostages, tools to pursue other goals Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: These authorities have not kept any of their promises in 3 years UN Security Council will make a recommendation on the next Secretary-General on June 8 Armenia ombudsman: Water resources have come under Azerbaijan army control Turkish actress faces 2 years in prison for 'insulting' rapist US lawmakers call for Turkey to be held accountable for repeated religious freedom violations 72 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Candidate for post of Head of State must undergo psychiatric evaluation Armenia legislature continues special sitting Israel defense minister changes tone over Iran nuclear deal during US visit Armenia parliament to convene 2 special sessions Friday University of Nevada new School of Medicine to be named after Kirk Kerkorian World food prices reach highest level in 10 years Newspaper: Armenia ruling party to hold fundraiser Saturday Newspaper: Russia does not manifest very active efforts in trilateral talks with Armenia, Azerbaijan US to donate 25mn doses of coronavirus vaccine Armenia is elected UN World Tourism Organization Executive Council member for period of 2021-2025 Armenia 2nd President meets with leaders and officers of Police, MOD and National Security Service of various years Opposition "Armenia" bloc's representative: Incumbent authorities' mistakes are irreversible Armenia ombudsman: Any persecution, trial of captives is gross violation of international law Europe sees progress in latest rounds of Iran nuclear talks Armenian analyst: Turkey wants to push Russia out of the South Caucasus Young Armenian says brawl with Azerbaijanis in front of Azerbaijan Embassy in Moscow might have been organized Catholicos of All Armenians leaves for Armenia's Syunik Province and Artsakh on pontifical visit Armenian and Russian Prosecutors General meet in St. Petersburg Armenian acting minister: EU allocated EUR 68,700,000 to Armenia for budget support in 2020 Armenia Finance Ministry: MFA's budget grew by AMD 1,600,000,000 in 2020 Bodies and remains of Armenian soldiers are kept in morgue in Armenia's Martuni White House confirms Biden-Erdogan meeting in Brussels Armenia acting MOD touches upon priority directions for development of Armed Forces Diaspora Armenian writer, publicist Toros Toranian dies 2 Armenian soldiers injured in scuffle with Azerbaijan, Armenian POW is hospitalized, Jun. 3 digest Wedding held in Armenia's Shurnukh for first time since the war ended EEU member states to finish preparing for negotiations over free trade zone in Iran in late June Armenia Central Bank: Economic downfall in 2020 was due to decline in service and construction sectors Armenia legislature adopts several bills in first reading Armenia President meets with Nursultan Nazarbayev Dejavu: Armenia ruling party distributes money for votes at Yerevan district election office Chief Advisor to Karabakh President sacked Russian MFA: Works are carried out to settle situation around Karabakh every day Armenia opposition MP sounds alarm about Baku fabricating criminal cases against Armenian prisoners Armenia acting health minister: I have apologized, I am not going to resign Helga Schmid meets with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Armenia's deputy foreign ministers resigned or have heavy workload? Dollar goes down in Armenia Armenia Elections Oversight Committee reports Iranian citizenship of ruling party's MP candidate Acting deputy minister: Only 17 of 711 Iran-Armenia power transmission line towers were installed by 2017 Armenia Parliament Council holding session Armenia to host CSTO "Thunder-2021" military exercises NYT: Chinese hackers launch cyberattack on New York city transportation authority Armenia President to Kazakhstan counterpart: I would like to see much deeper cooperation between our countries Armenia citizens shut down Etchmiadzin-Ashtarak road, complaining about lack of irrigation water Armenia independent MP: Foreign minister and his deputies don't want to take part in treacherous acts Armenia to get $11mn loan, 350,000 grant for agriculture WHO worries about worsening mental health worldwide amid pandemic Armenia health ministry on improper handling of Artsakh war victims bodies: There is no justification Armenia bloc election foundation already in operation Russia ambassador to Armenia paying working visit to Syunik Province (PHOTOS) China pledges to step up resistance to foreign interference in Hong Kong Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: There can be no talk of corridor for Azerbaijan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on incumbent authorities: Wherever they flee, we will bring them by the feet President: Impossible to ensure peace in region or stay in Artsakh without Russia army joint efforts China Daily: Dispatch from Makit: Thriving in the desert Karabakh President: We will never put up with being part of Azerbaijan, it is ruled out YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received on April 4 Member of the European Parliament Francois-Xavier Bellamy who was accompanied by French Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Lacote, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin reports. His Holiness Garegin II thanked the authorities and people of France for supporting Armenia at all times. He expressed hope that the support of France will contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the region and the restoration of justice. MEP Francois-Xavier Bellamy thanked Garegin II for the wishes and blessings, stating that he is visiting Armenia for the first time and noting that its a great honor for him to be in the ancient Christian country the people of which are bearers of the victorious values of resurrection. The MEP also presented the purpose of his visit, that is to get acquainted with the post-war situation, the current problems, the preservation of the Armenian spiritual-cultural values in Artsakh. Introducing the damages caused by the recent war in Artsakh, as well as the current challenges, the Catholicos of All Armenians expressed hope that the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan and the subsequent developments will receive a proper reaction by the international community and the European Parliament. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Turnout in early voting for the mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan reached a record 20.54 percent last Friday and Saturday. In Seoul, turnout was 21.95 percent and in Busan 18.65 percent. The National Election Commission said Sunday that 12.16 million people cast their ballots in 21 electoral districts in early voting. The previous record was 20.14 percent in the 2018 local elections. The high turnout suggests that many voters saw the ballot as a referendum on the Moon Jae-in administration amid a land speculation scandal involving staff of the state-run Korea Land and Housing Corporation and skyrocketing home prices. But they could also be motivated by convenience since the main voting day, April 7, is a Wednesday and not a temporary holiday, so they may have voted early because they will not be free midweek. At this rate, overall turnout is also expected to be the highest ever in a by-election. will start its second phase of the COVID-19 inoculation drive from April 7 using a China-donated vaccine to fight against the deadly infection, according to the health ministry. The first phase of the vaccination drive began in January with the one million doses of Oxford- vaccine provided by India under grant assistance in sync with its 'Neighbourhood First' policy. The second phase will begin from Wednesday, April 7. The 800,000 doses of the China manufactured vaccine - Vero Cell- against COVID-19 infection will be administered to the frontline workers as well as those involved in trans-Himalayan trade activities in the mountainous region, Dr Jageshwor Gautam, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, said. Nepali students studying in China under scholarship schemes and those preparing to visit China for further studies will also receive the Chinese vaccine, Gautam said. As many as 500,000 of the total 900,000 people targeted for vaccination have already received COVID-19 vaccines. These 800,000 doses of China-donated vaccines will be administered to the remaining 400,000 people of the targeted group, he added. Chinese ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi, had handed over COVID-19 vaccines to the Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi amidst a special function organised in Kathmandu on March 29. had granted a conditional emergency approval for use of Vero Cell, the vaccine manufactured by China's Beijing Institute of Biological Products earlier on February 18. Nepal, home to 28 million people, has recorded 277,944 infections and 3032 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. (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.) (Natural News) Fake doctor Anthony Fauci is now trying to claim credit for the experimental gene therapy injections for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) that were actually created by Donald Trump through Operation Warp Speed (OWS). Consequently, Fauci is now receiving flack from Trump supporters like Peter Navarro who say that Fauci is nothing more than a lying sociopath. During a recent interview appearance on Steve Bannons War Room: Pandemic, Navarro had a mouthful to say about Faucis lies and deception throughout the plandemic. All Fauci has done, Navarro pointed out, is flip-flop continuously while trying to claim credit for anything he felt might make him look good. Fauci is a sociopath, Navarro, Trumps former trade adviser, stated plainly. Fauci created the Wuhan lab gain of function genetically engineered virus. If you allow the Chinese communists working with the Peoples Liberation Army to go in and screw around with a bioweapon using your gain of function, which was slipped past President Trump behind his back, guess what? Youre going to get deadly and dangerous viruses that are then going to mutate and continue to thwart our efforts to get herd immunity through things like vaccines and people who are already being infected. Navarro went on to explain that from the moment he met Fauci, he quickly observed that nothing Fauci says makes any sense. All Fauci does is lie as it suits his own interests, though many Americans are on to him and no longer believe a word he says about anything. Trump and Fauci continue to fight over who should take credit for death vaccines In a tweet, Navarro added that Fauci also lies to improve his own fan club, recognizing that millions of Americans still hang on Faucis every word. Whether it involves double masking or getting jabbed for the Chinese virus, believers in Fauci who adhere to the religion of Covidism will do just about anything he says. This is dangerous, of course, because if Fauci came out and told his followers to engage in violence against people who question his motives or instructions, many of them would probably obey. Navarros obvious goal was to give Trump the credit for creating Chinese virus vaccines, as if this is somehow an accomplishment worth bragging about. Seeing as how thousands are dying or becoming permanently injured from Trumps experimental gene therapy cocktails, this can hardly be considered a success unless depopulation was the ultimate goal. Nonetheless, Fauci is still a self-serving little troll who most of America would probably prefer to never hear from again. All he does is toot his own horn while lying and lying some more about second waves, third waves, and other baseless plandemic conspiracy theories. It is also important to remember that Fauci told the world that it would take years to develop a vaccine for the Wuhan flu. After Trump apparently got it done in a matter of months, Fauci then changed his tune by taking credit for the accomplishment himself. Watching this all play out is oddly similar to watching spoiled, entitled toddlers fight over toys except these toys are deadly injections that are sterilizing women, killing children, and destroying peoples DNA permanently. Why would anyone even want to take credit for this heinous abomination? Fauci is a demented sociopath who played a major role in destroying America, wrote one OANN commenter. He needs to be prosecuted. Fauci is public enemy No. 1, wrote another. Feed him to the bats. More of the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) deception can be found at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: OANN.com NaturalNews.com Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 10:30:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman raises her arms as riot police fire tear gas during a protest outside the 5th Police Precinct in Minneapolis, the United States, on May 30, 2020. (Photo by Angus Alexander/Xinhua) What makes it difficult to address police reform in the United States? By Matthew Rusling WASHINGTON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin who last year killed unarmed black man George Floyd underscores the issue of police reform, which U.S. President Joe Biden has said he wants to address. The full video of Floyd's arrest played by prosecutors in opening statements in the trial shows that Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for about 9 minutes and 30 seconds, instead of the widely reported 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd could be heard pleading with Chauvin multiple times, saying that he couldn't breathe. A man shows a protest sign near the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The incident sparked nationwide protests and led to even some calls to de-fund the police. "Biden wants the police to work closely with the communities they serve and avoid the aggressive tactics that have been used in certain places," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. "This includes a ban on chokeholds and greater accountability when law enforcement actions lead to death or bodily harm," West said. During Biden's six terms as a senator, he had strong backing from cops' organizations. He pledged to address police reform during his campaign, as well as the broader issue of racial inequality in the United States. But the issue is not an easy one to tackle, as police have a tough job, and are often confronted with situations in which their lives are at stake and they must make split-second decisions, experts say. A demonstrator holds up a sign during a protest in Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, the United States, June 1, 2020. (Photo by Chris Dilts/Xinhua) Republicans take a pro-law enforcement stance, and fear that any of Biden's potential reforms could mean inhibiting officers' ability to control violent crime, or that they could put officers' lives in danger. West said Republicans will condemn the Democratic moves as making it harder for police officers to enforce the law. Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua that Biden could take a number of steps toward police reform. One is to legislate a grant program for municipalities to build up community policing in their police departments. The vague phrase covers many activities that those who support de-funding the police favor, especially using social workers and paramedics to help handle many police calls where the threat of violence is low. Another is to pass legislation that would wind down mass incarceration, as the extraordinary size of the aging U.S. prison population is more and more expensive. This subject has bipartisan legs in Congress, and it has many different aspects, some of which would pass with little difficulty, Ramsay said. Moreover, Attorney General Merrick Garland's Department of Justice (DOJ) can resume federal investigations of abuse in local police departments and sue them, Ramsay said. The sign "Black Lives Matter Plaza" is seen in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) If a police department doesn't want to face DOJ lawyers in court, it can sign a consent decree which commits it to change its behavior with DOJ supervision -- this tool was abandoned by the DOJ under former U.S. President Donald Trump, Ramsay said. "We are about to see whether Garland brings it back and how forcefully he uses it," Ramsay said. But critics said some Republicans claim the DOJ is shackling the police out of political correctness. "Police reform is not going to be police reform. Who knows what they'll put" into an executive order or bill to reform police, GOP strategist and TV news personality Ford O'Connell told Xinhua. He was referring to criticisms that over half of Biden's recent COVID-19 rescue package was what many called a progressive wish list that had nothing to do with COVID-19. The integration of artificial intelligence into diagnostic procedures with ultrasound could speed up the early detection of breast cancer. When a benign breast mass is misdiagnosed as a malignant tumor, a biopsy usually follows, which puts the patient at unnecessary risk. The correct interpretation of ultrasound images is made even harder when factoring in the large workload of medical specialists.Could deep learning algorithms be the solution to this conundrum? Professor Wen He (Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, China) thinks so. "Artificial intelligence is good at identifying complex patterns in images and quantifying information that humans have difficulty detecting, thereby complementing clinical decision making," he states.Although much progress has been made in the integration of deep learning algorithms into medical image analysis, most studies in breast ultrasound deal exclusively with the differentiation of malignant and benign diagnoses. In other words, existing approaches do not try to categorize breast masses into the four abovementioned categories.To tackle this limitation, Dr. He, in collaboration with scientists from 13 hospitals in China, conducted the largest multicenter study on breast ultrasound yet in an attempt to train convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to classify ultrasound images. As detailed in their paper published in Chinese Medical Journal, the scientists collected 15,648 images from 3,623 patients and used half of them to train and the other half to test three different CNN models. The first model only used 2D ultrasound intensity images as input, whereas the second model also included color flow Doppler images, which provide information on blood flow surrounding breast lesions. The third model further added pulsed wave Doppler images, which provide spectral information over a specific area within the lesions.Each CNN consisted of two modules. The first one, the detection module, contained two main submodules whose overall task was to determine the position and size of the breast lesion in the original 2D ultrasound image. The second module, the classification module, received only the extracted portion from the ultrasound images containing the detected lesion. The output layer contained four categories corresponding to each of the four classifications of breast masses commonly used in China.First, the scientists checked which of the three models performed better. The accuracies were similar and around 88%, but the second model including 2D images and color flow Doppler data performed slightly better than the other two. The reason the pulsed wave Doppler data did not contribute positively to performance may be that few pulsed wave images were available in the overall dataset. Then, researchers checked if differences in tumor size caused differences in performance.While larger lesions resulted in increased accuracy in benign tumors, size did not appear to have an effect on accuracy when detecting malignancies. Finally, the scientists put one of their CNN models to the test by comparing its performance to that of 37 experienced ultrasonologists using a set of 50 randomly selected images. The results were vastly in favor of the CNN in all regards, as Dr. He remarks: "The accuracy of the CNN model was 89.2%, with a processing time of less than two seconds. In contrast, the average accuracy of the ultrasonologists was 30%, with an average time of 314 seconds."This study clearly showcases the capabilities of deep learning algorithms as complementary tools for the diagnosis of breast lesions through ultrasound. Moreover, unlike previous studies, the researchers included data obtained using ultrasound equipment from different manufacturers, which hints at the remarkable applicability of the trained CNN models regardless of the ultrasound devices present at each hospital.It would also bring about other benefits, as Dr. He explains: "Because CNN models do not require any type of special equipment, their diagnostic recommendations could reduce predetermined biopsies, simplify the workload of ultrasonologists, and enable targeted and refined treatment."Let us hope artificial intelligence soon finds a home in ultrasound image diagnostics so doctors can work smarter, not harder.Source: Eurekalert .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal More than $130 million in federal aid has flowed to Albuquerque Public Schools to address challenges brought on by COVID-19, and the district is scheduled to get even more. The largest school district in New Mexico received about $26 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and roughly $104 million from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. Money has been used to offset numerous costs related to the pandemic, including helping getting online schools started, paying for personal protective equipment and upgrading the districts technology. According to APS Chief Financial Officer Tami Coleman, the CARES Act funding is already largely spent, whereas the district recently earmarked where the CRRSA dollars will go over the course of three school years, starting in the current year. Meanwhile, APS doesnt yet know how much it will get from the states $979 million allocation under the latest federal package, the American Rescue Plan, but its projected to be a big boost. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ I do understand its going to be larger than the CRRSA fund, Coleman said. This graphic breaks down some of the big-ticket items paid for with the federal dollars. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Yet another New Mexico food producer is looking to expand with the help of state funding. The New Mexico Economic Development Department announced Monday that Beck & Bulow, which sells meat products directly to consumers and restaurants, will receive up to $300,000 in grant funding through the Local Economic Development Act. The state is providing up to $250,000, with the city of Santa Fe chipping in an additional $50,000, according to a news release from EDD. Beck & Bulow is set to hire 24 employees in the next three years and another 28 in the next seven years, according to the release. Additionally, two interns from Santa Fe Community College will be starting at the business in the fall. The business also plans to purchase its own warehouse, processing, office, and production space in Santa Fe. Currently, Beck & Bulow leases 5,000 acres in San Miguel County to raise grass-fed beef and bison, but has been doing most of its processing in Colorado, according to the release. With this expansion, the company will be able to bring its butchering and manufacturing back to New Mexico and provide more product selection of its sausages, burger patties, jerky, and portion-controlled steaks, according to the release. Beck & Bulow is the fourth food-processing business to announce expansions using LEDA funds in 2021, after Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, Bueno Foods and La Primera Tortilla Factory. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Gasparian and four dozen other high-ranking army officers voiced the demand in a February 25 statement that accused the Armenian government of misrule and incompetence. The statement was hailed by opposition groups but rejected as a coup attempt by Pashinian. Pashinian moved to fire Gasparian immediately after the unprecedented act of defiance by the militarys top brass. President Armen Sarkissian twice refused to sign a relevant decree drafted by the prime minister. But Sarkissian declined to challenge its legality in the Constitutional Court, paving the way for Gasparians automatic dismissal. Gasparian responded by asking another court to declare his sacking null and void. In an injunction publicized on March 18, the Administrative Court said that the general must retain his post pending a ruling on his lawsuit. Pashinians office countered, however, that Gasparian will not be reinstated as army chief because he was sacked by virtue of law. A lawyer representing it insisted on Friday that the legality of such dismissals cannot be challenged in court. The lawyer, Tatevik Hayrapetian, petitioned the Administrative Court to rescind its injunction. The court rejected the demand. Gasparian has said through his lawyers that the governments refusal to let him continue performing his duties despite the court injunction is illegal. The general asked prosecutors last month to launch a criminal investigation. Pashinian installed a new chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Artak Davtian, on March 22. Davtian told reporters on Friday that he believes that standoff between the government and the armys top brass has been resolved. He said that he is working very well with the 40 other officers who demanded Pashinians resignation. File photo of security personnel from Chhattisgarhs Central Reserve Police Force. At least 22 Indian troops were killed and 31 others wounded during a gun battle April 3 between Maoists and security personnel in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh. (IANS photo) A pregnant Covid-19 patient is moved to hospital in May 2020, in Manaus. BRUNO KELLY / Reuters Lidiane was expecting her second child. She worked at a funeral home inherited from her father, a family business. Every day she dressed and adorned corpses for their final farewell. She had never worked harder than during the Covid-19 pandemic in Rio de Janeiro. She had been in the early months of her pregnancy when she prepared her father for his own funeral rites. Lidiane was the second of three sisters, the only one who had chosen to carry on the vocation of caring for the dead clothing them, doing their makeup, and arranging their hands and faces with an artists skill. According to her sisters, Erika and Monika, she could not get sick for reasons both personal and altruistic; her income depended on the funeral home, and deaths caregivers had never been needed as much as during the pandemic. But still, Lidiane labored in fear. She worked into her 40th week of pregnancy, when her blood pressure started spiking. She went to the maternity hospital, where she was diagnosed with anxiety and ended up having an emergency C-section, just the opposite of the humanized childbirth she had dreamed of during prenatal care. Lidianes sickness presented in new ways after the birth; she started gasping for air and complaining of shortness of breath. She was released without a Covid-19 test but with a prescription for psychiatric medicine to use during the postpartum period. On her medical records, the doctors said she was suffering from panic attacks and anxiety. She stayed home for two days and then, even though she felt sicker, tried to go back to work. She was preparing to care for a family whose relative had died of Covid-19 when one of her sisters forced her to return to the hospital. When they arrived there, the line of patients blurred with that of funeral cars. It was a war scene, her sister said. Lidianes body was handed over to them in a black bag, tied shut with crime scene tape. No funeral rites, no caring for the body It was April 2020, the month of Brazils first pandemic surge; we are now in the third. Back then, little was said about the risks for pregnant women. Wherever the virus went, studies had not yet demonstrated any increased risk for pregnant women. That was the case in China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Spain and Italy, countries with low birth rates and not many pregnant women. Until it hit Brazil. A July 2020 study found a mortality rate of 12.7% among pregnant and postpartum women in Brazil and also detected an association between death and the failure of the healthcare system: 15% of the women received no ventilator support, 28% had no access to an ICU, and 36% failed to be intubated or receive mechanical ventilation. Another study from July 2020 showed how structural racism had increased Lidianes chances of a tragic outcome: the risk of a pregnant or postpartum Black woman dying of Covid-19 is almost twice that of a white woman. Lidiane may have been one of the numbers in this study. She was intubated and spent 16 days in the intensive care unit (ICU). On May 15, 2020, she died of cardiac arrest, alone, after receiving experimental treatment with hydroxychloroquine even now advocated by President Jair Bolsonaro and Brazils Federal Board of Medicine, although science has proven it ineffective. Her Covid-19 test was done in the ICU, but the results were never given to the family. Lidianes body was handed over to them in a black bag, tied shut with crime scene tape. No funeral rites, no caring for the body. Six people held vigil for 15 minutes in a room where it was impossible to approach the casket. The sisters have a photograph of the moment: a wooden coffin with gold trim. No flowers, no messages from loved ones. On the floor, black and yellow police tape marked the distance between those in tears and the closed casket. The sisters are investigating the truth behind Lidianes death. They have copies of her medical records, they have heard witnesses who cared for her in the ICU, and they have tried as best they can to follow the case with the Rio de Janeiro city health departments Committee for the Prevention of Maternal, Infant and Fetal Mortality. For the sisters, there is no doubt: Lidiane died because she was a pregnant Black woman dependent on a healthcare system entrenched in Brazils structural racism. For the past two months, I have been listening to the stories of the mothers, sisters, husbands, and sisters-in-law of women who died of Covid-19 during pregnancy, birth or postpartum. This is how I came to hear Lidianes story and speak with her sisters, Erika and Monika, and with Amanda, a niece who accompanied her prenatal care and was the last person to talk to Lidiane before she passed away in the ICU. Ive heard dozens of stories, in a cloudy universe of numbers where estimates are that more than 500 women have died of Covid-19 in pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum in Brazil. The figure supposedly began dropping in September 2020, but it started rising again in 2021: 17 women in January alone. According to a report by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), five out of every hundred Brazilian pregnant women infected with Covid-19 have not survived, making the mortality rate nine times higher than the average for the Americas. Brazil is the global epicenter of maternal deaths from Covid-19 if we are the worlds worst country to live in during the Covid-19 pandemic, we are the worlds worst country to be expecting a baby in. Above all, Brazil is the worlds worst country in which to try to survive the pandemic if you are a poor pregnant Black woman. Debora Diniz is a Brazilian anthropologist and researcher at Brown University A driver was injured over the weekend after hitting a telephone pole, a tree and a house in Massachusetts, authorities said. Firefighters received a call Sunday morning about a pickup truck that struck a house on Summer Street in Rockland near the Abington town line, according to a statement from the Rockland Fire Department. A driver was injured over the weekend after hitting a telephone pole, a tree and a house in Rockland, Massachusetts, authorities said. (Rockland Fire Department) First responders arrived to find a pickup truck that had hit a telephone pole and gone off road before striking a tree and finally slamming into the front steps of the house, the statement said. The driver was taken to an area hospital to be evaluated. The crash remains under investigation by Rockland police, according to authorities. Restaurants The History of Mexico's Margarita Remains a Mystery There are as many margarita recipes as there are legendary stories as to how they were invented. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - A little salt around the rim, a touch of citrus and sweetness, and a big tequila bite - how can something so simple taste so good? Margaritas are a summertime staple, evoking festive visions of Mexico in every sip. But the history behind this warm-weather favorite is just as evocative - and shrouded in mystery. The origin of the cocktail is actually unknown. Although there are several versions, no one has been able to pinpoint which one is true. But they all make for good conversation over a round or two of the frosty concoctions. My favorite story is about a Dallas socialite, named - you guessed it - Margarita Sames, whose favorite party game was to duck behind the bar and mix up all kinds of drinks for her guests with whatever was available. During a 1948 Christmas party at her vacation home in Acapulco, Mexico - must be nice - she threw together tequila, Cointreau and lime juice with great success. Her friends took the recipe stateside, and it spread like melted cheese sauce over nachos. Perhaps the most prevalent story behind the invention of the margarita involves a showgirl named Marjorie King, who was allergic to all alcohol except tequila - poor dear. In 1938, King was visiting the Rancho Del Gloria Bar in Rosarita Beach, Mexico, when she asked one of the bartenders to mix her a cocktail with tequila. The bartender, a chap by the name of Danny Herrera, poured tequila over shaved ice then added lemon and triple sec. He translated Majorie's name to its Spanish equivalent, Margarita. The third most commonly told tale comes from Tommy's Place in Juarez, Mexico. Pancho Morales was working the bar in 1942 when a woman came up to him and ordered a drink called a Magnolia. Morales could not remember what was in a Magnolia, except Cointreau. So, he decided to fake it. After mixing Cointreau with tequila, he named the new concoction after another flower, the daisy. Bet you a margarita that you can guess how to say "daisy" is in Spanish. There are other bars that claim to be the origin of the margarita, with other tales to tell. Whatever the real story, it's hard to beat a margarita in front of you on a warm day. And, like its history, the cocktail itself has a number of versions. Go to any Mexican restaurant worth the salt on the rim of your glass and you will probably be inundated with decisions when you order a margarita: Regular, "Cadillac" - made with premium tequilas - or strawberry? How about mango? On the rocks or blended? Salt or no salt? It's enough to make your head spin - and you haven't even gotten your drink yet. I tend to go for a basic margarita. I save the "good stuff" - top-shelf tequilas - for sipping (without lime and salt if it's really good). Here's a basic recipe for a plain ol' margarita that you can enjoy as-is - or tailor to your heart's content (like that Dallas socialite Margarita Sames): 2 oz. tequila 2 oz. lime juice 1 oz. Triple Sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau Salt Garnish: lime wedge Rub the rim of a margarita glass with lime and dip it into salt. Shake tequila, lime juice and Triple Sec (or other liqueur) in a shaker with ice and strain into the glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. Ole! Lisa Morrison's Liquid Solutions column is a winner of the Beer Journalism Awards. - A little salt around the rim, a touch of citrus and sweetness, and a big tequila bite - how can something so simple taste so good?Margaritas are a summertime staple, evoking festive visions of Mexico in every sip. But the history behind this warm-weather favorite is just as evocative - and shrouded in mystery.The origin of the cocktail is actually unknown. Although there are several versions, no one has been able to pinpoint which one is true. But they all make for good conversation over a round or two of the frosty concoctions.My favorite story is about a Dallas socialite, named - you guessed it - Margarita Sames, whose favorite party game was to duck behind the bar and mix up all kinds of drinks for her guests with whatever was available. During a 1948 Christmas party at her vacation home in Acapulco, Mexico - must be nice - she threw together tequila, Cointreau and lime juice with great success. Her friends took the recipe stateside, and it spread like melted cheese sauce over nachos.Perhaps the most prevalent story behind the invention of the margarita involves a showgirl named Marjorie King, who was allergic to all alcohol except tequila - poor dear. In 1938, King was visiting the Rancho Del Gloria Bar in Rosarita Beach, Mexico, when she asked one of the bartenders to mix her a cocktail with tequila. The bartender, a chap by the name of Danny Herrera, poured tequila over shaved ice then added lemon and triple sec. He translated Majorie's name to its Spanish equivalent,The third most commonly told tale comes from Tommy's Place in Juarez, Mexico. Pancho Morales was working the bar in 1942 when a woman came up to him and ordered a drink called a Magnolia. Morales could not remember what was in a Magnolia, except Cointreau. So, he decided to fake it. After mixing Cointreau with tequila, he named the new concoction after another flower, the daisy. Bet you a margarita that you can guess how to say "daisy" is in Spanish.There are other bars that claim to be the origin of the margarita, with other tales to tell. Whatever the real story, it's hard to beat a margarita in front of you on a warm day.And, like its history, the cocktail itself has a number of versions. Go to any Mexican restaurant worth the salt on the rim of your glass and you will probably be inundated with decisions when you order a margarita: Regular, "Cadillac" - made with premium tequilas - or strawberry? How about mango? On the rocks or blended? Salt or no salt? It's enough to make your head spin - and you haven't even gotten your drink yet.I tend to go for a basic margarita. I save the "good stuff" - top-shelf tequilas - for sipping (without lime and salt if it's really good).Here's a basic recipe for a plain ol' margarita that you can enjoy as-is - or tailor to your heart's content (like that Dallas socialite Margarita Sames):2 oz. tequila2 oz. lime juice1 oz. Triple Sec, Grand Marnier or CointreauSaltGarnish: lime wedgeRub the rim of a margarita glass with lime and dip it into salt. Shake tequila, lime juice and Triple Sec (or other liqueur) in a shaker with ice and strain into the glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. Ole! Site Map Print this Page Email Us Top This article is part of the Free Speech Project, a collaboration between Future Tense and the Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Law that examines the ways technology is influencing how we think about speech. On Monday morning, Justice Clarence Thomas all but endorsed a fringe legal theory that would sharply limit social media companies ability to moderate content on their own platforms, stripping them of their own First Amendment rights to dissociate with speech they dislike. This radical idea has no basis in the Supreme Courts constitutional jurisprudencebut it is popular among Republicans who accuse social media companies of censoring conservative speech. Thomas appears to have waded into the fever swamps of right-wing paranoia and come out with the conviction that courts and Congress must bring Big Tech to heel by jettisoning basic constitutional principles. This view would seem to conflict with the justices belief that corporations hold a First Amendment right to anonymously spend unlimited amounts of money influencing elections, but in the clash between Thomas legal tenets and (likely) political persuasions, partisan hackery has won out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mondays opinion arose out of the long-running dispute over Donald Trumps habit of blocking critics on Twitter. While he was president, multiple users sued him for blocking them; a federal appeals court held that his actions violated the First Amendment because they constituted viewpoint discrimination in a public forum. Trump appealed, but the Supreme Court sat on the case until he left office. Now that Joe Biden is president, the justices have declared the case moot. At the same time, the court turned away right-wing conspiracy theorist Laura Loomers lawsuit against social media companies that banned her. While Thomas concurred in the dismissal of both cases, he seized upon the Trump-Twitter dispute to discuss the principal legal difficulty that surrounds digital platformsnamely, that applying old doctrines to new digital platforms is rarely straightforward. Specifically, he complained about the concentrated control of so much speech in the hands of a few private parties. Thats certainly a fair concern, and, to their credit, both political parties are attempting to wield antitrust law to reduce this concentration of power. Advertisement But Thomas does not seem interested in antitrust. Instead, he wants to remake American law by effectively revoking social media companies free speech rights and compelling them to host almost any content. Conservative activists and politicians, most famously Trump himself, have supported this approach and even filed lawsuits (including Loomers) seeking to implement it by claiming that social media companies content moderation policies violate the First Amendment. But they have all failed because the First Amendment applies only to the government, not to private actors. By definition, then, Facebook, et al., cannot violate anyones constitutional rights by removing their speech. Moreover, social media companies themselves hold First Amendment rights, including the right to disassociate with expression they do not wish to host. Just as the government cant force a newspaper to publish a certain op-ed, it cant order Facebook to publish Loomers anti-Muslim rants. Advertisement Advertisement Or so virtually every mainstream legal commentator thought. Before Monday, it was safe to laugh off the legal assault on content moderation as a fringe fantasy pushed by conservative cranks and grifters who want to string along their Big Techhating donors with the delusion of turning every social media platform into Parler or 8chan by court order. After Monday, however, the threat feels a lot more real, because this coterie now has a Supreme Court justice on its side. If part of the problem is private, concentrated control over online content and platforms available to the public, Thomas declared, then part of the solution may be found in doctrines that limit the right of a private company to exclude. He began with the common carrier doctrine, an idea he may have cribbed from Federalist Society stalwart Richard Epstein. (Non-lawyers may know Epstein from his prediction that COVID would kill fewer than 500 Americans, a belief that informed Trumps early pandemic response.) Advertisement Our legal system and its British predecessor have long subjected certain businesses, known as common carriers, to special regulations, including a general requirement to serve all comers, Thomas wrote. There is clear historical precedent for regulating transportation and communications networks in a similar manner as traditional common carriers, including telegraphs. The government may give these companies special privileges, like immunity from certain lawsuits; in exchange, governments have limited a companys right to exclude when that company is a public accommodation. Advertisement Does Thomas want to seize the means of production? According to Thomas, there is a fair argument that some digital platforms are sufficiently akin to common carriers or places of accommodation to be regulated in this manner. Why? Thomas gives several reasons: These platforms carry information between users, they hold themselves out as organizations that focus on distributing the speech of the broader public, and, through the much-discussed Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, they receive immunity from lawsuits based on third-party content. He added that control of digital platforms is highly concentrated, giving them enormous control over speech. As an example, he wrote that Amazon can impose cataclysmic consequences on authors by, among other things, blocking a listing. This case in point may be an allusion to Amazons recent delisting of Ryan Andersons anti-trans book. (Anderson and Thomas are friends.) Advertisement Thomas also put forth a second theory to justify a ban on content moderation: Digital platforms have become places of public accommodation, like a hotel or restaurant. The government can bar these businesses from discriminating against customers. Perhaps, Thomas theorized, it can also call digital platforms public accommodations and bar them from discriminating against users speech. Most of the justices opinion is meant to give legislators strong arguments for regulating digital platforms like common carriers or public accommodations. But in an especially zany aside, Thomas suggests that users may be able to combat content moderation right now through the courts. This section of the opinion verges on incoherence, but Thomas seems to think that users could sue the government for pressuring social media companies to remove certain speech. And he implies that Section 230, the rule that made the modern internet, may be unconstitutional because it prevents users from suing social media companies for private censorship under state law. To support this proposition, Thomas cited a blog post. (His exceptionally silly critique marks the second time the justice has taken aim at Section 230.) Advertisement Advertisement What should we make of this mess? To my mind, there are three notable ironies and one alarming takeaway. Start with the ironies. First, Thomas has long argued that corporations have a First Amendment right to spend unlimited sums of money both electioneering and funneling cash to candidates. Alone among the justices, he has insisted that corporations have a right to do all this in secret, free from disclosure requirements. Now, however, Thomas claims that certain corporationsnamely, those he dislikeshave little or no right to engage in free speech activity that lies at the heart of the First Amendment: disassociating with expression they do not support. Less than three years ago, Thomas believed this freedom from compelled speech was so important that it justified overturning 40-year-old precedent and invalidating laws in nearly half the states. Now he tosses it to the side because he hates Mark Zuckerberg. Advertisement Second, Thomas is perhaps the Supreme Courts chief skeptic of public accommodation laws, particularly when they infringe on free speech. In 2018, the justice argued that Colorados public accommodation law could not force a baker to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because the act of cake making involved expression. That argument should apply with exponentially more force here, since social media companies entire business is expression. Yet, according to Thomas, baking a cake receives robust First Amendment protections while choosing which speech you will express on your own platform does not. Advertisement Advertisement Third, Thomas is the Supreme Courts most business-friendly justiceyet his Monday opinion sounds borderline Marxist. Shoehorning a precedent about fire insurance into the context of social media, the justice wrote that when a company rises from private to public concern, its property is but its instrument, the means of rendering the service which has become of public interest. The same argument could apply to almost any business that serves the public interest, imperiling private ownership of everything from colleges to farms to housing. Does Thomas want to seize the means of production? Advertisement Mondays opinion is not actually reason for alarm about the future of the Supreme Courts First Amendment jurisprudence. Thomas is almost certainly alone among the justices in his extreme beliefs; even if a few other conservatives are sympathetic to his battle cry, they are not going to burn up political capital on such a hypocritical lost cause. What is alarming, rather, is that Thomas is so consumed by Trumpist loathing of social media that he will toss his beliefs out the window to write a solo opinion that will, at most, freak out Twitters in-house counsel. It is probably worth noting here that Thomas is personal friends with right-wing talk show host Dennis Prager, who incessantly complains of digital censorship and files ridiculous lawsuits to combat it. And it is relevant to point out that the justices wife, Ginni Thomasalso friends with Pragerroutinely groused about online censorship of conservative speech before deleting her Facebook page in January. Advertisement Advertisement Congress is not going to declare that social media companies are common carriers or public accommodations. Courts are not going to strike down Section 230. Nothing of substance will change in light of Thomas rant. Conservative grifters will put his opinion in their emails when they beg donors for more money to fight Big Tech. Republican senators will put out videos (on Twitter) claiming victory because a single justice has adopted their view. Laura Loomer will continue to frame her social media ban as near-genocidal persecution. It will all be sound and fury, signifying nothing more than the final collapse of the conservative movements last remaining shred of consistency. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Postcard from normalcy in Floridas Clearwater Beach Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Walking the sugar-white sand that forms the beachfront in Clearwater was a journey to the return of normalcy. And not just for me. Clearwater Beach, a barrier island about 30 minutes from Tampas airport on the west coast of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico, was busy with mostly families over my four-day visit at the end of the traditional spring break calendar. While there were crowds, it was never so busy that distancing from others and just relaxing wasnt possible. Calling the beach spectacular is an understatement. Outside the isolated beach at Ritidian Point on the isolated Pacific island of Guam, an American territory 8,000-plus miles away, the soft sand and crystal-clear water of Clearwater Beach is the best beach anywhere in the lower 48 states. Dont take my word for it. TripAdvisor named it the countrys best beach for two consecutive years. Of course, there is more to do and see than just the beach. In recent years the entire area has been transformed with a promenade that comes alive at sunset. The focal point is the 1,080-foot Pier 60, about halfway between the so-called north and south beaches, where different artisans, crafters and street performers set up every evening, year-round. Families will also enjoy the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, which recently expanded its visitor center. Among the numerous rescued and rehabilitated marine animals are dolphins Winter and Hope from Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2 stardom. Another hidden gem is the dining scene, where restaurants serve the freshest of fresh seafood. As one waiter told me, if its not fresh it isnt served. It should be a crime to visit Clearwater Beach and not eat at Bob Heilmans Beachcomber, which first opened its doors in 1948. Located on Mandalay Avenue main street in all but name everything about this place is old-school. Think 1950s or 1960s wood paneling, leather banquettes, crisp white tablecloths and a piano player. Then there is the double-sided wine list, which features around 650 selections. Noticeably, there is no dress code gentlemen should make an effort and wear a blazer and baked Alaska, the epitome of retro desserts, is missing from the menu. Other places to eat at include Saltys Island Bar & Grille, known for its casual Key West or Caribbean atmosphere and some of the best mahi-mahi around, and the nearby Sand Key outpost of Columbia, a family-owned Spanish restaurant that first opened in Tampas Ybor City back in 1905. If you go I initially booked at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Clearwater Beach, a Marriott branded hotel. However, the hotel didnt take coronavirus seriously as several staff, including housekeepers, ignored the requirement for masks. I left for the Holiday Inn, an older but clean hotel, with a beautiful location overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and Gulf of Mexico. For a hotel directly on the beach stay at the Hilton. When at the beach be sure to get one of the lounge chairs or cabanas, which are rented on a first-come, first-served basis. Just sit in any unoccupied blue chair or cabana and eventually an attendant will come by to collect payment. Prices start at $30 for two chairs and an umbrella. Normally, I wouldnt rent a car because parking in a place like Clearwater Beach is almost always a major hassle. While pretty much everything to do and see is within walking distance of most hotels, you will need a car for the ride to and from Tampa International Airport. I tried Uber, but drivers were routinely unavailable. Consider either a rental car or alternative round-trip airport transportation. Spires and Crosses is a weekly travel column. Follow @dennislennox on Twitter and Instagram. KENNEWICK, Wash., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past thirty years, the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association (CSRIA) has steadfastly defended the Lower Columbia-Snake River hydro projects. CSRIA believes to this day that these projects contribute substantially to the economic vitality of the region, but formidable parties to the Lower Snake River Dam operations seek to "breach" the dams, including EarthJustice, the state of Oregon, several Tribal interests, a multitude of environmental groups, and even some municipal and elected representatives. Ice Harbor Dam on the Lower Snake River in Washington State Map of Lower Snake River and Lower Columbia River Dams What is now happening? What about the federal hydro agencies' "new" environmental impact statement (EIS) and biological opinion (BiOp)? Following a successive string of Court victories, EarthJustice, Oregon, and others have challenged the new EIS "preferred alternative," because it did not include dam breaching/drawdowns, perceived as optimizing fish survival requirements. The environmental groups stress that the EIS evaluations did acknowledge that dam breaching would likely lead to higher fish survival, but the hydro agencies determined that the economic costs to the power, navigation, and irrigation sectors were unacceptable. The Court will review EarthJustice' claim, and injunctive relief motion, in the next few months. Does Congress or the federal judiciary have the power to authorize dam breaching decision? The U.S. District Courts have ruled that they have extensive powers to order agencies to "rebalance" the purposes of the federal hydro projectsboth on the Columbia River system and elsewhere. In effect, the Courts hold that they have the (Congressionally authorized) rebalancing authority under the Northwest Power Act ("equitable treatment" for power and fish), per the ESA mandates, and perhaps even under new applications of the Clean Water Act. Under existing Court approved BiOps, the hydro system has already relinquished about 1,200 MWs of firm power. As a result, it is a small reach for the Court to order further "rebalancing" operations, and CSRIA has grimly concluded that U.S. District (Oregon) Court Judge Michael Simon will rule against the hydro agencies EIS-BiOp and give EarthJustice Court-ordered relief which could include a Lower Snake River dam breaching plan, with a Court-appointed River Master to ensure oversight. Injunctive relief motions will be filed in July 2021. What can CSRIA do to confront the future? Against this backdrop, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) has released a very far-reaching dam breaching "mitigation plan," allocating about $34 billion to many affected (or potentially impacted) parties. For the irrigators, while water rights are protected, about 91,000 acres would experience severe pumping problems requiring major and costly retrofits. Rep. Simpson views Court directives as being inescapable and Governors Jay Inslee and Kate Brown, regional Tribes, and others, support this mitigation review. CSRIA must engage prudently and realistically in this process, as not being directly involved is a reckless proposition. CSRIA must ensure that its members' businesses and livelihoods and related community economic support services are well represented in the mitigation discussion. For more information, please contact Darryll Olsen of CSRIA at [email protected] or 509-783-1623. SOURCE Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association These additions reflect a global increase in demand for new, cutting-edge knowledge related to AI and data science. MIT Professional Education added three new artificial intelligence (AI) courses to its robust technology training portfolio. The advanced offerings, which are being delivered virtually in 2021, focus on strategy development, smart algorithms and industry-specific applications. These additions reflect a global increase in demand for new, cutting-edge knowledge related to AI and data science. Organizations around the globe are looking to advance their competency in emerging technologies, build a smarter workforce and leverage intelligent technologies in more targeted ways. These powerful new courses will provide the knowledge and the hands-on training needed to succeed in the rapidly changing world of goods and services, said Malgorzata Hedderick, Director of Short and International Programs at MIT Professional Education. The new 2021 AI courses include: Advanced Reinforcement Learning Explore the cutting-edge of reinforcement learning research, and enhance your ability to identify the correct approach for applying advanced frameworks to solve pressing industry challenges. June 28 - 30, 2021; Pulkit Agrawal & Cathy Wu Data Science Strategies for Real Estate Development Learn how to effectively use the latest data science approaches to enhance decision-making and solve pressing challenges in real estate development. June 17 - 18, 2021; Dr. Andrea Chegut A third course titled, AI Strategies and Roadmap: Systems Engineering Approach to AI Development and Deployment launched in early March. The live virtual learning program attracted dozens of participants representing 14 different countries. Through a concerted effort to increase diversity and female participation, 31% of enrollees were women. MIT Professional Education is meeting the demands of innovation in industry, said Bhaskar Pant, Executive Director of MIT Professional Education. And in keeping with our deep commitment to increasing diversity and fostering inclusion, we continue to expand accessibility to MIT knowledge for professionals in traditional and underserved markets around the globe. Registration for 2021 courses is now open. For more information, visit our course page. About MIT Professional Education For 70 years, MIT Professional Education has been providing technical professionals worldwide a gateway to renowned MIT research, knowledge and expertise, through advanced education programs designed specifically for them. In addition to industry-focused, two-to-five-day live virtual and on-campus Short Programs, MIT Professional Education offers professionals the opportunity to take online-blended learning courses and programs through Digital Plus Programs, attend courses abroad through International Programs, enroll in regular MIT academic courses through the Advanced Study Program, or attend Custom Programs online and in-person designed specifically for their companies. For more information, please visit: professional.mit.edu. All members of the Traveller community should be given a medical card because of endemic health inequalities laid bare by shocking new Covid statistics, it has been urged. Ronnie Fay of Pavee Point made the call for comprehensive free health coverage after fresh figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). They show Travellers account for three-quarters of all viral outbreaks in at-risk groups since the start of the third wave. There have been 355 such outbreaks among socially excluded groups in congregated settings, amounting to 3,863 cases. The largest share of these outbreaks is among the Traveller community, members of whom account for four fifths of all infections and nine out of ten hospitalisations within the category. Officially, there have been eight deaths among Travellers since last October, which Pavee Point believes is an undercount, saying it knows of at least 15 since the crisis began. In the most recent reporting window the last week of March there were 21 outbreaks and 112 cases among the Traveller population, according to Junior Health Minister Frankie Feighan. Ms Fay said Pavee Point recognised that further infections, and possibly even deaths, could be happening because a minority of Travellers were defying public health advice and that of the organisation in order to attend funerals. There is a culture within the Traveller community that there is a lack of respect shown if you do not attend a funeral, she said. Some Travellers do not do as they are asked but then look at the Dublin GAA team. There are people who are supposedly better educated and better informed who do not behave responsibly. Mr Feighan said the high incidence of Covid outbreaks among Travellers was concerning, and agreed it reflected living conditions but also the tradition of family and communal events, such as funerals and christenings. The HSE has prioritised Travellers in terms of detection, case management and contact tracing. But Ms Fay said patients faced being asked the question of whether the infected person was a member of the Travelling community and some may not be co-operating with such questions because there is an embedded racism towards Travellers, she said, We have asked that all Travellers be given a medical card given the health inequality they experience, she added. Not everyone faces the same risk from Covid. It is clear from the data that the impact on homeless and addiction (categories) has been less than expected. In the area of addiction, there have been 10 outbreaks involving 60 cases. Among the homeless, the figures show 24 outbreaks and 163 cases. And among the Roma community, there have been 11 outbreaks and 72 cases. Supreme Court Rules Google Didnt Violate Copyright Law When It Used Oracle Code for Android Google didnt infringe Oracles copyright when it used that companys programming code in the Android cellphone operating system, the Supreme Court ruled April 5 in overturning a lower court ruling that favored Oracle. Android is the most popular cellphone operating system in the world. Oracle had been seeking $9 billion in damages in the decade-old litigation between the tech companies that could have changed the rules of the road for the software industry. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the 62 decision for the high court in Google LLC v. Oracle America Inc., court file 18-956. The case came to the court on appeal from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Justice Clarence Thomas filed a dissenting opinion in which he accused the court majority of shying away from crucial legal issues in the case; Justice Samuel Alito joined the dissent. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who wasnt yet a member of the court when the case was heard telephonically on Oct. 7, 2020, didnt participate in the case. Austin, Texas-based Oracle America Inc., owns the copyright for Java SE, a computer program that uses the popular Java computer programming language. Google, without permission, copied a portion of that program that enables a programmer to call up prewritten software that, together with the computers hardware, will carry out a large number of specific tasks, Breyer wrote for the court. About 100 Google engineers worked more than three years to create Googles Android platform software, tailoring the Android platform to smartphone technology. To build the platform, Google wrote millions of lines of new code. Because Google wanted millions of programmers, familiar with Java, to be able easily to work with its new Android platform, it also copied code from the Java SE program. The copied lines of code are part of a tool called an Application Programming Interface, or API, Breyer wrote, explaining that an API was a tool that allow[s] programmers to use prewritten code to build certain functions into their own programs, rather than write their own code to perform those functions from scratch. Lower courts considered whether Java SEs owner could copyright the portion that Mountain View, California-based Google copied, and if so, whether Googles copying nonetheless constituted a fair use of that material, which would free Google from copyright liability. The Federal Circuit ruled for Oracle, finding Googles copying wasnt a fair use. The Supreme Court disagreed, finding that Googles copying constituted a fair use and that it wasnt necessary to reach the question of whether the copied material itself was copyrightable. Given the rapidly changing technological, economic, and business-related circumstances, we believe we should not answer more than is necessary to resolve the parties dispute, Breyer wrote. To the extent that Google used parts of the Sun Java API to create a new platform that could be readily used by programmers, its use was consistent with that creative progress that is the basic constitutional objective of copyright itself, he wrote. Oracle reacted to the ruling, saying it means the Google platform just got bigger and market power greater. The barriers to entry higher and the ability to compete lower. They stole Java and spent a decade litigating as only a monopolist can, Oracle said in a statement. This behavior is exactly why regulatory authorities around the world and in the United States are examining Googles business practices. In his dissent, Thomas chastised the court majority for not addressing the copyright issue directly. He noted that Android founder Andrew Rubin understood that the declaring code was copyrighted, so Google sought a custom license from Oracle. At least four times between 2005 and 2006, the two companies attempted to negotiate a license, but they were unsuccessful Google simply decided to use Oracles code anyway. Instead of creating its own declaring codeas Apple and Microsoft chose to doGoogle copied verbatim 11,500 lines of Oracles declaring code and arranged that code exactly as Oracle had done. It then advertised Android to device manufacturers as containing Core Java Libraries, and was sued by Oracle. The Supreme Court wrongly sidesteps the principal question that we were asked to answer: Is declaring code protected by copyright? I would hold that it is, Thomas wrote. The majority purports to save for another day the question whether declaring code is copyrightable. The only apparent reason for doing so is because the majority cannot square its fundamentally flawed fair-use analysis with a finding that declaring code is copyrightable. Google welcomed the new court ruling. Todays Supreme Court decision in Google v. Oracle is a big win for innovation, interoperability & computing, Kent Walker, the companys senior vice president for global affairs, wrote on Twitter. Chennai, April 5 : The ruling AIADMK on Monday urged the Election Commission of India (EC) to cancel the candidature of top five DMK leaders, including party President M.K. Stalin, General Secretary Durai Murugan and Youth Wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin for bribing the voters. In his complaint R.M. Babu Murugavel, AIADMK's Advocate Wing Joint Secretary, has alleged that Stalin's wife Durga Stalin had paid Rs 10,000 to women self-help groups in the Kolathur constituency seeking their votes as well as to canvass for her husband. Murugavel has also alleged that affiliates and associates of Stalin have been distributing Rs 5,000 to voters through G-Pay. The AIADMK leader has also sent a complaint letter to the EC against DMK's K.N. Nehru, contesting from Tiruchirappalli West, Udhayanidhi Stalin (Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni), E.V.Velu (Thiruvannamalai) and Durai Murugan (Katpadi) alleging cash distribution to voters ranging between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 by their associates and also through G-Pay. The AIADMK has also urged the EC to issue a gag order on Sun News Channel stopping it from telecasting banned videos, clippings, footage and also issue a show cause notice. Cash for votes is a major issue in Tamil Nadu elections. The EC is taking various steps to have elections free of inducement. According to the EC, the total cash and kind seizure in Tamil Nadu stands at Rs. 428.46 crore. The total cash seizure till Sunday was Rs.225.5 crore. Seizure of precious metal (gold, silver, diamond and other ornaments) Rs.176.11 crore, that of liquor (2,75,293.31 litres) Rs.4.61 crore and other items Rs. 20.01 crore have been done, the EC said. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Interested drivers can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the Roberts Toyota website Roberts Toyota is back at it again with another promotion that drivers in the Columbia, Tennessee region can take advantage of for their Toyota vehicles. This specific promotion has to deal with vehicle tires. For a limited time only, drivers who purchase three brand new tires for their vehicle can get the fourth tire for only $1. Three tires, get the last one for $1. This offer is only valid at Roberts Toyota, which serves the greater Columbia, TN area. On top of that, this offer is only available for a limited time, with a start date of April 1st and end date of May 3rd. Its always a good idea to buy vehicle tires right from the local dealership that is affiliated with the vehicle because they can find the exact tire to fit the vehicles specifications. On top of that, Toyota always provides a price match guarantee that can reduce the price of the tires even more. Toyota mechanics are also experts when it comes to handling all sorts of different Toyota parts, so drivers are getting the best quality service when using this promotion. Drivers who are interested in taking advantage of this deal for their vehicle can find more information by visiting the Roberts Toyota website or by calling Roberts Toyota today. A team member there would be more than happy to help with any questions or comments about this deal. Roberts Toyota's website can be found at https://www.robertstoyota.com/?utm_source=prweb&utm_medium=press_release&utm_campaign=2021april5 and on their website, other opportunities and discounts can be found as well. Quindon Tarver (pictured), 38, whose rendition of Everybody's Free and When Doves Cry captured the hearts of millions in the 1996 film Romeo + Juliet, died in a car crash in Texas last week Quindon Tarver, whose rendition of Everybody's Free and When Doves Cry captured the hearts of millions in the 1996 film Romeo + Juliet, died in a car crash in Texas last week. He was 38. Tarver's family confirmed to The Daily Beast that he was in an accident early Friday morning in Dallas. 'He had an accidentall we know is he had a wreck, crashed into a wall somewhere on George Bush [Turnpike],' Tarvers uncle, Willie, said. No other information was immediately available. Tarver, who started singing when he was four years old at his grandfather's church in McKinney, Texas, played a choirboy in Baz Luhrmanns remake of the Shakespeare classic, Romeo + Juliet, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo. Back in 1995, Tarver had been signed to Virgin Records and was recording a debut album when he received a call from a music supervisor he had met on a previous audition. 'They needed a kid to sing that part in the movie, and she remembered me, and her people reached out to my people, and I went and auditioned, and I got the part,' Tarver recalled in a 2016 interview with Cosmopolitan. Tarver was just 12 at the time, and totally wowed them with a rendition of Whitney Houston's His Eye Is on the Sparrow. Tarver was flown to Mexico City for the filming in a grand cathedral, where he was perched in the front of a choir on a balcony and took the lead on the song. Tarver's family said he was in an accident early Friday morning in Dallas along the George Bush Turnpike. Tarver (right, foreground) is seen when he was a young boy in the film Romeo + Juliet His music career stalled after he spoke publicly about being sexually abused by an industry figure. Tarver, who was vocal about being abused in the music industry, shared in a December 2020 Instagram post: 'I thought it was real between us all.... it was all apart of a motive & agenda! Young artists breaking into the industry be aware of wolves in sheeps clothing!!' According to the Daily Beast, Tarver also struggled with addiction for some time before trying to make a comeback. Tarver released the song Stand Our Ground a year after his first cousin Darius Tarver was shot dead by police officers on January 21, 2020. Darius' father had said that his son was having a mental episode related to head injuries from an accident when he charged at officers with a knife. Tarver released Stand Our Ground in January 2021, saying at the time: 'We must end police brutality & we will Stand Our Ground!!!' Tarver's album, Quindon, was released in 1996 by Virgin Records and included the single It's You That's on My Mind. He was under the same management as Immature and B2K. Tarver (left and right on tour in 1996) also toured the world with Immature, Brandy and Monica Tarver (pictured in February), who came out as gay in 2019, appeared on seasons two and seven of American Idol and finished in the top 50 Darius' father, Kevin, told the Daily Beast: 'Its kind of tragicI actually lost my son in January to police brutality. This last release Quindon put out, Stand Our Ground, was on behalf of my son.' Kevin remembered his nephew as loving and straightforward. 'He loved music since he was young, and singing eventually took him all around the world. That was his passion,' Kevin added. Tarver's album, Quindon, was released in 1996 by Virgin Records and included the single It's You That's on My Mind. He was under the same management as Immature and B2K. Tarver also toured the world with Immature, Brandy and Monica. Tarver, who came out as gay in 2019, also appeared on seasons two and seven of American Idol and finished in the top 50. Tarver (pictured in red and black while holding a Black Lives Matter sign) released the song Stand Our Ground a year after his first cousin Darius Tarver was shot dead by police officers on January 21, 2020 In 2012, Tarver attempted suicide and just last month he shared a video of himself singing Nobody But God, a song he said helped him when he was at the lowest point in his life. 'When I think of being at my lowest point in life & suicide was my only way out in 2012. After the attempted try that landed me on life support for 17 hours on a breathing machine,' Tarver wrote on March 25. 'It was NOBODY BUT GOD that put breath back in my body! 'This @dorindaclarkcole song has been a testimonial song for me & it will hold dear to me heart forever! I thank God for being God!!!!' Across the seven campuses of the Lone Star College System, 27,143 students have received $23.7 million in stimulus grants. According to a presentation to the Lone Star College Board of Trustees at its April 1 meeting, the college system has received stimulus funding through three stimulus bills: the CARES Act passed in March of 2020; the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act passed in December of 2020; and the American Rescue Plan. Through these three bills, the college system has received $30.7 million from the CARES Act, $66.7 million from the CRRSA Act, and $111 million from ARP. Each bill had its own allocation formula for the funds that LSC had to adhere to. We received some of the largest amounts in the country because of our size, Head said. At Lone Star College-Montgomery, 4,645 students have received $3.6 million in grants from multiple stimulus bills. LSC uses the FAFSA to determine which students qualify to receive the financial stimulus allocated to it based on financial need. Not all of the funds were required to go directly to students but for CARES and ARP, at least half of the systems allotment was required to be given directly to students. For-profit institutions were required to use all of their allotment for students. LSC did not have the amount allocated to students from the most recent bill (ARP) included in the presentation to the board. The college system estimates that it will disburse, at minimum, $76.5 million to students from the ARP allotment. According to the presentation, LSC awarded more than was required from the CARES Act and the CRRSA Act directly to students. So far, LSC has disbursed $23.7 million to students. They have eased up the guidelines with each subsequent act, but beginning with CARES, when we were disbursing funds out to students an initial large amount was done just simply based on any student that was eligible for Pell (Grants), said Jennifer Mott, the Chief Financial Officer for LSC. They didnt even have to apply, we automatically disbursed them funds. An application process opened under the CARES Act and any student that was impacted by the college system moving its classes online was awarded funds. Under CRRSA, the requirement to show that a student was impacted by the move to online classes has ended and all they need to demonstrate is financial need. At the March meeting of the board of trustees, members of the board asked for a more detailed accounting of which students and campuses were being awarded the stimulus money to make sure the money was being given to those who needed it most. According to the report from the meeting, 27,143 students have received $23.7 million in stimulus grant funding across seven campuses. Hispanic students, who make up the largest percentage of the college systems enrollment, received $10.8 million for 10,661 students. The ethnicity breakdown included: 5,447 white students received $4.1 million; 7,041 Black students received $5.2 million; 2,423 Asian students received $1.6 million; 1,044 students of multiple ethnic backgrounds received $783,620; 476 students of unknown ethnic background received $316,347; and 51 American Indian students received $38,118. Once all funds are distributed, LSC estimates that it will have given $126.9 million at minimum to students through its federal stimulus allotment. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazagham on Friday condemned the Central government for 'searches' by income tax officials at the residence of party chief M K Stalin's daughter Senthamarai in Chennai and alleged it has a 'political objective.' Party general secretary, Duraimurugan said when parties were on the verge of completing the campaign and looked forward to the day of polling, the income tax searches in the residence of Senthamarai, daughter of his party chief Stalin was done with a 'political objective.' Income tax officials neither confirmed nor denied the searches. The Centre has made a 'wrong calculation' that raids just ahead of the election would shock Stalin, his family and the party and also weaken poll preparations, he claimed while speaking to reporters. "The DMK is not a party that can be scared by such searches," he said adding the party had already faced similar instances and it would not be deterred. Only recently, tax searches were held in the premises linked to party leader A V Velu and now searches have been conducted in the residence of Senthamarai and the union government pursuing such a tactic was neither 'democratic' nor 'honest politics' and 'I condemn' this, he said. Had the party been afraid of such raids, the party would have been 'dead' long ago and these only added to their determination and resoluteness, he added. The Centre may have thought that Stalin would not be able to see his beloved daughter becoming sad, but the DMK president is the leader of 'lakhs and lakhs of party cadres' and he is a 'courageous lion,' he said. When asked on searches in premises of party leaders belonging to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party and other parties as well, Duraimurugan said the tax raids vis-a-vis the DMK people were aimed at intimidating them while those in respect of others was only an 'eye-wash,' he alleged. A spring cleanup and decor refresh have always been able to lift moods. But after a long pandemic winter, theres special satisfaction in clutter removal, extra joy in being creative, particular pleasure in making a space even more your own. This time of year, I can often feel buried after so much time indoors, and with many of us working from home, this is even more crucial, says designer Mel Bean in Tulsa, Okla. Or as New York-based designer Thom Filicia puts it: Be brave. The new year is a chance to create spaces that allow you to live your most beautiful life. Some suggestions from the experts on bringing a sense of harmony and happiness home this spring: A good clear-out Bright and light is my motto, and when the days get warmer, I cant wait to purge and donate some things, says New York designer Michael Wood. He gives to Housing Works, a New York City nonprofit fighting AIDS and homelessness. Wood takes the change of season as an opportunity to get a professional firm in to deep clean. Every piece of furniture is lifted and cleaned by the crew all lighting fixtures, fans, walls, blinds/drapery and ceilings are wiped, he says. They clean the outside, inside and behind all appliances, inside closets, shelving and cabinetry, all windows inside and out. Everything feels new again! Hiring pros might not be doable for all of us, however. Thankfully, cleaning can be free therapy. Organizing expert Marie Kondo says that visualizing what a happy home would look like to you is a good first move on the decluttering, cleaning journey. Think about what kind of house you want to live in and how you want to live in it, she says. When you imagine your ideal lifestyle, you are really clarifying why you want to tidy and envisioning your best life. The tidying process represents a turning point. Decluttering might spark some new ideas for old belongings, says Lance Thomas of Thomas Guy Interiors in Lake Charles, La. Heirlooms are a great way to accessorize and bring happiness into a home. Those ancient trinkets and doodads found while spring cleaning could make for a wonderful coffee-table conversation piece, he says. Theres something special about preserving memories and respecting history that feeds the soul. Little improvements Not up for anything big? After youve done a declutter, reward yourself by bringing home some green. Plants are known to boost mood and productivity, says designer Jay Jeffers. Add a floor plant in ample natural light to elevate your space, and put smaller plants where you spend most of your time, like your kitchen or your desk. There are lots of easy-care options, like succulents (including aloe and jade plants) and pothos. Or try cut flowers. Investing in a pretty vase and making a commitment to fresh flowers is a great way to bring happy into your space, says Houston designer Mary Patton. Even if youre Instacarting, you can have inexpensive flowers delivered. Flower arranging is an easy, creative activity. Filicia advises paying attention to the pieces you touch most every day. Your home should not only be a place where you feel inspired and energized but also where you can kick back and relax. Create an environment that allows you to recharge, he says. Bedding, pillows and throws create those welcoming environments. Paint or paper a wall, replace a rug, or reupholster a chair, he suggests. Color is a simple way to create an upbeat feel, says John Cialone of Tom Stringer Design Partners in Chicago. The firm recently completed a Palm Springs, Calif., project where they brought in a vibrant kiwi green. Cialone also likes coral on walls or furniture for giving you a healthy glow. Bigger fixes Changing finishes or buying larger furniture costs more but packs a punch. Jeffers suggests drawing inspiration from your favorite destinations. Think about the places where you feel happiest. Whether its a beach with tranquil blue water and warm white sand, or a cozy cabin surrounded by evergreen trees, incorporating design elements from your most-loved destinations will mentally bring you back, he says. At-home gyms have been one of his most requested additions this year. Whether you set up a few pieces of equipment or just some mats and pillows, that private oasis can pay off in both your fitness level and your mindset, Jeffers says. Changing the finish or color of kitchen cabinets can be a big job, but the payoff, Cialone says, is also big. As the pandemic waged on, Lisa and Peter Kinsman of Westchester County, New York, got fed up with their kitchens dark cherry cabinetry and black countertops. Inspired by a photo Lisa saw of a kitchen designed by Studio McGee, the couple chose a creamy gray paint to cover the cabinets and changed out the counters for crisp white Silestone. The updates brought more light into the smallish, back-of-the-house space and improved the vibe in many ways, Lisa said. The light, definitely, but were surprised how much bigger it looks, she says. Hard to say if thats why I find it more pleasant, or if its because it looks so much more current. Philadelphia-based interiors firm Marguerite Rodgers added a playful, cheery red pocket door to a recent kids room project on the Jersey Shore. The pop of color really ties the space together, says designer Kaitlyn Murphy. You can easily refresh existing millwork by adding a wallcovering, textile or a fun paint color. Kim Cook is a freelance writer covering design, decor and lifestyles topics. Follow her on Instagram @kimcookhome. Gov. Phil Murphy will hold his first coronavirus press conference of the month on Monday a 2:30 p.m. gathering at the Trenton War Memorial. It will be streamed live from the George Washington Ballroom on the governors YouTube.com channel. State health commissioner Judy Persichilli, state epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan and State Police Superintendent Colonel Pat Callahan will also be available to answer questions from the media. There were 2,292 patients in the states 71 hospitals with the coronavirus or a suspected case as of 10 p.m. Sunday, an increase of 40 from the previous 24-hour period, according to the health departments dashboard. Hospitalizations have climbed about 19.6% since March 1 as Murphy and health officials have repeatedly warned about the effects of various coronavirus variants. Still, hospitalizations are down more than 34% since Jan. 1 when hospitals held 3,497 patients. There were 484 patients getting critical care Sunday night with 233 on ventilators. Statewide, at least 1,772,456 were fully vaccinated as of 9 a.m. Sunday. Officials say 2,992,107 have been administered at least one vaccine dose. Murphy aims to have 4.7 million people 70% of the states adults vaccinated by June. Several more large groups became eligible to be vaccinated Monday, including people 55 and older, higher education employees, sanitation workers and utility workers. Murphy disclosed 3,284 more COVID-19 cases and 11 additional deaths on Easter Sunday Have a news tip or story you want to tell about COVID-19 or the vaccination process? Contact us on our tip form. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Authorities in Oklahoma City have released graphic video showing prison inmates drag, beat and stab a guard before police shot and killed one who was holding a shank to the jailers neck. The violent incident took place on the afternoon of March 27 at the Oklahoma County Detention Center and resulted in the death of 34-year-old inmate Curtis Williams. Williams' family members and activists claimed that the inmate, who was in jail in connection with rape and gun possession charges, was killed for complaining about conditions inside the jail, which was said to be overcrowded and crawling with cockroaches and bed bugs. The newly released video shows police and sheriffs deputies enter the pod at the jail and shoot and kill Williams, who was standing at the top of a landing and holding a knife to the neck of jailer Daniel Misquez, who was on his knees. Inmate Curtis Williams is seen in security video holding guard Daniel Misquez hostage at the Oklahoma County Detention Center on March 27. Video was released following a fatal officer-involved shooting at the jail This screenshot from the video shows Williams pressing a shank to Misquez's neck Williams' family say he acted out because of appalling conditions at the jail After Williams was shot, Misquez tumbled down the staircase and officers pulled him to safety and left the 10th-floor pod. Deceased inmate Curtis Williams, 34, was accused of pressing a homemade knife against the guard's neck Misquez was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries after being beaten and stabbed multiple times, as seen in the video. Williams was the fifth inmate this year to die at the jail, which has a long history of high staff turnover, overcrowding and escapes. Oversight of the lockup was transferred last year from the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office to a nine-member jail trust. Activists protested outside of the Oklahoma County Detention Center last weekend over its conditions and what they say is heavy-handed tactics by police. Oklahoma Citys police chief, Wade Gourley, said Friday that one of the reasons his department released the video this soon after the shooting was because of recommendations from a community task force the mayor created last year amid concerns about policing. In this image taken from video from the Oklahoma County Detention Center, jailer Daniel Misquez is stabbed by an inmate before police shoot and kill another inmate The pod on the 10th floor at the jail houses close to 40 inmates Police officers and sheriff's deputies storm the jail pod with guns drawn and opened fire on inmate Curtis Williams, killing him, as he was holding Misquez hostage 'Were going to try to release information earlier in the future,' he said. Police identified the officers who shot Williams as Lt. Coy Gilbert, a 23-year veteran, and Officer Kevin Kuhlman, who has five years of service. Both have been placed on administrative leave while an investigation is underway. Gourley defended the officers decision to enter the pod and use force. 'They have to try and rescue the hostage because of the situation,' Gourley said. 'We cant sit there and watch him be brutalized any more or possibly killed.' Gourley said officers were unable to immediately check on Williams or render aid because inmates were moving freely about the pod, which housed 37 inmates and hadnt been secured. 'When this initially happened, the area was not secure,' Gourley said. 'They had to reformulate a plan, reassemble with less lethal and other devices to get in there.' This photo shows what police say is the homemade knife that Williams used during the attack on the guard Williams' family has criticized police and jail officials for their handling of the incident and called for the two officers and Gourley to be fired. 'He shouldn't have lost his life behind these conditions up in here and the stress he was under,' Williams' stepfather, Donald Lambert, told reporters on Monday, The Oklahoman newspaper reported. Before the violence broke out, several inmates went on Facebook Live and complained about having no running water and being denied food at the jail. Gourley, who was hired as chief two years ago after 30 years with the department, said he has no plans to step down. 'I'm not resigning,' he said. "When I leave here I'll retire. I'm a law enforcement officer with 32 years of experience, and I'm not resigning. I've seen nothing here that would prompt that.' Three new projects proposed in Bethlehems two downtowns could bring a combined 172 apartments to the city. The Bethlehem Planning Commission on Thursday is set to review three site plans for new developments on East Third Street on Southside and on West Broad and East Broad streets north of the Lehigh River. Developers plan to demolish a historic house at 143 W. Broad St. and construct Skyline West, an upscale 50-unit apartment building on an urban island of steep land tucked between Route 378 and the Colonial Industrial Quarter. The project estimated in 2018 at $15 million has been stalled by murky title issues that developer Jeff Parks says are finally sorted out. It took almost two years to get it resolved, Parks said. The former ArtsQuest leader is partnering with the father-sons development team of Dennis, Garrett and Brandon Benner on the project, which was billed as bringing the historic downtown its first new market-rate apartments in more than three decades. Since then, the Benner brothers got approval for a new six-story modern building with 33 apartments on New Street and the new owner of the Boyd Theatre is pitching a 14-story luxury apartment building. I think the market is actually now stronger for being in the downtown, Parks said. The Benners have developed properties on Union Boulevard and their response has been tremendous. Skyline West will likely need zoning relief for parking, but Parks said experience has shown the development team that not all tenants need parking and most only want one space. We are feeling very bullish about it, Parks said. I do think the restaurants downtown will come back ... . I think this is where people want to be. It is a great location. Skyline West will put residents just steps from Main Street and the downtown Historic Bethlehem. The design calls for a courtyard fronting on West Broad Street where residents would enter the secured, ground-floor of the building complete with amenities, like a gym and outdoor deck overlooking the Colonial Industrial Quarter. Cars would be funneled back to a 68-space parking deck below the building and West Broad. Parks declined to speculate on a project timeline, but noted after the planning commission the project will go to the citys zoning hearing board and then back to city planners. The Bethlehem Food Co-Op will anchor this new four-story, mixed-use project by Peron Development and Boyle Construction.Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com Michael Perruccis Peron Development is scheduled Thursday to present plans for 250 E. Broad St., a new mixed-use building where the Bethlehem Food Co-Op plans to open its first grocery store. Peron wants to demolish the existing one-story building and build a four-story, 42-apartment building with the co-ops full service grocery store as the first-floor tenant. Peron is partnering with Boyle Construction on the project. The co-op has said that its store will open in 2022. Perons John Callahan and Rob de Beer did not return phone messages seeking comment. Food co-ops are grocery stores owned by members who get to shop at a discounted rate and take classes. Bethlehem co-op members pay a one-time fee of $300, and the co-op offers an installment plan. Anyone will be able to shop at the Bethlehem Food Co-op but they wont share in the perks of membership. The Bethlehem Food Co-Op's member-owned grocery store will be located at 250 E. Broad St., anchoring a new project by Peron Development and Boyle Construction.Courtesy rendering When the co-ops location was announced, Peron and Boyle said in a statement that they are excited to partner with the Bethlehem Food Co-Op to offer a unique space with incredible access, parking and walkability for Bethlehem residents. We saw this as a way of giving back to the Bethlehem community, a place that is convenient and fulfills the fresh grocery needs of downtown residents, Perrucci said. The residents living there will love having the co-op below them and the co-op will have a whole bunch of new members. There are new plans proposed for this parking lot at 404 E. Third St. in South Bethlehem.Courtesy Google Maps Developer Lou Pektor is proposing a new urban infill development at 404 E. Third St., where he once proposed a multi-restaurant space. Plans call for a seven-story, mixed-use building on the site of a parking lot. The developer wants to have first and second floor retail and 80 apartments on the upper floors, according to the planning commission agenda. The Bethlehem Planning Commission meets virtually at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 8. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. BIRD Aerosystems, the globally renowned developer of Airborne Missile Protection Systems (AMPS) and Airborne Surveillance, Information, and Observation (ASIO) solutions, has been awarded a new contract by the Czech Republic Air Force. Under the contract, BIRD Aerosystems will provide additional AMPS-MV systems with the patented MACS (Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor) for the Czech Air Forces Mi-17 fleet. This project is a part of the overall modernization plan of the Czech Mi-17 transport helicopter fleet. AMPS-MV systems with patented MACS BIRDs AMPS are already operational on the Czech Air Force Mi-17 helicopters and have been successfully deployed in different conflict zones, including Afghanistan. This contract comes after BIRD Aerosystems having conducted an overall upgrade to the Czechs existing AMPS systems earlier this year, which provided enhanced functionality to the MILDS UV detection sensors and the MCDU Mission computers. As part of the current contract BIRD Aerosystems will provide the Czech Air Force its AMPS systems with the MACS sensor, which ensures that no false alarms will be detected and the system will react only to validated real threats. Ronen Factor, the Co-Chief Executive Officer and Founder of BIRD Aerosystems, said We appreciate the confidence placed in our AMPS solution by the Czech Air Force, who decided to purchase additional systems for its Mi-17 fleet. Equipped with BIRDs AMPS-MV solution with the MACS sensor, they can rest assured knowing that their aircraft and crew are safe, even when flying in automatic mode in the most complicated conflict zones. Airborne Missile Protection System The AMPS system is known to automatically detect, verify, and foil missile attacks BIRD Aerosystems Airborne Missile Protection System (AMPS) provides the most enhanced protection for military and civilian aircraft against all known Surface to Air Missiles (SAM), including MANPADS, laser beam rider threats, and radar-guided missiles. The AMPS system is known to automatically detect, verify, and foil missile attacks through the effective use of counter-measure decoys (flares and chaff) that jam the missiles IR (Infrared) seeker and protect the aircraft. MACS (Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor) MACS (Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor) is an advanced semi-active confirmation radar, which significantly reduces the false alarm rate of the overall missile warning system. Queued by a suspected threat, MACS points towards it and performs a doppler-based interrogation to confirm the existence of a valid threat. By doing so, MACS provides the most effective filtering of all known natural and human-made types of false alarms that are typically detected by electro-optical sensors, and ensures that only real missiles will be declared by the system and reacted upon. Fully operational, BIRDs AMPS-MV with the MACS sensor is provided as a turn-key solution that includes design, installation, integration, certification and support, and is certified by major aircraft manufacturers. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Leaf Group Ltd. ("LEAF" or the "Company") (NYSE: LEAF) in connection with the proposed acquisition of the Company by Graham Holdings Company. Under the terms of the merger agreement, LEAF shareholders will receive $8.50 in cash for each share of LEAF common stock that they hold. The transaction is valued at approximately $323 million. If you own LEAF shares and wish to discuss this investigation or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, visit our website: https://www.weisslawllp.com/LEAF/ Or please contact: Joshua Rubin, Esq. WeissLaw LLP 1500 Broadway, 16th Floor New York, NY 10036 (212) 682-3025 (888) 593-4771 [email protected] WeissLaw LLP is investigating whether LEAF's board acted in the best interest of LEAF's public shareholders in agreeing to the proposed transaction, whether the $8.50 merger consideration represents full and fair value for LEAF shares, and whether all information regarding the process undertaken by the board and the valuation of the transaction will be fully and fairly disclosed to LEAF's public shareholders. Notably, at least one analyst has set a price target for the Company as high as $9.50 per share, $1 more than the proposed merger consideration. WeissLaw LLP has litigated hundreds of stockholder class and derivative actions for violations of corporate and fiduciary duties. We have recovered over a billion dollars for defrauded clients and obtained important corporate governance relief in many of these cases. If you have information or would like legal advice concerning possible corporate wrongdoing (including insider trading, waste of corporate assets, accounting fraud, or materially misleading information), consumer fraud (including false advertising, defective products, or other deceptive business practices), or anti-trust violations, please email us at [email protected] SOURCE WeissLaw LLP Related Links http://weisslawllp.com Hunter Biden, the U.S. presidents son, says that he didnt make a mistake by joining the board of one of the largest natural gas companies in Ukraine when his father was serving as Barack Obamas vice president. In a wide-ranging interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, the younger Biden said that he did nothing wrong in taking the lucrative position with Cyprus-registered Burisma Holdings. His only error was underestimating how it would be used against him, he said, according to a transcript of the interview. Hunter Biden, 51, has previously said taking the role may have been poor judgment as his involvement in Burisma became a lightning rod during the 2020 presidential campaign. President Donald Trump made unsubstantiated claims of corruption and conflict of interest around Bidens role, and Senate Republicans, then in the majority, held hearings on the matter that resulted in an 87-page report. Even after Joe Bidens election, questions around the matter continue to linger for the president and his son, who spoke with CBS ahead of the scheduled April 6 release of his memoir, Beautiful Things. The younger Biden said no investigation has concluded that he did anything wrong, or that my father did anything wrong. He said in December that hes facing a federal investigation related to his foreign business dealings. The president has said he wont interfere in the Justice Departments prosecutorial decisions. Responding to a question about a related controversy, Biden said that a laptop reported to have been left in a Delaware repair shop in 2019 could have been his, although he wasnt sure. The New York Post reported in October 2020 that emails on that computer detailed dodgy dealings in the Ukraine, CBS recounted in the interview a fresh bombshell weeks before the presidential election. There could be a laptop out there that was stolen from me, he said. It could be that I was hacked. It could be that it was the that it was Russian intelligence. It could be that it was stolen from me. Or that there was a laptop stolen from me. The younger Biden also detailed his relationship with his father, who he said never stopped supporting him even as he battled substance abuse for years. Youre not fine, Hunter recalls his father telling him at one point in what amounted to an attempted intervention. Hunter told CBS correspondent Tracy Smith that hes now sober and has turned a corner from the addiction that at one point involved staying awake for 13 straight days while he drank vodka and smoked crack cocaine. I spent more time on my hands and knees picking through rugs smoking anything that re even closely even remotely resembled crack cocaine. I I I probably smoked more Parmesan cheese than anyone that you know, he said. ___ Ben Bain of Bloomberg News wrote this story. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia governor, has imposed a curfew on Umuahia and Aba metropolis of the state between 10pm and 6am. He said the decisio... Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia governor, has imposed a curfew on Umuahia and Aba metropolis of the state between 10pm and 6am. He said the decision is a result of security reports received from multiple sources. The governor did not give details of the security reports but said there is a need to continue to protect innocent citizens and residents of the state. John Kalu, the commissioner for information, released a statement to this effect on Monday. The statement read: The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has directed the imposition of curfew in Aba and Umuahia metropolis between 10pm and 6am daily from today, Monday, 5th April, 2021 till further notice. This is sequel to security reports received from multiple sources, and informed by the need to continue to protect innocent citizens and residents of the state. Security agencies in the state have been directed to ensure strict enforcement and compliance with the directive. Only those on essential services with proper identification are exempted from the curfew. We urge traditional rulers, men of the State Homeland Security Team and Community Vigilante Services in the state to monitor movement of persons within their respective domains and take necessary measures to protect the people and their property. All law abiding citizens are advised to go about their normal duties, outside the curfew period, without fear of molestation as the security architecture of the state is robust enough to guarantee their safety. There have been a series of attacks on security officials and government facilities in south-east states in recent weeks. In the early hours of Monday, inmates were freed as gunmen attacked a federal correctional facility and police command in Imo state. Last week, gunmen invaded several communities in Ebonyi state, resulting in the deaths of over 15 people. In March, police officers and prison officials were attacked multiple times in Anambra state. Bond Reduced for Child Abuse Suspects By West Kentucky Star Staff MCCRACKEN COUNTY - A McCracken County couple facing a child abuse charge appeared in court Monday for a bond hearing.The McCracken Circuit Court Clerk said a bond reduction request was approved for 25-year-old David Saunders and 23-year-old Autumn Saunders.David's bond was reduced to $50,000 in cash or property, while Autumn's bond was reduced from $50,000 to $5,000 in cash or property. A pretrial conference is set for April 19.David is facing a charge of first-degree criminal abuse after bringing a 3-year-old boy to a local hospital with a fractured arm and suspicious bruising. Detectives say David later admitted to causing the injuries.A grand jury indicted Autumn on March 11 for criminal abuse of a child 12 or under. Deputies told the grand jury Autumn was aware of the abuse. DETROIT, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ComForCare , a franchised provider of in-home caregiving services, is providing training and resources to caregivers through its Staying Connected Caregiving Training Series. The free monthly 30-minute live virtual training is designed to expand a caregiver's skills, provide practical field tips for client care, and attract new people to the caregiving field. An attendee does not need to be employed by ComForCare to attend. "Caregivers are key to our client relationships, and the pandemic has further exacerbated the caregiver shortage. With the demand for aging in place and home care accelerating, the challenge is finding qualified people to address this need," said J.J Sorrenti, CEO of Best Life Brands, parent company to ComForCare and At Your Side Home Care. "These webinars are one way we are working to address that shortage by providing support and resources for caregivers from local and national experts on a range of topics." 2021 training topics include: April - Screening clients for fall risk May - Techniques for fall risk management June - Diabetes Part I: Overview and how to identify red flags July - Diabetes Part II: How to best manage in the home August - Stroke Part I: Overview and how to identify red flags September - Stroke Part II: How to best manage in the home October - End of life care November - Caring for clients who are bedridden December 15 - Caregiver career progression - next steps These monthly trainings are available to all caregivers, as well as anyone interested in learning more about the caregiving field. The training series takes place on the last Wednesday of every month (with the exception of December), from 4:004:30 pm EST. To register, visit: https://bit.ly/caregiverfirst. For more information about ComForCare, please visit www.comforcare.com . About ComForCare Franchise Systems: ComForCare is a premier franchised provider of in-home caregiving services with more than 215 independently-owned and operated locations in the U.S. and Canada helping older adults live independently in their own homes. ComForCare is committed to helping people live their best life possible and offers special programs for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Founded in 1996, ComForCare was acquired by private equity firm The Riverside Company in 2017 and now is part of Best Life Brands, which has plans for continued expansion of service brands across the continuum of care for aging adults. ComForCare operates as At Your Side Home Care in Houston. ComForCare has earned a ranking of 291 on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list. For more information, visit http://www.comforcare.com/franchising. SOURCE ComForCare Home Care Related Links http://www.comforcare.com Local News, Crime, Press Releases By Chris Boyle Published: April 05 2021 Visitation will remain closed to keep the virus out of the jails. Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. announced today that inmate visitation at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility will remain closed until further notice. Visiting was previously scheduled to resume on April 6, 2021 with special safety precautions and procedures in place. However, due to the recent uptick in positive cases among staff members and the Suffolk County population at large, visitation will remain closed to keep the virus out of the jails. Sheriff Toulon reiterated, The health and safety of inmates, visitors, and staff remain paramount during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been very successful in keeping the virus out of our jail population so far, and these measures will remain in place until this most recent wave is stemmed. The golden trio is back together again (almost). Its taken three episodes of this series of Line Of Duty to reunite Hastings, Arnott and Fleming in the same room, but good things come to those who wait. DI Kate Fleming "cooked her goose" after tipping off her new boss, DCI Joanne Davidson, that AC-12 was on her trail and planning a raid. Superintendent Ted Hastings, already feeling bitterly let down by Flemings decision to quit his team and move to murder, announces hes through with her, when he learns she has sided with Davidson. Of course we, the viewers, dont want to believe this. We hope Fleming will find her way back into the fold. When her suspicions are aroused Pc Ryan Pilkington is involved in an attempt on Terry Boyles life (he tries to drown him in a lake after causing the police car they are travelling in to veer off the road), she alerts newly promoted DI Steve Arnott. Its not the warmest of reunions when Fleming and Hastings come face-to-face for the first time. Fleming tells the gaffer the attempted murder of Boyle could not have happened without leaks and/or collusion from Davidsons team. "My first duty as a police officer is preservation of life sir, thats why Im here," Fleming tells her former boss. "In that case, DI Fleming, this department is grateful for your cooperation," he replies, followed later by a subtle, little nod of acknowledgement between the two. When Arnott looks up Pilkingtons file, hes shocked to recognise the murder teams latest recruit. The penny drops: Fleming remembers interviewing him as a juvenile offender while Arnott points out he tried to chop his fingers off. The pair are onto him now. Pilkington, meanwhile, is being lauded as a hero for rescuing Boyle, even though another officer drowned in the lake. Fleming knows hes behind the accident, though, and quizzes him: why take a different route than planned? Why open his window? Pilkington looks nervous, as well he might. We also hear about the mysterious H for the first time this series when Hastings is called for a meeting with Deputy Chief Constable Andrea Wise and Police and Crime Commissioner Rohan Sindwhani. Prior to the meeting, AC-12 is shown unaired footage of murdered journalist Gail Vella, in which she grills Sindwhani about police failure to pursue officers who colluded in child sex exploitation. She says, instead, they went after celebrities and VIPs, with no charges ever brought. Hastings gets to resurrect one of his most famous lines when he tells Wise he and his officers conduct themselves "to the letter of the law". Wise later tells him to stop chasing phantoms and to give up on the notion of H. "Your inquiry into H should close," she says. "This isnt about old battles." Hastings replies: "The name is Hastings, Mam. Im the epitome of an old battle." Thats the quote of the night. Now that AC12 has discovered the dumped fridge from Boyles flat was used to store Jackie Lavertys body for years, it knows theres a link between the OCG, Laverty and Vellas murders. Everything is linking back to series one and Hastings is on a mission to get justice for the dead and to finally bring down the elusive H. New Delhi: A suitcase-sized NASA radar instrument, that can detect heartbeats, is helping disaster relief workers save lives of people trapped under rubble after a 7.1 earthquake stunned central Mexico, killing at least 139 people as buildings collapsed in plumes of dust. Thousands fled into the streets in panic, and many stayed to help rescue those trapped. The technology called Finding Individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response (FINDER) was developed by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Department of Homeland Securitys Science and Technology Directorate in the US. Our hearts go out to the people of Mexico. We are glad to know our technology is being used to make a difference there, said Neil Chamberlain, task manager for FINDER at JPL. FINDER sends a low-powered microwave signalabout one-thousandth of a cell phones outputthrough rubble. It looks for changes in the reflections of those signals coming back from tiny motions caused by victims breathing and heartbeats. In tests, FINDER has detected heartbeats through 30 feet of rubble or 20 feet of solid concrete. It was also used in Puerto Rico last week to search for survivors of Hurricane Maria. While radar can not search through water, it is useful for detecting heartbeats through rooftops. People trapped in flooded buildings often run to the upper floors. The technology evolved from JPLs efforts to develop low-cost, small spacecraft radios, using signal processing developed to measure small changes in spacecraft motion. FINDER is used alongside a variety of other techniques, including trained dogs, acoustic sensing devices and thermal imagers. All these techniques are usually deployed together. When FINDER was deployed to Nepal after a major earthquake in 2015, it helped find four men trapped under a collapsed textile factory. Scores of buildings collapsed into mounds of rubble or were severely damaged in in densely populated parts of Mexico City and nearby states. Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said buildings collapsed at 44 places in the capital alone. The quake is the deadliest in Mexico since a 1985 quake on the same date killed thousands. It came less than two weeks after another powerful quake left 90 dead in the countrys south. Mancera said at least 30 had died in Mexico City, and officials in Morelos, just to the south, said 54 had died there. At least 26 others died in Puebla state, according to state disaster prevention chief Carlos Valdes. Governor Alfredo del Mazo said at least nine had died in the State of Mexico, which also borders the capital. Mancera said that 50 to 60 people were rescued alive by citizens and emergency workers. At one site, reporters saw onlookers cheer as a woman was pulled from the rubble. Rescuers immediately called for silence so that they could listen for others who might be trapped. Mariana Morales, a 26-year-old nutritionist, 26, was one many who spontaneously participated in rescue efforts. She wore a paper face mask and her hands were still dusty from having joined a rescue brigade to clear rubble from a building that fell in a cloud of dust before her eyes, about 15 minutes after the quake. Morales said she was in a taxi when the quake struck, and she out and sat on a sidewalk to try to recover from the scare. Then, just a few yards away, the three-story building collapsed. A dust-covered Carlos Mendoza, 30, said that he and other volunteers had been able to pull two people alive from the ruins of a collapsed apartment building three hours of effort. We saw this and came to help, he said. Its ugly, very ugly. Alma Gonzalez was in her fourth-floor apartment in the Roma neighbourhood when the quake collapsed the ground floor of her building, leaving her no way out, until neighbours set up a ladder on their roof and helped her slide out a side window. Gala Dluzhynska was taking a class with 11 other women on the second floor of a building on the trendy Alvaro Obregon street when the quake struck and window and ceiling panels fell as the building began to tear apart. She said she fell in the stairs and people began to walk over her, before someone finally pulled her up. There were no stairs anymore. There were rocks, she said. They reached the bottom only to find it barred. A security guard finally came and unlocked it. The quake caused buildings to sway sickeningly in Mexico City and sent people throughout the city fleeing from homes and offices, and many people remained in the streets for hours, fearful of returning to the structures. Alarms blared and traffic stopped around the Angel of Independence monument on the iconic Reforma Avenue. Electricity and cell phone service was interrupted in many areas and traffic was snarled as signal lights went dark. The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.1 hit at 1:14 pm (2:15 p.m. EDT) and it was centred near the Puebla state town of Raboso, about 123 kilometres southeast of Mexico City. Puebla Governor Tony Gali tweeted that there had been damaged buildings in the city of Cholula including collapsed church steeples. Earlier in the day workplaces across the city held readiness drills on the anniversary of the 1985 quake, a magnitude 8.0 shake, which killed thousands of people and devastated large parts of Mexico City. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. MDE Names 2021-22 Regional Teachers of the Year MDE Names 2021-22 Regional Teachers of the Year Martin Ackley, Director of Public and Governmental Affairs 517-241-4395 Education April 2, 2021 LANSING - Ten teachers from across the state found that, in addition to the many roles they play in their schools, they will take on a new title for the 2021-22 academic year: Regional Teacher of the Year (RTOY), Each will also be a finalist for 2021-22 Michigan Teacher of the Year (MTOY). The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) organizes the teacher of the year program to honor and elevate teacher voice. Honorees are able to share their experiences and knowledge as they work with stakeholders to strengthen Michigan's public schools for our students and our educators. "The Regional Teachers of the Year play key roles in their schools and communities, and also in our statewide effort to improve our schools," said State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. "They offer insights about the needs of our 1.5 million school children and more than 90,000 educators. We are grateful for their leadership and dedication to the teaching profession and look forward to working with them during the next school year." The 2021-22 Regional Teachers of the Year are: Region 1: Heather French, an English language arts and visual arts teacher at Lake Linden-Hubbell Middle/High School at Lake Linden Schools www.michigan.gov/images/mde/Region_1_Heather_French_720887_7.JPG Region 2: Kacie Hook, an English language arts and drama teacher at Roscommon Middle School in Roscommon Area Public Schools www.michigan.gov/images/mde/Region_2_Kacie_Hook_720889_7.jpg Region 3: Theresa Ziegeler, a social studies teacher at Macatawa Bay Middle School in West Ottawa Public Schools www.michigan.gov/images/mde/Region_3_Theresa_Ziegeler_720890_7.jpg Region 4: Cheldora Haynes, a third-grade teacher at Martin G. Atkins Elementary School in Bridgeport-Spaulding Community Schools www.michigan.gov/images/mde/Region_4_Cheldora_Haynes_720894_7.jpg Region 5: Janet Swarthout, a speech and drama teacher at Caro High School in Caro Community Schools www.michigan.gov/images/mde/Region_5_Janet_Swarthout_720895_7.jpg Region 6: Leah Porter, a kindergarten teacher at Wilcox Elementary in Holt Public Schools www.michigan.gov/images/mde/Region_6_Leah_Porter_720898_7.jpg Region 7: James Johnson, a social studies teacher at Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo Public Schools www.michigan.gov/images/mde/Region_7_James_Johnson_720901_7.jpg Region 8: Bethany Vonck, an English language arts teacher at Washtenaw International Middle Academy in the Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium www.michigan.gov/images/mde/Region_8_Bethany_Vonck_720917_7.jpg Region 9: Brian Paul, a fourth-grade teacher at Highview Elementary School in Crestwood School District www.michigan.gov/images/mde/Region_9_Brian_Paul_720923_7.jpg Region 10: Joe Vercellino, a music teacher at Voyageur Academy in Detroit www.michigan.gov/images/mde/Region_10_Joe_Vercellino_720926_7.jpg This year, MDE received more than 275 nominations for teacher of the year from students, staff, and community members across the state. Those nominees were invited to participate in a multi-part, competitive application process through which the 10 RTOYs were ultimately selected. The 2021-22 honorees were chosen for their dedication to the teaching profession, as evidenced by their commitment to their students and track record of service in the teaching profession. A map of the 10 RTOY regions can be found on the MDE website. Together, the RTOYs comprise the Michigan Teacher Leadership Advisory Council (MTLAC). The mission of the MTLAC is to bring teacher voice to a wider audience, including direct work with MDE to provide input on proposed policies and initiatives, and help to share valuable information and resources with their colleagues in their respective regions. The next step in the process is for each RTOY to interview with a panel of statewide education stakeholders, with one individual selected as the 2021-22 Michigan Teacher of the Year (MTOY). The MTOY has a seat at the State Board of Education table as a non-voting member; attends several national conferences with fellow state teachers of the year from other U.S. states and territories, representing the experiences of Michigan's teachers and students; and will be Michigan's candidate for national teacher of the year. Program expenses for Michigan's teacher of the year program are covered through a generous partnership with the Meemic Foundation. DETROIT -- Two Detroit-area brothers who were accused of allowing their severely disabled mother to slowly weaken and die will not face murder charges after a unanimous decision by the Michigan Supreme Court. The Associated Press reports that Michigans highest court overturned a 2020 decision by the state appeals court and reinstated the opinion of a suburban Detroit judge who dismissed the case in 2017. Vickie Balogh of Trenton weighed 79 pounds when she died in 2016 at age 52. Her two sons, Gabriel V. Balogh, 31, and Grant C. Balogh, 33, of Trenton, were accused of letting her die of malnutrition caused by cachexia, also known as wasting disease. I believe its finally over, Grant Balogh said on Facebook. Its been four long years of our own personal hell. The appeals court said in April 2020 that there was enough evidence for a jury to determine if the caregiving brothers had harmed their mother and were responsible for her death. The Supreme Court noted the progressive nature of Vickie Baloghs condition and her ability to make her own decisions in dismissing the charges, according to the Associated Press. Conversely, the Supreme Court also said District Court Judge Jennifer Coleman Hesson did not abuse her discretion in finding the opposite and reinstating the charges. It was within the range of principled outcomes for the district court to conclude that a person of ordinary prudence and caution would not entertain a reasonable belief that the sons caused their mothers death, the Supreme Court said Wednesday in a one-page order. Its a great victory for the brothers though there really are no winners here, defense attorney William Winters told the Associated Press. Theyve inherited, unfortunately, this dreaded disease that took the life of their mother. Its just a curse. The Balogh brothers were each cleared of felony murder, involuntary manslaughter and second-degree abuse of a vulnerable adult. U.S. military guards have moved Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and other former C.I.A. prisoners to the main part of the prison compound at Guantanamo Bay from a failing secret facility, in a consolidation of detention operations that could cut costs and reduce the troop presence at the base in Cuba, the military said on Sunday. Mr. Mohammed, who is accused of being the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, and other so-called high-value detainees at Guantanamo were moved to Camp 5 as part of the consolidation. The two-story building, a maximum-security facility that cost $17 million to build in 2004, is modeled after a state prison in Bunker Hill, Ind. It has a modest detainee health clinic and a psychiatric ward with a padded cell, but none of the hospice or end-of-life care capacity once envisioned by Pentagon planners. The maximum-security facility is designed to keep prisoners confined to their cells except when guards move an individual to showers, outdoor cages that serve as recreation yards or another cell where a single captive can sit in a recliner, one ankle shackled to a bolt on the floor, and watch television. As of Sunday, the military said, all 40 so-called war on terror detainees the 11 men who have been charged with war crimes, as well as others who are held as indefinite detainees were housed in a compound ringed with razor wire and containing two prison buildings, called Camps 5 and 6. The new industrial zones will be able to accommodate the rising investment demand across the country The northern province of Bac Ninh has the most new industrial zone (IZ) projects this year, with a total of five new projects. Of these, Gia Binh II and Que Vo III's subdivision 2 have received in-priciple approval in March. Que Vo III IZ will have an area of 208.54 hectares with a total investment of VND2.78 trillion ($120.87 million). Gia Binh II IZ will have an area of 250ha and is developed by Hanaka Group with the total investment of VND3.96 trillion ($172.17 million). In fact, Bac Ninh has been home to numerous giants like Samsung, Canon, Nokia, and Pepsico for a long time while Amazon and Home Depot are just now setting eyes on the location and tech giant Google has already chosen the province to invest and produce its Google Pixel phones. Additionally, local corporations like Vinamilk, Vinasoy, and Kinh Do have also set up bases here. Besides Bac Ninh, some new IZs in Quang Tri are also quite large. Trieu Phu IZ is the biggest one to be approved in March with a total area of nearly 529ha (in Trieu Phong district) and the total investment of VND4.534 trillion ($197.13 million). Meanwhile, Quang Tri IZ (Hai Lang district) will have an area of 481.2ha and the total investment of VND2.074 trillion ($90.17 million). It is developed by a joint venture of three investors, including Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP), Amata City Bien Hoa JSC, and Sumitomo Corporation. Another new IZ in Quang Tri province Tay Bac Ho Xa IZ (Vinh Linh district) will stretch across an area of 214.77ha with a total investment of VND925 billion ($40.2 million). Vinh Phuc also has several large-scale new IZs with a total investment value of more than VND1.5 trillion ($65.2 million) for nearly 500ha of space, including Song Lo, Tam Duong I, and Thai Hoa-Lien Son-Lien Hoa. In addition to these three provinces, Hai Duong, Vinh Long, Quang Nam, Thua Thien-Hue, Nam Dinh, and Nghe An all have large-scale IZs that were approved by the prime minister in March. As of the end of February 2021, there were 370 IZs across the country, covering an area of 115,200ha, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. 328 of these are operating outside economic zones (EZs), 24 are in coastal EZs, and eight are in border EZs. They create around 3.65 million direct jobs in total. Turkey may sign an agreement with Russia soon on cooperation in space, the chief of Turkeys space agency Serdar Huseyn Yildirim said in an interview ahead of the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarins space flight. "We are building bilateral relations with countries and with international organizations, which we have identified in accordance with our national goals. We keep working on common conditions of cooperation with different countries, including Russia. We have plans for signing an agreement in the near future," TASS cited Yildirim as saying. "Space exploration is a very complex and costly work. It requires high technologies, and for this reason international cooperation is very important in this field. Our goal at the international level is to establish firm relations of partnership with regional partners and with our neighbors. As far as Russia is concerned, we have vast opportunities in many fields of cooperation. We believe that we will be able to make much faster progress, if we manage to build firm relations of partnership based on mutually beneficial cooperation," he said. He recalled Turkeys space program, which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced in February. "As you may know, Turkey on February 9 unveiled its own space program to set goals for ten years ahead. This program reflects Turkeys main aims, which the country set in the space sphere, and also the steps being taken for achieving them. We have ten main goals and many subtasks. We fully support and have faith in the implementation of the strategies for achieving the goals set," the head of Turkeys space agency said. On February 10, Roscosmos said that Russia and Turkey were in talks on a bilateral inter-government agreement for developing cooperation in space. Roscosmos expects Turkey to present specific space cooperation proposals, including a Turkish astronauts space mission. As an industry, content marketing is still maturing. We hope that our research will help set baseline job titles and responsibilities so that content marketers have benchmarks for negotiating their pay. - said Tom Anderson, Managing Editor Magazines managing editor Being a great writer, editor or designer may be the most common entry point for content marketing careers, but data analytics and content strategy skills are the tickets to earning bigger salaries, the Managing Editor Career Survey Report 2021 finds. We want to empower content marketing professionals to shape their own careers and their paychecks, said Mary Ellen Slayter, publisher of Managing Editor. Content marketing is evolving so fast, and as the economy turns around this year, we want content marketers to be ready to jump in and add value. Managing Editors survey asked content marketers questions about their role at work, their pay and bonuses, their career experiences and ambitions, and the tools they use to manage projects. In total, 387 content marketers participated in the survey, including people working in B2C, B2B, nonprofit and government roles. The vast majority of respondents live in the U.S. Survey Highlights *B2B marketers reported higher earnings on the whole than their B2C peers and were more likely to be eligible for a bonus. *Data analytics was among the least favorite job responsibilities among respondents but its also one of the skills most correlated with higher earnings. *Managing bigger teams, 11 people or more, and bigger annual budgets, $100,000 or more, is also correlated with larger salaries. *Most content marketers are putting in long hours. In the U.S., the majority are working 41+ hours and many of those people are the top earners surveyed. Not surprisingly, most content marketers reported working full-time from home now. This year, 77% work remotely full-time, compared to 26% last year, and nearly 95% of content marketers have been on a Zoom call in the past year. The survey revealed that job titles and responsibilities are still highly variable, but noted that chief content officers, content directors and editorial directors are among the highest-paid roles, making $100,000+ per year. As an industry, content marketing is still maturing, said Managing Editor Magazines managing editor, Tom Anderson. We hope that our research will help set baseline job titles and responsibilities so that content marketers have benchmarks for negotiating their pay. Download the full report. About Managing Editor Managing Editor magazine celebrates and supports the most important role in content marketing today: the managing editor. We know you wear many hats writer, editor, designer, business strategist, enterprise tech buyer, content therapist and our mission is to give you the inspiration and career advice you need to succeed in this amazing, complex role. Managing Editor is nurtured and loved by the team at Rep Cap, a content marketing agency specializing in helping B2B companies create and execute their thought leadership and brand publishing strategies. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 13:09:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A girl receives the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 7, 2021. Nepal on Wednesday started administering the COVID-19 vaccines donated by China amid resurging COVID-19 cases. (Xinhua/Sulav Shrestha) KATHMANDU, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali government has decided to administer the COVID-19 vaccine donated by China on Wednesday amid resurging cases of novel coronavirus in the Himalayan country, an official of the Ministry of Health and Population said. On March 29, a batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines developed by Sinopharm was delivered to Nepal. "The Chinese vaccine will be inoculated among people starting from Wednesday," Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson at the health ministry, told a press conference. "Those involved in essential services, students studying in China under the Chinese government scholarship but are currently stuck in Nepal due to pandemic, Nepali students preparing to leave for China for the higher study and people involved in cross-border trade between Nepal and China will be inoculated with the Chinese vaccine." According to the ministry, essential workers include the people who are working in postal and telephone services, water supply and distribution, hotels and restaurant, public transportation services, electricity supply, storage and transportation of consumer goods, sales and distribution of medicines and the health workers who had missed out in the first phase of the vaccination drive that began on Jan. 27. Gautam said the Chinese vaccines would be administered from designated hospitals in Kathmandu Valley. The Nepali government is vaccinating with Chinese vaccines at a time when the number of COVID-19 cases has started to rise in Nepal. Nepal reported 176 COVID-19 cases on Monday. In early March, the cases went down below 50 per day. The Chinese vaccines arrived when the Himalayan country was struggling to get enough vaccines from other sources to continue its vaccination drive. Nepal has so far inoculated over 1.7 million people in two phases, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. On Feb. 17, the Nepali Department of Drug Administration approved the vaccine developed by China's Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd. under Sinopharm, for the emergency use in Nepal. Enditem New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an advanced chaff technology which will protect naval ships against enemy missile attack. Defence Laboratory Jodhpur (DLJ), a DRDO laboratory, has indigenously developed three variants of this critical technology, namely Short Range Chaff Rocket (SRCR), Medium-Range Chaff Rocket (MRCR) and Long Range Chaff Rocket (LRCR) meeting Indian Navy's qualitative requirements. DRDO said it has also gained the expertise to meet the futuristic threats from adversaries, which is a unique technology not available from outside. The technology is being given to industries for production in large quantities, it said. Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar has applauded DRDO efforts in developing strategically important technology indigenously in a short span and cleared for bulk production, the statement said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, Indian Navy and Industry for the achievement, it said. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D & Chairman, DRDO, Dr G Satheesh Reddy appreciated the efforts of teams involved in indigenous development of this vital technology to safeguard Indian Naval ships, it added. DRDO has developed an Advanced Chaff Technology to safeguard the naval ships against enemy missile attack. The three variants namely Short Range Chaff Rocket, Medium Range Chaff Rocket, and Long Range Chaff Rocket met Indian Navys qualitative requirements. #AtmaNirbharBharat pic.twitter.com/T1RVu3elaK DRDO (@DRDO_India) April 5, 2021 "Successful development of Advanced Chaff Technology by DL Jodhpur is one more step towards 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'", DRDO said Recently, the Indian Navy conducted trials of all three variants in the Arabian Sea on Indian Naval Ship and found the performance satisfactory. Chaff is a passive expendable electronic countermeasure technology used worldwide to protect naval ships from enemy's radar and RF missile seekers. "The importance of this development lies in the fact that very less quantity of chaff material deployed in the air acts as a decoy to deflect enemy`s missiles for the safety of our ships," the DRDO stated. DRDO has also gained the expertise to meet the futuristic threats from adversaries, which is a unique technology not available from outside. The technology is being given to industries for production in large quantities. Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral G. Ashok Kumar has applauded the DRDO efforts in developing strategically important technology indigenously in a short span and cleared for bulk production. Live TV Our team is dedicated to finding and telling you more about the products and deals we love. If you love them too and decide to purchase through the links below, we may receive a commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. These days, choosing a hair care brand is like choosing a foundation: There are a plethora of options to choose from, and its hard to know which one is right for you. Social media-famous hair care brand Dae is trying to change that. If you dont know, its an up-and-coming beauty brand thats been slowly blowing up on social media among hair care enthusiasts of all hair types. In fact, youve probably seen the brand featured in a lot of aesthetic photos on Instagram and TikTok. But dont let the visually minimalist packaging fool you: Its a brand built on simplicity, with results to help you through the every Dae ups and downs in your hair care journey. Credit: Sephora Buy Dae Shampoo Buy Dae Conditioner Buy Dae Deep Conditioner Based in Arizona and founded by Amber Fillerup Clark, Dae is sulfate-free, cruelty-free, vegan and is safe for color-treated hair. The brands line up now includes five hair products, including its deliciously citrus-scented shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioning treatment, hair oil, and leave-in conditioner, brands the newest addition. How Dae Hair Products Work On Textured Hair I have type 4 curly hair, and I noticed Dae using its products on hair types similar to mine. I headed to my local Sephora and snagged the shampoo, conditioner and deep conditioning treatment to try out for myself. The first thing I noticed was the amazing smell. Its like a blast of orange with a honey-like undertone. For those worried about artificial fragrances, the brand doesnt use any synthetic fragrances in any of its products, according to its website. The second thing I noticed was how much of a lather I built out of a nickel-sized drop. Im glad I started off with the travel size of the shampoo because a little goes a long way. The key is to add more water for a bigger lather. Despite there being no silicones in the formula, ingredients like moringa seed extract and oil give it enough slip to massage through your locks. Story continues Credit: Ari Bines for In The Know I tried the conditioner and deep conditioner on two different occasions. Both products had enough slip to detangle my hair with a shower brush, and it took me about 30 minutes in total to finish on both occasions. Though I didnt see a big difference between the conditioner or the deep conditioner (they could both pass for a deep conditioner, IMO), I loved the way they made my curls pop. On damp hair with the conditioner, I also applied the Innersense Organic Beauty I Create Lift Volumizing Foam for a twist-out style and achieved above look. After using the deep conditioner for the second wash day, I styled with the Aunt Jackies Grapeseed Ice Curls Jelly on soaking-wet hair. And, I have to say, this is what I consider a successful wash-and-go look for tighter textures. Credit: Ari Bines for In The Know To be honest, I think I stumbled upon something special with Daes hair products. A lot of hair care brands that cater to looser curl types dont necessarily think of textured hair, but my coily locks werent disappointed in Dae. In both the wash phase and the conditioning phases, I could see my natural curl pattern come through. My curls were defined and I was able to maintain my curl pattern days later. Many people have tried and true hair care routines and brands, but sometimes it doesnt always hurt to try something new. It just might work. If you liked this story, you might also enjoy this WldKat sleep mask review: A cloud-like moisturizer for all skin types More from In The Know: The best hair products at Nordstrom for under $25 15 of TikToks most-loved home products that are actually worth buying This standing desk is a home office essential and under $100 Cozy up in these warm-weather friendly loungewear pieces The post We tried Dae, the aesthetically-pleasing hair care brand youve seen all over social media appeared first on In The Know. Police believe the crash that killed a Sunshine Coast couple on Easter Sunday might have been a murder-suicide committed by the male driver when he drove into a tree. Emergency services, including specialist critical care paramedics, were called to the scene on David Low Way in Pacific Paradise, north of Maroochydore, about 7am. The 2016 white Nissan Qashqai SUV left the road and crashed into a tree, trapping the 68-year-old woman and her 69-year-old husband in the wreckage. The couple were freed and rushed to Sunshine Coast University Hospital, where the man died on Sunday and his wife died overnight. In a statement on Monday, Queensland police appealed for witnesses or anyone with dash-cam footage from the Paradise Point area at the time of the crash to come forward. President Joe Biden answers questions while returning to the White House in Washington on April 5, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Biden Claims Higher Tax Wont Drive Corporations Away A proposed increase in the corporate tax rate wont drive companies out of the United States, President Joe Biden said on April 5, as he vowed not to negotiate with Republicans over the higher rate. Speaking to reporters after arriving on The Ellipse in Washington, Biden said theres no evidence that increasing the rate to 28 percent will harm the economy or spur companies to look abroad. The tax was 36 percent, and its now down to 21 percent. The idea that thatits bizarre, were talking about a 28 percent tax that everybody thought was just fair enough for everybody, he said. Here you have 51 or 52 corporations in the Fortune 500 that havent paid a single penny in taxes for three years? Come on, man. Lets get real. Bidens $2 trillion infrastructure plan includes raising the corporate tax rate from 21 percent, where it has been since former President Donald Trumps 2017 tax cut slashed the rate from 35 percent. Biden also wants to impose a 15 percent minimum tax on large companies. The tax increases would fully pay for the infrastructure plan in 15 years, the White House claims. Republicans have largely opposed the proposal. Construction workers are pictured on the northeast cables of the George Washington Bridge, which is undergoing a multi-year reconstruction in New York City on March 30, 2021. (Mike Segar/Reuters) What the president proposed this week is not an infrastructure bill. Its a huge tax increase, for one thing. And its a tax increase on small businesses, on job creators in the United States of America, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the ranking member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, said on NBCs Meet the Press on April 4. If thats the package, a bunch of more borrowed money plus undoing the tax relief that drove our economy to a 50-year highI cant imagine that will be very appealing to many Republicans, added Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in Kentucky on April 5. One analysis found no evidence of widespread benefits of any kind resulting changes in corporate behaviors due to the lower corporate tax rate, although House Republicans said last year the rate cut spurred job creation and economic growth. Biden could struggle to get enough votes for his package because even a single Democrat defection in the 50-50 Senate would kill the bill if Democrats decide to pursue the reconciliation route, cutting out the need to draw support from 10 Republicans. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said April 5 that he didnt want to raise the corporate rate back to 28 percent, preferring a smaller increase to 25 percent. As the bill exists today, it needs to be changed, Manchin said during a radio show. If I dont vote to get on it, its not going anywhere. Theres six or seven other Democrats who feel very strongly about this. We have to be competitive, and were not going to throw caution to the wind. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington several hours later that the administration is open to hearing ideas and proposals from members and we encourage them to put them forward. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on April 4 that the administrations plan would see corporations pay their fair share at a rate, by the way, that would be lower than its been for most of my life. Aftermath: Floral tributes are left at the scene of the fatal collision on Springhill Avenue in west Belfast The family of a seven-year-old girl who died after being knocked down in west Belfast are "inconsolable", a priest has said. A woman in her 50s was arrested, questioned and then released on police bail following the tragedy on Saturday evening. Kaitlin McCoubrey-Fullerton was struck by a car and died at the scene of the collision in the Upper Springfield area of the city. People have been left in shock following the death of the little girl, the cleric and local representatives said. "It has left many local people reeling and my thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected at this time," said councillor Steven Corr. Kaitlin, the daughter of Andrew 'Fully' Fullerton and Jennifer McCoubrey of Sliabh Dubh View, was one of four children, all girls. Tributes and condolences were posted by dozens of people on social media, many referring to the passing of "an angel". The PSNI said: "Police can confirm that seven-year-old Kaitlin McCoubrey-Fullerton has died following a one-vehicle road traffic collision on Springhill Avenue, west Belfast, on Saturday evening." Superintendent Gillian Kearney said: "Shortly after 6.10pm, Kaitlin was struck by a car. Tragically, she passed away at the scene. "One person has been arrested and is assisting police with their enquiries. "Specially trained officers are continuing to provide support to those impacted during this difficult time." In a follow-up statement on Sunday, police said: "A woman in her 50s arrested by officers investigating the fatal road traffic collision in the Springhill Avenue area of west Belfast yesterday evening has been released on police bail pending further enquiries." Mallon Brothers Funeral Directors, in a post, said: "Kaitlin Rose fell asleep with the Angels 3rd April 2021." She was the "beloved daughter of Jennifer and Andrew, loving sister of Cliona, Shannon and Sophie much loved granddaughter of Jeanette McCoubrey". Fr Paddy McCafferty said the family was well-known in the community, while the children all attended local schools. "It's terribly difficult, there are no words to describe the tragedy that befell the family... the sheer horrific nature of what happened that came out of the blue," Fr McCafferty said. "The family is inconsolable, the whole community, really... just an awful situation." Fr McCafferty added that at Easter Mass on Sunday morning it was difficult to articulate how the tragedy had affected the community. Sinn Fein's Mr Corr said: "Our local community is shocked and saddened following the loss of this very young life. "I will liaise with the local families and community, and I appeal for the media to respect the privacy of the affected families during this very difficult time." People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll said: "Absolutely heartbreaking to hear about a young person and their family impacted by a road traffic accident in west Belfast today. "My thoughts are with the family and community trying to come to terms with this awful news." Police are appealing for further information from people who were in the area at the time, including anyone who may have dash-cam or CCTV footage. Meanwhile, police in Londonderry are appealing for witnesses and information after two teenage girls were struck by a hit-and-run driver. Officers were called to Lowry's Lane, just off the Glen Road, close to the entrance of Pairc Colmcille GAA pitch, shortly after midnight on Saturday. The girls, aged 15 and 16, were sitting on a footpath when they were struck. They were taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries, described as not serious. Constable Steven Toner said: "We can confirm as yet no persons have been arrested in relation to the incident and police are actively seeking to identify the driver of this vehicle. "We are appealing for witnesses to the collision, or anyone who recalls seeing a white vehicle with a male driver prior to the collision, to get in touch as soon as possible to assist the investigation. "In particular, we are appealing for information about a white vehicle, make and model unknown, that was present in the area at the time, and had a learner's 'L' plate on the rear window." A motorcyclist died after a collision on Lany Road in Moira, Co Down, on Saturday afternoon involving a telehandler vehicle. The crash happened shortly after 3pm. The victim died at the scene. Earlier last week musician Alisdair Wallace died following a two-vehicle collision, also in Co Down. The 63-year-old was best known as a trumpeter at pantos in the Grand Opera House. John Linehan, aka panto star May McFettridge, described Mr Wallace as "really special" person. "I'm shattered," the comedian said. "Al was a very gifted musician." Salesforce, San Franciscos largest private employer, was among 55 major U.S. companies that paid no federal income taxes in 2020, according to a new report. The cloud computing giant had $2.6 billion in net income in its 2021 fiscal year ending on Jan. 31, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Instead of paying around half a billion dollars in taxes based on the corporate tax rate of 21% the company is receiving a $12 million refund, according to the Institute for Tax and Economic Policy, a non-partisan think tank that issued the report. Salesforce had no net tax liability over the last three years, with a net effective tax rate of -0.1%, according to the institute. FedEx and Palo Alto-based Hewlett-Packard were some of the other companies that didnt pay federal taxes. The institute said Salesforce benefited from writing off executive stock-option-related expenses. Sunnyvale semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices and Nike also used the practice and paid zero in taxes, according to the report. Salesforce has over 10,000 employees in San Francisco and is the citys largest private employer. The company declined to comment. Other tax benefits used by companies included research and experimentation credits, renewable energy credits and companies writing off capital investments. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff was a champion of a 2018 San Francisco tax measure, Proposition C, which he said would increase the companys annual taxes by $10 million to $12 million, which he described as an insignificant amount. The measure, to fund housing and homelessness services, passed a year after the Trump administration and Congress cut corporate income taxes from 35% to 21%, which benefited Salesforce and many other companies. Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available. Salesforce told Wired magazine in 2019 that it did not take a position on the federal tax cuts and that it lobbied on two minor items. The company previously said it has contributed over $150 million to Bay Area philanthropic efforts, including in education, homelessness, small business assistance and workforce training initiatives. Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf GRANTS PASS, Ore. --- A 26-year-old Grants Pass man has been booked on charges of murder, corpse abuse and other offenses in the deaths of two men whose bodies were found in a burned car in southwest Oregon. The suspect was apprehended during a traffic stop in Cave Junction on Thursday and booked into the Josephine County Jail. Booking records did not specify a date for the defendant's first court appearance. The bodies of 24-year-old Daniel T. Hill and 26-year-old Paul M. Folk, both of Josephine County, were found March 24 in a remote, on a rough logging road, south of Lake Selmac. YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. The chair of the European Parliaments Subcommittee on Security and Defence Nathalie Loiseau has expressed concern over the protection of Armenian heritage in parts of Nagorno Karabakh which have gone under Azerbaijani control after the 2020 war. In an article for La Croix newspaper, Loiseau stated that Armenian churches such as the St. Mariam Church of Mekhakavan, the Saint John the Baptist Church (Kanach Zham) in Shushi, the St. Yeghishe Church in Mataghis have been vandalized, desecrated or destroyed after the territories fell under Azeri control. Every day, monuments or cemeteries are being destroyed. There are all grounds to fear that this destruction will continue at full swing, the MEP stated, reminding the destructions of Armenian churches and monuments in Nakhichevan, and the complete demolishment of the Armenian cemetery in Hin Jugha. The MEP highlights statements made by high-ranking Azerbaijani officials, such as Azeri leader Ilham Aliyev who called for removing Armenian writings from the churches, and distorted history by claiming that these Armenian churches are buildings of Albanians of the Caucasus, or the Director of Azerbaijans Union of Architects who expressed his desire that all churches in Karabakh will get destroyed. MEP Loiseau alarmed that the international community is indifferent over the matter, instead of doing everything it can to preserve the cultural legacy. She noted that the attacks against cultural legacy is part of ethnic cleansing. For the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh crisis it is necessary for us to take more comprehensive actions and display greater determination, all captives must be released, all borders and exits to Karabakh must be open, the de-mining must be completed. All this requires a strong international presence, she said. I am calling on the Minsk Group Co-Chairs France, USA and Russia to interfere in Azerbaijan. I am calling on the European Union to use the Eastern Partnership ties to receive clear assurances from Baku that the Armenian cultural legacy will be preserved, MEP Loiseau said. She also addressed UNESCO, urging the organization not to give in to threats. Dont let the churches of Nagorno Karabakh get destroyed, she said. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan With the signing of this bill, we now at last bargain from a level playing field with the ability to at last reject the chronic classroom overcrowding, incompetent and wasteful third party contracting, and the desperate shortage of school nurses, social workers, counselors and other chronic staffing needs that have plagued our schools for years, CTU President Jesse Sharkey said in a statement. Investors saw the Pound to South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) exchange rate retreat last week, as the Rand was bolstered by President Cyril Ramaphosa decision not to impose stricter coronavirus restrictions over the Easter break. Last Week: GBP/ZAR Exchange Rate Slumps amid Relief over South African Restrictions The South African Rand (ZAR) struck higher against the Pound (GBP) and the majority of its peers this week as ZAR investors expressed their relief that the South African government opted to keep South Africa on level 1 lockdown and not impose stricter restrictions over Easter. Speaking on Tuesday President Cyril Ramaphosa, said: We have made significant progress in bringing the pandemic under control. Over the last few days, we have sought the advice of experts and consulted with representatives of provincial and local government and traditional leaders on what measures should be put in place over the coming long weekend to prevent a new outbreak of infections. Given the relatively low transmission levels, we have decided to keep the country on coronavirus Alert Level 1. Also offering some support to the Rand were South Africas latest trade figures, which revealed a much sharper-than-expected expansion of the countrys trade surplus in February. At the same time, while it retreated against the South African Rand (ZAR) this week, the Pound (GBP) proved more robust against the majority of its other peers. Sterling received an initial boost thanks to Boris Johnson, as the PM expressed his optimism that his roadmap for easing lockdown was still on track. Johnson said: I can see absolutely nothing in the data to dissuade me from continuing along our roadmap to freedom, unlocking our economy and getting back to the life we love. Following a slight pullback as GBP investors erred on the side of caution, the Pound then strengthened again following the publication of the UKs latest GDP figures. According to data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the UK economy grew by 1.3% in the latest quarter of 2020, beating the previous estimate of a 1% expansion. Sterling then also benefitted from the UKs finalised manufacturing PMI for March after it was also revised higher and revealed activity in the UKs factory sector struck its highest levels in a decade. Duncan Brock, Group Director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, commented: The floodgates to new business, rising confidence and more jobs were opened in March with the highest index level since the last recession and green shoots of recovery popped up across the UK as the global marketplace improved. GBP/ZAR Exchange Rate Outlook Looking ahead to next weeks session, we may see the Pound to Rand (GBP/ZAR) may mount a recovery as the UK government is expected to give the official go ahead for non-essential retail in England to reopen on 12 April. However, GBP investors will still be keeping a close eye on UK coronavirus statistics as any signs that Europes coronavirus resurgence has spill across the Channel could lead health experts to pressure the government to delay phase two of its reopening plan. On the data front, the publication of the UKs latest services PMI may offer some support to Meanwhile, in the absence of any notable domestic releases, we may see market sentiment start to influence the Rand once again, potentially leading to the Rand relinquishing some of its recent gains if a risk-off mood continues to prevail. ALBION, MI -- Albion College is offering a $1,000 reward for information that could identify whoever left racist graffiti in a university building last week, the president said in a statement Monday. Graffiti featuring racist epithets and multiple references to the Klu Klux Klan was discovered on a stairwell inside Mitchell Towers on Friday, April 2, university officials confirmed. The racist and anti-Semitic actions taken on our campus over the last week are cowardly and will not be tolerated, Albion President Mathew Johnson said in a statement. We are outraged and angered that this incident occurred within our community. In addition to caring for and protecting the students most directly impacted, and addressing the safety concerns of the broader student body, we are currently investigating who is responsible for racist graffiti on our campus. Related: Racist graffiti found in stairwell at Albion College Johnson said the liberal arts college intends to seek criminal charges for whoever is involved in the graffiti. Additionally, if the person or people behind the graffiti are Albion students, they could face suspension or expulsion through a student conduct process. We strongly support the organizing that BIPOC students, alumni and community members are doing to draw the community together and rally against this racism, Johnson said in the statement. It is our responsibility to continuously reaffirm our commitment to inclusivity and belonging. Our campus community shares the strength needed to overcome the fear these incidents create. Pictures of the graffiti were posted by City Watch NEWS Group on Friday on its Facebook page. MORE JACKSON NEWS: 4 Jackson City Council seats up for grabs in 2021 election Michigan coronavirus data for Monday, April 5: States positivity rate exceeds peak of fall surge Jackson-area female wrestlers spur growth, change in wrestling community Some Vietnamese netizens have said that H&M (in China) has posted a "problematic" map that violates Vietnam's maritime sovereignty and called for boycott of this Swedish fashion brand. A store of H&M in Vietnam. Recently, famous fashion brands such as H&M (Sweden), Burberry (UK), Nike, New Balance (USA) and Adidas (Germany) announced that they would stop using cotton from Xinjiang because of concerns about forced labor and discrimination against the Uighurs in Xinjiang, a cotton-producing region in northwestern China. This had led to a boycott against international fashion brands in China. H&M and some major brands had to close a series of their stores in China. They also faced criticism from the Chinese government, and were accused of infringing on the rights and legitimate interests of consumers. China has imposed sanctions on four organizations and nine individuals from Britain, and has confirmed sanctions against 10 individuals in Europe because of the Xinjiang issue. The apps of H&M, Nike, Adidas and others were also removed from Chinese app stores. Recently, the international media reported that Chinese authorities said the Swedish fashion brand H&M had agreed to change the "problematic map" on the internet after being criticized by Beijing. According to the AP, the Shanghai government said internet users had reported "problematic maps" on the H&M website. The Shanghai Department of Planning and Resources asked the Swedish company to quickly fix the map. H&M then "agreed to the request of the Chinese authorities". H&M is working to defuse Chinese anger and assert that its commitments to the country seem to have failed. H&M has issued a conciliatory statement in response to the company's controversies about discontinuing Xinjiang cotton. In particular, H&M said China is a very important market. H&M said it wanted to be a responsible purchaser in China in the latest announcement. In addition, the Swedish brand is also willing to work with stakeholders to build a more sustainable fashion industry. Some users and groups on social networks said that H&M (in China) had recently changed the image of the map containing Chinese Illegal "cow's tongue line". This was said to be a move to calm Chinese public opinion. However, this violates Vietnam's territorial sovereignty and the provisions of international maritime law. On social networks, many Vietnamese users have called on others to share protest articles and use the hashtags #hmgetoutofvietnam, #taychayHM, #HoangSaTruongSabelongtoVietNam on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. On Facebook, a group calling for a boycott against H&M was formed. A man named Viet Tu, a customer of H&M in Hanoi, wrote on his Facebook: "As a longtime customer of H&M, I boycott its products and ask the company to take appropriate action." I heard that H&M officially changed the map after receiving one-way feedback. If it is true, then I will boycott this brand immediately. I support local Vietnamese brands that are both cheap and nicer than a Western brand that defends this problematic map, wrote a Facebooker named Le Tu Quynh. A Facebook user named An An wrote: We still have many other options for our children and families, so there is no need to support a brand that disregards Vietnamese consumers and violates Vietnams independence and territorial integrity rights." However, consumers cannot find the "problematic" map on H&M's website. Information about the map from foreign news agencies is not clear. The maps shared online do not indicate the original "problematic" content that China warned H&M about. H&M has not had a specific response. In Vietnam, H&M opened its first store in Ho Chi Minh City in September 2017. Just two months later, H&M launched a store in Hanoi. So far, H&M has 12 stores in Vietnam, including five stores in Hanoi, four stores in Ho Chi Minh City and three stores in Can Tho, Da Nang and Ha Long. The "U-shaped line" or "nine-dash line" is the concept China uses to claim historic rights over nearly the entire East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea), which is in contrast to international law. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) issued a ruling affirming that China's claim has no legal basis. Vietnam has repeatedly declared that it does not accept Chinas illegal cow's tongue line. Even the US State Department has also stated that Chinas "U-shaped line" in the East Sea is "ridiculous and illegal". Bao Anh/Phong Vu Strict sanctions imposed on importers of autos with illegal maps Enterprises that import automobiles equipped with navigation apps featuring maps that violate Vietnams sovereignty will have their import licenses suspended. Burkenroad investment conference scheduled Tulane Universitys A.B. Freeman School of Business will hold its 24th Annual Burkenroad Reports Investment Conference virtually from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 23. The event is hosted by finance professor Peter Ricchiuti, who tracks regional stocks across the South through the university's Burkenroad Reports. The morning will include presentations by dozens of small- and midcap company executives. A midday panel discussion will cover environmental, social and governance sustainability and resilience within public companies. A fireside chat with Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist, at Charles Schwab & Co. will close the event. Registration for the conference is at https://freeman.tulane.edu/burkenroad-reports/virtual-investment-conference. Details and instructions will be emailed to participants after completing registration. 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 Business retention, expansion course set Registration has started for a virtual business retention and expansion course that will be held May 12-13 by the Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association. Hours for the course's two days are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The interactive course explores why concerns of local businesses need to be addressed; business visitation techniques and survey methods that help gauge the community's business climate; "red flags" that might indicate a company is looking to move elsewhere; and how to structure a technical assistance program to respond to business concerns. The course also helps participants understand how a business retention and expansion program relates to attraction, workforce development, small business finance, technology transfer and other economic development activities. Early registration through April 9 is $200 for association members $200 and $250 for nonmembers. Regular registration April 10-30 increase by $50. Information and registration are at www.lideatraining.com. Taurangas National Jazz Festival manager Marc Anderson is enthusing about the last five days of jazz in Tauranga. The great weather, great music and great support from the public made it a very good few days, says Marc. The bands were of exceptional quality, out of this world. We thought it was very successful, and I really enjoyed that people from Tauranga came out and enjoyed the wonderful music. As Marc walked around the downtown carnival on Saturday and Sunday he discovered that everybody around him was smiling. It was a really great atmosphere. And we were very lucky with the weather. I was just amazed at the support that the local bars gave us. And there was very good support from the visitors as well, says Marc. Large crowds listened to the bands playing in Red Square. Photo: Supplied. It was Tauranga at its very best, says Derek Jacombs from local band Kokomo. Wharf Street was packed out. The whole of downtown Tauranga was buzzing, there was a great line up of bands, and perfect weather. Kokomo was on stage for a 75 minute set in the Red Square on Saturday playing mostly original songs, and took to the Wharf Street stage on Sunday for another performance, starting each set with their new song Sun Dog. There were people dancing all over the place downtown, says Derek. We were absolutely delighted to be asked to be part of such a great festival. Kokomo on stage with Damian Forling from Shaken Not Stirred. Photo: Supplied. Kokomo, which is celebrating their 30th anniversary this year actually formed as a band after a performance at the 1991 Tauranga Jazz Festival. It went really well, and it was because of that, that Kokomo, or Kokomo Blues as it was called then, was first formed. Weve played on and off through the years at the festival, says Derek. Like Marc, Derek is also waxing lyrical about this years festival. I thought it was absolutely brilliant, says Derek, who also enjoyed the TECT Village Jazz event. Blue sky, fine day perfect weather for three days. The village was brilliant. I cant say enough for all the bands I heard downtown. Collision were brilliant, also the Holy Pocket, Catriona Fallon, the Afrolites were terrific, Shaken not Stirred were just brilliant. We were absolutely chuffed to be part of it. The sound guys at each of the stages did fantastic work too, it was a perfect day in Tauranga, went very smoothly. The addition of Wharf St this year added a new dimension to the downtown carnival on Saturday and Sunday. The council have done a great job developing that as it offers another place to hang out in the CBD and another place to eat drink and have fun. It has enhanced the festival, definitely, says Marc. Just to have the opportunity to have another stage and show off more musicians was brilliant. Crowds enjoying the new Wharf Street precinct. Photo: Supplied. There were also big crowds at the [Tauranga Historic] Village on Friday, says Marc. That was exciting to be involved with and see how music can create such goodness. Marc was also impressed with the 43rd National Youth Jazz Competition which ran from March 31 to April 1. That was a very good effort by Mandy and Liam Ryan to encourage 400 kids to come and express themselves, says Marc. It was very emotional seeing young kids do what they love in an environment that is special. The people at Baycourt were fantastic. Just to see the enthusiasm of youth from all New Zealand was brilliant. I feel humbled to be a part of the Jazz Festival this year to make it happen. I think the Jazz Festival is a really good way of bringing talented musicians and music and people to our area. People enjoying the jazz at Good Friday's Tect Village Festival at Tauranga Historic Village. Photo: Daniel Hines/SunLive. New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah cut short his visit to Assam in the wake of the Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh and asked security forces to launch a massive operation against Naxal outfits in Chhattisgarh following detailed discussions with top intelligence and security officials. Specific instructions have been given to eliminate top Naxal commander Hidma who is said to be behind the attack that left 22 jawans dead. Initial investigations have confirmed use of sophisticated weapons like AK and Insas rifles, Light Machine Gun (LMG) and rocket launchers by Naxals in the brutal attack. Following these instructions a massive operation has been launched by security forces along the Sukma-Bijapur border. One of the soldiers is still said to be missing and a combing operation is on to trace him. Director-general CRPF, Kuldiep Singh, reached Chhattisgarh early Sunday morning to review the situation. Mr Singh along with CRPF ADG (HQ) Zulfiqar Hassan and IG (Operations) Nalin Prabhat and senior officials of the Chhattisgarh Police held a meeting to decide on future strategy for anti-Naxal operations. Senior security officials claimed that after this massive attack the Naxals managed to escape with weapons, bullet-proof jackets, and even the shoes of those killed in the incident. Reports suggest that Naxal too suffered heavy casualties. Sources claim that anything between 9-15 Naxals were killed in the encounter even as security forces were trying to establish the exact figure. Mr Shah condoled the deaths of security personnel in Chhattisgarh. "We will continue our fight against these enemies of peace & progress," he tweeted. The home minister also had a detailed telephonic discussion with Chattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel following the attack. The encounter took place along the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chhattisgarh on Saturday afternoon near Jonnaguda village. Security forces got trapped along a two-km long stretch of the forest area. The exact spot where the incident happened was barely 15 km from the Tarrem base camp of security forces. The ambush, security sources said, was similar to the one carried out by Naxals in Tadmetla in 2010 and Minapa in 2020. New Delhi: In a horrific incident, fire broke out at a firecracker factory in North 24 Parganas district's Amdanga in West Bengal on Monday. Twenty people got injured in the fire. Fire tenders were called to spot to douse the flames. Earlier on Sunday, 8 people lost their lives and 25 got injured after fire broke out at a firecracker factory in Jharkhand's Kumardubi. Fire broke out in a house where a huge quantity of firecrackers were stored illegally in Jamshedpurs East Singhbhum district, a senior police officer said. Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) (Ghatsila) Arvind Kumar Lal said a wall of the house collapsed in the fire and some people are feared trapped under it. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A young Ballinamore man has been jailed for a total of three months, after he pleaded guilty to a string of offences that happened in March and October of last year. Twenty-five-year-old Evan Moran King from Lahard, Ballinamore pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to the passenger door of Ellen Mitchell's car, causing 400 of damage, on October 8 at Lahard last year. He also pleaded guilty to a number of charges under the Domestic Violence Act on the same date and location. The defendant also pleaded guilty to assaulting Garda James Stenson causing him harm on the same date and at the same location. He pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to a flowerpot belonging to his mother Pauline Moran and also to assaulting Pauline Moran on the same date and at the same location. And he pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to the backdoor and window of the home of Pauline Moran on March 10 last year at the same location and to a charge under the Domestic Violence Act at the same venue. Garda James Stenson told the court that he got a call to go Lahard at 6.15pm where the defendant had breached a Safety Order. He spoke to Pauline Mahon and her daughter who were next door and he was told that the defendant had entered the house through the front window after a verbal disagreement with another female and he knocked his mother Pauline Moran to the ground He also broke a vase. The garda got the defendant out the back door and as he knew him, he did not put any restraints on him. But before they reached the garda car the defendant, according to Garda Stenson, turned on me; they struggled and went back on the bonnet of Pauline Morans car and he hit the garda as he lashed out with his feet and cut the officer on the forehead. The defendant then fled. But help was on the way and the defendant was found lying in brambles and he was brought to Carrick- on-Shannon garda station. The garda said he knew the defendant and his family very well and when the defendant was off drink and drugs, he was fine, but he has addiction issues and when he is in a certain state it is impossible to talk to him. A week after he incident, the defendant rang the garda to apologise. Defence solicitor Orla Ellis said her client had a problem with drink and drugs. But he was trying to change his life around and had apologised to Garda Stenson off his own bat. He was aware of the distress he had caused and has a lot of work to do to improve matters with his mother. The defendant had been in jail for some time and the solicitor asked that her client be given a chance and asked for a non-custodial sentence. The defendant also had mental health issues and had been hospitalised as a result. Judge Kilrane, at Sligo District Court, asked the defendant, who had appeared by video link, as to how he was getting on in jail. Fine, as good as I can , I am taking it day by day. I dont want to be here, but I know there are not a lot of other options for me at the minute, the defendant said. The judge asked the defendant as to what his plans were when he would be released from jail. The defendant said he wanted to get away from his home place and go and see his father in England. He said he was not sure if his father knew that he was in jail. The court heard the defendant had previous convictions for public order matters and breach of a Barring Order. Judge Kevin Kilrane said the defendant undoubtedly had problems, but he had to take responsibility for his actions because it is out there. The judge said he had got many chances before and his mother did not want to see him. The defendant made promises and he was back in the family home in Ballinamore, in her maternal care, but there were difficulties with alcohol and perhaps other substances. I have to impose a jail sentence and I will keep it as short as possible, he said, adding that the defendant was going to have to address his issues. You are a young man of 25 and you should not be hanging around Ballinamore collecting unemployment. You should be out at work. The judge added that this might happen if he contacted his father in England as he had nobody else at present. Judge Kilrane said the defendants time in jail will give him a chance to reflect and the court was recommending that he get help in jail through counselling and help with his addiction issues. He jailed the defendant for a total of three months on a number of charges and took the others into consideration. I hope everything goes well for you and you dont come out with the problems you had going in. Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox speaks during a briefing at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Jan. 8, 2021. (Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News via AP) Utah Law Requires Fathers to Pay Half of Pregnancy Costs Biological fathers in Utah are now legally required to pay half of the medical costs associated with the mothers pregnancy and delivery, under a measure recently signed into law by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox. The legislation received widespread support in the GOP-controlled chamber. Under the new law, fathers are required to pay 50 percent of a mothers insurance premiums and other pregnancy-related medical costsincluding the hospital birth of the childthat arent paid by another person. The new law only applies to fathers whose paternity can be confirmed. If an abortion is performed without the consent of the father, he wont be financially responsible unless the termination of the pregnancy was necessary to prevent the death of the mother or if the pregnancy was the result of rape. In March last year, former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed into law House Bill 136, which would ban abortion in the state after 18 weeks gestation, with some exceptions. Governor of Utah Gary Herbert speaks during Salt Lake Opening Night Screening Of The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind Presented By Zions Bank during 2019 Sundance Film Festival at Rose Wagner Theatre in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 25, 2019. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images) The exceptions to the 18-week ban include cases when doctors determine a fetus is not viable or that giving birth to the child would put a mother at serious risk, and cases of rape and incest. Republican Rep. Brady Brammer, who sponsored the Utah measure, said he had grown frustrated with the number of merely anti-abortion measures going through the Legislature and wanted to pursue a measure that would make it easier to bring life into the world. We want to help people and actually be pro-life in how we do it as opposed to anti-abortion, Brammer said. One of the ways to help with that was to help the burden of pregnancy be decreased. According to Utahs Planned Parenthood Association and sponsors of the bill, the state appears to be the first in mandating prenatal child support. Republican Rep. Brady Brammer, poses for a portrait at the Utah State Capitol on Jan. 30, 2020, in Salt Lake City. (Rick Bowmer/AP Photo) The move has been applauded by pro-life activists, saying it will protect the lives of unborn children by supporting women through their pregnancy. Abortion activists and Democratic lawmakers have questioned whether the new law will actually help to cover costs and whether it will actually meet womens needs. In the grand scheme of things, having a child and raising them to adulthood is going to be a lot more money, Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Katrina Barker said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From NTD News A woman casts her ballot during parliamentary elections in the town of during the parliamentary elections in the town of Bankya, Bulgaria, Sunday, April 4, 2021. Bulgarians are heading to the polls on Sunday to cast ballots for a new parliament after months of anti-government protests and amid a surge of coronavirus infections. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) WASHINGTON, April 5, 2021 -- For centuries, people in Baltic nations have used ancient amber for medicinal purposes. Even today, infants are given amber necklaces that they chew to relieve teething pain, and people put pulverized amber in elixirs and ointments for its purported anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. Now, scientists have pinpointed compounds that help explain Baltic amber's therapeutic effects and that could lead to new medicines to combat antibiotic-resistant infections. The researchers will present their results today at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Spring 2021 is being held online April 5-30. Live sessions will be hosted April 5-16, and on-demand and networking content will continue through April 30. The meeting features nearly 9,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics. Each year in the U.S., at least 2.8 million people get antibiotic-resistant infections, leading to 35,000 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We knew from previous research that there were substances in Baltic amber that might lead to new antibiotics, but they had not been systematically explored," says Elizabeth Ambrose, Ph.D., who is the principal investigator of the project. "We have now extracted and identified several compounds in Baltic amber that show activity against gram-positive, antibiotic-resistant bacteria." Ambrose's interest originally stemmed from her Baltic heritage. While visiting family in Lithuania, she collected amber samples and heard stories about their medicinal uses. The Baltic Sea region contains the world's largest deposit of the material, which is fossilized resin formed about 44 million years ago. The resin oozed from now-extinct pines in the Sciadopityaceae family and acted as a defense against microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, as well as herbivorous insects that would become trapped in the resin. Ambrose and graduate student Connor McDermott, who are at the University of Minnesota, analyzed commercially available Baltic amber samples, in addition to some that Ambrose had collected. "One major challenge was preparing a homogeneous fine powder from the amber pebbles that could be extracted with solvents," McDermott explains. He used a tabletop jar rolling mill, in which the jar is filled with ceramic beads and amber pebbles and rotated on its side. Through trial and error, he determined the correct ratio of beads to pebbles to yield a semi-fine powder. Then, using various combinations of solvents and techniques, he filtered, concentrated and analyzed the amber powder extracts by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Dozens of compounds were identified from the GC-MS spectra. The most interesting were abietic acid, dehydroabietic acid and palustric acid -- 20-carbon, three-ringed organic compounds with known biological activity. Because these compounds are difficult to purify, the researchers bought pure samples and sent them to a company that tested their activity against nine bacterial species, some of which are known to be antibiotic resistant. "The most important finding is that these compounds are active against gram-positive bacteria, such as certain Staphylococcus aureus strains, but not gram-negative bacteria," McDermott says. Gram-positive bacteria have a less complex cell wall than gram-negative bacteria. "This implies that the composition of the bacterial membrane is important for the activity of the compounds," he says. McDermott also obtained a Japanese umbrella pine, the closest living species to the trees that produced the resin that became Baltic amber. He extracted resin from the needles and stem and identified sclarene, a molecule present in the extracts that could theoretically undergo chemical transformations to produce the bioactive compounds the researchers found in Baltic amber samples. "We are excited to move forward with these results," Ambrose says. "Abietic acids and their derivatives are potentially an untapped source of new medicines, especially for treating infections caused by gram-positive bacteria, which are increasingly becoming resistant to known antibiotics." ### A press conference on this topic will be held Monday, April 5, at 11 a.m. Eastern time online at http://www. acs. org/ acsspring2021conferences . The researchers acknowledge support and funding from the University of Minnesota Engebretson Drug Design and Development Grant and the Office of the Vice President for Research Grant-in-Aid of Research, Artistry, and Scholarship Program. The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS' mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a specialist in scientific information solutions (including SciFinder and STN), its CAS division powers global research, discovery and innovation. ACS' main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio. To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org. Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society. Follow us: Twitter | Facebook Title Paleopharmaceuticals: Prospective drugs from Baltic amber Abstract Amber is formed through the fossilization of tree resin from various species of pine and pine-like trees over millions of years. The largest known deposits of amber, which originate from now extinct conifers of the family Sciadopityaceae, are located in the Baltic Sea region. Amber from this region, referred to as Baltic amber, has been used medicinally for centuries due to its immune-boosting, wound-healing, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, antifungal, and anticancer properties. Despite its well-established use in folk medicine, a comprehensive study of the bioactive constituents of Baltic amber has yet to be conducted to explain its therapeutic effects. Furthermore, fossils are an under investigated yet promising source of novel drug scaffolds due to the transformations that occur during the fossilization process and the different metabolic products generated by extinct species. Here we report optimized conditions for extraction and identification of compounds present in Baltic amber. We also present a comparison of the compounds extracted from samples of Baltic amber and Sciadopitys verticillata, the closest living relative to the extinct conifers that produced the resin that became Baltic amber. Finally, we report in vitro antibacterial activity data for parent structures of the identified compounds of interest. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has called for a review into how the police department handles foot pursuits of suspects after cop shot and killed a 13-year-old boy. Lightfoot's request came Monday, exactly one week after Adam Toledo was shot dead by a cop in the 2300-block of South Sawyer. 'We cannot and will not push the foot pursuit reform off for another day,' Lightfoot said Monday during a press conference. 'No longer can we afford to put off to tomorrow what we can address today because lives are truly at stake.' The Civilian Office for Police Accountability is tasked with the investigation of police-involved shootings and announced Friday that it would be releasing the video of the shooting only after Toledo's family and their attorney review the tragic footage. Under the city policy, the agency has 60 days to release the material. DailyMail.com reached out to the Civilian Office for Police Accountability for comment. Adam Toledo was shot and killed by a police officer during a foot pursuit in the West Side of Chicago on March 29 after he was seen fleeing with 21-year-old Ruben Roman Jr. The Chicago Police Department dispatched a unit to the 2300-block of South Sawyer following reports of at least eights shots that had been fired. Toledo was shot following an 'armed confrontation' with a police officer. The agent who killed Toledo has been placed on administrative leave Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot demanded Monday a reform of the Chicago Police Department's foot pursuit policy, exactly one week after 13-year-old Adam Toledo was shot and killed by a police officer he was fleeing from. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability announced last Friday that it will be releasing footage Elizabeth Toledo (left) issued a plea on Sunday calling for gangs in Chicago not to seek retaliation against the Chicago Police Department after one of its agents was involved in shooting and killing her 13-year-old son, Adam Toledo (right), last Monday The Chicago Police Department released a photo of the gun that was recovered from the scene after one of its officers shot and killed Adam Toledo last Monday The Chicago Police Department said Toledo fled with Ruben Roman Jr., 21, before a police officer, whose name has not been publicly released, shot the teenage boy. The cop was placed on administrative leave for 30 days. According to the Washington Post, Toledo is the youngest person killed by the police in Chicago since at least 2015. The police released a photo of a gun that was recovered from the scene, but have not said whether Toledo fired at the police while he was being chased. 'We will not tolerate [gangs] using our children pawns and setting them up for a life of misery... here is where we must, must draw the line,' Lightfoot said. 'I am determined. We will find the person who put this gun in Adam's hand. We will not be deterred by threats from gang members. An adult must be responsible for putting that gun in that child's hand.' Fraternal Order of Police in Chicago union president John Catanzara issued a video statement claiming the shooting footage would clear the police officer who killed Toledo of any wrongdoing. 'The officer was absolutely shaken by the circumstances of which happened that night because a life was taken. But it was justified,' Catanzara said. 'The offender was fleeing from the police with a weapon. It's irregardless that he was 13 years old.' According to his mother, Adam Toledo has dreams of becoming a police officer Elizabeth Toledo came forward over the weekend and issued a plea for calm following reports that members of the Latin Kings gang planned on seeking revenge for her son's death by shooting at unmarked police vehicles. 'No one has anything to gain by inciting violence,' she said via a statement Sunday. 'Adam was a sweet and loving boy. He would not want anyone else to be injured or die in his name.' Adam Toledo and Roman Jr. were seen fleeing by the police after responding to a call of eight shots in Chicago's West Side on March 29 at 2:30 am. The police said there was an 'armed confrontation' before the shot Toledo once in the chest. Toledo died at the scene and Roman Jr. was apprehended for resisting arrest. Attorney Adeena Ortiz said Elizabeth Toledo did not learn of her son's death until Wednesday. Toledo said her son had hopes of joining law enforcement. 'He was so full of life. They just took it away from him,' she said. Police department stats released last Thursday showed there were 131 homicides reported in the first three months of 2021, compared to 98 during the same period last year. At least 706 people were shot through the end of March. Chicago did not report its 500th shooting victim in 2020 until April. All members of the Traveller community should be given a medical card because of endemic health inequalities laid bare by shocking new Covid statistics, it has been urged. Ronnie Fay of Pavee Point made the call for comprehensive free health coverage after fresh figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). They show Travellers account for three-quarters of all viral outbreaks in at-risk groups since the start of the third wave. There have been 355 such outbreaks among socially excluded groups in congregated settings, amounting to 3,863 cases. The largest share of these outbreaks is among the Traveller community, members of whom account for four fifths of all infections and nine out of ten hospitalisations within the category. Read More Officially, there have been eight deaths among Travellers since last October, which Pavee Point believes is an undercount, saying it knows of at least 15 since the crisis began. In the most recent reporting window the last week of March there were 21 outbreaks and 112 cases among the Traveller population, according to Junior Health Minister Frankie Feighan. Ms Fay said Pavee Point recognised that further infections, and possibly even deaths, could be happening because a minority of Travellers were defying public health advice and that of the organisation in order to attend funerals. There is a culture within the Traveller community that there is a lack of respect shown if you do not attend a funeral, she said. Some Travellers do not do as they are asked but then look at the Dublin GAA team. There are people who are supposedly better educated and better informed who do not behave responsibly. Mr Feighan said the high incidence of Covid outbreaks among Travellers was concerning, and agreed it reflected living conditions but also the tradition of family and communal events, such as funerals and christenings. The HSE has prioritised Travellers in terms of detection, case management and contact tracing. But Ms Fay said patients faced being asked the question of whether the infected person was a member of the Travelling community and some may not be co-operating with such questions because there is an embedded racism towards Travellers, she said, We have asked that all Travellers be given a medical card given the health inequality they experience, she added. Not everyone faces the same risk from Covid. It is clear from the data that the impact on homeless and addiction (categories) has been less than expected. In the area of addiction, there have been 10 outbreaks involving 60 cases. Among the homeless, the figures show 24 outbreaks and 163 cases. And among the Roma community, there have been 11 outbreaks and 72 cases. Read More Experts today lined up to attack Number 10 for a bold new plan to screen the entire nation for coronavirus twice a week using lateral flow tests. Critics of the controversial kits which offer results in half an hour called the scheme beyond reckless, a 'public health disaster' and a 'scandalous' waste of taxpayers' cash. Others said the only silver lining was that millions of inaccurate tests Downing St had already bought would not go to landfill unused. Britain has agreed to buy at least 2.8billion of US firm Innovas rapid lateral flow test kits, which spot about 80 per cent of cases, to go at the heart of the mass-swabbing scheme. Lateral flow tests are already being used in care homes and schools to allow visits and keep classrooms open. Under Boris Johnsons ambitious strategy as lockdown eases, they will be available for free at testing sites, pharmacies and through the post. But several top experts are concerned about dishing the kits out en masse because they are more prone to giving the wrong result than the current gold-standard PCR swabs. Lateral flows have been shown to give a false positive when someone is wrongly told they have coronavirus about one in 1,000 times. Officials also accept false positives are a bigger issue when prevalence of the virus is low, like it is currently in Britain thanks to lockdown restrictions. It is for this reason health chiefs say every positive test from lateral flow kits will have to be confirmed with a PCR test, which can take up to 48 hours to produce results because swabs have to be sent to a lab to be analysed. A major scientific review in March also found the lateral flow kits may also miss four in 10 asymptomatic patients, who show no signs of Covid illness but can spread it to others. The tests are even more inaccurate when a person does the test themselves. Data from a Public Health England and Oxford University review showed sensitivity of the Innova test was 79 per cent when lab-trained scientists took the swabs. But this fell to 59 per cent for members of the public who were advised on how to take their own swabs. Officials today defended the accuracy of controversial lateral flow tests. Health Minister Edward Argar said the cheap devices could play a 'key part' in getting life back to normal because they are 'simple' to use and roll out on a large scale. Data from a Public Health England and Oxford University review showed sensitivity of the Innova test, one of the most widely used rapid kits in the UK, was 79 per cent when lab-trained scientists took the swabs. But this fell to 59 per cent for members of the public who were advised on how to take their own swabs. Health Minister Edward Argar today defended the accuracy of controversial lateral flow tests as the Government announced everyone in England will be tested twice a week Speaking to Sky News, Mr Argar said: 'This is about trying to get people back to work, getting our society reopened, which we all want to see done as swiftly and safely as it can be done. These simple tests are a key part of doing that. 'In terms of the reliability of the tests, I think recent Test and Trace analysis around this suggests that out of 1,000 lateral flow tests, there was less than one false positive within those 1,000. 'So that is still a highly accurate test which can play a really important part in reopening our country and our businesses, because it is so simple to take.' LATERAL FLOW DEVICES: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED What is being proposed? Ministers want everyone in England to take a Covid test twice a week to help quickly identify any surge in cases as the economy and society are unlocked in the coming months. How will it work? People will be able to order so-called lateral flow tests for use at home, or get tested at work or at sites run by local councils. They are already used by millions of children following the return to school last month. What are lateral flow tests? These pregnancy-style tests can deliver results at home within half an hour. Like a regular test they involve taking a swab from the back of the throat and nose but the samples do not have to be sent for laboratory analysis. Are these tests reliable? They are not as sensitive as a standard PCR laboratory test. One study found they missed 40 per cent of asymptomatic cases. However, they perform much better at picking up cases where people have a high viral load. The Government says they have picked up 120,000 cases which would not otherwise have been identified. What if I test positive? People who test positive will be asked to self-isolate in the normal way, as well as providing details of their contacts to the Test and Trace service. What about false positives? Recent analysis by NHS Test and Trace suggests fewer than one in a thousand lateral flow tests will produce a false positive. However, anyone who does test positive will be offered a PCR test to confirm the result. How much will this cost? Officials were tight-lipped about the likely cost, but acknowledge it will run into billions of pounds. Lateral flow tests are much cheaper than the standard PCR ones, with some reports suggesting the Government can buy them for as little as 5 each. But if 25 million people were to test twice a week, the cost would still top 1 billion a month. What will it cost me? Nothing. The Government will pick up the bill for all tests. Advertisement Professor Jon Deeks, a biostatistician at Birmingham University and vocal critic of lateral flow tests, said the plan was 'beyond reckless'. He tweeted: 'The government are making their place in medical history.' Dr Jake Dunning, an infectious disease expert at Imperial College London, said of the scheme: 'And so it begins, one of the greatest medical screening experiments in the history of medicine in the UK. 'No doubt there will be a veneer of public health pseudoscience coming to support it.' Allyson Pollock, professor of public health at Newcastle University, told the BBC: 'Mass testing is a scandalous waste of money. 'When the prevalence rate of coronavirus falls as low as it is at the moment then an increasing proportion of cases are likely to be false positives meaning that cases and contacts will self isolate unnecessarily.' In an interview with LBC, she called the scheme a 'public health disaster'. Experts have warned that as the epidemic continues to shrink, the lateral flow devices will produce a greater number of false positives. This is because the number of people wrongly told they are infectious will remain the same, even as the number of truly infected people comes down. Eventually, the number of false positives could outweigh the number of true positives. Anyone who tests positive using one of the rapid testing kits must self-isolate along with their entire household. They can then order a second PCR swab which takes days to be processed in a laboratory. If the PCR comes back negative, their two-week quarantine period is scrapped and they can resume normal life immediately. Mr Argar said people returning to offices for work in the coming weeks would likely be among the first to be offered the kits. He told BBC Breakfast: 'I suspect in the first instance, a lot of them will be used by people who are starting to go back into their workplace again, as the economy starts opening up again, as pubs start opening for outside drinks and shops start opening again and as people start going back to their offices and businesses. 'So I suspect that will be a very large proportion of people who use these tests.' Mr Argar said the tests would be paid for as part of NHS Test and Trace's funding of 37bn over two years, with 80 per cent of that expected to be used for testing. Today's announcement introduces a universal mass testing regime for England which is likely to become part of the 'new normal' and remain in place for many months. NHS and care home staff, along with millions of school children are already using fast-turnaround tests twice a week. The tests are said to have identified 120,000 cases that might not otherwise have been picked up. Government sources said that more than 100,000 businesses have also requested test kits to run their own schemes designed to make workplaces Covid secure. Under the new regime, which will be introduced on Friday, people will be able to request packs of test kits for home use. Today the government will unveil a multi-billion-pound scheme inviting everyone in England to take two free Covid tests per week. The fast-turnaround tests, which produce results in just half an hour, do not require lab analysis and will be available for use at home Individuals will also have the opportunity to get tested at council-run sites or as part of workplace schemes. And a new 'Pharmacy Collect' scheme will be introduced, allowing adults to pick up boxes of seven rapid tests. Mr Johnson said the rollout will help stop Covid outbreaks 'in their tracks'. He added: 'As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine programme and with our road map to cautiously easing restrictions under way, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted.' Dr Susan Hopkins, of Public Health England, urged 'everyone' to take up the testing offer, saying they were vital in 'breaking the chains of transmission'. A major new advertising campaign will be launched this week encouraging Britons to take up the tests. Mr Hancock said that, with one in three people infected with Covid showing no symptoms, mass testing would be 'fundamental in helping us quickly spot positive cases and squash any outbreaks'. The new drive will use so-called 'lateral flow tests' which provide on-the-spot results in the same way as a pregnancy test. Users still have to take a swab from their nose and throat, but the results can be determined at home in half an hour, without the need for laboratory analysis. Health sources last night said the tests produced fewer than one false positive in a thousand. But this could still result in almost 1,000 false cases for every one million taken. Ministers have now agreed that anyone testing positive will be offered a 'gold standard' PCR test to confirm the result. New technology means these tests can also now be used to detect new variants of the virus, allowing their spread to be picked up more quickly. The Government was unable to say how much the new scheme would cost. But with tests thought to cost at least 5 each, take-up of 25million would generate a bill of more than 1billion a month. Thiruvananthapuram, April 5 : Kerala saw one of the most spirited election campaigns in recent times. With just 24 hours left for polling, it's all about political under-currents, which is likely to decide the eventual winner. Polls will start at 7 a.m on Tuesday and end at 7 p.m which will seal the fate of the candidates in the 140 assembly constituencies in Kerala. Meanwhile, candidates from the three rival political fronts have started visiting voters in and around their polling booths to make one final appeal. Even as the candidates are busy, what will actually determine if Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan writes himself into record books by retaining power, will largely depend on political under-currents which come into play on the eve of polling day. A political analyst on condition of anonymity said that time and again it has become evident that these political under-currents come into play in the state. "Till the BJP made its presence in the state, the principal political fronts -- the ruling CPI-M led Left and the Congress led United Democratic Front ( UDF)-- had their respective vote banks. The crucial factor was how and where the apolitical votes were cast. Now with the arrival of the BJP, which has a 16 per cent vote share, the poll dynamics have changed. In some constituencies, it benefited the Left and in others the Congress gained. Today the crucial factor which might come into play is which of the traditional fronts will get a majority of the nearly 20 to 21 per cent Muslim and the around 18 per cent Christian votes and whosoever gets that will romp home," said an analyst, who did not wish to be identified. Poll statistics reveal that in the 2016 assembly polls, there was a major shift among the minority communities towards the Left, which enabled Vijayan to win hands down and likewise in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, there was a paradigm shift that was seen by the minorities towards the Congress-led UDF, which enabled them to win 19 of the 20 constituencies in the state. Incidentally as far as the Christian community is concerned, by now the majority Catholic community (Catholics in Kerala constitute 50 per cent of 61.41 lakh Christian population in the state) appears to have made up its mind. Of its three churches- Roman Catholic, Latin Catholic and the Malankara Catholic -- the first two appear to be favouring the Congress-led UDF. The Archdiocese of Thrissur in its publication recently cautioned the faithful to sensibly exercise their franchise as promises made last time were not fulfilled. The case appears to be similar with the Muslim community. The Indian Union Muslim League, the second biggest ally of the UDF, has fielded 27 candidates and are likely to get a chunk of the Muslim votes. What happens to Muslim votes in constituencies where the IUML does not contest will be a crucial factor . Popular comedian and Congress candidate in the 2016 polls, Jagadeesh said that during the two weeks he campaigned in the southern and central districts (Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Kottayam) he has sensed that it will be a fight to finish. His words may bring cheer to UDF candidates as in the 2016 assembly polls in these six districts, the Left had won a majority of the seats. Incidentally the two traditional fronts are hoping against hope that the under-currents will favour them, while the BJP is also expecting that on account of Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting bishops from Christian churches they are no longer political untouchables. The Congress-led UDF appears to be sitting pretty as they have realised their star campaigners Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have been able to swing the minorities to their side. However, it wouldn't be until May 2nd, when the votes are going to be counted that one knows which front has gained the most from political under-currents. Decode Your Future with an Online Computer Science Degree from Drexel Drexel University's online computer science programs are designed to prepare you for work on the cutting edge of technology. The curriculum is designed for students with any level of experience or previous knowledge. Choose the program thats right for you. Learn More. Skeptics of giving computers control over high-risk activities like driving cars were given some ammunition last week when researchers at OpenAI discovered their two-month-old machine vision system could be tricked with a pen and paper into misidentifying objects. The AI laboratory published a paper March 4 that revealed their new system could be fooled into identifying an apple as an iPod by attaching a note to the apple with the word iPod on it. In another flub, the system also identified a chainsaw as a piggy bank when dollar signs were sprinkled over a photo of the tool. Despite those errors, OpenAI remains optimistic about its experimental machine vision system, called CLIP, which is exploring how AI systems might be able to identify objects without close supervision through training with large databases of images and text pairs. The company's researchers explained in a blog that it had discovered the presence of multimodal neurons in CLIP. In the human brain, those neurons respond to clusters of abstract concepts centered around a common high-level theme, rather than any specific visual feature. "Our discovery of multimodal neurons in CLIP gives us a clue as to what may be a common mechanism of both synthetic and natural vision systems -- abstraction," the researcher wrote. New Attack Surface However, the system's ability to link words and images at an abstract level also created a new vector of attack not previously seen in machine vision systems. "By exploiting the model's ability to read text robustly, we find that even photographs of hand-written text can often fool the model," the researchers noted. Such attacks that use "adversarial images" have been used against commercial machine vision systems, but with CLIP, they require no more technology than a pen and paper. Design flaws in machine vision systems like CLIP aren't unusual. "It's very common for machine learning systems to have flaws in the way they classify objects," observed Jonathan Spring, an analyst with the CERT Division in the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "You can't always predict what a computer is going to do even though you know what it has been programmed to do," he told TechNewsWorld. Trick the Machine Distraction Humans don't fully understand how they process the world through visual stimuli, yet they're trying to teach a machine how to do it, explained Vilas Dhar, president of the Boston-based Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, which focuses on the impact of artificial intelligence and data science on society. "This means we take shortcuts," he told TechNewsWorld. "Rather than teaching a system what an apple is as a conceptual object, with inherent meaning, we treat it as a configuration of pixels, a pattern that gets meaning through context." "This approach works most of the time, but can fail spectacularly when the context is not part of the training set," he continued. "When we train machine vision systems without meaning, we get further from the reality of machines seamlessly navigating our real built environment." Kjell Carlsson, a principal analyst at Forrester Research, warned about being distracted by tricking-the-machine stories. "It is absolutely important that people investigate the limitations of these models, but that fact that you can trick a model says nothing useful on its own," he told TechNewsWorld. "It is, for example, extraordinarily easy to trick people," he continued. "People systematically think that folks wearing glasses are intelligent, and we have some 86 billion biological neurons at our disposal." Subtle Spoofing Mike Jude, research director for video surveillance and vision applications at IDC, explained that machine vision systems can be spoofed by playing to the biases that are implicit in the training that went into the network. "It's possible to do the same thing with a human being," he told TechNewsWorld. "With a machine vision system, it can be a lot more subtle," he continued. "You can have cues embedded into the picture that the human eye can't perceive but the computer can because it's just looking at pixels." "Any machine vision system can be hacked," he added. "There are flaws in any system that can be exploited by the right kind of attack." "This supports some of the concerns that people have about machine vision applications," he said. Critical for Self-Driving Cars One application area of particular concern is the use of machine vision in self-driving vehicles. "Machine vision is absolutely crucial to self-driving cars," asserted Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst for e-mobility at Guidehouse Insights, a market intelligence company in Detroit. "It's critical because the system needs to not only classify where objects are around the vehicle but what those objects are in order to make decisions on what to do, just as we do as human drivers," he told TechNewsWorld. "If a plastic bag blows across the road, that's not a risk, but if a child is in the road, that's a great risk," he added. He explained that a vehicle needs to understand the semantics of what the sensors are seeing so accurately classifying things that are being detected is absolutely critical for an automated driving system to be safe and reliable. Automated driving systems that are over reliant on machine vision are generally not very reliable, he contended. "Machine vision systems still have a lot of flaws, especially those dependent on AI and neural networks," he said. "The successful perception systems for automated driving all use multiple systems to understand the environment around the vehicle." "They use a mix of machine vision and deterministic sensors that measure the position and distance of objects," he continued. "You need radar, lidar and thermal imaging in order to get an accurate view of what's out there." Although OpenAI's CLIP system has been described as "state-of-the-art," Abuelsamid was skeptical of the description. "Any machine vision system that's fooled by a note is not state-of-the-art," he countered. Adding Security and Reliability Spring noted that there are ways to make machine vision systems more secure and reliable. "There are test beds available to people who want to train their machine learning models and make them harder to attack, but it will never get rid of all attacks," he observed. "We also need a social system on top of the technical system where we can manage what people know about tricking these systems, and if there are flaws with great impact, we need ways to update them to get rid of those flaws," he continued. "That's similar to the way we handle vulnerabilities in software in general." "Then there's defense in depth so you have systems in place to help the machine learning system deal with the ways it's likely to fail or be tricked," he added. "Sometimes that may be a human monitoring the system. Other times it may be physical constraints on a robot or car that don't let it do certain things." John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John. The General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has advised the President Muhammadu Buhari-led a... The General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has advised the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to focus on the fight against insurgency and not critics. Apostle Suleman gave the advice after Presidency lambasted the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah over his 2021 Easter homily, saying it is an ungodly attempt to politicise the nations security. Kukah, in his Easter message, had said the greatest tragedy of Buharis government is the death of empathy, adding that the governments clay-footed fight against corruption had not moved the needle of transparency forward. He said Nigeria, being the poverty capital of the world came with its rewards such as banditry, violence, death, sorrow, blood, poverty, misery, and tears. Kukah also said Nigerias leaders would manufacture consent by creating imaginary enemies, setting citizens against one another by deploying religion, ethnicity, region, and other platforms while appealing to the base emotions of patriotism. In response to Kukahs message, the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said the Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, said things that were inexplicable. According to the presidential aide, it is wrong for Kukah to have stated that the Boko Haram terrorism is worse than it was in 2015. Shehu also knocked Bishop Kukah, saying he didnt speak like a man of God. However, Apostle Suleman in his reaction on Monday said it baffles the mind how the presidency keeps mum when Nigerians are being killed but very swift when its time to respond to critics. Apostle Suleman said: You are tempted to think we dont have leadership in Nigeria when people are been killed. They appear so helpless in the face of the insurgency. But as soon someone speaks truth to power, their swift response and reactions amaze you. PLEASE, RESPOND TO BANDITS, NOT CRITICS. California's reservoirs are half empty. The massive bodies of water that the state depends on for agriculture and everyday use in homes are dropping dramatically. Case in point: Lake Shasta, the state's largest water reserve, is at 53% of capacity as of April 3. On the same date last year, it was at 80% of capacity. While last winter was marked by parched conditions similar to this year, reservoirs were still full in spring 2020, as the state was coming off a run of wet rainy seasons. But at the end of a second consecutive dry winter, the reservoirs are starting to show signs of drought conditions. There are nearly 1,300 reservoirs across the state that help capture winter precipitation, which is then stored for the dry season in the summer. The California Department of Water Resources announced last week that the largest of those reservoirs are alarmingly low. "With below average precipitation statewide, California's reservoirs continue to show the impacts due to dry conditions," said Sean de Guzman, chief of the snow Surveys and water supply forecasting for the department, on Thursday. "For water year 2020-21, California has received about 50% of average precipitation, which currently ties for the third driest on record." The severity of dry conditions is particularly apparent in the Feather River watershed, where Lake Oroville is at 41% of capacity. Tucked in the Sierra foothills outside Sacramento, Folsom Lake is at 37% of capacity. You can also see the stunning drop in water levels in the series of before-and-after photos in this story showing California reservoirs replenished with water in previous years compared to this year's low levels. The situation isn't nearly as dire as it was amid the seven-year drought from 2011 to 2017. December 2011 was the second-driest December in California and the following winters saw similar parched conditions. In January 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought state of emergency and called on Californians "to conserve water in every possible way." The emergency proclamation specifically asked residents to reduce water use by 20%. California's major reservoirs were designed based on the assumption that the Sierra Nevada snowpack would act as a natural reservoir in the mountains, replenishing the reservoirs through spring and summer. The Sierra is one of the state's most important water sources and provides about 30% of the yearly fresh water supply. This year's snowpack tells a complicated story. The southern Sierra remains well below average at 39%, while the northern and central section is at 63% of average. The section of the Sierra stretching from Mammoth into the Cascades at the Oregon border saw fewer storms than normal but they were cold and brought more snow than rain, the Department of Water Resources said. The department's electronic snow survey stations placed throughout the Sierra indicate that statewide, the snowpack was 57% of average as of April 2. At the same time last year, it was 54% of average. A group of people in HCMC file documents to accuse the Universal Network Connection (UNC) firm in HCMC of fraud. Photo by VnExpress/Viet Anh. Forty people reported handing billions of dong to a Ho Chi Minh City company to relocate to Canada, only to lose contact with the head of the firm. The anonymous applicants told HCMC police they had visited Universal Network Connection (UNC) in District 1, managed by Woo Kyung Soo, a Korean Australian, in 2019 for advice on immigration to Canada via the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP). The AIPP, launched in 2017, allows international workers to immigrate to four Atlantic Canadian provinces with old populations: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. UNC claimed the process to enter the AIPP would be simple and easy, and that the company would help potential immigrants secure jobs in the aforementioned provinces. On signing contracts with UNC, clients had to pay up to VND2 billion ($86,952) in three separate installments within 24 months. The 40 applicants said they had paid around $1.44 million of the total. According to their contracts, UNC had to find them work in Canada within six months of the signing, or else refund all collected fees. All applicants have since claimed UNC had offered them fake or inappropriate jobs, among other signs the firm was trying to swindle them. Le Uyen, who lives in the southern Binh Phuoc Province, said her husband had been working in IT for the past decade and had decided to immigrate to Canada and sponsor his wife and children. In a contract worth $86,000 with UNC in July 2019, the firm said it would find her husband a job. After the family paid the firm VND466 million, the husband was recommended a position as a painter, but the company he was employed with had neither name nor address. When Uyens husband demanded the firm either change the job or liquidate the contract, UNC said 30 percent of the fee could not be refunded as the husband had "decided not to accept the job." As such a term was not covered in the contract, Uyens husband sued the firm last year. Accordingly, District 1 Peoples Court contacted UNC, which failed to show up. To date, Uyens family has yet to be refunded. Hoang Lan, who lives in HCMC's District 7, said she and her husband found UNC through the Internet. "I trusted it because I saw the company had six offices and claimed it had much experience and a reputation," she said. In 2019, the couple signed a $70,000 contract with UNC, and paid the firm VND300 million for it to find them work within six months. When UNC said it had found the husband a job as a bakery manager in New Brunswick, another VND800 million was paid. UNC then promised to complete immigration procedures before collecting the rest of the money. But as 2020 ended without new progress, in January Lan received news the agent in charge of UNCs profiles had quit, with Lan recommended to contact the companys CEO, Kyung Soo, herself. "I found out that my and my husbands profiles had been dismissed by Canadian employers in 2020, yet UNC did not inform us about it," Lan said, adding it was a breach of contract. Nguyen Khanh, who lives is District 2, said his wife applied for the AIPP in 2018 through UNC. The firm offered her services with $60,000, and has been paid VND938 million in total. UNC said it would provide the wife with a job in seafood, but did not say exactly where she would work, for whom or for how much. In June 2019, Khanh demanded to terminate the contract and UNC promised to refund the money, but so far no money has been returned. Disappearing act In January, dozens of UNC customers visited its office to meet with Kyung Soo. The incident was brought to the Ben Thanh Ward police, where Kyung Soo was reported to have signed a paper promising to ensure his clients rights and not run away. Three days later, UNCs office had been emptied and all its employees quit. The building which hosted the firm confirmed the company had shut down and there was no way to contact it. The companys lawyer later sent an email to inform clients to contact the CEO themselves to process their profiles. Later that month, Kyung Soo did meet with a group of clients, promising to return their money, but has not been seen since. The HCMC anti-corruption police department said it has been investigating the case, but could not provide the press with any information as yet. UNC, formed in 2017, said it provides advice on studying abroad and investments, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. It also said it belonged to Universal Network Connection Group, which advises on immigration and was founded in 2009 in South Korea by Woo Kyung Soo himself. Phan Huy Thai Nguyen, a lawyer with the HCMC Bar Association, said the AIPP contract helps Vietnamese to work abroad. Therefore, it must have registered with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to be allowed to give advice and recommend workers for jobs, among other requirements. But UNC only registered to provide advice for studying abroad and investments, which does not entail job recommendations. Therefore, the fact UNC, without approval to send workers abroad, still signed contracts by which it failed to abide, while also failing to refund its clients, showed signs of "Obtaining property by fraud" in accordance with Vietnamese law. Nguyen Van Doanh, another lawyer with the HCMC Bar Association, said companies that send workers abroad must be approved to do so, but UNC is not one of them. Therefore, what the company has done is illegal, and it would be a difficult for its clients to regain their money, especially after the firm shut down and its director gone off-grid, he added. Its rare to hear the spectrum of laughter Bec Charlwood elicits: a lone crowd member shrieks, a clutch of hearty guffaws rise, the entire room roars when she brings a three-minute routine to a meticulously constructed conclusion. Its even rarer that an act can pull this off in their debut show, but the 26-year-old has been selling out a generously sized room and has added extra sessions this week. Bec Charlwood There are echoes of Becky Lucas chaotic evil white girl persona in Charlwoods delivery, but a closer comparison might be Nina Oyamas brand of hilarious filth pay attention to the title, because this is genuinely dirty stuff. As a straight white comic from a privileged background, you might expect the material she has to work with will be familiar, and theres plenty of safe but fun IKEA and divorce lines here. But when she really starts mining herpes, Pap smears and even abortion in search of laughs, they come up gold. JOHN BAILEY Taco, Aidan Jones Victoria Hotel, until April 18 It may have been the poor ventilation in the Victoria Hotels Acacia Room, but Aidan Jones latest hour was the warmest Ive felt this festival. Aidan Jones Taco is, certainly, no frills. While some comedians will opt for blaring house music, piercing walk-on songs and extravagant lighting, as punters file into the room theyre greeted instead by Jones sipping a non-alcoholic beer while sitting on stage and exchanging banter one by one. Dont worry, this isnt the show, he remarks. I doubt many would have minded if it was. After scuttling off before the Welcome To Country and to introduce, well, himself, Jones launches into a delightful hour that details his upbringing, coming to terms with his own ethnicity, and finally meeting his biological father at the age of 28. Hes a masterful storyteller weaving in threads of dysfunctional familial traits, the experience of both racial and fiscal inequality, and a yearning for self-discovery and realisation. Some jokes dont quite land, and often theres an over-reliance on expletives to accentuate a gag, but the misses are few and far between. Whether laughing at his own jokes or the audiences invited repartee, Jones had an undeniably joyous exuberance. TYSON WRAY Bella Green is Charging For It Mantra on Russell & Campari House, until April 11 Charging For It is one of the more idiosyncratic and daring hours of comedy thatll you come across this festival. Bella Green Regaling her youth and introduction to sexuality via discovering her stepfathers pornography collection, Bella Green weaves a very R18+ web of the transitions in her life that led to work in brothels, strip clubs, peep shows and dominatrix dungeons. Charging For It attempts to demystify and break down the stigmas commonly associated with sex work for those whove never stepped into a red-light district. All with a menacing eye and sharp tongue for those who perceive Green and her peers with negative connotations (which, in many cases, are ironically the actual paying clients). Perhaps the only disappointment of the show is the audience its obvious Green is preaching to the converted. While sex work has slowly lost some of its taboo status in recent years, those who need to hear her messages are more than likely off seeing something less challenging. One warning: dont book in to see this show before a dinner reservation. The final scatological sequence may turn the most iron of stomachs. TYSON WRAY Ive Had A Flare Up, Daniel Connell Melbourne Town Hall & The Westin, until April 18 Daniel Connell is going places. And by places, I mean the servo and the supermarket. But therein lines the beauty of his show Connell has mastered the art of dry observational humour. He takes the monotonous and transmutes it into artful anecdotes and raucous punchlines as if he were crafting comedy origami. Daniel Connell Ive Had A Flare Up, Connells 10th solo show at MICF, is another solid hour of laughs delivered in an understated and affable fashion. Ranging from the details of his will, a preference for prawns over cocaine, and what he and the crowd would do with their final 10 hours on a doomed planet the most noticeable difference to former years is the exponentially increasing size of his audience. With no major management, but now three top-notch gala spots under his belt, Connells DIY style of approaching the showbiz game (during the pandemic he was offering to bring lineup shows to the backyards of households around the state) has seen him slowly fly under the radar as his star status rises. Its wont be long before hes in the stratosphere. TYSON WRAY Nikki Britton, One small step Town Hall Cloak Room, until April 18 Hearing about someones travels (including having to feign interest in accompanying photos) can be tiresome but Nikki Brittons expressive, effervescent story-telling makes her tales particularly engaging. Nikki Britton She renders pre-COVID trips to Italy and Vanuatu into fascinating, amusing tales of woe. Theres a nasty fall, an awkward accommodation blunder and details of her randy mothers one-night romance while under the influence of kava. Even her travel pics, shared sparingly, elicit guffaws. Britton skilfully dealt with two hecklers (husband and wife) who stood up at their seats and bellowed to all and sundry why they were at the show, how long theyd been married and much more. The husband even made unashamed reference to his appendage. Britton milked every drop of hilarity from the hecklers before expertly shutting them down for the remaining 45 minutes. Britton is bold and brash, sharing in graphic and hysterical detail her contemplations on being single, online dating and what a woman wants. Alleged terrorism plotter arrested in Russias Stavropol Territory RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 12:24 05/04/2021 MOSCOW, April 5 (RAPSI) An alleged supporter of terrorism and plotter of a terrorist attack against law enforcement has been arrested in Kislovodsk, a town in Russias Stavropol Territory, the Federal Security Services (FSB) press service reports. A previously convicted citizen of Russia born 1996 has prepared to commit a terrorist act against law enforcement officers with the use of self-made explosive items in the interests of international terrorist organizations, the statement reads. During the searches at his place of residence FSB seized components for an improvised bomb, blasting compounds, extremist literature and striking elements. Moreover, the mans three alleged accomplices involved in the financing of the Islamic State terrorist organization banned in Russia have been arrested in Kislovodsk, according to the FSB report. Since February, when Myanmars generals toppled democratically elected leaders in a coup detat, at least 500 civilians have been killed. As the coup turns into daily tales of bloodshed, the time for global action has never been more urgent. If nations, specifically Association of South-East Asian Nations member states, cannot address Myanmars flagrant breach of the ASEAN charter then instability and violence will bleed into Asia and world. Ever since the Tatmadaw junta Myanmars self-appointed military leaders unilaterally overthrew Aung San Suu Kyis democratically elected party, multiple atrocities have been perpetuated. The is increasing evidence of arbitrary arrests, detention without access to due process, allegations of torture and extremely serious allegations of organ harvesting. Anti-coup protesters gesture during a march in Yangon, Myanmar. Credit:AP This has the potential to cause instability, not only in Myanmar, but across the entire ASEAN region and beyond in the near neighbourhood: outflows of Myanmar citizens into China, Thailand, Bangladesh, India and beyond, renewed conflict on the border with China, and a return to military rule of people who have, for the last 10 years, had a taste of greater freedoms. Already the evidence points to sharp escalation in violence and instability. It is only a matter of time before peaceful protesters take up arms in a fresh civil war, or neighbouring countries are forced to make hard decisions to protect their borders. Burma Mandalay Teenager Shot Dead by Myanmar Security Forces The 19-year-old fell to the ground after being shot while returning home with her husband on a motorbike in Mandalay on Sunday night. / CJ. A 19-year-old woman was killed in Mandalay on Sunday night as Myanmars security forces fired on a couple riding a motorbike home after work. The shooting occurred at around 9pm after curfew. A bullet appears to have hit Ma Htet Htet Wins husband, who was riding the bike, in his abdomen before killing his passenger, according to the rescue team. The husband tried to reach medics with his serious injury but Ma Htet Htet Win fell off the bike on the way. The rescue team reported that he said the soldiers told them to stop and fired as they rode away. A rescuer, who retrieved Ma Htet Htet Wins body, said it was a difficult process to reach to her, carry her to their vehicle and drive her home, taking about 20 minutes as the team had to hide from the security forces. The streets are like killing fields with soldiers randomly shooting civilians, including medics and volunteers. We had to hide in the dark to reach her, he said. Ma Htet Htet Win was dead when they reached her. The rescue worker said she suffered a head injury, presumably after falling off the bike. Her husband had an operation on his wound. Civilians have been killed during day and night raids by the security forces on residential areas, including a 25-year-old in Bhamo, Kachin State, who was shot dead early on Sunday morning. You may also like these stories: Bago Bombs Target Myanmar Military-Linked Sites Myanmar Junta Spokesman: Daw Aung San Suu Kyis Father Would Think Her Stupid Four Myanmar Soldiers Killed in Grenade Attack in Sagaing Region Police searching for missing student Richard Okorogheye have reportedly told his mother that a body found in a pond in Epping Forest matches his. The 19-year-old from Ladbroke Grove in west London disappeared two weeks ago after telling his mother he was going out to visit a friend. He was last seen in CCTV footage walking along Smarts Lane towards the forest at 12.39am on 23 March after taking a taxi to Loughton in Essex. Officers with dogs have been searching the area for the past four days and police divers were seen searching ponds on Sunday. On Monday afternoon the Metropolitan Police, which has been leading the investigation, said they had been informed by Essex Police that a body of a male had been found. Read more: The body has yet to be formally identified but Mr Okorogheyes mother, Evidence Joel, said police had informed her the description matches his. She told the MyLondon website: Oh God, they said the description matches his, but well go in tomorrow to find out. The Met Police said in a statement: Enquiries are underway to identify the body. Detectives investigating the disappearance of 19-year-old Richard Okorogheye are aware. Richards family are being supported by specially trained officers and kept updated with developments. Officers remain at the scene and enquiries continue. Metropolitan Police officers at the scene at the Wake Valley pond in Epping Forest following the discovery of a man's body (PA) Mr Okorogheye, a student of Oxford Brookes University, went missing after shielding since the start of the pandemic because of his medical condition, sickle cell disease. Shortly before his disappearance he had told his mother he was struggling to cope with the pressure of studying online. He left his home at approximately 8.30pm and boarded the 23 southbound bus in Ladbroke Grove at 8.44pm on 22 March. His family reported him missing on 24 March. Ms Joel said her son had told her he was going to visit a friends house and would be back later but he never returned home. None of his friends said they had seen him that night. Last week she suggested that the Metropolitan police should be doing more to trace the 19-year-old, telling MyLondon: Richard is seen as a low risk but hes a young adult with a health condition. The UK charity Missing People has previously said black people and those from other ethnic minority groups are not always getting the response they deserve when they are missing or report someone missing. The Samaritans are a charity available 24 hours a day offering a confidential listening service to anyone in distress. To contact the Samaritans helpline, call 116 123. The phone line is open 24 hours, seven days a week. Covid or no Covid, Newbridges June Fest will return this June for its 10th year of community celebrations. According to June Fest chair, Colm Somers, the committee has been working hard throughout the winter preparing a programme of events for June Fest 2021. Though the festival faced multiple challenges in 2020 due to the pandemic, the committee was determined to keep the celebrations alive. They reimagined the festival in a new format and delivered it as a virtual experience over a longer time frame. Much was learned in the process, particularly about presenting activities online. This gave the festival a new lease of life coming into its 10th year. Chairperson Colm explained: Once June Fest went online, we quickly learned that the Newbridge community is global as well as local. To our surprise, we found Newbridge and Kildare people from around the world (Canada, Australia, UK, USA and across Europe) engaging with June Fest activities. In fact, our quiz was won a few times by Newbridge people living overseas. The quiz provided a bridge for them to connect with home at a time when travel was out of bounds. Plans are well advanced to deliver a safe and exciting series of events this summer that incorporate an outdoor theme together with an online element. To avoid crowds gathering, June Fest is creating events the public can engage with, in their own time, while social distancing and observing travel guidelines. 2021 HIGHLIGHTS The 2021 June Fest programme includes highlights such as a Yarn Bomb in Liffey Linear Park and a Treasure Hunt competition for all the family to take part in while exploring the wonderful nature trails, amenities, and local history of the town and its environs has to offer. There will also be guided audio tours on the history of Newbridge as well as an outdoor art trail with Kildare Art Collective and a showcase of local musical talent. The online element of the Festival will provide a range of diverse activities that may be enjoyed indoors and will be of particular interest to those whose mobility is restricted at any time for any reason. The June Fest team said they will use all online platforms to help raise community morale whether you are out and about or at home. Online projects planned include live music streams to support local musicians, a mini documentary series on the Grand Canal, the continuation of the highly-successful History of Newbridge: Buildings, Businesses & Architecture project, virtual art exhibitions for local artists, writing competitions and the popular online quizzes. June Fest will also be partnering with the Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge Library and Kildare Derby Festival to bring lots more exciting events. The June Fest 2021 programme of events can be accessed through June Fests new website www.junefest.ie which will be launched along with a rebranding of the festival in late April. Already, a new crisp June Fest logo has been created by festival director, Stephen Connelly a Fine Art graduate from GMIT and Community Development & Leadership in NUI Maynooth. Looking for volunteers According to Colm, June Fest is currently looking to expand its team and would very much welcome hearing from people who would be interested in getting involved in any way with its activities. Just email (newbridgejunefest@gmail.com) and the committee will get back to you. We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated individuals with fresh ideas who want to help keep June Fest vibrant and exciting for all in the community. Involvement with June Fest may be of particular interest to young people studying event management, art and design, community development, music, and music production or any of the creative arts, and those keen to establish careers in these or related fields. The disgraceful attacks on police and property over the weekend have little to do with a border in the Irish Sea and everything to do with thuggery. Thirty petrol bombs were thrown at officers and three cars were set alight during rioting near the Rathcoole estate in Newtownabbey on Saturday night. The disturbances followed trouble in Sandy Row and Londonderry on Friday, in which more than two dozen police officers were injured. Political condemnation of the violence was swift and universal. But the reality is that irresponsible comments by some unionist politicians about the Irish Sea border and the fallout from Bobby Storey's funeral have contributed to a febrile atmosphere. This has then been hijacked by paramilitary elements. Some unionists were late to spot the constitutional problems posed by a border in the Irish Sea. They preferred to accentuate the benefits of access to both UK and EU markets, before belatedly sensing a sea change in loyalism and following suit. There is, however, an onus on political representatives to be measured in their choice of language. Sadly, this is not always the case. It is a fact of life that there are legitimate concerns about Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom. The prospect of a SNP "supermajority" in next month's elections to the Scottish parliament will, inevitably, lead to calls for a second independence referendum. An independent Scotland would leave Northern Ireland as part of a much smaller, and arguably weaker, Union. Add fears over the border in the Irish Sea and you have the makings of a perfect storm. However, street violence is a pointless distraction when the only actions that could allay such concerns are conducted between sovereign governments. Unfortunately, Northern Ireland doesn't loom large in Boris Johnson's thinking, while the Prime Minister's standing among unionists has never fully recovered from his multiple Brexit betrayals. Meanwhile, as always, it is the PSNI who are caught in the middle. Whatever Simon Byrne's role in the Storey funeral, or even his suitability for the job, it can never justify attacks on his officers. Violence develops a momentum of its own, to the point where it becomes self-perpetuating. The job of politicians is to try to remove the root causes of violence, not inflame them. That means a reasoned debate, not a race to lowest-common-denominator, dog-whistle politics. It would also help if politicians, such as Gerry Kelly, accepted that the debate about Irish unity is just that, a debate, and not a fait accompli, much less a stick with which to beat unionists. RENO, Nev., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- StemExpress is excited to announce that we will be opening our eighth facility with our newest location in Reno, Nevada. The property development will include a state-of-the-art cell collection center as well as a large-scale warehouse that contains a centralized shipping location for the company. The site will also be a new center for excellence training facility as well as include contract research and clinical services. This expansion will enable StemExpress to accelerate the advancement of research, clinical and commercial operations globally. It will also expand clinical applications within the region and support cutting edge treatments to Reno's health care systems. StemExpress has locations in Massachusetts, Maryland, Philadelphia, North Carolina, and three locations in California, San Diego, San Francisco's and Sacramento region. We have a number of expansion plans but have no plans to leave California where the company was founded 11 years ago. StemExpress Northern Nevada Facility StemExpress actively supports medical research, clinical trials, and commercialization of disease-specific treatment, cell and gene therapies, and precision and regenerative medicine. In 2020, the company brought COVID-19 solutions to numerous states, tribal and territorial governments, health care entities, and schools, including four colleges in California. StemExpress has been successful in growing our business thanks to our local health systems, economic and academic partners in the Greater Sacramento area. We greatly appreciate the consistent support and aggressive economic development of the region, which has nurtured our evolution from the beginning. We look forward to replicating this business model next in Nevada. The choice to expand to Reno stemmed from Nevada's established reputation as a business-friendly state, offering a multitude of incentives for growing companies. We are continuously humbled by the untapped talent in all of our locations, and we will be looking to hire a full team of scientists, warehouse staff and skilled business professionals as early as June 2021. Hiring for key positions has already begun. We also look forward to working closely with the respected science programs at the University of Nevada, Reno. As we have done in our other locations, we look forward to offering internships to students with outstanding academic potential with the opportunity for full-time employment. Our number one goal at StemExpress is to advance medical research, clinical and commercial applications and foster scientific innovation. Our decision to open a new facility in Reno will undoubtedly promote substantial growth within our company and the clients we support. CONTACT: [email protected] SOURCE StemExpress Related Links https://www.stemexpress.com Also detained for the past two months, whereabouts undisclosed, is Australian economist Sean Turnell, an adviser to ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, accused by the military regime of violating the countrys official secrets act. While Suu Kyi is under house arrest and and Turnell has at least been allowed to speak to his wife in Sydney on the phone, hundreds of others have been forcibly disappeared, says Human Rights Watch, which has interviewed family members and lawyers of people who have vanished in the nine weeks since the military takeover. Sean Turnell with Aung San Suu Kyi. There have been multiple deaths in custody, activist organisations say, the most notable that of Khin Maung Latt, an official with the elected National League for Democracy Party whose body was returned to his family last month bearing the signs of torture. The arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances appear designed to strike fear in the hearts of anti-coup protesters, said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. The Herald and The Age spoke to several people who had been detained since the coup. Among them was Thit Myat Zaw, a freelance journalist from Yangons North Dagon township, who said he was beaten continuously for 10 minutes by police and soldiers after being hit by a rubber bullet and detained during a protest in Myanmars biggest city on March 10. Another of the fortunate ones, he was wearing a construction helmet when he was violently set upon but his family did not know where he was during the two days he was imprisoned with about 200 others at a military training school. They didnt even know whether or I was arrested or killed, he said. Young demonstrators wear masks to protest Chinas blocking of sanctions at the United Nations security council. Credit:AP Thit Myat Zaw, who had been livestreaming the protest on Facebook when he was taken away by security forces, said military doctors had provided treatment to wounded protesters there but he refused the offer. I told them I am fine because I dont want to owe them. I dont want to say thanks to them, he said. He described the military officials who interrogated him as stupid and careless. I am 32, but I lied to them that I am a university student and was just watching the protest. They believed it and released me. Prisoners and their families have also outsmarted the junta in other ways. Phyo Aung, 27, was held for three weeks last month at the infamous Insein prison, a colonial relic built in the 19th century in a distinctive circular shape surround a central guard tower. The officials do not allow letters to be taken in and out of the prison. My wife therefore used double-tape to hide letters under the clothes she brought for me, he said. Phyo Aung said soldiers had behaved like animals when he and his two cousins were among about 200 protesters arrested on March 3 in Hlaing township in Yangon. They threatened us at gun point, beat us and kicked us. I was kicked three or four times as well as got beaten by batons. But I was lucky not to get hurt so badly, he said. Insein prison in Yangon. Credit:Getty Sharing a cell with about 80 other detainees at Insein, he said prisoners were given three meals a day and allowed to play the traditional Burmese sport of chinlone, or caneball, during the three hours they were permitted in the yard each day. Officials in Insein prison are relatively good compared to the reports of detainees being tortured in other prisons. They told us they have nothing to do with us nor have no hate nor personal feeling to us. Their duty was to keep us inside the prison, he said. Before he was one of hundreds released from Insein on March 24, however, he said a military official from the State Administration Council, which the junta has called itself, told them not to be involved in any demonstrations against the regime again. They told us they would not tolerate and have mercy on us next time, he said. The next day, he was back out on the streets protesting. I moved my family to a safe place in a rural area so that I can move freely, Phyo Aung said. Loading We are winning. They want to control or administrate the country but no one listens to or obeys them. Thats why they are killing people in hope of amplifying the fear among people. They might assume people are afraid of being shot, killed or detained but we are more afraid of letting them ruin our lives and our future. As for Turnell, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has endeavoured to find out where he is being held without success. I am very close to him and feel very sorry for him, said AAPP co-founder Bo Kyi, a former prisoner of the junta himself who has known the Australian academic since 2003. (CNN) Ian Haydon helped test Moderna's coronavirus vaccine last year. Now, he's helping test the tweaked version of that vaccine designed to fight a new, more contagious variant. "A year ago I tried the Moderna vaccine to see if it was safe. (Spoiler: It is!) Now, on my #COVIDvaccine anniversary, I'm happy to share that I just got a 3rd dose. This booster experiment will reveal (1) if strain-adapted vaccines boost immunity & (2) whether they are safe," Haydon, a communications specialist at the University of Washington, said via Twitter last Saturday. "It's unclear whether this new tweaked version is even going to be necessary," Haydon told CNN in a telephone interview. "But it's being developed and tested now so that we have it in hand." Doctors are worried that coronavirus may end up being like influenza, which requires a new vaccine every year both because the circulating strains mutate fast and because immunity from the vaccine wears off quickly. Although initial evidence suggests immunity from vaccination against coronavirus provides long-lasting protection, vaccine makers have begun making and testing versions of their vaccines that protect against worrying variants of the virus. That includes the B.1.351 version first seen in South Africa, which carries a mutation that, in lab experiments, appears to allow it to evade the human immune response a little. The latest report from vaccine maker Pfizer shows people in South Africa who got its coronavirus vaccine after B.1.351 became the dominant circulating virus were still very strongly protected from infection -- something that backs up laboratory experiments that have shown the vaccine causes such a strong and broad immune response that it provides a cushion against any effects of mutant viruses. "It is still matched enough that we have good protection," said Scott Hensley, an immunologist and vaccine expert at the University of Pennsylvania. But vaccine makers are not taking chances. The trial Haydon is taking part in is testing not only a third dose of Moderna vaccine tweaked to protect specifically against B.1.351 -- that's what he got -- but a third dose of original vaccine in some volunteers, too, to see if the boosted immune response is both safe and provides an advantage. A report out last month from Pfizer suggests people who get both doses keep strong immunity for at least six months. Experts have been at pains to point out that doesn't mean immunity stops at six months. It means that's the longest volunteers in the trials have been followed to see what their immunity is. It's likely to last much longer, Hensley said. "I would not be surprised if we learned a year from now that these vaccines are still producing a strong immune response," Hensley told CNN. "I would not be surprised if this is a vaccine that we only get once." That would make the vaccine more akin to vaccines against measles than flu vaccines. Vaccination against measles protects against infection for life in 96% of people. Protection from Pfizer's two-dose vaccine remains above 91% even at six months, according to the company. It has released the details in a statement, not a formal scientific publication, and the data covers only a few thousand people. But if it holds up, that's an indication that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines elicit a long-lasting immune response, experts say. Hensley says the technology used by both vaccines -- delivery of genetic material known as messenger RNA of mRNA -- is especially potent. "The antibody responses elicited by these mRNA vaccines are incredibly high. What we know in animal models with other mRNA vaccines that have been tested previously -- we know that those antibody responses are incredibly long-lived and they don't drop over time," said Hensley, whose lab has been testing experimental mRNA vaccines for years. While the coronavirus vaccines are of course new -- the virus has only been around since the end of 2019 -- the mRNA technology has been studied for many years and used to make vaccines against influenza, Ebola and Zika virus. Several studies have indicated this with coronavirus vaccine. In January, a team led by Dr. Alicia Widge at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases wrote the New England Journal of Medicine to say their research showed two doses of Moderna's vaccine produced plenty of antibodies that declined only very slightly over time. The vaccine also caused the body to produce immune cells known as T cells and B cells that can keep defenses going for years. The vaccine-induced immune response was stronger and less variable than the immune response that follows a natural infection, they found. Another study in the New England Journal of Medicine in February showed blood taken from people who got Pfizer/BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine continued to produce an immune response against B.1.351. "Although we do not yet know exactly what level of neutralization is required for protection against Covid-19 disease or infection, our experience with other vaccines tells us that it is likely that the Pfizer vaccine offers relatively good protection against this new variant," Scott Weaver, director of the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity at University of Texas Medical Branch, told CNN at the time. Nonetheless, last month, South African virologists argued that there's growing evidence the vaccines being developed do not work as well against B.1.351 and urged vaccine makes to start tweaking their formulas now. Although he's taking part in clinical trials that require regular blood draws to check his immunity, Haydon has no idea how well protected he is from the virus. "I know that early on in the trial, myself and all the participants did develop neutralizing antibodies -- the kind that you are looking for. That was clear many, many months ago," Haydon said. "But the level of those antibodies, and how the levels have changed over time, is not something that I'm told. That is one of the main things that is being evaluated over the study." He had a strong reaction to the first round of vaccination and said the third dose he just received caused some effects, too. "Flulike is the right way to describe my symptoms," he said. "I ended up with a fever, chills, a little bit of nausea, headache," he added. Immunologists say that's a sign the immune system is responding to the vaccine, although people who report no symptoms also develop an immune response, so the symptoms do not appear to suggest someone's having a better response than someone who doesn't develop a fever. Haydon doesn't know whether his response this time around says anything about what level of immunity he still had from the first dose he was given a year ago. What he does know is that he cannot behave as if he is completely immune. So he still wears a mask whenever he goes out and has avoided almost all travel. "We're living in a world where most people aren't vaccinated. The fact that you yourself are vaccinated doesn't change everything for you," Haydon said. "We still have to take a lot of the same precautions as an unvaccinated person," he added. Although your risk of going to the hospital is greatly diminished, spreading the virus is a major concern. It's not until recently that we started to collect data (showing) that vaccinated people also spread the virus a lot less. So that's a recent discovery and a very good sign." There is a relatively large overlap between the genetic variants that contribute to specific neuropsychiatric disorders and those that play a role in the shape of our brain, but not for those that contribute to our face. "But our knowledge on this link was based on model organism research and clinical knowledge of extremely rare conditions," Claes continues. "We set out to map the genetic link between individuals' face and brain shape much more broadly, and for commonly occurring genetic variation in the larger, non-clinical population."To study genetic underpinnings of brain shape, the team applied a methodology that Peter Claes and his colleagues had already used in the past to identify genes that determine the shape of our face. Claes: "In these previous studies, we analysed 3D images of faces and linked several data points on these faces to genetic information to find correlations." This way, the researchers were able to identify various genes that shape our face.For the current study, the team relied on these previously acquired insights as well as the data available in the UK Biobank, a database from which they used the MRI brain scans and genetic information of 20,000 individuals.Claes: "To be able to analyse the MRI scans, we had to measure the brains shown on the scans. Our specific focus was on variations in the folded external surface of the brain - the typical 'walnut shape'. We then went on to link the data from the image analyses to the available genetic information. This way, we identified 472 genomic locations that have an impact on the shape of our brain. 351 of these locations have never been reported before.To our surprise, we found that as many as 76 genomic locations predictive of the brain shape had previously already been found to be linked to the face shape. This makes the genetic link between face and brain shape a convincing one."The team also found evidence that genetic signals that influence both brain and face shape are enriched in the regions of the genome that regulate gene activity during embryogenesis, either in facial progenitor cells or in the developing brain. This makes sense, Wysocka explains, as the development of the brain and the face are coordinated."But we did not expect that this developmental cross-talk would be so genetically complex and would have such a broad impact on human variation."At least as important is what the researchers did not find, says Dr Sahin Naqvi from the Stanford University School of Medicine, who is the first author of this study. "We found a clear genetic link between someone's face and their brain shape, but this overlap is almost completely unrelated to that individual's behavioural-cognitive traits."Concretely: even with advanced technologies, it is impossible to predict someone's behaviour based on their facial features.Peter Claes continues: "Our results confirm that there is no genetic evidence for a link between someone's face and that individual's behaviour. Therefore, we explicitly dissociate ourselves from pseudoscientific claims to the contrary. For instance, some people claim that they can detect aggressive tendencies in faces by means of artificial intelligence. Not only are such projects completely unethical, they also lack a scientific foundation."In their study, the authors also briefly address conditions such as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.Claes: "As a starting point, we used the results that were previously published by other teams about the genetic basis of such neuropsychiatric disorders. The possible link with the genes that determine the shape of our face had never been examined before. If you compare existing findings with our new ones, you see a relatively large overlap between the genetic variants that contribute to specific neuropsychiatric disorders and those that play a role in the shape of our brain, but not for those that contribute to our face."In other words: our risk of developing a neuropsychiatric disorder is not written on our face either.Source: Eurekalert File photo NEW MILFORD After a missing hiker was found dead Sunday night in Lake Lillinonah, local officials are urging the public to be cautious while hiking. Several agencies responded to Lovers Leap State Park for a report of a missing hiker, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesman Will Healey. TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged European participants of the 2015 nuclear agreement to maintain a constructive attitude in the meeting scheduled to take place on Tuesday in Vienna. Zarif reiterated Tehran's position that Iran will return to its JCPOA obligations after the "illegal and unjust" sanctions imposed by the US are "completely and definitively" lifted and verified by the Islamic Republic. Zarif made the demand in a telephone conversation with his British counterpart Dominic Raab, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.The two diplomats discussed the latest developments related to the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the call, held at Raab's request, Xinhua news agency reported citing the report as saying. Raab said, according to the report, that his country will make efforts for the negotiations to bear fruits. Parties to the Iran nuclear deal have agreed to convene in Austria on Tuesday to discuss ways to bring the deal back to life. US State Department spokesman Ned Price confirmed that American representatives will attend the meeting, adding that the country remains "open to" direct talks with Iran. But, Iran has ruled out any "direct or indirect" contacts with US representatives in Vienna. The two countries are in a standoff over reviving the nuclear deal. Kenyas Ruth Chepngetich set new record in World half marathon Hong Kong Police Makes Record; 700kg Cocaine Bust, Booked Two Men Australia set new world record in ODIs in women's cricket Merriam-Webster defines "progressive" as "relating to, or characterized by, progress; making use of, or interested in, new ideas, findings, or opportunities." There are other definitions, but that's the first. Defining leftist pols as progressive sticks in my craw. They are not. They are repressive. We rational people intent on living a meaningful, peaceful, and creative life should be dubbed progressive if anyone is to be. Therefore, I am re-branding the leftists the Repressive Party. Let's call a spade a spade. Speaking of spades, the best way to keep from getting stuck in a hole is to stop digging it deeper. Seems obvious to me, but then I am blessed with a modicum of common sense. The anti-gun, pro-crime policies currently being foisted upon us by the Repressive Party certainly seem like a hole dug deeper. I must ask why. Who benefits? The defund-the-police movement sprang up alongside the burn-and-loot-the-city movement. How, you may wonder, does a government entity (city or state) observe the results of these violent events and think, "Let's have fewer policemen"? Yet it does. BLM now has corporate sponsors, and politicians legitimize it. Yet BLM works in concert with Antifa, a terrorist organization. We have ongoing out-of-control violence and looting (which the MSM often ignores), increased murders and unsafe streets, and citizens who find it increasingly dangerous to walk their own neighborhoods. Obviously, the Repressive left cares not one whit for the people it ostensibly represents. They are not interested in a society based on the rule of law or, at least, the rule of legitimate laws. They are not interested in protecting and serving the people who elected them. They have become rabid, power-mad rats, who must win at any cost. They want us to cede all power to them. It really doesn't seem to matter what they do with that power. As long as they can keep adding justifications to repress us or disarm us, however illogical, they win. Here in California, the crime rate is almost as high as the taxes and gas prices, roads are crumbling like badly made cornbread, and we have a governor fixated on saving his own hide. We have a one-party state, which means, we have a government by Repressive fools. Their focus is not on public safety; it's on taxing the "rich," who mostly hide behind loopholes, to redistribute the lucre gained from the middle class to the favored few. Local governments rarely address the concerns of the citizen. If a crime serves their purpose, they make noise about it. If not, it disappears. It's inconvenient, for instance, that it's citizens "of color" who are attacking elderly Asians. Therefore, we have general outrage against "white supremacists" and community "support" walls covered with flowers and slogans, but no specific information on the attackers. As Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say, "isn't that special?" Our local government spends our money frivolously. As an example, instead of fixing potholes, they make mincemeat of public streets (and yes, these pictures show what used to be a functioning street with two lanes in each direction, metered parking on both curbs, and a bike lane). Now it's a traffic jam in the making: The latest California outrage is Senate Bill 82. It's put forth by Berkeley's Nancy Skinner. She generates a lot of bills, but this one's a doozy. Skinner had a commission "study" crime for a year, and, as a result, her bill redefines any robbery that nets less than $950 as petty theft. The maximum penalty is a $1,000 fine and a year in county jail. The only exception is if "great bodily harm" is inflicted using a weapon. The bill is also retroactive: people already incarcerated under the old law would be eligible to have their convictions vacated. This is modeled, ironically, after a similar bill in San Francisco. That bill's biggest success: getting businesses to close permanently. How fun, if you have a retail business, to watch a horde of shoplifters openly gather $949's worth of goods apiece and calmly walk out. You can't stop them or call the cops. Then there are neighborhood thieves who roam urban and suburban streets looking for walkers to rob. They drive up, hold a "non-deadly" weapon to the walker's head, and rob him of jewelry, phone, money. If Skinner's bill passes, and they only take $949's worth of stuff (and who's to say your "used" wedding ring or watch has much value?), nobody will stop them. Do you think the cops are going to pursue if they can't get an arrest leading to conviction? The hole we're digging, the same as the one being dug in other Repressive-run jurisdictions, is getting deeper by the hour. Maybe we can keep on digging and end up in China? There, at least, they take crime seriously. Image: Anti-Asian assault in Oakland. YouTube screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. 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. The death has occurred of Siobhan Shanahan (nee Brosnan), Adare and Ballybunion. Beloved and devoted wife of Patrick. Siobhan will be dearly missed by her loving sister, Mary, brother, Billy, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, friends and her wonderful colleagues at University Hospital Limerick. Funeral Arrangements Later. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The death has occurred of Patricia Power (nee Healy), Delmege Park, Moyross; late of Ballynanty Beg and Murphy O'Connor Accountants. Peacefully, at her residence. Patricia is deeply regretted by her loving husband Thomas, daughters Catherine and Martina, sons Christopher, Adrian and Jonathan, grandchildren, great -grandchildren, brothers and sisters, all other relatives, kind neighbours and many friends. MAY SHE REST IN PEACE A requiem Mass for family only will take place Wednesday, 7th April, at 11am Corpus Christi Church, Moyross, Limerick, followed by burial afterwards in Ballycannon Cemetery. In compliance with HSE Government Guidelines please ensure that social distancing and advice on public health is adhered to. Messages of sympathy may be expressed in the condolence section of rip.ie or cards and letters of sympathy can be sent to Joseph Cross and sons to 2,Lower Gerald Griffin St. Limerick. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The death has occurred of Eileen C. O'Connor (nee Broderick), Duxtown, Rathkeale and formerly Ballingowan, Newcastle West. Eileen died peacefully surrounded in the loving embrace of her family at her residence in Killeline Heights, Newcastle West. Eileen is pre-deceased by her father Maurice (Moss) and mother Ellen Broderick, Ballingowan, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick. Very sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her adoring husband John, son John and daughter Marie, cherished sisters Nora, Ita, Bernadette, Nuala, Rita and Mona, their respective families and brother Patrick, her many beloved nephews, nieces, grandnephew, her extended family. May She Rest In Peace Eileen is reposing at her home with house private for immediate family only. Eileen's funeral cortege will depart her residence, Killeline Heights, Newcastle West, on Wednesday, 7th April, at 1pm, via her former residence, Duxtown, Rathkeale, en route to Shannon Crematorium for private family cremation at 3pm. Messages of condolence can be offered on rip.ie Family flowers only, please. Donations, if desired, to Milford Hospice and the Irish Cancer Society. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The death has occurred of Seamus O'Connor, late of Grattan Court, Old Clare Street and Clonlara. Peacefully, in The Thomond Ward St Camillus' Hospital.Seamus is deeply regretted by his daughters, brothers, sisters, grandchildren, the staff and residents of the Thomond Ward, St Camillus' Hospital and Seamus' carer Sinead. MAY HE REST IN PEACE A requiem Mass for family only will take place in St John's Cathedral on Friday, 9th April, at 12.30pm, followed by burial in Mt Oliver Cemetery. Mass will be live streamed on www.churchservices.tv/limerickcathedral In compliance with HSE Government Guidelines, please ensure social distancing and public health advice are adhered to. Messages of sympathy may be expressed through the condolence section on rip.ie or cards and letters of sympathy can be sent to Joseph Cross, 2 Lower Gerald Griffin Street, Limerick. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The death has occurred of Thomas (Tom) Kenny, Glenlon South, Ardnacrusha and formerly of OMeara Camping and Custom Furniture Store. Peacefully at Milford Care Centre. Beloved husband of Deirdre. Dearly loved father of Paul and Dawn. Sadly missed by his daughter-in-law Marie, son-in-law Mick, his beloved grandchildren Eve, Harry, Faith, Morgan and Cameron, brothers Pat and Michael, sisters Bernie and Margaret, extended family and friends. May He Rest in Peace A private Requiem Mass for family will be held in St. Nicholas' Church, Westbury, this Wednesday (7th April) at 12 noon, with burial afterwards in Mount St. Oliver Cemetery. Thomass Mass will be live streamed here House strictly private. Family flowers only please, donations if desired to Milford Care Centre. In the interests of public health, attendance at Requiem Mass will be restricted to accord with government guidelines and in line with social distancing protocols. Mass cards and messages of sympathy can be sent to Thompsons, Thomas Street, Limerick. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The death has occurred of Eileen Hodges (nee McDonagh), formerly of Clarke Avenue, Janesboro and Upper Clare Street, and St. Helen's, Lancashire, UK. Eileen died peacefully in the tender loving care of Beech Lodge Care Facility, Bruree, on 2nd April 2021. Sadly, missed by her loving daughters Deirdre, Davina & Liza. Her grandchildren Thomas, Mark, Katie, Christie, Robbie & Lewis and great grandchild Benjamin. Rest in Peace A prayer service will take place on Wednesday April 7th at 2pm in Shannon Crematorium. (Click here to View Service). (Password to follow) Messages of sympathy may be expressed through the rip.ie condolences section, through the death notices section of our website: www.griffinfunerals.com or by post to Griffins Funeral Home. YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, visited the Yerablur Military Pantheon, accompanied by clergymen. His Holiness Garegin II delivered a mass for the memory of all heroes fallen for the defense of the Homeland. The Catholicos of All Armenians also laid flowers at their tombs. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan A record jump in the Covid-19 cases in the country which led to lockdown-like restrictions in the economically important state of Maharashtra spooked market investors on Monday. Besides, a weak macroeconomic print added fuel to the fire, further raising concerns about the pace and strength of the economic recovery. Investors found some solace in firm global cues that helped contain further downside for the market. Amid this backdrop, the BSE barometer tanked 870 points or 1.74 per cent to settle at 49,159. The 30-pack index had declined as much as 1,449 points in intra-day trade to a low of 48,581. Banks, financials, Reliance Industries and ITC were among the top drags. Meanwhile, NSE's flagship index shut shop at 14,638, down 230 points or 1.54 per cent. The index had plummeted to 14,460 in intra-day today. The selling in the market was mostly broad-based, with only stocks from the information technology (IT) and metals sector managing to hold their head above water while the stocks were the worst hit. The volatility index shot up over 6 per cent to 21.21 level. "Over the next few days, would monitor as to how the Covid situation pans out in Maharashtra and also in other states, especially the ones where the cases is rising rampantly. April is likely to be highly volatile for the with Q4 earnings, rising Covid cases and higher among the factors that are likely to determine the trend," says Hemang Jani, head for equity strategy, broking & distribution at Motilal Oswal Financial Services. Here are the key factors that are weighing on market sentiment today: Grim milestone for Covid cases With 1,03,558 fresh Covid-19 cases, India recorded the biggest-ever daily surge, taking the case tally in the country to 1,25,89,067. Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state in the country and saw the highest-ever daily surge with 57,074 fresh infections on Sunday. Mumbai, India's financial capital, also saw the highest-ever single-day spike with 11,163 new infections, taking the city's tally to 4,52,445 cases. Lockdown-like condition in Maharashrta To contain the spread of Covid, the Uddhav Thackeray government announced the shutting of malls and multiplexes along with private offices, except those engaged in finance, insurance, banks, telecommunications, and essential services in Maharashtra for a month. A curfew will be in place during the night, and prohibitory orders issued under Section 144 will be in force during the day. From Monday, bars, and restaurants will be closed with only takeaways and parcel service to be allowed. READ IN DETAIL HERE. Market experts blamed the strict lockdown-like conditions in the state as one of the biggest jolts to investor sentiments, leading to the market crash, as these restrictions can impact growth recovery, they say. "The lockdown along with the severity of the lockdown is what's behind market fall today. These restrictions are a big blow to the smaller businesses at a time when they were just about recovering and getting back on track. Moreover, this could lead to the exodus of labourers from the state. If they go back now, I am not sure when they would return," said independent market expert Ambareesh Baliga. Weak macro print A weak PMI manufacturing print for March also elevated concerns on the growth front. Growth in manufacturing activities slowed to the lowest rate in seven months as increasing Covid cases hit demand, showed largely tracked IHS Markit purchasing managers' index (PMI). PMI fell from 57.5 in February to a seven-month low of 55.4 in March. In the PMI lexicon, a reading above 50 means growth and the one below 50 shows contraction. Employment declined in March, taking the current sequence of job shedding to a year, according to the PMI report, based on the survey of 400 manufacturers. Spike in bond yields A spike in US also dented market mood on Monday. The two-year US Treasury yield rose to 0.186%, near its eight-month peak of 0.194 per cent touched in late February. Yields on longer-dated bonds also rose, with 10-year notes at 1.725 per cent in Asia on Monday, extending its rise that began on Friday after the job report, Reuters reported. A spike in doesn't bode well for emerging like India as they lead to FII outflows. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana answer questions during a Reuters interview at the military headquarters of Camp Aquinaldo in Quezon city, metro Manila, Philippines, on Feb. 9, 2017. (Romeo Ranoco/Reuters) Philippines Defense Chief Says Beijing Intends to Occupy More South China Sea Areas MANILAThe Philippines defense chief says Beijing is looking to occupy more areas in the South China Sea, citing the continued presence of Chinese vessels that Manila believes are manned by militias in disputed parts of the strategic waterway. The continued presence of Chinese maritime militias in the area reveals their intent to further occupy (areas) in the West Philippine Sea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in an April 4 statement, using the local name for the South China Sea. It was the second statement by Lorenzana in two days as he repeated calls by the Philippines for the Chinese boats to leave Whitsun Reef, which Manila calls the Julian Felipe Reef, located within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone. Chinese diplomats have said the boats anchored near the reefnumbering more than 200, based on initial intelligence gathered by Philippine patrolswere sheltering from rough seas and that no militia were aboard. Some of the 220 Chinese vessels are seen moored at Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea on March 7, 2021. (Philippine Coast Guard/National Task Force-West Philippine Sea via AP) On April 3, Lorenzana said there were still 44 Chinese vessels at Whitsun Reef, despite improved weather conditions. I am no fool. The weather has been good so far, so they have no reason to stay there, he said. The Chinese Embassy in Manila responded to Lorenzanas comments, saying it was completely normal for Chinese vessels to fish in the area and take shelter near the reef during rough sea conditions. It added, Nobody has the right to make wanton remarks on such activities. An international tribunal invalidated Beijings claim to 90 percent of the South China Sea in 2016, but the Chinese Communist Party said it does not recognize the ruling and has built artificial islands in the disputed waters equipped with radar, missiles batteries, and hangars for fighter jets. They have done this (occupy disputed areas) before at Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc and at Panganiban Reef, brazenly violating Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights under international law, Lorenzana said in his statement. Australian media firm Nine Entertainment is continuing to stay mum as far as public statements on the network attack on its Sydney offices go. It is more or less certain now that Windows ransomware known as MedusaLocker was used in the attack. The company's new chief executive, Mike Sneesby, who was faced by the attack on the day he walked into the job, said in part in a statement to staff on 1 April: "As a result of the efforts of 9Technology and Broadcast Operations and the ingenuity and collaboration of teams right across the business we are now returning a number of our core systems, with more systems anticipated to come online over the weekend. "We anticipate that from next week, we can welcome more people back into our workplaces and we will communicate with your managers over the weekend with more details for each of our locations nationwide." But when it comes to specifics, the company is silent even though one of its own publications, the Australian Financial Review, has reported that staff were told to look on their PCs for a file named Recovery_ Instructions.html which is the ransom note issued by the ransomware in question, MedusaLocker. Nine has insisted that it has not received any ransom note, which, in strict legal terms, is correct. Brett Callow, a ransomware researcher with the New Zealand-headquarter Emsisoft,iTWire on Sunday that in the case of MedusaLocker the note left behind made no mention of a ransom. "The note dropped by MedusaLocker doesnt actually make any demands; it simply tells companies that their data has been encrypted and invites them to get in touch should they wish to purchase a decryptor," he pointed out. iTWire sent the following queries to Nine early on Sunday morning, with a request that the company respond by noon on Monday: Nine is continuing to push the line that no ransom note has been received after the attack despite one of your own publications, the AFR, reporting that staff have been asked to look for a file named Recovery_ Instructions.html which is the ransom note issued by the ransomware in question, MedusaLocker. A report dated April 3 propagates this further. Isn't it time you told the public the truth? Or are you afraid this will affect the share price? In 2019, the Norwegian company Norsk Hydro, a much bigger operation than Nine, was hit by ransomware. The way they handled it drew praise from former Sophos executive, Graham Cluley. British sec researcher Kevin Beaumont also had many good things to say about their response. The Norsk attack had one similarity to Nine the CEO had just started in his job. Cluley had this to say: "Ive always considered that a security breach is only part of the story. A large chunk of the narrative, and how it ends up impacting your organisation and reputation, rests upon your response following an incident." Any comments? Has print publishing at Nine returned to normal? Is online publishing at Nine back to normal? Can staff go back to the office if they need/wish to do so? Companies of your size generally have what is known as a demilitarised zone which separates the Internet-facing computers from those within, behind the firewall. Publicly available information shows that Akamai and AWS are providers for Nine. These are not small players; so how were the barriers bypassed? Did Nine have proper back-ups in place to restore machines to their previous state, in the event that they had to be wiped due to the ransomware infection? Have your technical people ascertained how the infection happened through phishing or through a watering hole attack? MedusaLocker was discovered in 2019 and there are plenty of packages that recognise and protect against it. Was Nine (and its associated entities) not running any software to protect against it? It is now a week since the first public announcement that there was an attack on the company's Sydney offices. When do you plan to issue a detailed statement to boost public confidence in the company? The company has not provided any answers that can be quoted. iTWire understands that there will be no information about the attack released to the public. The continual revelations of alleged rape, sexual assault, and inappropriate behaviour against women in recent weeks has been confronting and shocking. Unsurprisingly, its been a topic that has dominated media coverage, dinner party conversations, and workplace watercoolers. Brittany Higgins was allegedly raped in Parliament House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Australians are rightly outraged by the stories being shared; even more so by the volume. However, the lens through which we view sexual assault remains trained on the victim-perpetrator paradigm. Rachel Brougham: When lifes simple pleasures hit in a new way By sharing his own violation of human rights, Soria hopes his story helps find justice and healing for others impacted by similar experiences. In Salomon H. Sorias compelling new memoir, The Unknown Basement: Based on a Real-Life Story, the author details his painful experience of being kidnapped, interrogated, tortured, and imprisoned in the basement of the National Intelligence Service of Peru. His story begins with the events that led up to his kidnapping, chronicles his false imprisonment and concludes with where he is at in life over 30 years later. In his role as Lieutenant of the National Police in Peru, Soria experienced many turbulent times, including eight years of duty in a terrorist area, which earned him a respected reputation and leadership role. However, in 1986, things changed forever when Soria and his command were tasked with an investigation following a mass murder of local citizens in Tocash, Peru. Upon their inspection, evidence pointed directly to the national Navy who had tortured and murdered residents in hopes of gaining intel about terrorist groups operating in the area. After sharing his findings with his superior officer, all the evidence Soria presented was confiscated and he was thrown off the case. In the months following, he was then instructed to lead a police labor strike due to a potential infiltration and presence of terrorists at the event. The strike was not only successful but was also peaceful a victory in Sorias mind but unbeknownst to him, it was all a set up known as a scapegoat. Despite my attempts to convince Intelligence officials that I had been set up in retaliation for my findings, they believed I had been working with the terrorists and had acted treasonously, said Soria. After a year and a half of government imprisonment, I was released and instructed by officials not to discuss what had happened. In an effort to silence me and avoid death threats, I was granted a Visa for the United States and given a position as a Correspondent for the United Nations. Sorias decision to flee Peru was not an easy one as he was forced to leave together with his family, however, his first marriage had fallen apart and he was dealing with the aftereffects of his traumatic experience. Years later, Soria was diagnosed with PTSD after continuing to struggle with the horror and darkness he had lived through. He was encouraged by his therapist to write down his story as a form of therapy which led to him publishing The Unknown Basement. By sharing his own violation of human rights, Soria hopes his story helps find justice and healing for others impacted by similar experiences. To learn more, please visit http://www.salomonsoria.com. The Unknown Basement: Based on a Real-Life Story By Salomon H. Soria ISBN: 978-1-4582-2285-5 (sc); 978-1-4582-2284-8 (hc); 978-1-4582-2283-1 (e) Available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble *A Spanish translation version of the book is available for purchase on Amazon.com About the author Salomon H. Soria, a professional bilingual, was born in Chincha, Ica, Peru and graduated in Administration and Police Science, as a Second Lieutenant, at the Peruvian National Police School. He specialized in the fight against terrorism. He also studied Public Relations at the Superior Institute of Communications Science Alejandro Deustua of Huancayo, Peru and CIS at Dover Business College in Paramus, New Jersey. Soria worked as a correspondent for the United nations for Vida Diplomatica Magazine (1989-1996) and is the author of the Spanish book El Sotano del Servicio de Inteligencia Nacional. Currently, he works for a prestigious limousine company and lives with his wife Stephanie, and two children, in New Jersey. For Review Copies & Interview Requests Contact: LAVIDGE Publicity Lauren Dickerson ldickerson@lavidge.com 480-306-7117 New Delhi: Following the order of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday (April 5) schools have been closed for 2 weeks due to rising cases of COVID-19 in Jammu and Kashmir. All schools will be shut for the nursery section to class 9 for two weeks. Class 10, 11 and 12 will only be shut for one week. The staff of the schools have welcomed the decision of the Lieutenant Governor amid the sudden spike in COVID-19 cases. The examinations for the nursery section to class 9 have been completed while the children were going to school. The sudden rise in cases have become a threat to the health and safety of the students, forcing schools to shut down once more. The schools had issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and were helping children follow the guidelines by providing them with masks and sanitizer, making the school as safe as possible. The continuous rise in cases has forced the schools to shut down as the childrens health is at risk Preparations for the Class 10 and 12 examinations have begun and the students will continue school till their examinations are over. The examinations will commence on April 6. All preparations have been made on behalf of the school. The class has been given sanitation operations. Masks and sanitizers will be placed outside the classroom for the convenience of the students attending their exams. Live TV If you, like all Netflix subscribers, are obsessed with the popular Israeli show, Shtisel, you may have spent a fair amount of time admiring star Michael Aloni. Aloni plays the tormented, lovelorn artist Kiveh, and hes getting accolades for his sensitive portrayal of the young ultra-Orthodox man. However and theres no doubt about this Aloni is also getting considerable attention thanks to his very pretty face. (Swoon!) But it seems he takes it all in stride. When he was asked about being attractive by the New York Jewish Week, Aloni opted to quote Zoolander: Is there anything more to the world than being really, really ridiculously good-looking? ADVERTISEMENT Well yes, as it happens. In addition to being the charming star of Shtisel, theres more to Aloni than meets the eye. Heres what you need to know about the multi-talented 35-year-old: He started out acting in commercials From early on, Aloni was all about the hustle! In 2001, he starred in this cellphone commercial as a surfer teen. Prepare to travel back in time to early 2000s fashion, technology, and awkward commercial music. He went on to act and host on childrens TV Aloni was a host on Israels popular childrens channel, Arutz HaYeladim, in 2005. He also starred in the very popular teen drama HaShminiya, about eight kids who discover they have psychic powers. This is what he looked like back then: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlnWJRPndop/ Oh, the noughties what a time! He majored in physics and math in high school Aloni is the son of a lawyer and an accountant, but says he feels like acting is a profession that chose him. Hes a surfer dude Like many Israeli models and actors, the Shtisel star loves surfing the waves (the beaches in Israel, I hear, are full of them). He posts a lot of pictures of himself with a surfboard, ready to take on the sea. He dubs Paddington in Hebrew And he makes a fine matzah-eating bear, indeed. He even collaborated with Israels first lady, Nehama Rivlin, the wife of Israeli president Reuven Rivlin, who dubbed a character in Paddington 2. Check out their adorable selfie together: He is the co-host of the Israeli version of The Voice He co-hosts the popular singing competition with Israeli model Shlomit Malka. He says the experience is a blast apparently, filming the show like being part of a musical every night. He is a published author Love in the Age of the Flu, which was published in 2017, is a collection four novellas and two short stories that are very loosely connected. The title is inspired by Alonis favorite author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who wrote Love in the Time of Cholera. He also stars in another Netflix show, When Heroes Fly Aloni plays Dotan Himmler Friedman the series, which is currently streaming on Netflix. His character is a successful businessman who can come off as a bit of a cold-hearted (but lovable) asshole. He joins his former army mates on a high-stakes mission to Colombia to try to find information about Yaeli, the ex-girlfriend of one of the squads men, who supposedly died in a deadly crash. He just directed his first short film Shir, his first short movie, is the story of a girl who ditches school on Israels Memorial Day when the country holds somber ceremonies to remember the countrys fallen while coming to terms with the loss of her brother. Aloni crowdfunded part of the project on the Israeli site Headstart, and heres a video that tells all about it: You can watch the trailer for Shir here. He admires Gal Gadot I mean, who doesnt? But Aloni gets specific: I think one of the most wonderful things about her, aside from the embrace shes getting from Hollywood, is that seeing a woman work really hard but shes still a family person, still with her feet on the ground, and she does her work humbly, he told Israeli Week. He played an Israeli man in love with a Palestinian man Aloni plays Roy, a lawyer who falls in love with Nimr, a Palestinian student, in the award-winning film Out in the Dark. The two meet at a bar and fall in love, and both of their lives are upended. This is no fairytale, as both have to deal with Israeli societys reluctance to embrace Nimr, because of where hes from. Hes also a successful theater actor Aloni has been in countless theater productions, including Bent and Shakespeare In Love. Pretty and pretty versatile! Hes super-devoted to his dog, Bruce Aloni adopted a mutt puppy named Bruce, and his Instagram account is full of pictures of the adorable pooch. A woman has been shot dead and five others, including a four-year-old, have been injured after a shootout in a crowded Alabama park on Easter Sunday. Gunfire broke out at around 7pm in Patton Park, Birmingham, where hundreds of families had gathered. The woman, 32, who cops believe was an innocent bystander, was found dead in the backseat of her car after she was shot in the head. A woman has been shot dead and five others, including a four-year-old, have been injured after a shootout in Patton Park (pictured) on Easter Sunday Gunfire broke out at around 7pm in Patton Park, Birmingham , where hundreds of families had gathered A 21-year-old, a 17-year-old, a 16-year-old boy who was shot in the hip, a 15-year-old and a 4-year-old were struck by the gunfire. Two of them were taken to hospital in a serious condition while a third suffered life-threatening injuries. Birmingham police said a group of men had an altercation which led to the deadly shootout. Witnesses said there were around 1,000 people in the park at the time of the gunfight. According to Alabama Local two women were sitting on a blue Dodge Charger when someone opened fire, striking the car and the two women. After the first gunshots, a number of people started firing in different directions as people started to flee with police and ambulances struggling to enter the park One of them was struck in the chest and the other was the casualty, witnesses said. After the first gunshots, a number of people started firing in different directions as people started to flee with police and ambulances struggling to enter the park. The witness said: 'They didnt even know what they were shooting at.' Birmingham Police Sgt. Rod Mauldin said there are no suspects in custody yet. Appealing for information, he said: 'This park was full of people, full of families and we know people saw things today.' 'We need people to come forward with any information you have concerning this incident. No matter how big or small you think it is, its valuable to us tonight. We need descriptions. We need names.' The Movement for Democratic Change led by Nelson Chamisa claims that police on Sunday disrupted a party meeting in Harare West and briefly detained top MDC Alliance leader. In a statement, the MDC Alliance said youth secretary for Harare province, Denford Ngadziore, was picked up by police at the meeting and was briefly detained at Malbereign Police Station where he was asked to sign a warned and cautioned statement and released. Harare West constituency is represented in Parliament by Hon Joana Mamombe who is currently serving a pre-trial imprisonment together with Cecilia Chimbiri at Chikurubi Maximum Prison for no apparent crime. Since the senseless conviction of Makomborero Haruzivishe last week, the regime is running paranoid fearing a backlash from angry youths ahead of his impending sentencing on Tuesday. The MDC Alliance further claimed that indications are that the Mnangagwa government has failed to fulfill its 2018 election promises and is now resorting to harassment, abductions, pre-trial detentions and convictions to silence the ever growing number of politically conscious youths. This explains the continued detention and conviction of our youth leaders for no crime at all. Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, was unavailable for comment as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone. The ruling Zanu PF party says opposition leaders are attempting to subvert a constitutionally-elected government following their defeat in the 2018 harmonized elections. The United States and European Union claim that Mnangagwas government has been cracking down on political opponents following the 2018 disputed elections. In its 2020 country report on human rights practices, the United States Department of States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor said security forces engaged in such practices with impunity and with implicit support of government officials. NGOs reported security forces abducted, assaulted, and tortured citizens in custody, including targeted assault on and torture of civil society activists, labor leaders, opposition members, and other perceived opponents of the government. Throughout the year police used excessive force in apprehending, detaining, and interrogating criminal suspects. In some cases, police arrested and charged the victims of violence rather than the perpetrators and accused abduction victims of filing false reports. Human rights groups reported government agents continued to perpetrate physical and psychological torture on labor leaders and opposition party members during abductions. Reported torture methods included sexual assault; beating victims with sticks, clubs, cables, gun butts, and sjamboks (a heavy whip); falanga (beating the soles of the feet); forced consumption of human excrement; and oral chemical poisoning, as well as pouring corrosive substances on exposed skin. According to the report, as of November there were a minimum of five reports of short-term abductions and assaults or torture allegedly performed by state security actors. Zanu PF has dismissed the report saying there are no human rights violations in Zimbabwe. HOLLAND, MI -- A man registered as a sex offender in Michigan was accused of exposing himself to two women at a hotel pool this weekend. Ronald David Barnes, 52, was a guest at the Country Inn and Suites in Holland when, while using the pool at about 9 a.m. Saturday, April 3, he exposed himself to two women in their 20s, according to a news release from the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office. The women alerted the hotel staff and sheriffs deputies of the incident, police said. Barnes, a truck driver and resident of Wolverine, Michigan, has been arrested previously for indecent exposure and criminal sexual conduct, police said. In this incident, it is not believed that Barnes had any physical contact with any witnesses or victims. Barnes was arrested on charges of aggravated indecent exposure and being a sexual delinquent offender and taken to the Ottawa County Jail, police said. Barnes was later arraigned on the charges, according to police. The incident remains under investigation by the sheriffs office. Anyone with additional information is asked to call 1-877-88-SILENT. Also on MLive: Driver dies after veering off road and colliding with tree 16-year-old shot and killed in Flint, suspect in custody Passenger ejected, killed after vehicle crashes into guardrail on I-75 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 5, 2021) - BELGRAVIA HARTFORD CAPITAL INC. (CSE: BLGV) ("Belgravia Hartford", "Belgravia" or the "Company") provides the following corporate update. Normal Course Issuer Bid ("NCIB") Belgravia Hartford first initiated its NCIB on February 23, 2021, a stock buyback program whereby the Company repurchases its shares to lower the total number of securities outstanding. The Board of Directors of Belgravia Hartford believe that the market price of Belgravia's common shares do not reflect the underlying net asset value of it's holdings. Accordingly, the NCIB will enable Belgravia to reduce the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company. As of March 31, 2021, the Company has purchased a total of 350,000 common shares at an average price of $.205 under the NCIB. The maximum number of common shares which may be purchased by Belgravia during the NCIB will not exceed 2,008,962 common shares, being approximately 5% of 40,179,248 (representing the number of issued and outstanding common shares as of March 8, 2021. See press release dated March 4, 2021). The Company has appointed Leede Jones Gable to coordinate and facilitate its NCIB purchases. The NCIB will terminate on the earlier of February 23, 2022 and the date on which the maximum number of Common Shares that can be acquired pursuant to the NCIB have been purchased. Core Holding Highlights: Blackrock Gold Corp (TSXV: BRC) 9,173,500 common shares 1,000,000 warrants at $.30 expiring January 20, 2022 Imperial Mining Group (TSXV: IPG) 14,500,00 common shares 4,000,000 warrants at $.11 expiring September 10, 2022 Nexus Gold Corp. (TSXV: NXS) 12,009,091 common shares 1,895,653 warrants at $.10 expiring February 26, 2022 1,500,000 warrants at $.15 expiring October 7, 2022 1,863,637 warrants at $.075 expiring November 30, 2022 2,890,909 warrants at $.075 expiring December 31, 2022 360,000 warrants at $.07 expiring July 3, 2023 8,000,000 warrants at $.07 expiring January 31, 2025 Azincourt Energy Corp. (TSXV: AAZ) 6,100,000 common shares 2,500,000 warrants at $.07 expiring March 20, 2024 8,000,000 warrants at $.07 expiring May 20, 2025 6,000,000 warrants at $.07 expiring March 3, 2026 Passive Holdings Updates: GameSquare Esports Inc. (CSE: GSQ) With the acquisition of Reciprocity Corp. by GameSquare, (announced by GameSquare on March 17, 2021), Belgravia now holds 930,376 common shares of the publicly-listed GSQ. Shares will be released from escrow as follows: 7/16/2021 310,125 11/16/2021 310,125 3/16/2022 310,126 Bald Eagle Gold Corp. (formerly Wolf Acquisition Corp.) (TSXV: BIG) Belgravia now owns 2,680,000 common shares of Bald Eagle Gold Corp. as a result of the restructuring of CX One. Shares will be released form escrow as follows: 3/22/2021 700,000 9/22/2021 330,000 3/22/2022 330,000 9/22/2022 330,000 3/22/2023 330,000 9/22/2023 330,000 3/22/2024 330,000 Zonetail (TSXV: Zone) As announced March 18, 2021, Belgravia has served a motion for summary judgment to be heard in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List), seeking payment from Zonetail on its promissory note in the amount of $325,000 plus accumulating interest. The outstanding amount due is now at $408,045. Belgravia continues to hold 1,425,000 common shares of Zonetail. Belgravia will provide a comprehensive update on the summary judgment and $2,850,000 counterclaim against Zonetail in April 2021. About Belgravia Hartford Belgravia Hartford Capital Inc. is a Canadian publically traded investment holding company which invests in public and private companies in legal jurisdictions and under the rule of law. Belgravia Hartford and its investment holdings are high risk business ventures and expose shareholders to financial risks. For more information, please visit www.belgraviahartford.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements that use forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "potential" or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding planned investment activities & related returns, the timing for completion of research and development activities, the potential value of royalties, and other statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, changes in market trends, the completion, results and timing of research undertaken by the Company, risks associated with resource assets, the impact of general economic conditions, commodity prices, industry conditions, dependence upon regulatory, environmental, and governmental approvals, and the uncertainty of obtaining additional financing. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. For More Information, Please Contact: Mehdi Azodi, President & CEO Belgravia Hartford Capital Inc. (250) 763-5533 mazodi@blgv.ca To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/79434 Dr. Rachel Rubin, co-lead of the Cook County Department of Public Health that guides COVID-19 response in most of the suburbs, sounded the alarm in a call with reporters following a rising caseload that began in March. As a result, suburban Cook County might again see an indoor dining ban or the gathering limit curtailed from the current cap at 50% capacity or 50 people, whichever is fewer, Rubin said. Click here to read the full article. More than a full year after Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault, lawyers for the disgraced former Hollywood honcho who is currently serving 23 years in New York prison have filed an appeal, arguing that the judge made errors that resulted in a rigged trial. Weinstein, who was convicted in Feb. 2020, culminating a two-month trial in New York Criminal Court, still awaits trial in L.A., where he faces 11 additional counts of rape and sexual assault, which could result in 140 years in prison. The appeal was long-expected, as Weinsteins attorneys declared to the press outside of the courthouse in early 2020 that theyd be appealing on behalf of their client, who maintains his innocence and yet, the legal filing doesnt sting any less to survivors of Weinstein, who has been publicly accused of abusing over one hundred women across multiple decades. Harvey Weinsteins criminal appeal is a desperate attempt to undo a fair trial overseen by Judge Burke and the findings of a well-reasoned and thoughtful jury. We are confident the appeal will not alter his conviction and sentence, said attorney Douglas H. Wigdor, the founding partner of Wigdor LLP, who represents seven Harvey Weinstein victims, including Tarale Wulff, who testified at the criminal trial. Wulff was one of three Molineux witnesses in the New York trial, alongside Dawn Dunning and The Sopranos actor Annabella Sciorra, who also took the stand. In Mondays appeal, Weinsteins defense attorneys challenged the judges decision to allow the three women to testify about uncharged sexual assaults involving Weinstein. (During the Bill Cosby trial, prior bad acts witnesses were also allowed to testify, in order to establish a pattern of behavior.) Weinstein was convicted in Feb. 2020 of two counts of third-degree rape and the first-degree sexual assault, but was acquitted on two more serious charges of predatory sexual assault, which would have stemmed from the accounts of Wulff, Dunning and Sciorra, who were brought into the trial by the New York District Attorneys office to help establish a pattern of predatory sexual behavior. On Monday, when contacted by Variety regarding Weinsteins appeal, a spokesperson for the New York D.A.s office said, We will respond in our brief to the court. Insiders say the prosecutors brief might not be filed for several months, given the slow-and-lengthy appeals process in the state of New York. (The two prosecutors who led the trial for the New York D.A.s office, Joan Illuzzi-Orbon and Meghan Hast, declined to comment and have never spoken to the media, following the high-profile trial, conviction and sentencing.) Mimi Haley, a former production assistant on The Weinstein Co.s Project Runway served as a key witness in the New York criminal trial. Haleys account is the basis for Weinsteins conviction on the charge of first-degree sexual assault. The third-degree rape conviction stemmed from the account of star witness Jessica Mann, who delivered a strong victim-impact statement, after three grueling days on the witness stand where she was brutally cross-examined by Weinsteins defense team. Haleys attorney, Gloria Allred who also represented Sciorra and witness Lauren Marie Young in the New York trial took issue with Weinsteins appeal on Monday, specifically the contention that Weinsteins sexual conduct with Haley was consensual. Obviously, the jury did not agree with the argument made by Mr. Weinstein that his sexual interaction with Ms. Haley was consensual, Allred said in a statement obtained by Variety on Monday. Had the jury agreed, they would not have convicted Mr. Weinstein of this serious felony. Allred also disagrees with Weinsteins lawyers declaration that the Molineaux witnesses should not have been permitted to testify. The prosecution called these witnessesto prove a common plan, scheme or design by the defendant, Allreds statement reads, in part. I believe that the jury was very careful and scrutinized the evidence of Mr. Weinsteins common plan and scheme, not his propensity to engage in some such conduct, and that is why they decided to convict him. Weinstein accuser and trauma specialist, Lou Godbold, took to Twitter on Monday to react to Weinsteins appeal. Due to the statute of limitations, Godbold like so many other survivors was not able to testify in the New York criminal trial. As a victim of one of those prior bad acts and one of the many Molineux witnesses the judge did not allow, establishing the pattern of predatory behavior was all the influence we could bring to bear outside the statute of limitations, Godbold tweeted. So no, Harvey, you dont get to erase us. Weinsteins appeal filing also stated that the court should not have allowed for the testimony of expert witness, Dr. Barbara Ziv, a forensic psychiatrist who also served as an expert witness during the Cosby trial. At Weinsteins trial, Dr. Ziv explained standard behaviors of sexual assault survivors to the jury to debunk rape myths that are commonly held by the public. I think that Dr. Zivs testimony was very important and allowed the jury to understand that many preconceived notions about what rape and sexual assault victims do after they become the victims of gender violence are myths, and not the reality, Allred states. While Weinsteins legal team is arguing for a new trial, Allred believes a re-do to be completely unfit. The jury has spoken, and I believe that this conviction should not be reversed, she says. I hope that the judgment against Mr. Weinstein will stand and that his request for a new trial on the issue of criminal sexual assault of Mimi will not be ordered. Mr. Weinstein argues that the sentence imposed upon him was unduly harsh and excessive. I disagree, Allred continues. Although Mr. Weinstein was ordered to serve a lengthy prison term for his conviction of criminal sexual assault, I believe that this punishment fits the crime and that it also fits the defendant ordered to serve it. Allreds client, Young, who testified in New York, will testify again in the Los Angeles trial which has been put on hold, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Weinstein, however, awaits an extradition hearing in the near future. Allred will also represent another alleged victim in the L.A. criminal case whose identity has not yet been revealed. On Monday afternoon, Rosanna Arquette one of the first women to come forward with accusations against Weinstein took to Twitter, reacting to Weinsteins appeal, posting, Just when you thought things couldnt get worse. Arquette also tweeted about holding Weinstein accountable with the L.A. trial, writing, There are many more women who have been raped by Weinstein through the years. Many women who had their careers destroyed. And many people in Hollywood who continue to protect him and vilify the survivors. The trial in Los Angeles will have six more women, one was 16 at the time. Sarah Ann Masse, an actor, comedian and writer, who accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her during a 2008 meeting when she was interviewing to become his childrens nanny, also tweeted her reaction, slamming Weinsteins appeal as the desperate acts of a desperate man. The survivors who gave testimony at this trial were incredibly brave, the jury heard their testimony & believed them, Masse tweeted on Monday evening. Weinstein is an abuser and nothing will change that. I believe this decision will stand. An LA conviction is next. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Upcoming contests The Irish Radio Transmitters Society report the following upcoming contests: The final UKEICC SSB one hour contest of this season will be held on Wednesday April 7th starting at 2000. Two Bonus callsigns (Checklogs) worth 10 points each, will be active - EI5G and GM7V. The Japanese JIDX CW contest will be held next weekend starting at 0700 on Saturday and finishing at 1300 on Sunday. The exchange for non-Japanese stations is report and CQ Zone while JA stations will give report and prefecture number. The IG-RY Worldwide RTTY contest runs for 36 hours from 1200 on Saturday next until 1800 on Sunday. The exchange for everyone is RST plus the year you were first licensed. The OK/OM SSB 24 hour contest starts at 1200 on Saturday next and OK/OM stations will give report plus three letter county code and all others give report and serial number. The European FT8 Club run their 24 hour contest also starting at 1200 on Saturday next. US and Canadian stations will give signal report plus their state or province while all others give report and serial number. Please see the European FT 8 Club website for all the details Operators interested in the US Worked All States award should note that State QSO parties are being held next weekend in North Dakota, New Mexico, Nebraska and Georgia. The annual Yuri Gagarin International DX CW Contest 2021 is dedicated to the memory of Yuri Gagarin, who made the first human flight to space, on April 12, 1961. It runs for 24 hours from 2100 on Saturday next and the exchange is RST plus ITU Zone. No DX news this week but we must mention a report in the ARRL Letter that confirms what we all experience on the bands. The report says that since zooming to prominence after its debut in mid-2017, the popular FT8 digital protocol has become the mode of choice for some 60% of HF operators, according to Club Log's latest activity report compiled by Michael Wells, G7VJR. FT8 is one of the protocols in the WSJT-X suite of free programs. Wells says FT8 activity level sits at nearly 85% on 6 metres. The dramatic FT8 upswing has come at the expense of phone, CW, RTTY, PSK, and other modes. IRTS SHENZHEN, China, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Umbratek, a cutting-edge new robotic tech startup, has just released its first robotic arm series called the UTRA series on Kickstarter. With 5 different robot arm models to choose from, the UTRA series is the world's most powerful and most affordable modular robot on the market today. Now on Kickstarter The World's Most Powerful Modular Robot Ranging from 4 to 6 axis and built with a modular structure design, each arm can be configured to meet your business needs. Being 90% produced in-house, the UTRA series is approximately 70% more affordable than leading worldwide competitors. Specifications: Payload: Up to 20kg Repeatability: Up to 0.01mm Weight to Payload Ratio: Up to 0.75 Reach: Up to 1500mm Quick-Release Module: 2s tool change speed Driving the revolutionary UTRA series is Umbratek's ADRA Actuator series. Each ADRA Actuator is built to last and comes with a high-precision harmonic reducer made of high-strength aviation aluminum and high-carbon chromium steel. A high-torque density, and compact structure, enable the motor to be integrated into the actuator and lessens the actuator weight. Each actuator is fitted with high-performance servo drivers, which use field-oriented control, to protect against overvoltage, overcurrent, over-temperature, reverse connection, undervoltage ESD, short-circuiting, and rotor lock. The ADRA series also uses dual GMR+TMR hybrid detection technology and comes with a 16-bit off-axis multi-turn absolute encoder. Evan Deng, founder and CEO of Umbratek, stated, "Umbratek focuses on high-performance dynamic robots and control systems. We've spent the last few years developing simplified, customized, affordable robotic solutions for your various needs. Our robots provide fresh energy for industrial automation, logistics, medical, agricultural, and many more settings." Umbratek was built with growth in mind. With meticulous design and implementation, Umbratek is always thinking forward. They want to become a world-leading enterprise in the field of dynamic robotics and control systems and continue to explore the limits of the world, working on cutting-edge technologies, and delivering knowledge and technology to those that need it. Perfect for automation and AI-related applications, the UTRA series is available for as low as $2999 and the ADRA actuator series as low as $529 with their Super Early Bird Special only on Kickstarter.com Umbratek was founded in 2019 by the founder and CEO of UFactory. After being responsible for the revolutionization of desktop robotics, Umbratek was formed with the idea of developing quality assured robotics and robotic control systems at industry-breaking prices. The first range of solutions that Umbratek is offering is the UTRA Robot series, the ADRA Actuator series, and their corresponding software - Umbratek Studio & Assistant. To help Umbratek bring its UTRA series to the market, they are launching a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter on the 5th of April, 2021. YouTube Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Contact: Umbratek Kickstarter campaign: Click Here Media Contact: Jing Qi [email protected] +86 18822816177 SOURCE Umbratek Technology Ltd New Delhi, April 5 : The US Trade Representative (USTR) in its latest report on Foreign Trade Barriers released on March 31 has highlighted major trade barriers to American exports, FDI and e-commerce. This report has been issued by Joe Biden Administration's newly appointed USTR, Katherine Tai who replaced Ambassador Robert Lighthizer after Donald Trump lost the election last year. It has found India's trade policies discriminatory which creates both tariff and non tariff-barriers and poses a threat to US trade and imports to India. Trade barriers include government laws, regulations and policies. Duties, according to the report, have been increased across two large groups: Labour-intensive products and electronics and communication devices, such as cell phones, televisions, and related parts and components. Earlier in January 2021, USTR had found India's Equalisation Levy as discriminatory and unreasonable,creating significant new tax burden for the US companies and/or restricting US commerce -- forcing them to undertake costly compliance measures. Finance Ministry issued clarifications in February 2021, but the matter, instead of improving, has become much worse. US companies across the board have complained that the latest interpretation means that even merchandise trade will be subject to Equalisation Levy. The new interpretation is increasing nervousness and fear of tax terrorism, due to retrospective impact of such levy, even further. According to the report, the United States' trade deficit with India in 2020 was up 1.7 per cent to $23.8 billion, exports down 20.1 per cent to $27.4 billion, and India's imports down 11.3 per cent to $51.2 billion, from last year. The report highlights that the US exporters continue to encounter significant tariff and non-tariff barriers. Additionally, there exists large disparities between WTO bound rates and India's MFN applied rates -- currently the highest in the world at 17.6 per cent. In addition, the report also highlights the unpredictability and opaqueness that plagues India's tariff regime and how it poses major challenges to the US trade to India. As per the report, the Indian Government used the last two Union Budgets to increase tariffs on approximately 70 product categories, including key US exports, without warning or public consultation. The report also places a major focus on barriers to Digital Trade. From wide-ranging data localisation requirements across sectors and policies like the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, RBI localisation guidelines, yet-to-be released e-commerce policy to the much discussed Equalisation Levy, the USTR claims that these digital barriers will impede foreign trade and increase the risk of retaliation from other countries, putting interests of Indian companies at risk. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has made every attempt to negotiate a trade deal with previous USTR Lighthizer since September 2019, but without success. Fresh tariff hikes, equalisation levy and the recently notified IT Rules highlighted in the report, will further queer the pitch for a trade negotiation with the new USTR Katherine Tai, with whom Goyal has already held an introductory meeting two weeks ago. As per the USTR, the recently notified IT Rules "incentivize overly restrictive approaches to policing non-IP user-generated content and will undermine many Internet-based platform services." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text There can be no assurance that the discussions with Newslight and its principals will result in a binding proposal, that the special committee will determine that any such proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal or that a transaction with Newslight will be approved or consummated on any particular terms or at all, the company said. Michigan activists are distancing themselves from armed members of the anti-government boogaloo movement who appeared at demonstrations against police violence in Lansing and Ann Arbor this weekend. Researchers who study extremist movements describe boogaloo bois as a loose collection of activists who believe a bloody civil war could be on the horizon, with some members being committed to accelerating the collapse of government. Boogaloo members have drawn a chilly reception from organizers of Black Lives Matter demonstrations who are suspicious of their reasons for attending anti-racist protests. Sam Jackson, an assistant professor at University at Albany who studies extremist groups, said boogaloo members are united in their perception of an upcoming violent conflict and the aesthetic of Hawaiian shirts and tactical gear. But theres no one leader of the group and members subscribe to a broad set of political beliefs. One of the things that weve seen is some boogaloo folks are primarily motivated by what we might think of as a version of anti-government extremism but other boogaloo adherents might be more explicitly motivated by white supremacy, Jackson said. If were thinking about what does boogaloo really care about -- are they really interested in Black Lives Matter, or protesting police brutality -- It really depends on the person. The Michigan National Guard was activated to defend the state Capitol after law enforcement officials learned of an event planned for Jan. 17. Roughly 20 heavily armed members of the boogaloo movement gathered on the Capitol lawn for a few hours, though organizers said many others who planned to attend stayed home due to the police presence. Several of the men arrested for plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were affiliated with boogaloo or expressed sympathy for the movement on social media. Joseph Morrison, described by federal prosecutors as a leader of the group, used the alias Boogaloo Bunyan in online circles. Boogaloo members who wore paramilitary gear and rifles across their chest were back in Lansing on Saturday at a march calling for charges against police involved in the death of Anthony Hulon. The 54-year-old white man died by asphyxiation while in police custody after four officers handcuffed and pinned him to the ground. A coalition of Black Lives Matter groups and Hulons family organized the Saturday demonstration outside the downtown Lansing Police Department. Armed boogaloo members largely kept their distance from the larger group of protesters throughout the demonstration. Boogaloo activists were later denounced in statements posted to social media by several activist organizations. Detroit Will Breathe said people who affiliate with boogaloo members have no place in the movement against police brutality. Magnus Panvidya, a prominent boogaloo member and anarchist from Michigan, claimed he was invited to attend the Lansing event in a response posted to social media. He was among a group of people armed with rifles that stood across the street from demonstrators gathered outside the police department. DWB organizer Tristan Taylor said boogaloo members have a history of showing up to events where they are not welcome. He expressed skepticism about the motives of boogaloo members who try to ally themselves with the Black Lives Matter movement. We keep ourselves safe; theres no reason to have assault rifles at protests, Taylor said in an interview. I am in favor of people having a right to bear arms but I think that is unnecessary in the context of the struggle around police brutality and what it means to offer defense of protesters and people fighting against police brutality. Taylor said boogaloo members do not have working relations with organizations that have been leading protests against police brutality since last summer. The fact of the matter is, the boogaloo bois are not relevant in terms of their participation in the BLM Movement, he said. In Ann Arbor, a small group of armed men gathered outside the downtown police department on Sunday. Most obscured their identity and were carrying rifles and tactical gear. Timothy Teagan, a Plymouth resident who was among the first boogaloo members to arrive at the Jan. 17 demonstration, told reporters they were protesting how police handled a 36-hour standoff with an armed man in Washtenaw County. A man who was walking by the demonstration stopped to tell the group they were putting Ann Arbor residents at risk. An altercation caught on video by reporters at the scene showed the man telling boogaloo members to get your f-----g guns out of here. Listen man, this is a peaceful community, the man said. We dont need this. Washtenaw County sheriffs deputies responded to a report that a 32-year-old man was suffering a mental health crisis and had assaulted his parents at their home in Superior Township. The man was armed, wore a flak jacket and fired multiple shots before and after police arrived, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office. Family members were evacuated safely, but the man barricaded himself inside his parents home. Washtenaw County Metro Swat and the Crisis Negotiation Team, a team comprised of mental health professionals, tried to communicate with the man. He eventually put down his weapons and walked out the front door on March 25. Teagan, standing with a rifle and body armor outside the Ann Arbor Police Department headquarters, criticized the heavy police presence, saying officers risked instigating a shootout and endangered neighbors in the area. Teagan accused police of terrorizing people who are expressing their rights and challenged officers to come outside and talk with him. Teagan was photographed at multiple demonstrations in Detroit and Lansing last year during a summer of increased political activism against police brutality and COVID-19 restrictions. Teagan attended a May 20, 2020 Operation Haircut protest against restrictions on barbers and salon owners, where he was photographed with two men who were later arrested for allegedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer. READ MORE ON MLIVE: Michigan man arrested after bragging about storming the Capitol on Facebook Ryan Kelley pushed to arrest lawmakers, then stormed the Capitol. Now he wants to be Michigans governor. We need help. Michigan Attorney General says feds need to step up fight against domestic terrorism Black Americans are buying more guns while navigating landmines of white supremacy and racism Deeply engaged with Epic Games, the creator of Unreal Engine, both globally and in India, MediaMonks New Delhi is investing in a new office in New Delhi attracting diverse talent. Keeping pace with R&D and fast expansion, MediaMonks will launch a new 8000 square feet studio in New Delhi with three smaller studios featuring state of the art equipment and facilities to get the ball rolling with COVID-safe shoots. The studio will have features with a full sensor camera, live tracking devices, and LED Panels for filmmaking with Unreal Engine. With MediaMonks already working on various large scale projects using this technology, this is the time for passionate creatives to be a part of the next decade of film making. We are planning to be at the forefront of the APAC region for high-end shoots as well as shoots using Unreal Engine, said Robert Godinho, Managing Partner, MediaMonks. Were seeing an increased demand from our clients and partners to explore innovative solutions that enable real-time interactive 3D production using technology like Unreal Engine, said Tim Dillon, SVP Growth, MediaMonks. As our pipeline expands globally, were upskilling and scaling our teams around the world to meet client demand in this rapidly expanding category, from product virtualization to virtual production. MediaMonks is a global pioneer in creating new avenues of content creation using Epic Games Unreal Engine, which is licensed to 11 million game developers. In line with MediaMonks promise of harnessing the power of data and technology to fuel and inform creative content, the global team is reinventing the use of this gaming software to bring real-time filmmaking, visual effects, previsualisation, virtual production and CG animation together. A powerful real-time software, Unreal Engine allows MediaMonks artists to digitally swap out assets, change backgrounds, color schemes instantaneously creating multiple versions of the same product in a revolutionary turnaround time, without needing to shoot the physical assets. MediaMonks team of Unreal Engine artists from Los Angeles, New York, Amsterdam and New Delhi weighed in on a piece educating the next generation on how to apply their skills in the Unreal Engine to a career in advertising. See how MediaMonks is inspiring new creative talent to create their first 3D film in Unreal Engine. The implications of this have a far-reaching impact on brand marketers' agility to launch products, dynamic e-commerce assets - changing the way people consume products and hence their buying pattern. MediaMonks and Unreal Engine come together seamlessly to merge art and tech. Using our MegaGrant from Epic Games, our teams developed a production process and toolkit for implementing the Unreal Engine for the CPG industry. The aim is to take these learnings and apply them to an end-to-end product shoot for a real product with a side-by-side comparison of a virtual production versus a live production. The side-by-side comparison will determine best use cases, ease-of-use/integration on set, visual equality & flexibility; the financial efficiencies; and, most importantly, the final image outputs, added Godinho. Oil fell after OPEC+ decided to increase output from next month and coronavirus cases in India surged, potentially sapping demand in the worlds third-biggest importer. West Texas Intermediate and Brent dropped around 2.6%, paring gains on Thursday, the last day of trading due to a holiday on Friday. OPEC+ opted last week to raise production by more than 2 million barrels a day between May and July. Crude has rallied this year as vaccine rollouts help major economies reopen. The decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies was seen as a vote of confidence in the outlook for energy demand. The U.S. also added more than 900,000 jobs in March, the most in seven months. Still, while that bodes well for oil demand, significant risks -- such as the uptick in Indian cases -- attest to a complex global picture. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said after the OPEC+ decision that the group can still reverse course if necessary at its next meeting on April 28. OPEC+ tapering was more of a compromise than a sign of confidence in the markets recovery, said Vandana Hari, founder of Vanda Insights in Singapore. A rollover might have strained the cohesion in the alliance. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. remains bullish, saying a lot more output will be needed over the northern hemispheres summer to make up for rising demand. Saudi Arabia on Sunday raised prices for May oil shipments to Asia. Aramco, the state energy firm, will increase its grades to the region by 20 to 50 cents a barrel from April. Most prices for North West European customers wont be changed, while most grades to the U.S. will be cut by 10 cents. The move hinted at Saudi Arabias confidence in Asian demand recovering further. Even so, new restrictions in Indias financial hub of Mumbai are weighing on oil prices, said Edward Bell, senior director for market economics at Emirates NBD PJSC in Dubai. Its a pretty big risk, he said. You could have one of these major economies being pulled out of the demand growth story. An acceleration of vaccinations in the U.S. contrasts with setbacks elsewhere. In France, cases have surged due to more contagious variants, forcing a third lockdown. Crude may be in a stalemate for the time being, said Hari. I expect a continuing tug-of-war. Brents prompt timespread was 33 cents a barrel in backwardation. Thats a bullish pattern -- with near-term prices trading at a premium to those further out -- and its up from 6 cents last Monday. A woman living on Grove Street told police that a black male wearing a blue jacket, brown jacket and red beanie had broken a TV at her residence. She said the man fled the location and was located under I-27 on W. MLK Boulevard. Police located a man matching his description who identified himself to police. Police detained and transported the man back to the Grove Street address to be identified as the suspect. Police spoke with the woman who had made the call and she immediately identified the man as the correct suspect and said she wished to press charges. The woman told police she and her friend had left the man, who is not a resident, in the apartment by himself to go for a walk. Upon return she said she found the TV damaged. The woman said she did not witness the man damage the TV. When police asked the woman what motive the man would have to vandalize her property, she said she did not know. She told police that prior to her walk no verbal disagreement or disorder had taken place, leading police to further believe the man had not intentionally vandalized any property inside the residence. Police spoke with the friend, who also said the man was left alone in the apartment as she and the woman went for a walk. The friend said she did not have any reason to believe the man would intentionally vandalize the woman's TV. Police spoke with the man who said he did not in any way cause damage to any of the woman's property. Police released the man and instructed him to not return to the address to avoid future disorders.* * *Police observed a black Mercedes C320 that matched the description of a vehicle that had been reported stolen by a woman from a residence on Water Street. Police identified a man exiting the vehicle, who fit the description of the suspect of the vehicle theft. Police confirmed the vehicle was still listed as stolen and spoke with the woman who is the registered owner of the vehicle. The woman said she no longer wanted to press charges. The man was released without incident. The woman reported no new damages to the vehicle. The vehicle and keys were returned to the woman and the vehicle was removed from NCIC.* * *While working an extra job at City Cafe, 901 Carter St., an officer caught a customer leaving with a drink cup. The officer told the man he could not leave with it as he was walking away from City Cafe across MLK Boulevard. The officer told the man several times to return the cup and he eventually threw the cup behind him causing it to hit the roadway and shatter. Police detained the man and identified him. The man was found to have no local warrants and only had a no extradition out of Georgia. The man was told he was banned from City Cafe and if he returned he would be arrested for criminal trespassing. City Cafe did not wish to file any charges for the damaged property.* * *A disorder was reported to police at American Tow Company, 1625 Shepherd Road. An employee told police that he towed a person's car from a nearby establishment. The person was transported to the tow company to retrieve his vehicle, however he did not have the funds. The man refused to leave the lot, resulting in an argument. The employee wanted the man to leave the lot until he had the proper funds to redeem the car. Police spoke with the man who said that he was trying to buy his car back from the tow lot, however he was short on money. He was waiting for his father and brother to arrive with the rest. Police told the man that he could wait for them to arrive as long as he was not on the property. The man relocated approximately one block away to wait for his relatives.* * *A suspicious person was reported at the Chatt Inn, 2000 E 23rd St. Police were told a black male, wearing yellow boots and a blue jacket, was having outbursts. An employee told police they wanted the man off of the property. Police located and identified the man, who told police he was trying to get change for the vending machine. Police told the man that he could not go back to the Chatt Inn. The man left the property without incident.* * *A woman who works at Massage Heights on Gunbarrel Road, told police that her ex-husband and his new girlfriend were observed pulling up in the back parking lot of her work and were also observed hanging around her vehicle and her co-workers' vehicles. She said she went to the lot to ask her ex-husband what he was doing there, and he and his girlfriend got back into their vehicle and drove away. The woman wanted to document that they were acting strange and were at her work for no reason.* * *Police were called to the Exxon, 2304 Shallowford Village Dr., about a couple walking down the road. People passing by were concerned because the man had fallen several times while walking along the roadway. Police transported the couple to the SureStay, where they said they had a room.* * *An employee reported a shoplifting at Bath & Body Works, 311 Northgate Mall Dr. She said a black female had entered the store and stolen $841 worth of merchandise, and she had it on video. She said she would send an email to police with the video when a manager could access the system. She described the woman as 5'2" and 280 pounds with braided hair that was black and red. When video is received, attempts will be made to identify the woman.* * *Police responded to a verbal disorder between a woman and a man at Fabric Care Coin Laundry, 2411 Market St. The woman told police that a black male got into her face. She said he was causing a scene and getting loud with people. Witnesses said the argument was over a pack of cigarettes. Police then spoke with the man who everyone was complaining about. He said that the woman tried to steal his cigarettes. Police spoke with the woman, who said that the cigarettes were sitting on the counter with no one around them, so she tried to take them. She said that is when they began to argue. The man was given his cigarettes back and both of them went their separate ways.* * *Police observed three males riding bikes northbound at 4600 Amnicola Hwy. without lights on their bicycles. Police spoke with the three and they said they were going towards Highway 153 from the Riverwalk. Police explained to them that they were very hard to see since they did not have lights on their bicycles. They told police they were unaware they needed them and would be putting them on tomorrow.* * *A caller reported a female who appeared to be unconscious in the parking lot at Outback, 520 Northgate Mall Dr. Police spoke with the woman who said she drank too much at Outback and was trying to sleep in the truck until the rest of her group came out to leave. Another woman came out and said that she was the designated driver and would be taking the woman home. Police left the scene without incident.* * *Police observed a black SUV with a man standing by the driver's side door at the park at 2886 Harrison Pike after dark. Police spoke with the driver who said that his car would not start and that he was just waiting for someone to come by and jump start his car. While talking to the man, police observed what looked like some sort of lubricant and a used condom next to his vehicle on the side where he was standing, but when asked about the items, the man denied ownership. Police informed him that the park closed after dark and that he needed to leave the area. Police jumped his car off and he left without incident.* * *A noise complaint was called in to police about an apartment on Douglas Street. Police spoke with the resident and her boyfriend, who said they have not been very loud and were not having a party. The woman said she was playing music prior to police arrival, but will make sure it is turned down. The man said he "does not (mess) with police." He later told the officer that sometimes someone points "lasers and guns" down on their balcony from an adjacent balcony that is higher in elevation. When asked why he has never contacted police for this, he repeated that he "does not (mess) with police."* * *A disorder was reported at the Circle K, 4026 Brainerd Road. Police spoke to the store clerk, who said that a woman became very verbally combative with her over a recent purchase. The clerk said she attempted to explain the purchase issue, but the woman didn't want to hear it and just became argumentative. The clerk asked police to please remove the woman from the property. Police told the woman and her boyfriend to leave the area. Both left with no further issue.* * *A man told police he observed a suspicious man walking along the parking garage at 807 Chestnut St., peering into vehicle windows and twitching in an unusual manner. Police patrolled the area and made contact with the man, who identified himself to police. The man was fidgeting in a sporadic manner and appeared to have a difficult time standing still in one place. His actions and rapid speech were consistent with the use of controlled substances. Police asked the man his reason for wandering the parking garage. He said he was attempting to locate discarded cigarette butts. With the man's permission, police searched him and did not find any weapons or illegal items on him. Police did find handfuls of cigarette butts in multiple pockets. Police told him to vacate the location, due to having received calls on his suspicious activity, as well as a history of vehicle break-ins at the location. The man left without incident.* * *A woman called police and said she had been involved in a road rage incident. She said she was traveling on Bony Oaks close to Preservation Drive when a white male driver cussed at her and almost ran her off the road. She said she pulled into the parking lot on Preservation Drive and confronted the man. She said the man and another man then cursed at her to get off the property. The woman said she just wanted the incident to be on record.* * *A woman at a residence on Hughes Avenue told police that a man broke her window trying to get her attention (wake her up) to open a door. A disorder ensued due to the breaking of the window. The man agreed to give the woman a sum of money because it was an accident, and she agreed not to press charges. The man then left the scene.* * *A woman on W. 37th Street and her daughter were in a verbal disorder over cleaning duties. After speaking with police, the daughter agreed to leave until she calmed down.* * *A resident on Allin Street told police she had an altercation with her neighbor who lives at a residence on Taylor Street. She said that most of the time he leaves his vehicle parked on the street next to his mailbox and it poses a hazard because some of vehicles cannot drive through. She said that this past weekend, for example, CFD trucks had to respond to Allin Street and the trucks had a hard time getting through the road because the neighbor's vehicle was parked on the street. Police attempted to contact anyone from the residence on Taylor Street, but got no answer. Police recommended that she avoid any confrontation with her neighbor, and to call police if the issue continues.* * *A woman on Chestnut Street told police that someone broke into her vehicle sometime over the weekend. She said someone broke the front passenger window and items were scattered around. She said nothing that she knows of was taken. * * * The manager of Avis Budget Rental, 1705 Shepherd Road, told police that upon arriving to work that morning he located two vehicles stuck just outside the property fence. He said that apparently someone attempted to steal two vehicles and got them stuck in the mud. He said the vehicles had the keys in them. He said the suspect/suspects drove the vehicles through the fence located at the back of the property and got them stuck. Police observed the VW and the Jeep at the back of the property stuck in the mud. Neither vehicle had the keys inside them. The man said they do not have video surveillance or suspect information. Police were unable to find evidence or suspect information. The manager said that he does not know how the suspect/suspects accessed the property. No fence was observed cut or unsecured. Due to the vehicles' being stolen and recovered at the time of the report, the vehicles were not entered into NCIC. In the survey, nine in 10 customers said they want firms to protect their data without ever having to ask. Photo: Andrey Popov Two in five customers say they consider it unsettling when a company appears to know what they want before they know it themselves. This is according to research carried out by global service firm KPMG. Irish consumers appear to be very concerned for their personal data and how organisations use it, with nine in ten customers saying they want firms to protect their data without ever having to ask. Consumers here also want to support businesses that are socially conscious. Around 91pc of the 800-plus survey respondents from Ireland said they are willing to pay more to an ethical retailer or brand that gives back to society, according to the report. Covid-19 has accelerated the move to e-commerce for Irish consumers, with 68pc doing more online shopping than they did before the pandemic. However, Irish consumers still want to access human support when needed. Respondents said a human webchat was more important (95pc) than a business having a mobile app (84pc). Niall Savage, retail and manufacturing lead at KPMG Ireland, said: As the disruption caused by Covid-19 continues, it will be more important than ever for Irish businesses to stay close to their customers changing expectations and be prepared to evolve. Mr Savage added that businesses must understand that Irish consumers value human support above all else. The digital revolution accelerated by Covid-19 is a game-changer for businesses and provides huge opportunity, but high-quality customer experience should remain central to the design of any new technology, he added. The report found that personal wealth was one of Irish consumers lowest ranked concerns. Future finances take priority over current finances for 49pc of consumers, compared to 42pc pre-pandemic. Read More Read More On Sunday evening, April 4, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska arrived in Qatar to pay a state visit. The President will meet with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister, Minister of Interior of Qatar Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, reads the announcement on Facebook page of the President's Office. Important bilateral documents are expected to be signed. This will be the second visit of the President of Ukraine to the Gulf countries over the past two months. Photo credit: President's Office ol .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal White Sands National Park. Abiquiu Lake. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Valles Caldera National Preserve. These are the locations that National Dance Institute of New Mexico chose for its film, Vastness, A Socially Distanced Dance Film for a Global Pandemic. The short film will premiere at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on New Mexico PBS YouTube and Facebook pages. The film was during last September and October, says Cynthia Delgado, government & corporate relations director for NDI New Mexico. All of the music was composed by one of our music directors. The film features more than 50 advanced student dancers ranging in age from 13 to 18. The script and choreography were also done by NDI New Mexico staff and students. Delgado says the film highlights the amazing geographic beauty of the New Mexico landscape and its inspiring creative energy that fuels the performance. With dancers unable to perform in a theater, the beautiful landscapes of New Mexico become the stage, Delgado says. The visual elements and thematic messages of the film bring together the exquisite beauty, unique character, diverse cultural elements, and artistic expression of our beloved state. This wealth has been a deep source of hope, inspiration, and peace for so many New Mexicans during the dark times of the pandemic. The production followed social distancing guidelines, working in very small groups, rehearsing in masks, and filming at a distance. We undertook this project because we know that young people thrive, gain life skills, and build grit and resilience when they are offered opportunities to learn and express themselves through high-caliber artistic experiences, says Russell Baker, NDI New Mexico executive director. At NDI New Mexico, the arts have a power to engage and motivate young people, and what we created in this film brought connection, solidarity, and hope to the dancers through extraordinary challenges, and we are excited to share that experience with audiences around the state. A special COLORES! episode will also air at 4 p.m. April 17 on New Mexico PBS, Channel 5.1. The series will have a behind-the-scenes look at the short film. Once I saw the film Vastness, I was intrigued to learn what went into its creation, says Tara Walch, COLORES! producer. These young artists worked so hard to find a way to express the culmination of their dance practice to an audience during a pandemic. The students, dance instructors and the whole team at NDI New Mexico are wonderful to work with. They really love what they do. Online National Dance Institute of New Mexico created the short film, Vastness, A Socially Distanced Dance Film for a Global Pandemic. It will premiere at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, on New Mexico PBS YouTube and Facebook pages. China sent an aircraft carrier and five escort ships, including a destroyer likened to the U.S. Navy's Aegis-class vessels, through the Miyako Strait near Okinawa over the weekend in a signal of its growing ability to counter American and Japanese military power further from its shores. Japan's Defense Ministry announced late Sunday that the Liaoning carrier and five other warships were spotted Saturday sailing south through international waters in the narrow passageway that separates Okinawa's main island and Miyako Island. The vessels did not enter Japanese waters or its contiguous zone. The sailing of the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, with what appeared to be a strike group was the first time it has been spotted since making a round-trip passage through the area in April last year. Among the six vessels was the Chinese navy's powerful Type 055 Renhai-class guided-missile destroyer, which was first deployed in January last year. The destroyer is equipped with vertical-launch missiles, and observers say it is capable of launching long-range cruise missiles as well as anti-ship weapons. A statement released by the Defense Ministry's Joint Staff said the six ships had first been detected about 470 kilometers southwest of Nagasaki Prefecture's Danjo islets at around 8 a.m. Saturday before making their way through the Miyako Strait. The Joint Staff said in a separate statement that a Chinese Y-9 military transport plane had also made a round-trip flight over the strait on Sunday, prompting Japan to scramble fighter jets in response. China has sent the Liaoning through the strategic chokepoint just five times since the carrier was commissioned in 2012. Experts said the move highlighted the Chinese military's ability to punch through the so-called first island chain, a chain of Pacific islands stretching from the Kurils and the Ryukyus to Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia. That stretch, coupled with the so-called second island chain that consists of Japan's home islands and stretches to Guam and the islands of Micronesia, is seen by some in Beijing as a natural barrier that constrains the country and its military. China has effectively regularized its military training in the area between the two chains, and experts say that Beijing is using moves like the weekend sailing to demonstrate that China's seaward advances won't be contained within the chains. But more importantly, perhaps, is the move's significance in terms of China's evolving strategy to counter the U.S. and potentially Japan in any clash in the area an area that includes both Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea, home to sea lanes critical to Japan's economic well-being. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has boosted military activity near the self-ruled island in recent months, including the dispatch of 20 warplanes near the country late last month. On Sunday, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga emphasized the significance of Japan and the United States working closely to defuse soaring tensions over Taiwan, and the issue is expected to be at the top of the agenda when he meets U.S. President Joe Biden next week. "The ability to fight an incoming American military intervention in the Philippine Sea, in particular, is seen as critical to securing Beijing's objectives within the first island chain, be it the South China Sea or Taiwan," said Collin Koh, a research fellow and maritime security expert at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. Koh said that while Beijing may now be more confident in its military capabilities in its near seas, it's a different story eastward of the first island chain, where there is a significant reduction in its access to land-based support from the mainland. "So it's now trying to attain the ability to carry out carrier strike group operations in this area so as to adequately deal with American naval power, which is itself centered around carrier capabilities," Koh said. "Therefore, this Liaoning transit through the Miyako Strait, in what is clearly seen as a carrier strike group formation, is more than just a transit," he said. This article is written by Jesse Johnson from The Japan Times and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com. LG has given up trying to sell its money-losing smartphone business and decided to dismantle instead. The decision was made at a board meeting on Monday morning, about two months after LG announced it was open to "all possibilities" for future operations and 26 years since it started its mobile business. A senior source at LG said Sunday, "Some foreign businesses that have been in talks over a sale came close to conducting due diligence, but they were more interested in our mobile-related patents than the actual business." The company therefore decided it would be more profitable to retain its patents in preparation for forays into artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and other future technologies. LG had been in talks with Vietnam's Vingroup, Volkswagen and Google. 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. Mozambique's military says it is regaining territory in the northern town and gas hub of Palma, seized by Islamic State-linked jihadists last month, claiming a "significant" number of militants had since been killed in fighting. Palma was taken in a coordinated attack on March 24, in a major escalation of an insurgency that has been raging in Cabo Delgado province for more than three years. On Sunday, the army escorted officials and journalists through Palma. Commander Chongo Vidigal, leader of military operations to regain control of Palma, told state television TVM the area was now "safe", although he stopped short of declaring that the army had regained complete control. "The airfield area was the only one we needed to clear and we did that this morning. It's completely safe," Vidigal said. "I think that it is a significant number of terrorists who were shot down," he said, adding the authorities would provide a precise number later. Thousands have fled the town of some 75,000 people where dozens were killed, according to an early government toll, and French energy giant Total has abandoned a site where a multi-billion-dollar gas project is under way. Footage broadcast by TVM showed soldiers hastily pulling black plastic sheeting over a dead body on the street. Images showed the blackened remains of several buildings, including banks, the town's hospital and the state prosecutor's office. Heavily armed soldiers stood by as a few remaining residents picked through debris. Some collected bags of grain, while one man was shown trying to clear a destroyed stall. Cabo Delgado's governor, Valygi Tualibo, painted a rosier picture, claiming Palma was back in government hands. Visiting the town as part of Sunday's media visit, Tualibo told reporters he was "greatly satisfied" with what he saw. "The situation is bleak, but we are excited," the governor said on TVM. Story continues "Palma is under 100 percent control by Mozambican authorities." Thousands of Mozambican troops had already been deployed to Cabo Delgado before the attack on Palma. But the army's ability to fight the insurgency has long been questioned, with analysts pointing to poor training and a lack of equipment. - Only 'pockets' of safety - Several experts have expressed doubts over the authorities' claims to retaking Palma. "There might be pockets that are safe but they are definitely not in control," Willem Els, senior training coordinator at the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, told AFP. "Insurgents are still roaming around," he cautioned, citing sources on the ground. "The only enclave that is really secure at the moment is the area around Afungi." Security forces have been bolstered by a South African private military company, Dyck Advisory Group (DAG), but its contract with the government ends this week. DAG founder Lionel Dyck confirmed their involvement ends on Tuesday. "God help the people," he told AFP via WhatsApp on Monday, adding that it was "unlikely" soldiers had retaken Palma. Vidigal noted the Total gas plant, which the company abandoned on Friday, was secure. "The facilities are safe, they are protected," he said. Total pulled out all its remaining staff on Friday, while the United Nations suspended civilian evacuation flights over security concerns. More than 11,000 civilians are known to have fled Palma in recent days, according to the UN. str-sn/rbu/sch/gd This is the horrific moment a motocross rider is killed during a race after being run over by two other competitors following a fall. Alberto 'Wey' Zapata, 23, went to the ground after losing control of his motorbike during a jump. Agonising footage showed one of two riders unable to avoid Zapata, who rode despite only having one arm after a road accident led to a limb amputation, as he came off and crashed into the dirt. This is the moment just before a motocross rider is killed during a race by being run over by two other competitors following a fall Alberto 'Wey' Zapata, 23, lost control of his motorbike during a jump on the motocross course Zapata fell off his motorbike and then slid into the path of one of his fellow competitors Agonising footage showed one of two riders unable to avoid Zapata, who rode despite only having one arm after a road accident led to a limb amputation, as he came off and crashed into the dirt The dramatic accident happened on Sunday, just four and a half months after he cheated death after crashing his car on a main road south of the Argentinian city of San Juan. He broke his collarbone and had to have his left arm amputated after losing control of his Chevrolet Corsa Classic on November 15 last year. The motorbike fanatic received a standing ovation on each lap when he returned to racing minus his amputated limb, defying health professionals who told him he would have to give up his passion. He celebrated his first podium finish after his return in the southern Argentinian city of Chubut on March 4, taking to Instagram to write: 'First podium after my amputation. 'The results of hard work, desire, dreams and a truly unforgettable moment.' The accident that led to his death happened during a competition in San Agustin, a city in the Argentinian province of Cordoba, on the same motocross track where Zapata returned to racing following his car accident. Zapata broke his collarbone and had to have his left arm amputated after losing control of his Chevrolet Corsa Classic on November 15 last year Sergio Unac, governor of the province of San Juan where the brave motocross racer hailed from, said: 'I am totally heartbroken by the sad news of the death of Wey Zapata. 'My condolences to his family and friends at this sad moment in time. 'Rest in peace warrior. In San Juan we will remember you as a great sportsman and an enormous fighter.' Zapata recalled recently how his mum had told him the news of his amputation, revealing: 'The medics didn't tell me but they hinted at it. 'When I was in the hospital I couldn't feel my arm and wondered if I had still had it until my mum told me: 'No, you haven't got your arm, they amputated it straight after the accident.' His life was saved by a passer-by who spotted his crashed car and stopped his arm bleed with a tourniquet. He said after his last podium finish a week before his fatal accident: 'I sometimes find it hard to believe what's happening to me with the difficulty I have riding a motorbike with one arm four months after the amputation. 'It would be enough for me just to be able to enjoy being back on a motorbike again so being able to savour my third podium since my return to racing is wonderful.' Senator John Barasso has claimed that officials in the Biden administration ordered him to delete photos taken inside a migrant holding facility where unaccompanied minors are 'crammed like sardines.' Barasso, a Wyoming Republican, joined Senator Ted Cruz's delegation to the border last weekend, and told Fox News that none of the 18 senators who went complied with the demand to delete photos. 'We were told to delete the pictures,' he said. 'No one did. You've seen the video coming out of all of these kids crammed together under the foil blankets, huddling together.' 'They are crammed in like sardines. And this is what the Biden administration is trying to hide from the American public,' he said. Senator John Barasso, a Wyoming Republican, spoke about his border visit in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo Barasso, seen second from right, joined Ted Cruz's GOP delegation to the border last weekend 'This is both a humanitarian crisis and a national security crisis,' Barrasso said. 'You may have seen the numbers today are the highest in history of unaccompanied minors currently in captivity.' Cruz and other members of the delegation have previously made similar claims, saying that administration 'flacks' ordered them to delete photos, claiming they would violate children's privacy. The delegation has released photos with the faces of migrants obscured. President Joe Biden has denied that his policies have driven a surge in illegal border crossings, but Republican critics said his move to end key Trump administration policies has exacerbated the crisis. Officials said on Friday the federal government may house unaccompanied migrant children on a California Army National Guard base in central California. The Pentagon approved the use of Camp Roberts to temporarily house migrant children traveling alone, according to a defense official. Young minors lie inside a pod at the Donna Department of Homeland Security holding facility, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in the Rio Grande Valley, on March 20 Ted Cruz shared this photo from inside the Donna facility last weekend It was not immediately clear if or how many children could be placed at the camp, which is located along the Salinas River almost directly between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Saturday that the camp is 'under active consideration.' The department has not yet finalized its decision. 'When HHS decides to activate an Emergency Influx Site for unaccompanied migrant children we will notify state and local authorities as well as members of Congress,' the department said in a statement. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had requested the use of the base, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed Thursday. The California National Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. Senators Thom Tillis, Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham are seen on their border excursion Border authorities encountered more than 9,000 children without a parent in February, the highest single month since May 2019, when more than 11,000 unaccompanied minors came to the border. After being processed by the Border Patrol, they are transferred to Health and Human Services. Eventually they will be released to a sponsor, usually a parent or close relative. Unlike adults in many situations, all unaccompanied minors are allowed to stay in the U.S. That dynamic has prompted many parents to either send kids on the journey to America alone, or get to the border and let them go the rest of the way. Most end up at least temporarily in shelters that are currently far beyond capacity. 'Incarceration should be a last resort for youth,' researcher says CHICAGO - A new study shows that youth arrested as juveniles with psychiatric disorders that remain untreated, struggle with mental health and successful outcomes well beyond adolescence. Research from Northwestern Medicine shows nearly two-thirds of males and more than one-third of females with one or more existing psychiatric disorders when they entered detention, still had a disorder 15 years later. The findings are significant because mental health struggles add to the existing racial, ethnic and economic disparities as well as academic challenges from missed school, making a successful transition to adulthood harder to attain. "Kids get into trouble during adolescence.Those from wealthier families also use drugs and get into fights. But these situations are most often handled informally by the school and parent, and don't culminate in arrest and detention," said lead author Linda Teplin, Owen L. Coon Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "These are not necessarily bad kids, but they have many strikes against them. Physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect are common. These experiences can precipitate depression. Incarceration should be the last resort," said Teplin, also a faculty associate with the University's Institute for Policy Research. The unprecedented longitudinal study reports on the prevalence, persistence and patterns of behavioral and psychiatric disorders in youth up to 15 years after they leave detention and whether outcomes vary by sex and race/ethnicity. Key findings show that despite a decrease in disorders over time, especially among females, the prevalence of psychiatric disorders 15 years later was still substantially higher than the general population. Males fared significantly worse overall. Among youth with a disorder in detention, 64.3% of males and 34.8% of females had one or more disorders 15 years later. Compared with females, males had more than three times the odds of persisting with a psychiatric disorder over time. "This may be because females, as they age, became more family-focused. Positive social connections - having a stable partner, raising children, establishing a family - are conducive to positive mental health," said study co-author Karen Abram, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Feinberg School of Medicine and associate director of the Program in Health Disparities and Public Policy. Fifteen years after youth left detention, disruptive behavior and substance abuse disorders were the most common. Non-Hispanic whites had 1.6 times greater odds of having behavioral disorders and more than 1.3 times greater odds of having substance use disorders throughout the follow-up period compared with African Americans and Hispanics. "An unanticipated finding of the study was the lower rate of substance use disorders in racial/ethnic minorities, despite the disproportionate incarceration of these groups," Teplin said. "Clearly, we must expand mental health services during detention and when these youth return to their communities. We must also encourage pediatricians and educators to advocate for early identification and treatment of psychiatric disorders," Teplin said. "Unfortunately, in the U.S., school systems are funded by local governments. Thus, our children may be sentenced to a life of inequity because of their zip code." "Prevalence, Comorbidity, and Continuity of Psychiatric Disorders in Delinquent Youth After Detention: A 15-Year Prospective Longitudinal Study," will publish in JAMA Pediatrics at 11 a.m. EST, April 5, 2021. In addition to Teplin and Abram, Northwestern co-authors include Lauren M. Potthoff, David A. Aaby, Leah J. Welty and Mina K. Dulcan. About the Northwestern Juvenile Project: Seeing a gap in the research literature about the health needs and outcomes of juvenile justice youth, the Northwestern Juvenile Project, a Northwestern Medicine initiative, has been interviewing a randomly selected sample of 1,800 youth since the mid-1990s. To date, the study has compiled epidemiological data from 16,372 face-to-face interviews, conducted from a median age of 15 at detention through the median age of 31. The researchers assess 13 psychiatric disorders and track the prevalence, patterns of multiple disorders and the continuity of disorders over time. The study also focuses on gender and racial/ethnic differences. Project data has been used to analyze health issues, including firearm violence, mortality, drug abuse and HIV/AIDS risk behaviors. Project data also found that few participants achieved positive outcomes in adulthood, such as finishing high school or finding steady employment. ### Support for the Northwestern Juvenile Project has been provided by 22 federal agencies and private foundations, including the Department of Justice, National Institutes of Health, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. The National Institute of Justice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and three institutes at the National Institutes of Health are funding the new intergenerational component of the landmark study, allowing investigators to interview the original study participants along with their adolescent children. India crosses the 100,000-case threshold for daily infections India recorded its highest tally of new coronavirus infections on Monday as officials in the hardest-hit state reimposed lockdowns and warned that hospitals even in smaller cities were running out of beds. More than half of the new infections were traced to the western state of Maharashtra, which includes Mumbai, Indias financial capital. It came even as India continues to vaccinate more than three million people every day, one of the largest efforts in the world. State officials ordered all shops, movie theaters, markets and restaurants to close starting Monday evening and imposed a nighttime curfew. Critics say Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has sent mixed signals, encouraging people to attend celebrations for Holi, a major religious festival where hundreds of new cases were traced to, and campaign rallies. Background: Indias vaccination drive has been a bright spot at home, but curtailing exports of vaccines has set back poorer countries that were counting on India for their doses. New Delhi, April 5 : The Supreme Court on Monday called Kerala's People Democratic Party leader Abdul Nazir Maudany, facing trial in the Bengaluru blasts case of 2008, a dangerous man. Maudany had moved the top court seeking permission to leave for Bengaluru for his hometown in Kerala and wanted to remain there till the trial was over. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian said: "You are a dangerous man." The Chief Justice noted, "Bail was granted by a Bench of which I was a part." However, Justice Ramasubramanian said he might have represented him earlier as a lawyer, and if it is correct then he will not be able to hear the matter. Maudany had moved the top court has sought relief citing delay of more than six years in completing the trial. Senior advocate Jayant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, submitted before the bench that Justice Bobde had allowed him to travel to Kerala for a brief period for personal reasons. However, the bail was granted by another bench. Maudany's counsel sought time to verify the observation made by Justice Ramasubramaniam. After a brief hearing in the matter, the top court scheduled it for further hearing next week. In an application, Maudany,56, had contended the cases were being dragged due to various reasons - recall of witnesses, transfer of prosecutor and trial judges, and Covid-19 -- and it was necessary to relax the bail conditions. He insisted that currently his presence in the trial was not required. In July 2014, the top court had granted bail to Maudany in the backdrop of his health issues and directed him not to leave Bengaluru. Maudany claimed that he was unable to avail Ayurveda treatment for his ill-health and cited the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as the reason. His application, filed through advocates Harris Beeran and R.S. Jena contended the Karnataka government had made a submission before the top court in 2014, that the trial will be completed within a period of four months. However, since then, more than six years have elapsed, and the trial has still not been concluded. Protests against the draconian Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill took place this weekend in more than 25 towns and cities in Britain. The Police Bill, which effectively criminalises protest, is making its way through Parliament after passing its first two readings. It is expected to return to Parliament in June and be passed due to the Conservative governments 80 seat majority. The protests were relatively small, with the largest held in London where several thousand people marched from Hyde Park to a rally in Parliament Square. Among those attending were supporters of Extinction Rebellion and Black Lives Matter. Demonstrators holding posters and flags gather at Parliament Square during a 'Kill the Bill' protest in London, Saturday, April 3, 2021. The demonstration is against the contentious Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which is currently going through Parliament and would give police stronger powers to restrict protests. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Two protests were held in Bristol this week ahead of the main one Saturday, which around 1,500 attended. Over the last few weeks, police have brutally attacked Police Bill protesters in the city. Avon and Somerset police, backed by public disorder officers from neighbouring forces, were mobilised against protesters on Saturday. During the evening, Avon and Somerset police enforced a Section 35 dispersal order over the entirety of Bristol city centre and arrested seven protesters. Demonstrations numbering between a few hundred and up to 1,000 were held Saturday in Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Cambridge, Plymouth, Portsmouth Aberystwyth, Bath, Bournemouth, Brighton, Cardiff, Derby, Exeter, Folkestone, Kendal, Lancaster, Lincoln and Luton. The mainly young protesters chanted Kill the Bill! and Whose streets? Our streets?. There was a proliferation of homemade banners including, No more police powers, Its our right to protest, Defend your human right to protest, No to a police state: Yes to democratic rights,, Im not giving up on our rights and No protest? No Democracy. Protesters marching down Peter Street in Manchester against the Police Bill on Saturday (credit: WSWS media) In London, demonstrators proceeded past Buckingham Palace before arriving in Westminster. The Metropolitan Police presence was significantly larger around Whitehall, where Downing Street and some of the main government ministries are located. Later in the day, riot police were sent in to disperse a small number of protesters who remained in Parliament Square. The Metropolitan Police announced Sunday it had made 107 arrests for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on police and breaches of Covid legislation. At the Manchester protest, attended by around 400 people, Socialist Workers Party (SWP) members who spoke called on attendees to join and support the unions as the basis for opposing the Bill. Protesters marched around the city centre, temporarily blocking the main Deansgate thoroughfare with a sit-down protestand ending with a rally. At around 5.30 p.m. dozens of police officers moved in to disperse people sitting on tram lines and made several arrests. Protesters demonstrate on Saturday in Devonshire Green, Sheffield (credit: WSWS media) The organisers of the protests placed the political focus on identity politics, with the fight against the Bill conducted by a coalition of minorities. A supposed appeal based on class took the inevitable form of a glorification of pro-capitalist trade unions, which will do nothing to oppose the Police Bill, as they have done nothing to oppose any attack on the social and democratic rights of their members. For decades, as a critical bedrock of their suppression of every significant struggle by workers, the unions have faithfully enforced the raft of anti-strike laws that were legislated by the 1980s Tory government and kept in place by the 1997 Labour government throughout its 13 years in office. There was no organised trade union presence at any of the anti-Police Bill demonstrations, with the odd trade union banner on display brought along by members of various pseudo-left and Stalinist groups. A protester in Cambridge with a homemade banner reading "Police Bill: A monstrous assault on our civil liberties--Kill the Bill" (credit: WSWS media) A number of those speaking at protests condemned the Labour Party, its support for the Tory government during the pandemic and its complicity in the attacks on protesters. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmers name was booed at number of the weekends protests. Labour had originally planned to abstain on the Bill and supports several of its provisionsparticularly stiffer sentences for a number of crimes. It only reversed its support following the widespread protests at the police for the brutal attack on the vigil held on Londons Clapham Common following the murder of a young woman, Sarah Everhard. A serving Met Police officer was arrested and charged with her murder. Under conditions in which Labour is widely discredited as a pro-capitalist party of state, Labours Socialist Campaign Group (SCG), a rump of around 30 left MPs, is seeking to provide a political cover. At the London protest, SCG MPs Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Apsana Begum, Clive Lewis and Zarah Sultana spoke. They were joined by Starmers predecessor as leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who had the party whip removed as part of the right-wings anti-Semitism witch-hunt. Corbyn made only the timidest pose of opposition in his speech, standing next to the statue of the pacifist leader of Indias independence movement Mahatma Gandhi. Corbyn said, I want to live in a world of peace and justice, I want to live in a world of human rights and democracy, and Im prepared to make people feel uncomfortable in the process of defending and advancing our human rights and our justice. Corbyns opposition to any struggle based on the mobilisation of the working class was evident in a proposal he made Saturday. In reference to measures in the Police Bill that noise restrictions be placed on demonstrations in the vicinity of parliament, he said to attendees, Within the privacy of the small number of people in this square can I share an idea with you. How about come Christmas time, if we havent defeated the legislation by then, a whole bunch of us meet here in Parliament Square, and beautifully and in tune sing Silent Night, to see what happens then. Corbyn stated that the Police Bill should be taken in the context of a series of legislation that this government is trying to push through that place [pointing at Parliament] over there: the Spycops Bill; the Overseas Operations Bill. While saying that he (who remains free of the Labour whip) and the SCG MPs on the platform would vote against the Police Bill and had voted against the Spycops and the Overseas Operations Bill, Corbyn said nothing about Labours role in allowing the passage of the Spycops Bill, voting for the continuation of the authoritarian Coronavirus Act, and backing Boris Johnsons herd immunity government to the hilt during the pandemic. In allying with the Johnson government, Starmer only took over where Corbyn left off. Before handing the leadership of the party over in March 2020 in his last parliamentary appearance as leader, Corbyn said of Labours approach to the pandemic, Our immediate task as the Opposition is to help arrest the spread of the coronavirus, support the governments public health efforts while being constructively critical where we feel it is necessary to improve the official response. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MIT Sloan School of Management recently announced that Senior Lecturer Chintan Vaishnav was appointed to serve as mission director of India's Atal Innovation Mission. The Mission, housed at NITI Aayog, is the Government of India's flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Vaishnav says, "At the highest level, the work of building a culture of innovation is one of engaging creativity in the service of humankind. India is a place of limitless creative potential. I am excited for the opportunity to help harness this potential." He adds, "Being the youngest nation of the world with 50% of the population under 30, India's continued success depends critically upon how productively it engages its youth. The Innovation Mission is key to this objective and to what will define the future India." Over the past six years, Vaishnav has worked and lived in rural to very rural India for a total of 18 months, researching challenges related to agriculture, water, and livelihood. His research has produced solutions such as on-farm soil nutrient management and water quality testing and purification that bring world-class science and technology to underserved communities at an affordable price. His work on water has turned into an early-stage startup that seeks to enable communities keep their water safe. "This experience has taught me how to innovate for the developing world with rigor and relevance. I hope to bring this culture to my new position as mission director," he says. A member of the founding team of the MIT Tata Center for Technology and Design, Vaishnav also designed and teaches a graduate-level course on Technology, Design, and Entrepreneurship for Emerging Community. The course has trained 200 graduate students from 18 different departments of MIT and has guided a total of 200,000 hours of fieldwork in India, Nepal, and Africa. The work has produced 45 patents, 12 commercial licenses, and to date 11 startups, some of which he advises. Vaishnav says, "This experience has taught me how to engage young minds in solving some our most pressing challenges in a hands-on, action-oriented way. I hope to create similar engagement as mission director." Prior to MIT, Vaishnav worked at Bell Labs, designing innovative products for high-speed networks. This work led to his PhD research on how regulators can balance compliance and innovation as new technologies disrupt the traditionally regulated ones in the Internet space. Since then, Vaishnav has advised the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) at the White House, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and worked with several large communications companies who are members of MIT's Communications Futures Program. Vaishnav holds a Master's degree in Technology and Policy and a PhD in Engineering Systems from MIT. He joined the MIT Sloan faculty as a senior lecturer after finishing his PhD. In addition to his degrees from MIT, he holds a BA in Indian Classical Music from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, India. "My new assignment speaks directly to MIT Sloan's mission of developing leaders who make a positive difference in the world. MIT Sloan has been a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, and this opportunity helps take this work to a nation of 1.3 billion people via the Atal Innovation Mission," says Vaishnav, who will be on a two-year leave from MIT to serve as mission director. About the MIT Sloan School of Management The MIT Sloan School of Management is where smart, independent leaders come together to solve problems, create new organizations, and improve the world. Learn more at mitsloan.mit.edu. For further information, contact: Paul Denning or Patricia Favreau Director of Media Relations Associate Director of Media Relations 617-253-0576 617-253-3492 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE MIT Sloan School of Management Related Links http://www.mitsloan.mit.edu Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced a state of emergency after the toxic wastewater leak discovered in Tampa Bay. DeSantis said that the emergency decree was issued to ensure that needed resources for response and recovery are given. More than 300 residents in Manatee County, Florida, were ordered to evacuate their homes over the weekend. Officials are fearing that the reservoir could give in any time, according to a CBS News report. "A portion of the containment wall at the leak site shifted laterally, signifying that structural collapse could occur at any time," Manatee Director of Public Safety Jake Saur was quoted in a report. DeSantis said that the water was not radioactive and was "primarily saltwater." He added that the priority was to prevent a catastrophic flood situation. Officials said the reservoir holds millions of gallons of toxic wastewater, which contains phosphorous and nitrogen from an old phosphate plant, according to a BBC News report. The reservoir was estimated to be 31 hectares. DeSantis said response teams are all working together to ensure that there would be a right response on the matter, while also mitigating risks. READ MORE: Did the Ancient Mayan Civilization Establish Themselves in Florida? Explore the Evidence Working on The Wastewater Meanwhile, authorities are working around the clock on Saturday to pump out as much water as possible to minimize the possibility of a flood. However, this can be time-consuming and might take up to 12 days. DeSantis has ordered more pumps and cranes to be delivered to the area, as some workers tried to cover the hole with rocks and other materials on Friday. However, this was unsuccessful. Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse said that he traveled on the plant on Saturday. He had to leave the area immediately after realizing that it was a safety hazard. Kruse said that they determined that it was no longer safe anywhere near the perimeter of Piney Point. Phosphate Plant The phosphate plant was built at Piney Point in 1966 and became inactive in 2001, according to The New York Times report. Officials have said for many years that the main danger at Piney Point was the amount of processed water being held on the site. A collapse of the reservoir would send water into nearby properties, which includes the U.S. Highway 41, Port Manatee, and other industrial warehouses, The Miami Herald reported. Environmentalists note that research shows how the possible spill could potentially impact the environment, with many believing that it could lead to red tide algae blooms that could affect public health and tourism in the area. Manasota-88, an environmentalist group, lambasted officials saying that the gyp stacks at Piney Point have been mismanaged for decades. The group added that the current crisis can be reviewed in a 2006 decision to allow dredged material from Port Manatee to be housed into one of the gyp stacks at Piney Point. The environmentalist group said that it was never designed for stacking and should have never been permitted. READ NEXT: Florida Residents Are One of the Most Financially Distressed During Pandemic, Study Finds WATCH: Toxic wastewater reservoir on verge of collapse in Florida - from CBS News Daniel Kaluuya's SNL monologue won hearts in New York City, especially when he took a direct jab at the British Royal Family and called out their racism. The Black Panther actor walked on-stage and stated some of SNL's audience's doubts about his British accent and his race. In his speech, he said that he was Black and British which is why he had the accent. He further went on to say he was exactly "what the British Royal family was worried the baby would look like". The comment was hinting at Meghan Markle's recent interview with Oprah where she expressed the racism she felt at Buckingham Palace. In the conversation, she had mentioned that she was concerned about her baby with Prince Harry being black. While they were unsure of who said the comment, they knew it was not one of the grandparents. Daniel Kaluuya went onto speak about American racism and British racism. While the audience clearly murmured "American racism", the actor explained hilariously that "British racism was so bad white people left" as they wanted to be free. He elaborated saying the white people who left wanted to create their own types of racism and so they "invented" Australia, South Africa and Boston (a city in Massachusetts, USA). Daniel Kaluuya hits back at the British Royal Family's racism In his monologue, he also addressed the technical glitch that took place at the Golden Globes Award ceremony when he received the award for Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture for his role in Judas and The Black Messiah. He was honoured to receive the award but was unhappy with the glitch that disabled from him giving "the best joke of his life". Kaluuya was shocked and in disbelief that he was "muted" on the Zoom call. In Judas and the Black Messiah, Daniel Kaluuya played Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Black Panther Party in Chicago. The movie is set in the late 1960s and focuses on the Black Panther Party movement which is opposed by the FBI. The FBI sends protagonist William O'Neal, played by Lakeith Stanfield, to give them information on the group's actions. (Promo Image Source: Daniel Kaluuya Instagram) Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Tributes have been paid to a 'passionate' and 'dynamic' woman who died in a tragic agricultural accident on her family's farm. Caroline Rennie is thought to have got into difficulty while working with farm machinery on Saturday afternoon in a field near her home town of Turriff, Aberdeenshire. Emergency services went to the field just off the A947 Aberdeen to Banff road after they were alerted to a serious 'incident', but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Photographs from the scene showed a blue tent at the back of what appears to be a John Deere tractor. Police cordoned off the field, which had several farming vehicles in, and were pictured guarding the area. Caroline Rennie, 21, is thought to have got into difficulty while working with farm machinery on Saturday afternoon in a field near her home town of Turriff, Aberdeenshire Caroline, pictured, was described as a 'passionate' and 'dynamic' woman as tributes flooding in after her death Miss Rennie, who came from one of Aberdeenshire's well-known farming families, was the second daughter of Andrew and Annette Rennie, of Gask Farm, near Turriff, and the youngest of a close-knit group of 12 cousins. In a statement released last night, family members said: 'We are devastated by the loss of Caroline, who was so full of life, full of fun and much loved. 'She was a great friend to everyone who knew her and will be much missed.' Her death has devastated the area's farming and local communities, who described her as a 'passionate' and 'dynamic' farmer and an 'active, popular and much loved' member of Turriff Young Farmers' Club. Emergency services went to the field just off the A947 Aberdeen to Banff road (pictured) after they were alerted to a serious 'incident', but she was pronounced dead at the scene In a statement released last night, family members said: 'We are devastated by the loss of Caroline, who was so full of life, full of fun and much loved. Pictured: Caroline Rennie Last night, Lorna Paterson, North-east regional manager for the National Farmers Union Scotland, called Miss Rennie's death a 'horrendously tragic situation'. She said: '[Miss Rennie's] passion for our industry was second to none. She had such a bright future ahead and was a real entrepreneurial and dynamic female within the farming locality. 'This horrendously tragic situation is the cruellest of the cruel and everyone in farming is shocked.' Banff and Buchan MP, David Duguid, said: 'This tragic accident has shocked the local community here in Turriff. My thoughts are with the family and friends of the young woman involved, at what must be a very difficult time.' Miss Rennie came from one of Aberdeenshire's well-known farming families and was the second daughter of Andrew and Annette Rennie. She often shared pictures of farm machinery on her Facebook page (pictured) Her death has devastated the area's farming and local communities, who described her as a 'passionate' and 'dynamic' farmer. Picture: An image Caroline shared on her Facebook page Police were called shortly before 4pm on Saturday and immediately cordoned off the field. A section of the A947 which runs past the field about three miles south of Turriff was closed to motorists for more than six hours before it was reopened yesterday morning. A probe into the young woman's death has been launched but is reportedly not being treated as suspicious. Detective Inspector John Lumsden said: 'Our thoughts are very much with Caroline's family at what is a very difficult time for all who knew her and officers are supporting her family. 'There are no suspicious circumstances and, as with all sudden deaths, a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.' Banff and Buchan MP, David Duguid (pictured), said: 'This tragic accident has shocked the local community here in Turriff' Several hours later, it was closed again between the B9170 turn-off and the village of Birkenhills to allow police to carry out further inquiries. It is understood that a probe by the Health and Safety Executive will also take place. Detective Inspector John Lumsden, from North East CID, said: 'At 3.45pm on Saturday, April 3, officers were made aware of an incident within a field off the A947 near Turriff, involving a 21-year-old woman. Sadly the female was pronounced dead at the scene.' In 2010, Andrew Rennie received a Testimonial on Vellum from the Royal Humane Society for his bravery after he rescued a woman who had become trapped in her car after torrential rain caused flooding in Turriff. According to The Scotsman, he drove his tractor two miles across town to help rescue Helen Catto, from Fyvie, after a local fireman called him for help to save her. He drove it across a flooded road and two firemen were able to get inside and help the woman, who was in the early stages of hypothermia. The Democratic National Committee is trumpeting a new billboard near Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner that highlights who was for and against the gusher of money now flowing from Washington into Louisiana and other states across the country. Thanks to President Biden, it reads, and No thanks to Sen. Bill Cassidy and Sen. John Kennedy. Both senators voted with all their Republican colleagues against the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package approved by Biden and congressional Democrats last month. In a written statement, DNC Chairman Jamie Harrison declared: Folks in New Orleans and senators traveling home wont be able to miss this message. Maybe they will. The DNC is placing the billboard Monday on Jerome S. Glazer Airport Access Road the main route to the airport terminal that closed in November 2019. That road now receives a fraction of the traffic it used to because most travelers now take the Loyola Ave. exit, which is west of the old airport access road. DNC officials apparently didnt get word of the change. 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 Cassidy and Kennedy probably wont see the billboard at all. They live in Baton Rouge and Madisonville, respectively, and would travel to and from the airport from the west. Nonetheless, Democrats are eager to promote the billboard's central message. Democrats passed this relief package, which is already providing Louisianans with direct payments and resources to help manufacture and distribute vaccines, because they knew help couldnt wait, Harrison said. Now, were making sure every Louisianan knows its no thanks to Senators Cassidy and Kennedy. Cassidy and Kennedy were among the Republican senators and representatives who complained the bill spent too much and that a lot of it was unrelated to the coronavirus pandemic. Burma Chinas Policy on Myanmar Junta Endangers its Interests: Analyst Protesters march on the Chinese Embassy in Yangon in February. / The Irrawaddy Chinas refusal to condemn Myanmars military regime endangers its interests in its southern neighbor as anti-Chinese sentiment grows, according to the UK-based think-tank Chatham House. A report by senior research fellow Dr. Gareth Price said the lack of criticism of Myanmars military takeover shows Chinas self-interest, saying it is happy to deal with whoever wields power in Naypyidaw. Price said: China may feel that, regardless of the outcome, it will continue to be Myanmars major partner. But that feeling may be a misjudgment because, if the military is forced to back down, it may result in a more pronounced anti-China tilt, threatening its strategic interests. Chinas laissez-faire attitude so far puts them under threat, as some Chinese factories have been burned down and protesters have threatened to blow up pipelines, he said. The optics surrounding Chinas de facto protection of the military are not good internationally, the political-risk analyst said. Myanmar is key to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), potentially giving Beijing access to the Indian Ocean through the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone in Rakhine State. Since the February 1 coup, China and Russia have blocked action at the United Nations Security Council. Anti-Chinese sentiment has rapidly risen in Myanmar and protesters have called for opposition to all Chinese projects and imports. Beijing has called for dialogue and labeled the coup an internal affair, saying the international community should not interfere. But were China to stop not interfering this could enable broader international action and, although it might threaten Chinas interests in Myanmar in the short-term, it would likely advance them in the longer-term, Price said. Myanmars generals have no intention of ceding power but, without Chinese acquiescence, they face significant challenges trying to hold on to it. China needs to be aware that a one size fits all policy of non-interference will not win many friends, and any it does win are likely to be of the less salubrious kind, he wrote. The analyst warned that more alarmingly for China was that ethnic armed groups were coming together in opposition to the regime. It is also worth considering the situation in Myanmar may yet descend into civil war, particularly given the stance taken by the ethnic groups. That too would threaten Chinas interests, Price said. Military tensions are rising, especially in Kachin and Shan states, where many Chinese projects are planned, including three cross-border economic cooperation zones, the Muse-Mandalay railway and Myitkyina Industrial Zone. Fighting between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Myanmars military is reported across Kachin and northern Shan states. The KIA launched offensives against military and police positions, saying it stands with the protesters. Moreover, tensions have risen with the Karen Nation Unions (KNU) in Papun, Nyaunglebin and Thaton districts. The KNU urged the military to release all detainees and stop all crackdowns on peaceful protesters. The Brotherhood Alliance, which includes the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Taang National Liberation Army and Arakan Army, condemned the junta, warning that it is ready to join forces with all ethnic minorities to fight the regime if the killing of protesters continues. Following the Brotherhood Alliance warning, China has reportedly requested a meeting with the regime over growing concerns about the security of its oil and gas pipelines. China is pressuring the regime to reinforce security for the pipelines, particularly in northern Shan State where tensions are particularly high. Were China to take a more critical approach and encourage the military to back down, potentially the coup could be seen as a temporary aberration. The more people die, the less plausible this will be, increasing the likelihood of civil war. Price said. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reported that at least 564 civilians have been killed by the security forces since the coup. You may also like these stories: Shadow Government Outlines Federal Union Plan for Myanmars Future Russia Plots Its Next Moves on the Myanmar Chessboard Easter Sunday Sees Myanmar Death Toll at Hands of Military Regime Topping 560 Investics Investics Data Services Company, Inc. and Opturo, Inc. have entered into an arrangement for Investics to utilize Opturos performance measurement and data management capabilities (ODIN and VIA) in the Investics Cloud Ecosystem (ICE). These next generational capabilities provide for maximum flexibility to instantly calculate in real time a truly customized risk and return service, accommodating some of todays toughest performance measurement challenges including ABOR to IBOR to PBOR transformation, appropriate handling of private investments, flexible hierarchies, attribution and risk. Performance has always been all about the data. Investics has been impressed for a number of years how Opturo approached architecting a performance measurement platform to address the use case challenges that institutional investors are facing today. Coupled with the Investics DARTS data delivery supermarket, Investics managed services to calculate performance and the Investics Cloud Ecosystem (ICE), we are very pleased to be able to bring the range of Opturos capabilities to the Investics client base, said William Pryor, President of Investics. Over the past few decades the Investics team has been providing industry leading performance measurement services to the institutional investor community. With Opturos technological prowess and Investics managed services and innovative work on the cloud, we collectively will have something quite unique to offer to the marketplace, said CEO of Opturo, Ken DSilva. Investics focuses on and works in partnership with the global institutional investor community including asset owners, asset managers, investment consultants, family offices, alternative investments advisors, fund administrators, financial institutions and custodian banks. We offer investment data and analytics capabilities, managed services and consulting. With representatives globally and headquartered in Weston, Massachusetts on the outskirts of Boston along Americas Technology Highway, Investics has serviced clients with assets that total over US$150 billion. For more information on Investics, please visit http://www.investics.com. To learn more about subscribing to Investics ICE or Investics DARTS through AWS Marketplace, please click here. Opturo is a technology company specializing in providing reliable, innovative, practical and cost effective bolt-on solutions to help optimize operational services for the financial industry and beyond. Backed by extensive financial industry experience and state-of-the-art technology, we also provide products and services in the areas of Performance, Attribution, Ex-Post Analysis, GIPS Composite Management and Custom Investment Reporting. It is the mission of Opturo to deliver superior information and technology solutions to our clients to optimize their operational processes. For more information on Opturo, please visit http://www.opturo.com Demonstrators march during an anti-military coup protest in Mandalay, Myanmar, April 5, 2021. At least 550 people have been killed by the military since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), as anti-coup protests continue despite the intensifying violent crackdowns on demonstrators by security forces. EPA-Yonhap The government could consider banning travel to Myanmar and arrange additional temporary flights to help South Koreans leave the country if the political unrest there worsens, a foreign ministry official said Monday. The government has helped organize one or two temporary flights a week from the Southeast Asian nation since the Feb. 1 military coup that plunged the nation into turmoil. So far, a total of 411 out of some 3,500 South Koreans living there have returned home on those flights, according to the official. Another 274 people will be flying home this week, the official said. The military junta's violent crackdown on protesters is estimated to have killed at least 557 people in Myanmar, heightening the social unrest. No damage from the Korean community has been reported, but the death by shooting of a local employee at the Yangon branch of South Korea's Shinhan Bank has raised vigilance. To ensure the protection and safety of Koreans, the government is getting "fully prepared" to take swift steps when necessary, including the possible travel ban and increasing the special flights in consultations with Myanmar's national carrier and aviation authorities, the official said. This screengrab provided via AFPTV video footage taken on April 5, 2021 shows protesters burning a Chinese national flag during a demonstration against Beijing?s support for the Myanmar military in Yangon. AFP-Yonhap London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said everyone in England will be able to take a COVID-19 test twice a week in a new drive to track the pandemic as society reopens and the vaccine rollout continues at its rapid rate. Johnson, who is expected to confirm plans to relaunch international travel and open sections of the economy later on Monday, said on Monday the new mass testing programme would break the chain of transmissions and spot cases without symptoms. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is launching mass COVID testing in an effort to reopen the nation from lockdown. Credit:AP As much of Europe enters new lockdowns to tackle surging cases, Johnson has set out a staggered plan to ease restrictions in the coming months, a huge boost for one of the worst-hit countries during the pandemic. As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine programme and with our roadmap to cautiously easing restrictions underway, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted, Johnson said in a statement. Alarmed by the huge spike in coronavirus cases, the Pune administration has announced stringent measures, including 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. curfew starting Friday night for a week, top officials said here on Friday. All hotels, restaurants and malls will remain shut for the next seven days, though home delivery of household stuff shall be permitted. The development came after a review meet chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday morning with top officials of the administration, police, health and other departments. 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. Ukraine and Qatar have signed 13 bilateral documents and two commercial contracts, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said on Twitter. "Commend the signing of 13 important documents and 2 commercial contracts between Ukraine & Qatar. Our countries have and realize great potential for deepening cooperation. Grateful to Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and PM, Minister of Interior Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani for hospitality," Zelensky wrote. President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska, are on an official visit to the State of Qatar on April 5. Earlier, in an interview with Qatari media outlets, Zelensky said that during the visit it was planned to sign a package of bilateral documents on deepening cooperation in the legal and security spheres, in the field of food security, energy, youth and sports, healthcare, as well as documents on the mutual recognition of seafarers' certificates and driver's licenses. op Uber Technologies Inc. lost the first round in a lawsuit filed by the relatives of a university student who was run over and killed on a San Diego freeway after one of the companys drivers allegedly ordered her out of his car and a second driver failed to pick her up. A state court judge in San Francisco issued a tentative ruling Wednesday that rejected the ride-hailing companys claim that it had no responsibility for the death of 19-year-old Stella Yeh. The sophomore at University of California at San Diego had been drinking with friends one night in May 2018 when one of them summoned an Uber to drive her to her dorm. During the ride, she vomited on the dashboard. The driver responded by exiting the freeway and ordered her out of the car, according to court records. Yeh summoned a second Uber and was stumbling along the freeway ramp when it arrived. Rather than take her home, the second driver abandoned her, according to the complaint. A few minutes later, Yeh wandered onto the freeway, where she was hit by two cars and killed. Uber has argued that it shouldnt be held liable for the actions or inactions of the drivers because theyre independent contractors, not company employees. Superior Court Judge Ethan P. Schulman didnt take up the issue of the drivers status, but ruled that Uber is a common carrier, like a taxi company, and as such, had a duty to care for Yeh. And that duty, he said, doesnt end until a passenger is discharged into a relatively safe space. Yehs family is suing Uber and the two drivers for unspecified damages. In a small victory for Uber, the judge ruled that the family hadnt sufficiently supported its claim that the company had misrepresented the safety of its service. Uber didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The case is McGarry v. Uber Technologies Inc., CGC20584408, California Superior Court (San Francisco) Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Legislation Sharing Economy Ridesharing Uber With cases on the rise in Uttarakhand, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar on Monday appealed to people to strictly follow COVID-19 protocols and stay safe or face action. Stern action will be taken if the protocols are flouted, he said. "COVID cases are rising everywhere. States like Maharashtra appear to be moving towards another lockdown. In also, over 500 cases are being reported daily. People must revert to their habit of wearing masks and maintaining a distance of at least two yards from each other," the DGP said. He also urged people to make a habit of wearing masks and maintaining social distance a part of their daily routine. "Lockdowns are bad in every way. They hit the children's studies and harm the economy. I urge people to make a habit of wearing masks and maintaining social distance a part of their daily routine once again to prevent another spell of lockdown," he said. reported 550 COVID-19 cases on Sunday with Dehradun and Haridwar accounting for a majority of cases. Dehradun reported 221 cases and Haridwar 173. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had also directed officials to fine people who are found without wearing masks and not following social distancing norms. Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi inspected COVID-19 vaccine doses being administered on secretariat officials and employees on Monday and asked them to adopt COVID-19 appropriate behaviour despite being vaccinated. (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.) Daniel Jones is getting an early jump on the New York Giants offseason training program. NFL Networks Ian Rapoport reports Jones will spend the week in Arizona working out with his teams offensive weapons for several days of throwing sessions, Im told. Showing some leadership, Jones organized the week, and the WRs and TEs who flew out will be joined by some O-linemen, as well. ******** To purchase Giants fan gear, visit: Fanatics ******** No word on who will be in attendance, but the Giants have several new faces on offense this year, including wide receivers Kenny Golladay and John Ross, and tight end Kyle Rudolph. The offensive line has undergone some changes as well, subtracting Kevin Zeitler but adding Zach Fulton. Plus, Nate Solder is back after sitting out the 2020 season. The Jones-led workouts are independent of the league-controlled offseason training program. Last year, the entire offseason program went virtual amid the coronavirus pandemic. But last week, the NFL sent out a memo to teams indicating there will be at least some on-field work this offseason. Per AZCardinals.com: Meetings will be virtual at first, with every team allowed to start April 19. But teams are going to ramp up their testing procedures, and eventually, those vaccinated will have far fewer restrictions on them compared to those who are not vaccinated (although the NFL is not mandating that players get vaccinated at this time.) #Giants QB Daniel Jones will spend the week in Arizona working out with his teams offensive weapons for several days of throwing sessions, Im told. Showing some leadership, Jones organized the week, and the WRs and TEs who flew out will be joined by some O-linemen, as well. Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 5, 2021 Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. New Delhi, April 5 : Contributions made by home-owners of a cooperative housing society (CHS) towards a sinking fund meant for future upkeep of the society will be subject to the goods and services tax (GST). The Karnataka Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR) has held that such contribution towards the sinking fund (also termed as corpus fund) is not a "deposit", but in fact, an "advance" for future supply and thus liable for 18 per cent GST. The AAR ruling came on a petition of the residents' welfare association (RWA) of the Bengaluru-based Olety Landmark Apartments. The main grounds petitioned by the RWA was contributions made by members towards towards the sinking fund was in the nature of a deposit for future planned or unplanned events and not for the purpose of supplying any goods or services. Hence, as no element of supply was involved, such contributions should be tax exempt. But the AAR said that contributions by members were not a deposit as the sum was not coming back to them at any future date. It is, in fact, was an advance that members have to extend to the CHS for any future supplies whether planned or unplanned or of any specific nature. Thus, as per GST laws, it liable to tax. The AAR also addressed the question of applicability of GST on contributions at the time of making it. There was a suggestion that tax should be triggered only at the time of utilisation of the fund. But AAR GST is triggered on receipts. This means that the CHS would have to collect and pay GST against the contributions to the sinking fund. But such GST collections will only have to be made if the charges collected from members exceed Rs 7,500 per month, per member. Kanakuk Kamps expose takes closer look at past sexual abuse scandal Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A major Christian camp has come under scrutiny years after its most popular and charismatic director was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting an untold number of campers over many years. In an expose published by The Dispatch, David and Nancy French detailed how Kanakuk Kamp in Branson, Missouri, handled reports of abuse committed by Pete Newman, a former camp counselor who rose in the ranks to become the camp's director and used his position to groom boys. Though trusted by many, even parents, Newman was a serial sexual abuser who groomed and abused boys at the camp, in their own homes, and even during an overseas trip to China. He pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual abuse of boys in 2010 and is serving two life terms plus 30 years. Yet many of the details of this abuse and how the camp evaded accountability has been shrouded in secrecy through a combination of nondisclosure agreements from Newmans victims 57 of them according to a civil complaint, though the prosecutor on the case believes the actual number might be in the hundreds and lack of media scrutiny, according to The Dispatch. One of the victims who resisted pressure to sign a nondisclosure agreement spoke with The Dispatch on condition of anonymity about what he endured at the hands of Newman. In 1995, when Newman was first hired by the camp, he reportedly began engaging in predatory grooming and other inappropriate behavior in violation of camp rules. In addition to crossing boundaries outlined in camp policies, when Newman spoke to boys about sexual morality and lust, he also engaged in mutual masturbation. Unknown to parents, instead of teaching the children not to masturbate, he gave them lessons on how to do it. According to victims and Newmans own account, he masturbated them and taught them how to masturbate him. This sexual activity, he explained, wasnt biblically wrong, as long as the campers avoided lusting for women or looking at porn while he molested them, the Dispatch reported. Newman would also stay in the homes of campers' families when traveling as the ambassador to promote the camps programs during the offseason and abuse boys while there. In addition to masturbation, he performed and received oral sex, and on one occasion, a victim alleged that Newman sodomized him in a shower at the camp. Kanakuk Kamp managed to evade legal obligations regarding Newmans misdeeds when concerns were repeatedly raised, specifically about his habit of doing things around the camp while naked and encouraging boys to do the same, along with other infractions. When Newman finally confessed to his crimes in 2009, the camp allegedly delayed reporting to the authorities, which is required by state law. The camp instead started alerting families of victims of the abuse and offered to pay for counseling. Yet, according to several families who spoke with The Dispatch, the camp sent victims families a copious amount of Kanakuk gear, PlayStations, iPads, iPhones, and snack baskets. They also directly reached out to victims, offering hunting trips and weekends away at [the home of camp CEO Joe White]. The camp offered free camp tuition to various victims a policy still in place to this day in an effort, as one person described, to rediscover lost childhood. Kanakuk revamped camp policies following Newmans arrest, but the updated protocols were apparently not enough to keep another abuser out. The Saint Louis Post-Dispatch reported in 2013 that in 2011, 23-year-old Lee Bradbury [sic], abused three boy campers ages 9, 10 and 12 in a span of four weeks. He was subsequently found guilty of second-degree statutory sodomy, sexual misconduct, and two counts of child molestation. During the legal proceedings that followed Newmans firing, it emerged that White had reportedly been around another pedophile a pilot who flew him to various events who admitted to sodomizing his own daughter from age 5 onward. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation is not convinced that the camp has sufficiently implemented safeguards to protect children from becoming victims like past campers. When entire organizations foster, allow, and even encourage exploitation to occur, we cannot step back and say enough has been done when a lone perpetrator is caught and apprehended, said Dawn Hawkins, senior vice president and executive director of NCOSE in a statement. As we know, there wasnt just one bad actor at Kanakuk. Institutional abuse happens because multiple levels of leadership and the very structure of the organization itself becomes a haven for predators they are given access to their intended prey, and they are given positions of trust and leadership. The time is up for institutional abuse and exploitation to continue to be swept under the proverbial rug. Until the organizations, corporations, and institutions are held accountable for their hand in the sexual exploitation and trauma of countless men, women, and children, full justice will not be served. In response to The Dispatch report, Kanakuk Kamps issued a statement on its website apologizing for what took place 12 years ago and defended the protocols they have implemented since then. Weve said it before and will continue to say it again and again, we are forever sorry for the pain inflicted on victims and their families. Any act of abuse is absolutely deplorable and stands counter to Kanakuks beliefs. Although there were many measures in place to prevent such a tragedy that were consistent and compliant with then-current industry recommendations, this individual's deception of family, friends, Kanakuk, and our camp families was deep, the statement read. Our comprehensive Child Protection Plan was created as a result of this tragedy, and has been rigorously followed each summer since. It has more than 340 identifiable and measurable protective elements that make it more complete, inclusive and reliable than the background checks that are often relied upon in summer camp hiring practices. "Kanukuk continued that in what followed the events of 2009, no criminal charges were ever filed against any member of camp staff and that no one knew of any criminal activity was taking place. The Kanakuk name is not more important than the hearts and lives of individuals. Forgiveness and healing are not immediate things, and thus we will say it again, we are forever sorry. She was a salacious icon of 20th century Paris - the brothel-keeper to the stars - so it's perhaps rather apt that Netflix's new film about 'Madame Claude' is filled with racy scenes of sex parties, full frontal nudity and bondage. As the reigning Queen of Sex in the French capital between the 1960s and 1970s, the Madame, real name Fernande Grudet, offered a secret and forbidden sexual world to a famous client list which reportedly included John F. Kennedy, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Pablo Picasso and Libya's Colonel Gaddafi. She dubbed her group of girls her 'swans', who boasted beautiful, elegant looks, classy charms and were often from fine French families. But in the latest telling, released on Netflix on April 2, the glamour in which her story was often shrouded in is stripped away to show a darker reality - showing unerotic sex used as a weapon to capture secrets from high-profile men. In just the first ten minutes of the film, viewers witness several racy scenes - including a girl stripping off in front of the Madame during an interview, before she is seen being intimate with a man for a 'test'. Elsewhere, the brothel owner (played by French actress Karole Rocher) helps teach a young woman how to properly clean her private parts, while later in the movie, a prostitute is seen being tied up. Scroll down for video She was a salacious icon of 20th century Paris - the brothel-keeper to the stars - so it's perhaps rather apt that Netflix's new film about 'Madame Claude' (pictured right, in the film, and left, in real life) is filled with scenes of aggressive sex, full frontal nudity and bondage As the reigning Queen of Sex in the French capital between the 1960s and 1970s, the Madame, real name Fernande Grudet, offered a secret and forbidden sexual world to a famous client list. Pictured, the Madame's girls in the film She dubbed her group of girls (pictured in the film) her 'swans', who boasted beautiful, elegant looks, classy charms and were often from fine French families In her heyday, the mythology of Madame Claude was about more than sex, in which she herself claimed to have little interest. Sex was a tool for the ruthless businesswoman: a route into high society and to freedom in a man's world. 'There are two things that people will always pay for: food and sex. I wasn't any good at cooking,' she famously said. However, Grudet's success did not last: she was twice convicted and imprisoned, first for tax evasion and then for a short-lived attempt to restart her prostitution racket in the 1990s. She lived out her days in relative modesty in a small apartment on the south coast, estranged from her daughter, dying alone in 2015 at the age of 92. Showing viewers just how 'down to business' the French film will get, Madame Claude opens with the brothel owner hosting a raucous party, filled with scantily clad women and professional men dressed in suits. But in the latest telling, released on Netflix on April 2, the glamour in which her story was often shrouded in is stripped away to show a darker reality. Pictured, one of the Madame's girls in the film during her racy scenes In just the first ten minutes of the film, viewers witness several racy scenes (above) - including a girl stripping off in front of the Madame during an interview, before she is seen being intimate with a man for a 'test' She explains how she decided early on in her life that she would use sex as a weapon, building an entire empire by recruiting and training some 500 'Claudettes' to provide expensive distraction for her clients, who would fork out a minimum of 10,000 franc a night (8,423). Revealed: Madame Claude's 'client list' This is a non-exhaustive list of some of the famous clients Madame Claude claimed she procured women for during her career as a brothel owner: Elie de Rothschild - Banking magnate Lord Mountbatten - Royal relative John F. Kennedy - US President Marlon Brando - Actor Muammar Gaddafi - Libyan leader Rex Harrison - Actor Gianni Agnelli - Automobile magnate Aristotle Onassis - Shipping magnate Marc Chagall - Artist Sammy Davies Jr - Musician Frank Sinatra - Singer She is believed to have procured women for countless French politicians and other magnates throughout the 1960s and 1970s, until she was arrested in 1977 for tax fraud. Advertisement Within minutes, audiences at home see the coldly efficient businesswoman interview a new recruit, Sidonie (played by Garance Marillier), and telling her to strip. Sidonie, who is then tested by being asked to sleep with a friend of the Madame's before being placed with any clients, will later prove herself worthy of being Grudet's right-hand woman. Alongside cold and clinical sex scenes, viewers witness the Madame's ruthlessness, finding she has little concern for her girls beyond external damages. Behind the scenes were ties to organised crime, a life of emotional misery and a near-pathological lack of scruples: Madame Claude, it emphasises, always made sure to get her 30 percent, even when the girls returned bruised and bloodied from a meet-up gone wrong. As such, when her girls return from an encounter with disturbing signs of assault, she has one question: 'Did they pay you?', before adding: 'Your white skin bruises easily, but it'll be gone in two days.' 'There is the image of Madame Claude: of Paris, beautiful dresses and big hotels, power... What interested me was what was happening behind the scenes,' director Sylvie Verheyde said. 'Madame Claude built her mythology. She was a great liar, a fraud who said she wanted to "beautify vice", which meant brushing all the ugliness under the carpet. 'For my own mother, who came from a working class background and moved to Paris, Madame Claude was a role-model,' said Verheyde. 'I found that delusional, but actually, for a woman of her generation and her class, there were few successful female role-models with which to identify,' she said. The director's new film stands in deliberate contrast to previous tellings, especially the erotic film of the same name from 1977, by 'Emmanuelle' director Just Jaeckin. Elsewhere, the brothel owner (played by French actress Karole Rocher, pictured) helps teach a young woman how to properly clean her private parts, while later in the movie, a prostitute is seen being tied up In her heyday, the mythology of Madame Claude (pictured left, in the film) was about more than sex, in which she herself claimed to have little interest 'I think our era is much more ready for the reality and to put an end to the stereotypes of those years,' said Verheyde, who explained that the sex in her film is deliberately unerotic: 'This isn't love, they are working!' The Madame's part is played by Karole Rocher, known for hard-edged roles, particularly as a detective in hit French crime drama 'Braquo'. 'Female gangster roles are still pretty rare,' said Rocher. 'It's interesting to play, for once, a female character that has this hate, this rage that we normally associate with men. A role that is so bitter, so unsympathetic, without being sexualised - I love it.' As for Netflix, it will hope the film can build on the recent spell of success by shows such as 'Call My Agent', 'The Bureau' and 'Baron Noir' that have brought inevitable claims of a golden age for French TV. The streaming platform had a major hit earlier this year with 'Lupin', the first time a French-language show had topped its chart worldwide. [April 05, 2021] Segra Announces New Contract with Virginia Beach Schools to Provide Connectivity and Security Today, Segra, one of the largest independent fiber infrastructure bandwidth companies in the Eastern U.S., announced that it was awarded a contract by Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) to provide Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) and Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS) mitigation. This contract will also allow 16 Tidewater area school districts to procure Segra's services via a contract vehicle. Chris Shipman, Vice President of Sales for Segra, stated, "We are proud to be a trusted partner of Virginia Beach City Public Schools to provide connectivity and security protections, especially given the importance of online reliability and ensuring a safe digital online learning platform for students." Shipman continued, "We can also better meet the IT needs of many other school systems in the area, who are facing similar challenges with the new virtual learning environment." As a committed and trusted partner serving school systems throughout Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, Segra has a long history with providing technology and communications solutions to K-12 and higher education institutions. Along with VBCPS, this new contract allows for other public school systems to take advantage of a simplified ordering process with a trusted partner. These school systems include: Accomack County Public Schools Norfolk Public Schools Chesapeake City Public Schools Northampton County Public Schools Franklin County Public Schools Poquoson City Public Schools Gloucester County Public Schools Portsmouth Public Schools Hampton City Schools Southampton County School District Isle of Wight County Schools Suffolk Public Schools Newport News Public Schools Williamsburg/James City County Public Schools New Horizons Regional Education Center York County School Division "We are pleased to have Segra as a partner in providing the highest quality education to our students. We are looking forward to working with them," stated Michael Combs, Director of Infrastructure Technology for Virginia Beach City Public Schools. For more details about Segra's Education solutions, visit www.segra.com/education. About Segra Segra is one of the largest independent fiber infrastructure bandwidth companies in the Eastern U.S. It owns and operates an advanced fiber infrastructure network throughout nine Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states. Segra provides Ethernet, MPLS, dark fiber, advanced data center services, IP and managed services, voice and cloud solutions, all backed by responsive service and reliability. Customers include carriers, enterprises, governments, higher education and healthcare organizations. For more information about Segra's technology and commitment to customer care, visit www.segra.com. About Virginia Beach City Public Schools Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) is the largest school division in Hampton Roads with 86 schools. VBCPS is a fully-accredited school division with a diverse community, and it continues to outperform school divisions across the state and nation on key academic indicators. To learn more, visit www.vbschools.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005034/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Art Thompson, CEO of Sage Cheshire and president of A2ZFX, stands in front of two model capsules he built for Red Bull Stratos, in a file photo. (Linda KC Reynolds) Democracy, Freedom Drives the American Spirit of Innovation: Art Thomspon Americans being allowed to freely exchange different viewpoints is what drives the spirit of innovation and pushing the limits of human accomplishment, according to Art Thompson, president of Sage Cheshire Aerospace. Thompson, who designed the space capsule for the Red Bull Stratos Space Jump, told The Epoch Times Crossroads program that a large part of the reason why countries such as China rely so heavily on intellectual property theft may be the ideas generated as a byproduct of Americas democracy and freedom that allow Americans to think creatively outside of the box. That kind of thinking in the United States, of creative thinking, of thinking outside of the box, not being pigeonholed into a particular structure, I think is what really makes America. Its the democracy, its freedom. We arent stuck in this slot, Thompson said. Some of this, Thompson said, stems from childhood, education, the American Dream, removing boundaries, and the mindset that you can be anybody. Its an example of the American Dream that if you understand that there are no boundaries, you can become anything, it doesnt matter, he said. Its a mindset of not been pigeon toed into a particular place in society. It doesnt matter in America, as opposed to many other countries that are socially set in in layers. You know, youre born into this layer, youre going to stay in this layer, youre given this position, youre going to get paid that position forever, because youre part of the the the monarchy in that government structure, Thompson explained. And the United States, you can be anybodyyou can be the lowest level person and become the president, if you really wanted to, you can work your way up through the ranks to be anything, he added. And so kids if you get them to understand that anything is possible, now, mentally, socially, their thought patterns are open, and they never would comprehend the fact that there is a limit to what they can accomplish. Thomspon cited the success of designing the space capsule for the Red Bull Stratos Space Jump as an example of the removal of barriers paving the way for innovation. If I would have believed any one of the 100 things that they told me couldnt happen, it never would have happened. But you have to go beyond that. Dont take no as the answer. Figure out what the solution is. One of my sayings is, dont give me excuses, give me solutions. Because theres always a way to figure out how to make things work. In contrast, socialist and communist societies eliminate creative thought by attempting to eliminate failure or the possibility of failure, Thompson said, noting that this in essence does the opposite of what its trying to promote. In some of the Soviet or Chinese or communist countries, theyre so conformed with a process thinking that they stagnate the creative side of your brain. Its so much easier to plagiarize somebodys idea to get a baseline concept, Thomspon said, referring to the Chinese Communist Partys plans to to steal foreign intellectual property and advanced technology by poaching experts from overseas. He added, You know, if youre in a society thats not used to creative thinking if youre in a structured kind of society, where theyve taken away kind of the the free thought process, youre channeled into doing things a particular way. In the ongoing resolution case, the ministry, regulator and winning bidder Jalan-Kalrock consortium on Monday informed the NCLT that the issue of allotment of slots to the airline is expected to be resolved soon. The matter will be again heard by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in the third week of April. Jet Airways, which shuttered operations in April 2019, is undergoing a resolution process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). The counsels representing the ministry, and the Jalan-Kalrock consortium told the Mumbai bench of the NCLT that they are optimistic about an amicable resolution of the issue of historical slots soon. According to them, there were two meetings held between the winning bidders for -- UAE-based businessman Murari Lal Jalan and UK-based Kalrock Capital -- with the ministry and over the slot allotment issue. The NCLT bench, chaired by Mohammed Ajmal and V Nallasenapathy, will hear the matter in the third week of this month. On March 24, the consortium had sought the tribunal's permission to enter into a dialogue with the ministry and DGCA to resolve the issue of allotment of slots at airports. The NCLT had stated that it cannot give directions in this regard but said the parties concerned are free to discuss the matter. The ministry and DGCA had then sought time from the NCLT to deal with the affidavit submitted by the consortium regarding the slot allotment issue. On Monday, the tribunal was informed that the ministry and DGCA have not filed the affidavit with a view to have further meetings between the officials concerned to resolve the issue. The ministry and DGCA have appointed a nodal officer to address the issue of slots with the resolution applicant, the consortium. In a joint affidavit to the NCLT on March 9, the ministry and DGCA had refused to give any assurances on slots issue. "... slots allocated to the corporate debtor are not the asset of the corporate debtor and hence no mandatory directions in respect of the allocations/ re-allocation of slots may be issued by the tribunal for the mandatory compliance of same by the DGCA/MoCA," as per the affidavit. The MoCA refers to the Ministry of According to the affidavit, any request of the resolution applicant for allocation of slots would be considered as per the existing policy and procedure. (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.) Adani Road Transport, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, secured a road project worth Rs 2,020.93 crore. The order entails six laning of National Corridor NH-19 from Panagarh to Palsit in West Bengal under Bharatmala Pariyojana to be executed on BOT-(Toll) basis. The concession period is 20 years including contruction period of 2.5 years. With this project award, Adani Group will have total nine NHAI road projects under HAM, toll-operate-transfer (TOT) and build-operate-transfer (BOT)-Toll basis in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat and West Bengal. Meanwhile, Adani Enterprises along with its wholly owned subsidiary company, Gare Palma II Collieries (GPIICPL) has signed coal mining agreement (CMA) with Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (MAHAGENCO) for development and operation of Gare Palma Sector II Coal Mine. The contract period will be of 34 years including mine development and final mine closure. By this development, contractual capacity of AEL as an MDO has now become 104.20 MTPA. As per the approved mining plan, the peak rated capacity of GP-II coal mine is 23.6 MTPA with total mineable reserve of 553.177 MT for opencast mine. Shares of Adani Enterprises rose 0.88% to Rs 1,117 on BSE. Adani Enterprises' consolidated net profit skid 11.1% to Rs 286.60 crore on 6.1% rise in net sales to Rs 11,620.45 crore in Q3 December 2020 over Q3 December 2019. Adani Enterprises is the flagship company of Adani Group, one of India's largest business conglomerates. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Highlights A security researcher has revealed that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg uses Signal app. "Mark Zuckerberg also respects his own privacy, by using a chat app that has end-to-end encryption and isn't owned by Facebook," Dave Walker wrote on Twitter. Facebook co-founders Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz were also among the affected users whose data was leaked in the Facebook breach. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg uses Signal app. Zuckerberg's phone number was among the leaked data of 533 million Facebook users. Apart from his contact number, data including his name, location, marriage details, birth date, and Facebook user ID was also leaked, according to an online report. A security researcher revealed that Zuckerberg uses Signal by posting his leaked phone number which confirmed the Facebook CEO uses Signal app, "In another turn of events, Mark Zuckerberg also respects his own privacy, by using a chat app that has end-to-end encryption and isn't owned by @facebook. This is the number associated with his account from the recent Facebook leak," security expert Dave Walker posted on Twitter with a screenshot of Zuckerberg's leaked phone number which said, "Mark Zuckerberg is on Signal." In another turn of events, Mark Zuckerberg also respects his own privacy, by using a chat app that has end-to-end encryption and isn't owned by @facebook This is the number associated with his account from the recent facebook leak. https://t.co/AXbXrF4ZxE Dave Walker (@Daviey) April 4, 2021 The news comes at a time when many users outraged with Facebook-owned WhatsApp's new privacy policy are moving to seemingly safer alternatives like Signal. WhatsApp's contentious new terms of service are slated to come into effect from May 2021. The updated privacy policy changes how Facebook can access users' chats with business accounts. Facebook's co-founders Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz were also among the affected users whose data was leaked in the Facebook breach. Walker noted that the data breach also included Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's contact among the 533 million others. "Regarding the Facebook leak of the 533M people the irony is that Mark Zuckerberg is regrettably included in the leak as well," he wrote on Twitter. Regarding the #FacebookLeak, of the 533M people in the leak - the irony is that Mark Zuckerberg is regrettably included in the leak as well. If journalists are struggling to get a statement from @facebook, maybe just give him a call, from the tel in the leak? @GazTheJournopic.twitter.com/lrqlwzFMjU Dave Walker (@Daviey) April 3, 2021 According to another security expert, Alon Gal, the data was leaked in 2020 because of a vulnerability that enabled seeing the phone number linked to every Facebook account. Facebook noted that the vulnerability was discovered in 2019 that allowed phone numbers of millions of users to be scraped from Facebook servers. The social media giant said that the vulnerability was patched in August 2019. However, according to Gal, despite that flaw being fixed, it could provide valuable information to cyber criminals. Among the 533 million affected Facebook users, 32 million belonged to the US, 11 million belonged to the UK and six million belonged to India. Apart from contact numbers, the confidential information included users' personal details like their location, full names, birth dates, complete bio, Facebook IDs, and email addresses. According to a Bloomberg report, the database of stolen phone numbers was posted to a Hackers' forum' and could be easily passed on to anyone with basic computing skills. Tires burn on a street as protests against the military coup continue, in Mandalay, Burma, on March 27, 2021. (Stringer/Reuters) Two Australians Freed From House Arrest in Burma An Australian couple has been freed from house arrest in Burma, also known as Myanmar, and will be allowed to return to Australia without charge after being detained in the country for two weeks. Christa Avery and her husband Anthony OKaneboth business consultants in the countrywere denied permission to leave the Asian nation in March after they were about to board their return flight to Australia. Reuters reported that Avery said it had been a very stressful time for the couple, and they were pleased to be returning home to Australia. I am, of course, incredibly relieved to have been released and to be on my way home with my husband, Matt, Avery said in a statement. Even though I knew that I had done nothing wrong, it was very stressful being held under house arrest for 2 weeks. The news of the couples release comes as fellow Australian Sean Turnell, an economics advisor to ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, remains under arrest in Burma. I hope that even if Sean cannot be released very soon, he can, at least, be moved to house arrest for his physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, Avery said. Turnell is currently under investigation by the military junta that seized power on Feb. 1. However, no formal charge has been made against him, although AAP has reported that he is facing charges under the Officials Secrets Act. Australias Foreign Affairs Minister said on March 7 that the government had not been able to gain consular access to Turnell and called for his immediate release, along with the cessation of violence by the regime. We condemn the use of lethal force or violence against civilians exercising their universal rights, including the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, Payne said. We continue to strongly urge the Myanmar security forces to exercise restraint and refrain from violence against civilians. An estimated 2,667 people are currently being held in detention, and 564 people, including 43 children, have been killed by the Burmese military regime, reports the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) Burmese activist group. China Blocks UN Security Council From Taking Action However, the United Nations Security Council has been blocked from taking unilateral action against the junta by the Chinese communist regime despite U.N. Special Envoy to Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener imploring the 15 member council to take action to stop what she described could become a multi-dimensional catastrophe in the heart of Asia. Schraner Burgener also warned that a bloodbath was imminent. The emergency meeting of the Security Council was called by the United Kingdom on March 29, which has said it is appalled by the increasing violence being witnessed in Burma. Zhang Jun, the Chinese Communist Partys permanent representative to the U.N. Security Council in explaining Chinas position said that one-sided pressure on the military junta, calling for sanctions or other coercive measures, would only aggravate the countrys tensions and complicate the situation. The CCP envoy said that China believesout of respect for Myanmars sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity, and national unitythat the international community should simply encourage dialogue that will narrow differences between the two sides. Christians in China are being detained in secretive, mobile "transformation" facilities where they're subject to brainwashing, torture and beatings to force them to renounce their faith, a new report has revealed. Li Yuese, a member of an underground "house church" in the southwestern province of Sichuan, told Radio Free Asia he was held in a facility run by the ruling Chinese Communist Partys United Front Work Department for 10 months after a raid on his church in 2018. "It was a mobile facility, that could just set up in some basement somewhere," Li recalled. "It was staffed by people from several different government departments. It had its own (CCP) political and legal affairs committee working group, and they mainly target Christians who are members of house churches," he said. Li said he was held in a windowless room with no ventilation and prohibited from going outside during the time he was held captive in the facility. There, he was subjected to various forms of torture, from beatings to mental manipulation. Source:The Christian Post C&L Services acquisition of Knipfing Asphalt Solutions, located in Farmingdale, NJ, further increases the market share that C&L Services currently controls. The acquisition of Knipfing Asphalt Solutions is expected to result in greater efficiencies and a larger customer base moving forward. With the acquisition of Knipfing Asphalt Solutions, C&L Services is primed for another growth surge in 2021. This is the 7th company we have acquired and as we continue to grow, this latest acquisition will help us concentrate on adding state of the art infrared technology and expanding our pavement maintenance services throughout New Jersey, explains Gabe Vitale, Jr., for C&L Services. Knipfing clients will continue to receive the same high quality infrared asphalt repair and pavement maintenance services that they are accustomed to. C&L Services plans to retain the skilled and talented team of Knipfing Asphalt Solutions employees as well as the expertise of the former owner Al Knipfing. Knipfing Asphalt Solutions is widely known for their asphalt restoration solutions and infrared asphalt repair, as well as offering custom parts for infrared equipment. Currently C&L Services plans on keeping the brand of Knipfing Asphalt Solution intact, slowly integrating the equipment over to C&L Services as new equipment is purchased. Al Knipfing said, We strongly feel joining forces with C&L Services is a great fit for us. Both companies have an excellent reputation and have been known for providing quality pavement maintenance solutions." C&L Services is well known in the industry for their street sweeping fleet and highly trained staff. Over the years they have expanded services and now offer a variety of property maintenance and pavement maintenance services, including pavement repair, concrete repair, garage scrubbing, power washing, inlet repair, line striping, seal coating, and signage and bollard installation. The core values of C&L Services are focused on customer satisfaction above all else. Education and safety for its personnel is the hallmark of their operation. To learn more about C&L Services and how they serve their clients, click here: https://sweeping.com/. A Uyghur woman (C) goes through an entrance to a bazaar in Hotan, in China's northwest Xinjiang region, on May 31, 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) Chinese Regimes Disinformation Campaign on Uyghur Genocide Debunked Recently, the Chinese communist regime has arranged a series of propaganda productions to refute the international communitys accusation of genocide against the Uyghur ethnic minority in Xinjiang. But an overseas Uyghur advocate has since pointed out that the Uyghur spokespeople used in the regimes campaign are fake. On March 29, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a 6th Press conference by the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on Xinjiang-related Issues in Beijing. A few Uyghurs were arranged to give a speech at the press conference to rebut allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiangs concentration camps by Europe and the United States. However, Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the World Uyghur Congress, told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the speakers were paid actors and the conference was a political show. One speaker, Tahiljan Tohti, claimed to have completed education and training in a training center in Hotan, Xinjiang. He said that the vocational education and training center was a school and he was there learning the national language, legal knowledge, vocational skills, and de-radicalization knowledge and so on. The religious trainees could participate in normal religious activities at a mosque or at home, Tohti told the media. After I finished my education and training, I opened a restaurant and a property company. Tahiljan Tohti at the Xinjiang press conference on March 29, 2021. (Screenshot of online video) Raxit pointed out that the so-called Uyghur representatives at the press conference all spoke fluent Chinese. He questioned, Can you teach someone from scratch to speak Chinese on this level in six months or a year? He said that Tohti had appeared in another CCP propaganda video with a totally different backstory last year. On July 14, 2020, Tohti was featured in a video released by state-run media Xinhua called Im in Southern Xinjiang-Music Restaurant Owner Tahiljan Tohti. In the video, Tohti talked about returning to his hometown to start a business. He did not mention anything about having been in Xinjiangs education and training centers but emphasized that he graduated from the prestigious Fudan University in Shanghai and attributed his success to it. Tahiljan Tohti appeared in a Xinhua video on July 14, 2020. (Screenshot of online video) Raxit challenged the CCPs recent narrative presented through Tohti. After graduating from Fudan University, someone still didnt understand Chinese and had to be sent to an education and training center to learn Chinese? he asked. Raxit said he believes that the person is simply a makeshift actor, and his speech is a scam put on for international reporters. Raxit said that the Chinese regime is using the same Uyghur actors repeatedly as China has been under diplomatic pressure and has to improvise quickly to respond to the international communitys accusations by using the non-professional actors. It has exposed the lies and deceit in its own press conference. He also said that the Uyghurs chosen by the regime to appear in its foreign propaganda dont have any right to refuse. They have no choice but to act in this political show, to deceive the outside world for their own safety and the safety of their families. Raxit said that when the Chinese government first responded to international criticism about alleged concentration camps, the regime claimed they were vocational training centers. It then changed its tune to call them education and training centers. The regime has tried to mislead the international community with a series of lies to cover up the concentration camps that it has used to systematically destroy the Uyghur people and carry out its genocide. Last week, another fake propaganda story by the CCP on Xinjiang was exposed. The Chinese regimes overseas mouthpiece CGTN put out an article on its website written by French journalist Laurene Beaumond who lives in Urumqi to counter the intentional communitys accusations of genocide of Uyghurs in concentration camps. French media outlet Le Monde investigated the report and revealed that the French journalist Laurene Beaumond in Urumqi, who supposedly writes for CGTN, doesnt exist. Le Monde said the journalist was invented by CGTV. French journalist Laurene Beaumond lives in Urumqi and writes firsthand accounts for CGTN, refuting western atrocity allegations. Now, the French paper Le Monde reveals: this journalist does not actually exist. https://t.co/rBx6wKO2xr Adrian Zenz (@adrianzenz) March 31, 2021 CGTNs broadcasting license was revoked in February by UK regulators. However, in March, France renewed its license for CGTN to continue airing programs in Europe. International relations analysts Jake Wallis and Albert Zhang from the Australian Strategic Policy Institutes International Cyber Policy Centre pointed out that The Chinese Communist Party is launching increasingly bold and sophisticated information operations in an attempt to shape international perceptions of its treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. They said the regime has been putting out false narratives to deny the accusations of human rights violation and genocide through diplomats, state media, and international social media platforms. The analysts warned, Democratic states must understand that when the party-states officials, state media, and covert propaganda operate in coordination with economic coercion and sanctions to suppress and pre-emptively censor international criticism, they are not dealing with diplomacy but are facing a salvo in the political warfare being waged by the CCP. The Wiggles star Emma Watkins has announced her engagement to boyfriend Oliver Brian, 15 months after going public with their romance. The 31-year-old shared the happy news in an Instagram post on Monday night, posing alongside her Wiggles guitarist beau and flashing her diamond ring. Emma, who performs as the Yellow Wiggle in the children's group, captioned the image: 'When life gets more sparkly'. Happy news: The Wiggles star Emma Watkins (left) has announced her engagement to boyfriend Oliver Brian (right). The 31-year-old shared the happy news in an Instagram post on Monday night, posing alongside her Wiggles guitarist beau and flashing her diamond ring Emma shared further photos from the proposal to her Instagram Stories, revealing it had occurred in stunning countryside. The performer was absolutely beaming as she showed off her sparkler in a number of images, including one where she cuddled up to her musician fiance. One image showed Emma posing alongside a pony, showing the animal her ring, which he captioned: 'Approval from the locals'. Emma, who performs as the Yellow Wiggle in the children's group, wrote on Instagram: 'When life gets more sparkly' Emma confirmed her relationship with Oliver in an interview with The Daily Telegraph's Stellar Magazine in December 2019. 'Yes, I'm in love and I feel very excited to tell you,' she told the publication, describing their relationship as 'new' at the time. She said Oliver was the 'opposite' to her in personality, but described their relationship as being 'nice'. So pretty! Emma shared further photos from the proposal to her Instagram Stories, revealing it had occurred in stunning countryside One image showed Emma posing alongside a pony, showing the animal her ring, which he captioned: 'Approval from the locals' 'He's a very calm and thoughtful person and I've always been interested in his mind and his take on life, and his morals,' she explained. 'He loves talking about the environment and food production. It's not very "Wiggly", but it's been nice for me to talk about things not just concerning ourselves, but people everywhere around the world.' The pair took the next step in their relationship in April last year, reportedly moving in together amid the coronavirus lockdown. In September, Emma and Oliver showed further signs their relationship was becoming more serious, as they brought home a new puppy. Co-workers: Oliver plays various instruments on The Wiggles, including guitars and banjo, and has previously joined the band on several of their world tours. Emma confirmed her relationship with Oliver in December 2019, saying it was 'new' at the time News of the couple moving in together came less than two weeks after Emma's ex-husband, fellow Wiggles member Lachlan Gillespie, 35, announced his engagement to dancer Dana Stephenson. 'On Thursday night, Dana asked me to marry her at home under a fairy light sky and a very excited little boy in a beautiful bow tie,' the purple Wiggle announced on Instagram on April 13. Emma appeared to give their engagement her approval, commenting with three purple hearts on Lachy's post. Split: Emma split from ex-husband and fellow Wiggles member Lachlan Gillespie (right) in August 2018 She also congratulated Lachy and his fiancee Dana on the birth of their twins that same month. During her candid interview with Stellar, Emma discussed Lachlan's relationship with dancer Dana, a senior artist at The Australian Ballet. After the dancer filmed scenes with The Wiggles last December, Watkins revealed she told a friend that Dana and Lachlan would be 'perfect together'. Moving on: Lachlan announced his engagement to dancer Dana Stephenson (right) in April last year, the same month that Emma moved in with Oliver in Sydney Surprise! Emma congratulated Lachy and his fiancee, Dana on the birth of their twins that same month In August 2018, Emma and former husband Lachlan announced their split. The former couple - who joined The Wiggles in 2013 and started dating weeks later - had married in Bowral, New South Wales in 2016. Despite their break-up, Lachlan and Emma have vowed to remain friends and still perform together in The Wiggles. End of the road: Despite their break-up, Lachlan and Emma have vowed to remain friends and still perform together in The Wiggles 'To be able to realise as a couple that we were going different ways and to stay as close as we are is a real testament, I think, to both of us,' Lachlan said in a statement. 'I love her more now than anything and she loves me more than anything.' Oliver plays various instruments on The Wiggles, including guitars and banjo, and has previously joined the band on several of their world tours. Away from the group, Oliver and Emma's ex Lachlan are in band The Unusual Commoners, alongside Anthony Field and David O'Reilly. The head of the U.S. Democratic National Committee has admitted the party's brand has suffered 'damage', and argued that Democrats could be more attractive to rural voters with better messaging. 'I think what we have to do as a party is battle the damage to the Democratic brand,' DNC chair Jamie Harrison, who ran against Senator Lindsey Graham in South Carolina last year, said on Daily Beast's New Abnormal podcast. 'I experienced it on my own race, Lindsey and his crew of dark money effectively labeled me as somebody who believed in defunding the police,' he continued. 'My grandfather on my stepfather's side was in the Detroit police department for 40 years. So I don't believe in that. But they were able to do it because the Democratic brand had been so tarnished in South Carolina that people would believe anything,' said Harrison. 'I think what we have to do as a party is battle the damage to the Democratic brand,' said Jamie Harrison (above), who ran against Senator Lindsey Graham in South Carolina last year 'If they said, 'Jamie kicked a puppy the other day,' they would have believed it,' mused the party chairman. 'It's not even just with Republicans, the Democrat brand with some of the folks who are core at the base of our party is not the greatest,' said Harrison. 'And so I want to spend a lot of time, energy, and effort understanding why the brand is where it is, what it is and how, and what we can do in order to improve it.' Harrison said that Democrats are fighting for policies that would benefit voters in rural America, and lamented that the party isn't able to make those voters realize what's best for them. 'We have to take credit and claim the things that we will have gotten done over the course of this next two years. We're going to do a lot for rural America,' he said. 'The American Rescue Plan has so much in there for rural communities across this country. And it will have a huge benefit, this infrastructure plan, when we get this done. The broadband component in it alone will totally transform rural America,' added Harrison. While prominent left-wing party members such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have galvanized the Democratic base, they have also provided fodder for the party's critics It is one of several self-assessments levied by Democrats in the wake of the 2020 election, which saw the party retake the White House and the Senate, even as their majority shrink in the House. Soon after the election, commentator Bill Maher, a self-identified liberal, accused Democrats of 'hypersensitive, woke BS' that cost them ground in the House. 'In a year that was so much about making people aware of racism, their share of minority votes went down!' he continued. 'The message to Democrats from so much of the country seems to be, 'We don't like Trump but we still can't bring ourselves to vote for you.' While prominent left-wing party members such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have galvanized the Democratic base, they have also provided fodder for the party's critics, who accuse the Democrats of swinging too far left. Though Ocasio-Cortez frequently makes headlines, a recent nonpartisan study ranked her as one of the least effective Democrats in Congress. While AOC introduced 21 'substantive' bills to Congress, her legislation failed to progress any further, according to the Center for Effective Lawmaking - a joint project between Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia. None of the legislation received action in committees, floor votes, nor did any become law, according to the data collected from Congress.gov. Ocasio-Cortez ranked 230th out of 240 Democrats across the country and was dead last among the 19 that are in the state of New York. Pakistan: KP Govt. establishing 287 trout fish farms costing Rs 1286.914mn to bolster meat production, exports April 05,2021 | Source: Urdu Point The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government is establishing about 287 trout fish farms mostly in Malakand and Hazara Divisions with an estimated cost of Rs1286.914 million in order to increase production of meat, exports and provide healthy seafood to its people. Muhammad Zubair, Deputy Director, Fisheries Department told APP that KP was blessed with abundance of cold water reservoirs, lakes and favourable climate conditions mostly suited for trout fish farming. To take full advantage of this God gifted potential, he said the Fisheries Department has accelerated work on establishing 287 trout fish farms mostly in Malakand and Hazara divisions to bolster meat production and fish exports to Afghanistan, Central Asian States (CASs), Gulf and others international markets. Under project of 'development of water fisheries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,' he said these farms were being established with an estimated cost of Rs1286.914 million in different districts of KP mostly in Malakand and Hazara divisions due to its favourable and cold climate besides abundance of water reservoirs suited for trouts farming. The Federal government would contribute Rs514.766 million and KP government would inject Rs772.148 million in the mega project to be completed by 2023-24, he said. The five years project was launched in 2018-19 under the Prime Minister Emergency Agriculture Programme costing about Rs 309.7 billion for effective utilization of land and water resources, promotion of trout farming, undertaking programmes for fish seed production and replenishment of public water bodies through fish stocking besides launching of mega agriculture and livestock related projects. These farms are being established with the help of private sector on a 50:50 cost share basis, he said, adding, about 50 percent cost would be borne by beneficiaries and remaining by the government. Muhammad Zubair said proposals for 91 feasible sites had already been submitted to Director General, Water Management for construction of trout farms in different districts of the province. Applications from interested parties for establishment of trout farms on 50:50 cost sharing basis have already been invited and survey for selection of feasible sites completed. Increasing fish production is a cornerstone of PTI Government Agriculture and Fisheries Policy 2018-25, which are focusing on building of new model hatcheries, rehabilitation of existing trout and carp hatcheries besides establishment of model trout farms in the province including merged areas. Under the project, Rs150 million would be spent on establishment of a cold water fisheries' training and research centre in Swat where farmers and students would be provided training on conservation, production, breeding and marketing of trout farming. Contract for setting up cold water fisheries training and research centre had already been awarded, he maintained. The Government would construct a model trout hatchery at Mansehra with an estimated cost Rs 88.284 million from where fish stock would be provided to others hatcheries in Hazara division and districts of KP at affordable prices. The site for establishment of a model trout hatchery at Siran Valley in Mansehra was selected, land was acquired and construction work was started, he said. He said most of trout hatcheries constructed in the past require renovation and up-gradation to enhance its production's capacity. The official added that Rs144.517 million would be spent on rehabilitation and up-gradation of existing farms. Construction work on renovation and up-gradation of Dubair hatchery in Lower Kohistan district, which was washed away during the 2020 flood, would soon be started. The official said high bread eye-ova (trout fish seed) would be imported and handed over to farmers and fish growers for breeding on which about Rs100 million would be spent. Besides purchase of maintenance and equipment with allocation of Rs121 million, interest free loans would be provided to farmers for establishment of feed mills, processing plant and cold storage with an estimated cost of Rs 40 million besides utilisation of Rs 29.274 million on provision of seeds and others services and Rs 67.690 million for recruitment of staff. Zubair said beneficiaries will take loans from commercial banks and their interest would be paid by the project. He said KP is currently producing over 350 metric tons trout per year, which would be taken to 645 metric tons by the year 2023. Regarding fish seed production, he informed that current production was 1.4 metric and by 2023 it would be taken to 2.5 metric. He said Pakistani trout was being preferred in gulf and other international markets due its quality meat and there is a huge potential to increase volume of trade with CARs, Afghanistan and Gulf in meat sector. Muhammad Zubair said merged areas of KP especially Kurram, Tirah valley in Khyber and North Waziristan districts were suitable for trout farming and 13 trout farms would be setup in Kurram. Fish meat consumption in KP is comparatively low than other meat products due to its relatively high prices and construction of these new trout farms and hatcheries which would help increase fish consumption besides bring its prices down. Under the Prime Minister Emergency Agriculture Programme, he said that priority was being given on enhancing fish production through replenishment of fish resources in natural water bodies through quality breeds, aquatic research, conservation programme, co-operative fishing besides introduction of new and fast growing fish varieties. He said 200 new model fish farms were established by PTI Government in the province and efforts were underway to increase it to 600 by 2023. KP Government is facilitating the private sector by providing fish seeds besides professional training to farmers. More than Rs 85 billion would be spent on development of agriculture, livestock and fisheries during the five year tenure of PTI government. Under supervision of Director General Fisheries, special teams were constituted for taking prompt action against illegal hunting, sale and transportation of fish in the province. Muhammad Zubair said these projects after completion would make KP a land of trout fish farming having very positive impact on the country's meat exports and generation of employment opportunities for youth. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has met with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as part of his official visit to the State of Qatar, the presidential press service has reported. During the conversation, the parties discussed key issues of the bilateral agenda, cooperation within international organizations and current international and regional issues, the report said. The interlocutors emphasized the importance of maintaining high dynamics of political dialogue, the need to increase bilateral trade and further intensify investment cooperation. The parties paid special attention to the prospects for cooperation in the fields of energy, food security, infrastructure and military-technical cooperation and focused on specific joint projects that are already underway. Zelensky noted that Ukraine will continue to export agricultural products to Qatar. "Ukraine considers the State of Qatar as one of its key partners in the Gulf region and has every opportunity to fully ensure Qatar's food security," he said. The meeting focused on attracting investment from Qatar in the development of infrastructure facilities in Ukraine, including the construction of roads and bridges. The president of Ukraine informed the Emir of the State of Qatar about the implementation of the Large Construction project. "I hope that Qatari companies will join the Large Construction project this year," Zelensky said. The importance of expanding concession projects in Ukrainian ports was also emphasized. In the energy sector, the parties discussed the prospects of building an LNG terminal and diversifying energy sources. For his part, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani stressed the desire and readiness of the Qatari side to further develop the full range of mutually beneficial cooperation with Ukraine. In addition, the sides discussed counteracting the spread of coronavirus and minimizing its negative effects. Zelensky thanked the Emir of the State of Qatar for the humanitarian aid provided to Ukraine in 2020 to combat COVID-19. The parties agreed on further cooperation in this area. Zelensky invited the Emir of Qatar to visit Ukraine at any time convenient for him. op Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 6 and Congress-DMK and BJP-AIADMK alliance are the major groups contesting against each other in the southern state. NewsX for the first time in the history of national television, India will witness the celebration of politics, history and culture like never before. The special program will track the progress of Tamil Nadu from the eyes of youngsters in the backdrop of the highly anticipated Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The profilic guests include C.A Bhavani Devi, the first Indian fencer to qualify for Olympics, Suseendhira Palanisamy, Research Fellow, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Madan Gowri, South Indias Biggest Youtuber amongst many others. The high-octane Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 6 and Congress-DMK and BJP-AIADMK alliance are the major groups contesting against each other in the southern state. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin promised to visit the people of Tamil Nadus Salem district in all situations and not only during elections. Asserting issues of Tamilian rights and identities, Stalin alleged that the ruling AIDMK government has taken Tamil Nadu back 50 years. He further said that all the rights of the people of Tamil Nadu have been taken by introducing NEET, the new education policy and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Grandson of the late DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan, Mr. Vetriazhagan exclusively told NewsX that DMK will form govt in Tamil Nadu. Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi earlier had slammed the ruling AIADMK and called it a mask of the RSS and BJP. In the battle ground of TN, Rahul stirred quite a controversy when he said the state chief minister E Palaniswami is forced to bow down in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. MK Stalin-led DMK, which has been out of power since 2011 in the state, is in a head-to-head battle with ruling party AIADMK in nearly 130 constituencies. The people have traditionally seen the DMK and the AIADMK hold power alternately since 1967. Actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassans Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) and the alliance between TTV Dhinakarans Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and Asaduddin Owaisis All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) are trying to appease voters with the third alternative in the state. 11 medical colleges have been given to Tamil Nadu, the highest number in the nation is given to Tamil Nadu: BJP chief JP Nadda in Erode pic.twitter.com/RXKeaRnbAg ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2021 Tamil Nadu: In a letter to Election Commission, AIADMK Advocates' Wing says income tax raids are being conducted at properties linked to its MLAs & ministers; calls it politically motivated, seeks immediate restraint on 'unwanted raids'. pic.twitter.com/LstjcTlmkG ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2021 Also Read: Sukma Encounter: 8 jawans martyred, 30 injured; PM Modi condoles loss of lives Multiple disasters caused by torrential rains in eastern Indonesia have killed at least 70 people and displaced thousands, the country's disaster relief agency has said. Mud tumbled down from surrounding hills onto dozens of homes in Lamenele village shortly after midnight on Sunday on Adonara island in East Nusa Tenggara province. Rescuers recovered 38 bodies and at least five people were injured, said Lenny Ola, who heads the local disaster agency. Flash flooding killed at least 30 people elsewhere and at least 70 are missing, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. Meanwhile, 21 deaths have been reported in East Timor. Multiple disasters caused by torrential rains in eastern Indonesia have killed at least 70 people and displaced thousands, the country's disaster relief agency has said Mud tumbled down from surrounding hills onto dozens of homes in Lamenele village shortly after midnight on Sunday on Adonara island leaving at least 38 dead Extreme weather has also caused a further 21 deaths in East Timor (pictured), but rescue efforts have been hampered by damaged bridges and roads Relief efforts have been hampered by power outages, as well as blocked roads covered in thick mud. The bodies of three people were recovered after being swept away by floods in the village of Oyang Barang, where 40 houses were also destroyed, Mr Ola said. Hundreds of people fled submerged homes, some of which were carried off by the floodwaters. In another village, Waiburak, three people were killed and seven missing after overnight rains caused rivers to burst their banks, sending muddy water into large areas of East Flores district, Mr Ola said. The bodies of three people were recovered after being swept away by floods in the village of Oyang Barang, where 40 houses were also destroyed Hundreds of people fled submerged homes, some of which were carried off by the floodwaters. Residents have taken refuge at a nearby evacuation centre The rains also caused cold lava to tumble down the slopes of the Ili Lewotolok volcano and hit several villages. Hundreds of people are still involved in rescue efforts. At least nine villages have been affected by flash floods and a landslide that damaged five bridges on the island of Lembata. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he had ordered his cabinet ministers and the chiefs of the military, police and disaster agency to carry out emergency response measures and search and rescue operations as quickly as possible. 'I can feel the grief of our brothers and sisters there caused by these disasters,' Mr Widodo said during a televised address, offering his deep condolences to the victims. Relief efforts have been hampered by power outages, as well as blocked roads covered in thick mud At least nine villages have been affected by flash floods and a landslide that damaged five bridges on the island of Lembata (pictured, residents of Ile Ape, Lembata Island, clean up mud and debris from their house) Tropical Cyclone Seroja has produced high waves, strong winds and heavy rains for the past three days and its effects were expected to last until Friday, said Dwikorita Karnawati, the head of Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency. She warned that the cyclone could trigger tidal waves up to 13 feet (4m) on Sumba, Flores and Rote islands in East Nusa Tenggara province, and up to 19.6 feet (6m) in the southern part of the province and in the Banda Sea and Indian Ocean. Seasonal rains frequently cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains. Australian forecasters have warned residents in Western Australia state's far north that the tropical cyclone was intensifying and moving towards them. Seroja, or lotus flower, formed early on Monday morning in Indonesian waters and was moving south-west, the Bureau of Meteorology said. It is not expected to affect Australian communities for the next 48 hours, but residents were urged to monitor forecasts. Tropical Cyclone Seroja has produced high waves, strong winds and heavy rains for the past three days and its effects were expected to last until Friday Scores of people were missing after landslides and flash floods caused by torrential rain over the weekend. Rescuers have been working to recover missing people Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he had ordered his cabinet ministers and the chiefs of the military, police and disaster agency to carry out emergency response measures and search and rescue operations as quickly as possible People survey the damaged roads after days of torrential rain and flash flooding in East Timor Theyve had six years of ongoing droughts in these areas, Gass said. They have no food, no means for employment or livelihood, and theyre eating the seeds which they would normally save for planting. And when the seeds are gone, they dont have much more to go on. On top of this, the Covid-19 pandemic has devastated both urban and rural communities in the region, and has made it doubly perilous to undertake a long journey. Biden has said that he would seek to address the situation by setting up immigration triage facilities and shelters in these countries, so that migrants can begin seeking asylum in the United States rather than showing up unannounced at the southern border. But he has not yet released a comprehensive immigration plan, leaving close observers to speculate about what his overall strategy will emphasize. Last month, at his first news conference as president, Biden said that he had asked Vice President Kamala Harris to examine the fundamental reasons why people leave Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador in the first place, listing some major factors: Its because of earthquakes, floods. Its because of lack of food. Its because of gang violence. Its because of a whole range of things. But as he rolls out this plan, Biden is running up against endemic corruption in many national and local governments that may make it difficult to deliver aid directly, as he has acknowledged. He recalled the work he had begun as vice president under Barack Obama, whose administration confronted a surge of migrants at the southern border in 2014 and 2015 that had been spurred by a confluence of gang violence and natural disasters in the region. What I was able to do is not give money to the head of state, because so many are corrupt, but I was able to say: OK, you need lighting in the streets to change things? Ill put the lighting in, he said. Experts have pointed out that while the Obama administration did take steps toward working directly with local governments and establishing accountability mechanisms, that approach was still inchoate when Trump became president and rolled back most of the new initiatives aimed at reform. A traveller whose reason for coming to the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic was to "visit Big Ben" is among thousands of holidaymakers pouring into the country every day, it has been reported. Of the roughly 20,000 people arriving at the UK's borders each day, around 40 per cent - or 8,000 - are tourists, according to Border Force estimates shared with The Times. Hundreds are granted holiday visas issued by the Home Office, the Border Force added. The Home Office says it does not recognise the figures and insists "tough health measures" are being enforced at Britain's airports, train stations and ports. The revelation comes as Britons face stricter rules on travelling abroad, with those caught breaking the rules to go on holiday liable for fines of up to 5,000. Read more: According to the Border Force figures, up to 80 or 90 per cent of people passing through Gatwick Airport and the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras station in central London are holidaymakers, compared with between 20 and 30 per cent landing at Heathrow Airport. Labour shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds branded the figures "completely outrageous" as he called on the government to implement stricter Covid rules at the UK's borders. These revelations are completely outrageous and the British people will rightly be furious," he said. [The government] must act now on Labours call for a comprehensive hotel quarantine system. A Border Force staff member told The Times that there are hundreds of people arriving in the UK each day "who are basically coming here on a two-week holiday" and that the agency has "no grounds to refuse them". One visa was granted to a tourist from Peru who wrote on their application form that the reason they had travelled to the UK was to "visit Big Ben". As long as theyve got an address where they say theyll quarantine, and theyve completed their pre-departure tests, theyve got their certificates and everything else, theyve got means and a return ticket, weve got no grounds to refuse them, the Border Force staff member added. Under current rules, people travelling to England must present a negative Covid test taken no more than three days before departure, and either quarantine in the place where they are staying or in a managed quarantine hotel facility for 10 days, depending on where they have come from. People who have been to a "red-list" of 39 countries in the previous 10 days are banned from entering the country. Minister for Future Borders and Immigration Kevin Foster said: We do not recognise these figures. We are enforcing tough health measures at the border for the small minority of people coming to the UK, including those entering on a visitor visa for legitimate reasons. Since January 2021, we have paused all decisions on visitor visas to applicants applying from a red list country or where it is apparent an applicant has visited one of those countries in the last ten days. Border Force officers also have the right to refuse entry to any visitor who they believe has travelled to the UK to carry out activities not permitted under current local health restrictions, such as holidays or tourism, or who will not comply with self-isolation and testing requirements. Red Hat Launches Red Hat Learning Subscription Premium Red Hat (News - Alert) , Inc., the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced the availability of Red Hat Learning Subscription Premium. This new offering, available in North America initially, provides access to self-paced learning experience and access to instructors via live, interactive, virtual classes. Courses cover topics from across Red Hat's product portfolio and are designed to help individuals and teams keep pace with the evolving technology landscape. This offering will roll out globally in the future. Since its introduction in 2016, Red Hat Learning Subscription has become the top-selling product for Red Hat Training and Certification. It's helped thousands of individuals and organizations develop the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the evolving technology market. This service provides unlimited access to Red Hat's full portfolio of online training content and certification exams with four subscription levels: standard, basic, developer and premium. Subscription packages are available for individuals and at the enterprise level. A recent IDC (News - Alert) whitepaper sponsored by Red Hat, "The Business Value of Red Hat Training," found that IT professionals who receive Red Hat Training prior to onboarding reach full productivity 76% faster than staff without training. Combined with the shift to a fully remote workforce for most organizations over the past year, the need to create more flexible learning options is magnified. Red Hat Learning Subscription Premium was developed to provide the needed flexibility while still providing access to the complete array of features. Professionals can train and certify on Red Hat software aligned to their needs, goals, and schedule, which can lead to higher productivity and accelerated development, benefiting both the individual and the organization. Red Hat Learning Subscription Premium includes: Live instructor-led virtual classes that offer direct interaction with expert instructors and other learners. that offer direct interaction with expert instructors and other learners. Red Hat certified instructors leading the virtual classes , who are the same experienced subject matter experts that deliver classroom training. leading the virtual classes who are the same experienced subject matter experts that deliver classroom training. Flexible scheduling and shorter training sessions designed to fit learning into busy schedules, with a variety of class topics and time choices. and shorter training sessions designed to fit learning into busy schedules, with a variety of class topics and time choices. Focused training sessions allow participants to narrow their learning to more specific topic areas. allow participants to narrow their learning to more specific topic areas. Course content adjusted based on product releases, updates and emerging technology. Users also receive early access to training on new product offerings ahead of general availability. In addition to the premium tier, new features have also been added to the standard tier of Red Hat Learning Subscription with the goal of increasing global accessibility for users: Expert Chat translation allows users to correspond with Red Hat experts in nine languages: English, International Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Simplified Chinese, Korean and Japanese. allows users to correspond with Red Hat experts in nine languages: English, International Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Simplified Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Improved video classroom machine translations nabling more accurate translation for all 40 video classrooms in Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. This new feature is available to all Red Hat Learning Subscription tiers. Supporting Quotes Ken Goetz, vice president, Training & Certification, Red Hat "The events over the past year have changed the landscape for learning. Our customers expect flexible learning options that align to the new normal of working from anywhere and learning in the flow of work. With the Red Hat Learning Subscription Premium, we're providing users with a modernized, flexible experience that allows our customers to fill critical skill gaps quickly and effectively so they can accelerate their IT transformation efforts." Additional Resources Connect with Red Hat About Red Hat, Inc. Red Hat is the world's leading provider of enterprise open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to deliver reliable and high-performing Linux, hybrid cloud, container, and Kubernetes technologies. Red Hat helps customers integrate new and existing IT applications, develop cloud-native applications, standardize on our industry-leading operating system, and automate, secure, and manage complex environments. Award-winning support, training, and consulting services make Red Hat a trusted adviser to the Fortune 500. As a strategic partner to cloud providers, system integrators, application vendors, customers, and open source communities, Red Hat can help organizations prepare for the digital future. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company or its parent International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM (News - Alert) ) may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Red Hat and the Red Hat logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005283/en/ Women outnumber men for the first time at a British police force. Wiltshire Police has 1,140 female officers and staff compared to 1,101 male employees, a report revealed. All but one of the forces 63 civilian staff hired between 2019 and last year were female. The report found that men and women are paid equally at every grade in Wiltshire Police and 53 per cent of successful police officer candidates in March 2020 were female, of ethnic minority, ex-military or other protected characteristics. Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said he was pleased with the findings and committed to recruiting more women to senior positions. Wiltshire Police has 1,140 female officers and staff compared to 1,101 male employees, a report revealed. A female officer is seen above last year He added: We have seen a 10 per cent increase, year-on-year, in females becoming officers. According to Home Office statistics last year, there are 40,319 female police officers in the 43 forces in England and Wales, amounting to a total of 31 per cent of officers. Angus Macpherson, Wiltshire and Swindons Police and Crime Commissioner, said: Positive action recruitment strategies, alongside our mentoring schemes to encourage more females to become officers, stay within the organisation and apply for promotion are really beginning to come to fruition. I expect to see those figures rise more when 2021s report is published next year. Wiltshire Police, previously known as Wiltshire Constabulary, covers the 20th largest police area in the country - despite being one of the UK's smallest forces. Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said he was pleased with the findings and committed to recruiting more women to senior positions The force, which covers large communities such as Swindon and Wiltshire, has its headquarters in the quiet town of Devizes. Despite its relatively small police force, the largely rural county is one of the safest in the UK, having the 2nd lowest crime rate in England per 100,000 people last year. A 2010 report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services also graded the force as 'excellent'. But the force has not been without controversy. In 2017 the force faced public criticism for its 1.5million investigation alleged sexual abuse by deceased prime minister Edward Heath. Mike Veale, the then Wiltshire Polices chief constable, is reported to have privately admitted it was a mistake to appeal for victims outside Mr Heath's Grade II-listed home in Salisbury. The appeal outside the house led to dozens of child sex abuse allegations being made against the former prime minister. The appeal, which led to the launch of Operation Conifer, was in response to a claim that a previous allegation of child abuse involving the former prime minister had been hushed up. That claim was investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and shown to be unsubstantiated. By the time the IPCC showed there was no cover up, Wiltshire Police was already nine months into its own inquiry. A 2017 report into the two year investigation concluded that Sir Edward, who died in 2005 aged 89, would have been questioned under caution over allegations that he raped and indecently assaulted boys as young as 10 were he alive today. The force also faced criticism over its handling of the misconduct hearing of Detective Sergeant Steve Fulcher - the man who caught double killer Christopher Halliwell after nearly a decade. Fulcher was one of the most respected officers in the UK when he caught taxi driver Halliwell in 2011, who went on to confess to the murder of Sian O'Callaghan. Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, 52, from Wiltshire, career was left in tatters after he decided to pursue a confession from a suspected killer without following strict policing guidelines, has said he has no regrets Double killer Christopher Halliwell is believed to be responsible for even more deaths The depraved taxi driver revealed he had murdered Becky Godden (left) after he had led police to the grave of his second victim Sian O'Callaghan, 22 (right) He then offered to take the detective to the spot where he'd buried another victim. Procedure dictated that Fulcher should have charged Halliwell and returned him to a police station where he had access to a solicitor - he decided not to. However, Fulcher was eager not to lose the opportunity to elicit another confession, so he went with Halliwell to the site where the remains of Becky Godden, 20, were discovered. The decision almost derailed the case against the killer in court, and ultimately cost the detective his job. Detective Sergeant Steve Fulcher resigned from the police force in 2014 after he was found guilty of misconduct for not reading Halliwell his rights. However Sian's mother Elaine Pickford later said what Fulcher did was understandable to her family. She says: 'Steve did what I think any family member would want an officer to do for them.' DS Bailey's wife Sarah (pictured together) in December criticised the handling of his retirement and said that seven weeks after leaving he is struggling to be paid what he is due In 2015, a black police constable won a race discrimination case against the force after they did not promote him due to the colour of his skin. Ronnie Lungu was singled out as 'a marked man' by Wiltshire Police solely due to his race, the employment tribunal ruled. It found the then 40-year-old was passed over for promotion in favour of white colleagues after his internal assessments were secretly downgraded to make him appear unworthy. It also heard evidence that derogatory comments were made about Mr Lungu based on his colour violating his dignity. When the PC raised concerns with his superiors they were not taken seriously and his complaints were brushed off as trivial. The force - which has only 16 ethnic minority officers out of a total of just over 1,000 - had denied the claims. But the tribunal ruled that the Zimbabwe-born officer was unlawfully discriminated against on grounds of race. The most recent controversy involved claims by the wife of Salisbury Novichok poisoning hero Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey that he is still fighting to be paid his pension. Brave DS Bailey was left fighting for his life in intensive care after being struck down by the nerve agent after Russian spies targeted former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 2018. He had to leave the force due to illness after 18 years in the job and Wiltshire Police paid tribute to his bravery. But DS Bailey's wife Sarah criticised the handling of his retirement in December and said that seven weeks after leaving he is struggling to be paid what he is due. Locals said the idol has been replaced with a Lord Ganesha's idol. New Delhi : The Delhi Police is investigating the removal of a Sai Baba idol from a temple in south Delhi's Hauz Khas after some devotees filed a complaint alleging it was demolished, officials said on Sunday. Police said while no formal case has been registered in the matter yet, the temple authorities will be called for an enquiry. The complaining devotees approached the police after a purported video of the removal incident surfaced on social media. In the video, a man supervising the removal of the idol could be seen arguing as to what religion the idol represented. According to police, on March 25, a Sai Baba idol was removed from the temple of Shahpur Jat, Hauz Khas, by the temple committee and local residents as the idol was about 10 years old. "This idol was set up by temple committee member Padam Panwar. And now the Padam Panwar along with other committee members such as Bharat Panwar, Jiya Panwar, Satyanarayan, Naresh, Mohan Panwar and Pandit ji have decided to setup new idol with the consent of local residents," a senior police officer said. The officer, however, said the matter is under enquiry. "We have received a complaint. The matter is being looked into and appropriate legal action will be taken accordingly," said Atul Kumar Thakur, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South). No case has been registered yet and the temple authorities will be called for an enquiry in connection with the incident, he said. (TNS) When Gov. Gavin Newsom voiced his support last year for a ban on hydraulic fracturing by oil and gas companies, an effort long fought by the industry and trade unions alike, he gave Democrats a green light to send him legislation to achieve that goal as they saw fit.But the crackdown on oil and gas production under consideration by the California Legislature is much wider in scope than the plan requested by the governor, who may get more than he bargained for as he shoulders the pressures of carrying out the state's COVID-19 pandemic response while battling a looming recall election.The ambitious proposal would outlaw hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and a series of other oil extraction methods reviled by environmental activists. It would also prohibit wells from operating within 2,500 feet of homes, schools, healthcare facilities and other populated areas. Newsom's proposal was limited to a ban only on fracking and the consideration of a buffer zone.Proponents of the bill have said from the outset that Newsom must take an active role in pushing the legislation through and have expressed concern that the governor's attention will be focused on his own political survival with a recall election in the fall all but certain. With his future on the line, Newsom might be reluctant to cross California's trade unions, an influential force in Democratic politics, and voters in the oil-rich San Joaquin Valley."The problem with the recall is that it becomes quite distracting," said Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California, who supports the legislation. "It's one way of essentially shutting down activity and so I worry that, not just for the fracking bill, but that everything is going to be hard to get done this year."Even though they are at odds over oil drilling in California, environmental activists and a number of trade unions have come out against the recall campaign, a further indication that labor remains a firm political ally of the Democratic governor.Lobbyist Scott Wetch said that two organizations he represents, the State Assn. of Electrical Workers and the California State Pipe Trades Council, "absolutely support" Newsom despite objecting to his call to ban fracking."They think that he's done a very courageous job through this entire pandemic, and there's no singular policy decision out there that would change their opinion," Wetch said. "This is a Republican attempt to win an office that they couldn't win otherwise, and our organizations fundamentally oppose that."California's billion-dollar oil industry has so far largely remained on the sidelines during the recall campaign, though Modesto-based fuel supplier Boyett Petroleum contributed $49,000 to one of the organizations trying to oust Newsom.The recall aside, supporters of a fracking ban and mandatory buffer zones face a tough challenge given the ideological divide within the Legislature's Democratic majority. Liberal legislators from coastal areas and major cities see the restrictions as essential in combating climate change and protecting Black and Latino families living near oil fields. Business-friendly lawmakers and those from inland areas have expressed concern about the potential loss of tens of thousands of jobs and the resulting impact on the economy.A proposed fracking moratorium stalled in the Legislature in 2014, and just last year a bill calling for less stringent buffer zone requirements around oil and gas wells failed in the state Senate after passing in the Assembly. Given those outcomes, the possibility of this year's legislation surviving intact appears remote.This year's legislation introduced by Democratic state Sens. Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Monique Limon of Santa Barbara would prohibit California officials from issuing or renewing permits for hydraulic fracturing, acid well stimulation treatments, cyclic steaming, and water and steam flooding starting Jan. 1, 2022, and would ban the extraction methods entirely by 2027.The bill also prohibits operating oil and gas wells within 2,500 feet of any homes, schools or healthcare facilities starting on Jan. 1, 2022."I want to be clear: It's hard politics around this, about both aspects of this bill, the fracking et al, and the setbacks," Wiener said when he introduced the bill in February. "Over time, the politics on this and public opinion on these issues [have] only moved in our direction."Regardless of the outcome in the Legislature, buffer zones may still be mandated by administrative action. At the direction of an executive order by Newsom, officials with the state Department of Conservation have been holding public hearings in person and online throughout the year on proposed public health and safety protections for communities near oil and gas operations, including imposing possible buffer zones around wells.The agency is expected to announce those new restrictions as early as this month.A study by researchers at UC Berkeley, published by the National Institutes of Health, found that living near oil and gas wells caused significant adverse health effects to pregnant mothers and newborn babies. A 2014 report by the Natural Resources Defense Council determined that more than 5.4 million Californians lived within one mile of at least one oil or gas well.The legislation's first test will come April 13, when it is scheduled to be considered by the Senate's Natural Resources and Water Committee.Rock Zierman, chief executive of the California Independent Petroleum Assn., said California has some of the strongest regulations and environmental protections in the world. If the state decides to shut down oil production, he said, it will be forced to import oil from states and countries with lower health, environmental and safety standards."California oil and natural gas operators follow the strictest regulations on the planet and efforts to shut down domestic production will only worsen the state's reliance on environmentally inferior foreign oil tankered here from Saudi Arabia and South America," Zierman said in a statement. "Foreign oil is not produced with the same environmental protections or humanitarian values that we have here in California; nor do they pay billions in California taxes or hundreds of millions of dollars in fees that are reinvested to advance California's climate goals."Robbie Hunter, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, said the proposed legislation would wipe out roughly 100,000 well-paying union jobs at the state's refineries. He said the demand for oil and gas will still exist, but both will be more expensive because the state will be forced to import them."In a frenzied effort to ingratiate themselves to extremist coastal elite political agendas, Sens. Wiener and Limon are risking the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of blue-collar families and a doubling of the cost to get to work and school, all without a benefit to the environment," Hunter said.According to the state Department of Conservation, fracking and all other well-stimulation methods account for roughly 2 percent of the state's oil production.Jacob Roper, the agency's assistant director, said the pace of well-stimulation permits being issued has slowed tremendously, which he attributed to the state's "more rigorous review process," something environmentalists dispute.The Center for Biological Diversity sued the state in February, accusing regulators of approving thousands of oil and gas drilling and fracking projects without the required environmental review under state law. The parsonage of a historic church in Long Branch was damaged by fire on Easter Sunday, displacing five people and injuring a firefighter, officials said. The blaze was reported at 6:25 p.m. by neighbors of what was originally the First Reformed Church of Long Branch on Broadway, which dates to 1867, Long Branch Public Safety Director Dominick Saldida said. The parsonage and church are now occupied by a religious and social services organization known as the Pillars of Harvest Ministries Inc. The phone number for Pillars of Harvest was not working on Sunday night, and no one immediately responded to messages on the organizations Facebook page. Saldida did not know the circumstances of the five people who were displaced, including whether they had been living at the parsonage house temporarily other otherwise. He said the American Red Cross had arranged temporary shelter for them. In the past, the church has served as a Code Blue warming shelter. Saldida said people were still inside the house when Long Branch police officers arrived at the scene and evacuated the building. He credited neighbors who called police for their fast action. None of the occupants was hurt, though a Long Branch Fire Department firefighter was taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries, Saldida said. He was among a total of about 50 firefighters who responded to the two-alarm blaze, including some from neighboring communities. The fire appeared to have started on the first floor, then spread to the second level, Saldida said. The parsonage was not destroyed, he added, and firefighters prevented flames and damage to the 154-year-old church next door. He said the fire was under investigation. The First Reformed church was visited by President James McKinley and his vice president, Garret Hobart, a Long Branch native, during the citys late-19th Century heyday as a summer retreat of the nations political and financial elite, said Jim Foley, a trustee of the Long Branch Historical Museum Association. The citys more famous Church of the Presidents is a separate chapel on Ocean Avenue. Nobody knows Jersey better than N.J.com. Sign up to get breaking news alerts straight to your inbox. Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. The market reaction to recent OPEC+ production decisions, renewed U.S.-Iranian detente and the varying stages of pandemic lockdowns around the world could influence the price of oil this week, analysts said. Saudi Arabia and Russia have led OPEC and its allies, dubbed OPEC+, to support prices through voluntary production restraints. In early March, the group decided to roll over existing cuts through April, going against the markets expectation of a 500,000 barrel per day increase in output. That surprise was met by a 5 percent spike in crude oil prices, putting the market well on its way to $70 per barrel. Last week, the group opted for a gradual increase in production, phasing in 350,000 barrels per day for May and June and another 400,000 barrels per day by July. The gradual return, however, might not be enough to keep up with economic expansion, aid Tracy Schuchart, an energy market strategist for Hedge Fund Telemetry in Quebec. RELATED: Outages reveal value of Gulf Coast energy complex The crude oil market, as well as oil and gas stocks, are reacting favorably to this decision, she said. The price of West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark for the price of oil, shot up nearly 4 percent on Thursdays decision from OPEC+. The rally was subdued, however, by a trading week shortened by the Easter holiday. Oil gained less than 1 percent last week to settle Friday at $61.45 per barrel. Abhi Rajendran, a research director at Energy Intelligence in New York said the week ahead will test whether traders read the OPEC+ decision as a sign that demand is growing as national economies emerge from the pandemic or a signal that oil markets will again be oversupplied. From a macro standpoint, U.S. recovery is definitely full steam ahead and the market will look through near-term issues elsewhere in the world to a recovery from summer, even if late summer, onward, he added. While U.S. vaccination efforts mean the economy is opening up, the same cant be said for Europe. Reflecting on the renewed lockdowns in Europe, Pope Francis during his Easter sermon said that not even the Catholic Church can supply a magic formula. The pandemic is still spreading, while the social and economic crisis remains severe, he said. Phil Flynn, a senior energy analyst at The PRICE Futures Group in Chicago, said renewed diplomacy between Washington and Tehran could upend the market if it leads to the end of sanctions on Iran's oil exports. When sanctions were lifted on Iran in 2015 after signing the multilateral nuclear deal and the country ramped up its oil exports, prices fell hard. But they might not fall as sharply as they did in 2015 if the nuclear deal is renewed, Flynn added. While the return of Iranian oil will be bearish," he said, "the fundamentals of the market are much tighter than they were in 2015." Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Research conducted at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine's School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences found that federal autism research funding doesn't follow the recommendations of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). Study findings are published online in the journal Autism. The IACC is made up of autism researchers and community members, and is meant to provide recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on how to spend money on autism research and other initiatives. "As we celebrate World Autism Acceptance Day today, it's important to share our findings that the IACC's recommendations haven't made a substantive difference with regard to the types of autism research grants that actually receive federal funding in the United States," said senior author Brittany Hand, assistant professor in Ohio State's School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. The researchers mined the databases of the three largest U.S. federal funders of autism research: National Institutes of Health, Department of Education, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From 2017 to 2019, they found 342 federally funded grants totaling just over $159 million for autism research. The IACC has recommended allocating more funding to research studies focusing on treatments/interventions, evidence-based services and lifespan issues. Historically, studies in these priority areas have received only modest amounts of funding. The researchers found that funding was actually allocated mostly to biological research, with less than 10% going to services and lifespan issues studies. "This research is consistent with other studies that show that most autism research funding is dedicated to biological research. We had hoped there would be a difference after the most recent IACC budget recommendations were made in 2017," Hand said. This study shows that IACC recommendations alone have been insufficient in changing the types of grants that receive federal funding. Additional strategies may need to be explored to improve funding for lifespan issues and services research, Hand said. Researchers find it critical to evaluate the extent to which federal tax dollars are being appropriately allocated to the types of autism research funding that the community has expressed a need for. Hand said these findings raise a tough question: "If the IACC's advice on how resources should be allocated is ultimately ignored by federal funding agencies, what is the point of continuing to have this committee make budget recommendations?" Explore further Specialized CAST clinic helps adults with autism receive more preventive services More information: Lauren Harris et al. Short report: Patterns of US federal autism research funding during 20172019, Autism (2021). Journal information: Autism Lauren Harris et al. Short report: Patterns of US federal autism research funding during 20172019,(2021). DOI: 10.1177/13623613211003430 New Delhi: After Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh tendered his resignation on "moral grounds", BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad trained his guns at Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray saying he had lost moral responsibility to govern. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, the leader said, "I find it interesting that Anil Deshmukh has taken moral responsibility. Deshmukh in his letter said that he is giving his resignation on moral grounds. How about the responsibility of CM? Where is your morality? Uddhav Thackeray has forfeited the moral responsibility to govern," Prasad was quoted as saying by ANI. Further, the minister questioned that Deshmukh had resigned but where is the CM's morality. He targeted the Shiv Sena leader over the silence of the alleged allegations of corruption against Anil Deshmukh. "The consistent conspicuous silence of Uddhav Thackeray is raising a lot of questions into the matter," he said. Deshmukh found himself embroiled in a major controversy after former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh levelled corruption charges against him. The NCP leader tendered his resignation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday. The developments come after Bombay High Court ordered the CBI to start a preliminary inquiry into the corruption allegations. The court also directed the agency to register an FIR if any cognizable offence is found. 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. Westmont Opening Will Bring Curaleaf Retail Locations to 103 Nationwide WAKEFIELD, Mass., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA /OTCQX: CURLF) ("Curaleaf" or the "Company"), a leading U.S. provider of consumer products in cannabis, announces new Curaleaf branding for the Company's recently acquired retail locations and the imminent opening of its 10th store in Illinois. Additionally, Curaleaf has contributed $950,000 to impact social equity with six strategic partnerships focused on education and job training in the greater Chicagoland community as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility Rooted in Good initiative, and per the Illinois Social Equity provision in adult use regulations. Curaleaf successfully closed its acquisition of Grassroots on July 23, 2020 and has obtained final regulatory approval from the state of Illinois for the transfer of nine Greenhouse and Windy City Cannabis retail licenses. In accordance with state guidelines, Curaleaf has begun rebranding of Windy City Cannabis retail locations in Worth, Justice, and on Weed Street in Chicago in addition to Greenhouse dispensaries located in Deerfield, Mokena, Skokie, Northbrook, Melrose and Morris. At the nine rebranded Illinois retail locations, Curaleaf's signature teal logo will be prominently displayed and as part of the new interior design, will feature hyper-local cityscape murals that capture each store's unique location, further enhancing the experience and connection to the community. The staff at each retail location will remain committed to delivering unparalleled service and creating an inclusive experience that encourages cannabis exploration and education with a personalized approach. Later this month, Curaleaf will be hosting a Grand Opening for its brand new 4,700 square foot Westmont store, located at 11 East Ogden Avenue in Westmont, Illinois, its 10th retail location in the state and its 103rd nationwide. In addition to a ribbon cutting event to mark the occasion, all customers will receive 15% off on purchases made on their first visit to any of the new Curaleaf stores. All rebranded stores will also host a "Curaleaf Day" on April 8 with special offers, giveaways and offerings from local restaurants. "We are pleased to bring the Curaleaf brand to the greater Chicago area," said Joe Bayern, Curaleaf Chief Executive Officer. "The rebranding of these locations directly aligns with our strategy of building strong, national brands that deliver high-quality products backed by science to meet the needs of our patients and customers. We are also extremely proud to be active partners within these local communities and we look forward to building collaborative relationships and investing in long term opportunities with them." As part of its "Rooted in Good" Corporate Social Responsibility platform, Curaleaf has contributed a total of $950,000 to six strategic partners in greater Chicagoland to create opportunities and sustainable impact within the cannabis industry. Olive-Harvey College and an additional North Chicagoland community college have been selected to build programs that educate, mentor and provide internships and career opportunities within cannabis. Additionally, Curaleaf is partnering with three organizations, Cara Chicago, Growing Home and Greater West Town Community Development Project, which focus on job training to create economic opportunity and alleviate relational poverty. The Company also contributed to the Illinois Cannabis Business Development Fund, which provides technical assistance and training to support prospective entrepreneurs in applying for cannabis business establishment licenses. Curaleaf is committed to improving lives by providing clarity around cannabis and confidence around consumption. During the COVID-19 pandemic, cannabis businesses have been deemed an essential service across the country, including Illinois. Curaleaf remains committed to serving patients and customers with the products they rely on while implementing heightened safety and hygienic measures for the safety of all team members and customers in all of its facilities. For additional information about Curaleaf's Illinois retail locations and CSR initiatives please visit www.Curaleaf.com . About Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) ("Curaleaf") is the leading vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator with a mission to improve lives by providing clarity around cannabis and confidence around consumption. As a high-growth cannabis company known for quality, expertise and reliability, the Company and its brands, including Curaleaf and Select, provide industry-leading service, product selection and accessibility across the medical and adult-use markets. Curaleaf currently operates in 23 states with 102 dispensaries, 22 cultivation sites and over 30 processing sites, and employs over 4,600 team members across the United States. Curaleaf is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol CURA and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol CURLF. For more information, please visit www.curaleaf.com . INVESTOR CONTACT Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. Finance and Investor Relations [email protected] MEDIA CONTACT Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. Tracy Brady, VP Corporate Communications [email protected] 781-486-1037 FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This media advisory contains forwardlooking statements and forwardlooking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forwardlooking statements or information. Generally, forward looking statements and information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or, "proposed", "is expected", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forwardlooking statements and information concerning the retail and cultivation expansion of Curaleaf in Illinois. Such forward-looking statements and information reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the company with respect to the matter described in this new release. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which are based on current expectations as of the date of this release and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Additional information about these assumptions and risks and uncertainties is contained under "Risk Factors and Uncertainties" in the Company's latest annual information form filed September 25, 2020, which is available under the Company's SEDAR profile at http://www.sedar.com, and in other filings that the Company has made and may make with applicable securities authorities in the future. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as to the date of this press release and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward looking statements contained in this press release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. SOURCE Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. Related Links https://www.curaleaf.com When Kenneth Frazier retires at the end of June as Mercks CEO, the number of Black CEOs at Fortune 500 companies will shrink to three. His departure draws attention to a lingering question: Why are there still so few Black CEOs? In fact, why are Black professionals so severely underrepresented at the CEO, senior vice president and director levels in corporations in New Jersey and across the U.S.? Its a question Frazier will address after he steps down from the pharmaceutical giant. Last year, he co-founded OneTen, a group enlisting major companies to recruit, mentor and promote 1 million African American executives over the next decade. That doesnt mean, Frazier, 66, will sit by idly until he leaves Merck. Last week, he teamed with former American Express executive Kenneth Chenault to pressure Fortune 500 companies to protest new laws in Georgia and others pending across the country that would make it more difficult for Black people to vote. By doing so, Frazier is forcing the discussion of civil rights into corporate executive suites a year after public outcry about racial inequality and police brutality following the murder of George Floyd. He has shown consistently that he has so much integrity. Hes not going to be a bystander to injustice, said Pam Newkirk, the author of Diversity, Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion-Dollar Business and a professor of journalism at New York University. Hes using his platform the way you could only wish more people would. It really takes integrity to do what hes doing. Frazier declined comment for this story, but was one of the most prominent names on a letter signed by 72 Black CEOs of companies of all sizes protesting the restrictive voting laws. The letter said, when it comes to protecting the rights of all Americans to vote, there can be no middle ground. Over the past decade, Frazier has cemented his place as a trailblazer. Whats equally important is that more than any recent corporate chieftain, the often-shy, soft-spoken Frazier has cultivated a reputation for taking a public stand on social issues. He was the first to quit in protest from former President Donald Trumps CEO Advisory Council, following Trumps refusal to condemn white supremacists in Charlottesville in 2017. Trumps words must have stuck a raw nerve. Fraziers grandfather was born enslaved in South Carolina and the retiring CEO was taught to honor that heritage with moral clarity, according to an interview he gave in 2014 to Bill George, a senior fellow at Harvard University and the former CEO of Medtronic. Above all, no matter what the people around you are doing, do what is right, Frazier is quoted as saying in Georges book, Discover Your True North. My father was very aware of the legacy of his father and our family history, and he instilled in me the responsibility to live up to the example my grandfather set by being courageous and hardworking. " Frazier was an attorney in 1991 representing Merck in partnership negotiations with Astra Pharmaceuticals when Merck CEO Dr. Roy Vagelos offered him a job. Frazier would later publicly call Vagelos his mentor. Frazier was promoted to executive vice president in 2006 and to CEO in 2011, moves that came after he oversaw as general counsel Mercks defense in multi-billion dollar liability suits involving the pain killer Vioxx. He is credited with reducing Mercks exposure; the cases ultimately were settled in 2007 for $5 billion. He, in my opinion, saved the reputation of the company and damn near literally saved the company, said Vagelos, who stepped down as Merck CEO in 1994 and is currently chairman of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. As CEO, Frazier led Merck through an impressive era of profitability. He brought a series of drugs to market Keytruda, Gardasil and Bridion among them that doubled Mercks shareholder value during his tenure. The companys failure to deliver an end-use COVID vaccine is one of the more notable failures of his tenure. In addition to Frazier, Vagelos said he also recruited other prominent African-Americans to join Merck, including biologists Bradley T. Sheares, who became CEO of Reliant Pharmaceuticals, and Cecil Pickett, research and development chief at both Schering-Plough and BioGen Idec. The CEO has to be part of the action, Vagelos said of company diversity efforts as well as policies to serve society. The tone at the top is indispensable. A new study by the consulting firm McKinsey found 60% of the U.S. black labor force lives in the southern states and almost half earn less than $30,000 in frontline jobs in healthcare, retail, hospitality and food services. McKinsey cited geography and social factors among a plethora of barriers that keep Black workers out of the C-suite; they make up fewer than 7% of corporate managers, vice presidents, senior vice presidents and chief executive. Youve got to find more Ray Vageloses. Its the only way it happens, said former New Jersey Secretary of State DeForest Soaries, who founded a group mentoring 120 executives of color for appoint to corporate and community bank boards in New Jersey. There is no law you can pass. This is all personal relationships, Soaries said. The good news is diversity is now becoming a part of the earnings-per-share conversation. George E. Jordan writes a weekly column on business and development in New Jersey. He may be reached at george@griotmediaworks.com Temps must be rising at New Jersey 101.5. Below is an opinion piece questioning Rutgers' University's announcement that it will REQUIRE Covid vaccination for all students. ### God bless Serena DiMaso, the lone Republican lawmaker who is questioning Rutgers new mandate to require vaccines for all students. And when I say vaccine, I use the term loosely because this protocol is actually an experimental gene therapy cloaked with the name "vaccine so that the federal government cant be sued for it if it doesnt work out well. DiMaso, according to an article on Patch.com, is writing a bill to prevent Rutgers from requiring kids to be guinea pigs with this injection in order to qualify for the Sept. 21 enrollment. DiMaso understands that forcing kids to take this vaccine is wrong, and she also understands the hypocrisy of only requiring it of students, not teachers. That said, according to Childrens Health Defense, a childrens health watch group run by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Rutgers is being warned about the legality of mandating the vaccine. According to the website, RFK Jr. wrote to Rutgers president Holloway and reminded him of the federal statute: Federal law 21 U.S.C. 360bbb-3(e)(1)(A)(ii)(III) requires that the person to whom an EUA vaccine is administered be advised, of the option to accept or refuse administration of the product, of the consequences, if any, of refusing administration of the product, and of the alternatives to the product that are available and of their benefits and risks. Bottom line is this is an emergency use vaccine" and cannot be forced upon people. Will Rutgers heed the warnings of Kennedy as well as the obvious controversy that will inevitably surround their decision to force the shot into students? Will they stop to think about the dangerous precedent they are setting? Only time will tell. When I use the term dangerous in speaking about the mandate to vaccinate all Rutgers students that was recently announced, Im not talking about the danger of the vaccine" itself, although I believe that that danger is a possibility. I am talking about the danger of the mandate itself not to mention the precarious road we are on when it comes to the erosion of freedom and liberty and the proliferation of government overreach, particularly in terms of ones health. The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco. Any opinions expressed are Judi's own.| Read More: Rutgers breaks federal law with vaccine mandate. Do they care? | https://nj1015.com/rutgers-breaks-federal-law-with-vaccine-mandate-do-they-care-opinion/?fbclid=IwAR3cZg90IOgpSKerUcSjurbY-B-A2a9ejjAfD14aj7a527UJxRJ7BDKy8DY&utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says it will stand guided by the Ministry of Health and Child Care on the resumption of some electoral activities. Most election activities, principally voting, were suspended last year in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to minimise the spread of the virus. Last month, ZEC announced that it would resume voter registration and other related field work at the start of this month, after the relaxation of some lockdown measures. However, the electoral body said by-elections would remain suspended until further notice. In a statement on Sunday, ZEC chief elections officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana, said although the Constitution enshrines the fundamental rights and freedoms for citizens which include the right to elect leaders of their choice, there were also limits imposed to such rights. He said as ZEC, they will be guided by the Ministry of Health, which has expertise in the control of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the execution of its mandate the Commission issues out press statements to notify its activities to stakeholders, but not as a clandestine means of operating outside the legal framework. Any insulation to the latter is tantamount to misleading the public on the purposes of these press statements and the integrity of the commission, he said. Mr Silaigwana said the legal framework governing the conduct of elections in Zimbabwe comprises the Constitution, the Electoral Act, the Referendums Act and all subsidiary legislation with a bearing on elections issued by authorities that be. He said Section 86 of the Constitution limits freedoms in the interest of public safety, public health and the general interest of the public. Where such rights are limited through a Statutory Instrument and which instrument has not been set aside by a court of law, the Commission has no right to disregard lawful obligations, Mr Silaigwana. He emphasised that ZEC had suspended all electoral activities during the greater part of last year and at the beginning of this year in compliance with lockdown measures promulgated by the Ministry of Health in Statutory Instruments in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. Herald Friends of a couple who lived large after defrauding Bunnings of $270,000 realised something was wrong when the police auctioned off their daughters' prized equestrian horse on Facebook. Andrew Alasdair Ryan and Tania Leonard were last week convicted of fraud, stealing and possessing a horse purchased with the proceeds of crime by Brisbane's District Court. The court heard Ryan, 47, and his now ex-wife Leonard, 41, ran a scheme where products would be stolen from Bunnings and then returned for a cash refund or sold on to friends or via sites such as Gumtree, the Courier-Mail reported. The court heard the couple used their ill gotten gains to rent a five bedroom ranch style home valued at almost $2million in Tamborine, in Queensland's Scenic Rim region. They also bought their two daughters a competition horse, named Daisy Lane Huntsman - or 'Spidey'. Daily Mail Australia understands that acquaintances of the couple only realised something was amiss when the prized gelding went up for sale on a well-known auction site. Months after a police raid, Town and Country Auctions posted to Facebook in March 2019 that Daisy Lane was for sale due to 'extraordinary circumstances'. Friends of the Ryan family realised something was amiss when their prized horse Daisy Lane Huntsman went up for auction - and the Queensland Police Service was the vendor Town and Country Auctions advertised the gelding's sale as a 'once in a lifetime opportunity', above Andrew Alasdair Ryan and Tania Leonard lived at a five bedroom rental property in Tamborine, Queensland with 53 acres and five paddocks before they were charged by police The sprawling mansion-style property featured an in-ground pool and Bali-style gazebo in a paddock setting (above) A glimpse of the five bedroom home's sparkling interiors. Kitchen and dining area above The auction house said they were under instructions from the Queensland Police Force under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The sale was described as a 'once in a lifetime opportunity for buyers'. Prospective buyers were urged not to contact the horse's owners for privacy reasons. The court reportedly heard last week that Andrew Ryan masterminded the 'sophisticated' operation between 2016 and 2018. Crown prosecutor Shauna Farrelly said Ryan would use a receipt from items he purchased from Bunnings to steal identical products from other stores. Leonard became involved in the fraud in 2018, where she would collect Ryan from Bunnings using a car that had fake number plates attached, while also making false returns to the hardware store, the court heard. The $270,000 the couple cost Bunnings was comprised of $215,000 worth of goods which where then on-sold, false returns worth $25,000 and $20,000 in items seized from their home, the Courier-Mail reported. The couple also defrauded two friends out of $25,000. Ryan and Leonard defrauded Bunnings out of $270,000, which included $215,000 worth of goods which where then on-sold They went on to spend the stolen money on the Tamborinee rental property and their daughters' show horse, which was worth $50,000. But the couple's operation fell apart when police raided their property in November 2018 and uncovered 137 items suspected of being from Bunnings. Judge Vicki Loury QC reportedly told the court Ryan's 'motivation was to fund the lifestyle that you and your wife enjoyed'. Ryan was also convicted of dishonestly gaining property for himself and others worth more than $100,000 and was sentenced to five years and seven months in prison but was eligible for parole from Wednesday. Leonard was ordered to perform 150 hours of unpaid community service and handed a two-year suspended sentence. Amman, April 4 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Apr, 2021 ) :Jordan said Sunday it had foiled a plot to "destabilise" the kingdom involving a half-brother of King Abdullah II and arrested at least 16 suspects. Hamzah bin Hussein -- a former crown prince stripped of that title by the monarch in 2004 -- and the others had worked with foreign parties to "undermine the security" of Jordan, Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said. Washington, Gulf allies and the Arab League were quick to stress their support for Abdullah's pro-Western government in Amman, seen as an anchor of stability in the middle East. Prince Hamzah, 41, had Saturday released a video message via the BBC in which he accused Jordan's rulers of nepotism and corruption and charged that he had been placed under house arrest. Hamzah in his message -- sent via a satellite link from his Amman palace -- lashed out at Jordan's "ruling system" and said several of his friends had been arrested, his security detail removed and his internet and phone lines cut. He denied being part of "any conspiracy or nefarious organisation" but said the country of 10 million people had "become stymied in corruption, in nepotism and in misrule" and that nobody was allowed to criticise the authorities. The official newspaper Al-Rai warned Sunday that Jordan's "security and stability" were a "red line that must not be crossed or even approached". Official news agency Petra said among those arrested for "security reasons" were former close aides to the royal family Bassem Awadallah, chief of the royal court in 2007-2008, and Sherif Hassan bin Zaid. Safadi, who is also foreign minister, said Sunday an additional 14 to 16 suspects had been arrested. He said security service had monitored "contacts with foreign parties aiming to destabilise Jordan's security," including an alleged offer to spirit Hamzah's wife out of the country. Hamzah's mother, American-born Queen Noor, defended her son and the alleged co-conspirators, tweeting that she was "praying that truth and justice will prevail for all the innocent victims of this wicked slander. God bless and keep them safe." Hundreds of residents in Manatee County, Florida, have been relocated after authorities asked them to Evacuate NOW over the imminent collapse of a 20ft wall of toxic wastewater. Workers have been rushing to pump gallons of wastewater from the pond near the old phosphate mine reservoir at Piney Point to reduce the chances of a full-fledged breach. What were looking at now is trying to prevent and respond to, if need be, a real catastrophic flood situation, Governor Ron DeSantis said at news conference on Sunday. Efforts have been made to control the water leak since March. But authorities jumped to greater action and escalated the threat level on Friday when a significant leak was detected and the governor declared a state of emergency for three counties. Manatee County officials have begun the evacuation process of about 345 inmates from a local jail. Plans to simply move all inmates to the second floor were revised at the last minute on Sunday and the inmates were instead sent to an undisclosed location, reported the Tampa Bay Times. The jail is about a mile away from the 77-acre pond. Read more: The remaining 721 inmates along with staff members and medical equipment were shifted to an upper storey floor and sandbags were placed at every entrance as the jail authorities scrambled to take emergency measures. An alarming text message to Evacuate NOW was sent to residents of Tampa Bay. Officials in Manatee County warned nearly 400,00 people in the area that up to 340m gallons would sweep the area with a 20ft wall of water if they would not be able to repair the breach at the Piney Point reservoir in the Tampa Bay area, north of Bradenton. Manatee Director of Public Safety Jake Saur said: "A portion of the containment wall at the leak site shifted laterally... signifying that structural collapse could occur at any time." The evacuation order was extended to at least 316 homes, including to houses half a mile west and one mile southwest of the site, from earlier orders to people only one mile north of the affected area. Governor DeSantis, who took stock of the situation by touring in a helicopter, said the wastewater is a mix of saltwater, fresh water, wastewater and fertiliser runoff. He clarified that it is not radioactive after concerns were raised among residents. The leak has been reported in a stack of phosphogypsum, a radioactive waste product left after the manufacture of fertiliser. It contains naturally occurring radium and uranium, but in tiny amounts. The reservoir does contain residual levels of phosphorus and nitrogen from the former phosphate plant, however. Manatee County administrator Scott Hopes said they would be pumping the water out of the pond at a redoubled rate. He said they would be in a "much better position" by Tuesday if the collapse can be delayed until then. Currently, the water is being pumped out at a rate of 33 million gallons a day in assistance with the Florida National Guard, said Mr DeSantis. The breach could be an environmental catastrophe said Nikki Fried, the Florida agriculture commissioner, posing risks to wildlife and vegetation from toxic red tide algae blooms. The ground drinking water for the locals remains unaffected, with no threat to the areas primary water source Lake Manatee. Mr Hopes said the incident could have been resolved over two decades ago. "What Ive seen in the past four days from the governors office is that all agencies and entities are now committed to a permanent resolution, he added. But the governor blamed HRK Holdings, the company that owns the site, saying they are accountable for the leak. Jeff Barath, a representative for HRK Holdings, said he is sorry over the incident at a briefing of Manatee County Commissioners. He said they noticed the "increased conductivities within the sites seepage collection system" on 22 March. Helicopters have been deployed to assist the work and sections of US Highway 41 near the pond have also been closed off. Katie Price's son Harvey shattered her car window on Easter Monday, after a bout of the hiccups caused the 18-year-old to become distressed. Mother-of-five Katie, 42, posted a video to Instagram of the tinted glass of her car smashed to pieces on the ground, with Harvey sat inside next to the broken window. Katie explained that her son - who suffers from a litany of conditions, among them partial blindness, ADHD, aggressive and self-harming behaviour and Prader-Willi syndrome - was having a standard reaction to hiccups by shattering the glass. Damage: Katie Price's son Harvey shattered her car window on Easter Monday, after a bout of the hiccups caused the 18-year-old to become distressed Katie filmed Harvey playing on his iPad in the car, seemingly unfazed by what had happened, watching videos of trains - his favourite pastime. 'This is because of hiccups! Why did you smash the window Harv?' Katie asked her son. 'Look what you've done to the window.' 'That's f**king naughty! Bad!' Harvey admitted. 'Yeah it is!' Katie said, patiently. She captioned the post: 'Welcome to my bank holiday Monday!' After: Mother-of-five Kate, 42, posted a video to Instagram of the tinted glass of her car smashed to pieces on the ground, with Harvey sat inside next to the broken window Incident: Katie explained that her son - who suffers from a litany of conditions, among them partial blindness, ADHD, aggressive and self-harming behaviour and Prader-Willi syndrome - was having a standard reaction to hiccups by shattering the glass Harvey weighs close to 29 stone and has been trying to lose some of this weight recently. And Katie has previously spoken about how he is a very strong young man. Harvey's sudden aggression was seen in the documentary Katie made for the BBC earlier this year. While visiting a residential college, she warned those showing them around that he is upset by sudden loud noises. Distracted: Katie filmed Harvey playing on his iPod in the car, seemingly unfazed by what had happened Understanding: 'That's f**king naughty! Bad!' Harvey admitted. 'Yeah it is!' Katie said, patiently During the visit, a door was slammed, which saw Harvey react violently, hitting his head back on a wall suddenly. Harvey is clearly a gentle soul, however, and was seen comforting Katie's boyfriend Carl Woods in a recent social media clip, after he broke three bones in his hand in an accident. Car dealer Carl, 31, was rushed to hospital after he reportedly dropped a heavy dumbbell on himself months after Katie broke her feet in a freak accident. And in a video posted to Instagram, Harvey was seen gently rubbing Carl's bandaged hand as he urged him to 'be brave' amid his injury woes. Comfort: Harvey is clearly a gentle soul, however, and was seen comforting Katie's boyfriend Carl Woods in a recent social media clip, after he broke three bones in his hand in an accident Accident: Car dealer Carl Woods, 31, was rushed to hospital after he reportedly dropped a heavy dumbbell on himself months after Katie Price, 42, broke her feet in a freak accident In the video, Harvey was seen sitting on the couch as his mother said: 'I wanna show you something. Look what he's done, Harv.' Carl, who stood off-camera then stretched out his bandaged arm, which Harvey gently rubbed, prompting Carl to wince in pain. 'Get better soon, Carl Woods,' Harvey said, as he learned that Carl had been injured. Former glamour model Katie then asked her eldest offspring: 'What do you think? It's like mummy's feet, he's broken it.' 'Yeah, he's bad innit Carl,' said Harvey, who was then asked by his mother: 'Do you feel angry? What do you want to happen, Harv?' Caring: In a video posted to Instagram on Sunday, Harvey, 18, was seen gently rubbing Carl's bandaged hand as he urged him to 'be brave' amid his injury woes Accident: Last month, Katie revealed that she's been registered disabled after breaking both her feet when she fell 25 feet in a freak accident while holidaying in Turkey Family: Mother-of-five Katie is pictured with her whole brood 'Be better. Keep brave, Carl,' responded Harvey in the heartwarming brief video. 'I've broken it in three places,' Carl explained to Harvey, before he asked him: 'Will you look after me?' 'OK, we promise Carl,' Harvey assured Carl before the pair blew kisses to one another. We had mentioned in previous weeks closing report that Nifty, Sensex may continue to rally. On Monday, the indices opened lower and suffer a major correction. On the NSE, there were 624 advances, 1,371 declines and 82 unchanged. The trends of the major indices in the course of Mondays trading are given in the table below: YES Bank loans and advances grew by a marginal 0.8 percent on a year-on-year basis to Rs 1,72,850 crore at the end of March 2021. Deposits grew 54.7% at Rs 1.62 lakh crore at end of March 2021 as against Rs 1.05 lakh crore by end of March 2020. Mahindra & Mahindra could look at applying for a banking licence either by acquiring a state-run bank or a private bank, Anish Shah, MD and CEO of Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) told the media. Britannia Industries declared an interim dividend of Rs 62 per equity share for the financial year 2020-21. SAIL recorded quarterly sales of 4.27 million tonnes (MT) during the March 2021 quarter, up 14% YoY. Adani Enterprises along with its wholly-owned subsidiary company, Gare Palma II Collieries Private Limited signed a coal mining agreement with Maharashtra State Power Generation Company. Adani Ports signed an agreement with Vishwa Samudra Holdings, to acquire the remaining 25% stake in Adani Krishnapatnam Port where it currently holds 75% stake. HDFC Banks advances as of March 2021 end aggregated Rs 11,320 billion, up 13.9% over Rs 9,937 billion YoY. Deposits grew to Rs 13,350 billion, a growth of around 16.3% over Rs 11,475 billion as of March 31, 2020. Bank of India will be considering preferential allotment of equity shares of Rs 3,000 crore to the Government of India after obtaining shareholder's approval. Parag Milk Foods is planning to raise Rs 316 crore by preferential allotment of equity shares, FCCBs and other instruments. IFC and Sixth Sense Venture Advisors LLP will invest Rs 155 crore and Rs 50 crore respectively. Promoter and family further will invest Rs 111 crore, maintaining the promoter stake at 46 percent. The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below: The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below: U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet on Monday announced initial staff hires for the Democrat's 2022 re-election bid, including veterans of last year's winning campaign by his fellow Colorado senator, John Hickenlooper. Bennet, who has yet to draw a Republican challenger, is naming as campaign manager strategist Justin Lamorte, who took charge of the Hickenlooper campaign last summer and led the former two-term governor to a 9-point win over Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner. The new staff also includes Emily Gittleman as digital director, Kelsey Hamilton as state finance director and David Ramon Ortiz as a finance associate. Our experienced campaign team will tell the story of our work to deliver for all Coloradans," Bennet said in a statement. "This includes passing the American Rescue Plan to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, deliver economic relief for middle class families and our successful, years-long effort to cut child poverty in America in half; fighting climate change and protecting Colorados public lands; and expanding access to high quality, affordable health care. A provision authored by Bennet to expand the child tax credit was included in the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief and stimulus bill passed by Democrats and signed last month by President Joe Biden. Studies show the measure could dramatically reduce the rate of childhood poverty. Bennet, who in January became the longest-serving senator from Colorado since the early 1970s, will be seeking a third full term in a midterm election that could threaten the Democrats' precarious 50-50 working majority in the Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris casts tie-breaking votes. While Bennet's race could be competitive, national forecasters have pegged Senate races in eight other states represented by four Democrats and four Republicans as next year's top-tier contests. Bennet's campaign has yet to release his fundraising totals for the just-ended first quarter, but previous filings show he ended 2020 with about $530,000 on hand after raising a total of about $1.5 million, including $55,000 transferred from his unsuccessful presidential campaign. The campaign also reported that it owed about $375,000. Appointed in 2009 to fill the last two years of U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar's term when Salazar was tapped as interior secretary in the Obama cabinet, Bennet narrowly won his first full term in 2010 by 1.7 percentage points over Republican Ken Buck, who went on to win a seat in Congress four years later. Bennet was re-elected in 2016 by a closer-than-expected 5.7-percentage-point margin over GOP nominee Darryl Glenn. Before taking the helm as senior adviser on Hickenlooper's 2020 Senate campaign, Lamorte ran Democrat Dan Baer's primary bid for the same office and was deputy political director at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2018. In the 2016 cycle, Lamorte was deputy political director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's independent expenditure committee and managed Raja Krishnamoorthis successful campaign in Illinois 8th District. Gittleman, Bennet's new digital director, was senior digital media buyer last year at Priorities USA, the Democratic super PAC run by Bennet's former chief of staff and 2010 campaign manager Guy Cecil. Before that, she worked as a deputy online mobilization director for New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker's 2020 presidential campaign. Kelsey Hamilton, the campaign's Colorado finance director, was deputy national finance Director for Hickenloopers Senate campaign and deputy finance director for Tony Evers successful 2018 gubernatorial campaign in Wisconsin. Arvada resident David Ramon Ortiz, the Bennet campaign's new finance associate, was a candidate services manager for the Wisconsin Democrats last cycle and also worked as a fundraiser for Hickenlooper's Senate campaign. The Okeechobee Clean Energy Center was designed to use the fossil fuel natural gas when it opened two years ago among the lakes of central Florida. Now the power plants owner, NextEra Energy, is preparing it to handle a second fuel: hydrogen. Hydrogen burns like natural gas without the carbon dioxide emissions and can be produced by separating water molecules using electricity. This excites engineers pursuing a solution to the variability of solar and wind power as it spreads across electric grids. They say surplus renewable electricity produced during hours of slack demand can power electrolysis machines to make hydrogen, eventually providing a store of carbon-free energy for dispatch when demand is strongest. The $65m Okeechobee pilot project will utilise solar energy that would have otherwise been clipped to create hydrogen to replace some natural gas, Rebecca Kujawa, chief financial officer at NextEra which last year briefly overtook ExxonMobil as the most valuable US energy company has said. But producing hydrogen, storing it and then using it to generate electricity, a process known as power-to-gas-to-power, is inefficient and expensive. Energy is lost both in breaking the molecular bond between hydrogen and oxygen in water and in burning the resulting hydrogen in turbines. The round trip returns less than 40 per cent of the electricity put in at the start, according to Dharik Mallapragada, research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative. Using power to make hydrogen to make power is in most cases really dumb, because there are so many losses involved in the cycle, said Thomas Koch Blank, senior principal at Rocky Mountain Institute, a clean energy think-tank. Rapid-starting natural gas power turbines have become the go-to generation source for grid operators looking to keep the lights on during heatwaves and winter freezes. Renewable, or green hydrogen could perform the same role but it is not cheap. Even if production costs fell more than two-thirds to $1 a kilogramme, the price in energy terms would be $8 per million British thermal units, three times as costly as benchmark US natural gas, according to Morgan Stanley estimates. Climate Capital But with proponents arguing that hydrogen will be indispensable for the world to cut carbon emissions enough to avoid catastrophic climate change, projects are being launched across the US power sector to prove it can work. Los Angeles, which under California law is required to use 100 per cent carbon-free energy by 2045, will convert a coal-fired plant it operates in Utah, initially to natural gas but then to hydrogen. The power stations newly ordered turbines will be able to take a 30:70 blend of hydrogen and gas by 2025 and only hydrogen by the 2045 deadline, according to manufacturer Mitsubishi Power. Mitsubishi and a partner have proposed a nearby facility to store green hydrogen sufficient to generate 150,000 megawatt-hours of electricity, which could supply 5m average US homes for a day. Hydrogen is that one technology where you can actually do seasonal storage, said Paul Schultz of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. All of this amount of over-generation that you potentially have in the spring and the fall can be used when you are renewable resource-poor during the summer and the winter. Schultz acknowledged that a hydrogen blend would cost more than natural gas, but we have an environmental commitment to this. He said the city had approached the US Department of Energy about securing low-cost federal funds to help finance the project, declining to specify the amount. Paul Browning, chief executive of Mitsubishi Power Americas, said that while the cost of so-called green hydrogen was expensive compared with natural gas, it was competitive with other forms of electricity storage. Keep in mind, what we're really targeting is renewable power that today is 100 per cent wasted when it gets curtailed, he said. We know we can do better than that. The need for long-term storage will become more acute if renewables become the lions share of the generation mix. Solar and wind do not run all the time, while lithium-ion batteries empty within hours. It would be possible to achieve a zero-carbon grid without thermal power plants by hugely overbuilding solar, wind and battery facilities, but California could reach its goals consuming far less land and billions fewer dollars by pursuing a path of power to gas, according to a study by Wartsila, a power technology company. Elsewhere, New York-listed New Fortress Energy has launched a business to make green hydrogen for sale to the power, industrial and transport sectors, along with the less scarce blue hydrogen which is made using natural gas. German utility Uniper hopes to use renewable electricity produced during the most prolific four hours of each day to make hydrogen for storage in underground structures in Hamburg, which were previously used to hold natural gas. The hydrogen could then be tapped for trading, selling to industrial clients or generating electricity via a peaker plant that could supply electricity back to the grid although the project is dependent on securing government subsidies, according to chief executive Andreas Schierenbeck. FT Series: Hydrogen Fantasy or fuel of the future? Long heralded as an alternative to fossil fuels, can the gas really help solve the worlds dirtiest energy problems? The Hydrogen Council, an industry group, said in a 2017 report that 250 to 300 terawatt-hours a year of surplus solar and wind electricity could be converted to hydrogen by 2030, with more than 20 power plants generating a combined 100TWh-200TWh of electricity from clean hydrogen. In comparison, renewables will generate almost 8,000TWh worldwide this year, according to the International Energy Agency. The intermittency of renewable energy is a problem; some large storage container is required to smooth out the output from wind and solar, and hydrogen is just that very large container, said Daryl Wilson, executive director of the Hydrogen Council, whose membership includes some of the most energy intensive companies in the world and oil producers such as Saudi Aramco and BP. NextEra, which did not respond to requests for comment, is starting small at Okeechobee with a 20MW electrolysis system. A regulatory filing revealed the plant shares a transformer with at least two adjacent solar farms NextEra has constructed. The company, the largest US utility by market capitalisation, has recently disclosed other ventures, including a $20m installation to create hydrogen with solar power and feed it to a fuel cell to create electricity. In all, NextEra had about 50 potential green hydrogen projects in the pipeline to serve the power, transportation and industrial sectors, John Ketchum, president of its bulk-power division NextEra Energy Resources, said late last year. We see hydrogen as really a long-term solution, he told analysts, saying that eliminating the last 15 per cent of carbon from electricity supply gets very expensive to do with batteries, much cheaper and more manageable to do with hydrogen. The colours of the hydrogen rainbow Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Green hydrogen Made by using clean electricity from renewable energy technologies to electrolyse water (H2O), separating the hydrogen atom within it from its molecular twin oxygen. At present very expensive. Blue hydrogen Produced using natural gas but with carbon emissions being captured and stored, or reused. Negligible amounts in production due to a lack of capture projects. Grey hydrogen This is the most common form of hydrogen production. It comes from natural gas via steam methane reformation but without emissions capture. Brown hydrogen The cheapest way to make hydrogen but also the most environmentally damaging due to the use of thermal coal in the production process. Turquoise hydrogen Uses a process called methane pyrolysis to produce hydrogen and solid carbon. Not proven at scale. Concerns around methane leakage. Financial Times Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 5) The government is eyeing a possible relaxation of quarantine measures in Metro Manila and nearby provinces by next week should COVID-19 response strategies prove to be effective, Malacanang said on Monday. In an interview with CNN Philippines, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said a week-long modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ may be the next step following the extension of ECQ in NCR Plus an area that is home to over 25 million people and which also includes Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal. Were following a model, Roque told The Source. Prior to the ECQ that we imposed, we had a one-week travel bubble in NCR Plus. And were looking at another week of MECQ after this week, assuming our prevention, detection, isolation strategies indeed work. Citing the model, which he said is also being followed by experts from the Health Department, Roque said previous quarantine protocols and those planned to be imposed may help bring down the nationwide COVID-19 cases to around 4,000 daily. If we impose another week of ECQ, in addition to the bubble and the one week of ECQ that weve had already, and if we were to impose another week of MECQ, we are looking at around 4,000 cases a day, which is a tremendous reduction from the 12,000 that we have right now, explained Roque. The spokesperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force also bared that a shift to general community quarantine, instead of an MECQ, would result to substantially more daily cases. In a Malacanang briefing also on Monday, Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire cited the healthcare utilization rate as among the primary considerations in deciding on lockdown classifications. She said the figure should drop to at least 60% before quarantine protocols are relaxed. "For healthcare utilization, we need to see that the utilization will be down to at least 60% before we can say that we are at that safe level," Vergeire said. She noted the overall utilization rate in NCR stands at about 78% to 80%, which falls under the high-risk classification. Intensive care unit occupancy for COVID-19 patients, on the other hand, are almost at full capacity "in most cities" in the capital region, the health official added. "The health system should be able to manage and should be able to breathe and should have this decongestion before we can say that we can easily lift the restrictions for this community quarantine," Vergeire said. The greater Manila area continues to be under the strictest form of lockdown after the ECQ initially set to end by April 4 was extended for at least one more week amid the continuous surge in virus infections. The country has been hitting record high daily COVID-19 cases in the past days, with the nationwide tally even hitting over 15,000 last Friday. READ: PH's new COVID-19 all-time high is 15,310 but over 3,700 are from backlog two days ago Roque said the government decided to extend the ECQ as both the COVID-19 attack rates and healthcare capacity in areas of concern remain to be at critical levels. He said another week of stricter lockdown is expected to give healthcare workers some breathing space, especially with hospital admissions piling up. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. A detailed analysis report of the Global Monofilament Fishing Line 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 based on type and applications. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. 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SEGMENTATIONS IN THE REPORT: By Type Below 0.20 mm 0.20-0.40 mm 0.40-0.80 mm Above 0.80 mm By Applications Saltwater Fishing Freshwater Fishing 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 Monofilament Fishing Line Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-13538 The Global Monofilament Fishing Line Market has been exhibited in detail in the following chapters Chapter 1 Monofilament Fishing Line Market Preface Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 Monofilament Fishing Line Industry Analysis Chapter 4 Monofilament Fishing Line Market Value Chain Analysis Chapter 5 Monofilament Fishing Line Market Analysis By Type Chapter 6 Monofilament Fishing Line Market Analysis By Applications Chapter 7 Monofilament Fishing Line Market Analysis By Geography Chapter 8 Competitive Landscape Of Monofilament Fishing Line Companies Chapter 9 Company Profiles Of Monofilament Fishing Line Industry Purchase the complete Global Monofilament Fishing Line Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-13538 Other Reports by DecisionDatabases.com: Global Fishing Nets Market Research Report Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2027 Global Fish Oil 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/ News Source https://www.industrynewsengine.com/2020/11/26/monofilament-fishing-line-market-2020-covid-19-impact-analysis-report-2027/ Advertisement Carla Zampatti's timeless designs will live on in Australian fashion history as celebrities vow to pass her pieces onto their children and everyday customers stockpile designs from the last collection before her death. The 78-year-old Australian fashion icon was accessible to the everyday working woman while also remaining a red carpet staple - dressing the likes of Miranda Kerr, Julie Bishop and even royalty. Her designs, which cost anywhere between $220 and $1,500, include everything from the office wear to the runway. Zampatti died at St Vincent's Hospital on Saturday morning - a week after she fell down stairs at an outdoor opening performance of Opera Australia's Traviata on Sydney Harbour. Phoebe Burgess, who shares two children with her ex-husband, NRL star Sam Burgess, vowed to keep all of her Zampatti designs in pristine condition to one day pass down to her daughter, Poppy. Born in Italy in 1942, Zampatti (pictured) migrated to Australia in 1950 and set up her now famous fashion famous label at 24 Princess Mary of Denmark wore a dusty pink floor length Carla Zampatti gown for an official royal portrait in 2015 alongside her husband Prince Frederik She said: 'I'll hold on to my ''Carla's'' for my Poppy and hope they bring her as much confidence, power and joy as they did her mum. 'Thank you Carla, for the class and confidence your creations gave my mum, me and generations of Australian women. Forever a fan, we will miss you dearly.' Burgess is among a bevy of mourning celebrities honouring Zampatti and her incredible success in the wake of her death. Sam Armytage shared a photograph from her 2020 wedding to husband Richard Lavender, revealing her classy high-neck satin dress was a Carla Zampatti original. 'Absolutely devastated at the loss of my beautiful friend Carla Zampatti this morning. She was a creative genius, a wonderful generous elegant woman & very much a part of many of my favourite memories. She will be dearly missed, but never forgotten. And will live on forever in my heart, & my wardrobe,' Armytage wrote. Tribute: Phoebe Burgess (pictured) has paid tribute to Carla Zampatti after her death at age 78 on Saturday. The influencer, 31, posted two photos to Instagram showing off her favourite piece by the designer - a red top with puffed sleeves Armytage farewelled Zampatti and shared several pictures of herself wearing other Carla Zampatti designs Sam Armytage shared a photograph from her 2020 wedding to husband Richard Lavender, revealing her classy high-neck satin dress was a Carla Zampatti original Princess Mary of Denmark wore a dusty pink floor length Carla Zampatti gown for an official royal portrait in 2015 alongside her husband Prince Frederik. The Australian princess is not the only royal who adores the Australian designer's clothing. Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and ex-wife to Prince Andrew, was spotted in a zebra print Zampatti blazer during an official engagement. Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard wore the same piece in 2016. Julie Bishop, the former deputy leader of the Liberal Party and Minister for Foreign Affairs shared a moving tribute to Zampatti in the wake of her death, revealing she often wore the fashion icon's clothes both in professional and personal settings. Carla Zampatti was a truly great Australian who inspired generations of women with her style, grace and determination. She was in a class of her own. It was a privilege to call her a friend,' Bishop said on Saturday while sharing pictures of herself with Zampatti on several occasions. Meanwhile former Victoria's Secret angel and model Miranda Kerr has been pictured several times in Zampatti designs - both on the runway and on red carpets. Julie Bishop also paid tribute to her friend Zampatti (pictured together), revealing this sparkly dress was a Carla Zampatti original Former Victoria's Secret angels Miranda Kerr (left) and Shanina Shaik (right) are both fans of the late iconic Australian fashion designer Julie Bishop dazzled in this Carla Zampatti dress during fashion week in 2019 The mother-of-three has been wearing Zampatti clothes since she was a teenager, describing a soft blue chiffon floor length gown she wore to the 2015 Women of Style Awards as her favourite. Fellow Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik has also been pictured in her designs. Zampatti launched her first collection in 1965 after emigrating to Sydney with her family from northern Italy in 1950. In a statement publicly confirming her death, spokeswoman Kellie Hush commemorated Zampatti as 'Australia's most successful and enduring fashion designer' and a 'champion of Australian women'. 'She continued to thrive as a businesswoman through enormous radical and social change, designing clothes for women fighting for liberation through the women's rights movement in the 1960s to empowering women today in leadership, the workplace, in their home and at major life events,' Ms Hush said. Her family released a separate statement in the wake of her death which read: 'Carla has long been celebrated for making Australian women feel confident and elegant through her exceptional design, tailoring and understanding of the modern woman.' As women vow to hold their staple Zampatti pieces close and pass them down in the family, others have rushed to stores and online to snap up what they can of her latest collections. Terry Biviano, Ksenija Lukich and Anna Heinrich all attended the Carla Zampatti fashion show during Fashion Week in 2019 Margarita Marambio, who has worked in sales for Zampatti for 15 years, told the Sydney Morning Herald customers were marking the 'end of an era' by securing some of the final pieces the brand released while Zampatti was still alive. Customers cried and laughed as they recalled their favourite Zampatti stories while making the purchases on Saturday and Sunday, Ms Marambio said. Carla Zampatti pieces range from about $230 for a blouse to $1,450 for coats and dresses. But these prices are likely to soar as the future of the brand is up in the air following Zampatti's death. Her latest collection will forever be remembered as the last line released prior to her tragic death, which could contribute to skyrocketing resale prices in the years and decades to come. Zampatti will be given a state funeral to recognise her enormous contribution to the Australian fashion industry. In a statement on Sunday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian described the designer as 'talented, generous and inspiring. A true trailblazer in every respect'. 'On behalf of the people of NSW, I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Carla.' the statement said. Details of the State Funeral will be provided in the coming days. As women vow to hold their staple Zampatti pieces close and pass them down in the family, others have rushed to stores and online to snap up what they can of her latest collections Go Sherab Gyatso, vocal on democratic rights, was detained twice before in 1998 and 2008. Authorities in Chinas Sichuan province have arrested a well-known Tibetan educator and author who has twice endured lengthy detentions for expressing loyalty to Tibets exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and during a period of unrest in the region. Go Sherab Gyatso, a 46-year-old monk at Kirti monastery in Sichuans Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, was taken into custody by State Security agents on Oct. 26, 2020 in Sichuans capital Chengdu, a Tibetan living in exile with knowledge of the situation recently told RFAs Tibetan Service, speaking on condition of anonymity. My source in Tibet confirmed that Go Sherab Gyatso was arrested and his whereabouts are currently unknown, the source in exile said. The reason for his arrest is not clear and his family and friends are worried about him. The source in exile said that Gyatsos detention was unsurprising in that Chinese authorities are constantly harassing Tibetans in Ngaba, particularly those who have studied in India and returned home. So many restrictions are in place when it comes to movement, as well as life in general, he said. Chinese authorities exercise strict controls over phone and online communications in Tibetan areas, sources say, and news of Tibetan protests and arrests is often delayed, sometimes for years, from reaching outside contacts. Gyatso authored the book We Need To Wake Up, published in 2007 by Gansu Nationalities Press, and several articles detailing the restrictions on freedom of expression that Tibetans endure under Chinese rule. His book followed what reports have said was his four-year detention, beginning in 1998 during a Patriotic Reeducation campaign in Ngaba, for possessing a portrait of the Dalai Lama. Tibets exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is widely reviled by Chinese leaders as a separatist intent on splitting Tibet, a formerly independent Himalayan country which was invaded and incorporated into China by force in 1950, from Beijings control. The Dalai Lama himself says only that he seeks a greater autonomy for Tibet as a part of China, though, with guaranteed protections for Tibets language, culture, and religion. Gyatso was also reportedly detained for a year in 2008 during a period of widespread unrest in Tibet, although the specific reasons for that detention were not immediately clear. RFA spoke with a Tibetan scholar in Tibet who called Gyatso a very influential figure among the younger generation of Tibetans. He is considered a very open-minded person who speaks out about democracy and freedom, and believes that religion should not play any role in politics, said the scholar, who also declined to be named, citing fear of reprisal. Chinese authorities maintain a tight grip on the region, restricting Tibetans political activities and peaceful expression of ethnic and religious identity, and subjecting Tibetans to persecution, torture, imprisonment, and extrajudicial killings. Reported by Lobe for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. New Delhi: Peepli Live co-director Mahmood Farooqui, who was sentenced to seven years in jail for raping a US scholar by a lower court, has been acquitted by the Delhi High Court on Monday. Giving 44-year-old Farooqui benefit of the doubt, the HC has withdrawn the charges of rape against him. On June 19, 2015, an Indian American woman alleging Farooqui of raping her had filed a police complaint against him. Following the complaint, he was arrested by the police and produced in a session court in Delhi. Also Read | Ranveer Singh to star as iconic cricketer Kapil Dev in Kabir Khans next In the charge sheet filed against him, police told the court that the co-director of Bollywood film Peepli Live had raped research scholar from Columbia University at his Sukhdev Vihar house in Delhi on March 28, 2015. The lower court convicted him in the case and sentenced to seven years in jail with Rs 50,000 fine. Farooqui challenged the session court order in the Delhi Court where he got the acquittal on the grounds of benefit of the doubt. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ciaran Leigh Morris, who tragically died after his pram was hit by a car on Easter Sunday in Brownhills. Photo: West Midlands Police/PA Wire The family of two-week-old Ciaran Leigh Morris, who was killed when his pram was hit by a car in Brownhills, West Midlands, on Sunday afternoon have released an emotional tribute to the little boy. A BMW is understood to have been involved in a collision with another car in High Street, Brownhills, before striking the baby's pram at around 4pm on Easter Sunday, West Midlands Police said. The baby was being pushed along the pavement by family at the time and suffered serious injuries. Police said the boy was taken to hospital but "nothing could be done to save him". A relative suffered a shoulder injury but nobody else was injured. The parents visited the scene of the crash this afternoon to see the huge number of flowers, tributes and teddies left by well wishers and mourners. They were visibly upset and being supported by family members. In an emotional tribute released today, Ciarans parents said: Mommys and Daddys hearts will always ache, we love you more than anything. We didnt get to keep you for long but we are happy we had the chance to meet you, look after you and call you our son. Fly high angel. Sergeant Mark Crozier, from the polices serious collision investigation unit, said: "Weve all been left numb by the sad death of Ciaran. He was just two-weeks-old and his life has been tragically taken away. "To see the loss of someone so young is difficult for us as officers, but we know the pain is even greater for Ciarans family. "Well be doing all we can to support them while also trying to establish what happened leading to the collision. I would ask people to please respect the family at this sad time and allow them the privacy to grieve." Police said the driver left the scene but a 34-year-old man was arrested in Bloxwich shortly afterwards. He has been taken into custody and will be questioned on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Sergeant Crozier said they were in the process of speaking to witnesses and establishing the circumstances around this collision. "I would ask anyone who was in the area, and has information which can assist our inquiries, to come forward. "We understand the shock this will have caused but I would ask people not to speculate on what happened." Police said they are particularly keen to hear from anyone who was in the area and may have dashcam footage, either before or at the time of the collision. Celeb Spellcheck has announced a significant change to its content after fans accused the Instagram gossip account of promoting drug use. The profile's anonymous administrator, a Melbourne woman in her late twenties, said during a Q&A on Monday she would no longer be sharing posts about illegal drugs after listening to feedback from her followers. Going forward she won't publish footage of celebrities using drugs, spread rumours about alleged drug use, or allow users to post comments alluding to drugs. Changes: Instagram gossip account Celeb Spellcheck has announced a significant change to its content after fans accused the anonymous admin promoting drug use (stock photo) The Celeb Spellcheck admin decided to ban drug posts after being called out for her own recreational cocaine use, which she often alludes to in her weekly Q&As. She said: 'I got some feedback from a follower saying they felt I promoted drug use because I mentioned it a few times in Q&As, and the comment got quite a few likes. 'The reason I was open about it was because I don't think it's fair for me to judge influencers for doing lines when I occasionally dabble myself. Lesson learned: The profile's anonymous administrator, a Melbourne woman in her late twenties, said during a Q&A on Monday she would no longer be sharing posts about illegal drugs after listening to feedback from her followers Moderation: Going forward she won't publish footage of celebrities using drugs, spread rumours about alleged drug use, or allow users to post comments alluding to drugs 'However, I think their feedback was warranted and I've taken it on board. I would never want people to think I promote or encourage drug use.' A new drug policy wasn't Celeb Spellcheck's only announcement on Monday. The administrator also apologised to former Bachelor star Laurina Fleure for sharing a video on March 14 of her appearing to snort a line of white powder at a party. Apology: Celeb Spellcheck also apologised to former Bachelor star Laurina Fleure (pictured) for sharing a video on March 14 of her appearing to snort a line of white powder at a party The video was filmed by a party guest without Laurina's knowledge or consent. The footage was viewed on Celeb Spellcheck more than 100,000 times before it was deleted, and Laurina later said she felt 'humiliated' by the exposure. 'I feel sick. I am humiliated. I don't know what else to say. I am really embarrassed,' she told The Herald Sun, adding that she mostly lives a 'sober lifestyle' but sometimes 'the scales tip the other way and I have a blowout... when I go out'. When asked if she regretted posting the video of Laurina, Celeb Spellcheck said: 'Yes I do. That was unfair of me and I have apologised privately to her.' Regrets: When asked if she regretted posting the video of Laurina, Celeb Spellcheck said: 'Yes I do. That was unfair of me and I have apologised privately to her' Elsewhere, the administrator said she wasn't concerned about defamation threats from disgruntled influencers like Sophie Cachia and Ruby Tuesday Matthews. When a follower asked, 'Are you worried about legal action if you continue,' the admin replied: 'No, I am very comfortable with what I post from a legal perspective.' She also made it clear she wouldn't be silenced by influencers who flout Covid-19 rules, then complain about being called out for it. No worries: Elsewhere, the administrator said she wasn't concerned about defamation threats from disgruntled influencers like Sophie Cachia and Ruby Tuesday Matthews 'I will never apologise for that': She also made it clear she wouldn't be silenced by influencers who flout Covid-19 rules, then complain about being called out for it 'If I stand by one type of content on this account it's calling out Covid law-breakers. I will never apologise for that,' she said. Several influencers and reality stars have criticised Celeb Spellcheck, accusing the account of 'bullying' them by spreading gossip and correcting their bad spelling. However, a top Sydney lawyer has claimed that successfully suing an account like Celeb Spellcheck for defamation would be almost impossible. Employment and media lawyer John Laxon told the Outspoken podcast on March 29 it's very difficult to prosecute someone hiding behind an anonymous account. Backlash: Several influencers and reality stars have criticised Celeb Spellcheck, accusing the account of 'bullying' them by spreading gossip and correcting their bad spelling. Pictured: Ruby Tuesday Matthews, who is one of Celeb Spellcheck's most vocal critics Celeb Spellcheck explained Celeb Spellcheck began a few years ago as an account making fun of Instagram models' poor spelling, but has since become a platform for holding influencers to account for their lies and irresponsible behaviour. The profile is also a hub for user-submitted gossip about influencers. Celeb Spellcheck has attracted criticism in recent months, with the likes of Tayla Damir accusing the page of 'bullying'. Advertisement '[Social media platforms] aren't ever going to volunteer who's behind [accounts like Celeb Spellcheck]. You need to use court procedures to compel the platforms to tell you,' he said. 'It's really difficult when you're up against multinational platforms like Google or Facebook,' he added, noting that such legal proceedings are both expensive and time-consuming. Even if you manage to identify the anonymous user behind accounts like Celeb Spellcheck, they may not even be worth suing if they don't have any assets, Mr Laxon added. Don't bother: Employment and media lawyer John Laxon told the Outspoken podcast on March 29 it's very difficult to prosecute someone hiding behind an anonymous account 'What if it's a teenager operating out of their bedroom? There's no point suing someone who has no assets, because you're not going to be able to get anything out of them when you do,' he said. Mr Laxon also pointed out another challenge: proving the post is actually defamatory (in that it would harm someone's reputation) and also untrue. If post is true it can't be defamatory, so it stands to reason that simply reposting someone else's typos may not fall under the definition of defamation. 'So, assuming that you've identified the person, then you need to be absolutely sure that you've been defamed and that what they've published is defamatory and untrue,' he said. 'If a publisher is easily going to be able to rely on the truth defence, a person would be crazy to sue in defamation.' Mr Laxon noted that a photo or video 'typically speaks for itself', so simply reposting an undoctored image or video of a celebrity would fall under the truth defence. In January, Celeb Spellcheck revealed that a celebrity once tried to sue her for defamation for uploading a video of them 'taking drugs'. However, she insinuated the person's attempt was unsuccessful, saying: 'They said it was her "acne medication" lol.' On March 20, Celeb Spellcheck suddenly deleted its archive of content following a wave of backlash from influencers and D-listers. In a message to their 144,000 followers on March 20, the admin shut down rumours they were facing lawsuits or that their identity was on the brink of being exposed. Wiped: On March 20, Celeb Spellcheck suddenly deleted its archive of content following a wave of backlash from influencers and D-listers Instead, they said they were taking a break to figure out the future of the account. After ensuring fans they were 'completely fine', the account's owner explained their decision to wipe the profile. 'I'm not being sued (that I know of, lol) and I'm not at risk of having my identity revealed,' they wrote. 'I will be taking a break while I think about the future of this account. 'Moderating the comments has become quite time consuming (but very necessary), as is dealing with all the other things that come with having a large audience.' Coming clean: In a message to their 144,000 followers on March 20, the admin shut down rumours they were facing lawsuits or that their identity was on the brink of being exposed The person behind the account admitted they were considering whether or not to reveal their identity and if they should monetise the page or not. They also said they were pondering whether to 'dabble in gossip' moving forward. The Celeb Spellcheck account was restored, minus a few dozen posts, on March 29. Celeb Spellcheck began a few years ago as an account making fun of poor spelling on sponsored Instagram posts, but has since become a platform for holding influencers to account for their lies and irresponsible behaviour. The profile is also a hub for user-submitted gossip. Because of this, Celeb Spellcheck has drawn comparisons to DeuxMoi, the popular Instagram account that collects and dishes out unverified rumours about American celebrities from its 820,000 followers. Workers at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) assemble the first prototype of the Korea-developed fighter jet KF-X at its plant in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, Jan. 22. The prototype will be unveiled later this week. Courtesy of KAI By Kang Seung-woo Expectations are running high that Indonesia will recommit to the KF-X project, as the defense minister of the Southeast Asian country is expected to attend an upcoming rollout ceremony showcasing the prototype of Korea's first domestically developed fighter jet. However, some say it remains to be seen if his visit will help get the joint development project back on track. The KF-X project aims to produce 120 advanced multi-role fighter jets to replace the Korean Air Force's aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s by 2032. Korea and Indonesia signed a deal in 2010 to cooperate on the KF-X project, under which Jakarta would fund 20 percent or about 1.7 trillion won of the total development cost of 8.8 trillion won ($7.9 billion), in exchange for 50 planes that would be manufactured there for the Indonesian Air Force, as well as technology transfers. However, the joint project hit a snag following Indonesia's delay in payments of hundreds of millions of dollars. The country has paid only 227.2 billion won as of this month out of the 831.6 billion won it promised, citing financial problems, and raising speculation that the country may pull out of the jet project. In particular, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who took office in October 2019, is allegedly critical of the KF-X. As part of efforts to lubricate the stalled project, Korea has extended invitations for Prabowo to visit here on multiple occasions, but to no avail. "Should the defense minister participate in the rollout ceremony, his visit could be seen as Indonesia's commitment to the KF-X," a defense industry official said on condition of anonymity. A government official also said the minister's visit could reconcile the two countries' differing views on the project. "The Korean government has invited him to Korea to address issues involving the KF-X, and his trip to Korea can be a good signal for the KF-X," the official said. However, Shin Jong-woo, a senior researcher at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said it was questionable whether his visit would positively affect the KF-X project. In addition, there is a rumor that Indonesia has requested a $5 billion loan for its resumption. "Given that Prabowo is a contender in the next presidential election in Indonesia, it seems that Indonesia wants the loan, which would help him cement his billing as a solid presidential candidate, rather than focusing on the KF-X," Shin said. "However, it is questionable that his visit would lead to normalizing the KF-X." His envisaged visit comes as Indonesia is seeking to procure multiple warplanes, including Boeing's F-15EX and Dassault Rafale fighters, as part of the modernization of its aircraft fleet by 2024. "Amid rumors that Indonesia plans to buy those aircraft, it is not seen as a bona fide buyer in the international defense industry among other countries except for France," Shin said. The defense ministry said, Monday, the two sides were still in negotiations over Prabowo's trip to Korea. As for the rumors about the loan, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it was not in a position to talk about the matter. Along with the KF-X, eyes are on whether other defense cooperation projects between the two sides will get back on track on the occasion of the visit. Indonesia signed a deal with Korea in 2019 to purchase three submarines, but this has also seen little progress since then. New Delhi: Mukhtar Ansari, a gangster-turned-politician, is a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA from Mau and is wanted in Uttar Pradesh for various cases. He is presently lodged in Punjab's Rupnagar jail since January 2019 in connection with an alleged extortion case. However, Punjab's home department has now asked the Uttar Pradesh government to take custody of Ansari by April 8. Mukhtar Ansari is allegedly involved in various cases of attempt to murder, murder, cheating and conspiracy apart from offences under the Gangsters Act. Ten of these cases notably are at different stages of the trial. Ansari has been an MLA from Mau five times and is currently a member of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). He has avoided as many as 26 warrants issued by a Prayagraj court on medical grounds, according to an affidavit submitted before the Supreme Court by the Uttar Pradesh government. He was sent to judicial custody in Punjab in an extortion-threat case, but he did not apply for bail despite having been entitled to 'default bail' as the statutory 90-day period has lapsed. Ansari also opposed being shifted to Uttar Pradesh, where the state Police has registered 38 cases of heinous crime at a single police station in the Ghazipur district. The BSP leader has previously been lodged in several jails including Lucknow, Ghazipur, and Mau. Meanwhile, the UP Police has also lodged an FIR saying that fake documents were used to register the ambulance which ferried Ansari from the Rupnagar jail to Mohali court on March 31. The ambulance reportedly had the registration number of UP's Barabanki. The UP Police said that a special investigation team (SIT) has been set up to further probe into the issue of fake documents of the ambulance. An FIR in this regard has been registered by an additional road transport officer against Dr Alka Rai, whose name was given for the registration of the ambulance. (With inputs from agencies) An Aboriginal teenage girl has lost an appeal after she requested her criminal trial be heard by a female magistrate for cultural reasons, saying she wouldn't defend the charges if footage of her being strip-searched had to be seen by men. But the NSW Court of Appeal said the Children's Court could order a case like hers to be heard by a woman in the future. The girl, then 15, was strip searched at Wagga Wagga Police Station in March 2019 after she was arrested on suspicion of stealing a car. The girl was taken to Wagga Wagga Police Station (pictured) on suspicion of stealing a car before she was stripped searched in 2019 Police say she kicked the female officers searching her and smashed some of their body cameras. She was charged with assaulting police officers executing their duty and destroying property. The girl's defence team wants to argue that the strip search was illegal. Footage of the search showed her fully exposed backside and chest. A month before her trial was due to start in the Wagga Wagga Children's Court, the girl asked the court to order that her case be heard by a female magistrate. She wanted the court to order that no men be present in court when the footage was played, and that the footage not be showed to any men. A field officer with the Aboriginal Legal Service gave evidence that in Aboriginal cultures showing a woman's sensitive parts was women's business. If men observed women's business, it would cause extremely distressing, long-lasting cultural shame, the officer said. The division between men's and women's business had been practiced for thousands of years. The girl told the field officer that if her case was heard by a male magistrate then she would not defend the charges. The girl's mother also told the court the girl had been 'really upset' about being strip-searched, particularly as a male was present. The mother said the girl had experienced 'issues with sexual assault' which she'd tried to report to police, but they told her to go home. It meant she did not trust police. The Children's Court magistrate rejected her application. He said five male officers would need to view the footage in court to comment on it, though the NSW Court of Appeal later said this was wrong If male officers had to see the video, there would be no point in ordering that a female magistrate hear the case, the magistrate said. He also thought he didn't have the power to do so. But the NSW Court of Appeal ruled last month that the Children's Court could actually order a case like the girl's to be heard by a woman. The Aboriginal girl appealed to have a female magistrate for cultural reasons Ordering a case to be heard by a woman is not the same as ordering a case to be heard by a specific judge, the court said. Some 47 per cent of magistrates in NSW are women. The court rejected the girl's appeal because the legal error hadn't affected the magistrate's decision. Justice Lucy McCallum said if the girl wouldn't otherwise defend the charges, the matter should be heard by a female magistrate to give her the fullest opportunity to participate in the proceedings. Two of the appeal judges suggested in this case the parties could land on a compromise, such as not showing the parts of the footage where the girl's bottom is visible, or pixelating the footage. The girl was initially refused bail and held in jail for more than six months after the strip search. She has since been granted bail. The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 19, 2017. Toward the end of his career, Richard Rorty was a professor at the University of Virginia. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Richard Rortys Cheerful Contempt for What Transcends Him Commentary The deconstructionist impulse comes in a variety of flavors, from bitter to cloyingly sweet, and it can be made to serve a wide range of philosophical outlooks. That is part of what makes it so dangerous. One of the most beguiling and influential American deconstructionists was the philosopher Richard Rorty (19312007). In his early career, Rorty was a serious analytic philosopher. From the late 1970s until his death, however, he increasingly busied himself explaining why philosophy must jettison its concern with outmoded things like truth and human nature. According to Rorty, philosophy should turn itself into a form of literature oras he sometimes puts itfantasizing. He was set on blurring the literature-philosophy distinction and promoting the idea of a seamless, undifferentiated general text, in which, say, Aristotles Metaphysics, a television program, and a French novel might coalesce into a fit object of hermeneutical scrutiny. Thus it is that Rorty believed that the novel, the movie, and the TV program have, gradually but steadily, replaced the sermon and the treatise as the principal vehicles of moral change and progress. As almost goes without saying, Rortys attack on philosophy and his celebration of culture as an undifferentiated general text earned him many honors. In the early 1980s, he left his professorship at Princeton for an even grander one at the University of Virginia; upon retiring, in 1998, he accepted a five-year appointment at Stanford. In 1981, he was awarded a MacArthur Foundation genius award. It was around that time that he emerged as one of those all-purpose intellectuals ready to offer a view on pretty much anything that he extolled in his book Consequences of Pragmatism (1982). Indeed, Richard Rorty was widely regarded as he regarded himself: as a sort of secular sage, dispensing exhortations on all manner of subjects, as readily on the op-ed page of major newspapers as between the covers of an academic book of philosophical essays. The tone was always soothing, the rhetoric impish, the message nihilistic but cheerful. It turned out to be an unbeatable recipe for success, patronizing the reader with the thought that there is nothing that cannot be patronized. Liberal Ironist In Ironist Theory to Private Allusions, his essay about Jacques Derrida in Contingency, Irony, Solidarity (1989), Rorty wrote about the French philosopher in glowing terms as someone who simply drops theory for the sake of amoral fantasizing about his philosophical predecessors, playing with them, giving free rein to the trains of association they produce. He himself strove to follow this procedure. He did not, however, call himself a deconstructionist. That might have been too off-putting. Instead, he called himself a pragmatist or, towards the end of his life, a liberal ironist. What he wanted, as he explained in Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (1979), his first foray into post-philosophical waters, is philosophy without epistemology, that is, philosophy without truth, and especially without Truth with a capital T. In brief, Rorty wanted a philosophy (if we can still call it that) which aims at continuing the conversation rather than at discovering truth. He could manage to abide truths with a small t and in the plural: truths that we dont take too seriously and wouldnt dream of foisting upon others: truths, in other words, that are true merely by linguistic convention: truths, that is to say, that are not true. What he cannot bearand cannot bear to have us bearis the idea of Truth that is somehow more than that. Rorty generally tried to maintain a chummy, easygoing persona. This was consistent with his role as a liberal ironist, i.e., someone who thought that cruelty is the worst thing we can do (the liberal part) but who, believing that moral values are utterly contingent, also believed that what counts as cruelty is a sociological or linguistic construct. (This is where the irony came in: I do not think, Rorty wrote, there are any plain moral facts out there nor any neutral ground on which to stand and argue that either torture or kindness are [sic] preferable to the other.) Invented or Discovered? Accordingly, one thing that was certain to earn Rortys contempt is the spectacle of philosophers without sufficient contempt for the truth. You can still find philosophy professors, he told us witheringly, who will solemnly tell you that they are seeking the truth, not just a story or a consensus but an honest-to-God, down-home, accurate representation of the way the world is. Thats the problem with liberal ironists: they are ironical about everything except their own irony, and are serious about tolerating everything except seriousness. As Rorty was quick to point out, the bedrock metaphysical issue here was whether we have any non-linguistic access to reality. Does language go all the way down? Or does language point to a reality beyond itself, a reality that exercises a legitimate claim on our attention and provides a measure and limit for our descriptions of the world? In other words, is truth something that we invent? Or something that we discover? The main current of Western culture has overwhelmingly endorsed the latter view. But Rorty firmly endorsed the idea that truth is merely a human invention. He wanted us to drop the notion of truth as correspondence with reality altogether and realize that there is no difference that makes a difference between the statement it works because its true and its true because it works. He told us that Sentences like Truth is independent of the human mind are simply platitudes used to inculcate the common sense of the West. Of course, Rorty was right that such sentences inculcate the common sense of the West. He was even right that they are platitudes. The statement The sun rises in the east is another such platitude. It is worth pointing out, however, that the common sense of the West has a lot to be said for it and that even platitudes can be true. Rorty cavalierly told us that he does not have much use for notions like objective value and objective truth. Time and Chance But then the list of things that Rorty did not have much use for is very long. For example, he wanted us to get rid of the idea that the self or the world has an intrinsic nature because it is a remnant of the idea that the world is a divine creation. Since for Rorty socialization (like language) goes all the way down, he believed that there is no such thing as a self apart from the social roles it inhabits: the word I is as hollow as the word death. (Death, he assures us, is an empty term.) Rorty looked forward to a culturehe called it a liberal utopiain which the Nietzschean metaphors of self-creation are finally literalized, i.e., made real. For philosophers, or people who used to be philosophers, this would mean a culture that took for granted that philosophical problems are as temporary as poetic problems, that there are no problems which bind the generations together in a single natural kind called humanity. (Humanity is another one of those notions that Rorty could not think about without scare quotes.) Rorty recognized that most people (most nonintellectuals) are not yet liberal ironists. Many people still believe that there is such a thing as truth independent of their thoughts. Some even continue to entertain the idea that their identity is more than a distillate of biological and sociological accidents. Rorty knew this. Whether he also knew that his own position as a liberal ironist crucially depended on most people being non-ironists is another question. One suspects not. In any event, he was clearly impatient with what he refers to as a particular historically conditioned and possibly transient view of the world, that is, the pre-ironical view for which things like truth and morality still matter. Rorty, in short, was a connoisseur of contempt. He could hardly have been more explicit about this. He told us in the friendliest possible way that he wanted us to get to the point where we no longer worship anything, where we treat nothing as a quasi divinity, where we treat everythingour language, our conscience, our communityas a product of time and chance. What Rorty wanted, in short, was philosophy without philosophy. The liberal utopia he envisioned was a utopia in which philosophy as traditionally conceived has conveniently emasculated itself, abandoned the search for truth, and lives on as a repository of more or less bracing exercises in fantasy. Farewell to Serious Inquiry In his book Overcoming Law (1995), the jurist and legal philosopher Richard Posner criticizes Rorty for his deficient sense of fact and his belief in the plasticity of human nature, noting that both are typical of modern philosophy. They are typical, anyway, of certain influential strains of modern philosophy. Richard Rorty is fond of describing himself as an ironist, but really, as the philosopher Susan Haack has argued, he is a cynic hiding behind a euphemism. In bidding farewell to truth, he at the same time bids farewell to serious inquiry of any kind. As Haack observes, unless there is such a thing as better and worse evidence for accepting this or that proposition as trueobjectively better or worse evidence, that isthere can be no real inquiry of any kind: epistemological, or scientific, forensic, historical, mathematical. Moral Implications The cognitive pessimism espoused by figures such as Derrida and Rorty has moral as well as intellectual implications. Like his fellow liberal ironists, Rorty took radical secularism as an unarguable good. For him, religion, like truthlike anything that transcends our contingent self-creationsbelongs to the childhood of mankind. Ironists are beyond all that, and liberal ironists are beyond it with a smile and a little joke. But of course whether our culture really is postreligious remains very much an open question. That liberal ironists such as Richard Rorty made do without religion does not tell us very much about the matter. In an essay called The Self-Poisoning of the Open Society, the Polish philosopher Leszek Kolakowski observed that the idea that there are no fundamental disputes about moral and spiritual values is an intellectualist self-delusion, a half-conscious inclination by Western academics to treat the values they acquired from their liberal education as something natural, innate, corresponding to the normal disposition of human nature. Since liberal ironists like Richard Rorty did not believe that anything is natural or innate, Kolakowskis observation has to be slightly modified to fit him. But his general point remains, namely that the net result of education freed of authority, tradition, and dogma is moral nihilism. Kolakowski readily admits that the belief in a unique core of personality is not a scientifically provable truth. But he argues that, without this belief, the notion of personal dignity and of human rights is an arbitrary concoction, suspended in the void, indefensible, easy to be dismissed, and hence prey to totalitarian doctrines and other intellectual and spiritual deformations. Recognizing the Sacred The Promethean dreams of writers such as Derrida and Rorty depend critically on their denying the reality of anything that transcends the prerogatives of their efforts at self-creation. Traditionally, the recognition of such realities has been linked with a recognition of the sacred. It is a mistake typical of intellectuals to believe that this link can be severed with impunity. This, too, is something that Kolakowski saw clearly. As he argued in another essay, The Revenge of the Sacred in Secular Culture, culture, when it loses its sacred sense, loses all sense. With the disappearance of the sacred, which imposed limits to the perfection that could be attained by the profane, arises one of the most dangerous illusions of our civilizationthe illusion that there are no limits to the changes that human life can undergo, that society is in principle an endlessly flexible thing, and that to deny this flexibility and this perfectibility is to deny mans total autonomy and thus to deny man himself. It is a curious irony that self-creators from Nietzsche through Derrida and Richard Rorty are reluctant children of the Enlightenment. In his essay What is Enlightenment?, Immanuel Kant famously observed that the motto of the Enlightenment was sapere aude, Dare to know! For the deconstructionist, the liberal ironist, and other paragons of disillusionment, that motto has been revised to read Dare to believe that there is nothing to know. The Enlightenment sought to emancipate man by liberating reason and battling against superstition. It has turned out, however, that when reason is liberated entirely from traditionwhich means also when it is liberated entirely from any acknowledgment of what transcends itreason grows rancorous and hubristic: it becomes, in short, something irrational. It is in this sense that anyone concerned with the future of the European past must approach the Enlightenment and its legacy with conflicted feelings: in a spirit that is as ready to criticize as to endorse. To be sure, few of us would wish to do without the benefits of the Enlightenment. Tradition As the sociologist Edward Shils pointed out in his 1981 book Tradition, the Enlightenments tradition of emancipation from traditions is among the precious achievements of our civilization. It has made citizens out of slaves and serfs. It has opened the imagination and the reason of human beings. Neverthelessas Shils also understoodto the extent that Enlightenment rationalism turns against the tradition that gave rise to it, it degenerates into a force destructive of culture and the manifold directives that culture has bequeathed us. Like so many other promises of emancipation, it has contained the seeds of new forms of bondage. Philosophy has been an important casualty of this development. It is no accident that so much modern philosophy has been committed to bringing us the gospel of the end of philosophy. Once it abandons its vocation as the love of wisdom, philosophy inevitably becomes the gravedigger of its highest ambitions, interring itself with tools originally forged to perpetuate its service to truth. Reflecting on the ambiguous legacy of the Enlightenment, especially the accelerating campaign against traditional sources of moral and intellectual direction, Shils went on to warn that the destruction or discrediting of these cognitive, moral, metaphysical, and technical charts is a step into chaos. Destructive criticism which is an extension of reasoned criticism, aggravated by hatred, annuls the benefits of reason and restrained emancipation. Today, the effects of that annulment are evident everywhere. At stake is not simply the future of an academic discipline but the deepest sources of our moral and intellectual self-understanding. In Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein remarked that all philosophical problems have the form I have lost my way. At a moment when so much of intellectual life has degenerated into an experiment against reality, perhaps our primary task is facing up to the fact that many of the liberations we crave have served chiefly to compound the depth of our loss. Roger Kimball is the editor and publisher of The New Criterion and publisher of Encounter Books. His most recent book is Who Rules? Sovereignty, Nationalism, and the Fate of Freedom in the 21st Century. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. While clients including Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Bottega Veneta have commissioned new embroideries, her staff is working reduced hours, with perhaps 15 out of its 20 employees in the atelier on any given day. New things are coming and old things are letting us wait too much, so we are waiting to see how our future will be in the next month, Ms. Grasso said. I am trying to be positive. Some clients have requested new samples for dresses to be worn by celebrities, she said, but wedding gown commissions, a big part of her business, are still not appearing. The government aid that the company received so far has fallen short, she said. Hand embroiderers are a very small reality, but to the government we are together with machine embroiderers, Ms. Grasso said. We are a handcraft company, not an industry. Its not real, what they see about us. Its Complicated Other companies, like the shoe manufacturer AGL in the central Marche region, acted on their own. Now in its third generation, the company is run by three sisters, Sara, Vera and Mari Giusti, who oversee a work force of 110 employees, 65 percent of whom are women. Our community is really close; we consider our team like family, so we improvised our own kind of extra insurance for our workers, so if they got sick, they could stay at home as long as necessary and benefit from health insurance, Sara Giusti said. Its complicated. You cant really rely on handouts from the government, and since you cant fight whats going on, sometimes you have to make up your own rules and measures. As China began to reopen last fall, AGL was able to open in its first shop-in-shop, in the SKP shopping complex in Beijing. It also finished renovating a larger showroom on the Via della Spiga in Milan, secured certification of its environmental impact management and moved its e-commerce activities in house,the sisters said. While business was down 28 percent in comparison with its 2019 returns, its online sales have been growing and the sisters say they remain optimistic. Ukraine welcomes the extension of U.S. sanctions against Russia and asks for them to be strengthened. "We welcome the existing sanctions. And we constantly ask not just to extend but to strengthen sanctions. That is, the price that Russia has to pay for its actions taken in the partially occupied Donbas, for the illegal annexation of Crimea, and for the continuous violations of the rights of our citizens in Crimea must keep rising until the behaviour is changed. That is why we see more than just extending sanctions. We see their strengthening, and the United States has a clear position on the Nord Stream 2," Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova said in an exclusive interview with the Radio Liberty, Ukrinform reports. The Ambassador is confident that sanctions will intensify if Russia does not change its behaviour. "We also seek greater U.S. involvement in all formats. And I think this will also find a response from our strategic partner. And I think that if Russia continues its aggressive policy, we can definitely and we constantly talk about it and call for it expect the strengthening of the sanctions regime," Markarova said. ol [April 05, 2021] Luxury Institute's New Rules for Reinventing Your Business Model to Drive Customer-Centricity NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As luxury goods and services brands emerge from the pandemic, Luxury Institute has been observing and engaging in candid, constructive dialogue with dozens of senior executives and top-performing front-line associates across many categories, brands, and functions. The universal story they share is one of an industry that has been so shocked by the virus that it has forgotten the highly innovative, experimental and experiential requirements of luxury. Executives and associates talk of an industry that, with few exceptions, is slow to adapt true innovation; an industry that, for all the dialogue on reinvention and disruption, is stuck in the past. For example, most luxury executives believe that more e-commerce innovation is digital transformation. The luxury industry is typically the first to take risks in product innovation, is making great efforts to lead in sustainability, and is finally taking inclusivity seriously. However, luxury brands cling to an outdated business model. Most luxury brands continue to copy "best practices," failing to think for themselves and build the ideas and skills needed to drive true digital transformation. Luxury Institute's experience, having served over 1,100 premium and luxury brands over 18 years, is that the poor performing brands are those that fail to integrate the new, emergent and transformative rules required by consumers today. Brands that desire a successful transformation from soulless transactions to deep customer relationships realize they need to reinvent their entire business model for true customer-centricity. Despite the pandemic, the ranks of the wealthy around the world continue to grow in size. Younger affluent consumers are digital natives. They have dramatically different expectations and are redefining what "customer-centricity" actually means. The brands that will flourish are those that approach their business model reinvention from the perspective of these new customers with deep empathy, and create internal systems that cultivate trusted, emotionally intelligent relationships. Building a customer-centric culture used to mean adopting best practices. Today, it means reinvention and measured risk. Below are three new and critical rules to become a true customer-centric luxury brand: Rule #1: From Broken Corporate Functions to Agile Customer-Centric Teams Luxury brands are organizationally broken, literally. Despite all the post-pandemic seamless customer experience claims, at their core, luxury brands are broken up into departments and functions fit for the factories of the industrial era. All the relevant data that resides in the enterprise is disconnected and uncoordinated. New technology such as customer data platforms and customer engagement venues will be a complete waste without an organizational reconfiguration that matches the power of new digital assets to drive customer-centricity. For years, Luxury Institute has recommended that luxury brands reorganize along customer segment teams vs products and categories. This creates a customer-centric focus. While products and categories are important, they become providers to customer segment leaders who specialize in generating real-time experiences that meet the evolving stated and unstated needs of the customer audiences for whom they need to curate joyful experiences. Every luxury executive worth their salt realizes that, in this new world, core products and services are only one small component of extraordinary, personalized customer experiences. Luxury Institute has also recommended that a highly skilled and emotionally intelligent leader be put in charge of all the customer-facing people, technologies and touchpoints. Experts with different skills such as data management, insight generation, creativity, design, offer and content development, production, supply chain, etc. must organize into customer segment-specific high-performance teams, instead of siloed departmental hierarchies. External experts are welcome. These teams will be networked into every part of the orgaization and generate critical inputs and outputs and use other team outputs in real-time for results. They execute short-term or long-term projects based on clear customer segment objectives. Domain experts combine and recombine like adaptive organisms to achieve the next objective seamlessly and effectively. This structure is required to achieve the agility and responsiveness demanded of the digital era. All too often, executives across departments fail to work together to deliver optimal customer value. They deliver dysfunctional customer experiences. Organizing into flexible, agile networks of internal customer-centric teams is the next generation luxury organization. Rule #2: From Multi-Party Sourced Data to Direct-from-the-Customer Data Much has been written about the fact that data is the lifeblood of any enterprise in the 21st century; trust is the currency. To fuel business performance with critically needed data, most consumer goods and services brands have yielded that existential task and responsibility to third parties. This is why the terms first-party data, second-party data, and third-party data were developed. Now we even have zero-party data. Brands claim to be customer-centric, but they have failed to build a direct data relationship with the customer. Today, luxury brands need to have an honest dialogue with their customers about data sharing and adopt transparent, legal, ethical, secure, private, fair value processes. It is a failure of massive proportions that brands have relinquished control to the ad-tech and mar-tech ecosystem of over 8,000 companies that stand in the way of building healthy, thriving customer-centric relationships. Ethical brands are paying the price economically and reputationally as opaque data collection companies operate on their behalf. To get the data they sell to a brand, most of these data aggregation companies have used surveillance capitalism tactics at all costs, including legal and ethical violations. Despite all that, the data brands receive is often incomplete, inaccurate and useless for predictions. The result is dismal ad response rates. Brand leaders may not be aware they are ignoring two of the most critical issues of our digital era, personal data rights and human data dignity, even as they, and their loved ones, continue to lose their privacy and freedom in the process. The solution is for brands to stop going around the world to get next door. Instead, they need to respectfully ask the customer for direct and secure access to their personal data in exchange for rewards and benefits with legal protections. Fortunately, consumers, especially Millennials and GenZ's want to share their data with brands they trust and love. Privacy laws today empower data control, portability, and mobility. Innovators are going beyond privacy laws, using already existing copyright and licensing laws, to empower consumers to take full digital control of their data, including the data they generate in platforms such as Facebook, Google, Amazon, and any other data aggregators. Consumers can then license all types of personal data to brands they love and trust for fair value rewards and benefits. New players, such as the ethical data exchange DataLucent, are pioneering direct data sharing relationships between brands and the human beings who are their valued customers and prospects. This will dismantle the data mercenary ecosystem forever, and usher a new era of direct relationships based on delivering direct, extraordinary customer experiences that include the granting of data access for true personalization. Customer lifetime value will still be measured with traditional metrics such as purchase recency, frequency, monetary value, and referral value. The same metrics of recency, frequency, value and referrals will be applied to personal data access and will become an essential component of measuring customer lifetime value. Rule #3: From Soulless Analytics to Humanistic Insights and Predictions As rules one and two above take hold, the new luxury business model will redefine the data analyst's role from conducting biased, soulless tasks into insight generation professionals who develop deep domain expertise. Analysts will conduct essential fiduciary work that serves the best interests of the brand by serving the best interests of the customers first. This change will be powered by the overwhelming benefits of sourcing data direct from eager customers and prospects. First, the data is authenticated, and validated, from the original source: the customer. Second, the data is behavioral, and therefore, the richest, most predictive data available to make accurate predictions and recommendations that have increasingly higher probabilities of delighting customers. The data can be refreshed often. Third, because the data is richly structured, it arrives ready for immediate analysis. Fourth, the data is so accurate and well analyzed in advance that many critical insights will be generated by simple queries without the need for machine learning. Fifth, because the brand knows who each customer is, by mutual consent, the brand can finally begin to personalize extraordinary experiences, by segment, or by individual, whichever is best for the customer. When data analysts begin to generate insights that truly serve their customers, they will work as inspired professionals. This will unleash the human personalization revolution and usher a new era of deeper, trusted, more mutually beneficial, emotionally intelligent brand-to-customer relationships. Luxury will lead this new era, if it begins the transformation immediately. No ripping off of band-aids, as often recommended by pundits, is required. Rapid cycle testing and learning is the way to go. Go, we must, into this fascinating, new customer-centric world of luxury. About Luxury Institute Luxury Institute is the world's most trusted research, training, and elite business solutions partner for luxury and premium goods and services brands. With the largest global network of luxury executives and experts, Luxury Institute has the ability to provide its clients with high-performance, leading-edge solutions developed by the best, most successful minds in the industry. Over the last 18 years, Luxury Institute has served over 1,100 luxury and premium goods and services brands. Luxury Institute has conducted more quantitative and qualitative research with affluent, wealthy and uber-wealthy consumers than any other entity. This knowledge has led to the development of its scientifically proven high-performance, emotional intelligence-based education system, Luxcelerate, that dramatically improves brand culture and financial performance. Luxury Institute has also innovated the Advanced Personalization Xchange (APX), powered by DataLucent, to empower affluent consumers to license their digital platform data to premium and luxury brands they trust legally, securely and privately in exchange for fair value rewards and benefits. To learn more about Luxury Institute, please contact us at LuxuryInstitute.com Contact: Milton Pedraza - mpedraza@luxuryinstitute.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/luxury-institutes-new-rules-for-reinventing-your-business-model-to-drive-customer-centricity-301261754.html SOURCE Luxury Institute [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A big display to celebrate the centennial founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the 34th Beijing Book Fair in Beijing, March 31, 2021. [Photo/VCG] The 34th Beijing Book Fair, which opened on March 31, included a special zone for the centennial founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The special theme exhibition area displayed many high-quality books paying tribute to the 100th anniversary of the CPC's founding. Nearly a hundred publishers contributed more than 1,000 books in six categories, including the CPC leadership, its glorious history, Chinese culture, role models, poverty relief and the CPC's struggle. Many of the books were valuable and award-winning works, but there were also easy reading and educational books. These included "The Most Beautiful Strugglers" series of children's picture books on role models and revolutionary heroes published by Dolphin Books, a publisher under China International Publishing Group (CIPG). The booth of China International Publishing Group (CIPG) at the 34th Beijing Book Fair in Beijing, March 31, 2021. [Photo/VCG] "Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC is an important opportunity to tell the Party's story," said CIPG vice president Lu Cairong. "I hope that through reading this series of picture books, children can feel the heroes' positive spirit of striving for excellence, so as to help them establish the right views on the world, life and values." Nearly 700 publishing houses and cultural institutions participated in the book fair and showcased close to 400,000 books from March 31 to April 2. The fair included over 200 cultural events, including book launches, talks with authors and forums, together with the first ever promotional livestreaming event in the history of the book fair, an obvious feature for the post-pandemic era. Multiple disasters caused by torrential rains in eastern Indonesia have killed at least 133 people and displaced thousands, the countrys disaster relief agency has said. Mud tumbled down from surrounding hills onto dozens of homes in Lamenele village shortly after midnight on Sunday on Adonara island in East Nusa Tenggara province. Rescuers recovered 38 bodies and at least five people were injured, said Lenny Ola, who heads the local disaster agency. Flash flooding killed at least 33 people elsewhere and at least 70 are missing, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. Meanwhile, 27 deaths have been reported in East Timor. Relief efforts have been hampered by power outages, as well as blocked roads covered in thick mud. The bodies of three people were recovered after being swept away by floods in the village of Oyang Barang, where 40 houses were also destroyed, Mr Ola said. Hundreds of people fled submerged homes, some of which were carried off by the floodwaters. Expand Close Indonesian soldiers use a tractor to help residents cross a flooded road (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Indonesian soldiers use a tractor to help residents cross a flooded road (AP) In another village, Waiburak, three people were killed and seven missing after overnight rains caused rivers to burst their banks, sending muddy water into large areas of East Flores district, Mr Ola said. The rains also caused cold lava to tumble down the slopes of the Ili Lewotolok volcano and hit several villages. Hundreds of people are still involved in rescue efforts. At least nine villages have been affected by flash floods and a landslide that damaged five bridges on the island of Lembata. President Joko Widodo said he had ordered his cabinet ministers and the chiefs of the military, police and disaster agency to carry out emergency response measures and search and rescue operations as quickly as possible. I can feel the grief of our brothers and sisters there caused by these disasters, Mr Widodo said during a televised address, offering his deep condolences to the victims. Expand Close A man inspects buildings damaged by a flood in Dili, East Timor (AP Photo) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A man inspects buildings damaged by a flood in Dili, East Timor (AP Photo) Tropical Cyclone Seroja has produced high waves, strong winds and heavy rains for the past three days and its effects were expected to last until Friday, said Dwikorita Karnawati, the head of Indonesias Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency. She warned that the cyclone could trigger tidal waves up to 13 feet on Sumba, Flores and Rote islands in East Nusa Tenggara province, and up to 19.6 feet in the southern part of the province and in the Banda Sea and Indian Ocean. Seasonal rains frequently cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains. Australian forecasters have warned residents in Western Australia states far north that the tropical cyclone was intensifying and moving towards them. Seroja, or lotus flower, formed early on Monday morning in Indonesian waters and was moving south-west, the Bureau of Meteorology said. It is not expected to affect Australian communities for the next 48 hours, but residents were urged to monitor forecasts. Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge has attacked Sydney Universitys student newspaper for taking down a report revealing academics links to the Chinese government, saying the move highlights the importance of protecting academic freedom and freedom of speech on campus. Sydney Universitys Honi Soit published a story on March 31 naming two professors in the engineering faculty whom it claimed were associated with controversial Chinese government recruitment schemes and had collaborated with sanctioned Chinese universities on potential military technology research. Sydney Universitys student newspaper Hon Soit has been in publication since 1929. Credit:Dominic Lorimer The online version was removed hours after publication and editors posted an apology to the academics, readers and the Chinese community on the papers Facebook page after they received negative feedback online. The 10 editors of the student newspaper say they did not pull down the report because it was inaccurate or racist but because directly naming those academics was negligent, particularly in the face of escalating Sinophobia and racism at the University of Sydney and in wider society. "To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker," said Frederick Douglass (1817-1895). (MPI/Getty Images) Historic Figures Who Recognized That Speech Is Freedoms First Line of Defense In a March 21, 2021, column (One of the Most Significant Defenses of Free Speech in American History), Boston Globe writer Jeff Jacoby quoted the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass: To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker. It is just as criminal to rob a man of his right to speak and hear as it would be to rob him of his money. Its a sad, tragic, and shocking commentary on what some parents and many schools are teaching these days that Douglasss statement might not meet with majority approval in America. Recent polls indicate that more than half of the American public believe that the First Amendment (which guarantees free speech) is outdated and ought to be rewritten. Support for what is traditionally regarded as freedom of speech is lowest among millennials. Political correctness, cancel culture, and presentism are erasing past events and people. Intimidation is all too frequent on campuses and in the public square. Heather Higgins, CEO of Independent Womens Voice, says: Today, many Americans are afraid to express their beliefs out of fear of retaliation or being canceled. What is happening right now isnt about suppressing hate speech. Its about suppressing history, facts, and viewpoints that some self-appointed woke arbiters who are looking to be offended have decreed are damaging and hateful. Thats a recipe for a society defined by fear, division, mistrust, intolerance, discrimination, and ultimately violence. If the rush to shout people down and shut them up doesnt alarm you, then youre no friend of freedom. When speech dies, other freedoms follow. For that reason, we must push back against anti-free speech barbarians. We must make it unmistakably plain that we will not be silenced, nor will we allow others to be silenced, for the sake of anybodys pet project or political agenda. Here is a selection of poignant remarks on behalf of freedom of speech. I hope it stiffens the spines of all who love freedom and who understand that speech is its first line of defense. 1. Milton: Above All Liberties Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.John Milton, in Areopagitica 2. Frederick Douglass: The Dread of Tyrants Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter ones thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. It is the right which they first of all strike down. They know its power. Thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, founded in injustice and wrong, are sure to tremble, if men are allowed to reason of righteousness, temperance, and of a judgment to come in their presence. Slavery cannot tolerate free speech.Frederick Douglass, in his Plea for Free Speech in Boston 3. Orwell: If Liberty Means Anything If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.George Orwell, in his original preface to Animal Farm 4. Einstein: A Spirit of Tolerance Laws alone cannot secure freedom of expression; in order that every man may present his views without penalty, there must be a spirit of tolerance in the entire population.Albert Einstein, in Ideas and Opinions 5. George Washingtons Warning If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.George Washington, to Officers of the Army 6. Mill on Extreme Speech Strange it is that men should admit the validity of the arguments for free speech but object to their being pushed to an extreme, not seeing that unless the reasons are good for an extreme case, they are not good for any case.John Stuart Mill, in On Liberty 7. Justice Douglass: The Most Dangerous Subversion Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.Justice William O. Douglass, in The One Un-American Act 8. Trenchard and Gordon: No Wisdom Without Free Thought Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech; which is the right of every man, as far as by it, he does not hurt or control the right of another. And this is the only check it ought to suffer, and the only bounds it ought to know. This sacred privilege is essential to free governments, that the security of property, and the freedom of speech always go together; and in those wretched countries where a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything else his own. Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation, must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon in Catos Letters Lawrence W. Reed is FEEs President Emeritus, Humphreys Family Senior Fellow, and Ron Manners Global Ambassador for Liberty, having served for nearly 11 years as FEEs president (2008-2019). He is the author of the 2020 book, Was Jesus a Socialist? as well as Real Heroes: Incredible True Stories of Courage, Character, and Conviction and Excuse Me, Professor: Challenging the Myths of Progressivism. Follow on LinkedIn and Twitter and Like his public figure page on Facebook. His website is LawrenceWReed.com. This article was originally published on FEE.org UPDATE: Victim identified in fatal Catasauqua house fire A woman was pronounced dead after a Saturday morning fire destroyed a Catasauqua home. The blaze broke out at 5:35 a.m. Saturday at 119 Union St. in the borough. Photos from the scene showed fire on multiple stories and through the roof of the brick home, with heavy smoke rising. More than 100 firefighters battled the fast-spreading flames, officials said. Deputy Coroner Gabrielle Alcaro at 4:02 p.m. pronounced the woman dead in the house, according to the Lehigh County Coroners office. The woman is yet to be identified by authorities, however, there were earlier reports the homeowner was unaccounted for. An autopsy is scheduled Monday to determine the exact cause and manner of death. Catasauqua Fire Chief Rich Hertzog had said crews were unable to get more than a few feet inside due to floor to ceiling hoarding conditions. He said firefighters made three different attempts from three different entry points. Crews went to a defensive strategy just to knock the fire down, as pumpers pushed 3,500 gallons of water per minute onto the blaze from three hydrants. One firefighter suffered an eye injury and was treated and released, the fire chief said. Lehigh County property records list the owner-occupant as Cynthia Acerra. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. A fresh appeal for information has been made ahead of the 33-year anniversary of the death of German teenager Inga Maria Hauser. Inga Maria Hauser was 18 when she was last seen alive on a ferry to Larne in April 1988 before her body was found in Ballypatrick Forest two weeks later. The murder of the Munich backpacker has never been solved despite numerous campaigns to bring the family justice. In 2020, the Public Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute two individuals reported in connection with the murder. Read More Ahead of what will be the 33rd anniversary of the brutal murder, those close to the Hauser family have made a plea for further information into her death, including the daughter of the late SDLP MLA John Dallat. The former Northern Ireland Assembly Deputy Speaker worked closely with the Hauser family into searching for answers regarding her death and his daughter, the SDLP councillor Helena Dallat O'Driscoll, said the case was one he was working on up until his death. The Hauser family has suffered nonstop for over thirty years. Inga Maria was a much loved young woman when she came to Northern Ireland in the late 80s," she said. "She deserved so much better than to be so callously taken from her family and friends and left in Ballypatrick Forest. People want to see a conclusion to this vicious and ruthless murder. Dads last piece of work was a press release, written with a frail hand just weeks before we lost him, to mark Inga Marias anniversary and to call on those with information about her murder to come forward. Expand Close John Dallat at a memorial event for murdered backpacker Inga Maria Hauser / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John Dallat at a memorial event for murdered backpacker Inga Maria Hauser "I am repeating the call for those who know anything about this murder to share that information. I appeal directly to anyone with information to give their account of what they know about what happened on the night of 6 April 1988 when Inga Maria Hauser didnt take the train from Larne to Belfast as planned, and her body was found two weeks later in Ballypatrick Forest." Inga Maria Hauser's mother died in 2019, while her father passed away in 2006. Ms O'Driscoll added that further information could lead to a prosecution and said "those involved must be brought to justice". Ingas parents died without any justice for their daughter. She is survived by her sister Friederike and her nephew Viktor who are heartbroken and desperately need closure for their loved ones brutal killing," she added. The Hauser family lawyer, Claire McKeegan of solicitor firm Phoenix Law, also added: The Hauser family are now seeking an inquest to investigate the cold-blooded murder of beautiful Inga Maria. Read More "In the absence of any criminal prosecution the Coroners Court have a duty to investigate any suspicious death in Northern Ireland. This will represent the first time after 33 years that evidence will be heard and challenged before a court and will offer some hope of getting information and justice for our clients who have suffered irreparable pain since the murder. First Minister Arlene Foster has expressed her sadness following the death of a man in an incident involving a jetski in Co Fermanagh during the Easter weekend. Emergency services recovered a man's body from the River Erne in Fermanagh close to the village of Bellanaleck. The victim was named last night as Leinster man Declan Ryan. It's understood he died as a result of an incident involving a jet ski. DUP leader Mrs Foster - who is a Fermanagh MLA - tweeted: "Very tragic news coming from Fermanagh today. "My condolences to the family at this devastating time." A spokesperson for the PSNI said: "Police can confirm that the body of a man was recovered from the River Erne, close to the Cloonatrig Road at Bellanaleck, in Co Fermanagh on Saturday, April 3. "Officers together with other emergency services attended the scene following a report at around 3.40pm of an incident involving a jet ski. "A post mortem examination will take place in due course. Police are not treating the death as suspicious at this time." A Northern Ireland Ambulance Service spokesman said two emergency crews and an ambulance officer had been dispatched to the Erne river incident. The Charity Air Ambulance with a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) crew on board was also scrambled to the riverside location. However, no-one was taken from the scene, the spokesman told the Belfast Telegraph last night. Mr Ryan leaves behind a grieving family circle, including his wife Siobhan, and his daughter Mia. A death notice for Mr Ryan said he would be "sadly missed by his father Stephen Ryan, brother Stephen, sisters Geraldine and Mary; father-in-law Ted Connolly and brothers-in-law Ivan, Stephen and Brian, and all his nieces and nephews, extended family and friends". No funeral details for Mr Ryan have yet been announced. Mumbai, April 5 : The Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif starrer cop-action drama "Sooryavanshi" will not release on April 30 as earlier scheduled, owing to the current Covid situation in Maharashtra. "Team Sooryavanshi postpones the release of the film. The Honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray had a discussion with director Rohit Shetty yesterday. In the meeting, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray appreciated Rohit Shetty as he took the brave and difficult decision of postponing Sooryavanshi owing to the current COVID situation in the state," a statement issued by the makers of the Rohit Shetty directorial reads. Film trade analyst Girish Johar also tweeted on Monday to inform that the release of the film has been pushed indefinitely. "Confirmed. #Sooryavanshi postponed indefinitely!!" he wrote. The decision comes at a time when as per new guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government, cinema halls will remain shut temporarily with effect from April 5 amid a resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic in the state. The film also features Ranveer Singh and Ajay Devgn in special roles. Five members of Gluais, a band from Scoil Mhuire Secondary School, Trim, Co Meath, perform a rendition of Mariah Carey's Hero, as a tribute to frontline workers. The group already paid tribute to frontline workers a year ago, with a zoom recording of the same song. Never did they expect to be performing similar tributes a year later. Gulf migrant rights activists aim to draft and submit a report to the TS government for initiation of suitable measures in Telangana as well. (Representational Image/AFP) Hyderabad: Gulf migrant rights activists from Telangana state would be visiting Kerala to understand the best practices and Gulf migration management system there. They aim to draft and submit a report to the TS government for initiation of suitable measures here too. In his Budget speech, finance minister T. Harish Rao had said, "The Telangana government would put in place an administrative arrangement on the lines of Kerala for welfare of those from Telangana who work in the Gulf. A special team has visited Kerala to study the policies being adopted by the government there. Based on its report, the government will initiate measures for welfare of Gulf workers." This didn't go well with the Gulf workers. Guggilla Ravi Goud, convener of the Telangana Gulf Workers Joint Action Committee, said, "It's been more than four years since the government promised to form a committee. Although the committee visited Kerala and submitted its report, nothing has happened on the ground level." The visit to Kerala by the committee of activists comes against this backdrop. Ravi said, "The government is dilly-dallying about the plan to establish a Gulf welfare board. So we would submit a report after careful examination of the Kerala model." Ravi added, "The needs of Telangana and Kerala Gulf migrants are different. For example, in Kerala, an ex gratia of `1 lakh would be awarded in the event of a migrants death. However, the Telangana government had promised `5 lakh to such families." Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Swadesh Parkipandla, president of the Pravasi Mithra Labour Union (PMLU), said, "During Harish Raos budget speech, he used the word sympathy' that, out of sympathy, we are considering to establish the Gulf welfare board . We don't need anyones sympathy. Gulf workers second largest remittance to India is to Telangana state." Parkipandla added: "We keep reiterating that rehabilitation and reintegration of Gulf workers are important for development of the state. Many migrated to Gulf as unskilled and returned as skilled workers. It is important for the state to make use of those skills. The Gulf welfare board will help in the rehabilitation and reintegration of the Gulf workers." Apart from Ravi and Parkipandla, the team consists of G. Muralidhar Reddy, Kuwait returnee and migrant rights activist; Nangi Devender Reddy, president, Telangana Gulf Workers Association (TeGWA); Jaligam Kumara Swamy, activist, Koheda, Siddipet district; and Perugu Mallikarjun, vice-president, Telangana Gulf Karmikula Sankshema Samiti (TGWWC) and would be visiting Kerala for three days from April 7-11. The team would draft a study report based on the visit and submit it to the Telangana government on behalf of the civil society. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 09:51:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close By Matthew Rusling WASHINGTON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin who last year killed unarmed black man George Floyd underscores the issue of police reform, which U.S. President Joe Biden has said he wants to address. The full video of Floyd's arrest played by prosecutors in opening statements in the trial shows that Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for about 9 minutes and 30 seconds, instead of the widely reported 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd could be heard pleading with Chauvin multiple times, saying that he couldn't breathe. Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The incident sparked nationwide protests and led to even some calls to de-fund the police. "Biden wants the police to work closely with the communities they serve and avoid the aggressive tactics that have been used in certain places," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. "This includes a ban on chokeholds and greater accountability when law enforcement actions lead to death or bodily harm," West said. During Biden's six terms as a senator, he had strong backing from cops' organizations. He pledged to address police reform during his campaign, as well as the broader issue of racial inequality in the United States. But the issue is not an easy one to tackle, as police have a tough job, and are often confronted with situations in which their lives are at stake and they must make split-second decisions, experts say. Republicans take a pro-law enforcement stance, and fear that any of Biden's potential reforms could mean inhibiting officers' ability to control violent crime, or that they could put officers' lives in danger. West said Republicans will condemn the Democratic moves as making it harder for police officers to enforce the law. Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua that Biden could take a number of steps toward police reform. One is to legislate a grant program for municipalities to build up community policing in their police departments. The vague phrase covers many activities that those who support de-funding the police favor, especially using social workers and paramedics to help handle many police calls where the threat of violence is low. Another is to pass legislation that would wind down mass incarceration, as the extraordinary size of the aging U.S. prison population is more and more expensive. This subject has bipartisan legs in Congress, and it has many different aspects, some of which would pass with little difficulty, Ramsay said. Moreover, Attorney General Merrick Garland's Department of Justice (DOJ) can resume federal investigations of abuse in local police departments and sue them, Ramsay said. If a police department doesn't want to face DOJ lawyers in court, it can sign a consent decree which commits it to change its behavior with DOJ supervision -- this tool was abandoned by the DOJ under former U.S. President Donald Trump, Ramsay said. "We are about to see whether Garland brings it back and how forcefully he uses it," Ramsay said. But critics said some Republicans claim the DOJ is shackling the police out of political correctness. "Police reform is not going to be police reform. Who knows what they'll put" into an executive order or bill to reform police, GOP strategist and TV news personality Ford O'Connell told Xinhua. He was referring to criticisms that over half of Biden's recent COVID-19 rescue package was what many called a progressive wish list that had nothing to do with COVID-19. Enditem A similar law has been introduced repeatedly, and again this January, in New York. Last year, Maryland came within one vote of joining states that permit medical aid in dying. Diane Rehm, the retired National Public Radio talk show host, says in a new film on the subject, Each of us is just one bad death away from supporting these laws. Most people who seek medical aid in dying would prefer to live but have an illness that has in effect stripped their lives of meaning. Though often and, proponents say, unfortunately described as assisted suicide, the laws hardly give carte blanche for doctors to give people medication that would end their lives quickly and painlessly. The patient has to be terminally ill (usually with a life expectancy of less than six months), professionally certified as of sound mind, and able to self-administer the lethal medication without assistance. That can leave out people with advanced dementia or, in some cases, people with severe physical disabilities like those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (A.L.S., or Lou Gehrigs disease). A desire to broaden access to medical aid in dying prompted Joe Fab, a director and writer, to create the film When My Time Comes, to air on public television starting April 8. (A free livestream of the film preview and discussion will be available on April 8, at 12:45 p.m. Eastern, at weta.org/WhenMyTimeComesFilm.) The film follows the 2020 publication of Ms. Rehms companion book of the same title, subtitled Conversations About Whether Those Who Are Dying Should Have the Right to Determine When Life Should End. Both the book and film were inspired by the protracted death in 2014 from Parkinsons disease of John Rehm, her first husband, to whom she was married for 54 years. Mr. Rehm, then living in Maryland, could no longer stand, feed or toilet himself, but his doctors could not legally grant his plea to help him die quickly. Instead, the only recourse he was given was to refuse all food, liquid and medication, which ended his life 10 days later. This is still the only option doctors can legally prescribe for the overwhelming majority of Americans who live in the 41 states that have yet to pass a medical aid-in-dying law. The approach does indeed work, but its not an acceptable choice for many dying patients and their families. Florida's Manatee County Public Safety Department has declared a state of emergency and ordered a complete evacuation of the Piney Point reservoir site and surrounding areas due a leak that could cause a collapse of phosphogypsum stacks, waste that is created during fertilizer production and phosphate rock mining. The Tampa-area reservoir could cause structural collapse at any time, according to Manatee County Director of Public Safety Jacob Sauer, who gave an update on Saturday. Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday declared a state of emergency for the entire county "due to a possible breach of mixed saltwater from the south reservoir at the Piney Point facility," he said in a tweet. DeSantis will travel to Manatee County Sunday to meet with local officials. The leak in the containment wall was discovered about a week ago, and residents in the area were evacuated on Thursday, officials said. State resources are being deployed to the area, including pumps and machinery. On Friday, crews worked overnight in an attempt to fix the leak, but those attempts were unsuccessful, Sauer said. He said a portion of the containment wall at the leak site had shifted laterally, and on-site engineers deemed the situation to be escalating, and all command staff and residents were told to evacuate. "We're talking about the potential of about (480) million gallons, within a matter of seconds and minutes, leaving that retention pool and going around the surrounding area," said Scott Hopes, the Manatee County Administrator. Those two ponds hold "waste that would be less conducive to life on land and ... life in the sea," Hopes said, without elaborating on the specific waste material. Should the side wall breach and "create a substantial opening," the hundreds of millions of gallons might escape, according to Hopes. Water in the storage ponds at the Piney Point reservoir site is acidic but not radioactive, according to Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein. "We are completing rigorous water quality sampling daily to support any future enforcement action," Valenstein said in a news release Saturday. "While this water meets most water quality standards for marine waters, there are elevated levels of nutrients and the water is acidic. However, the water is not radioactive." The Piney Point facility is about 40 miles south of Tampa's city center, but the population density area is "extremely low," Hopes said. "We've been trying to contain this water unsuccessfully for 20 something years," Hopes said. Andy Ngo, a Portland-based journalist, is seen covered in unknown substance after unidentified Rose City Antifa members attacked him in Portland, Oregon on June 29, 2019. (Moriah Ratner/Getty Images) Andy Ngo, Journalist Who Covers Antifa, Reveals Why He Left the United States Journalist Andy Ngo, who for years has been documenting the anarcho-communist group Antifa, revealed why he left the United States earlier this year. Ngo, who is the editor for The Post Millennial, told Fox News that he left the country amid threats of violence against not only him but his family members. It was just not safe anymore for me. I had already been on borrowed time, he said, adding that there was an escalation of safety concerns. Ngo said that when he was covering the far-left group after the 2016 election, the response to that Democratic outcome was for people to take to the streets in masses to reject that outcome, and in Portland, many people chose to manifest their frustration through violence and destruction. There was just this overall, not just a shift in the attitudes in the public toward left-wing political violence, but also the hollowing out and weakening of law enforcement institutions, he said, adding that mainstream news outlets allowed such rhetoric to flourish. These extremist, radical, unfounded ideas were given space to propagate in our papers of legacy, in our homes and through broadcast and radio, and of course to online news sites. That helped to really radicalize the left, in my opinion. After every riot that was occurring in Portland and Seattle, the coverage from the local press was not the honest picture about who these masked militants actually were. The way they were described, they were lionized and described essentially as heroes who are protecting their communities because police dont protect people, because police are racist and transphobic and homophobic. However, over time, Ngo became known to Antifa followers and had to stop going to riots and demonstrations. In 2019, Ngo was attacked by a mob of Antifa adherents and was hospitalized, although some members of the media accused him of faking his injuries even while he was hospitalized. I was challenging the narrative that they had, the dominant narrative that they had within both the local press and therefore in the national press, as well, he said. Earlier this year, Ngo told The Epoch Times that Antifa isnt merely an ideology, as some U.S. intelligence officials have said in recent years and months. FBI Director Chris Wray told a panel in 2020 that it was more of an ideological movement than an organization. Antifa is more than an idea, Ngo said. Its also a movement. It has groups that are organized into formal groups, he said, and that includes Rose City Antifa, the oldest Antifa organization in the U.S., which is based in Portland, Oregon, the epicenter of the movements violent activity. Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has urged the chiefs and people of Gonjaland in the Savannah Region to put aside any differences they may have and collaborate to accelerate the socio economic development of the area. Speaking at the 45th Annual Congress of the Gonjaland Youth Association, which brings together all the youth in the area irrespective of tribe or religion, at Bole, on Saturday 3rd April, 2021, Vice President Bawumia emphasised that in unity lies strength, and the dream of a well-developed homeland can only materialise if all her citizens work together. Gonjaland can only develop if we all come together and work towards it. Whether you are NPP, NDC, Gonja, Bimoba or whatever tribe: our land can only develop if we come together and work towards it. Although I am Mamprugu, I consider myself a proud son of Gonjaland, and I will help to do whatever it takes to develop this land. Dr Bawumia assured of Governments support for any development projects, indicating that hundreds of projects had been undertaken in Gonjaland over the past four years. The Government of President Akufo-Addo has over the past four years undertaken over 630 projects, and will do even more to accelerate the development of Gonjaland and northern Ghana in general. "One project that is very dear to my heart and the government is the reconstruction of the Daboya bridge, I have spoken to the contractors, and barring any unforeseen challenges, I can assure you that reconstruction work will begin this year. Gonjaland is blessed with abundant natural resources, and tourism attractions, he continued. These assets position the region to take advantage of governments policies for the accelerated development of the Gonjaland. Government will give the needed attention to the Savannah Region to stimulate local economic development. And I call on all citizens of Gonjaland, wherever you are, to channel their resources towards investing in the opportunities in the area. Vice President Bawumia commended the leadership of the Gonjaland Youth Association for their resolve to begin Community-based Farming Initiative in order to create jobs for the youth in the area, assuring that the project will receive support from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme. Pre Order Ghana Year Book 2021 The Vice President reminded the citizens of the varied threats to the development of Gonjaland, including conflicts, climate change and illegal forestry and land activities. We must adopt sustainable farming and environmental sensitive practices if we must contain the danger posed by climate change. Let me call on the Gonjaland Youth Association to begin to engage farming communities and farmers on the dangers of bush fires which destroy farmlands and forest cover. We must also stop illegal land and forest activities. The illegal mining activities in the Bole District and the illegal logging and hunting in the forest reserves of the Savannah Region are threats to the lives of future generations. I am informed of the measures being put in place by the new Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and MP for Damongo Constituency, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor and the Savannah Regional Security Council to urgently deal with these matters. I urge you all to give them the cooperation they need to tackle these threats. Speaking on the theme for the Congress, Beyond Election 2020, Uniting Gonjaland For Accelerated Development, Vice President Bawumia emphasised: Elections are over and it is now time to focus on the development of our people. Whether you are NPP, NDC, let us endeavour to work towards the development of the country and Gonjaland. Source: Graphiconline.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 Air Marshal Syed Noman Ali, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force reviewed the ongoing multi-national air exercise "ACES Meet 2021-1" at an Operational Air Base of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Apr, 2021 ) :Air Marshal Syed Noman Ali, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force reviewed the ongoing multi-national air exercise "ACES Meet 2021-1" at an Operational Air Base of Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Vice Chief of Air Staff was given a comprehensive brief by Commandant Airpower Center of Excellence, Air Commodore Ahsen Yousaf, about the salient features and progress of the exercise "ACES MEET 2021-1", S said a PAF media release. The Vice Chief expressed his satisfaction over the operational preparedness of the participating units and conduct of the exercise. Major Gen Eid Bin Barrak Al-Otaibi, Commander King Abdul Aziz Air Base was also present at the occasion along with other military dignitaries from PAF and RSAF. London police said on Sunday that more than 100 people were arrested after protests were staged against the British government's new Crime Bill in central London on Saturday. Earlier on Sunday, London police said that 10 officers were left with minor injuries after police and protesters clashed in central London on Saturday, the Xinhua news agency reported. The British capital was swarmed by thousands of demonstrators as a number of protests took place simultaneously. Many were protesting the British government's proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. If passed, the legislation would give police in England and Wales more powers to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance, with those convicted liable to fines or jail terms. "Kill the Bill" demonstrators were joined by Extinction Rebellion and anti-lockdown protesters. The anti-lockdown rebels were supported by Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a London-based newspaper reported on Sunday. Thousands turned up for the "Kill the Bill" protest alone, marching from Hyde Park to Westminster. The protesters walked past Buckingham Palace and down to Parliament Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament. The latest demonstrations came after several protests against the British government's new Crime Bill turned violent last month in Bristol, a populous city in southwestern England. Covid-19 regulations have since been relaxed and protests are now lawful in England and Wales. However, protest organisers must submit a risk assessment and take steps to limit the potential transmission of coronavirus, according to a newspaper. The coronavirus reproduction number, or R value, in England is between 0.8 and one, according to the latest government figures. This is compared to a figure of between 0.7 and 0.9 for the whole of Britain last week. The latest government figures showed that more than 31.5 million people have received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine in Britain. From April 12, non-essential retail, as well as restaurants and pubs, if serving people outdoors, will be allowed to reopen in England. On February 22, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his roadmap exiting the lockdown, the third of its kind since the start of the pandemic. The four-step plan is expected to see all legal restrictions in England being removed by mid-June. Experts have warned Britain is "still not out of the woods" amid concerns over new variants and the third wave of pandemic in the European continent. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. An agreement on making an additional contribution from the Qatari port operator QTerminals to the concession project for Olvia specialized seaport has been signed during the official visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Qatar. The signing of this agreement was announced by the press service of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine with reference to Minister Vladyslav Krykliy. At the same time, it is specified that the agreement was signed in the presence of Minister of Transport and Communications of Qatar Jassim Al Sulaiti and Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba. The Ministry of Infrastructure notes that the signing of this agreement is an important stage in the procedure for transferring the port to concession, since it confirms the financial viability of the concessionaire to finance the entire amount of the declared investment - $140 million. "Within the framework of the Olvia seaport concession, the leading world operator, the Qatari company QTerminals, which manages the largest commercial port of Qatar, Hamad, worth more than $7 billion, was involved in work in Ukraine. I welcome today's signing the agreement on making an additional contribution from the concessionaire to this project. This is one of the main prerequisites for the further transfer of the port's property to concession," Krykliy commented on the signing of the document. The agreement on transfer to concession of Olvia specialized seaport, located in Mykolaiv, was concluded on August 20, 2020. According to it, the Qatari company QTerminals will invest about UAH 3.4 billion in the development of the port. In addition, at least UAH 80 million will be invested in the local infrastructure. In just 35 years, concession will attract UAH 17.3 billion. The annual concession payment will be at least UAH 80 million. In addition, the concessionaire must ensure the minimum volume of cargo transshipment of at least 2.55 million tonnes per year, also guarantees the preservation of jobs for the next six years and the appropriate level of wages for the team. An Orleans Parish grand jury handed up indictments for second-degree murder in a December stabbing and a November 2019 shooting on Thursday. Clive O. Smith is accused of murder and obstruction of justice in a homicide investigation in connection with the Dec. 16 fatal stabbing of Troy A. Lanzetta in the Central Business District. Police said Lanzetta, 42, was found on the ground suffering from multiple stab wounds on the night of Dec. 16. Lanzetta was born in Metairie and spent his teen years in Slidell, according to an obituary. Smith, 39, has been in custody at the Orleans Justice Center since Dec. 18. Court records show he's being represented by the Orleans Public Defenders. +4 Tank and the Bangas manager reports a bullet fired through her home. 11 hours later, police show up. Tavia Osbey said it was the end of a hard day. She was watching TV in her New Orleans East home in the Evangeline Oaks neighborhood on Monday 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 Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams' office also obtained charges against Otis Landry III, who is accused of second-degree murder, obstruction of justice in a homicide investigation and being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the killing of Kenneth Adams in the Lower 9th Ward on the night before Thanksgiving 2019. Police said Adams, a 36-year-old New Orleans native, was discovered with gunshot wounds to the back in the 5900 block of N. Robertson Street about 6:45 p.m. on Nov. 27, 2019. Paramedics pronounced him dead on the scene. Adams had been planning to spend the holiday with his mother. Landry, 41, was arrested in Jefferson Parish on a murder warrant in February 2020. He was in state custody at the Tensas Parish Detention Center as of Monday. Smith and Landry each face mandatory life without parole sentences if convicted as charged. Kolkata, April 6 : As West Bengal assembly election gears up for the crucial third phase of polling where the fate of 31 Assembly seats spread across three districts will be decided on Tuesday. Considering the sensitivity of these 31 seats the election commission has not only declared all the 10,871 booths sensitive but also made an extensive arrangement to avoid any kind of untoward situation. These 31 Assembly seats spread across South 24 parganas, Howrah and Hooghly are crucial both for the Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. Though in the last Parliamentary election the BJP won 18 seats but Assembly segment wise they only managed to get two out of the 31 seats that are going for the fray on Tuesday. The TMC despite its dismal performance was able to retain the rest of the 29 seats. Election analysts believe that if the TMC manages to retain its vote share in these 31 Assembly seats then they might have an edge in their run up to form the government. On the other hand, the BJP has left no stone unturned to make a dent into this Trinamool bastion. All prominent leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP President J.P. Nadda have held political rallies and roadshows here. The interest of the BJP leaders stem from the fact that TMC led in 164 Assembly segments in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and the BJP in 121 and if BJP can scoop out some seats then it will be strong step towards the majority. Factually, the 31 seats are divided among three districts where election will be held in 16 constituencies of South Parganas, 8 constituencies of Hooghly and 7 constituencies of Howrah. The total number of electors in these constituencies are 78,56,474 that includes 4,049 service voters with 39,97,218 are male electors and 38,59,013 female voters. The total number of polling stations are 10,871 that includes 8,480 main and 2,391 auxiliary booths. The number of 80 plus voters is 1,26,177 while 64,083 are PWD (Persons with Disabilities) voters. The total number of thirdgender voters is 243 while overseas voters are only two. The election data also shows that 205 candidates including 13 females from different political parties are in the fray for the third phase of polls. "The auxiliary booths have been set up to abide by the Covid norms in the voting process as per guidelines of the Commission that mandates that there should not be more than 1,000 voters in a particular booth," a senior official of the state CEO (Chief Electoral Officer) office said. The Election Commission has made an extensive arrangement to avoid any kind of untoward situation. The highest poll body has deployed 22 general observers, nine expenditure observers and seven police observers and 914 micro-observers for the third phase of polls. There will be webcasting facilities in 5,507 booths, video facility in 326 places. Apart from that there will be 1,694 CCTVs to monitor the polling process. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to deploy 618 companies of central forces for the third phase and has also retained another 89 companies of central forces from the second phase which are already stationed in South 24 Parganas and that pushes up the number of forces to 707 companies - the highest deployment in this election so far. South 24 Parganas divided into three police districts including Baruipur, Diamond Harbour and Sunderban -- has the highest deployment with 396 companies of central paramilitary forces for its 5,544 booths with a concentration of approximately 5.1 personnel per booth. According to sources in the commission, of the 396 companies 151 companies will be deployed in Baruipur PD, 113 companies in Diamond Harbour and another 132 companies have been commissioned for Sunderban PD. Apart from that another 166 companies will be deployed for eight Assembly constituencies of Hooghly and 133 companies for seven constituencies of Howrah rural areas. In Hooghly and Howrah, there are cumulatively 5,120 booths for which the commission has allotted 298 companies of central forces with a concentration of 4.1 personnel per booth. Sources in the commission said that the central forces will be used not only for booth management but will also accompany the Quick Response Teams. "The central forces will be mainly deployed in and around the booths and the state force will be used for the maintenance of law and order. The constables will be used for the queue management," the EC official said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text County officials established the foundation, the first of its kind in the state, five years ago from the proceeds of the 2007 sale of the county hospital after a change in state legislation allowed it to do so. Previously, those funds earned less than 1% a year in interest. Officials set up the foundation with the goal of reaping 5% in interest. Sofia, April 5 : A coalition between Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party and the right-wing Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) is leading in the country's parliamentary elections, according to exit polls. According to Alpha Research Agency's exit poll, GERB-UDF is expected to have 25.7 per cent of the votes, against 17.6 per cent for a five-party coalition led by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), reports Xinhua news agency. Similarly, an exit poll by Gallup said that GERB-UDF is leading the elections with 25.0 per cent. However, according to Gallup, "There Is Such A People" party comes second with 17.1 per cent, followed by BSP with 16.7 per cent. A total of 6,986 candidates from 22 political parties and eight coalitions are vying for the 240 seats in the National Assembly, the country's parliament. According to the country's legislation, parties and coalitions need to gain at least 4 per cent of the votes to enter the parliament. The National Assembly is elected for a term of four years. The official results are expected on Thursday. A total of 6.7 million voters were eligible to elect 240 MPs for the National Assembly. Android Auto users will soon see a greater variety of navigation, parking and charging apps on the Play Store. As of today, Google is allowing third-party developers to push software in those categories to production. That means you'll soon start seeing those apps show up on the Play Store. Google first said it would open up its marketplace to a greater variety of Android Auto applications last August. More recently, you've been able to check out some of those by applying to beta test them. Now that's no longer necessary. Before today's expansion, Google allowed third-party developers to release messaging and media apps for Android Auto, but not much else. As 9to5Google notes, the company had been reluctant to open the platform to other types of programs. A lot of that came down to its desire to ensure a safe experience for users. Even with today's announcement, the company is putting an emphasis on dev shops following its guidelines when making their software available on Android Auto. Social media users have been left baffled after Australian snake catchers challenged them to spot a serpent hiding in a backyard bush. Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers shared a picture of the thick hedge to Facebook on Sunday after being called out to a suburban home in Queensland to retrieve a carpet python. 'With the constant changes in the weather, we have had a pretty busy week with snakes on the move or curling up in the rain, just like the snake in this photo,' the catcher said. Social media users have been left baffled after Australian snake catchers challenged them to spot a serpent hiding in a backyard bush (pictured) The thick shrubbery provided the perfect camouflage for the seemingly invisible serpent. Snake catcher Stuart revealed the snake's hiding spot was to the left of the bush, curled up around the branches deep within the hedge. While a few eagle-eyed users spotted the serpent many were left scratching their heads - some even claimed the image was a hoax and did not feature a snake at all. Snake Catcher Stuart revealed the snake's hiding spot was to the left of the bush, curled up around the branches deep within the hedge 'I've spent ages looking and all I have is sore eyes,' one man said. 'I'll need to go to Specsavers. I can't see anything,' another commented. 'Is this a late April's Fools and we are all looking but there is nothing there,' another joked. The key equity indices further pared losses in mid-afternoon trade. Metal shares reversed early losses. At 14:26 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 829.91 points or 1.66% to 49,199.92. The Nifty 50 index tumbled 223.60 points or 1.50% to 14,643.75. The undertone of the market was still weak as a spike in domestic coronavirus cases and fresh curbs imposed by the state government dented investors' sentiment. In broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index slipped 1.29% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index declined 1.04%. The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 949 shares rose and 1920 shares fell. A total of 186 shares were unchanged. Numbers To Track: In the foreign exchange market, the partially convertible rupee fell to 73.33 compared with its previous closing of 73.12. The yield on 10-year benchmark federal paper fell to 6.140% as compared to its previous close of 6.177%. MCX Gold futures for 5 February 2021 settlement declined 0.05% to Rs 45,395. The US Dollar index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, shed 0.01% to 93.01. In the commodities market, Brent crude for June 2021 settlement fell $1.41 to $63.72 a barrel. The contract rose 3.38% or $2.12 to settle at $64.86 in the previous trading session. Buzzing Index: The Nifty Metal index was almost flat at 4,188.85. The index gained 12.69% in the past five sessions. APL Apollo Tubes (down 6.56%), Welspun Corp (down 5.02%), MOIL (down 2.85%), National Aluminum Co. (down 2.47%), Mishra Dhatu Nigam (down 2.32%) and Coal India (down 1.74%) declined. Meanwhile, Hindustan Zinc (up 6.05%), Hindustan Copper (up 4.98%), SAIL (up 4.41%), JSW Steel (up 1.44%), NMDC (up 1.37%) and Ratnamani Metals Tubes (up 1.22%) advanced. Stocks in Spotlight: IRCTC fell 2.97% to Rs 1699.95. IRCTC said that due to rising of corona cases in Maharashtra and Gujarat, services of Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express is being temporarily suspended for a period of one month with effect from 2 April 2021. Escorts slipped 2.81% to Rs 1238.05. Escorts Construction Equipment segment (ECE) in March 2021 sold 680 machines, its highest ever March sales, and registered a growth of 252.3% as against 193 machines sold in March 2020. Bharat Road Network (BRNL) rose 2.56% to Rs 30.05 after the company, along with its partners, signed a deal with Cube Highways for the sale of a 126-kilometre road project in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India. The said transaction is being done at an enterprise value (EV) of upto Rs 1600 crore. BRNL currently holds 39% stake in this project. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ADVERTISEMENT The Nigerian presidency has lashed out at the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, describing his Sundays criticism of the Muhammadu Buhari administration as ungodly. Mr Kukah had in his Easter Message on Sunday hit at the Buhari-led federal government over the grave security situation in Nigeria. Easter is the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is observed by Christian faithful across the globe. But in a full-throated reaction, to the bishops comment, presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said, All citizens have their individual ideologies, even their own versions of truth. But if you profess to being a man of God, as Father Mathew Hassan Kukah does, ideology should not stand in the way of facts and fairness. Father Kukah has said some things that are inexplicable in his Easter message. But, in saying that the Boko Haram terrorism is worse than it was in 2015, he did not speak like a man of God. Kukah should go to Borno or Adamawa to ask the citizens there the difference between 2014 and 2021. Furthermore, the Hijab issue in Kwara State on which he dwelt is a state matter which the courts of the land have adjudicated. They are matters that have appeared in several states as far back as the Obasanjo administration. In all of that, when and where did the name of President Buhari feature? He is playing partisan politics by dragging the President into it. An administration that has created a whole Ministry, for the first time in the countrys history, appropriating enormous resources to it, to deal with issues of internally displaced persons cannot, in all rightfulness be accused of not caring for them. Some of the comments are no more than a sample of the unrestrained rhetoric Fr. Kukah trades in, which he often does in the guise of a homily. We urge well-meaning citizens to continue to support the ongoing efforts by the administration to secure the country and move it forward. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WELCOME Beverly Jordan has joined the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission as the associate director. Prior to joining the MLK Commission, Jordan served as the outreach coordinator for the office of African American Affairs. Her focus in her new position will be planning, development and implementation statewide programs. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Wayne Propst has joined the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission as the chief of staff, effective April 19. Propst previously held the position of chief of staff for the Senate Finance Committee; and as the executive director for the public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico for nine years, where he helped develop comprehensive pension reform legislation in 2013 and 2020. Robin Dibble has joined Mtuccis Restaurants as assistant manager at Mtuccis Twenty-Five. Prior to joining Mtuccis Restaurants, Dibble was the general manager of Zinc Wine & Bistro. He also held positions with Buca di Beppo and P.F. Changs. He has an associates degree in culinary arts from CNM. ETC. Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation has added three new members to its Board of Directors. Michael M. Silva, Jr., Sonya Smith and James Zanios join the Foundations 30-member board. The mission of PHF is to raise and steward funds necessary to improve the health and lives in Presbyterian Healthcare Services communities. Silva is the owner of Albuquerque Tourism & Sightseeing Factory and Rude Boy Cookies. He has more than 20 years of hospitality and tourism industry experience with skills across several disciplines within the industry through experience in hotel sales, food and beverage operations, destination sales, restaurant management and not-for-profit management. In 2007, Silva co-founded ABQ Trolley Co., now a sub company of the newly named parent company, Albuquerque Tourism & Sightseeing Factory. AT&SF is the parent company of ABQ Trolley Co/The LUX, Albucreepy Downtown Ghost Walk, Duke City Pedaler and ABQ In Box. In 2014, Silva founded Rude Boy Cookies. In 2019, he was the recipient of the New Mexico Ethics in Business Awards honor for Individual Excellence in Ethical Business Practice. He holds a bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of New Mexico. Smith, Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico Department of Veterans, is a veteran and health care professional. In the Gulf War, she served as a medical technician in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. A member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, she received an honorable discharge. Smith most recently worked at the New Mexico Department of Health as a special projects coordinator, specifically helping guide the efforts of the agencys COVID-19 testing team. Prior to that, she served as director of compliance and primary care programs at Southwest Care Center in Santa Fe, and before that she worked as the clinical compliance manager at the University of New Mexico Truman Health Services clinic. She has a bachelors degree in health services management from Norfolk State University. Zanios, Business Insurance Specialist at USI Southwest, was born and raised in Albuquerque. He attended Albuquerque Academy before receiving his bachelors degree in Distribution Management from The University of Southern California. Upon graduation, he returned to Albuquerque for a 13-year career with his familys company, Zanios Foods Inc., where he worked at every level, eventually becoming part of the executive committee, until the family sold the company in late 2009. Over the next nine years, he spent time owning and managing a small used-car operation, which led to his role as the executive director of the New Mexico Independent Auto Dealers Association until the end of 2017. In spring 2018, he joined join USI as a business insurance specialist, applying his knowledge of risk management from his time with Zanios Foods and its complex operations. Startups will showcase their innovative solutions in various verticals: digital assets, fintech, sportstech, and salestech Tweet this DLCC is a fintech company that offers institutional-grade prime brokerage tools and services for digital assets. The company built a solution that enables traditional asset managers and allocators, like family offices, global macro hedge funds and endowments, to participate in the digital asset space. SubStrata is an Israel-based B2B sales technology company whose AI-powered social signal processing platform helps professional dealmakers attain better outcomes. SubStrata's technology analyzes the subtextual information contained in communications to provide dealmakers with a rich array of insight. iLoto - is a Singapore-based Edtech solution powered by AI that generates automated video transcription and translation in 30+ languages. Storkcard is a London-based budgeting tool that takes the guesswork out of financial planning for new parents by allowing users to keep track of their spending and budget for the future. Kotani Pay is a payment solution enabling blockchain protocols, dapps and blockchain fintech companies to reach a wider audience. OmniEyes is a Taiwan-based computer vision company whose AI-based solution enables effective fleet management, driver safety and smart city management features. RSVP to the free event here . Demo Day will stream on Zoom (by invite only) and Aves Lair's Youtube channel , and will be followed by an invite-only networking event. Click here for more information on Demo Day . Investors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, scholars and community leaders worldwide are encouraged to attend. For more information on the featured companies, and to participate in the Zoom session and networking event, please select the "Press" or "Investor" option when purchasing a ticket. Media Contact: Milo Wang [email protected] Aves Lair is a seed-stage accelerator based in NYC. Every six months, we invest $100k in each company that is ready to take on our program. Our twelve-week plan of action leverages our network of global industry and academic leaders in AI, blockchain, cloud and data analytics to develop innovative solutions for our companies. SOURCE Aves Lair Related Links http://aveslair.com/ Dublin city had the highest crime rates in Ireland last year with gardai in Louth and Waterford also investigating more offences than the national average per 100,000 of population. Figures analysed by the Irish Independent show that the Dublin City Council (DCC) area was highest for five common crimes; drugs, thefts, assaults, public order and possession of weapons. Outside of the capital, instances of these crime groups were high in Waterford, Cork and Louth, where gardai have had significant successes in targeting two feuding criminal gangs in Drogheda. While most serious crime categories have decreased as a result of restrictions introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, some offences increased in 2020. In particular, drugs and weapons crimes have risen and, while assaults have dropped overall, attacks on women have not dropped as sharply compared to assaults on men. Data shows that DCC, which covers a densely populated area from Ballymun to Donnybrook, had the highest crime rates in the country last year. The local authority area includes the city centre and has a population of around 544,544. For public order offences, there were 1,424 reported per 100,000 in the city last year, almost double that of the second highest rate in Galway, which saw 838 per 100,000. Co Cork was the third highest with 766 per 100,000, with similar figures recorded in Waterford (758) and Louth (733) which were fourth and fifth for public order crimes. The county with the lowest crime rate per 100,000 for this category was Meath at 291. DCC also saw the most drug offences reported in 2020, with 928 per 100,000, with the South Dublin County Council (SDCC) area second at 843. Drug crimes, which have increased across Ireland, were also high in Louth (717), due in part to the success of Operation Stratus introduced to target crime gangs in Drogheda. Waterford had 665 drugs offences per 100,000 followed by Cork (615), with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown having the lowest reported drug crimes with 227 per 100,000. The DCC area reported 619 assaults per 100,000 last year, with Waterford (539) and Louth (544) also having higher than average assaults. The Cavan/Monaghan Garda division reported 464 assaults and related offences per 100,000 people living there, while Cork saw 464. The area with the lowest rate of reported assaults, 215 per 100,000, were Kilkenny and Carlow which are policed by the same Garda division. Weapons and firearms offences, a crime category which rose by 14.9pc countrywide last year, was among the highest in two Dublin areas. DCC saw 151 offences per 100,000, followed by SDCC, an area which includes Clondalkin, Lucan and Tallaght, where 76 incidents were reported per 100,000 of population. Outside of the capital the highest weapons offence rates were reported in Louth (99), Waterford (95) and Cork (79). Gardai in Mayo dealt with the lowest number of firearms offences in 2020, with 26 per 100,000 of the population. Theft crimes, the most common offence reported last year, with over 50,000 recorded, was highest in the four local authorities in Dublin. DCC reported 2,634 per 100,000 of population, followed by Fingal (1,577), SDCC (1579) and Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown (1,342). The highest theft rates outside the county were in Limerick, with 1,322 per 100,000, with the lowest theft rate recorded in Donegal with 332 per 100,000. New Delhi: 22 security personnel lost their lives while several sustained injuries after a party of jawans were ambushed by Maoists near Jonnaguda village along the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chhatisgarh's Bijapur. Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary dedicated Monday's (April 5) edition of DNA to the jawans who lost their lives in the attack. "Hafiz se pehle Hidma" (Hidma before Hafiz) was the call he gave as he initiated a very important discussion on the Naxal terror that has troubled India for decades. We are all indebted to the soldiers who laid down their lives trying to keep us, the citizens, safe. We salute and thank them. It has become like a common ritual, to pay respects and shed tears for the soldiers when such an incident occurs, and then we hope that it will not happen next time. But there is always a next time and this needs to be stopped. These soldiers did not lose their lives fighting terrorists on borders or soldiers of an enemy nation, but they were killed in an attack by our own people. We, therefore, demand that Madvi Hidma, who is the mastermind of this attack, should be caught and punished even before we nab Hafiz Saeed, who operates from a different country. The priority should be to nab the Naxalites and end the movement once and for all. Hidma is 40 years old. He has been active in the naxal-affected area of Chhatisgarh for the last 25 years. He is a notorious criminal known for several violent acts. Incidentally, he is also a part of a 20-member central committee of CPI(M). Hidma leads a battalion of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, which is celebrating PLGA year this time. This indicates that the group may carry out more attacks like these in near future. Hence, the Indian government must act before something untoward happens again. To avenge the Pulwama attack in which 40 of our soldiers were killed, we conducted airstrikes in Pakistan. We also conducted a surgical strike to avenge our soldier's deaths. We need something similar to be done here. It is easy to fight against enemies across the border, but the battle becomes tough when it is against own people. People who are helping Naxalites like Hidma, give them money, arms and other support belong to this very country. Last year, the US assassinated Iran commander Soleimani by carrying out a bomb blast while sitting thousands of miles away. Technology has made it possible to conduct such attacks remotely and efficiently. That is what India needs to do against people like Hidma. If not brought under control, one day these Naxalites will enter our cities and homes and then it would be too late. The government should, therefore, act quickly and put an end to the 'Red Terror'. Live TV The owner of a Slidell construction firm caught up in a federal investigation into First NBC Bank founder Ashton Ryan Jr. is set to plead guilty to a charge of conspiring to defraud the failed New Orleans bank. Jeffrey Dunlap, 45, will change his plea to guilty on Oct. 17, according to court records. That will make him the first person convicted in connection with the bank's stunning $1 billion collapse in April 2017. He is accused of filing bogus paperwork with Ryans knowledge to secure a line of credit from First NBC that eventually topped $22 million. Ryan was allegedly extending the loans even as Ryan's own debts to a company owned by Dunlap mounted. Dunlaps decision to plead guilty is not a surprise. When he was initially charged, in May, the charge came in a bill of information rather than from a grand jury, generally a sign that a defendant has worked out a plea deal. And his lawyer, Walter Becker, signaled at the time that a guilty plea was coming, telling reporters that Mr. Dunlap accepts responsibility for his actions and is working toward a resolution with the government." Its not clear why it has taken five months for Dunlap to be re-arraigned. Typically, those charged in bills of information plead guilty within weeks. Becker said Tuesday that there was "nothing peculiar" about the delay. When Dunlap does enter his guilty plea, hell have to sign whats known as a factual basis. Its a summary of the case against the defendant, in which the defendant must admit certain conduct. Whats contained within that document can have a major impact on a defendants sentence. Prosecutors have charged that Dunlap gave First NBC bogus or misleading documents, such as inflated accounts receivables, to support his requests for loans. Dunlap did so at the behest of Ryan, who needed the paperwork to extend the loans, according to the government. Meanwhile, Ryan in a private business venture was busy piling up a multimillion-dollar debt to Dunlap's firm, Phoenix Civil Contractors. Ryan first talked to Dunlap about hiring Phoenix in March 2009, and gave the company access to a line of credit a few months later. A lawsuit filed by Phoenix last year, along with the court documents charging Dunlap, alleged that Ryan by 2017 owed Phoenix roughly $5.5 million, and that he used First NBCs funds to stave off his own obligations. Each time Phoenix's loan from the bank became due, Ryan referenced his own debt to Phoenix in bank paperwork to justify the loan's creditworthiness, according to the documents. 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 documents charging Dunlap do not refer to Ryan by name; Justice Department guidelines bar accusing people of crimes by name in court documents when, like Ryan, they have yet to be charged. But the allegations related to Bank President A are clearly aimed at Ryan: They match details of his career, and the claims mirrors others lodged in Dunlap's civil suit. Moreover, the documents make clear that Ryan is a target, if not the main target, of the federal probe. Its been at least a year since the grand jury began looking into the banks collapse, the costliest failure of an American bank since 2010. One focus of the probe has been understanding the dealings between Ryan and Phoenix and in particular, Ryans efforts to develop a 161-acre tract of land in Mandeville through a firm called Wadsworth Estates. That firm is co-owned by Ryan and Warren Treme. Treme did not return phone messages from The Advocate. Ryans lawyer, Eddie Castaing, said his client denies committing fraud, and added that if Dunlap lied on loan paperwork, thats on him. Its apparent that Jeffrey Dunlap committed fraud against the bank, and so he ought to plead guilty, Castaing said in March. He also committed fraud against Ashton Ryan by providing false information to Mr. Ryan and the bank, upon which Mr. Ryan relied. Castaing said this week he stands by those remarks. Dunlap filed his civil suit against Ryan in November in the 22nd Judicial District. In February, Castaing requested a stay in the civil case because of the grand jury's investigation. His motion warned that if the civil case proceeded simultaneously, Ryan's "risk of self-incrimination is real and immediate." A judge agreed to put the bulk of the civil proceedings on hold, which is common when civil proceedings are overtaken by criminal investigations. Castaing's motion suggested that federal prosecutors were evaluating whether Ryan or other bank executives and directors were negligent, failed in their fiduciary duty to oversee the business, or benefited personally from a business relationship, like extending the line of credit. Australia's mass rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations faces more delays with the planned involvement of individual community chemists pushed back until June, while experts hold emergency meetings on AstraZeneca side effects. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation will meet again on Wednesday to discuss blood clots developed by a 44-year-old Victorian man, but Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd said he was 'absolutely comfortable' with Australians receiving the jab. The European Union has blocked more than three million doses from being exported to Australia over the past month, leaving local authorities scrambling to ramp up on-shore production as the nation's vaccination program falls behind schedule. The government plans to use GP clinics as the hubs of the vaccine rollout once all over-50s are made eligible next month, but some experts say more industrial-scale facilities are needed to get Australia up to the speed of many foreign nations who are vaccinating are much faster rates. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) will meet on Wednesday to weigh up the risks and benefits of AstraZeneca vaccine 'Our distribution should be more fine-tuned to using community centres,' Andrew Liveris, special advisor to the National Covid Commission, said. 'Why are we restricting it to just GP clinics?' he told The Australian. Pharmacy Guild of Australia president Trent Twomey said delays in chemist involvement meant individual community pharmacists would start giving out jabs at least a month later than expected. 'The next logical step is to activate community pharmacies to ensure we do have that widespread access,' Professor Twomey said. 'Pharmacists manage supply chain logistics of medicines for a living. We can do it better than any other healthcare provider because we do it day in and day out.' But as pressure grows on the federal government to expedite the rollout, there are concerns that bad publicity surrounding the AstraZeneca vaccine could result in a low take-up of the locally manufactured jab. Incidences of blood clots among a small fraction of recipients of the vaccine have caused the AstraZeneca product to be suspended in some European countries, and Australian authorities are examining whether similar measures should be introduced here, which would result in very lengthy delays to the nationwide immunity target. An urgent investigation into the vaccine was started after a Melbourne man who received the jab in March was last week hospitalised with a rare blood clotting condition. Experts have been holding talks with European regulators to determine whether the 44-year-old's low blood platelets and 22 other similar cases in the UK are linked to the vaccine. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) will convene on Wednesday to weigh up the risks and benefits of AstraZeneca jabs once further information is provided from international discussions. 'We anticipate more information from international regulators, and when the outcomes of ongoing investigations of this case will be available that will enable us to assess the risks and benefits of this vaccine for the Australian population,' ATAGI said in a statement. An investigation was launched into the potential side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine after a Melbourne man developed blood clots after receiving the AstraZeneca jab (pictured) Dr Kidd dismissed suggestions the vaccine poses any serious threat and the government's medical advice remains unchanged. He said there was no 'definitive evidence' the vaccination caused the Australian man's condition but his symptoms are 'consistent with what we've seen in international reports of similar cases'. It was important to note from the overseas experience that one to two cases of thrombosis have been recorded in one million people who receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, he added. 'By contrast, we know that the risk of death from Covid-19 remains at 1 to 2 deaths per 100 people infected,' Dr Kidd said. Dr Kidd insisted the vaccine rollout should continue as planned to protect Australians. 'Although we currently have no cases of community transmission in Australia, we are permanently at risk of being on the brink of another outbreak,' he said. A healthcare worker is seen preparing to administer AstraZeneca covid19 vaccinations inside of the Royal Exhibition Centre in Melbourne 'There will be inevitably more cases of community transmission, especially when our nation starts to open up further to the rest of the world.' 'We need to continue to protect our population through our voluntary vaccination program and through the public health measures which have been in place throughout the pandemic.' The patient at the centre of the investigation got the jab on March 22 and later presented to Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne suffering fever and abdominal pain. He was found to have blood clots in his abdomen and a very low platelet count, prompting concerns from doctors. Although there is no hard proof the AstraZeneca product can cause thrombosis syndromes in rare cases, the Australian Government has warned doctors and recipients to be on high alert. 'People should be particularly alert to severe persistent headaches occurring four to 20 days after vaccination and which are different to the usual pattern of headaches and do not settle with over-the-counter painkillers,' Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd said on Friday. 'If you received the AstraZeneca vaccine and experience symptoms of persistent headaches or other worrying symptoms four to 20 days after the vaccine, you should seek medical advice.' The man's symptoms are similar to those of prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia in some patients who also had the vaccine. Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd (pictured) said the condition was rare and has insisted the vaccine rollout continue as planned Some countries restricted use of the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19 while others have resumed inoculations, as investigations into reports of rare, and sometimes severe, blood clots continue. Most Australians will receive the AstraZeneca jab rather than the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization have said the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks, but are monitoring the developing situation as more cases are reported. AstraZeneca, an Anglo-Swedish company, said earlier in March its vaccine was 76 per cent effective in preventing symptomatic coronavirus infections in a US trial, and that studies did not indicate higher risks of clotting. General practices involved in the national coronavirus vaccine rollout is expected to double to 3000 by the end of this week after tensions erupted between state and federal governments over the slow progress of the program. Pictured: A nurse preparing a vaccine at a Darwin GP clinic Almost 842,000 doses have been administered since the program started more than a month ago, albeit well short of the four million vaccinations originally promised by the Morrison government by the end of March. Over the past week, tensions flared between state and federal governments over who was to blame for the slow rollout of the vaccine program. The government expects the program will also now speed up with CSL pumping out the AstraZeneca vaccine for domestic use. Nationals deputy leader David Littleproud has gone from blaming the states for the pace of the vaccine rollout to scolding the European Union for blocking supply. Mr Littleproud argued Australia had been 'badly let down' by the EU. 'This is the biggest vaccination program our country has ever seen and it's important we understand what's happening with it,' he told the Nine Network. 'The arithmetic is simple on this. We are three million short because of the EU, who cut us short.' But Labor frontbencher Pat Conroy said the rollout had been plagued by chaos and dysfunction. Mr Conroy said one of the largest GP clinics in his electorate was set back by several days when a shipment of vaccines was sent to the wrong address. Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination at a Darwin GP clinic on March 22 His electorate is home to 24,000 constituents over the age of 70, who have no clear idea of when they will receive their two doses of vaccinations. 'This isn't about politics,' Mr Conroy said on Monday. 'We've got both Labor and Liberal state governments saying the federal government is delivering this in a substandard, unacceptable way.' Australian Medical Association ACT president Antonio Di Dio told reporters that getting vaccinated was a crucial step in tackling this 'ghastly illness'. 'We are very, very optimistic about the effectiveness of the vaccine and we encourage very strongly all Australians who are eligible to check that eligibility,' he said. A man infected with the South African strain of the virus remains in a critical condition in the Royal Adelaide Hospital. There were 10 new cases of Covid-19 among returned overseas travellers already in quarantine, but there were no new cases of community transmission anywhere across the country on Monday. Data from the third NurseGrid survey was recently released, showing that nurses sense of well-being has significantly declined throughout the pandemic. Notably, rates of self-reported burnout swelled to 61 percent, a sharp increase from 25 percent in September. The December survey results also show that more than 20 percent of nurses report that they plan to leave bedside nursing or leave nursing entirely by 2021. The recent data compiles survey answers from December 9-18, 2020. The aim of the third survey was to update the first two surveys (completed in April and September of 2020) and draw out trends in nurses mental health as the pandemic continues to rage. NurseGrid is an application widely used by nurses across the country to access work-related information, such as scheduling and communicating with co-workers. It was used as a platform for the survey in collaboration with the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). The sample size for the third survey was 10,017 nurses. A nurse looking out a hospital window (Credit: pexels.com/EVG Photos) The three NurseGrid surveys bring out changes in nurses main concerns throughout the progression of the pandemic. In April, the survey showed nurses mainly concerned about shortages of PPE and ventilators, whereas in December a majority of nurses reported concerns centered on shortages of nurses and ICU beds. However, PPE remains a concern with only 42.7 percent of surveyed nurses reporting an adequate supply of PPE. Many nurses are still forced to reuse hospital-provided PPE or purchase their own PPE. While the research included in this article relates to nurses, nurses are just one subset of the health care workforce. Health care workers function as a team, and COVID-19 has affected everyone, from environmental services to staff physicians to transport workers. On a Facebook group of certified nurse assistants (CNAs), a recent discussion of burnout brought the aforementioned data to life. All names have been changed to protect their identities. Grace, a CNA at a long-term care facility, wrote: Every day were expected to do more in less time. Getting more and more short staffed by the day. Theres a big division between nurses and CNAs at my workplace, the aides get treated like crap. ... We have mandatory overtime. Were in low census, but it seems like the highest resident count we have ever had because all the residents we have are in need of so much help. Another CNA, in the same Facebook thread, added: Burnout is everywhere. I might be looking into a career change. I love what I do ... but I feel like Im not making a difference. Others in the discussion expressed a similar desire to leave their jobs or careers entirely. Burnout is a phenomenon characterized by emotional exhaustion, lack of motivation and feelings of frustration. In the 1980s, researchers Christina Maslach and Susan E. Jackson were the first to quantify burnout, developing a scale called the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The MBI is widely used today in multiple variations. Maslachs definition of burnout is widely understood today as a state of mind developed over time in response to excessive stress at work, characterized by feeling emotionally drained, having a detached response to other people and lacking interest in improving work performance. While greatly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of burnout among health care workers is not new. A theoretical review published in 2020 summarized findings from 91 different peer-reviewed papers on burnout in nurses from 1976 to 2019. Authors found that high workload, value incongruence, low control over the job, low decision latitude, poor social climate/social support and low rewards are predictors of burnout. The entire review can be read here, but for the purposes of this article, only a few of the theorized causes of burnoutpatient requirements, value congruence and workloadwill be discussed. Four of the reviewed papers investigated the relationship of burnout to patient characteristics/requirements. Overall the papers found that nurses were more likely to report being emotionally exhausted and growing cynical when taking care of suffering patients or patients with complex needs. Caring for a high number of patients, who are dying or have decided to withdraw life-sustaining treatment, was also shown to result in higher burnout scores. Seven of the eight studies on value congruencethe extent to which a persons personal principles line up with the requirements of the jobshowed an inverse correlation with burnout. Low value congruence tended to predict burnout, in accordance with the MBI. High workload has a high association with the development of emotional exhaustion. Twelve of the 13 studies that focused on high workload found this connection. Poor staffing levels, often causing high workload for those nurses left on the floor, was also independently shown to predict burnout in 12 of the 15 studies focused on staffing. The voices of health care workers confirm that COVID-19 greatly exacerbated conditions that research has shown may lead to burnout. In Facebook discussions, health care workers described witnessing high rates of death, being overwhelmed by the care of very complex patients in COVID ICUs, feeling ethically and morally exhausted as they are unable to care for patients properly due to lack of time or staff, working longer hours with less staff and taking on higher patient loads. In many cases health care workers must take on the additional role of support or comfort for scared, lonely and dying patients unable to see family members as a result of restricted visitation. In a respiratory therapist (RT) group on Facebook, Martha, a retired respiratory therapist from Kansas with over 40 years experience, described the workday for an RT before COVID-19. We [RTs] are always multitaskersin any given day we work ED, NICU, ICU, med-surg, oncology, PACU, etc. There are maybe 34 staff members or even just one person sometimes covering all those areas. We run the gamut of the hospital or facility every day. ... Our daily patient loads per shift consist of many patients sometimes 3040 different patients per shift that we each see multiple times per shift. During COVID-19, Martha described the additional challenges that arose: On top of all this we added COVID patients which just preparing to see (due to PPE) was time consuming, and the level of care they take is enormous. Yes, we are burnt out. We added intensive COVID patients to our already extensive list for the shift. RTs are tired, just as is the rest of the team. In her comments she insisted that the entire hospital staff was affected by the additional stress brought on by COVID-19from environmental services, laundry workers and kitchen staff to nurses and transport workers. Martha closed her statement: Hardest of all, [RTs] are too many times the last voice a patient hears before we extubate them and let them go. So after all the other things we do, end of life care is added to the listwe are seeing/doing way too much of that and it takes a toll. Covid just added to the myriad of reasons healthcare workers burn out. Jamie, a CNA, expressed similar feelings of emotional and physical exhaustion. Im really burnt out. So overworked and underpaid. Were having to work one aide to 3040 residents a day ... and having to help other units as well because its been so hard on all of us that many are so tired and overworked that people are calling off or quitting. Most of us are so anxious before we go into work ... we feel sick and dizzy. Jamie works in a nursing home and stated that with the onset of COVID-19, staffing became much worse as co-workers fell ill or quit in order not to put their families at an increased risk of contracting the deadly virus. She also described how patient care suffers as a result of COVID-19 and burnout of health care staff, a phenomenon which is backed by the results of the aforementioned theoretical review. Evidence from 17 of the included studies pointed to the negative effects of burnout on patient care. Areas of patient care including safety, adverse events, medication errors, patient falls, patient dissatisfaction, and family complaints are possibly increased on units or in facilities where staff suffer from high levels of burnout. This, in turn, has the potential to further increase burnout, disturbing health care workers who joined the medical field to help patients. The residents seem to be weaker and like theyre giving up because they dont have anything to look forward to now that families arent allowed in, Jamie wrote. Even housekeeping isnt getting done because nobody wants to go into sick peoples rooms to clean and there is nobody in laundry anymore so rags and clothes etc. arent getting washed. Were wiping people with pillowcases and sheets. Its quite sad really. I feel like before COVID all of us were at least not overworked. Being overworked on top of being underpaid on top of no staff is killing us and making the patients suffer. LPCC staff fire chemical agents at detainees who were protesting in a housing area, in Eloy, Arizona, on April 13, 2020. (LPCC via DHS OIG) DHS Watchdog Finds Mistreatment of Illegal Immigrants at Holding Facility A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detention facility took an average of more than three days to respond to sick call requests and didnt enforce COVID-19 pandemic precautions, a watchdog found. An unannounced remote inspection of the Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) La Palma Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona, last year uncovered the violations, which were made public in a report published last week by the DHS Office of Inspector General. ICE is a federal law enforcement agency thats a component of DHS. Watchdog officials directed a livestream video walk-through of the illegal immigrant holding site, inspecting detainee housing units, the kitchen, and medical units, among other areas. Officials also reviewed surveillance footage from various places inside the facility, and interviewed ICE personnel, detainees, and facility employees. The inspection, which ran from August to November 2020, identified violations of ICE detention standards that threatened the health, safety, and rights of detainees, the watchdog report stated, adding that detainee reports and grievances allege an environment of mistreatment and verbal abuse, including in response to peaceful detainee protests of the facilitys handling of the pandemic. The correctional facility didnt enforce ICE precautions such as the recommended use of face coverings and didnt meet standards for medical care, segregation, and communication of detainee grievances. That lack of enforcement may have contributed to a COVID-19 outbreak that saw some 17 percent of the 1,223 detainees test positive for the disease on Aug. 19, 2020. The medical unit, which was critically understaffed, took an average of 3.35 days to respond to detainee sick call requests and neglected to fill some prescriptions. The facility didnt consistently provide required care for illegal immigrants in segregation, and didnt consistently record when medicine was given or when medical visits were conducted. Additionally, the facility did not give timely responses to most detainee grievances and, in some cases, did not respond at all. Detainees complained to watchdog officials about alleged excessive use of force, including the use of pepper spray, pepper balls, and chemical agents. Officials confirmed that such substances have been used to end protests, such as one on April 13, 2020. In this still image from surveillance video, LPCC detainees protest in a housing area before being dispersed by officers using chemical agents, in Eloy, Ariz., on April 13, 2020. (LPCC via DHS OIG) An image from surveillance video showed facility staff deploying the agents to bring an end to the protest. Juliana Manzanarez, an attorney representing several detainees, told 12 News that he wasnt surprised by the report findings. Some of the things that were listed in the report are not new and unfortunately people that are in detention have to deal with that, the attorney added. ICE said in a statement that it is committed to ensuring that all those in our custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments and under appropriate conditions of confinement. Many practices initiated at La Palma, such as the 14-day quarantine period, resulted in reduced detainee-to-detainee exposure among the general population, and this aspect was acknowledged in the OIG draft report, the agency stated. ICE takes issue with the accuracy of other findings in the draft report which relied on uncorroborated allegations and lack of appropriate context regarding medical staffing. CoreCivic, a company that helps manage the facility, said the report included numerous falsehoods about the facility. We operate every day in a challenging environment that was made all the more difficult by a pandemic with which the entire world has and continues to struggle with, a spokesperson told news outlets. We always appreciate the feedback and accountability that our partners provide, and we strive every day to do better in our service to them and the people in our care. A follow-up inspection in January found improved compliance with pandemic-related standards. What you need to know for Monday, April 5, 2021 Todays weather High: 69; Low: 45. Mostly sunny. Photo of the day An Easter community celebration was held at Sunshine Park, Harrisburg, on Saturday. Photo by Vicki Vellios Briner, for PennLive.com.Vicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLive Todays talkers Plan early: If youre planning a beach vacation this year, youd better book quickly. Lots of other pandemic-weary people have the same idea. Read more. See also: Boardwalk merchant dies after confrontation Students + shots: Students attending Rutgers or Cornell universities in the fall will have to have a COVID-19 vaccination. Several Pa. colleges are also discussing whether to make that a requirement. Read more. Prison protest: The family of a teenager found dead in Dauphin County Prison rallied there on Saturday, the latest in a series of protests about conditions and transparency at the facility. Read more. Updates Warning signs: An 11-year-old boys drowning in York County has prompted the Army Corp of Engineers to place warning signs at other dams. Read more. Student killed: A 16-year-old shot to death near his home was a Sci-Tech High student. No arrests have been made. Read more. See also: Sex offender pleads guilty to killing teen Bit of closure: A Lancaster County mother of six was laid to rest the same day an arrest was made in the road-rage shooting that killed her. Read more. In sports Penn State: Around the rest of the Big Ten, each program is approaching the possibility of attendance at a spring game or open practice differently. See what they are doing. Read more. Track & field: Cumberland Valley girls take the starring role at the Bruce Davis Invitational, and Brady Bigger and State College shine on the boys side. In brief Anniversary of MLK Jr.s assassination | Helicopter crashes in Lebanon County | Body reported on I-83 was actually sex doll: police | Pet crematory plan rejected by township | Get the most out of your 2021 vegetable garden | Pa. Capitol Police mourn death of K-9 | Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has enforced the National Security and Defense Councils sanctions against the Russian Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation, Volga-Dnepr Co, and 77 more companies, as follows from the presidential decree posted on his offices website on Sunday. Among the blacklisted Russian companies are SNABKOM, Zvyozdochka special production and technical base, Speagregat plant, Molot-Mekhanika plant, Sevmormasj-2M Sevastopol machine-building plant, Dalzavod ship repairs center, Sevastopol machine tool plant, 322 and 514 aircraft repairs plants. Along with Russian companies, the sanctions also cover several Ukrainian and foreign companies. Personal sanction were also slapped on ten Ukrainian nationals, who "are the top ten Ukrainian smugglers," according to President Zelensky. The Russian Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad set up its office in Ukraine in 2007. It operates under the agreement on information and cultural centers approved by the Ukrainian and Russian governments. In accordance with this agreement, Ukraines National Cultural Center functions in Moscow, TASS reported. I was particularly struck by Friday's comments from Mark Lindsay, chairman of the Police Federation NI, when he said: "I think it is one of the most disappointing things, 23 years on today from the Good Friday Agreement, that policing has never been more politicised - it has never been more toxic in our society." And responding to a question about the calls for Chief Constable Simon Byrne's resignation, he noted: "They are very worrying. I think whenever we see unionism almost united over this, I think it presents problems for everybody." It reminded me of another time when the relationship between the police and a section of unionism was maybe just as toxic. It was in June 1986, when unionists were still organising protests against the Anglo-Irish Agreement and the RUC was policing a particular event at which Ian Paisley was present. As the crowd were pushed back the future First Minister roared to a senior officer: "Don't come crying to me if your homes are attacked. You will reap what you sow." During those continuing protests against the AIA, the homes of over 500 RUC personnel were attacked, picketed or threatened by militant elements of unionism/loyalism and over 150 police families had to move for safety reasons. It was a particularly tough time for the force: their job was to uphold the law and obey orders, yet there had always been a sense of being safer living within the wider pro-Union community. It was never quite the same afterwards. I'm not suggesting we have reached that point of distrust right now, but it is worrying that elements of loyalism in particular accuse the PSNI of a two-tier attitude to policing gatherings and of serving a Sinn Fein agenda. Add to that the fact that the Loyalist Communities Council has already said that on-the-ground community spokesmen will not be liaising with the PSNI at future events in loyalist areas; while the Grand Orange Lodge of Belfast is presently reviewing 'engagement' with the PSNI during the coming marching season. Here is the dilemma for mainstream unionism: accusing the PSNI of facilitating IRA funerals and letting Sinn Fein get away with everything is picked up and spread across social media. Worse, it is spread without filter or context and posted over and over again. Which means it will, at some point, be picked up and acted upon and probably end in confrontation, arrests and injury - often serious - to police officers. So yes, words do count. Tweets and Facebook messages count even more. That is why the leadership of unionism needs to find a way of nuancing their anger and saying absolutely nothing which can be construed as incitement. Because if they don't, then any post-riot condemnation and 'don't get involved in stuff like this' advice will, inevitably, fall on deaf ears. It is also worth remembering that many of the 'old hands' of loyalism were originally recruited into paramilitarism after they had experienced their first couple of riots. And it is probably also worth noting that many of the younger rioters we have seen over the past few days - some barely teenagers - probably have as much contempt for mainstream unionist leaders as they do for the PSNI and media. It might help if there was an unambiguous joint statement from the DUP, UUP, TUV, PUP, LCC and Orange Order condemning the riots and rioters: and which doesn't include lines like, 'we can understand why they've been driven to it.' It would also help if the statement was used to narrow rather than widen the present levels of distrust between the PSNI and some elements of unionism: acknowledging, for instance, that frontline officers are in a very difficult position. There is no possible, plausible 'understanding' for why anyone would attack the PSNI. There is no justification for the riots. They are wrong. Plain and simple. And the leadership of political unionism, loyalism and the loyal orders need to make that very clear. Because, if they don't, it will only get worse. "Sullivan was chosen for our program due to their tremendous culinary programs with high schools around the country and their willingness to help our top students in the HUNCH culinary challenge achieve scholarships and learning through their programs." - Alli Westover, NASA Project Engineer In a unique partnership combining education and space travel, Sullivan University's renowned College of Hospitality Studies Culinary Arts Program is teaming with NASA's HUNCH program on a competition to select a food item that will be served to the crew of the International Space Station. During April, Sullivan chefs will make the recipes created by the top 10 high school cooking teams from around the country that are competing for college scholarships in The NASA Hunch Culinary Challenge, which develops food items for the astronauts aboard the Space Station. This challenge encompasses knowledge of space physiology, food science, and processing food for the microgravity environment. "Sullivans Chefs will have a tremendous role this year," said Alli Westover, a NASA project engineer who manages the HUNCH culinary program. "Sullivan was chosen for our program due to their tremendous culinary programs with high schools around the country and their willingness to help our top students in the HUNCH culinary challenge achieve scholarships and learning through their programs." "Sullivan University is the first university to team up with NASA Hunch and award scholarships for top teams," said Domonic Tardy, the Sullivan University Regional Chef Representative who helped forge the university's partnership with NASA. "Being able to partner with the NASA Hunch program brings such excitement to Sullivan University," Chef Tardy said. "We are able to support the students and partner with something as amazing as NASA to make a difference in students' lives. These students get to create a recipe and the winning meal goes to space. What an honor!" The HUNCH mission is to empower and inspire students through a Project Based Learning program where high school students learn 21st century skills and have the opportunity to launch their careers through the participation in the design and fabrication of real-world valued products for NASA. Each year there is a new theme given out to the schools where the students create new dishes taking into account food processing procedure and nutritional requirements so that their items will meet the standards of the NASA Johnson Space Center Food Lab. Last year's competition theme was international food; this year the theme is healthy comfort food. Normally, the final competition for the top 10 teams is judged by a panel of NASA personnel, including astronauts. Last year, Sullivan University chefs served as judges and the university awarded scholarships to members of the winning team. Sullivan was the first university to award scholarships to top team members. "People often complement a great dish by saying that its out of this world," said Chef David Hendricksen, Dean of Sullivan University's College of Hospitality Studies. "This competition is a chance for students to create a dish that is truly out of this world!" But the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shutdown of the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, and spurred some creativity by the event organizers for this year's competition. "Since we are not able to have our normal event, we wanted to get creative and asked if Sullivan could help us by making the top 10 recipes and then have a judging panel to help evaluate the recipes," Westover said. "Sullivan has offered to Zoom with the top 10 teams in regard to their recipes and to have a Facebook live event when they are cooking and judging the food. This will be an incredible opportunity for the HUNCH Culinary challenge to finalize this event for all of the students involved." Sullivan chef representatives will create the students' recipes, meeting individually and virtually with each team to help in defining their full version of the recipe. "The students have to meet many kinds of requirements as far as flavor, spices, and the nutritional value in order to qualify for being a meal that could be taken to space," Chef Tardy said. "The winning meals will be either freeze dried, thermostabalized, or vacuum sealed so they can be sent up to the International Space Station." Chef Tardy learned about the HUNCH Culinary Competition two years ago while on a recruiting visit to Warren Career Center in southern Ohio. He was asked to serve as a judge and learned that NASA was hoping to partner with a university on the program. "It has been a great honor to be involved in this program," Chef Tardy said. "To be able to involve Sullivan University and help connect with students and change their lives is something I cannot describe." About Sullivan University Sullivan University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award Associate, Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Sullivan University or visit them online at http://www.sacscoc.org. The University offers numerous certificates, diplomas, and degrees in career-orientated programs, ranging from business, pharmacy, human resources, I.T. and cybersecurity, supply-chain management, culinary and baking and pastry arts, hospitality studies, conflict management, nursing, allied health sciences, HVAC-R, interior design, and legal studies. Sullivan University has campuses in Louisville and Lexington, an extension in Fort Knox on the U.S. Army Post and a Learning Center in Louisa. Sullivan University also has many programs available partially or wholly online. For more information, visit http://www.sullivan.edu. ITNL, a subsidiary of IL&FS, on 31 March 2021 has duly received settlement amount of Rs 673 crore for Kiratpur Ner Chowk Expressway (KNCEL) and Rs 20 crore towards claims for Chenani Nashri Tunnelway (CNTL) - from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). With these two projects, NHAI and MoRTH have settled aggregate IL&FS claims of over Rs 1,804 crore across 6 Road projects. KNCEL project was foreclosed under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) guidelines of March 2019 for stalled and incomplete projects. CNTL is a completed project, earning annuities, and the Rs 19.6 crore is the claim amount towards change of scope. Earlier, Fagne Songadh Expressway Ltd (FSEL), a 100% subsidiary of ITNL, completed its settlement with NHAI under the new MoRTH policy on stuck up projects receiving an amount of Rs 707 crore. Other IL&FS projects settled under claims and compensation by NHAI with the New Board till date include: Jorabat Shillong Expressway (JSEL) Rs 252 crore; Baleshwar Kharagpur Expressway (BKEL) (Rs 8 crore); and ITNL Road Infrastructure Development Company (IRIDCL) (Rs 144 crore) that was settled by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). FSEL, KNCEL and IRIDCL have been handed over to the Authorities post settlement of claims. BKEL will form part of the InVIT that will include 11 Road projects in two phases. Between FSEL, KNCEL, IRIDCL - IL&FS would be addressing an aggregate debt of Rs 3500 crore through NHAI and MoRTH Settlements. As per the Road Transport and Highways Ministry's guidelines formulated in March 2019, incomplete or stalled projects for various reasons, authorities would be able to foreclose the project's concession agreement and pay a compensation based on value of work done or 90 per cent of debt due, whichever is lower. FSEL and KNCEL have been settled under these guidelines. IL&FS Group, as part of its Debt Resolution framework approved by NCLAT, is following a multi- pronged strategy for its Road assets to address debt. The Group has plans to form InVIT for 12 Road projects, settle incomplete projects under MoRTH guidelines and monetize balance Road Assets to the highest bidder. There is a pending settlement of Rs 902 crore for the Khed Sinnar Expressway project and Rs 171 crore for Amravati Chikli Expressway from NHAI. The company has got approval from Hon'ble Justice Jain to sell JSEL, an amber company, to Sekura Roads (backed by Edelweiss Infrastructure Yield Plus) that bid Rs 916 crore for 100% stake addressing Rs 1,600 crore debt. JSEL is a four-lane highway from Jorabat to Shillong on NH-40, which connects Shillong, Mizoram and Tripura with Guwahati. Similarly, Cube Highways & Infrastructure II PTE emerged the highest bidder, with bid of Rs 3,900 crore for 100% stake in CNTL that would address Rs 4,910 crore of aggregate debt on completion. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delaying a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine could put people in a 'tenuous zone' of risk for catching a more infectious coronavirus variant, Dr Anthony Fauci warned on Monday. Dr Fauci is concerned the people who haven't had the 'full impact' of two doses of vaccines will be dangerously vulnerable to infection with variants that weaken the effects of antibodies. More than 40 percent of U.S. adults have now had at least one dose of vaccine, yet cases have been rising for four straight weeks. 'We know that these increases are due, in part, to more highly transmissible variants, which we are very closely monitoring,' said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Dr Rochelle Walensky during a monday White House briefing. Her warning underscored Dr Fauci's concern that Americans need to get both doses of vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna on time, despite the fact that stretching these timelines have allowed the UK to speed ahead of the U.S. in the vaccination race. Dr Anthony Fauci warned Monday that people who have only had one dose of Covid vaccines made by Moderna or Pfizer would have only 'tenuous' protection against variants In the UK, the second dose of vaccines made by Pfizer or AstraZeneca may be delayed up to 12 weeks. The strategy was controversial when it was first introduced there, but has helped the UK get nearly half of its population some level of protection with one or more dose of vaccine. At the time, Dr Fauci rejected and even criticized the UK for employing the untested strategy (although he later walked back his harsh words). But Monday he said there was no 'right or wrong' strategy, when it comes to delaying doses. 'There are are different approaches and different opinions,' he said. 'We have been concerned, and still are, that when you look at the level of protection after one dose, you can say is 80 percent, but it is somewhat of a tenuous 80 percent, because the level of, for example, neutralizing antibodies against the coronavirus, when you just leave it at one dose, the question is, how long does it last?' Research published last month showed that the risk of contracting COVID-19 after a first dose of either Pfizer's or Moderna's vaccines was reduced by about 80 percent within two weeks of that first shot. But a second dose was administered to those people one or two weeks later, depending on whether they got the Pfizer vaccine, which has a dosing regimen with a three-week gap, or Moderna's, which should be given four weeks later. It remains unclear how protected people would be by one dose after that second week. And with variants circulating, every bit of protection counts. Two doses of either vaccine are still protective against vaccine-evading variants from Brazil and South Africa. But the antibodies generated by these vaccines are between two-fold and six-fold less effective at binding to the spike protein that allows coronavirus to break into human cells. So, to Dr Fauci's mind, it may not be worth the risk to leave more people with just a first dose for longer. Neither variant is common in the U.S., so the odds that Americans will encounter them are slim. So far, the South African variant and Brazil variant each account for fewer than 0.05 percent of Covid cases in the U.S, according to tracking from Outbreak.info. Still, they are substantially more infectious than the 'wild-type' virus, and experts worry they will only become more prevalent. The Capitol Police union called on Congress to bolster security after a second attack at the U.S. Capitol this year left another officer dead William F. Evans, a North Adams native and graduate of Western New England University in Springfield. Gus Papathanasiou, chairman of the U.S. Capitol Police Labor Committee, said in a statement on Sunday that the department is 233 officers below its authorized level of more than 2,000. We are struggling to meet existing mission requirements even with the officers working massive amounts of forced overtime, Papathanasiou said. In the next 3-5 years we have another 500 officers who will be eligible to retire. Many of these officers could put in their retirement papers tomorrow. Ive had many younger officers confide in me that theyre actively looking at other agencies and departments right now. He added, Evans was well respected within the department and his loss will not be forgotten. People should also know he was more than a police officer protecting the Capitol he was a husband and a loving father to two children. Please keep the entire Evans family in your prayers as they go through this difficult time. A 1998 graduate of Drury High School, Evans grew up in Clarksburg and graduated from WNEU in 2002. He moved to Virginia and was hired by Capitol Police on March 7, 2003. U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, called Evans a hometown hero and a patriot who risked and sadly lost his life to protect our country. Evans was killed Friday after a man rammed a car into him and another officer at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol and then emerged wielding a knife. It was the second line-of-duty death this year for a department still struggling to heal from the Jan. 6 insurrection. The man, identified as Noah R. Green, was shot and killed by police after he exited the vehicle and lunged at officers. In since deleted social media posts, Green described personal difficulties in recent months that included quitting his job to go on a spiritual journey. Most of the posts focused on his devotion to the Nation of Islam. Flags at the U.S. Capitol were ordered to be flown at half-staff on Friday in Evans honor. This image provided by the U.S. Capitol Police shows U.S. Capitol Police officer William Billy Evans, an 18-year veteran who was a member of the department's first responders unit. Evans was killed Friday, April 2, 2021, after a man rammed a car into two officers at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol and then emerged wielding a knife. (U.S. Capitol Police via AP) AP Related content: Migrants cross the Rio Grande River along the border between Mexico and the US A huge increase in undocumented migration is presenting a crisis surge for Mexican and US Authorities faced with tackling an unprecedented level of desperation as indicated in the large number of unaccompanied children being found wandering. By James Blears During the last month the US Border Patrol says that they`ve detained more than 171,000 undocumented migrants trying to cross the Border into the United States, which is the highest number in the last fifteen years. Particularly alarming is the fact that this includes 19,000 unaccompanied children, while there are 53,000 families and almost 100,000 adults travelling alone. But this is most probably just the tip of the iceberg, as thousands more are getting through in spite of all the security precautions, due to sheer weight of numbers. The top priority is caring for the unaccompanied children, by finding proper housing, as many have been languishing in makeshift processing centers, sometimes for weeks. The aim is to open and provide more appropriate emergency shelters. US Vice President Kamala Harris is in charge of coordinating the response. She describes it as a huge problem, which can`t be resolved overnight. Desperate economic conditions in Central America and Southern Mexico are creating this surge. Also, many hope the new Administration of President Joe Biden, may be more sympathetic and accommodating, in spite of repeated urging and warnings from senior US Officials that this action will not help the cause for thousands who are seeking asylum, but fundamentally a better life in the United States, with nothing to stay for or go back to. Toppan Equator is targeting construction, interior design and housing equipment businesses for its 3D CG and other state-of-the-art technologies. (Photo: toppan.com) Hanoi - Toppan Cosmo Inc., a trading arm of Japan's Toppan Printing Co., has set up a joint venture in Ho Chi Minh City with two Japanese partners to provide high-quality 3D computer graphics content, Kyodo News reported. Toppan Equator LLC was formed earlier this week and is 65 percent owned by Toppan Cosmo, 26 percent by Studio Tec, a visual creation studio in Osaka Prefecture, and the rest by entrepreneur Takanobu Sugiyama who has a design office in Vietnam's southern hub. The joint venture attempts to optimise Toppan Cosmo's expertise in catalog and sample book production and Studio Tec's technical, and creative capabilities in 3D CG work, with Sugiyama responsible for quality control. Toppan Equator is targeting construction, interior design and housing equipment businesses for its 3D CG and other state-of-the-art technologies, with demand increasing from these sectors, according to Tokyo-based Toppan Printing. Expecting that the visual content market will grow steadily in Asia, Toppan Equator plans to focus on Japanese customers in the initial stage of its business before expanding into Vietnam and other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region. The company aims for 2 billion JPY (18 million USD) in sales in fiscal 2025. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com In a prominent international tribute to Bahrain, more than 24 major organisations around the world including eight that carry the advisory capacity as observers at the United Nations have expressed their appreciation for the efforts and initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom to uphold the values and principles of human rights. In a joint statement issued yesterday, they lauded Bahrains endeavour to consecrate these values and principles in the plans and programmes of the government, and its keenness to respect and promote human rights in accordance with a national strategy based on partnership and complementarity. The international organisations stressed the unique direction that the Kingdom has followed since the start of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas reform era, which is based on developing the system of legislation, policies and institutions concerned with human rights, is what has made Bahrain the Arab and global leader in the field of human rights. They noted Bahrains continuous and gradual work to develop the national system for human rights and spread its culture to various vital sectors in the Kingdom. Bahrain endeavours to fulfil international legislation and obligations to which it attaches great attention and the organisations joint statement of support adds to the countrys many achievements in the field of human rights. The large group also expressed their confidence on the measures and initiatives undertaken by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, especially with regard to the inclusion of human rights as a priority in the governments work programmes and national strategies. It aims to consecrate the lofty values and principles advocated by international legislation, emphasised by the National Action Charter, and to place them in a framework that contributes to strengthening the national identity and effectively contributing to the renaissance and development of the nation. The international communitys positive evaluation of the human rights situation in Bahrain is an expression of support for the initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom as part of the royal leaderships vision. Chairman of the Arab Federation for Human Rights (AFHR), Chancellor Isa Al-Arabi, the President of Maan Society for Human Rights, said the joint statement came following the conclusion of the 46th session of the Human Rights Council held from 22 February to 24 March in Geneva, Switzerland. "Centric Consulting's sponsorship of LaunchCode's Liftoff Program will go far in ensuring our learners have the job-readiness tools they need to enter an upwardly-mobile career in technology," said Jeff Mazur, LaunchCode Executive Director. Centric Consulting, a business and technology consulting firm, has partnered with LaunchCode, a nonprofit offering free technology education and job placement opportunities to people from all backgrounds, to sponsor its latest Liftoff Cohort in St. Louis. Starting today and during the next eight weeks, Centric's St. Louis team will volunteer time to support Liftoff LaunchCode's eight-week career readiness and project course focused on moving learners with coding skills through the difficult final phase of their pre-apprenticeship learning journey. The sponsorship is possible thanks to proceeds from company President and co-founder Larry English's book, "Office Optional: How to Build a Connected Culture with Virtual Teams." "From the onset, I knew I wanted to donate all of the proceeds from 'Office Optional' to charity. The pandemic and civil unrest during 2020 made it clear that we must bridge the digital divide in our country," says English. "We were so excited to find LaunchCode, which has a proven approach to help get underrepresented groups successfully into a knowledge economy career. I'm so grateful to be able to help people realize they can be successful in a technology career and take steps to improve all of our communities and people's lives." This sponsorship with LaunchCode also marks the beginning of Centrics new companywide community outreach improvement theme of "Digital Inclusion." After the protests in June of 2020, the firm created a new effort within its organization called "Centric Together," which refocuses its diversity, inclusion and belonging endeavor on four key themes: Diversify and Nurture, Learn and Grow, Connect and Collaborate, and Measure and Share. Through Centric Together, the company focused on identifying a centralized community engagement topic. They decided "Digital Inclusion" would be that topic. Its mission is to provide and support education, access and employment opportunities in technology and technology-related fields for all people regardless of who they are, where they are from and what experiences they've had. "A focus on digital inclusion brings together so many things that we are passionate about at Centric: technology, connectedness, inclusivity, and helping our communities," says Jennifer Barnes, Centric's St. Louis Practice Lead. "Focusing on digital inclusion allows us to truly bring our values and experience as a company to the very communities in which we live. It's helping bring a singular focus to how we engage with and support the communities we call home." As Centric began its research, the company created a list of organizations across the country dedicated to helping break down the digital divide and providing relief during COVID-19. It chose LaunchCode because it helps resolve both issues by ensuring individuals get access to both the coding education they need and the new jobs where they could use those skills. The company also chose LaunchCode because of its location not only is its headquarters in one of Centric's locations, but its ability to expand and work within Centric's other locations make it a critical potential partner for Centric's nationwide efforts. "Centric Consulting's sponsorship of LaunchCode's Liftoff Program will go far in ensuring our learners have the job-readiness tools they need to enter an upwardly-mobile career in technology," said Jeff Mazur, LaunchCode Executive Director. "We are proud to call Centric a supporter and honored to be part of their new Digital Inclusion initiative, which closely aligns with LaunchCode's goal to provide access to opportunity for all." About Centric Consulting Centric Consulting is a management consulting firm that guides you in the search for answers to complex digital, business and technology problems by asking tough questions, leading crucial conversations and blending our experts with yours. As you navigate what's next, we can help you conquer change, optimize processes, elevate your technology, and compete in a digital world. Headquartered in Ohio, with locations across the country and India, Centric has been honored over the years with awards for its commitment to employees, clients and communities. Most recently, the firm was recognized as one of Fast Companys 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators. Visit http://www.centricconsulting.com to learn more. About LaunchCode Founded by Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square, LaunchCode is a national nonprofit creating economic opportunity by adding new talent to tech ecosystems across the nation. While careers in technology have traditionally been reserved to those who can afford a four-year computer science degree, LaunchCode's programs are free and accessible to motivated individuals who are assessed for passion, drive and aptitude rather than credentials. The Centre has written to the government drawing its attention to irregularities in the identification of beneficiaries below the age of 45 years for Covid-19 by some private facilities. In the letter to principal secretary (health), GNCTD, the authorities have been asked to immediately issue a show cause notice to Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health, Neuro and Allied Sciences, operating as a private Covid centre, regarding such wrong practices which violate the norms, the ministry said. The government has issued also a show cause notice to Bensups Hospital, Sector-12 Dwarka, for violation of the central guidelines on the eligible groups of population for receiving Covid vaccination. Authorities ordered that one-third of inoculation sites at all government hospitals will run round-the-clock. The vaccination sites at present operate from 9 am to 9 pm. The Delhi government has directed 54 large private hospitals with a capacity of 100 beds or more to reserve at least 30 per cent of their ICU beds and ward beds for Covid patients. The hospitals have also been told to display the Covid bed capacity on the covid management portal as well. WITH pressure mounting on its leaders all round, insiders say the MDC Alliance has reached a critical point where tough decisions now have to be made about its future. This comes as both Zanu PF and the main opposition MDC led by Douglas Mwonzora are cranking up the heat on the alliances leaders, amid a biting resources drought that is making planning for the crucial 2023 polls difficult. It also comes as the divisions that have been ravaging the alliance over the past two years are worsening, with some hawks in the coalition said to sharpening their knives against one of the pacts leading lights, Tendai Biti. As if to drive the point home about the alliances deepening troubles, Mwonzoras spokesperson Lloyd Damba also asserted in an interview with the Daily News On Sunday yesterday that there was only one MDC and that the alliance was now led by his boss. There is only one MDC in this country. The MDC Alliance is not a single political party but a conglomerate of seven parties which are led by the MDC that was led Morgan Tsvangirai. In Article 1 of the Composite Political Co-operation Agreement, known as the MDC Alliance Agreement, the parties agreed that the name of the coalition would be called the MDC Alliance. The MDC-T was the largest component among the seven coalition partners the parties also agreed to operate as independent parties The MDC Alliance Agreement goes further to state that whoever is the leader of the MDC-T shall become the leader of the MDC Alliance, Damba said. In other words, the current leader of the MDC Alliance is now president Douglas Mwonzora This agreement is due to expire in 2023 because it has a life-span of five years, and so its still operational. So, make no mistake about who is the MDC and MDC Alliance leader. It is Douglas Mwonzora, he added. An MDC Alliance insider who spoke to the Daily News On Sunday admitted yesterday that the coalition had reached a pivotal point where difficult decisions now had to be made. Things are very rough right now. With everyone aiming their guns at us and funding still a problem, we have reached a defining moment where we have no choice but to take difficult decisions now. Any more dithering on all the outstanding issues that need to be resolved could spell disaster for the party. As you have seen, our enemies are not relenting. Top of the issues that we have to decide on now, for me, is a new name for our party as we need to break away from the mess that the MDC name has become, while also assuring tired supporters that we have a viable plan going forward, the senior alliance official said. Secondly, we must learn to manage leadership differences better going forward as we have tended to always open up easy attack corridors for our enemies through our unnecessary internal bickering. Lastly, we need to start raising money fast and in a sustainable way as 2023 is now around the corner, also accepting the harsh reality that Zanu PF will never give us back our money that they are giving to Dougie (Mwonzora), the insider added. In the meantime, alliance vice president Biti is being accused by his internal foes of allegedly competing with Chamisa. This comes after the United States of America (USA) recently condemned Bitis recall from Parliament by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) something Washington did not do when similar fate befell other MDC Alliance bigwigs before that. Another alliance insider told the Daily News On Sunday yesterday that a number of perceived Chamisa allies were upset that the US was showing that they respected Biti more in the alliance a sentiment that became very apparent during a recent national standing committee meeting of the pact. All this also comes as political analysts have warned that the countrys opposition, and especially the MDC Alliance, risks being decimated completely ahead of the 2023 elections unless it changes its modus operandi. It also comes as the Daily News On Sunday and its sister paper the Daily News have been lone independent voices in calling out the increasingly suicidal tendencies of opposition parties and their leaders to the detriment of the country and its citizens. Respected University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, was among those who said recently that the MDC Alliance, in particular, now needed to re-strategise to avoid implosion. The MDC Alliance as a parliamentary entity has been completely annihilated given the number of legislators it has lost so far, especially considering now that it has lost its big guns, including its vice president Tendai Biti. This leaves it in a very precarious position. Considering also that there is a parallel process of mass defections to Zanu PF and the internal convulsions in the party, there is scope for re-configuration. It would be dangerous for the party leadership to continue with a business as usual approach because there is no guarantee that Nelson Chamisas popularity will not start to be affected negatively as well, Masunungure told the Daily News. The only realistic way out of this is fashioning out a new entity altogether with a new name, taking advantage of the fact that we are still two years away from the next election. What will happen to this party will surely depend on what the leadership does and what it does not do, he added. Another highly regarded academic, Professor of World Politics at the London School of Oriental and African Studies (OAS), Stephen Chan, also warned that Chamisa could find it difficult to win back the parliamentary seats that he has lost if by-elections were held at some point. The question is whether he still has the funds and the people to organise a well-run series of constituency campaigns. If his own former MPs were not good constituency MPs, he would have a reduced foundation for seeking support from the people. Ensuring that their MPs performed well at constituency level has always been a fault of whatever version of the MDC party that has been in Parliament, Chan told the Daily News. But MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson, Clifford Hlatywayo, said at the time that the coalition would not be changing its name as some people want it to. Last year we had nationwide consultative processes on a number of issues. The people unequivocally said no to a change of name. We are the MDC Alliance and we remain so. Thats the stance and position we were given by the people. MDC Alliance is a party of the people. Everything we do is informed by what the owners of the struggle decide on their movement, Hlatywayo told the Daily News. But sources inside the alliance said yesterday that a change of name of the coalition is imminent. I think the party is just managing perceptions and also waiting for the right moment to announce its new name and programmes. Remember, this is not an easy task as this may mean dissociating itself completely from the MDC of Tsvangirai, while the leadership decks may also require changing. So, the leaders are just being careful and also sounding out the public. But the change of name is a given. Its now a matter of when, not whether, one of the sources told the Daily News On Sunday. Daily News The brother of murdered Stephen Lawrence has criticised police in the wake of the controversial race report and the response to the Sarah Everard vigil. Stuart Lawrence expressed his disappointment with the Met Police's actions in recent weeks and said he questions whether he should continue providing consultancy work for the force. Mr Lawrence even claimed the Met Police is still yet to learn from his brother's racially-motivated killing in 1993. The 44 year old, who was 16 when Stephen was stabbed to death by thugs at a bus stop, said he was shocked by the police response to the Sarah Everard vigil in Clapham. The Met Police force faced heavy criticism after the vigil for 33-year-old Sarah Everard descended into chaos with officers pictured restraining women and activists claiming they used inappropriate force. In the Big Issue magazine, Mr Lawrence said: 'I do a bit of consultancy work for the Met Police. Stuart Lawrence (pictured), the brother of murdered Stephen Lawrence, has criticised police in the wake of the controversial race report and the response to the Sarah Everard vigil Stuart (right) says the recent controversy surrounding the Met has left him questioning whether the force has learnt anything since the racially motivated murder of his brother (left) 'I am trying to help them, but things keep happening that make me go, why should I? Why should I try to help? 'I've been to police training headquarters and heard them being sworn in. It does say to serve and protect the public. That's what they swear an oath to. 'And then you see the scenes like that coming out of Clapham [at the Sarah Everard vigil], and you think, how are you serving and protecting us?' Mr Lawrence said 'there are good people inside the police service trying to make a difference' but that 'it only takes one or two to give the impression there's problems'. He also said the Met Police has still not accepted its problems since the death of his brother. Mr Lawrence said: 'When Sir William Macpherson delivered his report, Sir Paul Condon [then Commissioner of the Met Police] never accepted that the Met Police was institutionally racist. The Met came under fire for their handling of a vigil held in memory of Sarah Everard who went missing and was later found dead. Pictured: a woman is arrested during the vigil last month Police officers form a cordon as well-wishers turn on their phone torches and gather at a band-stand where a planned vigil was supposed to be cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions 'I tell my son all the time: if you do something wrong, or make a mistake, don't lie. Tell the truth. We can deal with it and then we can move on. 'Condon didn't own up to it. So, when Cressida Dick comes out and says "we are no longer institutionally racist", I start scratching my head. 'When did you say that you were institutionally racist? When was that point, so that we could draw the line in the sand and say, 'that's where it was and now we're moving forward from this point'? That's what needed to happen. It hasn't happened yet.' Mr Lawrence's comments come in the wake of controversy surrounding the Met's handling of a vigil for 33-year-old Sarah Everard who went missing and was later found dead last month. The event descended into chaos with scenes unfolding showing officers restraining women at the gathering in what was described as 'public relations disaster'. However, a review by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary vindicated the officers' actions as it found the event risked spreading Covid. Hundreds of people gathered at a peaceful vigil for Sarah Everard on Clapham Common in South London last month. Pictured: Patsy Stevenson is detained by police officers at vigil Meanwhile, a landmark race report determined that the UK was a 'beacon of diversity' and found no evidence that the country is 'institutionally racist'. The document, published by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, said geography, family influence, socio-economic background, culture and religion all affect life chances more than racism. Stuart's mother Baroness Doreen Lawrence has previously criticised the report and said the authors of the report are 'not in touch with reality'. Baroness Lawrence was made a peer in 2013 after campaigning for justice for her son Stephen who died in 1993 following a racially motivated attack in south-east London. Speaking at a public event organised by De Montfort University Leicester's Stephen Lawrence Research Centre last week, she said: 'When I first heard about the report my first thought was it has pushed [the fight against] racism back 20 years or more.' Baroness Lawrence continued: 'They (the report authors) are not in touch with reality basically. Baroness Lawrence (pictured) said the authors of the race report are 'not in touch with reality' 'That's what it boils down to. When you are privileged you do not have those experiences. 'My son was murdered because of racism and you cannot forget that. Once you start covering it up, it is giving the green light to racists. 'You imagine what's going to happen come tomorrow. What's going to happen on our streets with our young people? You are giving racists the green light.' Stephen, an 18-year-old A-level student, was murdered in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993. However, a bungled police inquiry meant that no arrests were made for two weeks after his death. Following a DNA breakthrough, Dobson, now 45, and Norris, now 43, were found guilty in 2012 of stabbing the teenager. Overseen by chair Dr Tony Sewell, the findings from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities were branded a 'whitewash' by the Left, but welcomed by other campaigners They had been named as suspects within 48 hours of the stabbing in April 1993. No others were ever charged. Ministers have been facing a backlash over the race report since its publication, with Mr Johnson's most senior black adviser Samuel Kasumu quitting, despite No 10 insisting his departure was 'absolutely nothing to do' with the report. The race report, which was months in the making and produced by a group of 12 experts only one of whom was white concluded that there was no evidence of institutional racism in this country. Overseen by chair Dr Tony Sewell, its findings were branded a 'whitewash' by the Left, but welcomed by other campaigners. The report, commissioned by the Prime Minister after last year's Black Lives Matter protests, said Britain was no longer a country where the 'system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities'. The report said factors such as geography, family influence, socio-economic background, culture and religion all impacted life chances more than racism, and concluded the UK was a 'beacon' to the world as a successful multi-ethnic nation which displayed much more tolerance than its neighbours. But unions said the report denied the experiences of black and minority ethnic workers. The report's authors were also accused of trying to put a 'positive spin on slavery' after they called on schools to use history lessons to 'tell the multiple, nuanced stories of the contributions made by different groups that have made this country the one it is today'. Yesterday Dr Sewell, who insisted that the commission simply hadn't found evidence of institutional racism in Britain, said some communities were haunted by historic racism and there was a 'reluctance to acknowledge that the UK had become open and fairer'. He said the review found some evidence of bias, but often it was a perception that the wider society could not be trusted. The Chinese government will gift Georgia 100,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine in April, head of Georgias National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze said. Georgia received 100,000 doses of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine last week and the country has plans to purchase the Chinese Sinovac vaccine in April, Gamkrelidze said. He stated that both vaccines are likely to be approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in mid-April and Georgia will launch vaccination only after. "Currently China has about five coronavirus vaccines and two of them, Sinonac and Sinopharm, have been used internationally. 15 million doses of Sinovac vaccines have already been used in Turkey and about 500,000 doses in Azerbaijan," Agenda.ge cited Gamkrelidze as saying. The Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac is behind CoronaVac, an inactivated vaccine. It works by using dead viral particles to expose the body's immune system to the virus without risking serious disease response. Advertisement Hunter Biden's interview with CBS This Morning aired on Monday Hunter Biden said he was smoking crack 'around the clock' and drinking a quart of vodka every day at the lowest points of his drug addiction which he says stems from the death of his mother and sister when he was two. The President's son discussed his drug addiction with CBS This Morning as part of a long, two-part interview to promote his new memoir, Beautiful Things. The most recent portion of the interview aired on Monday morning. He also spoke about his controversial affair with his late brother Beau's widow, Hallie, and how the pair of them thought their shared love and grief would 'bring him back' but that it 'didn't work'. Hunter, 51, also described meeting his current wife, Melissa, and marrying her within seven days of their first date. He says she is a 'miracle' and that she saved his life. He claims to have been sober for seven years, from 2008 until 2015, after battling drug and alcohol addiction his entire life. His brother Beau's death in 2015, he says, sent him hurtling back into addiction. It all comes from an unresolved feeling of 'not fitting in', he said, that he thinks is from the trauma of losing his mom, Neilia, and sister Naomi, in a car crash when he was two in 1972. Hunter and Beau both survived the accident. 'I am more convinced now that trauma is at the center of it. I don't know why I had such a hard time ever admitting that. There's a lot of research that points to the idea that addicts who suffer from addiction suffered from trauma. 'Beau and I never grieved the loss of our mother and sister. We talked about my mom all the time, but the accident no. The darkness that I know my dad suffered isn't something we talked about until much later. This is why I don't want to admit... we probably should have. I think they were trying to protect us,' he said. As a young adult, he said he slipped into a period that was a 'blur of complete debauchery'. 'Drinking a quart of vodka a day by yourself is absolutely completely debilitating... smoking crack around the clock, drinking insanely lethal amounts of alcohol,' he said. Photos of Hunter that were discovered on the laptop that was handed into a Delaware computer repair store last year. He says he was so hooked on drugs and alcohol at the time that he doesn't know if the laptop is even his Photos of Hunter that were discovered on the laptop that was handed into a Delaware computer repair store last year. He says he was so hooked on drugs and alcohol at the time that he doesn't know if the laptop is even his He said becoming a laughing stock of the Trump campaign and liability to his father's campaign did nothing to stop his addiction. 'It didn't change my behavior - I still needed to get high and hide and fill that hole,' he said. Last year, his father and stepmother, Jill, staged an intervention. Jill pretended that Joe was desperate to see him, he said, and called him to the family home in Wilmington. 'My mom said he missed me, "dad really needs you." I walk in and there are my three girls, niece and nephew, mom and dad and two counselors from a rehab center I have been to before. I looked and said not a chance. I exploded. I literally began to run up the driveway.' In a previously teased clip of the interview, Hunter said Joe chased him, grabbed him into a bear hug, and begged him to stay. Hunter was just two when his mother Neilia and baby sister Naomi died in a car crash in 1972. He is shown, far left, with his family. The crash happened later that year Hunter with his sister Ashley and brother Beau in 2012. He says the pair never dealt with the grief and trauma of losing their mom and sister Hunter and his brother's widow Hallie had a two year affair after Beau's death. Beau and Hallie are shown, left, in 2010 In the interview, Hunter also talked about his controversial relationship with his brother Beau's widow, Hallie. The pair dated for two years, after Hunter's marriage to his wife Kathleen broke down. It ended around the same time he met Melissa, his current wife, and after he impregnated a stripper in Arkansas, with whom he now has a baby son. Hunter called his current wife Melissa, who he married seven days after meeting, a 'miracle' 'Both of us had gone through the most incredibly painful loss and it was out of love. I thought maybe that love would bring my brother back. It didn't work,' he said. Asked how he told his children about the relationship with Hallie, he said: 'It was hard. It was really hard.' 'The hardest amends to make was to my brother. I made a promise to him that I would be OK,' he said. He met Melissa on a blind date and married her seven days later. He said he told her within an hour that he was a crack addict and that she put a stop to it. 'I told her an hour later, I'm a crack addict. She said well that ends now. I knew it was my last chance,' he said. They now have a baby son, Beau Biden Jr. Hunter said that he was so addicted to drugs that he was not 'keeping tabs on possessions' like the laptop that was handed in to a computer repair store in Wilmington, Delaware, last year and contained incriminating photos of him drunk and high. It also contained emails between him and a Ukrainian businessman that suggested Joe had met the businessman when he was Vice President. 'You don't need the laptop, you've got a book it's all in the book - the serious answer is i don't know not that i remember. Whether or not somebody has my laptop, mine was hacked, exists a laptop at all - I truly don't know. 'Read the book and you'll realize I wasn't keeping tabs on possessions very well for the last four years or so,' he said. In 2018, while dating Hallie and hooked on drugs, Hallie confiscate a gun he'd bought and threw it in a trash can outside a grocery store in Wilmington. Hunter, Melissa and their baby son Beau Biden Jr. are pictured on March 26. He also has a baby son with Arkansas stripper Lunden Roberts The Secret Service got involved in trying to retrieve it, and they even asked owner of the gun store where Hunter had bought it for the deed which proved his ownership of it, according to Politico. Hunter said Hallie was trying to make sure he didn't hurt himself. 'It's a concern that I would hurt myself or do something. She was just concerned about me. 'Again, the period of my life that was difficult, I don't know. Hallie's intent was to make certain that I didn't do anything to hurt myself. We knew the gun was lost, Hallie had thrown it into a trash can I told her you can't do that... someone had gone through the trash. 'That was the end of the story. I had no idea [that the Secret Service was involved] why they would be - I don't think that's true,' he said. He added that he will cooperate 'fully' with an ongoing investigation into his taxes and that while he never did anything wrong by serving on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma, he wouldn't do it again. He added that he never gave his father a 'nickel' from his foreign business dealings and that he underestimated the extent to which the Trumps would criticize them. Hunter Biden says he '100%' never gave his father any money from his international business deals and is 'fully cooperating' with federal investigation into his taxes Hunter in 2016. He said he did nothing wrong by taking foreign business deals but that he wouldn't do it again and never gave his father any of the money he made from them Hunter Biden said he is 'full cooperating' with a federal investigation into his finances and claimed he's never given his father 'a nickel' from his overseas business ventures. President Joe Biden's son is being investigated by the Justice Department for his taxes, which is related to his work in the Ukraine and China. The federal probe began in 2018 and was revealed after the 2020 presidential election. 'They're investigating. I can't really talk about it, other than to say is that I'm fully cooperating, and I'm fully confident that at the end of the day it's all gonna be fine,' Hunter Biden told CBS' 'This Morning' in an interview that aired Monday. He said his legal team is not working on a plea deal. 'I am absolutely certain that what we're doing is is being completely cooperative with whoever is asking, from any authority whatsoever,' he told CBS' Anthony Mason as part of his publicity tour for his forthcoming memoir 'Beautiful Things.' He also said he's never given Joe Biden 'a nickel' from his business dealings in the Ukraine and China. 'Nothing ever,' Hunter Biden said. 'Not a nickel.' He added that neither 'directly or indirectly, not a nickel ever. 100% No, never.' Hunter Biden was on the board Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian gas company, while his father was vice president. During that time Joe Biden urged the Ukrainian government to fire a prosecutor, which Trump and his allies have charged was done to benefit Burisma. But Biden was following United States policy and other European nations also advocated to fire the prosecutor. The concern was the prosecutor was not doing enough to fight corruption in the company. Hunter Biden quit the board during the 2020 campaign as Trump railed against his work. He told CBS News he would make the same decision and would not sit on the board if given another chance. He said he didn't realize the extent to which the Trump campaign would use his work against his father. 'I didn't fully comprehend the level to which this former administration and the people around him would go,' he said. 'I don't want to hand a weapon to people that would use it in an illegitimate way that they used the weapon of me against my dad.' Hunter also sat on the board of BHR, a Chinese equity firm, that was trying to raise a $1.5 billion financial stake - a number Trump latched on to to accuse Hunter Biden of personal financial gain. Hunter says he didn't make money from the venture. Hunter Biden accompanied his father, who was then vice president, and his daughter Finnegan on a 2013 trip to China but said the two men never discussed his work with BHR. In his interviews, he said that he convinced his father Joe Biden to issue a public statement supporting his affair with his deceased brother Beau's widow Hallie, arguing the relationship would 'seem wrong' if his father didn't bless it. ''Dad,' I told him, 'if people find out, but they think you're not approving of this, it makes it seem wrong,' Hunter Biden wrote in his memoir, Beautiful Things, set to be released on April 6, according to an advance copy obtained by Fox News. In early 2017, just months after his father left office as vice president, the pressure was on Hunter when a reporter called to ask him about his affair with Hallie, which began while he was still married to his first wife. Hunter argued to his father that it would be devastating to his children if Biden didn't bless the unusual relationship, telling him: ''The kids have to know there's nothing wrong with this, and the one person who can tell them that is you.' Biden was reluctant but eventually issued a statement saying: 'We are all lucky that Hunter and Hallie found each other as they were putting their lives together again after such sadness. They have mine and Jill's full and complete support and we are happy for them.' Hunter recounts that his relationship with Hallie was born out of mutual grief, and unfolded as he was 'backsliding' into substance abuse after getting out of rehab. 'I was madly trying to hold on to a slice of my brother, and I think Hallie was doing the same,' Hunter wrote. The LDF consists of CPI(M), CPI, Kerala Congress(M) and other smaller parties whereas UDF consists of the Indian National Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, Kerala Congress, Revolutionary Socialist Party and other smaller parties. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bharath Dharma Jana Sena are the main constituents of the NDA.As the final campaign celebration in the state, called the the Kottikalasam, was banned on the recommendation of Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena, the election campaigning ended colourlessly on Sunday for the 957 candidates in the fray for the elections to the 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly.LDF has promised to create 40 lakh new jobs for the youth and a pension for all housewives. Housing schemes, Karunya benevolent health scheme and NYAY scheme featured in the UDF manifesto. BJP promised new legislation for Sabarimala, at least one job for each family, six gas cylinders for BPL families and free laptops for high school students.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is contesting from Kannur's Dharmadam. This is the second time he is contesting from Dharmadam. In 1996, he contested from Payyanur constituency.Vijayan was elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1970, 1977 and 1991, from Kuthuparamba constituency.The ruling Left Democratic Front Kerala is banking on Vijayan's image for a comeback and the ranks have given him the title "captain". In Kannur's Dharmadam he is contesting against Kannur District Congress Committee (DCC) General Secretary C Raghunath, Congress candidate and CK Padmanabhan for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), former head of Party in Kerala.In the first instance of a BJP leader contesting from two constituencies in Kerala, BJP state president K Surendran is contesting from two assembly constituencies -- Manjeshwar, where he lost by just 89 votes in 2016 and Konni, where he has pinned his hopes as the Sabarimala protest took its fiercest form here.Surendran was the face of BJP during the Sabarimala protest and he said that he chose Konni because of the emotional bond due to his experiences during the Sabarimala protest.Chennithala, the leader of opposition in Kerala is contesting from Haripad where he is facing LDF's R Sajilal (CPI) and former BJP district president K Soman while former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, a 11-time winner from the Puthuppally constituency will face polls from the same Puthapally where he is pitted against LDF's Jaick C Thomas and BJP's N Hari.Nemom, a suburb in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram is becoming a focal point of the state assembly polls, with all three fronts betting huge for a victory on the lone seat that BJP managed to win in 2016 assembly polls.Another high profile constituency in the state is the Palakkad Assembly constituency where BJP has fielded metro man, E Sreedharan, a recent entrant into the party.Sreedharan was the man behind the Delhi Metro, Konkan railway and many of the country's ambitious infrastructure projects. Though a new face in Kerala politics, his name immediately started doing rounds as BJP's CM face for Kerala but the top party leaders dismissed the rumours as unfounded as they said that no official decision has been taken in this regard.Sreedharan has been fielded against the sitting MLA Shafi Parambil, who is contesting as the Congress candidate, and CPI-M has given the ticket to CP Pramod.As Sabarimala women's entry issue is back on fore in assembly polls, BJP fielded its National Executive Member Sobha Surendran to wrest the seat from CPI(M), as Kadakampally Surendran her opponent, was the Devasom Minister in charge of Sabarimala, when the Sabrimala protests happened in 2018.Former Mizoram Governor and BJP candidate from Nemom, Kummanam Rajasekharan is facing a tri-cornered fight against K Muraleedharan of Congress and V Sivankutty of CPI(M).Other key candidates are Minister of Health KK Shailaja contesting from Mattanur, Former CM Oommen Chandy contesting from Puthuppally, Minister for Water Resources K Krishnankutty from Chittur, Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan from Kanhangad.Many of the LDF heavyweights who are ministers of state are not contesting the polls this year. UDF has recalled two of its MPs to contest the state elections and the Bharatiya Janata party inducted many new bureaucrats and technocrats ahead of the elections, some of whom are in the fray.On March 19, which was the last date for submission of applications, 2,180 applications were received all over Kerala by Election Commission. After scrutiny, it dropped to 1,061.As many as 957 candidates are contesting in the Assembly elections after the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers.Chief Electoral Officer Tikaram Meena said the final voter list for the Assembly elections had 2,74,46,039 voters.There are 1,32,83,724 male voters, 1,41,62,025 female voters and 290 transgender voters in 140 constituencies. These include 87,318 expatriate men, 6,086 women and 11 transgender people.Counting of votes will be held on May 2. (ANI) Members of marriage parties are travelling by vans and lorries without following the Covid norms and relatives are attending marriages without wearing the mask. (Representational Image/AFP) ADILABAD: Marriage events are turning into hotspots for spread of Covid in the old Adilabad district, as hardly any pandemic-related restriction is followed. Lots of people are attending marriage receptions as the restrictions are not being enforced by the local authorities. Members of marriage parties are travelling by vans and lorries without following the Covid norms and relatives are attending marriages without wearing the mask. Hardly anyone is maintaining physical distance. The road transportation department is not strict about imposing Covid restrictions on people travelling by vehicles. The district administration too does not impose any restriction on marriage parties or on their travel. The police kept warning the people against not wearing masks and against not maintaining physical distance at mass gatherings. Police are creating awareness among the people on the need to wear masks, maintain physical distance and frequently wash hands. Police are imposing fines across the district on those who do not wear mask. The NLA Awards continue the long traditions of the ASNE & APME Awards, and are among the most prestigious in journalism. Tweet this NLA Executive Director Fran Reilly said, "The NLA Awards reflect the extraordinary journalism produced in 2020 amidst the unprecedented special circumstances that news outlets had to face." The winners and finalists are: News Leader of the Year Award Ron Nixon, Associated Press Global Investigations Editor, is the recipient of the inaugural News Leader of the Year Award. This award recognizes an editor who has displayed strong leadership in matching the extraordinary moment of an unprecedented year through great journalism and vital decision making. From the judges: Nixon began his role in March 2020 and was nominated in a heartfelt letter from his team who described his leadership as having "instant impact." He led them to produce important work through an "unthinkably challenging time." Their investigative series on labor abuses in the palm oil industry, "Fruits of Labor," won the 2021 Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting and the 2021 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics. Nixon advocated that "the decision to diversify news staff ultimately rests with those who have hiring power." He then quickly built a more diverse team. "His message has been clear: Break down internal barriers and infuse the broader AP with greater investigative capacity." Batten Medal for Coverage of the Coronavirus Pandemic Staff at Kaiser Health News and The Guardian win the Batten Medal for Coverage of the Coronavirus Pandemic, which recognizes coverage of COVID-19, reflecting the previously unthinkable obstacles that newsrooms had to overcome in the face of a once-in-a-generation crisis. Winning Work: " Lost on the Frontline " From the judges: "Lost on the Frontline" is the most complete accounting of medical staff deaths in the U.S. The collaboration between The Guardian and Kaiser Health News did what the federal government did not: account for the unnecessary, tragic deaths of frontline health workers due to inadequate planning, testing, coordination and protective gear. The news organizations put human faces and names on the devastating toll of COVID-19 among health workers. The impact of this compelling journalism will continue to be felt for a long time. Finalists: Staff, ProPublica: Akilah Johnson , Lizzie Presser , Nina Martin , Annie Waldman , Duaa Eldeib , Talia Buford , Joshua Kaplan , Adriana Gallardo , Tony Briscoe " Why COVID-19 Took So Many Black Lives " , , , , , , , , " " Staff, The New York Times " The Source on the Pandemic " Frank A. Blethen Award for Local Accountability Reporting Jack Dolan and Brittny Mejia of the Los Angeles Times win the Frank A. Blethen Award for Local Accountability Reporting, which recognizes outstanding work done by a news organization that holds local authorities accountable for actions (or inaction). Winning Work: " Deadly Delays " From the judges: "Deadly Delays" investigates the delays thousands of people in the Los Angeles County public hospital system face when referred to specialists for medical care. The paper found that patients wait on average 89 days to see specialists, and that many get sicker and some die, while waiting. The reporters built a database of records of referrals, then tracked down some of the individuals involved to document a system that leaves poor people waiting for the care they need, even with the proper medical referrals. Finalists: Kathleen McGrory and Neil Bedi , Tampa Bay Times " Targeted " and , " " Pat Beall , Michael Braga , Daphne Chen , Suzanne Hirt and Josh Salman , USA Today " Torn Apart " Dori J. Maynard Justice Award Staff at The New York Times win the Dori J. Maynard Justice Award, which recognizes work covering the social justice movement that took on new life and purpose in 2020. Winning Work: "I Can't Breathe" From the judges: The Times' exhaustive, ground-breaking reporting using data, documents, interviews and video revealed that police misconduct has been pervasive throughout the United States for decades. It reviewed some 70 suffocations of citizens in police custody and disclosed the previously unknown scale of such incidents. George Floyd's last words, "I can't breathe," had been spoken by others as they died in custody. Finalists: Staff, The Washington Post " George Floyd " " Staff, USA Today " Deadly Discrimination " Deborah Howell Award for Writing Excellence Stephanie Clifford wins the Deborah Howell Award for Writing Excellence, which recognizes the best story on any topic, with preference given to strong and stylish writing. Winning Work: " The Journalist and the Pharma Bro " From the judges: This story was well crafted and reported and did a remarkable job of pulling us along a wild ride about a woman who grew so infatuated with a source that she crossed every ethical boundary any profession would consider acceptable. The piece also stood out because it sparingly used details in a way that left you wanting to read more. Finalists: Andrea Castillo , Los Angeles Times " Exodus from Venezuela " , " " Maya Rao , Star Tribune " George Floyd " Punch Sulzberger Innovator of the Year Award Staff at THE CITY with Columbia Journalism School and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY win the Punch Sulzberger Innovator of the Year Award, which recognizes innovation by a news organization in providing value and service that advances its mission. Winning Work: " Missing Them " From the judges: This profoundly human journalism project was well executed. "Missing Them" turned the traditional obituary to place the audience at the center of the journalism, telling stories from people in communities that no other media organization was covering this way. Community outreach and partnerships with Columbia and CUNY journalism schools show the drive for innovation, when crisis reporting seems like an impossible endeavour. Finalists: Burl Osborne Editorial and Opinion Award Jenee Osterheldt of The Boston Globe wins the Burl Osborne Editorial and Opinion Award, which recognizes editorial writing that is excellent journalism and makes a difference in a community. Winning Work: Columns by Jenee Osterheldt, The Boston Globe From the judges: These columns explore America's complicated, often brutal, relationship with race with a clarity that demands your attention. Osterheldt fearlessly tackled the deeply personal while demonstrating an ability to step back and vividly contextualize the intersection of race and culture in our society. A beautiful but powerful voice working at the height of her powers, showing her readers exactly why this moment matters. Finalists: President's Award: Kelu Chao and the Journalists of Voice of America NLA President George Stanley gives special recognition to Kelu Chao who, as program director for Voice of America, courageously stood up for the news agency's integrity and independence when President Trump's controversial appointee Michael Pack tried to turn it into a political propaganda instrument for the Administration. Chao asked that the award recognize all of VOA's journalists. More about the NLA Awards Award sponsors: editors from former Knight Ridder Inc., The Dallas Morning News, Advance Publications Inc., Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, The Seattle Times, the O'Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University and The New York Times. For more on the awards, please visit NLA's website: https://www.newsleaders.org/2021-nla-awards About News Leaders Association NLA empowers journalists at all levels with the training, support and networks they need to lead and transform diverse, sustainable newsrooms. Formerly the ASNE and APME, the organization fosters the highest standards of trustworthy journalism, advocates for a free and independent press, and nurtures the next generation of news leaders. -###- Contact: Robin Shallow Robin Communications [email protected] 212-653-8741 SOURCE News Leaders Association The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost. Americans who are most resistant to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine cite a lack of critical information regarding the vaccines safety and potential side effects, according to a recent study conducted by Philadelphia-based healthcare marketing agency LevLane and marketing research company MarketVision. The study, which sought to gain insight into whats driving Americans ongoing vaccine resistance and what can be done to overcome their hesitancy, discovered a surprising number of Americans remain resistant to being vaccinated: Overall, more than a quarter of all participants (28 percent) said theyre hesitant to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, citing concerns surrounding medical privacy, levels of confusion or unfavorable reviews of the U.S. vaccine rollout. Among those frustrated by the recent U.S. rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, 48 percent blame the Federal Government, 43 percent blame their State Government and 42 percent blame President Trump. While this lack of trust presents a major challenge to federal, state and healthcare officials, the study identified key reasons for this hesitancy, suggesting what the government and healthcare leaders can do to overcome these concerns in an effort to get more Americans vaccinated. More than half (51 percent) of the studys participants said they think the vaccines were developed too quickly. And almost the same number (47 percent) said theyre leery of potential side effects. The study found that women, members of the Black community, and the Gen Z generation are among those least likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly half of the women surveyed (48 percent) said they wouldn't take a vaccine if one were offered today, compared to 30 percent of men who said theyd also refuse a vaccine. A similar number (40 percent) of African Americans said theyd turn down the vaccine if offered. Only 37 percent of Gen Z say theyd accept a COVID-19 vaccine. Among those who think the vaccines were developed too quickly, nearly three-quarters (71 percent) are over the age of 65 (61 percent also identified as Baby Boomers and 54 percent identified as women). Among the respondents who said theyre unsure of side effects, 55 percent identified as Hispanic, 55 percent identified as women and 50 percent identified as Black. Virtually every senior polled (100 percent) said they want to see more information regarding potential side effects, as did 71 percent of the Gen X members (ages 41-56) and 64 percent of female respondents. More than half (58 percent) of Baby Boomers and 50 percent of seniors said theyd like to know more about the differences between current COVID-19 vaccine options. Nearly half (47 percent) of the Black community said they want to know more about how long the vaccination process will take. In total, more than a third of all respondents (39 percent) said they want to know more about how much immunity theyll really get from a COVID-19 vaccine. LevLane and MarketVisions Vaccine Resistance Survey polled more than 400 U.S. adults in February. Research was conducted via an online survey using Viewpoint Forum, MarketVisions proprietary Internet platform. Health workers register passengers to collect samples for virus test at the Yesvantpur railway station in Bangalore, India, on April 5, 2021. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images) Indias Daily Virus Cases Breach 100,000; Mutants, Behavior Blamed NEW DELHIIndia reported a record rise in COVID-19 infections on Monday, becoming the second country after the United States to post more than 100,000 new cases in a day, as politicians stage massive election rallies raising fears of further spreading the virus. Hospitals in the worst affected state, Maharashtra, are being overrun by patients. Indias richest state, home to its commercial capital Mumbai and numerous industries, reported a record 57,074 new cases overnight. The countrys daily infections have risen about 12 fold since hitting a multi-month low in early February, when authorities eased most restrictions and people largely stopped wearing masks and following social distancing. With 103,558 new infections, India has now reported 12.6 million cases, the highest after the United States and Brazil, data from the health ministry showed. Deaths jumped by 478, still one of the lowest fatality rates in the world, raising the total to 165,101. India has recorded the most number of infections in the past week anywhere in the world. More infectious variants of the virus may have played a role in the second surge, some epidemiologists say. The new variant, or variants of concern, probably explains a lot of it, rather than a simplistic explanation of behavior, said Rajib Dasgupta, head of the Centre of Social Medicine & Community Health in New Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University. India has found hundreds of cases of the virus variants first detected in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil. Subhash Salunke, a former WHO official who advises Maharashtra on its COVID-19 strategy, said cases in the state would continue to rise for another couple of weeks. He said a way out was vaccinating all adults in its hardest-hit cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Nashik. If we start doing this, by the end of April we will see a downward trend, he said. People shop at a crowded marketplace in Mumbai, India, on April 5, 2021. (Niharika Kulkarni/Reuters) Vaccine Ramp-up India, the worlds biggest maker of vaccines, has injected 77 million doses at home since starting its campaign in the middle of Januarythe third highest after the United States and China. Indias per capita COVID-19 vaccinations, however, are lower than many other countries, including that of more populated China that started giving shots to its citizens much earlier. India is currently vaccinating only people above the age of 45, having covered health and front-line workers first with the AstraZeneca shot and a government-backed one. In a meeting held by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, officials discussed raising the countrys vaccine output further. The government has in recent weeks slowed vaccine exports, after shipping more than 65 million doses. It was highlighted that all efforts are underway to secure adequate quantities of vaccines to meet the rising domestic requirements as well as to meet the genuine needs of other countries, his office said in a statement. Though cases have risen exponentially in nearly a dozen states, politicians and ministers are still addressing election rallies attended by tens of thousands of mask-less people jostling for space. The health minister in the northeastern state of Assam, currently voting to elect a new government, was ridiculed on social media on the weekend after saying there was no need for masks in his state and that wearing one hurts businesses like beauty parlors. Maharashtra will start shutting shopping malls, cinemas, bars, restaurants, and places of worship from Monday evening. Authorities will also impose a complete lockdown at weekends, as experts worried about a shortage of critical-care beds in hospitals, especially in its smaller cities. The rise in cases has pulled down the stock market. By Neha Arora and Rama Venkat Police said three men wearing balaclavas and armed with hammers were behind the attack (PA) Police are appealing for witnesses after a man and a woman were injured in a hammer attack. A 29-year-old woman was admitted to hospital and a 30-year-old man was injured after they were reportedly beaten at a property in the Forthriver Way area of Belfast on Sunday night. Three men wearing balaclavas and armed with hammers were behind the attack, police said. Detective Sergeant Natalie Moore said: At 9.40pm it was reported that a 28-year-old woman and 30-year-old male were reportedly beaten at a property by three men wearing balaclavas, armed with hammers. The property was ransacked and the upstairs bedroom window was smashed Detective Sergeant Natalie Moore The woman was struck to the back of the head with a hammer and taken to hospital as a precaution. The man sustained several cuts to his arms. The property was ransacked and the upstairs bedroom window was smashed. One of the males is described as approximately 5ft 7in in height, of large, heavy build, with a ginger moustache which was protruding from the grey balaclava he was wearing. He was wearing a brown jacket and light-coloured jeans and in possession of a silver hammer. Another is described as of slim build, wearing a dark-coloured balaclava, navy jacket and tracksuit bottoms, and in possession of a claw hammer. Inquiries into this incident are continuing and anyone who saw what happened, or has information about this incident, is asked to get in touch with us. The number to call is 101, quoting reference number 1868 04/04/21. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org/ Virginia has passed a law making it easier for some healthcare workers who become ill with COVID-19 to collect medical expenses or lost wages. But theres a catch: the law excludes healthcare workers who are offered a vaccine at work and refuse it. The bill, retroactive to March 12, 2020, was signed into law by Governor Ralph Northam late on Wednesday, according to an aide to Chris Hurst, a member of the state House of Delegates who drafted the legislation. The new law presumes that death or disability from COVID-19 for healthcare workers who have had contact with a known COVID positive patient is an occupational hazard, allowing them to collect workers compensation insurance benefits. The bill allows potentially hundreds of workers to claim benefits they were previously denied because of the difficulty of proving where a worker was infected with COVID-19. If, however, the employer offered a vaccine and a worker refused, the presumption does not apply. The bill contains an exception for people with a medical condition that puts them at risk from a vaccine. Nearly one-third of Americans have received at least one shot to date. Similar bills have been introduced in Illinois, Indiana and Maryland as states test ways to encourage vaccines without triggering a backlash over government mandates. Its this cowardly way of trying to sort of implement a mandate through the backdoor that you know you probably couldnt get away with through the body politic explicitly, said Mike Duff, a professor at University of Wyoming College of Law. Critics worry about tying a benefit to vaccines that have been approved only on an emergency basis. Dr. Liz Mumper, a Virginia pediatrician, said: Whenever there is risk to an individual, there must be choice. In the United States, the workers compensation system largely protects employers from lawsuits, while allowing workers to collect benefits for injuries without having to prove fault or negligence. The system was designed for factory accidents, not airborne illnesses. Only 1% of healthcare workers in Virginia have been awarded COVID-19 workers compensation benefits, according to the Virginia Nurses Association. Some legal experts and proponents of the Virginia bill say it is lawful for states to offer incentives to take the vaccine and that doing so will make the workplace safer. If you choose not to get the vaccine, you have to adopt some amount of personal risk, Hurst said in an interview. Attorneys who specialize in workers compensation said the vaccine requirement was similar to safety protocols such as hard hats, which must be followed for an injured worker to claim benefits. (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Lisa Shumaker and Howard Goller) Topics COVID-19 Workers' Compensation Virginia Medical Professional Liability Rahsaan New York Thomas met freelance journalist Emily Nonko at San Quentin State Prison in 2018. Thomas is 50, co-host of the Pulitzer-nominated Ear Hustle podcast, and currently incarcerated at the prison. He had decided to write years earlier, contributed numerous stories to San Quentin News, and was interested in connecting incarcerated people with those outside. Nonko, a New York-based freelance journalist who typically focuses on cities and urban policy, developed a friendship with Thomas, and started covering San Quentin more often. As a liberal person who felt prisons were wrong, I hadnt realized I still had assumptions about who was in prisons, what folks are like, how prisons functioned, she recalls. Going in for the first time, a lot of my assumptions immediately fell away. Thomas and Nonko noticed that while San Quentin News was able to cover stories critical of the prison system, the audience was limited. To get a broader readership, theyd have to write for a mainstream publicationbut that required internet access, which San Quentin and other prisons do not allow. Together, they conceived of the Empowerment Avenue Writers Cohort, a program pairing incarcerated writers with journalists on the outside who offer feedback on ideas, edit drafts, suggest publications to pitch, and facilitate communication and payment. The program, which launched in June 2020, strives to publish more essays, op-eds, and reported stories from incarcerated writers in mainstream publicationsWe tell the other side of the story, Thomas saysand pay them fair wages for their work. Currently, Empowerment Avenue connects 30 incarcerated writers with 30 editors and writers outside of prison. Thomas makes long-term plans for the program and continues to write himself as a member of the group. He has reported on issues including getting diagnosed with COVID-19 and losing wages during the pandemic. Nonko coordinates logistics for the 60 people involved. You have reporters, editors, and producers who have not been touched by this system and theyre dictating what the coverage looks like, and thats a huge problem when prisons are so hard to access, she says. We want to expose readers in every kind of publication to the incarcerated viewpoint. Recent publications include an op-ed by Christopher Blackwell, arguing for incarcerated people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine early, in The Washington Post; an essay by Wesley Williams about sewing t-shirts in a New York state prison for 26 cents an hour, in The New Republic; and an essay by Michele Scott that likens quarantine cells to dungeons, in Elle. Writers have earned a combined $10,000 for their work so far, according to Nonko, who estimates that EA will place work by incarcerated writers in 50 outlets by years end, and is projected to earn its writers a combined $15,000 to $20,000. Thomas sees the program as a financial life raft for participants; once youre out of prison, he says, youre basically alone out there. Nonko found many of the current writers through The Marshall Projects Life Inside series, which publishes first-person essays and reporting from inside prison. Over half the participants are Black, Latino, or Asian, and most are men. (Nonko says theyre working to include more women and LGBTQ writers in the future). All participants were asked to submit applications, to clarify goals, set expectations, and help match writers and volunteers. Finding volunteers to work with incarcerated writers was easier, Nonko says. Reporters on the outside were sourced from the Study Hall freelance journalism network over the summer, and interest seemed to rise as protests over police violence unfolded across the country. (Disclosure: I am a member of Study Hall.) Nonko had to cap the volunteer pool at 50 within a few days. Most in the group are white, and most didnt know anyone who was incarcerated until the program. We just wanted people to have an interest and a commitment, Nonko says. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Akiba Solomon, a senior editor at The Marshall Project who edits Life Inside, described her interactions with Empowerment Avenue as helpful and logistically easier. She worked with a volunteer to publish an essay by Corey Devon Arthur, who is incarcerated at Fishkill Correctional Facility, on strip-frisking. In a way, theyre functioning as Coreys agents, Solomon says. The prison system poses unique challenges to the editorial process. Writers and volunteers rely on a mix of letters, the prison email system (known as JPay), and phone calls to talk through story ideas and pass drafts back and forth. Theres no cohesiveness in how different prisons handle communication, Nonko says, so lapses are common. In San Quentin, JPay messages are printed and hand-delivered to recipients, and incarcerated people such as Thomas are not able to respond through that system. Some volunteers transcribe from handwritten or typewritten drafts sent by their writers through the mail, or read aloud over phone calls typically limited to 15 minutes. Calls and letters are subject to surveillance. I choose my words carefully because I dont want messages to be delayed or rejected, Solomon, of the Marshall Project, says. If someone is making a charge against a corrections officer, and its unflattering to the facility, sometimes theyll drag their feet to provide the email. The journalism industry poses its own challenges. Writers I spoke with bristled as the use of inmate to describe those who are incarcerated. Thomas, who has been described as an inmate by outlets hes written for, sees the term as hypocritical and dehumanizing. Theyre calling us a noun that [conflates] who we are [with] where we are, instead of calling us people, he says. Christopher Blackwell, 39, is one of the programs most prolific writers. Hes published more than a dozen stories since June, and currently contributes to Jewish Currents, the leftist magazine that frequently critiques the criminal justice system. Blackwell has a tablet purchased from the commissary, and has immediate access to instant messages from JPay, including from his volunteer editor. When we first spoke in late February, Blackwell said his volunteer, Jamie Beth Cohen, was pitching ten stories on his behalf, and called the project transformative. Weve become friends, collaborators, and supports for each other, Cohen says. Theres just so much talent trapped behind bars. Blackwellwho is incarcerated at the Washington State Reformatory in Monroe, Washington, and whose sentence wont be up until 2043focuses mainly on inequality in his writing. Any time Ive seen an individual not being treated fairly, I was going to help them and shed light on whats going on. Because of this, he says, the [Washington Department of Corrections] doesnt really like me. But he adds that hes never faced retaliation, possibly because he has an audience now. Blackwell spends four to five hours a dayon my nice little thin mattress, he saysworking on various projects, which include his freelance writing, a manuscript for a book on solitary confinement, and Look2Justice, an advocacy nonprofit he started with his wife to address inequitable sentencing, particularly for young people. His plan is to become a full-time freelance writer once outside prison. Empowerment Avenue hopes to expand its writers to include fiction, poetry, and books, and start a new project for visual artists, Nonko says. Thomas recently secured a partnership with Apogee Journal, which plans to publish an incarcerated-only issue in the fall. Nonko is applying for grants to pay Empowerment Avenue founders and looking to use funds from a fellowship to introduce writers to solutions journalisma practice that Thomas sees as related to his goals of abolition and breaking cycles of poverty and violence. If we focus on the root cause, Thomas says, no one gets hurt in the first place. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Taylor Moore is a freelance reporter in Chicago. She has written for The Guardian, VICE, CityLab, Chicago Reader, and other publications, and is a board member for the Chicago chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). The European Union on Sunday called for the departure of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya, describing it as a precondition for a return to stability in the war-torn country. At a news conference in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, EU Council President Charles Michel described the appointment of a transitional government earlier this year as a historic moment. The government is meant to shepherd the country through until general elections on Dec. 24. You have created an opportunity to rebuild your country, but there is one precondition all foreign fighters and troops must leave the country, he said, urging Libyas political and mostly armed factions to seize a unique opportunity to build a united sovereign stable and prosperous country. A recently released report by U.N. experts accused several foreign governments of turning the oil-rich country into a stage to play out rivalries and ignoring U.N. sanctions and a decade-long U.N. arms embargo, which it said has remained totally ineffective. The experts identified Turkey and Qatar as the backers of forces loyal to the U.N.-supported administration in Tripoli, to the west, while the United Arab Emirates, Russia, and Egypt have supported Khalifa Hifter, the military commander controlling eastern and southern parts of Libya. Michel, who met the leaders of the newly appointed government, said the EU was supporting efforts at national reconciliation, following the years of chaos since the 2011 uprising that overthrew and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Mohammad Younes Menfi, head of the presidential council, said he and Michel discussed migration and the security of maritime borders between Libya and the EU, according to the office of the Libyan leader. Libya has emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East and seeking a better life in Europe. Other European leaders would be visiting Libya in the coming days, reflecting the importance of EU-Libyan ties, an EU official said, adding that the EU ambassador to Libya would return to Tripoli by the end of April. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. (Image Credit: AP) (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) BSEB class 10th result: The official website of Bihar School Examination Board, BSEB, - biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in has gone down two hours ahead of the declaration of the class 10th result on Monday (April 5). The BSEB is all set to announce the class 10th result of Bihar School Examination Board today at around 3:30 pm. According to reports, the BSEB class 10th matric result 2021 will be announced by Bihar Education Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary today. Earlier, Bihar government had decided to close all schools, colleges and other educational institutions in Bihar till April 11, 2021. At around 3:30 pm today, Class 10th students, who appeared for BSEB exam this year, can check out their class 10th matric results 2021 on the official website of BSEB, - biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in, biharboardonline.com. Bihar Board class 10th result: Know how to download scoresheet STEP 1: Visit the official website of the board, - biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in, bsebonline.in or biharboardonline.com Step 2: Go to result sections on the homepage STEP 3: Click on the Bihar Board 10th Result 2021 link STEP 4: Enter the credentials required and log in STEP 5: Check and download Bihar Board 10th Result 2021 Students are advised to download and take a print of their Bihar Board 10th Result 2021 for future reference. According to reports, the Bihar School Examination Board will release the list of Bihar Board matric toppers once the result of class 10th matric exams are declared. The toppers' list will have the details of students like their names and Roll Numbers along with their scores and their parents name. The list will also feature their school name. As per the reports, the toppers' list will include names and details of first top 10 rank holders of BSEB 10th exam 2021. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-06 00:15:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah (R) meets with Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela in Tripoli, Libya, on April 5, 2021. The Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah on Monday met with Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela in Libya's capital Tripoli and discussed mutual cooperation. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) TRIPOLI, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeinah on Monday met with Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela in Libya's capital Tripoli and discussed mutual cooperation. Dbeibah praised Malta's important role in resolving the conflict in Libya by organizing several meetings between the Libyan factions, said a statement issued by the Libyan prime minister's information office. "Dbeibah said that the two countries are working to cooperate at the bilateral and regional levels, saying the trade exchange and the resumption of flights are the most important," it added. For his part, Abela said that the two countries cooperate in the fight against COVID-19 and combating crime, announcing that flights will resume soon and the Maltese embassy will return to Tripoli in a few days. Abela also stressed full support for Libya in various fields, mainly economy and security, the statement added. Dbeibah's Government of National Unity was approved by the House of Representatives (parliament) recently in order to end the state of political division in the country and prepare for the upcoming elections later this year. Enditem Writers and Urban Sketchers show the best of Portugal LISBON, Portugal, March 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SketchTour Portugal Reloads with routes that cross different scenarios and landscapes of the islands and continental territory of the country, and that will pass from reality to fiction through the narratives of national writers and the drawings of sketchers, national and international, invited to participate in the project. Monocromatic or in the colors of the rainbow, portraits of the seven tourism regions of the country and narratives by Portuguese authors will reproduce unique experiences of the destination, in response to the challenge launched by the collective of artists Urban Sketchers, with the support of VisitPortugal, which aims to promote the country and literary tourism through an integrated project that combines writing with drawing. After the success of the first edition in 2017, SketchTour Portugal Reload will return in 2021 and will count with the participation of twenty sketchers (ten national and ten international) from Spain, Italy, France, United Kingdom, Sweden and Egypt. Among the foreign sketchers, Lapin, Stefano Faravelli, Ian Fennelly, Simo Capecchi, Nina Johansson and Reham Ali stand out. The novelty of the 2021 edition is the addition of eleven leading authors and writers of the Portuguese language from different generations to the trip: Mia Couto, Jose Luis Peixoto, Dulce Maria Cardoso, Afonso Cruz, Goncalo Cadilhe, Rui Cardoso Martins, Sergio Godinho, Marcela Costa, Matilde Campilho, Rui Cardoso Martins and Jacinto Lucas Pires. These authors will write Portugal, expand the drawings of urban sketchers with their words and narratives and inspire future trips of tourists. SketchTour Portugal Reload intends to give rise to over five hundred drawings, ten webisodes, a documentary, a multimedia exhibition and a book that brings together texts and drawings with a preface by Mia Couto. The website www.SketchTourPortugal.com will be continually updated with the result of the different editions of the project and with a library of soundscapes that will help to create a new perception of experiences and of the destination through more accessible content. As part of the recovery plan for tourism, this project aims to position Portugal in the shortlists of national and international tourists and demonstrate that the destination is prepared to receive all those who wish to enjoy nature, heritage, culture and all the other assets that continue to make Portugal one of the destinations of choice. SketchTour Portugal Reload will start in Madeira, from April 7th to 12th and will be hosted by the President of Turismo de Portugal, Luis Araujo, the French sketcher Charline Moreau and the writer Marcela Costa. SketchTour's second stage will take place in the Algarve and inspire writer Matilde Campilho, host sketcher Pedro Loureiro and Italian sketcher Simo Capecchi. The Alentejo itinerary, vast and diverse territory, will have 2 tours with the participation of sketchers Nuno Branco and Marielle Duran (FR), Celeste Vaz Ferreira and Lapin (FR), accompanied by the writers Rui Cardoso Martins and Jose Luis Peixoto, respectively. SketchTour also has two itineraries that cross the Center of Portugal in which sketchers Alexandra Belo and Santi Salles (ES), Margarida Martins and Nina Johansson (SE) and writers Goncalo Cadilhe and Afonso Cruz will participate. In the Atlantic islands of the Azores, nature will inspire writer Joel Neto and sketchers Mario Linhares and Maru Godas (ES). In Porto, the city streets, the coast and the Douro Valley and the interior will be recorded by Paulo Mendes and Ian Fennelly (UK), accompanied by the writer Dulce Maria Cardoso. In the North, passing through the border areas of Tras-os-Montes, Geres, and Minho, sketchers Marco Antonio Costa and Stefano Faravelli (IT) participate, accompanied by the writer Jacinto Lucas Pires. The streets, monuments and unusual places of Lisbon will be the motto for sketchers Rosario Felix and Reham Ali (EG) and for the composer author Sergio Godinho. Throughout 2021 SketchTour Portugal Reload will write and draw Portugal, bring together national and foreign talent around the country and inspire future trips through the different territories and experiences that the destination offers. A destination that welcomes everyone and respects all the differences of those who visit it. An inclusive and sustainable destination, where better tourism is built in order to have a better planet. #SketchTourPortugal www.sketchtourportugal.com https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuMAo-oYl9zj4v8upDnTwfjSa8vXt5F8q About The Urban Sketchers www.urbansketchers.org/ About Turismo de Portugal www.turismodeportugal.pt Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1475138/Turismo_de_Portugal_Logo.jpg Weitere Links http://www.sketchtourportugal.com SOURCE Turismo de Portugal ADVERTISEMENT A total of 1,844 prisoners were freed when gunmen attacked a correctional facility in Owerri, an official has said. PREMIUM TIMES reported the attack on the prison by armed men initially suspected to be members of the outlawed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB). The group had been blamed for previous attacks on security officers and facilities in the South-east and South-south regions. Francis Enobore, the spokesperson of the correctional centre has now released a statement on the attack. He did not indicate that the attack was carried out by IPOB, saying it was by unknown gunmen. The Owerri Custodial Centre in Imo State has been attacked by unknown gunmen and forcefully released a total of 1,844 inmates in custody, Mr Enobore wrote. The attackers who stormed the facility at about 0215hrs on Monday 5th April, 2021, gained entrance into the yard by using explosives to blast the administrative block. He said 6 inmates have so far voluntarily returned to the facility while 35 inmates refused to escape from custody during the attack. Read the full statement below. PRNigeria News Release Unknown Gunmen Release 1,844 Inmates in Owerri Custodial Centre The Owerri Custodial Centre in Imo State has been attacked by unknown gunmen and forcefully released a total of 1,844 inmates in custody. The attackers who stormed the facility at about 0215hrs on Monday 5th April, 2021, gained entrance into the yard by using explosives to blast the administrative block. They were said to have arrived the centre in their large number in several Hilux pick-up vans and Sienna Buses armed with sophisticated weapons and immediately engaged the security personnel on duty in a fierce gun battle. They eventually detonated the explosive to gain entrance. The Acting Controller-General of Corrections, John Mrabure has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident and in collaboration with other security organizations, commenced a search and recover operations to recapture the fleeing inmates. While appealing to the good citizens of Imo State and indeed Nigerians to volunteer useful intelligence that will facilitate the recovery effort, the Ag. Controller-General wishes to assure that the security of custodial centres in the country remains sacrosanct. He equally directed all officers attached to custodial facilities to remain vigilant at this trying moment in our history. As at the last count, 6 inmates have so far voluntarily returned to the facility while 35 inmates refused to escape from custody during the attack. Francis Enobore, mni Public Relations Officer, For: Controller-General of Corrections Shocking pictures show the moment two thrillseekers risked their lives while posing for a photo perilously close to the edge of a 150ft cliff. The two young women jumped several times for the perfect snap only metres away from the sheer drop at Birling Gap near Eastbourne, East Sussex, on Easter Sunday. Their actions blatantly ignored warnings from officials who urged people ahead of the weekend to consider their safety if visiting the beauty spot. The unstable chalk cliffs are known to collapse without warning as a result of coastal erosion. The two young women were seen jumping together extremely close to the edge of the 150ft cliff edge at Birling Gap near Eastbourne, East Sussex Officials have issued warnings over the safety of the chalk cliffs, which are prone to collapse, amid more than 50 cliff falls in the past year Millions enjoyed their newfound freedom in the good weather this week after coronavirus restrictions were partially lifted, allowing up to six people or two households of any size to meet outdoors. Many flocked to beauty spots this weekend including those who visited the Sussex coast to see the impressive chalk cliffs. But despite their beauty, the crumbling cliffs pose a real danger to visitors. Ahead of the four-day Easter weekend, The National Trust warned visitors to 'stay away from the edge of the cliff top' and to adhere to 'common sense safety advice'. East Sussex Council also put out a warning following a 'significant' cliff fall at Birling Gap. A council spokesman especially warned walkers to be aware of rocks falling from the cliff faces and other dangers. A statement from the council said: 'If you're heading out for a coastal walk this weekend, stay away from cliff edges and bases. 'There have been 50 cliff falls in the last year in East Sussex, where the chalk breaks away from the cliff and falls to the beach or sea below.' Coastguards have also issued a warning over an 'actively moving cliff' at Seaford Head in the last few weeks. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency have previously said one of their 'biggest problems' is 'tackling the "selfie culture" where people take risks to get a dramatic photograph of themselves on a dangerous cliff edge'. The spokesperson said: 'No selfie or photograph is worth risking your life for. The two women were some of hundreds who flocked to the East Sussex beauty spot over the sunny Easter weekend Another woman is seen posing for a life-risking selfie at the cliff top last weekend, dicing with death to get the perfect shot despite recent cliff falls Campers set up camp immediately above a rockfall at the top of a perilous sandstone cliff at Burton Bradstock, Dorset, last weekend We want people to enjoy themselves on the coast by making sure their visit is one to remember and not one theyd rather forget. Its a well-known fact that the cliffs along the UK coastline are continually eroding, with pieces falling from them that can be just a few small rocks or as large as a car. 'Its impossible to predict when the next piece might fall or how big it will be.' It comes only days after additonal reckless sightseers were pictured risking their lives by posing just inches away from the Sussex cliff-edge to take attention-grabbing selfies. Last weekend hundreds were photographed at Birling Gap, near Eastbourne. Many appeared completely unaware of the fragility of the cliffs, which have cracks extending beneath the turf as the base of the cliff erodes away. The same weekend a group of campers set up camp on the edge of a crumbling cliff in Burton Bradstock, Dorset. The campers defied lockdown rules - which prohibit overnight stays away from home - and ignored warning signs and common sense to scale a safety fence and erect two tents just a few feet from the edge of the 150ft cliff. Around 50% of migrant labourers in Pune, Maharashtra are planning to leave for their native states due to the closure of restaurants, bars, and restaurants in the city in the wake of spiraling COVID-19 cases, said Ganesh Shetty, President, Pune Hoteliers Association (PHA). Earlier, the authorities announced that bars, restaurants, and eateries in Pune will remain closed for seven days beginning April 3 amid a surge in coronavirus cases. Reacting to this, Shetty told India Today that the association has taken the decision to protest against the curbs enforced on eateries, bars, and restaurants in the city. There are approx. 8,500 hotels and restaurants in Pune. Around 60,000 workers are from the labour class who earn their wages from the city's restaurant and hotel industry. The daily turnover from Pune's industry is evaluated to be around Rs 6 crore. Also Read: Anand Mahindra thanks Maharashtra CM Thackeray for not imposing total lockdown "50 per cent of the labour workers, waiters, and cooks are planning to return to their home states because hotels and restaurants have to follow the norms of shutting down except parcel services," Shetty said. Meanwhile, Pune's restaurants and hoteliers' association stated that it has also decided to exhibit a protest banner, that reads "no lockdown injustice to hoteliers and customers", at the respective entrances of member hotels, restaurants, and eateries. The Maharashtra government on Sunday, April 4, imposed a fresh set of curbs comprising a weekend lockdown and a night curfew on weekdays to stem the surge in coronavirus cases in the state. Also Read: Pune night curfew update: Curfew timings from 6 pm to 6 am; restaurants, malls, religious places shut for 7 days The restrictions were announced by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray following a Cabinet meeting chaired by him. The night curfew in Maharashtra will be in effect from 8 PM to 7 AM, whereas the weekend lockdown will be in force from 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC will be in place during the day on weekdays. The measures will be in force until April 30. Meanwhile, essential services are excused from the ambit of the said restrictions. Maharashtra on Sunday recorded 57,074 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest one-day surge in the state ever since the pandemic began last year. Houston specialty chemical maker Huntsman Corp. on Monday announced the resignation of CFO Sean Douglas. Douglas, whose resignation is effective July 1, leaves the company for a "full-time calling" to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, according to the release. The Woodlands-based Huntsman said it has already begun a search for a new CFO and is evaluating internal and external candidates. The company expects to have a new CFO in place before Douglas leaves the company in July, according to the release. HOUSTON GAS PRICES: Gasoline prices fall, but increases are on horizon "On behalf of Huntsman, I want to thank Sean for his very many contributions over the past 30 years," president and CEO Peter Huntsman said in the release. "During his long career, Sean has done everything we have ever asked him to do with the highest level of professional competence and ethical clarity. He has played an instrumental role in supporting the execution of the Company's strategic vision, transforming our balance sheet into an investment grade and transitioning our product portfolio to more downstream, differentiated, and specialty chemical products. He has been a great role model for all our associates and he is my close friend. All of us wish Sean success in this next chapter of his life." In a year that saw a historic oil crash caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Huntsman Corp. nearly doubled its profits to $1.03 billion from $562 million in 2019, even as revenues slipped 11 percent year over year to $6.02 billion. The company's portfolio includes specialty chemicals such as polyurethanes used in foams, insulation, textiles and automotive manufacturing. It was founded by Peter Huntsman's father, Jon Huntsman Sr., in 1974. Peter Huntsman took over as chairman just before his father died in 2018. Telangana's Singareni Power Plant bags South India level Best Power Plant Performer Award 04 Jun 2021 | 8:55 PM Hyderabad, Jun 4 (UNI) The Singareni Thermal Power Plant (2X600MW) owned by State-owned Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL), bagged a South India Level The Best Power Plant Performer award declared by Mission Energy Foundation, a well-known Mumbai based Non Profit organization. see more.. Testing soars, recovery rate on rise in Telangana 04 Jun 2021 | 8:51 PM Hyderabad, Jun 4 (UNI) Telangana recorded 2,175 new cases of COVID-19 and 15 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per a state health bulletin released on Friday. see more.. CII welcomes Kerala Budget, calls it a progressive and inclusive budget 04 Jun 2021 | 8:36 PM Kochi, Jun 4 (UNI) CII on Friday welcomed the Kerala Budget which announced 20,000 crore package to tide over the crisis induced by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. see more.. TTD to perform Bhoomi puja for Srivari temple in Jammu on June 13 04 Jun 2021 | 8:34 PM Tirumala, Jun 4 (UNI) The Bhoomi Puja for the construction of the Srivari temple at Majhin village in Jammu is scheduled on June 13. see more.. PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrity chef and Cambodian native, Chef Nak (https://chefnak.com/) announced her groundbreaking cookbook, "Nhum," was now available to U.S. and Australian audiences for the first time. Originally published in 2019 as the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign and a two-year journey of discovery, "Nhum" is the product of Chef Nak's personal commitment to preserving an important part of Cambodian history offering dozens of traditional Khmer recipes and presenting them to the world. Filled with stories told from the heart of Cambodia, "Nhum" is also lavishly illustrated by photographer Nataly Lee, who brings the landscape of her homeland alive while presenting Chef Nak's remarkable culinary creations. "Nhum" is available for purchase via Amazon. Chef Nak The book "Nhum" "We believe that Khmer cuisine is an art form that sits proudly with Cambodia's rich cultural artistic heritage," said Chef Nak. "Through books, teaching, TV and film, social media and exclusive private dining experiences, we hope to show the world the art of traditional Khmer living." Nhum: Recipes From a Cambodian Kitchen The tragic political history of Cambodia is well known Angkor Wat, and the Killing Fields but few outside Cambodia have ever experienced its ancient and remarkable cuisine. "Nhum" means "Eat" in Khmer, the language of Cambodia, and eating well is Chef Nak's intention: offering up over 80 traditional recipes, most of them passed down through oral tradition and never before available, even in restaurants in Cambodia. Cooking together as a family to feed everyone, while passing down secret recipes and clever kitchen tricks, is at the center of Cambodian lifestyle and history. And "Nhum" is a living historic document, representing a new gold standard for Cambodian cookbooks, with most recipes lovingly collected from older cooks who wanted to preserve their unique culinary legacies before they passed on including little-known important nutritional and medicinal properties of traditional ingredients used in Khmer cooking. Each recipe is accompanied by a memorable anecdote, and throughout the entire volume, stunningly illustrated with hundreds of photographs by the talented Nataly Lee a Cambodian-Australian photographer whose keen eye and aesthetic appreciation of the flavors of her homeland became the perfect partner to Chef Nak's recipes. Chef Nak: Cambodia's First Female Celebrity Chef A mother, entrepreneur, female activist, and healthy lifestyle advocate, Chef Nak has been featured in newspapers, magazines, television, multiple media outlets, and has hosted dining events for celebrities, religious leaders, politicians, and important dignitaries from around the world. Sharing her knowledge in books, online cooking shows, and tours, Chef Nak is available for a variety of food and dining experiences, including: exclusive guided tours around the dynamic city of Phnom Penh, special dining events abroad and in her own traditional Khmer home, culinary consultancy for chefs and restaurants, and exclusive ultimate private cooking courses. Chef Nak's unique recipes can be experienced in select partner venues, such as the luxurious Rosewood Hotel in Phnom Penh, for which she curates many popular signature menus. She is currently working on a second cookbook focusing on the cuisine used exclusively by the Cambodian royal family. For the latest recipes, media appearances, and to schedule events featuring Chef Nak, go online. Or follow her on social media: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. Media Contact: Qudeer Arsha. Marketing Manager [email protected] 077657 701 SOURCE Chef Nak 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 UAE has pledged to invest $3 billion in Iraq in view of strengthening the economic and investment relations between the two countries, Gulf Business reports. Both countries, on the media notes, made the announcement as Iraqi Prime Minister Dr. Mustafa Al Kadhimi concluded an official visit to the Gulf country. During the visit Kadhimi held a variety of the official talks on several areas. The two countries also, Gulf Business notes, agreed to grow economic cooperation and accelerate trade and investment exchanges, urging their businessmen to exchange visits as well as the establishment of the Iraqi-UAE Business Council. The talks also led to agreements on doubling down on the importance of strengthening security and defense cooperation and intelligence sharing in the fight against terrorism and developing energy cooperation, especially in the fields of clean energy. UAE is set to renovate Al Hadba Minaret, Great Mosque of al-Nuri and a number of churches in Iraq. ADVERTISEMENT Popular Kannywood actress, Ummi Ibrahim, popularly known as Ummi Zeezee has revealed that she is miserable and having suicidal thoughts. The actress disclosed this on her official Instagram handle. These days I live a miserable life to the extent that I want to commit suicide, but please none of you should ask me why? All I need from you people is a prayer. Following the disclosure, some of her fans as well as her colleagues have sent her consolatory messages asking her to pray. Efforts to speak with the actress were unsuccessful as she did not respond to several phone calls nor replied to text messages from this reporter. She later told VOA Hausa that she was duped by a business colleague of the sum of 450 million naira. A business colleagues defrauded me of 450 million naira. I paid him that amount as my own share of the deal. We intend to start lifting crude oil, but now he has run away. This was also part of what made me feel miserable. She told VOA. The actress did not mention her business colleague name when asked by the VOA. Zeezee was one of Kannywoods most flamboyant actresses in the early 2000s. ZeeZee who was allegedly betrothed to a former military ruler, Ibrahim Babaginda, last featured in a Kannywood film in 2006. She has starred alongside star actors like Ali Nuhu, Ibrahim Maishinku, Sani Danja, Rukayya Dawayya all of whom are still active in the industry. Commentators who are familiar with the actress history including Kannywood analyst, Hassana Dalhat, told PREMIUM TIMES that Zeezees declining popularity is responsible for her current state. Anybody who knows Zeezee from the early days of her career up until late 2000, when she stopped and left the scene would realise that she was the toast of Kannywood. She was famous and very rich. Ummi has a fleet of luxury cars and leads an enviable lifestyle. In 2019, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the actress planned to venture into music, releasing a single. Zeezee released a clip of the single on her Instagram page then. The 17-second clip showed Zeezee displaying her numerous dance styles in different costumes. Florida officials were scrambling Sunday to prevent a "catastrophic flood" after the lining in a reservoir holding hundreds of millions of gallons of wastewater sprung a leak. They warned that the breached reservoir's total collapse could send a 20-foot wall of contaminated water crashing down into the surrounding area. Manatee County officials on Saturday ordered people in more than 300 homes to urgently evacuate the area around an old phosphate plant at Piney Point, where officials described a deteriorating leak in one of the reservoir containment walls. "If you're in an evacuation area and you have not heeded that, you need to think twice and follow the orders," acting Manatee County administrator Scott Hopes warned. As state and local authorities warned of potential flooding, scientists expressed concern about longer-term consequences, including whether the leaking water could drive algae blooms that could be fatal to marine life. "What we're looking at now is trying to prevent - and respond to if need be - a catastrophic flood issue," said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who declared a state of emergency on Saturday for affected counties. Officials said crews have been pumping water out of the reservoir, a controlled discharge into surrounding waterways that is meant to lower the reservoir's volume and reduce water pressure in the event of a total failure. More than 23,500 gallons per minute - more than 33 million gallons of water per day - were being pumped out of the pond, DeSantis said during a Sunday news conference. He said the Florida National Guard was flying in additional pumps to accelerate the process. Hopes said that the controlled release of water is "working" and that, with the additional pumps, officials anticipate being able to double the amount of water they are discharging, but "we are not out of the critical area yet." Officials said Sunday that about 300 million gallons of wastewater remain in the reservoir. Brandi Jenkins, a spokeswoman for the Environmental Protection Agency, said the federal agency is "closely monitoring the ongoing situation" and is in contact with DeSantis, as well as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The EPA is also sending an "on-scene coordinator" to work with the local emergency management agencies and "coordinate EPA support, as necessary," Jenkins said. The Piney Point site was in operation starting in the 1960s, launched by Borden Chemical to process phosphate, a component in fertilizer, the Bradenton Herald reported. It has been inactive since 2001. But the area, now managed by a private company called HRK Holdings, still contains contaminated material left from its years in operation. HRK Holdings could not be reached for comment; a company voice mail box was full, and an online contact form was not working Sunday. In the process of turning phosphate into fertilizer, phosphogypsum - a slurry mixture that contains uranium and is slightly radioactive - is left as a byproduct, said Matthew Pasek, a geoscience professor at the University of South Florida. "As a result, there's lots of this waste product that is left over," he said. "And you can't do anything with it." To manage that waste product, the phosphogypsum is put into mountainous waste piles called gypsum stacks. Ponds of phosphorous-rich wastewater sit on top of them. Such stacks are common in Florida, a major hub for the phosphate mining industry dating to the late 1800s, Pasek said. DeSantis said the wastewater being discharged into surrounding waterways is "not radioactive." Pasek said that is true in the sense that it cannot penetrate skin and would not hurt people if splashed onto them. But he added that it is "slightly" radioactive and, on a long-term basis, "you wouldn't want to drink this water." Florida Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein said the water includes high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen- nutrients that marine experts warn could fuel algae blooms. "The goal is a controlled discharge to the Port of Manatee . . . that marine environment can better process that," Valenstein said. Pasek said the worst-case scenario is that the reservoir ruptures and disrupts other Piney Point pools that are not as treated. Another threat is the potential for algae blooms in the Tampa Bay and the gulf if the wastewater spills in. Jayne Gardiner, a marine biologist and associate professor of biology at New College of Florida, said one concern is "potentially just a huge load of nutrients coming into the system." "Adding that much nitrogen to a system at once tends to fuel absolutely massive algae blooms - that's problematic on a number of levels," Gardiner said. She said that algae blooms tend to form large clumps that can block light and that the blooms consume oxygen. "When you have a massive bloom, you can get very low oxygen levels overnight, and that can be fatal for organisms that are breathing water," she said. Gardiner recalled Florida's red-tide event in 2018, the state's worst red tide in more than a decade, which killed many marine animals. "I don't think anybody could forget what it looked like, what it smelled like - it was incredible," she said. "It's hard to have a crystal ball and say this is what it's going to look like," she added. "Except we do know, history has told us again and again, that this much nutrient loading into a system is generally pretty disastrous." Hopes acknowledged Sunday that concerns about the site require a long-term solution. "We will be moving forward to a permanent solution, into the future, once we mitigate the current risk, which will probably include filling these ponds after they've been devoid of their contents and capping them, leaving a permanent solution that this will not reoccur anytime in the future," he said. Pasek said the Piney Point situation could be a "wake-up call," noting that there are many similar phosphogypsum stacks in Florida. "This is the problem with mining in general," he said. "We like the products, but when the companies that mine this stuff go out of business, who owns the waste products? And that is an excellent question." Pasek added: "Who has to pay for maintenance is also the big question." Reuters Pakistan has started producing the single dose Chinese CanSinoBio COVID-19 vaccine to be able to deliver 3 million doses a month, health officials said. Branded PakVac, an initial batch of 118,000 doses of the vaccine is ready to be delivered to the government on Friday, the National Institute of Health (NIH) said two days after the inauguration of the production plant in Islamabad. Pakistan signed a deal with CansinoBio late March to import a concentrate of the vaccine in bulk to process and package the vaccine locally. [April 05, 2021] WatchBox Announces Partnership with Langepedia PHILADELPHIA, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WatchBox, the world's leading watch house, is thrilled to welcome Alp Sever and Langepedia to the global WatchBox family, as today it announces an official partnership in media, content, and community. Founded as an Instagram account in 2016 during his freshman year at university, Langepedia is the preeminent resource for the study and appreciation of A. Lange & Sohne, the brand's artistic and technical masterpieces, and the renaissance of German watchmaking. Through his Instagram presence and recently inaugurated website, Alp has captured the attention of enthusiasts and collectors worldwide. This partnership unites encyclopedic knowledge and in-depth, independent content with WatchBox's global community and superlative inventory. Mike Manjos, WatchBox's Global Head of Trading and the company's foremost Lange admirer believes that education is paramount to fully appreciate the precision watchmaking legacy from Glashutte. He shares, "Langepedia is an indispensable resource for the modern watch collector to learn about A. Lange & Sohne's distinct aesthetic, incredible range of calibers, mechanical ingenuity, and ongoing history. Alp shares his passion and knowledge through the lens of a collector a perfect fit for the WatchBox ecosystem and our remarkable A. Lange & Sohne inventory." Since its 2017 founding, WatchBox has heavily invested in building a dynamic media division through which the company exercises its video-first strategy for education, entertainmnt, and community development. And as the largest luxury watch video network, WatchBox Studios delivers weekly programming, including open dialogue, opinion, and debate within the WatchBox team, and conversations with enthusiasts, watchmakers, and scholars. Recent editorial endeavors have expanded to written content in the form of Our House, a digital publication, designed to celebrate the watch collecting experience. Langepedia's objective, scholarly, and digestible styles of content will complement these aforementioned initiatives, adding a new dimension to WatchBox's rich content portfolio. Langepedia will continue to operate as a standalone website and social media channel, where Alp has produced such pivotal pieces as The Definitive Guide to Lange 1, illuminating the nuances of each generation of the watch that is "the face of A. Lange & Sohne." Newly minted collaborative content and special activations will leverage the WatchBox global inventory as well as Langepedia's extensive knowledge to inform and enlighten collectors worldwide. Justin Reis, WatchBox's co-founder and global CEO, shares, "WatchBox's mission is to build the world's largest community of passionate watch collectors, and we have learned so much about our clients' interest and appetite for high-quality content throughout the last year. Across our offices in the United States, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai, there is keen interest in A. Lange & Sohne, and we look forward to broadening our community and expanding the WatchBox voice across all channels in partnership with Langepedia." ABOUT WATCHBOX WatchBox is the world's leading platform for the buying, selling, and trading of pre-owned luxury timepieces; fueled by technology, innovation, and unmatched global experience in the high-end watch market. WatchBox offers an unrivaled selection of pre-owned luxury timepieces for sale, and its client services for selling and trading timepieces are streamlined and readily accessible both on and offline, with private showrooms and buying offices in Philadelphia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, and the Middle East. Trust, pricing transparency, and authentication are central tenets to WatchBox's platform, with each watch thoroughly evaluated by in-house master watchmakers and accompanied by a 2-year international warranty. www.thewatchbox.com PRESS CONTACT: Caroline Kallman Joffe | caroline@wbgcorporate.com | +1 717 951 2259 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/watchbox-announces-partnership-with-langepedia-301262288.html SOURCE WatchBox [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Hawaii is an American gem, a collection of island paradises that one can travel to in a reasonable period of time from most of the US mainland. Hawaii poses no issues with language, currency, or cell phone service. The climate is wonderful, with beaches, palm trees, and sea breezes. Under COVID however, visiting Hawaii is more like checking into prison with myriad rules and procedures, including monitored quarantine and GPS bracelets. Virtually all countries requiring a COVID test for admission allow the standard PCR test now available ubiquitously in any pharmacy, lab, or parking lot test center. But not Hawaii. Each Hawaiian island, despite being part of a single state, makes its own rules, similar what American states do under the concept of federalism. Hawaii, for inexplicable reasons, mandates a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) rather than the standard PCR test. Both are molecular tests and their sensitivity is based on amplification cycles, as many of us have written about, that can be artificially elevated to the point of absurdity. Its simply another version of the standard PCR test but not readily available and challenging for visitors who need the test within 72 hours of travel. Kauai, one of the Hawaiian Islands, where we happen to be visiting as I write this, has its own rules. Either a 10-day strict quarantine or a standard PCR test and a three-day resort bubble quarantine. The rest of Hawaii requires either the specific NAAT test or a 10-day quarantine. Resort quarantine means staying at the hotel for 72 hours then retesting to leave quarantine. Hardly draconian, its more like the type of prison sentence a well connected Democrat might receive, like Jeffrey Epstein were he still alive. The NAAT is not readily available, requiring an appointment and perhaps a long drive to an approved test center, and must be done within 72 hours of travel to Hawaii, another task ahead of the normal busy-ness preparing for a vacation. Why does only Hawaii require this NAAT test and no other countries or states? For any investigative reporters out there, Ill bet there is a story behind this, involving money. It would be interesting to see who makes and performs the NAAT test, who decided its necessary, and whether there is a money chain that can be followed. As with much of COVID, from vaccines to therapeutics, follow the money explains more than follow the science. Before travel to Hawaii, all flight, lodging, and travel information must be entered into a specific website. Test results must be uploaded, but the testing options are for only the NAAT test, not the standard PCR test we used for Kauai. This led to additional airport lines, confusion among the gate agents, questions to supervisors, and me rifling through a stack of papers, all to take a short vacation in the sun. Leave it to government agencies to make a simple process complex. Too bad Hawaii doesnt border Mexico. Then visitors would just have to walk across the border, not worrying about testing or quarantine. Once on the plane it was business as usual, except for incessant reminders to keep my mask on. Or else I would be hauled off the plane like those in the articles regularly featured in the Daily Mail. We were told we could briefly lower our masks to take a bite of food or sip of beverage. How generous. Too bad United didnt provide nose masks to compliment the in-flight dining experience. At least we were not flying Delta or American, else we would have received a lecture about voting laws just after the preflight safety announcement. Who knew airlines were so concerned about voting laws? If only they put forth as much effort into being on time as they do weighing in on matters unrelated to their business. Im sure plane passengers, stuffed like sardines into uncomfortably small seats, will feel consoled to be flying on woke airlines. Perhaps Delta or American could explain why photo ID is needed to fly but it is somehow racist to ask the same of voters. Airplane movies were the usual tripe of woke and politically correct themes played by actors and actresses of the currently in vogue skin color, ethnicity, and gender preference. And as entertaining as being constantly reminded to keep my mask on, even while eating. Once in Kauai, there were more lines, this time manned (or womanned, to keep the gender police happy) by Hawaii National Guard members, scanning QR codes, looking at documents, and sending us to more lines and paperwork. I was reminded of traveling from West to East Germany as a young kid at the height of the Cold War, showing papers, facing inspection and scrutiny. YouTube screen grab Once at our hotel, we again had to show our papers (COVID test results), place a $1000 per person deposit in case we broke our 72-hour quarantine, be fitted with a Bluetooth wrist monitor paired to an app we had to download on our phones, all to keep us from wandering off the resort property. The beach was off limits, despite sun, breeze, and salt water as the best virus killers out there. After 72 hours we could have another COVID test for $100 per person to ditch the wrist monitor and leave the hotel property. With masks of course. So much for the CDCs recent pronouncement that fully vaccinated individuals can now travel safely. Its still about testing, control, and limits on personal freedom. While I am poking fun at COVID restrictions and the woke culture, it is alarming to see how much has changed over the past year, the rules and restrictions, the controls and limits on travel and movement. Is this the new norm? Is this the great reset that globalist elites refer to? If you believe this is conspiracy theory talk, dont take my word for it. Instead listen to Justin Trudeau, one of the elites, This pandemic has provided an opportunity for a reset. Its wonderful to be able to travel to a beautiful spot like Hawaii, but the tradeoff is being treated like a prisoner, complete with GPS monitors and endless requests to show me your papers. The scary part is how easy it was to pull this off in the land of the free. Once the wannabe fascist mayors and governors get a taste of power, good luck getting them to give it up. Will we ever go back to preCOVID life or will new strains or variants, and concocted surges serve as an excuse to keep us in perpetual lockdown? A year into COVID, France is entering its third national lockdown. When will Dr Fauci recommend the same for the US? This past year America took a big step toward tyranny of the national-corporate state with few signs of reversal. Brian C Joondeph, MD, is a physician and writer. He is on sabbatical from social media. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Mexico & Banderas Bay Area News Vallarta to Administer 2nd Dose of Pfizer April 6-8 The 32,760 of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines that arrived in Jalisco will be used to give medical personnel and people over the age of 60 in Puerto Vallarta their second doses from Tuesday, April 6 - Thursday, April 8. UPDATE: (5:00 pm April 5) A variety of news sources, along with a Twitter from Secretary of Salud Jalisco, are reporting shots will be given in alphabetical order. The Jalisco Governor, however, posted on his official site & on the Government site that the alphabetical organization would be for Zapopan - with no mention of PV. What we know for sure: Distribution in Puerto Vallarta WILL be Tuesday - Thursday at the locations listed in the first chart below, and vaccines are ONLY for those 60+ seniors who have ALREADY had their first vaccine in PV. Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico - Starting this Tuesday, April 6, 252,900 vaccines from four different laboratories - Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac, CanSino and AstraZeneca - will be applied to people over 60 years of age and health personnel in 39 municipalities of Jalisco. There will be 135,900 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 60 in Zapopan, as well as 32,760 from Pfizer-BioNTech for the second dose to people over 60 and medical personnel in Puerto Vallarta, which will be administered from Tuesday, April 6 through Thursday, April 8. If you are an adult over 60 years old and received your first shot in the Puerto Vallarta region, these are the vaccination points where you can go to receive the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against COVID19: April 6-8 Vaccination sites for second doses of Pfizer for people over 60 in Puerto Vallarta. All of these sites will be administering vaccines from 9 am to 4 pm, Tuesday, April 6 through Thursday, April 8. However, you should go to the location of your first vaccine if it is listed in the chart above. If it is not listed, please No appointments are being made. The process will be in ALPHABETICAL order according to the first initial of your last name, as shown in the chart below: You MUST present ID, CURP and the paper from your first vaccine. The schedule is from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm or until the assigned doses per day are finished. It has not been disclosed how many doses are assigned per day. Vaccines will be distributed Tuesday, April 6 through Thursday, April 8. You MUST bring your ID, CURP and the record that shows you got your first dose of Pfizer in Puerto Vallarta. Remember, these are ONLY for people ages 60 years and up who have already received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Vallarta. Announcements will be made at a later date for the vaccination of those not in this category. The remaining 82,456 vaccines were received on March 30 from the Sinovac and CanSino laboratories. Of these the 31,800 CanSino vaccines will be administered to people over 60 years of age in the North, Tamazula and Autlan regions, and the 50,656 Sinovac shots to the elderly in the Los Altos and the La Cienega regions of Jalisco. Sources: jalisco.gob.mx - Tribuna de la Bahia - COVID-19 Info for Mexico (Jalisco/Nayarit Focus) - Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramirez on Facebook Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico - Starting this Tuesday, April 6, 252,900 vaccines from four different laboratories - Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac, CanSino and AstraZeneca - will be applied to people over 60 years of age and health personnel in 39 municipalities of Jalisco.There will be 135,900 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 60 in Zapopan, as well as 32,760 from Pfizer-BioNTech for the second dose to people over 60 and medical personnel in Puerto Vallarta, which will be administered from Tuesday, April 6 through Thursday, April 8.If you are an adult over 60 years old and received your first shot in the Puerto Vallarta region, these are the vaccination points where you can go to receive the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against COVID19:All of these sites will be administering vaccines from 9 am to 4 pm, Tuesday, April 6 through Thursday, April 8. However, you should go to the location of your first vaccine if it is listed in the chart above. If it is not listed, please click HERE to find out where you should go to get your second dose of the vaccine. The process will be in ALPHABETICAL order according to the first initial of your last name, as shown in the chart below:The schedule is from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm or until the assigned doses per day are finished. It has not been disclosed how many doses are assigned per day. Vaccines will be distributed Tuesday, April 6 through Thursday, April 8.You MUST bring your ID, CURP and the record that shows you got your first dose of Pfizer in Puerto Vallarta.Remember, these are ONLY for people ages 60 years and up who have already received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Vallarta. Announcements will be made at a later date for the vaccination of those not in this category.The remaining 82,456 vaccines were received on March 30 from the Sinovac and CanSino laboratories. Of these the 31,800 CanSino vaccines will be administered to people over 60 years of age in the North, Tamazula and Autlan regions, and the 50,656 Sinovac shots to the elderly in the Los Altos and the La Cienega regions of Jalisco. Site Map Print this Page Email Us Top Rising cases of coronavirus across the country and a partial lockdown in Maharashtra roiled the Indian equity market today. The crash came despite healthy gains in global markets especially in the US. Sensex closed 870 points lower at 49,159 and Nifty lost 229 points to 14,637. India recorded over 1 lakh coronavirus cases on Sunday, the highest single-day rise since the pandemic began last year. Sentiment on Dalal Street was also affected after the Maharashtra government imposed a night curfew in the state from 8 pm to 7 am from today. The state will also go for a complete weekend lockdown from 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday. Top Sensex losers were Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank, SBI , M&M and Bajaj Auto falling up to 5.81%. Of 30 Sensex stocks, 25 ended in the red. Top losers today: Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank, SBI, M&M, Axis Bank fell up to 6.5% IT stocks bucked the trend with HCL Tech, Infosys, TCS and Tech Mahindra rising up to 3.08% on Sensex after rupee came under selling pressure. Banking stocks led the losses with BSE bankex plunging 1,326 points to 36,912. Bank Nifty too slipped 1,179 points to 32,678. Consumer durables stocks were among the top losers with their BSE index falling 711 points to 32,097. BSE mid cap and small cap indices fell 232 points and 226 points, respectively. Sensex's bitter relationship with Mondays gets worse Investor wealth fell by Rs 2.17 lakh crore today after market cap of BSE-listed firms stood at Rs 205.09 lakh crore. Shrikant Chouhan, Executive Vice President, Equity Technical Research at Kotak Securities said,"Breaking all the important support, the market went back to 14450/48580 levels and came back. For the last 20 days, 14450/48580 has been working on an important basis. From now on, 14450/48580 would act as a trend decider. However, the market may return to around 14450/48580 or 14500/48800 and the reason is that today's fall was severe. All sectors except Nifty IT and Nifty Metals were down. Pandemic sensitive sectors are heavily down for example banks, auto and real estate. The levels of 14670/49300 and 14730/49500 will be major obstacles and it is advisable to reduce weak long positions around the same. Trends above 14900/50100 can be subverted. Overall some days you need to stay stock specific." Rupee fell 18 paise to close at 73.30 against the US dollar on strong American currency and risk aversion in the domestic market. Global markets Asian stock markets were mixed and US futures were higher on Monday after Wall Street rose to a record on optimism the spread of coronavirus vaccines might allow global business to return to normal. On Thursday, S&P 500 rose 1.2% on its last trading day before the holiday, closing above 4,000 points for the first time. In Asia on Monday, the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo rose 0.8% to 30,092.74 while the Kospi in Seoul gained 0.2% to 3,119.51. The Ukrainian Energy Ministry and Qatar Petroleum have signed a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation, the ministry's press service has reported. The document was signed by Ukraine's Acting Energy Minister Yuriy Vitrenko and President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida Al-Kaabi. The two states intend to develop cooperation in the areas of investments from Qatar in gas exploration and production in Ukraine, as well as LNG from Qatar to Ukraine. "Cooperation in the oil and gas sector of Ukraine and Qatar is promising and important to our country. Qatar is one of the world's largest gas producers and it has valuable experience and significant financial resources to invest in gas exploration and production in Ukraine. Increasing our own gas production, diversification of gas supply sources is in the interests of gas consumers in Ukraine and will contribute to sustainable economic development and strengthening Ukraine's energy security," said Vitrenko, who is currently on a visit to Doha, Qatar. The memorandum will remain in force for three years and could be automatically extended for the same period. op Russias State Duma lower parliament house will discuss possible measures of support to Russians living in Ukraine with the senior officials of the Russian foreign ministry and the Russian Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said. Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky enforced the National Security and Defense Councils sanctions against the Russian humanitarian cooperation agency, Volga Dnepr Co and 77 more companies. "We will discuss with the Russian foreign ministrys and the agencys senior officials measures that are to be taken in this situation in order not to leave our compatriots and Ukrainian nationals who want to preserve relations with Russia without support," he wrote on his Telegram channel. He slammed Ukraines sanctions as an "example of defiance of international law and common sense." "Ukraine is seeking to mock its patrons as much as it can. Sanctions against a state institution - Rossotrudnichestvo, with its mission of developing international humanitarian cooperation - constitute an unprecedented case," Volodin emphasized. octane1002 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: kolkata Posts: 401 Thanked: 724 Times re: ASS vs FNG for German Cars | What are the real benefits? A lot has been discussed on the FNG vs ASS perspectives.Having experienced both sides of the coin, I would add certain things that are generally overlooked while emphatically vouching for the FNG side of things. The major assumptions of cost savings for the same/better level of competence compared to ASS being the tipping points in favour of FNG, below are major considerations (for me) which most first time adapters to FNGs overlook blinded by the benefits of cost savings and all the hoo-ha over Independent service: How knowledgeable is the FNG in question? -just a bunch of Germans parked in various states of (dis)repair is no indicator of FNGs knowledge. How trustworthy/honest is the FNG - esp with respect to genuineness of consumables used/honesty with respect to works actually done, rather than just listing tasks on jobcards and not actually doing them (similar to what ASS do)? Is there a goodwill on the tasks carried out ? (should they fail or the work carried out is not upto satisfaction later on) What is the FNGs infrastructure setup to carry out major works (timing belt, suspension,gerabox overhaul)? I am stating these out, having experienced FNG side of things with respect to my previously owned 1st gen Octavia vRS and Skoda Superb 3.6 V6 - both Germans and fairly expensive to maintain at ASS.In today's day and age of fancy Instagram pages detailing pics of failed parts/repair procedures at FNGs, one is naturally inclined to move to FNGs for what is advertised on the web/social media.Youtube vlogs add another level to eyewash to the whole equation - lets face it a layman will almost certainly find it harder to receive the same level of service, a vlogger/influencer is going to receive. What I am trying to say is that while a knowledgeable FNG (few and far in between) is definitely a boon, anything lesser is sure to screw up the car a lot more in the long run - offsetting initial cheaper to service cost savings against the points listed above.So find that FNG that covers the points listed above, else just stick to the basic oils/filters change as far as FNGs are concerned! Last edited by octane1002 : 2nd April 2021 at 15:35 . Christian author Tom Gilson expounds on the significance of Jesus' resurrection. He said that only through it can the world make sense of purpose, justice, and hope. For his commentary post for Easter, the "Too Good To Be False: How Jesus' Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality," author claims that Jesus' resurrection is "the only thing that lets life make sense." Below is a summary of his compelling explanation. "Everyone but the most pessimistic agrees there is purpose to life." Starting with "purpose," Gilson declares that Jesus' life, death, and resurrection for mankind is a demonstration of God's infinite love. He wanted them "to have a place in His great plan." "We are forever sorts of people, so our actions matter forever. What we do for others will last forever. Now, that sounds like genuine purpose to me," wrote Gilson. This was in response to what he has heard from atheists who embraced the "purposeless beginning and purposeless end" outlook in life. "'I can create my own purpose,' they say. Usually they explain it as 'living a full and meaningful life, and helping others.' I say, 'Sure, but then in a blink of an eye it's over. The same eye blink soon catches up with the others we've helped along the way,'" comments Gilson. The Ohio-based columnist also takes a jab at Eastern religion's assumptions like the concept of reincarnations until one reaches "Nirvana." "But Nirvana isn't paradise," he pointed out. "In Nirvana your individuality is extinguished, your personality is absorbed. Your purpose, then, is to reach something like personal extinction in the fewest possible lifetimes. In the end it's hard to tell that future from the one the atheists tell us to expect. The only real difference is that getting there is much slower and much harder." "Everyone wants justice, and everyone knows it isn't served very well on earth." Acknowledging that bad guys often get away with their crimes, and that sometimes, they also "win big," Gilson states that "real justice just doesn't happen in this world." He contends though that it's definitely achievable, but only in the realm of eternity. This requires patience on the part of the believers. "In Christ, though, there is the promise of real justice," reasoned Gilson. "Jesus taught that He himself would sit on the final seat of judgment over all the world. He has qualifications for it like no one else. If you think judgment should belong to the wisest of all humankind, He meets that test. If you think it should belong to God, He is God, too. By His power and wisdom, He will judge as all with true justice." "But this requires His resurrection," Gilson added. "Jesus is no bony skeleton judging the world from a slab in a stale tomb. He is the risen King reigning on His throne at the right hand of God the Father. Final justice could never happen without His resurrection." This truth about the Judge of the earth executing justice at the end of time is a far cry from atheism which offers none, and is a far superior compared to the concept of "karma." Jesus as the reason for hope. Upholding that hope is not destroyed, Gilson highlighted that it's only through the merit of Jesus' sacrifice can a man stand on judgment day and be acquitted from all his wrong doings. "Only God could carry all of humanity's guilt," said Gilson noting that since "what we do for others will matter forever...what we do against others is bound to matter forever, too." "You won't find any hope like that in atheism," remarks the Thinking Christian writer. "All it has to offer is poof - you're gone. Other religions will tell you some people will make it to Paradise or reach Nirvana, but that's a thin hope for all of us who want to how good we have to be to measure up. Jesus' hope is for people who aren't good enough for heaven - He brings His people there through His own goodness." The United States and its allies in the West share a common history. Their economies developed first through the imposition of colonialism in the underdeveloped world. Colonialism began what is now a centuries-long trend of Western nations erecting immense barriers to economic growth and political independence for Africa, Asia, and Latin America so that their economies could grow wealthy at the expense of the peoples indigenous to these regions. Many of these barriers exist today. While some believed that the "America First" orientation of the Donald Trump presidency would end under Joe Biden, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that the U.S. and the West maintain a deep commitment to unipolar and unilateral dominance in world affairs. Throughout the duration of the pandemic, the U.S. and its Western allies have maintained unilateral sanctions on countries, such as Venezuela and Iran, and hampered their pandemic response. Rather than cooperate and learn from successful efforts to contain the virus, the U.S. and the West utilized every means at their disposal to spread misinformation and escalate a dangerous new cold war against China. Leaders in the U.S. and West assume that economic, military, and political dominance in the world are permanent fixtures to be protected at all costs. Warfare, in all its forms, is a means to an end. The end for U.S. and Western leaders is for the inequalities between their nations and those in the formerly colonized world to continue uninterrupted. Oxfam International reported in 2017 that just eight individuals own as much wealth as half of the world's population. Seven of the eight individuals are major executives of U.S. and Western corporations while nearly 85 percent of the world's poorest people reside in African and Asian countries. It should come as no surprise that such inequalities have been reproduced in the race to vaccinate the global population from COVID-19. While China has been accused of exercising "vaccine diplomacy" for its willingness to share its vaccines with the poorest nations, the U.S. and the West have engaged in an open war against the equitable distribution of the vaccine worldwide. Nearly six of 10 of all vaccine doses administered have taken place in richer countries that represent just 16 percent of the global population. African countries, which possess 17 percent of the global population, have only administered two percent of all doses. The U.S., UK and European Union nations have partnered with for-profit drug companies to essentially horde the global vaccine supply. Last month, it was estimated that the U.S. will have nearly 500 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses than necessary to inoculate its population. Vaccine inequality is no accident. Private companies such as Pfizer hesitate to offer information and supplies to poorer nations because doing so does not serve their bottom line. The U.S. and its closest European allies have made no formal commitment to distributing extra doses of the vaccine because these countries have a track record of placing their own "national interests" over the well-being of humanity. The Biden administration has made it clear on several occasions that most of its hoarded vaccine stockpiles will not be made available to the world until the U.S. population is fully vaccinated. Vaccine warfare is counterproductive. Vaccine warfare ensures that the most vulnerable among us experience the most harm from the continued spread of COVID-19. But the longer the virus spreads, the more it mutates in ways that are impossible to predict. These mutations are likely to disrupt economies and human life everywhere. No one country is immune to a pandemic in an increasingly globalized and interconnected world. In his first press conference as president, Joe Biden promised the American people that China would not surpass U.S. global leadership under his administration. This remark underscores the U.S. and West's obsession with superiority. Leadership is misconstrued to mean domination, more specifically dominance over others. The U.S. and its Western partners never define what its continued leadership means for humanity. The U.S., for example, leads the world in COVID-19 deaths, military expenditure, prison population, and healthcare debt. This is not the kind of leadership the world needs in a period of immense crisis. Climate breakdown, economic inequality, war, and racism will require just as much global cooperation and solidarity to defeat as the COVID-19 pandemic, if not far more. Maximum public pressure must be exerted on the U.S. and its Western allies to end their campaign of vaccine warfare. A victory here would serve as a model for what it means to truly come together for the common good of humanity. By Danny Haiphong, a journalist based in the United States and activist with the No Cold War international campaign. (Source: CGTN) What just happened? Due to the ongoing GPU mining craze, Chinese smugglers seem to have turned their attention to the new Nvidia CMP mining cards. On a recent operation, Hong Kong customs confiscated a sizeable amount of goods from a fishing boat, including what seems to be 300 Nvidia CMP 30HX mining cards. It's hard to determine with certainty which cards were confiscated as they lack the stickers and branding we are used to seeing. This video shows they do not have any video outputs, leading us to believe these are indeed Nvidia CMP series cards. The release of the CMP 30HX and 40HX was scheduled for March, but only the former has been found on sale. Since no CMP 40HX cards have been seen on the wild so far, the confiscated cards are most likely the former. The Chinese smugglers were loading a fish boat when the authorities noticed the suspicious activity near the Hong Kong International Airport. After engaging the smugglers, the officers followed the group who escaped towards China waters using a high-speed boat. Despite the group's escape, Hong Kong authorities apprehended a considerable amount of smuggled products from the fishing boat. Besides the 300 CMP mining cards, they also confiscated exotic food, gadgets, and smartphones. The tech products by themselves were valued at HK$2 million, or about $257,000. It's not strange to see mining cards being smuggled considering how much they cost right now. With the appreciation of cryptocurrency and increasing demand for mining GPUs, things will only tend to get worse before it gets better. If you are new to mining and interested in learning how a GPU works for that purpose right now, you might want to check our quick guide on the best mining GPUs in 2021. Image credit: TVB News Pastor Artur Pawlowski of the Cave of Adullam Church in Alberta, Canada had a fit seeing Calgary police coming to their church "armed with guns and tasers and handcuffs to intimidate during the Passover celebration." In a Facebook video that went viral, Pastor Pawlowski demonstrated his stance on extended mandatory lockdowns and the rumored implementation of vaccine passports. These were revealed further in the video after he chased the officers out. During the confrontation, the pastor is heard yelling repeatedly at the police officers to leave the church's premises, and to not come back unless they have a warrant. He wrote on the video's caption the reason for his frustration. "Police came to disrupt Church gathering! Gestapo came again to intimidate the Church parishioners during the Passover Celebration!!! Unbelievable!" wrote Pawlowski. After the police left, the pastor turned the camera on him and pleaded for fellow church people to not tolerate, but rather resist such acts of "intimidation." "Unbelievable. We're living in a total takeover of the government with their thugs, goons, the brown shirts, the Gestapo wannabe dictators," argued Pawlowski. "Coming to the church armed with guns and tasers and handcuffs to intimidate during Passover celebration? Well, I guess that's what it is, they want to enslave us all like the Egyptians did. They want to be the Pharaohs of today, that's what they're doing. Unbelievable. People, if you don't stand up, wake up, wow. I don't know what will happen tomorrow." The Adullam Church pastor also took issue on the implementation of COVID passports that's now being contemplated by Western governments. "If you will not be vaccinated like a dog or a cat, you will not be able to buy or sell. You will not be able to go to school or work. Is that the future you want? Is that what you want for your children and your grandchildren?" asked the disillusioned pastor. Reportedly, James Coates, another Canadian pastor, was arrested and put in jail for holding in-person worship services. The number of attendees exceeded the government's mandated capacity which led to the pastor's arrest. In response to Pawlowski's tirade, the Calgary Police Department (CPD) issued a statement, reports Townhall. Their appearance at the church was prompted by a call they received to assist Alberta Health Services in ensuring that public health orders are strictly being observed as mandated by the city's bylaw services. "The concern was that the people in attendance were not adhering to the government's COVID-19 public health orders, which are put in place to ensure everyone's safety," said the statement. The statement further explained that police presence was necessary "in an effort to help keep the peace due to high levels of conflict between citizens and health inspectors." CPD said that despite the organizer's lack of cooperation, the police officers left the church "approximately one minute after entry and in a peaceful manner." They added that they have not issued tickets at that time and will leave the decision to partner agencies. "We understand the pandemic has caused great disruption to call Calgarians in their professional and personal lives," explained CPD in empathy. "We do not wish to disrupt anyone's holidays or religious or spiritual events, however we must support our partner agencies when called upon to help ensure everyone can safely celebrate these occasions." Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-06 01:17:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at a virtual Downing Street press conference in London, Britain, on April 5, 2021. Johnson on Monday confirmed that from April 12, non-essential shops will reopen and pubs and restaurants will reopen outdoors as Britain moves to step two of the roadmap out of the COVID lockdown. (Pippa Fowles/No 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua) LONDON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday confirmed that from April 12, non-essential shops will reopen and pubs and restaurants will reopen outdoors as Britain moves to step two of the roadmap out of the COVID lockdown. Meanwhile, hairdressers and barbers as well as gyms and spas can reopen, along with zoos, theme parks, libraries and community centers. "The net result of your efforts and of course the vaccine rollout is that I can today confirm that from Monday April 12, we will move to step two of our road map," said the prime minister. The statement came as the prime minister was speaking at a virtual Downing Street press conference to give an update on his government's anti-coronavirus plan. "But we can't be complacent we see the waves of sickness afflicting other countries, we've seen how this story goes we still don't know how strong the vaccine shield will be when the cases begin to rise as I'm afraid they will," he said. "Which is why we are saying please get your vaccine or your second dose when your turn comes." Johnson said he will "cautiously but irreversibly raise a glass" to the vaccine rollout and easing of rules, adding that he "sees nothing in the present data that makes me think we'll have to deviate from the roadmap". "We set out our roadmap and we're sticking to it," he said. On Feb. 22, Johnson announced his roadmap exiting the lockdown, the third of its kind since the start of the pandemic. The four-step plan is expected to see all legal restrictions in England being removed by mid-June. The prime minister said England has managed to meet the "tests" set by the government sufficiently to go ahead with further easing restrictions on Monday. The government previously set out four "tests" for easing lockdown: the vaccine programme continues successfully; vaccines are effective in reducing hospital admissions and deaths; infection rates do not risk overwhelming the British National Health Service (NHS), and the variants of concern do not pose a large risk. Nearly 31.6 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the official figures. At the same time, Johnson said there is no decision yet on when international travel can resume. The prime minister stressed that he does not want to "underestimate" the risk of travelers importing the virus into Britain. Asked whether he can rule out whether vaccine passports will be used at the pub, Johnson said that they will certainly not be used next Monday when venues open outdoors. He said the government is being careful to avoid a system which is "discriminatory", as some people such as pregnant women cannot get vaccinated for medical reasons. "I want to stress there are complicated ethical and practical issues raised by the idea of COVID status certification because many people for many reasons may be unable to get a vaccine for medical reasons or perhaps they are pregnant or whatever," he said. "You have to be very careful in how you handle this and don't start a system that is discriminatory." "But obviously we are looking at it and some test events, getting 20,000 people into Wembley on May 15," he added. He added that large-scale events will "absolutely" need measures such as testing when they are allowed to go ahead again. The prime minister said the rapid mass testing "will be a great advantage of us all." Also on Monday, the British government published the latest findings from its reviews of COVID status certification, so-called "vaccine passports", and international travel. The review suggested a certification scheme could have an "important role to play both domestically and internationally, as a temporary measure," but Johnson faces opposition from MPs on both sides of the House of Commons, lower part of the British parliament, who are reportedly concerned about the civil liberties implications. A certificate could cover whether someone had received a vaccine, had a negative coronavirus test or had contracted and recovered from COVID-19 within the past six months. Earlier Monday, British health authorities announced that everyone in England will be able to take a free rapid COVID-19 test twice a week from Friday as the government seeks to extend its testing program. The lateral flow kits, which can provide results in around 30 minutes, will be available for free at testing sites, pharmacies and through the post. Joining Johnson at the press briefing, England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty confirmed that the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 has been steadily falling from the peak and is continuing to fall. The number of people dying with the virus has also been steadily decreasing and a faster rate than during the first peak, thanks to a combination of lockdown measures plus the effects of vaccines, according to Whitty. The average number of deaths is now about 47 a day, down from a peak of about 1,300 a day earlier in the year, Whitty said. Another 2,762 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,362,150, according to official figures released Monday. The country also reported another 26 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 126,862. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. Experts have warned that despite progress in vaccine rollout, Britain is "still not out of the woods" amid concerns over new variants and the third wave of pandemic in the European continent. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. Enditem Talented student Alannah Dunn (16) suffered serious injuries in the fall Tributes have been paid to an Irish schoolgirl who tragically passed away after falling from a wall in southern Spain last month. Alannah Dunn (16) suffered serious injuries following the 16ft fall in the city of Granada on Friday, March 19. The teenager was a transition year student at Mount Anville secondary school in south Dublin and had been in Spain as part of an exchange programme. She had been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of a neurotrauma hospital in the city but sadly passed away last Thursday. Spanish authorities are carrying out an investigation into the freak accident while the Department of Foreign Affairs are offering consular assistance to her family. Over the weekend Irish dancing groups that Alannah Dunn was involved with paid tribute to the talented dancer. An Coimisiun Le Rinci Gaelacha (CLRG), the largest governing body for Irish dancing worldwide, expressed their sympathies to her family in a statement over the weekend. We are deeply saddened to hear of the sudden and tragic passing of Alannah Dunn, age 16, niece of Deirdre Farrell ADCRG, and granddaughter of Bernadette Chaney Farrell ADCRG. CLRG would like to express our sincerest condolences to all of Alannah's family and friends during this difficult time. Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam, they said. The CLRG Leinster Region said that the talented student was a previous Leinster World Qualifier. It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you of the sad and tragic passing of Alannah Dunn. At only 16 years of age Alannah was unfortunately taken from this life at such a young age after a tragic accident. May she rest in peace, they wrote on Facebook. The Carrickmines teenager is survived by her parents, Caitriona and Martin, her brother and sister, as well as her extended family. Spanish media had reported that Alannah Dunn was returning from a social gathering known as a botellon, near the famous Avellano fountain when the tragedy occurred. Her friends alerted passers-by and emergency services rushed to the scene. Local police are continuing their investigations into the incident and were making enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. It is not known what caused the accident but authorities are investigating whether it was due to the terrain and the fact it was dark. It was reported that two young people were injured in the same area a few weeks previously. Netlfixs latest offering for crime thriller lovers is the Malayalam movie titled Irul which stars Fahadh Faasil, a super famous actor from down South. The movie has garnered a mixed response but Faahad fans were delighted to see him back in action. In case you are not acquainted with the work of this National Award winning actor but enjoyed watching him in Irul, then here are few of his movies which can be on your binge-list: 1. Bangalore Days A coming-of-age romantic drama, this multi-starrer is a lovely watch for Fahadh fans for the high relatability factor that it exudes. It is also a special movie for the actor himself as he met his wife on the sets while shooting for this film. 2. Iyobinte Pusthakam This particular movie starring this superstar is a fan-favourite. The whole formula of the movie, starting from the well researched plot, the cast, dialogues and even the story telling, is wonderfully done. It is a period thriller set in the British era which narrates the tale of a man who comes back to his village, only to discover how his father is being cheated at the hands of his own brother. 3. Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum A very simple movie beautifully layered with emotions. This one talks about the woes of a married couple who is trying hard to make ends meet and in order to do so, decide to sell the wifes gold chain, which in turn gets stolen on a bus ride. Watch it for Fahadhs exceptional acting. 4. Annayum Rasoolum This award winning romantic drama showcases a very sensitive subject with immense maturity. The story follows Rasool, a taxi driver who falls in love with Anna. Things get complicated when the two want to tie the knot but Rasool is forced by Annas sister to convert before marrying her. 5. North 24 Kaatham The versatile actor won a National award for his portrayal of a software engineer who is battling OCD. Everything changes for him when he embarks on a journey with a few strangers and life takes a new direction. 6. Maheshinte Prathikaaram This one is a gift to Indian art cinema and a true example of his versatility. The movie chalks out the emotional vulnerability and human rawness that comes with the emotion of revenge. 7. Super Deluxe Id recommend this one simply for the fact that how an actor who became a household name with the success he garnered in Malayalam movies, managed to carve his own niche in a Tamil movie as well. The multi-level storytelling stitches stories around an estranged husband, an unfaithful wife, and a very angry boy. Watch it for the brilliance of its storytelling. Nature seekers, this San Antonio park has a stunning new feature you're going to want to try. The highly anticipated skywalk portion of the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park officially opens to the public Monday, April 5. The elevated walkway is is 1,000 feet long, six feet wide, and elevated 18 feet off the ground, offering spectacular views. It also connects pedestrians to the land bridge, which opened in December 2020. The skywalk opens at noon, shortly after Mayor Ron Nirenberg and former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, as well as other community leaders, host a grand opening celebration. It's the first walkway of its kind built in San Antonio, according to a news release from the city. READ ALSO: Embrace the good life at Rancho Buena Vida, the lux Texas ranch experience Visitors should use the NW Military Entrance for Phil Hardberger Park, 8400 NW Military Hwy. Upon entering, drive down to the Urban Ecology Center (you can't miss it). After parking, walk about half a mile from the center to the skywalk. (It should take 10 to 15 minutes to get there.) The skywalk will be open to the public during park hours, from sunrise to sunset every day. No bikes are allowed on the walkway. It's also ADA-accessible and features a seating area for anyone who wants to relax under the trees. "The Skywalk is one of the most unique features of the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge," Nirenberg stated in a release. "I like to describe it as zip-line powered by your feet. Visitors will get a squirrel's eye view of the trees and ground below, offering a new perspective of the park and its animal inhabitants." Phil Hardberger Park is a 330-acre natural area park nestled amid a busy urban core. In addition to providing a space for recreation, Hardberger Park is a learning landscape with a gathering hall, outdoor classrooms, dog parks, play areas, and miles of trail. For more information about the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge and Phil Hardberger Park, please visit philhardbergerpark.org. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree enacting the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine of April 2, 2021 "On the national vaccination plan for preventing the acute respiratory disease COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 until the end of 2021," the presidential press service has reported. According to the NSDC decision, the Cabinet of Ministers should ensure the development and approval within seven days of the COVID-19 national vaccination plan, taking into account the best international experience. In particular, the minimum required monthly number of vaccinations should be established, and sources and terms of vaccine supply for coronavirus prevention and persons responsible for implementing the plan should be determined. The ultimate goal of the plan is to vaccinate the majority of adults in Ukraine no later than December 2021 to develop herd immunity for coronavirus. The government should intensify negotiations with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers and attract international technical assistance to implement the vaccination campaign in Ukraine. The Ministry of Health should take urgent and effective measures to supply Ukraine with the necessary number of vaccines as soon as possible for the specific prevention of coronavirus disease and to ensure public access to vaccination. It should also ensure an effective awareness campaign on vaccination. The decision also stipulates that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should take urgent measures to increase the effectiveness of cooperation with foreign states and international organizations in the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to Ukraine. op (CNN) The world's deepest known shipwreck, a World War II US Navy destroyer, has been fully mapped and filmed by a US-based crew. The ship, the USS Johnston, is at a depth of 21,180 feet (about 6,500 meters) in the Philippine Sea. Its location has been known, but this is the first time that a crew has been able to map and film the entire wreck site. Caladan Oceanic, a US-based private company that focuses on ocean expeditions, gets credit for reaching the shipwreck on March 31. Its research vessel, the DSV Limiting Factor, was able to survey the wreck, which was more than 100 feet deeper than previously believed, sitting in the darkness more than four miles below the surface of the Pacific. Caladan Oceanic's founder is Victor Vescovo, a former US Navy commander who has a long-established passion for visiting some of the world's most hard-to-get-to places. He holds the record for being the first person in history to have been to the top of all the world's continents, both poles, and the bottom of all its oceans. With the survey of the USS Johnston, Vescovo reached another milestone completing the deepest shipwreck dive in history. He was at the controls of the Limiting Factor for the whole process, which took place in two eight-hour segments over two days. Sunk during the Battle off Samar The USS Johnston was sunk by the Japanese navy on October 25,1944, during the Battle off Samar. It was one of four naval battles which comprised the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest battles in the history of naval warfare and engagement that sounded the death knell of the Japanese navy in World War II, according to the US Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). Sam Cox, director of the NHHC, said the new images of the wreck of the Johnston help the Navy put the spotlight on the heroism and history of its crew. The Johnston was captained by Cmdr. Ernest Evans, a Native American from Oklahoma. Along with two other US destroyers and four smaller destroyer escorts, Evans led the Johnston in attacking a far superior Japanese force of four battleships, six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and 11 destroyers, according to the NHHC account of the battle. In an initial encounter, fire from the Johnston knocked out a Japanese cruiser, but the US destroyer was heavily damaged and its ammunition depleted. Evans himself was seriously wounded. Undaunted, Evans regrouped his crew and the Johnston attacked the Japanese ships again, drawing their fire from a nearby US aircraft carrier. After two-and-a-half hours of fighting, the Johnston was without power and surrounded by Japanese ships. Evans ordered the crew to abandon ship, and it rolled over and sank. Two of the three ships that followed the Johnston into the Japanese battle line were also sunk, said Carl Schuster, a former Navy captain and Hawaii Pacific University instructor. "The discovery of the USS Johnston serves as yet another reminder of the heroism and sacrifice of that day in Leyte Gulf 77 years ago," he said. Of the Johnston's crew of 327 men,186 died, including Evans. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the first Native American in the US Navy to be awarded his country's highest military honor, according to the NHHC. For Vescovo, being able to reach the USS Johnston was a very personal mission. "In some ways we have come full circle," he said in a statement. "The Johnston and our own ship were built in the same shipyard, and both served in the US Navy. As a US Navy officer, I'm proud to have helped bring clarity and closure to the Johnston, its crew, and the families of those who fell there." This story was fiorst published on CNN.com, "The world's deepest shipwreck has been fully surveyed." An image from the livestream at Piney Point. Manatee County Government Video shows water streaming out of a reservoir containing toxic wastewater in Florida. Officials have ordered evacuations around the pond, which is at risk of "imminent" collapse. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency. See more stories on Insider's business page. A livestream shows an overhead shot of an old phosphate plant pond in the Tampa Bay area that's at risk of collapsing. Florida state officials discovered the leak at the Piney Point reservoir, located near Tampa, on Friday. Officials said the 77-acre pond holds about 600 million gallons of water that contains phosphorus and nitrogen, as well as small amounts of radium and uranium, and that it's at risk of flooding nearby neighborhoods with polluted wastewater. Nearby residents have been asked to evacuate, and Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency. Read the original article on Business Insider Mumbai: Amid corruption allegations, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh tendered his resignation on Monday after the Bombay High Court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe against the NCP leader. Former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh had alleged that Deshmukh fixed a Rs 100-crore collection target for suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Waze. The Minister posted his resignation on letter in microblogging site Twitter. Earlier, the Bombay High Court had directed the CBI to begin a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into corruption the allegations Deshmukh. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni ruled that this was an 'extraordinary' and 'unprecedented' case that warranted an independent inquiry. The High Court, while hearing on Dr Jaishri Patil's plea regarding allegations, stated that Anil Deshmukh is the Home Minister and no impartial probe can be done by the police. On March 20, former Mumbai top cop in his eight-page letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had claimed that Deshmukh is involved in a massive corruption ring. In his letter, Singh had alleged that the Maharashtra Home Minister has set a monthly target of collecting Rs 100 crore from bars and hotels in the financial capital. However, Deshmukh had refuted all allegations against him. NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- /PRNewswire/ -- Support Across Creative, Media, PR -- Atlantic Broadband, the eighth-largest cable and internet provider in the United States and a subsidiary of Cogeco Communications, has selected an integrated group of five Stagwell companies to support its continued transformation. With Atlantic Broadband's business seeing incredible growth in 2020, this partnership will support continued growth across all lines of business, including the implementation of a new brand initiative in fall of 2021. "We are excited to partner with the agencies of the Stagwell Marketing Group, led by Kettle and Forward PMX, which will bring creative energy, innovative thinking, and powerful, integrated resources to our work of building a resilient, customer-centric, market-leading brand," said Julie Sullivan, Vice President of Marketing for Atlantic Broadband. "We look forward to the work we will do together in the years ahead to propel our high-growth consumer and B2B strategic plans." Atlantic Broadband is committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience and innovative, best-in-class services like managed WiFi. To support its customer and community relationships, Atlantic Broadband needed an integrated partner to work seamlessly across disciplines. The work will be led by Kettle as AOR creative, ForwardPMX as AOR media, Rhythm for web and email development, WyeComm for PR, and HarrisX for research. "Stagwell specializes in forming integrated teams across disciplines to best serve clients, and we are thrilled to partner with Atlantic Broadband as they evolve their business and push forward a bold, new strategy. The cross-functional Stagwell team includes five of our agencies representing digital transformation, content creation, media, research and PR - all working collaboratively. I'm grateful for Atlantic Broadband's partnership and look forward to the great work to come." Mark Penn, President and Managing Partner, The Stagwell Group and Chairman and CEO, MDC Partners. Together Kettle and ForwardPMX will drive the teams to create a unique and powerful position in the market for Atlantic Broadband. As creative AOR, Kettle will lead on day-to-day creative needs across consumer, business, and bulk lines of business along with refining Atlantic Broadband's brand approach. Creative outputs will include television, digital, social, out of home, and more. At the same time, as Media AOR, ForwardPMX will lead the development of a data-driven and precise media mix that transcends the lines across brand and performance marketing, ensuring the delivery of the most relevant messaging in front of the most appropriate audiences. "Atlantic Broadband is a top 10 regional provider with ambitious plans to evolve their brand as they continue to grow. We are so honored to partner with them and build an agile marketing platform leveraging their transparent, customer-centric approach to their business. As one integrated Stagwell team, we will use this opportunity to marry purpose and customer experience to drive overall brand amplification, business growth, and market expansion to help them differentiate themselves through a digital-first approach." Lauren Kushner, Managing Director, Kettle and Valerie Davis, Managing Director, ForwardPMX. The Stagwell Group focuses on providing integrated solutions for clients, working across all the major disciplines the modern marketer needs. The integrated team assembled for Atlantic Broadband represents a combination of best-in-class talent with subject matter expertise designed to work seamlessly across five core disciplines. About Atlantic Broadband Atlantic Broadband, a subsidiary of Cogeco Communications Inc., is the eighth- largest cable operator in the United States, based on the number of television service customers served. The company provides its residential and business customers with Internet, TV and Phone services in 11 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Atlantic Broadband is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts. About the Stagwell Group The Stagwell Group is the first and only independent, digital-first, and fully integrated organization of size & scale servicing brands across the continuum of marketing services. Collaborative by design, Stagwell is not weighed down by legacy points of view and its people are united in their desire to innovate, evolve, grow and deliver superior results for their clients. Stagwell's high growth brands include experts in four categories: digital transformation and marketing, research and insights, marketing communications, and content and media. About Kettle Kettle is a digital-native creative agency, built on collaboration. They approach every challenge through a strategic lens to create the future of content, campaigns, branding, and digital products. Kettle has three offices across New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Kettle is a part of the Code and Theory network within the Stagwell Group. Clients include Nike, Discover, Walmart, National Geographic, and Glossier. About ForwardPMX ForwardPMX is a global data and technology driven marketing services company, designed to help brands find the changes that deliver meaningful growth to their businesses. With over 20 offices worldwide and 1,000 of the industry's most distinguished talent, ForwardPMX brings a unified global vision, with local depth and expertise across a comprehensive set of data, technology and performance solutions that reach people all over the world. By pairing people with data-led process and powerful technology capabilities, ForwardPMX is uniquely positioned to deliver scale and accelerate problem solving. ForwardPMX is a proud member of The Stagwell Group. About Rhythm Founded in 1996, Rhythm is performance focused agency that drives sales growth through digital marketing solutions and personalized CRM strategies. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Code and Theory, Rhythm develops and executes customer focused initiatives to achieve client ROI goals. The firm works in a broad range of industries, including health, real estate, finance services, automotive and food and beverage. Client partnerships include Kaiser Permanente, Acura, EJ Gallo, Avis Budget Group and CBRE. About Wye Communications Wye Communications LLC (Wyecomm), a Stagwell Company, is a modern agency focused on building strong partnerships and solving business challenges for organizations in transformation. Most distinctive of the agency is its Integration & Operations function, a group that supports account teams with processes for collaboration that set the foundation for streamlined creativity, continuous innovation and strong outcomes. Built on the core beliefs of leading with empathy and having each other's backs, Wyecomm's culture rewards teamwork and embraces diverse backgrounds, skills and perspectives across talent, clients and partners. Wyecomm is headquartered in Chicago with offices around the U.S. and affiliate partners globally. About HarrisX HarrisX is a leading technology, research and consulting company that specializes in online polling & data analytics and focuses on the understanding of the connected consumer. The company has a fourteen-year history assessing public opinion and behavior in the telecom, media, and personal technology industries through syndicated and custom research services. Based in Washington DC and with offices in New York City, San Francisco, and Tampa, HarrisX runs the Mobile Insights (wireless focused) and Total Communication Surveys (TV/broadband/voice focused) and an array of other connected consumer surveys resulting in the largest syndicated TMT-focused consumer trackers in the U.S. Across its products, HarrisX's gathers data from nearly 100,000 monthly respondents. HarrisX, studies mobile behaviors through its Telephia.io behavioral data application, which captures actual smartphone usage data. Contact: Alexis Williams, [email protected] SOURCE The Stagwell Group Moscow Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law on Monday a change to the country's constitution that will allow him to run for two more six-year terms, granting himself the chance to remain in power until 2036. The Russian leader, 68, has already run the country for more than two decades, and with his recent crackdown on political opponents and civil society, he has made it clear that there's little room for dissent. A copy of the new law was posted on the government's legal information website on Monday, confirming that the legislation the success of which was really never in doubt had been finalized. Prior to the new law, Putin would have been required to step down after his fourth and current term in 2024. But in March last year, lawmaker Valentina Tereshkova, a lawmaker from Putin's ruling party, proposed the constitutional change during a discussion in the State Duma (congress). After Tereshkova, who is a Soviet cosmonaut and was the first woman to go to space, suggested the amendment, Putin himself showed up in the parliament building and offered his backing for the idea, undermining earlier speculation that he might seek to maintain power by taking another role. Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a meeting with community representatives and residents of Crimea and Sevastopol via a video link in Moscow, Russia, March 18, 2021. / Credit: Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS "In principle, this option would be possible, but on one condition," Putin told lawmakers in a televised speech a year ago. "If the constitutional court gives an official ruling that such an amendment would not contradict the principles and main provisions of the constitution." Putin said then that the Russian president was "the guarantor of the country's security and domestic stability" and that the country should avoid political upheavals. "Russia has fulfilled its plan when it comes to revolutions," he said. In July last year, Russians were given the opportunity to vote on a raft of constitutional reforms, including the change to the limit on presidential terms. Other measures included a proposed ban on same-sex marriages, new language mentioning for the first time the importance of "faith in God," and measures meant to protect "traditional family values" and forbidding top officials from holding dual citizenship. Story continues Russians could either vote for or against the whole package of changes, but there was little doubt even as ballots were cast about the outcome. The vote was seen widely as an effort to demonstrate Putin's broad support in the country. Political opposition leader and outspoken Putin critic Alexey Navalny, who's currently on hunger strike as he serves a 2-and-a-half-year prison sentence on charges he insists are politically motivated, criticized the vote last summer as a populist spectacle designed to give the Russian leader the right to be "president for life." Putin often defends the conservative political regime he's ushered in by arguing that Russia has seen enough turbulence in the past, and his strong leadership has brought stability. The constitutional amendments, including giving him the chance to remain president, were necessary to ensure that stability continues, he's argued, by avoiding the distraction of a hunt for a successor from among Russia's political elite. "I know that in two years, instead of working normally at all levels of the state, all eyes will be on the search for potential successors," Putin said in an interview with state-run television last year. "We must work and not look for successors." He's said at the time that he might consider running for a fifth term, but insisted that he hadn't yet made a final decision. CBSNews.com's Tucker Reals contributed to this report. Doctor on new CDC travel guidance and new COVID-19 variant found in U.S. Tropical cyclone kills dozens in Indonesia and East Timor Prosecutors to call more law enforcement officials to testify in Chauvin trial Is It Ethical for Parents to Opt Out of Immunizing Their Children? Child immunization is frequently noted as one of the major milestones in the history of public health. It currently prevents about 2 million deaths every year, and has eradicated the deadly disease smallpox, while polio is heading towards elimination. It is one of the key strategies for achievement of the fourth goal of the United Nations Development Programmes Millennium Development Goals: Reduce Child Mortality. It is highly effective and costs as low as $1 per child. Child immunization has saved more lives than all of the miracle drugs of the latter half of the 20th century antibiotics (e.g., penicillin), antivirals (e.g., drugs used to fight AIDS and influenza), and so on and has even promoted reduction of birth rates, as parents have become more confident that the children they have will survive. A study in the United States released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2007 demonstrated that immunization had resulted in reduction in deaths and hospitalization by over 90% for nine of 13 vaccine-preventable diseases, and no child at all was dying of or being hospitalized for smallpox, diphtheria, or polio. However, there are parents who object to immunization recommendations and requirements. This inquiry will explore that choice. Is it ever ethical not to immunize ones child? If so, under what circumstances? The Impact This question is hardly academic. In just the past few years there have been several cases in which parental resistance to childhood immunization was at least claimed to be a significant factor: After immunization coverage rates plummeted, Zimbabwe recently experienced a measles outbreak with over 11,744 cases and more than 570 deaths. The outbreak was initially confined to religious objectors, but later spread to everyone else across the nation. About US $8.5 million was needed for the consequent immunization campaign, but cases still persist after the campaign. Inconsistent media reports about the government considering invoking provisions of the law to protect children by immunization demonstrate the complexity of a move to compulsory immunization. In the United States, human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease, affecting 6 million every year, and is also linked to cervical cancer. The vaccine against works best if given before one becomes sexually active, thus there have been efforts to make it mandatory for girls around ages 11 and 12. Some have opposed this, arguing that it will undermine education for abstinence behavior. Some bioethicists have also been exclusively skeptical about HPV vaccination requirement, saying since HPV is not casually transmissible, there is less compelling reason to justify the paternalistic laws for it. A 1986 federal law limits lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers, as a way of encouraging availability of vaccines. However, WBUR radio in Boston reports (October 2010) the case of a family seeking to sue manufacturers in a regular court following the claim that the DPT vaccine given 18 years ago to their daughter is causing the seizures that she succumbs to up to this day.pandemic illustration During the 1991 measles epidemic in Philadelphia, public health officials were granted a court order to immunize six children whose families were members of one of the faith-healing congregations identified as the source of the outbreak. In Boulder, Colorado, endemic pertussis (whooping cough) has been linked to vaccination rates of just 50% among children at a local private school. (See Bucking the Herd, The Atlantic, 2002. In 1998 the highly respected British medical journal The Lancet published an article linking the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism. Although it was later retracted for being based on tenuous research and the author was consequently banned from practice, the damage had been done. Measles immunization coverage in the United Kingdom plummeted from 92%-95% before the announcement to 60%-80% afterwards, depending upon the region and groups studied and the extent of ongoing local press coverage of the story. Why Opt Out? It has been estimated that in the US, 1%-3% of the children are excused from immunization by their parents, but it varies from state to state, with some schools reporting as high as 15%-20%. Reasons for resisting immunization in recent years range from philosophical, to political, to scientific and ideological grounds, as James Colgrove notes in a 2006 New England Journal of Medicine article The Ethics and Politics of Compulsory HPV Vaccination, and include devotion to natural or alternative healing, opposition to state power, mistrust of pharmaceutical companies, belief that vaccines are not as safe as experts claim, and conviction that children receive more shots than are good for them. Community vs. Individual: Risks, Rights and Responsibilities While some maintain that parental autonomy should be invariably respected, others have labeled such individuals free riders who benefit without contributing, and place family interest ahead of civic responsibility/moral duty. Unproven theories alleging connections between vaccines and illnesses including autism, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis concern many parents. The American Academy of Pediatrics, and The Institute of Medicine (IOM) agree that no vaccine or component of any vaccine is responsible for the number of children who are currently being diagnosed with autism. The PBS documentary TV series Frontline has a website with a large volume of information on the various perspectives on this issue, including commentary from experts, parents and the general public. It includes interviews and even videos such as The Vaccine War (see minute 21 for the arguments regarding autism and vaccines.) The scientific community generally perceives the probability of negative reactions to vaccines to be safely low, with that risk overwhelmingly offset by the risks of not being immunized. For instance, incidence of measles-vaccine-induced acute encephalitis is one in a million, whereas it is one in a thousand following infection with the wild-type. In Responding to Parental Refusals of Immunization of Children, from Pediatrics Magazine (2005), the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Bioethics argues that many commonly held beliefs about the risks of immunization are not supported by available data, and they frequently originate from the unsupported claims of organizations that are critical of immunization. These anti-vaccine information sources not only propagate unproven claims regarding vaccines but also may undermine the physician-family relationship by challenging the parents' trust of the medical profession. As stated by Dr. Nancy Berlinger in an article in Virtual Mentor, the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, "Parental Resistance to Childhood Immunizations: Clinical, Ethical and Policy Considerations," there are provisions for exemption from immunization for children whose specific underlying health conditions, such as HIV infection, cancer or immunosuppressive therapies, place them at undue risk from one or more routine childhood immunizations. In 2009 Dr. Brian Williams, an epidemiologist for the World Health Organization in Geneva, visited Brandeis as an International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life Distinguished Visiting Practitioner, sponsored by Irving Epstein of the chemistry department. In a discussion of HIV/AIDS in Africa, he argued, We have to balance the World Health Organization logohuman rights issues with the public health issues, yet suggested that in the delicate balance between human rights and public health in the battle against AIDS, the pendulum may have swung too far in one direction, commenting that, We've been too concerned about individual human rights. Some proponents have argued that parents who choose not to immunize their own children increase the potential for harm to other persons in important ways, including risking passing sickness to those who could not choose to be immunized because of underlying medical conditions, and those who did everything they could to protect themselves by being immunized but unfortunately did not develop the immunity. As noted above, recent measles outbreak in Zimbabwe was initially confined to communities that objected to conventional medicine, including child immunization, but eventually spread out across the nation. A community does not however, have to achieve 100% coverage for herd immunity to be achieved, at least for some diseases (e.g. Hib requires at least 85% and measles 95%). The authors of Should Routine Childhood Immunizations Be Compulsory? (Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2004) conclude that, for both ethical and practical reasons, routine immunization should not be compulsory if adequate levels of immunization can be achieved by other means. Yet even with an average high coverage, concentration of unimmunized people in one place has often resulted in hot spots that have triggered outbreaks. Isaacs, Kilham, vectors illustrationand Marshall, in Should routine childhood immunizations be compulsory? (Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health) explain the concept of herd immunity. Yet Saad B. Omer, an assistant scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who has extensively studied disease outbreaks and vaccines, is quoted in The New York Times saying, If you have clusters of exemptions, you increase the risk of exposing everyone in the community. The American Medical Association has long-standing policy that supports this goal (of vaccinating every child born in the U.S.), endorsing the need for adequate resources and programs to ensure that children are vaccinated on schedule with an eye on reaching the Healthy People target of a 90% coverage rate by 2010. Religion The availability of religious or philosophical exemptions mitigates concern about governmental intrusion on individual decision-making. Opinions vary about the permissible scope of exemptions. In the U.S., religious belief is generally the most easily accepted non-medical reason for exemption (with varying standards of proof required). In addition to those who opt out of vaccination for genuine religious belief, it has been reported that some parents have feigned religious faith, joining mail-order or Internet-based churches to bolster their case for a religious exemption. There are a number of states in which religious belief is not necessary to opt out, however. Does the freedom of religion itself extend to allow objection to a childs health intervention, when the belief itself may not necessarily be shared by the child? In Prince v. Massachusetts (1944), the U.S. Supreme Court asserted that neither the rights of religion nor the rights of parenthood are beyond limitation. ... The right to practice religionU.S. Supreme Court building detail freely does not include the right to expose the community or the child to communicable disease or the latter to ill health or death. ... Parents may be free to become martyrs themselves. But it does not follow they are free, in identical circumstances, to make martyrs of their children before they have reached the age of full and legal discretion when they can make that choice for themselves. This case is referenced by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in a 2003 memo that explains the legal underpinnings of the DPH power to require immunization and quarantine in the school setting. In the aforementioned 1991 Philadelphia case, a Family Court judge granted the city the right to immunize for measles six children who are deemed at risk in the congregation of one of two churches that believe in faith healing. Yet the ruling went beyond the immunization requirement to such an extent that the American Civil Liberties Union of Philadelphia criticized it as unconstitutional. Advocacy and the Legal Debate Laws making vaccination compulsory raise unique ethical and policy issues and ignite polarizing debates. While controversy is common whenever individual rights are apparently breached in the interest of public health, what makes child immunization resistance even more complicated is the fact that the objector is a third party the parent on behalf of a minor. Medical neglect, defined as a parents failure to obtain adequate medical care for a child despite the ability to do so, is regarded as a form of child abuse and neglect can come into conflict with state laws that allow religious exemptions to child protection statutes. Yet [w]hat is unclear among physicians, legal scholars and bioethicists is how the concept of medical neglect applies to immunization refusal cases. In the British Journal of Medical Ethics, Bradley considers the rights of parents to rear their children according to their own standards; of the child to receive health care, and of the community to be protected from vaccine preventable diseases, and concludes that compulsory vaccination cannot, with very few exceptions, be justified in the UK (pdf), in view of the high levels of population immunity which currently exist, as of the 1999 publication of the article, but may be justified if the coverage falls below a relevant threshold for a specific disease. Isaacs, Kilham, and Marshall, in Should Routine Childhood Immunizations Be Compulsory? (Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health), consider the arguments for and against compulsory immunization from different ethical perspectives and reaches a somewhat similar conclusion, that coercion is unnecessary as long there are alternatives (outlined) to achieve the desired herd immunity. The authors also suggest that the state should compensate the few children harmed by immunization. An article by the Committee on Bioethics of the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests a wide range of potentially effective alternatives and factors to consider in response to parental refusal for child immunization. (It is also recommended that parents read the Red Book (subs. req.), a guide to pediatric infectious diseases that specifically addresses the issue of immunization including misconceptions and misinformation. Activist organizations openly advocate for or against compulsory immunization. (For example, Women in Government advocates use of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine and the GAVI Alliance supports the immunization of every child, while the politically conservative Association of American Physicians and Surgeons opposes mandatory government vaccination programs though mainstream American medical associations support vaccination. Globally recognized organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Childrens Fund, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tend to only go as far as highly recommending and emphasize the need for respecting either rights and being sensitive to context, but cant enforce their recommendations. It is left for states/governments to decide on vaccination mandates, and for parents/caregivers to decide how to respond. The passing of such laws, their interpretation, and their enforcement has been clouded with controversy. For more on related legal issues see Kenneth R. Wings The Law and the Publics Health. See also Conscience Clauses, Health Care Providers and Parents, from The Hastings Center, which describes itself as an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit bioethics research institute. Final Thoughts The question of parental refusal to immunize a child, to some a straightforward issue of public health or of parents rights, is a matter of continuing debate. We invite you to continue exploring the ethical issues that arise in this context. Of late China's big tech firms like Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu are dealing with hurdles similar to those that faced by Amazon, Facebook and Google, which has now become a big theme and could hamper the growth of its homegrown tech giants. The ongoing regulatory drive could affect the growth prospect of China's tech industry, should authorities decide to regulate with a heavy hand, The Frontier Post reported. Alibaba found itself in the centre of the regulatory storm in December last year as China's market watchdog launched an investigation of the company and could face a fine of USD 1 billion or more as an antitrust probe into the company continues. Besides Alibaba Group Holding, other big tech players have also faced the rage of China's antitrust regulators. Tencent, the owner of the popular messaging app WeChat, recently paid a fine for failing to ask for approval on past acquisitions. Baidu, the largest search engine in China, paid the same fine. Other big firms like Didi Transport company also paid fines for not receiving approval to set up joint ventures. Also read: Chinese apps join celebs in backlash against Western fashion brands over Xinjiang Tech companies have felt rising tension since last year as regulators pushed forward a series of policies to regulate competition in the sector, according to Fortune Magazine report. In November last year, China had unveiled draft regulations that would establish a framework for curbing anti-competitive behaviour such as colluding on sharing sensitive consumer data, alliances in a bid to eliminate competitors. According to the Frontier Post report, the Chinese communist party does not want any one person or company to stand above it, however, it is cautious about how it conveys that message. The report further concluded the fines imposed so far have been "slaps on the wrist." However, if the CCP continues to increase fines, or decides to block future ventures or massive IPOs, these tech firms could lose out on opportunities to grow, which would weigh heavily on their stock outlooks. To the Editor: In Real Protection for Massage Workers (Op-Ed, March 29), Elena Shih promotes the decriminalization of prostitution. While there is broad agreement to support decriminalization of those bought and sold in the sex trade, there is a divide over the decriminalization of the johns who buy sex and the pimps who profiteer from selling it. These agents of the industry dont need protection; it is all of us who need protection from them. A less drastic and more effective way to protect all women who suffer these abuses is to decriminalize them, but not their perpetrators. Widespread police abuse would also be addressed by this approach, pioneered by Sweden and known as the equality model. It would provide protection and support for those who have been coerced by drugs and poverty, if not brute force into prostitution. Those who participate in this exploitation often the very perpetrators Ms. Shih writes about have no right to legal protection, and they should be held accountable. Jessica Neuwirth New York The writer is director of the Human Rights Program at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute of Hunter College. Piping plover breeding groups in the Northern Great Plains are notably connected through movements between habitats and show lower reproductive rates than previously thought, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study. These new findings point to a need for further studies and suggest the species may show a higher extinction risk than currently presumed. Piping plovers are small-bodied, short-distance migratory shorebirds. The Northern Great Plains population has been listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since 1985. Previously, wildlife managers had assumed four separate breeding groups within the Northern Great Plains and that individuals from these groups moved infrequently between habitats. Earlier studies based on this assumption resulted in a low extinction risk for the species. Scientists analyzed movement, survival and renesting rates in two of the assumed breeding groups of piping plovers over four distinct management units along the Missouri River and alkaline wetlands distributed throughout the prairie pothole region from 2014 - 2019. Piping plover reproductive rates were studied between 2014 - 2016. The study areas are within North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana and include the U.S. alkali wetlands, Lake Sakakawea, the Garrison Reach of the Missouri River, and Lake Oahe. Results show river and alkali wetland habitats appear to be of higher quality than reservoir habitats, which had lower annual survival, increased movement away from the habitat, lower renesting success, and lower reproductive output. Habitat availability affected nearly every parameter examined in this study. In general, when more habitat was available, piping plover vital rates improved. These findings support the current focus of managing the Missouri River for abundant breeding habitat for piping plovers. Study findings show managing for successful first nests for Northern Great Plains piping plovers is key to improving reproductive output. Piping plovers are intensively managed throughout their range, and in the Northern Great Plains, management of habitat, water and predation, including vegetation removal and protective fences around nests, are common conservation strategies. Therefore, intensive management focused on the protection of early nests or first nest attempts would likely be more effective than strategies that assume equivalent productivity from renests. The study also shows that piping plovers move between the northern Missouri River habitat and the U.S. alkali wetlands at a rate that is substantially higher than previously assumed. Further, movement rates were unbalanced and varied between hatch-year and adult plovers. Adults were more likely to forego breeding altogether than to relocate to alternate management units and breed. This implies that either the rates of movement or the way local bird populations are managed may need to be reevaluated. ### This study was done in cooperation with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information on USGS ecosystems research in the Prairie Pothole Region, please visit the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center website. The Spanish government has begun to reform the countrys Franco-era Official Secrets Law, creating a commission that will be made up of the Defense, Interior and Foreign ministries, and directed by the prime minister and deputy prime ministers offices. The aim of the administration, a center-left coalition of the Socialist Party and Unidas Podemos, is to do away with general time limits for the automatic publication of documents, replacing them with different periods according to the level of secrecy of the information in question. The move comes after various attempts to reform the law by the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) attempts that both the PSOE and the other traditional political party in Spains democratic era, the conservative Popular Party (PP), have managed to block in the lower house of parliament, the Congress of Deputies. The commission put together by the current government has already begun to meet in order to discuss the needs of each department in terms of the classification of documents, and carry out a study of similar legislation in other countries, according to official sources. The commission has been tasked with coming up with a text that will align Spain with other Western democracies, as well as meeting the criteria set out by international organizations in particular, the European Union and NATO. Under the current law, there are just two categories of classification, secret and confidential, with no mention at all of top secret There is no set end date for this work, according to the same government sources, but there is a commitment to have the law in place before the end of the current political term, in November 2023. In order to do this, the government will have to submit the draft legislation to parliament over the coming year, assuming that the government is not dissolved ahead of time and the approval of the law is delayed, as has happened in the recent past. The reform of the Official Secrets Law has been pending for some years in Spain. The current legislation dates from 1968, in the midst of the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, and was retouched in 1978 before the approval of the current Constitution. The law is technically obsolete: one of the bodies that is tasked in the legislation for the classification of documents, the Council of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, doesnt even exist, while there are just two categories of classification, secret and confidential, with no mention at all of top secret. The decree that preceded the law was signed in 1969 by Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, who was assassinated by the now-defunct Basque terrorist group ETA in the early 1970s while serving as prime minister. The document covers issues as anachronistic as changes to combination locks on safes as well as the destruction of secret materials via fire or chemical procedures. But the biggest anachronism of the law lies in the fact that it includes no time frames for secrecy to expire. This means that barring the express declassification of a document by a ministry or other official body, they can remain out of the view of the public forever. As a result of the law, researchers have to resort to archives held in other countries in order to investigate events that were vital to the history of Spain This has led to a situation in Spain whereby researchers have to resort to the archives held in other countries in order to investigate events that were vital to the history of Spain, while unable to access the Spanish files about the same facts. Hundreds of Spaniards wrote a letter to the countrys political parties in May 2017 demanding reforms to an obsolete and francoist law, one that is incompatible with the democratic uses of todays Spain. The governments new initiative means the definitive rejection of the draft law presented by the PNV. Via a kind of parliamentary filibuster, the proposal has remained stuck in the speakers committee since January 2020, its presentation for amendments having been delayed 24 times. This was also done during the PP government led by former prime minister Mariano Rajoy. Government sources argued that the PNVs proposal was unacceptable given that it allowed for the automatic declassification of secret material after 25 years. But critics of both the PP and the PSOE claim that the move is more to do with covering up events during Spains Transition, when the country moved from dictatorship to democracy. This would include the coup attempt staged by the Civil Guard in February 1981, and the dirty war against ETA that caused a scandal during the term of PSOE Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez. Meanwhile, government sources argue that the new reform is aimed at seeking the widest consensus possible, and will involve talks with the main opposition PP as well as the PNV. Under no circumstances is the intention to avoid passing the PNVs proposal, the same sources said. The government simply has the right and the obligation to create its own. In September 2018, Defense Minister Margarita Robles gave instructions for military archives to grant access to secret documents prior to 1968, given that they cannot be considered to be legally classified as there was no law before that year. But neither the Interior nor Foreign ministries have accepted this interpretation, which would, in any case, leave documents from 1968 to 1975 out of the reach of historians that period was one of the toughest under the Franco regime. English version by Simon Hunter. SHREWSBURY, Mass., April 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Registry of Motor Vehicles will have a Q&A document available on the MA Vehicle Check website by Tuesday morning, 4/6, following a robust meeting last week with local station owners hosted by the Massachusetts RMV. Applus Technologies, Inc. continues to work through phase one of a very deliberate and methodical three-phase process required to return the MA Vehicle Check program to full service. These phases are 1) Remediation, 2) Restoration and System Testing, and 3) Go-Live and Post- Go-Live Support. Applus technical, operations and third party experts continue to work around the clock (24/7) to resolve the systems outage and return testing to a safe and secure environment. Throughout these phases, Applus and the RMV are working together to ensure that every aspect is fully reviewed and evaluated for a safe and secure return to Program testing. Additional information and updates will be posted to www.MAVehicleCheck.com. SOURCE Applus Technologies, Inc. Members of the public are being asked by scientists to pull faces at their webcam or phone screen to learn more about a controversial technology. The site, called Emojify, was built to draw attention to 'emotion recognition' systems and the downfalls of this powerful technology. Powered by artificial intelligence, it is is designed to recognise when a person's feelings and is a multi-billion pound industry which tuns expressions into data. Issues with the technology are that it is deemed by many experts to be inaccurate and simplistic and has been repeatedly found to struggle with in-built racial bias. The technology works on the basis that humans have just six main facial emotions and these can be categorised by an algorithm, much like a person uses emojis. Critics of this theory say human facial expressions are more complex and nuanced than this and the technology has no place in modern society. The site, called Emojify (pictured), was built to draw attention to 'emotion recognition' systems, and the downfalls of this powerful technology The website delves into the ethics of AI-powered emotion recognition. Detractors of the technology say it is inaccurate and should not be used. This movement is now being dubbed the 'emojification resistance' Researchers from Cambridge and UCL built Emojify to help people to understand how computers can be used to scan faces to detect emotion. They have a couple of experiments where people can 'beat' the emotional recognition technology, which they have framed as a game. Once a person identifies the difference between a wink and a blink, for example - something the machine can not do - they are greeted with a congratulatory message. It reads: 'You can read facial expressions in context, something that emotion recognition systems cannot do. You are part of the emojification resistance!' Dr Alexa Hagerty, project lead and researcher at Cambridge's Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, said the technology, which is already used in parts of the world, is 'powerful' but 'flawed'. Visitors to the website can play another game which involves pulling faces at their device's camera to try to get the emotion recognition system to recognise the six emotions happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, disgust and anger. They can also answer a series of optional questions to assist research, including whether they have experienced the technology before and if they think it is useful. AI emotion recognition technology is in use across a variety of sectors in China including for police interrogation and to monitor behaviour in schools. Other potential uses include in border control, assessing candidates during job interviews and for businesses to collect customer insights. The researchers say they hope to start conversations about the technology and its social impacts. Researchers from Cambridge University and UCL built Emojify to help people to understand how computers can be used to scan facial expressions to detect emotion Visitors to the website can play a game which involves pulling faces at their device's camera to try to get the emotion recognition system to recognise the six emotions happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, disgust and anger Dr Hagerty said: 'Many people are surprised to learn that emotion recognition technology exists and is already in use. 'Our project gives people a chance to experience these systems for themselves and get a better idea of how powerful they are, but also how flawed.' Juweek Adolphe, head designer of the website, said: 'It is meant to be fun but also to make you think about the stakes of this technology.' Dr Hagerty says the science behind emotion recognition is shaky and makes too many assumptions about people. 'It assumes that our facial expressions perfectly mirror our inner feelings,' she says. 'If you've ever faked a smile, you know that it isn't always the case.' Dr Alexandra Albert, of the Extreme Citizen Science (ExCiteS) research group at UCL, said a 'more democratic approach' is needed to determine how the technology is used. 'There hasn't been real public input or deliberation about these technologies,' she said. 'They scan your face, but it is tech companies who make the decisions about how they are used.' The researchers said their website does not collect or save images or data from the emotion system. The optional responses to questions will be used as part of an academic paper on citizen science approaches to better understand the societal implications of emotion recognition. The Catalan-nationalist Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) is preparing to enter a regional government in Catalonia prepared to impose policies of herd immunity, austerity and police repression of social opposition. It illustrates the reactionary role of the CUP and all the middle-class tendencies who have promoted its false pretensions to being an anti-capitalist force. On March 26, after regional elections, the CUP voted for the Republican Left (ERC) candidate for regional premier, Pere Aragones, renowned for his defence of privatisations and austerity. The ERC is one of Catalonias main bourgeois parties, with a long record of leading and supporting regional pro-austerity governments while backing Socialist Party (PSOE)-led governments in Madrid. It is the main prop in the Spanish parliament of the PSOE-Podemos minority government, which is still holding its leader, Oriol Junqueras, in jail, as part of the Spanish ruling classes fascistic anti-Catalan campaign. As ERC-CUPs combined 42 seats were insufficient in the 135-seat parliament. ERC is now negotiating with the right-wing separatists Together for Catalonia (Junts) to form a majority around Aragones. Pere Aragones (Image Credit: Gencat.cat) The CUPs decision came after 60 percent of its members voted for a pre-accord on a government with ERC. Previously, the CUP remained outside of Catalan regional governments, supporting their austerity budgets when their votes were necessary, but nominally remaining independent and making pro forma criticisms. Now, they are being directly integrated into the capitalist government. Mass discontent is mounting worldwide against the ruling class homicidal herd immunity policy that has led to 2.8 million deaths worldwide, 100,000 in Spain, and an economic catastrophe for workers. Teachers are fighting the unsafe return to in-person schooling. In France and Britain, protests have erupted against police violence. Last week, thousands of Amazon workers participated in the first-ever nationwide strike in Italy. Within Spain, mass youth protests erupted against the incarceration of Stalinist rapper Pablo Hasel. The CUPs entry into capitalist government aims to disorient this opposition and defend a herd immunity policy prioritising profits over human life. This emerges in the 16-page pre-accord document . Remarkably, the COVID-19 pandemic is barely mentioned. The word pandemic appears twice, one in the introduction to briefly mention that it is occurring, and the other to deny, on a feminist basis, that the official response was insufficient. It states how the pandemic has shown us that the work-life balance model within Europe has failed miserably in its objectives. Not because it remained insufficient, but because it is focused on maintaining the womans role as caregivers. The word COVID-19 appears once, in the section dealing with Public Health. It calls for Increasing or, as a minimum, maintaining and stabilising the current staff numbers in primary health care and retirement homes and retaining the staff contracted for COVID-19. The CUP proposes no measure to contain, let alone stop the spread of the virus, though Catalonia has been badly hit due to the policies the ERC-led regional government coordinated with Spains PSOE-Podemos executive. The region has seen 530,000 of Spains 2.3 million infections, that is, 23 percent of the cases though Catalonia has only 16 percent of Spains population. This omission underscores the CUPs tacit endorsement of herd immunity policies. During the pandemic, it has refused to call for closing universities, schools and nonessential workplaces, with full compensation to all those unable to work, and significant investment in essential workplaces to ensure they are safe. Speaking for privileged sections of the upper middle class, the CUP finds itself increasingly opposed to measures to fight the pandemic. Its call to reach 25 percent of the health budget for primary care is empty rhetoric, and the program gives no figures or proposals on how to reach such an objective. However, the ERC claimed last September that it would seek to increase the primary care spending by 125 million a year. But then it would take 40 years for primary care spending to reach 25 percent of total spending. Another key aspect of the pre-accord is the CUPs endorsement of police-state repression of social opposition. It devotes an entire chapter to public order measures aimed at strengthening anti-riot police against the population. This includes developing new internal instructions for proportional repression of protests. This entails endorsing mass violence against workers and youth. Foam bullets are to be suspended until the protocol [for their use] is made public. It adds, we will demand that the protocol is strictly abided by and that it does not violate fundamental rights. Are workers who lose eyes to foam bullets supposed to be glad that they lost their eyes according to protocol? The CUPs ruthlessness against protesters must be taken as a serious warning. In a previous period, they would have calledat least on paperfor dissolving anti-riot police and ending the bloodiest forms of state violence. Now, they are joining the state apparatus on the explicit basis that working class opposition to herd immunity policies must be violently suppressed to guarantee the profits of the economy and the assets of the propertied classes. One last point must be made on the CUPs Catalan separatism. The media habitually promotes the CUP as the most radical separatist group in Catalonia, for its call to build a new capitalist state in Catalan-speaking regions in Spain and France. For the past decade, they pressed Catalan nationalist parties like ERC and Junts to commit to an independent state. The CUP has now relegated this to an indefinite future. It states, the CUP and ERC commit ourselves to generate the conditions and agreements necessary to propose a new democratic onslaught [against Spain]. This will be based upon what secessionist forces agree on and accumulation of social and political forces to make this effective, prioritising the path towards a referendum of self-determination. While their separatist program has no progressive, let alone socialist content, its removal from the accord further underscores that its perspective was bankrupt from the outset. Their secessionist plan to carve up a linguistically homogeneous pro-NATO, pro-EU Catalan capitalist state, run by pro-austerity parties, is now to be shelved to work with Madrid on a herd immunity policy, austerity and police-state repression. In the end, in both projects their main concern is to maintain profits for its affluent middle-class social constituency. The CUPs pre-accord brings to a close another strategic experience for the international working class with petty-bourgeois parties claiming to be a radical alternative to capitalism. This includes Syriza in Greece, Podemos in Spain and the CUP in Catalonia. All of these parties began to grow, or were created, after the youth and working-class protests in Europe that followed the Egyptian Revolution in January 2011. They were the undeserved beneficiaries of social anger at years of hardship and savage austerity measures imposed by the social democrat-led governments in the aftermath of the 2008 global capitalist crisis. All of them have led to disaster for the working class. The CUPs entry into government on a herd immunity program also exposes the myriad pseudo-left forces that have traditionally oriented to it, including Spains Morenoite Workers Revolutionary Current (CRT). For the past decade the CRT called for a critical vote for the CUP. The CRT abandoned this because the CUP ran a right-wing, law-and-order, pro-business campaign proposing to shower big business with billions. Instead, the CRT posted 20 articles, made speeches in demonstrations and even intervened on prime time public television to attempt to convince the CUP not to enter into an ERC governmentthereby unintentionally exposing not only the CUP but also itself as tools of Spanish capitalism. Export-Import Bank of Korea Chairman and President Bang Moon-kyu and Hyundai Motor CEO Chang Jae-hoon pose at the bank's headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul, April 1, after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to offer 3 trillion won ($2.66 billion) for the carmaker to successfully cope with automotive trends. Courtesy of Export-Import Bank of Korea By Yi Whan-woo The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) signed a 3 trillion won ($2.66 billion) program with Hyundai Motor Group in support of Korea's top carmaker to take the lead in the global transition toward smart and eco-friendly cars. The state-run policy lender said Monday a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed last week between Eximbank Chairman and President Bang Moon-kyu and Hyundai Motor CEO Chang Jae-hoon. Under the MOU, the bank will offer financial support until 2023. The fund will be used for research and development, facility investments in and outside Korea, merger and acquisition deals as well as other efforts that can help Hyundai Motor Group and its partners to take the initiative in future mobility. The carmaker's partners include small- and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs), which the bank said it specifically took into account in the MOU to "build a sound ecosystem" for the future mobility market. Bang vowed to play a role in helping Hyundai Motor Group "conquer the future market," saying "No winners have yet been decided in the future mobility market." He lauded the world's fifth-largest carmaker for becoming what it is now in the international market, after producing the Pony, Korea's first domestically made car, in 1975. Chang viewed the MOU will laid the groundwork for the firm to "accelerate its transition" into becoming a "smart mobility solution provider." "We will work closely to establish a foundation for sustainable growth," he said. The global car market is characterized by large investments from not only carmakers, such as Volkswagen and Toyota, but also from non-traditional players, including plane maker Boeing, IT giant Google and lithium-ion battery manufacturers CATL and LG. In December 2020, Hyundai Motor Group announced a plan to investment 23.5 trillion won into its hydrogen, electrification and self-driving technologies. Eximbank picked future mobility as one of its seven key areas in accordance with President Moon Jae-in's Korean New Deal aimed at reviving the pandemic-hit economy. The six others are green energies such as hydrogen, solar and wind as well as 5G, healthcare and digital content. The bank will make a total of 80 trillion won worth of investments by 2030. With Donald Trump gone from the White House, the Supreme Court dismissed a suit Monday that accused Trump of violating free speech by blocking critics from his Twitter account, which the company canceled after the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol. But Justice Clarence Thomas said the case highlighted social medias virtually uncontrolled power and it may be time for Congress to step in. If the aim is to ensure that speech is not smothered, then the more glaring concern must perforce be the dominant digital platforms themselves, Thomas said in a separate opinion in the Twitter case. The concentrated control of so much speech in the hands of a few private parties is unprecedented and should be addressed by the courts or Congress. While agreeing with his colleagues that the lawsuit accusing Trump of abusing his presidential powers was now moot, Thomas said the proper remedy for other dissatisfied platform users could be a law treating Twitter, Facebook and Google like railroads or other common carriers, which must serve all their customers. His comments were similar to complaints by other conservatives that social media are out of control. In another case Monday, the court denied review of an appeal by conservative advocacy groups from lower courts dismissal of their suit accusing Google, Facebook, Twitter and Apple of liberal bias and censorship. Trump was sued in 2017 for barring critics and their comments from his @realDonaldTrump account on Twitter, which then had 35 million followers and eventually grew to more than 88 million. While private citizens have a right to control access to their accounts, federal courts ruled that Trump was acting under his presidential authority noting that he had used the account to announce White House personnel decisions and his ban on transgender military service, among other actions and thus was bound by the First Amendment. Trumps Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court, saying the lower-court rulings endangered the right of officialsfrom the president of the United States to a village councilperson to insulate their social-media accounts from harassment, trolling or hate speech without invasive judicial oversight. On Monday, the high court dismissed the case because it no longer presents an active controversy, with the end of both Trumps presidency and his Twitter account. Twitter suspended the account on Jan. 6 after Trump tweeted praise of the Capitol attackers, reinstated the account after he deleted the posts, but canceled it permanently Jan. 8 after the president posted another tweet calling his supporters American Patriots. Thomas did not mention those events in his opinion Monday. But he questioned the lower-court rulings that classified Trumps Twitter account as a public forum, governed by the Constitution, because it had been used for official actions. It seems rather odd to say that something is a government forum when a private company has unrestricted authority to do away with it, Thomas said. The lower-court rulings in the case can no longer be cited as legal precedent. But they have sent a message to other U.S. courts about the misuse of government officials social media accounts, said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which represented seven Twitter users who sued Trump. This case was about a very simple principle that is foundational to our democracy: Public officials cant bar people from public forums simply because they disagree with them, Jaffer said. The cases are Biden vs. Knight First Amendment Institute, No. 20-197, and Freedom Watch vs. Google, No. 20-969. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Tokyo Tech's three engineering schools the School of Engineering, the School of Materials and Chemical Technology, and the School of Environment and Society renewed their ongoing student exchange agreement with the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering (NSE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on March 1, 2021. MIT Vice Chancellor Ian Waitz (3rd from right) meeting Tokyo Tech's EVP for Education Tetsuya Mizumoto (3rd from left) in Feb. 2020 The exchange program, based on the departmental agreement concluded in February 2017 between the MIT Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems (CANES) and the Laboratory for Advanced Nuclear Energy (LANE) at Tokyo Tech's Institute of Innovative Research, focuses broadly on nuclear energy systems, and specifically aims to cultivate meaningful exchanges among researchers and students. Based on successful past exchanges, an undergraduate student exchange program with a credit transfer system was launched in July 2019 between Tokyo Tech's three engineering schools and NSE. The first batch of students successfully completed the five-month curriculum in January 2020. In February 2020, Tokyo Tech Executive Vice President for Education Tetsuya Mizumoto and MIT Vice Chancellor Ian Waitz met in Massachusetts and agreed to continue the exchange, confirming mutual interest and benefits for both institutions. The renewed agreement stipulates student exchange for the next five academic years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The previous agreement was a two-year pilot program. The renewed agreement with NSE highlights the high international standards of and continued student interest in the education offered by Tokyo Tech. Despite suspension of the second-term student exchange in academic year 2020-21 due to the spread of COVID-19, the renewal is expected to accelerate further mutual exchange between the two institutions. kali9/iStockBy Rosa Sanchez and Morgan Winsor, ABC News (BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) -- One person was killed and five others, including a 4-year-old child, were injured in a shooting at a park in Alabama's largest city on Sunday evening as families gathered for Easter, police said. The shooting occurred at around 7 p.m. local time in Birmingham's Patton Park, where hundreds of people were enjoying the warm weather on Easter Sunday. There was an altercation among a group of men in the park that led to "several shots" being fired, Sgt. Rod Mauldin of the Birmingham Police Department said at a press conference. A 32-year-old woman, who was an innocent bystander, was shot dead inside a car. The five other people who were shot -- ages 4, 15, 16, 17 and 21 -- were transported to hospitals in stable condition, according to Mauldin. There were no suspects in custody as of Sunday night. Police are urging anyone with information on the deadly shooting to come forward. "This park was full of people, full of families and we know people saw things today," Mauldin told reporters. Copyright 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Were looking forward to continuing our partnership with the National Council to support these critical organizations and the important work they do for our communities. DATIS HR Cloud and the National Council for Behavioral Health today announced a renewed partnership. DATIS is the leading provider of unified HR and Payroll software for the human services industry. The National Council is the nations voice of mental health and addiction providers who care for 10 million adults and children. This new partnership will bring tailored workforce management best practices and technology solutions to more behavioral health and human services agencies that serve our communities. DATIS has been a Strategic Partner of the National Council since 2013 and is looking forward to this new, advanced partnership structure. As the Official HR & Payroll Platinum Partner of the National Council, DATIS will continue their firm commitment to providing unified software solutions designed to address the unique workforce management needs of the behavioral health and human services industry. The platform empowers organizations to increase visibility and maximize resources with a single solution for the entire employee lifecycle including Position Control, HR management, Recruiting, Time & Attendance, Payroll, Talent Management, Benefits, Analytics, and more. Were looking forward to continuing our partnership with the National Council to support these critical organizations and the important work they do for our communities, said Erik Marsh, President of DATIS. This platinum partnership will benefit human services agencies by providing them with the solutions they need to improve operational efficiency and achieve financial sustainability. As part of this partnership, DATIS and the National Council will be partnering on content and thought leadership throughout the year. The DATIS Evolve3 Summit held virtually on March 3-5, featured a CCBHC-focused session led by the National Council. DATIS will also be presenting a workforce management panel session at the National Councils upcoming NatCon21 on May 3-5, the largest mental health and addiction conference in the world. About DATIS DATIS provides a completely unified HR and Payroll platform purpose-built for human services organizations. Their software empowers employees, engages teams, and evolves organizations by uniting all aspects of workforce management within a single platform. The end-to-end solution encompasses all aspects of the employee lifecycle including Position Control, HR Management, Recruiting, Time & Attendance, Payroll, Benefits, Performance Management, Business Intelligence, and more. For more information on DATIS and the services they provide, visit https://www.datis.com. About the National Council The National Council for Behavioral Health is the unifying voice of Americas health care organizations that deliver mental health and addictions treatment and services. Together with our 3,381 member organizations serving over 10 million adults, children and families living with mental illnesses and addictions, the National Council is committed to all Americans having access to comprehensive, high-quality care that affords every opportunity for recovery. The National Council introduced Mental Health First Aid USA and more than 2 million Americans have been trained. Learn more at https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/datis/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/datise3 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DATISHRPayroll/ Pennsylvanias long-awaited expansion of its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility is finally here and a new group of essential workers can now book appointments. The states been in its Phase 1A vaccine rollout since December, prioritizing frontline healthcare workers, the elderly and younger people with certain medical conditions that put them at higher risk for coronavirus complications. Starting Monday, here is who is now eligible to book appointments in Pennsylvania: People in congregate settings not otherwise specified as long-term care facilities, and persons receiving home and community-based services Correctional officers and other workers serving people in congregate care settings not included in Phase 1A U.S. Postal Service workers Manufacturing workers Clergy and other essential support for houses of worship Public transit workers Individuals caring for children or adults in early childhood and adult day programs Pennsylvania is rapidly expanding vaccine eligibility to comply with President Joe Bidens directive that 90% of adults be eligible on April 19 and live within five miles of a vaccination site. The states already completed its educator vaccination campaign, inoculating more than 100,000 teachers and support staff via targeted clinics with the single-dose Johnson and Johnson. On March 31, the state made a segment of higher risk Phase 1B workers eligible for appointments: law enforcement, firefighters, grocery store workers and food/agricultural workers. All Pennsylvanians in Phase 1C will become eligible to book appointments on April 12. This phase includes essential workers not in the prior phases. Everyone becomes eligible for appointments April 19. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. [April 05, 2021] OSU/A&M Board of Regents Announces Selection of Dr. Kayse Shrum as 19th President of Oklahoma State University The Oklahoma State University A&M Board of Regents has selected Dr. Kayse Shrum as the 19th president of Oklahoma State University. The announcement follows an extensive national search involving an inclusive process composed of representatives from across the OSU system, including faculty, students, staff and alumni. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005209/en/ The Oklahoma State University A&M Board of Regents has selected Dr. Kayse Shrum as the 19th president of Oklahoma State University. (Photo: Business Wire) The current president of the OSU Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Shrum will be recommended for approval as the next president of OSU at the regularly scheduled Board of Regents meeting in Stillwater on April 23. "The OSU/A&M Board of Regents recognized from the start of this process the importance of conducting a thorough search to make sure we selected the most qualified candidate to lead OSU and the system into the future following the successful Burns Hargis presidency," commented Rick Davis, chair of the Regents. "I appreciate the deliberative approach taken by our Regents, and we are grateful to Regent Joe Hall, who impressively led the process over the past five months." Davis continued, "Dr. Shrum is well known and respected by the Regents and our university community. Her leadership has transformed our medical school in Tulsa, and her efforts have taken us to new heights we could only imagine a few years ago. The establishment of the National Center for Wellness and Recovery is one of several milestone achievements. The center, which has brought national acclaim to OSU, has become the national focal point for breakthrough research to address the opioid crisis. What is most impressive to me for all the notable achievements is her commitment to students and their success. Students matter to her. Dr. Shrum is an effective leader, innovative thinker and her collaborative style, in addition to her great love for OSU, means the momentum we have achieved with President Hargis will continue unabated. I am excited about the future of OSU, the system and the state of Oklahoma." As the first woman to lead Oklahoma State University, Dr. Shrum has overcome barriers throughout her proessional career. She has served as president of OSU's Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) since 2013, and her selection at the time made her the youngest and first female president and dean of a medical school in the state of Oklahoma. Dr. Shrum trained and served rural Oklahoma as a pediatrician before beginning her academic work at OSU-CHS after current OSU President Burns Hargis appointed her to lead the medical school. According to Regent and Selection Committee Chair Joe Hall, Dr. Shrum was chosen from a national pool of highly qualified candidates in large part because she brings a remarkable track record of professional success leading OSU's medical school. "I have watched Dr. Shrum transform our medical school in Tulsa, and I am convinced that success will translate to OSU and our system," Hall said. "She understands and appreciates our distinctive land-grant mission of service to the advancement and betterment of our state. As a proud product of Coweta, Oklahoma, Dr. Shrum has a firsthand perspective of our state's challenges and the role OSU can play in meeting those challenges. Based on what she has achieved thus far, Dr. Shrum will promote student success, academic programs, productive research and an inclusive and diverse community built on mutual respect. As president of OSU, she will be a great leader for our university and state." "I am humbled and honored by this announcement," said Dr. Shrum. "I am also thrilled because outside of my dear family, OSU has a special place in my heart. Leading the OSU Center for Health Sciences and helping students, faculty and staff come together to create something truly impactful to our state has been immensely rewarding for me. To lead our vibrant university and the system, which is so vital to our state on many levels, will be the greatest challenge and honor of my professional career. I am looking forward to this opportunity with high anticipation. I want to thank Chair Davis, Regent Hall and our entire Board of Regents. I do not take the trust you have imparted to me lightly. I look forward to working with our board, faculty, students and staff on our shared vision of excellence and success. Let me also thank President Hargis, who had the confidence to appoint me to lead the medical school. I am forever grateful for our friendship and your mentorship." Under Dr. Shrum's leadership, OSU Center for Health Sciences has experienced unprecedented growth. Student enrollment doubled as the center established new academic programs designed to meet the health care workforce needs of Oklahoma. She also led the construction of the A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Medical Academic Building. This state-of-the-art learning facility houses Oklahoma's largest and most technologically advanced hospital simulation center. Her fundraising accomplishments also include securing a landmark investment in 2019 from Purdue Pharma for $197.5 million to create the National Center for Wellness and Recovery for addiction treatment and research to address the national opioid addiction epidemic. A strong supporter of collaborative partnerships, Shrum worked with Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker (News - Alert) and his administration to establish the nation's first tribally affiliated medical school, the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, which opened fall 2020. In March 2019, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt appointed Dr. Shrum to his cabinet as Oklahoma's first Secretary of Science and Innovation. In that role, she played a critical part in the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her innovative leadership approach and medical expertise helped secure much-needed PPE supplies and led to the formation of Oklahoma's largest COVID diagnostics lab on OSU's Stillwater campus. A native of Coweta, Oklahoma, Dr. Shrum is a fervent champion of rural health and primary care medicine and has made the creation of a sustainable, rural primary care physician pipeline a top priority. She launched innovative high school recruiting programs like Operation Orange and Blue Coat (News - Alert) to White Coat, created the Rural Medical Track curriculum and expanded the number of residency training programs in rural Oklahoma by securing support from the Oklahoma Legislature, Oklahoma Health Care Authority and Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. Her long list of awards and accolades includes being named The Journal Record's Woman of the Year in 2019. Dr. Shrum and her husband Darren still actively farm near Coweta. They have six adult children. Dr. Shrum will officially take over the role of president at the beginning of OSU's next fiscal year beginning July 1. PHOTO: https://www.flickr.com/gp/ostatenews/Z871m9 VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhgTE_HLJKA View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005209/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Earth Day is later this month, and a local eco-center is hosting ways for you to learn each week. The White Violet Center with the Sisters of Providence hosted a Facebook live on Monday. It focused on land and animals. The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana want to to encourage all to celebrate Earth Day every... Posted by White Violet Center for Eco-Justice on Monday, April 5, 2021 The group talked about how soil restoration begins, with the help of animals and land. The director of the organization, Lorrie Herber, told News 10 it takes an entire community to make a difference. "As long as there are people among us who are not really taking up the mantle of care for creation, then our Earth will suffer. So everybody plays a role," Herber said. You can learn more about the organization here. The allure of the wide open road gets to Texans come springtime. There's nothing quite like rolling the windows down and heading out on a true Texas road trip. If you're yearning for a good Lone Star State adventure but want a little ranch luxury, the Hill Country's Rancho Buena Vida might be calling you. Rancho Buena Vida is one of the 20 private ranch rentals that you can snap up through Explore Ranches. Just 25 miles out of Austin, Rancho Buena Vidaa.k.a. "Good Life Ranch"sits right on a bluff near the famous Hamilton Pools at the edge of the Texas Hill Country. The sumptuous spot goes for $5,000 per night. The 150-acre original ranch featured a main house, guest house and small chicken coop. Its since been spruced up into a highly-coveted, bucolic Hill Country retreat. Explore Ranches "Whether knee deep in the waters of Cypress Creek, high above in a Hill Country blind, or....plunging into a horizon line pool, one way or the other, we lose ourselves and a sense of time enjoying all the ranch has to offer," Landowner Meridith Nusbaum writes. GET OFF THE GRID: Here are the countries now allowing U.S. travelers to visit The private rentals through Explore Ranches open up to hundreds of acres with all different price points, with the average listing going for $1,500 for a dozen guests. Some of the luxurious oasis rentals go all the way up to $18,000 per night. Note to the curious traveler: most ranch stays typically have a two-night minimum that range from $3,000 to $5,000 a night. Explore Ranches Touted as "the Airbnb of ranches," Explore Ranches showcases hidden gems all throughout the Lone Star State. Most of the rustic properties are actually working ranches. Originally founded in 2018, Explore Ranches offered a way to open the door for others to view some breathtaking Texas vistas, Explore Ranches co-founder Allison Ryan told Chron. Ryan collaborated with co-founders Jay Kleberg and Jesse Womack to launch the distinctive ranch rental venture. "We founded the company for two reasons. Our hope was to get more people outside and expose to the outdoors and to these really wild and scenic places that Texas has to offer that are behind locked gates," Ryan said. "We wanted to try to offer that authentic ranch experience to more people. The other reason was to provide a new revenue stream to landowning families. It is important to us to be able landowners to keep land in the families." It also helped provide the resources for stewardship and conservancy of these lands for landowners, according to Explore Ranches co-founder Jesse Womack. We wanted to get people outside, Womack told the San Antonio Express-News' Rene Guzman. As well, we wanted to find a way to provide landowners with an alternative income stream. The luxury ranch rentals have added amenities which include catering with a chef, kayaking and outdoor adventures with a tour guide. If you want to venture out and explore "the new wild where people and nature thrive together," you've got a few rentals to choose from including Chalk Draw, Chandler Ranch, Middle Creek Ranch, Rocker B Ranch, Withers and Ranch 2810 Marfa. "Being landowners ourselves, we felt we could do a much better job than the out-the-box product offered by most hospitality companies," Explore Ranches co-founder Jay Kleberg told Austin Monthly. "We're able to work with ranch owners to provide an experience--not just a place to stay." Washington, April 5 : The ability to control your own behaviour, known as executive function, develops with many influences from outside the mind, suggests a new theory. The theory, detailed in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, draws on dynamic systems theory which originated in mathematics and physics and has been used to describe complex organising phenomena like cloud formation and flying patterns of birds. The executive function has been shown to play a role in everything from children's readiness for school to their social relationships. Its development is also tied to long-term outcomes for adulthood. "We propose that executive function is really about using cues from the environment to guide your behaviour," said Sammy Perone, Assistant Professor at the Washington State University. "As humans we use our experience and norms to decide what's the appropriate path to take, so to encourage executive function development, we want to help children build those connections between cues and appropriate behaviours." In a classroom, these cues might include things such as decorations on the wall, verbal instructions or the way tables are set up. Eliminating environmental distractions may also help children control their behaviour like having sharpened pencils on hand or resolving a tottering desk chair. In addition, physical things normally thought of as peripheral, like whether a child has adequate sleep or enough to eat, also influence executive function, Perone said. Previously, the dominant view held that executive function was three distinct neurocognitive processes: working memory, inhibitory control, which is the ability to stop yourself from doing something, and cognitive flexibility, which allows you to transition from one activity to the next. This perspective has been called into question, Perone said. "If these different cognitive processes are what makes up executive function, you would think you could just train those processes, and then, you can then use them everywhere," he said. "Turns out, that doesn't work, and that's been shown over and over again. People think and behave in an environment, so we can't just train executive function by say doing computer exercises on working memory." The new theory builds on the work of cognitive scientist Sabine Doebel who called for a redefinition of executive function in 2020 as the "development of skills in using control in the service of behaviour". See also: CBS caught being nakedly partisan, sends evidence to the memory hole There are two loci of corruption in America: Academia and the media. Academia churns out legions of indoctrinated young people, and the media churn out lies. The latest example is the way that CBS edited a press conference that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held to make it appear that he had granted vaccination rights to the Publix grocery store chain in exchange for campaign donations. To the medias dismay, Florida sailed through the COVID panic because it didnt panic. Governor Ron DeSantis made the logical decision when the disease hit America to protect the vulnerable and to allow all the others in his state to get on with their lives. To the Democrats chagrin, at the end of the day, Florida did no worse than the lockdown states, while preserving both its economy and its civil liberties. Because of his competence, conservatives are turning longing eyes to DeSantis as a possible Republican contender in 2024. The media, of course, must destroy him. In addition to repeatedly and falsely implying that Florida handled COVID badly and is a hotbed of disease, the media are now attacking DeSantis directly. Most recently, CBSs 60 Minutes, openly accused DeSantis of a pay-to-play scheme with Publix, giving the latter the right to distribute vaccinations in exchange for a $100,000 campaign donation. You can see the set-up in the string of three tweets, below, which culminate in ostensible footage of an angry DeSantis baselessly swatting aside Sharyn Alfonsis challenging questions: In a statement to 60 Minutes, Publix says there is no connection between the supermarket chain's campaign contributions and its partnership with the state to administer the vaccine. The company's full statement can be read here: https://t.co/gyrW9hYPTg 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 4, 2021 "What you're saying is wrong," Gov DeSantis tells Sharyn Alfonsi in response to a question about whether the Publix grocery store chain gained influence through a campaign donation on his behalf. "It's wrong. It's a fake narrative," he says. https://t.co/gyrW9hYPTg pic.twitter.com/5rBq7v5VOA 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 4, 2021 Guilty, guilty, guilty, right? Incidentally, the segment is also meant to strike a blow at Publix, a well-known, high-end Southeastern grocery store chain. I happen to like Publix a lot. Not only is it near my house but Publix, unlike Walmart, is generally conservative in its political donations. (And please note that political donations having nothing to do with pay-to-play.) Well, it turns out that CBS forgot to include a few things when it put together that footage of a contentious exchange between the brave Alfonsi and the evil Republican governor. In fact, DeSantis carefully explained to the assembled media the decision-making behind choosing Publix to disburse vaccinations: So, first of all, when we did, the first pharmacies that had it were CVS and Walgreens. And they had a long-term care mission. So they were going to the long term care facilities. They got vaccine in the middle of December, they started going to the long-term care facilities the third week of December to do LTCs. So that was their mission. That was very important. And we trusted them to do that. As we got into January, we wanted to expand the distribution points. So yes, you had the counties, you had some drive through sites, you had hospitals that were doing a lot, but we wanted to get it into communities more. So, we reached out to other retail pharmacies Publix, Walmart obviously CVS and Walgreens had to finish that mission. And we said, were going to use you as soon as youre done with that. For the Publix, they were the first one to raise their hand, say they were ready to go. And you know what, we did it on a trial basis. I had three counties. I actually showed up that weekend and talked to seniors across four different Publix. How was the experience? Is this good? Should you think this is a way to go? And it was 100% positive. So, we expanded it, and then folks liked it. And I can tell you, if you look at a place like Palm Beach County, they were kind of struggling at first in terms of the senior numbers. DeSantis explained too, that at a meeting with the Palm Beach County mayor, administration, and other folks, one of the things they calculated was that 90% of their seniors live within a mile and a half a Publix. The ultimate calculation, therefore, was what would be easiest for residents: So, we did that, and what ended up happening was, you had 65 Publix in Palm Beach. Palm Beach is one of the biggest counties, one of the most elderly counties, weve done almost 75% of the seniors in Palm Beach, and the reason is because you have the strong retail footprint. So, our way has been multifaceted. It has worked. And were also now very much expanding CVS and Walgreens, now that theyve completed the long-term care mission. Things take on a very different complexion when the media outlet isnt committing fraud by omission. DeSantis had a carefully thought-out plan to optimize elderly citizens access to vaccines. And 60 Minutes had a carefully thought-out plan to omit material details in order to slander both DeSantis and Publix as corrupt. In a just world, the American media would be given the same level of respect as a street corner three-card-monte hustler. IMAGE: 60 Minutes fake DeSantis narrative. Twitter screengrab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Remains of kidnapped evangelical missionary recovered in Mali Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The body of Beatrice Stockli, an evangelical missionary from Switzerland who was held captive by Islamist extremists in Mali since January 2016, has been found and identified, Malis foreign ministry has said. Stocklis body was given to Malian authorities by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and a DNA test confirmed that its of the Christian woman, who had been kidnapped from Malis Timbuktu city by the jihadist group Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal-Muslimin, The Washington Times reported. Sadly, we now have definitive evidence that the woman who was held hostage is dead, Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis said in a statement by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. But I am also relieved that we can return the womans remains to her family and I would like to pass on my deepest condolences to them. I also wish to thank the Malian authorities for their assistance in helping to identify the body, Cassis added. Last October, the Swiss department announced that Stockli had reportedly been killed. The information came from French hostage Sophie Petronin, a 75-year-old French charity worker who was abducted by jihadists in December 2016 and released in 2020, BBC reported at the time. Petronin, who converted to Islam during her captivity, reported that the missionary was reportedly shot dead about a month earlier for refusing to take part in another move with her kidnappers in the Sahara. Petronin said they moved around regularly to keep Malian and French soldiers from tracking them down. She said Stockli was dragged outdoors one night during her protest and she then heard a shot go off. Stockli started working as a missionary in Timbuktu city for a Swiss church in 2000 but soon branched off on her own, World Watch Monitor said earlier. A local church leader in Mali said she led an austere life in Abaradjou area, where she sold flowers and gave out Christian material. She was known to be sociable, especially with women and children, but the area was also popular with jihadist groups. In 2012, she was kidnapped by Islamists but released 10 days later after mediation led by neighboring Burkina Faso. She left Mali after her mother and brother pleaded with her but soon returned even though the Swiss government had warned her against it. She was dragged from her home again in 2016 by armed men in four pickup trucks. Beatrice Stockli is a Swiss nun who declared war against Islam in her attempt to Christianize Muslims, a masked speaker with a British accent who claimed responsibility for her kidnapping on behalf of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said in a video. In exchange for Stocklis release, AQIM wanted their jailed fighters in Mali and one of the groups leaders detained at the International Criminal Court at The Hague to be freed. They also demanded that Stockli not return to any Muslim land to preach about Christianity. New Delhi, April 5 : The Supreme Court on Monday indicated that it may lift the stay on the dismantling of India's decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Viraat. However, it asked a private firm, which is keen to convert it into a museum, to submit its reply on the marine surveyor report which concluded that Viraat is a dead structure, and in a totally grounded situation. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde and comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said: "the ship is now a private property. 40 percent of it has already been dismantled and it cannot be given status of aircraft carrier now." In February, the top court had barred further dismantling of INS Viraat which was in service with the Indian Navy for nearly three decades. It has been beached in Gujarat's ship-breaking yard of Alang since September 2020. The top court has scheduled the matter for further hearing after a week. A private firm Shree Ram Group at Alang in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat bought Viraat at an auction in July last year for Rs 38.54 crore. The firm began the dismantling process in December. During the hearing, the bench examined the dismantling status and told the private firm Envitech Marine Consultants Pvt Ltd, that 40 per cent of the warship has already been dismantled after a valid purchase. The bench asked Envitech Marine counsel why does it want to take it for converting it into a museum? Petitioner in-person Rupali Sharma, appearing for Envitech Marine, submitted they would want to examine the ship to ascertain the status of dismantling. The bench replied, "it has now become a private property and it does not have a character of warship." Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, representing the Shree Ram Group, objected to the petition filed by the firm represented by Sharma. On February 10, the top court had said: "Issue notice. In the meantime, parties are directed to maintain status quo with regard to dismantling/breaking of the subject-ship known as INS Viraat, as on date." The top court had also sought a response from the Centre and others on a plea filed by Envitech Marine Consultants Private Limited. The private firm seeks to preserve the ship and convert it into a museum, and moved the top court seeking direction to stop it from being dismantled. In July 2019, the Centre had informed the Parliament that the decision to dismantle INS Viraat was taken after due consultation with the Indian Navy. (Newser) An Emergent BioSolutions plant in Baltimore that had been tasked with churning out Johnson & Johnson vaccines has now earned the dubious honor of a takeover at the facility after about 15 million doses were ruined. Per CBS Baltimore, J&J announced Saturday it would be assuming "full responsibility" at the site known as Bayview, specifically by adding "dedicated leaders" to the quality and operations team at the plant, as well as more workers to the manufacturing, technical, and quality crews. The Washington Post notes the marred doses came about after ingredients for the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines were mixed up, as the plant makes both. Senior federal health officials tell the New York Times that the Department of Health and Human Services directed J&J to take charge of the site's vaccine manufacturing and production after the error was discovered. story continues below One official tells NPR that HHS and the FDA feel it's "most appropriate" for the plant to now only produce the J&J vaccine; the government will help AstraZeneca find a new site for production. The plant hasn't yet been certified by the FDA to make the J&J vaccine, and a history of past "multiple internal failings" has plagued the Bayview site. On Thursday, Emergent issued a statement that noted its "rigorous quality checks" had found the bad batch of vaccine as the system was meant to, and that throwing out batches happens periodically during vaccine production, per the Post. No tainted J&J doses had yet reached the public, says Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden's chief medical adviser, per CBS. Johnson & Johnson had originally pledged to deliver 100 million doses by the end of next month. On Monday, Emergent noted it was still "on track with all commitments for COVID-19 vaccines," per MarketWatch. J&J has issued a similar assurance in its own statement. (Read more Johnson & Johnson stories.) Some 11 Ukrainian citizens have been detained in the United Arab Emirates, the Ukrainian Consulate in Dubai is interacting with local law enforcement officers to ensure that the rights of Ukrainian women are respected and all the circumstances of this case are clarified, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko said. "On April 3, Dubai police detained a group of people due to violation of the norms of public morality. According to preliminary information, among the detainees there are 11 citizens of Ukraine," he told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. According to the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the Ukrainian consulate in Dubai interacts with local law enforcement officers to ensure that the rights of Ukrainian women are respected and all the circumstances of this case are clarified. Nikolenko said that on April 6, the Ukrainian consul should visit the detainees. Earlier, information about the detention of Ukrainian women appeared in the media. The reason for the arrests was allegedly a video in which girls pose naked on the balcony of a high-rise building in the resort area of Dubai Marina. A citizen of Russia is accused of organizing a photo session. According to Russian vice-consul in Dubai Ivan Gubanov, the Russian faces from six months in prison. "There are no Russian citizens among the detained girls, only one Russian citizen was detained on suspicion that he was the organizer of this event," the diplomat told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. Denton, TX (76205) Today Mainly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 82F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Two men wanted in separate Van Nuys murders were arrested Friday after being traced to a courtroom in San Francisco and a prison in Tehachapi, Los Angeles police said. John Beck, 23, was charged with the April 1 slaying of Jodie Bartmess, 21, a transient who was stabbed to death in a parking lot in the 16100 block of Hart Street, Detective Jim Vojtecky said. Beck, who was a transient living in the Van Nuys area at the time of the slaying, was identified as a suspect through witnesses and other undisclosed evidence and arrested at Tehachapi State Prison, Vojtecky said. Bartmess was believed to have been killed during a dispute over drugs, the detective said. After Beck was identified this week, detectives learned that he had been arrested shortly after the slaying for violating parole for burglary and was sentenced to the prison. He was transferred from the prison to Van Nuys Jail Friday and is scheduled to be arraigned on the murder charge Monday in Van Nuys Municipal Court, police said. Advertisement Police also announced the arrest of Antonio Godoy, 26, who had been sought since Jan. 28, 1989, in the slaying of Jose Delgadillo, 28, of Van Nuys. Delgadillo was shot to death during a dispute in a bar. Godoy was identified as a suspect immediately after the slaying but fled. Vojtecky said the suspect was believed to have used aliases and lived in the Pasadena area and Mexico before moving to San Francisco. He was arrested in San Francisco earlier this month on an unknown misdemeanor count, and a fingerprint check revealed his identity. When he arrived in court Friday for a hearing on his arrest, fugitive detectives arrested him in the slaying. New Delhi: The Bombay High Court on Monday (April 5, 2021) directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to begin a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into corruption allegations on Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh by former Mumbai Police Chief Param Bir Singh. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni said this was an 'extraordinary' and 'unprecedented' case that warranted an independent inquiry. While hearing on Dr Jaishri Patil's plea regarding allegations of the ex-Mumbai top cop, the Bombay High Court said that Anil Deshmukh is the Home Minister and no impartial probe can be done by the police. Singh had demanded a CBI inquiry into his transfer, alleging that he was transferred as Commandant General of Home Guards on March 17 after exposing the alleged corrupt activities of Deshmukh. Singh also claimed that the NCP leader asked police officers, including suspended cop Sachin Waze, to collect Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants. However, Deshmukh has refuted the allegations. (With inputs from agencies) TDT | New York The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain has affirmed its support for the United Nations and its efforts to ensure the full and effective participation of women around the world in public life, the elimination of violence against women, and the achievement of gender balance. During his participation in the closing session of the 65th session of the UN CSW, the Supreme Council for Womens International Relations and Follow-up Adviser Mohammed Al Faris emphasised the Councils keenness to continue providing support and advice to advance women at the national, regional and global levels. The Council has advanced experience in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the ability to create supportive mechanisms for women that keep pace with the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic and meet the emerging needs of Bahraini women in the social, economic, family and other fields, he added. Al Faris stressed the importance of coordination and harmonisation between global requirements and national orientations while taking into account the peculiarity of countries in the field of integrating womens needs in development and gender balance through the implementation of national plans and visions based on the social justice and equal opportunities endorsed by their laws and constitutions. The session discussed womens effective participation in public life, including in decision-making and measures to eliminate, prevent and respond to all forms of violence against women and girls in public and private spaces. It also reviewed an assessment of the current challenges facing the world due to the coronavirus pandemic and affecting the implementation of progress towards achieving gender balance and supporting women. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the Executive Director of UN Women, urged all countries to move forward quickly to achieve equal representation of women and men in all areas of development and life. She stressed in her speech during the closing session that the pandemic has alerted all countries to the need to work together to accomplish much of the remaining work in order to support women around the world. The election campaign banner of Sery Kim, a Republican congressional candidate running to represent Texas' sixth Congressional District / Screenshot from Sery Kim's website By Nam Hyun-woo Korean American Republican congresswomen Young Kim and Michelle Park Steel have revoked their endorsements of Sery Kim, a Texas GOP congressional candidate who stirred up controversy over her comment about Chinese immigrants. The move came as a movement in the U.S. to counter anti-Asian hate has been picking up momentum The movement to support members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community follows a series of racially based crimes, especially last month's shootings at three spas in Atlanta that killed eight people, including four women of Korean descent. Multiple U.S. media outlets reported that Young Kim and Steel issued a joint statement to say they cannot continue to support Sery Kim, who is running to represent Texas' sixth Congressional District. "As the first Korean American Republican women to serve in Congress, we want to empower and lift up fellow members of the AAPI community who want to serve their communities," the lawmakers said in the statement CNN reported on Saturday. "We talked with Sery Kim yesterday concerning her hurtful and untrue comments about Chinese immigrants, and made clear that her comments were unacceptable." Sery Kim is currently mired in controversy, after she answered a question about U.S. immigration during a forum on Wednesday. "I don't want them here at all," she said, referring to Chinese immigrants. "They steal our intellectual property, give us the coronavirus, and they don't hold themselves accountable," she said. "And quite frankly, I can say that because I'm Korean." The candidate also lashed out at China, claiming that the coronavirus was created at a lab in Wuhan, according to a YouTube video recording of the event uploaded by Kim's election camp. Sery Kim is a Korean American who served as an assistant administrator for the Small Business Administration under former President Donald Trump. After the congresswomen revoked their endorsement, Sery Kim said her comments were directed at the Communist Party of China, not at Chinese Americans, and that she stands by her remarks at the forum, according to CNN. Congresswomen Young Kim, left, and Michelle Park Steel Private sector ports and logistics company and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ) is acquiring the residual 25 per cent stake in Adani Krishnapatnam Port Ltd., (Krishnapatnam Port) for Rs 2,800 crore. With this, will increase its stake from 75 per cent to 100 per cent in Krishnapatnam Port, the country's second largest private sector port. The acquisition will be completed by buying 25 per cent from Vishwa Samudra Holdings. Together with the 75 per cent ownership acquired in October 2020, the acquisition implies an enterprise value of Rs 13,675 crore implying an EV/FY21 EBITDA multiple of 10.3x. Krishnapatnam Port is located on the east coast of India in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh (180 km from Chennai Ports) close to the border between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It is an all-weather, deep water port and has a multi-cargo facility with a current capacity of 64 MMTPA. With a waterfront of 20 km and 6,800 acres of land, Krishnapatnam Port has a master plan capacity of 300 MMTPA and a 50-year concession. The port is expected to have volumes of 38 MMT, revenues of Rs 1,840 crore and EBITDA of Rs 1,325 in FY21. Since the acquisition, Krishnapatnam Port has focused on business process re-engineering which has resulted in EBITDA margins improving from 57 per cent in FY20 to 72 per cent in FY21. Karan Adani, Chief Executive Officer and Whole Time Director of said, "The consolidation of our ownership in Krishnapatnam Port reinforces APSEZ's stride towards 500 MMT by 2025 and achieving our broader strategy of cargo parity between west and east coasts of India. Krishnapatnam Port is on track to handle double the traffic by 2025 and will deliver high growth through a multi-product and cargo enhancement strategy while enhancing return on capital employed." "We are confident that we will be able to double throughput and triple EBITDA at Krishnapatnam Port by 2025. We are committed to making Krishnapatnam Port the gateway port for South Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. With its large industrial land backed with the port we will transform Krishnapatnam into a manufacturing and industrial hub." and Special Economic Zone Ltd., a part of Adani Group has evolved from a port company to Ports & Logistics Platform for India. It is the largest port developer and operator in India with 12 strategically located ports and terminals -- Mundra, Dahej, Tuna and Hazira in Gujarat, Dhamra in Odisha, Mormugao in Goa, Visakhapatnam and Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Dighi in Maharashtra and and Kattupalli and Ennore in Chennai- representing 24 per cent of the country's total port capacity. The company is also developing a transhipment port at Vizhinjam, Kerala. --IANS sn/dpb (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.) PLANO, Texas, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Siemens today introduced PCBflow, an innovative cloud-based software solution which bridges the gap between the electronics design and manufacturing ecosystems. PCBflow extends Siemens' Xcelerator portfolio with a secure environment for printed circuit board (PCB) design teams to interact with a variety of manufacturers, and by rapidly performing a range of design-for-manufacturing (DFM) analyses in the context of each manufacturers' process capabilities, which helps customers accelerate design-to-production handoff. Siemens announces PCBflow, an industry-first, secure, cloud-based environment for accelerating design-to-manufacturing handoff between printed circuit board (PCB) designers and manufacturers. With a leading position across the design-to-manufacturing flow, Siemens is the first company to offer a marketplace featuring online, fully automated DFM analysis technology, which can help optimize designs, reduce front-end engineering cycles, and streamline designer/manufacturer communication. Powered by the industry-leading Valor NPI software engine, which performs over 1000 DFM checks, PCBflow enables PCB design teams to rapidly identify manufacturability violations. These violations are then sorted and prioritized according to level of severity, guiding users through images and locations on the design for easy identification and immediate correction. PCBflow is Siemens' first step toward PCB assembly online solutions which automate the design-to-manufacturing handoff process. With a leading position across the design-to-manufacturing flow, Siemens is the first company to offer a marketplace featuring online, fully automated DFM analysis technology, which can help optimize designs, reduce front-end engineering cycles, and streamline designer/manufacturer communication. "PCBflow is the ultimate product-design tool, because it supports comprehensive designer/manufacturer collaboration with a closed-loop feedback mechanism that drives continuous improvement," said Dan Hoz, general manager, Valor Division, Siemens Digital Industries Software. "Because customer designs are in sync with the fab's capabilities, respins can be reduced, time-to-market can be shortened, board quality can be optimized, and yield can be enhanced." For manufacturers, PCBflow helps simplify customer onboarding processes and provides designers with a comprehensive source of knowledge, which can streamline customer/manufacturer collaboration. And thanks to manufacturers' capabilities being shared electronically, lengthy phone calls and email exchanges can be reduced, helping enable real-time customer communication to focus more on strategic, high-value discussion. "PCBflow saves time and costs in the design-to-manufacturing handoff process by addressing manufacturability violations during the design phase," said Evgeny Makhline, chief technology officer for Nistec, a PCBflow customer. "With PCBflow, producing and reviewing a DFM analysis report takes just minutes instead of hours." As a software as a service (SaaS) technology, PCBflow incorporates the strict security standards of Siemens' software, reducing risk and protecting intellectual property (IP) with no additional IT investment. PCBflow works with the Mendix low-code application development platform. The platform provides the ability to build multi-experience apps and share data from any location, on any device, on any cloud or platform, to more quickly realize the benefits of digital transformation. Engineered for ease-of-use, PCBflow requires neither training nor prerequisites, and it is accessible from virtually any location, including mobile phones and tablets. Additionally, PCBflow provides designers with images, tool-tips, measurements and precise locations of solderability issues and other PCB design violations. Reports are available online and in a downloadable PDF format for easy sharing. PCBflow supports the ODB++ language design file format, IPC 2581, and support for additional formats is planned in 2021. Additional information is available here, and at: www.PCBflow.com. Siemens Digital Industries Software is driving transformation to enable a digital enterprise where engineering, manufacturing and electronics design meet tomorrow. The Xcelerator portfolio helps companies of all sizes create and leverage digital twins that provide organizations with new insights, opportunities and levels of automation to drive innovation. For more information on Siemens Digital Industries Software products and services, visit www.sw.siemens.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Siemens Digital Industries Software Where today meets tomorrow. Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI's unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 76,000 employees internationally. Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 170 years. Active around the world, the company focuses on intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems and on automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Siemens brings together the digital and physical worlds to benefit customers and society. Through Mobility, a leading supplier of intelligent mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is helping to shape the world market for passenger and freight services. Via its majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital health services. In addition, Siemens holds a minority stake in Siemens Energy, a global leader in the transmission and generation of electrical power that has been listed on the stock exchange since September 28, 2020. In fiscal 2020, which ended on September 30, 2020, the Siemens Group generated revenue of 57.1 billion and net income of 4.2 billion. As of September 30, 2020, the company had around 293,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com. Note: A list of relevant Siemens trademarks can be found here. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. SOURCE Siemens Digital Industries Software WASHINGTON, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Military servicemembers and their families make significant sacrifices for the United States, yet many regularly struggle to put food on the table, a new report finds. As demand at food banks remains at an all-time high amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report from MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger a national organization fighting to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel details the persistent food insecurity among currently serving military families. Drawing from decades-long expertise in the anti-hunger field, MAZON offers solutions to end military hunger in the report. "Despite the fact that solutions are both possible and readily available, Congress has paid lip service to supporting our troops while consistently failing our servicemembers by doing next to nothing to ensure that the members of our military who sacrifice to keep us safe can feed themselves and their families," said Abby J. Leibman, President and CEO of MAZON and co-author of the report. "Even one military family facing food insecurity is unconscionable. The hunger crisis in the military has only gotten worse amid the pandemic. It's a persistent problem that is deliberately obfuscated and doesn't receive nearly the attention it deserves. We are pleased to release today's report, which summarizes MAZON's justice-centered approach to tackle the structural problems that allow hunger to continue, especially among military families." Even before the pandemic, servicemembers with dependents struggled to put food on the table. In fact, food pantries operate on or near every military base in the United States. "Hungry in the Military: Food Insecurity Among Military Families in the U.S.," which can be found on MAZON's website , outlines four key findings: At least part of the widespread problem of food insecurity among military families stems from a procedural barrier to assistance counting a servicemember's housing allowance as revenue in determining eligibility for federal nutrition programs like SNAP (formerly food stamps). Junior-enlisted servicemembers are more diverse in race, ethnicity, and gender than higher-ranking members who earn higher incomes. They are also supporting families at much higher rates than previous cohorts of servicemembers. The Pentagon has not adequately adjusted the base salary to reflect the reality of our modern military force. The circumstances that give rise to food insecurity among military families are complex, and simplistic responses based on unfounded stereotypes are often lifted ahead of more meaningful responses. In the last year, COVID-19 has exacerbated military families' unique financial challenges, such as high spousal unemployment rates, access to affordable childcare, and frequent relocation. MAZON offers several recommendations for how the nation's leaders must address military hunger, which include incorporating the Military Family Basic Needs Allowance in President Biden's Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Request and prioritizing the provision in this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). MAZON also urges the administration to take executive action to ensure housing allowances do not count as income in determining eligibility for federal nutrition safety net programs and implores the government to re-examine military pay levels to ensure they meet the needs of service members. Additionally, MAZON encourages further collaboration between Congress and the administration, anti-hunger advocates, and community organizations to share and publicize data on military hunger to understand the scope of the problem and change the stigmatized narrative around hunger. Released following last week's introduction of the Military Hunger Prevention Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, the report from MAZON is garnering the attention on Capitol Hill as policymakers turn their attention to the critical issues facing military families. "Far too many of our military families are experiencing hunger because they are cut off from essential nutrition assistance programs," said Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. "I applaud MAZON for releasing this important report to help us better understand the scope of military hunger, and I will continue working to make sure that our servicemembers and their families have enough to eat." "Currently, there are federal regulations that unintentionally cause military families to lose out on SNAP benefits," said Congressman Jimmy Panetta of California. "Our bipartisan Military Hunger Prevention Act would make up for that loss by providing certain military households with a basic needs allowance to purchase groceries. Although it's unfortunate that some military families have to resort to SNAP, it's our responsibility to ensure that those families, at the least, have access to the necessary support they need to lead healthy, food-secure lives." "Our servicemembers and their families make daily sacrifices to protect the nation. It's frankly disturbing and unacceptable that so many military families struggle with food insecurity," said Senator Mark R. Warner of Virginia. "I applaud MAZON for their critical work to shed light on this troubling reality and remain committed to making sure we're doing everything we can to ensure our servicemembers and their families don't go hungry. That's why I recently teamed up with Senator Tammy Duckworth to tackle the alarming rate of food insecurity many military families face." "Our nation's servicemembers are willing to fight and die for our country, and we should be doing all that we can to ensure that our heroes and their families do not go to bed hungry," said Congressman Don Young of Alaska. "Every year, we spend billions to make sure that our nation's servicemembers are trained and equipped to defend our country. But all too often, we forget about their very real needs at home. No family, and certainly no child, should go hungry. Sadly, that is a reality for too many military families in Alaska and across the nation. I am very proud to introduce the Military Hunger Prevention Act with Representatives Panetta, Carbajal, and Baird. I also want to thank MAZON for their continued support and advocacy on this issue. Our bill takes necessary steps to tackle hunger by implementing a Basic Needs Allowance for low-income servicemembers and their families. This is a very good bill, and it comes at a crucial time. The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on the issue of food insecurity; we must stand up for those who defend us. Hunger is not a partisan issue, and I call on my friends on both sides of the aisle to join us in this urgently needed legislation." About MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger: Inspired by Jewish values and ideals, MAZON is a national advocacy organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. For more information on MAZON, please visit mazon.org . Media Contact: Lauren Silverman, West End Strategy Team [email protected] , Phone: 917-603-6433 SOURCE MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger Related Links http://www.mazon.org CENTENNIAL, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Westwater Resources, Inc. (NYSE American: WWR), an energy materials development company, today announced that it will be hosting a Virtual Non-Deal Roadshow on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, at 4:00 PM EST. Christopher M. Jones, CEO of Westwater, will be hosting the presentation and answering questions from investors. To access the live presentation, please use the following information: Westwater Resources, Inc. Virtual Non-Deal Roadshow Date: Wednesday, April 7, 2021 Time: 4:00 PM Eastern Time / 1:00 PM Pacific Time Webcast: https://www.issuerdirect.com/snn/ndr/westwater-resources If you cant make the live presentation, Westwater Resources webcast will be available directly on the conference event platform on this link: https://www.issuerdirect.com/snn/ndr/westwater-resources The Westwater Battery Graphite Process The distinguishing characteristics of the Westwater Battery Graphite Process: Our process is designed for a sustainable environmental footprint, unique in the battery graphite industry. Our process produces three battery graphite materials; this broadens our marketplace to all types of batteries, rather than a single battery type. Off-spec materials generated by our Coated Spherical Graphite process will be reprocessed for Purified Micronized Graphite production, minimizing waste and optimizing overall production yield. About Westwater Resources Westwater Resources (NYSE American: WWR) is focused on developing battery-grade graphite. The Companys projects include the Coosa Graphite Projectthe most advanced natural flake graphite project in the contiguous United Statesand the associated Coosa Graphite Deposit located across 41,900 acres (~17,000 hectares) in east-central Alabama. For more information, visit www.westwaterresources.net. About SNN.Network SNN.Network is your multimedia financial news platform for discovery, transparency and due diligence. This is your one-stop hub to find new investment ideas, check in on watchlist, gather the most up-to-date information on the Small-, Micro-, Nano-Cap market with the goal to help you towards achieving your wealth generation goals. Follow the companies YOU want to know more about; read and watch content from YOUR favorite finance and investing influencers; create YOUR own watchlist and screen for ideas YOU'RE interested in; find out about investor conferences YOU want to attend - all here on SNN.Network. Cautionary Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are identified by words such as "expects," "estimates," "projects," "anticipates," "believes," "could," scheduled, and other similar words. All statements addressing events or developments that WWR expects or anticipates will occur in the future, including but not limited to the anticipated distinguishing characteristics of the Companys battery graphite process and market opportunity. Because they are forward-looking, they should be evaluated in light of important risk factors and uncertainties. These risk factors and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, (a) the Companys ability to successfully construct and operate a pilot plant capable of producing battery- grade materials in quantities and on schedules consistent with the Coosa Graphite Project business plan; (b) the Companys ability to raise additional capital in the future including the ability to utilize existing financing facilities; (c) spot price and long-term contract price of graphite and vanadium; (d) risks associated with our operations and the operations of our partners such as Dorfner Anzaplan, including the impact of COVID-19 and its potential impacts to the capital markets; (e) operating conditions at the Companys projects; (f) government and tribal regulation of the graphite industry and the vanadium industry; (g) world-wide graphite and vanadium supply and demand, including the supply and demand for energy storage batteries; (h) unanticipated geological, processing, regulatory and legal or other problems the Company may encounter in the jurisdictions where the Company operates or intends to operate, including but not limited to Alabama; (i) the ability of the Company to enter into and successfully close acquisitions or other material transactions; (j) any graphite or vanadium discoveries not being in high-enough concentration to make it economic to extract the minerals; (k) currently pending or new litigation or arbitration; and (l) other factors which are more fully described in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should any of the Companys underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those currently anticipated. In addition, undue reliance should not be placed on the Companys forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update or publicly announce any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005250/en/ Westwater Resources Christopher M. Jones, President & CEO Phone: 303.531.0480 Jeff Vigil, VP Finance & CFO Phone: 303.531.0481 Email: Info@WestwaterResources.net Product Sales Contact: Jay Wago, Vice President Sales and Marketing Phone: 303.531.0472 Email: Sales@westwaterresources.net Investor Relations Porter, LeVay & Rose Michael Porter, President Phone: 212.564.4700 Email: Westwater@plrinvest.com Source: Westwater Resources, Inc. Opinion Policies Editorials are longer opinion pieces that are written by a group of community members recruited across campus who address relevant issues on a local, national and international level. Editorials are research-based. The purpose of the Editorial Board is to promote discussion concerning relevant issues in the community while advising on possible solutions. Topics are chosen via relevancy and interests of the members, which are then discussed by the Editorial Board in order to reach a general consensus concerning the topic or issue. Feedback policy If you have a grievance concerning the content or argument of the Editorial Board, please contact either Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or the Editorial Board as a whole (editorialboard@iowastatedaily.com). Those wanting to respond to editorials can also submit a letter to the editor through the Iowa State Daily website or by emailing the letter to Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or Editor-in-Chief Sage Smith (sage.smith@iowastatedaily.com). Column Policy Columns are hyper-specific to opinion and are written by only columnists employed by the Iowa State Daily. Columnists are unique because they have a specific writing day and only publish on those writing days. Each column undergoes a thorough editing process ensuring the integrity of the writer, and their claim is maintained while remaining research-based and respectful. Columns may be submitted from community members. These are labelled as Guest Columns. These contain similar research-based content and need to be at least 400 words in length. The following requirements should be met: first and last name, email and relation or position to Iowa State. Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions. Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020 Pope urges nations to share vaccines in Easter message Dwelling on the economic and social hardships people are experiencing during the pandemic, exhorted nations to share the vaccines so that everyone has access to jabs. In his Easter message, Pope said that vaccines are an essential tool to fight the pandemic and delivery delays have to be overcomed to facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries. He also called on governments to look after the many people who have lost jobs and experienced economic hardship because of the pandemic, and all those who lack adequate social protection. Read here Let's look at the global statistics Global infections: 131,334,009 Global deaths: 2,853,360 Nations with most cases: US (30,706,121), Brazil (12,984,956), India (12,589,067), France (4,883,174), Russia (4,529,576). Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center Another locked down Easter for a tired Italy After a devastating Easter last year, Italy hoped this year was supposed to be different when Europe had beaten the virus, allowing normalcy for the holiest week for Catholics. However, the pandemic isn't tired and is still finding ways to disrupt lives and livelihoods. In Italy, the Easter mood this year feels nowhere near celebratory. Whether through lockdowns, sickness or canceled church ceremonies. With a dismal vaccine programme, half the continent is in some form of lockdown, while the United States is making fast progress in fight to end the pandemic. Read here China sees biggest jump in cases in 2 months China reported its biggest daily jump in new Covid-19 cases in more than two months, as Rulili --- a city on the border with Myanmar in southwestern Yunnan province accounted for all new local cases. It reported all of the 15 new local cases on April 4. Ruili is a key transit point for Yunnan province, which has struggled to monitor its rugged 4,000 km border with Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam for illegal immigration amid a wave of unauthorised crossings last year by people seeking a haven from the pandemic. Local authorities have also begun a vaccination drive in Ruili in a bid to contain Covid-19 and build up herd immunity in the city. Read here Everyone in England to be offered Covid tests twice a week After a backlash over the trials of vaccine passports, Boris Johnson retreated a bit and said that he will unveil a plan for testing for everyone in the UK at least twice a week. This plan comes as the country slowly eases out of and racing ahead of its European peers in terms of vaccinations. The prime minister is expected to announce the rollout of the lateral flow tests Monday afternoon, during which he will also outline a programme of trial events for mass gatherings, as well as proposals for potentially restarting foreign travel. Read here A bill heading to Gov. Kay Ivey's desk for a signature could benefit small businesses and churches through emergency orders issued by the state. It was filed in response to what happened about a year ago when COVID health orders forced some businesses to temporarily close. WAAY 31 spoke with business owners in Huntsville about what this could mean for local businesses in the future. Under the new bill, if signed by the governor, even places like salons will never have to close their doors or shelves for long periods of time again. "It was hard to be shut down for 8 weeks, it was difficult," business owner Michelle Mcgough said. "We did get the PPP loan and that really did help us sustain and give us a healthy year." Michelle Mcgough is the co-owner of Salon Allure and she said this bill feels personal. Last year she had to shut down and re-adjust after the safer at home order called for non-essential businesses to temporarily close. The order also restricted restaurants to only to-go and take out orders. "I think shutting businesses down for over months is criminal quite frankly," Stan Stinson said. Stan Stinson believes the bill is needed for every small business owner in Alabama. He admitted 2020 was rough for his business Earth and Stone Wood Fire Pizza. "Our business dropped 80% and that was with us making deliveries to neighborhoods and doing everything we could," he said. Under House Bill 103, it would allow for all businesses and churches to stay open as long as they follow and comply with the emergency order, and rules and regulations set in place by local government officials or the state. Both Mcgough and Stinson hope the bill passes. "They have bills to pay and they have supported us through the pandemic. Hopefully this year will be a profitable year for those around us," Mcgough said. We reached out to Governor Kay Ivey's team to see about getting an answer on if or when she will sign the bill. A spokeswoman told WAAY 31 the bill is under review. If you like your caffeine with an icy edge and a smooch of sweetness, theres nothing quite like Vietnamese coffee. Called either ca phe a or cafe da, traditional Vietnamese coffee is made with dark roast drip coffee poured over ice and often topped with sweetened condensed milk. Looking to embark on a tasting tour? Here are our favorite spots for Vietnamese coffee around Houston. MORE FOOD NEWS: Are you a fried dough nut? Try these alternatives to donuts in Houston Serving bold brews hot as well as on ice against a backdrop of mismatched chairs and whimsical decor, Ca Phe Phin is an oasis for those looking for some private peace at the beginning or end of a busy day. Pair your coffee with a cheese croissant for a light snack or request the Vietnamese coffee ice cream float for a sweeter treat. Courtesy of Celadon Coffee Located inside Cafe TH, Celadon Coffee begs you to wash down that bun bo hue with a tall glass of its smooth Vietnamese coffee. Depending on which baristas are on duty, you may be the recipient of some dazzling latte art. Celadon also vends wonderful pancake-sized chocolate chip cookies that demand dunking in your coffee. Paris Banh Mis Vietnamese coffee is serious and straightforward, and therefore the perfect balance to its rich, sophisticated pastries. On that note, avoid this place if for some reason youve given up dessert for Lent because its display case of assorted cheesecakes (try the creme brulee), pate chaud and danishes is hard to resist. There is also an entire wall of Vietnamese snacks and candy ready to be taken home as fuel for Season 2 of Houston-based "House of Ho." In addition to offering standard cafe sua da, Long Coffee also makes a mean cafe sua nong, a heady collaboration of espresso and steamed as well as condensed milk. Though its double dose of dairy is not for the faint of gut, the wide selection of colorful boba teas should suffice for the lactose-sensitive in your group. Go thirsty is our advice for visiting Magic Cup Cafe, whose voluminous drink menu comprises several varieties of Vietnamese coffee as well as bubble tea, frappes, smoothies and seasonal beverages (Andes mint hot mocha!). Should you not be content with drinking your dinner, try kimchi fries, fried cuttlefish or spicy voodoo chicken. Drive-thru service is available. The next best thing besides whats between sliced bread at Lees is its Vietnamese coffee. Garnished with a hefty pour of milk and a generous scoop of crushed ice, the mild brew accompanied by a pork pate banh mi is perfect picnic fare for a Houston spring day. Mumbai, April 5 : The key Indian equity indices fell on Monday morning with heavy selling in banking, finance and auto stocks. The night curfew and weekend lockdown announced in Maharashtra amid the rising number of Covid cases has weighed on the investor sentiments, analysts said. Around 10.15 a.m., Sensex was trading at 48,709.84, lower by 1,319.99 points or 2.64 per cent from its previous close. The Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange was trading at 14,529.95, lower by 337.40 or 2.27 per cent from its previous close. The losers on the Sensex were IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv, while the only gainers were Infosys HCL Technologies and TCS Tel Aviv, April 5 : The Israeli Ministry of Health has announced the lifting of the mandatory obligation to wear a face mask in some of the military training units. The decision follows a sharp drop in the number of active Covid-19 cases among soldiers to only 32, the lowest since June 17, 2020, and a request by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Xinhua news agency reported citing the Ministry as saying on Sunday. The decision, currently valid for three months, includes training and combat units. Thus, there will be no obligation to wear a mask in training and activities in open places, under the condition that at least 90 per cent of the participating soldiers have been vaccinated or recovered from the virus. The Ministry noted that the IDF will monitor morbidity in these units, and submit a report once a week, unless there is a Covid-19 outbreak that must be reported immediately. The Ministry added that the measure regarding the general public did not change, according to which masks should continue to be worn until further notice. Haiti - News : Zapping... Stolen 4X4 vehicle found at the border The North-East Departmental Directorate of the National Police discovered and recovered a Nissan Frontier all-terrain vehicle, abandoned in the locality of Derac near the Haitian-Dominican border. This vehicle was reportedly stolen in Port-au-Prince to be resold in the Dominican Republic The EU supports Dominican intentions to build hospitals at the border The Ambassador of the European Union (EU) in the country, Gianluca Grippa, expressed his support for the intentions of the Dominican Government to build hospitals on the border with Haiti, as well as the implementation of other alternatives that help to fight against illegal migration. Release of the 4 members of the Adventist Gilead Temple in Diquini Release of the 4 members of the Adventist Temple Galaad of Diquini (pastor Audalus Estime, Welmyr Jean-Pierre, Steven Jerome and Francisco Dorival) kidnapped on April 1st during a worship service organized by the Gospel Kreyol choir broadcast live on the social networks. Flood in Jean-Rabel, reaction by Jovenel Moise "I visited the affected families following the flooding in Jean-Rabel. On this occasion, I spoke with the city authorities including the mayor, members of the civil protection, the DD du MAST with a view to immediate assistance to the victims. Following the flood which caused damage in the department of the North West, I asked the PM to pass clear instructions to the Ministers of the Interior, and of social organizations in order to help around sixty families in the town of Jean-Rabel, "Jovenel Moise informed on Sunday. Message on the occasion of Easter: "The Christian Community of Haiti is celebrating, today, the Resurrection of Christ, a time of great hope and renewal of faith. I take this opportunity to wish Happy Easter to all our brothers and sisters here and moreover," declared President Jovenel Moise on the occasion of the Easter celebrations. "On this Easter day, which marks the passage from death to life for Christians, we are making a strong contribution so that the Haitian people can fulfill their dream of moving from instability to peace, stability, growth and economic development. Wisdom to all !" declared Mathias Pierre, Minister in charge of electoral matters and relations with political parties "For Easter, I hope we can all take the time to reflect on God's blessings in our lives, while still hoping for a much better future. From me to you, have a good Easter with peace of mind," Charlot Jacquelin Junior, Secretary of State for Youth. "May divine light cover us on such a wonderful day ! May the feast of Easter, symbol of sharing and forgiveness, enlighten us and bring us hope, tolerance, peace and harmony !" declared the former President Michel Martelly. HL/ HaitiLibre WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Novavax Inc. (NVAX), Monday announced the initiation of crossover arms in two ongoing clinical trials of NVX-CoV2373, the company's COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Crossover ensures the administration of active vaccine to all participants in the trials and has begun for Novavax' Phase 2b trial in South Africa and its pivotal Phase 3 trial in the United Kingdom. Under Novavax' updated clinical trial protocols, all participants in the UK and US Phase 3 trials will be offered the opportunity to receive an additional round of injections. Participants who elect to do so will receive an additional two-dose regimen of either vaccine (for those who originally received placebo) or placebo (for those who originally received vaccine). Participants in the South Africa Phase 2b trial will receive either active vaccine for those who initially received placebo, or a booster dose of active vaccine for those who initially received active vaccine. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX 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. A California-based Christian nonprofit that helps homeless mothers by providing housing and services is seeking to expand its campus to bring more women and their families out of homelessness. Acres of Hope, formed in 2005 and originally known as Placer Family Housing, is a ministry based in Auburn, Placer County, that offers longterm assistance for homeless mothers. At present, the charity has 12 units on its campus: 10 units are for mothers enrolled in their restoration program, each of whom has up to four children. Two other units are for mothers who've just completed their program. Jackie Turner, the ministry outreach coordinator for Acres of Hope, told The Christian Post in an interview that the ministry is seeking to expand and double the number of women who can be helped through the program. Source:The Christian Post Guest Column Russia Plots Its Next Moves on the Myanmar Chessboard Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin (second left) and General Mya Tun Oo (left), a member of the Myanmar military regime's governing State Administrative Council, attend the Armed Forces Day parade in Naypyitaw on March 27. The presence of Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin, dressed in his full colonel-general uniform, at the Armed Forces Day celebrations in Naypyitaw on March 27 has caused dismay in the country and raised eyebrows among many foreign observers. Even the Chinese, close allies of Myanmars military leaders, are usually more discreet than that. It has also been reported that on the day before the Feb. 1 coup, a group of Russians and Myanmar colleagues were having a party in Yangon, where the vodka flowed freely. Apparently they were celebrating the opening of a military high-tech multimedia complex in which the children of military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing have a financial interest. It goes without saying that they also toasted the coup that was going to be launched the following day. While Beijing has vital strategic interests in Myanmarthe only neighboring country that provides the Chinese with direct access to the Indian Oceandistant Russia is more concerned about making money. With Western embargoes in place and a desire on the part of the Myanmar military policy to reduce its reliance on Chinese armaments, the country has over the past few decades become a lucrative market for the Russian war industry. Russia sold its first consignment of four MiG-29 jet fighters to Myanmar in 2001. That sale was followed by another ten MiGs in 2002. In 2006, the state-owned Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG, now restructured as the United Aircraft Corporation, opened an office in Yangon. The Myanmar Air Force has also acquired at least nine Russian-made Mi-35 Hind helicopter gunships, as well as twelve Mi-17 transport helicopters. The Hinds were used during an offensive against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in 2012-2013 and in Kokang in 2015. Russia has also sold heavy machine-guns and rocket launchers to Myanmar, and Russian-made tanks and armored personnel carriers have been obtained through Ukraine. Moreover, Russian military instructors have been spotted at a Myanmar airfield, presumably to assist in maintenance of the attack helicopters. Such training is not new however; probably as many as 5,000 Myanmar soldiers and scientists have studied in Russia since the early 1990s, more than from any other Southeast Asian country. In 2007, Russia signed an agreement to build a nuclear research reactor in Myanmar, but construction has yet to be started and may not ever materialize. In June 2010, before the election in November that year which led to the formation of a quasi-civilian government led by ex-general Thein Sein, the military announced that they would no longer send personnel to Russia for training. The announcement was probably part of a new policy to open up to the West andagain, and now in a different waylessen the dependence on China. But long after that became official policy, Myanmar military personnel were present at a number of military schools and training facilities in Russia, including the Omsk Armor Engineering Institute, the Air Force Engineering Academy in Moscow, the Nizhniy Novgorod Command Academy, and the Kazan Military Command Academy. Some were also serving as cadets with the Russian Air Force. On the soft-power side, the Russian language is being taught at Yangon University of Foreign Languages and there is a Russian cultural center in the old capital as well. There may not be many people in Myanmar who are eager to study Russian, but Moscows schemes for closer links with Myanmars military leadership was helped when the Wests turned its backs on Myanmar in the wake of the forced exodus of hundreds of thousands Muslim Rohingyas in 2017. Russia and China have in their capacity as permanent members of the UN Security Council veto powers that have been used consistently to block any attempts to take action against the murderous Myanmar generals. But Russias involvement in Myanmar cannot be explained solely in the context of making money. The erstwhile Soviet United was once a major power in Asia and also a bitter enemy of not only the United States but also China, which saw the leaders in Moscow as revisionists and traitors to the communist cause. The Soviet Union had a close alliance with India and pro-Moscow regimes were in power in Vietnam, Laos and, after the Vietnamese intervention in 1978/79, also Cambodia. North Korea was neutral in the rivalry between the worlds two most powerful communist nations. All of that disappeared after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the beginning of Boris Yeltsins chaotic rule in Russia, which then became a separate country. It needed the firmer hand of his successor Vladimir Putin to restore some of the old glory, and now the Chinese became allies in common cause against the United States and its power in the Indo-Pacific region. Russian influence over its old allies has vanished, but Myanmar has become a willing new partner in Moscows plans for playing a greater role in regional affairs. Myanmars relations with Moscow have had many ups and downs since independence in 1948. There was no shortage of Leftists in Myanmar in the 1950s, but neither of the two communist parties at the time was leaning towards the Soviet Union. The Communist Party (Red Flag), led by the firebrand Thakin Soe, was staunchly Stalinist. From his jungle camp in the Arakan Yoma, he denounced the new party chief Nikita Khrushchev for condemning Josef Stalin at the 1956 congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Thakin Soe also vowed to shoot down any Soviet airplane which flew over his territory. When Myanmars military government called the rebels for talks in Yangon in 1963, Thakin Soe made his entry accompanied by a team of uniformed young women and placed a portrait of Stalin in front of him on the negotiating table. The other, much stronger Communist Party of Burma (CPB) became Maoist and, after the 1962 coup, began to receive massive, military support from China. In line with Beijings policies, the CPB denounced the Soviet Union as revisionist. Reflecting the limits of Soviet influence in Myanmar in the 1950s, Alexander Kaznacheev, a Soviet diplomat who defected in the summer of 1959 to the West from his posting in Yangon and later wrote a book titled Inside a Soviet Embassy, refers an odd character called U Ba Tin (no relation to CPB theoretician yebaw Ba Tin alias H.N. Ghoshal) as or man in the country. U Ba Tin was a popular lawyer, a devout Leftistand a romantic poet. Shortly after the Soviets had launched their first Sputnik in 1957, U Ba Tin had married an attractive young village girl and showed up at the Soviet embassy in Yangon. According to Kaznacheev, U Ba Tin showed him and other diplomats a poem he had written in praise of the Soviet Union. It lauded the Sputniks as stars that were leading Myanmar towards communism. The theme was coupled with the idea of the mans own wedding; he likened his young wife to a Sputnik who would lead him to a similar paradise. Apart from the friendship with U Ba Tin, the Soviet diplomats did have some contacts with the Burma Workers and Peasants Party, which was seen as a kind of above-ground communist party. But it was obvious that they could not rely on Myanmars Leftists in order to maintain some degree of influence in the country. Relations were therefore good with the elected government of U Nu, who in November 1955 paid a visit to Moscow. Soviet leaders Khrushchev and Nikolai Bulganin paid a high-profile return visit to Myanmar in December. Khrushchev promised to build a hotel on the shores of Inya Lake in the capital, a hospital in the Shan State capital of Taunggyi and to provide the prestigious Yangon Institute of Technology with new premises. That did happen, but by and large the Soviet Union treated Myanmar with benign neglect verging on discreet sympathy both before and after the 1962 coup. The only major event in post-coup relations came in April 1973 when men loyal to the then imprisoned opium king Khun Sa kidnapped two Russian doctors at the Soviet-built hospital in Taunggyi. It was not until August 1974 that the doctors were released, and then through Thailand. Khun Sas men had told the Thais that the two doctors would be released unconditionally. But by strange coincidence Khun Sa was released shortly afterwards. What actually happened is hardly a secret: General Kriangsak Chamanan, the commander of the northern Thai forces, had been called in by Yangon to negotiate with Ronald Chang, Khun Sas uncle, for an exchange of prisoners. That kidnapping incident marked a low point in relations between Myanmar and the Soviets, but Radio Moscow did maintain a Myanmar language service until the collapse of the union. It was always rather bland and had few listeners in Myanmar. They were therefore surprised when Radio Moscow in 1989 began broadcasting commentaries by Dr. Vasiliyev, a prominent historian, who called the 1988 pro-democracy movement in Myanmar a genuine popular uprising against a feudal military system and said that the military officers who ordered their troops to open fire on the studentswere responsible for driving people into the streets to demonstrate. Radio Moscow also featured interviews with prominent pro-democracy activists, among them Thakin Chit Maung, who warned that there may be bloodshed if martial law wasnt lifted before the elections which had been promised for May 1990. But that was during the glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) policies of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union. The Yeltsin years 1991-1999 showed minimal interaction between Myanmar and Russia. Then came the Putin era, and Russia began to show interest not only in arms sales and military cooperation but also in Myanmars oil and gas industry. Playing religious diplomacy, one of the first companies from the Russian Federation that became involved in Myanmar was one from the autonomous Russian republic Kalmykia, a Buddhist republic in European Russia. According to a report on Russian website Kommersant, on March 20, 2007, Kalmykias Kalmneftegaz wins Burmas Crude, Gas Tender on Religious Fellowship. But arms sales have been far more important for Russias central authorities than investment in the energy sector. In June 2013, Min Aung Hlaing paid his first of several visits to Moscow at the invitation of Russias Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. A military cooperation agreement was signed in 2016 followed by a visit to Myanmar by Shoigu himself in January 2018. During talks with Min Aung Hlaing, Shoigu stressed that Russia is set for development of partnership, strengthening of the armed forces combat readiness and that the militaries of both countries support regular contacts. The Russian news agency Tass reported at the time of the visit that the two countries had agreed to big plans for future cooperation. What that future cooperation will look like is far from clear in todays, conflict-ridden Myanmar. There isnt even a functioning government in power in Naypyitaw. Public anger with Russia runs deep after Fomins insensitive performance on Armed Forces Daythe same day that more than a hundred protesters were gunned down by the Myanmar military. And that animosity is not going to go away even if the coup-installed government manages to survive the current uprising against it. Bertil Lintner is a Swedish journalist, author and strategic consultant who has been writing about Asia for nearly four decades. He currently works as a correspondent for Asia Times. His views are his own. You may also like these stories: Easter Sunday Sees Myanmar Death Toll at Hands of Military Regime Topping 560 Myanmars 10 Peace Signatories Back Elected Govt Seven Gold Panners Killed as Myanmar Military Bombs KNU-Controlled Area Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun presides over the Central Disease Control Headquarters' meeting to discuss the government's measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic at the Government Complex Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap By Jung Da-min The race for the next presidential election, set to be held in March 2022, is expected to heat up after Wednesday's by-elections, which includes mayoral elections for the country's two largest cities, Seoul and Busan. At the same time, the political heavyweights of the country's liberal and conservative blocs are gearing up for the upcoming competition with their presidential bids, waiting for the results of the by-elections, which will act as a barometer of public opinion for the upcoming presidential election. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, a former six-term lawmaker with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), who also served as the National Assembly speaker from 2016 to 2018, has expressed his intention to join the presidential race after the by-elections. When asked by reporters during his press briefing last week if he would resign from prime minister position to make a presidential bid, Chung said he would announce his stance after first consulting on the matter with President Moon Jae-in. "There will come an opportunity to announce my stance on the matter of my future path. But I am not ready to talk yet," Chung said. Political watchers said that Chung would declare his bid after this week's by-elections, as Chung said he would first concentrate on completing his duties as prime minister by carrying out policies to contain the spread of COVID-19 and boost the economy dragged down by the pandemic. Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who is recently leading polls of potential presidential candidates, casts his ballot at a polling station in Seoul's Seodaemun District, Friday, the first day of the two days of early voting for the April 7 by-elections. Yonhap Michael Wetzel; The Decatur Daily, Ala. (TNS) Apr. 4Decatur business operators said theyre ready for the state mask mandate to end Friday, but most plan to encourage customers and staff to continue mask wearing, at least in the short term. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has said shell let the order requiring masks expire Friday. If Gov. Ivey drops the mask mandate, were not going to require masks to be worn, said Charles Christopher, manager of Martins Family Clothing. However, our associates will be wearing them for the time being. Well monitor other businesses and see how our customers react to any change. Presently, we encourage our customers to wear them. I believe most people are like me, were ready for most things to get back to normal. The rate of positive COVID-19 cases in the state continues to fall, but the Alabama Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommend the public to wear masks, social distance and wash their hands. Only one new case of COVID-19 was reported for Morgan County on Friday, and the 14-day average was 6.1 daily cases. There have been 266 deaths due to COVID reported for the county. Decatur police spokeswoman Irene Martinez said last week the department has not issued any citations for violating the citys mandatory mask ordinance or the state order. City Council members have said theyll vote Monday to end Decaturs mask ordinance when Iveys order ends. Carrington Kelly, owner of the Sassy Owl Boutique on Second Avenue Southeast in Decatur, said she will leave the mask-wearing decisions up to the individual. I wont be requiring masks, she said. Each individual has rights, and I want people to know they can be free to express their rights while shopping with us. She said her womens clothing store staff will continue to sanitize and practice social distancing when necessary. Not a magic date Sassy Owl customer Heather Dotson of Hartselle said she is cautious about the masks coming off. Well see how it goes, she said. Its exciting to feel a little more normalized again. She said she was in Chattanooga two weeks ago and the city had a mask mandate in place. Everyone was required to wear a mask, she said. Everywhere there, you needed to a mask to go inside a building. Another downtown Decatur shopper, Linda Collier, who was browsing at Pineapples, said she is not so sure lifting a mask mandate is the right thing to do at this time. Just because Gov. Ivey said it is OK, people should still use caution, said Collier, 66, of Athens. Theres not a magic date to stop wearing them. Its about taking care of each other. Im going by science not the politicians. I will continue to follow the CDC guidelines. They arent perfect, but I believe in following the science. This pandemic is a health issue, we all know somebody who has died from it. ... I remember when polio, measles, mumps were part of our lives. Ill wear my mask until the CDC says its safe. Its so little to ask to help others stay healthy. Collier said she has received both of her vaccine injections and encouraged others to do so. Pineapples owner Melinda Collier, no relation, said her staff wont be wearing masks once the governors order goes in place. But if a customer comes in wearing a mask and theyll feel more comfortable, well put our mask on, she said. About 50% of our customers dont want to wear them now. But weve got a lot of older customers and many of them have had their (vaccination) shots. Wearing a double mask last week, Melinda Jones, owner of Second Read Books on Second Avenue, said shell still mask up regardless of Iveys announcement. Ill continue to wear my mask out of respect and safety for others, she said. I plan to do it while things continue to improve and the numbers look better and more of the population gets vaccinated. Ill strongly encourage our customers to wear a mask, but itll be their personal decision. Jones said she has received her vaccination. Restaurants Restaurateurs across Decatur are welcoming the news that Ivey intends to lift the mandate. Enrique Salcido, owner of Las Vias Mexican restaurants on Sixth Avenue Southeast and in Hartselle, said he will leave signs up inside encouraging his customers to wear masks, but it wont be required. I know most of our customers are eager for the mask mandate to be over, he said. Salcido said his kitchen staff will continue to wear masks. But it is difficult for our wait staff to wear a mask for a full shift, he said. Im going to leave it up to the individual employee if they want to wear a mask. He said the plexiglass surrounding the cashier will remain at least through the end of the year. At Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q on Sixth Avenue Southeast, General Manager Paul Collins said customers and employees alike can go mask-free if they desire. As for our employees, were leaving it up to them on a personal basis. If they want to continue to wear one they can, but it wont be required either, he said. Im happy to see some things starting to return to normal. Jason Such, owner of Such-N-Such restaurant on U.S. 31 South, said the governors decision wont change things much at his restaurant. About 40% of our customers coming in arent wearing a mask already, he said. We arent policing it. As for my employees, Im leaving the option of wearing a mask up to them. ... Most have signed up to get vaccinated. John Seymour, president and chief executive officer of the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, said his organization is taking a wait-and-see approach to the governor lifting a mask mandate. We havent had any discussion about it, he said last week. Mayor Tab Bowling said he and his wife Sherry will continue to don masks. At least for now, well feel better with them, he said. Well still social distance and follow CDC protocols. He said he received the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine last week and has had no ill effects. mike.wetzel@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel. (c)2021 The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.) Visit The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.) at www.decaturdaily.com Charles Peter Reina, 91, of Forty Fort, died Tuesday at home. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Rita Herman Reina, in 1998, and his second wife, Florence Eckert Reina, who died in 2020. Born in Scranton, he was the son of the late Nathan and Grace Noto Reina. A graduate of Scranton Technical High School, he joined the United States Marine Corps at 18 and served during the Korean War era. Along with the Marines, he also served with the Army Reserves and the National Guard. Before retirement, he earned the rank of sergeant in the Scranton Police Department and was a part of the first scuba team the department had. He loved the outdoors and loved to hunt and fish. An avid adventurer, he and Rita would travel the country in their motor home or on their motorcycle. Charles and Rita were also snowbirds who would volunteer with the National Park Service in Florida for many, many winters. A man of many talents, he was a self-taught TV repair man in the early 60s. He could build or fix anything and could always be found working on old cars or tinkering with anything mechanical. Surviving are sons, Charles Nathan Reina and wife, Svetlana, Spring Brook Twp.; Joseph Reina and wife, Debra, Virginia; and Anthony and wife, Deborah, South Carolina; grandchildren, Charles Jr. and wife, Sandra; Christian Reina and wife, Sasha Andrew; and Ashley; and great-granddaughter, Sophia. He was preceded in death by his brother, Joseph A. Reina. A blessing service will be held Wednesday in the Miller Bean Funeral Home Inc., 436 Cedar Ave., Scranton. Interment will follow in Wyoming Cemetery, Wyoming. Friends and family may pay their respects Wednesday from 9 a.m. until service time. Social distancing guidelines will be enforced and masks will be required. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Camp Freedom, 2750 Limestone St., Coplay, PA 18037. Please visit the funeral home website to leave an online condolence. The U.S. government has closed one of the most clandestine Guantanamo prison units after it had fallen into disrepair. The U.S. military said Sunday that the detainees at Camp 7 were transferred to Camp 5, a unit adjacent to where the other prisoners are held at the American base in Cuba. In a statement, the U.S. Southern Command said the move was part of an effort to increase operational efficiency and effectiveness, NBC News reported. The Miami-based Southern Command did not disclose how many prisoners were moved. But prisoners were without any incident. Officials did not also disclose when did the transfer take place, according to an Associated Press report. The U.S. Southern Command oversees the detention center in southeastern Cuba. Among those incarcerated at Camp 7 were five prisoners who were responsible for war crimes and their alleged roles and providing logistical support for Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. President Joe Biden earlier said that he plans to close Guantanamo prison. However, that would require approval from Congress to move some prisoners to the U.S. for imprisonment and trial. Maj. Gregory J. McElwain, a spokesman for the U.S. Southern Command, said the decision to move the prisoners was a "fiscally responsible" one that involved all relevant organizations, including the intelligence community. McElwain declined to comment on how much the cost of consolidation. He added that Camp 7 will be sanitized, shut down, and locked. However, he noted its final arrangement has yet to be determined. READ NEXT: US, Cuba Relations 2015: US Likely to Keep Guantanamo Bay Despite Detainee Transfers, Renewed Relations with Cuba Guantanamo Prison The Guantanamo Bay detention camp was initially built to use as a holding facility for Muslim militants and alleged terrorists captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Guantanamo prison became controversial after claims of violations of the legal rights of the detainees and alleged torture or abusive treatment by U.S. authorities, according to a Britannica article. The U.S. Supreme Court declared in 2006 that the system of military commissions utilized to try some prisoners held at Guantanamo prison violated the Geneva Conventions and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The legality of the commissions was restored by the Military Commission Act in 2006. The said Act also denied the federal courts jurisdiction to hear habeas corpus petitions on foreign detainees. In 2008, the court overturned the said provision by ruling that foreign detainees have the right to challenge their detentions in federal courts. Several prisoners who had been cleared for release despite the court's decision continued to be detained. This was due to either no country would accept them or their home countries were deemed too volatile to guarantee their secure imprisonment. Democratic President Barack Obama ordered the closure of the facility on Jan. 22, 2009. Yet in 2011, Guantanamo prison continues to operate and houses some post-Sept. 11 detainees who have not been tried for any crimes. Among the prisoners that were transferred to Camp 5 as part of the consolidation, includes Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who is accused of being the mastermind for the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a The New York Times report. James G. Connell III, a capital defense lawyer who represents Ammar al-Baluchi, said the move of the detainees seems to be a solution to "the crumbling Camp 7," adding that the federal government is abandoning it instead of repairing it. Al-Baluchi is accused of conspiring with his uncle, Mohammed, and three other men in the Sept. 11 attacks. Other best-known captives of the facility include a Palestinian man named Abu Zubaydah, who is held without charges and was the first prisoner to be allegedly waterboarded by the Central Intelligence Agency. Baltimore-educated Pakistani man Majid Khan was also in the facility. Khan pleaded guilty to serving as a Qaeda courier and was moved from other prisoners. Reports said the power at Camp 7 sometimes went out and some cell doors would not close and the situation worsened over the summer amid the pandemic since it was hard to bring in contractors and spare parts. The military has long refused to acknowledge Camp 7's location on the base and has never allowed journalists to see the facility. READ MORE: Guantanamo Bay Facts: Closing of Prison in Cuba Slowed by Lack of Signatures From Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel WATCH: Will Joe Biden Close Guantanamo Bay? - From Al Jazeera English The retail sector was in flux, and the pandemic kicked the changes into high gear. Traffic at many brick-and-mortar stores disappeared. Online shopping surged as lockdown orders and fear of contracting COVID-19 kept people at home. More people have permanently moved online, said Venky Shankar, research director at Texas A&M Universitys Center for Retailing Studies. Walmart, H-E-B, Target and other businesses deemed essential saw sales skyrocket early on, while department stores and malls struggled. Apparel sales slumped as more people started working from home and business meetings and events went virtual. Hundreds of thousands of employees were furloughed or laid off. Small businesses with fewer resources were hit particularly hard, including stores in downtown San Antonio that depend on tourists. Visitors have slowly started returning, but months of lost sales created a deep hole to climb out of. It is beginning to feel alive, said Liz Leatherbury, who operates the Bird and Pear gift store at La Villita. I dont know how long its going to last, if its going to be steady or if therell be other bumps. But I would like to think its going to be steady. The pandemic dealt a devastating blow to companies already struggling with hefty debt loads and shoppers changing preferences. Some are gone for good. Thirty major retailers filed for bankruptcy in 2020, according to a tally by Retail Dive. Malls that were weakening before the pandemic may shut down permanently. A conservative pace of construction of new retail space has helped keep existing shopping centers from losing too many tenants. Retail occupancy in San Antonio stood at 94.1 percent in February, down from 94.9 percent during the same month last year, a report by commercial real estate firm NAI Partners indicates. Retailers are devoting more space in stores to handling online orders and incorporating more technology into logistics, Shankar said. They are also creating applications to allow customers to virtually try on clothing, makeup and jewelry. Convenience is king, he said. madison.iszler@express-news.net Its been two months since the two rival Libyan governments agreed on a merger, and Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh was selected by the GNA (UN created Government of National Accord) and HoR (the last elected government that disagreed with the formation of the GNA) factions to head (as prime minister) the unified GNU (Government of National Unity). Dbeibeh is from Misrata, where he was born in 1959, and was educated in Canadian universities before returning to become a successful businessman in the 1980s. During the 2011 revolution Dbeibeh favored the Moslem Brotherhood but was perceived as doing so mainly to protect his family and business interests. He is known to have used corrupt behavior to keep his businesses going during the decade of fighting but is trusted enough to form the temporary government and attempt to organize the December elections. The GNU prime minister is establishing 26 new government ministries and moving the GNU capital to Sirte. The composition of the GNU security forces is still unsettled, as is the status of foreign troops, especially the hated Turks. A related issue is the legality of the treaty the GNA (Government of National Accord), signed with the Turks in late 2019. This agreement has Libya and Turkey agreeing to claim and exploit offshore oil and gas discoveries in the waters between Libya and Turkey. Even the UN opposes this deal because it violates numerous treaties that have established rules for how this division of offshore resources is done. The GNA-Turkey deal is similar to the claims China is making in the South China Sea. Greece refuses to negotiate with the Turks over this and is instead appealing to the UN and international tribunals that handle such disputes. China was tried this way over its South China Sea claims and ignored the ruling that China had acted illegally. Turkey is no China and does now have the means to enforce its claims and the Greeks (and many Turks) know it. One of those things most Libyans agree on is the importance of getting the Turks out of Libya. The rival HoR (House of Representatives) government in the east, based in Tobruk agreed to the GNU with the understanding that security would be a priority and that the status of LNA (Libyan National Army) founder and leader Khalifa Haftar be respected. The Turks, Islamic militias and GNA diehards hate Haftar and want him gone if not imprisoned. Most Libyans oppose that because Haftar suppressed Islamic terrorism in Libya and nearly united the country under the HoR until the GNA made a deal with the Turks. To further complicate matters the HoR has long been supported by Russia, Egypt and the Gulf Arabs while the GNA has received support from Iran. The Turks have also worked with Iran in Syria and against Kurdish separatists in general. Both Turkey and Iran support Islamic terrorists when it suits their purposes. The most acceptable solution to the security issue seems to be regional security commands that would put Haftar-led forces in charge of security in some regions. The reality is that the main task of the GNU is to eliminate the independent militias, get the foreign troops out of the country and create a new national army. The HoR already has a version of that with its LNA (Libyan National Army). The LNA still controls most of the country and would have unified Libya by the end of 2020 had not the GNA brought in the Turks and agreed to continue backing Turkey in its dispute with Greece. The UN and most nations in the region consider the Turkish claims and GNA agreement illegal and invalid. The Turks wont leave unless their GNA treaty is legitimized. Turkey is also threatening war with Greece and generally behaving badly. This is more about Turkish domestic politics than anything else. The current (since 2000) Turkish government is Islamic and increasingly unpopular with Turkish voters. This government is facing reverses in upcoming Turkish elections and many Turks fear their government will rig the elections to remain in power and get Turkey involved in foreign wars. These are unpopular with most Turks, which is why the Turks do most of their fighting in Syria, Libya and elsewhere with mercenaries. The Turks are increasingly the main obstacle to units and peace in Libya, as well as Syria and elsewhere. Reconstruction Libya needs about half a trillion dollars to repair the damage caused by a decade of Islamic terrorism and civil war. Another cause of the damage, and obstacle to raising and spending the reconstruction money, is very high levels of corruption. For most of the last decade Libya has been rated one of the ten most corrupt nations on the planet. Before 2011 Libya was among the twenty most corrupt. With or without a government, Libya has always suffered from exceptionally high levels of corruption. This was especially true since oil was discovered and developed in the 1960s. Before that there was little of economic value in what is now Libya. After the fall of Kaddafi in 2011 there was more reporting of the details of the corruption in Libya. It was indeed as epic and pervasive as the annual corruption surveys had indicated. Kaddafi maintained some control over the corruption and used that to maintain his rule. This is a common technique in the Middle East, with or without oil wealth. The corruption also makes it difficult to attract foreign aid or investment. Donors and lenders have learned since the 1960s that sending money or goods to a very corrupt area is a waste. The global demand for emergency aid and investment loans is greater than what is available. Donors and lenders increasingly refuse to provide aid or loans to areas where most of it will be stolen. Such corruption is often exploited by foreign governments seeking favors from current national governments. The favors often include military bases and favorable votes in the UN and other international forums. This made many corrupt politicians in Africa and the Middle East rich during the Cold War, when Russia and Western nations often got into a bidding war to win the allegiance of poor, or simply very corrupt nations with natural resources local officials were willing to sell in return of bribes. Both China, the West and oil-rich Arab states are willing to provide aid and loans to Libya, but only if certain conditions are met. China has few demands but wants economic and military access as well pro-China foreign policy. China is willing to take its losses in places like Libya, as well as exploiting local corruption go get what China wants. The West wants reduced corruption (including illegal migrants) and the removal of foreign troops, especially the Turks. The Arab oil states want more power for Islam in the new government and help with controlling Iranian and Turkish efforts to gain more control over Moslem states in the region. Israel wants peace, economic ties and cooperation in dealing with Islamic terrorism. Most Libyans agree with the Western, Arab and Israeli conditions. China is a maybe because of the Chinese reputation for doing whatever it takes. Most Libyans also want the foreign troops out and less corruption. On a personal level most Libyans want someone else to go first when it comes to abandoning the many corrupt practices that have long been generally acceptable, or at least tolerated, in Libya. All of these foreign powers are willing to reopen their embassies and such. That will clarify the local situation for foreigners, which wont help if all the foreigners see is corruption and mismanagement. The Democracy Dilemma There is another major problem. Libya has never been a democracy, but rather a collection of powerful tribes and clans with no national government. For most of recorded history Libya was two or three provinces in one empire or another. Independence came in the late 1940s, after World War II. Modern Libya was initially organized and presided over by a king. That lasted until the 1960s when the king was deposed by military dictator Kaddafi, who ruled until 2011. Since then no one has been in charge. There have been some national agreements to keep the oil facilities operating and oil exported and share the income, but even these are threatened. Libya cannot feed or sustain its six million population without the oil income. Take away the oil and Libya revert to its historical status as a relatively poor North African country that can only support a few million people, at most. Until the 20th century the population of Libya never exceeded a million people and until the 19th century had never exceeded half a million. April 4, 2021: So far this year there has been little fighting in Libya. The Turks try to maneuver their forces into more favorable locations in case there is a resumption of fighting, but have only threatened violence against LNA forces that block some of the Turkish maneuvers. Militias are another matter and the Turks and the LNA continue to go after any troublesome militias. In turn the militias have learned to avoid provoking the Turks or the LNA. Most of the recent casualties have come from assignations or tribal/ethnic feuds will not wait for the promised new legal system to deal with such matters in courts. April 3, 2021: Israeli government personnel travelled to Libya to meet with Saddam Haftar, oldest son of LNA leader and founder Khalifa Haftar. The Israelis have followed the Libya situation closely for decades and see the upcoming national elections as an opportunity to add Libya to the growing list of Arab countries establishing political and economic relationships with Israel. Saddam Haftar is one of the many candidates in the upcoming presidential elections, as is Seif al Islam Kaddafi, a son of the former dictator. This would be an ironic match because Saddam Haftars father Khalifa was once a colonel in Kaddafis army, but disagreed with Kaddafi and fled to the United States in 1990 with the help of the CIA. When the Libyan revolution broke out in 2011 Haftar returned to Libya and joined the rebels. Khalifa Haftar is not a candidate for president and never expressed an interest in the job. He is 78 years old and in poor health but still active with the LNA, which two of his sons have joined as officers. The first post-Kaddafi elections in 2012 had nearly three million people voting. Many Libyans have fled the country since 2012, or have given up on elections and just want peace. They might even elect Seif Kaddafi, who never held a government job and was considered the good son of the former dictator. Seif Kaddafi is also a candidate for president, even though he is wanted by the ICC for 2011 war crimes. Seif Kaddafi was tried and convicted by a GNA court but later freed and granted full amnesty by HoR (at the behest of Haftar). Kaddafi still has a lot of fans among tribes that he favored in return for support. That system worked until it didnt in 2011 when the Arab Spring inspired young Arabs throughout the Middle East to replace their corrupt and unelected leaders. The worked better as an idea than as an achievable goal. By 2018 the UN admitted they ignored the complexity of local politics in Libya and the ability of many local groups to block a nation-wide deal. It turned out that the HoR and their military leader Khalifa Haftar had a lot more nationwide support than the UN or GNA realized or wanted to admit. HoR also had the LNA which has been demonized by many Europeans for a number of reasons most Libyans and Arab nations disagree with. The LNA was created by Haftar and is the only organized and disciplined military force in the country. The LNA was initially founded in 2013 to shut down Islamic terrorist groups and Libyan militias that supported them in eastern Libya. In contrast the GNA tried to build a national government with the support of militias, many of them supporting a new government using Islamic (Sharia) law and most Libyans had had enough of that because it was a tactic the former dictator Kaddafi has used to rule the country for decades until the 2011 revolution killed him and destroyed his hated government. March 31, 2021: The NOC (National Oil Corporation) announced that their income was now adequate to keep production going for the rest of 2021 and to begin the massive effort to catch up on delayed maintenance and upgrades to oil facilities. That will require foreign loans as well as stable oil prices and political stability in Libya. Since 2019 the LNA has established reliable security for all oil facilities. By the end of 2020 o il production had risen from 800,000 to 1.2 million BPD (barrels per day). In August 2020 the LNA ordered preparations for oil exports to resume and that happened more rapidly than expected. At that time the NOC expected to have production to nearly two million BPD by the end of 2021. Production is currently 1.2 million BPD and a realistic goal for the end of 2021 is 1.4 million BPD and 1.6 million by the end of 2022. The production level before the 2011 civil war began was 1.6 million BPD. Oil exports resumed in October 2020, despite threats from some militias near ports to shut that down if the militias did not receive more money for protecting the ports from other militias. The LNA was able to quickly deal with these threats. Production estimates depend on the success of the December national elections and maintaining the peace nationwide. March 8, 2021: Turkey claims that a Turkish-Egyptian peace deal is possible if Egypt is willing to cooperate on solving, to Turkeys satisfaction, the current disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean, Libya, and Israel (the Palestinians). Currently Egypt opposes Turkish claims on Greek offshore waters (where they may be oil and natural gas) and the presence of Turkish troops and mercenaries in neighboring Libya. Egypt and Israel cooperate in dealing with ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and Palestinian terrorism. Turkey favors the Moslem Brotherhood, which is currently one of the Islamic terrorist threats in Egypt. Libya and Egypt were both once provinces of the defunct (since 1921) Ottoman Turk empire and neither regards Ottoman rule with any fondness. So far, the Turks have refused to leave until all their conditions are met and doing that would put Libya at odds with the West and most Middle Eastern nations. Turkey is having problems with its Syrian Arab mercenaries in Libya and back in Syria. The mercs are angry over Turkish policies in Syria, where the Turks are not helping much to achieve an end to the ten-year-old civil war there. The Syrian mercs are literally in it for the money, which the Turks provide on time. But when it comes to peace in Syria, the Turks are unsure because Turkish goals in Syria are more about Turkey than Syria. China is more flexible in such matters and will do business with whoever ends up running Libya. Gautam Adani-led Ltd (APSEZ) today announced acquisition of the residual 25 per cent stake in Adani Krishnapatnam Port Ltd, (Krishnapatnam Port) for Rs 2,800 cr. This will result in increasing its stake from 75 per cent to 100 per cent in Krishnapatnam Port, the company informed in a release. Together with the 75 per cent ownership acquired in October 2020, the acquisition implies an enterprise value of Rs 13,675 crore implying an EV/ FY21 EBITDA multiple of 10.3x, it said. Krishnapatnam Port is located on the east coast of India in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh (180 km from Chennai Ports) close to the border between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Krishnapatnam Port is an all-weather, deep water port has multi-cargo facility with a current capacity of 64 million tonne. With a waterfront of 20 km and 6,800 acres of land, Krishnapatnam Port has a master plan capacity of 300 million tonne and a 50-year concession. The port is expected to have volumes of 38 million tonne, revenues of Rs 1,840 crore and EBITDA of Rs 1,325 crore in FY21. Since the acquisition, Krishnapatnam Port has focused on business process re-engineering which has resulted in EBITDA margins improving to 72 percent in FY21 from 57 percent in FY20. The consolidation of our ownership in Krishnapatnam Port reinforces APSEZs stride towards 500 MMT by 2025 and achieving our broader strategy of cargo parity between west and east coasts of India. Krishnapatnam Port is on track to handle double the traffic by 2025 and will deliver high growth through a multi-product and cargo enhancement strategy while enhancing return on capital employed. We are confident that we will be able to double throughput and triple EBITDA at Krishnapatnam Port by 2025, the release quoted Karan Adani, chief executive officer and whole time director of as saying. Ltd has 12 strategically located ports and terminals Mundra, Dahej, Tuna and Hazira in Gujarat, Dhamra in Odisha, Mormugao in Goa, Visakhapatnam and Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Dighi in Maharashtra and and Kattupalli and Ennore in Chennai representing 24 percent of the country's total port capacity. The company has made efforts to be present at geographically important points on the Indian coast. They had control on the west via Mundra and now it is the south and the east which it has been eyeing, said Hitesh Avachat, group head-corporate ratings at Care Ratings. Meanwhile, the company is also developing a transhipment port at Vizhinjam, Kerala. With a vision to turn carbon neutral by 2025, was the first Indian port and third in the world to sign up for Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) committing to emission reduction targets to control global warming at 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. Last month, Adani Ports acquired controlling stake in Gangavaram Port Limited (GPL) for Rs 3,604 crore. Earlier in the same month, the company had announced acquisition of Warburg Pincuss 31.5 per cent stake in GPL for Rs 1,954 crore. Where ever the stake holders are not masters in port operations (like private equity firms in case of Gangavaram), Adani is eyeing those port entities to improve presence along coast. The private equities would someday want to an exit route and Adani has managed to provide one, said an analyst with another brokerage on condition of anonymity. BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary will begin gradual easing of coronavirus restrictions within days, the government said on Monday, as it expects to have 25% of its population of 10 million inoculated by Tuesday or early Wednesday at the latest. Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who faces an election in a year, is walking a tightrope between a lockdown to tame the world's deadliest COVID-19 surge and the need to reopen the economy to avoid a second year of deep recession. The central European country reported record coronavirus fatalities last week and doctors described hospitals filling beyond capacity, signalling the government may be forced to postpone a reopening. Hungary has had the highest weekly per capita fatalities in the world for several weeks, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Its health care system has come under extreme stress, the government has said, despite vaccinating a fifth of the population in one of the fastest inoculation drives in Europe. There were nearly 12,000 coronavirus patients in hospital on Sunday, 1,451 of them on ventilators, the government said on Monday. But the government has also vaccinated among the most citizens per capita in the European Union and imported the EU's highest number of vaccine doses per capita, aiding a rapid inoculation drive. Its statement on Monday said once the 25% mark is cleared, it would shorten a night-time curfew to begin at 10 p.m. instead of 8, and allow all shops to be open until 9:30 p.m. as long as they have at most one customer per 10 square metres (108 square ft) of floor space. Hotels will stay closed, as will restaurants, except for takeout and delivery. Schools will reopen in mid-April once teachers are inoculated, the government said. Doctors' and teachers' groups have proposed stricter rules while business associations have lobbied for a measured opening. (Reporting by Marton Dunai @mdunai; Editing by Dan Grebler) As transformed by Prince, the five original Carious stop being documentation of Rastas, or even photographs per se, but become tokens in a game of spot the art that Duchamps urinal launched way back in the teens of last century. Prince is underlining how images live in different cultural pigeonholes for instance as illustration, documentation, or fine art and showing how appropriation can unsettle us by moving them from one pigeonhole into another. So in the piece called Graduation, one of the five the court decided were not transformative enough in 2013, when Prince takes an electric guitar from some other source and sticks it into the hands of one of Carious Rastafarians, hes not really saying much about Rastafarians or rock music or guitars. He is saying something about the power that artists have had, since Warhol, to mix and match imagery across cultural boundaries. Whereas in the 25 works the court embraced as transformative where Prince fussed a lot with the look of Carious photos the original images are just raw material for a collage-y result that took off in a completely different direction, aesthetically, but that therefore ended up being a perfectly old-hat, trivial gesture as far as larger art issues are concerned. Frankly, collaging a Rasta head onto a nude is the kind of thing you might see in a high-school art class. The transformation that Prince brought about in those works did not result in any novel creativity worthy of the name. The concept of transformation has been driving lawyers and judges crazy since the Supreme Court first introduced it in a 1993 case. It turns out that its wildly difficult to figure out when and how function and meaning and message get changed in a culture which, as far as art is concerned, is just how things should be. Art is all about finding new ways to worry away at precisely such issues. The hitch comes in imagining that courts could ever try to make hard and fast rules about them. After puzzling through all the options with me, Christopher Sprigman, a lawyer and professor who teaches intellectual property at New York University, just about threw up his hands: Copyright law, he said, is often very smart but its not very deep and art is just the opposite. When the two things collide, you get problems. In current law, Sprigman said, just about all fair-use decisions, or at least all the tricky ones, inevitably involve some kind of aesthetic theory the kind of theory that has a court deciding that collage is the way for artists to go. And aesthetic theory is not, to say the least, where judges have the most expertise. People like to quote the words of the great Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes: It would be a dangerous undertaking for persons trained only to the law to constitute themselves final judges of the worth of pictorial illustrations. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Prime Minister Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba has stressed the depth of bilateral relations and cooperation in all fields with Malta, assuring that his government "will work to strengthen and develop these relations in the interest of the two friendly peoples Red Bull Racing made a strong impression in the opening weekend of Formula 1. The team of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were miles behind Mercedes in recent years, but this season that seems to be changing. In Bahrain not everything went well, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko explained. Verstappen managed to take pole position during the first race in Bahrain. He held onto that position for the first lap, but a Mercedes undercut eventually allowed Mercedes to take the win. Although Red Bull made an excellent impression, Marko feels there's still room for improvement. "In qualifying, everyone could see that a part of the floor was flying," he said Formel1.de. "That made a small change and as a result we lost maybe eight per cent downforce. That in itself didn't matter much. Much worse was that we had a problem with the differential at the beginning of the race. As a result, we solve drastically in the first sector, up to three tenths per lap." Problems at Red Bull Not only Verstappen had to deal with this incident, Perez also complained about the problems with the car. The spinning of the rear wheels even caused both drivers to suffer from hot tires and that certainly did not help their race. "In the first stint we didn't manage to build up the lead necessary to make an undercut impossible. In fact, we had 2.5 seconds at one point and our differential problem reduced that gap to 1.7 seconds. That proved to be the decisive phase of the first stint, a phase where we were clearly handicapped." Despite the problems, Verstappen achieved a rock-solid final classification with P2. SHELTON The Board of Aldermen have joined fellow city officials in opposing what board President John Anglace, Jr., calls nightmare legislation that would eliminate a municipalitys home rule over its own zoning. The aldermen, at a special meeting March 25, unanimously adopted a resolution in support of home rule in municipal zoning decision-making, which the board states empower each community to tailor zoning policies that reflect its unique geography, economy and housing market. Nearly a dozen bills in the state House and Senate call for changes to local zoning, some of which would overrule local zoning authorities and mandate the construction of multi-family and affordable housing, regardless of existing local regulations, city officials said. State Reps. Ben McGorty and Jason Perillo, both Republicans who represent Shelton, are pushing back against these proposals, which they describe as a money and power grab by Hartford Democrats. Backers of the proposed legislation are seeking more diverse housing options throughout Connecticut, and state Sen. Kevin Kelly, a Republican who represents Shelton, among other towns, agreed the issue must be addressed. Kelly says that the unique needs and geography of each community, including cities, suburbs, and rural areas, must be considered in this process. The aldermens resolution states that the board opposes a state mandated one-size fits all zoning legislation and the ability of any outside housing authority to have jurisdiction on our towns affordable housing plan. The resolution further states that the aldermen oppose any similar legislation that would further overrule, remove or diminish local control and decision-making related to planning and zoning or affordable housing for Shelton and all other municipalities in the state. Alderman Anthony Simonetti asked that the resolution be sent to every state legislator, so they understand cities like Shelton feel that they are stepping in the wrong direction when they come to tell us how to take care of land situations. Anglace said this resolution is important for not only Shelton but all municipalities in the state, who he says should be joined in opposition to any legislation that takes away local input in zoning matters. Localized decision-making ensures the greatest level of accountability while allowing affected community members the greatest level of input and the platform through a public hearing to provide specific, relevant information on potential impacts that only they would have knowledge of, the resolution states. The proposals include mandating what type of multi-family housing and accessory apartments are built and where and mandating what towns consider when determining whether to approve a housing project. Perillo, McGorty and Kelly have been joined by Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Virginia Harger in pushing back against the numerous bills in the state legislature regarding zoning. Anglace said that the citys zoning department is presently forming an affordable housing plan as ordered by the state last year. Now, legislators want to toss that out, Anglace said, instead pushing to dictate zoning rules from Hartford. Zoning Administrator Alex Rossetti said the city does have a ways to go to meet the state requirements on affordable housing. Its not right to me, Anglace said. More people should be speaking out in opposition to this. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com Police in Vinh City in Vietnams north-central Nghe An Province have arrested and started legal proceedings against nine men for trying to bury another man alive as the latter had failed to return a rented motorbike. The nine men in question include 31-year-old Nguyen Trong Duong from Truong Thi Ward in Vinh; 26-year-old Ho Trong Khanh, 17-year-old Le Nguyen Hung, 18-year-old Nguyen Tien Nam, 20-year-old Tran Manh Tai, 17-year-old Vo Quang Hung, 17-year-old Hoang Quang Thanh, 18-year-old Phung Duy Ngoc Anh from the province's Nghi Loc District; and 21-year-old Nguyen Dinh Huy in neighboring Ha Tinh Province. Five other underage boys were also involved in the case. According to preliminary investigation, N.Q.V., 17, from Ha Tinh rented Duongs motorbike but failed to return it. Duong then asked the aforementioned men to look for V. The group found V. in Vinh on March 24, undressing and assaulting him. They then took the victim to a vacant land lot on the embankment along a local river in Ha Tinh and continued hitting him. They also dug a hole, covered V.s head with a sack, then pushed him into the hole and filled it up, whereas V. kept begging them to stop. After a while, V. was pulled up and taken to the river to bathe there. A video capturing the entire incident was then circulated on Facebook and caused quite a stir there. Three hours after receiving a report on the case, police in Vinh City managed to arrest 13 members in the aforementioned gang and summoned V. to the police station. The citys police force went on to nab Duong while he was hiding in Hanoi. The functional force is expanding their investigation to verify the claim that the gang captured V. at the request of his family to teach him a lesson for misbehaving. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! There is no doubt that they meant well, coming out in their thousands to sincerely express their grief over the deeply tragic kidnap-murder of 23-year-old Andrea Bharatt. But the organisers of those candlelight vigils held all over Trinidad between February 4 and April 1 did not seem in the least bit concerned that what they were assembling could turn out to be Covid super spreaders. ST. LOUIS, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ENR) will report results for its Second Quarter Fiscal 2021 before the market opens on May 10, 2021. Energizer also will discuss its results during an investor conference call that will be webcast on May 10, 2021, beginning at 10 a.m. ET. The call will be hosted by Chief Executive Officer Mark LaVigne, Chief Financial Officer Tim Gorman and John Drabik, Chief Accounting Officer. Energizer Holdings, Inc. (PRNewsfoto/Energizer Holdings, Inc.) All interested parties may access a live webcast of this conference call at www.energizerholdings.com, under the "Investors" and "Events and Presentations" tabs or by using the following link: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/1192/40264 For those unable to participate during the live webcast, a replay will be available on www.energizerholdings.com, under the "Investors," "Events and Presentations," and "Past Events" tabs. About Energizer: Energizer Holdings Inc. (Energizer, NYSE: ENR), headquartered in St. Louis, is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of primary batteries, portable lights, and auto care appearance, performance, refrigerant and fragrance products. Its portfolio of globally recognized brands include Energizer, Armor All, Eveready, Rayovac, STP, Varta, A/C Pro, Refresh Your Car!, California Scents, Driven, Bahama & Co., LEXOL, Eagle One, Nu Finish, Scratch Doctor and Tuff Stuff. As a global, branded consumer products company, Energizer's mission is to lead the charge to deliver value to its customers and consumers better than anyone else. Visit www.energizerholdings.com for more details. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/energizer-holdings-inc-to-webcast-a-discussion-of-second-quarter-fiscal-2021-results-on-may-10-2021-301262160.html SOURCE Energizer Holdings, Inc. Penguin Random House is refusing to give back any of the furlough money it was given by taxpayers, even though its profits soared by a fifth during Covid. Britain's biggest publisher tapped into the scheme between April and June last year and is thought to have received about 1m. Publishing houses benefited from a reading renaissance during lockdown as people turned to books while they were cooped up at home. The move is likely to spark outrage after its rivals including Bloomsbury and Pan Macmillan, as well as companies form other industries such as Tesco and Pets at Home, repaid the Treasury The furlough scheme was started in April 2020 to support businesses that could not stay open or had to cut staff during lockdown One of Penguin Random Houses top UK bestsellers last year was Barack Obamas memoir A Promised Land. Penguin Random House, which has 1,800 staff in the UK, told MailOnline: As a responsible UK employer and taxpayer we have used the furlough scheme for its intended purpose: to protect jobs during this extraordinary time. A few employees such as receptionists at its head office are still furloughed, the Times reported. But the move is likely to spark outrage after its rivals including Bloomsbury and Pan Macmillan, as well as companies form other industries such as Tesco and Pets at Home, repaid the Treasury. Other major stores who vowed to hand back millions of pounds back to the Government include Primark, Ikea and Redrow and Barratt. Penguin Random House says it has no plans to return any of the cash. And healthy profits that are thought to add up to around 70m last year will also make the move more difficult to justify. Rival publishers such as Hachette UK and Harper Collins reportedly had staff on furlough at the height of the pandemic. But the latter said after a strong performance it did not claim any money from the scheme. The furlough scheme was started in April 2020 to support businesses that could not stay open or had to cut staff during lockdown. More than 1.3million employers claimed support which covers 80 per cent of an employee's salary they can't work up to 2,500 a month. Companies are under no obligation to repay the taxpayer cash they receive through furlough but they have been urged to do so if they can afford it. The furlough scheme is estimated to have cost around 55.7billion to date. Litter louts are being asked to dispose of their rubbish properly after bottles and wrappers were left strewn on the ground at a popular beauty spot in South Kilkenny. Over the recent spell of good weather more people went to the natural outdoor swimming pool at The Weir in Thomastown. A minority of people left rubbish at the natural amenity which is a popular outdoor space on the outskirts of the town. Thomastown Community River Trust posted on social media earlier today appealing to the public to dispose of their rubbish properly. "If you're able to bring it to the Weir, you're able to bring it from The Weir. As a community we must protect our spaces for everyone's enjoyment. Please take your rubbish to a bin." STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. To proponents, the City Councils recent vote to end qualified immunity for police officers is a much-needed reform. The controversial bill bans it as a defense for cops in cases of unreasonable searches and seizures as well as in cases of excessive force regardless of whether such force is used in connection with a search or seizure. Qualified immunity shielded police and government officials from liability unless it was proved they had violated a clearly established statutory or constitutional right of which a reasonable person would have known. Where there is a right, there needs to be a remedy, said Robert Quackenbush, staff attorney with the Prisoners Rights Project at the Legal Aid Society. Thankfully, now that qualified immunity no longer applies to NYPD officers in Fourth Amendment cases, New Yorkers harmed by NYPD officers will have their day in court and so will the officers who harmed them. The Fourth Amendment protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures. But others, including many law enforcement officials and even some criminal defense attorneys, say the bill goes way too far. Banning qualified immunity will shackle cops by personally exposing them to lawsuits, they contend. And that will hurt that public. Count District Attorney Michael E. McMahon among the bills opponents. It will make our streets less safe and make the job of police officers even more difficult than it already is by exposing them to frivolous and personally damaging lawsuits, said McMahon. We should not be singling out cops among all city employees for personal liability for their lawful actions in the course of their duties, especially at a time when we need the NYPD to help us reduce the rise in shootings and other violent crimes spreading across our city. Mark J. Fonte, a Willowbrook-based criminal defense lawyer and former prosecutor, concurred. Taking my criminal-defense-lawyer hat off for a moment and analyzing this legislation objectively, it seems to be the exact opposite of what the city needs at the moment, said Fonte. This legislation will result in less-aggressive policing, resulting in soaring crime rates. The legislation will have a chilling effect on police and will once again handcuff the police and not the criminals. Sufficient remedies currently exist for individuals wronged by a rogue cop or unconstitutional police action, said Fonte. Any claim that the citizen who suffered from police conduct has no remedy to seek justice is simply false, he said. The city pays any victim who has suffered in this way and who has brought a legitimate lawsuit. Nothing has changed. Staten Islanders rallied in support of the police outside the 122nd Precinct in New Dorp on March 30, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/Giavanni Alves) The qualified immunity ban, taken in conjunction with bail reform and the defunding-the-police movement, creates a very slippery slope, said Mario F. Gallucci, a Bloomfield-based criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor. The public perception from movies and television is not what real life in the criminal justice system is on a daily basis, Gallucci said. To now hold law enforcement personally liable for what the public believes to be a negligent act stifles the ability to run a civilized society. Last Tuesday, a rally in support of police was held outside the 122nd Precinct stationhouse in New Dorp. Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign the bill into law. It would make New York City the first city in the country to end qualified immunity. Quackenbush said cops and the public have no reason to fear the law. This law should not impair policing decisions, he said. Even without qualified immunity, the Fourth Amendment gives officers the breathing room to make reasonable mistakes in fast-moving situations. Under the Fourth Amendment, police, if they are acting reasonably, have plenty of protection to make split-second decisions, said Quackenbush. More than 190 people gathered in front of the 122nd Precinct stationhouse in New Dorp for the Defend the Blue Line rally on March 30, 2021 to express their support for the NYPD. (Staten Island Advance/Giavanni Alves) What qualified immunity does, he said, is give victims of police abuse a means to get justice and compensation for the violation of their rights. Previously, if a court found that qualified immunity applied in cases brought under the federal civil rights statute alone, the case would be dismissed, he said. And even if a court concluded an officer had violated a persons rights, qualified immunity can sweep in and let the officer off the hook, said Quackenbush. In cases brought under the new law, a court couldnt dismiss it on the grounds of qualified immunity, said Quackenbush. Instead, the officer would have to rely on other defenses. Such defenses would primarily entail showing the arrest was supported by probable cause or that the force used was reasonable under the circumstances, he said. Now that the City Council has acted, there will absolutely be a legal remedy whenever the NYPD violates someones Fourth Amendment rights, said Quackenbush. Thats a sea change. And, he said, in a large majority of lawsuits, the city will still defend the cops and pay any compensation awarded. The officers wont be obliged to hire their own attorneys. The only times cops will need to retain their own lawyers is when they are found to have violated NYPD policy. In that case, they are potentially liable for any settlement and judgment against them, said Quackenbush. Brett H. Klein, a Manhattan-based civil rights lawyer, agreed. All (the law) does is allow more cases to go to trial against individual officers that should go to trial, said Klein, who, according to his web site specializes in police brutality, false arrest, unjust convictions and all civil rights violations. This doesnt create a new situation where an officer has to retain a private lawyer. Another key aspect of the law: It assigns a three-year statute of limitations for plaintiffs to file a suit. Until now, plaintiffs were required to file a Notice of Claim with the city within 90 days of the incident. They had a year after the original 90 days to file a lawsuit. The three-year statute parallels the federal statute of limitations for a civil rights lawsuit, said Quackenbush. Artist Scott LoBaido painted a blue line in front of the 122nd Precinct stationhouse and then organized the Defend the Blue Line rally reflecting his support for the NYPD and his disapproval of the City Council's recent decision to end qualified immunity for NYPD officers. March 30, 2021 (Staten Island Advance/Giavanni Alves)Giavanni Alves Creating a longer statute of limitations ensures police officers will be held more accountable than they were, said Klein. This is a good step in the right direction, but it doesnt go far enough. McMahon, the D.A., agrees officers who act unlawfully must be disciplined and held accountable. And, he noted, they can be sued individually if they act outside the scope of their jobs. But employee discipline and retraining should rest with the employer, as it does with any city worker he said. In the case of cops, that would be the police commissioner, said McMahon. Eliminating qualified immunity is not the answer to those problems, the D.A. said. Unfortunately, City Council members have distorted the facts and allowed the so-called advocates to push forward their extreme agenda, said McMahon. By eliminating qualified immunity for law enforcement, the Council is sending a clear message that they care more about scoring political points than the safety and well-being of New Yorkers. " We citizens and the 36,000 uniformed men and women of the NYPD who risk their lives for us every day deserve better, the D.A. said. New Delhi: More than a year after the start of the pandemic, a large part of Europe is at the start of the third COVID-19 wave. The continent is enduring a grim spring this year, as the number of COVID-19 infections, hospitalisations and death are at an all time rise. The continent is wrestling with a more deadly variant in the third wave. With the vaccine programmes moving at a slow pace and the new variant spread speeding up, France President Emmanuel Macron announced the countrys third nationwide lockdown, following which prime minister Jean Castex in the parliament said, the epidemic is spreading fast, and its spreading everywhere. France, currently, is under lockdown with numerous restrictions which includes travel restrictions, school closures and night curfew from 7pm-6am. In the past month, the infections in France have risen up by 55 percent. In Italy, lockdown has been imposed in most areas from Monday. The citizens have been directed not to leave their homes unless for essential errands. Most shops will be closed, along with bars and restaurants. Meanwhile, other countries on the continent like Germany, Netherlands and Belgium are also facing dreadful increases in COVID-19 infections. The two week percentage growth of Netherlands is 48 percent, which is below Germany at 75 percent and the worst is Belgium at 95 percent. Amid the sudden surge in COVID-19 infections, the usage of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine was briefly stopped over the issue of side effects, following which the World Health Organization and the European Commission have urged the European nations to use the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. Both the organisations unanimously expressed confidence in the vaccine and stated that it was completely safe. Live TV Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Islamabad [Pakistan], April 5 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister has blamed "fahashi" (vulgarity) for rise in rape and sexual violence instead of the deteriorating law and order situation in the country. As he took calls from the people on Sunday, Khan -- when asked by a caller what the government plans to do in the light of rising incidents of rape and sexual violence, especially against children -- said that there are some fights that governments and legislation alone cannot win and that the society must join in the fight. He said it was important for societies to protect themselves against "fahashi" (vulgarity), reported Geo News. The prime minister said incidents of rape and sexual violence that make their way to the media are just one per cent of the actual horrific crimes of such nature that take place. Khan said when he went to the UK, during the '70s to play cricket, the "sex, drugs and rock n roll" culture was taking off. He said nowadays, divorce rates "have gone up by as much as 70 per cent due to vulgarity in that society". He said the whole concept of pardah (or covering up, or modesty) in Islam has a purpose to it which is to "keep temptation in check". The Pakistan prime minister said there are many people in society who "cannot keep their willpower in check". "Iska kuch tou effect aana thha na (It had to manifest itself in some way)," he added. Taking cue of the situation, he defended the Turkish drama Ertugrul showing in Pakistan. The prime minister said one of the reasons he brought the show to the Pakistani screens was because not only does it has an entertainment value, it doesn't contain any content which can be considered controversial or immoral, reported Geo News. He concluded by reiterating that incidences of rape and sexual violence are "spreading like cancer" in the society. Official statistics in Pakistan have revealed that at least 11 rape incidents are reported in the country every day, with over 22,000 cases reported to the police in the last six years. Story continues However, only 77 of the accused have been convicted which comprises 0.3 per cent of the total figure, reported Geo News. These statistics were obtained from the Police, Law, and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the Women's Foundation, and provincial welfare agencies. Moreover, in February, in an insensitive move, the Forensics Department of Khyber Medical College University proposed a plan to charge rape victims Pakistani Rs 25,000 for medical examination and Rs 5,000 for an autopsy for the local residents of Peshawar. (ANI) .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Excitement about seeing friends at school met with some hesitancy due to the novel coronavirus. Eagerness to keep learning virtually met with nervousness about missing something happening on campus. Albuquerque Public Schools students have expressed a range of emotions and concerns about what the shift to face-to-face learning for students who opt in will mean for them this school year, which has been dominated by remote schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Josephine Gonzales, Highland High School band director, told the Journal that she checked in with her at-home and in-person learners ahead of schools reopening Monday. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ They have different concerns and different issues, she said. Gonzales said that in general, students who are learning online are relieved to have an option that limits potential exposure to the coronavirus. But there was some concern about falling behind without in-person instruction, and students were wary of the amount of time they will spend on the computer, she said. Conversely, some students who are returning to campus expressed worry about the health risks. We talked about how theres going to be hand sanitizer and how were going to move through the building, Gonzales said. Almost all of the in-person students, Gonzales said, were excited to get out of the house, meet their teachers and see friends. Kids are going to come in and theyre going to experience something different than they ever have, and there will be a lot of grace given, said Kristine Meurer, executive director of APS Student, Family and Community Supports Division. Meurer said there are mental health resources for students. School counselors, which every APS school has, and contracted mental health providers are available for students, whether they are learning in person or at home. Teachers are also equipped to do lessons on social and emotional issues. If students have any issues Monday, Meurer said, they should talk with their teacher, principal or counselor. APS spokeswoman Monica Armenta said the district is asking students to make a firm decision about staying remote or learning at school, but the first week will be a grace period if families change their minds. On the second week, were asking them to commit, she said. There is no blended model, and you either stick with virtual or you stick with in-person. We need to approach the issue in a balanced manner, without simplistic approaches and stop saying Turkey is our enemy or Turkey is not our enemy. This is what deputy of the opposition Bright Armenia faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Ani Samsonyan told reporters today, touching upon what approaches the Bright Armenia Party will adopt in the relations with Turkey, if it comes to power. Armenia faces serious internal and external security issues. We cant normalize relations with our friendly countries, not to mention the adversary countries that are threatening to destroy us physically. The presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan are threatening us with their rhetoric every day, and Armenia talks about peaceI consider enemies those who talk about physically destroying us Armenians, the deputy said. Recently, the Armenian authorities have been making statements about changing approaches to Armenias relations with Turkey. In an interview with Armenian Public Television on March 27, asked if he considers Turkey an inimical country, Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan said if Armenia is going to unblocking of the region, there have to be certain corrections made in our approaches, and Im working in this direction. The next day, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared the following during a visit to Armavir Province: I believe Armenia needs to change its views on the region. We need to think about this. 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. KYODO NEWS - Apr 4, 2021 - 20:13 | World, All Some 120 passengers were standing in the express train that derailed in a tunnel in eastern Taiwan on Friday killing 50 people, indicating the seating arrangements could have pushed up the death toll, Taiwan authorities and media said Sunday. Out of total of 498 passengers, 122 were standing in the train with eight cars running at a maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour, the authorities said. Witnesses of the accident that happened at 9:28 a.m. said it looked as if all the standing passengers fell down when the train derailed. The authorities said they will examine the relation between the seating arrangements and the large number of casualties, considering putting a restriction on the capacity of standing train passengers. Packed with passengers on the first day of the Chingming tomb-sweeping festival, a four-day holiday period dedicated to offering prayers to ancestors, the train was traveling from Shulin, an inner city district in southwestern New Taipei City, to Taitung on the southeastern coast when it derailed while passing through the Qingshui tunnel, 30 km north of Hualien City. Calling the accident "the island's worst rail disaster in seven decades," the authorities said that casualties stood at 50 dead and 202 injured as of Sunday. Among those who died were a 5-year-old girl, a Frenchman who would have turned 28 on Sunday, and two American women in their 20s. The train driver, 32, and his 31-year-old assistant also lost their lives. Regarding the cause of the accident, the authorities suggested in a preliminary report that the derailment might have been triggered by a truck parked without the emergency brake engaged on a slope that rolling down and hit the express train. Related coverage: Taiwanese man involved in deadly train derailment released on bail The truck was parked there by a driver surnamed Lee, a construction site manager working for the Taiwan Railway Administration. Television footage Sunday showed Lee read a statement apologizing for what happened while trying to fight back tears. He was taken to a district court in Hualien County on Friday for questioning and released Saturday. But earlier Sunday, the high court in the county overruled the district court's decision to release him, ordering the lower court to reconsider following prosecutors' appeal on Saturday. Prosecutors are pursuing charges of negligent homicide against Lee. Meanwhile, Transportation Minister Lin Chia-lung offered to resign over the disaster. But President Tsai Ing-wen rejected the offer, saying it is not the time to discuss a resignation, according to a spokesman of the president. Tsai visited Hualien on Saturday and vowed a "rigorous investigation" into the cause of the accident. Premier Su Tseng-chang, who visited the crash site and hospitals in the area on Friday, has apologized twice on behalf of the government. Deputy Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai told a press conference on Sunday the train service will not resume until everything has been confirmed safe. The Foreign Ministry said at least 90 countries expressed condolences via various means, including Japan, the United States, and mainland China, as well as Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama. The Right Reverend Dr Hilliard K.Dela Dogbe, the Presiding Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, has called on Ghanaians to pray for the leaders of the country to take bold decisions that will benefit all. In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on his Easter message, Rev Dogbe called on all to reach out in love to the marginalised, the weak, and the dying in society. "Easter is an embodiment of Gods unfailing and unconditional love for humanity and His desire to reconcile us to Himself and thus enable the best in us to pour forth", he said. Rev Dogbe further said Easter reminded Christians that "sacrifice precedes glory, even as the cross precedes the crown. Each of us is called to make personal sacrifices and let go of personal comforts so that we attain a better tomorrow. This is particularly important in the light of the global economic crisis occasioned by the covid-19 pandemic". The Clergyman stated that "Easter gives Christians a fresh start; an opportunity to make amends, and in Jesus Christ, we find a proven leader, a faithful companion and an eternal guide, for the journey ahead. He said the world had to come through a very difficult and trying time with the COVID-19 and it was for that reason that Easter ought to unite all in celebrating Gods faithfulness, abundant mercies, deliverance, and loving-kindness. "While the COVID-19 pandemic still lingers and variants of the virus increase, its destructive global run has been great and significantly reduced, and the production of vaccines against the virus in record time is a feat worth celebrating this Easter. Rev Dogbe urged all to continue to thank God for successful Presidential and Parliamentary elections, even though it was characterised by an atmosphere of heightened tension and, suspicion, and incidences of confusion and confrontation, and the sad and avoidable loss of lives. "We had to patiently and prayerfully endure another election petition at the courts. We could easily have descended into a state of political chaos but through it all, Gods mercy and protection have been with us and for this, we ought to give thanks in the celebration of Easter. He said the triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter gave Christians a living hope, not only for the future but for the present. "In celebrating and bringing God our sincere gratitude this Easter, we commit ourselves and this nation into His gracious keeping and ask that His perfect will for us will manifest; that our aspirations for our nation will come to fruition. 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 Washington, D.C., April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prison Fellowship, the nation's largest Christian nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, has been named in the Top 50 Best nonprofit workplaces by The NonProfit Times. This national publication releases its annual list of the Top 50 nonprofit workplaces each April. The full article can be accessed here. Prison Fellowship was named number sixth in The NonProfit Times Top 50 list. We are thrilled to be named to this prestigious list and for being recognized as a place where employees feel valued and respected, while knowing their voices are important and included in the ongoing mission of Prison Fellowship, said James Ackerman, President and CEO of Prison Fellowship. This honor sets us apart from other workplaces by recognizing the incredible hard work of so many of our dedicated employees and the commitment Prison Fellowship has in training our staff through various educational programs. This honor places a well-deserved spotlight on our extremely talented Human Resources Department, which is committed to equipping and supporting our employees through a variety of activities that are fun and informative, said Tim Robison, Chief Operating Officer of Prison Fellowship. The most important ingredient that makes this process work is the fellowship and bond created with each of our employees. The NonProfit Times again partnered with Best Companies Group (BCG) on the 2021 Best Nonprofits To Work For. The Harrisburg, Pa.-based firm puts organizations through a battery of surveys to develop the key drivers. The Employee Benchmark Report portion of the survey includes 79 questions and statements within eight categories, with the percentage of respondents noted for answering Agree Somewhat or Agree Strongly. The NonProfit Times listed the following amenities available to employees in reaching their decision to name Prison Fellowship in the Top 50 nonprofit workplaces in the U.S.: Outstanding benefits and employee support through Human Resources, including an investment in the latest technology. Unlimited training courses on LinkedIn Learning and RightNow Media; The Lunch and Learn programs, open to all employees each month with various topics suggested by Prison Fellowship staff. Successfully pivoting the ministrys in-prison work during the COVID-19 pandemic, including keeping employees regularly informed on developments. The annual Wellness Week, featuring more than 20 area vendors in health care. The Management Excellence training program, which prepares and trains future leaders in the organization through a comprehensive, eight-month curriculum, all at no expense to the employee. The NonProfit Times The NonProfit Times is the leading business publication for Nonprofit management. NPT provides news and information to help nonprofit executives improve their fundraising efforts and to run their organizations more efficiently. They also offer readers a rich mix of news and how to features across a variety of disciplines in nonprofit management, including fundraising, financial management, human resources, public relations, technology, and much more. Prison Fellowship Prison Fellowship is the nation's largest nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading advocate for justice reform. We seek to share the real, living hope of the Gospel with people who long for its power to make them new. Real restoration begins by addressing the cycle of crime on all fronts, in prison and out, and engaging in a cycle of renewal. For interview requests, please contact Jim Forbes, Prison Fellowship's director of communications, at 703.554.8540 or Jim_forbes@pfm.org Attachments Longford Town FC supporters club has paid tribute to the late Frank Glancy of Templemichael Terrace, Longford Town, who died unexpectedly at his residence, on Saturday, April 3, for the significant part he played in reviving the club. A post on the Supporters Club Facebook page read; "The recent and totally unexpected death of Frank Glancy has shocked and stunned all those who knew Frank. "All of his many friends are still finding it hard to believe that the happy, smiling, friendly Frank has departed. "He leaves behind a massive void, most especially for his heartbroken wife Josephine, daughters Una and Laura and extended family. Josephine and Frank were childhood sweethearts and seldom seen apart. "Frank was known and loved by all far and wide. He loved his game of cards, was an accomplished set dancer and was involved with both Scor and Tops of the Town. "He was also an intergral part of De Town and played a significant part in its revival and success around the time of Stephen Kenny.Much of his hard work is what we see today in the facilities of Longford Town's Bishopsgate. "He also had a wonderful passion for buying and selling, dealing and trading in clocks, antiques and autojumbles. Not alone was he well known and respected at Vintage car rallies or Car Boot Sales in Longford but all over Ireland and even beyond. "Frank was a great, loyal and trusted friend. To know him was to like him, chats were always accompanied with laughter and banter. "Although Frank's interests were wide and varied, his greatest passion and love were reserved for his beloved Josephine, his family and he especially adored his grandchildren. "Our deepest and sincere sympathies are with Josephine and family at this terribly sad time. May his gentle soul. Rest in peace." Longford Variety Group also fondly remembered their former committee and cast member. "We are deeply saddened by the news of Frank Glancy's passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with Frank's family at this difficult time. "Frank was a committee/ cast member for many years and we have fond memories of Frank. Indeed his comedy skills in the John Player Tops is legendary. To say he was a gentleman is an understatement. A wonderful kind hearted man who will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Rest in peace Frank and Break a leg in heaven." Death notice Frank Glancy, Templemichael Terrace, Longford Town, Longford: The death occurred, unexpectedly at his residence, on Saturday, April 3 of Frank Glancy, Templemichael Terrace, Longford Town, Longford. Predeceased by his parents Frank and Molly. Frank will be sadly missed and remembered with love by his family, his beloved wife Josephine, daughters Una and Laura, sisters Mary and Bridie, brother Seamus, sons-in-law Colin and Nigel, mother-in-law Agnes, grandchildren Eva-mai, Emily, Jake and Mia, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. May he rest in peace. Franks funeral cortege will leave his residence on Thursday morning, April 8 to arrive at St Mels Cathedral (via Great Water Street) for Mass of the Resurrection at 11am, interment afterwards in Ballymacormack cemetery. Given the exceptional circumstances and in accordance with government guidelines and social distancing protocols ,to protect everyone dear to Frank and his family, the Mass will be restricted to 10 people only. The Mass will be streamed live please go to www.longfordparish.com The family very much appreciates your support and consideration at this time. House private please The Axelrod Performing Arts Center has joined the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey to celebrate the work of William Shakespeare just in time for his 457th birthday. The Bard at Bell Works will take place on the outdoor rooftop deck at Bell Works campus in Holmdel with performances over three weekends by the Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theater, the Madison-based Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and the students of the Axelrod Performing Arts Academy. We are delighted to be sharing live theater at Bell Works, bringing together two professional companies and dozens of amazingly talented young apprentices, all discovering the sheer genius of Shakespeare together, said academy artistic director Andrew DePrisco. Part of the New Jersey Theater Alliances Stages Festival, The Bard at Bell Works will run from Saturday, April 10, to Sunday, April 25. The festival will includes two versions of Shakespeares comedy A Midsummer Nights Dream: an abridged version of the original play performed by the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jerseys touring company; and a reimagining of the ballet choreographed by Chajnik and danced by the professional members of Axelrods ballet troupe. A free screening of the 1935 Max Reinhart film starring Mickey Rooney also has been planned, but no time or date was posted as of press time. Portraying Oberon in the ballet will be Gilbert Bolden III, a member of New York City Ballet, with Gillian Worek of the Saratoga Ballet, playing the role of Tatania, The role of the Bard will be played by professional New Jersey actor Patrick Poole. Performances are scheduled for 4 p.m. April 11, 6 p.m. April 16, 6:30 p.m. April 17, 4:30 p.m. April 18, and 5 p.m. April 24 and 25. Shakespeare Theatres company will include Jeffrey Marc Alkins (Theseus/Oberon), Ellie Gossage (Hippolyta/Titania), Katie Langham (Bottom) and Katja Yacker (Puck). The production is directed by Brian B. Crowe with costumes by Natalie Loveland and scenic design by Meri Lawson. Performances will be Nothing says spring quite like the return to vibrant outdoor productions, and what better play for this time of year than the Bards raucous and funny A Midsummer Nights Dream, said Crowe. We are thrilled to be part of Axelrods Bard at Bell Works festival, which is providing so many delightful inroads to the works of this master playwright from music and dance to theater and film. Excerpts from "West Side Story" and other stage shows inspired by Shakespeare will be part of the "Bard at Bell Works" outdoor festival hosted by Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Holmdel on weekends from April 10 to 25.axelrodartscenter.com The pre-professional Axelrod academy students will join members of the ballet company for an original musical revue, The Bard on Broadway, including songs and scenes from Shakespeare-centric Broadway musicals and the plays that inspired them, such as West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet), Kiss Me, Kate (Taming of the Shrew) and Something Rotten! (Hamlet). This showcase was created by APAAs professional Broadway staff, including Brian OBrian (Chicago), Ross Lekites (Disneys Frozen), and Aaron Kaburick (Something Rotten!). Performances will be 2 p.m April 11, 3 p.m. April 17, 2:30 p.m. April 18, 6 p.m. April 23, 5 p.m. April 24, and 3 p.m. April 25. Kicking off the fest will be the academys Primary Showcase with scenes and dances from junior productions, such as Aladdin, School of Rock and Little Mermaid, noon Saturday, April 10, and 11 a.m. Sunday, April 11. Bell Works is at 101 Crawfords Corner Road in Holmdel. Seating is limited, due to social distancing requirements, so reservations are strongly encouraged. Tickets are $32 for each performance three-day packages and unlimited access options available. For complete schedule and tickets/passes. visit axelrodartscenter.com. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Send event information to events@starledger.com On March 30, the Thurston County Sheriffs Office (TSCO) in the state of Washington released a statement summarizing the results of its investigation into the shooting death of anti-police violence activist Michael Reinoehl by a US Marshals-led task force on September 3, 2020. Police walk past evidence markers at a scene Thursday, Sept. 3, in Lacey, Wash., where Michael Reinoehl, 48, was killed by a federal task force [Credit: AP Photo/Ted Warren] The transparent purpose of the perfunctory document, titled Weekly UpdateOfficer Involved Shooting in Thurston, is to justify the extrajudicial execution of Reinoehl and exonerate those responsible for his death. Reinoehl was hunted down by members of the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Forcemade up of 27 federal, state and local police agenciesand killed in a hail of gunfire outside of an apartment building near the Olympia suburb of Lacey in Thurston County, where he had sought refuge. The TSCO report states that the task force received information as to the whereabouts of Reinoehl and they responded in an attempt to apprehend him. It goes on to claim that when he was spotted outside of the apartment building where he was staying, they attempted to take him into custody and he failed to comply with instructions to surrender. The report further states that the Officers were readily identifiable based on their badges, vests and markings. It claims that Reinoehl had a firearm and was reaching for it. This is followed by the claim that Reinoehl initiated the exchange of gunfire from inside his vehicle that resulted in his death. As evidence supposedly justifying the fusillade of police bullets that killed Reinoehl, the report states that investigators found that a fired .380 shell casing located in Reinoehls vehicle was fired from the .380 pistol found in Reinoehls possession. Earlier on September 3, the day of his government-organized murder, Reinoehl was charged with second degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of far-right activist Aaron Danielson four days earlier in Portland, Oregon. Minutes before the task force opened fire on Reinoehl, then-President Donald Trump posted a tweet essentially demanding that he be killed. Do your job, and do it fast, Trump wrote. Everybody knows who this thug is. The day after Reinoehl was fatally shot, then-Attorney General William Barr called his killing a significant accomplishment in the ongoing effort to restore law and order to Portland and other cities The streets of our cities are safer with this violent agitator removed, and the actions that led to his location are an unmistakable demonstration that the United States will be governed by law, not violent mobs. Reinoehl had been active in nightly protests against police violence in Portland that began in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derrick Chauvin on May 25. Reinoehl was outspoken in his opposition to both racism and fascism, and expressed sympathy for Antifa activists, while saying he was not a member of any organization. On the morning of the day he was killed, Reinoehl gave an interview to VICE News admitting that he had shot and killed Aaron Danielson, but said he acted in self-defense. He stated, I mean, I had a choice. I could have sat there and watched them kill a friend of mine of color. But I wasnt going to do that. Danielson was a member of the far-right Patriot Prayer organization. He had traveled to Portland to participate in a caravan of pickup trucks manned by Trump supporters for the purpose of initiating physical confrontations with anti-police-violence protesters. The far-right provocation that resulted in the shooting of Danielson occurred in the midst of a weeks-long mobilization of paramilitary agents of the Department of Homeland Security organized by the Trump administration as part of a crackdown against what it called radical extremists and domestic terrorists. The police-state operation included snatching left-wing protesters off the streets of Portland and driving them away for interrogation. The fabricated character of the report on Reinoehls murder issued by the fugitive task force is shown by the obvious contradictions between the narrative it provides and descriptions of what occurred last September 3 given by eyewitnesses, as reported by the media. For example, 39-year-old Nathanial Dingess gave a statement to his attorney saying that he saw Reinoehl walking toward his car and holding a cell phone in his hand, when two unmarked law enforcement vehicles converged on him and began firing immediately without identifying themselves or issuing any verbal commands. Dingess said he never saw a gun in Reinoehls possession. Additionally, it is known that Reinoehls weapon was in his pocket when he was pronounced dead at the scene. This meansif the preposterous police account is to be believedthat if he fired his weapon first, to which the officers responded with nearly 40 rounds that hit Reinoehl multiple times and killed him, he managed somehow to put the gun back in his pocket! Also, as pointed out by others who analyzed the TCSO report, the shell casing was found on the floor of the back seat of Reinoehls car, and there was no exit hole on his vehicles windshield indicating the passage of a bullet. Moreover, no bullet matching the .380 shell casing has been recovered at the scene by police investigators. There is also a contradiction in the TCSO report, where it states that Reinoehl initiated the exchange of gunfire by firing first, while at the same time asserting that Reinoehl had a firearm and he was reaching for it. As explained by the World Socialist Web Site at the time of Reinoehls murder: The killing of Reinoehl, robbed of his democratic right to the presumption of innocence and a jury trial, and the silence of the Democratic Party are a serious warning to the working class. These are milestones in the criminalization of left-wing dissent and state support for violent fascist vigilantes. The treatment of Reinoehl stands in the sharpest contrast to that of Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenage far-right vigilante who fatally shot two men and injured a third during protests against police violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin last August. Besides being openly hailed as a hero by Trump and his right-wing supporters, Rittenhouse was released on bail, permitted to interact repeatedly with members of the fascistic Proud Boys group, and allowed by the judge overseeing his case to violate the terms of his bail by concealing his whereabouts from the local district attorney. California harness racing Hall-of-Famer Bill Vallandingham passed away Sunday due to complications from a lung transplant he had seven years ago. He was 74. "Billy V", as he was affectionately known, was the starter at Cal Expo for 20 years before health issues forced him to leave the job in 2014, but he did return to limited duties at the Sacramento track in 2018. He wore many hats around the racetrack, including groom, paddock judge, horse identifier and horse tattooer before assuming his stint as the starter in 1994. Mr. Vallandingham was a veteran of the Army and served in Vietnam. Cal Expo plans a memorial this coming Saturday (April 10). Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Bill Vallandingham. (with files from Cal Expo) Chandigarh, April 5 : Reiterating his full support for the farmers and the arhtiyas, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday flayed the BJP-led Central government for encroaching upon the rights of the states in its bid to dominate them. While castigating it over its one-sided decision to forcibly impose the farm laws and the direct benefit transfer (DBT) on the state's farming community, he said the states never faced such problems earlier. Slamming the government of India for trying to destroy the existing relations and systems that had worked well for more than 100 years, in the name of so-called reforms, the Chief Minister said the Centre is trying to impose the farm laws without taking the stakeholders into confidence. Punjab's farmers and arhtiyas have age-old cordial ties, which the Centre is hell-bent on damaging, he said, terming the government of India's tough posturing and ill-conceived decisions as being against the basic spirit of federalism. He said during his earlier tenure, he enjoyed the full confidence and support of former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and subsequently that of Manmohan Singh, in all major policy decisions and development issues related to Punjab. Virtually launching the two-day Kisan Mela organised by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, the Chief Minister expressed his solidarity with the farmers against the farm laws imposed by the Centre, in violation of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, which clearly says that agriculture is a state subject. The Centre has deliberately impinged upon the state's power, thus jeopardising the basic structure of democracy, he said. Amarinder Singh stressed that the Centre should have taken the farmers into confidence before the enactment of these contentious legislations. "Had the Centre been sincere about finding a workable solution to this problem, it would have either consulted the Punjab government or the state's farmers, as Punjab alone contributes over 40 per cent of foodgrains to the national pool," he asserted. The Chief Minister categorically said that Punjab, which was initially not even a part of the deliberations on the agricultural reforms, was included in the high-powered committee only after he wrote to the Centre. Resultantly, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and the then Agriculture Secretary K.S. Pannu had attended the two meetings held thereafter, but there was no mention of these controversial farm laws at the same, he added. Pointing out that 144 farmers have died so far during the ongoing farmers' protest, Amarinder Singh said that his government is giving Rs 5 lakh and a job to the kin of a deceased farmer, while the Centre continues to be insensitive to their pain. In his address, pointing to the growing problem of scarcity of surface as well as underground water, the Chief Minister urged the farmers to go for drip irrigation in a big way to save the state from becoming a desert in the near future. The fast depleting water table, resulting from the melting glaciers, is a major challenge for the state and the only solution is to get out of the paddy-wheat cycle to save this precious resource, he said. He asked the farmers to make optimum use of drip irrigation technology, besides switching over to less water consuming crops like vegetables, fruits, etc. He further emphasised that efforts should be made to adapt to horticultural crops, which have a global market with chances of enormous profitability. Acknowledging the immense contribution of PAU stalwarts in agricultural research and introduction of new farm practices, Amarinder Singh said that its former Vice Chancellors like Khem Singh Gill, Kirpal Singh Aulakh and Gulzar Singh Kalkat would be always be remembered by one and all for ushering in the Green Revolution to make India self-reliant in food production. Emphasising on the need to develop a viable technology for making use of paddy straw for power generation, the Chief Minister said a beginning has already been made in the state with production of briquettes for fuel purpose and establishment of small units for generation of power from paddy straw, but a lot still remains to be done. Lauding the role of the Guru Arjan Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, for improving the quality of livestock, the Chief Minister asked the university to intensify its research to develop embryo transfer technology to produce female calves of high quality breed of buffaloes, like Murrah, Sahiwal and Tharparkar cows. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A massive fire that broke out in Lawrence late Sunday and spread to several buildings left a woman injured and more than a dozen people displaced, including several children, news outlets reported. The five-alarm blaze was reported on Bennington and Saratoga streets around 7 p.m. The fire displaced 17 people, including four children, The Boston Globe reported. The woman who was injured was wounded outside one of the burning buildings, Lawrence Fire Chief Brian Moriarty told the newspaper. Authorities did not detail the extent of the womans injuries. Firefighters from Georgetown, North Andover, Reading, Stoneham, Woburn and other communities helped crews from Lawrence fight the blaze. Four buildings were destroyed in the fire. Moriarty told WHDH the blaze could have been much worse, though. Even though we lost four buildings, its an extremely tight neighborhood, so we easily couldve lost 20 buildings, he said, according to the news outlet. Weve had bad fires in this neighborhood before. Our water was a little tough. Had this been at 3 in the morning, this couldve been much different. While I'm not the biggest fan of working from home (more on that in a future post); during the times that the Missus is working days it does allow me to watch Frankie. It also gives me an opportunity to support my favorite neighborhood places. Heading to the office around 5am had become quite a chore as the only places open for a cup o' joe during that time is the local Starbucks and 7/11....now if this was 7/11 in Japan that would be a different story. But, if I'm working from home, I can go ahead and grab some coffee from one of the various neighborhood places, Clairemont Coffee opens at 6 (I really need to do a post one of these days), Birdrock, which I save for the coffee snob, ummmm, the Missus and usually deliver Her pour over to work on weekends. And then there's Bay Park Coffee, which opens at 730 Mon- Sat and at 8 on Sundays.....which was kind of a bummer before; but these days; with so many people working from home....perhaps not so much. And BPC has done a nice job with the outdoor set-up; which transitions to al fresco dining for Poseidon Project at night. On a nice San Diego day, I'll see folks on their laptops doing work.....just like they used to do indoors before in the parklet. My usual, as I noted before is the cold brew......I'll often drop by between meetings/calls for a "pick me up" and sometimes grab something simple to eat. And of course, like I mentioned in a earlier post, there's "Bruddah Noel" who I've come to know.......he even introduced me to his wife who is from Japan. And all the wonderfully friendly and smiling faces of the folks who work there. I will also sometimes avail myself of an item from the "kitchen" menu; though those items aren't served until after 8am. The items on the menu comes in handy when I have meetings around lunch and need to grab something to eat as BPC is a tad over five minutes away for me. So here's a rundown of items I've tried during the pandemic. I mentioned in my earlier post of not being a fan of the croissants; which are from Bread and Cie as it lacks the full butter-light saltiness and is more crisp than flakey....you know, the things we like in a croissant. Still, I have tried some of the items again. And even though the eggs and cheese will help camouflage the deficiencies, it's still leaves something to be desired in my opinion. And my verdict stands....perhaps folks will like these, it's just not for me. BPC also now offers "sides" of egg, potatoes, and cheese......so you can get a fairly filling breakfast; of say...avocado toast (BPC loves their avocados) with a side of scrambled eggs. You may find the item I enjoy the most (to date) from BPC kind of strange......it's the Veggie Bagel Sandwich. I will get the plain bagel; which is from Nomad Donuts....I gotta check out their brick and mortar shop one of these days. The bagel has a light heft to it; mild yeastiness, a slight saltiness, a mild hint of sweet; but it's just the texture I enjoy with the greens, pickled onions.......light acidity from the tomatoes, creaminess from the avocado and they usually have a nice restrained hand with the cream cheese. I have tried other versions of the bagel sandwiches; Bruddah Noel had me try his "favorite"....... Which had ham, cheese, a huge portion of egg, pesto, and was just way too much...... I also tried the Lox version. Which was not bad, though not something I'd have on a regular basis. And then there's the "Uncle Kirk" thing. Noel started calling me "Uncle Kirk" early on....which cracks me up, it's a well known term of endearment back home..... though my good friends, who are quite a bit younger than me (and not from Hawaii) started calling me that years ago; so it doesn't bother me at all. Though I'm not sure what the motivating factor is? Perhaps I'm like the crazy uncle everyone needs in their lives? Of course, these same people would not dare call the Missus "Auntie"...... So, now even a couple of folks at BPC call me that as well.....and once in a while, I'll even get a "little surprise" like on the cup of cold brew to the right. Once as Noel called out "Uncle Kirk" when my cold brew was ready, one of the women waiting for her order asked me; "is he your nephew?" To which I answered in a stage whisper, "ssshhh, he's illegitimate and twice removed....." Well, if you'll indulge me one last story......my good friend "XJ" got married a couple of years back and requested that "Uncle Kirk" officiate their wedding. I was at first hesitant......quite terrified; but there was no way I could turn down such an honor. And things did turn out ok. Though I've never told them; it's one of the high points of my life as I felt so privileged to participate. Anyway, a couple of weeks later, I'm walking thru the parking lot at 99 Ranch Market when I hear, "Hi Uncle Kirk!!!!" and see a middle aged couple waving to me from an automobile. At first I didn't recognize the couple....then as I approached the vehicle...well, it was the Groom's Parents.......I had been introduced to them as "Uncle Kirk" and that's the way they knew me. Life, ain't it amazing? Bay Park Coffee 4130 Napier St San Diego, CA 92110 (619) 275-4000 Current Hours: Mon - Sat 730am - 2pm Sunday 8am - 2pm Sandwiches served: Mon - Thurs 8am - 1130am Fri - Sun 8am - 1pm (The court led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, from 1953 to 1969, supported religion just 46 percent of the time. That grew to 51 percent under Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, from 1969 to 1986; then to 58 percent under Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, from 1986 to 2005; and finally jumped to just over 81 percent under Chief Justice Roberts, who joined the court in 2005.) The kinds of cases the court is hearing have changed, too. In the Warren court, all of the rulings in favor of religion benefited minority or dissenting practitioners. In the Roberts court, most of the religious claims were brought by mainstream Christians. The five most pro-religion justices all sit on the current court, the study found. The justices who are largely responsible for this shift are Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh, the studys authors wrote. While there are some differences among these justices, and Kavanaugh has been involved in only a handful cases, they are clearly the most pro-religion justices on the Supreme Court going back at least until World War II. All are Republican appointees. In the last term alone, the court sided with Christian religious groups in three argued cases. The court ruled that state programs supporting private schools must include religious ones, that the Trump administration could allow employers with religious objections to deny contraception coverage to female workers and that employment discrimination laws do not apply to many teachers at religious schools. And the court will soon decide whether Philadelphia may bar a Catholic agency that refused to work with same-sex couples from screening potential foster parents. Phuket veterans association calls for help to support Myanmar refugees PHUKET: The Phuket International Veterans Association is calling for people to make donations of essential items to help the flood of Myanmar refugees crossing the border in Northern Thailand. Myanmarcharity By The Phuket News Monday 5 April 2021, 12:00PM A handout photo from the Royal Thai Army shows an injured Myanmar refugee being put on a stretcher before being transported to a hospital in Mae Sam Lap. Photo: AFP The situation at this stage appears to be brewing into a minor humanitarian crisis, said Steve Pearce, founder of the International Veterans Association. Hundreds of refugees have crossed the border at Mae Sariang in Mae Hong Son province. This includes women and children, Mr Pearce said. Apparently they are arriving with little more than what they are wearing, he added. I am sure that most of us have been waiting for the news that the migration of refugees coming from Myanmar would hit Thailand. As always with the migration of refugees, it gets messy as they arrive with little to survive with. The situation is developing into a minor humanitarian crisis, Mr Pearce told IVA members in a call to action yesterday (Apr 4). The Thai military have arrived and will likely be corralling the refugees into refugee initial holding areas and will be trying to document them before handing them to the second area run by the aid agencies, he said. Many of the arrivals are men, women and children and have little more than the shirts on their backs. Clearly we cant be deeply involved in providing help, if for no other reason, none of us have been vaccinated yet. But we can help. We are stepping up to support the efforts to make these poor people more comfortable. The way we will do it is to start the collection of much-needed equipment to send up to them, he added. Please take this warning order seriously and do all that you can to find donors for this equipment. I am arranging the use of a warehouse near the area for the equipment to be distributed from, Mr Pearce noted. Essential items being collected include: basic medical supplies, dried foods, tinned foods, blankets, towels, washing bowls, soap/shampoo, toothpaste/brush, traps and string, candles, cooking pots and utensils, old clothes and footwear, sanitary towels, pampers and childrens toys. Donations of kit can be delivered to my house, I can supply the address of course. I will find a way to get it to the Mar Sariang warehouse, Mr Pearce told The Phuket News. He also pointed out for those looking to make donations of clothes that most of the refugees would be of smaller sizes. Non-governmental organisations looking to provide aid supplies to refugees fleeing Myanmar near the border must first contact local authorities, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has announced. We have secured a warehouse in the area for us to take the donated equipment before we hand it over to the lead aid agency working the operation. Pat Cotter from Phuket Rugby is in Chiang Mai and is making sure that whatever arrives, gets to the right people, he added. Any persons looking to donate any items or otherwise help with the effort are asked to call Mr Pearce directly on 089 5870819. For more information about the International Veterans Association, visit the website PhuketVeterans.com or the International Veterans Association Facebook page. Alternatively, email contact.us@phuketveterans.com Giancarlo DiTrapano, the founding editor and publisher of the influential independent press Tyrant Books, died suddenly on March 30 while visiting New York City from his home in Naples, Italy. He was 47. Tyrant announced the news of his death on Twitter on April 2. The cause of death was not announced. DiTrapano, an influential figure in independent publishing, began his career in literature in 2006, when he founded the literary journal New York Tyrant Magazine. In 2009, DiTrapano pivoted to book publishing, establishing the independent publisher Tyrant Books. He ran the press singlehandedly from his apartment in New York's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood until 2013, when Tyrant partnered with Fat Possum Records to secure more funding. Under his auspices, New York Tyrant Magazine was reestablished as an online magazine in 2016, with Jordan Castro in the editor's chair. Those who knew DiTrapano said he had a singular eye for talent and a particular passion for work that pushed against boundaries. That meant, at Tyrant, publishing such works as Atticus Lish's Preparation for the Next Life, which won the 2015 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was a PW Picks selection in 2014; The Complete Gary Lutz by Gary Lutz, which received a starred review in PW; and The Sarah Book by Scott McClanahan, which the New York Times called, in its review, "not a book you savor," but "one you inhale." DiTrapano had his critics, but that was never a problem. "Tyrant stuff isnt for everyone, but nothing should be for everyone," he once said. "Or at least nothing thats worth anything. You know whats for everyone? Water. Water is for everyone. And if youre publishing something for everyone, well, youre publishing water." McClanahan has his own take on the matter: "In the years to come, it will be acknowledged," he said, that "Gian helped shape and change the literary culture of the 21st century." A somewhat self-styled anti-establishment figure, the West Virginiaborn DiTrapano's influence also extended further into traditional New York publishing than was always public knowledge. The success of Nico Walker, whose novel Cherry was published by Knopf in 2018 and adapted into a film earlier this year, is the perfect example. It was Tyrant that first acquired the novel, in 2013, and DiTrapano who performed the first rounds of edits. He later decided to sell the book to Knopf, he told The Intercept earlier this year, "because A) I was broke and B) since Tyrant is a small press, I was afraid the book would get overlooked." While best known as an editor and publisher, DiTrapano published his own work in such outlets as the Paris Review, Playboy, and VICE. And his ardor for discovering and helping to develop literary talent extended beyond publishing proper as well, especially into teaching. He taught fiction and editing classes at Catapult, and lectured regularly on writing and literature in both English and Italian. During his New York Tyrant days, he established an annual fiction award named for his late older brother, Lidano Albert DiTrapano, which included a round-trip plane ticket to Italy and a week at Villa DiTrapano, the family home in Sezze Romano. At that same villa, DiTrapano and his friend Chelsea Hodson, the author of the essay collection Tonight I'm Someone Else, ran Mors Tua Vita Mea, a semi-annual, week-long writing workshop, starting in 2017. (Its name, translated from the Latin, means "your death, my life.") DiTrapano is survived by his husband, Giuseppe Avallone; his mother, Martha; and his siblings. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in DiTrapano's honor to Mountain State Spotlight, a civic journalism project for and by West Virginians. A virtual service will be held at 1:50 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 6. "The coco de mer is a much-loved cultural and botanical classic of Seychelles," says Katy Beaver, a Seychelles plant specialist who has spent years researching the rare palm. The coco de mer, also known as the sea coconut or double coconut, is a curious case of island gigantism that contains the world's biggest and heaviest seeds. Rare Seeds The seed's alluring form has also attracted a lot of interest. The palm, which is shrouded in myths and mythology, grows naturally on only two of Seychelles' 115 islands: Praslin, the country's second-largest island after Mahe, and neighboring Curieuse. The plant is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list since only around 8,000 mature trees remain. Coco de Mer Anatomy The dioecious coco de mer palm has distinct male and female plants that can take up to 50 years to achieve sexual maturity, depending on environmental factors. Its prolonged growth rate has led to its endangered status. There was a flourishing black market for the shell before the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to smuggling in protected areas. Forest fires, irregular rains due to climate change, and rodents and disease are among the other dangers. Related Article: Rare $480-Worth Chinese Medicine Plant Learns to Hide From Humans Protecting the Seeds Now, conservationists are appealing to the islanders for assistance in ensuring the palm's survival. Residents were encouraged to apply for permission to plant up to five coco de mer seeds on their land under a scheme that began last summer. Our field workers noticed germinating coco de mer seeds being carefully removed from the ground outside Vallee de Mai, one of the nature reserves we run, at the start of the pandemic last year, says Dr. Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, CEO of the non-profit Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF). Poachers were ruled out because there are better ways to steal the seeds, and with tourism on hold, the coco de mer shell, a popular tourist souvenir due to its provocative form, was no longer in demand. Fleischer-Dogley describes it as "the handiwork of someone who only wished to cultivate the coco de mer." Poachers were ruled out because there are better ways to steal the seeds, and with tourism on hold, the coco de mer shell, a popular tourist souvenir due to its provocative form, was no longer in demand. Fleischer-Dogley describes it as "the handiwork of someone who only wished to cultivate the coco de mer." The trade-in coco de mer nuts has been regulated by a permit scheme since 1978. The MACCE needs anybody who grows the palm on their land or exchanges the nut to be licensed. Each nut is assigned a number and registered. Even the coco de mer shells, which cost between 5,000 and 6,000 Seychellois rupees (roughly 170-200) to visitors, need a permit. Long Term Process Since germination takes several months, SIF workers can check in on the planted seeds every six months and see how they're doing. "Not only have we registered the parcel number from the cadastral [a precise map of ownership], but we've also mentioned the GPS coordinates of where each seed is planted," Fleischer-Dogley says. If a nut doesn't germinate, we will fix it if the landowner requests it." Because of the plant's slow growth rate, not all of the licensed property owners can see a coco de mer palm mature during their lifetime. Also Read: Weird Nature: 5 of the Most Bizarre Bug Eating Plants on the Planet For more news about rare plant species, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Pay TV provider Skys launch of Sky Connect B2B gives the company the potential to become a force in the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market, according to one analyst firm. Gary Barton, a Principal Analyst at GlobalData says, however, that Sky should not be too cautious, noting that Sky Connect has played to Skys broadband strengths but it needs to do more to stand out in the market. Comcast offers advanced WiFi services that Sky should consider adding to its portfolio as soon as possible. GlobalDatas research indicates that poor WiFi performance is a major concern for home workers, says Barton. Sky should also be bolder with its promise of flexibility. Its contract terms are similar to many other providers. What businesses want is reliability and to avoid being locked in to contracts. Barton notes that Sky, formerly owned by Fox, is now owned by US media and communications giant Comcast which boasts 15 years of experience in the US B2B telecoms market, two million enterprise customers and group annual revenues of $103.6bn of annual revenues. The combination of Skys brand and Comcasts experience and financial muscle gives Sky Connect a great chance to succeed despite the already high levels of competition in the UK SME market, says Barton. Skys consumer-facing Sky Broadband division already has six million customers making it second only to BT. This presence gives Sky a huge internal market to which to sell. GlobalDatas research highlights a strong crossover between the consumer market and the small enterprise market when SMEs decide on their broadband provider. GlobalData says the launch also comes amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of large numbers of people working from home. COVID-19 has made people and businesses think extra hard about their home broadband provider and the reliability of their service, Barton observes. More people will opt for higher grade, business class services. Sky Connect has intelligently added 4G backup to its higher tier broadband services in the event that the fixed broadband connection is interrupted. It can also use its existing customer service engineers to offer higher levels of support to business customers. Dehradun: The Uttarakhand forest department has received reports of at least 40 active forest fires. As the temperature is increasing in the state, the incidents of such forest fires is also on rise. To help the state authorities in fighting such fires, the Centre rushed NDRF teams and helicopters for assistance. Earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Sunday (April 4) held an emergency meeting on the situation and apprised Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "We asked the Centre to give us two choppers to control the fire situation. We have been given the same. We are hoping to douse the fire using choppers today," CM Rawat told news agency ANI after the meeting. Following the meet, Union Home Minister assured the Uttarakhand Chief Minister of Centres assistance in tackling the situation in hand. "To control over the forest fire in Uttarakhand, the Central government has given orders to deploy NDRF teams and provide helicopters to the Uttarakhand government," Shah tweeted in Hindi. At least four people and seven animals have been charred to death. "A total of seven animals and four persons died and two persons injured. The weather made it challenging for the state government. The Chief Minister and I are monitoring the situation separately. We will try to douse the fire with helicopters," he said. "12,000 guards and fire watchers of the state forest dept deployed to douse the fire. Fire destroyed property worth Rs 37 lakhs so far," said the Principal Chief Conservator. Since January 2021, there have been 983 incidents of forest fire in the state affecting 1,292 hectares of land, officials said. Live TV 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. Google and Oracle have been battling in court for years over the claim that the Android mobile OS violates Oracle copyright. Back in 2019, the US Supreme Court agreed to hear Google's appeal of a federal appeals court ruling that Android violated Oracle copyright by using unlicensed Java code, and today the Court has made a decision. The Supreme Court just ruled 6-2 in favor of Google, a decision that should overturn the earlier decision. The introduction to the decision says that "Googles copying of the Java SE API, which included only those lines of code that were needed to allow programmers to put their accrued talents to work in a new and transformative program, was a fair use of that material as a matter of law." This back-and-forth has been ongoing for years. Originally, a jury found in Google's favor, saying its usage of the Java code was considered "fair use." But in 2018, the Federal Court of Appeals overturned that decision, ruling that Google did indeed violate Oracle's trademarks; that decision would have sent the case back to a California court to determine how much Google's parent company Alphabet would owe Oracle. But the Supreme Court decided to hear Google's appeal, and now it seems this might finally exhaust Oracle's avenues for getting compensation from this legal battle. The Supreme Court had previously decided against weighing in on the case, but that was back in 2015. Oracle provided the following statement from Dorian Daley, the company's executive VP and general counsel: The Google platform just got bigger and market power greater. The barriers to entry higher and the ability to compete lower. They stole Java and spent a decade litigating as only a monopolist can. This behavior is exactly why regulatory authorities around the world and in the United States are examining Google's business practices. We've reached out to Google for comment and will update this story if we hear anything. Update, 11:15AM ET: Added statement from Oracle. New Delhi, April 5 : Areas reporting more than three Covid-19 cases in a day would be designated as micro-containment zones, said Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday. The Minister said the Delhi government would soon create micro-containment zones in the national capital to check the spread of Covid-19. Jain said random Covid testing was being carried out at a rapid pace. The Minister urged the people of Delhi to follow Covid-19 protocols and avoid any negligence. "I believe that taking necessary precautions is of utmost importance to stop the coronavirus infections," he added. Jain claimed that the state government is taking appropriate measures which includes ramping up the daily testing capacity. "Infected patients, asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients are being home quarantined, and moderate to severe Covid-19 cases are being isolated and treated in the hospitals. Genome tracing is also being carried out and nearly 30 people are being traced for the coronavirus infection," Jain added. Responding to queries regarding the sharp surge in the number of Covid-19 cases and subsequent deaths caused in the city in the last few weeks, the Minister said,"The severity of the cases is comparatively lower as compared to the previous Covid-19 wave. This is the fourth wave in Delhi and the second wave in the country." Delhi on Sunday reported 4,033 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours and the positivity rate rose to 4.64 per cent, according to the state Health department report on Sunday. The city also reported as many as 21 deaths taking the overall death tally to 11,081 till Sunday night. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The Foreign Ministry issued a travel advisory for Myanmar on March 3, citing the ongoing political turmoil and violence in the country. The advisory urges Koreans to postpone or cancel travel plans to Myanmar, and recommends those currently in the country leave. The government is operating flights temporarily between Myanmar and Korea one or two times a week to bring Koreans home. It plans to increase the number of flights to three a week and is also considering sending charter flights. The ministry has set up an emergency team to monitor the situation and assist Koreans in Myanmar. Hey Blake, What can you tell me about a building in the 600 block of South Peters Street in the Warehouse District? The awning says The Lemoine Company but the sidewalk also says The House of Quality and F. Hollander & Co. Dear reader, Frederick Hollander was one of the citys more successful wine, liquor and beer importers and dealers in the late 19th century. He was originally with the firm of Kieffer and Hollander before forming his own business, F. Hollander & Co., in 1870. Mr. Hollander combines with a thorough knowledge of business the accomplishments of a gentleman and we doubt not will meet with the success he deserves, wrote The Daily Picayune in July 1870 as it announced the opening of Hollanders business at Decatur and Customhouse Street (later named Iberville Street). Hollander died in 1891. His three sons, Mose, Simon and Lazard (known as L.F.), continued to run the family business. In 1912, the company relocated to a new two-story building at Lafayette and South Peters Street. The newspaper described Hollander as having a somewhat distinguished reputation of being the oldest wholesale liquor house in the city. This firm probably has the most modernly equipped quarters of any liquor house in the South, wrote The Daily Picayune, adding that the companys new location carried about as big a supply of liquors as will be found in the South including a car tank of California wine per week in addition to many carloads of finer American wines and imported goods European wines, gins and other liquors. In 1918, Hollander merged with another major liquor distributor: Loeb-Lion-Felix Ltd. The operation moved to Loeb-Lion-Felixs headquarters on Tchoupitoulas Street. In recent years, the South Peters building has housed a mix of businesses, including a law firm, architect and now a construction company. A 27-year-old woman was seriously injured after being rammed by a bull that had escaped from a cattle ranch in the Andalusian town of Gerena. The young woman was admitted to the Virgen Macarena hospital in Seville. Four other people were injured in the incident on Saturday, 3 April, before the animal was finally captured by residents in the area. Guardia Civil, Local Police and the parademics were alerted to the incident by a call to the 112 Andalucia emergency control centre. According to the health services the group was hiking in a rural area when the bull attacked. The police have opened an investigation to try to clarify what happened. According to the ABC newspaper, the animal was a two-year-old calf and belongs to the Marques de Albaserrada ranch. Apparently, it escaped through a broken fence. Lily Collins struck a beautiful pose for a glamourous series of snaps ahead of the virtual 27th annual SAG Awards on Sunday night. The Emily in Paris star, 32, slipped into a magical jewel-encrusted dress for the prestigious event, and looked at ease in front of the lens. Featuring spectacular embellishing and a Peter Pan collar, Lily teamed her pastel pink frock with pretty strap heels and wore her long brown hair straight and loose. Stunning: Lily Collins, 32, struck a beautiful pose for a glamourous series of snaps ahead of the virtual 27th annual SAG Awards on Sunday night Not wanting to detract from her short gown, Lily kept her jewellery understated. She simply added a pair of diamond earrings and some rings for an dash of extra sparkle. Glam-wise, the actress opted for puffs of lilac eyeshadow and a dash of pink lipstick. In February Lily virtually announced the nominations for the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards alongside actor Daveed Diggs. The pair between them ran off the names of those up for trophies in 13 film and television categories. Magical: The Emily in Paris star, 32, slipped into a magical jewel-encrusted dress for the prestigious event, and looked at ease in front of the lens Simple: Not wanting to detract from her short gown, Lily kept her jewellery understated, simply adding a pair of diamond earrings and some rings for a dash of extra sparkle The brunette beautys Instagram Live came days after she learned she had received a Golden Globe nomination for her Netflix series Emily In Paris. She was nominated in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy category. In an Instagram post, in which she was seen cuddling up to her beloved pup Redford, Collins shared: 'Words cannot express how extremely grateful and excited I am to be nominated for my role in Emily in Paris and for the show's nomination!' SAG WINNERS 2021 Cast in a Motion Picture Da 5 Bloods Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Minari One Night In Miami Trial of the Chicago 7 - WINNER Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - WINNER Anthony Hopkins, The Father Gary Oldman, Mank Steven Yeun, Minari Mank: Gary Oldman is up for Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture Amy Adams, Hillbilly Elegy Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - WINNER Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman Frances McDormand, Nomadland Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7 Chadwick Boseman, Da 5 Bloods Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah - WINNER Jared Leto, The Little Things Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami Up for one: Sasha Baron Cohen is also nominated for The Trial of the Chicago 7 Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy Olivia Colman, The Father Youn Yuh-Jung, Minari - WINNER Helena Zengel, News of the World) Ensemble in a Drama Series Better Call Saul Bridgerton The Crown - WINNER Ozark Lovecraft Country Leading the way: The Crown received an impressive five nods at the SAG Awards Male Actor in a Drama Series Jason Bateman, Ozark - WINNER Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us Josh O'Connor, The Crown Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul Rege-Jean Page, Bridgerton Female Actor in a Drama Series Gillian Anderson, The Crown - WINNER Olivia Colman, The Crown Emma Corrin, The Crown Julia Garner, Ozark Laura Linney, Ozark Crowned: Gillian Anderson has received a nod for her role in Netflix hit The Crown Ensemble in a Comedy Series Dead to Me The Flight Attendant The Great Schitt's Creek - WINNER Ted Lasso Male Actor in a Comedy Series Nicholas Hoult, The Great Dan Levy, Schitt's Creek Eugene Levy, Schitt's Creek Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso - WINNER Ramy Youssef, Ramy Female Actor in a Comedy Series Christina Applegate, Dead to Me Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant Annie Murphy, Schitt's Creek Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek - WINNER Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Bill Camp, The Queen's Gambit Daveed Diggs, Hamilton Hugh Grant, The Undoing Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True - WINNER Drama: Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman are also nominated for The Undoing Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You Nicole Kidman, The Undoing AnyaTaylor-Joy, The Queen's Gambit -WINNER Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture Da 5 Bloods Mulan News of the World The Trial of the Chicago 7 Wonder Woman 1987 - WINNER Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series The Boys Cobra Kai Lovecraft Country The Mandalorian - WINNER Westworld Advertisement She went on: 'The greatest gift of playing Emily has been providing a sense of escapism and fun during a time when we all needed it most. 'I'm so proud of this show and so thankful to the HFPA, Netflix, Darren and the entire cast and crew without whom Emily would be truly lost.' The award ended up going to Catherine O'Hara for her performance in Schitt's Creek. Meanwhile, Lily celebrated her 32nd birthday in March and shared a heartwarming snap of herself as a little girl prancing around in a tutu with a bow in her hair. 'Birthday baby! Thank you guys for all the love today!' she gushed in her caption for her more than 23 million followers. Lily is musician Phil Collins daughter by his second of three ex-wives Jill Tavelman whom he was married to from 1984 until 1996. During the insurrection, altogether over 70 police stations were simultaneously attacked and 40 of them were either captured or forced to abandon for security reasons. After assessing the security situation, when the army moved in, the revolution however failed. by Dr Laksiri Fernando 5 April 1971, fifty years ago, was a Monday like today.I was an assistant lecturer in economics at Vidyodaya University during that time, a prominent stronghold of the JVP (Peoples Liberation Front) which led the insurrection. When I went for my lectures in the morning not even half of the students were attending. All the prominent JVP activists like Bamunusinghe or Bikkhu Bhaddiya were absent. The whole campus appeared deserted. It was not a secret to us that the JVP might attack the government at any time, but the exact date was not known. It was on Radio Ceylon by midday the news about the Wellawayapolice station attack was announced. It was on the previous night. There was a stern warning from the police not to get involved in any subversive activities. The JVP cadres were supposed to attack all possible police stations simultaneously on the 5thnight in a bid to trigger a revolution, but the impatient members atWellawaya made the move a day before unintentionally though alerting the police and the government. Perhaps they received the wrong instructions about the date. Those days unlike today, the armed forces were small, and the police were the main bastion of the state apparatus. Capturing power in that fashion by capturing police stations however was impossible by any imagination. More pertinent question was what would they have done in case they had managed to capture power? The Background It was less than a year ago in May 1970 that the JVP supported the United Front (UF) government led bySirimavo Bandaranaikes SLFP, assisted by the two main left parties, the LSSP and the CP, to come to power at elections. Whether it was merely a tactic to first support and then attack, or whether they actually weredisillusioned within a year is a question of speculation. It could be both. While unemployment, including graduate unemployment, was exceedingly high without a proper plan or solution after the election, the state repression also was high even curtailing any leftwing or youth activity in the country. Just a year later, therefore, the JVP attempted to capture state power through extra-parliamentary means but miserably failed without popular support to the purported revolution. Compared to the previous radical or violent political events in the country, the uprising and its suppression were extraordinarily ferocious on both sides and created a chain of violent political cycles of which Sri Lanka has not yet been in a position to fully recover. Although the major insurrectionary events lasted only for three weeks in April, it took nearly three more months to completely eradicate the rebellion outposts in the jungles and remote villages. The official death toll was 1,200 but unofficial figures reliably estimated it to be around 4-5,000. There are even higher estimates. The insurrection by its very nature was to capture state power in fairly a democratic country at least at that time. It was not a spontaneous rebellion by the youth facing unemployment or any such hardships. It was a planned insurrection by the JVP, working as an underground insurrectionary party, of course affected by and utilizing various socio-economic issues. If not for those socio-economic grievances large numbers of youth would not have joined the movement. In addition, the JVP considered the unemployed rural youth and university students as its political support base or vanguard. This theory resonated some of the New Left ideas of Herbert Marcuse or Jean Paul Sartre who sought new vanguards for contemporary social revolutions. No serious attempts however were made to appeal to the other sections of the society. There was no serious trade union wing under the JVP at that time unlike today. Trade union struggles were considered kandakoppasatan to mean struggles for the porridge bowl. In that sense it was a leftwing adventure. Insurrectionary Influence During the insurrection, altogether over 70 police stations were simultaneously attacked and 40 of them were either captured or forced to abandon for security reasons. After assessing the security situation, when the army moved in, the revolution however failed. The 1971 insurrection in my opinion did not produce anything tangibly positive. It left only a legacy. It however created a culture of organized political violence that has been the bane of the country since then. It is arguable whether it was the outcome of a major malice underneath or the/a cause for the subsequent events.It is also argued that the LTTE not only was influenced but took the excuse or the example from the JVP insurrection. The promulgation of the 1972 Constitution was completely unrelated to the event. The standardization of university admissions in 1972 could be considered a distorted outcome of the insurrection, which on the other hand created grievances on the part of the Tamil youth. The 1971 insurrection was solely by the Sinhala rural youth. One impact of the insurrection was the de-legitimacy of the incumbent center left UF government that slowly created conditions for the more conservative UNP to take over the country in 1977. Or are we mixing up all the leftwing terminology to interpret the political history of the country upside down? Judging by the fact that the JVP itself supported the UF to come to power at the 1970 elections, and launched the insurrection within a year, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the objective result of the insurrection was the strengthening of the political opposition in the country whether it was rightwing or not. The JVP, the party that launched the insurrection did not draw its lessons for posterity. They made bigger mistake in 1987-89. Only genuine admissions of error came from some leaders who left the movement for various reasons. Although the number of the deserters was significant, the impact remained inconsequential. Even there can be doubts whether they have drawn the correct lessons judging by the type of politics or activities that some of them have been involved in later. There was some temporary admiration of the bravery of those who were involved in the insurrection by local and international commentators. Some of the local admirers came from unexpected quarters likeindependent intellectuals. Undoubtedly, the insurrectionists were brave to mean that they risked their lives or future for a course that they believed in. That was mostly at an individual level and some of the leaders involved apparently proved to be some of the best brains in the country. They could have done a better service to the society or for social change if they were not lured to violence in that instance. Different Interpretations? There were a plethora of literature or theories that attempted to understand and explain the event and its causes. Ian Goonetilekes Bibliography on the subject documents almost all the initial studies conducted on the insurrection. The most popular theories were in the sphere of sociology or political sociology that in fact argued for valid socio-economic and other grievances which supposedly led the leaders to lead the insurrection or the supporters to join the rebellion. There were around 16,000 who were supposed to have followed the movement directly and indirectly. The population explosion, dysfunctional education, stagnation in the economy, rural poverty and more precisely the unemployment and graduate unemployment were highlighted as the salient socio-economic factors behind the uprising. All these undoubtedly were objectively verifiable factors that remained more or less on the same level or ferocity throughout the years of 1960s or 1970s. Why then the insurrection took place in April 1971 was the question? There were several political scientists who went slightly deeper into investigate the political circumstances of the insurrection and the ideology of the JVP, but soon conveniently fell back into the socio-economic explanations and more or less concluded that there had been something wrong in the society that led to the insurrection.There has always been something wrong with the existing society no doubt. The left parities in the country were in fact were formed even prior to the independence to fight against these injustices or inequalities. But to wage war against a government that was elected with their own support on those grievances or injustices was completely a different matter. It could have come, under the prevailing circumstances, either from leftwing idealism or from quest for power for some reason. While in the case of the 1971 insurrection, the first possibility was undoubtedly prevalent to a great extent, the second strand of motivation also cannot be ruled out. It was this subjective aspect of the insurrection and the movement that many of the initial theories and interpretations of the 1971 insurrection neglected or failed to grasp. This subjectivity of the JVP ideology has been abundantly clear thereafter in their second failed attempt of insurrection in 1987-89. Relevant Theories The frustration-aggression theory and the theories based on the same premises have failed to understand that frustration or underlying socio-economic grievances themselves would not automatically lead to aggression or rebellion without intermediary factors such as leadership, ideology, and organization. This is common to both leftwing and rightwing movements. Take the example ofBoduBalaSena (BBS) in Sri Lanka or Proud Boys in the USA. It is the leaderships, organizations and ideologies that instigate organized political violence. This is what I mean by subjective factors in this article. Violence is not inherent; it is basically constructed, cultivated, and taught, either by the society or by political movements. In the case of the JVP, its mastermindRohana Wijeweera was instrumental in bringing a particular kind of violent political ideology to this country. It was during his studies at the Lumumba University in Moscow that he acquired, in my view and evidence, a distorted version of Marxism and revolution, like what Pol Pot of Cambodia acquired in France. Wijeweera did not acquire his theories from the Russian revolutionary literature but from some contemporary pseudo-revolutionary theories popular among his contemporaries like KassimHanga of Zanzibar and Che Ali of Indonesia. KassimHanga and the group led a one day revolution in Zanzibar in January 1964 which was successful and that was the model initially Wijeweera wanted to follow in Sri Lanka. The broad spectrum of the JVP theory argued that revolutions are possible in different ways. The workers and peasants are not necessary. What is needed is the cultivation of a committed cadre organization. Armed struggle and simultaneous uprising were the strategy. Undoubtedly, the prevailing economic and social grievances helped the JVP to convince 2,000 to 3,000 cadres to participate in the insurrection and over 10,000 youth and others to help them. The ideology of the JVP at that time was a combination of a type of socialism and an extreme form of nationalism. The Indian expansionism was one of their five classes. The main thrust of the ideology was the justification of violence under different pretexts and reasons. There were of course excesses on the part of the counter-insurgency operations, but they were limited or mild compared to many other situations in the contemporary world or later events in Sri Lanka. There were no mass graves uncovered related to the 1971 insurrection. The suppression of the communist insurrection in Indonesia in 1965 was also a contrast. But it cannot be denied that both the insurrectionary and counter-insurrectionary measures since early 1971 finally led to the April insurrection. Some of the measures, however, such as the declaration of emergency and arrest of suspects for security reasons left no option but Wijeweera to call for the insurrection somewhat carelessly on the 5th night of April. He was in jail and kept in Jaffna remand during that period. One objective of the insurrection was to rescue him from Jaffna jail by paralyzing the country and forcing the government to release him. There were considerable excesses and violations by both parties. The rape and murder of Kataragama beauty queen, PremawatheeManamperi, was a high point of army excesses. There were many innocents who lost their lives due to the events. I lost two of my friends who were active in the Ceylon Teachers Union but did not have any connections with the JVP. It was later revealed that they were killed to avenge a personal grudge by a police officer. Conclusion Violence it appears contagious. It is like a horrible epidemic like Covid-19. The insurrection changed the mindset of many people, alas negatively, both in the authority and those who almost naturally opposed it, and on both sides of the ethnic divide. The reasons for the distinctions are not easy to figure. The insurrection opened the flood gates and Sri Lanka never could become the same. Recurrent cycles of major violence were to follow,with a relative interlude after 1971 until 1983, in almost all spheres of political life from elections to ethnic relations, and political party competition until 2009 and even thereafter. This has been the unfortunate saga of Sri Lanka for which collective solutions needs to be sought by all political parties, religious organizations,ethnic communities,and civil society movements. The present JVP hopefully could play a major role in this process through their experiences. The JVP has played many positive feats lately being a critical opposition in the country and genuinely fighting against corruption. Since Sri Lanka is facing new challenges due to Covid-19 and international pressure/intervention on reconciliation, accountability, and human rights, whatever the temptation or provocation, the country should stick to nonviolent and peaceful methods. The power of the mind and ideas might prove to be more successful than the power of the muscle or the arms. It only requires more discipline and more determination. It is the same path that the remaining rebels in the North and others should follow in Sri Lankan politics. SPRINGFIELD As he got ready for school Monday morning, Jaiden Jimenez, 11, said some affirmations and did some tapping meditation to help him conquer his first day at Glickman Elementary School in Springfield. I was feeling anxious because its my first day and I was meeting a lot of new people that I had only seen on the computer before, he said. I really find it (tapping) helpful because it calms me down when Im at my hardest times. Jaiden is one of thousands of elementary school students across the state who started their first day of in-person learning following a mandate from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that all Massachusetts elementary school children participate in some form of in-person learning starting April 5. Glickman principal Elizabeth Bienia said her staff has been preparing for the technical and logistical aspects of having students in the classroom, but the emotional aspect is just as important. There was a lot of excitement, but also some anxiousness among the teachers and the students as they arrived for their first day back, but we find that the tapping really helps with that, Bienia said. The school has been using the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), commonly known as tapping, for five years after the staff and students received training from Gena Rotas, an East Longmeadow-based wellness expert and clinical social worker. The technique involves using your fingers to tap key points on the head and body to calm anxiety and balance the bodys energy. Along with the tapping the teachers and students recite different mantras for a positive school day. We have a teacher who really embraced it and she would do it over the loudspeaker. This year she did it virtually through a video program we have called Flipgrid and we noticed that kids were uploading their own videos doing the tapping with a mantra, she said. Now every day the school plays a different video from a teacher or a student doing the technique so everyone can follow along. With the added stress of remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic and now a hybrid learning format Bienia said the technique has helped everyone remain calm and positive. So far the feedback from my teachers has been that everyone is excited to be back. The students are happy to see each other and their teachers and we of course are thrilled to have students back in the building, because we missed them all so much, she said. Bienia said the one concern so far has been the concurrent teaching of in-person and remote students which teachers are attempting for the first time. Currently about 50 percent of students at the school will remain remote for the remainder of the school year. The district provided web cams and boom mics for each classroom so that teachers could teach those students in the classroom and students at home, but it will take some adjustment in the coming weeks, she said. For students like Jaiden whos families chose a return to in-person learning, this new format is an opportunity to return to a more traditional way of learning. I found remote learning to be pretty hard because youre learning everything from a computer and you cant really connect with your teacher or the other students, he said. I mostly stayed in touch with my real friends who have my back by talking to them when we played Fortnite, but its not the same as being around each other in person. Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick said day one was a success, crediting administrators, teachers, staff, families and students for working together to follow the new safety protocols in place, which include mask wearing, social distancing and frequent hand sanitizing. Im extremely proud of our educators and school staffs and administrators for orchestrating a return to school that was executed so well. Im especially proud of our students and families for taking the leap, he said. With a successful day one under our belt, I am confident that processes will be fine-tuned, practices will become ingrained and soon everyone will be completely in the swing of things. Its just so great to welcome students back into the classroom once again. As for the rest of the year and next fall Jaiden said he wants things to go back to normal, even if its a bit different now. What Im most looking forward to is everyone coming back together and learning how we usually do, he said. Related content: Students at a Texas high school were required by their teacher to watch the graphic video of George Floyd's death as part of an assignment and parents are not happy about it. The unidentified freshman teacher at Cedar Hill High School in Dallas didn't ask for permission from students' parents before assigning the class to act as "jurors" during the ongoing trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, per Newsweek's Benjamin Fearmon. Instead, the 14-to-15-year-old pupils were instructed not to discuss what they witnessed "with friends, siblings, or relatives not even the family dog" for at least six weeks. Nigerian President Urges That Lake Chad Water Transfer Is Imperative April 4 , 2021 (EIRNS)Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari forcefully relaunched the Lake Chad Water Transfer Project, known as Transaqua, in a meeting with visiting Chad President Idriss Deby on March 27. Buhari reminded everyone that about 30 million people are adversely affected by a shrunken Lake Chad, which is now just 10% of its original size, insisting: It is imperative that there be water transfer to the Lake Chad from the Congo Basin, so that the people can resume their normal lives, according to an official press release from the Presidency. He added that with inter-basin water transfer, farming, fishing, animal husbandry would resume, and curtail irregular migration of youths, who now dare the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, to get into Europe, seeking greener pastures, said the statement by Buharis special media advisor Femi Adesina. Ive been engaging with the relevant stakeholders in Africa and beyond, on why we need to recharge Lake Chad. Nigeria will benefit more, but it is also advantageous to everyone, President Buhari concluded. Chad President Idriss Deby said that recharging Lake Chad is of importance not only for the whole of Africa but for the entire world. He counseled the Nigerian President to consider convening an international summit to move the idea forward. At a conference over Feb. 26-28, 2018, member states of the Lake Chad Basin Committee (LCBC) adopted Transaqua, the project drafted by a group of Italian engineers led by Dr. Marcello Vichi over 40 years ago, as the only feasible solution to the Lake Chad crisis. Eventually, the Italian Environment Ministry and the Lake Chad Basin Commission signed a MOU for a 1.5 million grant to finance a feasibility study for the project. At the end of 2019, Italian Sen. Tony Iwoby provided for doubling that fund with an entitlement in the 2021 national budget. However, the study has never taken off, allegedly because the African side did not take action, despite the fact the Italian Ministry of Environment had given a green light to the proposed Terms of Reference. It is not excluded that some LCBC member states underwent pressures from European neocolonialist circles that have since long time undertaken a stealth opposition against Transaqua. Meanwhile, last November 2020, former EU Commission president and former UN envoy for the Sahel Romano Prodi confirmed his full support for Transaqua and to a possible international coalition to build Transaqua, involving the UN, the EU, the African Union and China. President Buharis new intervention is hopefully giving new impulse to the project. New Delhi: Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), that is manufacturing COVID-19 vaccine, may apply for marketing authorisation for Covishield, as per a business daily report. If granted permission, SII will be able to to sell the vaccine commercially. Serum Institute might seek permission for selling Covishield commercially from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) by the end of April, Business Standard reported. Covishield is developed by British Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. India has approved two vaccines against COVID-19 -- Covishield, manufactured by the SII, and the indigenously-developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech -- for restricted emergency use in the country. As on April 4, India's coronavirus cases remained unabated as 93,249 new infections were recorded on Sunday, the highest single-day rise since September 19, with the Centre attributing it to a severe decline in the compliance of COVID-appropriate behaviour, pandemic fatigue and lack of effective implementation of containment measures. The Centre said that a special campaign for COVID-appropriate behaviour with emphasis on 100 percent mask usage, personal hygiene and sanitation at public places, workplaces and health facilities will be organised between April 6-14. As India races to contain the fresh wave of COVID-19, five states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal have carried out over 43 percent of the total vaccinations in the country, according to the Health Ministry data. Of the total 7,59,79,651 vaccinations carried out till now, 3,33,10,437 were carried out in these five states. Live TV #mute With PTI Inputs Vaccinations for the coronavirus are supposed to be free and available to all Americans regardless of insurance or immigration status. For some, that isnt how it has been playing out. Here are common false barriers to look out for. As the United States seeks to end its coron avirus crisis and outrun variants, public health officials recognize it is essential for as many people as possible to get vaccinated. Making that easy is a major part of the plan. According to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the vaccine is supposed to be free to everyone, whether theyre insured or not. And the Biden administration has directed all vaccination sites to accept undocumented immigrants as a moral and public health imperative . But this promise has not always been fulfilled, ProPublica has found. At vaccination sites around the country, people have been turned away after being asked for documentation that they shouldnt need to provide, or asked to pay when they owed nothing. In part, this has happened as businesses administering the vaccine try to recoup administrative fees they are allowed to charge to the government and private insurers. To aid them in passing along the bill, major pharmacies ask those being vaccinated for their Social Security numbers and insurance information. They arent supposed to deny a shot to people who arent covered or try to make them pay the fees. But both of those things have happened. Workers at vaccine sites have also turned away people who they felt didnt provide sufficient proof that they belonged to an eligible group, demanding to see medical records or other evidence of underlying conditions. While the vast majority of states dont require such documentation, government officials havent always communicated that clearly. The resulting barriers can be higher for those less equipped to advocate for themselves, such as undocumented people and those who do not speak English. Because of this, even as vaccines have become more widely available, they are still not easy for some of the most vulnerable people to access. You Do Not Need a Social Security Number or Insurance to Get a Free COVID Vaccine. Your Immigration Status Does Not Matter, Either. Camille lives in Baltimore with her 77-year-old mother. (She asked to be identified only by her first name for privacy reasons.) When a nonprofit organization helped her mother get a vaccination appointment an hour away in College Park, Maryland, Camille took time off from work to drive her there. Theyd only brought along her mothers state ID card. But when they went up to the counter at the CVS pharmacy, an employee asked for insurance information and a Social Security number. Camilles mother, who is from Togo and is seeking asylum in the United States, doesnt have either of those. Camille said the employee told her theyd have to pay if they wanted a vaccine. No one is supposed to be charged for the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CARES Act, and immigration status shouldnt affect eligibility. Many vaccination sites ask for insurance and Social Security information so they can charge administrative fees to insurance companies or the federal government, but those arent requirements for being able to get vaccinated. Interview: Former Moroccan party leader says notable achievements made since CPC's founding Xinhua) 10:37, April 05, 2021 RABAT, April 5 -- In all of his visits to China since 2006, Ilyas El Omari, former general secretary of the Authenticity and Modernity Party of Morocco, could feel that China had made tangible progress in agriculture, industry, commerce, urban construction, culture and politics. These achievements cannot be accomplished without the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Omari told Xinhua recently. The CPC analyzes the gains and losses in the past and makes correct plans for the future, said Omari, adding that it is this ruling philosophy of keeping pace with the times that has constantly enhanced China's influence in the economic, political and diplomatic fields. Noting that the CPC has achieved its goal of eradicating absolute poverty before the party's 100th founding anniversary this year, Omari said that was in the interests of the Chinese people and the people of the world, and was a major achievement made by the CPC and the Chinese people. Since its founding, Omari said, the CPC has paid attention to the interests of farmers and rural areas, and has never forgotten to support agricultural development when promoting economic development. The CPC has established close ties with the people and under its leadership, China has the ability to continue to promote the development of rural areas, he said. Omari was invited to participate in the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting in Beijing in 2017. He said he was deeply impressed by the remarks on jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind made at the meeting by Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. "People across the world should be guided by the vision that all the people under the heaven are of one family, embrace each other with open arms, enhance mutual understanding, and seek common ground while setting aside differences. Together, we should endeavor to build a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi said then. The way China has managed the COVID-19 epidemic is smart and successful, Omari said, adding that he saw the Chinese method as an example of crisis management. On the Morocco-China relationship, he said that the friendship between the two countries boasts a long history, noting that Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta visited China in as early as the 14th century. Morocco has an important strategic position connecting Africa and Europe, while China is the second largest economy in the world, he said, adding that cooperation between the two countries is complementary and mutually beneficial. In the interview, Omari proposed that the two sides should further strengthen economic and cultural exchanges, enhance mutual understanding, and use this as a basis to consolidate further cooperation between the two countries in the political and diplomatic fields. (Web editor: Du Mingming, Bianji) WB Congress chief Adhir Ranjan, made the conditional offer to the TMC chief in wake of her open letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi Adhir Ranjan calculated move, however, has raised eyebrows of the Left and ISF which see the Trinamul and the BJP as common enemies in the poll battle. (Photo: PTI) Berhampore: In a dramatic twist, the Congress has indicated that it would look into offering support to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to tackle the BJP but only if she withdrew all 22 Trinamul Congress candidates in Murshidabad as a "favour". The Congress is fighting the West Bengal Assembly elections in alliance with the Left Front and the Indian Secular Front of Furfura cleric Peerzada Abbas Siddiqui. WB Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, MP from Berhampore, who has been a key face in forming the alliance, Sanjukta Morcha, made the conditional offer on Sunday to the TMC chief in wake of her open letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and many others for support. His calculated move, however, has raised eyebrows of the Left and ISF which see the Trinamul and the BJP as common enemies in the poll battle. At Berhampore, Chowdhury said, "Ms Banerjee has been scared of her defeat in Nandigram. That is why she wrote to Ms Gandhi to get the support of Congress to combat the communal BJP here. But I request the CM: You first withdraw all the 22 TMC candidates in this district in favour of Congress. Then we will think about supporting you." He added, "Ms Banerjee, who has realised of her failure to fight the BJP alone, back-stabbed our party earlier by poaching many of our MLAs and taking control of municipalities and Panchayat bodies, which were won by us, with the help of her former protege Shuvendu Adhikari." The Government of Thailand has started a rigorous vaccination campaign in the resort island of Phuket in order to kick start the stagnant tourism industry. The residents of Phuket were allowed to jump the queue during the mass inoculation drive to speed up the Thai governments goal of vaccinating at least 460,000 people by July 1, in order to fully reopen the island to overseas tourists latest by October. Phuket Tourism Association President, Bhummikitti Ruktaengam told CNA that the island economy has been in shambles due to the COVID-19 pandemic that grounded international air travel and induced fear for travel. Phuket residents have been losing hope, he said. Only last year, the country had welcomed as many as 40 million tourist arrivals, but this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the figures of overseas travellers shrank to just 6.7 million, dipping 78 percent. Incurring the Thai government revenue loss of 87.5 million baht (US$2.92 million). The island nation is now aiming to administer jab to 70 percent of the islands population with joint efforts from Phukets industry association of hotels and tourism to achieve herd immunity by October. Scrapped quarantine measures Thailand also scrapped the quarantine measures for the travellers to revive the tourism sector, allowing the foreign nationals to be able to roam, explore cafes and establishments freely without restrictions. Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, meanwhile, told local broadcasters that the goal of mass inoculation is challenging but necessary to boost the nations GDP. The administration also relaxed the border measures to uplift the devastated tourism sector and attract foreign visitors. A spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tanee Sangrat, told the Associated Press that the travelers entering the country Thais, and non-Thais are no longer required to have fit-to-fly documents issued by Thai consulates effective April 8. Although, a negative covid test result will be mandatory to produce. Meanwhile, those who are immunized will be required to show the certificates approved by the Thai FDA and the World Health Organization. Thailand is hoping to fully reopen Phuket as it is one of the most popular destinations for international travellers on the Island. The expansion of the community mining scheme introduced by the government is expected to resolve the incidences of illegal small-scale mining activities in the country, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor has said. This approach, he said, will ensure the use of safe mining operations, environmental protection as well as the reclamation of the lands after mining operations. In view of this, the Minister said his Ministry is working with all the relevant agencies including the Minerals Commission to expand the scheme. It is hoped that this will also create employment avenues for the youth of the country who are interested in mining. Mr. Jinapor, who was speaking in an interview at Adomanu, at the back of a two-day working visit to the Ashanti Region, said it is evident that the way forward to resolving the issue of illegal small-scale mining is community mining. Between my office and the minerals commission, we are going to make sure that we expand community mining in Ghana to protect the environment and also to offer more employment to the youth, he said. The Minister who visited some small-scale mining sites to observe their operations, including the Adansi North community mining site, said we are insisting that mining should be done in a regulated manner to help protect the environment just like what is being done at this site. We as a government have no space for illegal mining. He cautioned that illegal mining will not be countenanced by the Akufo-Addo led administration. At Adomanu, the Minister, however, expressed his dissatisfaction with the safety measures at one of the mining sites. The miners were operating in smaller pits without regard to safety measures, as at the time of visit. He directed the Minerals Commission to ensure that the activities of the miners are duly regulated to save lives. Im not particularly excited with this style of mining here because the safety measures are not up to scratch. In a related development, the Minister who visited AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine expressed satisfaction with the commitments made by the Mine over the period. He particularly acknowledged the adherence to local content. He said the development is very welcoming because thats a major issue in the industry and it is a matter which he intends to pay particular attention to. This is because the resource which has been given to the Ghanaian people by God should be of benefit to investors but it also should be of tremendous benefit to the Ghanaian people. It is on the basis of this that he acknowledged that the involvement of local companies in the work of the mining companies is of extreme importance. He, therefore, lauded AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine for their commitment to local content, environmental protection among others. Source: B&FT 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 Despite the continued development and commercialization of various wearable electronic devices, such as smart bands, progress with these devices has been curbed by one major limitation, as they regularly need to be recharged. However, a new technology developed by a South Korean research team has become a hot topic, as it shows significant potential to overcome this limitation for wearable electronic devices. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), or KIST, announced that a research team led by Director Jin-Sang Kim of the Jeonbuk Institute of Advanced Composite Materials has developed a high-efficiency flexible thermoelectric device that is capable of autonomously generating some of the electricity required for its operation from body heat. The device developed by the team features enhanced thermal insulation capabilities, made possible through the fabrication of the flexible silicone compound (PDMS) into a sponge-like configuration, which was then used as a framework for innovatively enhancing the device's performance. Thermoelectric devices are able to generate electricity by utilizing the difference in temperature between the two ends of the device, and have been used as eco-friendly generators of power from sources such as vehicle engine heat or waste heat from power plants. Conversely, by instead applying electricity to the thermoelectric device, one end of the device can be cooled while the other generates heat, enabling them to also be used in temperature control systems for small refrigerators, vehicle cooling sheets, and semiconductor equipment. Normal thermoelectric devices commonly have a rigid ceramic substrate supporting the thermoelectric semiconductor, making them difficult to use on curved surfaces, whereas in flexible thermoelectric devices, a polymer material encapsulates the thermoelectric semiconductor, as opposed to a ceramic substrate, allowing the device to be bent easily. When such a device is worn on the body, electricity can be autonomously generated, and it can also potentially be used as a portable air conditioner. As a result, flexible thermoelectric devices have been garnering much attention in the field of wearable electronic devices. However, the polymer materials used to produce the flexible substrate have a high thermal conductivity, and therefore cannot block heat at both ends of the device. Consequently, the flexible devices that have been produced so far have had the fatal shortcoming of not being able to perform at a level comparable to commercial thermoelectric devices with a rigid substrate. In pursuing a solution to this issue, the research team at KIST fabricated a sponge-configuration polymer material, by first pouring a silicone compound solution onto a sugar cube and allowing the solution to solidify, and then dissolving the sugar cube in water. Consequently, as the sugar cube dissolved, the space which had been occupied by the cube was transformed into a structure consisting of micro air bubbles. The thermal insulation capability of this structure was 50% higher than conventional materials, enabling it to effectively block the transfer of heat. The team at KIST used this substrate as a support frame to develop a flexible thermoelectric device that suffers from no loss of performance. The team's device demonstrated performance that was superior to existing flexible thermoelectric devices by more than 20%, and comparable to existing commercial devices. The research team (including the first co-authors: Dr. Sung-Jin Jung, Dr. Joonchul Shin) was able to successfully use their flexible device to turn on an LED light with body heat. Director Jin-Sang Kim of the Jeonbuk branch of KIST stated that "the efficiency of our flexible thermoelectric device was raised to a level comparable to that of commercial thermoelectric devices through a simple, inexpensive process that requires pouring a solution on sugar and allowing the solution to solidify." He also commented, "if we used a sufficient number of thermoelectric devices, it should certainly be possible to produce smart bands that operate on body heat alone." ### This research project was conducted as part of the National Research Council of Science & Technology's Creative Allied Project, as well as the Creative Materials Discovery Program headed by the National Research Foundation of Korea and supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT). The findings of this study were published in the March edition of the international journal "Nano Energy." Prosecutors investigating Taiwans worst railway disaster in seven decades have appealed to the public for any photographs they may have taken of the crash that killed at least 50 people. Hualien County prosecutor Yu Hsiu-tuan said people may have inadvertently gathered evidence in their photos, particularly about individuals observing the crash scene from a construction site above. The disaster on Friday was believed to have been caused when a construction truck parked on a steep slope slid down the hillside onto the tracks in front of the Taroko Express train as it sped towards a tunnel at 81 miles per hour. The train was carrying 494 people, about 150 of whom had standing tickets, when it slammed into the truck and derailed when entering the tunnel, crushing many passengers inside the carriages. Expand Close President Tsai Ing-wen pays her respects at a memorial for victims of the train crash (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Tsai Ing-wen pays her respects at a memorial for victims of the train crash (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP) The truck had been driven by construction site supervisor Lee Yi-hsiang, who was taken into custody on Sunday after having initially been released on bail. Lee, who is believed to have failed to engage the trucks handbrake, offered a tearful apology while being taken from home, saying he would co-operate with the authorities investigation fully, and take responsibility. Lee has a previous conviction for falsifying documents related to construction work and was considered a flight risk. Investigators have said the driver of the train probably had just 6.9 seconds to react to the truck on the tracks. Both the train driver and the assistant driver were killed and most of the fatalities were in the front four cars of the eight-car train. The sale of standing room-only tickets and the lack of protective fencing along the tracks, which run along a narrow strip between a steep hillside and the Pacific Ocean, have been cited as possibly contributing factors to the disaster. Transport minister Lin Chia-lung tendered his resignation on Sunday, saying he would take ultimate responsibility. Premier Su Tseng-chang has told him to stay on for the time being and Mr Lin and others are due to report to the legislature on Wednesday about the disaster. Expand Close Lee Yi-hsiang offers a public apology as he is led away by police (EBC via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lee Yi-hsiang offers a public apology as he is led away by police (EBC via AP) Mr Lin was also minister during Taiwans last major rail crash in October 2018, when an express train derailed while rounding a tight corner on the north-east coast at high speed, killing at least 18 people and injuring nearly 200. Wrecks in 1981 and 1991 also killed 30 and 31 people. Taiwans worst rail disaster was in 1948, when a train caught fire in suburban Taipei, killing 64 people. The most recent disaster struck on the first day of the annual four-day Tomb Sweeping holiday, when families often return to their home towns to pay respects at the gravesites of their elders. Its also an opportunity to take a holiday and many of the passengers were families with children. Taiwan is a mountainous island, and most of its 24 million people live in the flatlands along the northern and western coasts that are home to most of the islands farmland, biggest cities and high-tech industries. The lightly populated east where the crash happened is popular as a tourist destination, and the railway line is known for its beautiful natural scenery. Growing up, archaeologist Rhiana Ward didnt aspire to be like the bullwhip-wielding adventurer Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider Lara Croft she wanted to be a veterinarian. Her subconscious said otherwise. Looking back, she found there was always a gravitational pull to the career that rouses her from bed early in the morning. But theres really no explanation why Lisa and Chris Casias only child had a desire to romp in the backyard and pretend she was collecting artifacts. Nor was there a clue as to why she would smear berries on rocks as if painting the craggy wall of a prehistoric cave, splattering juice on her clothes, horrifying her mother. It wasnt until her third year of studying for her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at San Antonio that she could envision a career in archaeology. After a month of field school in Belize, Ward fell in love with the study of human history, the nitty-gritty of uncovering untold stories and underrepresented populations. On ExpressNews.com: Burgundy Woods is on the rise as home-grown fashionista, style influencer and champion of unsung fashion heroes About the author A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning. See More Collapse That is a part of archaeology that I absolutely love, said Ward, 34. Its not about artifacts, its about being able to tell the story of people who no longer have a voice and the imprint they left. For the past four years, Ward has worked at Raba Kistner, an engineering consulting and program management firm, as an assistant director of cultural resources. She has worked as field technician, crew chief and field director and has authored numerous professional and academic publications. Born and raised in San Antonio, Ward is proud of projects she has worked on across the city, including City Hall renovations, San Pedro Creek redevelopment and Alamo preservation and restoration. A fifth-generation Texan, Ward said its an honor to investigate the heritage of people who could be her ancestors. Her ancestry includes immigrants from Poland, Germany and northern Mexico. On ExpressNews.com: Do what you love to do - San Antonios Shoeman Sam provided personal service of a bygone time In 2009, Ward earned a bachelors in anthropology from UTSA and in 2013, a masters in anthropology from Texas Tech University. Ward said that before anyone moves up the ranks of cultural resource management, they have to delve into the meat and bones of the job. Early on, that meant putting in long hours of shovel bumming, a term that describes the life of a professional archaeologist. She traveled from project to project and lived off per diem and out of the trunk of her car. Those were often 13-hour days, working seven days a week, on digs and surveys in sweltering heat. She would clamber down a ladder to carefully coax out history embedded in rock and stone with a trowel, hand pick or specialty shovel. This was her life, her work across the southern United States and Belize, tucked into 3-foot-by-3-foot holes excavated several feet underground. Ward said shes inspired by the memory of women archaeologists who came before her, the ones who paved the way for her and future generations. She said that up until 20 years ago, archaeology had been a male-dominated field of study. In recent years, more women have transitioned into the field as principal investigators and taken lead roles. Ward said Raba Kistners team of 12 archaeologists includes eight women. One of the proudest moments of her career came on a 17-month-long Alamo project, the longest field investigation of her career to date. For the duration of the project, the majority of 10 to 18 team members were women. They were amazing, Ward said. Theres no way that project could have gotten done without every single one of those ladies help. I was really honored and privileged to work with all of them and be able to lead them in the field. Ward started the project five weeks pregnant and now has a 1-year-old daughter. She has faced her share of challenges while juggling her career and home life. On ExpressNews.com: Arc of San Antonio members life filled with adventure and achievements on world stage In her early years, a landowner would not allow her onto his property because he believed a woman could not do the work of an archaeologist. There have also been issues at some construction sites where workers have questioned that she was in charge when it came to resources. Ward said the keys to her success have been persistence, good timing and support from her husband, Jeff, parents, in-laws and peers. Being the mother of a 1-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son while working as an archaeologist has required endurance, but shes been able to balance her work and home with the help of her network. Having family all around me is such a blessing, she said. Im lucky I get to go home at night. Writing is the most strenuous and draining part of her projects, she said. But theres always a sense of pride when the work is complete and she hits the submit button. Hopefully in 50 years, another archaeologist will look and see the work I have done, Ward said, and acknowledge the hard work that was done on it. vtdavis@express-news.net Subscriber content preview SEATTLE The SoDo Urban Works building at 4001 First Ave. S. sold for a little over $53.4 million, according to King County records. The seller was 4105 First Avenue South Investments LLC, associated with the Wright family, which acquired the property in 2006 for $16.6 million. . . . Former first lady Michelle Obama will team up with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more for a televised NBC special encouraging the American public to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Roll Up Your Sleeves, presented by Walgreens, will air on Sunday, April 18, at 7pm ET/PT. Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief Medical Adviser to the President, will be interviewed by Matthew McConaughey, and will separate fact from fiction about the vaccination process. Obama, Miranda, and others will take part in segments that will educate audiences about making the decision to get vaccinated in an effort to end the pandemic. The show will also feature comedic and musical performances, with an overriding message to get vaccinated when it's your turn so the country can get back on track. Joseph Carr, a Rensselaer County native who got his start in the hospitality business more than 30 years ago at The Sagamore hotel in Bolton Landing and restaurants on Albany's Lark Street before going on to a hugely successful career making wine, achieved a new level of fame over the weekend when his Josh Cellars brand was mentioned and shown in a "Saturday Night Live" skit. The bit, about middle-aged parents finishing dinner with their 20-something daughter and her boyfriend, opens at the kitchen table of a typical ranch-style suburban home. As they consider which board game to play, the parents effuse over the boyfriend's wine choice. "I love that it's called 'Josh,'" says the mother character, a short-haired blonde played by "SNL" cast member Kate McKinnon, whose specialities include women coming unhinged in comedic ways. She says, "That's such a neat name for wine." As the skit progresses, the passive-aggressive mother, peeved that the others chose Scattergories over her preferred Rummikub, quaffs Josh and does increasingly loud housework. "I'm drunk," she finally says. "I think I had too much Josh." The scene, spoofing, among other things, suburban culture and the sharp increase in alcohol consumption by women during the coronavirus pandemic, ends with a photo of a bottle of Josh Cellars' cabernet sauvignon and a Rummikub box. An announcer says, "Josh wine, the official wine of Rummikub." "It's amazing to get exposure like that. It really says something about how the brand's getting out there," said Carr, reached Monday morning at his home on Cape Cod. He lived in Albany and, later, Schodack Landing until building and moving to a Cape Cod home in 2012 with his wife, Deirdre Carr, with whom he ran the wine company. She died of brain cancer in 2018. Josh Cellars, which has 10 types of wine bearing its label, is the nation's best-selling brand in its mid-teens price category. Carr's first wine, under his Joseph Carr Winery label, came out in 2005, with Carr personally selling all 1,200 cases from his own vehicle. The lower-priced Josh Cellars, on the market since 2009, exploded in popularity starting in 2012, when, in a lucrative deal, the Carrs sold the sales and marketing components of their two labels to the Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits conglomerate but retained overall ownership. By 2017, Josh Cellars was moving 2 million cases annually. The figure now, Carr said, is 4 million. And many of those bottles are going to households like the one depicted on "SNL," Carr said. "That's very much my market," said Carr, connecting the fictional family with the estimated 17 million viewers of Oprah Winfrey's March 7 interview with Price Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Josh Cellars advertised during the two-hour CBS special, Carr said, and the commercial has since been viewed online 7 million times. "If 10 years ago somebody had said to me this was what was going to happen with my wine, I'd have laughed at them," Carr said. "I went from selling it out of the back of my station wagon to it being known enough for 'Saturday Night Live.'" Josh Cellars honors Carr's father, Joseph Josh Carr. Born in Vermont in 1932, he left high school at age 17 to work on the Rutland Railroad. His story, folksy images and nostalgic print ads and commercials featuring Joseph Carr, who is a charismatic presence and raconteur, have helped push the Josh brand to an ever-broader market. "It was named after my father, but now people talk about their 'new friend Josh,'" said Carr with a laugh. "The joke is that instead of saying they're going out drinking, people are saying they're going to 'hang out with Josh.'" Italy's Prime Minister, Mario Draghi speaks during a press conference in Rome amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic on March 26, 2021. (Alessandra Tarantino/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Italy First in EU to Mandate COVID-19 Shots for Health Workers Italy on March 31 became the first EU country to mandate that its health care workers be vaccinated against COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus, in a move the government said is aimed at protecting its vulnerable patients in hospitals. In a decree passed by Prime Minister Mario Draghis cabinet, all health care workers, including pharmacists, are required to undergo vaccination, and those who refuse to be vaccinated could face suspension without pay for the remainder of the year. The aim of the measure is to protect as much as possible both medical and paramedical staff and those who are in environments that may be more exposed to the risk of infection, the government said in a statement. The measure also grants legal protection for those who administer the COVID-19 vaccines, something doctors and nurses had demanded after medics were placed under investigation for manslaughter following the death of a vaccinated man in Sicily. It comes amid a series of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreaks in the countrys hospitals that some believe were accelerated by unvaccinated health care workers. Last month, several health care workers were infected at Bolognas SantOrsola hospital, and in February, two employees at Rovigos Santa Maria della Misericordia hospital who had refused to be vaccinated were suspected of spreading the disease to patients. Draghi told reporters at a press briefing last month that the move would protect vulnerable people in hospitals. It is absolutely not OK that unvaccinated workers are in contact with the sick, Draghi said, the New York Times reported. Italy, whose vaccine campaign has been hampered by supply delays that have also hit other European Union countries, has pledged to reach 500,000 daily inoculations in April from around 230,000 at present. Three COVID-19 vaccines have been approved by Italys medicines agencyAstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna. A box of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is shown at a vaccination hub in Rome, Italy, on March 24, 2021. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images) Some 10 million doses have been administered since late December, with around 3.1 million of Italys 60-million-strong population receiving the recommended two shots. No other country in the EU has mandated COVID-19 vaccines for its health care workers, however France has mulled the idea. The UK is reportedly considering mandatory jabs for care home staff. Medical professionals responding to a Medscape post titled Should COVID-19 Vaccination Be Mandatory for Healthcare Workers? offered differing perspectives on the matter. Antonio Pujol de Castro, president of the Spanish Medical Student Council (CEEM), suggested that people may begin to question the vaccines if they are made mandatory. We, as healthcare workers have the privilege to know how to gather information about health issues, and make our own clinical decisions. As health workers we should be exemplar and get vaccinated because there is evidence of its benefits to the population, he wrote. However, we are not just health workers. We also are individuals with our own beliefs, preferences and fears. I feel like we, as health workers should highly recommend to our colleagues to vaccinate themselves, give them information, and make them feel that in order to stop this virus we have to be on the same boat, and doing so means vaccinating everybody, especially healthworkers. Romania-based Dr. Serban Comsa added that all medical therapies should respect the principle of consent to treatment. Dr. Mahazu Yisa, who specializes in the management of chronic disease in London, said he believes that COVID-19 vaccines should be mandatory for health care workers to protect the individual, his or her colleagues and patients. All three above are essential for safe healthcare delivery, Yisa wrote. New York-based neurologist Dr. Josh Torgovnick, 72, meanwhile proposed that mandating the vaccination of health care workers would mean that no-one can be accused of discrimination and the world will be a healthier place. If you can prevent a potentially deadly disease and dont, that is akin to murder, Torgovnick said. Dr. Rajiv Singh said that he is amazed at how readily we are undoing civil liberties in the name of national security or nanny health over the last 20 years. The history of the last 500 years is largely about the fight for individual liberty and freedom and however uncomfortable, we cant force vaccination, he wrote. To those who say that it puts other at risks, sadly this is true. But so do many people as a result of their health and lifestyle decisions. We cant impose health decisions. Reuters contributed to this report. Lucknow, April 5 : The Yogi Adityanath government has said that not more than 100 persons will be allowed at a time in weddings and other functions in view of the spiraling Covid cases. The chief minister gave these instructions at a meeting of Team 11 here on Monday morning. Guests will have to adhere to safety protocols that include wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. The chief minister has also asked candidates in the upcoming panchayat elections to campaign only in groups of five and to wear masks. The new order on Monday, is bound to cause considerable inconvenience to those who are hosting weddings in the coming days and have already invited guests more than the prescribed numbers. "My daughter's wedding is on April 23 and I have already sent out invites to about 200 persons, besides there will be guests coming with the 'baraat'. I do not know how to tell the guests now that I am withdrawing the invite. This is impossible," said Shriram Swarup, a local businessman. The domestic bourses, Sensex and Nifty, are expected to open lower on Monday, tracking negative trading at Nifty futures on the Singapore Exchange. Among the individual stocks, shares of Reliance Industries, State Bank of India, Future Retail, Dalmia Bharat, Vedanta, SBI Cards, Britannia Industries and Adani Enterprises will be in focus in Monday's trading session. Also read: Share Market LIVE Updates: Sensex Nifty to open lower; RIL SBI, Vedanta in focus Stocks to watch today: Here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus. Reliance Industries: Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) on Friday said it has received nod for the demerger of its oil-to-chemicals (O2C) business into a wholly-owned subsidiary. The Mukesh Ambani-led company secured approval of its shareholders and creditors for O2C business spin-off in the meeting of the equity shareholders, lenders and unsecured creditors of the company, which was done as per the order of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Mumbai. Vedanta: Vedanta Resources has said it contributed Rs 34,018 crore to the public exchequer in India during 2019-20 fiscal. Its overall contributions to public exchequers of various countries stood at Rs 34,310 crore during the fiscal year. Adani Enterprises: The company said its wholly-owned subsidiary, Adani Road Transport Ltd (ARTL), has bagged a Rs 1,169.10 crore highway project from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). SBI Cards: SBI Cards and Payment Services (SBI Card) has been seeing over 50 per cent of its transactions via online payments such as on groceries, utility bills, insurance premium, and hopes the trend to go up further as point of sale purchases are yet to pick up, PTI quoted a top company executive as saying. Future Retail: Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Retail Ventures has extended the timeline to complete its Rs 24,713 crore deal with Kishore Biyani-led Future group for six months. Future Retail, in a regulatory statement, confirmed Reliance Retail has extended the timeline for the "Long Stop Date" from March 31, 2021 to September 30, 2021. The deal has been opposed by Jeff Bezos-led Amazon, and both Future and RIL are facing legal hurdles in sealing the deal. Britannia Industries: The company's board has declared interim dividend at 6,200 per cent i.e., Rs. 62 per equity share of face value of Re 1 each for the Financial Year 2020-21. The record date for determining the eligibility of shareholders for payment of interim dividend has been fixed as Saturday, April 10, 2021. Dalmia Bharat: Cement maker Dalmia Bharat Ltd on Friday said securities worth Rs 344 crore have been credited back to the demat account of its arm by IL&FS Securities Services following an order of the Supreme Court. Mutual fund units of its two erstwhile subsidiaries were earlier "fraudulently and illegally transferred" by Allied Financial Services Pvt Ltd (AFSPL) "in collusion with IL&FS Securities Services Limited (ISSL)", Dalmia Bharat said in a regulatory filing. Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS): The crisis-hit company on Sunday that its arm ITNL has received a settlement amount of Rs 673 crore for Kiratpur Ner Chowk Expressway Ltd (KNCEL) and Rs 20 crore towards claims for Chenani Nashri Tunnelway Ltd (CNTL) from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Zydus Cadila: The drug maker has applied for an approval for additional indication with the DCGI for the use of Pegylated Interferon Alpha 2b in COVID-19 treatment. Washington, April 5 : Jo Kaur, an Indian-American activist and civil rights lawyer, is is now fighting for the treatment of her 15-month son, who has been diagnosed with a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder and is reaching out to scientists, researchers and physicians. A report in The American Bazaar on Sunday says that the fatal disease is extremely rare and affects just about 100 children in the US every year, leaving them with an average life expectancy of three to five years. Currently there is no cure or treatment available for the condition. The New York-based Kaur, an active civil rights campaigner, represented the Sikh Coalition while seeking deliver justice to a Sikh Disney employee who was asked not to appear before company guests because of his turban. She has also worked with the survivors of the 2012 shooting at the Oak Creek gurdwara in Wisconsin, which claimed the lives of six worshippers. The activist and her husband aims to start a research foundation towards finding a possible cure for Riaan's disease and help other similarly impacted children. They have set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs for their initiative. According to Kaur, she has received widespread support on social media, with the hashtags #PrayforRiaan and #FightforRiaan. Speaking to The American Bazaar, Kaur said: "We have had an amazing response, people have been so kind and supportive. More importantly, people have connected us to researchers, doctors, and biotech companies, and other parents doing the type of work we're looking to do. "We aren't going to sit back and let Riaan die without doing more. We're committed to finding and doing whatever we can to push the research and create viable therapies for our son." A former National Organizer of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan has called on his party leadership to with immediate effect cease the internal wrangling before it becomes a crisis. He said the party should be focusing on how to win the next presidential election in 2024 and save the country from the bad leadership of the Nana Addo-led government. This follows Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwas resignation from the Appointments Committee of Parliament and Isaac Adongos meeting with the press to express his disapproval of the minoritys acceptance of Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister. The two NDC lawmakers actions have raised concerns about the partys leadership in parliament. Some are calling for a change of minority caucus leadership but Yaw Boateng Gyan said it's needless. Speaking on NEAT FMs morning show, Ghana Montie - the former NDC National Organizer called for a united front ahead of the 2024 election. If they [NDC] are listening to me, what is going on now is not what we need as a party. We should focus to win the next election so what happened in 2020 wont repeat itself again, he said. Watch video below Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/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 [April 05, 2021] IDEMIA Collaborates with Microsoft to Deliver Secure, Digital Verified Credentials Solution RESTON, Va., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IDEMIA, a global leader in Augmented Identity, announced today that it is collaborating with Microsoft to support its new Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) verifiable credentials identity solution, now in public preview. Azure AD verifiable credentials enable organizations to confirm information about individuals, such as their education, professional or citizenship certifications, without collecting or storing their personal data. Verifiable credentials can replace all kinds of hard-copy identity credentials such as physical badges, loyalty cards, and government-issued paper documents. This digital representation of an identity or credential allows individuals to take full ownership over that personal information, which is stored on a digital wallet and accessed with a mobile device. Within verifiable credentials, IDEMIA's identity verification tools match the data against the system of records to provide an authoritative proof of identity for an individual. Because the digital information is verified by IDEMIA, the individual is protected by layers of security, and verification will take only minutes instead of days or weeks. IDEMIA is launching the service in the U.S. with plans to expand to additional markets. "Mobile ID solutions such as Verifiable Credentials are the single most important security innovation since locking your front door," MattThompson, senior vice president, Civil Identity, at IDEMIA North America. "This technology that Microsoft is now supporting in Azure Active Directory increases access to personal information while improving the security of their identity against theft, making it easier and faster for governments and organizations to verify identities and credentials." Sue Bohn, Partner Director Program Management, Identity Division at Microsoft Corp. said, "Verifiable credentials will revolutionize the way we grant access to information. Organizations will be able to verify identity information quickly with solutions like IDEMIA, while individuals will be able to own and control their credentials." Verifiable credentials are based on an open standard developed in the world wide web consortium (W3C) known as Verifiable Credentials Data Model 1.0. A verifiable credential that is represented as a JSON Web Token (JWT) has an expected structure. This standard makes it easy for credentials to be 'portable' across organizational boundaries. For example, a credential issued by a university can be verified by any employer, bank, or any other organization that accepts the same verifiable credential standard. About IDEMIA IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, provides a trusted environment enabling citizens and consumers alike to perform their daily critical activities (such as pay, connect, and travel), in the physical as well as digital space. Securing our identity has become mission critical in the world we live in today. By standing for Augmented Identity, an identity that ensures privacy and trust and guarantees secure, authenticated, and verifiable transactions, we reinvent the way we think, produce, use, and protect one of our greatest assets our identity whether for individuals or for objects, whenever and wherever security matters. We provide Augmented Identity for international clients from Financial, Telecom, Identity, Public Security, and IoT sectors. For further information, go to www.idemia.com and follow @IdemiaGroup on Twitter. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/idemia-collaborates-with-microsoft-to-deliver-secure-digital-verified-credentials-solution-301262172.html SOURCE IDEMIA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] KYODO NEWS - Apr 6, 2021 - 00:10 | All, Japan The U.S. Navy conducted in December a so-called freedom of navigation operation in southwestern Japan waters, in a move that disagrees with Tokyo's claims of sovereignty. According to the U.S. 7th Fleet, the Dec. 15 operation involved the navy's Alan Shepard supply vessel sailing in the vicinity of the Tsushima Strait between Kyushu, one of Japan's main islands, and South Korea. Its shipboard helicopter also flew. The move is seen as emphasizing the U.S. stance to abide by the international rules-based order in a veiled alert to China, which has become increasingly assertive in the East and South China seas, by equally disagreeing with its ally Japan over its claims. The Alan Shepard conducted "normal operations within claimed territorial seas to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law," the 7th Fleet has said. The Japanese government has argued that its maritime territory is based on a "straight baseline method" in accordance with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, used when there are indentations or islets or islands close to the coast. Its application of the method in 1997 has allowed it to expand its maritime claims. The United States believes that the low-water line along the coast counted during a low tide is more appropriate. Shigeki Sakamoto, a professor emeritus at Kobe University in international law, said, "The United States is opposed to a bold straight baseline method, since it also affects the airspace above the territorial sea." The December operation signals the United States is severe even against an ally's interpretation, he said. The United States has asserted its rights to navigate similarly in various waters around the world, and has conducted such operations several times in the vicinity of the Tsushima Strait and in the East China Sea since the late 1990s. In this Tuesday, March 9, 2021 file photo, Solutions Oriented Addiction Response organizer Brooke Parker displays an HIV testing kit in Charleston, W.Va. The nonprofit group operates health fairs for residents, including syringe exchanges and HIV testing. On Monday, April 5, 2021, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, R-W.Va., submitted a congressional inquiry with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding an HIV outbreak in West Virginia's largest county, two months after a CDC official warned that Kanawha county's outbreak was "the most concerning in the United States." (AP Photo/John Raby) U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin on Monday submitted a congressional inquiry with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding an HIV outbreak in West Virginia's largest county. The West Virginia Democrat asked for the inquiry on behalf of the Kanawha County Commission two months after a CDC official warned that the county's outbreak was " the most concerning in the United States." Commission President Kent Carper said in a statement that the outbreak "is an important public health issue and is deserving of our full understanding." In a letter to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, Manchin asked that the CDC review the commission's concerns and reply by Friday. Later Monday, Manchin released a letter from the CDC saying it was eager to meet with public health officials. It said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV-AIDS, would be included in the meeting. In early February, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the CDC's chief of HIV prevention, gave a presentation at a meeting of a Kanawha County HIV task force. "It is possible the current case count represents the tip of the iceberg," Daskalakis said. "There are likely many more undiagnosed cases in the community. We are concerned that transmission is ongoing and that the number of people with HIV will continue to increase unless urgent action is taken." The commission's letter to Manchin asked whether the CDC has completed an official investigation into the county's HIV surge. The letter said the commission is concerned that the statements referring to the outbreak as the most concerning in the nation "are being made without factual and empirical evidence." In this Tuesday, March 9, 2021 file photo, Solutions Oriented Addiction Response co-founder Sarah Stone, left, co-founder Joe Solomon, center, and group organizer Brooke Parker pose for a portrait in Charleston, W.Va. The nonprofit group operates health fairs for residents, including a syringe exchange and information about HIV testing. On Monday, April 5, 2021, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, R-W.Va., submitted a congressional inquiry with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding an HIV outbreak in West Virginia's largest county, two months after a CDC official warned that Kanawha county's outbreak was "the most concerning in the United States." (AP Photo/John Raby) As recently as 2014, only 12.5% of HIV cases in West Virginia were the result of intravenous drug use. By 2019, 64.2% were, according to state health department data. The increase was due primarily to clusters in Kanawha and Cabell counties. Kanawha County, which includes Charleston and has 178,000 residents, had two intravenous drug-related HIV cases in 2018. The number grew to 15 in 2019 and at least 35 last year, said Shannon McBee, a state epidemiologist. By comparison, New York City, with a population of more than 8 million, recorded 36 HIV cases tied to intravenous drug use in 2019, according to the CDC. Counties in other states with populations similar to Kanawha had an average of less than one HIV diagnosis among people who inject drugs, Daskalakis said. The surge, clustered primarily around the capital of Charleston and the city of Huntington, is being attributed at least in part to the cancellation in 2018 of a needle exchange program that offered clean syringes to injection drug users not able to quit the habit altogether. Needle exchange programs are included in the CDC's recommendations for controlling disease outbreaks among intravenous drug users. Such programs exist in dozens of states, but they are not without their critics, including in West Virginia, who say they don't do enough to prevent or stop drug abuse. With less than a week left in the regular session, the state Legislature is considering a bill to regulate needle exchange providers. The nonprofit organization Solutions Oriented Addiction Response provides addicts with clean needles in Charleston and group shares information about HIV testing with residents, including the homeless. SOAR co-founder Sarah Stone has said the legislation could shut down her group's needle exchange program. Citing the pending state bill, the Charleston City Council on Monday night postponed voting on a proposed needle exchange ordinance until April 19. Explore further Rural Indiana county's HIV outbreak tops 100 cases 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Orlando (US): Indias Aadhaar identity system rivals the growth of other platform innovations like Windows, Android or Facebook, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has said. Nadella, in his book Hit Refresh, which was released during the ongoing Microsoft Ignite 2017 conference, has praised Indias leap forward in the digital and technological arena. Aadhaar now has scaled to over one billion people, rivaling the growth of other platform innovations such as Windows, Android or Facebook, the 50-year-old wrote in his book that hit the book stores on Tuesday. He praised the creation of the new digital ecosystem IndiaStack. Read | Link Aadhaar with PAN, Mobile number, Bank account: Know all deadlines set by Govt IndiaStack is a set of APIs (application programming interface) that allows governments, businesses, startups and developers to utilise an unique digital Infrastructure to solve India?s hard problems towards presence-less, paperless, and cashless service delivery. China strategically used the global supply chain and their own domestic market to amplify their comparative advantage and bootstrap their economic growth," the India-born CEO noted. The combination of industrial policy, public sector investment, and entrepreneurial energy is what many other countries will also look to replicate from China?s success. I see the beginnings of this in India with the creation of the new digital ecosystem known as IndiaStack,? Nadella said. India is leapfrogging from once being an infrastructure-poor country to now leading in digital technology. IndiaStack ushers in a presence-less, cashless, paperless economy for all its citizens,? said the Indian American CEO from Microsoft. In his book, Nadella wrote that on a trip to Bengaluru he engaged in a conversation with Nandan Nilekani about IndiaStack and its future road map. Nandan is the legendary founder of Infosys, who went on to create a new startup working with the Indian Government-Aadhaar-the identity system that is at the center of IndiaStack, he said. Read | Centre plans to make Aadhaar mandatory for businesses, NGOs Nadella has also mentioned about Enlightiks, a startup that was acquired by Practo, a leading e-health company in India. I met the founder of Enlightiks on?the same trip to Bengaluru. They are using the latest cloud technology and AI from Microsoft to create a state-of-the-art health care diagnostics service that can, for example, detect an Atrial fibrillation event before it happens because of the rich data going from the personal device of the patient directly to the cloud,? he said. In turn, this cloud service can be made available to hospitals in Smaller towns or rural areas in India. Enlightiks also has plans to take advantage of IndiaStack to authenticate the user, accept payment, create portal medical records, and much more. This Indian innovation is now looking to expand in the US,?Africa and everywhere else,? he wrote. According to Nadella, this dynamic is not unique to China or India. I saw this across Chile, Indonesia, and Poland, and also in France, Germany, and Japan. Reflecting on my earlier visit to Egypt, it?s clear they are investing in human capital, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Christians mark another pandemic Easter Christian faithful across the globe sat scattered in pews Sunday while many stuck to homes out of caution or under restrictions. Although pandemic protocol was again the unwanted guest at the Easter table, there was a lining of hope this year: COVID-19 vaccinations. Pope Francis gave his Easter message at Mass inside St. Peters Basilica before a gathering of about 200 rather than the traditional speech on the balcony overlooking a square packed with thousands. The pandemic was front and center in the pope's Urbi et Orbi address (Latin for To the city and to the world) as Francis called for a spirit of global responsibility and encouraged nations to ensure that vaccines reach the poorest. Everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us, requires assistance and has the right to have access to necessary care, he said. Is Walmart open on Easter 2021? Is Costco closed? See the list of stores open and who is closed Sunday. Parishioners gather on a beach April 4 for an Easter Sunday service at sunrise hosted by Hope Community Church in Manasquan, N.J. History made at the SAG Awards with individual acting wins A historic night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards was highlighted by the late Chadwick Boseman's win for best lead actor in a film for his role in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." Boseman was one of the four actors of color who earned individual acting honors Sunday the first time that has happened at the SAG Awards. The other three actors of color who took home wins Sunday were Viola Davis (best actress for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"), Yuh-Jung Youn (best supporting actress for "Minari") and Daniel Kaluuya (best supporting actor for "Judas and the Black Messiah"). As for casts recognized Sunday, "The Trial of the Chicago 7" snagged the biggest prize, winning best ensemble cast. US outpaces Canada in vaccination rates The U.S. vaccine rollout may be bumpy, but it's the envy of our neighbors to the north. "Meanwhile in Canada" was trending on social media over the weekend, as Canadians lament their wobbly vaccination program. More than 30% of Americans have received at least one vaccine dose compared with about 12% of Canadians, according to public health statistics from both nations. "The good news for Americans has prompted a slew of jealousy, and criticism from Canadians asking why our provinces are so far behind," the Toronto Star wrote. Social media users were quick to point out that on one recent day, the USA administered about 4 million shots while Canada performed about 72,000 jabs. "Meanwhile in Canada we are pondering vaccine approval with same rigor as a paint color for your living room," one frustrated Canadian tweeted. Story continues Today's numbers: The USA has more than 30.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and almost 555,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: More than 130 million cases and 2.8 million deaths. At least 204 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the USA and 158 million have been administered, according to the CDC. Real quick Jordan says it foiled 'malicious plot' against King Abdullah A senior Jordanian official accused the countrys former crown prince Sunday of conspiring with foreign elements in a malicious plot that threatened national security. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the plot had been foiled at the zero hour" and 14-16 people are under arrest. Safadi spoke a day after Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, a half-brother of King Abdullah II, was placed under house arrest a rare public clash between top members of the long-ruling family. Safadi did not identify the foreign countries allegedly involved in the plot, but he said a longtime senior official who has business ties in several Gulf Arab states, Bassem Awadallah, was involved and had planned on leaving the country. He said Awadallah tried to secure a place for Hamzahs wife to flee. Stanford nips Arizona, wins first women's NCAA championship since 1992 Stanford is three for three. The Cardinal won its third NCAA womens national title, and first in 29 years, by beating Pac-12 rival Arizona 54-53 on Sunday night. It was the Cardinals third win over Arizona this season, but far more competitive than the previous two, decided by a combined 41 points. The title also came the same year as coach Tara VanDerveer became the all-time winningest women's coach, now with 1,125 victories. Stanford forward Ashten Prechtel (11) attempts to control the ball as Arizona forward Cate Reese (25) defends during the national championship game. Instant classic Final Four game sets stage for national championship In a Final Four game for the ages, Saturdays 93-90 overtime thriller pitted a team in search of perfection against a team looking to make one of the most memorable upsets in college basketball history. It was Gonzaga, the undefeated juggernaut and No. 1 overall seed, that moved on to the national championship, but not without a monumental effort from No. 11 seed UCLA. Gonzaga, 31-0, sealed the win on an incredible buzzer-beater from freshman standout Jalen Suggs, seconds after UCLA tied the game on a putback layup by Johnny Juzang, who finished with 29 points. Gonzaga, aiming to become the first undefeated national champion in mens basketball since 1976, looks forward to a championship game showdown with fellow 1-seed Baylor, who trounced No. 2 seed Houston on Saturday, 78-59. The Final Four games set the stage for the national championship Monday (9 p.m. EDT, CBS). Jalen Suggs' shot to beat UCLA is among the best buzzer-beaters in men's NCAA Tournament history. Final Four: Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs celebrates with teammates after hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in overtime that lifted the Bulldogs past No. 11 UCLA and into the men's national championship game. How to watch 2021 SAG Awards After COVID-19 delays, the 27th Screen Actors Guild Awards is dramatically changing course. Instead of its annual live show at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium, this year's awards show will head into the stars' homes for a pre-taped one-hour special. The SAG Awards will lean into its signature "I Am an Actor" declaration that has become a beloved show-opening staple. This year, presenters and winners have been filmed at their homes giving humorous, often inspiring stories of becoming a working actor. Watch it on TNT and TBS at 9 EDT/6 PDT. Here's what you need to know about Sunday's reimagined ceremony. Listen Listen to our full in-depth interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, the first of USA TODAYs Women of the Year, on this episode of the 5 Things podcast because women should be celebrated every month! P.S. Like this roundup of stories? Sign up for "The Short List" newsletter here. This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Contributing: Associated Press. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Another pandemic Easter; COVID-19 vaccines; Final Four: Weekend's biggest news Track Deccan Herald's latest updates of news in India and across the world. The AAP questioned the Centre for sending COVID-19 vaccines across the world instead of further accelerating the inoculation drive within the country, claiming it will take at least 15 years to vaccinate the entire population of at this rate. Addressing a press conference here, AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha questioned the reason for "exporting" vaccines and not supplying it to the people in first. "Vaccination doses have been exported to 84 countries. The amount exported is higher than the number of vaccine doses given to the people in Should we care about people from our own country or from other countries?" Chadha said. "Where has the Centre's vaccine nationalism gone? The AAP demands an increase in the rate of vaccinations against COVID-19 so that each and every Indian can get vaccinated," he said. He further claimed that it will take 15 years to vaccinate the entire population of India if vaccination drive continues at the current pace. "Some scientists say that to contain the virus at least 70 percent of the population has to be vaccinated. It will take 10 years to inoculate 70 per cent of the population of the country if the vaccination continues at the current pace while at the current pace, vaccinating everyone in the country will take about 15 years," he said. In India, cumulatively, 7,91,05,163 vaccine doses have been administered through 12,31,148 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am. These include 90,09,353 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the 1st dose, 53,43,493 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 97,37,850 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the 1st dose, and 41,33,961 FLWs who have taken the 2nd dose. NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nanit , the only smart baby monitor that connects parents to their baby's health and development, launched Nanit Pajamas , the newest addition to its popular line of Breathing Wear wearables that allow parents to monitor their baby's breathing motion without wires or sensors. Using the computer vision of Nanit's overhead HD camera, Nanit Pajamas feature Breathing Wear's distinctive pattern designed with shapes and color that are scientifically engineered to be read from any angle to let parents know the second their baby needs them. Nanit, the only smart baby monitor that connects parents to their baby's health and development, launched Nanit Pajamas, the newest addition to its popular line of Breathing Wear wearables that allow parents to monitor their baby's breathing motion without wires or sensors. As with previous Breathing Wear products, Nanit Pajamas work with both the new Nanit Pro and Nanit Plus cameras, are 100% cotton, machine washable and enable customers to monitor their baby's breaths per minute in real-time, without putting electronic devices on the baby or in the crib. Available at launch in four sizes, for babies up to 9 months old, including newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months, and 6-9 months, Nanit's footed pajamas are comfortable for babies and comforting for parents. The newborn and 03 months size pajamas include mittens and 6-9 months size includes non-slip grips on the feet for infants that are starting to stand and walk. "Nanit launched with the idea that the right technology could make life more manageable for new parents by connecting them to their child's development and well-being," said Nanit CEO Sarah Dorsett. "As we grew the family of Nanit products, our line of Breathing Wear sensor-free wearables became one of the top reasons parents choose Nanit for their nursery. We are thrilled to bring Nanit Pajamas to market and deliver yet another safe, simple and more naturally integrated monitoring solution for parents." Offered in a unisex pebble grey color, Nanit Pajamas will retail for $29.99USD, $39.99CAD. Nanit Pajamas can be purchased or added to a baby registry in the U.S. at Amazon.com , Babylist, and Nanit.com, in Canada at Amazon.ca and Nanit.com/ca and internationally on Big Apple Buddy. Additional retailers including buybuyBABY in the U.S. and Best Buy, West Coast Kids, Indigo and Snugglebugz in Canada will carry Nanit Pajamas later this Spring. Nanit's use of computer vision technology allows its award-winning camera to see and hear everything happening in and around the crib. This proprietary technology uniquely enables the company to take products parents already used in the nursery and make them powerful tools to monitor baby's sleep, breathing and growth right from their phone. With the Nanit Swaddle, Breathing Band, Sleeping Bag, Smart Sheets and new Pajamas, Nanit now offers more ways than ever for parents to monitor their baby's development in real-time and know when babies need them most. To purchase Nanit Pajamas or learn more about Nanit's smart baby products, visit nanit.com . About Nanit The Nanit family of award-winning products keep parents connected and informed while providing personalized insights and guidance to support their baby's sleep and well-being. From the AI-powered Nanit HD camera that tracks and analyzes a baby's sleep and growth, real-time breathing motion monitoring with Breathing Wear , to capturing amazing moments and milestones with the in-app Memories feature, Nanit helps parents see and understand everything happening in and around the crib. Since launching in 2016, Nanit has tracked over 216 million hours of sleep, 43 million parental visits, and over 22 million morning wakeups. For more information, please visit www.nanit.com and follow Nanit on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram . Media Contacts: Jaime Cassavechia EJ Media Group 212.518.4771 x. 108 [email protected] Jodi Lefkowitz Nanit [email protected] SOURCE Nanit Related Links https://www.nanit.com [April 05, 2021] Area Sensors Market is expected to expand at steady, yet healthy CAGR of around 7% over the forecast period 2021-2031 NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Area sensors are multi-beam, through-beam arrays of photo-eyes that are designed to detect the presence of specimen within the confines of the controllable height of sensor arrays. Area sensors are ideal for the detection of differently shaped and sized specimen at varied positions in a two-dimensional targeted area. The future is undoubtedly of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things, and this creates numerous opportunities for area sensor manufacturers to innovate. Furthermore, sensor technology with advanced features such as reliable functioning, precisely designed area sensors, and high sensitivity are key reasons bolstering demand across geographies. As per the revised report by Persistence Market Research, the global area sensors market is expected to expand at steady, yet healthy CAGR of around 7% over the forecast period (2021-2031). Key Takeaways from Market Study The South Asia & Pacific region is expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for players in the market, due to rise in industrial automation and changing manufacturing landscape in the region. & Pacific region is expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for players in the market, due to rise in industrial automation and changing manufacturing landscape in the region. Growing trend of cost-effective area sensors along with technological advancements is creating new growth opportunities for manufacturers. Key players in the market are focusing on acquisitions to complement their product portfolio, to cater to the needs of a variety of customers. Market participants are also focusing on providing products directly to end users to improve direct customer relations. Application of area sensors is high in picking systems, object detection, and positioning & examination. Most of the demand for area sensors comes from the food & beverage packaging and electronics industry. The market in the U.S. is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.5% through 2031, while that in Germany at around 6%. at around 6%. Market growth in China , Japan , and India is expected to be much higher, at around 8%, 9%, and 11%, respectively. Request for Sample PDF of Report: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/23308 "Area sensor manufacturers can improve revenues by upgrading existing facilities to enhance operational efficiency, reduce operating cost, and offer advaced features such as high sensitivity, precise detection, and high-visibility indicators," says a Persistence Market Research analyst. Impact of COVID-19 on Area Sensors Market The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has disrupted many industries, including the area sensors space. The spread of COVID-19 has affected major market such as Europe, Asia, and North America, and partially the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Several facilities have been affected due to the stoppage of construction and supply chain-related challenges. Know the Methodology of Report by asking an expert: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/ask-an-expert/23308 During the corona pandemic, sensor production in China fell by up to 30%-40% as compared to normal volumes, but recovered as the infection curve fell, and volumes are now back to last year's levels in both, the food & beverage packaging and automotive segments. According to estimates, demand for area sensors declined during Q3-Q4, 2020, and is now estimated to recover and return to its normal growth trajectory by Q2-Q3 of 2021. Process Productivity Enhancement and Human Error Elimination Driving Market Growth Picking systems use area sensors that enable confirmed picking of the right parts to mitigate picking errors and eliminate the marketing of defective objects. Area sensors enable picking system automation, which means that, the industrial worker is required to only observe the operation of the system. This kind of automation also eliminates the requirement of cross-checking the defects in the specimen, which increases the productivity of the overall industrial process. Customized area sensors for industries such as automotive and electronic device manufacturing enable accuracy in assembling components on a jumbled production line. Overall, demand for area sensors in picking systems is expected to rise because these sensors enable simultaneous handling of different components, which improves process productivity and eliminates the assembly of incorrect components. Get Full Access of Report: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/23308 More Valuable Insights A new market research report published by Persistence Market Research on the global area sensors market includes global industry analysis of 20162020 and opportunity assessment for 20212031. The report provides valuable insights on the basis of type (general purpose area sensors and cross-beam area sensors), sensing range (less than 1 meter, 1 meter - 3 meters, 3 meters - 5 meters, and more than 5 meters), application (object detection, picking systems, positioning and examination, personnel safety, equipment protection, and others), and industry (pharmaceuticals, food & beverage packaging, electronics & electricals, automotive, and others), across six major regions of the world. Browse Research Release at: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-reports.asp Browse End-to-end Market: Semiconductor Electronics Related Reports: CMOS Image Sensor Market: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/cmos-image-sensor-market.asp https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/cmos-image-sensor-market.asp Fluid Heating Sensor Market: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/fluid-heating-sensor-market.asp About Persistence Market Research Overview: Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes. Contact Rajendra Singh Persistence Market Research U.S. Sales Office: 305 Broadway, 7th Floor New York City, NY 10007 +1-646-568-7751 United States USA - Canada Toll-Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Visit Our Website: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661339/Persistence_Market_Research.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Now Open 5 April 2021 Marriott Executive Apartments, part of Marriott Bonvoy's portfolio of 30 leading brands, has announced its debut in Qatar with the opening of Marriott Executive Apartments City Center Doha. Owned by Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company (ARTIC), the elevated serviced apartments answer the rapidly growing demand for longer stay accommodations that offer a sophisticated experience with amenities and services that mirror the comforts of home. Marriott Executive Apartments City Center Doha features 254 modern residential apartments. The spacious studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments offer separate living, sleeping and working areas so guests can live comfortably and thrive during their stay. At Marriott Executive Apartments City Center Doha guests can dine at Campagnia cafe, a bright, vibrant space where guests can relax, socialize or work while enjoying freshly baked pastries, healthy salads and wraps. Each apartment offers cooking facilities, allowing guests to dine as if at home. During their stay guests will enjoy free Wi-Fi, a rooftop pool with expansive views of Doha's skyline, an indoor pool with a jacuzzi, and a 24-hour well-equipped fitness center. Centrally located in West Bay, Doha's thriving business and diplomatic district, the hotel is in close proximity to Doha Exhibition & Convention Center and City Center Mall, and is near to some of the city's most famous sites including the Qatar National Museum, Museum of Islamic Art, Doha Corniche, Souq Waqif and Katara Cultural Village. West Bay metro station is a short 5-minute walk from the hotel, while Hamad International Airport is a 21-kilometre drive. Margao: Taking a jibe at Pramod Sawant led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Goa, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat on Sunday (April 4) said that data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) ranking Goa second in unemployment was another feather in the cap for the state government. Kamat also said that the BJP government must now stop fooling people and start fulfilling the promises made to the people of Goa. "The directionless BJP government has pushed Goa into financial bankruptcy and economic disaster since grabbing power in 2012. The data released by the CMIE has once again exposed the false claims of the BJP government on employment in the state. This is a tight slap on the face of all those who are doing false propaganda of creating job opportunities for youth in Goa," the LoP said. Kamat further said, "BJP Government has finished the employment opportunities one after the other after grabbing power in 2012. They stopped mining, did not take any pro-active steps to boost tourism, shelved the Goa Vision-2035 Report and also failed to revive the economy. "The performance report of the BJP Government from 2012 is reflected in the 21 cases of corruption and illegalities ordered for investigation by the former Lokayukta of Goa. Besides this they do not have a single achievement to show," he added. Live TV [April 05, 2021] SPYR Technologies' Apple HomeKit Products Now Available for Purchase at Applied MagiX Online Store NEW YORK, NY, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SPYR Technologies (OTC Pink: SPYR) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Applied MagiX, made their Apple HomeKit smart home products available for purchase to the public late last week with a newly launched website and online store at https://appliedmagix.com and https://appliedmagix.com/shop . We also learned from SPYR that the company is moving to implement additional distribution channels like Amazon, the most visited e-commerce property in the U.S. with over 2 billion global visitors each year. Applied MagiX is a registered Apple developer that was acquired by SPYR Technologies in late 2020. The company develops and resells Apple ecosystem compatible products with an emphasis on the growing multi-billion-dollar smart home market, and while it continues to develop its own signature brand of proprietary smart home products and accessories, the company has chosen to begin generating revenue right now with sourced products from trusted technology partners, including Onvis. Shopping for Apple HomeKit products is made easy with the new online store at Applied MagiX, and there is no better time to join the smart home craze that is currently sweeping the globe than with the company's extremely competitive introductory prices on its first 4 smart home products: Applied MagiX is introducing the Onvis C3 HomeKit Secure Video Camera for $59.99 (the same product is listed on Amazon for $89.99). https://appliedmagix.com/shop/onvis-c3-camera SPYRs subsidiary offers the Onvis SMS1 Multipurpose Smart Sensor (Environment & Motion) for $19.99 on its web store (the same product is listed on Amazon for $24.99). https://appliedmagix.com/shop/onvis-sms1-homekit-motion-sensor The Onvis CS1 Multipurpose Smart Sensor with Alarm is available for $19.99 at Applied MagiX (the same product is listed on Amazon for $31.99). https://appliedmagix.com/shop/onvis-cs1-smart-sensor-alarm Finally, smart home enthusiasts and newcomers to the market will find the Onvis CT2 Door/Window Contact Sensor is listed for $15.99 at Applied MagiX (the same product sells for $19.99 to $34.99 on Amazon). https://appliedmagix.com/shop/onvis-door-window-contact-sensor-ct2 While these 4 essential HomeKit products are the first that Applied MagiX is introducing to the public, they certainly won't be the last. Even more Apple HomeKit products and accessories are on the way, and the company will also launch Apple Watch accessories, and Apple CarPlay products and accessories as well. We expect Applied MagiX to begin to populate its online store and other distribution channels with its expanded lineup of sourced items soon. This strategy of reselling vetted roducts will allow us to begin to generate revenue and put us one step closer to profitability while were developing our own branded proprietary products for Apple HomeKit for release into the market, said Dr. Harald Zink, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Applied MagiX. The approach by SPYR's subsidiary buys the company time, while creating capital for SPYR, to bring its own signature line of Apple HomeKit products and accessories to market, which should include a host of bigger ticket smart home items that will likely generate even greater revenue for both companies. SPYRs CEO, James R. Thompson, agrees, The importance of SPYR/Applied MagiX creating revenue-generating opportunities with the initial products that the company will order and sell is to get cash flow started as Applied MagiX builds out its sales infrastructure and product mix to prepare for it to handle the demand we anticipate for our proprietary products that we plan to introduce later in the year. Read SPYR Technologies press releases at https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/spyr/press-releases About SPYR Technologies SPYR Technologies is a technology company that, through its subsidiary, Applied MagiX Inc., develops and resells Apple ecosystem compatible products with an emphasis on the growing multi-billion-dollar smart home market. SPYR continues to identify and target acquisitions that will grow its footprint in the industry and expand the products it offers consumers, including companies developing artificial intelligence and smart-technology products. About Applied MagiX, Inc. Applied MagiX is an Internet of Things (IoT) company headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California, with an office in Hong Kong. The company is a registered Apple developer that develops and resells Apple ecosystem compatible products with an emphasis on the growing multi-billion-dollar Smart Home market. About Stock Market Media Group Stock Market Media Group is a news & media content development IR firm offering a platform for corporate stories to unfold in the media with press releases, feature news articles, corporate videos, radio-style CEO interviews, and research reports. This article was written based on publicly available information. Stock Market Media Group may, from time to time, include our own opinions about the companies, their business, markets, and opportunities in our articles. Any opinions we may offer about any of the companies we write about are solely our own and are made in reliance upon our rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and are provided solely for the general opinionated discussion of our readers. Our opinions should not be considered to be complete, precise, accurate, or current investment advice, or construed or interpreted as research. Any investment decisions you may make concerning any of the securities we write about are solely your responsibility based on your own due diligence. Our publications are provided only as an informational aid, and as a starting point for doing additional independent research. We encourage you to invest carefully and read the investor information available at the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov , where you can also find all of SPYR Technologies filings and disclosures. We also recommend, as a general rule, that before investing in any securities, you consult with a professional financial planner or advisor, and you should conduct a complete and independent investigation before investing in any security after prudent consideration of all pertinent risks. We are not a registered broker, dealer, analyst, or advisor. We hold no investment licenses and may not sell, offer to sell, or offer to buy any security. Our publications about SPYR Technologies are not a recommendation to buy or sell a security. Should Stock Market Media Group and its management own shares in the profiled company, they may benefit from any increase in the share price of the profiled companies and hold the right to sell the shares bought or issued at any given time including shortly after the release of the companys profile. Section 17(b) of the 1933 Securities and Exchange Act requires publishers who distribute information about publicly traded securities for compensation, to disclose who paid them, the amount, and the type of payment. Under the Securities Act of 1933, Section 17(b), Stock Market Media Group discloses that its coverage was extended and was remunerated an additional fifteen-thousand dollars, paid for by a third party via bank wire, for its published content related to SPYR Technologies. In February 2015, SPYR agreed to issue to us 250,000 shares of SPYRs Restricted Common Stock. Our rights to sell any of this Restricted Common Stock are subject to prior compliance with all U.S. Securities Laws, including but not limited to Rule 144. Further, our sale of any of the Restricted Common Stock is subject to a volume restriction providing that we may only sell 5,000 shares daily for every 250,000 shares of daily trading volume. All shares have been held for the requisite period under Rule 144 and were eligible to be sold immediately upon reaching the requisite holding period without further notice. Stock Market Media Group and its management never accept compensation in free-trading shares for its marketing services of the company being profiled, however third parties that have compensated Stock Market Media Group may hold free-trading shares of the company being profiled and could very well be selling shares of the companys stock at the same time the content is being disseminated to potential investors; this should be viewed as a definite conflict of interest and as such, the reader should take this into consideration. For more information: www.stockmarketmediagroup.com . Contact: Stock Market Media Group info@stockmarketmediagroup.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] If you have been thinking that COVID has bid farewell and you can be without masks then you are wrong as India saw the biggest-ever daily surge with 1,03,558 fresh Covid infections, taking the tally to 1,25,89,067 cases. According to latest developments, Akshay Kumar who has been infected with COVID has now been admitted to the hospital. He took to Twitter to share the news that he has been hospitalized. Thank you, everyone, for all your warm wishes and prayers, they seem to be working, I am doing fine, but as a precautionary measure under medical advice, I have been hospitalized. I hope to be back home soon. Take care," he wrote. Just yesterday, the action star had informed that he had tested positive and was under home quarantine. I wish to inform everyone that, earlier this morning, I have tested positive for COVID-19. Following all the protocols, I have immediately isolated myself. I am under home quarantine and have sought necessary medical care," he wrote. This isnt it. The most worrisome part is that 45 crew numbers of Akshays movie Ram Setu too have tested positive. The shoot has now been halted in order to protect others from getting infected. Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) president B N Tiwari confirmed the news to Indian Express and said, Its quite unfortunate that so many people tested positive at one go. While most were junior artists, a few from Akshay Kumars team also tested positive for COVID-19. They have all been quarantined and provided medical attention. With Akshay also in quarantine, the shoot has been suspended as of now. Akshay has been working almost constantly since restrictions on filming were eased last year. He has completed work on Bell Bottom, Atrangi Re and had begun shooting Ram Setu last week. Talking about Ram Setu, its being directed by Abhishek Sharma and will also star Nushrat Bharucha and Jacqueline Fernandez in lead roles. We hope that everyone whos infected gets well soon. Two 8-inch self-propelled artillery guns are fired during the 35th "Han Kuang" military drill in southern Taiwan's Pingtung county on May 30, 2019. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images) Beijing Accelerating Timeline for Possible Taiwan Invasion, Expert Warns TAIPEI, TaiwanThe Chinese communist regime is accelerating its plans to invade Taiwan, an expert warns, as Beijing ratchets up military maneuvers against the island. Twenty Chinese military aircraftincluding four nuclear-capable H-6K bombers, 10 J-16 fighter jets, two Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, and a KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraftentered Taiwans air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on March 26, according to Taiwans Ministry of National Defense. It was the largest incursion ever reported by the ministry. Taiwans ADIZ, located adjacent to the islands territorial airspace, is an area where incoming planes must identify themselves to the islands air traffic controller. The incursion was the most serious incident amid a significant increase in hostility by Beijing against Taiwan since 2020. Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen, reelected last January, has taken a hard line against threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), while the island has deepened its cooperation with the United Statesprompting the regime to escalate its warmongering toward the island. The CCP sees Taiwan as a part of its territory and has threatened war to bring the island into its fold. The self-ruled island is a de facto independent country with its own democratically elected government, military, constitution, and currency. The Republic of China (ROC)Taiwans official nameoverthrew Chinas Qing Dynasty emperor in 1911. After the ROC retreated to Taiwan upon being defeated by the CCP during the Chinese Civil War, the CCP established a communist state called the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, while Taiwan gradually transitioned to democracy. To this day, the Chinese regime has refused to recognize Taiwans sovereignty. Last year, the Chinese air force flew about 380 sorties into Taiwans ADIZ, the highest number in a given year since 1996. So far this year, the Chinese military has been sending aircraft into the ADIZ on a near-daily basis. The islands coast guard on April 1 announced that Beijing has been flying unmanned drones near Taiwans Dongsha Island, located in the northern part of the South China Sea. The authority said it couldnt rule out that Beijing was using the drones for reconnaissance purposes. Alongside military actions, the regime has sharpened its rhetoric toward the island. Earlier this year, a Chinese defense spokesperson threatened war against Taiwan if it declared independence. On March 31, Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the hawkish state-run media Global Times, wrote on his social media that he would like to order able-bodied men to go blow up bunkers in Taiwan in the event of war. An unnamed Chinese pilot, who flew one of the Chinese aircraft crossing into Taiwans ADIZ on March 29, said, This is all ours after being asked to leave the airspace by the pilot of a Taiwanese interceptor aircraft, according to local media, which obtained a recording of the pilots remark from the Facebook page Southwest Airspace of TW. Preparing to Invade Beijings incursions are part of a series of dry runs in preparation for an invasion of Taiwan, John Mills, former director of cybersecurity policy, strategy, and international affairs at the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, told The Epoch Times. Mills projects that these exercises could culminate in a large-scale dry run in the next two years. These dry runs are necessary, Mills said, given the complexity of amphibious landing operationsas well as the fact that the Chinese military has never conducted a forced landing on a hostile power in a real-life situation before. Any amphibious assault on Taiwan may also involve swarms of Chinese civilian merchant vessels and fishing boats, he said. He believes an invasion could come in the next three yearsmuch sooner than the six-year estimate given by U.S. Adm. Philip Davidson, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), during a congressional hearing in early March. If they havent done it in 10 years, I think [Chinese leader] Xi [Jinping] will probably have been removed from office. I think even six years is pushing it, Mills said. He added that Xi could come under pressure to attack Taiwan to deflect attention away from internal problems, such as an economic crisis. U.S. Adm. John Aquilino, the nominee to replace Davidson as head of INDOPACOM, at his confirmation hearing in March declined to endorse Davidsons six-year estimate, but said the threat of a Chinese invasion is much closer to us than most think. This point was echoed by former national security adviser H.R. McMaster, who in March said Xi believes he has a fleeting window of opportunity thats closing for attacking Taiwan. McMaster said the period from 2022 onward marks the time of greatest danger to Taiwan, coinciding with the conclusion of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The Chinese military isnt yet ready for an attack against the island, Mills said. The problem is, however, that the longer it waits, the more ready and fortified Taiwan will be. We all need to be aware of and be ready for an acceleration of these timelines, he said. Beijings Taiwan ambitions stem primarily from its desire to acquire the islands semiconductor-making capability, according to Mills. Taiwan is home to TSMC, the worlds largest contract chipmaker. China is heavily dependent on foreign semiconductorstiny chips that power everything from cellphones to missiles. According to Bloomberg, China imported $380 billion in chips in 2020, accounting for about 18 percent of all its imports. The regime is now struggling to secure foreign semiconductors following a series of sanctions slapped on Chinese companies by the Trump administration. U.S. sanctions have crippled the smartphone business of Chinese tech giant Huawei; Chinese chipmaker SMIC has also been put on a trade blacklist. Hitting Back at US Soong Hseik-wen, a professor at the Institute of Strategic and International Affairs (ISIA) of Taiwans National Chung Cheng University (NCCU), told The Epoch Times that the Chinese regime was making a statement with its incursion on March 26, in response to actions by the U.S. government in March. These events included President Joe Bidens first summit with Quad leaders from Australia, India, and Japan; the meeting in Tokyo between Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, and their Japanese counterparts; and the SinoU.S. talks in Anchorage, Alaska, according to Soong. These three events showed that there are structural conflicts between China and the United States, and they cannot be resolved through diplomatic negotiations, he said. The two-day talks in Anchorage were marked by heated exchanges on March 18, during which top CCP diplomat Yang Jiechi lashed out at U.S. foreign and trade policies over what he said was the United States struggling democracy and poor treatment of minorities. The meeting highlighted how far apart the Chinese regime and United States are on critical issues, as the Chinese delegation rejected U.S. concerns about Beijings human rights abuses in Xinjiang, its crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong, and its intimidation of Taiwan, on the grounds that they are Chinas internal affairs. Viewing U.S. actions as escalating efforts to confront the regime, Beijing decided to flex its military muscle by sending a large aircraft squadron into Taiwans ADIZ on March 26, Soong said. A bilateral agreement on coast guard cooperation between Taiwan and the United Statessigned the day before the incursionmay have played into Beijings plan to take military action against Taiwan on March 26, Soong added. The agreement, he said, was a clear attempt to push back against Beijing after it passed a law in January to allow its coast guard to fire on foreign ships if needed. With the agreement, the U.S. government was explicitly saying that the coast guard would also be a part of its maritime strategy to secure peace and stability in the region, Soong said. Chinas coast guard law has drawn widespread concern from its neighbors, including Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. On March 28, U.S. Ambassador to Palau John Hennessey-Nilan arrived in Taiwan as part of a Palau delegation headed by President Surangel Whipps. Palau is one of Taiwans 15 diplomatic allies. Soong suggested that Beijing could have received intelligence of the U.S. ambassadors visit to Taiwan, which would have prompted Beijing to show its disapproval since the visit marked the first time a sitting U.S. diplomat has traveled to Taiwan since Washington ended diplomatic ties in favor of Beijing in 1979. Kelly Craft, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, was originally going to visit Taiwan in mid-January, before her trip was canceled at the last minute. Defending Taiwan In the face of an escalating military threat from China, Mills said the Biden administration should adopt an unambiguous policy of deterrence toward the CCP. Specifically, he said the United States should have a visible naval and air force presence around Taiwan, as well as in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Boosting Taiwans self-defense capability is also important, and the Biden administration should sell the island any weapons it asks for, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act, according to Mills. Under the legislation, the United States is obliged to supply the island with weapons needed for its self-defense. Finally, the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI), created under the fiscal 2021 Pentagon spending bill, would also be vital for U.S. forces in defending the region, Mills added. The PDI, akin to the European Deterrence Initiative, is aimed at securing advanced military capabilities to deter Chinas military threats in the Indo-Pacific region. To defend against a possible invasion, Taiwan can never have enough ammunition, Mills said, adding that the islands recent move to begin producing long-range missiles that could reach deep into mainland China was a big deal. Taiwans missiles are a clear message that theyre going to reach out and inflict cost, according to Mills. Soong suggested that the Biden administration could support Taiwan in two ways: assisting Taiwan to participate in international organizations and welcoming Taiwan to become a part of a trusted industry alliance. In February, Biden signed an executive order to begin a 100-day review of U.S. supply chains in several key sectors, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and rare-earth minerals. The American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan, announced on April 1 that a virtual forum was held between high-level Taiwanese and American officials to discuss the effort to expand Taiwans participation in U.N. organizations and other international fora, including the World Health Organization (WHO). Taiwan isnt currently a member of the WHO because of Beijings objections. The Biden administration could also take active steps to enforce several pieces of pro-Taiwan legislation that were signed into law by former President Donald Trump, Soong said. The legislation includes the Taiwan Travel Act, the TAIPEI Act, and the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act. Taiwan, located on the first island chain, would be among the first targets of any Chinese military aggression in Asia. The first island chain is an arbitrary demarcation from the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, Taiwan, the Philippines, to Indonesia. For decades, the CCPs military strategists have seen the first island chain as a barrier to the regimes air and naval power, leaving the second island chain and beyond out of its reach. As a result, Soong said that some European and Asian countries, in particular Japan and Australia, are observing Taiwan closely to see whether cooperation between Taipei and Washington is solid. These countries are watching how the U.S. government will enact these legislation, questioning whether it will pay lip service [about U.S. commitment to allies security] under certain situations, Soong said. The Biden administration has said its commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid. But according to Soong, how serious the administration is in defending the island remains to be seen, especially given that Biden himself has never used the word threat to describe the CCP. Biden has instead framed the regime as Americas most serious competitor. Soong said he foresees the United States and China engaging in small-scale military conflicts in the near future, especially around two Taiwan-controlled islands in the South China SeaDongsha and Taiping. I believe the United States and China are in a new cold war, Soong said. Cathy He contributed to this report. 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. ADVERTISEMENT The Kaduna State government has announced the rescue of five of the 39 students kidnapped from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Kaduna, last month. A statement by the states Commissioner for Internal Security and Homeland Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, on Monday, said the students were rescued by security operatives in Kaduna, on Monday, and are at a military health facility in the city receiving treatment. The Nigerian military has informed the Kaduna State Government that five of the many kidnapped students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna were recovered this afternoon and are presently in a military facility where they are undergoing a thorough medical check-up. The Kaduna State Government will provide updates on further operational feedback to be received on this case. The 39 college students were abducted by bandits from the institution in March. While the Kaduna State Government has insisted it would neither negotiate with the abductors nqor pay them ransom, parents of the kidnapped students have been appealing to the government to reconsider the position in the interest of the students. The state government had on Sunday denied appointing intermediaries to negotiate with the bandits on its behalf, saying it would prosecute any person found posing as one. Mohammed Zaber, a Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh, holds the identity card of his daughter Rozia Akhter, who was refused entry into Myanmar after being detained in India for two years A Rohingya teenager is stuck in northeastern India because neither Bangladesh nor Myanmar will take her in, in yet another case that highlights the plight of people from the stateless Muslim minority group and barriers they face. Police in Indias Assam state took the 14-year-old girl, Rozia Ahkter, to the Myanmar border to deport her last Thursday, but Burmese officials refused to let her in as they cited the coronavirus pandemic and the situation inside the country, according to reporting by the state-run Press Trust of India (PTI). Mohammed Zaber, the girls father who lives at a refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh, said he spoke to his daughter in Assam on Thursday, after New Delhis attempt to send her to Myanmar where the Rohingya are from failed. The officials there [Assam] told my daughter that they would try to send her to us, Zaber told BenarNews, , an RFA-affiliated online news service. She told me that she was happy that her repatriation in Myanmar stopped. Rozia did not want to go back to Myanmar, a police official also confirmed to The Hindustan Times, an Indian daily. BenarNews contacted Md. Delwar Hossain, the director general of the Myanmar office at Bangladeshs foreign ministry, about whether Rozia could be united with her family in a refugee camp in Coxs Bazar like she reportedly wanted. Hossain said she could not. I think it is lawfully logical that the girl should be sent back to Myanmar. According to law, a person must go back to his or her place of origin, Hossain told BenarNews. Diplomatically, there is no scope to send any Rohingya to Bangladesh from India. This is because they are not our nationals. Any third country can take the girl to their country, but she cannot be sent to Bangladesh. He said Bangladesh had done more than it could for the Rohingya, hundreds of thousands of whom are sheltering on Bangladeshi soil after fleeing persecution in Rakhine state and a brutal military offensive there in 2017. Now, the other neighboring countries should stand beside them. The girl can be reunited with her family members in another way the family members can be taken there [to India], Hossain said. Destination Malaysia Rozias father and his family crossed into Bangladesh from Buthidaung town in Myanmars northern Rakhine state after fleeing from the 2017 offensive. Zaber said he and his family have been living in one of the 34 refugee camps in Coxs Bazar district since they crossed the border. After Rozia went missing in March 2019, the father told BenarNews, he later learned that she had left Bangladesh along with some people who were planning to go to Malaysia. The Southeast Asian nation, which hosts as many as 150,000 of the estimated 1.8 million to 2 million Rohingya in the world, is a desired destination for Rohingya fleeing from Myanmar. Over the years, thousands of Rohingya have paid traffickers to transport them to Thailand and Malaysia where they can find work. Groups of Rohingya have packed onto boats and set sail for Malaysia and other locations in search of asylum, but have often been turned away. Last June, Malaysian authorities towed a disabled boat ashore and detained 269 Rohingya after dozens jumped overboard and began swimming to Langkawi, an island off the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, a Thai marine police commander told BenarNews. Last June and September, 400 Rohingya who were on their way to Malaysia were rescued by locals in Indonesias Aceh province after their boats were seen adrift on the sea. Scores of people lost their lives on these passages. As of March 31 this year, there had been no news for 10 days on the more than 80 Rohingya refugees who were reported stranded in a boat in the Andaman Sea, the Indo-Asian News Service reported. This group, too, had been making its way to Malaysia. It is not known whether Rozia, also, was promised safe passage to Malaysia. I came to know that she accompanied some other people to go to Malaysia by sea, and got caught in India, Zaber said, adding that he had no idea where his daughter was until she was found by Indian authorities. Reunite girl with her family Assam Police told PTI that Rozia was found unconscious at a house in the states Cachar district two years ago. While Rozia was considered an undocumented immigrant, she was also a minor and, as a result, was sent to a shelter called the Ujjala Ashroy Center, PTI said. After a year there during which she learned the local language she was sent to another home run by the NGO Nibedita Nari Sangstha, in Assams Silchar town, the news agency reported. After Myanmar border authorities turned Rozia away, the police brought her back to the NGO, said its founder, Dibya Roy. She is happy to have come back and avoided going to Myanmar, Roy told BenarNews in an email. The best interest of the child will be to reunite her with her parents, which is also what she wants. Assam Police declined interview requests from BenarNews. Nibedita Nari Sangstha will work with United Nations refugee agency UNHCR and Indias External Affairs Ministry to try and facilitate Rozias return to Bangladesh, Roy said. The UNHCR office in Bangladesh did not respond immediately to a BenarNews request for comment. I have not seen her for over two years. Sometimes, I talk to her over the telephone. I am worried about what would happen to her, Zaber, Rozias father, said. I doggedly visited different government offices to get her back, but in vain. Bangladeshi officials brief Dhaka-based diplomats during their visit to Bhashan Char Island, Bangladesh, April 3, 2021. [Photo courtesy Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs] Envoys visit Bhashan Char Separately, Rohingya who were relocated to a remote Bay of Bengal island told ambassadors from nine countries and the European Union that they had moved there voluntarily, but must be allowed to visit relatives in the camps they left on the Bangladeshi mainland, refugees told BenarNews by phone. They also told the envoys who visited the low-lying Bhashan Char Island for the first time on Saturday that the Bangladesh government had provided good accommodation at the new location. The Bangladesh foreign ministry said the government had relocated 18,334 Rohingya to Bhashan Char since December and planned to move a total of 100,000 refugees there. Their move came amid widespread international concern about the islands safety and on-site facilities. The diplomats, who included ambassadors from countries such as the United States, Japan, Australia and Turkey, talked to 41 men and women, said Nur Hossain, a Rohingya refugee living on the island. Officials at several embassies that were represented on the trip did not immediately respond to or declined post-visit interview requests from BenarNews. At least 13 men and women among us demanded that the government should allow us to visit our relatives living in Coxs Bazar and go to Noakhali district headquarters for shopping, Hossain told BenarNews. Hossain said he told the envoys that the camps in Coxs Bazar were densely populated, and because they were situated on hills, were vulnerable to landslides and flooding. Violence and abductions were also increasing in the camps, he said. But Bhashan Char is free from such incidents; no violence has taken place here. The accommodations are good and the children can play in the big fields. There are facilities for cultivation, said Hossain. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL)-led consortium is planning to take its proposed New Umbrella Entity (NUE) global. The consortium comprising Google, Facebook and Infibeam Avenue will likely offer its payment services overseas. The NUE, if granted an operating licence, is going to be positioned against global payments giants such as Mastercard and Visa in some markets. "RIL has already started weaving a long-term plan with NUE, which should generate many leads for the future," a source told ET. Also Read: RIL partners with Google, Facebook to apply for NUE to launch payments network The NUE will be jointly promoted by an RIL unit and Infibeam Avenue subsidiary So Hum Bharat along with Google and Facebook. Reliance Industries is expected to own 40 per cent, while the other three companies are likely to hold around 20 per cent each. "RIL is now focusing on building the company roping in veteran experienced hands as the association of Google and Facebook could pave way for their global ambition," another source told the publication. The RIL-led consortium had applied for the licence last week, besides five other consortiums namely - Tata Group, Axis-ICICI Bank, Paytm, India Post, and fintech startup iserveU, to set up a national payments infrastructure in India. Also Read: Paytm, Ola join forces to apply for NUE licence An NUE licence would help the awardees gain greater autonomy in processing digital payments in India. As per a study by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), India's digital economy was assessed to be $200 billion, or 8 per cent of GDP, in 2018 and is likely to swell to 18-23 per cent of GDP by 2025. Meanwhile, the RBI anticipates more NUE payment networks will help fortify digital adoption in the country. CAY HILL:--- In recognition of the Maternal Child Health month, the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset and the Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise donated 50 maternity gift baskets to the St. Maarten Medical Center for vulnerable new mothers and babies. Maternal and child health month is recognized by Rotary and Rotaract clubs worldwide during the month of April. Rotary makes high-quality health care available to vulnerable mothers and children throughout the world so they can live longer and grow stronger. Rotary and Rotaract clubs around the world help to expand access to quality care so mothers and children everywhere can have the same opportunities for a healthy future. An estimated 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation, all of which can be prevented. The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset contacted the St. Maarten Medical Center in 2019 in effort to provide assistance to their maternal ward. The club was presented with the proposal to donate maternity gift baskets, a program that was initiated several years ago but gradually decreased over the past years. Health care professionals at SMMC accepted the partnership with Rotary Sunset and provided a list of recommended items essential for newborn babies and mothers. Through kind sponsorship and special discounts from Martijn Trading, Cost U Less, Maneks Imports, and members of the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset and the Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise, 50 baskets were prepared and presented to the SMMC hospital. The maternity baskets contained items such as baby wet wipes, baby bath wash, baby lotion, pacifiers, bibs, breast pads, sanitary pads, baby diapers, washcloths, and receiving blankets. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic fallout has been widespread but are particularly prevalent among vulnerable expecting mothers. One of Rotarys areas of focus is supporting mothers and children and we are more than grateful to have aided vulnerable mothers and babies, as we try to assuage some of the inconvenience that they face especially during the pandemic, Rotary Sunset President Elisia Lake stated. The members of the Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise are truly delighted to have partnered with Rotary Sunset on this initiative. Mothers and babies are precious, and we want to ensure that they lack for nothing. It is our duty to help where we can, and I know that the recipients of these baskets will more than appreciate this gesture, Rotaract Sunrise President Kenny Faustin added. The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset and the Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to all sponsors for their contribution to this initiative. A special thanks are also extended to the Management and Staff of the St. Maarten Medical Center for granting us this opportunity and for their cooperation and assistance in the execution of the project. The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month at Carl N Sons Unique Inn and Conference Facilities in Cole Bay at 7:30 pm. Due to COVID-19, the club currently meets via Zoom. The club can be contacted via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via the official Facebook page at facebook.com/rotarysxmsunset. Volunteer nurses inoculate Filipinos with the Sinovac and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines inside a sports stadium in Marikina City, east of Manila, April 5, 2021. The Philippine government extended by another week the lockdown it imposed in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces as COVID-19 cases keep spiking and have forced overwhelmed hospitals to reject patients. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the lockdown would be extended until April 11. This means that 24 million people are advised to stay indoors, and a night-time curfew from 6 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning remains in effect. The lockdown was to end Easter Sunday, but a record number of infections had forced the governments hand, officials said. Like what we have announced last Saturday, the president has approved the recommendation of the IATF to extend until April 11, 2021, the enhanced community quarantine or ECQ in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, Roque told a virtual news conference on Monday, referring to the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19. Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal are the tightly packed suburbs near the capital where cases have been monitored to be rising. A record 15,310 new infections were logged on Friday followed by more than 23,000 infections over the cases at the weekend, before the figure tapered off to 8,355 on Monday. The total number of those infected in the Philippines had reached 803,398, with the coronavirus death toll at 13,435, according to health officials. Roque said the government would increase the numbers of hospitals specifically catering to COVID-19 patients. The government is expected to assess the situation in a week to determine if the lockdown can be eased, the presidential spokesman added. The ongoing rise in cases was a global trend and not exclusive to the Philippines, said the World Health Organizations representative in Manila, Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe. We are seeing an increase of cases week-by-week over the last four weeks, he said during the same news conference, adding that this could be attributed to the arrival of new COVID-19 variants at a time when people are gradually lessening compliance to health protocols. Many people are showing signs of fatigue in complying with these restrictive practices which have been proven to be effective in reducing transmission, Abeyasinghe said. Contributing factor Another contributing factor is the publics optimism about the eventual arrival of vaccines, the WHO official said, as he urged the government to continue with its rollout. The surge has led the government-run Philippine Orthopedic Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute and the Lung Center of the Philippines to announce they were full, according to reports. The situation has been so dire, that 117 of 180 staff members at the orthopedic center who were swabbed tested positive for COVID-19, effectively forcing the hospital to stop patient services and place a hold on surgeries, hospital officials said. The officials appealed to the public to continue to self-quarantine. Meanwhile, Health department spokeswoman Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday said the lockdown had allowed hospitals to free up space in some of their intensive care units. Hospitals are transferring asymptomatic patients or those with mild symptoms to other facilities. How Le Monde pretended a French reporter didn't exist 11:34, April 05, 2021 By Tom Fowdy ( CGTN Several days ago, French media outlet Le Monde ran a story claiming that China-based journalist Laurene Beaumond, who had contributed to CGTN's reporting on Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, apparently "did not exist," insinuating that she was a fictional and her story was fabricated for propaganda purposes. The claims gained specific traction on social media and were also pushed in a tweet by anti-China ideologue Adrian Zenz, who has been a key figure in pushing the U.S.-led Xinjiang narrative concerning events in the region. However, the report was intentionally twisted on behalf of Le Monde. French officials had stated that Laurene was not registered as a reporter within France itself, not that she "did not exist" as a person, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying later clarifying at a regular press briefing that she has lived in China for many years. The misleading content reveals yet again a persistent effort from Western voices to delegitimize and discredit everyone who questions the conventional wisdom pushed regarding the Uygur minority and should be understood primarily as a means to legitimize geopolitical confrontation against China. Efforts to discredit counter-narrative on Xinjiang The West believes that it has an exclusive and unquestionable monopoly on what might be described as "political truth." Deriving from the legacy of Christianity, with its ontology tying the idea of "moralistic truth" with "empirical truth" and those who lack it being in darkness, the West advocates the idea that it is subsequently enlightened, with pure motivations and that those who challenge them are fueled by wickedness and bad faith. The West is always honest; the non-West is always dishonest, save it complies with their ideology. There is no nuance or middle ground; everything is a binary of light versus darkness. As a result, when the West advocates criticism of Xinjiang, the underlying mindset behind it is that the West is advocating truth in good faith and that those who question this narrative are subsequently dishonest and have tainted motivations. This absolutist approach serves to delegitimize every alternative opinion and perspective as both morally flawed and dishonest and strives to shut down the debate altogether. This, of course, fails to account for the fact that those pushing such strong claims, such as "genocide" are able to hide obvious geopolitical motivations behind a screen of self-righteousness. Le Monde's history of twisting quotes It is not surprising that because a female French journalist visited the region and questioned this underlying narrative, there is an effort to discredit her reporting and views, in this case, by pretending she doesn't exist. The French newspaper Le Monde is a tabloid with a history of twisting quotes from government officials and propagating false conclusions when it came to China. Late last year, before the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) was about to be signed, Le Monde published an article with twisted quotes from a French official, claiming that Paris was going to veto the deal entirely over Xinjiang. This led to other false articles being published as a run-on effect. For example, Politico claiming the same thing. Of course, this didn't happen. On this premise, Le Monde is obviously at it again, twisting a quote saying that Laurene Beaumond is not a registered reporter in France to suggest that she does not exist and is merely invented by CGTN. She said in an interview that she is not registered because she would be under huge political pressure, as her views are contrary to those of French mainstream media. This is an extremely serious and egregious claim to make. The focus here was not so much upon checking the facts but on jumping to the conclusion that someone who challenged the "prevailing wisdom" on Xinjiang must be, for some reason, a flawed, suspect or unreliable source. The emphasis is placed on discrediting China and preserving this issue as the Holy Grail of all things opposed to China to manufacture consent for hawkish policies, geopolitical confrontation and decoupling. The world must wake up to the reality that the reports on Xinjiang are not being made in good faith. They are focused entirely on a false narrative and being coordinated to wage a hybrid war against China. The Western public is so convinced by the self-righteousness of their ideology that they fail to realize that it is being used to advance raw geopolitical interests, from weapons of mass destruction to Xinjiang, it's happening again. Le Monde stifles different views, lacks respect for independent voices and is unwilling to let the world know more about Xinjiang. Laurene Beaumond is, of course, not a fictional identity, but she is a thorn in the side of those behind this grand deception. Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. (Web editor: Bianji, Du Mingming) Welcoming these programs into the MiniCo portfolio is an excellent example of our mission in action. We extend a warm welcome to our new team members and invite our valued producers to learn more about MiniCo's expanded range of specialty programs. MiniCo Insurance Agency has joined forces with its Jencap affiliate company NIF Group, Inc., as part of Jencap Program Administrators, a newly formed program division under the Jencap umbrella. Beginning April 1, 2021, NIF's specialty programs have moved over to MiniCo. As a result, MiniCo has added four programs to its portfolio of specialty insurance products: ArtisanPAK Construction Insurance, Landscaping Insurance, MiniCo NIF Nonprofit Social Services Insurance, and Adult Residential Facilities Insurance. Seasoned NIF executives who are transitioning to MiniCo will continue to lead the four programs. The ArtisanPAK and Landscaping programs will be led by Executive Vice President-National Programs David Daniels, formerly of NIF Group. Executive Vice President-National Programs Vince Terlaje, formerly of NIF Pacific, will oversee the MiniCo NIF Nonprofit Social Services Insurance and Adult Residential Facilities Insurance programs. The related management and underwriting staff of these programs also have joined MiniCo to provide a seamless transition and uninterrupted service experience for brokers, producers, and policyholders. Detailed coverage information for these programs to include target classes, coverage availability, submission requirements, and applications is available at https://www.minico.com. MiniCo President and CEO Mike Schofield stated, "Our corporate mission includes the commitment to understand and satisfy the product needs of our diverse clients while continuing to grow our business with focus, innovation, and profitability. Welcoming these programs into the MiniCo portfolio is an excellent example of that mission in action. We extend a warm welcome to our new team members and invite our valued producers to learn more about MiniCo's expanded range of specialty programs." About MiniCo Insurance Agency MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC, was founded in 1974 as a provider of specialty insurance products and publications for the self-storage industry. Today the company is a program administrator offering multiple specialty property and casualty insurance products for a variety of unique industries and exposures. MiniCo Insurance Agency is a Jencap company and member of the Jencap Program Administrators division. For more information, please visit https://www.minico.com. CBI and ED are investigating Defsys Solutions run by Sushen Gupta in the AgustaWestland case The report said as AFA inspectors combed through Dassault accounts in 2017, they raised an eyebrow when they came across an item expenditure costing 508,925 euros entered under the heading gifts to clients. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: In a fresh controversy over the Rs 59,000-crore Rafale fighter jet deal, French investigative news portal Mediapart has claimed that its manufacturer Dassault Aviation agreed to pay one million euros to a middleman who is now under investigation in India in connection with another defence deal. In 2016, India had agreed to buy 36 Rafales for the Indian Air Force in a deal worth Rs 59,000 crores. Mediapart said the French anti-corruption agency Agence Francaise Anticorruption (AFA) discovered this separate arrangement during a routine audit of Dassault. The AFA nonetheless decided not to alert the prosecution authorities over the payment. The report said as AFA inspectors combed through Dassault accounts in 2017, they raised an eyebrow when they came across an item expenditure costing 508,925 euros entered under the heading gifts to clients. It said this amount of money seemed disproportionate in relation to all other entries under the same heading. The sum is indeed huge for a gift. Though French law does not set out precise limits, legal precedents suggest that giving a watch or an expensive meal costing several hundred euros can be enough to constitute corruption, the Mediapart report said. It said Dassault supplied AFA with proforma invoice, which was supplied by an Indian company called Defsys Solutions. This invoice, that related to 50 per cent of the total order (1,017,850 euros), was for the manufacture of 50 replicas of the Rafale with the price of each model 20,000 euros. AFA asked Dassault why it ordered an Indian company to make a replica of its aircraft at 20,000 euros per piece. AFA enquired whether these replicas, supposed to be the size of a car, were really ever made? Dassault was unable to provide single document or photograph showing that these models existed and were delivered, said the news report. The news report said inspectors suspected this was a bogus purchase designed to hide a hidden financial transaction. On reports that some of these models have been put out in India including at the Indian Air Force Chief's residence, Yann Philippin, the journalist who wrote the story, said that besides the huge price of these models, what was strange was that Dassault refused to confirm if they were the same models manufactured by DefSys. "Dassault refused to confirm to me that these are the same models. Are they the same model that were ordered to this Indian company? We don't know. What is strange is that if there was no problem and that was just an Indian company manufacturing models, Dassault should have spoken to us and told us everything was clear. We ordered these models they are to be given to institutions in India to celebrate the Rafale deal. They could have explained to us. They said no comment. There seems to be some kind of embarrassment regarding these plane models at Dassault headquarters," he told a news channel. The CBI and Enforcement Directorate is investigating Defsys Solutions run by Sushen Gupta in the AgustaWestland case involving kickbacks paid in India in a deal for VVIP helicopters. Defsys is one of the Dassault sub-contractors in India. The BJP, meanwhile, on Monday dismissed as completely baseless the fresh allegations of corruption in the Rafale deal, stressing that the Supreme Court had rejected the demand for a probe into the purchase of the fighter aircraft and the CAG also found nothing wrong. Responding to a question about the Congress attack on the Narendra Modi government over the bribe allegations, senior BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said at a press conference that the Opposition party had made it a big issue in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but had lost badly. He said the allegations of corruption were completely baseless and said that a report in the French media about the alleged financial irregularity in the deal may be due to corporate rivalry in that country. Noting that the Congress had raised the issue earlier too, he said the Supreme Court had rejected the demand for a probe and the Comptroller and Auditor General also found nothing wrong in the fighter jet deal. The Congress on Monday sought a thorough probe in the Rafale defence deal and demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the French media report claimed that 1.1 million euros were paid to a middleman by the aircraft manufacturer. Norway put farmed Atlantic salmon (salmo salar) on the map about 50 years ago. Today Atlantic salmon is raised around the globe. The company Atlantic Sapphire even has them swimming in Florida. Two Norwegians, Johan Andreassen and his cousin Bjorn-Vegard Lovik, joined with a Danish aquaculture expert, Thue Holm, to create the company in 2010, in Denmark. They were mindful of the carbon footprint of transporting the fish by air to other countries, notably the United States, so in 2017 they opened a facility and installed their fish farm in Homestead, Fla., south of Miami. The salmon are raised in big indoor saltwater pools fed from the areas extensive aquifer. The fish, each about 12 pounds and raised without hormones or other additives, were harvested for the first time a few months ago, and were rated best choice by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch; they are now being sold as fillets, under the label Bluehouse Salmon. The fish has good texture and a very mild flavor. Many chains, including Publix, Wegmans and Safeway carry it. Its also available shipped from Allen Brothers in eight-ounce fillets, six for $99.95. Bluehouse Salmon, bluehousesalmon.com; allenbrothers.com. Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. The oil and gas industry is fighting for its future as climate debate and prospects for massive government action to decarbonize the economy sweep the nation. President Joe Biden has made battling climate change not just a top priority, but possibly the No. 1 national security issue today, with climate concerns now woven into virtually every government policy and program. That includes a new proposal last week to spend at least $2 trillion on a massive initiative to modernize the nations infrastructure. Clean energy development and carbon reduction is central to the proposal, backed by a new Energy Efficiency and Clean Electricity Standard to accelerate the countrys transition to a low- or no-carbon economy. A new national standard combined with a broad range of other potential policies such as a tax on carbon emissions and efforts to convert the nation to an all-electric transportation system over the next two-to-three decades would mean comprehensive changes in nearly every industry. And, with oil and gas production and consumption accounting for the majority of todays carbon emissions, fossil fuel companies are facing a possible onslaught of new rules, regulations and mandates that could fundamentally transform the industry, if not outright end many of todays energy operations. The current battle over oil and gas leasing and permitting on federal lands and waters is just an opening salvo in the climate debate thats pushing the industry into a head-on confrontation with the Biden administration, the Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress, and environmental organizations over the future of U.S. energy production. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Biden ordered an indefinite pause in January on new leasing to allow the U.S. Department of the Interior to conduct a comprehensive review of current policies and programs and make recommendations that could include sweeping reforms to future management of federal lands and waters. Historic forum Interior held a first-ever national forum March 25 with representatives from industry, labor, environmental, tribal and other groups to gather input for an interim report the department will release this summer. During the forum, Interior officials made it clear theyre considering a sharp departure from past policies to place much greater emphasis on environmental concerns. Fossil fuels will continue to play a major role in America for years to come, but too often the extraction of resources has been rushed to meet the false urgency of political timetables, rather than with careful consideration for the impacts on current or future generations, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland told forum participants. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Laura Daniel-Davis said the Biden administrations focus on carbon reduction is at the heart of everything. For us at the Interior Department, President Bidens commitment to tackling climate change is the thread that runs through all our efforts, Daniel-Davis told the forum. One quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. comes from mineral production on federal lands, Daniel-Davis said. Its a major contributor to climate change, she said. We need to restore balance and provide a path to align (Interior policies) with the nations climate and clean energy goals. Industry is concerned the current pause on leasing could be converted into a permanent ban on new activities going forward. If true, it would have a huge impact on New Mexicos economy, since most oil and gas production here is concentrated on federal lands, contributing more than $1 billion annually to the states operating budget and supporting tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Industry leaders say the leasing pause is already impacting operations. Widespread uncertainty makes producers reluctant to commit to new investments until federal policies become clear, said Jason Sandel of Aztec Well Family Services near Farmington in a New Mexico Oil and Gas Association press call following Interiors national forum. The longer this policy uncertainty lasts, the harder it will be on businesses like mine, Sandel said. National labor leaders also implored Interior to reject a leasing ban and immediately lift the pause. We must ask if an outright ban on federal leases is the best first step without addressing the downstream job impacts, said North Americas Building Trade Unions President Sean McGarvey during the Interior forum. The last bastions of middle-class employment are in gas and oil, petrochemicals, and power generation. Reform, not ban? So far, Interior seems more inclined to fundamentally reform federal leasing and permitting programs, not ban them, and if the department did recommend a complete halt to new development, it would likely need congressional approval. But even if the pause is lifted, reforms under consideration could still impose significant restrictions on future development. For one thing, Biden set a 30-by-30 goal in January to conserve at least 30% of public lands and oceans by 2030, which could mean restricting fossil fuel development on at least one-third of all available federal acreage to protect natural and cultural resources while pursuing other uses, such as recreation or renewable energy projects. In addition, oil and gas producers have already accumulated a huge amount of federal land under leases that they have yet to even use, said Nada Wolff Culver, Bureau of Land Management deputy director for policy and programs. Producers now hold about 37,500 leases nationwide, representing 26.6 million acres of public land. But operators are using less than half that amount, with no production occurring on about 14 million acres, Culver said. Going forward, Interior expects to open up the process of approving leases for land use to more public input, likely generating even greater pressure from environmental and conservation groups to restrict fossil fuel development and approve alternative, environmentally-friendly activities. Theres a number of ways we can better meet the needs of the public, Daniel-Davis said. We can ensure greater equity, transparency and public involvement to shore up environmental policies, provide a fair return for taxpayers, and protect sacred places. Those are things were looking at in the review process. Industry leaders say non-producing leases dont mean operators have stockpiled public acreage. Rather, operators must first thoroughly evaluate the productive potential of those lands, which is a lengthy process, said Frank Macchiarola, the American Petroleum Institutes senior vice resident for policy, economics, and regulatory affairs. It often requires several years of due diligence with all the assessments and logistics before producers can determine if there are commercial quantities of oil and gas, Macchiarola told Interior officials. Producers are taking a chance by acquiring the leases. Push for a ban But environmental organizations say the huge lease backlog undermines industry arguments to continue leasing and permitting on federal lands. A new analysis from the Center for American Progress, for example, says operators could continue drilling at current rates for at least a decade without access to any new leases, since industry has only started production on an average of about 107,000 acres annually over the past five years. And with enough leases in hand to last until at least 2030, no new ones should be granted, because it would undermine long-term goals for a low- or no-carbon economy, said Josh Axelrod, senior advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Councils Nature Program. We want reforms enacted that would apply to production on leases the industry already holds today, with no new leases, so that we lay the groundwork for a transition away from fossil fuels over the next 10 to 15 years, Axelrod told the Journal. We need to take a longer view. If we keep leasing lands, it locks in more production at a level thats not in line with where were trying to go on carbon reduction. During the national forum, NRDC and the environmental group Earthworks called for an immediate, permanent ban on new federal leasing. Other mainstream environmental groups have called for extensive reforms, not a ban. That includes raising royalty rates and other fees on leased lands to provide a better return to taxpayers, higher bonding rates to finance clean up and remediation from oil and gas operations, and strict federal rules to control methane emissions. But even those organizations not calling for a ban say they would support it if feasible. We want aggressive action now to reform a broken system, which the Interior Department is hearing, but they operate under legal constraints that limit their ability to do some things like immediately banning leasing and permitting, said Jesse Prentice-Dunn, policy director for the Center for Western Priorities. So as long as the reforms are strong enough, well consider any progress as good progress. Industry and government officials in high-producing states will fight hard against any leasing ban. Thirteen states led by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry sued the Biden administration on March 24 in the federal courts Western District of Louisiana for an immediate end to the leasing pause. New Mexico did not join the lawsuit. But Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is pushing the Interior Department to grant states credit for their own environmental policies if they achieve equal or greater success than federal regulations in lowering carbon emissions and other pollution. That could lower the economic impact on states like New Mexico that remain highly dependent on oil and gas production. But even if the industry wins the fight to continue leasing and permitting, bigger and harder battles lie ahead, such as potential new carbon reduction mandates that Congress could approve under Bidens proposal for an Energy Efficiency and Clean Electricity Standard. Indeed, Biden is expected to announce a national goal next month for a 50% reduction in U.S. carbon emissions by 2030 under the countrys re-entrance into the Paris Agreement on climate change. And the administration is expected to pursue mandates for 100% clean electric generation nationwide by 2035. Those policies and more will have direct impacts on the oil and gas industry, said NRDC Western Director for Climate and Clean Energy Noah Long. Its well documented where the emissions are, and oil and gas are by far the biggest problem, Long told the Journal. Americans and New Mexicans understand its time to act on climate change. We cant say lets move to renewable energy on the one hand and still tap into fossil fuels on the other hand. That means a major shift, but its critical, and we have to act quickly and decisively. Elections are also being held for 117 MPTC seats in 26 mandals across the district, with a total of 427 candidates in the fray. (Photo: PTI) Kadapa: With the Telugu Desam Party abruptly announcing a boycott of the Parishad elections, the political heat for the polls has abated in the district. Elections for 24 of the 50 mandals in the district have been unanimous. Voting will be held only for the remaining 26 mandals. Out of the 50 ZPTC seats, 38 are unanimously elected, while only 12 ZPTCs are contested. Elections are also being held for 117 MPTC seats in 26 mandals across the district, with a total of 427 candidates in the fray. District collector Chevuru Harikiran and Zilla Parishad CEO Srinivasareddy held meetings with election officials and staff and made several suggestions. A total of 3,170 staff were recruited for the holding of elections. Some 637 polling booths were set up. As many as 4,71,379 voters are eligible to vote. As unanimous elections were held last year in 38 of the 50 ZPTC seats in the district, polling will be held only the remaining ZPTC seats. Some 49 candidates are in the fray. As for the 554 MPTC seats, 432 seats were unanimously elected. Elections for the remaining 122 seats are to be held. Due to court disputes, death of candidates, non-filing of nominations, polls to Kondapuram Mandal Sugamanchipalle MPTC seats, as also to the Obannapalle, Sundupalle Mandal Sontamvaripalle and Proddatur Mandal Nanganur MPTC seats will not be held. Elections are being held for the remaining 117 seats. Some 378 candidates are in the fray. With the Telugu Desam Party boycotting the elections, there is less of poll frenzy. In many places, villagers are upset as none of the candidates was in a mood to disburse money during the election in view of the exit of the TD from the scene. Parishad Elections in Kadapa A German-born gay porn star who later became a firefighter is warning about the dangers of pornography as he stands for the Scottish Parliament. Philipp Tanzer, 43, is the Scottish Family Party's regional list candidate for the Highlands and Islands at the Holyrood elections in May. He starred in a host of porn films under the name Logan McCree after winning Germany's Mr Leather contest in 2004, before becoming a fireman. Mr Tanzer, who was born in Germany and moved to Scotland eight years ago, is now in a relationship with a woman and considering marriage. Launching his political campaign, the former porn star is now warning of the negative effects pornography has on adults and children as he revealed he lost five friends in the industry to suicide and drugs. 'I had a negative view of the pornographic industry even before I joined it, but I needed the money,' German-born Mr Tanzer said. Philipp Tanzer, 43, is the Scottish Family Party's regional list candidate for the Highlands and Islands in the Holyrood elections. He starred in a host of porn films under the name Logan McCree after winning Germany's Mr Leather contest in 2004, before becoming a firefighter Who is Philipp Tanzer? Philipp Tanzer began working as a gay porn actor in 2007 after winning the German Mr Leather contest in 2004. In 2012, Mr Tanzer moved to Scotland with his girlfriend. He announced that he was bisexual and no longer considered himself gay. Since leaving the porn industry, he has become a men's rights activist. Appearing on BBC3 documentary 'I Am A Men's Rights Activist', Mr Tanzer said he does not believe government statistics that show women are almost twice as likely to be victims of domestic abuse as men. Advertisement 'In one year I lost five friends in the industry to suicide and drug overdoses. I have seen the harm porn addiction can do. Not all my experiences with it have been negative though - I met some wonderful people. 'One of the main reasons to run for the Scottish Family Party has been my experience and helping people learn from it. He continued: 'Porn is not a men's problem. Both boys and girls consume pornography and both suffer under its impact. 'When I was younger I was not clear what path I would take. I was pushed into identifying myself as something at the age of 32 that I was not.' 'The Scottish Family Party best represent my views on life and society,' he said. Mr Tanzer is on the regional list alongside Scottish Family Party colleague Michael Willis, who claimed pornography was being promoted in the school curriculum in education on relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP). Mr Willis said: 'The big growth area for the consumption of porn are children aged between 12 and 17. This is partly because it is readily available and many parents are unaware, but also because it is being actively promoted within our schools. 'Pornography should be treated like alcohol and nicotine, especially when addressed in education. The dangers need to be highlighted and the current sex education is doing the opposite.' The Scottish Government states on its website: 'RSHP education is a key part of health and wellbeing within the Curriculum for Excellence. 'RSHP education focuses on equipping children and young people with the knowledge, skills and values to make informed and positive choices about forming relationships. It can assist with making safer decisions about their sexual and emotional health and wellbeing.' Mr Tanzer, who moved to Durness in 2012, said the Scottish Family Party 'best represent my views on life and society'. Mr Tanzer, who was born in Germany and moved to Scotland eight years ago, is now in a relationship with a woman and considering marriage. Launching his political campaign, the former porn star is trying to raise awareness of the negative effects pornography has on adults and children - as he revealed he lost five friends in the industry to suicide and drugs Mr Tanzer, who moved to Durness in 2012, said the Scottish Family Party 'best represent my views on life and society'. As porn actor Logan McCree, he won industry awards with credits including Porn Stars in Love, Hotter than Hell 2 and Rear Deliveries As porn actor Logan McCree, he won industry awards with credits including Porn Stars in Love, Hotter than Hell 2 and Rear Deliveries. He is almost completely covered in tattoos, and once described himself as the 'hottest German porn star around' on his website. Mr Tanzer, who has background as a medic in the German military, said: 'Everyone in Durness has heard about it. But I really try and help in the community as much as I can and people are very grateful.' One of his then fellow firefighters said then: We would all have preferred it if he was a female porn actress. But he is what he is. 'We asked him because he's a young fit bloke. We need young fit men or women. None of us have a problem with his past. He's a damn fine guy.' "Providing accessible and affordable veterinary services for pets whose owners face financial challenges sustains the health and safety of those animals and helps keeps families together," said Matt Bershadker, ASPCA president and CEO. "This Community Veterinary Center in Brooklyn will provide those vital resources to residents and local pets who need it more than ever during this unprecedented public health and economic crisis. Following in the footsteps of our Community Veterinary Center in the Bronx and stationary and mobile ASPCA clinics throughout the city, the Brooklyn Community Veterinary Center is another symbol of our deep and longstanding commitment to the welfare of New York City pets and people." The ASPCA Community Veterinary Center will offer partially and fully subsidized basic and preventive care to dogs and cats, including vaccinations, treatment for infections and other minor issues, in addition to spay/neuter surgeries. The Center, made possible by a leadership gift from the Alex and Elisabeth Lewyt Charitable Trust, with additional donations from PetSmart Charities and other dedicated supporters, will have a meaningful impact on thousands of Brooklyn area pets and their owners each year. The ASPCA Community Veterinary Center will also provide high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter surgeries and vaccinations to homeless dogs and cats being cared for by animal rescue organizations, including Animal Care Centers of New York City, expanding the ASPCA's services to the animal rescue community. The first ASPCA Community Veterinary facility, generously supported by donor Barbara Dauphin-Duthuit, opened in the South Bronx in March 2020 before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. In its first year of operation, the Center has provided care to over 11,500 cats and dogs and served as a community resource throughout the pandemic, operating as a free pet food distribution center and offering services to meet the most urgent pet care needs of South Bronx residents. The third Community Veterinary Center will open in Queens in 2022. The ASPCA strives to share learnings from its Community Veterinary Centers with the animal welfare community and veterinary professionals across the country, helping to make veterinary care more affordable and accessible nationwide. In addition to its Community Veterinary Centers, the ASPCA currently operates mobile veterinary care clinics in East New York and the South Bronx and provides services to the animal rescue community through its spay/neuter clinic in Glendale, Queens. The ASPCA also operates a fleet of mobile spay/neuter clinics that provides low-cost, high quality spay/neuter surgery to pet owners in all five boroughs. In addition, the ASPCA Animal Hospital offers advanced care services for pets of low-income households. The ASPCA has launched programs and partnerships in New York City, Los Angeles and Miami that make veterinary care more accessible and affordable and continues to develop initiatives to serve the more than 21 million pets living in poverty with their owners nationwide. The ASPCA Community Veterinary Center in Brooklyn is located at 464 New Lots Avenue in East New York and will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Services are provided by appointment only and exclusively for Brooklyn residents whose household income is less than $50,000 per year or who qualify for public assistance. For more information about the ASPCA's efforts to improve access to affordable veterinary care for underserved pet owners, please visit www.aspca.org . Photos: https://aspca.widencollective.com/dam/externalorderpickup/2419ef5c-8b63-47be-9c8e-ccc5c93c75a3 B-roll: https://aspca.box.com/s/32kpwrj4nvezdpr61m85j0eiau1dzkba About the ASPCA Founded in 1866, the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation's leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. SOURCE ASPCA Related Links http://www.aspca.org Teacher unions say their members will consider strike action over the revised Covid-19 vaccine programme. The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) and the Association of Secondary Teachers (ASTI) are preparing emergency motions for discussion ahead of their annual conferences tomorrow. It is believed the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) is doing the same. Teachers had been due to receive vaccines as essential workers but the Government agreed last week to change the vaccination programme priority list to an age-based model. Michael Gillespie, General Secretary of the TUI, says vaccinating teachers would ensure schools stay open. "If you can vaccinate teachers, then you can protect the sustainable reopening of schools," he said. "The Government have stated continuously that one of the things it wants to open up fully is schools. Well, if it wants to keep schools open, you vaccinate them." The ASTI says teachers are angry at having been "totally discarded" in the Government's revised vaccination programme. It will be put to members at their annual conferences this week. President of the ASTI, Ann Piggott, says the Government needs to reverse the decision. She said: "I'm not sure what the motion will actually entail or whether members will choose to pass it, but we're not going to pass a motion that will sort of mean we're going to express our sadness at what has happened and move on. "Something bad has happened, teachers are annoyed. This decision has to be rescinded or changed in some way and we need to see action." Australian researchers have found that paracetamol is only slightly more effective at reducing pain than placebo pills for the majority of ailments. A report published by the Medical Journal of Australia tested the effectiveness of paracetamol tablets against placebo pills and the popular painkiller came up short. Despite being the most popular painkiller in the world, the report suggests paracetamol is more effective than a placebo in only a small number of cases. The researchers tested paracetamol and dummy pills on people suffering from a wide range of painful conditions. The report found that paracetamol recorded strong or moderate effects when it was used to treat just four painful conditions Australian researchers found strong or moderate evidence that paracetamol was superior to placebo when it was used to treat just four out of 44 conditions, including knee and hip osteoarthritis, craniotomy, tension headaches and perineal pain. 'For most conditions, evidence regarding the effectiveness of paracetamol is insufficient for drawing firm conclusions,' authors said. Paracetamol is widely used for lower back pain but the report said that the drug did not improve the condition. The report found paracetamol is not effective at treating lower back pain 'There is high quality evidence that paracetamol is not effective for relieving acute low back pain,' authors reported. Low-quality evidence supported paracetamol's effectiveness over the dummy pills in 11 ailments including dental procedures, major surgery including gynaecological and orthopaedic surgery, acute migraine in adults and common cold headaches. There was inconclusive evidence on the efficacy of paracetamol over placebo pills in 17 different conditions including chronic lower back pain, postcaesarean delivery pain, rheumatoid arthritis, hip fractures and cardiac surgery. The study's lead author, Dr Christina Abdel Shaheed, of the University of Sydney, said the drug was considered a very safe medicine at recommended doses, the Daily Telegraph reported. 'If it appears to be working for them, and they notice the pain is noticeably worse if it's not used, then they can continue to use paracetamol within the recommended daily dose,' she told the Daily Telegraph. 'However, people should not use paracetamol for more than a few days at a time unless specifically advised to by a doctor or pharmacist,' Dr Abdel Shaheed said. Britain's vaccine regulator could stop younger people from having AstraZeneca's coronavirus jab as soon as today over concerns about rare cases of blood clots. The UK's MHRA announced on Friday it has seen 30 brain clot cases in 18.1million AstraZeneca-vaccinated people - around one in every 600,000 people (0.00017 per cent). But there are fears that while the benefit of elderly people being vaccinated far outweighs the risk, use of the Oxford-made jab in younger people is 'more complicated'. If a ban on under 30s having the jab is confirmed by the MHRA, this would be the first restriction of its kind in the UK and could slow the next stage of the rollout. Two senior sources told Channel 4 News that while the data is still unclear there are growing arguments to justify offering younger people - below the age of 30 at the very least - a different vaccine. Both sources however emphasised their support for the Oxford jab and their concerns that any restriction of its rollout could damage public confidence in it. It comes after 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson said the AstraZeneca jab may not be suitable for young people if its link to blood clots is proven to be true. He said older and middle-aged groups should 'very much' get the vaccine because the threat of coronavirus far outweighs the risk of the clots, thought to affect just one in 600,000 people given the jab (0.00017 per cent). But the SAGE epidemiologist, 53, who himself has had AstraZeneca's jab, said the balance of risk is 'slightly more complicated' when younger people who are less vulnerable to the virus are considered. The risk of blood clots from the vaccine may prove to be higher in younger age groups. British scientists say the risk of dying of Covid for 25 to 44-year-olds is 0.04 per cent, and 0.01 per cent for people aged 15 to 24. For comparison, the rate is up to 6 per cent in elderly age groups. It comes after several European countries - including Germany, Spain and Norway - suspended the British-made vaccine after dozens of vaccinated people suffered a rare brain clot, known as CVST, or cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. The UK's medical regulator has seen 30 similar cases, of which seven people have died. But it insists its analysis has still not found any evidence the vaccine is causing the clots, a finding which has also been echoed by the EU's medical watchdog. Professor Ferguson told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: 'In terms of the data at the moment, there is increasing evidence that there is a rare risk associated, particularly with the AstraZeneca vaccine. 'But it may be associated at a lower level with other vaccines, of these unusual blood clots with low platelet counts. It appears that risk is age related, it may possibly be - but the data is weaker on this - related to sex. The risk of dying from Covid-19 is significantly higher than the rate of CSVT blood clots, which haven't even been definitively linked to the vaccines (Based on fatality estimates from Cambridge University and CSVT occurrences in Germany) At least 10 countries in Europe, joined by Germany last night, have put some kind of restriction on the use of AstraZeneca's jab, mostly opting to give it only to over-60s because the CSVT cases seem to be happening in younger adults 'And so the older you are, the less the risk is and also the higher the risk is of Covid so the risk-benefit equation really points very much towards being vaccinated. 'I think it becomes slightly more complicated when you get to younger age groups where the risk-benefit equation is more complicated.' Because health experts aren't sure how common CVST normally is in the wider population, they are still uncertain if it is occurring more in vaccinated people than it otherwise would. CVST, or cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, is a blockage in a vein that carries blood away from the brain and it can lead to strokes or bleeding inside the skull. A TIMELINE OF THE ASTRAZENECA BLOOD CLOT SAGA March 7: Austria suspended the use of one batch of the vaccine after a woman, 49, who had been given it died of a 'severe coagulation disorder' and a 35-year-old developed a blood clot in her lung. March 11: Authorities in Denmark, Norway and Iceland suspended all use of the vaccine following a 60-year-old woman in Denmark died of a blood clot after the reports emerged in Austria. Danish health minister Magnus Heunicke said: 'It is currently not possible to conclude whether there is a link.' March 11: European Medicines Agency's safety committee began an investigation into the cases. It confirms 30 cases of 'thromboembolic events' clots were reported after five million vaccines in the EEA. March 12: Thailand suspended the use of the vaccine off the back of European worries. Bulgaria also stops using it. March 12: The European Medicines Agency, Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Health Canada, the World Health Organization and AstraZeneca itself, all spoke out to defend the vaccine and say there is no proof it's linked to blood clots. March 13: The Netherlands, Italy and Ireland temporarily stopped using the vaccine as fears about the cases in Austria and Denmark snowballed. March 14: Germany and France suspended the vaccine. March 15: Spain, Portugal and Slovenia suspended use of the jab. March 15: Professor Andrew Pollard, the Oxford expert who ran the clinical trials of the jab, insisted safety data are 'reassuring' and said 'clearly those blood clots still happen' as often as they would in unvaccinated people. March 16: World Health Organization officials met to discuss the issue. European Medicines Agency is still investigating. March 17: Scientists accuse governments of banning the jab on political grouns. AstraZeneca's vaccine has been a flashpoint in the past. March 18: European Medicines Agency holds a press conference on its investigation and rules that the vaccine is 'safe and effective'. It said there wasn't enough evidence to rule out a link to blood clots, but also not enough to prove one. On balance, it would be safer for countries to keep using the vaccine to stop Covid. The investigation would continue. March 18: Germany, France and Italy resume use of the jab after the EMA's conclusion. March 19: Finland suspends the jab after finding blood clot cases in its own population. March 19: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands and Spain all confirm they will start using the jab again. Scandinavian countries did not follow suit and kept the ban in place. March 22: A study is published that found public trust in the AstraZeneca vaccine collapsed in Europe at the time of the blood clot saga. A YouGov survey found more than half of people in Germany, France, Italy and Spain believed the jab was unsafe. March 30: Germany bans the vaccine for people under the age of 60 after officials said they had found 31 cases of CSVT after 2.7million vaccinations. April 2: UK regulators announce a total of 30 blood clots, 22 in the brain, have now been discovered in Britons vaccinated with the AZ jab. Advertisement Scientists say it's morally complicated to jab children because they have almost zero risk of dying or falling seriously ill from the disease, and would only be vaccinated to protect older people. It is still unknown, however, how long Covid may affect them. Leaked Government plans last month suggested ministers wanted to start getting jabs to millions of under-18s by August to try to achieve herd immunity when the virus can't spread because so many people are protected. The UK's MHRA regulator announced on Friday it has seen 30 brain clot cases in 18.1million AstraZeneca-vaccinated people - around one in every 600,000 people (0.00017 per cent). The UK's health watchdog said it hadn't seen CVST cases in people who got the Pfizer jab but there was still no proof the AstraZeneca vaccine is raising the risk. This may be because different groups of people are getting different vaccines. Germany last month went against the European regulator's advice and banned the AstraZeneca jab for under-60s because it fears a link to the condition. Scientists say the balance of risk is 'very straightforward' and clearly in favour of vaccination because of the 'extreme rarity' of CVST cases. Officials in Frankfurt recorded 31 cases of the condition among 2.7million people to have been given the AstraZeneca jab and have been alarmed by the number. But this is a rate of just 0.0012 per cent. By comparison, Cambridge University experts estimate the risk of dying of Covid for 25 to 44-year-olds is 0.04 per cent 33 times higher. For 15 to 24-year-olds the Covid death risk is 0.005 per cent, making it four times more likely. Forty under-20s have died in England, out of 86,351 in total, along with 598 20 to 40-year-olds. And the main benefit of giving the vaccine to younger people is that it protects elderly members of society, whose risk of death is much higher, and therefore allows ministers to loosen lockdown rules. If young people shun, or arent offered, AstraZenecas vaccine as the roll-out moves down the ages, it could pose problems for the inoculation drive. Britain is currently reliant on the jab for dishing out first doses, with supply of Pfizers having been reserved to dish out 10million top-ups. Modernas vaccine is set to come on stream this week - but the campaign has yet to officially move to under-50s and it wont be delivered in large enough quantities to be used as the main option. Johnson and Johnsons single-dose jab could be ready to use by July, Government sources say. No10 has bought 30million doses but it is unclear when the UK will receive them. Professor Adam Finn, a University of Bristol researcher and government adviser on vaccines, said: 'The extreme rarity of these events in the context of the many millions of vaccine doses that have been administered means that the risk-benefit decision facing people who are invited to receive Covid vaccines is very straight forward: receiving the vaccine is by far the safest choice in terms of minimising individual risk of serious illness or death.' Comparing the rates of CVST to coronavirus death is tricky for a number of reasons, including that it's so rare data aren't clear, and that more people will get a jab than catch coronavirus. Regulators also don't break down the CVST cases by age, although they are thought to be more common among young adult women. And the fatality rates for coronavirus, estimated by Cambridge University experts only include people who get the virus. This means the average person's actual risk of dying from coronavirus is significantly lower than the estimate because not everyone catches it although if nobody took the vaccine, the likelihood of them catching it one day is far higher. Most recent calculations by the Cambridge team suggest the risk of dying of Covid is lowest for toddlers and babies, at 0.00039 per cent, around one in 256,000. It's highest for over-75s, at 6.9 per cent, or one in 14. And overall, the risk is around 0.3 per cent, meaning that across the whole population around three in every thousand infected people die. Another complication is that there is no proof the coronavirus vaccine causes CVST, meaning the cases that happen may have occurred anyway. If this is the case, the risk caused by the vaccine is effectively zero and the jab is infinitely safer than being unvaccinated. But even if a link is established, it will be difficult to know how many cases are triggered by the jab in people who would not otherwise have developed CVST. And CVST is more often survived than it is fatal. Medics say if it's spotted in time before it blocks the vein it can be simple to treat with blood thinners. Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, estimates that one in every 200,000 people of all ages develop CVST each year. The European Medicines Agency said last week, echoing data from Germany, that the risk appears to be one in 100,000 in under-60s who have had the AstraZeneca vaccine. But much of the data comes from Germany's AstraZeneca vaccine patients, who are mostly young female adults, and young female adults are statistically more likely to get CSVT even when there is no vaccine around. EMA director Emer Cooke said cases in women usually outnumber those in men by 10 to one. WHAT IS CVST? Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is an extremely rare type of blood clot in the brain. It occurs when the vein that drains blood from the brain is blocked by a blood clot, resulting in potentially deadly bleeding on the brain. Symptoms can quickly deteriorate from a headache, blurred vision and faintness to complete loss of control over movement and seizures. John Hopkins University estimates it affects five in a million people in the US every year, which would suggest 330 patients in Britain suffer from the condition annually. According to the university, it can affect patients with low blood pressure, cancer, vascular diseases and those prone to blood clotting. Head injuries can also trigger the condition. Britain's regulator said CVST is so rare they aren't even sure how common it is in the general population. Advertisement The contraceptive pill and smoking may be risk factors for this scientists are investigating the links. In the wake of EU scare stories over the AstraZeneca jab, which came amid a row over supplies, the MHRA last month said there had only been five cases of CVST among 11million administered doses. In last week's update, which took into account all adverse reactions recorded up until March 24, it put the count at 22. The watchdog also revealed it had eight reports of other serious clotting events associated with low blood platelets. The MHRA said: 'Our rigorous review into the UK reports of a rare and specific type of blood clot is ongoing. 'On the basis of this ongoing review, the benefits of the vaccines against Covid continue to outweigh any risks and you should continue to get your vaccine when invited to do so.' The tenuous links between the vaccine and CVST are still mired in confusion because experts in Germany and other countries where the jab has been halted claim the condition is most common in women. But all five of the original cases in the UK were among men. The MHRA did not offer any more details about the new 25 cases. Until recently, Germany had banned the AZ jab for over-60s due to initial fears about blood clots. Other major European countries have also restricted the jab to certain age groups, even though they have seen significantly fewer CVST cases despite vaccinating more people. If the same rate of CVST in Germany had appeared in the UK, almost 200 people would have been diagnosed with it already because six times as many jabs have been used. Stephen Rex, Brown New York Daily News (TNS) The Rochester Police Department has stubbornly refused to root out racism from its ranks, a major class action lawsuit set to be filed Monday claims. The troubled police department in the city of more than 200,000 people destroyed camera footage of cops extreme violence against racial justice protesters last fall and declined to fire officers with ties to white supremacists, the suit states. The 96-page complaint traces the departments long, troubled history from 1975 to the recent killing of Daniel Prude, who died naked in a Rochester street in March 2020 with a spit hood over his face while in the throes of a mental breakdown. For decades, Rochester city officials have responded with deliberate indifference to this problem. By failing to meaningfully train, supervise and discipline officers who use excessive force and instead suppressing evidence of officer misconduct and attacking critics of the department, the city has fostered a culture of violence and impunity in its ranks, the suit reads. The lawsuit seeks class action status on behalf of everyone subjected to excessive force in Rochester between March 31, 2018, and March 31, 2021. The goal, attorneys on the case wrote, is to fundamentally change policing in Rochester. The case will be filed by attorneys Joshua Moskovitz and Elliot Shields, among others. The Rochester Police Departments past faced new scrutiny last September, when Prudes family released raw video of his disturbing death. The footage showed that officers held Prude, 41, facedown on the pavement, with one pushing his head against the street. Prude was taken off of life support seven days later. A grand jury opted not to indict the police officers involved in the killing. State Attorney General Letitia James said she was extremely disappointed by the decision and pledged to pursue reform of laws on use of deadly force. Prudes death, the AG wrote in a report, highlighted the potential deadly consequences when cops respond to calls regarding mentally ill people. Most of the Bay States elementary school students are set to return to full in-person learning Monday as part of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Educations (DESE) staggered coronavirus reopening plan. Roughly 90% of districts in Massachusetts are expected to have their elementary schools transitioned back to five days of full in-person instruction Monday. All elementary schools in the state will return to the learning model by May 3. Last month, DESE laid out a timeline for public schools transition to full in-person instruction in the spring, calling for K-5 students to return to the classroom by April 5 and for grade 6-8 students by April 28. Parents and guardians can opt out and keep their children home for the remainder of the academic year, though. DESE is encouraging districts to plan for pre-kindergarten programs returning to in-person learning as soon as possible. Officials have yet to outline a return date for high schoolers, though an announcement should come at some point this month. Districts will be given at least two weeks notice of the date for high school students to return to full-time, in-person instruction but should start making such plans now, DESE said. Multiple districts including Boston, Worcester and Springfield were granted waivers to postpone their return to the classroom five days a week to May 3. Of the districts that were given waivers by DESE, around half were due to the inclusion of fifth grade in the districts middle schools, and the rest were planning to return to full in-person learning within weeks, DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said in late March. Many school districts have been safely educating students in person since September, and we are thrilled that the remainder of all elementary students will be back in classrooms soon, Riley said at the time. Bringing all our kids back to school is crucial for their educational progress and emotional and social well-being. We will continue to work with districts to bring students back ahead of their waiver-approved return dates, he added. The return to full in-person learning for the vast majority of K-5 schools in Massachusetts on Monday comes days after 1,045 new COVID-19 cases in schools in the state were reported to DESE for the week of March 25 to 31. Of that number, 801 of the infections were among students and 244 were among staff members. The total marks an uptick in the weekly number of new coronavirus cases in Massachusetts schools. Last week, DESE reported 910 new infections, and the week prior, there were 669 new cases. Students who are learning remotely are excluded from these tallies. More than 1,000 schools in Massachusetts have been participating in DESEs pooled COVID-19 testing program, which is being offered at no cost to K-12 public schools through the end of the academic year. As of last Monday, the state had tested nearly 159,000 people in 22,679 pools, reporting a 0.76 positivity rate. Nearly 330,000 students, teachers and staff are allowed to be tested every week. In February, 300-plus doctors infectious diseases physicians, pediatricians and public health experts from across Massachusetts signed a letter supporting in-person learning with mitigation measures in place, including 3 feet of distancing between students when masked. The doctors noted in their letter that many of the public health recommendations are already in full force in Massachusetts, which makes closer spacing between students when masked both reasonable and much-needed to increase in-person learning in many current classroom configurations. Massachusetts private and public schools have opened with as little as 3 feet of distance between students and have proven that alongside other mitigation measures, in-school transmission is exceedingly rare, the doctors argued. Closer spacing fails when such public health guidance is not being followed. We have also seen that the risks to students of not being in school are dramatic, the letter stated. Students are more isolated learning from home, and consequently suffer more mental health issues, as well as physical health concerns, increased rates of non-accidental trauma, and learning loss. Remote learning is not a reasonable long-term substitute for in-person school. Every effort must be made to return the students of Massachusetts to in-person education in order to combat these other concerns, that are also of public health importance, the doctors added. Related Content: Two Men Arrested on Meth, Other Charges By West Kentucky Star Staff MARSHALL COUNTY - Two men were arrested over the weekend in Marshall County on methamphetamine charges.The Marshall County Sheriff's Office said deputies were dispatched late Friday night to the 1000 block of Village Road in reference to an unwanted person at the property. Once at the scene, deputies made contact with and identified the unwanted person as Dwane E. Garner. A second man, Brandon McCoy, was with Garner.Deputies said Garner was reportedly knocking on resident's doors and asking for prescription medications. As a result of the investigation Garner and McCoy were both arrested and lodged in the Marshall County Jail.Both were charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Garner was additionally charged with possession of marijuana. McCoy was additionally served with outstanding warrants. Big Dirty Money, The Shocking Injustice and Unseen Cost of White-collar Crime , by Jennifer Taub, Viking, New York, 2020 The term white-collar crime, which appears in the subtitle of a new book, Big Dirty Money, The Shocking Injustice and Unseen Cost of White Collar Crime, was apparently first coined during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The phenomenon is as old as capitalism itself. In Jennifer Taubs work the focus is on the United States, but the reality she describes, though nowhere more explosive than in the US, is a global one. Taub, a professor at the University of Western New England School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts, brings together much valuable data and information on white-collar crime and on the connection between its recent prominence and that of extreme wealth inequality. Her book is noteworthy for correctly focusing on the role of class in shaping the lives and futures of humanity. Big Dirty Money The author indicates that white-collar crime must be defined far more broadly than embezzlement or what might be termed low-level forms of corruption. She gives some recent examples of white-collar criminals, all extensively reported by the WSWS: the Sackler family, worth some $14 billion (as of the books printing), responsible for the marketing of oxycontin, which led to 232,000 overdose deaths between 1999-2018; Pacific Gas and Electric, to blame for the deadly Camp Fire of 2018 in California, which left 85 dead and the town of Paradise completely destroyed; and General Motors, whose faulty ignition switches led to sudden engine shutdowns and at least 124 deaths between 2002 and 2014, when the cars were finally recalled. All of the above criminals escaped serious punishment, paying for the lives lost through fines that amounted, even where sizable, to the mere cost of doing business. Taub makes a number of useful points in the course of discussing these issues. As she notes, the US has a prison population of 2.3 million, but even the very few white-collar criminal convictions (as opposed to civil cases) rarely lead to jail time. The few who have been jailed Michael Milken is one prominent examplehave served their time in country club prisons, facilities whose very existence illustrates the fact that incarceration is a weapon principally designed for and used against the working class. Taub is hardly the first to note the huge gulf between the treatment of the poor and the wealthy by the so-called justice system. Petty offenses get harsh punishment while big criminals get off scot free. Eric Garner lost his life for selling untaxed loose cigarettes, Taub points out, while the executives of companies responsible for death and misery on a vast scale have paid no price. Indeed, as Taub was putting the finishing touches on this volume last May, this class reality was brought home, to the horror of vast numbers of people all over the world, in the murder of George Floyd after he was accused of passing a small counterfeit bill at a neighborhood convenience store. The magnitude of the class gulf today is one that could barely have been imagined by famed French novelist Anatole France when he famously ironized, The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread. The last 40 years have seen an uninterrupted growth of white-collar crime and of all the abuses associated with it. Government has done much to facilitate this growth, and the political representatives of the corporate elite have often shared in the spoils. Furthermore, this has been a thoroughly bipartisan operation. As Taub explains, in the Carter and Clinton administrations, legislation was enacted that allowed the credit default swap and private mortgage securities markets to flourish, enabling the toxic mortgage-backed securities that eventually blew up the banking system in 2008. This history serves to illustrate, as Taub does not point out, that the dividing line between the legal and the criminal, to put it mildly, is a porous one in the capitalist economy. After the 2008 crash, the greatest since the Great Depression, the get out of jail card really came into its own during the two terms of Democratic President Barack Obama. The Justice Department led by Attorney General Eric Holder from 2009 to 2015 let every bank executive engaged in accounting or securities fraud get away without prosecution, writes Taub. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., another Democrat, brought no charges, except against a tiny bank that no one had ever heard of. Taubs polemical zeal in exposing glaring injustice can only be welcomed. Her outlook, however, could perhaps be summed up in a paraphrase of the Biblical reference to the poorwe will always have white-collar criminals with us. Or to put it somewhat differently, capitalism is here to stay. She reviews the history, over most of the last century, of what she terms corporate crime waves and crackdowns. This is a cyclical conception, in which capitalist excesses are followed by regulation and reform, until the pendulum swings back toward corruption once again. The Gilded Age was followed by the Progressive Era, whose birth is associated with the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Later, after the speculative boom of the 1920s, came the reforms associated with Franklin Roosevelts New Deal. Big business steadily attempted to evade or circumvent regulation, and the decades from the 1940s through the 1960s are dubbed a period of invisible industrial violations, as Taub puts it, leading to scandals such as Love Canal and the thalidomide birth defects. This was followed by yet another decade of regulation, this time under the improbable reformer Richard Nixon. The Environmental Protection Agency was established, along with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. After Watergate, other legislation established the Federal Election Commission. American capitalism unquestionably did undertake major regulatory efforts in the last century. What Taub does not discuss, however, is the connection between the last 40 years, a period of uninterrupted deregulation and social counterrevolution, and the crisis and decline of US capitalism. There is little or no mention of globalization in this book, and no discussion of the financialization of the economy. We are left with the supposed problem of human nature, and of what is seen as an endless struggle against greed. Behind white-collar crime, however, is not simply greed, but a system of production and distribution that produces and requires it. A cyclical theory of inequality and corruption followed by regulation and reform does not explain the last several decades. The Biden administration and its backers, who it is safe to presume include Professor Taubeven if she recognizes, quoting New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, that Donald Trump did not come to Washington to clean up the tainted system; he came to bathe in itclaim that a new era of reform is beginning. The conditions confronting US and world capitalism, however, are entirely different from those of the post-World War Two era. The capitalist media dwell incessantly on misleading catchphrases like systemic racism, but the conditions described by the author demonstrate that what is truly systemic to capitalism is class inequality and all of its consequences. The solution to the misery that Taub detailsthe lives lost to poverty, illness and police violencemust also be systemic. It is not the pipe dream of a new era of reform, but rather the overthrow of the capitalist system and the building of a socialist society. This is not Taubs program. The final chapter of her book is entitled, The Six Fixes, and what she proposes is not much more serious than this somewhat glib heading. She calls for a new Department of Justice division devoted to white-collar crime; the amendment of the bribery laws to make it easier to convict politicians like Virginias former governor Robert McDonnell, who beat a bribery rap because of a legal loophole; legislation to protect journalists and whistleblowers; the restoration of Internal Revenue Service funding, after years and years of cuts that have been designed to cripple any effort to go after massive tax fraud; a nationwide registry for white-collar convictions; and improved data collection on white-collar crime. To call these reforms would be a genuine stretch of the definition. Some of them amount to little more than improved methods of keeping track of the crime taking place, not doing anything about the conditions themselves. Even New York Times columnist James B. Stewart, in his review of Big Dirty Money, observes about these fixes, These are earnest and well-intentioned, but small bore given the scope of the problem [Taub] so vividly illustrates. It should also be pointed out that the fact that Taub, discussing whistleblowers, mentions Daniel Ellsberg and Karen Silkwood, but not Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, reflects her allegiance to what passes for bourgeois liberalism today. Despite its serious faults, and although Big Dirty Money does not go much beyond a description of important aspects of 21st century capitalism, the exposures in this volume are vivid and at times gripping, and the book is therefore recommended, with the above caveats. Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch is rumored to have turned control of the company to its chief legal officer - who is also the godfather of his son - after abruptly moving back to Australia last month. The New York Times published a profile on the chief legal officer, Viet Dinh, on Sunday, which examined the 'sociable and relentless' Republican lawyer's role at Fox Corp. Lachlan, the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, left Los Angeles for Australia amid claims that Joe Biden's election made things 'rough' for his family, given Fox Corp's reputation as catering to the GOP. Fox Corp has publicly insisted that Lachan is still very much in charge of the company and has even been keeping nocturnal hours from Sydney, working from midnight to 10am to stay on an American schedule. However Fox Corp insiders told the Times that Lachlan's move intensified Dinh's power in the company. Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch (left) is rumored to have turned control of the company to its chief legal officer Viet Dinh (right) after abruptly moving back to Australia last month Dinh, 53, met Lachlan at the acclaimed Aspen Institute in 2003 after already having made a name for himself in politics as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy under President George W Bush. Lachlan later offered Dinh a seat on the Fox Corp board and also asked him to be the godfather to his son as their relationship grew to extend beyond business. The Times spoke to two former Fox employees and one current and one former Fox News employee familiar with Dinh's role who described him as Lachlan's 'omnipresent right hand'. The sources said that Dinh doesn't run day-to-day programming but manages the company's political operation and serves as a key voice in setting the corporate agenda. A Fox Corp spokeswoman did not mince words when approached by the Times for comment about claims that Dinh 'is exercising operational control over Fox's business units' - calling those claims 'false and malicious'. Dinh also dismissed the claims as 'flat-out false' in a recent interview with legal writer David Lat, whose article about the executive was titled: 'Is Viet Dinh the Most Powerful Lawyer in America?' 'To ascribe any role to me other than my day job, which is overseeing legal, regulatory and government affairs, is not only false, it would mean I have far more time than I actually do,' Dinh told Lat. 'Lachlan hired me for what is very much a full-time job, which I can barely manage to do with 24 hours in the day.' However, the Times noted that Dinh's salary - which came in at a whopping $24million in 2019 - suggests that he plays a major role in the company. Lachlan Murdoch and his supermodel wife Sarah (pictured together in 2019) arrived in Australia on a private jet last month amid claims that Joe Biden's election made things 'rough' for their family, given Fox Corp's reputation as catering to the GOP Fox Corp insiders told the New York Times that Lachlan's move intensified Dinh's power in the company (file photo) Dinh came to the US from Vietnam as a refugee at the age of 10 and went on to attend Harvard for undergrad and law school. After graduating in 1993 he clerked for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor before working with the Senate Whitewater Committee and then joining the Georgetown University Law Center faculty in 1996. In 2001 he was tapped to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy - a role to which he was recruited by friends in the Bush administration. Insiders said he played an influential role in the passing of the Patriot Act in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks. Dinh left government and opened a private law firm, Bancroft, in 2003 and further cemented his reputation as a 'well connected workaholic', according to former employees of his who spoke to the Times. In 2018 Dinh stepped down from the Fox board to take over as chief legal officer and policy adviser. The following year he played a key role in the $71billion sale of 21st Century Fox to Disney by bringing in a legal team to investigate whether top executives had been leaking information about the deal. The studio's president, Peter Rice, and the company's general counsel, Gerson Zweifach, insisted that they didn't do anything improper and warned that Dinh's 'paranoia' could ruin the deal, according to the Times. The newspaper said the conflict 'offers a rare glimpse into the opaque power structure of Rupert Murdoch's world' - which has only grown murkier with Lachlan's return to Australia. Dinh (left) is seen testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about a voting rights bill in 2007 Lachlan, his supermodel wife Sarah and their three children quietly arrived in Australia from Los Angeles last month without giving reason for their return. And while no reason was given for the family's return Down Under, a new report has claimed that it was the political climate in the US that helped make the decision for the family to leave LA in favour of their Sydney home. On Saturday the Sydney Morning Herald reported that it was the political climate in the US that drove the decision. The newspaper said the family 'felt the cold winds of political change' when Biden assumed power over Donald Trump, after the family-owned Fox News appeared to favor the Republican Party throughout the election campaign. Things 'got pretty rough' for their children Kalan Alexander, 16, Aidan Patrick, 14, and daughter Aerin Elisabeth, 10, at school in their final weeks in Los Angeles, according to the paper. A source said: 'The school communities here are very close knit, and it extends into the wider families and the circles and parties they all go to. That Hollywood set is very pro-Democratic. 'They are mostly big fundraisers for Biden, so you can imagine how well it went down when one of their classmates' dads is at the helm of the biggest anti-Biden machine in the country.' News Corp did not immediately return Daily Mail Australia's requests for comment about the claims. An Asian woman was stabbed while walking her dogs in California. The officers who responded to the scene found the victim on the ground bleeding, according to a New York Post report. The racism against Asian-Americans and other races has increased due to the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic which started in China. This type of action is condemned by education leaders in the state of California. However, the recent stabbing incident that led to the death of the Asian woman is deemed by the authorities to be not connected to the Asian hate crimes. Instead, the authorities noted that it was a "completely random" attack. READ NEXT: Elderly Asian Woman Attacked in San Fransisco Donates $1 Million to Fight Anti-Asian Crime Asian Woman Stabbed The responding officers on the incident identified the woman as Ke Chieh Meng from Riverside, according to a KTLA 5 report. Officer Ryan Railsback, spokesman for the Riverside Police Department, confirms the tragic incident happened in the area of Golden Avenue, north of Stonewall Drive. The authorities responded to the scene after seven in the morning, even though they were receiving calls about stabbing even before they dispatched, according to an NBC Los Angeles report. The 64-year-old victim was rushed by the authorities to the Riverside Community Hospital. Meng was pronounced dead by 8:39 in the morning. The suspect was identified by the authorities as 23-year-old Darlene Stephanie Montoya. Montoya was arrested by the authorities near the scene. The authorities described the incident as Montoya "randomly confronted" and attacked the Asian woman. The police confirmed that Montoya stabbed the victim and then fled the scene. "There was nothing to suggest that the victim was attacked due to her ethnicity," said Railsback. Suspect on California Stabbing Shortly after the Asian woman lost her life, the officers from the Riverside received information from the neighbors of the victim, regarding a transient woman walking through their yards acting suspiciously. Because of this, the police were able to locate and arrest Montoya. It was also revealed that Montoya is a transient from Monterey Park. "The suspect is homeless from L.A. county," said Railsback, adding that the suspect is suffering from mental health issues as well as substance abuse. Railsback noted that the attack "could have happened to anyone." Railsback also noted that they are going to research on the drug abuse and mental health history. The spokesman for the Riverside Police Department also pointed out that the authorities will not close doors on anything. Montoya was arrested by the Riverside Police Department for the second time this week. She was first arrested on Tuesday on a suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in Tyler Avenue. She allegedly attacked a woman with a skateboard. The suspect for the death of the Asian woman in California is now booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center for suspicion of murder, suspicion of being under the influence of an illegal substance, and a weapons violation. READ MORE: Chinese Immigrant Found Murdered in Mexico, Authorities Deny Coronavirus Discrimination Killing WATCH: Suspect arrested after Asian woman stabbed to death in Riverside - from FOX 11 Los Angeles As India is on the cusp of reforming its space-tech sector, countless contributions of unsung Indian scientists are now being recognized, but at the same time, former ISRO scientist S. Nambi Narayanan is still counting on his hopes to get justice in an espionage case where he was illegally arrested by Kerala police officials. Overlooked for long, a case that destroyed the reputation of former ISRO scientist S. Nambi Narayanan finally seems to be heading towards justice. The central government has put its weight on a report submitted by Justice DK Jains panel appointed by the apex court to take on the culpable cops to task for having caused tremendous harassment and immeasurable anguish to Narayanan. As India is on the cusp of reforming its space-tech sector, countless contributions of unsung Indian scientists are now being recognized, but at the same time, former ISRO scientist S. Nambi Narayanan is still counting on his hopes to get justice in an espionage case where he was illegally arrested by Kerala police officials. Sources suggest, a major development that can send ripples to the politics of Kerala is expected in this case ahead of polls in the state tomorrow. The central government has urged the top court to take account of the report submitted by Justice Jains committee and take action against the erring cops. CBI in its 1996 probe concluded that Narayanans arrest was illegal and a nexus of police and politicians had conspired to make Narayanan a scapegoat. The political chain of events around this case unfolded in such a manner in the past that it led to the resignation of then Chief Minister of Kerala, late K Karunakaran as he was targetted by a section of his own party, Congress. A lot of chaos is expected in Kerala as some of these Congressmen still hold strong positions in Kerala politics. The cops had alleged that Narayanan was involved in the 1994 espionage case of ISRO, In 1994, after Maldivian national Mariam Rasheeda was arrested for selling ISROs rocket designs to Pakistan, Kerala cops arrested Narayanan for giving these designs to her. The case has sparked a row over the internet as people are now suspecting police and politicians to be involved in Narayanans arrest. SAN DIEGO, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Emjay, a cannabis delivery and retail company with operations in California, announced today the opening of its second retail store. The dispensary will feature the biggest selection of high-quality cannabis products at the best prices in northern California. The 1500 sq. ft. retail space in La Mesa, Calif., will allow the company to serve two million households in the San Diego area with free, fast, same-day delivery. Visitors to the retail store will have access to an exclusive deal of $1 eighths on select brands for anyone who purchases $25 or more. "La Mesa is an incredible community with a vibrant consumer base and massive consumer demand, and today there are very few retail and delivery offerings serving the community," said Emjay CEO Chris Vaughn. "California has 40 million people, and it represents roughly 37% of North American cannabis sales. We want to be a big player in the biggest market in the world, so expanding our footprint across California and into the San Diego area will help drive sales and growth through 2021 and beyond. We offer a robust selection of premium products from renowned licensed dispensaries in California including flower, vapes, pre-rolls, edibles, concentrates joints, and accessories. Our omnichannel approach is first-class and I'm excited for Emjay to serve the San Diego market and deliver the most popular, best quality cannabis." Emjay's new store opens with 35 employees, all carefully selected as W-2 employees for both budtender and courier positions. As the company continues to scale, it will announce additional job opportunities to serve the growing demand within the wider San Diego community. In January of 2020, California approved new legislation allowing licensed marijuana retailers to deliver cannabis state-wide. While hundreds of dispensaries have jumped on the delivery bandwagon with new services, Emjay built their technology with their customers' interest at heart. Their main goals are to drive innovation through their ecommerce and scalable delivery model to batch orders efficiently, optimize delivery times, and ensure daily service to as many customers as possible. With a rapidly growing user base, this California-based operator has established themselves at the forefront of cannabis delivery with quick and easy services unmatched by their competition. Emjay NOW, the company's fastest delivery option, will be available to customers at this new location, enabling orders to be fulfilled within a 90 minute window. Along with NOW, Emjay allows scheduled deliveries for up to a week in advance. In addition to expanding its retail footprint, Emjay also offers a philanthropic "round up" feature with every purchase, both in store and online, where customers can choose to round an order to the nearest dollar and donate to the Last Prisoner Project, an organization fighting for social justice for people who have been incarcerated for nonviolent drug crimes. Emjay matches this donation amount on a monthly basis. Together with loyalty and delivery, Emjay's new La Mesa location will amplify the company's purpose in providing communities across California with a safe and easy way to purchase cannabis both in store and online. For more information, please visit https://heyemjay.com/cannabis-delivery-san-diego SOURCE Emjay Twitter suspended the account of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene 'in error' on Sunday for the second time in weeks. The Congresswoman questioned whether her Twitter account was suspended after she wished her followers happy Easter. But the social media platform explained the suspension as a result of the sites algorithm. 'We use a combination of technology and human review to enforce the Twitter Rules across the service. In this case, our automated systems took enforcement action on the account referenced in error. This action has been reversed, and access to the account has been reinstated,' Twitter explained in a statement. Greene's account was suspended for about 12 hours before Twitter had it reinstated. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was suspended from Twitter on Sunday leaving the Congresswoman guessing as to why The lawmaker was prohibited from posting tweets for 12 hours early on Sunday morning Greene went onto social media site Gab where she theorized that she had been suspended for her religious views and various right-wing stances, including anti-abortion and opposition to mandating COVID-19 vaccine passports. 'After tweeting, 'He is risen! Happy Easter!' I was suspended this morning for 12 hours!' Greene wrote on Gab. 'Was it my Christian faith? My willingness to Fire Fauci? Message to Big Tech: I'LL NEVER STOP!!!' It is the second time in a month that Greene has been suspended in error. Twitter's statement was the same as the one released on March 19th when the company reversed another suspension. In January she was suspended legitimately by the platform for spreading misinformation about elections. Greene has openly supported conspiracy theories such as QAnon in the past and has liked comments on social media that encourage violence against Democrats. After having her access restored, she posted all of the possible reasons she believed may have caused her to be suspended from the social media platform The Congresswoman claimed that her Twitter handle was suspended after she wished her followers happy Easter Some in the House of Representatives have pushed for her to be expelled from Congress. In February, she was stripped of her committee assignments in a House floor vote where 11 Republicans joined Democrats to vote her off 230 to 199. Ahead of that vote, Greene had abandoned her QAnon conspiracy theories in a speech to the House of Representatives. The Georgia Republican said '9/11 absolutely happened,' and that 'school shootings are real,' disclaiming two of the bizarre claims which had made her the focus for opprobrium from Democrats and condemnation from her GOP colleagues. Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer came out guns blazing with a staunch denunciation of Greene claiming her disavowing a few beliefs in a floor speech earlier in the day was not enough to excuse her touting them online. And claiming removal from her committees is just the first step in reprimanding her. 'None of us should take any pleasure in what we must do today,' Hoyer said ahead of the vote. 'But to do nothing would be an abdication of our moral responsibility to our colleagues, to the House, to our values, to the truth, and to our country.' Last month California Democrat Jimmy Gomez introduced a resolution to have her removed from office. Marjorie Taylor Greene has openly supported conspiracy theories such as QAnon in the past and has liked comments on social media that encourage violence against Democrats. Greene deleted a September post, pictured, from her Twitter account after receiving backlash 'I take no joy in introducing this resolution, but any member who cites political violence and threatens our lives must be expelled,' Gomez said at the time. 'I believe some of my Republican colleagues, and one in particular, wish harm upon this legislative body.' Greene also took heat for voting against a resolution that gave Congressional Gold Medals to the U.S. Capitol Police and other law enforcement that protected the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection. The resolution gave one medal to the Capitol Police, another to D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department and another to the Smithsonian to be displayed with a plaque listing all the law enforcement agencies that were involved. Instead of voting in the affirmative, Greene signed on as a co-sponsor to a separate resolution, sponsored by Rep. Louie Gohmert, that made no mention of the attack on the Capitol, though listed the three names of the Capitol Police officers who died. A family gifted six kidneys by organ donors through the years have celebrated another successful transplant and the wedding of Fiona Downes during Organ Donor Awareness Week 2021. Ms Downes, a clinical nurse specialist in the Transplant Unit at Beaumont Hospital, enjoyed her special day joined by her father, Noel Downes, and her mother, Anne, who underwent a kidney transplant five years ago. The wedding took place three days after Ms Downes' uncle, Brendan McCarthy, underwent a successful kidney transplant in Sweden from a deceased donor. It is just one of many special days for the family, of which six members have received kidney donations throughout the years. Several members of the family have been affected by a hereditary kidney condition called Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). All the donations have been from deceased donors except for Louise Cowman's who received a donation from her sister Emma O'Connor, four years ago after a transplant operation in Belfast. Louise Cowman and her kidney donor sister Emma O'Connor. Picture: Lisa Trainer Both women expressed their gratitude for medical advancements and the second chance organ donations have given their family. This includes their father Joe Fitzpatrick who received a kidney donation nine years after a transplant operation at the Beaumont Hospital as well. Ms O'Connor, 46, a mother of two and hairdresser working in Dundalk, Co Louth, said she is fortunate not to have developed PKD, the hereditary condition that has affected so many members of her family and usually remains dormant until middle-age. I could donate my kidney to my sister Louise four years ago as I am fortunate not to have PKD. Louise had suffered preeclampsia with her twins, and this sped up the progression of her kidney disease and she was struggling. "Our father Joe Fitzpatrick who still lives in our native Poppintree in Dublin, had a kidney transplant nine years ago from a deceased donor and some of my aunts, an uncle, and cousins had organ transplants too," said Ms O'Connor. She said her cousin's successful transplant in Stockholm on the first day of Organ Donor Awareness week was great and only topped by the wedding of his niece, Fiona, which was the "icing on the cake". "In fact, my cousin Brendan McCarthy, who is living in Sweden, underwent a kidney transplant at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm on March 27, the first day of Organ Donor Awareness Week. "It was the icing on the cake, when three days later, his sister Anne Downes who lives in Sallins and who received a transplant five years ago, attended the wedding of her daughter Fiona Downes. "Fiona is a nurse and works in the transplant unit at Beaumont Hospital. Brendan and Annes mother Teresa received a life-saving transplant which gave them over 20 years with her before she passed away five years ago. My fathers brother Jim, since deceased, received a transplant when he was in his thirties," said Ms O'Connor. Ms O'Connor said her decision to donate a kidney was easy when she saw how much happiness previous donations had brought to her family. We are a very lucky family and because of organ donation, everyone is well and in good health. It was a very easy decision to donate my kidney to Louise. She had young twins with their whole lives ahead of them and needed a strong well mammy," she said. There are between 550 and 600 people on waiting lists for organ transplants including heart, lung, liver, kidney, and pancreas in Ireland. Last year there was a fall in the number of transplants across all the national transplant programmes. The Irish Kidney Association said while the 190 transplants carried out in 2020 were 84 less than in 2019, the thoughtfulness of the 62 deceased donors last year amid the pandemic is inspiring. Louise Cowman said she is thankful to her sister for gifting her a kidney donation and that she and her twin children feel very lucky. I am so grateful to Emma for giving me the chance to live a full life again and my children feel grateful also as they can remember me when I was sick and had little energy. "My twins Andrew and Aoife who turned twelve years old during Organ Donor Awareness Week were only five when I went on the transplant waiting list. "Our whole family feel very lucky that so many of us have been given a second chance through organ donation and transplantation," said Ms Cowman. Hein Zaw Win reads a declaration note at a funeral for a protester killed by Myanmar troops during a crackdown in the northwestern city of Monywa, March 5, 2021. Monywa a city of 370,000 people noted for food processing, cotton textiles, and ancient Buddhist temples, and the largest city in northwestern Myanmar has seen an uptick in violence and deaths in the recent weeks of protests against the Feb. 1 military coup. At least 15 people have been killed, and more 30 protesters many students have been arrested, with most of the student activists charged with defamation and incitement under Article 505(a) of the Penal Code. RFAs Myanmar Service spoke to Hein Zaw Win, a former student activist in Monywa, for an update on the state of play in the city. RFA: Please tell us about the situation there. How many casualties are there in Monywa? Hein Zaw Win: At least 15 people have died here in Monywa and over 30 have been arrested. There were 33 wounded (on April 1) alone. They are now changing their tactics. They do not crack down on the protests directly but instead they lie in wait on the protesters way home to make arrests. They stop motorcycles and check mobile phones. They also take away those who have tattoos saying 'Spring Revolution' on their bodies. They mainly target youths and release those they think are not important. RFA: How many members of the student union are among those arrested? Hein Zaw Win: The first to get arrested was Shin Thant, the president of our student union. He was arrested at home at night. Then Arkar Htet Hmu, a former member of Bakatha (Burma Students Union), was arrested during a crackdown on our motorcycle column. Two more, Thaung Htut Kyaw, the current president of the union, and Pyi Soe Maung Maung, a union member, were arrested (on March 31). At the time of their arrests, they were forced to kneel down on the ground and were beaten up. Hein Zaw Win addresses an anti-coup protest in Monywa, March 19, 2021. Credit: Hein Zaw Win RFA: Where are they being held and under what charges? Hein Zaw Win: At Monywa Police Station. All the students were held under Section 505(a). RFA: The shadow parliament has abolished 2008 Constitution. What do the activists in Monywa people think of this? Hein Zaw Win: We people in Monywa had already burned the 2008 Constitution during our protests about two weeks ago. We never accepted the 2008 Constitution and we are burning some more copies of it today (April 1). RFA: What are your future plans? Hein Zaw Win: We have noticed that it is quite effective to confront (the regime) in big numbers. So we need to prepare ourselves to show up in huge numbers. Another thing is we have the right to defend ourselves. We shouldn't let them do what they like to us. It is the rightful thing to defend ourselves and I want to share this message with others. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Ben Benton; Chattanooga Times Free Press, Tenn. (TNS) Apr. 4When National Park Service Ranger Justin Young saw the stark stump of a poached white oak tree on the slopes of Lookout Mountain last fall, it wasnt the first theft of the species hed seen. Over the last several years, Young has investigated a few thefts involving large trees, but the last two involved white oaks, at least one of which was far more than a century old, cut down inside the Chattanooga city limits. Youngs investigation landed a local man in jail for a 11-month, 29-day sentence in the theft of a dozen trees last September from the slopes of Lookout Mountain on Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park land. The value of the trees, restitution and associated damage totaled more than $60,000, authorities said. Tennessee Division of Forestry officials said much of the driving force behind what appears to be an increase in white oak tree theft is the worldwide rise in popularity of Tennessee whiskey and Kentucky bourbon. Both must be stored in new white oak barrels. The portion of an old white oak tree thieves usually take is the most valuable, the limbless lower trunk called the butt log and the rest they leave behind, officials said. White oak trunks are used to make staves for barrels. Despite the recent Lookout Mountain white oak theft case on federal land, state forestry spokesperson Tim Phelps said tree theft investigations in the last year or so largely have been focused on privately owned land. [Over the] last one to two years, cases are widespread, but were seeing several cases in the Cumberland Plateau region, especially with absentee landowners, he said. Regionally, the Ag Crime Unit agent is working multiple cases. Officials believe the increase in the theft of white oak trees now far outpaces thefts over the decades that mostly involved trees valuable in the furniture-making and milling industry thanks to a booming Tennessee whiskey and Kentucky bourbon market. In 2013, exports of the two spirits spiked beyond $1 billion for the first time, the Distilled Spirits Council announced at the time. In September 2020, Forbes magazine reported the top five-selling whiskeys in the world, from the top down, are Tennessees Jack Daniels followed by bourbons Jim Beam, Evan Williams and Makers Mark, and blended American whiskey Seagrams 7 Crown. Lynchburg, Tennessee-based Jack Daniels in 2013 launched a $100 million expansion to answer the growing whiskey market. Brown-Forman parent company of flagship brand Jack Daniels whiskey and popular bourbons Woodford Reserve, Old Forester and Coopers Craft operates a cooperage in Stevenson, Alabama, that manufactures white oak whiskey barrels. The company did not respond to a request for comment, although Young said it was instrumental in solving the Lookout Mountain theft case, helping to identify the suspect and his vehicle. The requirements for the use of new white oak barrels for bourbon comes from the federal government, while Tennessee whiskeys requirements for new white oak barrels are a state law. The Tennessee law was signed in 2013 by then-Gov. Bill Haslam to define the spirit manufactured in the Volunteer State and protect its uniqueness. According to TimberUpdate, a private company that posts prices of timber online, white oak logs now are worth $425 per 1,000 board feet of wood in Tennessee, exceeded only by black walnut, which brings $775 per 1,000 board feet. Other trees range in price from $55 per 1,000 board feet for yellow pine to $325 for hard sugar maple. The Tennessee Valley Authority has been a victim of tree poachers in recent years, including not long ago when trees were cut down in the Chattanooga region, according to TVA spokesperson Scott Fiedler. Fiedler said he couldnt discuss details of the cases or even identify the species of trees taken. TVA police have an open and active investigation into a tree-cutting incident in Marion County and well prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, Fiedler said, noting cutting, injuring or otherwise taking trees from federal land, even if theyre windfall trees, is illegal. The theft of trees is not always criminal activity, he said. Unfortunately, tree-cutting on TVA land is common, but in many cases theyre property owners who are our neighbors who may be cutting trees or brush and they stray onto TVA land, Fiedler said. Thats why TVA continually and routinely monitors our public lands, even very remote lands, to make sure our boundaries are accurate and visibly posted to help property owners know where the boundary is and where they should stop if they are clearing land. TVA works with property owners who unintentionally cut trees to help them make restitution to the public, he said, and the federal agency will go after anyone who illegally and intentionally cut trees on the land the agency manages. Fiedler said TVAs natural resources team routinely does land-condition assessments looking for tree-cutting, littering, vandalism and any other kind of unauthorized use. A branch of TVA police investigates land-use incidents such as tree theft, so theres a specific division of TVA police dedicated to natural resource and issues on TVA public lands, Fiedler said. Phelps said the problem mostly lies with private landowners who often are oblivious to thefts. Landowners should be vigilant in working with a private consulting forester to administer timber sales with clearly marked boundaries and clearly designated trees marked for harvest, he said of property owners with stands of marketable trees. Landowners of property adjacent to a timber sale where logging is occurring legally should get a consulting foresters help, too, to establish the value of their timber and to closely monitor boundaries to avoid inappropriate logging from their land, he said. The Tennessee Division of Forestry is aware of targeted intentional theft, Phelps said, while echoing TVAs remark that not all thefts are intentional. Many cases involve negligent theft that is, trees accidentally harvested outside of an unmarked property boundary line. The frequency of theft might depend on the remoteness or access to property, proximity to neighbors who could become witnesses to poaching or plain luck, officials said. Jeff Holt, of natural resources management company Maple Grove Group in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, said no tree thefts have occurred on property belonging to his clients or to landowners who hire him to manage their timbered land. I just dont see it, Holt said. His company has managed properties for a number of absentee owners over the last several decades, mostly in an area ranging from Athens to the Cumberland Plateau and northward to Jefferson City. It comes up occasionally, but Ive doing this in East Tennessee for 20 years and practicing more than 40, he said. Stealing a [single] tree is really a foolish crime. Usually people log without contracts and exceed their authority or just outright trespass and take 40 acres [of trees]. Local law enforcement doesnt always have the desire or resources to investigate such crimes, he said. In Tennessee, the legitimate sawmills and almost all of them are keep records and their records are subject to inspection by the landowner or the landowners agent for up to a year after theyve been sold. So theyve got to be able to present sales records as to what they bought from whom, Holt said. But Rob Harrison, owner of Plateau Properties in Crossville, Tennessee, says hes been a victim of white oak tree thefts twice and so far nearly 60 nice, big white oak trees have been stolen by a poacher or poachers. Its a fairly new problem for him. Theyve gone from nothing to weve had two different areas of theft now, Harrison said. When this happened I hadnt had any timber thefts to deal with. I just had a hunter come in and say Hey, did you know that somebody has cut a bunch of your white oak trees? he recalled. Illegal logging might look like easy money for some folks experiencing hard times. Thats because prices have gone up like two to three times or more, so its attracting opportunists looking for [trees] for whiskey barrels and for white oak lumber, Harrison said. Thefts are not easily prevented without help, he said. We have some bigger tracts scattered over six counties and its hard to keep up with properties that you cant go look at every day. We rely on neighbors and hunters to tell us if somethings wrong, he said. Thats how we found out we had these thefts. Thats a good move for others. If theyre absentee they need to cozy up to their neighbors to get them to help watch things for them, Harrison said. Phelps agreed and suggested landowners arm themselves with information on their timber. He said selling timber through a contract to specify which trees are to be harvested and other sale conditions can minimize the likelihood of theft. Landowners should work with a consulting forester for a timber inventory and damage and trespass assessment to get basic data recorded. The state forestry division maintains a directory of consulting foresters here. ___ Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton or at www.facebook.com/benbenton1. (c)2021 the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.) Visit the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.) at www.timesfreepress.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 was a land deal between France and the United States that led to the US acquisition of 2,140,000 km2 at a bargain price of $7 per km2. The land, then the French territory of Louisiana, extended from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River and from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico. This land was so large that it doubled the size of the US at the time, with all or part of 15 states created out of the territory of Louisiana. For only $15 million, the land deal is considered one of President Thomas Jeffersons greatest achievements. Map of the present-day US with the Louisiana Purchase territory highlighted. Background For much of the 17th century, France explored and established settlements in the Mississippi River valley. By the mid-18th century, it had more control in North America than any other European country, with substantial land ownership with the territory of Louisiana. However, in 1762, Spain took possession of the territory in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, following the end of the North American phase of the Seven Years' War between France and Britain. By the end of that war, Spain had gained control over Spanish Louisiana (west of Mississippi River), while Great Britain took control of territory to the rivers east. Spain, which was in a weakened position by the mid-18th century, did not do much to develop the territory after acquiring it. In 1800, Spain transferred the Louisiana Territory back to France, and the transfer was formally completed on November 30, 1803, three weeks before its formal transfer to the US. The territorys secret transfer back to France caused unease in the US, with Americans fearing that France, under Napoleon Bonaparte, would control access to the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River. Jefferson and the southerners, fearing that Bonaparte would release slaves held in Louisiana, considered hostility against the French. However, Jefferson settled for a diplomatic approach, with a possibility of entering into land deals with France. Negotiations 150th-anniversary commemorative stamp for the Louisiana Purchase. Image credit: AlexanderZam/Shutterstock Aware of possible disunion in the country, President Jefferson sent James Monroe (future US president) to join Robert R. Livingston in Paris for New Orleans purchase negotiations. However, when Monroe reached Paris in April 1803, he learned that France had asked Livingston if the US could purchase Louisiana as well. Frances failure to stop slave uprisings in Haiti, the threat from the British who still occupied the continent with their colonies in today's Canada, and economic challenges could have been the factors that led them to offer Louisiana for sale. President Jefferson seized the opportunity and requested Livingston and Monroe to enter into a negotiation with France over the Louisiana Purchase. Although the US was prepared to pay $10 million for the New Orleans purchase, they were surprised by the $15 million offer for Louisiana and New Orleans. The purchase treaty was agreed upon and signed on April 30, 1803, with Monroe and Livingston representing the US and Francois Barbe-Marbois representing France. Conflict And Formal Transfer The Louisiana Purchase deal was announced to the public on July 4, 1803, and the US Senate ratified the purchase treaty in October. However, the purchase treaty faced opposition from some House of Representative members and federalists, some of whom argued that the land belonged to Spain, not France. Other federalists thought that the deal would threaten the powers of the Eastern Seaboard states. Spain also opposed the sale, arguing that France went against its promise of not selling the land to a third party. However, France officially handed over Louisiana to the US on December 20, 1803. On April 30, 1812, nine years after the land deal, Louisiana joined the Union as the 18th state. Vietnams lawmaking National Assembly elected Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who had stepped down as prime minister last week, as state president on Monday morning. The election was confirmed in a vote and documented in a resolution. Phuc swore allegiance to the nation, people, and constitution in a swearing-in ceremony. Ill make an effort to complete the missions assigned by the Party, state, and people, he swore during the televised ceremony in Hanoi. On April 2, the National Assembly passed another resolution with a 93-percent vote to relieve Phuc as prime minister, whose five-year term ended accordingly. He had been nominated for the presidency. This was the first time an incumbent prime minister had been tipped as a future state president. The resolution took effect on Monday so Phuc had continued taking on the prime ministers responsibility since last week, the legislature said. The National Assembly Party voted to dismiss General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as state president on April 2. Trong, born in 1944, took over from Tran Dai Quang as state president on October 23, 2018, after the latter passed away on September 21, 2018. Born in 1954 in Quang Nam Province, Phuc assumed office as prime minister on April 7, 2016, according to his biography. He served as deputy prime minister from August 2011 to April 2016. Phuc was deputy secretary of the Quang Nam Party Committee and chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee from 2001 to 2006 before ascending the ranks at the central government level. Pham Minh Chinh, chief of the Party's Central Organization Commission, has been tipped as the country's next prime minister, as Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper understands. The legislature will elect a new prime minister on Monday afternoon. Trong, Phuc, and Chinh are members of the all-powerful Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A slack Sunday had vaccinators at Manitoba's largest COVID-19 inoculation centre spending hours with little to do, waiting for people to show up over the long weekend. A slack Sunday had vaccinators at Manitoba's largest COVID-19 inoculation centre spending hours with little to do, waiting for people to show up over the long weekend. Public health officials were so worried after backlash over previous delays that they decided to book fewer people for vaccines during Easter break than planned, four staff members from the RBC Convention Centre supersite in Winnipeg told the Free Press in separate interviews. The province repeatedly said in the last two weeks that it is able to deliver 20,000 vaccinations per day, should supply become available. But on Sunday, vaccinators confirmed, only 3,918 jabs were administered at Winnipeg's supersite and 4,000 were planned for the entire province. The Winnipeg site alone was designed to do between 6,000 and 7,000 shots per day. "What's really the issue is that the province seems to think this coronavirus goes to bed over the weekend," said a vaccinator from Winnipeg's supersite on Sunday. "What's really the issue is that the province seems to think this coronavirus goes to bed over the weekend." Vaccinator "To say it's disappointing is an understatement," said another vaccinator, who called it a "slap in the face" to be working at any site over the weekend "while having literally nothing to do." He and other staff members spoke on condition of anonymity because they're afraid they will face repercussions otherwise. Staffers at vaccine sites have been asked repeatedly by the province to not speak to members of the media. "But everyone needs to know about this because, realistically, we could be doing one shot per minute with our teams now," another vaccinator said, adding that she was asked to leave more than an hour before her shift ended on Friday. "I was told there weren't enough bookings for me to help with," she said. "It's disheartening because we had enough doses for so many more people than were allowed to be booked, and because all of us gave up our weekends with the hope that we could get people vaccinated by the thousands and not this itty-bitty amount." The province did not respond by press time to requests for comment. Citing the long weekend, automatic emailed replies from five different spokespeople said, "Media assistance will be limited." "It's disheartening because we had enough doses for so many more people than were allowed to be booked, and because all of us gave up our weekends with the hope that we could get people vaccinated by the thousands and not this ittybitty amount." Vaccinator A COVID-19 bulletin with the latest cases and vaccination rates was not available Sunday. Provincial health officials announced 181 new cases and one death from the virus on Saturday, which accounts for two days of data because a bulletin wasn't available on Friday. All four vaccinators that the Free Press spoke to said they don't believe the lack of needles in arms is due to appointment no-shows or a hesitancy to get the vaccine. Instead, they said they believe it's because of a failure to ramp up vaccination bookings "because of bad publicity" from delays in late March that forced hundreds of people to contend with long queues, sometimes stretching outside the clinic. "The government doesn't report numbers on the weekend... they scale down vaccinations and we've been told by people that came here that they're not available for any questions about booking problems on the weekend either," a vaccinator said. "To be honest, I'm sure all of us would love to help with this 24 hours a day, no matter the holiday, and we've told our supervisors about that so many times, too. But nothing's changed." "I'm sure all of us would love to help with this 24 hours a day, no matter the holiday, and we've told our supervisors about that so many times, too. But nothing's changed." Vaccinator Doctors Manitoba which represents more than 3,000 physicians in the province said while the organization appreciates the hard work of government officials in overseeing the vaccine rollout, it is extremely worried. "Physicians are very concerned about getting as many Manitobans immunized as quickly possible, especially with the threat of a third wave with more dangerous variants of COVID-19," spokesman Keir Johnson said in a statement Sunday. "We believe there are lessons Manitoba can learn from those countries leading the world in getting their citizens immunized," said Johnson. "While it might be easier to save mRNA vaccines for the government's mass immunization clinics, it would be better to also offer these vaccines in doctor's offices across the province." Research from Doctors Manitoba has found that medical clinics can handle up to 5,500 more doses per day beyond what the province has already planned for these clinics. Temur.Durrani@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @temurdur Ke Chieh Meng was spending her Saturday morning as the animal-loving Californian often did: Walking her two small dogs through her suburban Riverside neighborhood. Suddenly, surveillance footage from a neighboring house shows, a stranger approached on the otherwise empty street. Moments later, Meng, 64, lay dying on the sidewalk, fatally stabbed in the stomach. Police soon arrested Stephanie Montoya, a 23-year-old homeless woman who had been charged days earlier in another attack and then released from jail under the county's covid-19 protocols. Although the attack comes during an upswell of racist assaults and threats against Asian Americans, police said their early investigation didn't suggest race was a factor in Meng's killing. "The suspect is homeless from L.A. County and is obviously experiencing mental health and substance abuse issues," said Riverside Police officer Ryan Railsback, Patch.com reported. "The attack could have happened to anyone." But as police continue to investigate, Meng's family is demanding answers about Montoya's motive - and about why she was released so quickly from custody after allegedly assaulting someone else days earlier. "Why was it her? Was it because she is elderly and she can't fight back? Was it that she was an easy target? Was it that she was Asian?" Meng's son, Yi Bai, told KNBC. "I don't really know why she was attacked." Thousands of race-related attacks against Asian Americans have been reported during the pandemic, a trend many have linked to former president Donald Trump's repeated use of racist terms while casting blame on China for the pubic health emergency. Last week, a homeless New York man was charged with hate crimes after allegedly stomping a 65-year-old Asian American woman while yelling, "You don't belong here." That case came two weeks after a gunman killed eight at Atlanta-area spas, including six Asian women. Meng had lived for about 11 years in Riverside, KNBC reported, after immigrating to the U.S. "She came here to this country to give me my American Dream," Bai said. Just before 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, she was walking her two dogs in Riverside's La Sierra neighborhood when she was attacked, Riverside police said in a new release. Surveillance video shows a figure in dark clothing crossing the street and quickly walking up to Meng just before she was stabbed. Passersby soon called paramedics, who found Meng with stab wounds to the abdomen, police said. They rushed her to hospital, where she died. Later that morning, residents in the area called authorities to report a "suspicious" homeless woman tramping through their yards, leading police to Montoya. She was familiar to Riverside police - just four days earlier, they had arrested her under a nearby highway overpass after she allegedly used a skateboard as a weapon while attacking a woman. Montoya was charged with assault with a deadly weapon in that case, but was quickly released with a citation and a court date. As covid-19 cases soared in the confined spaces of L.A. jails last year, authorities moved to dramatically cut the number of people held in the facilities - a move hailed by civil rights leaders and public health authorities. "Our population within our jail is a vulnerable population just by virtue of who they are and where they're located," Los Angeles County Sheriff Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at the time. "So we're protecting that population from potential exposure." Meng's family, though, questioned whether Montoya should have been more closely monitored as a potential threat to the community after her release last week. "This was not a year ago. This is literally a week ago," Bai told KNBC, referring to her previous arrest, noting his alarm that she "was let go, with no supervision." TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Special Envoy for Climate Affairs and CEO of the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak Bin Daina participated in the UAE Regional Dialogue for Climate Action. The special envoy praised the efforts made by the UAE to unify international visions and face climate change. He noted the importance of such meetings that enhance regional and international cooperation to accelerate the pace of climate action and pave the way towards optimal international readiness for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). Bin Daina pointed out that the institutional investment in the clean energy market in Bahrain is continuously developing despite the limited geographical area of the Kingdom. He highlighted how Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 played a major role in directing investments to clean energy technologies that reduce carbon emissions and pollution and enhance action to provide sustainable energy resources. The special envoy invited the states that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to participate in the workshop that Bahrain will host to discuss green technology, the road to Glasgow and the challenges of the Paris Agreement, in cooperation with the UK. He noted the Kingdom welcomes information and experiences exchange in the field of modern institutional technologies aimed at protecting the environment. New Delhi : Security forces on Monday continued anti-militancy operation near the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri and adjoining areas after receiving inputs about presence of more militants in the area. Three Pakistani militants were killed in a fierce gunbattle with security forces in Kalgai area of Uri on Sunday.Three civilians and a soldier were injured in the operation. "The operation resumed this morning after there were reports of more militants hiding in the area," an Army official said. He said the area of operation has been expanded to ensure that no militant get away from the security forces' cordon. Director General of Police S P Vaid had said the militants were planning a suicide attack like the one carried out on an Army base last year in Uri that left 19 soldiers dead and several others injured. "A big tragedy has been averted. Like the suicide attack on the Army base last year, they (militants) had similar plan this time also but police and Army got information before hand," Vaid told reporters. (With PTI Inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kuala Lumpur, April 5 : Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's attempt to overturn his corruption conviction dealt with an early blow after the country's Court of Appeal refused his request for a one-month adjournment of the hearings, which started on Monday. Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil said there was insufficient grounds to postpone the hearings after Najib's defence team sought several bank statements and communications records from the prosecution, reports dpa news agency. Najib was sentenced to 12 years in jail on July 28, 2020, at the end of the first of five trials related to large-scale graft during his nine years as premier, which ended in a shock defeat in the 2018 elections fought in part over the scandals. He was found guilty of money laundering, abuse of office and breach of trust after almost 10 million dollars were allegedly stolen from SRC International, a subsidiary of 1MDB, a state fund set up in 2009. Twelve days of hearings are scheduled for this month, with Najib submitting 307 grounds for appeal of the sentence, which included a fine of 210 million ringgit ($50 million). His lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told media at the court on Monday that the judge who found Najib guilty was not experienced enough. "One would expect a senior judge, with experience in criminal matters, to be sent," he said. Up to $4.5 billion could have been looted from 1MDB, according to the US Department of Justice, which has repatriated hundreds of millions of dollars to Malaysia after recovering assets, including Picasso artwork and a luxury yacht, it said were purchased with money stolen from the fund. One of Najib's other ongoing trials centres on allegations he stole hundreds of millions of dollars from the fund, money he has claimed was a donation from Saudi Arabia. Najib is free on bail, pending the appeal, and remains an MP for the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the biggest party in the governing coalition led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Muhyiddin was Najib's deputy premier before being fired in 2015 after criticising him over the corruption accusations. Court Dismisses Plea By Kangana Ranaut Challenging Defamation Case Filed By Javed Akhtar A session court on Monday dismissed an application filed by Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut challenging the proceedings initiated against her by a magistrate's court in connection with a defamation complaint lodged by veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar. Additional Sessions Judge S U Baghele said the plea filed by the applicant (Ranaut) is dismissed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kangana Ranaut (@kanganaranaut) Ranaut (34) had sought the sessions court to quash the legal proceedings and summons issued by the magistrate's court in suburban Andheri in the defamation complaint lodged against her by Akhtar. Akhtar (76) had filed the complaint in the magistrate's court in last November claiming the actor had made defamatory statements against him in a television interview, which allegedly damaged his reputation. The sessions court in Dindoshi in Mumbai had on April 3 reserved its order on the application filed by Ranaut. In her application, Ranaut had challenged the issuance of the process and the legality and validity of the February 1, 2021 order passed by the magistrate and the subsequent action of issuing a bailable warrant against her for failing to appear before the court. Ranaut's advocate Rizwan Siddiquee had argued in the sessions court that as per provisions of section 200 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), a magistrate has to first examine and record the statements of the complainant and the witnesses before issuance of notice or proceedings in criminal complaints. Siddiquee claimed that since the magistrate's court had not recorded the statements of the witnesses, it had vitiated the procedure. Ranaut in her plea had sought the sessions court to suspend and quash the proceedings initiated against her. Advocate Jay Bharadwaj, appearing for Akhtar, had opposed the application and submitted that the order passed by the magistrate did not warrant interference. On March 1, magistrate R R Khan had issued a bailable warrant against Ranaut after she failed to appear before the court as per earlier directions. Ranaut later sought cancellation of the warrant before the magistrate. The court on March 25 cancelled the warrant after Ranaut furnished a cash bail of Rs 20,000 and a surety of Rs 15,000. In his complaint, Akhtar claimed that Ranaut had made defamatory comments against him in an interview by dragging his name while referring to a "coterie" existing in Bollywood, following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June last year. The magistrate had directed the Mumbai police to carry out a preliminary probe into the complaint. In February, the police submitted a report to the court saying an offence of defamation was made out against Ranaut. Rescue teams and local officials are working to save survivors from a capsized yacht on the morning of April 4th, 2021 in the Nam Ngeum reservoir in Vientiane province, Laos. At least eight are dead in Laos after a yacht carrying ex-President Choummaly Xayasone capsized during a storm Sunday as he and the former first family returned from a gathering at a luxury hotel in Vientiane province. Among the eight confirmed victims were former first lady Keosaiychai Xayasone and former Vientiane province Gov. Vidong Xayasonethe wife and son of Choummaly Xayasone, who served as president from 2006 to 2016. The former president was among 40 survivors. The accident occurred at about 8 a.m. in the middle of the Nam Ngeum reservoir. Xayasone and his family had just left a family event at the nearby Chinese-owned-and-operated Dansavanh Resort and Casino. According to initial reports from the provincial government and a local rescue team, the number of passengers and crew was believed to be 39, of which rescuers were able to save 31. They also recovered eight bodies. A member of the rescue team told RFA's Lao Service Monday that according to the latest figures, 40 of 48 survived the accident. During the search operation, the conditions were still harsh. It was still raining and the winds were gusting. It took us some time to get from the shore to the scene of the accident. The distance from where they boarded the boat to where it capsized is about 400 meters [437 yards]. A rescue diver explained to RFA the possible cause, saying, the boat's conductor said it was turning in curvy motion when it was hit by the strong wind and waves. The Vientiane Times quoted Vientiane province governor Khamphanh Sitthidampha, who explained Sunday that the boat capsized due to severe weather conditions including a thunderstorm and strong winds. After the accident occurred, the relevant bodies from the central and local governments, as well as rescue teams, rushed to assist," the governor said, adding that the 31 then-confirmed survivors were transported to the hospital by 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The governor also confirmed that eight died in the accident. Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Researchers from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Science and Engineering and Medical School have developed a unique head-mounted mini-microscope device that allows them to image complex brain functions of freely moving mice in real time over a period of more than 300 days. The device, known as the mini-MScope, offers an important new tool for studying how neural activity from multiple regions of the outer part of the brain, called the cortex, contribute to behavior, cognition and perception. The groundbreaking study provides new insight into fundamental research that could improve human brain conditions such as concussions, autism, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease, as well as better understanding the brain's role in addiction. The research was published today in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Methods. The study authors will also present their research at the virtual 2021 OSA Biophotonics Congress: Optics in the Life Sciences on Thursday, April 15. In the past, scientists have studied how neural activity in specific regions of the brain's cortex contribute to behavior, but it has been difficult to study activity from multiple cortical regions at once. For mice, even the simple task of moving a single whisker in response to a stimulus involves processing information in several cortical areas. Mice are often used to study the brain because they have many of the same brain structures and connectivity as humans. "This device enables us to image most of the mouse's brain during free and unrestrained behaviors, whereas previous mesoscale imaging was usually done in immobile mice using devices like the MRI or two photon microscopes" said Suhasa Kodandaramaiah, the senior author of the study and University of Minnesota Benjamin Mayhugh Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Science and Engineering. "This new device allows us to understand how different areas of the brain interact during complex behaviors where multiple areas of the brain are working together simultaneously. This opens up research into understanding how connectivity changes in diseased states, traumatic brain injury or addiction." The new mini-MScope is a fluorescence microscope that can image an area about 10 millimeters by 12 millimeters and weighs about 3 grams. This allows holistic imaging of much of the mouse brain surface. The device is used for calcium imaging, a technique commonly used to monitor the electrical activity of the brain. The device mounted on the mouse's head captures images at near cellular level, making it possible to study connections between regions across the cortex. The researchers created the miniaturized microscope using LEDs for illumination, miniature lenses for focusing and a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) for capturing images. It includes interlocking magnets that let it be easily affixed to structurally realistic 3D-printed transparent polymer skulls, known as See-Shells, that the researchers developed in previous studies. When implanted into mice, the See-Shells create a window through which long-term microscopy can be performed. The new microscope can capture the brain activity of mice for almost a year. The researchers demonstrated the mini-MScope by using it to image mouse brain activity in response to a visual stimulus to the eye, a vibrational stimulus to the hindlimb and a somatosensory stimulus presented to the whisker. They also created functional connectivity maps of the brain as a mouse wearing the head-mounted microscope interacted with another mouse. They saw that intracortical connectivity increased when the mouse engaged in social behaviors with the other mouse. "Our team is creating a suite of tools that will enable us to access and interface with large parts of the cortex at high spatial and temporal resolution," said Mathew Rynes, a University of Minnesota biomedical engineering Ph.D. candidate who co-led the study. "This study shows that the mini-MScope can be used to study functional connectivity in freely behaving mice, making it an important contribution to this toolkit," Rynes added. The team had to overcome several engineering challenges to create the device. "To image the brain in freely behaving mice, the device had to be light-weight enough to be supported and carried by the mice," said Daniel Surinach, a recent University of Minnesota mechanical engineering master's degree graduate who also co-led the study. "Within this small range, we also needed to optimize optics, electrical and imaging hardware resolution, focusing, illumination designs to provide light to the brain for imaging, and other elements to get clear images of the mouse brain during natural and vigorous behaviors. We ended up designing and testing more than 175 unique prototypes to get the finalized device working!" The researchers are now using the mini-MScope to investigate how cortical connectivity changes in a variety of behavioral paradigms, such as exploring a new space. They are also working with collaborators who are using the mini-MScope to study how cortical activity is altered when mice learn difficult motor tasks. "This device allows us to study the brain in ways we could have never done before," said Kodandaramaiah, who also holds appointments in the University of Minnesota's Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Medical School. "For example, we can image the mouse's brain activity as it ebbs and flows during natural movement within its space, as it goes to sleep, and when it wakes up. This provides a lot of valuable information that will help us better understand the brain to help people with disease or injury to improve their lives." The researchers said the next steps are to improve the resolution of the imaging and study the brain at even finer detail down to examining individual neurons. ### In addition to Kodandaramaiah, Rynes, and Surinach, the research team included University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering mechanical engineering researchers Samantha Linn, Vijay Rajendran, Judith Dominguez, Orestes Hadjistamolou, Zahra S Navabi, Leila Ghanbari, and Gregory W Johnson; University of Minnesota Medical School researcher Michael Laroque; and University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada researchers Mojtaba Nazari and Majid Mohajerani. The research was primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke with additional support from the NIH Brain Initiative, Minnesota's Discovery, Research, and InnoVation Economy (MnDRIVE) from the State of Minnesota, Minnesota Informatics Institute's (UMII) graduate fellowship, and the University of Minnesota's Diversity of Views and Experiences (DOVE) fellowship. Every time we have a severe weather event that causes lots of power outages, we hear only a murmur of talk about undergrounding the utility lines. But after a few weeks pass, you dont hear any of that talk going on. The August 2020 storm Isaias caused nearly a million customers to lose power in Connecticut. Even after that event, there wasnt much public talk about undergrounding. The storms of 10 years ago and subsequent weather events heightened the public awareness of the vulnerability of the electric, telephone and utility systems hanging overhead on wooden poles. The response by the utilities and state Legislature was to create vegetation management legislation that enabled the utilities to increase our monthly electric bills to pay for tree trimming and tree removal on our public streets. This cost is not itemized on our electric bills. A tornado a few weeks after Isaias again left thousands of customers without power. Although millions of dollars had been spent for vegetation management since the program began, it had not created the necessary resilience in the electric grid, and it never will. Trimmed branches grow back in five or 10 years, and there will always be bigger trees nearby that the utility companies cannot touch, but can fall on the power lines. Removing trees and branches in the utility protection zone exposes adjacent trees to the wind force more directly. The vegetation management activity has had the negative effect that removing trees can cause. Not only do trees contribute to air quality, storm water management and public space beauty, but they also help to reduce electrical consumption for cooling in adjacent buildings, and make our streets more walkable in the heat of summer. Immediately after these intense storm events, the utility companies push back on undergrounding talk. They, along with legislators, come up with other costly ideas that wont ever solve this problem in the best and most permanent way. Ideas like more tree trimming, removal, tougher wires and poles, fines for outages and payments to customers for food losses. These ideas will not provide the resiliency that we, the public, should be requiring. Although the cost of undergrounding everything thats on poles is high, the long-term costs of maintaining underground lines is much less. Depending on the specifics of the location (the complexity of what is overhead, and what is already under the street), it can cost anywhere from a few hundred thousand dollars per mile to $5 million per mile to put the mess under the street. Then we would be able to have beautiful tree-lined streets, and design the street lighting as part of a comprehensive streetscape design. When we talk to our elected officials to advocate for some kind of initiative to actively start a long-term program of undergrounding, we usually get lip service and nothing happens. To change this 100-year paradigm would require unrelenting pressure from us, the citizens, since we are the owners of the streets, to evoke leadership on this issue from the governor. Most town professional staffs already have more to do than they can handle. State legislators have so many pressing concerns that once the lights are on again after an outage, they dont have time to develop a statewide plan for this. Changing this would have to start with a governors task force for undergrounding, which would assemble a team of players from utilities, legislators, PURA, ConnDOT, DEEP, regional councils of government members, consulting engineers and contractors. The task force would study how this has been done in other states, and develop a structure to fund undergrounding efforts statewide that would have no unreasonable financial impact on ratepayers, municipal or state budgets. It would provide technical, political, legal and planning expertise to enable this effort to start, and continue for 50 to 100 years or more. A survey in 2014 revealed that 80 percent of the population supports the idea of undergrounding utilities, and also conveyed willingness to pay a small surcharge on their monthly bills. Many places around the country have developed manageable ways to do this. In 1967 California passed legislation (Rule 20) that enables any locality to plan and engage in undergrounding. San Diego and many other places in California have been doing this for the last 50 years, including San Francisco, Anaheim, San Jose, Los Angeles and many others. Gov. Lamont, please enable this to happen in Connecticut. Henry Dynia lives in Hamden. The original cover is illustrated by Louis Darling, a longtime collaborator with Cleary, completed not long before his death. It is and I dont say this lightly a work of art. The detailed sketch of Ralph on the motorcycle, helmet on, angled slightly down right to left to connote speed and travel, with the title in a distinctive font just below, is worth looking at for a long time to appreciate the skill of the design. The current cover of the book is, to put it as kindly as I can, cute. Former prime minister Gordon Brown accused Nicola Sturgeon of 'petty politicking' over Scottish independence today, telling the First Minister to focus on Covid and nothing else. In his first major intervention in the Holyrood election campaign the former Labour leader said that the SNP chief should 'put her constitutional argument to one side and focus on the job in front of her'. Mr Brown, who was a prominent No campaigner in the 2014 independence referendum, went public today with his support for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar ahead of May's Holyrood election. His broadside at the SNP came as Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf claimed Scottish independence is 'essential to the long-term recovery' of the country from Covid-19. Scottish independence has been a centrepiece of the SNP campaign so far, but Mr Brown urged First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to turn her focus to the recovery and the economy. Writing in the Daily Record today, Mr Brown said: 'This is no time for our political leaders to hunker down. They must recognise they have no greater duty than setting out measures to tackle this. That means an end to petty politicking. 'Devolution has given Scotland the power to act. The Covid crisis has handed the Scottish Government extra resources to support our economy and high streets. 'Nicola Sturgeon must do what I think even she knows is right - to put her constitutional argument to one side and focus on the job in front of her.' Writing in the Daily Record today, Mr Brown said: 'This is no time for our political leaders to hunker down. They must recognise they have no greater duty than setting out measures to tackle this. That means an end to petty politicking.' Scottish independence has been a centrepiece of the SNP campaign so far for Nicola Sturgeon (pictured today in Leith), as she seeks an overall Holyrood majority Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf claimed Scottish independence is 'essential to the long-term recovery' of the country from Covid-19 Salmond to demand 'immediate action' on independence after May election Alex Salmond says he will set out his new party's 'route to independence' tomorrow, demanding 'immediate' action after may's election. In an address scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, the Alba Party leader will make what he called the 'declaration for Scotland', on the anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath. Mr Salmond said today that momentum was with the Alba Party, which claimed on Friday to have signed up more members than the Scottish Lib Dems in the seven days from its launch. Mr Salmond said: 'Tomorrow, on the anniversary of the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath I will set out Alba's Declaration for Scotland and the clear route to independence - a strategy for immediate action by the Scots Parliament following the achievement of an independence supermajority. 'The momentum in this election is with Alba as people warm to our message that only a list vote for Alba can deliver the independence supermajority that will deliver independence for Scotland.' Advertisement Economists have warned there could be a spike in unemployment once the furlough scheme ends in September, with employers still struggling under the weight of pandemic recovery. Mr Brown was prime minister during the financial crash of 2008, which he compared to the economic toll of the pandemic, saying: 'More than 10 years ago, as the financial crisis ripped apart economies across the world, we faced the same challenge - and a similar choice. 'We could batten down the hatches and accept a new Great Depression or act with speed. 'As Scotland emerges from the pandemic, the situation is as serious as it was then - and without action the consequences will be just as dire.' His comments sparked a furious backlash from the SNP. Its depute leader Keith Brown said Mr Brown is 'the very last person anyone in Scotland should be listening to'. He added: 'He told people to vote No in 2014, and that has ensured continued Tory austerity, Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, and Brexit imposed on Scotland against our will - a Brexit which Gordon Brown's Labour party now supports. 'Having the powers of independence is essential to ensuring the sustainable, fair recovery we need to see, and we will offer people that choice in a post-pandemic referendum. 'Voting Labour at this election risks handing Scotland's future to Boris Johnson. Giving both votes to the SNP will put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands.' Mr Yousaf became the latest in a line of the party's leading MSPs who said a referendum would only be held after the pandemic was over. Mr Sturgeon suggested in an interview last week it could be in the first two and a half years of the next parliamentary term. 'Once the Covid crisis is over, we believe people in Scotland must have the right to decide their own future and whether they wish to become an independent country,' he said today. 'Independence is not a distraction from recovery, it is essential for the long-term recovery people in Scotland deserve and need. 'It will equip our country and our Parliament with the powers to build the better Scotland we know is possible.' Mr Yousaf singled out the Labour Party as 'shrugging their shoulders' while the UK Government does 'real harm' to Scotland. He said: 'In an independent Scotland the decisions about our future will be decided by the people who live here, not by Westminster. 'So other parties in this election, like Labour, who say we should not have the right to determine our own future, they've made a choice. 'In the face of a Tory Government at Westminster that is doing real harm to Scotland, they're just shrugging their shoulders. 'They've decided Westminster should be allowed to decide Scotland's future - they are giving permission to Boris Johnson to continue taking Scotland in the wrong direction. 'That's not standing up for Scotland or recovery - it's letting people in Scotland down.' This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access (CNN) An elderly Asian woman was stabbed to death while walking her dogs Saturday morning in Riverside, California, police said. But investigators say they don't think it's a hate crime. Riverside police received several calls about a woman suffering from stab wounds on Golden Avenue in the city's La Sierra neighborhood. The woman, 64-year-old Ke Chieh Meng of Riverside, was bleeding from her abdomen area and taken to a local hospital, police said. She died from her injuries. Shortly after the attack, police started getting calls from neighbors in the area reporting "a transient woman walking through their yards and appearing suspicious," Riverside police said. Officers responding to the calls safely detained the woman, identified as 23-year-old Darlene Stephanie Montoya of Monterey Park in Los Angeles County, police said. "When our detectives interviewed the suspect, they didn't come across anything to suggest she attacked the victim due to her race," Riverside Police spokesperson Officer Ryan Railsback said. Police said Meng was walking her two small dogs along Golden Avenue Saturday morning when she was randomly confronted, attacked and stabbed by Montoya, who then fled the scene. Montoya was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of murder, a weapons violation, and being under the influence of an illegal substance. She is being held without bail. Police say that Montoya was previously arrested by Riverside police on March 30 after she attacked a woman with a skateboard near a shopping strip mall at the 91 Freeway overpass. Officers arrested and booked Montoya into jail for assault with a deadly weapon, but she was released shortly thereafter on a "notice to appear" citation due to the current emergency bail schedule in place in Riverside during the Covid-19 pandemic. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 80F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. NEW HAVEN For students, first-day jitters dont usually come in April. In what has been an unconventional academic year, city high school students Monday reentered their schools for the first time since March 2020. School district leaders have returned public school students to classrooms in phases, beginning with students up to fifth grade in January and ending now with high school students. At Wilbur Cross High School, the citys largest high school, Principal Edith Johnson said an estimated 412 of the schools 1,547 students were expected to return to the buildings Monday. However, Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey said the number of students who attended school in person was 203. Everything worked well and things went smoothly across the district, Tracey said of the districts efforts. In order to accommodate students while also following federal guidance that students above elementary school remain six feet apart, high school students have been separated into two groups that attend either Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday. Johnson said about 52 percent of the schools students indicated they plan on returning for two days each week. Students arrived at school with envelopes indicating they were in the Monday and Tuesday group instead of the Thursday and Friday group; those who forgot their envelopes waited in a line outside the exterior window to the main office as workers produced new envelopes for them. Tenth-grader Alvin Diaz said he felt a sense of relief to be returning. Its certainly a lot better than the computer, he said of the remote learning students have been doing since the pandemic forced schools to close and go online. The school district spent much of last spring and the summer coming up with the funds to order and deliver laptops to students; those without a fast internet connection were provided with hot spot devices. Diaz said he found remote learning to be inhibiting, as it created a barrier between students and teachers. Vinston Hamilton, also a tenth-grader, said the experience of waiting to reenter the school was odd because the school year started several months ago online. I didnt get to experience the first day back with everyone, he said. Im excited to communicate with my teachers, though. Jeremy Guzman, a senior, said hed been looking forward to returning so he could close out his high school experience with classmates. Weve really missed always seeing friends, he said. Guzmans mother, Yolanda Guzman, said she was confident in Wilbur Cross and district staff to take care of students and keep them safe. I feel good about it, she said. Still, some parents expressed reluctance as the state continues to weather what they are hoping will be the final months of the pandemic. Tara Boyd-Walters told the Register her daughter will wait until September to return to school. There is a difference between in-person and virtual, but I try to stay in constant contact with the school, Boyd-Walters said. Overall, Boyd-Walters said she and her daughter believe its too late in the year to break up what is an established routine for the current school year. Parents of high school students were not the only ones preparing a drop-off at Wilbur Cross Monday. Leslie Cruz, a current undergraduate student, was dropping off her son Gerardo at the Student Parenting and Family Services program at the Elizabeth Celotto Center, which is housed in Cross. The child care program provides child care to student parents so they can focus on their studies. I feel great and he gets more of an education and social development, said Cruz. Because one-year-old Gerardo does not have any siblings, Cruz said he relies on child care for social development. She said it also enables her to turn more of her attention toward completing her studies, which has been challenging this year because of the added obligation of watching her son. Some Cross teachers said they believe the in-person instruction will be beneficial to those students who need it. English teacher Moira Cassell said remote learning is all the work of teaching but none of the fun. Although she said all years are important, she said her seniors would benefit from having an opportunity to finish their K-12 careers strong. I think itll be great for our kids, said English teacher Lisa Chester. Biology teacher Michael Sang said he expects it to be a net positive when the social aspect of school is restored for students. Michael Awad, a postdoctoral associate at Yale University, and his team from the One Step campaign, who ordinarily engage Wilbur Cross students in school to encourage healthy behaviors, were on-site Monday helping to direct the flow of traffic and to encourage students to have a safe return. As students entered the building, they were encouraged to remain in touch with the campaign on social media, part of the districts focus on students social and emotional health. Johnson, the Cross principal, said she has been ready to reopen her school for months. She pointed to data reported by the district that the rate of high school students failing five or more courses in the first semester quadrupled from last year and that more than 30 percent of students in the district have been chronically absent this year as evidence that it was time to offer in-person instruction. New Haven was the only school district in the state to not offer some form of in-person education for students at the start of this school year, for reasons unrelated to community case rates, with four of the Board of Educations seven members voting against doing so over concerns the school buildings did not have the necessary ventilation and space to follow all of the states safety protocols. President Joe Biden announced in January his ambition to have most K-12 schools open in the first 100 days. Monday was the 75th day of the Biden administration and the 95th day of the year. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com A man was shot and killed Sunday on the 9800 block of Rio Hondo Parkway in El Monte, and the suspect remains at large, law enforcement authorities said. (Los Angeles Times) A man was shot and killed Sunday afternoon in El Monte, and the suspect remains at large, law enforcement authorities said. The man died at the scene of the shooting, which occurred about 4:14 p.m. on the 9800 block of Rio Hondo Parkway, officials said. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin, they said. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is assisting El Monte police with the homicide investigation, the Sheriff's Department announced. Authorities have released no information about the suspect or a possible motive. The Sheriff's Department is encouraging anyone with additional information about the Easter shooting to contact the department at (323) 890-5500, officials said. Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous and provide information may call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or download the P3 Tips app on their smartphones by searching Apple's App Store or Google Play. They can also submit a tip on the lacrimestoppers.org website. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 20:20:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KHARTOUM, April 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 people were killed and 54 others injured in armed militias' attacks in El Geneina, capital city of Sudan's West Darfur State, the Sudanese Doctors' Committee said Monday. "We counted 18 dead and 54 injured ... Since yesterday (Sunday), about 10 surgeries have been performed. The hospitals are still receiving more victims," the committee said in a statement. The violence started on Saturday and escalated on Sunday, it said, adding the attacks are still going on. The committee urged the central government to intervene to end the security disorder in the city. It also demanded protection for health facilities and medical workers to facilitate their operations, calling on the citizens to go to the hospitals to donate blood. Enditem Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell welcomed their first child together last month. Their daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, was born on the couple's first wedding anniversary on March 25. After giving birth to her daughter, Bindi, 22, was reportedly 'so struck' by her baby girl's appearance, because she Bindi's late father Steve Irwin's nose. How sweet: Bindi Irwin (pictured) was overcome by 'multiple secret signs' from late father Steve Irwin during emotional birth of baby girl Grace Warrior last month with husband Chandler Powell 'It really is perfect. Not a day goes by when Bindi wonders what life would have been like if her beloved dad was still with her,' an insider told New Idea. The source also said that Bindi believed giving birth on her anniversary was her late father's way of 'letting me know he's here'. Steve, known to millions around the world as 'the Crocodile Hunter', was filming a documentary when he was fatally stabbed in the heart by a stingray barb on September 4, 2006, in Batt Reef, Queensland. He was 44 years old. Bindi is also currently 'in a love bubble with her baby and husband' and is 'managing well as a new mum'. Proud mum: After giving birth to her daughter, Bindi, 22, was reportedly 'so struck' by her baby girl because she had her late father Steve Irwin's nose Tragic: Bindi was aged just eight-years-old when Steve (pictured in 2002) died after a stingray barb pierced his chest Bindi and Chandler, 24, announced the birth of their newborn daughter on March 26. In a lengthy Instagram post, the new mother explained the baby's middle name was inspired by her late father, Steve Irwin, who coined the term 'Wildlife Warrior'. She wrote: 'March 25, 2021. Celebrating the two loves of my life. Happy first wedding anniversary to my sweetheart husband and day of birth to our beautiful daughter. 'Our graceful warrior is the most beautiful light. Grace is named after my great-grandmother, and relatives in Chandler's family dating back to the 1700s. 'Her middle names, Warrior Irwin, are a tribute to my dad and his legacy as the most incredible Wildlife Warrior. Her last name is Powell and she already has such a kind soul just like her dad.' Sign: The source also said that Bindi believed giving birth on her anniversary was her late father's way of 'letting me know he's here' She accompanied the caption with an image of herself and Chandler cradling their newborn in a baby blanket. 'There are no words to describe the infinite amount of love in our hearts for our sweet baby girl. She chose the perfect day to be born and we feel tremendously blessed,' Bindi added. Bindi first met Chandler in 2013, when the American former wakeboarder went on a guided tour of Australia Zoo in Queensland. The pair married in a surprise ceremony at Australia Zoo, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, in March last year. Govindas Wife Sunita Shares Health Update After Actor Contracts COVID-19; His Senses Of Smell, Taste Are Intact We have seen a huge hike in the number of COVID-19 positive cases with the second wave that has taken over in the past few weeks. Just yesterday, Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar and Govinda announced that they have also contracted the virus. While the two opted for home quarantine, recent reports suggest that Akshay was admitted to a hospital yesterday. Govinda, on the other hand, quarantined himself at his Juhu bungalow. Meanwhile his children are residing at their flat. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Govinda (@govinda_herono1) In a chat with ETimes, Govindas wife Sunita shared a health update for his fans and well-wishers. She shared, He had symptoms of a cold and we thought it would be best if he could get a COVID test done as those symptoms were not receding. His senses of smell and taste are intact, he has no fever either. Importantly, he is eating well. Currently, he has just a bodyache and cold. For the uninitiated, Sunita herself recovered from the virus a few weeks ago. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Govinda (@govinda_herono1) During the interview, she shared that she might have contracted COVID-19 during her visit to Kolkata with Govinda. She developed a few symptoms on returning home and hence decided to get tested. The star wife concluded, Anyway, I am okay now, but now it's him. Well, we wish Govinda a speedy recovery and hope to see him back in action soon! [April 05, 2021] Frazier Growth Buyout Announces the Promotions of Jeremy Janson and Shyamal Swami to Vice President Frazier Healthcare Partners is pleased to announce that Jeremy Janson and Shyamal Swami have been promoted to Vice President on the Growth Buyout team. "Since joining the firm nearly five years ago, both Jeremy and Shyamal have demonstrated the investment expertise, dedication and integrity that are important to our partnership, and we are pleased to recognize their achievements with these well-deserved promotions," said Ben Magnano, Managing Partner. "We are very proud of the talented team we are building at Frazier and are thrilled to be developing such outstanding investment professionals from within our organization." Mr. Janson joined Frazier Healthcare Partners in 2016. He has been involved with several of Frazier's portfolio companies including Adare Pharma Solutions, Accuity Delivery Systems, Leiters, EPTAM, Matrix Medical Network and Packaging Coordinators Inc. (acquired by Kohlberg in 2020). Before joining Frazier as an Associate in 2016, Mr. Janson was an Analyst in the investment banking group at Robert W Baird in Chicago. In 2018 he joined Frazier portfolio company Leiters, a manufacturer of compounded sterile pharmaceuticals, as their Director of Strategic Initiatives before re-joining theinvestment team in 2019 as a Senior Associate. Mr. Janson received his B.A. in Economics with a focus on Environmental Economics from Middlebury College. Mr. Swami joined Frazier Healthcare Partners in 2016. He has been involved with several of Frazier's portfolio companies including CSafe Global, Comprehensive Pharmacy Services, Parata (TCGRx), United Derm Partners, United Digestive and The CORE Institute (acquired by Audax Group and Linden Capital Partners). Prior to joining Frazier, Mr. Swami was an Analyst in the healthcare investment banking group at Harris Williams & Co. in San Francisco, where he worked with middle-market companies on a variety of corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions engagements. Mr. Swami received his B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. About Frazier Healthcare Partners: Founded in 1991, Frazier Healthcare Partners is a leading provider of growth and venture capital to healthcare companies. Frazier has invested in more than 200 companies with investments ranging from company creation and venture capital to buyouts of profitable middle market companies. The firm's Growth Buyout team invests in healthcare and pharmaceutical outsourced services, healthcare technology, provider practices and other related sectors. The Life Sciences team invests primarily in novel therapeutics that are addressing unmet medical needs through innovation. Frazier has offices in Seattle, WA, and Menlo Park, CA (News - Alert) , and invests broadly across the U.S., Canada and Europe. For more information about Frazier Healthcare Partners, visit www.frazierhealthcare.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005109/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Redemption Press Book Shares Vietnam Vet's Journey from Army Soldier to Warrior of God NEWS PROVIDED BY Redemption Press April 5, 2021 ENUMCLAW, Wash., April 5, 2021 /Standard Newswire/ -- Relations between the United States and Vietnam have changed drastically since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. With current security and economic partnerships, the relationship between Vietnam and the US has been transformed, and analysts expect the countries to forge an even greater partnership in years to come--a seemingly impossible feat four decades ago.* Vietnam veteran Don Boudreaux underwent inconceivable transformation himself after his days in Vietnam and doesn't spiritually resemble the man he once was. Boudreaux served in the US Army from 19661969 and fought in Vietnam from 19671968, before being honorably discharged after being severely wounded. "I didn't know Christ as a young man, and my lifestyle back then was certainly proof that I was far removed from Him," Boudreaux says. "After being wounded in Vietnam, I spent seven years as a lost man before coming to know Jesus Christ and then later questioning the Lord about why he allowed me to experience war." Boudreaux discovered that God allowed him to experience war so he could become a spiritual warrior, which reinforced his commitment to fight the good fight of faith. He wrote Vietnam and Christianity: A Vietnam Veteran's Transformation from Army Soldier to Warrior of God to share his journey and to encourage readers to live as believers in Christ while battling attacks from Satan. "Father God works in amazing ways, and there are astonishing parallels and connections between my service in Vietnam and my life as a follower of Jesus," Boudreaux says. "My book chronicles how the Lord prepared me with unique war experiences that I could later correlate to specific Scriptures." Boudreaux hopes his book will provide readers with insight on how to be on the lookout for attacks against Satan and how to arm themselves for spiritual warfare. With topics including artillery and helicopters, food rations and insects, and death and post-traumatic stress disorder, Vietnam and Christianity provides both lighthearted and serious content. It also introduces prophetic ministry and spiritual gifts to embolden readers to step out in faith and become warriors for Christ. * www.cfr.org/backgrounder/evolution-us-vietnam-ties ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Don Boudreaux served in the United States Army from 19661969 and is a Vietnam combat veteran, fighting in Vietnam from 19671968. He was honorably discharged after being severely wounded, and he received a Purple Heart for his service. Don came to know Jesus in 1975 and is a called prophet and seer of the Lord. He received training in prophetic ministry from a church affiliated with Christian International and was ordained and licensed as a minister after graduating from Rhema Bible Training Center in 2005. Residing in his home state of Louisiana with his wife, Sheila, of forty-four years--who is also a prophetess and minister--they have been lovers of Jesus Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit for as long as they have been married. Together they are dedicated to ministering and equipping others with truth and hope through prophetic ministry. Don is a proud father of six and a grandfather of ten. For review copies and media interviews, contact: Don Boudreaux, Email: jjb1223@gmail.com SOURCE Redemption Press CONTACT: Don Boudreaux, jjb1223@gmail.com At least two Yemeni nationals who were placed on the FBI's terror watchlist have been arrested in California after crossing illegally from Mexico into the United States. The two unnamed men - one 33, the other 26 - were detained over the last three months in the Calexico area of California. The captures were made by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents assigned to the El Centro Station. CBP said in a statement on Monday that the two men were on a U.S. government watchlist for terrorism suspects, and were also named on a 'no-fly' list. 'Part of the Border Patrol's mission states we will protect the country from terrorists,' said Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino. 'These apprehensions at our border illustrates the importance of our mission and how we can never stop being vigilant in our everyday mission to protect this great country.' The news will likely be seized upon by Republicans, who are using the current surge in migrant arrivals to attack Joe Biden, and who have always warned that terrorists could be among those entering illegally and evading detection. The U.S. government does not release data on terrorist detentions along the border with Mexico: in 2018 the figure was given as six by Axios, and around a dozen by CNN. A 33-year-old Yemeni national was one of two men who despite being on the FBI's terror suspect list and 'no-fly' list were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in California for attempting to cross illegally from Mexico to the United States A 26-year-old man from Yemen, who is on the FBI's terrorism suspect and on a 'no-fly' list, was intercepted by CBP agents assigned to the El Centro Station in Calexico, California, on March 30 after he tried to illegally enter the United States from Mexico In January 2018, a joint report by the Homeland Security and Justice departments stated that Homeland Security had 2,554 'encounters' worldwide with people on a watch list who were trying to travel to the U.S. Of them, 2,170 were trying to come by air, with 335 by land and the rest by sea. In 2019, Donald Trump declared during a Rose Garden speech: 'We have terrorists coming through the southern border because they find that's probably the easiest place to come through. They drive right in and they make a left.' Migrants have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in higher numbers over the past few months, including over 170,000 people in March alone, the largest single-month total in well over a decade. A large number are unaccompanied minors, which has forced the administration to open its 10th temporary housing facility to accommodate these young arrivals. The vast majority of adults are immediately sent back to Mexico. The border patrol say they are currently detaining around 5,000 people a day. Migrants cross the Rio Bravo river to turn themselves in on March 30 in El Paso, Texas A family from Haiti crosses the Rio Grande on March 30 to claim asylum in the U.S. Todd Bensman, an analyst with the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors less immigration and stronger defenses against terrorist infiltration, estimated in 2019 that around 20 terrorist suspects are detained at the U.S.-Mexico border every year. The first suspect, aged 33, was apprehended January 29 approximately at 1:10am local time after he tried to cross the border illegally about three miles west from the Calexico Port of Entry. Agents discovered a cellular phone sim card hidden inside the insole of his shoe. A second individual, 26, was picked up by agents on March 30 at approximately 11:30pm. A CBP spokesperson contacted by DailyMail.com declined to provide the names of the men. Migrant children play near the border fence in Tijuana, Mexico, on April 2 Migrants board a van at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission, Texas, on Sunday The government does not disclose how many people are on the no-fly list, although in June 2016 Senator Dianne Feinstein of California said that there were around 81,000 people on the list, of whom fewer than 1,000 were U.S. citizens. Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, wracked by decades of civil war, is described by UN as suffering from the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Four million people have been forced from their homes. A group of Republican lawmakers that visited the border in El Paso, Texas, in March said border agents told them during the trip that some people caught crossing the border were on a U.S. terrorism watchlist. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy traveled to the southern border March 15 and told reporters that after meeting with Border Patrol agents, he had learned that individuals with links to terror organizations were rushing the border. 'It's not just people from Mexico or Honduras or El Salvador,' he said. 'They're now finding people from Yemen, Iran, Turkey. People on the terrorist watch list they are catching, and they're rushing in all at once.' Republicans have criticized Biden for easing some restrictions put in place by the former president as the number of border crossings has risen in recent months. The watchlist is maintained by the FBI Terrorism Screening Center. The list contains 'the identities of those who are known or reasonably suspected of being involved in terrorist activities,' according to the FBI. Overall, few migrants caught crossing the southern border match people on the FBI's terror watchlist, a U.S. official told Reuters. The libertarian CATO Institute said that from 1975 through 2017, seven people who entered the U.S. illegally from 'special interest' countries states tied at least loosely to terrorism were convicted of planning attacks on U.S. soil. None crossed from Mexico. They came from Canada or jumped ship in U.S. ports, and all before special interest countries were classified as such. The plots were foiled and no one was hurt. The only known terrorists who crossed illegally from Mexico in those decades were three ethnic Albanians from Macedonia who came as children with their parents in 1984 and, in their 20s, were arrested in the foiled plot to attack the Fort Dix, New Jersey, Army base in 2007, the CATO study found. They were not from a special-interest country. Huntsville City Schools said its masking policy will remain in place until further notice. The district said it received new guidance from the state health department. In it, the recommendation for physical barriers has been removed. However, students will still be at least three feet apart. Students are expected to return from Spring Break Monday. You can read a breakdown of the new guidance here. [April 05, 2021] Reputation Acquires Nuvi, Leader in Social Customer Experience REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reputation , the global leader in reputation experience management (RXM), today announced it has acquired Nuvi, a robust social customer experience (CX) software company based in Lehi, Utah. Nuvis award-winning social listening and data visualization capabilities are a strong complement to Reputations innovative platform built for the next generation of experience management. Today, 91% of people believe that companies should fuel innovation by listening to their customers. Yet, only 32% of marketing and customer experience professionals believe they have access to the information they need to understand customers needs. This dynamic has created a dramatic gap between customer expectations and a companys ability to gather feedback data and quickly act on it. With this acquisition, Reputation has created a powerhouse platform that effortlessly combines traditional experience management (surveys) with digital experience (business listings) and experience management (reviews and social media feedback) to give brands a true 360-degree view of sentiment. Customers can now access incredible social listening and data visualization capabilities that will help them manage their interactions at scale, capture feedback data, and transform it into fuel to grow their business. Reputations acquisition of Nuvi demonstrates our continued commitment to innovation in service of helping companies elevate their customer experience programs by turning feedback into the business insights that fuels progress, said Joe Fuca, CEO, Reputation. The opportunity to capitalize on real-time consumer feedback flooding in from social media is now, and Reputations RXM platform is the only comprehensive software built for next-generation brands. Nuvi Joins The Reputation Family Nuvi, which stands for New Visualizations, is a unified social listening and customer experience software company helping companies understand and engage with their customers on social media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Reddit and more. The largest global enterprises across retail, technology, hospitality and more all rely on Nuvi to manage their scial media listening programs. Nuvi has been hyper-focused on enabling our customers to succeed across Social Customer Experience channels. Were incredibly excited to join Reputation and bring our social media expertise to an already robust feedback-to-action platform, said Michael Mullarkey, Nuvi CEO. Reputation is gaining an experienced team of engineers and leaders who understand how to help businesses drive impactful customer interactions across all social media channels. I cant wait to get this next phase of exceptional work started. Nuvi employees will join the Reputation team and serve as the companys foundational research and development office in Utah. The company will continue to expand the Utah office footprint with future positions in disciplines such as marketing, customer service and engineering. Experience Management Innovations - Feedback Fuels Progress The addition of Nuvis real-time social CX technology demonstrates a continued commitment to building world-class software. With Nuvis proprietary AI and natural language processing (NLP) engine, and talented R&D team, Reputation can immediately extend the platforms leadership position by delivering highly accurate and real-time social data customers need to succeed in todays competitive market. Customer-focused teams will find it easier to delight their customers and drive business growth through three invaluable capabilities: Sophisticated Social Listening brand and competitor mentions can now be hyper-targeted through complex, yet easily controlled, keyword rules and filters brand and competitor mentions can now be hyper-targeted through complex, yet easily controlled, keyword rules and filters Richer Data and Interactions with an outstanding AI and NLP machine - more data types can be ingested from social posts, enabling highly accurate data insights beyond run-of-the-mill liking, commenting, responding, and retweeting with an outstanding AI and NLP machine - more data types can be ingested from social posts, enabling highly accurate data insights beyond run-of-the-mill liking, commenting, responding, and retweeting Deeper data understanding next-level dashboards, segmentation, reports and analytics can include emotion analysis, geographic information, and author data, depending on the source. Additional Resources: Register for a webinar showcasing Nuvis powerful social listening and analytics capabilities on Thursday, April 15 here Contact us to schedule a product demo About Reputation Reputation (formerly Reputation.com), creator of the Reputation Experience Management category, is changing the way companies gather and act on customer feedback to drive decision making and enhance Customer Experience (CX) programs. Reputations interaction-to-action platform translates vast amounts of solicited and unsolicited feedback data into prescriptive insights that companies use to learn from and grow. Thousands of global organizations rely on the patented algorithms behind Reputation Score X to provide a reliable index of brand performance in order to make targeted business improvements. Backed by Bessemer Ventures and Kleiner Perkins, and trusted by over 250 integration partners, including Google, Facebook, Salesforce, J.D. Power, Amazon and Web.com, Reputation turns feedback into the fuel to grow businesses around the world. Visit reputation.com to learn more. Advisors: Alantra served as the exclusive financial advisor to Nuvi. Media Contacts: Shelby Valdez Reputation svaldez@reputation.com Brigit Valencia BOCA Communications reputation@bocacommunications.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Mumbai, April 5 : Actor and former "Bigg Boss" contestant Ajaz Khan, who was recently arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in an alleged drugs case, has reportedly tested positive for Covid-19 and is admitted to a hospital. Sharing the news, celebrity photographer Viral Bhayani tweeted on Monday: "Actor Ajaz Khan, who was arrested by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drug case, has tested positive for COVID-19. He is being shifted to a hospital. The officer involved in this probe will also undergo COVID test: NCB. #AjazKhan #NCB #covidupdate." Earlier on Monday, Akshay Kumar was hospitalised while Vicky Kaushal and Bhumi Pednekar informed on social media that they have contracted the coronavirus. While Bhumi has mild symptoms and has isolated herself, Vicky is also living under home quarantine and taking medicines prescribed by his doctor. Meanwhile, Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar informed on Monday morning that he has been admitted to a hospital with Covid-19. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text [April 05, 2021] Jurllyshe Has Supported Quadpay as a Payment Method: Buy Now, Pay Later for Apparel SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jurllyshe, the newborn online fashion brand has announced that Quadpay has already become their new payment method recently. Buy now and pay over weeks can be used for their clothes and other categories now. Almost all the people have probably had this experience: when finally find the perfect two piece sets or the cute rompers someday, but the salary has already been spent for the house rent, the food, and other things. Or the day they want to purchase fashion like biker short set or corset top is just one day earlier than the payday, and sometimes it will be sold out, so the one-day difference is absolutely a big difference. After the research, Jurllyshe found that Quadpay suits us and our customers best, so we cooperated with Quadpay finally." said the operation manager of Jurllyshe. The rules: 1. Quadpay is available for all the products on Jurllyshe, no matter the clothes, accessories, or sexy swimwear. 2. Only if the order is over $35 can the customer choose Quadpay to pay. 3. Customers can only choose the 4-installments option, the four installments are the same, and customers should pay every 2 weeks. 4. Customers should be the one who is already 18 years old, live in America and have a valid phone number. 5. Customers should use a US debit card to pay. 6. The late fee depends on the seriousness of the case, it can be $5, $7, or $10. But the late fee is for Quadpay, Jurllyshe will not receive the late fee, Jurllyshe will only be paid the bill of the products by Quadpay. How to use Quadpay on Jurllyshe 1. Add more than $35 products into your Jurllyshe cart and check out. 2. Choose Quadpay as the payment method after typing the personal information. 3. Then it will transfer to Quadpay automatically, type the phone number and receive a code. 4. After typing the code, the bill is paid. And then you need to pay the installment every 2 weeks. 5. If the customer hasn't had the Quadpay account, it will change to the page to let the customer sign in after typing the code. After signing in to Quadpay, the payment will be successful. Media contact: Jennifer Yuan 306712@email4pr.com 19939971057 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jurllyshe-has-supported-quadpay-as-a-payment-method-buy-now-pay-later-for-apparel-301261983.html SOURCE Jurllyshe [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... JAKARTA, Indonesia Before each rainy season Lu Lu Aung and other farmers living in a camp for internally displaced people in Myanmars far northern Kachin state would return to the village they fled and plant crops that would help keep them fed for the coming year. But this year in the wake of Februarys military coup, with the rains not far off, the farmers rarely step out of their makeshift homes and dont dare leave their camp. They say it is simply too dangerous to risk running into soldiers from Myanmars army or their aligned militias. We cant go anywhere and cant do anything since the coup, Lu Lu Aung said. Every night, we hear the sounds of jet fighters flying so close above our camp. The militarys lethal crackdown on protesters in large central cities such as Yangon and Mandalay has received much of the attention since the coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyis elected government. But far away in Myanmars borderlands, Lu Lu Aung and millions of others who hail from Myanmars minority ethnic groups are facing increasing uncertainty and waning security as longstanding conflicts between the military and minority guerrilla armies flare anew. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Its a situation that was thrust to the forefront over the past week as the military launched deadly airstrikes against ethnic Karen guerrillas in their homeland on the eastern border, displacing thousands and sending civilians fleeing into neighboring Thailand. Several of the rebel armies have threatened to join forces if the killing of civilians doesnt stop, while a group made up of members of the deposed government has floated the idea of creating a new army that includes rebel groups. The U.N. special envoy for Myanmar, meanwhile, has warned the country faces the possibility of civil war. Ethnic minorities make up about 40% of Myanmars 52 million people, but the central government and the military leadership have long been dominated by the countrys Burman ethnic majority. Since independence from Britain in 1948, more than a dozen ethnic groups have been seeking greater autonomy, with some maintaining their own independent armies. That has put them at odds with Myanmars ultranationalist generals, who have long seen any ceding of territory especially those in border areas that are often rich in natural resources as tantamount to treason and have ruthlessly fought against the rebel armies with only occasional periods of ceasefire. The violence has led to accusations of abuses against all sides, such as arbitrary taxes on civilians and forced recruitment, and according to the United Nations has displaced some 239,000 people since 2011 alone. That doesnt include the more than 800,000 minority Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh to escape a military campaign the U.N. has called ethnic cleansing. Since February anti-coup protests have taken place in every border state, and security forces have responded much as they have elsewhere with tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition. But residents and observers say the post-coup situation in geographically isolated borderlands has been made worse by increased skirmishes between the military and armed ethnic organizations jockeying for power and territory. Lu Lu Aung, who hails from the Kachin ethnic group, said she participated in protests, but stopped as it was now too dangerous. She said Myanmar security forces and aligned militias recently occupied their old village where they planted crops and no one left the camp because they feared they would be forced into work for the army. Our students can no longer continue the schooling and for the adults its so much difficult to find a job and make money, she said. Humanitarian aid for civilians in the borderlands already strained by the pandemic as well as the inherent difficulty outside groups face operating in many areas has been hard it since the coup as well. Communications have been crippled, banks have closed and security has become increasingly uncertain, said the director of a Myanmar-based organization supporting displaced persons who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons. There is no more humanitarian help and support, she said. In eastern Karen State, where the airstrikes have displaced thousands, there are concerns that the arrival of rainy season could exacerbate a humanitarian situation already made difficult by reports that Thailand has sent back many of the civilians who fled. Thailand has said those who went back to Myanmar did so voluntarily. Yet there are parts of the countrys borderlands that have hardly been impacted by the coup. In Wa State, a region bordering China and Thailand that has its own government, army and ceasefire agreements with the Myanmar military, videos being shared online show life going on as usual, including the rollout of a coronavirus vaccination campaign. Near Bangladesh in coastal Rakhine State, where the Rohingya were driven from and where violent clashes with the Arakan Army group have been ongoing for years, the junta last month removed the group from its list of terrorist groups, raising hopes a lowering of hostilities. The Arakan Army, unlike a number of other armed groups, had not criticized the coup. The group, however, since released a statement that declared its right to defend its territory and civilians against military attacks, leading some to fear a fresh escalation in fighting. Other armed groups have issued similar statements. Some such as the Karen National Union have provided protection for civilians marching in anti-coup protests. Such actions have contributed to the calls for a federal army bringing together armed ethnic groups from across the country. But analysts says such a vision would be hard to achieve due to logistical challenges and political disagreements among the groups. These groups are not in a position where they can provide the support against the Myanmar military needed in urban centers with large populations, or really too far outside their own regions, said Ronan Lee, a visiting scholar at Queen Mary University of Londons International State Crime Initiative. Despite the uncertainty of whats to come, some minority activists say they have been heartened since the coup by the increased focus on the role ethnic groups can take in Myanmars future. They also say there appears to be greater understanding at least among anti-coup protesters of the struggle minorities have faced for so long. If theres any silver lining in all of this, thats it, said one activist, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears for their safety. New Delhi: Nearly a month after taking the social media by storm for his video approaching the police to find a bride for him, Azeem Mansuri a 2.5 feet tall man from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district has found a bride. On March 31, Azeem met 3 feet tall Bushara, a First Year B.Com student hailing from Hapur. The two got engaged and will get married after she completes her graduation. Earlier, Azeem who was unable to find himself a suitable match had reached the Shamli police station and requested the police to help him find a bride. The 266-year-old was seen demanding the police help him find a match. After the video went viral, marriage proposals started flooding in for him. Hapur residents Haji Ayyub and Shahid Mansoori, saw the video and took up the matter with Bushra's family who liked Azeem. After that Bushra's family approached Azeem's family in Kairana. Thereafter, Azeem's family visited Bushara in Hapur and confirmed their engagement. Incidentally, Azeem had also reached out to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with his request to find a suitable bride but that did not work out. After which, he reached the police station with the unique request. -- Overseas Chinese as well as local people have expressed in various ways their admiration for the fallen heroes from China, who sacrificed their lives in foreign lands for the cause of safeguarding world peace and promoting global development. -- During the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, a total of 2.9 million Chinese People's Volunteers soldiers fought on the battlefield, 197,653 of whom sacrificed their lives. -- In the 1970s, more than 50,000 Chinese engineers, technicians and workers traveled to Africa. During the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, more than 60 Chinese experts sacrificed their lives. -- China have sent over 40,000 peacekeepers to UN peacekeeping missions over the past 30 years, and 16 Chinese service personnel sacrificed their lives. BEIJING, April 4 -- The Tomb-sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival for people to sweep tombs to mourn the deceased and worship their ancestors and the martyrs. Ahead of this year's Tomb-sweeping Day, which falls on Sunday, overseas Chinese as well as local people have expressed in various ways their admiration for the fallen heroes from China, who sacrificed their lives on foreign lands for the cause of safeguarding world peace and promoting global development. CARRYING FORWARD FRIENDSHIP During his visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in June 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid homage to the martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) at the China-DPRK Friendship Tower, which stands at the foot of Moran Hill in downtown Pyongyang. Xi said the tribute paid to the tower demonstrates the firm determination of China and the DPRK to maintain peace. In June 1950, eight months after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Korean War broke out. In order to deter the invasion and expansion of imperialism, safeguard the security of China, stabilize the situation on the Korean Peninsula and uphold peace in Asia and the world, in October 1950, as requested by the DPRK, the CPV forces crossed the Yalu River to aid the DPRK until a truce was signed in 1953. During the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, a total of 2.9 million CPV soldiers fought on the battlefield, 197,653 of whom sacrificed their lives. "Numerous CPV soldiers lost their lives on this land. The victory has not only safeguarded the security of new China and the DPRK, but also made great contributions to world peace and human progress," Sai Tiejun, chairman of the Central Committee of the Federation of Overseas Chinese in the DPRK, told Xinhua ahead of the Tomb-sweeping Day. "The Chinese people love peace and oppose war. This is the precious wealth left to us by the martyrs of CPV soldiers," said Li Yuanfu, whose father participated in the war and chose to live in the DPRK after the war to promote China-DPRK friendship. "More than 70 years have passed. The China-DPRK friendship is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples. We must inherit and carry forward the great spirit of the CPV martyrs, and continue to make contributions to the China-DPRK friendship," Li said. DEDICATION TO COMMON PROSPERITY In the 1970s, more than 50,000 Chinese engineers, technicians and workers traveled to Africa and worked side by side with the Tanzanian people to build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) under extremely difficult conditions. During the construction of the railway, which has been called a "road of freedom" and "road of friendship," more than 60 Chinese experts have sacrificed their lives. In March 2013, during his visit to Tanzania, Xi visited a cemetery containing the remains of the Chinese experts who had lost their lives in the East African country. They interpreted the great spirit of internationalism with their lives, and, just as TAZARA, they will be remembered by both the Chinese and Tanzanians, Xi said. Having transported millions of tons of goods and innumerable passengers since it was put into operation, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway has greatly contributed to Africa's prosperity. "We Tanzanians will never forget the Chinese-built Tanzania-Zambia Railway in the 1970s, when dozens of Chinese engineers sacrificed their lives in the endeavors to help their African brothers develop their infrastructure and economy," said Julius Augustino, an employee of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. The Tanzania-Zambia Railway epitomizes the pragmatic cooperation and long-standing friendship between China and Africa. From assisting African nations in constructing roads, railways, airports and ports, to launching projects to improve local people's living standards, China has adhered to the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith in its cooperation with Africa. "A friend in need is a friend indeed. Africa, including Tanzania, has benefited a lot from Chinese aid over the years, which focuses not only on economic development, but also people's well-being," said Augustino. CHINESE "BLUE HELMETS" Committed to safeguarding world peace, China has also played an active role in the United Nations' (UN) peacekeeping operations around the world, making tremendous contributions to facilitating the peaceful settlement of disputes and safeguarding regional security and stability. It is the second-largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget and the largest troop-contributing country among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. China's armed forces have sent over 40,000 peacekeepers to UN peacekeeping missions over the past 30 years, and Chinese peacekeepers have left their footprints in over 20 countries and regions, according to a white paper released by China last year. Moreover, by sending engineering and medical units to support the UN operations, China has also promoted economic and social development in the host nations. During the peacekeeping missions, 16 Chinese service personnel sacrificed their lives and the fallen heroes' names have been listed in the white paper to commemorate them. Among them is Du Zhaoyu, who was killed during a plane bombing in Lebanon in July 2006, after serving eight months as a UN observer in the Middle East. "Du had held fast to his mission and defended peace on this land until the last moment of his life," said Lyu Fushun, a member of the 19th batch of Chinese peacekeeping forces to Lebanon. "Today, the Chinese peacekeepers continue to commit themselves to the mission (of maintaining peace). We have also helped local people build their homes and restore production, and provide them with supplies and medical assistance," Lyu said. Grateful to the Chinese peacekeepers, Mahmoud Mehanna, an employee of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, said "I have witnessed the contributions and even sacrifices made by Chinese peacekeepers to Lebanon." Besides dangerous tasks such as mine clearance and explosive disposal, "they have also helped us build schools, repair office buildings, offer medical treatment for free and repair living facilities," Mehanna said ahead of the Tomb-sweeping Day. "They are the most lovely Oriental friends of our people in Lebanon." Ten thousand people can march in this years ANZAC Day veterans march in central Sydney and thousands more can attend dawn services across NSW after the government granted an exemption from COVID-19 restrictions. The march for veterans and descendants of veterans through Sydneys CBD had previously been capped at 5000 after RSL NSW reached an agreement with the state government and police to increase the number of attendees. Thousands of veterans will be allowed to march through Sydneys CBD. Credit:Louise Kennerley The government initially approved a 500-person march for 2021. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said earlier this month that he would like to see Anzac Day commemorations return to normal as much as we possibly can. I respect ultimately these are calls that have got to be made by state governments, but I want Anzac Day on, Mr Morrison said. CAIRO (AP) The European Union on Sunday called for the departure of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya, describing it as a precondition for a return to stability in the war-torn country. At a news conference in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, EU Council President Charles Michel described the appointment of a transitional government earlier this year as a historic moment. The government is meant to shepherd the country through until general elections on Dec. 24. You have created an opportunity to rebuild your country, but there is one precondition all foreign fighters and troops must leave the country, he said, urging Libyas political and mostly armed factions to seize a unique opportunity to build a united sovereign stable and prosperous country. A recently released report by U.N. experts accused several foreign governments of turning the oil-rich country into a stage to play out rivalries and ignoring U.N. sanctions and a decade-long U.N. arms embargo, which it said has remained totally ineffective. The experts identified Turkey and Qatar as the backers of forces loyal to the U.N.-supported administration in Tripoli, to the west, while the United Arab Emirates, Russia, and Egypt have supported Khalifa Hifter, the military commander controlling eastern and southern parts of Libya. Michel, who met the leaders of the newly appointed government, said the EU was supporting efforts at national reconciliation, following the years of chaos since the 2011 uprising that overthrew and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Mohammad Younes Menfi, head of the presidential council, said he and Michel discussed migration and the security of maritime borders between Libya and the EU, according to the office of the Libyan leader. Libya has emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East and seeking a better life in Europe. Other European leaders would be visiting Libya in the coming days, reflecting the importance of EU-Libyan ties, an EU official said, adding that the EU ambassador to Libya would return to Tripoli by the end of April. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. ________ Associated Press writer Raf Casert in Brussels contributed. By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press The United States and Japan are preparing to escalate the confrontation with Beijing over Taiwan, which will be discussed in the upcoming summit between US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Originally slated for April 9, the meetingBidens first in-person meeting with a foreign leader since coming to officewill now take place a week later. Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force [Credit: Destroyer Squadron 15] Reportedly, the two leaders will release a joint statement on Taiwanthe first since 1969 when Richard Nixon and Eisaku Sato declared Taiwan was important for Japans security. On Sunday, Suga pledged to work closely with Washington in ratcheting up its pressure on Beijing. It is important for Japan and the United States to work together and maintain deterrence to create an environment in which Taiwan and China can find a peaceful solution, he stated. The talk of a peaceful solution seeks to mask the fact that Tokyo is trying to justify deterrencethat is, a military build-up by Japan and the US targeting China. Moreover, it is Washington, not Beijing that is deliberately undermining the One China framework, which has maintained a shaky peace in the Taiwan Strait since 1979. During last months two plus-two meeting involving US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken with their Japanese counterparts, Taiwan was a major focus of discussion. Austin raised the possibility, with Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, of the Japanese military being deployed in the event of a US or Taiwanese clash with Beijing. Kishi told Austin that Tokyo would review the possibility of dispatching troops given the straits geographical proximity and the possibility of an armed conflict there, affecting the safety of Japanese citizens, according to the Kyodo news agency, despite that being a clear violation of Japans post-World War II constitution. Even under Japans 2015 collective self-defense security legislation, Tokyo would have to claim that conflict over Taiwan jeopardized Japan. Last Thursday, Taiwans representative in Japan, Hsieh Chang-ting, called for Japan to play a larger role in confronting Beijing, suggesting that it enact legislation similar to the US 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which authorizes US arms sales to Taiwan and military action against supposed Chinese aggression. He declared: The current enemy [of China] is the United States. Japan will be next If Taiwan is unified by China, Japan would have to face China directly. Beijings hawkish Global Times hit back in an opinion piece on March 30, warning: If Japan makes any substantive move that impairs Chinas national interests on the Taiwan question, China will take countermeasures against it. Japans loss will sharply outweigh its gain if it ties itself on the US anti-China chariot and sows discord across the Taiwan Straits. Among the other accusations directed at Beijing, Washington and Tokyo are seizing on Beijings new coast guard law, which took effect in February, in an attempt to paint Beijing as an immediate threat to Japan, and thereby provide the justification for Japanese military intervention over Taiwan. However, the law is itself a response to numerous and increasingly belligerent US provocations during the Trump administration, including calling into question the One China policy, which states that Taiwan is a part of China and to which Washington formally agrees. Beijings law was drawn up toward the end of 2020. It allows the coast guard to use weaponry in territory Beijing claims, risking a clash with Japanese vessels around the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. Biden and Suga are also set to reconfirm that the US-Japan Security Treaty covers the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. The US and Japan are preparing joint military drills focused on the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, including the possibility that exercises could take place on two of the uninhabited rocky outcrops, which would undoubtedly further antagonize China. In 2014, the US, for the first time, openly sided with Japan over the territorial dispute. Under guidelines updated in 2015 under the Obama administration, the Japanese military would play the leading role in a military response to China, while the US would provide support, including transporting Japanese troops into potential battles. Washington has fraudulently painted the confrontation with Beijing as concerning human rights and the need to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific. While again seizing on Hong Kong and Xinjiang to distract from the real issues, on March 25 Biden bluntly stated the motivating fear in Washington, that China would eclipse the US economically and strategically. China has an overall goal, and I dont criticize them for the goal, but they have an overall goal to become the leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world and the most powerful country in the world. Thats not going to happen on my watch because the United States are (sic) going to continue to grow and expand, Biden declared. Biden, along with both the Democratic and Republican parties, is seeking to whip up an anti-China atmosphere over Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang in order to justify military intervention that would quickly grow into a devastating conflict with another nuclear-armed country. The US and Japan are directly responsible for transforming Taiwan into one of the worlds most dangerous flashpoints. Japan annexed Taiwan in 1895, after defeating China in the First Sino-Japanese War, recognizing that the island was a strategic base for its broader ambitions in Southeast Asia and the Chinese mainland. After a half century of brutal Japanese colonial rule, the island was returned to China following Japans defeat in World War II. When the 1949 Chinese Revolution overthrew the Kuomintang (KMT) regime headed by the US-backed dictator Chiang Kai-shek, he fled with his forces to Taiwan. The repressive KMT regime on Taiwan was protected by the US navy and allowed to posture as the legitimate government of all China. In the lengthy negotiations following US President Nixons 1972 visit to Beijing, the status of Taiwan was the most fraught obstacle to establishing diplomatic relations. While Washington finally agreed to the One China Policy, signaling that Beijing, not Taipei, was the legitimate government of all China, the Taiwan Relations Act ensured Beijing had only nominal jurisdiction over Taiwan. By forging closer ties with Taiwan against China, Japan and the US are moving toward the junking of the One China policy, which has been the bedrock of diplomatic relations with China for more than four decades and, in doing so, setting course for an inevitable clash involving the worlds three largest economies. Benjamin Alan Carpenter, also known as Abu Hamza, 31, was arrested on March 24, in Knoxville following the return of a federal grand jury indictment charging him with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. A detention hearing was held today, April 5, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra C. Poplin. Carpenter remains detained pending the outcome of the detention hearing. Carpenters trial is set for June 1, before United States District Judge Katherine A. Crytzer. Carpenter is a United States citizen who resides in Knoxville. According to documents filed with the Court, Carpenter is the leader of Ahlut-Tawhid Publications, an international organization dedicated to the translation and publication of pro-ISIS and official ISIS media in English. Carpenter was also in contact with an individual who he believed was associated with ISIS; however, unbeknownst to Carpenter, the individual was a covert FBI employee. Carpenter provided English-language translations of ISIS media content to that individual for use by ISIS. The indictment and arrest were announced by John C. Demers, assistant attorney general for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice, Francis M. Hamilton III, acting United States attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Joseph E. Carrico, special agent-in-charge of the Knoxville office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was investigated by the Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Clinton Police Department, and Knoxville Police Department. If convicted, Carpenter faces up to 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the assigned judge. In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty; indictments merely contain allegations supported by probable cause. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey T. Arrowood of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys George C. Kraehe and Felice John Viti of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until his/her guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Eamonn Holmes revealed that he was having 4:30am physio and a cold shower in the early hours of Easter Monday amid his ongoing struggles with chronic pain. The presenter, 61, took to Twitter to admit the physical therapy would either 'kill me or cure me' as he joked about getting 'match fit' for his return to This Morning. It comes after Eamonn said that he is still waiting for a diagnosis from doctors after being admitted to hospital with chronic pain last week. He has since returned home. Eamonn will be presenting the ITV chat show alongside wife Ruth Langsford this week as stand-ins for Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, Eamonn and Ruth were cut from their regular Friday slot for Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary last year. Early start: Eamonn Holmes revealed that he was having 4:30am physio and a cold shower in the early hours of Easter Monday amid his ongoing struggles with chronic pain Speaking to Lorraine guest host Cat Deeley, the Irish presenter admitted that his back has 'got worse' and later on This Morning used a walking stick in the studio, adding that the pain had 'stopped him sleeping'. He joked: 'I'm a similar age to Ross King [who is 59] and you can see how bad a condition he's in!' Taking to Twitter in the early hours of Easter Monday ahead of his This Morning return, Eamonn tweeted: 'Hey , busy day so far ..... 1 hour physio at 4.30 am to get match fit for today's #ThisMorning .... followed by the Cold shower routine ! 'All this will either kill me or cure me. So far , so good though and remember I'm going to be sharing your #ChronicPain stories & advice.' Gruelling: The presenter, 61, took to Twitter to admit the physical therapy would either 'kill me or cure me' as he joked about getting 'match fit' for his return to This Morning Struggles: Later on This Morning, the presenter used a walking stick to enter the studio as his wife Ruth admitted it 'takes him so long walking' Eamonn went on to host a poignant section about chronic pain on This Morning where he spoke to two doctors - Dr Phillippa and Dr Katy - about the condition. The presenter said: 'I got pain in my back about a month ago, I ignored it but then it got to the point where I literally could not sleep at night. So many have to live with this. 'I've been speaking to a lot of people and what seems to be is that they go and see the doctor, but the doctor gives them pain killers. 'You don't really get rid of the pain. It seems to be we haven't got the time or resources. I'm not being cruel here, I'm being factual.' Sleepless nights: Speaking to Lorraine guest host Cat Deeley, the Irish presenter admitted that his back has 'got worse' and later said the pain had 'stopped him sleeping' Joke: He joked: 'I'm a similar age to Ross King [pictured - who is 59] and you can see how bad a condition he's in!' To which his wife Ruth said: 'Eamonn says: "You don't understand, unless you're having chronic pain, you don't understand."' Eamonn added: 'I'm looking through my tweets today and it's really heart-rendering stuff. People literally talking about being in tears, crying, pain. To a lot of people, it feels worse at night. Lying in bed and that seems to be when it is at its worse.' To which Dr Phillippa admitted that night time can be 'incredibly' difficult as people lose support and distractions from the day so that there is more focus on the pain as she suggested meditation and mindfulness practices. Important: Eamonn went on to host a poignant section about chronic pain on This Morning where he spoke to two doctors - Dr Phillippa and Dr Katy - about the condition Heartbreaking: Talking at the end of the segment, Ruth admitted: 'It's very hard to watch the person you love, in pain. You feel helpless.' Show: Ruth added: 'Because it takes him so long walking, he's just on his way back and he will be here any minute. Here he is, it takes him longer to walk' while Eamonn entered using a stick Talking at the end of the segment, Ruth admitted: 'It's very hard to watch the person you love, in pain. You feel helpless.' To which Eamonn suggested tablets 'would help me', with his wife adding: 'I would worry about you taking too many. It [chronic pain] affects the partner, family, it's a really difficult one.' Later on the show, the presenter used a walking stick to enter the studio as his wife Ruth admitted it 'takes him so long walking'. She said: 'Many of you who follow Eamonn on social media know he has been talking a lot about chronic pain. It's ironic actually he's not here as he had to nip to the loo. Pain: It comes after Eamonn said that he is still waiting for a diagnosis from doctors after being admitted to hospital with chronic pain last week. He has since returned home 'Because it takes him so long walking, he's just on his way back and he will be here any minute. Here he is, it takes him longer to walk.' Eamonn then entered the studio using his walking stick, although he did not address it or his wife's comments before sitting down to resume his presenting duties. It comes after Eamonnn 'checked in' with his followers on social media again on Saturday night, amid his ongoing struggles with chronic pain. The TV presenter, who has now returned home after a stint in hospital, told his fans in the early hours of Easter Sunday that he was 'living in a waking nightmare' as he was unable to sleep through his discomfort - before he began comparing his pain to that of Jesus Christ. Candid: Eamonnn 'checked in' with his followers on social media again on Saturday night, amid his ongoing struggles with chronic pain 'Well time to check in again. Who's not having a good night?' he penned on Twitter. 'Who has pain that's stopping them being in a beautiful dream? Who is living a waking nightmare through #ChronicPain? 'Just trying to get us all speaking to each other and offering comfort and support!' Clearly desperate to share war stories with others, Eamonn went on to explain that he had indeed managed to doze off, but was wide awake once again. 'Ok so body decided I was enjoying those 2 hours of sleep too much! Pain at its worst lying down. So anyone know how to sleep standing up? Just asking for a friend...' he went on. Midnight ramblings: He tweeted his way through insomnia, potentially a little delirious from sleep-deprivation He then tweeted, potentially a little delirious from sleep-deprivation: 'All this talk of pain - nothing compared to the pain Jesus went through for us before rising. Part of the message of #EasterSunday... which let's not forget is today.' Eamonn previously tweeted about his situation 24 hours earlier, explaining that he is still waiting for a diagnosis from doctors on what is actually wrong with him. He said the experts who are looking into his condition have 'understandably' gone on their Easter break, as he told followers: 'My pain hasn't gone away!' Waiting game: Eamonn told how he is still waiting for a diagnosis from doctors after being admitted to hospital with chronic pain (pictured in 2020) He continued: 'Understandably and unluckily for me the professionals who analyse and diagnose are on an Easter break. So to everyone, Twitter community, family and friends who are asking: 'What's wrong?' 'Unfortunately I won't know until middle of next week.' Eamonn has been interacting with his followers, some of whom also suffer from chronic pain, while trying to get to bottom of his ailments. 'Honestly folks, talking to you guys helps me forget the pain for 20 minutes. I hope you are talking to each other as well. Hospital visit: He has now returned home, and explained to his followers in the early hours of Saturday that he won't know what's wrong until next week (pictured this week) 'I've felt all of you suffering from chronic pain & learned a lot. This is not about whose pain is the worst. This is about finding out how big the problem is. 'I've felt for you all, promise to promote this cause, been sad on your behalf and even found time for a chuckle where I didn't think there could be one... 'Meaning all offers of pain relief cannot be accepted however sincerely meant.' 'Another thing which is a bit taboo in mainstream media is prayer. It goes by many more acceptable names these days mindfulness or meditation... Explanation: Eamonn said the experts who are looking into his condition have 'understandably' gone on their Easter break, as he told followers: 'My pain hasn't gone away' Support: Eamonn has been interacting with his followers, some of whom also suffer from chronic pain, while trying to get to bottom of his ailments 'But if you do it, however you do it & whoever you do it too... May it help you. Nice talking to you all and may today be an OK one.' Eamonn returned home from having tests in hospital after struggling with chronic 'pain he's never experienced in his life' on Friday. The presenter has said he 'needs to find out what's causing' him pain all over his body and has revealed he has no diagnosis as of yet. He had tweeted a snap of his mask-clad face sat in a waiting room on and vowed to find the cause of his agony, after revealing last week he was 'living with chronic pain.' Eamonn wrote: 'At Hospital... pain like I've never experienced in my life. Need to find out what's causing this. Wish me well.' GMB presenter Charlotte Hawkins, 45, revealed she was texting the presenter on Thursday evening as she sent her well wishes to her ITV co-star. Candid: The presenter tweeted a snap from the waiting room and vowed to find the cause of his agony, after revealing last week he was 'living with chronic pain' (pictured in October) The host said on Friday's show: 'I was messaging Eamonn last night and I saw the picture he had put up. He said: ''Don't worry about visiting me as I'm not in hospital.'' He was at hospital for tests, sending all our love, get well soon.' Lorraine Kelly also confirmed he'll be stepping in for Holly and Phillip with his wife Ruth on This Morning from Monday over the Easter holidays. The TV star, also 61, said on her eponymous show on Friday: 'He's in chronic pain, but he'll definitely be on This Morning next week. We wish him a speedy recovery.' He had taken to Twitter to update fans after his hospital visit, sharing: 'Will have clearer picture of what's causing my pain tomorrow but just to say folks like so many of you I've lived with variations of Chronic pain for years. 'Don't allow it to stop me working & next week I'd like to be a voice for many of u & discuss the subject on @thismorning. 'Get well soon': Charlotte Hawkins, 45, revealed she was texting the presenter, 61, as she sent her well wishes to her ITV co-star (pictured on Friday's GMB with Alex Beresford) 'In the meantime I am proud that my experience has given you a voice and I'm humbled by your various and different experiences & your kindness to me . 'If between us we can get more solutions more understanding and more resources directed towards CP then that would be a result.' Earlier in the week, Eamonn had revealed that his chronic pain had left him wide awake after just 90 minutes of sleep, and vowed to keep speaking about the struggles to provide support to those going through the same thing. In a tweet he wrote: 'Don't know about u but I got 90 mins tonight before the pain woke me up. 'In the meantime I am proud that my experience has given you a voice': Eamonn had taken to Twitter to update fans after his hospital visit 'I just want to say Twitter can rightly be criticised .... yet here through sharing the common but not talked about experience of #ChronicPain we r giving each other support. Let's keep talking Tweeters.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Eamonn Holmes for further comment. It comes after Eamonn revealed he has been suffering from 'chronic pain' which has caused insomnia in a series of late night tweets last week. He shared his woes with fans during the night as he posted to Twitter at around 2.30am while struggling to sleep. He wrote: 'In that Twilight Zone between Night time and Morning. Anyone else find these hours the worst.... particularly if you suffer chronic pain?' Tough: Just a day earlier Eamonn had revealed that his chronic pain had left him wide awake after just 90 minutes of sleep Eamonn admitted that the 'night is worse' and he feels there is 'no escape' from the pain he is suffering. Replying to one fan, Eamonn added: 'I just want people who suffer to know there are others and maybe they can talk to each other and swap advice on here?' The media personality chatted to several of his followers on the social media platform who were also struggling to sleep in the early hours. Eamonn has been candid about his health in the past and openly discussed his double hip operation in 2016, even revealing he feared he would die during surgery. Candid: Eamonn opened the conversation to his followers, with many replying saying they too were struggling to get to sleep Response: He replied to one fan saying he 'wants people who suffer to know there are others' so they can share tips and advice 'Night is worse': In another response, Eamonn said the twilight hours are the toughest Struggle: Eamonn agreed with another follower saying there's 'no escape' Speaking in 2017, he told the Daily Star Sunday: 'It was a very depressing week when I had it done. I remember Sky News rang me and said, 'Have you heard about Terry Wogan?' 'And I was going under the knife that week. It was very foreboding. I was not very optimistic about the whole thing. 'Ruth [Langsford, his wife] said to me, 'Do you have to have both of them done?' She was worried about losing me.' Eamonn finally went under the knife after enduring 25 years of pain in his hips, back and legs. He even discussed how the pain had affected his career, with the TV host turning down some work if it meant he'd have to stand up for long periods of time. What is chronic pain? Chronic or persistent pain is when pain continues for more than 12 weeks despite medication or treatment to try and alleviate suffering. People who suffer from diabetes, arthritis, irritable bowl or fibromyalgia are among those who can also experience chronic pain. Ways to help manage pain include pacing yourself, finding ways to relax or reduce stress, taking medication and exercising regularly. Physical therapy is also another treatment option. This can include manipulation, stretching exercises and pain-relief exercises. The NHS also recommends trying to go to work despite feeling pain as this activity might distract from pain. Charities Pain Concern and Action On Pain can also give more information and advice. Sources: NHS and NHS Inform Advertisement The presenter took back to the airwaves just 10 weeks after having his double hip operation. And after recovering from the procedure, which he'd been avoiding since he was 36-years-old, Eamonn admitted he'd got a 'new lease of life' Eamonn has also spoken in the past about the panic attacks he suffered after the sudden death of his father. The presenter's father Leonard died suddenly of a heart attack when he was 64, which left Eamonn plagued with guilt that they didn't say goodbye. Speaking on This Morning in 2018, Eamonn said he once suffered a panic attack live on air while presenting breakfast TV, which he struggled to cover up, and even had to be hospitalised twice. Open: Eamonn has been candid about his health in the past and openly discussed his double hip operation in 2016, even revealing he feared he would die during surgery (pictured in February) Eamonn hasn't had a panic attack in 27 years, which he says is a result of him telling himself he was going to be fine. He explained: 'I've had a number of panic attacks, thank goodness it was 27 years or so ago... I thought I was going to die, my coping strategy was to realise I'm not going to die, but I would never have associated it with a mental problem.' Eamonn has realised in retrospect that he may have been suffering them because of his father's untimely death. He continued: 'I think looking back on it, it was a result of the sudden death of my father and not being able to say goodbye to him. I associated being away from home with bad things.' According to The Mirror, Eamonn has also been chatting about potential new career plans of late, admitting he'd love to present Homes Under The Hammer after doing some decorating in lockdown. Eamonn also explained how he's more picking out the finishing touches on rooms, such as choosing cushions and colours, than wife Ruth. While appearing on Vicky Pattison's podcast he talked about deciding which handles to use for their brown wood kitchen, saying he went for copper which 'traditional' Ruth might not approve off. He told the former Geordie Shore star: 'That's how I'm spending lockdown, looking for handles for cupboards.' Meghalaya extends lockdown for another week 04 Jun 2021 | 9:06 PM Shillong, Jun 4 (UNI) Notwithstanding the marginal decline of COVID-19 cases, the Meghalaya government on Friday decided to extend the ongoing lockdown across the State, which includes state capital Shillong, that was to have ended on 5 am on June 7, has been further extended up to 5 am on June 14. see more.. FIR registered against three GMs of CCL by district mining officer in Bokaro 04 Jun 2021 | 9:02 PM Bokaro, Jun 3 (UNI) An FIR has been registered by the district mining officer of Bokaro against three General Managers of the Central Coalfields Ltd in Bermo and BTPS Police Stations of the district. see more.. Eight members of inter state human trafficking gang caught by Dumka Police 04 Jun 2021 | 8:47 PM Dumka, Jun 4 (UNI) Police today caught eight members of an inter state human trafficking gang. see more.. Assam suspends first dose vaccination of Covaxin 04 Jun 2021 | 8:41 PM Guwahati, Jun 4 (UNI) Due to the shortage of supply of vaccines, the Assam government today decided to suspend the first dose vaccination of Covaxin. see more.. Thousands of university students gathered late on Sunday at outdoor parties at their campuses to celebrate a student holiday. At one campus in the capital Belgrade, throngs of young people could be seen standing close together and dancing, many without face masks despite the ongoing pandemic. Serbian media have reported that only a small numbers of university students are willing to get vaccinated amid widespread conspiracy theories and anti-vaccination propaganda. After vaccinating some 1.5 million people, the Balkan nation of 7 million has seen the drive slow down as fewer people have stepped forward to receive jabs. Most people have received China's Sinopharm vaccines, followed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Russia's Sputnik V and AstraZeneca. On Monday the country eased measures against the coronavirus despite high numbers of infections and the slowdown in vaccination. Bars and restaurants are allowed to serve guests outside at reduced capacity and with respect of social distancing rules. Authorities have said the move is aimed at keeping the economy running. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Every decade state legislatures are required to redraw both legislative and congressional districts. This is necessary after the census is complete in order to adjust these districts for population growth and ensure equal representation. This process is where the word gerrymander was first coined a term that describes redrawing districts in such a weird and misshapen fashion for the sole purpose of giving one political party advantage over the other. New Mexico, like most states, has never been immune to gerrymandering. In fact, New Mexicos legislative districts are so distorted that Republicans won 48% of the vote in last years election, while holding only a little over 30% of House and Senate seats in the Legislature. Such results are predictable because Democrats were in control the last time these legislative districts were created. As we approach the time when our legislative districts must be redrawn again, Democrats are again in complete control of both houses of the Legislature and the Governors Office. The potential for political manipulation made the passage of Senate Bill 304 so important. This bipartisan bill creates for the first time a nonpartisan, citizen commission that will work to suggest fair legislative and congressional districts for the next 10 years. Equally important, this new commission will chart a new redistricting path by taking power away from politicians and giving it to the communities we are elected to represent. The only downside to SB 304 is the Legislature can ignore the redrawn districts the commission will ultimately recommend. This is because New Mexicos Constitution requires that only the Legislature can approve new legislative districts, so while the commission can propose fairly redrawn districts, the Legislature can alter them in order to benefit one political party or candidate. Despite the changes made to the bill, I am convinced the passage of SB 304 is still an important step forward in creating an independent redistricting process that allows the people to be engaged in how new legislative districts are drawn. If signed by the governor, throughout the summer and fall, the new commission will be meeting across the state with different communities and groups to begin formulating districts based on the requirements of the Voting Rights Act and without political influence. Once these new districts are delivered to the Legislature, it will be up to all New Mexicans to ensure politicians do not try to change them to benefit themselves or their party. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ After an arduous negotiation process, our state Legislature has finally crafted a compromise, bipartisan bill to establish an independent redistricting committee to draw the new legislation districts. Senate Bill 304 is the work of both chambers and political parties it represents our coming together to get a redistricting process that works for the people. This bill puts fairness into the process of redrawing the legislative map and is vital to ensure New Mexicans are fairly represented in Washington and in Santa Fe. The governor must deliver on her duty to represent all New Mexicans and to sign this collaborative legislation. Click here to read the full article. Harvey Weinstein filed an appeal on Monday of his conviction on counts of sexual assault and rape, arguing that the judge made numerous errors that resulted in a rigged trial. Weinsteins attorney, Barry Kamins, argued that the judge should have excluded Juror 11, saying she could not have been impartial because she had written a novel that involved sexual exploitation by predatory older men. Kamins also argued that Justice James Burke improperly excluded testimony that could have been helpful to Weinstein. He also challenged Burkes decision to allow three women to testify about uncharged sexual assaults involving Weinstein. Such prior bad acts witnesses or Molineux witnesses in New York are also at the heart of comedian Bill Cosbys appeal of his sexual assault conviction in Pennsylvania. Weinstein, 69, was convicted in February 2020 of two counts: third-degree rape and first-degree sexual assault. The jurors acquitted him on two more serious charges of predatory sexual assault, which alleged that he had also raped actress Annabella Sciorra in the early 1990s. Weinstein is serving a 23-year sentence in a state prison near Buffalo, N.Y. If his conviction is not overturned, the earliest he could be paroled would be November 2039. Weinsteins attorneys filed a notice of appeal on April 2, 2020, but waited a year to file the full brief to the Appellate Division, First Department. However, Kamins laid out much of his argument in a motion last October that sought to have Weinstein released on bail for the duration of the appeal. The motion was denied. In that motion, Kamins argued that Juror 11 was dishonest when she answered questions about the novel during jury selection. Kamins also contended that the juror effectively became the Peoples stealth expert on the jury, an uncross-examined font of information about how women behave after being sexually abused by older men. In the appeal, Kamins argued that the jurors fixation with issues of consent raised the question of whether she had an agenda to see Weinstein convicted. Allowing Juror No. 11 to participate in the deliberations did not merely obstruct the judicial process, it single-handedly obliterated it, he wrote. The juror was seated after the defense had run out of peremptory challenges. Burke denied a motion for a mistrial. Burke denied several other defense motions during the six-week trial, including a motion to recuse himself from the case. Burke also rejected a defense motion to relocate the trial to Suffolk County or Albany due to pre-trial publicity, refused to allow the defense to call the lead police detective on the case, and refused to let the defense call an expert on recovered memories. The defense has also argued that one of the crimes should have been excluded due to the statute of limitations. We will respond in our brief to the court, said Danny Frost, a spokesman for the Manhattan District Attorneys office. Weinstein is also awaiting extradition to Los Angeles to face an additional 11 counts that carry a potential sentence of 140 years. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott blasted the actions of Facebook as un-American [and] un-Texan, accusing it and other social media giants of spearheading a dangerous movement to silence conservative voices. The First Amendment is under assault by these social media companies, and that will not be tolerated in Texas, Abbott said. MORE ABBOTT NEWS: Abbott declines Rangers' first-pitch invite in protest of MLB's stance on voting restrictions At the same time, his office was working quietly with the company with the hope that it will soon build a second data center in the state, according to documents provided to The Texas Tribune by the Tech Transparency Project, a technology research arm of the nonprofit watchdog group Campaign for Accountability. That contrast in public and private messaging highlights the dissonance with which some Texas GOP leaders approach the tech industry. Abbott and other state officials have engaged in a coordinated line of attack against the companies, publicly lambasting them and pushing for laws to address what they perceive as liberal biases. At the same time, state leaders have privately courted them and publicly bragged about the thousands of jobs they have created here. Broad details of the behind-the-scenes courting of Facebook are included in a letter from a lawyer representing the company. Earlier this year, the Tech Transparency Project filed an open records request that sought communications between Abbotts office and employees of certain technology companies, including Facebook. Instead of releasing the records, Abbotts office asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to intervene on Facebooks behalf, according to a letter obtained through a records request from the attorney generals office. The letter, by Justin Hoover, an attorney at the law firm Winstead PC who is representing Facebook, argued that the release of more than 100 pages of communications between the social media company and the governors office would expose confidential information including: The fact that Facebook is considering Texas as a site for its data center The project codename for the data center The name of the subsidiary that will purchase land for the data center The names of Facebook employees working on the project The nondisclosure agreement between Abbotts office and Facebook Spokespeople for Abbott and Facebook did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Reference (703.1 KB) The letter states that Texas is one of several states being considered by Facebook for the data center and that the company has been engaged in preliminary discussions with Abbotts Economic Development and Tourism office about possible site locations and related economic incentives. Discussions with Texas officials began in August, the letter said, and it will likely be at least a year before the company selects a site. READ ALSO: Here's why Ted Cruz (and others) are talking about Coca-Cola Hoover wrote that withholding the information is paramount to the ability of the State of Texas to remain in consideration for the data center. Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project, said in a statement that it's "entirely likely" that an agreement between Texas and Facebook would "end up being a raw deal for Texas taxpayers." "A similar data center in Tennessee granted Facebook $19.5 million in tax incentives for a project that would only create 100 new jobs," Paul said. "If Facebook throws its weight around in Texas in the same way it did in Tennessee, its no wonder that both the company and the governors office are trying to keep their negotiations under wraps. If a deal were inked, it would be Facebooks second data center in Texas. Construction on a $1.5 billion Fort Worth location began in 2015 and is expected to be completed in 2022. The facility employs about 150 people. The city of Fort Worth at the time approved a lucrative incentive package for Facebook, which included a 20-year, $147 million tax-exemption deal on real and business personal property taxes, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. The company committed to creating at least 40 jobs with average annual salaries of $70,000. Abbott attended the facilitys groundbreaking in 2015, touting his efforts to bring Facebook to Texas and declaring that the facility would create an even more robust and diverse economy. Make no mistake, this project does far more than just create jobs and add capital to the region, Abbott said. It is a magnet that high-tech companies are welcome to the state. Abbott has long boasted that the Silicon Hills of Texas are a low-tax, business friendly alternative to the expensive tech-mecca of Silicon Valley in California, while also bashing Austin as a bastion of liberalism for policies such as diverting police funds to other community services. Texas has won over major corporations. Software giant Oracle announced in December that it was moving its headquarters from California to Austin. Other tech companies with offices in the Austin area include Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, Dell and Intel. Even Elon Musk, the CEO of electric car company Tesla, recently announced a high-profile exit from the Golden State for Texas. Meanwhile, Paxton is ensnared in litigation with a number of technology companies. In December, Paxton joined 47 attorneys general and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in filing an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook. The suit accused the organization of monopolizing the market for social networking services. Paxton is also leading a separate, multi-state lawsuit against Google, alleging the search giant conspired with Facebook to manipulate online advertisement sales. And in January, after former President Donald Trump was banned from Twitter for inciting violence during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Paxton announced an investigation into Google, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon Web Services and Apple. He is seeking information about the companies content moderation policies and practices. Paxton also requested information related to Parler, a social networking site used by the far right. Google and Apple booted the app from their app stores, and Amazon Web Services said it would no longer provide web hosting services. Paxton's office did not respond to requests for comment. The revelation that Abbott is courting Facebook comes as the Texas Legislature is pushing a proposal to punish social media companies for canceling conservative speech. State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, is championing Senate Bill 12 a legislative priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick that would prohibit social media companies with at least 100 million monthly users from blocking, banning, demonetizing or discriminating against a user based on their viewpoint or their location within Texas. The state Senate approved the proposal last week by an 18-13 vote, but it has not had a hearing in the Texas House. The measure would apply to anyone who lives in, does business in or even has social media followers in Texas. It would also require the companies to disclose their content moderation policies, publish quarterly reports about the content they remove and create an appeals process for user content that has been taken down. The Texas attorney general would be allowed to file suit against any company that violates a provision of the bill. If upheld in court, the attorney general could recoup "reasonable" attorneys fees and investigative costs. Spokespeople for Hughes and Patrick did not respond to multiple emails seeking comment. Abbott joined Hughes at a news conference last month in Tyler to throw his support behind the measure, and singled out Facebook by name. What Facebook and Twitter are doing: they are controlling the flow of information and sometimes denying the flow of information, Abbott said at the time. Texas is taking a stand against Big Tech political censorship. We're not going to allow it in the Lone Star State. Disclosure: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Apple, Dell, Facebook and Google have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. States have tried with limited success to get covid vaccines to people of color, who have been disproportionately killed and hospitalized by the virus. Starting Thursday, Vermont explicitly gave Black adults and people from other minority communities priority status for vaccinations. It follows Montana, which in January announced that Native Americans and other people of color, because they are at higher risk of complications from covid-19, would be allowed to receive the vaccine. All Black, Indigenous residents and other people of color who are permanent Vermont residents and 16 or older are eligible for the vaccine. It will be a short-term advantage, since Vermont opens covid inoculations to all adults April 19. Still, Vermont health officials say they hope the change will lower the risk for people of color, who are nearly twice as likely as whites to end up in the hospital with covid-19. "It is unacceptable that this disparity remains for this population," Dr. Mark Levine, Vermont's health commissioner, said at a recent news conference. But providing priority may not be enough to get more minority residents vaccinated and could send the wrong message, some health experts say. "Giving people of color priority eligibility may assuage liberal guilt, but it doesnt address the real barriers to vaccination," said Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious diseases specialist at NYU Langone Health and a former member of President Joe Biden's covid advisory board. "The reason for lower vaccination coverage in communities of color isnt just because of where they are 'in line' for the vaccine. Its also very much a question of access." Vaccination sites need to be more convenient to where these targeted populations live and work, and more education efforts are necessary so people know the shots are free and safe, she said. "Explicitly giving people of color priority for vaccination could backfire," Gounder said. "It could give some the impression that the vaccine is being rolled out to them first as a test. It could reinforce the fear that people of color are being used as guinea pigs for something new." Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said that's why he has opposed using race as a risk factor to determine covid vaccine eligibility. But he sees signs that vaccine hesitancy is improving nationally and called Vermont's new approach "admirable." Still, he said, states should continue to use a range of options to get vaccines to minority communities, such as providing vaccination sites in Black neighborhoods and places that residents trust, like churches. No state is achieving equity in its vaccine distribution, said KFF's Kates. "People of color, whether they be Black or brown, are being vaccinated at lower rates compared to their representation among covid cases and deaths, and often their population overall," she said. Blacks make up about 2% of Vermont's population and 4% of its covid infections, but they have received 1% of the state's vaccines, according to KFF. "Since states are really not doing well on equity, other strategies are welcome at this point," said Kates. Yet, there's another reason public health officials have balked at explicitly giving people of color vaccine priority. "It could be politically sensitive," she said. An unruly man on a New York City-bound Greyhound bus stabbed a fellow passenger several times early Sunday morning, the Warren County Prosecutors Office said. The incident began about 1 a.m. with the man screaming and arguing aboard a bus on Interstate 80 in Warren County, Prosecutor Jim Pfeiffer said later Sunday morning. The driver called police and pulled off at the Hope Township exit, which is across the street from a New Jersey State Police station, Pfeiffer said. Troopers arrested Quientell Donaldson, 37, of Syracuse, the State Police said Sunday evening. The assailant suffered a severed finger in the attack and was taken to Morristown Memorial for surgery, Pfeiffer said. The victim was also flown to the Morristown hospital for treatment, Pfeiffer said. A 6-inch knife was recovered, the prosecutor said. Donaldson is charged with with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, police said. He was released from the hospital and was taken to the Warren County jail pending a court appearance, police said. Editors Note: This story was updated Sunday evening with the suspects name. Tony Rhodin can be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. A 34-year-old man has been charged with causing the death of a two-week-old boy whose pram was hit by a car. West Midlands Police said at around 4pm on Easter Sunday, Ciaran Leigh Morris was being pushed along the pavement in his pram by family when he was struck by a car in Brownhills, Walsall. Ciaran suffered serious injuries and while he was rushed to hospital, nothing could be done to save him, police said. Read More On Monday evening, police said James Paul Davis, 34, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by driving while uninsured. He faces further charges of failing to stop at the scene of a collision and failure to report a collision. Davis, from Walsall, has been remanded in police custody to appear at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning. Expand Close Flowers and tributes are left at the scene on High Street, Brownhills, near Walsall in the West Midlands (Jacob King/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Flowers and tributes are left at the scene on High Street, Brownhills, near Walsall in the West Midlands (Jacob King/PA) In a tribute released on Monday, Ciarans parents said: Mommys and Daddys hearts will always ache, we love you more than anything. We didnt get to keep you for long but we are happy we had the chance to meet you, look after you and call you our son. Fly high angel. Dozens of flowers have been left at the scene of the incident. Dozens of people at a popular Northern California coastal overlook watched as an SUV drove through a parking lot without braking and then plunged off a cliff into the rocks below, killing two women, investigators said Monday. Authorities identified the driver as Maria Teixeira, 64, and the passenger as her daughter, Elizabeth Correia, 41, both of the San Francisco Bay Area city of Dublin, about 100 miles south of the crash. The cause of the weekend crash is still under investigation, California Highway Patrol Officer David de Rutte said. Initial witness accounts indicated that the vehicle drove through a wooden barrier in a large parking area at the Bodega Bay's Head Trail before it went off the cliff. Authorities identified the driver as Maria Teixeira (left), 64, and the passenger as her daughter, Elizabeth Correia (right), 41, both of the San Francisco Bay Area city of Dublin, about 100 miles south of the crash The cause of the weekend crash is still under investigation, California Highway Patrol Officer David de Rutte said Bodega Bay firefighters work to secure the scene of the crash after the vehicle plummeted from the Bodega Head parking lot in Bodega Bay, Calif., through a wood barrier (left) 'Witnesses saw the vehicle driving through the parking lot - and it just kept driving,' de Rutte said. 'It didn't stop. There was no accelerating but also no braking.' Capt Justin Fox of the Bodega Bay Fire Protection District said by the time firefighters and a deputy got down to the vehicle, the women had died. Images from the scene showed that their Toyota SUV had landed on its roof on the rocks about 100 feet below. Teixeira and Correia were both employees of public schools in the Bay Area, according to relatives and sheriff's officials. Teixeira was lead custodian at Montevideo Elementary in nearby San Ramon, and Correia was a first-grade teacher at Lydiksen Elementary in Pleasanton. Correia's biography on the school's website said she had taught in Pleasanton, where she grew up, since 2005. Teixeira and Correia (pictured together) were both employees of public schools in the Bay Area, according to relatives and sheriff's officials A long line from Sonoma County Sheriff's helicopter Henry 1 is used to safely transport rescue personnel to a beach below after the vehicle plummeted from the Bodega Head parking lot in Bodega Bay, California, landing upside down 100 feet below on Saturday 'She enjoys teaching, reading, music, art, movies, Disneyland and spending time with friends and family,' the website says. Investigators were still trying to determine if the crash was accidental or intentional, de Rutte said. It happened Saturday as hikers and beachgoers flocked to the scenic Pacific Ocean overlook to take advantage of clear weather on the Easter holiday weekend. Correia's stepmother, Liz, shared a message on Facebook saying that the family is in 'shock' and they're 'devastated'. Teixeira's son also shared on Facebook: 'It's with heavy heart that I share my mom, Maria Teixeira and my sister, Elizabeth Correia, both passed away yesterday after being involved in a single car crash in Bodega Bay.' 'There is a hole in my heart that will never be filled now. I'm so grateful for them and the time we shared. They will forever be part of me. I love you mom and sis.' The Bodega Volunteer Fire Department also shared: 'Our thoughts are with the families.' Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is well-known for his saber-rattling, much of which is designed to distract Venezuelans from the severe economic crisis sweeping the country and the brutality of his autocratic regime. In recent weeks Venezuelan military and police have been conducting offensive operations in the southwestern state of Apure near the Colombian border. Aside from the humanitarian toll they are taking on the local civilian populace, they have sparked fears that Caracas is once again ramping up pressure on its perceived mortal enemy Colombia. Staunch regional U.S. ally Colombia, which sits at the entrance to South America from Central America, is pivotal to addressing the more than decade-long humanitarian and economic crisis which has engulfed neighboring Venezuela. Maduro and his predecessor Chavez, who on assuming the presidency in 1999 launched his socialist Bolivarian revolution, have regularly stoked fears that Colombia supported by the U.S. is intent on destabilizing Venezuela and even planning to invade. That has provided the autocratic regime in Caracas with a readily available stratagem for distracting the oil-rich countrys long-suffering population from an ever-worsening economic crisis, disintegrating rule of law and erosion of human rights. It has long been alleged by Colombia and the U.S. that the Chavez and Maduro regimes have willingly provided sanctuary and even material support for various Colombian leftist rebel groups. This includes providing aid to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC Spanish initials) for over a decade and the last remaining organized guerilla force the National Liberation Army (ELN Spanish initials). More recently, Colombias President Duque since winning the countrys top office in 2018, has regularly accused Maduro of harboring ELN guerillas and dissident FARC groups which do not recognize the 2016 peace deal. In August 2019, some senior FARC commanders notably Luciano Marin Arango, better known by his nom de guerre Ivan Marquez, who spent four years negotiating the peace treaty in Cuba, renounced the agreement (Spanish) stating they were rearming in defiance of the Colombian government. The group, which also includes Seuxis Hernandez-Solarte, known as Jesus Santrich, are believed to be in Venezuela and are allegedly actively participating in criminal conspiracies with Venezuelan government officials. Related: Goldman Sachs Sees Large Oil Demand Rebound This Summer The 2,000-kilometer land border between Colombia and Venezuela has long been a hotspot for activity by illegal armed groups, smuggling, organized criminal activity, and narco-trafficking. The non-state armed groups operating along the border include Venezuelan paramilitary colectivos, organized criminal bands, FARC dissidents, ELN guerillas, and the Los Rastrojos, a neo-paramilitary group that emerged over a decade ago from the Norte Del Valle Cartel. In a surprise development, Venezuelan security forces about three weeks ago launched attacks (Spanish) on FARC dissident camps in the southwestern border state of Apure. The region on both sides of the border has long been a hotspot of activity by various illegal armed groups because of a weak ineffectual government presence in Apure and the neighboring Colombian department of Arauca. Gun battles and raids by the Venezuelan military as well as police special forces near the border of Apure have seen, it is estimated, roughly 6,000 civilians flee their homes into Colombia with many seeking sanctuary in the Colombian border town of Arauquita. The department of Arauca and the municipalities surrounding Arauquita, were before the 2016 peace deal among the FARCs strongest zones of control, which explains the considerable presence of FARC dissidents in the region. While Colombias defense minister blames a dispute between the Venezuelan military and FARC dissidents over the control of drug trafficking, the real rationale for the operation may be far more profound. In a desperate attempt to rebuild Venezuelas shattered economic backbone, its petroleum industry, and reconstruct a near failed economy has promised to welcome and protect private investment in the energy sector. Improved legal protection and favorable regulatory landscape, which Maduro can now provide after taking control of Venezuelas National Assembly, are not enough. Crucially, Caracas needs Washington to ease sanctions allowing foreign oil companies to operate in Venezuela and access global energy markets without the threat of being penalized if it is to attract the necessary investment required to boost oil production. That certainly will not occur if Venezuela is perceived by Washington to be a state sponsor of terrorism and allows the remnants of U.S. designated terrorist groups to operate in its national territory. The FARC and ELN were both designated foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. Secretary of State in October 1997. This is also the case for those individuals from the FARC leadership being pursued by the U.S. government for various criminal offenses. In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice announced narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons charges against Ivan Marquez and Jesus Santrich Related: Record High COVID Cases Could Stall Indias Oil Imports The state of Apure contains the Barinas-Apure basin, which includes the Barrancas natural gas field and is Venezuelas third most important hydrocarbon producing area. Located in the region where Venezuelan security forces are carrying out operations against FARC dissidents are the La Victoria and Guafita oilfields. Those fields contain light and intermediate-grade crude oil which is typically seen as being more valuable than the heavy and extra-heavy grades that make up most of Venezuelas petroleum output. This potentially further explains the reason for Caracass decision to commence military operations targeting Colombian FARC dissident groups in Apure. While it is difficult to determine the real motivations for the Maduro regimes decision to launch military assaults on illegal armed Colombian groups in Apure, it appears to be more than a drug trafficking dispute between the Venezuelan military and FARC dissidents. Aside from the regions importance as an oil and natural gas producing area, Maduro is under pressure to create favorable political currency with Washington so that U.S. sanctions will be eased allowing vital foreign investment in Venezuelas energy sector. A key part of that strategy is ensuring that Venezuela is not labeled as a state sponsor of terrorism while guaranteeing the security of the oil-rich Latin American nations petroleum basins and oilfields. It is western energy majors, like Chevron, which are key to rebuilding Venezuelas derelict petroleum industry because only they possess the considerable capital, expertise, and technology required. Those energy companies will hold off making any decisions until there is greater clarity on whether Washington will ease sanctions sufficiently to operate in Venezuela profitability and without fear of punitive penalties. By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Photo: The Canadian Press Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo. The trial of a former Minneapolis police officer in George Floyd's death is expected to turn toward the officer's training on Monday after a first week that was dominated by emotional testimony from eyewitnesses and devastating video of Floyd's arrest. Derek Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter in the May 25 death of Floyd. Chauvin, who is white, is accused of pinning his knee on the 46-year-old Black man's neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds as Floyd lay face-down in handcuffs outside of a corner market. Prosecutors say Chauvin's knee killed Floyd. The defence argues that Chauvin did what he was trained to do and that Floyd's use of drugs and underlying health conditions caused his death. Floyd's treatment by police was captured on widely seen bystander video that soon sparked protests that rocked Minneapolis and quickly spread to other U.S. cities and beyond. The video, plus officers' body-camera video and previously unseen bystander footage, was a heavy component of the first week of the trial, reawakening traumatic memories for viewers of the livestreamed trial. Police Chief Medaria Arradondo is expected to testify during the trial's second week, perhaps as early as Monday. Arradondo, the city's first Black chief, fired Chauvin and three other officers the day after Floyd's death, and in June called it murder. Mr. George Floyd's tragic death was not due to a lack of training the training was there, Arradondo said then. Chauvin knew what he was doing. The city moved soon after Floyd's death to ban police chokeholds and neck restraints. Arradondo and Mayor Jacob Frey have also made several policy changes, including expanding requirements for reporting use-of-force incidents and documenting their attempts to de-escalate situations even when force isn't used. Prosecutors have already called supervisory officers to build the case that Chauvin improperly restrained Floyd. A duty sergeant and a lieutenant who leads the homicide division both questioned Chauvin's actions in pinning Floyd after officers responded to a report that Floyd had passed a counterfeit $20 bill. Totally unnecessary, Lt. Richard Zimmerman, the longest-tenured officer on the force, testified Friday. He said once Floyd was handcuffed, he saw no reason for why the officers felt they were in danger, if thats what they felt, and thats what they would have to feel to be able to use that kind of force." Zimmerman, who joined the department in 1985, said he has never been trained to kneel on someone's neck if their hands are cuffed behind their back and they are in the prone position. Officers are supposed to get a person out of the position as soon as possible because it restricts their breathing, he said. Instead, officers continued to restrain Floyd until an ambulance arrived even after he became unresponsive. Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson peppered Zimmerman with questions about the threat a handcuffed suspect might still pose, as well as whether handcuffs might fail. Nelson has also suggested that bystanders shouting at police might have distracted them from Floyd and made them feel threatened. Jurors heard several days of testimony from those bystanders, several choking up as they recalled feeling powerless to help Floyd and guilt over his death. Genevieve Hansen, an off-duty firefighter who came on the scene as she was out for a walk, said she immediately recognized Floyd was in trouble and tried to offer help. Instead, Officer Tou Thao ordered her to stay on the sidewalk. Hansen, who was mostly stoic while testifying, was overcome as she recalled her frustration. There was a man being killed, she said. I would have been able to provide medical attention to the best of my abilities. And this human was denied that right. On the Extra Spicy podcast, hosts Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips have a frank conversation about the tensions between Asian and Black communities, the dangers of a widening rift, and the medias role in perpetuating misunderstanding. Listen to the episode by clicking on the player above, or on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Soleil Ho: It's March 30th. This morning a terrible habit I looked at my phone immediately when I woke up. It's just like peeking into the void just to see what's coming up. And on Twitter, so many people that I know, including Asians that I follow, that are just saying, Do not look at the video. And then I know, Right, It's going to be another one. And it just felt endless. For some reason, with the opening of this year, theres been incessant videos on the timeline of elders. Of Asian, older people getting brutalized by random people. And you don't know how to take it. And people just post it over and over again. And I understand also on an empathy level, what it must've been like to see police shootings of Black people and videos of it over and over and over again. I'd never seen a similar dynamic play out with Asian elders and seniors. It's so strange and it's really unsettling and upsetting, and it just derails you day, you know? Justin Phillips: You're absolutely right. I remember, just over the last couple of years, waking up and seeing the same thing: A police shooting and Black people on my timeline being like, Don't click the link. Don't watch the video. And then honestly, you go through these waves, right? In part, you feel compelled to watch it. And I'd be like, well, I'm going to watch it just to get the full story. Then you get enough of those to where you're like, there's no way I'm going to watch this. Like, it just makes me sick. I know I would go through that, but I'm curious as to what stage youre at? Soleil Ho: I have felt in the past that you are supposed to just bear witness and that's your obligation as a bystander, right? Especially when you're so divorced from the moment as being on social media and seeing it and finding out there. But it's also traumatizing, you know? That's also why I stopped sharing videos. It feels sensational. You shouldn't have to look at someone's pain in order to believe them that something happened. I see the impulse to do it because it's proof, right? And I think part of the big argument among Asian Americans is that nobody cares. And I think that's also a thing, right? That's why Black Lives Matter as a slogan exists. Because it is a very simple declaration that you should care and that this stuff matters. But I don't know if making people watch the videos is a way to get them to care. At the same time, I get why Emmett Till's casket was an open casket during his funeral too. Justin Phillips: I don't know, it's hard to navigate. And with the way social media is it could be a police shooting, it could be an elderly Asian person getting pushed down and punched when you see those online, even if it's one video with the echo chamber that is social media it can feel pervasive. You've seen one video, but it feels like you've seen a thousand and it feels like it's happening on every street corner. And it could happen to the person that's sitting right next to you. It could happen to your uncle, to your aunt, or whatever you're seeing. It just feels louder. For some people, maybe it spurs them to even more logical thinking, but you know, for most of us, like it can spiral us in very strange ways. How do you cobble together your thoughts when everything just feels so loud? I don't know. Soleil Ho: I can speak to the impact, and the impact has been that I worry about leaving my house. And my mom has texted me to ask if I'm staying safe. She's heard about all this, like all the way in Mexico, and she's worried about me. And I worry about my grandparents who just got vaccinated and want to go grocery shopping and all of that stuff. And if anything happened to them, I would raze this earth. Justin Phillips: I get it. You and I have gone to dinner and I've dropped you off at home. If I'm heading home or if I'm getting on a train, I'm sure it's crossed your mind, like get home safe. I hope there's no police interaction. I've never had to think that way for somebody else in not even as it relates to police, but just in their ability to exist safely. And I find myself wondering how you're doing, you know? Like if you go out to a store, or something like that and that's not to say that these attacks are happening every second everywhere, and that every Asian person I know is unsafe but that goes to the same thing as police shootings, you know? Not every Black person is getting shot, or getting chased by police or anything like that. But at the same time, I've never been in a position where I've had to think that way about somebody else in the sense of their general safety. It's so weird. I don't know how to wrap my head around it. Soleil Ho: I think it's also what happens, right? If you, if you read Nextdoor posts before you go to bed, you're probably going to dream about your house gets broken into, or someone trying to steal your mail. If you collect those sorts of items, those sorts of news items in your life, it can take over your thought processes. And I think that's the thing that has scared me the most about this is that I think people are really scared because they see these videos every day. It's relentless. And the argument is that bearing witness is really important. Of course you have to see it and it's news, but I think the way it's been put together, right? People make patterns. They want to know that there is something going on something logical. And if you put all of those videos from across the U.S., not just the Bay Area, it comes into this overarching argument that Asian people are under attack. That there's a crisis. And I start to feel that too. And I know it's not completely logical. There's no conspiracy. I don't know. ... Maybe there is a giant counterintelligence operation [laughs] that is meant to just frighten Asians into ... whatever. But I don't think all these assailants are talking to each other by any means. I don't think their ties are stronger to each other than the ties that bind police officers together across the U.S. I think it's different. And I think, I think that's the thing that worries me. Its like: What ideological goal is being achieved through all of this, right? Because you see people activists and hashtag activists and air-quotes activists sharing videos, and they all have different sort of agendas here. They all have different ideologies. They all have different ways in which they will use videos and use these news items to argue something. The thing we don't talk about is: What are those things? I think we can always be skeptical of someone like Shaun King sharing a video because he's a grifter and he takes advantage. But I think beyond that very obvious example, I don't think it's easy for most to suss out why we're seeing this. But I think that because people may benefit from sharing these videos, that's why we get this overconcentration of them. I don't know. Justin Phillips: No, I get it. And it's hard not to think that for some, it is to stoke division between Black and Asian people. When it came to police shootings, people were sharing those to draw attention to the need for police reform. But in these other videos, if it's an elderly Asian person getting attacked and it shows a Black person it's I don't know. It's hard not to see that that is part of an agenda that makes things extra complicated. Soleil Ho: It reminds me of how just in the past few years we've seen bot armies essentially take the side of people of color. And they surface these videos. That's part of their whole thing. And it sounds ridiculous when I say it, but it's true. Like there's a level of masquerading that happens on social media that is so hard for individuals to suss out. And you want to believe that people are doing things because they believe in them. But time and time again, we have seen that there are essentially people and or automated processes that will take advantage of these moments of real pain and human suffering for unseen political ends. And I think being suspicious of that is healthy. And unfortunately, it's sort of a new media literacy that we need to actually think about. And that sort of ties back to how in the corners of Asian America that I look at and monitor, I see these videos being shared by right-wing activists, too. And I think understanding how and why a right-wing activist would speak out against things like racial animosity and hate crimes is a really big part of this too. And really thinking about why they would throw their hat in with this. It's frustrating for me personally, as a Vietnamese American, because there is a lot of conservatism, a lot of right-wing activism and like active, um, conservatism in the Vietnamese community, especially in places like Orange County. It's similar to Cubans in America where there's a lot of hangover from the Vietnam War, and there's a hatred of communism and what is perceived to be left-wing politics, because they've seen the dark side of what they've been told is left-wing politics. And American capitalism has been their savior in the past. And I have a lot of empathy for that, but I think the thing that people don't realize largely is that immigrants, especially refugees, quickly become indoctrinated into white supremacy, anti-Blackness and capitalism when they come here. And the sparks are ready to be lit. All of these videos are like tinder building up to a real place in the community. Justin Phillips: Do you feel like you have to talk to older family members? Do you feel like you have to talk to older friends? Do your friends feel like they have to talk to the older family members? Like, is this a responsibility that you even have to think about? Soleil Ho: That's a really good question. You know, ever since I was a kid, my family has talked about Black people in Vietnamese. And they are anti-Black in a lot of ways. And how do you talk about that? I know that there are a lot of people who are my peers who have circulated letters in their family's native languages. Who are members of Asians for Black Lives, for instance, about police brutality about the movement so that they could explain what was happening to relatives who just didn't really understand. I've had these sorts of impromptu conversations, but a big thing was the language barrier too, right? I don't speak Vietnamese, and that has always been a problem in my relationship to my family. I can barely tell them what I want for lunch. How am I going to talk to them about ideology? So it's hard, it's so hard. So I want to turn this around a little bit too, because I'm curious just how Asian people talked about in your family or just in your community? Justin Phillips: You know, I think my family is kind of unique. They were always extremely progressive. The biggest thing they talked about was treating people with respect. And the neighborhoods that I lived in, there were business owners nearby that usually owned by either an Asian family or a Middle Eastern family. So we had interactions with these groups of people from a young age. And, you know, some people treat these businesses like s for some reason. As if these business owners owe them for shopping there or something. It's just like this weird, disrespectful attitude toward it. We never had that, but that isn't to say that there weren't Black people in my community who maybe didn't trust Asian business owners or Middle Eastern business owners. It'd be undeniable to say that that emotion wasn't there. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. But I don't know, man. I didn't realize how racist people could be towards specific groups until I got a little bit older. I was definitely introduced to racism against Black people from an early age, because being a Black kid and whatnot, but outside of that, it took time. That's also what's still kind of confounding about seeing all the videos online and seeing the response to them. There's this broad stroke narrative that Black people are just going out to attack Asian people. It just confuses me because it's so far removed from what I understand growing up. Soleil Ho: Can we talk about what we think this is coming from then? Because it seems like it's a mystery to both of us. Justin Phillips: This is the way I see it. From what I've known throughout my life, a lot of Chinatowns in cities are usually adjacent to poor communities, or even a lot of Asian-owned, small mom and pop businesses are probably in a community with a Black and brown populace, a lower-income populace. And so whenever I see some of these incidents, of these people broke into the shop, or these people grabbed this purse from this woman outside of this store, something like that, I always think about crimes of access. If you're in a low-income area and you do something like this, odds are, you're going to go somewhere that's familiar to you. So you're going to go by the store that you probably shopped at, or pass by multiple times, or live close to. You're gonna walk up the street and try to find something to grab out of a car on a street that you know. That's my first reaction to that. A lot of these things, it's just the proximity and folded within that is the pandemic. Resources right now are limited for people that are in low income situations. You already didn't have a lot. Now you have even less. The economy is taking a downturn. Jobs are hard to find, and business at stores is slow. So you have desperation, you have proximity and you have crimes of access. There's a history to this, but it's exacerbated now by the pandemic, then you fold in moments that are caught on video and you kind of lose that historical context to it. And it just feels new. Does that make any sense? Soleil Ho: I mean, certainly there are robberies that have happened where people have been robbed at ATMs and are leaving restaurants and had purses snatched and things like that. And it makes sense to me because I'm certainly aware of the history of, for instance, East Asian shop owners going into Black neighborhoods and opening shops there. Beauty shops for instance, or they sell wigs and beauty products or groceries and that sort of thing too. That's a thing that happens. And it makes sense that there would be tension there as well. And like not tension in a bad way, but more just people in the community see this and they think, OK, how do we keep the money in Black hands? Because how do we pay for products that we use on specifically Black hair and enrich our community members. So there's tension there an economic tension. And yes, a lot more people are desperate because they're out of the job. They really are pushed to do things that they don't want to do. I mean, many people might not be getting their stimulus checks, and even if they did, it's not that much money. Yeah, I think we don't talk enough about how little help there has been for so many people and certainly a lot of service industry or front-facing people who work in those sorts of jobs just haven't been able to work because of the pandemic, incurred lockdowns and things like that. Justin Phillips: I'm not trying to explain any of these incidents. I have to make sure I say that. But within this conversation there should be dialogue about mental health issues and access to care. If a Black banker in a suit was walking home in the Financial District and beat up an Asian person on the way, then I would think about like, man, what the hell is this? Is this some Black cultural thing? What is this? But if you look at the incidents, there is something to be said about the mental health aspect of this. These random acts of violence. I honestly don't know, and it breaks my heart, honestly. Soleil Ho: Well, I'm brought back to one of our first interactions, you and me, where we were driving in San Francisco and you remarked that diversity is hard to find in this city, but that you find it on the street corners. And as a Black man living in the Bay Area, you see a critical mass of Black people on the streets, unhoused people or people who are suffering from addictions or mental illness and just can't find a bed or can't find a place to be. And it's heartbreaking. But I think that's a really important facet of this too. Just like, who are we including when we talk about the Black community? Broadly, would it be more helpful to be specific? And you know, this is not to say that people in mental health crises, especially people of color who are undergoing this, need to be victimized even further. But this is to highlight that this could be a symptom of a much deeper sort of robbing of resources that have happened at the highest level here, right? The root causes of the housing crisis and the mental health crisis in the city. These aren't the fault of individuals. These are the faults of city leaders who had the power to fund hospital beds and mental health hospital beds. And they didn't. Justin Phillips: You know, the thing that I think we're finding frustrating or concerning or worrying, the thing that makes us not sleep at night is: What are other people talking about that aren't having this added layer? Most people aren't going to want to slow down to think about exactly what you just said, how it could be emblematic of issues that are higher up. But the easiest way to talk about this for a lot of people is just to say that Black people are attacking Asian people. And I don't know how to bridge the gap, especially since it's not just Black people committing these attacks. White people have been perpetrators too. Soleil Ho: I mean, for me too, the frustrating thing is that one of the reactions that I see all the time is that we should be armed. A gun will not solve a mental health crisis, and we see repeatedly how ill-suited guns are to helping mentally ill people. That sort of reaction is common. And it also is indicative of how people see the problem. They see the problem as one of feral people prowling the streets, essentially, that need to be put down. What disturbs me so much about this is that if people arm up, if more guns are out in the streets, if Asian people are on high alert, and looking at every Black person who is in their spaces in Chinatowns, for instance with suspicion, it just takes one person to make a really terrible mistake and kill someone that they are afraid of. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 19:43:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GABORONE, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Watching television is a good way to spend time, especially for African parents who dream of their children becoming doctors, lawyers, accountants and engineers, among other highly esteemed careers. But for some, watching TV is also for something more. Growing up in the very households in which cartoons, soapies, as well as action movies aired, Botswana-based Otsile Valentine Keobokile and Priscillar Thapi Matara, have since a young age taken an interest in TV and film production. In 2016, Keobokile's love for storytelling saw her apply for government funding which enabled her to start a film and television company, making her one of the handfull of local women who have pursued this career to date. "I sacrificed a lot in order to make sure that my company is where it is right now, for example before applying for funding, I used most of my salary for company administration and even funded my first production," said Keobokile, director and producer of Walker Productions. Since its inception, her company has produced diverse programs. Among them, Check Up- a health magazine, and The Chair- a production that talked to those in power. These have since aired on the local television station. Keobokile was also the assistant producer of a production called Snakes of Botswana, and Bahai Blog Studio Sessions, a collaboration with a US-based producer. "With the studio sessions we recorded in Johannesburg, Durban and Swaziland before COVID-19 halted us, we are still to record in Botswana, Namibia and then go to West African countries," she said. COVID-19 is not the first battle Keobokile has had to fight in order to succeed in the industry. For starters, the industry is male-dominated, making it difficult for female producers to penetrate. "Most men that I wanted to work with as a producer refused because they felt that I was not experienced enough. I stood my ground though, and did not tire, I made sure I came up with sellable ideas and delivered," she said. "I look at what is missing and try fill in the blanks, I also try to do original history stories that most people can relate to or would like to know more about," she said. To gain an audience within the country and outside, in a world saturated by Korean dramas, Chinese movies, and other Nollywood, Bollywood and Hollywood productions, Priscillar Thapi Matara, founder of Blue Rhino Productions, said she struggled at first, but also soon realized that Botswana does not need to imitate others. "We can be our own kind of special. My scripting reflects my culture. I find that my characters become what I have learnt and lived," she said. In 2019, Matara directed and produced a film called MIRAGES for DStv's Zambezi Magic channel. DStv is a Sub-Saharan African direct broadcast satellite service owned by MultiChoice. In her view, the local film industry has grown incredibly over the years. "I think we are finally aware that there is space for everyone. Stories don't finish. There are new and better ways of telling old stories as well," she said. Since technological advancements have made networking easier, to achieve her goals, she believes the smart thing to do is to link up with other producers and directors across the globe, explore opportunities to collaborate, and attend online classes, among others. Enditem South China Sea Tensions Intensify as Philippines Issues Tough Statement to China Aides of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte criticized China on April 5 for anchoring hundreds of its vessels for a month in the disputed South China Sea areas, which could lead to unwanted hostilities, his legal counsel warned. On Monday, Dutertes lawyer Salvador Panelo called the prolonged presence of Chinese boats territorial incursions and told the Beijing regime: We can negotiate on matters of mutual concern and benefit, but make no mistake about itour sovereignty is non-negotiable. Dutertes spokesman Harry Roque echoed the view later on that day and told a news conference: We will not give up even a single inch of our national territory or our EEZ. Duterte is usually reluctant to confront China. He even angered Filipinos by refusing to press China on respecting a landmark 2016 arbitral ruling that clarified the Philippines sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which can help the country take back the control of the Scarborough Shoal. The situation of the South China Sea is intense with over 250 Chinese fishing boats, which are believed to host militias posing as sailors, anchored around six areas, and warships from China, the United States, Australia, Canada, and Japan sailing nearby. Some of the 220 Chinese vessels are seen moored at Whitsun Reef, South China Sea on March 7, 2021. (Philippine Coast Guard/National Task Force-West Philippine Sea via AP) Tension The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt was observed to have entered the South China Sea together with Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Russell and Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill on April 4, according to the Chinese think tank South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI). The Australian Anzac-class frigate HMAS Anzac, the Canadian Halifax-class frigate HMCS Calgary, and Japanese destroyer Akebono were also spotted sailing in the disputed ocean, SCSPI reported on April 1. The Filipino government said on Wednesday that about 250 Chinese fishing boats, together with at least four navy ships, are anchored side by side in six disputed areas in the Spratly Islands, South China Sea. The vessels have been seen in the islands since March 7. They first anchored side by side on Whitsun Reef. Over 200 of them moved to other areas after the Filipino government condemned them in late March. On April 4, Philippines Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in his statement that 44 Chinese fishing boats are still anchored on Whitsun Reef. The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) operates in the Philippine Sea on May 21, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kaylianna Genier) Criticism The existence of the Chinese vessels angered the Philippines. The Manila government criticized the Beijing regime in the past weeks. The continued presence of Chinese maritime militias in the area reveals their intent to further occupy in the West Philippine Sea (The Philippines name for the South China Sea), Lorenzana said in Sundays statement. They have done this [occupy disputed areas] before at Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc and at Panganiban Reef, brazenly violating Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights under international law, Lorenzana added. The Chinese embassy in Manila claimed on March 22 that the boats were sheltering from rough seas, and Chinese fishermen have been fishing at Whitsun Reef for many years. On April 5, the Philippines Foreign Ministry rejected that Whitsun Reef is a traditional Chinese fishing ground, saying the Chinese boats blatantly infringe on Philippine jurisdiction. The ministry said it will send a diplomatic protest each day that Chinese boats stay there. On April 4, Lorenzana asked the vessels to leave by emphasizing the weather has been good so far, so they have no reason to stay there. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (L) speaks in a meeting with local officials as Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (R) looks on during a visit to Legazpi City, Albay Province, Philippine on Jan. 29, 2018. (-/AFP via Getty Images) Chinese Ambition China has shown its aggressiveness in the South China Sea in recent years. Jin Canrong, a professor and associate dean of the School of International Studies at Beijings Renmin University of China, said China is eager to occupy the whole of the South China Sea in his 2016 speech, and the methods include sending fishing boats to surround the islands and reefs. Beijing pretty clearly thinks that if it uses enough coercion and pressure over a long enough period of time, it will squeeze the Southeast Asians out, Greg Poling, the director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told New York Times on April 3. A Chinese navy formation, including the aircraft carrier Liaoning (C), during military drills in the South China Sea on Jan. 2, 2017. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Studying and analyzing the South China Sea is a hot topic on the Chinese internet. On April 2, SCSPI published a long article to review the history of Vietnam occupying 29 islands and reefs in the South China Sea by constructing airports, hospitals, and other facilities, deploying military troops, equipping fishing boats with heavy machine guns, and training militias in the past 45 years. The article urged the international community to focus on Vietnams actions in the South China Sea. The South China Sea has at least 50 islands and reefs, which were controlled by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Brunei also claims for islands although it doesnt control any of them so far. Some of the 220 Chinese vessels are seen moored at Whitsun Reef, South China Sea on March 7, 2021. (Philippine Coast Guard/National Task Force-West Philippine Sea via AP) In April 2018, Jin said in a speech that China was progressing its target by keeping on building more constructions, as well as manufacturing more advanced warships that can guard these areas. Reuters contributed to this report. - By GF Value The stock of Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG, 30-year Financials) appears to be significantly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $197.475 per share and the market cap of $3.8 billion, Asbury Automotive Group stock is believed to be significantly overvalued. GF Value for Asbury Automotive Group is shown in the chart below. Asbury Automotive Group Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Significantly Overvalued Because Asbury Automotive Group is significantly overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much lower than its future business growth, which averaged 6.3% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 8.25% annually over the next three to five years. Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk. Companies with poor financial strength offer investors a high risk of permanent capital loss. To avoid permanent capital loss, an investor must do their research and review a company's financial strength before deciding to purchase shares. Both the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage of a company are a great way to to understand its financial strength. Asbury Automotive Group has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.00, which which ranks in the bottom 10% of the companies in Vehicles & Parts industry. The overall financial strength of Asbury Automotive Group is 4 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Asbury Automotive Group is poor. This is the debt and cash of Asbury Automotive Group over the past years: Story continues Asbury Automotive Group Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Significantly Overvalued Companies that have been consistently profitable over the long term offer less risk for investors who may want to purchase shares. Higher profit margins usually dictate a better investment compared to a company with lower profit margins. Asbury Automotive Group has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $7.1 billion and earnings of $13.13 a share. Its operating margin is 5.52%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Vehicles & Parts industry. Overall, the profitability of Asbury Automotive Group is ranked 8 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Asbury Automotive Group over the past years: Asbury Automotive Group Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Significantly Overvalued One of the most important factors in the valuation of a company is growth. Long-term stock performance is closely correlated with growth according to GuruFocus research. Companies that grow faster create more value for shareholders, especially if that growth is profitable. The average annual revenue growth of Asbury Automotive Group is 6.3%, which ranks better than 71% of the companies in Vehicles & Parts industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth is 14.6%, which ranks better than 81% of the companies in Vehicles & Parts industry. Another way to evaluate a company's profitability is to compare its return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted cost of capital (WACC). Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. If the ROIC is higher than the WACC, it indicates that the company is creating value for shareholders. Over the past 12 months, Asbury Automotive Group's ROIC was 11.37, while its WACC came in at 8.67. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Asbury Automotive Group is shown below: Asbury Automotive Group Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Significantly Overvalued To conclude, Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG, 30-year Financials) stock gives every indication of being significantly overvalued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks better than 81% of the companies in Vehicles & Parts industry. To learn more about Asbury Automotive Group stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here. To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-06 00:45:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Eritrea Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) announced on Monday the Red Sea nation will resume partial international flights starting from mid-April. In a press statement, the ministry said there will be resumption of weekly flights from the Eritrean capital Asmara to Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa as well as from Asmara to Dubai starting from mid-April. "There will be weekly flights from Asmara to Addis Ababa and Asmara-Dubai with implementation of strict preventive measures including prior Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing, Rapid Antigen Testing upon arrival at the airport and other preventive measures," the statement from MoTC read. Eritrea already resumed educational classes on Thursday, which had been suspended for almost a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Easing of restrictions is prompted by the imperative to ensure academic continuity and will be undertaken under robust preventive measures," read the statement from the Eritrea Ministry of Education. Eritrea has so far recorded 3,3340 COVID-19 cases and 10 COVID-19 related deaths. The country confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 21 last year. Enditem CCP Instigating New Round of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy Ahead of 100th Anniversary Commentary Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on July 1 is a major political event for Xi Jinping and the Chinese communist regime. To add momentum, the regimes wolf warrior diplomacy has come in handy. Wolf warrior diplomacy is a more aggressive, confrontational approach Chinese diplomats use to defend Chinas interests. Confronting the US in Alaska On March 18, Yang Jiechi, a member of the CCPs Politburo and director of the Foreign Affairs Office, put on a fiery show at the opening of the China-U.S. high-level meeting in Alaska. He berated the United States in a 17-minute speech, saying the United States does not have the qualification to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength. It was completely different from the meeting between former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Yang in Hawaii on June 16 last year. The CCPs media shamelessly claimed that Yang ended the national humiliation 120 years ago when the Qing Dynasty signed the Boxer Indemnity. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) speaks while facing Yang Jiechi (L), director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office, and Wang Yi (2nd L), Chinas State Councilor Wang and Foreign Minister, at the opening session of U.S.-China talks at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 18, 2021. (Frederic J. Brown/Pool via Reuters) Retaliatory Sanctions Over Xinjiang Cotton Beijings sanctions retaliation against the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada is on. On March 22, in response to the human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the EU initiated sanctions for the first time since the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, followed by Britain, Canada, and the United States. On the same day, the CCP imposed counter-sanctions on the EU. The EU targeted four Chinese officials and one entity in Xinjiang, while the CCP imposed sanctions on 10 EU personnel and four entities, including politicians, scholars, think tanks, and political institutions. On March 26, China issued sanctions on nine British personnel and four entities. On March 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sanctioned the chair and vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Gayle Manchin and Tony Perkins, Member of Parliament of Canada, Michael Chong, and the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the House of Commons of Canada. A woman walks by the flagship store of clothing brand H&M at a shopping area in Beijing, China, on March 25, 2021. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Boycotting H&M The CCP incited the public to boycott H&M. On March 24, the Communist Youth League criticized H&Ms year-old statement on banning Xinjiang cotton last year. Major Chinese e-commerce companies removed H&M products and stores from their platforms. The boycott has also spread to international brands such as Nike, UNIQLO, Adidas, GAP, FILA, New Balance, ZARA, and Under Armour. Dozens of celebrity artists in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan announced that they have terminated their contracts with those brands. Continued Intimidation of Taiwan Since the beginning of this year, Chinas military continues to threaten Taiwan, which reached its peak on the day when the United States and Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a coast guard working group on March 25. Twenty Chinese warplanes flew near the Air Defense Identification Zone in southeastern Taiwan to conduct escort, missile projection, and directional jamming exercises. According to Chinese media report, the incursions included maritime patrol aircraft, Airborne Early Warning aircraft, fighter-bombers, reconnaissance aircraft, and other jet fighters. Taiwans Deputy Defense Minister Chang Zhe-Ping called the combination of aircraft a sign of aggressive military maneuvering. Intensifying Territorial Water Disputes The China Coast Guard Law went into effect on Feb. 1, authorizing officials to use weapons against other vessels, either government or civilian, without warning. In this regard, Japan said it is totally unacceptable. The Philippines protested, saying it is a verbal threat of war to any country that defies the law. The United States, Vietnam, and Indonesia expressed their concerns. At the same time, the CCP has created tensions in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. In particular, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea issued a statement on March 20, stating that some 220 Chinese vessels were seen moored in line formation in the Julian Felipe Reef in Manilas exclusive economic zone. The CCP responded that these fishing vessels were temporarily sheltering from the weather and denied that they were Chinese maritime militia. Retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio worried that it could be a prelude of Chinas occupation. China could be repeating its actions during its takeover over the Mischief Reef in 1995 where China started by building shelters for fishermen on the reef until eventually claiming it and turning it into a naval base, said the report by Inquirer.net. The recent events show that the CCPs mindset toward the international community has changed. The regime feels good as they think the CCP virus, also known as novel coronavirus, has damaged the United States and Europe, and the disputes over 2020 election results have weakened the United States. The CCP came to the conclusion that time is on its side and it can be more aggressive in dealing with the United States. Looking forward, the CCPs wolf warrior diplomacy didnt stop here but went further in at least three frontiers. Alliance With North Korea On Jan. 11, Xi Jinping sent a telegram to congratulate Kim Jong-un for being elected as the general secretary of the Workers Party of Korea (WPK) in the 8th Congress of WPK. On March 22, Song Tao, minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, and Ri Ryong Nam, North Korean ambassador to China, exchanged messages on behalf of Xi and Kim respectively during their meeting in Beijing. Alliance With Iran On March 27, Chinas foreign minister, Wang Yi, and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif formally signed a China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan in Tehran, which includes political, strategic and economic cooperation. According to The New York Times, Iran did not make the details of the agreement public before the signing. But experts said it was largely unchanged from an 18-page draft. And that draft detailed $400 billion of Chinese investments to be made in dozens of fields, including banking, telecommunications, ports, railways, health care, and information technology, over the next 25 years. In exchange, China would receive a regularand, according to an Iranian official and an oil trader, heavily discountedsupply of Iranian oil. Irans ambassador to Brazil, Hosein Gharibi characterized the document as the starting point of a new world order, Iran International reported. Alliance With Russia On March 22, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited China. Before the visit, Lavrov told Chinese state media Xinhua in an online interview that Moscow and Beijing should work together to resist American sanctions by becoming more self-reliant in science and technology and moving away from the U.S. dollar for trade. He added, We need to reduce the risk of sanctions by increasing technological independence and shifting to using our own currency and global currency payments instead of the U.S. dollar. The CCPs media, Global Times wrote, The timing of Lavrovs visit is noteworthy as it means Russia is the first country China shares information and opinions with on key issues after the China-U.S. face-to-face communication, which shows China and Russia have deep strategic mutual trust and support each other on core interests. The CCP intends to establish an alliance against the United States. In this way, the international strategic landscape has accelerated toward China-U.S. confrontation. Wang He has masters degrees in law and history. He has studied the international communist movement. He was a university lecturer and an executive of a large private firm in China. Wang now lives in North America and has published commentaries on Chinas current affairs and politics since 2017. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. ALBANY Albany County is due to receive a supplemental allocation of 1,600 Johnson & Johnson vaccines earmarked specifically for area college students this week, officials say. County Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen said the county is expected to have discussions with area colleges later in the day Monday to determine how to vaccinate their student populations against coronavirus. Eligibility for people age 16 and over opens Tuesday in New York. The special allocation of vaccine will benefit students at local SUNY schools, Siena College and other area colleges, Whalen said. The allocations are expected to continue in future weeks, she said. We have many times spoken about the concern of college age students (spreading COVID-19), Whalen said Monday. So to be able to vaccinate this age group is going to be a great development. Some area colleges have already begun to vaccinate faculty and staff, as well as students who met previous eligibility criteria such as having certain underlying health conditions. Whalen said the county health department will either reallocate the doses to area colleges to run their own student vaccination clinics, or will help administer vaccines directly on campus. The University at Albany has already scheduled a vaccination clinic Tuesday for students and will be administering 536 shots of the Pfizer vaccine, spokesman Jordan Carleo-Evangelist said. The college previously hosted a clinic in March for faculty and staff, which allowed it to test its vaccination procedures, he said. The large population of college-age students in the Albany region have been a particular concern for public health officials looking to contain COVID-19 spread, as they are more likely to socialize and attend large gatherings than other age groups. People between the ages of 20 and 29 also account for the largest share of infections in the county to date with 5,183 confirmed cases. Whalen described the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a particularly attractive shot for the college-age population. I think the J&J is a good formulation for that population because its a single-dose vaccine, so its one and done, she said. And for younger people and a very mobile group it is a particularly attractive shot for them. Vaccinating the young adult population is also an important strategy for containing COVID-19 spread to older populations, Whalen said. "We know that they have a risk of spread to others that may be vulnerable and as we have been able to vaccinate older populations who we know are at risk of coming down with more severe disease, hospitalizations and death we look to that population as an additional means of controlling spread," she said. After seeing a sharp drop in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths around mid-January, the region has begun in recent weeks to experience an increase in new cases and hospitalizations spread officials suspect is due to stronger variants of the virus circulating, as well as people becoming lax about COVID-19 precautions. As of Sunday, the eight-county Capital Region was averaging 246 cases of the virus a day up from a recent low of 188 on March 15, according to a Times Union analysis of county data. The percentage of people testing positive for the virus in the region averaged 2.3 percent as of Saturday, up from a recent low of 1.7 percent on March 15. Daily hospitalizations took an upward swing during the second half of March, rising from a low of 90 on March 17 to a high of 112 on March 25. They have since started to creep back down, hitting 100 as of Saturday. Vaccinations are increasing with each passing day. As of Sunday, nearly one out of every five people in the region had received at least one dose of the vaccine and nearly two out of every five had been fully vaccinated. After weeks of decline, the average number of new coronavirus infections reported each day is higher than it's been in a month. The number of people in hospitals with covid-19 has been stagnant since mid-March. And even as highly contagious virus variants spread, state leaders are relaxing safety precautions. This is a familiar trend. The country's leading epidemiologists disagree about what to call this latest phase of the pandemic. Is the United States on the cusp of a "fourth wave"? Or is it instead seeing the last gasps of a crisis in its 14th month? Most recently, the debate played out on the Sunday morning news shows. Michael Osterholm, an adviser to President Joe Biden's coronavirus task force, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the next two weeks will bring "the highest number of cases reported globally since the beginning of the pandemic." "In terms of the United States, we're just at the beginning of this surge," said Osterholm, who is also the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. "We haven't even really begun to see it yet." The pandemic has been cyclical, he said. Cases pile up in the Northeast or the Midwest, subside, then swell in the South. "And we're now, I think, in that cycle where the Upper Midwest is just now beginning to start this fourth surge," Osterholm said, calling Michigan's latest case numbers a "wake-up call." The Great Lakes State has for nearly 50 days reported increasing numbers of coronavirus infections, a trend that ran counter to the nation until recently, according to data tracked and analyzed by The Washington Post. Over the past week, Michigan has reported an average of 6,500 new cases per day, rivaling levels seen during its record-setting winter surge. It has recorded the second-most cases of the variant first identified in the United Kingdom, according to CDC data. Cases are also on the rise elsewhere. Minnesota, Nebraska and Pennsylvania are among the states that have reported large increases. In the Northeast, states such as Delaware, Maine and Vermont have witnessed a similar incline. By the numbers, this latest upswing is on par with the surge of cases in July. Going into the weekend, the country was reporting more than 65,000 cases per day, a number that did not include several states that did not report data on the Good Friday holiday. That figure is about the same as last summer's peak, when soaring case counts were alarming public health officials and overwhelming some hospitals. On CBS's "Face the Nation," former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb predicted that the spikes would not amount to "a true fourth wave," citing the number of Americans who have already been infected, plus the number of people who have been vaccinated. "There's enough immunity in the population that you're not going to see a true fourth wave of infection," Gottlieb said. "What we're seeing is pockets of infection around the country, particularly in younger people who haven't been vaccinated and also in school-age children." Earlier in the week, Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious-disease expert, also cast doubt on the prospect of another national surge, saying vaccines are the X-factor that was absent during the first, summer and winter waves. "It's kind of like a race between the potential for a surge and our ability to vaccinate as many people as we possibly can," Fauci said in an interview with NPR's "Morning Edition." "And hopefully, if you want to make this a metaphorical race, the vaccine is going to win this one." Those comments came a few days after Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sounded the loudest alarm yet about the coming weeks. "I'm going to lose the script, and I'm going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom," she said at a White House briefing last week. "We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are, and so much reason for hope. But right now, I'm scared." Experts agree that the trends are troubling and that they can be traced to a convergence of factors: increased spread of the more transmissible variants and a broad loosening of public health measures, such as mask mandates and limits on indoor dining. Biden pleaded with cities and states that have lifted precautions to reinstate them. "Please, this is not politics," he said last week. "Reinstate the mandate if you let it down, and businesses should require masks as well. A failure to take this virus seriously - precisely what got us into this mess in the first place - risks more cases and more deaths." Still, there are unanswered questions that continue to complicate the U.S. response. Among the biggest, Gottlieb said Sunday, is whether variants of the virus are reinfecting people. "We should have that information, but we don't," added Gottlieb, who has encouraged the CDC to gather data about reinfections. "So there's a lot we don't understand about this virus right now." Bharat Road Network (BRNL) rose 2.22% to Rs 29.95 after the company, along with its partners, signed a deal with Cube Highways for the sale of a 126-kilometre road project in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India. Singapore-based Cube Highways and Infrastructure invests in road and highway projects, along with other select infrastructure sectors in India. The share purchase agreement provides for the sale of entire stake in Ghaziabad Aligarh Expressway, the special purpose vehicle (SPV) engaged in the development, operation and maintenance of a 126-kilometre toll road project from Ghaziabad to Aligarh on National Highway-34 (NH-34). The project has been granted a 24-year concession in 2011 for strengthening and widening the two-lane highway. Toll collection on this road started in June 2015. The said transaction is being done at an enterprise value (EV) of upto Rs 1600 crore. Bharat Road Network currently holds 39% stake in this project. The company said that the proposed transaction is subject to applicable regulatory and other approvals and certain conditions, more specifically laid down in the share purchase agreement. Therefore, expected date of completion of sale/disinvestment cannot be ascertained at this stage. The sale reaffirms commitment of BRNL to reduce the debt and also capitalise on the growth opportunities in the highways sector. Speaking on the development, Bajrang Kumar Choudhary, managing director, BRNL, said: "We continue to explore opportunities for value creation through our portfolio realignment. We remain focused towards optimizing value through such strategic exits and are equally committed to raise resources to capitalise on the current and upcoming primary and secondary market opportunities in the highway sector." BRNL is a road build-operate-transfer (BOT) company in India, focused on development, implementation, operation and maintenance of roads and highways projects. The company project portfolio worth Rs 7000 crore consisting of six operational BOT projects, covering 2,095 lane kilometres across six states in India. The company's consolidated net profit declined 87.98% to Rs 1.66 crore on a 16.96% fall in net sales to Rs 64.33 crore in Q3 FY21 over Q3 FY20. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Efforts being made to improve IDD healthcare education, while overdue, will have a tremendously positive impact on the lives of millions of people. Its commonly known by family members, nurses, direct support professionals and people with disabilities that finding a clinician who understands the unique needs of people with disabilities is challenging. Recently published data showed how an inordinate number of physiciansalmost 60%feel they cannot provide quality care to people who live with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (IDD).(1,2) In fact, a new survey reveals details on nurses difficult experiences with physicians in working to get appropriate healthcare for the people with IDD they support. (1) The study published in EC Nursing and Healthcare in February of 2021 can be an emotionally difficult read. Learning about current attitudes and perceptions about people with IDD that many physicians have is heartbreaking., says Dr. Craig Escude, physician and president of IntellectAbility. Its commonly known by family members, nurses, direct support professionals and people with disabilities that finding a clinician who understands the unique needs of people with disabilities is challenging. The experiences of the nurses related in this survey explains why. Nurses Agree Some of the quotes provided by these nurses include: During a consultation with an ER physician, the doctor stated that people like my patient arent meant to live that long and have no quality of life. Physician uncomfortable with treating individuals with IDD. Appeared either scared or annoyed. They dont listen to the nurse or direct support provider who knows the client. Ive had a number of physicians, instead of treating our individuals, recommend hospice because of a poor quality of life. I had a doctor totally ignore what I was saying and started the individual on psych meds. These comments further emphasize the need to improve how medical schools educate their students about the fundamentals of providing healthcare for people with disabilities. Its more than just learning about how to treat medical conditions commonly seen in people with IDD like aspiration pneumonia and bowel obstruction, says, Dr. Escude, who conducted the nursing survey, Physicians should be taught about the support structure for people with IDD, how to facilitate better communication and, most importantly, about the often-missed direct relationship of various adverse behaviors to treatable, underlying medical causes. Disparity in Healthcare Causing Over-medication and RX Errors So often, people with IDD are started on psychotropic medications to treat behaviors that are actually due to unrecognized, treatable causes such as a dental abscess, gastroesophageal reflux disease or silent aspiration. When physicians learn about these relationships, they are better prepared to not only reduce the risk of medication side effects from unnecessary drugs, but also reduce unnecessary suffering and improve the quality of day-to-day life for their patients with disabilities. A survey of 714 practicing physicians revealed that only about 40 percent of physicians were very confident about their ability to provide the same quality of care to patients with a disability and 56% strongly agreed that they welcomed people with a disability into their practices. (2) The study published in February of 2021 also related that 82% of physicians believed that people with a significant disability have a worse quality of life than those without a disability. Several studies have shown that people with IDD have a greater likelihood and getting COVID-19 and of dying from COVID. The most recent study notes that people with an intellectual disability have a 5.9 times greater risk of dying from COVID which makes this second only to age as the greatest risk factor. (3) These studies focus on the reason for the greater rate of death to be because people with IDD have a higher number of comorbid risk factors. While this is true, whats missing in the list of reasons is the fact that physicians are not trained to provide healthcare for people with IDD. Lack of training in any field of medicine will result in poorer outcomes. Its clear to me that this is part of the reason for higher death rates from COVID, states Dr. Escude. Until recently, it has been very challenging for medical and other health professional schools to be able to provide this training. The lack of physicians with expertise in the field, particularly relating to adults with IDD, makes it difficult to find those who are qualified to teach about this field. But there are new tools and initiatives that can help. The most recently developed program to train clinicians is the Curriculum in IDD Healthcare.(4) Its a 6-module, online course that teaches the fundamentals of IDD healthcare to both medical students and practicing clinicians, alike. Online learning programs make it easy to learn from experts in various fields without having to hire new school teaching staff or attending live lectures, says Dr. Escude. Physician Ability Needs to Increase Disability Ability The effectiveness of the Curriculum in IDD Healthcare eLearn course has been studied by professors at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the results will be presented at Educating Leaders 2021, the Annual Conference of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM). Dr. Melissa Stephens, Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education and Population Health at the College said, The results of our pilot showed overwhelmingly that medical students believed the course to be excellent with 94% of them strongly agreeing that the course provided information that they were previously unaware of in the field of IDD healthcare and 81% strongly agreeing that it increased their confidence in treating people with IDD. StationMD, a company that providers IDD-specific telemedicine services, utilizes the course to train their physicians. StationMD has employed this training in order to ensure that our doctors provide high quality care for this population, states Dr. Matt Kaufman, CEO of StationMD. People with IDD suffer needlessly and die from preventable causes due to underdiagnosis and misrecognition of underlying medical conditions. IntellectAbility, formerly known as Health Risk Screening, changed its name to more accurately reflect its evolution to the company that offers the most comprehensive suite of tools and training for supporters of people with IDD. When we educate clinicians, we save lives, says Dr. Escude. The efforts being made to improve IDD healthcare education, while overdue, will undoubtedly have a tremendously positive impact on the lives of millions of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the US. About IntellectAbility IntellectAbilitys roots began in 1992 and they are the industry leader in training courses, webinars, and materials to help at-risk populations live life to the fullest. Their focus is on developing tools and training for the person-centered support of these vulnerable populations. Through the education of government agencies and service providers, IntellectAbility aims to improve lives. One such tool is the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST), of which they are the sole developer, producer, and distributor. The web based HRST is the most widely used and validated health risk screening instrument for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With unrelenting focus, IntellectAbility works to fulfill its mission of improving the health and quality of life for people faced with these types of vulnerabilities. For more information, visit ReplacingRisk.com. 1. Bartwkoski, John P. and Barrie, Courtney K.; Enhancing Care for Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Critical Assessment Based on Nurses Experiential Reflections; 18 Feb 2021; EC Nursing and Healthcare 3.3 (2021): 200-211; ECNH-03-00205.pdf (ecronicon.com) 2. Lisa I. Iezzoni, Sowmya R. Rao, Julie Ressalam, Dragana Bolcic-Jankovic, Nicole D. Agaronnik, Karen Donelan, Tara Lagu, and Eric G. Campbell; Physicians Perceptions Of People With Disability And Their Health Care; Feb 2021; Health Affairs 2021 40:2, 297-306; National Library of Medicine; Physicians' Perceptions Of People With Disability And Their Health Care - PubMed (nih.gov) 3. Jonathan Gleason, Wendy Ross, Alexander Fossi, Heather Blonsky, Jane Tobias, Mary Stephens; The Devastating Impact of Covid-19 on Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in the United States; 5 March 2021; NEJM Innovations in Care Delivery; catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.21.0051#: 4. IntellectAbility; replacingrisk.com/academy/idd-training-curriculum/ The Namibian President said they will continue to prioritize funding health, education, social welfare and infrastructure, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday. Windhoek, March 22 (IANS) Namibia has in the past 31 years significantly reduced extreme poverty among its citizens, President Hage Geingob said while commemorating the country's 31st independence anniversary in a low-key affair at the State House in line with Covid-19 guidelines. "We have managed to reduce poverty, which stood at 70 percent in 1990 to 18 percent today. Since independence, we continue to spend a large proportion of our resources on young people as an investment in a sustainable future for our country," he said. Geingob said Namibia has increased the number of higher education institutions countrywide, taking education to the people by increasing access to higher education. "As a result, the total enrolment at public higher education institutions increased by more than nine times since independence, moving from 4,240 in 1992 to 40,442 in 2019," he said. According to Geingob, Namibia, which is celebrating its independence under the difficult conditions imposed by Covid-19, will continue to prioritize young people in economic empowerment. He also called on all Namibians to guard their freedom jealously and foster unity as a cornerstone of development. --IANS int/ MEXICO CITY, April 5 (Reuters) - Mexico's government said on Monday it reached a deal with business and labor representatives on a new legal framework for subcontracting staff that would boost profit sharing for workers and allow only specialized services to be outsourced. In a statement, the government said the deal set out a new formula that would increase workers' profit sharing by 156% and eliminate discretionality in how it was applied. Under the accord, subcontracting staff would be prohibited in general, but regulations would be created to allow work to be subcontracted provided it was for "specialized services" outside a company's main line of business, the government said. (Writing by Dave Graham) 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. Additional freedoms will be granted to people once they have been fully vaccinated, the Tanaiste has said. Leo Varadkar has confirmed the Government is developing a digital green certificate vaccine pass for people to prove they have been fully inoculated. He said the Government would introduce additional measures for the fully vaccinated, more freedoms for those who have been vaccinated. He added: We are developing a digital green certificate vaccine pass, so youll be able to prove that youre fully vaccinated. I know a lot of people might feel that they're never going to get vaccinated. We're going to surprise you. Leo Varadkar Mr Varadkar made the comments in a video posted to social media on Easter Monday, as he hailed Irelands progress in the battle against Covid-19. Read More The Tanaiste said Irelands vaccination programme is set to accelerate in the coming weeks, telling the public: Were going to surprise you. The vaccination rollout in Ireland has been beset by problems, with criticisms over its speed, issues with deliveries from manufacturers and controversy over queue skipping. But Friday saw 30,500 doses administered, the single-day record total since the rollout began. Some good news on Easter Monday. Over 30,500 vaccines were administered on Friday Weall reach the 1 Million vaccinations milestone this week. Real progress is being made. https://t.co/4pihen6Esf Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) April 5, 2021 Ireland is now on course to pass the one million doses mark this week, and Mr Varadkar has promised the rollout will be accelerated in coming weeks. He said: We anticipate that by the middle of May the majority of adults will have had their first dose, and the over 70s will have been fully vaccinated. And by the end of June the vast, vast majority, more than 80% of people, will have been offered the first dose. Wed hope to do even better than that as well and many will have their second dose too. So you know, really the acceleration phase, the ramp up phase is April, May and June. With the addition of the fourth vaccine, the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine that gets a little bit easier still. I know a lot of people might feel that theyre never going to get vaccinated. Were going to surprise you. Like I say most adults will have had their first dose by the end of May, thats not too far away. The more the vaccination programme progresses, the more options the Government will have to reopen the country, Mr Varadkar said. Lots of people, the most vulnerable, will be fully vaccinated at that point (end of May), and that allows us to make choices about reopening the country that we couldnt make last week he said. Mr Varadkar said that if the numbers continue to go in the right direction, the Government will examine the reopening of non-essential retail and personal services such as hairdressers and barbers in May. Religious services, contact sports, museums, galleries and libraries will also be in the mix by then, he said. Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team There were no deaths related to #COVID19 notified to the @hpscireland today. There has been a total of 4,718 #COVID19 related deaths in Ireland. Department of Health (@roinnslainte) April 5, 2021 There were 320 additional confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland on Monday, the Department of Health said. There were no deaths linked to the coronavirus in the past 24-hour period for the first time since late December. As of April 2, some 923,878 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland. In total, 655,292 people have received their first dose and 268,586 people have received their second dose. In 2020, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization stated that breast cancer accounts for most cancer morbidities and mortalities in women worldwide. This alarming statistic not only necessitates newer methods for the early diagnosis of breast cancer, but also brings to light the importance of risk prediction of the occurrence and development of this disease. Ultrasound is an effective and noninvasive diagnostic procedure that truly saves lives; however, it is sometimes difficult for ultrasonologists to distinguish between malignant tumors and other types of benign growths. In particular, in China, breast masses are classified into four categories: benign tumors, malignant tumors, inflammatory masses, and adenosis (enlargement of milk-producing glands). When a benign breast mass is misdiagnosed as a malignant tumor, a biopsy usually follows, which puts the patient at unnecessary risk. The correct interpretation of ultrasound images is made even harder when factoring in the large workload of medical specialists. Could deep learning algorithms be the solution to this conundrum? Professor Wen He (Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, China) thinks so. "Artificial intelligence is good at identifying complex patterns in images and quantifying information that humans have difficulty detecting, thereby complementing clinical decision making," he states. Although much progress has been made in the integration of deep learning algorithms into medical image analysis, most studies in breast ultrasound deal exclusively with the differentiation of malignant and benign diagnoses. In other words, existing approaches do not try to categorize breast masses into the four abovementioned categories. To tackle this limitation, Dr. He, in collaboration with scientists from 13 hospitals in China, conducted the largest multicenter study on breast ultrasound yet in an attempt to train convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to classify ultrasound images. As detailed in their paper published in Chinese Medical Journal, the scientists collected 15,648 images from 3,623 patients and used half of them to train and the other half to test three different CNN models. The first model only used 2D ultrasound intensity images as input, whereas the second model also included color flow Doppler images, which provide information on blood flow surrounding breast lesions. The third model further added pulsed wave Doppler images, which provide spectral information over a specific area within the lesions. Each CNN consisted of two modules. The first one, the detection module, contained two main submodules whose overall task was to determine the position and size of the breast lesion in the original 2D ultrasound image. The second module, the classification module, received only the extracted portion from the ultrasound images containing the detected lesion. The output layer contained four categories corresponding to each of the four classifications of breast masses commonly used in China. First, the scientists checked which of the three models performed better. The accuracies were similar and around 88%, but the second model including 2D images and color flow Doppler data performed slightly better than the other two. The reason the pulsed wave Doppler data did not contribute positively to performance may be that few pulsed wave images were available in the overall dataset. Then, researchers checked if differences in tumor size caused differences in performance. While larger lesions resulted in increased accuracy in benign tumors, size did not appear to have an effect on accuracy when detecting malignancies. Finally, the scientists put one of their CNN models to the test by comparing its performance to that of 37 experienced ultrasonologists using a set of 50 randomly selected images. The results were vastly in favor of the CNN in all regards, as Dr. He remarks: "The accuracy of the CNN model was 89.2%, with a processing time of less than two seconds. In contrast, the average accuracy of the ultrasonologists was 30%, with an average time of 314 seconds." This study clearly showcases the capabilities of deep learning algorithms as complementary tools for the diagnosis of breast lesions through ultrasound. Moreover, unlike previous studies, the researchers included data obtained using ultrasound equipment from different manufacturers, which hints at the remarkable applicability of the trained CNN models regardless of the ultrasound devices present at each hospital. In the future, the integration of artificial intelligence into diagnostic procedures with ultrasound could speed up the early detection of cancer. It would also bring about other benefits, as Dr. He explains: "Because CNN models do not require any type of special equipment, their diagnostic recommendations could reduce predetermined biopsies, simplify the workload of ultrasonologists, and enable targeted and refined treatment." Let us hope artificial intelligence soon finds a home in ultrasound image diagnostics so doctors can work smarter, not harder. ### Reference Titles of original papers: Deep learning applied to two-dimensional color Doppler flow imaging ultrasound images significantly improves diagnostic performance in the classification of breast masses: a multicenter study Journal: Chinese Medical Journal DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000001329 New Delhi : A militant was killed on Tuesday as the Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district. "An infiltration bid has been eliminated in general areaZorawar of Uri sector. One terrorist has been killed," an Army official said. He said a weapon has been recovered from the site of the encounter. The operation is on and further details areawaited, the official added. On Monday, security forces resumed the anti-militancy operation, which was launched , following information about presence of more militants in the area. "We have recovered body of another militant, which takes the number of militants killed in the operation to four," an Army official had said. "The operation resumed this morning after there were reports of more militants hiding in the area," the official had said. Also Read | J&K: Security forces resume anti-militancy operations in Uri He said the area of operation was expanded to ensure that no militants get away from the security forces' cordon. Three Pakistani militants were killed in the gunbattle with security forces in Kalgai area of Uri on Sunday. Three civilians and a soldier were injured in the operation. Also Read: Army guns down two terrorists to foil infiltration bid along LoC in J-K's Machil sector For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Stacks token (STX), the cryptocurrency of decentralized computing platform Blockstack, doubled in value in less than 24 hours after it became available to trade on South Korea-based cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, reflecting increased interest in alternative cryptocurrencies from retail traders in the East Asian country. At press time, stacks changing hands at $2.19, up 88% in the past 24 hours, according to data from CoinGecko. The total market capitalization of Stacks rose to around $2.4 billion. The latest price jump of Stacks came after it was listed on South Korea-based crypto exchange Upbit with a STX/KRW pair. Theres been an increased interest in so-called alternative cryptocurrencies (altcoins) in South Korea, after bitcoins price topped at $61,556.59 in mid-March. Arthur Cheong, founder and portfolio manager at DeFi-focused crypto fund DeFiance Capital, told CoinDesk that more unsophisticated retail traders, especially those in South Korea, are returning to the crypto market and looking at altcoins for their potential lucrative returns, evidenced by the spot trading volume of altcoins on South Korean crypto exchanges. Jason Lau, chief operating officer at San Francisco-based crypto exchange OKCoin, also noticed the staking program offered at OKCoin for Stacks tokens has helped increase interest among investors in STX. OKCoins STX holders are discovering and being comfortable with stacking locking STX in order to earn bitcoin, Lau said. With bitcoin consistently charting new all time highs, the appeal of earning yield in bitcoin is alluring to many. About 65% of Stacks token holders on OKCoin have locked up their STX for six months, according to Lau, a potentially bullish sign for Stacks token. The majority of the trading volume of stacks is on Binance, the biggest crypto exchange by trading volume. Sorry! This content is not available in your region A Perth mother and father claim their pleas for help were ignored as they were forced to wait for two hours in a Perth hospital emergency department before the sudden death of their seven-year-old daughter just hours later. In the wake of the tragedy, WAs Health Minister Roger Cook requested an urgent briefing from the health department to understand the circumstances surrounding the girls death. Aishwarya Aswath was brought to the emergency department of Perth Childrens Hospital by her parents on Saturday after she had developed a fever on Friday. Her parents had let her rest and given her Panadol and when she wasnt better the next day, rushed to hospital. When it's time for a cat nap, the lack of a cosy bed is no impediment to feisty felines who are happy to take up any resting space they fancy, no matter how inconvenient. From Thailand to the US, felines were caught red-pawed as they napped or simply rested in strange places. The hilarious pictures were shared by the Instagram account Cats Shouldn't, and collated into a gallery by Bored Panda. In one snap, a cat had managed to enter a turtle's terrarium and was cuddling with the reptile as if it was the most natural thing in the world, while another decided to squeeze himself unde the plastic of a crate of bottled water. Elsewhere, two cats were caught smooching on the bottom shelf of their owner's fridge. People have shared hilarious pictures of their cats caught in places they shouldn't be. Pictured: two cats smooching in their owner's fridge Nap time! Two kittens were small enough to fit into their feeding bowls at the same time, making for a very cute picture Unlikely friends: A cat introduced himself into a pet turtle's terrarium and decided to have a cuddle with the reptile before their owner noticed They'll never find me here! A cat picked a very unusual place to have a nap, sneaking under the plastic of a crate of bottled water Someone call the IT department! This compact feline found the perfect seating spot My type of luggage! In Thailand, cats took over the baggage carousel in a strange and delightful turn of events It's a hard's cat's life! A white feline decided to use plants hanging from the ceilling as his personal pillow No sleeping in class! A feline accompanied their owner to their exam and decided to take a nap on their desk Welcome to Turkey! One cat acted like he was in charge of the whole of the security on the transport system in Istanbul There are cats in my pants! Two dosmetic cat surprised their owner by hiding in the legs of their jeans A fluffy feline decided to have a nap of the dashboard of his owners car while he was driving, hiding all the indicators Customers were delighted to find they could save 51p on this fluffy cat who decided to set up camp in the pet food section in Tesco Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media file HAMDEN One person was wounded in a shooting in a parking lot late Friday, according to police. Officers responded to the parking lot of the Dixwell Social Lounge, 950 Dixwell Ave., at about 11 p.m. for a reported shooting. Browse in-depth TOC on "Oncology Information System Market" 202 - Pages 126 Tables 37 Figures Global Oncology Information System Market Overview The major factors attributing to the growth of the oncology information systems market include the rising incidence of cancer cases worldwide. A rise in the geriatric population is also propelling the demand for oncology information systems and driving the market growth. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Approximately one in every six deaths is caused by cancer. According to Novartis, there exist more than 200 types of cancer requiring unique diagnosis and treatment. Also, it suggests that more than 21 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed by 2030. The major players in the market are Koninklijke Philips N.V., Varian Medical Systems, Inc, McKesson Corporation, Siemens Healthineers, Elekta AB, Epic Systems Corporation, IBM, Cerner Corporation, Advanced Data Systems, Bogardus Medical Systems, Inc. Verified Market Research has segmented the Global Oncology Information System Market On the basis of Products and Services, Application, End User, and Geography. Oncology information system Market by Product and Service Software Professional Services Oncology information system Market by Application Medical Oncology Surgical Oncology Radiation Oncology Oncology information system Market by End user Hospitals & Physician's Offices Government Institutions Research Centers Oncology Information System Market by Geography North America U.S Canada Mexico Europe Germany France U.K Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India Rest of Asia Pacific ROW Middle East & Africa & Latin America Browse Related Reports: Clinical Trial Supply Management Market by Clinical Phase (Phase I, Phase II, Phase III, and Others), by Product/Service (Manufacturing, Storage & distribution, Cold chain based, Non-cold chain based, and Supply chain management), by End Use (Pharmaceuticals, Biologics, Medical Devices, and Others), by Therapeutic Use (Oncology, CNS, Cardiovascular, Infectious disease, Metabolic Disorders, and Others), by Geography, Forecast, 2020-2027 Alinia (Nitazoxanide) Market by Product (Oral Suspension and Tablets), by Application (Patients 1 year of age and older and Patients 12 years and older), by Geography, Forecast, 2020-2027 Azelastine Market by Product (0.1% Nasal Spray and 0.15% Nasal Spray), by Application (Seasonal allergic rhinitis and Vasomotor rhinitis), by Geography, Forecast, 2020-2027 Healthcare Robotics-Surgical Robots Market by End-user (Hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers), by Application (Gynecological Surgery, Urological Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, General Surgery), by Geography, Forecast, 2020-2027 Top 10 X-ray detector companies offering better medical insights internationally Visualize Oncology Information System Market using Verified Market Intelligence:-: Verified Market Intelligence is our BI Enabled Platform for narrative storytelling of this market. VMI offers in-depth forecasted trends and accurate Insights on over 20,000+ emerging & niche markets, helping you make critical revenue impacting decisions for a brilliant future. VMI provides a holistic overview and global competitive landscape with respect to Region, Country, and Segment, and Key players of your market. Present your Market Report & findings with an inbuilt presentation feature saving over 70% of your time and resources for Investor, Sales & Marketing, R&D, and Product Development pitches. VMI enables data delivery In Excel and Interactive PDF formats with over 15+ Key Market Indicators for your market. About Us Verified Market Research is a leading Global Research and Consulting firm servicing over 5000+ customers. Verified Market Research provides advanced analytical research solutions while offering information enriched research studies. We offer insight into strategic and growth analyses, Data necessary to achieve corporate goals and critical revenue decisions. Our 250 Analysts and SME's offer a high level of expertise in data collection and governance use industrial techniques to collect and analyze data on more than 15,000 high impact and niche markets. Our analysts are trained to combine modern data collection techniques, superior research methodology, expertise and years of collective experience to produce informative and accurate research. We study 14+ categories from Semiconductor & Electronics, Chemicals, Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Energy & Power, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive & Transportation, Information & Communication Technology, Software & Services, Information Security, Mining, Minerals & Metals, Building & construction, Agriculture industry and Medical Devices from over 100 countries. Contact Us Mr. Edwyne Fernandes Verified Market Research US: +1 (650)-781-4080 UK: +44 (753)-715-0008 APAC: +61 (488)-85-9400 US Toll Free: 1 (800)-782-1768 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/ Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Verified Market Research English French Voltalia wins a new 100-megawatt solar project of new solar project in Albania Voltalia (Euronext Paris, code ISIN: FR0011995588), an international player in renewable energies, announces today that it has been awarded a new 100-megawatt solar project in Albania. This is the second project won by the company in the country in less than a year. This 100-megawatt project, called Spitalla, was won after a tender launched by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy last November. Voltalia has been awarded a 30-year concession contract on a 121-hectare site in the region of Durres, on the Adriatic coast, some 30 kilometers from Tirana, capital of the country. The project will benefit from the regions very great potential of solar radiation. Out of the 100 megawatts, 70% will be sold through a 15-year power sale contract with FTL, a state-owned operator. The remaining 30% will be sold through another long-term power sale contract negotiated with a private operator. The Spitalla plant will be commissioned in 2023. Voltalia will be responsible for the development, construction and maintenance of the project. This is the second photovoltaic tender launched by Albania in less than a year. Once again, Voltalia wins all the capacity involved in the tender. As a reminder, in May 2020, Voltalia had already announced that it had won a 30-year concession contract to develop, construct and operate Karavasta's 140-megawatt solar project. The two projects located a few tens of kilometers away from each other, with a coordinated implementation calendar, will benefit from significant synergies during construction as well as throughout the operating period. Sebastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia, concludes: "We are very pleased to have won this new project which perfectly illustrates the synergies generated by our integrated model. Already present in the country since 2018 through our activity of construction and maintenance of solar power plants for third-party customers, we have been able to develop an excellent knowledge of the country and its energy challenges. Albania benefits from an exceptional sunshine that allows for high yields of solar assets." Next on the agenda: Q1 2021 revenue, on April 21, 2021 About Voltalia (www.voltalia.com) Voltalia is an international player in the renewable energy sector. The Group produces and sells electricity generated from wind, solar, hydraulic, biomass and storage facilities that it owns and operates. Voltalia has generating capacity in operation and under construction of more than 1.4 GW and a portfolio of projects under development representing total capacity of 9.7 GW. Voltalia is also a service provider and supports its investor clients in renewable energy projects during all phases, from design to operation and maintenance. As a pioneer in the corporate market, Voltalia provides a global offer to private companies, ranging from the supply of green electricity and energy efficiency services to the local production of their own electricity. The Group has more than 1 130 employees and is present in 20 countries on 4 continents and is able to act worldwide on behalf of its clients. Voltalia is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris, compartment B (FR0011995588 VLTSA) and is part of the Enternext Tech 40 and CAC Mid & Small indices. The Group is also included in the Gaia-Index, an index for socially responsible midcaps. Voltalia Investor Relations: invest@voltalia.com T. '33 (0)1 81 70 37 00 Active Press Contact: Jennifer Jullia jjullia@actifin.fr. T. '33 (0)1 56 88 11 11 Attachment COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Voting-rights advocates say Ohio officials dont need to wait for the U.S. Census delayed results in order to get the ball rolling on the states process of drawing new political maps. In a Monday letter to Gov. Mike DeWine, state legislative leaders and other state officials involved in redistricting, the advocates with Common Cause Ohio and the League of Women Voters said theres work that can be done now, including picking which state legislators will sit on the state commission that likely will approve the political maps, and setting up a website for the public to learn about the process and submit suggestions. To avoid shenanigans, we need to make sure this process is as public as possible, so there is engagement built with both the public and the experts, Catherine Turcer, executive director of Common Cause Ohio, said during a virtual news conference on Monday. This year, Ohio for the first time will use the overhauled redistricting processes approved by voters in 2015 and 2018 that were meant to end gerrymandering and result in fairer political maps. The new system, amended into the state constitution, is designed to require greater input from the minority party and reduce the number of times counties and cities can be split into different districts, among other changes. But the states redistricting process will be set back, due to the delay in completing the U.S. Census, which the agency has said wont be done until Sept. 30, six months past a federal legal deadline, partially because of the coronavirus pandemic. Legislators use the Census data as the backbone of redistricting, since state legislative and congressional maps are divided based on population, voting history and other demographic information. The delay creates a legal gray area for Ohio, since the first of a series of state redistricting deadlines is on Sept. 1, while another key deadline is on Sept. 30, possibly the same day the complete Census results will be released. State officials have said they expect to have legal flexibility because of the delay in the Census results, and activists have indicated they wont sue to strictly enforce the deadlines. The advocates also said lawmakers also should consider setting the 2022 primary for June, instead of May as is currently planned, to give more time for public-input and map drawing. Senate President Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican, previously has said a June primary is one option the legislature could consider. And, the advocates said legislators should give local boards of elections extra money to educate the public over the new districts, and release funding for Republican and Democratic state legislative leaders to help them prepare for redistricting. They said state legislative leaders shouldnt use an alternate data set, like the Census Bureaus American Community Survey, which is based on estimates, to plug in population figures for redistricting, even though Ohios constitution allows for it. A federal judge, while dismissing Attorney General Dave Yosts lawsuit that sought to force Census officials to release the data on time, last month cited the alternative data provision as evidence that Ohio had other options to the 2020 Census. Yost has appealed the dismissal, and filings in the appellate case are due by April 16. I would just say in a situation like this, where other sources of data are going to clearly lead to an inferior result and end up undermining important democratic interests and potentially undermining voting rights as well, that is not a path that clearly has to be taken, said Jessie Hill, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University who spoke at a news conference with the voting-rights groups. AUSTIN, Texas, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Kendra Scott announced a new initiative the 'Kendra Scott Mother's Day Personal Time Off Fund' which will provide $2,000 each to 50 moms across the country. Over the past year, mom has taken on more roles than ever - teacher, tech support, counselor, and chef, amongst so many others. The 'Kendra Scott Mother's Day PTO Fund' hopes to give moms some much-deserved time off, bringing attention to the unpaid labor that all mothers do, which so often goes overlooked. In fact, it's reported that (whether work-from-home or stay-at-home) moms contribute nearly $11 trillion of unpaid labor annually . "I'm a mom to three boys, as young as seven and as old as 19. I'm also a founder, designer, and philanthropist - but being a mom has always come first," says Kendra Scott, brand founder and entrepreneur. "Over the past year, the world has seen what I've always known to be true: Moms are superheroes, the ones that have held it all together, even through the most challenging times. And they deserve an acknowledgment of that this Mother's Day." Family and philanthropy are at the core of the Kendra Scott brand. As a mom herself, Kendra knows that motherhood is a full-time job in which PTO is a benefit you are rarely, if ever, awarded. In the lead-up to Mental Health Awareness Month and Mother's Day, Kendra Scott hopes this new 'PTO Fund' will help to cover childcare (or any other need) so that mothers will feel enabled to take personal time off and focus on their mental health. Mothers who want to celebrate themselves can post a picture or video of their "real life mom moments" tagging @kendrascott and #WearItLikeaMom on Instagram through April 22, 2021 for the chance to receive a $2,000 payment from the 'Kendra Scott Mother's Day PTO Fund'. Recipients will be announced the week of May 3, 2021. For more information on the campaign, and full details on how to apply, please visit this link . About Kendra Scott Kendra Scott is a leading fashion accessories brand inspired by the personal experiences, travel and sense of community of its founder and designer, Kendra Scott. With over 2,000 employees, Kendra Scott has over 100 standalone stores across the US and is sold in premiere retailers including Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and 600 specialty boutiques worldwide and boasts a thriving web business. Kendra Scott is known for its kaleidoscope of beautiful accessories as well as the innovative and customizable Color Bar experience. As the brand continues to grow, the company remains true to its founding philosophy of "Family, Fashion, Philanthropy" and since 2010, the company has given back well over $40 million to local, national and international causes. For Press Inquiries, please contact: Small Girls PR [email protected] SOURCE Kendra Scott A prayer bench used by the Rev. Mychal Judge, a Fire Department chaplain killed in 9/11, has been acquired by a museum dedicated to the tragedy. The Franciscan friar was the first certified victim of the disaster after he rushed to the World Trade Center when the first plane smashed into the North Tower. Judge was serving as chaplain to the New York City fire Department at the time of the attack and after arriving at the tower, he met then Mayor Rudy Giuliani who asked him to pray for the city. He entered the lobby of the North Tower wearing his priest's collar and fireman's uniform to pray for the rescuers and the countless dead and injured, repeatedly saying aloud: 'Jesus, please end this right now! God, please end this!' The South Tower collapsed shortly afterwards, sending debris flying into the North Tower and killing Judge while he was praying. He was the first body recovered and taken to the medical examiner and was designated as Victim 0001. Five servicemen including NYPD Lieutenant William Cosgrove carried his body away from the rubble at Ground Zero shortly before the North Tower was struck. A prayer bench used by the Rev. Mychal Judge (pipctured), a Fire Department chaplain killed in 9/11, has been acquired by a museum dedicated to the tragedy Five servicemen including NYPD Lieutenant William Cosgrove carried his body away from the rubble at Ground Zero in an iconic image Sister Teresa Irene Perkins, of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, places her hands on his prayer bench A photographer captured the moment in one of the most famous images from the tragic day in a scene that was compared to Michelangelo's iconic sculpture, the Pieta. Many claim Judge is a modern-day saint and he was well-known in New York for his work with AIDS and homeless people before the 9/11 attacks. Around 3,000 people, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, attended his funeral. His prayer bench formerly belonged to his twin sister, Dympnia Jessich, and spent the last five years at an Episcopal monastery in Rising Sun, Maryland, according to Sister Teresa Irene, a Carmelite nun there. The son of Irish immigrants used to visit Jessich at her home in Berlin, Maryland, Sister Teresa Irene said. The prayer bench was kept in a bedroom Judge used, and its leather is worn from the imprint of his knees, she said. Judge was serving as chaplain to the New York City fire Department at the time of the attack The prayer bench was kept in a bedroom at his sister's house that Judge used, and its leather is worn from the imprint of his knee 'It's worn where his knees would have been,' the nun said. 'It's his life of prayer.' A new home for the bench became necessary as Jessich prepared to move to Texas several years ago, and friends suggested bringing it to the Episcopal Carmel of Saint Teresa monastery, some 130 miles north of Jessich's home in Berlin. Jessich, who was raised with Judge and their elder sister, Erin, in Brooklyn, died earlier this year. A new home for the devotional furniture item became necessary once more with the nuns' impending move, so Sister Teresa Irene called September 11 museum officials to see if they were interested. Amy Weinstein (pictured left), senior curator of the museum, said the bench is a natural fit for the collection of the museum A new home for the devotional furniture item became necessary once more with the nuns' impending move 'We've been stewards of this for five years,' Sister Teresa Irene said on Sunday. 'I think its important that it be in a place where it will be appreciated.' Amy Weinstein, senior curator of the museum, said the bench is a natural fit for the collection of the museum, which seeks to tell the stories of the victims of the terrorist attacks. 'It resonated with me immediately,' said Weinstein, who traveled with collections manager David Burnhauser to pick the bench up on Sunday. The bench where Judge knelt in prayer was moved to the September 11 museum's New Jersey warehouse on Easter Sunday 'When you look at it you can see how well used it was,' Weinstein said. 'Some of the leather is cracked. Its really very visually powerful, but very quiet and unasssuing also.' Weinstein said the bench will be cataloged and added to the museum's online database, where virtual visitors will be able to see it, and will be on physical display at some point. 'I'm optimistic that the public will be able to see it at some point but I cant say when,' she said. The bench where Judge knelt in prayer was moved to the September 11 museum's New Jersey warehouse on Sunday because that was the day that worked out, not because it was Easter, Weinstein said. She added, 'I think it was very fitting that we did it on Easter Sunday.' Jammu, April 5 : Upsurge in the Covid-19 pandemic continued on Monday in J&K as 442 new cases came to light and two more patients succumbed during the last 24 hours. Health Department officials said that of the new cases, 162 were from the Jammu division and 280 from the Kashmir division while 241 patients were discharged from different hospitals after recovery. Alarmed by the upsurge in COVID-19 infection, authorities on Monday cancelled all leaves granted to doctors and paramedics in the Valley and asked them to report immediately at their places of posting. So far, 133,454 people have been infected with coronavirus in J&K out of which 127,290 have recovered, and 2,010 have succumbed. The number of active cases is now 4,154 out of which 1,024 are from the Jammu division and 3,130 from the Kashmir division. Burnout can happen in any profession, leaving a person exhausted, emotionally drained, and cynically doubtful of their ability to achieve personal fulfillment or contribute meaningfully to society through their labor. Burning out at work can strike a powerful blow to well-being, but a meta-analysis by Renzo Bianchi (University of Neuchatel, Switzerland) and colleagues in Clinical Psychological Science suggests that it may not constitute a discrete clinical condition. Instead, burnout could be a form of job-related depression. Burnout is generally agreed to arise from insurmountable, chronic workplace stress, often as a result of a misalignment between an individuals personal disposition and the demands of their workplace. In order for burnout to be considered a distinct syndrome, however, Bianchi and colleagues wrote, its proposed symptoms would need to be associated more closely with each other than with the symptoms of another known condition, such as depression. Overall, our results suggest that burnout does not present the unity expected of a distinct syndrome, the researchers wrote. Burnouts coreExhaustionmore frequently co-occurs with depressive symptoms than with either Detachment or Efficacy in other words, the core of the burnout syndrome is depressive in nature. In the meta-analysis of 14 studies, which involved data from 12,417 participants in six countries (France, Finland, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland), Bianchi and colleagues examined the overlap of the symptoms of burnout and depression. The researchers focused specifically on how the set of three symptoms proposed to be unique to burnoutexhaustion, detachment, and low professional efficacy (a persons sense of their own ability to effect change)related to an aggregate score of depression. This measure of depression included a range of symptoms such as anhedonia (loss of pleasure and interest), low mood, fatigue, interpersonal distancing, and irritability. The three proposed symptoms of burnout were more closely correlated with depression (.60) than with each other (.51). Exhaustion in particular showed a strong correlation with depression (.80). Correlations of the magnitudes found here are commonplace among measures deemed to assess the same entity, Bianchi and colleagues explained. Burnout cannot be regarded as a syndrome distinct from depression if its core dimension, exhaustion, correlates more strongly with depression than with its other components. These findings are in no way intended to dismiss the severity of burnout, Bianchi and colleagues notedto the contrary, incorporating burnout into the clinical concept of depression could help strengthen the legal footing of regulations related to workers health while providing clearer avenues for treatment. The line currently drawn between burnout and depression tends to suggest that burnout is not as serious a problem as depression, Bianchi and colleagues wrote. By repatriating the topic of job-ascribed suffering in the long-established framework of depression, one has an opportunity to deal more effectively with these forms of suffering. Such interventions would still need to address the environmental contextin this case, a workplaces organizational policies and social environment, which may interact with workers dispositionsto effectively provide relief for depression. Substituting workplace depression for burnout should not lead investigators to overindividualize the question of job stress by disconnecting workers from the occupational context in which they are inserted, Bianchi and colleagues concluded. Feedback on this article? Email apsobserver@psychologicalscience.org or scroll down to comment. Reference Bianchi, R., Verkuilen, J., Schonfeld, I. S., Hakanen, J. J., Jansson-Frojmark, M., Manzano-Garcia, G., Laurent, E., & Meier, L. L. (2021). Is burnout a depressive condition? A 14-sample meta-analytic and bifactor analytic study. Clinical Psychological Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702620979597 Parents of students in a Meath secondary school have been asked to get their their children to delete any footage they may have of two of its staff kissing. The principal of the school sent a letter to parents last Monday after a student recorded a teacher briefly kissing their boyfriend, who is another member of staff. It was taken after the teacher forgot to turn off her camera following a virtual class, and she was seen sharing a quick kiss with her partner. After the student recorded the footage it was then sent onto other pupils in the school. The principal said this is a breach of its user policy for devices - and the student who took the image has received a lengthy suspension. Read More "The footage itself shows the teacher getting a brief kiss from her boyfriend who happens to be another member of staff, the principal wrote in the letter. "This in itself is not a major issue but there is a very clear breach of our acceptable user policy for devices, a breach of our online class policy and a clear and gross invasion of privacy. "This has caused a great deal of embarrassment for the two teachers involved and a level of annoyance and anger amongst the rest of the staff. The principal has urged parents to ask their children to delete the footage if they have it, despite saying it is perhaps too late to prevent circulation which has become widespread. He added: It is unfortunate that so many young people feel the need to either show or resend images which are unacceptable without ever considering her or offence they may cause. This case should be a lesson on what to do in future if such a situation arises, and students need to think about their responsibilities to their teachers as well as respecting the privacy of everybody. The impact of online teaching, and how it could potentially breach privacy, has been a worry for teaching unions in Ireland. Last spring the GAA warned its clubs about using the online tool as a childrens training session was hijacked by someone sharing explicit images. Since last April Zoom, one of the most popular video calling sites, made waiting rooms for participants and passwords an automatically enabled setting to try and curb this issue. The principal of the Meath school did not wish to comment on the incident. Read More YEREVAN. There was no arrangement on the Electoral Code; it was only said that if there will be no consensus in the parliament, we will not accept it. Opposition Bright Armenia Party (BAP) MP Ani Samsonyan on Monday told this to reporters in the parliament, when asked whether the BAP might nominate its own candidate for the post of Prime Minister, taking into account that the authorities have amended the Electoral Code, whereas the BAP was against it. "The only arrangement was that the [incumbent] prime minister [Nikol Pashinyan] shall resign and [snap parliamentary] elections be held. And we [the BAP] will not give any excuse to the government so that there will be step back from this agenda," added Samsonyan. As reported earlier, Edmon Marukyan, chairman of the BAP and head of its parliamentary faction, had stressed if the ruling My Step bloc were to adopt the new Electoral Code, all the existing arrangements will do down the drain. The BAP is not compiling its electoral lists yet, they are waiting for PM Pashinyans resignation, after which they will start the aforesaid. According to Samsonyan, the BAP is going to these snap parliamentary elections to take power. "We are not going to these elections to take a few parliamentary seats; therefore, we must use all our opportunities. Now the task of every political force should be to convince the 47% undecided people who do not know who they will electto elect them. 2018 and 2021 are years with different political situations. There was a revolution in 2018, and the revolutionary force had to be the government. We were telling the citizens at that time, 'The government already exists; go, vote for the opposition.' But now the situation is completely different," Ani Samsonyan noted. Flags of Taiwan and U.S. are placed for a meeting between U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce speaks and with Su Chia-chyuan, President of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan on March 27, 2018. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) Australia, US Preparing Contingencies Around Possible Taiwan Conflict Australia and the United States are working on contingencies if there is an outbreak of conflict around Taiwan, according to a senior U.S. diplomat. Michael Goldman, charge daffaires at the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, told The Australian National Universitys (ANU) National Security Podcast last week that Australia and the United States are working closely together on security issues. I think were committed as allies to working together, not only in making our militaries interoperable and functioning well together but also in strategic planning, Goldman said. And when you look at strategic planning, it covers the range of contingencies that youve mentioned, of which Taiwan is obviously an important component. Beijings hostile rhetoric toward Taiwan has increased over the past year, since the reelection of President Tsai Ing-wen. In recent months, Chinese military jets have also made near-daily incursions into Taiwanese airspace, with the largest being in late March, when 20 Chinese military planes entered Taiwans Air Defence Identification Zone. Goldman said working together with allies would be the key to maintaining power in the Indo-Pacific region. A projectile is launched from a Taiwanese-made Thunderbolt-2000 multiple rocket system during the annual Han Kuang military drills in Taichung, Taiwan, on July 16, 2020. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images) One thing that were determined to do is were not going to get out in front of our allies, he said. In fact, were going to move with them because that really is the secret sauce of our power in the Indo-Pacific. In December 2020, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu called on Australia to stand up for democracy and defend the island against potential threats. Australia has been a very powerful element or actor in the Indo Pacific, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. I see like-minded countries like Japan and Australia and India and the United States can also work together to prevent China from further expansionism. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2020 called the Indo-Pacific region the epicenter of rising strategic competition while announcing a 10-year, $270 billion funding package into upgrading the Australian Defence Force. One of the main focuses will be to give the military more long-range strike power to influence the calculus of cost for an adversary if it decided to attack Australia. The Biden administration meanwhile last month sought to assure Taiwan that the United States would support its ally by establishing a Coast Guard Working Group. The United States has traditionally been the largest arms supplier to Taiwan as well. War game analysts believe an attack on the island from Beijing could be around the corner, with one expert believing the regular incursions into Taiwanese airspace, are in fact simulations of a purported invasion. Chennai, Apr 5 (UNI) Passenger car makrers Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) today announced the landmark achievement of selling over one million Made in India SUVs across domestic and export markets. Mr Tarun Garg, Director (Sales, Marketing nad Service), HMIL said We are extremely grateful for the love and trust our customers have presented in Hyundai branded SUVs." 'As frontrunners in the introduction of revolutionary technologies, we continue to establish new milestones and redefine benchmarks across segments', he said, according to a company release. 'With over one million cumulative SUV sales in domestic and export markets, we have reiterated the promise of Make-in-India over nearly two and a half decades of our presence in India', he added. "This achievement also epitomises our manufacturing excellence and the unconditional admiration for Hyundai brand in India. Our journey towards SUV leadership was initiated by brands such as TUCSON, SANTA FE and TERRACAN. Now we have witnessed exponential growth in the segment with the launch of contemporary brands like CRETA and VENUE that have quickly gone on to become well established household names", he said. UNI GV 1510 Editorial If it aint broke, dont fix it. Premier Brian Pallister would be well advised to keep that hoary proverb in mind as his Progressive Conservative government pushes a plan to expand private liquor sales in Manitoba. A bill currently before the Manitoba legislature would allow the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corp. to enter into more liquor-selling agreements with private operators in urban areas. The premier insists the aim of increasing private liquor sales is the laudable goal of providing better service and more convenience to customers. "So a person could actually walk down to their neighbourhood store and pick up a bottle of wine, for example," the premier said last month. "Our philosophy is, if you want to have a choice, we should give you one." There is a certain appeal to making alcohol sales a bit more consumer-friendly, because corner stores, big-box stores and grocery outlets have more locations and longer hours than government-run Liquor Marts. But there has been no hue and cry about the current system making it difficult for consumers to lay hands on a bottle of booze, and some experts warn the potential negative impacts of further expanding private liquor sales far outweigh any benefit from greater convenience. There is substantial international evidence showing privatizing liquor sales increases alcohol consumption, a highly questionable goal when one-quarter of Canadians already report they are drinking more amid the stress and restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The profits from alcohol sales go to the sellers, but the costs everything from lower productivity, damaged lives and higher expenses for health care and policing are paid by everyone in the province. It is a simple fact alcohol abuse can cause harm. It is linked to more than 200 diseases and, according the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, an estimated 18,000 deaths per year are attributed to alcohol in Canada. From that perspective, any increase in convenience from allowing more private operators to sell alcohol seems like small potatoes compared with the corresponding loss of revenue that public sales generate for substance abuse and addiction treatment programs, along with well-paying jobs in government-run stores. There is a clear clash between Mr. Pallisters ideological zeal for privatization and his deficit-slaying ego opening up liquor sales fits with his entrepreneurial inclinations, but would slow the flow of cash from public Liquor Marts to government coffers. Extending hard-liquor sales to private operators in a large urban area would also risk a revival of the sometimes-violent store-swarming shoplifting crisis that plagued Liquor Marts until controlled entrances were installed at Winnipeg stores and some locations outside the city. Would private operators be responsible for MLL-style security checkpoints? Or would the additional security issues and overhead costs deter neighbourhood stores from taking on private liquor sales? Manitoba currently has a mix of public and private alcohol sales a mix that health experts, trade unions and policy experts say is working just fine. Of all the western Canadian provinces, Manitobas system generates the largest net profits to government. In a 2016 report, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives concluded that Manitobas model is better because it retains control over consumption levels and generates large profits to treat the harmful effects of alcohol use. A better choice for Mr. Pallister would be to listen to the experts and raise a glass to the status quo. The change he is proposing could create a hangover felt by all Manitobans. Penelope Cruz has been pictured on the set of Parallel Mothers for the first time. The 46-year-old actress has teamed up with Pedro Almodovar again for the drama, which explores the story of two mothers who give birth on the same day. Little is known about the Spanish film as yet, but production started last month, with Penelope pictured on set in Madrid on Wednesday. One to watch: Penelope Cruz has been pictured on the set of Parallel Mothers for the first time, a drama which explores the story of two mothers who give birth on the same day Penelope looked effortlessly chic for the scenes as she layered a grey herringbone coat over a black top and jeans. The Vicky Cristina Barcelona star had her blonde highlights touched up for the role. with her locks styled in loose waves. Her look was completed with brown heeled boots that boosted her modelesque frame and delicate stud earrings. Hard at work: Little is known about the Spanish film as yet, but production started last month, with Penelope pictured on set in Madrid on Wednesday Parallel Mothers, also known as Madres paralelas, was written with Penelope in mind for a leading role, and she will star alongside Aitana Sanchez Gijon and Milena Smit playing mothers in the film, accompanied by Israel Elejalde as the main male character. Director Pedro told AP of the new project: 'I return to the female universe and to motherhood as well, which is a subject that has always fascinated me. 'But in this case, the mothers that appear are very different from the ones Penelope has played before. Low-key look: Penelope looked effortlessly chic for the scenes as she layered a grey herringbone coat over a black top and jeans Bronde bombshell! The Vicky Cristina Barcelona star had her blonde highlights touched up for the role. with her locks styled in loose waves 'These are very imperfect mothers and as an author that's what interested me the most, especially because I have already done several self-sacrificing and heroic mothers. 'So this is a little bit about descendants, children, but also about ancestors, about family.' Penelope and Pedro previously worked together on All About My Mother, Volver and Pain & Glory. Two's company: The 46-year-old actress has teamed up with Pedro Almodovar again for the drama. They previously worked together on All About My Mother, Volver and Pain & Glory Boost: Penelope's look was completed with brown heeled boots that boosted her modelesque frame and delicate stud earrings while she wore a face mask to chat with Pedro Meanwhile, Penelope recently spoke about her family life and approach to motherhood in an interview with Marie Claire Greece. The actress - who has son Leo, 10, and daughter Luna, seven with husband Javier Bardem, said they are careful not to let their careers seep into their family life. 'Like any couple, we talk about our jobs, and consequently about our characters, about the way we handle this or that scene,' she clarified. 'Sometimes we exchange ideas, but when it comes to our jobs generally, we're not obsessed with work, we try to leave it at the door of the house.' Penelope also revealed that motherhood made her less worried about other people's opinions, confessing: 'When I was young, the way others saw me, be it positive or negative, had an enormous importance.' She continued: 'But becoming a mother made me aware that this was the most important mission of my life and that I wanted to accomplish it as best I could.' As she has grown older she has also adopted a different attitude to her work life, allowing herself more time to recharge. 'In my 20s, I was a total workaholic, I would even wake myself up in the middle of the night to respond to emails and things like that, and then I had to learn patience, rest, silence. The things that I appreciate a lot now,' she explained. NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leisure travel in America will push the US domestic airline industry to a COVID recovery by early 2022 according to a new report from consulting firm Oliver Wyman. "A year ago, we would have thought that a full domestic recovery in this timeframe for the US was almost impossible, but the combination of pent-up demand, economic stimulus, and access to vaccines is making a difference," said Tom Stalnaker, a partner and global aviation practice leader at Oliver Wyman. "We are still far from a full recovery for the overall industry, but we expect some of the airlines to start turning cashflow positive in a matter of months, particularly in the US." The rapidly increasing availability of vaccines and economic stimulus from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act are two reasons for the increase in domestic leisure travel in the US. Both factors also happened to coincide with the timing of spring break across many states, which caused a spike in demand. Consumers are also looking forward to summer travel, and Oliver Wyman's Pandemic Navigator is now predicting that the US will reach herd immunity by mid-June to early July three to six weeks ahead of earlier forecasts. Additional findings: In mid-March, US travel demand rose to more than 50 percent of 2019 levels, which is the highest it has been on a sustained basis since the start of the pandemic. The opposite is true with corporate and international travel, which is still down more than 80 percent from 2019. These segments of the market will not recover before 2023. The loss of business travel is a real challenge for some full-service airlines, because they depend on high-yielding customers to provide more than half of their profits and a third of revenues in major economies such as the US. To compensate for the loss of business and international travelers, full-service carriers are starting to sell more services a la carte, aimed at a broader customer base with different needs and less willingness to pay. Our analysis of US Department of Transportation data reveals revenue per available seat mile (RASM) for full-service airlines fell 50 percent year-over-year in the second quarter of 2020, making it one of the darkest periods for US carriers. Meanwhile, the RASM for low-cost airlines fell 23 percent in the same three months. The third quarter of 2020 brought the performance of the two airline groups closer together, with full-service carriers declining 45 percent and low-cost carriers down 38 percent. "The overall comeback of travel will depend on how fast nations get their populations vaccinated and standardize their health passport travel protocols and testing regulations." Stalnaker said. "But make no mistake, the demand to travel is here and we don't see it going away anytime soon." About the Airline Economics Analysis This year's in-depth report covers a range of aviation industry-specific economic and performance data as well as global capacity during the pandemic. For our 2020-2021 edition, we expanded our report to be more global in nature, reflecting the worldwide impact of COVID-19. This edition includes forward looking commentary about the industry recovery. The analysis outlines the varied pace at which different regions were affected by the virus and will ultimately recover from it. About Oliver Wyman Oliver Wyman is a global leader in management consulting. With offices in 60 cities across 29 countries, Oliver Wyman combines deep industry knowledge with specialized expertise in strategy, operations, risk management, and organization transformation. The firm has more than 5,000 professionals around the world who work with clients to optimize their business, improve their operations and risk profile, and accelerate their organizational performance to seize the most attractive opportunities. Oliver Wyman is a business of Marsh McLennan [NYSE: MMC]. For more information, visit www.oliverwyman.com. Follow Oliver Wyman on Twitter @OliverWyman. SOURCE Oliver Wyman Related Links www.oliverwyman.com New Delhi: As India's daily COVID-19 tally secured highest position in the world, surpassing Brazil and the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be holding a meeting with the Chief Ministers of states and Union Territories on Thursday (April 8), sources said on Monday (April 5). The meeting is scheduled to be organised at 6.30 p.m. on Thursday as India has been reporting an average of 78,489 COVID-19 cases - a report based on 7-day moving average to visualise the number of new cases of the pandemic. In the meeting, Prime Minister will discuss the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country along with issues related to the vaccination via video conferencing, and the measures to curb the second wave of the pandemic. The meeting comes in the backdrop of 1,03,558 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the highest ever single-day spike since the onset of the pandemic last year, taking the total tally to 1,25,89,067 on Monday. Taking note of the alarming rate of the spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths in the country with 10 states contributing more than 91 per cent of cases, the Prime Minister on Sunday also chaired a high-level meeting and directed that the "mission-mode" approach be continued in states and districts reporting high cases. He reminded all the states to take required stringent measures with comprehensive restrictions in places so that the collective gains of COVID-19 management in the country in the last 15 months are not squandered. In a meeting with Chief Ministers of states and UTs on March 17, the Prime Minister had said that India needs to take quick and decisive steps soon to stop an emerging second peak of COVID-19 infections, and that "There should be daily monitoring. More beneficiaries should be mobilised to stop wastage." Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Haryana have been deemed states of "grave concern". The active cases have currently increased to 7,41,830 comprising 5.89 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 92.80 per cent. On Monday, the death toll increased to 1,65,101 with 478 new fatalities. The number of people who have recovered from the disease surged to 1,16,82,136, while the case fatality rate stood at 1.31 per cent, according to official data. The Centre has advised high-burden states and union territories to take stringent measures for containment of the surge. So far, 7.91 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the country since the drive began on January 16. Live TV An Airbus A330-200 aircraft of Air Transat airlines takes off in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, July 10, 2018. (Regis Duvignau/Reuters/File Photo) After Failed Takeover, Air Transat Seeks Help as Debt Crunch Looms OTTAWA/MONTREALStruggling tour operator Air Transat is in talks with the federal government on aid but may not reach a deal by an April debt deadline, a source close to the situation said, putting pressure on Quebec to ride to the rescue of another troubled aerospace brand in the province. Air Canada dropped its merger plans with Transat on Friday, saying European regulators had signalled it was unlikely to pass antitrust concerns. Canadas largest carrier first bid for Transat in 2019 and discounted its offer last year as the pandemic decimated the travel and tourism sector. Airlines have been in talks with Ottawa since last year about a possible aid package. Transats aborted deal adds fresh urgency to the talks, given the jobs at risk if the carrier fails and the political importance of Quebec ahead of an expected federal election this year. Transat, which last month suspended flights until June due to pandemic guidelines, has said it needs at least C$500 million in financing this year. It has obligations due on April 29 for a $50 million revolving facility and a C$250 million short-term loan that matures on June 30. If it does not meet the April 29 requirements, or obtain another extension, creditors could accelerate the repayment obligation. There are ongoing negotiations and there is a budget coming up and there is no guarantee at this point that they will get there before the budget, said a source close to the situation, referring to the federal budget slated for April 19. I think politically it would be a problem in Quebec. The federal government therefore absolutely has to come up with a solution, the source added, noting that Transat has more of a cachet in Quebec (than Air Canada). Both airlines are Montreal-based but Air Canada originated in Winnipeg before moving its headquarters to Quebec in the 1940s. Transat was founded by a group of Quebec businessmen, including the provinces current premier, in 1986 and grew to become the countrys third-biggest airline. The airline was confident we will be able to secure the necessary financing in the coming weeks, spokesman Christophe Hennebelle said on April 4, reiterating it was at an advanced stage of discussions with Ottawa on sector aid and accessing specific pandemic-aid to businesses. Asked about the status of government talks with Transat, a spokeswoman for Canadas finance minister said: I cant speak to which creditors or lines of financing Air Transat is pursuing. As a private company, theyd be best placed to answer that. Ottawa said on April 2 that protecting jobs and securing the long-term viability of Transat were a priority for the government. The carrier employs 5,000 people, mostly in Quebec, home to much of Canadas aerospace sector. Collective Interest The survival of Transat, its Montreal headquarters, and employees puts significant pressure on the Quebec government to secure its future. Quebec has come to the aid of struggling aerospace companies before. In 2015, the previous provincial government sunk US$1 billion into planemaker Bombardiers then-struggling CSeries program. Two years later, Airbus paid Bombardier one dollar for control of the commercial jet program. The Quebec government is caught between a rock and a hard place on this one, said John Gradek, a former airline executive and program coordinator at McGill Universitys aviation management program. There will be a lot of pressure on [Premier Francois] Legault to come to [Quebec businessman] Pierre Karl Peladeaus aid in terms of funding. Peladeau, who proposed buying Transat for $5 a share, said on April 2 his offer is still available. Transat had previously said the bid lacked the required level of financing. Peladeau, chief executive of Quebecor Inc., said in a statement that his offer includes a rigorous business plan focusing on areas of the company with high growth potential, on expertise and job creation in Quebec and a continued Montreal head office. A second source familiar with the matter said Peladeaus offer did not call for funding from the Quebec government, which said in February it was looking at scenarios for Transat with or without Air Canada. A spokesman for Quebecs economy minister declined comment on April 4. The separatist Bloc Quebecois said it wanted to ensure Quebec ownership would be favoured for the carrier and blamed Ottawa, which approved the merger in February, for delaying an airline aid package. Air Transat is a flagship that has made Quebecers proud while offering Francophones a career in aviation, BQ transport critic Xavier Barsalou-Duval said in a statement. It is in our collective interest that its decision-making centre as well as its control remain in Quebec. By David Ljunggren and Allison Lampert New Delhi, April 5 : The Centre on Monday requested the Supreme Court to open the sealed cover report of a panel headed by former top court judge D.K. Jain, formed in September 2018 by the court to probe the role of Kerala police officers in the wrongful arrest of ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan in a 1994 espionage case. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, requested the top court to take up the report for passing appropriate orders on Tuesday. Mehta submitted that the matter is of national importance. A bench headed by headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde said there is no doubt that the matter is important, but there is no urgency in hearing it. The top court, however, agreed to hear the matter next week. 79-year-old Narayanan waged a legal battle against the Kerala police officers who accused him of being a Pakistan spy in 1994. Besides appointing the panel, the top court had directed the Kerala government to pay Rs 50 lakh compensation for causing immense humiliation to Narayanan. In 2018, a bench of the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra decided to appoint a committee under Jain and asked the Centre and the Kerala government to name one person each to the committee under Jain. While the Centre appointed a top official -- D.K. Prasad, the Pinarayi Vijayan government appointed former Additional Chief Secretary V. S. Senthil. The ISRO spy case surfaced in 1994 when Narayanan was arrested on charges of espionage along with another senior official of ISRO, two Maldivian women and a businessman. The CBI had held that the then top police officials in Kerala were responsible for Narayanan's illegal arrest. The panel examined the circumstances leading to Narayanan's arrest. It was alleged that confidential documents on India's space programme was allegedly transferred to foreign countries. Narayanan had maintained that Kerala police fabricated the case and the technology he was accused to have stolen and sold in 1994 case did not even exist at that time. WASHINGTON The Biden administration and top Democrats in Congress began detailing plans for significant changes to how the United States and other countries tax multinational corporations as they look for ways to raise revenues and finance President Bidens $2 trillion infrastructure proposal. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen threw her support behind an international effort to create a global minimum tax that would apply to multinational corporations, regardless of where they locate their headquarters. Such a global tax, she said, could help prevent a race to the bottom in which countries cut their tax rates in order to entice companies to move headquarters and profits across borders. Together, we can use a global minimum tax to make sure the global economy thrives based on a more level playing field in the taxation of multinational corporations, she said. The effort is aimed at making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods and respond to crises, and that all citizens fairly share the burden of financing government. At the same time, Democrats in Congress released their own proposal to add teeth to the de facto minimum tax that the United States already imposes on income earned abroad one that would apply to American multinational companies regardless of what the rest of the world does. The proposal could raise as much as $1 trillion over the next 15 years from large companies by requiring that they pay higher taxes on profits they earn overseas, according to analyses of similar plans. [April 05, 2021] GLOBAL TECH INDUSTRIES GROUP, INC. SETS UP DEDICATED EMAIL AND CALL-IN NUMBER TO ASSIST SHAREHOLDERS WITH QUESTIONS REGARDING WARRANT EXERCISE. New York, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ( GTII : OTCQB) Global Tech Industries Group, Inc. ( GTII or the Company), www.gtii-us.com announced that to further assist their shareholders of record as of April 1, 2021 with the process of obtaining and exercising their Warrants with the Company, it has contracted with Alliance Advisors, LLC, an Information Services Company, www.allianceadvisors.com , to facilitate the process and help shareholders navigate their options. Part of the process begins when shareholders are allocated their Warrants by their respective brokers, if applicable. At that point, they can advise their brokers to have their Warrants moved directly to GTIIs Transfer Agent, Liberty Stock Transfer Co., Inc. (TA). Shareholders should request that their brokers provide the TA with the required account information. The TA will then directly issue the Warrants to shareholders in book entry form and they will receive an appropriate, up-to-date account statement. The Company recommends shareholders follow this process. Inquiries from shareholders or participants regarding the Warant Distribution and Registration at the TA can be directed as follows: Email: GTII@allianceadvisors.com Tel: 855.200.8651 About Global Tech Industries Group, Inc.: GTII, a publicly traded Company incorporated in the state of Nevada, specializing in the pursuit of acquiring new and innovative technologies. Please follow our Company at: www.otcmarkets.com/stock/GTII Safe Harbor Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may contain forward looking statements that are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks as well as uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected, including statements related to the amount and timing of expected revenues related to our financial performance, expected income, distributions, and future growth for upcoming quarterly and annual periods. These risks and uncertainties are further defined in filings and reports by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors detailed from time to time in our filings with the SEC. Among other matters, the Company may not be able to sustain growth or achieve profitability based upon many factors including but not limited to the risk that we will not be able to find and acquire businesses and assets that will enable us to become profitable. Reference is hereby made to cautionary statements set forth in the Company's most recent SEC filings. We have incurred and will continue to incur significant expenses in our development stage, noting that there is no assurance that we will generate enough revenues to offset those costs in both the near and long term. New lines of business may expose us to additional legal and regulatory costs and unknown exposure(s), the impact of which cannot be predicted at this time. Words such as estimate, project, predict, will, would, should, could, may, might, anticipate, plan, intend, believe, expect, aim, goal, target, objective, likely or similar expressions that convey the prospective nature of events or outcomes generally indicate forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of this press release. Unless legally required, we undertake no obligation to update, modify or withdraw any forward-looking statements, because of new information, future events or otherwise. Blaine Riley br@intlmonetary.com International Monetary 620 Newport Center Drive, #1100 Newport Beach, CA 92660 949.200.4601 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor and Pete Davidson are reportedly trying to make a long distance romance work. The actress, 25, and comedian, 27, were first linked in March after being spotted by fans in her hometown of Altrincham, Greater Manchester. A source has now told US Weekly: 'Pete and Phoebe are still going strong despite not being able to physically spend time together. 'They're going strong': Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor and Pete Davidson are reportedly trying to make a long distance romance work (the actress is pictured in December 2019) 'Right now, they're just focused on work. They're not looking to rush things.' The insider added that they've been 'trying to make long distance work' by keeping in touch over FaceTime and text. Giving another insight to the reported new romance, the source claimed that Pete makes Phoebe laugh and is even hoping to visit for her birthday later in April. MailOnline has contacted Phoebe and Pete's representatives for further comment. Home visits: The actress, 25, and the US comedian, 27, are believed to have spent some time together on both sides of the pond (Pete is pictured in March 2020) Phoebe is currently busy filming Sky Original drama The Colour Room in Birmingham where she plays real-life pottery pioneer Clarice Cliff. It was first reported that Phoebe and Pete had 'grown close' after he flew from New York to Phoebe's hometown in March. The pair are believed to have spent some time together on both sides of the pond, as Phoebe visited New York, where the Saturday Night Live star lives, in February to film TV series Younger. A Facebook page called Altrincham HQ shared an image of Pete wearing sunglasses and a black face covering as he posed with two fans who spotted the American in the UK last month. 'Grateful': Phoebe visited New York, where the Saturday Night Live star lives, in February, while he was spotted by fans in her hometown of Altrincham, Greater Manchester in March Netflix sensation: Phoebe shot to prominence in Bridgerton, shooting raunchy love scenes with onscreen husband Rege-Jean Page, 31 (pictured together as Daphne and Simon) The profile claimed Pete is 'staying over in Altrincham with friends' and said it was 'bizarre' for him to be in the market town. And in February, Phoebe shared a selection of images to her Instagram profile believed to be taken in Brooklyn, New York, alongside the caption: 'Grateful I got to be here for a hot sec' with a love heart emoji. The actress was in NYC to film scenes for TV series Younger that she stars in alongside Sutton Foster, 46, and Hilary Duff, 33. Phoebe's rep declined to comment to MailOnline when asked about the relationship. Pete is the ex-fiance of superstar Ariana Grande, 27, who he was engaged to for four months until October 2018 when they ended their relationship. Former lovers: Pete is the ex-fiance of superstar Ariana Grande, 27, who he was engaged to for four months until October 2018 when they ended their relationship (pictured in 2018) Ariana later referenced Pete in her song Thank U, Next with the lyric: 'Even almost got married, and for Pete, I'm so thankful.' While Phoebe is the daughter of Coronation Street actress Sally Dynevor, 57, who plays Sally Webster, and she first appeared on TV aged 14 with roles in Snatch and later Waterloo Road. But she rose to prominence in Bridgerton, shooting raunchy love scenes with onscreen husband Rege-Jean Page, 31. The first became Netflix's most-watched original series ever after debuting in December with 82million households watching in its first 28 days. In January, Phoebe was pictured alongside her mum Sally at a local farmers' market in Manchester after she moved back home amid the coronavirus lockdown. Pete had a relationship with British actress Kate Beckinsale, 47, in 2019, and laughed off criticism over their 20-year age gap. He said: 'It doesn't really bother us. But then again, I'm new to this. 'So if you have questions about a relationship with a big age difference, just ask Leonardo DiCaprio, Jason Statham, Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, Jeff Goldblum, Scott Disick, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Sean Penn, whoever the president of France is, Mel Gibson, Jagger' Pete also romanced Once Upon A Time In Hollywood actress Margaret Qualley, 26, daughter of Four Weddings and a Funeral's Andie MacDowell, and last year he dated Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia Gerber, 19. Phoebe's last relationship is thought to have been with Skins actor Sean Teale, 28, in 2017. Mumbai, April 5 : Actor Vicky Kaushal has tested positive for Covid-19. His Instagram post with the health update on Monday came minutes after actress Bhumi Pednekar announced that she has tested positive for Covid-19. Vicky informed that he is is living under home quarantine and taking medication as prescribed. Vicky also requested all those who came in contact with him recently to get themselves tested. "Inspite of all care and precautions, unfortunately, I have tested positive for Covid-19. Following all essential protocols, I am under home quarantine, taking medication as prescribed by my doctor. I request all those who came in contact with me to immediately get tested. Take care and stay safe," Vicky Kaushal shared in an Instagram post. Shortly before this, Bhumi informed on social media that she has mild Covid symptoms and has isolated herself. Earlier on Monday, superstar Akshay Kumar had informed that he has been admitted to a hospital with Covid-19. Akshay had informed about himself contracting the virus on Sunday. Bollywood actor Govinda and "Bandish Bandits" fame actor Ritwik Bhowmik had also informed on Sunday that they have tested positive for the virus. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Two men were stabbed outside a homeless shelter in Boston over the weekend, according to authorities. The men were stabbed shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday outside the Southampton Street Shelter, located at 112 Southampton St. in Roxbury, Officer Stephen McNulty, a spokesperson for the Boston Police Department, told MassLive in a statement. The Boston Globe reported the men were stabbed during a fight. The individuals injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, according to the statement from McNulty. One of the men is now in police custody, the officer said. Authorities didnt disclose any further details about the circumstances surrounding the stabbing. Prentiss said after sharing vaccine availability information with people aged 65 and older who preregistered with the district a couple months ago, they extended the available slots that would otherwise go to waste to anyone in Illinois on a first-come, first-served basis. A U.S. Navy helicopter descends to land on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) aircraft carrier while at sea off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, on Jan. 18, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) In Service of Progressive Values, US Military Has Become Detached From Reality Commentary To mark International Womens Day on March 8, U.S. President Biden honoured women in the U.S. military. Were making good progress designing body armour that fits women properly; tailoring combat uniforms for women; creating maternity flight suits; updatingupdating requirements for their hairstyles, he boasted. Maternity flight suits? The idea provoked Fox News host Tucker Carlson to mirthful riffing on the absurdity of such a preoccupation in light of the escalating tension between America and China. This in turn produced apoplectic revulsion from Pentagon brass. Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston tweeted that women will dominate ANY future battlefield were called to fight on. Which gives you an idea of how detached from reality the present U.S. military has become in the service of progressive values. Not to mention how detached progressives in general are from the ineluctable truths of evolutionary psychology. In general, women are just not that into combat, and for good reasons related to the survival of our species. Of those relatively few who are, a nugatory handful are up to the physical rigours traditionally demanded of men. Because (I cant believe I have to say this, but I must, because ideology is hostile to empiricism) the fittest men are bigger, stronger, and faster than the fittest women. Ironically, science is entirely up to date on this issue owing to the fierce debate over transwomen in womens sport. That males, even weakened by female hormones, hold inherent physical advantage over females is settled science. Yet here too you find ideologues insisting, against all evidence, that there is no proof of male advantage. (To be fair, Ive yet to hear any gender ideologue proclaim, transmen will dominate ANY competition in the Olympics mens division.) Women can be as courageous as men under duress, of course. Valorous women spies served heroically in the Resistance. Women have also foughtin Russia in World War II, Israels War of Independence, and elsewherebut almost always when circumstances were desperate, and generally as a last resort. Women are happy to serve in the military in supportive roles and have been for the history of organized defence. Prestige and professional rewards accrue to those with combat trophies in any military, which explains feminists push for combat equity. But given a choice, women generally eschew high-risk activities, combat being the riskiest of all. You wouldnt know that from the medias decades-long collusion with feminist dogmas. As far back as 1985, a Life magazine World War II commemorative issue grossly misled readers by featuring 10 male soldiers alongside seven female soldiers to illustrate war heroism. In reality, from 1941 to 1945, more than 15 million American men served in World War II, compared to about 400,000 women. During the entire war, over 540 servicewomen died, 16 from enemy fire. But progressives dream on. In 1997, Canadas Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Maurice Baril predicted that by 2009, women would comprise 28 percent of the Canadian Armed Forces and a full 25 percent of front-line infantry troops. Nothing in the experience of our militaryor any other Western forcesupported such a projection. Currently 15.9 percent of CAF is female, in combat units 4.3 percent. (NATOs full female complement is 11 percent.) That Canadas Department of National Defence was and still is seriously entertaining such a fantastic delusion (and spending pots of money on ad campaigns to lure women recruits) speaks to an obsession in the corridors of power with equity optics necessitating willed disregard for inherent sex differences. Women in the Military: Flirting With Disaster, a persuasive, evidence-based argument against women in combat, was published in 1998 by decorated infantry officer and military journalist Brian Mitchell. I recommend it. But ideologues will insist we are more gender-enlightened 23 years on. Fine. Let them respond to decorated Afghanistan war veteran James Hassons 2019 book, Stand Down: How Social Justice Warriors Are Sabotaging Americas Military. Hasson addresses the ramped-up effects of identity politics in the interim since Mitchells book was published. He is scathing on the Obama administration, packed with far-left ideologues who neither understood nor cared to understand the military. In their eyes it was a blunt-force tool for driving broader change within society as a whole. Hasson supports his charge with wince-inducing examples, such as an army gender integration study urging an end to hyper-masculinity in combat-arms units (China is presently doing masculinity training), and PowerPoint presentations instruct commanders about male pregnancy. Hasson even uncovers evidence that senior officials in the armys legendary Ranger School overlooked serious training failures by female recruitswhich would have disqualified male candidatesin order to ensure success for their first female candidates. In a recent Newsweek article, Aaron Reitz, a major in the Marine Corps Reserve and the Texas deputy attorney-general for legal strategy, takes the same stance. Diversity recruitment intensified under Obama in 2009, Reitz says, when his captain told us we had to sign up a certain number of college-enrolled racial minorities and females. No need to be too strict on physical fitness or academics, he said. Just bring them in. Reitz writes that he couldnt have imagined that today, any disagreement with those policies would result in dissenting officers being labelled racist, sexist, bigoted, or extremist. In March 2021, at a special training sessiona stand-down to address extremism in the ranksthe men were told the United States was threatened by domestic terrorism characterized in part by anti-government, anti-authority, or abortion-related extremism and various supremacist ideas, none of which were defined. The men were also encouraged to report on anyone holding an extremist ideology. They were not to have divided loyalties. Since the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Reitz says, bureaucratic progressivism has hardened into iron-fisted wokeism. The Department of Defence has developed paranoia regarding white nationalism. In February, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin issued a memo to all Pentagon leaders stating that the DOD will not tolerate actions associated with extremist or dissident ideologies. All military personnel, over 1.14 million members, based on 2019 figures, will receive extremist training. Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Harker issued a memo promising to eradicate actions that betray our oathsfor example, any ideology challenging gender identity or sexual orientation. Active conscription ended in the United States almost 50 years ago. American women have freedom of choice in military service. But they arent obligated to register for the Selective Service, as men must at age 18, or face serious penalties, from fines to imprisonment. Wheres the equity there? Dont expect politicians to touch that red-hot button. In a woke military, as in a woke society, some folks are more equal than others. Meanwhile, that sound of rollicking laughter you hear? Thats the Chinese Communist Party politburo, rolling in the aisles as they watch, with incredulity and delight, the latest season of Americas streaming comedy series Circular Firing Squad, produced, directed, and acted by the Military-Progressive Complex. Barbara Kay has been a weekly columnist for the National Post since 2003. She also writes for ThePostMillennial.com, Quillette, and The Dorchester Review. She is the author of three books. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Jordan's government has accused former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein and his aides of being in contact with "foreign parties" about the "right timing to destabilise" the country. The move follows the announcement by Hamzah, the half-brother of the country's ruler King Abdullah II on Saturday, that he has been placed under house arrest. At a press briefing on Sunday Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said that security officials had intercepted communications between Hamzah, his circle, and foreign parties about an alleged plan that he claimed would undermine the country's stability and security, the DW Agency news reported. Safadi said Hamzah had engaged in "recent activities and movements" that aimed to incite people against the state. The deputy prime minister said authorities on Saturday had arrested between 14 to 16 people, as well as two main top officials. Among those detained were Hassan bin Zaid, a member of Jordan's royal family and envoy to Saudi Arabia and Bassem Awadallah, a former finance and planning minister and a longtime confidant of the king. At Sunday's press conference Safadi as quoted by the DW Agency as saying that King Abdullah II will discuss the situation with Hamzah, his half-brother, directly and within the royal family. Jordan's army chief said on Saturday that Hamzah was not under arrest, but had been asked to stop "some activities that could be used to shake the stability and security of Jordan." But the prince has disputed this in a video message. In a video statement, the former crown prince described how he had been ordered to remain in his home incommunicado with his wife and children, reported New York Times. "Since then, a number of the people I know -- or my friends -- have been arrested, my security has been removed, and the internet and phone lines have been cut," the former crown prince of Jordan said. CHICAGO, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Approximately 42 million peopleone in eight individuals in Americacould experience food insecurity in 2021 due to the ongoing economic fallout from COVID-19. Across the country, people have to choose between paying for groceries or bills. Many facing hunger are experiencing these tough choices for the very first time in their lives. That is why Walmart and Sam's Club are supporting the Feeding America network through the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign. Now in its eighth year, the campaign has been a way for Walmart and Sam's Club to partner with suppliers, customers and members to help provide food to people in need. To date, the campaign has helped to secure more than 1 billion meals* for local food banks across the country. The Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign will run in store and online from April 5 - May 3, 2021. There are three easy ways for customers and members to participate: Donate at check-out in stores and clubs, or at either www.FeedingAmerica.org/Walmart or www.FeedingAmerica.org/SamsClub. Round-up at check-out on Walmart.com and the Walmart app. For every participating product purchased in store or online at Walmart.com or SamsClub.com, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America member food bank at Walmart and five meals ($0.50) at Sam's Club, up to applicable limits. See specially marked packages for full details. "It will take all of us working together to make a meaningful, positive impact for people facing hunger," said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. "We are grateful to Walmart, Sam's Club and their suppliers for their commitment to our neighbors in need and for their generous support of our network through the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign." To kickstart the campaign, Walmart invested $3 million, most of which will support food banks in communities with the highest rates of food insecurity and racial and access disparities. "Fighting hunger means more than just feeding people. It means helping them on a path to fulfill their potential, because nutritious food is the foundation for good health and wellbeing," said Kathleen McLaughlin, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer for Walmart. "Central to our mission at Walmart is helping people live better and that includes ensuring they have access to nutritious food. In its eighth year, Fight Hunger. Spark Change. continues to provide communities a way to support local food banks alongside their neighbors, trusted brands and their local Walmart and Sam's Club." Each Walmart and Sam's Club is matched with at least one local Feeding America food bank, and the 27 participating suppliers include: Abbott, Bodyarmor, Bush Brothers & Company, Campbell Soup Company, Clif Bar & Company, Ferrera Candy Company, General Mills, GoGo squeeZ, Great Value, Iovate Health Sciences, J.M. Smucker, Kellogg's, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Kitu Coffee, Kraft Heinz, Mighty Spark, Monster Energy, PepsiCo, Post Consumer Brands, Purina, Simply Good Foods, Strong Roots, The Coca-Cola Company, The Clorox Company, This Saves Lives, Unilever and United States Nutrition. To learn more about the campaign visit https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2021/04/05/walmart-sams-club-feeding-america-partner-to-help-fight-hunger-as-the-need-continues-as-a-result-of-the-pandemic. *$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks. About Feeding America Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 40 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Walmart Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 265 million customers and members visit approximately 11,500 stores under 56 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2020 revenue of $524 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at twitter.com/walmart. Sam's Club Sam's Club, a division of Walmart, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products, savings and services to millions of members in nearly 600 clubs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Now in its 37th year, Sam's Club continues to redefine warehouse shopping with its highly curated assortment of high-quality fresh food and Member's Mark items, in addition to market leading technologies and services like Scan & Go, Club Pickup and home delivery service in select markets. To learn more about Sam's Club, visit the Sam's Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com, and interact with Sam's Club on Twitter and Facebook. Contact Zuani Villarreal Feeding America 312.641.6532 SOURCE Feeding America Related Links http://www.feedingamerica.org ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashules supporters are planning a series of national shutdowns to protest the partys decision to force him to step aside. This is according to a report in the City Press, which said circulars in support of Magashule called for the disruption of key points. This includes blocking national roads, metro roads, access to and from business hubs, and access to and from rich neighbourhoods. The group supporting Magashule under the banner of radical economic transformation (RET) demands that President Cyril Ramaphosa and his cabinet are recalled. This response comes less than a week after the ANC ordered members whove been charged with crimes to step down within a month or face suspension. Ramaphosa announced all ANC members who have been charged with corruption or other serious crimes must step aside within 30 days. Failing to do so would result in suspension. This means that Magashule, a key opponent of Ramaphosa, will have to leave his post before the end of April. Magashule is facing 74 charges of fraud, theft, corruption, money laundering, and asbestos contraventions. The ANC Secretary-General and his co-accused will appear in the Bloemfontein High Court on 11 August 2021. Suspending Magashule and others who face criminal charges could elevate the fight between factions in the ANC. Magashule has repeatedly undermined Ramaphosas authority and been linked to a faction within the ANC that remains loyal to former President Jacob Zuma. After Ramaphosa was elected as President of the ANC in a close race at the ANC national conference in December 2017, Zuma was forced to step down as President in early 2018 after he became embroiled in a succession of scandals. This formed part of Ramaphosas fight against corruption within the ANC and the government, which he declared as a top priority. Ramaphosa is now asserting control of the party as he seeks to implement reforms needed to revive an economy that shrank the most in a century last year. He also needs to consolidate his support if he is to secure a second term as ANC president and the country when the party holds its national elective congress next year. The latest national shutdown threats do not come as a surprise. Ramaphosa has previously warned against the creation of factions within the ANC, including the radical economic transformation group led by Magashule, that he said undermine the ideological and organizational integrity of the party. Supporters of Magashule launched a series of proxy battles in the run-up to Mondays decision about his future, including: Backing students protesting over the cost of university tuition, after the government said it cant afford to subsidize their education. Defying a call by ANC Chairman Gwede Mantashe to back a vote in parliament to establish a committee to investigate graft ombudsman advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who is seen to be a Zuma ally. Rallying to the defence of Zuma, who has refused to appear before a state inquiry into government corruption and faces being jailed for contempt of court. While Ramaphosas battle with the RET faction is far from over, the side-lining of Magashule and his supporters will grant the president some reprieve from critics who argue hes failed to act decisively against party officials accused of corruption. The decision to act against Magashule also makes it easier for Ramaphosa to appoint more trusted allies to his cabinet. Reporting with Bloomberg. SYDNEY, Australia When Julia Banks arrived in Parliament five years ago after a successful career in law and business, she felt as if shed stepped back into the 80s. Alcohol flowed freely. She occasionally smelled it on the breath of male lawmakers when they voted. Many men in Australian politics also thought nothing of belittling women, she said, or spreading sexual rumors. More than a few treated junior employees like playthings. Once, Ms. Banks said, a fellow lawmaker introduced a new intern while slowly rubbing his hand up and down the young womans back. I could see her visibly flinch, Ms. Banks said. She and I locked eyes, and Im sure the nonverbal cue to me was Dont say anything, please dont say anything, Ill lose my job. It is the most unsafe workplace in the country, she added. Australias #MeToo moment has arrived, late but strong, like a tsunami directed at the countrys political foundation. Six weeks after a former legislative staffer, Brittany Higgins, accused a senior colleague of raping her in the defense ministers office, thousands of women are standing up to share their stories, march for justice and demand change. The desire to stay in power undermines the decency of legislative institutions. On 23 March, unprecedented scenes of police action against the members of legislative assembly (MLAs) in Bihar were witnessed. What is more shocking is the fact that it happened right inside the assembly premises. Incidents of anti-riot police and rapid action force personnel ruthlessly assaulting the protesting opposition MLAs come as another instance of the ongoing process of trampling upon the rights and dignity of the elected legislators as well as the legislature as a whole. It is quite telling that repressive means were used against the opposition MLAs protesting the coercive provisions of the Bihar Police Bill that vests the special armed police officers with the power to carry out searches and arrests without serving a warrant. Such provisions which are authoritarian in intent give rise to fears that the police force would be more repressive with absolute powers. The use of police violence to suppress the critique of the bill gives credence to such fears raised by the opposition and points towards the authoritarian intentions of the National Democratic Alliance government. Justifications extended for the decision to call police inside the assembly premises rest on the allegation of unruly behaviour of the opposition MLAs as the latter had held a sit-in outside the speakers chamber. Such grounds are flimsy to say the least, as such sit-ins or gheraos are not unprecedented occurrences and they have been handled in the past with sober consideration, through the dialogue initiated by the speaker and the chief minister/leader of the house. Even in extreme circumstances, the option of intervention by house marshalls could be exercised without using excessive force. In the case of Bihar, no such effort forthcoming on the part of the ruling alliance is indicative of its highhanded approach, and thus, the flimsy justification appears to have been a pretext to discipline the opposition as it were. Democratic virtues of dialogue and consensus-building were thus quite literally baton-charged in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, in order to achieve the now-overt, now-covert agenda of the opposition-mukt polity, which, in the present dispensation, however, is not just confined to Bihar. Such intentions are evident in the conduct and the utterances of the Bihar chief minister, who despite his attempt to dissociate himself from the decision to call in the police by attributing it solely to the speaker, has shown utter disdain towards the opposition and the legislative process as a whole. His statement to the effect that the ruling alliance is greater in numbers and hence the opposition should be careful, is not a mere assertion of parliamentary majority but loaded with a threatening tone that echoes the thuds of police batons and boots. London: London police said on Sunday (March 4) that more than 100 people were arrested after protests were staged against the British government's new Crime Bill in central London on Saturday (April 3). Earlier on Sunday, London police said that 10 officers were left with minor injuries after police and protesters clashed in central London on Saturday, the Xinhua news agency reported. The British capital was swarmed by thousands of demonstrators as a number of protests took place simultaneously. Many were protesting the British government`s proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. If passed, the legislation would give police in England and Wales more powers to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance, with those convicted liable to fines or jail terms. "Kill the Bill" demonstrators were joined by Extinction Rebellion and anti-lockdown protesters. The anti-lockdown rebels were supported by Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a London-based newspaper reported on Sunday. Thousands turned up for the "Kill the Bill" protest alone, marching from Hyde Park to Westminster. The protesters walked past Buckingham Palace and down to Parliament Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament. The latest demonstrations came after several protests against the British government`s new Crime Bill turned violent last month in Bristol, a populous city in southwestern England. Covid-19 regulations have since been relaxed and protests are now lawful in England and Wales. However, protest organisers must submit a risk assessment and take steps to limit the potential transmission of coronavirus, according to a newspaper. The coronavirus reproduction number, or R-value, in England is between 0.8 and one, according to the latest government figures. This is compared to a figure of between 0.7 and 0.9 for the whole of Britain last week. The latest government figures showed that more than 31.5 million people have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in Britain. From April 12, non-essential retail, as well as restaurants and pubs, if serving people outdoors, will be allowed to reopen in England. On February 22, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his roadmap exiting the lockdown, the third of its kind since the start of the pandemic. The four-step plan is expected to see all legal restrictions in England being removed by mid-June. Experts have warned Britain is "still not out of the woods" amid concerns over new variants and the third wave of the pandemic in the European continent. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. Live TV The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Monday revealed the identity of a suspect in the grisly murders of a mother and two adult daughters last month. Kim Tae-hyun / Yonhap Caked in mud up to their knees, a small group of Indonesian youngsters plant mangrove saplings along a stretch of exposed coastline next to the Java Sea under the watchful eye of local environmentalist Samsudin. A former school teacher, Samsudin has now dedicated his life to conservation and uses puppetry and storytelling to spread his message to the young about the importance of protecting mangroves in an area suffering massive coastal erosion. To keep tides from hitting us, we plant mangroves, forests for animals and oxygen for us to live. I weave everything into my stories, said Samsudin, 50, as he mused how some people in the area saw mangroves as a nuisance and would pull them out. Samsudin, 50, wearing a rhino-hat holds cupboard puppets depicting Indonesia's endemic primates orangutan and long tail monkey, while performing fairy tales for the local children in Indramayu regency, West Java province, Indonesia, March 12, 2021. Photo: Reuters Indonesia is home to over a fifth of the worlds mangrove forests, which naturally help keep out high tidal waters. But for years, coastal communities have chopped down trees to clear the way for fish and shrimp farms, and for rice paddies. Samsudin teaches local children aged 11 to 15 three times a week about how to look after the environment, sometimes illustrating it with puppets of monkeys and orangutans. Samsudin, who uses one name, reckons he has helped plant 700 hectares in the area. While his efforts are locally focused, the issue has reached national attention and Indonesia recently embarked on one of the worlds biggest campaigns to restore mangroves, targeting 150,000 hectares (370,660 acres) annually across nine provinces up to 2024. Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, has about 3.3 million hectares of mangrove, with more than 600,000 hectares in critical condition, Hartono, the chief of the mangrove restoration body, told Reuters. An aerial picture shows villager walks along a paddy fields affected by abrasion in Juntinyuat, Indramayu regency, West Java province, Indonesia, March 13, 2021. Photo: Reuters Data from Indonesias forestry ministry from 2017 estimates more than 1.8 million hectares of mangroves are damaged. Hartono, who goes by one name like many Indonesians, said the main causes of the degradation in Indonesia were illegal logging and land conversion. Cukup Rudiyanto, another activist in Indramayu who plants mangroves, also blames a lack of sedimentation in this coastal area east of the capital Jakarta for harming mangroves. For Samsudin, teaching about the issue is a labour of love, even though he admits some in his own family question why he devotes so much time to it. But for 12-year-old Muhammad Jefri, one of Samsudins students, the lessons resonate. I want to protect the environment, because its important for people, he said. A local pond farmer is seen among the newly planted mangrove trees at Tiris beach during sunset in Pabeanilir village, Indramayu regency, West Java province, Indonesia, March 11, 2021. Photo: Reuters Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 5) Local manufacturers have asked the Food and Drug Administration to allow the "compassionate use" of antiparasitic drug Ivermectin to treat COVID-19, government officials confirmed on Monday. If the FDA grants the compassionate use permit application, doctors or hospitals can use the unregistered drug in doses to be specified by the government agency. "Pwede na po i-process yan ng FDA. Antayin na lang po natin ang aksyon ng FDA sa mga naisampa ng aplikasyon [FDA can process it. Let's wait for the decision on the application]," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said. Currently, Ivermectin is only approved for veterinary use to prevent heartworm disease in animals. It is also a drug for parasite infestation such as head lice and scabies. However, a group of businessmen recently appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte and Congress for the government to consider repurposing the drug to prevent and treat COVID-19 infections. Several lawmakers also pushed the FDA to take the initiative of conducting a clinical study on Ivermectin. The FDA, Health Department, and World Health Organization have warned against using it on COVID-19 patients, saying trials conducted in other countries did not show positive results. "We have very clearly come out with a statement backed by the European Medical Association, the US FDA, and the manufacturer of Ivermectin, that Ivermectin has not proven efficacy against COVID-19. Even if they look at it from a preventive perspective there's no evidence that supports it," WHO country representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe said. Even Merck, the company behind the drug Ivermectin, said there is no basis in using it as a treatment for COVID-19. (Natural News) A group of life insurers has clarified that getting the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine will not affect peoples policy payout in case of death. The American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) released a statement debunking alleged rumors circulating on social media platforms. The rumors asserted that getting a COVID-19 jab could play a role in claiming death benefits from insurance firms. In a statement on its website published March 12, ACLI slammed the social media rumors as entirely false information. ACLI Senior Vice President for Policy Development Paul Graham said: The fact is that life insurers do not consider whether or not a policyholder has received a [COVID-19] vaccine when deciding whether to pay a claim. He continued: Life insurance policy contracts are very clear on how policies work, and what cause might lead to the denial of a benefit. A vaccine for COVID-19 is not one of them. Graham then encouraged policyholders to rest assured that nothing has changed in the claims-paying process as a result of COVID-19 vaccinations. He also encouraged them to get in touch with their life insurers, agents or financial professionals for any questions or clarifications. Grahams remarks came after posts on social media claimed that getting vaccinated for COVID-19 will impact death benefits paid out by insurers. The Epoch Times reached out to three ACLI members New York Life, Northwestern Mutual and MassMutual for further clarification on the matter. ACLI represents a number of life insurance firms in the U.S. Only the last two insurers replied to the news outlet, pointing to the ACLI press release. They did not answer other questions on the issue. It is not yet known if people who suffer a severe reaction to the COVID-19 jab will have their life insurance policy qualifications impacted as a result, and if they will have to pay higher premiums. ACLI Vice President of Public Affairs Jack Dolan told The Epoch Times in an email that insurance companies rely on data they find in medical records when underwriting. He added that these may or may not include information related to COVID-19. Exactly how companies use information found in an applicants medical records can distinguish from one another, Dolan added. (Related: Coronavirus vaccine deaths arent covered by life insurance because jabs are experimental medical intervention.) The remarks appear to anticipate a potential deluge of claims from those injured by the coronavirus vaccines But for University of Florida health outcomes and implementation science associate professor W. Bruce Vogel, the jabs might possibly impact life insurance. He told the Associated Press that the COVID-19 vaccine may limit any life insurance premium increases linked to the disease. Vogel elaborated: Only if the vaccine itself increased mortality would you expect it to increase life insurance premiums, and there is no evidence of that so far. The fact that the vaccine is being given so widely suggests, at least, an implicit finding that the [vaccines] potential rewards outweigh the risks. According to a Policygenius article, life insurance firms use a system of classifications to find out how an individuals health will affect the amount of coverage they will receive at every price point. Healthier individuals get a more favorable classification and more affordable rates. However, those who have pre-existing medical conditions or are not at the peak of health may find their insurance policies being impacted. They may ultimately end up in another classification and pay slightly higher premiums. (Related: Kamala Harris wants to eliminate all private health insurance.) The article added that many factors can influence insurance policy classification. Underwriters look at height and weight, use of tobacco, family health history and lifestyle before they classify people into certain policy tiers. As of writing, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized three Wuhan coronavirus vaccines for emergency use. It approved the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and pharmaceutical firm Moderna in December 2020, and the adenovirus vaccine from Johnson & Johnson in February 2021. In a March 8 email, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told The Epoch Times that more than 92 million mRNA vaccine doses have been administered. Out of these doses, 1,637 deaths following vaccinations have been recorded. Learn more about the dangers of a COVID-19 vaccine at VaccineDeaths.com. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com 1 ACLI.com Policygenius.com FDA.gov 1 FDA.gov 2 FDA.gov 3 TheEpochTimes.com 2 Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in April 2020. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has called for city police to implement a new foot-pursuit policy. Her request comes after 13-year-old Adam Toledo was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer. He was shot once in the chest during a chase, USA Today reported. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for city police to implement a new police foot-pursuit policy after a 13-year-old Adam Toledo was shot and killed during a chase by a Chicago police officer. "We cannot and will not push the foot pursuit reform off for another day," Lightfoot said on Monday at a press conference. "No longer can we afford to put off to tomorrow what we can address today because lives are truly at stake." Adam Toledo was killed after Chicago police responded to a report of gunfire on March 29. Police said officers chased Toledo and a 21-year-old man and that Toledo was shot once in the chest after an "armed confrontation," according to USA Today. Lightfoot said she was ordering a new pursuit policy be implemented by this summer. Read the original article on Insider Jamul residents gathered Thursday to hear the latest about Hollywood Casino, which is about to open in their community, and to voice their continued opposition. The casino is backed by Jamul Indian Village, a small local tribe, and Penn National Gaming, Inc., of Pennsylvania. The meeting was sponsored by the Jamul Action Committee, a group that has long opposed the gaming facility. There were no Jamul tribal leaders at the meeting, but on Monday, tribal chairwoman Erica Pinto said, It has been 16 years, but our casino is almost ready to open. Advertisement Pinto said the tribe recently met with the National Indian Gaming Commission in Washington about some minor changes in a management agreement. The approval should be coming down very soon, she said, and the casino would open shortly thereafter. Last weeks standing-room-only crowd at Jamul Primary School were told by committee members and county Supervisor Dianne Jacob that they would continue fighting against the tribe and the casino. Attorney Pat Webb, who represents two people who once lived on the land where the casino was built, explained that there are still five outstanding state or federal lawsuits that are pending. And while the U.S. Department of the Interiors Bureau of Indian Affairs recognizes Jamul Indian Village as a tribe, Webb disputes that. The Jamul Action Committee also maintains that the land on which the casino was built is not a reservation under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The $360 million casino has been planned by the Jamul tribe since the 1990s. Construction began in 2014. The facility is 200,000 square feet, with more than 1,700 slot machines, 50 live table games, restaurants, bars, lounges and an enclosed underground parking structure. Jacob said that since 2014, about 50 collisions have occurred along Highway 94 near the venue. Hollywood Casino is expected to add 9,000 daily car and truck trips to the area, a 50 percent jump from current traffic trends. Advertisement Jacob also questioned the states Alcoholic Beverage Control departments OK for the tribes interim license to serve alcohol before the casino even opened. Jamul Action Committee President Glenn Revell encouraged residents to keep sending formal protests to the ABC about the liquor license and the danger to the community by impaired drivers. As long as you stay in the fight, we have a chance, Revell said. Pinto said the tribe has fought and won dozens of lawsuits in the past, and that most of them are frivolous and untrue. The tribe is also well aware of the local sentiment. Advertisement Were still committed to safety, still committed to being a good neighbor, Pinto said. I understand that change is hard to accept for some of our opponents, but truly we look forward to continuing our tradition of helping others. We are excited that we will soon have the resources to make a difference. UPDATES: This article was updated to clarify details about an attorney who spoke at the meeting. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Orange cones lined the sand at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, marking off a section of beach closed for several hours Sunday after a deputy on patrol found that a possible explosive training device had washed ashore, the sheriffs office said. No evacuations were ordered in the area, near the 4600 block of Elmar Drive, where a small section of the beach had temporarily been closed, said spokesman Carey Codd. The Broward Sheriffs Office Bomb Squad arrived at the beach at about 2:30 a.m. to examine the device, which turned out to be a sea mine, according to the sheriffs office. The word inert was painted on its side. Deputies and the bomb squad secured the area until United States Air Force personnel arrived and inspected the mine. By 10:45 a.m., the mine was removed, turned over to the Air Force and the beach was reopened. A Broward sheriff's deputy on patrol found a possible explosive training device that washed ashore in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea on Sunday, April 4, 2021, the sheriffs office said. It turned out to be a sea mine. A Broward sheriff's deputy on patrol found a possible explosive training device that washed ashore in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea on Sunday, April 4, 2021, the sheriffs office said. It turned out to be a sea mine. (Amber Randall) No further information was immediately available. This article is written by Amber Randall and Robin Webb from Sun Sentinel and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com. Some people in underserved communities share Duartes past hesitations about the vaccine, which is why Advocate partnered with these nonprofits to communicate the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, Trotter said. Vaccines need to be distributed to as many people as possible, Trotter said, and no one should be wary of whether it is safe. New Delhi, April 5 : The success of Vijay Shekhar Sharma-run digital payments leader Paytm in India has reached the US, and a team from Harvard Business School, led by a US Army veteran, is currently working on a similar app for a wider launch later this spring. Called FlashCash, the QR code-based digital payments platform aims to create a "Paytm-like service to provide better value to merchants and a better experience for customers" in the US. According to CEO Chuck Nadd, a US Army veteran, who flew Black Hawk helicopters and coordinated military operations worldwide, felt that QR codes had not yet been widely adopted as a payment solution in the American market. "We firmly believe that this is a more secure, customer-friendly solution. We live in a digital world that has left many 'brick-and-mortar' businesses behind. FlashCash is completing beta testing and we are looking forward to a wider launch later this spring," Nadd told IANS. The project has received significant non-dilutive grants from Harvard Business School, where Chuck is graduating next month and where FlashCash is currently being incubated as part of Harvard's Rock Center Accelerator. "As we begin to expand, we will look to raise more capital," said Nadd from Harvard's Class of 2021. Pavel Vydra is Chief Product Officer at FlashCash who has worked for a number of technology companies over the past decade, including Microsoft and eBay. Bohuslav Simek is the Chief Developer who has over a decade of web development and is critical to building the platform back-end. In December last year, US-based mutual fund T Rowe raised Paytm's valuation by about 35 per cent to $255 per share, taking its total enterprise value to $16 billion. Paytm last month achieved over 1.2 billion transactions in February across its Wallet, UPI, cards and net banking payment methods, logging 15 per cent growth (month-on-month) in India. The company which has over 15 crore monthly active users, said it has created a robust technology infrastructure across 99 per cent pin codes with a reach spreading across the farthest corners of the country. According to Nadd, who got inspiration to first build a digital payments platform using QR codes in 2015 when he proposed to his now-wife using QR codes. "I sent her on a scavenger hunt around Washington DC, using videos linked by QR code. It was the original inspiration for the power of what we are building now," he said. Later, the success of Paytm in the India market convinced him to double down on his efforts to build one such digital payment platform. "Because we are operating in the American market, there are going to be some real differences between the core Paytm platform and what we are building, but we want to replicate the ease and transparency that has made it so successful in India," Nadd told IANS. Fundamentally, the team is building the platform within the context of US regulations, consumer habits and cost structures. "We are excited to bring the kind of experience that Paytm offers to the world's largest economy. We would love to partner with them. If Vijay Shekhar Sharma is reading this, we would like to be in touch and see what we can build together," Nadd emphasised. (Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in) Leading US epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy in Minneapolis, gave a stark warning of a devastating new stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in interviews Sunday on two national television networks. Dr. Osterholm explained the context and real dangers hinted at in the statement by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when she declared last Monday that she was afraid and felt a sense of impending doom about the pandemic. Medical personnel watch over COVID-19 patients at DHR Health, Wednesday, July 29, 2020, in McAllen, Texas [Credit: AP Photo/Eric Gay] On Sunday, speaking with host Chuck Todd on Meet the Press, Osterholm said, At this time, we are in a category five hurricane status with regard to the rest of the world. At this point, we will see in the next two weeks the highest number of cases reported globally since the beginning of the pandemic I think it was a wake-up call to everyone yesterday when Michigan reported 8,400 new cases and we are now seeing increasing numbers of severe illnesses, ICU [cases] and hospitalizations in individuals who are between 30 and 50 years of age who have not been vaccinated. After discussing the concerns posed by the rise in more virulent and immune-evading variants, Osterholm explained, Chuck, Im even more worried whats coming down the pike over the next several years. Right now, if you look at vaccine distribution around the world, ten countries have received about 80 percent of the vaccines. Thirty countries havent seen even a drop of it. If we continue to see this virus spread across low- and middle-income countries unfettered, they are going to spit out variants over the course of the next years that can in every and each instance challenge our vaccines. This is why we need not only a US response, but we also need a global response to get as many people vaccinated. Globally, the number of cases of COVID-19 is approaching 132 million, and the number of deaths over 2.8 million. The seven-day average in daily cases and fatalities has climbed to 581,000 and more than 10,000, respectively. With 40 million total cases, Europe sees more than 3,000 deaths per day with the total number of fatalities approaching one million. Poland, Turkey, and Ukraine face severe struggles as they are in the worst phase of their surges. Indias COVID-19 cases are rapidly accelerating and will exceed 100,000 new cases per day this week, the country's highest total during the pandemic. Brazil appears to have reached its peak with 3,000 deaths per day. Meanwhile, the US seven-day average has been slowly rising, with over 66,000 new cases per day. Cases in the upper Midwest and Northeast have public health officials worried. Speaking on Fox News, Osterholm was blunt in dismissing the actions of state and federal governments in relaxing restrictions and reopening schools, particularly in light of the spread of new variants like B.1.1.7. We are the only country in the world right now experiencing this increasing number of cases due to this variant and at the same time, opening up, not closing down," he told host Chris Wallace, who seemed taken aback by the forthright warning. The two basically are going to collide, and we are going to see a substantially increased number of cases. Osterholm continued, I understand the absolute resistance in this country even to consider that and you knowit's kind of like trying to drink barbed wirebut the bottom-line message of the virus is its going to do what its going to do, and we are going to have to respond somehow. He added that this might involve pulling back on some of the restrictions that weve loosened up on. This resistance derives primarily from the drive by the US ruling elite, backed by both capitalist parties and the corporate media, to force children back to school and their parents back to work, in order to produce profits for the capitalist class. Osterholm, who served as a member of President Bidens COVID-19 transition advisory board, has been phased out since his blunt warning in January that the drop in coronavirus cases was the eye of the hurricane and not genuine progress. This warning is now being tragically confirmed. The epidemiologist focused much of his discussion on the danger that B.1.1.7 was more dangerous to children than the initial form of the virus. They are now, as kids, getting infected at the same rate that adults do, he explained. Theyre very effective at transmitting the virus. Just in Minnesota in the last two weeks weve had 749 schools with cases. he said. According to the Washington Posts vaccination tracker, approximately 106 million people have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, accounting for just 32 percent of the population. Seventeen percent have been fully vaccinated. By comparison, Europe has barely vaccinated ten percent of its people. The steep rise in cases in the Midwest and Northeast is predominately being driven by COVID-19 cases in children, which has been driven by the rabid school reopening campaign. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Humans Services, cases among younger children have increased by 230 percent since February 19. Minnesotas state epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield confirmed that the B.1.1.7 had a higher attack rate among children compared to earlier versions. We certainly get the sense that the youth is what we might refer to as the leading edge of the spread of the variants, she said. The Massachusetts health department reported that the most significant number of new COVID-19 infections in the last two weeks were among children and teens. Concerns are also being raised that the infections with the B.1.1.7 variant lead to a higher burden of illness among children. There are now 12,505 cases of B.1.1.7 variants detected across all US states and territories (this refers only to cases identified through genetic testing, which accounts for only a tiny fraction of total cases). The CDC now estimates that the B.1.1.7 version of the coronavirus is the predominant strain across areas representing two-thirds of the US populace. Bloomberg stated on Friday, The CDC identified five of 10 regions Friday, saying they include much of the Eastern seaboard, from New York south to Florida, as well as the Midwest and most of the sunbelt. About 220 million people, or two-thirds of the US population, live in those five regions. This makes up 26 percent of cases nationally. Additionally, it should also be noted that 353 cases of the B.1.351 variant first seen in South Africa have been detected across 31 states, while the P.1 variant first seen in Brazil has rapidly spread across 22 states with 224 cases detected. Throughout the month of March, Osterholm was warning that the American people are walking into the mouth of this virus monster as if somehow, we dont know its here, and it is here. This is an apt description of an historic crime, one being committed against the American people by the US ruling class and its political servants. The coronavirus is an existential threat that brings with its dire consequences to the working class. It is critical to appreciate that the emergence of the new variants is not merely the escalation of the present pandemic but the rise of a new pandemic with the more dangerous characteristics. The ruling elites have repeatedly shown that their concerns for profits determine their response to the pandemic. They care nothing for the life of working people. It is critical that working people assimilate the lessons and experiences gained over the last year and recognize that they are the only force capable of bringing this pandemic to an end, by casting off the shackles of the capitalist mode of production, which is ultimately the cause of this present pandemic. This means the building of an independent movement of the working class for socialism. A team of researchers from the Spanish Astrobiology Center (CAB) has presented the most accurate map of the Milky Way to date, and described the existence of the Cepheus spur, a formation of blue stars hotter than the sun that had remained hidden until now. The team put together the map of the Earths solar neighborhood using the Gaia telescope of the European Space Agency, detailing the spiral arms of the stars that make up our galaxy. These include Orion, where the Solar System is located; Perseus, located at the outer edge of the galaxy, and Sagittarius, towards the center of the Milky Way. When we discovered the spur, there was no explosive revelation, but something inside me was transformed Michelangelo Pantaleoni Gonzalez, scientist from the Spanish Astrobiology Center Scientists led by Michelangelo Pantaleoni Gonzalez and Jesus Maiz Apellaniz also discovered a hidden structure that they named the Cepheus spur, a bridge of massive blue stars between the Orion Arm and Perseus constellation. A blue star has at least three times the mass of the sun, and has its moniker because its intense heat means it appears blue to our eyes. The Cepheus spur went undetected because of the previous lack of detail in the stellar catalog that the researchers have just updated. The new map they have drawn has 20,000 classified celestial objects, says Pantaleoni Gonzalez. A density of stars can be observed in a space that was apparently empty before. Their work was published in the Monthly Notices of Britains Royal Astronomical Society in March. An image of the map of the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies. ESA For the scientists, one important aspect of the newly discovered spur is its consistent motion, which shows it is not a random alignment of stars but a structure sitting above the galactic disk, the thin, circular distribution of stars, dust and gas that often exhibit beautiful spiral patterns. This position could be caused by contractions of a kind observed in other neighboring galaxies but that had not been seen in the Milky Way. Possibly these are oscillations of the galactic disk resulting from the convulsive evolution of the galaxy. Perhaps they are the echoes of collisions with other galaxies billions of years ago, or maybe its something else, says Pantaleoni Gonzalez. The massive blue stars that make up the Cepheus spur, also known as OB stars among astrophysicists, are the galaxys largest, rarest and hottest stars. Of the estimated 400 billion stars in the Milky Way, less than one in a million is an OB star, so rare in fact that Pantaleoni Gonzalez characterizes them as a rare disease. While the temperature on the surface of a star like the sun is around 5,500C, OB stars can exceed 30,000C and their mass can be tens of times greater. Pantaleoni Gonzalez explains that the relationship between the temperature of an object and the color it glows is called Plancks law. If we heat a piece of charcoal to over 1,000C we will start to see it glow a dark red color. If we heat the ember more and more, it will reach the temperature of the sun and will glow yellowish-white, and if we continue, the color of that glow will be blue, Pantaleoni Gonzalez explains. There are jokes out there about astrophysicists burning their hands in public toilets because they dont understand the color code of the faucets. The strip of yellow stars, between Orion Arm (light blue) and Perseus constellation (Red), is the Cepheus spur M. Pantaleoni Gonzalez, J. Maiz Apellaniz, R.H. Barba y B. Cameron Reed. For Pantaleoni Gonzalez, blue stars are the most interesting objects in the universe because the nuclear reactions occurring inside them are particularly violent, meaning they produce elements that helped to build the Earth. The elements that our planet is made of, such as silicon or the phosphorus atoms in our DNA, come mostly from the interior of stars of this type that died billions of years ago, says the young scientist, who has not graduated yet. Massive blue stars also create new stars when they die, releasing enormous energy in the form of a supernova, which compresses gas at very high temperatures and then bursts into a new formation. One OB star can, in death, give life to hundreds of stars like the sun, says Pantaleoni Gonzalez. While blue stars blaze brightly in life, they fade out fast. Some of them barely live a couple of million years, five thousand times less than the suns expected lifespan, explains the researcher. That means they cannot have altered their position in the galaxy very much. We almost always find them near star-forming regions, where the galaxy is active, where it is alive. His discovery, therefore, helps to understand where new stars are born, by identifying a cluster of blue stars that give birth to many more. The new spur shows how the production of new elements is maintained and how matter is recycled in the universe. Ultimately it is directly related to the formation of planets in other stars and to the chemical bases of life, he says. The massive blue stars that make up the Cepheus spur are the galaxys largest, rarest and hottest stars Rodolfo Barba, co-author of the paper and professor of astrophysics at the University of La Serena in Chile, compares the task of creating galactic maps to maps of the Earth drafted in the Enlightenment era. We cannot send space probes even to our nearest stars, but we are probing the edges of the Milky Way using the light that reaches us from distant beacons the OB stars, he says. We are in the age of galaxy exploration, Barba adds, facing the same debates and problems of great explorers on Earth in the 16th and 17th centuries. In early mapping expeditions, the Baja California peninsula seemed separate from the American continent until enough data were obtained to show that it was not an island. Now we are debating whether the galactic arm to which the sun belongs connects at some point with the other arms or whether it is just on an island. Pantaleoni Gonzalez recounts the moment when the team found the Cepheus spur. When we discovered the spur, there was no explosive revelation, but something inside me was transformed. Thats what draws you in and gives meaning to so much effort, he says. We were in front of [astrophysicist] Jesus [Apellaniz]s computer when he began to inspect this density of dots on the map. I ran to make a special diagram to see if it was consistent with the idea that there was a structure there, and it appeared. The young scientist alternates his university classes with work at the Spanish Astrobiology Center. He explains that Apellaniz, his mentor, has an unusual research method: Instead of drawing general conclusions by probing thousands of data, he examines case by case. This artisanal way of working is inefficient if you are looking for obvious things, but it is extremely productive when you are looking to discover subtle clues to what nature is showing us. Tourism Malaysia pledged partnership for the second consecutive time at the second edition of the virtual Gulf Travel Show on March 31 and April 1 as diamond partners. Tourism Malaysia has its own pavilion with 13 booths consisting Tourism Malaysia Dubai, Tourism Malaysia Jeddah, Tourism Malaysia India with three DMC/Tour Operator partners and seven hotels and resorts from different areas in the country. This platform will allow them to share the necessary precautions that they have implemented to ensure the safety of all travellers that will come when the borders open. Manoharan Periasamy, Senior Director of International Promotion Asia & Africa Division Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, said: The India and Middle East market has been a key source market for us mainly due to the historical and traditional ties we have with them. Summer has always been a key Middle East market driver as we receive many travellers during this period whilst the month of May is the peak for Indian tourists. Over the past year, the pandemic however did hinder the situation, but now we are preparing once again to welcome our friends from India and the Middle East to a safer destination which would provide them what they require in terms of a secure, family friendly holiday escape." "Our partnership for the second consecutive time with the virtual event Gulf Travel Show provides us the opportunity to renew partnerships and seek new connections that will help us when the time is right, he said. Shahrin Mokhtar, Director of Tourism Malaysia Dubai, shared: Tourism Malaysia Dubai, Jeddah & India join forces with major tourism partners to spearhead Malaysia promotion in the virtual Gulf Travel Show 2021. Tourism Malaysia has become the Diamond partner in GTS 2021 to further communicate the Malaysia Truly Asia brand to the travel industry fraternity in the Mena and India markets. This time we are planning to showcase Malaysia with our 10 selected tourism partners who will engaged with Middle East & India potential buyers during the two-day virtual show. This a great opportunity for us to interact with the industry players and plan for the New Normal once Malaysia opens its borders to welcome tourists. For this year, we are promoting the hashtag #WeMissYou to the market indicating that we miss the tourists coming to our beautiful country and can't wait to see them again at the Malaysian shore soon. Travel agents visiting Tourism Malaysia Pavilion in GTS 2021 two-day virtual event will enter a lucky draw with many prizes for hotel stays and holiday packages in Malaysia. As GTS 2021 Diamond partner, Tourism Malaysia also conducted an interactive virtual press conference on March 31 morning for 77 registered media from Middle East and India, who participated and got the opportunity to ask questions to Tourism Malaysia officials. - TradeArabia News Service Software Google wins decade-old software case against Oracle Oracle headquarters in Redwood City, Calif. (Editorial credit: Katherine Welles / Shutterstock.com) The Supreme Court ruled April 5 that Google was within its rights to copy and repurpose 11,500 lines of Java software code in the Android mobile operating system. The ruling settles a long-running lawsuit about whether the "fair use" doctrine in copyright law has application to the world of software and programming. In the implementation under dispute, Google copied a Java application programing interface to support application development in Android. According to the 6-2 ruling of the Supreme Court written by Justice Steven Breyer, the type of code used in the API fits the definition of the fair use exception because it was used in the creation of "transformative" software. "To the extent that Google used parts of the Sun Java API to create a new platform that could be readily used by programmers, its use was consistent with that creative 'progress' that is the basic constitutional objective of copyright itself," the decision states. Oracle, which brought the lawsuit in 2010 not long after acquiring the Java platform, blasted the ruling. "The Google platform just got bigger and market power greater the barriers to entry higher and the ability to compete lower," Dorian Daley, Oracle's executive vice president and general counsel, said in a statement. "They stole Java and spent a decade litigating as only a monopolist can. This behavior is exactly why regulatory authorities around the world and in the United States are examining Google's business practices." Oracle had sought $9 billion in damages in the case, which has been wending through federal courts for more than a decade. The court declined to rule on whether the code in the API was itself subject to copyright. Instead, the decision supposed that the material was protected by copyright and confined itself to a consideration of whether the use in question was fair. However, the ruling contains a discussion of "implementing" code that commands a specific application and "declaring" code which communicates organizational information between applications. The ruling indicates that the declaring code is "furtherfrom the core of copyright" than implanting code potentially setting the stage for a future case on software copyright. The majority support for fair use of computer code is good news for those in the computer industry who want to tap into functional declaring code to write programs that work across the device ecosystem. Matt Schruers, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, called the ruling a "win for interoperability, copyright principles and the future of innovation." He added: "The high court's decision that fair use extends to the functional principles of computer code means companies can offer competing, interoperable products." In a dissenting opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the majority opinion's "fair-use analysis is wholly inconsistent with the substantial protection Congress gave to computer code." "Properly considering that statutory text, Oracle's code at issue here is copyrightable, and Google's use of that copyrighted code was anything but fair," Thomas wrote. Justice Samuel Alito joined Thomas in the dissent. Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not join in the ruling because she was not on the court when the case was argued. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The market research study on orthobiologics market drafted by Future Market Insights is an extensive research publication that covers the global scenario of orthobiologics market. It includes various macroeconomic factors, opportunity assessment, key growth drivers, restraints and vital segmental analysis. The quantification of data pertaining to these aspects with the help of statistical representations and analysis giving a holistic and an unbiased view of the entire market. The research publication assists the reader in judging the future prospects in orthobiologics across key regions in the globe. 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Moreover, a 24x7 analyst support is extended to our clients should the need be. Three-year-old Elizabeth Zakutansky was born with a rare genetic condition that causes multiple seizures. Her neurologist, a top expert on treating her condition, practices at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, less than an hour's drive from the Zakutanskys' home in Hobart, Indiana. Her parents would like her to get all her care there. But Lurie wouldn't continue to treat Elizabeth, because her insurer, Indiana Medicaid, pays out-of-state providers much less than in-state facilities. That's true for most state Medicaid programs. So the Zakutanskys pay the Lurie neurologist out-of-pocket for consultations, and the doctor gives detailed instructions for Elizabeth's care to their local pediatrician. When Elizabeth suffers uncontrolled seizures, however, she needs quick interventions. Her parents have to pull their two teenagers out of school and the whole family drives 2 hours to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, the state's only specialized pediatric facility. If she has to be admitted, the family sometimes must leave her there to return to their jobs and school. "It's terrible to leave your daughter and drive home so far away," said Laura Zakutansky, Elizabeth's mother. "You aren't there to comfort her. One seizure could kill her. How would you feel about that if you weren't there?" Making top-quality care accessible at out-of-state children's hospitals for kids with complex medical needs has long vexed families, providers and Medicaid programs. The choice of an out-of-state hospital can be a matter of convenience for patients and their families, and it may also mean ensuring state-of-the-art care, since only a limited number of hospitals and physicians in the country have the skills and experience to best treat children with certain conditions. Congress has recognized the problem. Two years ago, it passed a law allowing states to voluntarily establish a "health home" program, potentially making it easier for out-of-state providers to serve as the coordinating caregiver for children with complex conditions. Participating states would receive a temporary boost in federal Medicaid funding to launch the program. But the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it has no "definitive timeline" for issuing guidance to the states on how to set this up. State Medicaid officials argue that their states can't afford to send children to out-of-state facilities that demand higher payment rates. Children's hospitals say all they want is rates equal to what Medicaid pays in-state providers. Complicating matters is that most states have private Medicaid managed-care plans running their programs, and those plans decide which providers patients can go to and how much to pay them. But Indiana lawmakers are moving on bills that would boost Medicaid payments to children's hospitals in bordering states Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio to near-parity with in-state facilities. Currently, a facility in Chicago might receive reimbursement as low as one-fourth of what an Indiana hospital would get for the same services. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed versions of the bill, and they are expected to reconcile the differences shortly and send it to the governor. The projected annual cost to the state is $300,000 to $950,000. To address fears that it may cost more, the bill would have to be reauthorized in two years. "These families have to schlep down three hours in the snow to Indianapolis, and if they try to reschedule an appointment, they may have to wait another six weeks to get in," said state Republican Sen. Mike Bohacek, one of the bill's lead sponsors. He faced that situation with his own daughter, who was born in 2001 with Down syndrome in critical condition. "We can do better." Nearly 90% of children's hospitals serve out-of-state patients, receiving payments from more than six states on average, according to a federal Medicaid commission report last year. Two-thirds of the states pay out-of-state hospitals a lower rate than in-state facilities. Kids with complex medical conditions account for 40% of Medicaid's spending on pediatric care. Children's hospitals say getting approval from Medicaid agencies and managed-care plans to treat out-of-state children and negotiating payment often takes more time than delivering the care. They have to arrange individualized case agreements for each patient. Dr. John Cunningham, physician in chief at Comer Children's Hospital in Chicago, said hospital staff members recently removed a brain tumor in a child from northwestern Indiana. But Medicaid refused a payment deal that would have enabled Comer to continue treating the patient, forcing the family to go to Indianapolis for follow-up care. "The transfer was not because of the care. It was because of an artificial boundary called a state line," said Cunningham, whose hospital is treating 275 kids from northwestern Indiana and has hired a lobbyist to push the Indiana bill. "That's a fundamental problem." But Medicaid officials say that sending kids to out-of-state facilities can be too costly and that interstate travel may not be best for the family. "When a children's hospital prides itself on being the top pediatric center for different conditions, it knows people will come and it doesn't have to negotiate," said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. "It's 'take it or leave it.' That's not fair." Some states and children's hospitals have been able to work out broader deals. The Illinois Medicaid program, for instance, has arranged to pay St. Louis Children's Hospital in-state rates for serving children in the East St. Louis, Illinois, area. In contrast, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia leaders say their facility often treats children who live just across the Delaware River in New Jersey for much lower rates than New Jersey's Medicaid program pays the more distant in-state children's hospital or without getting paid at all. It offers some services, such as fetal surgery to correct spina bifida, that aren't available in New Jersey. "None of the Medicaid [managed-care] plans in New Jersey has ever complained that our rates are too high," said Ahaviah Glaser, senior director of health policy at Children's of Philadelphia, which serves 25,000 New Jersey kids a year. "But behind closed doors, they say it's too expensive to have a [renowned, out-of-state] children's hospital in their plan's network, because it attracts sick kids. That's illegal and immoral." New Jersey lawmakers are considering a bill requiring the state's five Medicaid managed care plans to offer adequate pediatric care networks within set distance limits. Wardell Sanders, president of the New Jersey Association of Health Plans, warned that unless it adds rate limits, the bill would hike state Medicaid spending by forcing plans to cover even routine pediatric care at top children's hospitals in Philadelphia and New York. Other children's hospitals around the country also complain about Medicaid barriers to treating out-of-state kids. Leaders at the Denver area's Children's Hospital Colorado, which serves thousands of patients from six surrounding states, say their doctors must obtain separate liability insurance policies in each state. And each has a different policy on covering families' travel and lodging. "Once we've started to see a patient, we don't have a lot of negotiating leverage," said Annie Lee, Colorado Children's executive director of Medicaid strategies and community health. "We have rates from states that are all over the board, and we're unable to consistently cover the costs of care." All this can produce hassles and anxiety for parents of very sick children, who already face tremendous stress and costs. Vinessa Kirkwood, who lives in an Indiana suburb near Chicago, said she's had to cancel appointments at Riley Children's in Indianapolis for her 20-month-old son, Donte, because she can't afford lodging. Also, she shares a car with her partner, who needs it for work, and she juggles Donte's care with the needs of her four other children. She wants Donte, who was born with cerebral palsy and severe digestive problems, to receive his regular care at Lurie Children's, where he had surgery soon after he was born. So she's closely watching what happens with Sen. Bohacek's bill. "I've got those Lurie doctors on speed dial," she said. "I'm hoping to get back to them soon." RTHK: East Timor and Indonesia flood death toll rises More than 70 people have died and dozens are still missing after flash floods and landslides hit Indonesia and neighbouring East Timor, officials said Monday. "There are 55 dead, but this number is very dynamic and will definitely change, while some 42 people are still missing," Indonesia disaster management agency spokesman Raditya Djati told broadcaster MetroTV. At least 16 people had also died in East Timor, said an official in the tiny half-island nation that lies between Indonesia and Australia. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-04-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday requested Prime Minister to allow people above 25 years of age to receive COVID-19 shots, which he said will protect the young people from the rapid spread of coronavirus at a time when they are stepping outside their homes to earn a livelihood. In a letter to the PM, Thackeray also demanded that Maharashtra be provided 1.5 crore additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which will enable the state government to complete within three weeks the vaccination of the beneficiaries above 45 years of age in six districts, including Mumbai, reporting a large number of cases. Thackeray also apprised the prime minister of the steps being taken by his government to break the transmission chain of the viral infection, said a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). Thackeray wrote that the young generation is also getting infected by the virus, and to prevent the spread, people above 25 years be made eligible for vaccination. The CM stressed the younger people have to travel in public to earn their livelihood. The CMO said PM Modi had accepted Thackeray's earlier suggestion to allow people above 45 years of age to get vaccinated. The chief minister told the PM that his government was transparently handling the pandemic and expanded the vaccination drive, it said. OnApril 3, 4.62 lakh people were vaccinated in Maharashtra, where 76.86 lakh people have received the jabs so far. "The Centre should provide 1.5 crore additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Maharashtra. We will take three weeks to administer the vaccine to age group above 45 years in six districts of Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur where the spike of cases is the highest," the letter stated. (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, April 5 : Unlike other issues, the BJP-led Central government in New Delhi and the Congress-headed state government in Chhattisgarh, are unanimous over their offensive against Maoists in the "red corridor" of India. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the Centre will intensify counter-insurgency operations against Maoists following the massive loss of CRPF troopers in a gun-battle on Saturday. Though the BJP and the Congress remain national political rivals, the state's Bhupesh Baghel government has reinforced the same view as that of Shah. Eighteen CRPF troopers had been missing after five security personnel were killed and 30 others injured on Saturday in a fierce gun-battle with Maoists in a forest near the border between Bijapur and Sukma districts in Chhattisgarh. On Sunday, bodies of 17 of the 18 troopers were recovered from the site, taking the toll up to 22. Shah, who visited the state for the first time since he assumed charge as Home Minister in the Narendra Modi government, in a review meeting with the Baghel government, said: "I want to assure the country that this fight will not be stopped, rather it will continue with more intensity till the end. In this fight, our victory is definite in the end." In the same vein, Chief Minister Baghel said the government was determined to set up security forces' strategic camps deeper into Maoist pockets. However, there are some who feel otherwise. Take for example, former Director General of Police of UP, and Assam and Director General, BSF, Prakash Singh, whose book "The Naxalite Movement in India" covers the subject comprehensively. Singh told IANS that both the government and the Maoists need to understand that the last 50 years of violence have not yielded anything. "Both sides can fight this war for another 100 years but it will only result in the loss of lives. It is not a simple law and order problem. Tribals have grievances - real or perceived - which need to be addressed. Some of their misgivings can be dispelled," Singh said. The Maoist movement, many analysts believe, are an outcome of governmental apathy towards tribals, absence of land reforms, abject poverty, prolonged deprivation, unemployment, and overall, lack of good governance. However, Singh said that he is convinced that despite the latest deadly attack against the CRPF, there are still small openings for talks and negotiations. "But for that, both sides have to be sincere about dialogue," he said. The counter-insurgency expert pointed out that in Chhattisgarh, the government has not made any concerted and persistent efforts at peace talks despite several initiatives taken by civil society members. "In Nagaland, the government held talks for 24 years. We can't expect magical results in a few months of talks with Maoists. Conflict resolution is a painful process which requires patience and determination. Unfortunately, neither the Centre nor the state government seems to have the political will for that right now. There is either overconfidence or they are being misguided by the bureaucracy." Peace talks were held between Maoist group, The People's War and the state government of Andhra Pradesh in 2002 at the initiative of a Committee of Concerned Citizens. After three rounds of talks, however, The People's War withdrew. In 2010, the Centre made peace overtures to the Maoists. However, the rebels made the talks conditional upon the government stopping 'Operation Greenhunt', withdrawal of all paramilitary forces, release of Maoist leaders from jail, and removal of the ban on the outfit and its entities. As a result, the government took an offensive turn. In the last few years, journalist-turned-activist Shubhranshu Choudhary has been running a campaign for peace and dialogue. Tribals have responded positively to his various initiatives. An 11-day peace march was recently organised from Abujmarh in Narayanpur district. Around 150 tribals from Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Telangana walked 222kms and concluded the march in Raipur on March 22. Choudhary told IANS that the Saturday attack is all the more reason for the government to have peace talks with the Maoists. "The ping pong of violence has been going on for far too long here and only the poor are suffering," he said. However, Maoists have repeatedly issued death threats against Choudhary, accusing him of working for corporations and dubbing him as the enemy of tribals. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2020 Lagos East Senatorial District bye-election, Babatunde Gbadamosi, has asked poli... The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2020 Lagos East Senatorial District bye-election, Babatunde Gbadamosi, has asked politicians to stop pouring empty encomiums on the late activist and columnist, Yinka Odumakin. Gbadamosi said instead of the outpouring of tributes in honour of the late vocal activist, politicians including the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.); All Progressives Congress chieftain, Bola Tinubu; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; should address the issues raised by the late Odumakin. Gbadamosi, also former governorship candidate in the 2019 governorship election in Lagos State, stated this on Monday. Odumakin, who was the spokesman for pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, died on Saturday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Covid Isolation Centre. Gbadamosi described the late Afenifere spokesman as a great asset to Nigeria and humanity. He said, Mr Odumakin was a huge source of inspiration to those of us who are younger in terms of the Nigerian riddle and in terms of how to situate the Yoruba condition appropriately within the Nigerian conundrum. Unfortunately for all of us, God has decided that he had impacted enough, he had given enough of himself to us and it is time for the rest of us to carry the baton. He will be very missed. He was a great asset to Nigeria and to humanity but most especially to the Yoruba Nation. He will be very missed by all. The PDP chieftain also expressed his sympathy to the wife of the late activist, Mrs Joe Okei-Odumakin, adding that she will now have to speak for herself and her late husband in matters of governance. His lovely wife is still very much with us and suffice is to say that she is a very powerful voice in her own right when it comes to human rights issues. I am not necessarily saying that Mrs Odumakin will wear her husbands shoes but now she will have to speak for two for herself and for her late husband, he said. Gbadamosi slammed politicians showering encomiums on the late Afenifere spokesman, saying Odumakin would have described their tributes as hypocrisy were he to be alive. If they really want to pay tributes to him, they will address the issues that he raised besides just pouring empty encomiums that Mr Odumakin himself will have called hypocrisy. They (Politicians) should address the issues of true democracy, injustice, inequality, nepotism, dishonesty in public office, manipulation of the process, corruption in the entire political and administrative process in Nigeria. These are issues that Mr Odumakin raised all his life. These were things he fought for before he died. He fought for the enthronement of his entire life but the democracy he fought for has now been corrupted by some persons who now come out to pour encomiums on him, the ex-governorship candidate stated. Married to a fellow rights activist, Joe, in 1997, Odumakins voice was heard through the dark years of military despotism. Odumakin played a major role in the National Democratic Coalition that fought the regime of late military head of state, General Sani Abacha, after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election. As Afenifere spokesman, Odumakin spoke tenaciously for the rights of the Yoruba and the people of the South-West geopolitical zone. The late Afenifere spokesman, amongst other things, canvassed the ideas of restructuring, fiscal federalism, decentralised policing as solutions to the countrys socio-economic challenges. Just before his death, he consistently condemned the activities of criminal Fulani herdsmen, who have been accused of farmland destruction, rape, killings and abductions in the South-West. MEDFORD, Ore. Some sharp-eyed NewsWatch 12 viewers spotted the Boeing C-32 typically known as "Air Force Two" parked at the Rogue Valley International Medford-Airport over the weekend. Here's what we know about what it was doing there. According to Airport Director Jerry Brienza, the plane landed and took on fuel, then took off, landed again, and then departed. Brienza did not know the exact nature of the visit, though said it was likely a routine training mission. Examples of a routine mission could be to train a new pilot to use various navigational programs the airport uses. If Medford is on a list for a potential visit in the future, it could be that the plane landed so people could get a closer look at the facility. Federal officials do not need to notify the airport ahead of time when planning a landing. They will often work with air traffic control if they need to land, such as when Kingsley Field sends jets over to perform touch-and-go operations. All that said, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, made an appearance in Eugene on Monday. He was scheduled to tour a vaccination site on Monday afternoon, followed by a roundtable discussion on pandemic needs. According to other reports, he's scheduled to visit Yakima, Washington on Tuesday. As of Monday evening, no sources had confirmed whether Emhoff was traveling on Air Force Two for the visit to Eugene. Vice President Harris was in Oakland, California on Monday, accompanying Governor Gavin Newsom in a tour of a water treatment facility to promote the administration's infrastructure proposal. An international campaign led by the Government of Canada aims to highlight the positive impact of migration on communities around the world. Canada recognizes the contribution of migrants and refugees in global campaign Canada recognizes the contribution of migrants and refugees in global campaign An international campaign led by the Government of Canada aims to highlight the positive impact of migration on communities around the world. Canada recognizes the contribution of migrants and refugees in global campaign An international campaign led by the Government of Canada aims to highlight the positive impact of migration on communities around the world. Canada recognizes the contribution of migrants and refugees in global campaign An international campaign led by the Government of Canada aims to highlight the positive impact of migration on communities around the world. Alexandra Miekus Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A As part of a new global campaign called It Takes a Community, Canada is highlighting the many positive ways that migrants can impact local communities. The initiative, which is supported by the Canadian government and various other national and local governments, businesses, youth networks and civil society actors, focuses on migrants and other community members who contribute to building stronger societies, especially during the current pandemic. Launched on March 29, It Takes A Community brings together a range of voices from many sectors and is described as a global movement that calls on people from all walks of life, including migrants and refugees, to submit authentic and positive stories of how they work to strengthen their communities. The goal of the campaign is to counter misinformation and anti-immigrant sentiment, combat the rise of discrimination, hate speech and xenophobia around the world by celebrating how everyone, no matter where they were born, can contribute to the betterment of their community. Find Out if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration Worldwide awareness campaign on the positive impact of migration Recent times have seen inaccurate and harmful narratives about migrants rise worldwide, a challenge that has become even more urgent in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign website says. Now more than ever, it is important for us to come together to ensure that everyone receives the support and protection they need for communities to build back better from COVID-19. Over the next 12 months, the campaign will spread stories about how migration can enrich lives. People everywhere are invited to join the movement by sharing their personal stories on social media using the hashtag #ItTakesaCommunity, and by taking positive steps toward inclusion and diversity. Anyone interested in playing a larger role in the project can also access a digital toolkit with templates, customizable content, and sample messages to raise awareness about the positive effects of migration on their community. The toolkit is available in English and French for now but will be made available in multiple languages on the campaign website. It is important to recognize the many ways that migrants and refugees are giving back and contributing positively to their communities, both in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, said Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in the press release. By sharing their stories and speaking up about how our countries, cities and organizations are stronger when we come together, we can all play a role in this campaign to push back against discrimination and create more welcoming and inclusive communities for all. Canada selects immigrants on the basis of economic contribution and humanitarian needs, as well as for family reunification. Canada sets targets for the number of immigrants it receives in each immigration category. These targets are set in consultation with the general public, various community and business organizations, provinces and territories, and settlement support groups. The target for 2021 is to admit 401,000 immigrants. Of these, approximately 60 per cent will come to Canada as economic immigrants, helping to support Canadas economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Find Out if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. The Publix grocery chain was selected to receive distribute nearly a quarter of Florida's coronavirus vaccines a week after it donated $100,000 to a PAC supporting Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, according to a "60 Minutes" report. The contract allowed Publix to bill Medicare $40 per shot. The Publix deal was one of several the program highlighted that alleged political funds and favours were traded for access to the vaccine. Another example of alleged "pay to play" with the coronavirus vaccine occurred in the city of Palm Beach, Florida. Read more The city - which is home to primarily wealthy individuals and leans heavily Republican - was granted 1,000 doses of the vaccine early from a limited supply. Poorer communities, in particular those comprised of people of colour who have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus when compared to white people, had to wait much longer before vaccines were available. Local news stories reported that wealthy GOP donors were given first access to the vaccines, and that Publix was allowed to decide where it would focus its distribution efforts. The state's Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried reported that nearly ever member over 65 of a wealthy Key Largo group - the Ocean Reef Club - received vaccinations by mid-January. The group's members are primarily GOP donors. If this isnt public corruption, I dont know what is, Ms Fried said at a press conference. Florida Democratic Congressman Charlie Crist called the reports "appalling." Mr DeSantis has strongly condemned the report and denied any kind of special access was given to GOP donors. Sharyn Alfonsi, a 60 Minutes correspondent, confronted Mr DeSantis about the allegations during a press conference captured on CNN. "Publix, as you know, donated $100,000 to your campaign," Ms Alfonsi said to Mr DeSantis on the program. "And then you rewarded them with the exclusive rights to distribute the vaccination in Palm Beach..." "First, of all what you're saying is wrong," he said, interrupting. "How is that not pay for play?" Ms Alfonsi asked. "That's a fake narrative," Mr DeSantis said. "I met with the county mayor, I met with the administrator, I met with all the folks at Palm Beach County and I said, 'Here's some of the options: We can do more drive-thru sites, we can give more to hospitals, we can do the Publix.' And they said, 'We think that would be the easiest thing for our residents." 60 Minutes received some criticism for editing part of the exchange between Ms Alfonsi and Mr DeSantis. Viewers who had been at the press conference pointed out that the segment left out a chunk of discussion in which Mr DeSantis explained how the Publix deal came to be. "First of all, the first pharmacies that had [the vaccine] were CVS and Walgreens and they had a long-term care mission, so they were going to the long-term care facilities. They got the vaccine in the middle of December, they started going to the long-term care facilities the third week in December to do LTCs,' Mr DeSantis told Ms Alfonsi. "So that was their mission, that was very important and we trusted them to do that. As we got into January, we wanted to expand the distribution points. So yes, you had the counties, you had some drive-thru sites, you had hospitals that were doing a lot, but we wanted to get it into communities more," he said. "So we reached out to other retail pharmacies: Publix, Walmart, obviously CVS and Walgreens had to finish that mission and we said we're going to use you as soon as you're done with that,' Mr DeSantis said. The governor claimed Publix was the "first one to raise their hand" to say they were ready to distribute the vaccine. Publix also rejected the claims. "The irresponsible suggestion that there was a connection between campaign contributions made to Governor DeSantis and our willingness to join other pharmacies in support of the state's vaccine distribution efforts is absolutely false and offensive,' the company said. 'We are proud of our pharmacy associates for administering more than 1.5 million doses of vaccine to date and for joining other retailers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to do our part to help our communities emerge from the pandemic." Panacea Biotec on Monday said it has entered into an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to produce 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V in India annually. Production of Sputnik V at Panacea Biotec sites will help facilitate global supply of Sputnik V to international partners of RDIF, the New-Delhi based company said in a release. Panacea Biotec has production facilities at Baddi (Himachal Pradesh), Lalru (Punjab) and Delhi. Sputnik V, the human adenoviral vector-based platform vaccine candidate developed by Russia's Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, was registered by the Ministry of Health of Russia on August 11, 2020. "Efficacy of Sputnik V is 91.6 per cent as confirmed by the data published in the Lancet, one of the world's oldest and most respected medical journals," the release said. Also read: Zydus' COVID-19 drug shows promise in Phase 3 trials; seeks DCGI nod The vaccine uses two different vectors for the two shots in a course of vaccination, providing immunity with a longer duration than vaccines using the same delivery mechanism for both shots, it claimed. As the storage temperature range of the vaccine is 2-8 degree Celsius, it can be stored in conventional refrigerator without any need to invest in additional cold-chain infrastructure. "Vaccine partnerships are the only way to overcome the pandemic...Cooperation with Panacea Biotec is an important step to produce the vaccine in India and to supply our international partners around the world," RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev said. Panacea Biotec MD Rajesh Jain said the company will produce Sputnik V in its internationally accredited facilities, complying to strict GMP (good manufacturing practice) standards and prequalified by WHO. In September 2020, Dr Reddy's had partnered with RDIF to conduct the clinical trials of Sputnik V, and for its distribution rights in India. The company has sought emergency use authorisation for the vaccine, but was reportedly denied authorisation last week by the Drug Controller General of India's Subject Expert Committee, which sought additional data on the stability of the vaccine. RDIF has also partnered other Indian pharma companies like Stelis Biopharma, Gland Pharma and Virchow Biotech Private Limited for production of Sputnik V. Also read: Dr Reddy's expects India to approve Sputnik V in next few weeks Indian actor Allu Arjun has been busy with the shooting of his upcoming action thriller film Pushpa. The actor seems to have taken a break from his busy schedule as he can be seen on vacation with his family in the Maldives, to celebrate his son, Allu Ayaan's birthday. Allu Arjun and his wife Sneha Reddy also seem to have been joined by their friends and extended family for the vacay as is evident via their Instagram handles. Actor Allu Arjun will also be celebrating his own birthday in the Maldives on April 8. Arjun shared a few Instagram posts on the occasion of his son's birthday. The actor shared a photo with his wife and two kids in which Allu Arjun's son can be seen cutting the cake for his birthday. The actor shared the post with the caption, "Many many happy returns of the day to my sweetest baby babu Ayaan . Your the love of my life. Wish u many more beautiful years to come . Love Nana . #alluayaan #allufamily". Allu Arjun's photos from the Maldives also featured his beach party gang for whom he wrote the caption, "Ayaan Birthday Fam Jam". Take a look at his posts below. More photos from Allu Arjun's Maldives vacation Allu Arjun and his wife Sneha Reddy have been sharing a number of photos on their Instagram stories from their fun vacation as well. Sneha also shared an adorable post for their son's seventh birthday on her Instagram handle with the caption, "#happybirthday #7Ayaan sweetest most affectionate child Love u". Take a look at some of the stories and posts below. Allu Arjun's movies - latest updates On the work front, Allu Arjun will be seen in the upcoming action thriller film Pushpa in the titular role. Apart from Allu Arjun, the film stars Fahadh Faasil and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles while Jagapathi Babu, Prakash Raj, Dhananjay, and Sunil play supporting roles. Allu Arjun's movies include Varudu, Vedam, Race Gurram, Duvvada Jagannadham and more. The actor was last seen in the film, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. Pushpa's release date is scheduled for August 13, 2021. The film will be released in Telugu along with dubbed versions in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Kannada languages. The makers of the upcoming film recently shared a 'prelude' of the upcoming film's titular character Pushparaj. The prelude comes just days before the birthday of actor Allu Arjun. Take a look at the video below. Image source - Allu Arjun Instagram Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Marion, North Carolina--(Newsfile Corp. - April 5, 2021) - Greene Concepts Inc. (OTC Pink: INKW) is delighted to announce the addition of Amy McNally who joins the company's leadership team in the role of Vice President of Marketing and Regulatory Affairs. She will oversee all marketing, creative, and business development activities for Greene Concepts with a focus on deepening brand awareness and consumer engagement. Be Water - Be Mindful To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6717/79394_5be54ea8b4ccd81b_002full.jpg Ms. McNally brings 15 years of leadership experience in the Marketing and Public Relations space. She is a high-performing, strategic-thinking marketing professional with experience and a proven track record of planning and executing a full range of internal, external, and media relations programs aligned to the business strategies of public and private entities. Her experience also includes celebrity-endorsed campaign management. Lenny Greene, CEO of Greene Concepts, mentions, "Amy is a valued asset to our team. She harnesses a wealth of knowledge, skill and expertise for our business and is a tremendous asset. Her experience includes: communication management, strategy development and execution, digital and social media, content development, investor relations and many other talents which are a goldmine for our company to help take us to the next level. One of her primary areas of focus is the expansion of our company's distribution network to include e-commerce, retailer opportunities (both large and small), and global partnerships." Be Water - Be Strong To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6717/79394_5be54ea8b4ccd81b_003full.jpg Ms. McNally states, "I am thrilled to join the Greene Concepts management team. I believe the company has a business model that is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the myriad of opportunities that exist in today's beverage market. In my new role, my initial objectives are: 1) develop a distribution strategy for our product portfolio to penetrate the U.S. market, 2) forge a strong supply chain for mass distribution of health-supporting products, 3) maximize company sales through sustainable growth, 4) strengthen shareholder value and ROI through strategic decisions at every level." Nine Be Water Bottles To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6717/79394_5be54ea8b4ccd81b_004full.jpg Amy McNally will serve as the lead officer over the U.S.-based Veteran and non-Veteran Distributorship Programs. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Veteran or non-Veteran Greene Concepts distributor, please email Amy at: Amy@greeneconcepts.com. About Greene Concepts, Inc., Mammoth Ventures, Inc. and Water Club, Inc. Greene Concepts, Inc. (http://www.greeneconcepts.com) is a publicly traded company. Through its recently acquired wholly owned subsidiary, Mammoth Ventures Inc., the Company has entered the specialty beverage and bottling business and is an emerging leader in the global scientifically formulated beverage industry. Through its subsidiary Water Club, Inc., the Company intends to pursue subscription-based delivery of water and scientifically formulated beverages directly to the consumers home and market the convenience of this service through social media affiliate marketing partners. Safe Harbor: This Press Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the company's current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. A more extensive listing of risks and factors that may affect the company's business prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the reports and other documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission and OTC Markets, Inc. OTC Disclosure and News Service. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. CONTACT: Greene Concepts, Inc. Investor Relations IR@greeneconcepts.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/79394 Kim Wall was fearless. The 30-year-old freelancer reported from some of the worlds toughest places -- from Haiti to Uganda to North Korea and focused her keen eye on identity, gender and social justice. She even once, literally, interviewed a vampire or rather, an Atlanta-based antique dealer who drinks the blood of volunteers. But the Swedish national was killed in 2017 on what seemed like a comparatively harmless assignment: interviewing the inventor of a homemade submarine, just miles from her childhood home. In recent years, voices like hers big, bold and female are coming under threat in media around the world. Online harassment of women is on the rise, experts say. And contracting newsrooms mean there are fewer opportunities for women in an already competitive field where as both journalists and story subjects they are in the minority. Its a very real problem and one that the coronavirus pandemic appears to be accelerating says Nadine Hoffman, deputy director at the International Women's Media Foundation. One way the foundation is fighting that is by turning up the volume on bold women journalists through financial relief and grants, including a grant in Wall's name. "The journalists that we support cover all kinds of stories," Hoffman said. "We're an organization that supports the diversity of voices. We're not here to fund reporting that is specifically about women's issues or about gender specifically. Often, however, the reporting that we support does include prominently featuring women's stories, experiences, voices." "I think that every story that we help to tell is in some way a women's story, because women make up half the population," Hoffman added. Among the latest grant recipients is Zimbabwe-born video journalist Bongani Siziba, who spoke with VOA from her base in Johannesburg. "For me, I'm more interested in stories that hardly make it to the media mainstream, especially stories of the girl child, human interest stories," said Siziba, who said she funded her journalism studies by selling sweets on the streets of Johannesburg. And recently I grew to like cultural stories." Thats the focus of her grant project: a deeper look at South African artist Esther Mahlangu, whose large-scale Ndebele cultural paintings have wowed the international art scene. These are stories that need to be told, Siziba says. Because women like Mahlangu are multifaceted: in fact, the 85-year-old artists massive, colorful geometric artworks are just part of her lifes work. She also runs a school for young female artists at her home in rural South Africa and teaches them how to navigate life in a society with high rates of violence against women. This story matters, Siziba says. But in these tough times, she can't sell it. "Two weeks after the lockdown started, I received a letter from one of the news agencies I was freelancing for. My contract was terminated," she said. A few weeks later, she lost another contract and was left without any source of income. "I had to rely on just going out there doing a story and not knowing who Ill sell the story to. So it has been very hard and we're still going, I don't know how. But COVID-19 has totally changed everything, especially in the media space. For us women, it has been tough," Siziba said. Siziba was one of three women awarded the Kim Wall Memorial Fund grants in 2021. Italian reporter Stefania D'Ignoti who covers migration, and Bhavya Dore, from Mumbai, also received funding for their work. Global problem The pandemic-related economic duress is recent, but the barriers women face in journalism are age-old. Consider, say Hoffman and her colleague, Charlotte Fox, the media's reaction to Wall's death, which was ruled a murder. "I mean, she got on a submarine to have an interview with a submarine builder and people acted like she had done something completely inappropriate, as a solo female reporter going to meet her source," Fox said. She cited a podcast in which the hosts expressed disbelief that Wall would take the assignment. They were actually laughing that a woman would get on a submarine to interview this guy -- and she shouldn't have done that and all of this would be prevented, Hoffman added. This victim-blaming narrative, Fox said, can be explained in one word: misogyny. While the foundation has documented a number of setbacks to women journalists around the world, another trend is particularly worrying. Online vitriol appears to be rising, especially as more people move their lives online under pandemic restrictions. "We have seen an uptick in misogyny and anti-women rhetoric in online spaces as our lives have basically migrated entirely to those online spaces, Hoffman told VOA. And especially in the U.S. for example, around last year's election, I think that the rhetoric about, you know, women journalists -- in particular the rhetoric that came from then-President Trump towards women who were, for example, covering his administration -- was completely reprehensible." Trump has a tense relationship with media asking tough questions. In his last year in office, he told a PBS Newshour reporter "Be nice. Don't be threatening" when she asked a probing question, and told a CBS News reporter she had a "nasty tone." Such anti-press rhetoric from world leaders is amplified online. A recent report into the intense trolling of Maria Ressa in the Philippines found online attacks spiked and echoed President Rodrigo Duterte's comments on the award-winning journalist and her outlet, Rappler. Groups like the IWMF are trying to reverse that trend through supporting female journalists. We are hopeful that we are now entering a new area where there will be respect, and that this online violence, we can stand up and say, This is not acceptable and this has to stop, said Hoffman. In a world dominated by high-frequency data, some numbers still matter more than others. At the start of every week, Mints Plain Facts section will now feature five key data releases that you must keep an eye ondata that help you make sense of where the economy and markets are headed. From the announcement of policy rate of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to mutual fund (MF) flows, this week promises to be a data-rich one. Here are the five big numbers you should track: RBIs policy rate Repo rate is the interest rate at which RBI gives overnight loans to banks. It acts as the floor for short-term lending rates and shapes the economys yield curve. Starting 5 April, RBIs monetary policy committee (MPC) will deliberate on what the right policy rate should be and pronounce its verdict on Wednesday morning. The MPC meeting comes at a time when rising bond yields in the US have triggered outflows from emerging markets. India has been attracting equity inflows, but bond investors have been selling. Apart from the attraction of higher yields abroad, growing debt levels and the threat of inflation have made bond investors in India jittery. Inflation eats into the real (inflation-adjusted) returns of bond holders. However, India is not the only country facing negative real rates. Most central banks have allowed real rates to dip into negative territory, with the aim of fuelling growth. Manufacturing PMI The manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) to be released by IHS Markit on 5 April is a weighted average of five indices: new orders (30%), output (25%), employment (20%), suppliers delivery times (15%), and stocks of purchases (10%), and is based on monthly surveys of businesses across the globe. Among the most widely tracked gauges of economic activity worldwide, a PMI reading above 50 indicates an expansion in manufacturing activity, whereas a reading below 50 indicates a contraction. Indias manufacturing PMI has stayed well above the 50 mark since September last year, after having plummeted to 27.4 in April in the wake of covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown. Among emerging markets, only Brazil was ahead of India on this count in February. The latest numbers will tell us whether the manufacturing momentum has continued despite the renewed surge in covid-19 cases in the country. Auto sales Data on automobile dispatches from factories will be released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) later this week. So far, the recovery has been uneven in the auto sector. Sales of passenger cars and three-wheelers have been lacklustre, while growth in sales of two-wheelers and tractors have been more promising. In February, car sales were marginally below the year-ago levels even as two-wheeler sales rose 12% over the year-ago period. The pick-up in demand for cars is slow because consumers are still reluctant to purchase big-ticket items, such as houses and cars, survey data suggest. The latest numbers will tell us whether the two-speed recovery in the sector continues or whether car sales have begun recovering. Fund flows Since July last year, domestic equity funds have been seeing outflows. However, this has slowed down over the past few months. March figures are set to be released on 8 April by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi). Indian equity indices have been resilient throughout the covid-19 pandemic despite the lack of MF inflows, partly because of foreign flows and partly because of direct buying by retail investors, who are increasingly seeking to invest in markets on their own. Domestic institutional investors, such as insurance and pension funds, have used the stock market boom as an opportunity to book profits, drying up another source of inflows into MF funds. However, these trends may be changing. If outflows continue to taper and MFs start seeing net inflows, it will be a big relief for equity markets at a time when foreign investment flows have become uncertain. IPO subscription IT has been raining initial public offerings (IPOs) over the past few months. IPOs allow private companies to offer their shares to public investors for the first time and get listed on bourses. A buoyant stock market has led to a boom in share sales. Real estate firms, battered by the pandemic, have largely been missing in action. Of the 40 IPOs in the past six months, only two have been by real estate companies. This week, a third, Macrotech Developers Ltd (earlier Lodha Developers), is entering the fray. Of the two other real estate firms to have listed in recent months, Veer Global received favourable response from investors, was oversubscribed several times, and saw a small bump on listing day. In contrast, Brookfield India saw lower subscription and faced negative returns on listing. Which way will Lodha Developers go? Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The mystery surrounding the death of an aspiring Turkish actress has led to speculation from her friends that she may be been poisoned, with investigating police calling her death 'suspicious'. The lifeless body of Sukriye Bulgurcu, 28, was found dead inside her home with the door locked from the inside. She was discovered by her friends after they broke down the door to her home in the district of Kucukcekmece in the north-western Turkish province of Istanbul on Friday. The lifeless body of Sukriye Bulgurcu, 28 (pictured left and right), was found dead inside her home with the door locked from the inside Expert teams from both the District Police Department and the Public Security Branch conducted an investigation at Sukriye's flat. According to the report of local news site Hurriyet, the door of the flat was locked from the inside. This showed that there was nobody other than Sukriye in the house. Also, there was no sign of a struggle in the flat. There were also no bruises or wounds on the body of the young woman, intensifying the mystery further. No drugs were found in the investigation at the house either. Investigators are treating Sukriye's death as 'suspicious'. However, in a series of cryptic social media posts reported by local media outlets, some of her friends have claimed that she could have been poisoned. They have suggested that the budding actress may have fallen ill after eating food she ordered the evening prior to her death. The cause of death of the young woman will be revealed after a detailed autopsy. that is currently being undertaken. According to the news of Gazete Duvar, it was learned that Sukriye, who was from Hatay, left her hometown and came to Istanbul in 2013 to study acting. She regularly shared images of her glamorous lifestyle, while paying homage to some of her favourite pieces of cinema, such as Scarface. Sukriye was discovered by her friends in her home in the district of Kucukcekmece in the north-western Turkish province of Istanbul on Friday, April 2. Pictured: Sukriye (right) sits at a table with some friends Expert teams from both the District Police Department and the Public Security Branch conducted an investigation at Sukriye's flat. According to the report of local news site Hurriyet, the door of the flat was locked from the inside, sparking an investigation into the mystery surrounding her death Gazete Duvar reported that Sukriye got trained in acting at the Mujdat Gezen Theater Center, one of Turkey's most prestigious theatre schools, right after she graduated from the Film and Television Department of Kadir Has University. Sukriye's body was brought to the Cemetery Complex in her hometown, Hatay, after the autopsy, to be buried by her family and friends. Sukriye was buried in Antakya Asri Cemetery on April4, after the funeral prayer was performed there, as her grief stricken mother reportedly was unable stand. She is survived by three siblings and her parents. (Natural News) A federal appeals court judge in Washington used his dissent in a defamation case to call for libel laws to be revised. Circuit Judge Laurence Silbermans dissent came in a 2-1 decision to throw out a case filed by two Liberian government officials against Global Witness, an environmental and human rights group. The officials argued that a Global Witness report implied their acceptance of bribes. But the majority opinion said that Global Witness was protected by the actual malice precedent of the 1964 Supreme Court decision in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. Silberman said the groups support for its claims was so flimsy it should not have been protected under the Supreme Courts landmark libel ruling. He went on to say that the Supreme Court should overturn its actual malice precedent altogether, claiming that this protection allows major media corporations and newspapers to cast false aspersions on public figures with near impunity. The conservative judge said the press often manufactures scandals involving political conservatives. (Related: Yes, its time to change Americas libel laws to stop the deliberate lies and false smears pushed by left-wing journalists.) Former President Donald Trump made similar accusations and suggested libel laws should be opened up to make it easier to sue media outlets. Journalists have faced increasing scrutiny about inaccuracies and the high occurrence of fake news. With breaking news being delivered in a tweet or a Facebook post, it is easier now more than ever for journalists to simply get it wrong. Silberman warns liberal control of the media can thwart democracy In his dissent, Silberman said the New York Times and the Washington Post are virtually Democratic Party broadsheets, while the news section of the Wall Street Journal leans in the same direction. He added that the major television outlets and Big Tech social media companies were similarly biased. (Related: Facebook to push more left-wing FAKE NEWS by flagging real news as fake.) Silberman said the increasingly left-wing nature of the mainstream media is a threat to American democracy. One-party control of the press and media is a threat to a viable democracy, he said. Silberman also noted its not all that good for [one] man and his son Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch to control Fox News, the New York Post, and the Wall Street Journal editorial page. He questioned how long they could hold out. After all, there are serious efforts to muzzle Fox News, Silberman said without elaborating. He ended his treatise with a warning that democracy could be thwarted by liberal control of the media. The first step taken by any potential authoritarian or dictatorial regime is to gain control of communications, particularly the delivery of news, he said. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas criticizes New York Times Co. v. Sullivan Silberman is not the first judge to take aim at New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. In 2019, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas called for the decision to be reconsidered as having no basis in the Constitution. Thomas criticized the landmark decision in a concurring opinion after the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by one of Bill Cosbys accusers, Katherine McKee. The First Circuit dismissed McKees lawsuit, finding that she voluntarily thrust herself into the public eye becoming a limited-purpose public figure and inviting public scrutiny to the credibility of her allegations. Applying the New York Times Co. v. Sullivan standard, a limited-purpose public figure cannot recover under a defamation claim without clear and convincing evidence of actual malice. Thomas described the New York Times Co. v. Sullivan standard as almost impossible to satisfy as it relates to the classification of limited-purpose public figures and public figures. If the Constitution does not require public figures to satisfy an actual-malice standard in state-law defamation suits, then neither should we, Thomas argued. He contended that the rule defined in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan is largely a judge-made rule of law. The New York Times Co. v. Sullivan started with an advertisement that appeared in the New York Times in 1960 titled Heed Their Rising Voices. It discussed the mass demonstrations of African Americans occurring throughout the south and the resistance they faced from officials. Lester Bruce L.B. Sullivan, the police commissioner of Montgomery, Alabama at the time, sued the newspaper for publishing the advertisement. He said that the advertisement made false claims about the treatment of African Americans in the state. A unanimous high court said the plaintiffs failed to show the newspaper acted with actual malice. Follow NYTWatch.com to learn more about the fake news being propagated by the New York Times and the mainstream media. Sources include: BigLeaguePolitics.com Bloomberg.com AmericanBar.org A man was rushed to hospital with head injuries after he was viciously beaten by five thugs inside a kebab shop. Footage of the sickening attack was captured on CCTV about 1am on Monday at the fast food outlet in Fremantle, in Perth, Seven News reported. The shirtless man aged in his 20s was seen lying on the floor of the shop as he was savagely punched and kicked multiple times. He desperately tried to protect his head and at one stage he was seen crawling along the floor to the back of the shop to escape the violence. A man was savagely punched and kicked inside a Fremantle kebab shop about 1am on Monday But he was chased down and repeatedly attacked. A witness who attempted to come to the man's aid also came under attack, with a total of six men and one woman requiring treatment after being caught up in the violence. A woman could be heard yelling out 'that's enough, that's enough, that's enough'. The five thugs were earlier involved in a separate incident at a nearby licensed premises, where a man and a woman were attacked. The quintet fled the scene and remain on the run. The injured man was discharged from hospital a short time after being admitted. Police have not made any arrests or laid any charges. (CNN) A familiar scene is taking place across India. In large cities, hospital beds are filling up with Covid-19 patients. Warehouses, unused trains and large public spaces are being converted into makeshift treatment centers. And restrictions are clamping back down, with new lockdowns in place. India has plunged into its second wave -- and this time, with new variants, fatigue setting in among the population, and several massive religious gatherings taking place, it threatens to be worse than the first one. The country recorded 103,558 new cases on Monday, according to the Indian Ministry of Health -- the highest single-day figure since the beginning of the pandemic. The previous record high had been in September last year, with nearly 98,000 cases in a day during the peak of the first wave. Daily cases had gradually fallen by nearly 90% to reach about 9,000 cases a day in mid-February -- which was hailed as a sign that the country had controlled its outbreak. But cases began rising again in early March. Now, less than two months later, daily cases have jumped more than tenfold. "There is a shortage of private beds and beds in major government setups," said Deepak Baid, president of the Association of Medical Consultants in Mumbai. "Because beds aren't available, actually many patients are still in home quarantine, patients are getting admitted in non-Covid hospitals when they are positive." Monday's figures raise the country's total since the beginning of the pandemic to more than 12.5 million cases and 165,000 related deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. "Covid cases in India are rising very sharply at this time, very different from a year ago when the rate of increase seemed a lot less rapid," said Ramanan Laxminarayan of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy in New Delhi. One major difference is that when the first wave began rising in late spring last year, the country was just emerging from a months-long lockdown that had closed state borders, shut down national travel, and brought businesses to a halt. The stringent lockdown and gradual, phased easing of restrictions "significantly slowed" the infections, said Laxminarayan -- which is "not the case now." There are some factors that could help lessen the impact this time around: the medical infrastructure is better prepared now, and staff have experience on their side, which could lower the mortality rate even if the case rate increases. The country's vaccination program is also underway, with two vaccines approved for use. And in big cities that have been hard hit before, like Delhi and Mumbai, people who have already been infected before may have some natural immunity. But still, Laxminarayan said, "that is not going to be sufficient to prevent a second wave of cases." Lockdowns and curfews Authorities rushed to reimpose restrictions over the weekend in hard-hit states. The western state of Maharashtra is the main concern, accounting for nearly 60% of all of India's new cases over the last two weeks, officials said. And eight of the top ten worst-affected districts nationwide are in Maharashtra, including its capital, Mumbai. The entire state will undergo new restrictions starting Monday, including a daily evening curfew and strict weekend lockdowns, announced state cabinet minister Nawab Malik on Sunday. Public spaces like parks, shopping malls, cinemas and religious centers are closed until further notice, and all restaurants can only serve take-out. Several other states have also seen the virus spread in recent weeks, including Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Punjab. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting on Sunday to discuss the rise in infections, according to a news release by his office. He urged states and authorities to "avoid mortality under all circumstances" by "ramping up" equipment and infrastructure, like oxygen availability and ventilators in hospitals. Modi also directed a team of public health specialists to be sent to Maharashtra, instructing hard-hit states to take action so that "the collective gains of Covid-19 management in the country in the last 15 months are not squandered," said the release. There are several reasons Maharashtra has seen such a dramatic spike, said Randeep Guleria, director at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. As one of the country most populated cities, with about 18.3 million residents, public spaces are often crowded. It's also an industrial and transport hub, home to international businesses and many migrant workers, meaning there is frequent movement in and out of the state. Maharashtra also has a high level of statewide testing and a good health system, which could mean it's better at detecting cases than in other parts of the country, said Laxminarayan. "You see this consistently, that states with better health systems and with more urbanized populations will see more Covid cases," he said. And across India, the winter success, vaccine rollout and sense of fatigue have culminated in a dangerous complacency, said Oommen Kurian, senior fellow and head of health initiative at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. Authorities became less alert, people went out more, and the public were looser with precautions such as social distancing and mask wearing. All this comes as the government races to meet its vaccination goals. India began its rollout in January, pledging to administer 600 million shots by August. So far, nearly 76 million doses have been administered, with less than 1% of the country's 1.3 billion population fully vaccinated, according to Johns Hopkins University. "With all this discussion of vaccines and India's role as a major producer, many people think that the virus is losing the battle, and are letting their guard down," Kurian said. "Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case." Major gatherings and new variants Experts warn that cases may balloon in the coming weeks, due to a number of large gatherings and congregations in several states. The largest and most well-known is the Kumbh Mela, one of the most important Hindu celebrations. The largest religious pilgrimage on Earth, it's taking place this year in the city of Haridwar, in Uttarkhand state. Daily attendance is estimated to reach up to one million people on "regular" days, and up to five million visitors on "auspicious" days. State and federal authorities have already taken measures to help contain the risk -- visitors must register online and provide a negative Covid-19 test to participate in the holy baths in the Ganges River. Thousands of officers have been deployed for security and surveillance during the festival, with the public urged to follow precautions and wear masks. But experts and medical workers worry that it may not be enough to prevent a spike in cases. After all, most people take off their masks when they dip into the sacred waters, and photos show crowds packed tightly together during evening prayers and other ceremonies. There are also state elections taking place across the country for legislative assemblies, local bodies and both houses of parliament. Many political figures have hit the campaign trail to hold rallies, often speaking to crowds of people packed together. On Saturday, a day before his Covid-19 meeting with federal officials, Prime Minster Modi attended a rally in Tamulpur, in northeastern Assam state, campaigning for his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Videos posted on Modi's social media accounts show hundreds, if not thousands, of attendees clapping and cheering, many without masks. All large gatherings -- not just religious or political ones -- are "at risk of being super-spreader events," said Laxminarayan, who pointed to massive weddings that have also taken place. Finally, scientists and authorities are keeping their eye on new variants, which have been emerging around the world. More than 770 cases of "variants of concern" have been identified in India as of late March, according to the country's health ministry. Variants are "the big unknown," and scientists are still investigating their effects and qualities, said Laxminarayan. The main question now is whether the variants circulating in India are deadlier or more infectious, and if existing vaccines work against them. If any variants can bypass India's vaccines, it could "set up the country for a very challenging situation in the weeks and months ahead." So far, the two vaccines being rolled out in India, Covaxin and Covishield, have proved effective against the variants first detected in the UK and Brazil, according to the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research. Results have not yet been released for other common variants, including the one first detected in South Africa. This story was first published on CNN.com "India reports new record of 103,558 daily Covid cases, as second wave and new lockdowns hit". Intrahealth is a transformational acquisition for the WELL EMR Group as it transitions the business unit from solely providing OSCAR EMR(1) services to being a provider of multiple EMR product offerings in global markets. Intrahealth is an enterprise class EMR provider supporting approximately 15,000 clinicians providing care for millions of patients from small clinics to large health delivery organisations in its global network across Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Over the past 12 months Intrahealth generated approximately $9M in revenues with over 20% in EBITDA margin(2). Over 80% of Intrahealth's revenue is high margin recurring revenue. WELL also anticipates integrating Intrahealth to the apps.health marketplace in the coming months, paving the way for third party app developers to have their digital health applications available on both OSCAR Pro and Intrahealth platforms. VANCOUVER, BC, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL) ("WELL" or the "Company"), a company focused on consolidating and modernizing clinical and digital assets within the healthcare sector, is pleased to announce it has closed the share purchase agreement dated March 7, 2021 with the shareholders of Intrahealth Systems Limited, a New Zealand company ("Intrahealth"), and acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Intrahealth (the "Transaction") for total consideration of approximately $19,250,000. Intrahealth is a provider of enterprise class EMR and clinical healthcare software with customers in Canada, New Zealand and Australia. "We are pleased to welcome the talented Intrahealth team to WELL Health," said Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO of WELL. "We are very excited about this highly complementary and accretive acquisition as it expands WELL into a multi-product EMR company, boosts our digital health revenue, increases our global footprint and creates numerous cross-selling opportunities. This is a transformational acquisition for our WELL EMR Group as it positions WELL as a leading international EMR operator." Founded in New Zealand, and now headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Intrahealth is engaged in the business of providing a suite of flexible software solutions to a wide variety of customers including health authorities, hospitals, public health outpatient centres, community health, home care, ambulatory care and diverse health care professionals. Intrahealth provides highly configurable software solutions that also support mobile platforms and seamless access to virtual care/telehealth solutions. Intrahealth's solutions for hospitals include patient administration system, bed management, waiting list management, enterprise-wide scheduling, case management, medication management, emergency room operations and ward management, among many other features. Intrahealth supports approximately 15,000 healthcare professionals across its global network of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Over the past 12 months, Intrahealth generated more than $9M in revenues with over 20% in EBITDA margin(2). Approximately two-thirds of Intrahealth's revenue is generated in Canada and over 80% of Intrahealth's revenue is high margin recurring revenue. Dr. Mark Matthews, CEO of Intrahealth commented, "We look forward to being a part of the larger WELL Health ecosystem, which enables us to leverage the management, capital allocation and shared services expertise of WELL while continuing to grow and serve our customers. WELL is aligned with our vision of global expansion and provides Intrahealth with additional products and services for our customers." Intrahealth will operate as a stand-alone business within the WELL EMR Group and be operated by its current CEO, Dr. Mark Matthews. Intrahealth's Profile EMR is an integrated practice management and EMR package which will be marketed and sold alongside WELL's OSCAR Pro product. The acquisition is a key milestone for the WELL EMR Group as it expands its addressable market to a previously unrealizable level with the restructuring to a multi-product business unit with customers worldwide. WELL also anticipates integrating Intrahealth to the apps.health marketplace in the coming months, paving the way for third party app developers to have their digital health applications available on both OSCAR Pro and Intrahealth. Transaction Details: WELL paid a purchase price of approximately $19,250,000 to complete the Transaction consisting of: (i) $10,683,750 paid in cash on the closing date, subject to standard closing adjustments; (ii) $3,850,000 paid in 477,667 WELL common shares issued on the closing date at the 5 day volume weighted average trading price prior to the announcement of the Transaction; (iii) a holdback of $866,250 payable by WELL in cash within 90 days after the closing date, subject to a working capital adjustment; and (iv) up to $3,850,000 payable by WELL as a 3-year time-based earn-out payable in cash or WELL common shares at the election of WELL and subject to adjustment based on achievement of annual recurring revenue targets of Intrahealth on a post-closing basis. Toronto based M&A advisory firm WD Capital Markets acted as advisor to Intrahealth and arranged the transaction with WELL. Footnotes: 1. EMR is an acronym for "Electronic Medical Records". OSCAR is an acronym for "Open Source Clinical Application Resource", which is an EMR platform originally developed by McMaster University's Department of Family Medicine. 2. EBITDA is a Non-GAAP measure. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") should not be construed as alternatives to net income/loss determined in accordance with IFRS. EBITDA does not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. The Company believes that EBITDA is a meaningful financial metric as it measures cash generated from operations which the Company can use to fund working capital requirements, service future interest and principal debt repayments and fund future growth initiatives. EBITDA margin is EBITDA as a percentage of total revenue. WELL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES CORP. Per: "Hamed Shahbazi" Hamed ShahbaziChief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director About WELL Health Technologies Corp. WELL is an omni-channel digital health company whose overarching objective is to empower doctors to provide the best and most advanced care possible while leveraging the latest trends in digital health. As such, WELL owns and operates 27 primary healthcare clinics, is Canada's third largest digital Electronic Medical Records (EMR) supplier serving approximately 2,200 healthcare clinics, operates a high-quality telehealth service in Canada and the United States and is a provider of digital health, billing and cybersecurity related technology solutions. WELL is an acquisitive company that follows a disciplined and accretive capital allocation strategy. WELL is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WELL". To access the Company's telehealth service, visit: tiahealth.com, and for corporate information, visit: www.well.company. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including, without limitation: the expectation of Intrahealth being immediately accretive to WELL; the expansion of the business into new markets and globally; the Transaction positioning WELL as a leading international EMR operator; the expectation that Intrahealth will be operated as a stand-alone business under the leadership of Dr. Mark Matthews; and the integration of Intrahealth into the apps.health marketplace. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may", "should", "will", "could", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "anticipate", "expect", "believe" or "continue", or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. WELL's statements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and conditions, many of which are outside of WELL 's control, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding the Transaction, including: that WELL's assumptions in making forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect; adverse market conditions; risks inherent in the primary healthcare sector in general; that future results may vary from historical results; and that market competition may affect the outcome of the Transaction and the business, results and financial condition of WELL following the closing of the Transaction. Except as required by securities law, WELL does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/well-health-completes-acquisition-of-intrahealth--boosting-its-digital-health-saas-revenue-and-expanding-its-emr-business-to-international-markets-301261900.html SOURCE WELL Health Technologies Corp. An illegal street race is being blamed for a crash that killed an 11-year-old girl. The girl was a passenger in a Toyota RAV4 travelling on the US Route 192 in Florida on Friday night (local time) when her car was hit by a Dodge Charger and crashed into the median strip, highway patrol police told Fox 35 Orlando. The Dodge crashed into a sign while a third car, a Kia Optima, was hit by debris. A girl who was a passenger in this Toyota RAV4 has been killed. Source: Florida Highway Patrol Two women in the Toyota were taken to hospital. One was in a serious condition, the other critical. Witnesses claim the Kia and the Dodge were involved in a street race prior to the crash. Florida Highway Patrol tweeted police had been out in force, for the past year, trying to stop what happened last night. This crash was 100 per cent preventable, it tweeted. It's alleged this Dodge Charger and another car had been racing before the crash. Source: Fox 35 Lieutenant Kim Montes told Fox 35 Orlando the family was forever changed. And they did nothing wrong, she said. The drivers of the Dodge and Kia, a 19 and 17-year-old, are yet to be charged. The 19-year-old suffered minor injuries while the other driver was uninjured. An investigation into the crash is ongoing. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. NASHVILLE, Tenn. Tennessees state capitol will light up later this month for sexual assault awareness. The capitol will be lit in teal blue April 16 through 18 in recognition of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Everyone has a role to play in helping us end sexual assault, harassment and abuse, Office of Criminal Justice Programs (OCJP) Director Jennifer Brinkman said. We invite Tennesseans to learn about promoting respect and accountability among our peers, friends and families, which increases personal and community safety. Through OCJP, federal funding is provided to 22 agencies serving survivors of sexual assault throughout the state of Tennessee. In the last year, these agencies provided support to more than 19,900 survivors of sexual assault. The Sexual Assault Center launched the Tennessee Statewide Sexual Assault Hotline in July of last year, with OCJP funding. A division of the Department of Finance & Administration, OCJP functions as a strategic planning agency that secures, distributes, and manages federal and state funds for Tennessee, including Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds and STOP Violence Against Women Program (STOP) funds. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, call 866-811-7473 for support. Text chat is available at www.believehealrise.org. The Los Angeles teachers union is calling on the city district to allow teachers with young children to continue to work from home, until they are provided with subsidized child care. United Teachers of Los Angeles has not made providing child care a condition to return to in-person instruction, and the Los Angeles Unified school district is planning to reopen some elementary schools beginning April 12. LAU closed many of its schools in November and December 2020, amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the area. However, a petition calling on the district to grant waivers for teachers with young children has garnered over 2,000 signatures, saying that LAUs hybrid plan asks educators with children to chooseour children or our job. The ask has worried parents from other districts pushing their own schools to reopen, who contend that additional unions might make additional demands. I support a lot of the things theyre fighting for, but theres a fine line because the moment that it prevents our kids from going back to school, then thats not okay, Moema LeBlanc, a parent with a child in the San Jose school district, told Politico. These have been chronic issues teachers have fought for for years and unfortunately the pandemic became the platform they needed. They know they can use it. The petition for child care for teachers, written by LAU teacher Maya Daniels, acknowledges some concerns regarding the effort. Yes, we know healthcare and essential workers have faced these challenges all year. However, a competition to the bottom is not in any of our best interests, Daniels wrote. It is further important that educatorsnot flood daycares operating at limited capacity for the remainder of the year. These spaces can and should be prioritized for those who absolutely cannot work from home. California districts have struggled to reopen in the midst of the pandemic, with many districts opting for hybrid in-person and remote learning schedules. The California state government passed a plan in early March to offer financial incentives for schools to reopen, however UTLA president Cecily Myart-Cruz condemned the initiative. Story continues If you condition funding on the reopening of schools, that money will only go to white and wealthier and healthier school communities that do not have the transmission rates that low-income Black and brown communities do, Myart-Cruz said at the time. This is a recipe for propagating structural racism and it is deeply unfair to the students we serve. More from National Review A shooting at a packed park in Birmingham, Alabama on Easter Sunday took the life of a 32-year-old woman and hospitalized five other people, including a four-year-old. The shooting occurred in Patton Park at around 7 p.m., according to reports. Alabama Shooting on Easter Sunday Authorities said the shootout sparked from an argument of a group of men amid hundreds of people present in the park, WBRC reported. The 32-year-old woman was found fatally shot in the backseat of a car at the park. The five injured victims with ages ranging from four years old to 21 years old were brought to a hospital, New York Post reported. Authorities said they were already in stable condition. Police said no arrests were made as of late Sunday. Authorities asked the public for help in identifying the individuals involved in the latest Alabama shooting. READ NEXT: Colorado Shooting Leaves 10 Dead, Including a Police Officer Shooting in Alabama's Tuscaloosa County Meanwhile, five people were hurt in a shootout outside a bar in Tuscaloosa county, also in Alabama, on Saturday. Two men were accused of opening fire at Roxy's Bar in Tuscaloosa, according to a Fox 23 News report. Tuscaloosa Police Department spokesperson Stephanie Taylor said the incident happened in the Temerson Square area at around 2:47 a.m. The Temerson Square is located in the downtown area of Tuscaloosa county. Authorities have identified the suspect as Joshua Marquese Coston, 23, and Joe Nathan Brothers Jr., 22. Authorities said that Coston and Brothers started shooting at a group of people with whom they had been involved in an argument earlier in the night outside the bar. These individuals fired back, injuring Coston during the encounter. In a tweet, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said the individuals involved in the shooting were not from the county and must be held accountable. Since 3 a.m., I have been in close contact with TPD regarding the senseless violence in Temmerson Square. Being an ongoing investigation, I am limited in my response; but, the City will demand that these individuals, who are not from Tuscaloosa County, be held accountable. (1/2) Walt Maddox (@WaltMaddox) April 3, 2021 Maddox further noted that they will be working with the business owners and landlords in the area to see what the local government can do to prevent similar situations. Each of the suspects is facing counts of attempted murder, one count of shooting into an occupied building, and three counts of shooting into an unoccupied building. The suspects will also face three counts of shooting into an unoccupied vehicle. A $360,000 bail was set for each man. In 2012, at least 17 people were hurt when a man opened fire at Copper Top Bar, also in Temerson Square. AL.com reported that Coston was already arrested on a capital murder charge in 2016. However, it was dismissed for lack of evidence. The Neighborhood Scout has recorded a total of 156,179 crimes in the state of Alabama in 2019. Among these numbers, 25,046 accounted to be violent crimes, while 131,133 were property crimes. The data also showed that one in 196 people from Alabama has a chance to be a victim of a violent crime. READ MORE: Father Grieves His California Kid's Death Due to a Recent Shooting in Orange County WATCH: 13 Deadliest Shootings in America - From The New York Times Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking to reduce the age for getting COVID-19 vaccination to 25 years. Saying that the second wave of the coronavirus is much stronger than the first wave in the state, Thackeray said Maharashtra is taking up vaccination at a rapid pace and is the number 1 state in the country in terms of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered. "I further request you to lower it (age) to 25, as the states facing the surge are having to place curbs to safeguard the lives of the population. However, if a larger number of our young and working population is vaccinated, the intensity of the cases would be much lower than the treatment that they need today," the Chief Minister said. CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has written to the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi to further lower the age group eligible for vaccination to 25 years old to curb the intensity of the rising cases in the state. pic.twitter.com/tNa2q8oM5P - Office of Uddhav Thackeray (@OfficeofUT) April 5, 2021 India has seen a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the last few weeks. Maharashtra is one of the worst affected states. Of the 1,03,558 cases reported in the country in the preceding 24 hours on Monday morning, Maharashtra contributed 57,074 cases, which is 55.11 per cent of the total cases. On Sunday, the state imposed a fresh set of curbs comprising a weekend lockdown and a night curfew on weekdays to stem the surge in coronavirus cases. Also read: Maharashtra COVID-19 lockdown rules: Restaurants, offices, malls - what's allowed, what's not Thackeray also sought additional vaccine doses, saying the entire population above 45 years of age in the six worst affected districts in the state -- Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nashik, Nagpur and Aurangabad -- can be covered in three weeks if 1.5 crore vaccine doses are made available. As per reports, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also written a letter to the Prime Minister seeking to allow vaccination for all age groups and to expand the number of vaccination centres by relaxing the criteria for such centres and allowing schools and community centres to also be used as vaccination sites. Kejriwal said the entire population of Delhi can be vaccinated in 3 months if the Centre allows vaccination for all and opening of new vaccination centres. Earlier today, the Delhi government also decided to keep vaccination site at all Delhi government hospitals functional for 24 hours everyday to increase the pace of vaccination. In view of the rising cases, the pace of the Covid vaccination has been accelerated. With effect from April 6, vaccination sites in all Delhi Govt hospitals will function for 24x7. Please take proper precautions, and be safe. pic.twitter.com/M0PzLkn3Ci - Satyendar Jain (@SatyendarJain) April 5, 2021 Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain took to Twitter to inform about the decision. Also read: Delhi to launch micro containment zones in areas with 2-3 coronavirus cases South Korean tech giant LG has today announced it will no longer manufacture mobile phones. The bombshell announcement was approved earlier today by the Seoul-based firm's board of directors. LG is the first major smartphone manufacturer to pull out of the mobile sector after years of losses and struggling to grow its share of a saturated market. Resources and staff will be redistributed as part of a global reshuffle following its closure on July 31. LG says it will provide service support and software updates for customers of existing mobile products for a period of time which will vary by region. LG's smartphone division is the smallest of the company's five departments and accounts for about seven per cent of revenue. The company struggled to make a profit for most of the 2010s and could not make a dent in the market dominance of powerhouses Apple and Samsung. Scroll down for video LG is the first major smartphone manufacturer to pull out of the mobile sector after years of losses and struggling to grow its share of a saturated market. Resources and staff will be redistributed as part of a global reshuffle following its closure on July 31 In the US LG accounts for around ten per cent of all devices sold, but has struggled to make any ground up on the two mobile behemoths. LG's current global share is only about two per cent and it shipped 23 million phones last year which compares with 256 million for Samsung, according to research provider Counterpoint. In a statement, LG said exiting the 'incredibly competitive mobile phone sector' will allow it to focus on electric vehicle parts, connected devices and smart homes. Ko Eui-young, an analyst at Hi Investment and Securities, believes it is Samsung who will benefit most from LG's withdrawal. 'In the United States, LG has targeted mid-priced - if not ultra-low - models and that means Samsung, which has more mid-priced product lines than Apple, will be better able to attract LG users,' Eui-young said. LG has also faced increasing competition from a host of new companies which pitch devices at a similar price point, further diminishing its market share. LG says it will provide service support and software updates for customers of existing mobile products for a period of time which will vary by region In the US LG accounts for around ten per cent of all devices sold, but has struggled to make any ground up on the two mobile behemoths Apple and Samsung For example, outside of North America the most successful region for LG was Latin America, where it was the fifth most popular brand. But it was already being caught by rival Chinese brands such as Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi who are thriving in lower income regions. While other well-known mobile brands such as Nokia, HTC and Blackberry have also fallen from lofty heights, they have yet to disappear completely, making LG the first true fatality of a ferociously competitive industry. In South Korea, LG's smartphone employees will be moved to other parts of the company, while elsewhere decisions on employment will be made at the local level. LG smartphones have been known for out-of-the-box ideas and radical innovations which other companies were reticent to try. However, it left LG in a position of having enough technological and financial might to roll out novel ideas, but not enough brand recognition to make a profit. As a result, it has been six years since the division was profitable, amounting to a total loss of $4.5billion. LG smartphones have been known for out-of-the-box ideas and radical innovations which other companies were reticent to try. However, it left LG in a position of having enough technological and financial might to roll out novel ideas, but not enough brand recognition to make a profit In 2013 LG brought the first ultra-wide angle lens to a phone, now a staple of all devices. Prominent tech reviewer and YouTuber Marques Brownlee tweeted: 'Pour one out for LG Mobile. They're the reason we have ultrawides in every new phone right now. 'They didn't always ace every phone, but losing them means losing a competitor that was willing to try new things, even when they didn't work.' He followed it up by revealing his first ever smartphone was an LG Voyager. But after the early 2010s success of LG phones, its flagship models suffered from both software and hardware mishaps which combined with slower software updates saw the brand steadily slip in favour. It would never recover the ground it lost to Samsung and Apple, despite a host of gimmicks and publicity pushes. In Episode 2, President and CEO of Amplify Additive, Brian McLaughlin, speaks with Jonathan Buckley on the importance of understanding material properties in the development of orthopedic implants using Additive Manufacturing. The pair share insights into which materials are best for different applications and how they consider the technologies, software, and clinical outcomes in the overall development of a project. The team also discusses the key role of materials and why Additive Manufacturing is considered the 4th industrial revolution. The Additive Effect digital series launched in January 2021 and extends the manufacturing and design services that the company provides to the Orthopedics Industry. The podcast is an opportunity for the team at Amplify Additive to share in the ongoing conversations in the world of Additive Manufacturing. Guest speakers weigh in on topics ranging from materials acquisition, clinical relevance, design challenges, customization of parts, patient outcomes, and production. About Jonathan Buckley Jonathan is the Senior AM Applications Manager for Amplify Additive. He supports the team by managing EBM technology in the production of orthopedic and medical devices. He also holds a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters Degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Jonathan has extensive experience in the additive manufacturing field from his prior position at GE Additive. Jonathan joined Arcam EBM as an Applications Engineer. He was responsible for managing customer technical issues North America-wide, holding training courses to teach new and current EBM Users on the technology, and providing technical support for pre-and-post sales activities. Jonathan continued to hold this position before and after GEs acquisition of Arcam EBM and provided EBM knowledge and expertise to GE Additive during his tenure. He now provides this expertise to Amplify Additive. About Amplify Additive Amplify Additive is located in Scarborough, Maine, and uses Electron Beam Melting - a metal 3D printing technology - to create unique orthopedic implants for improved patient outcomes. President and CEO Brian McLaughlin states: Our focus is on optimizing clinical outcomes. Our unique manufacturing process allows our team of industry experts to design, engineer, and create superior products. By taking your project through our rigorous and tested process, we can repeat desired results, time after time, leaving you feeling confident that your product will perform. Listen to the Podcast on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/46HPGw5esJXa58wOzvbWMX Find out more about Amplify Additive at AmplifyAdditive.com | Linkedin | info@amplifyadditive.com Contact: Kristin F. Simmons, Media Relations | media@amplifyadditive.com The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) said it has signed a co-operation agreement with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) on protecting consumers, trademarks, control and inspection of markets within the Masdar City Free Zone. The agreement will enhance cooperation between both sides to set up rules and foundations for commercial protection and expanding its scope. The agreement, which was signed by Rashid Abdul Karim Al Balooshi, Under-Secretary of the Department, and Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, the Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, comes as part of the interest of two parties in promoting the business ecosystem within the free zones in Abu Dhabi. As well as its dealings with local markets, protection of rights and ownership of trademarks and consolidation of inspection and supervision visits to the markets. Al Balooshi stressed the ADDEDs interest in promoting the joint efforts with the free zones authorities in Abu Dhabi to ensure the protection of foreign companies rights and concurrently enhancing consumers trust, which in turn provides a stimulating investment ecosystem across the emirate. He also commended the efforts of the free zone authorities in Abu Dhabi, as well as its keenness to constantly coordinate with all local authorities to ensure the provision of a package of procedures and commercial protection rules under the laws and regulations applicable in the UAE, which in turn enhances its role as a centre for foreign direct investments in the region. Al Ramahi pointed out that Masdar seeks to organise work and supervise markets in the free zone within its jurisdiction, which in turn qualifies it to issue multi-activity commercial and service licences for commercial establishments. As the cooperation agreement with ADDED aims to enhance the integration of roles to ensure the protection of companies rights, trademarks and consumers for creating a competitive environment. Under the agreement, ADDED will address the complaints referred to it from Masdar under the applicable procedures, in addition to receiving all consumer complaints against commercial establishments operating within Masdars free zone, it stated. The agreement also stipulates that in case it is necessary to take administrative action, the ADDED will refer the complaint and recommendations to Masdar to impose the penalties and reconciliation thereof under the schedule of administrative penalties and applicable procedures. Under the agreement, Masdar delegates ADDED to receive all consumer complaints against commercial establishments operating within the free zone in Masdar City, while Masdar applies all procedures of control and seizure under the procedures applicable in the department, especially for counterfeit and forged goods. Furthermore, Masdar is responsible for all necessary procedures against the facilities registered with it to keep them under obligation to change their trade name in case it conflicts with a registered and protected trademark, based on a formal complaint from the owner of the original trademark. It also delegates the departments inspectors to carry out control and inspection processes to detect commercial violations within the scope and jurisdictions of Masdar in Abu Dhabi.-TradeArabia News Service The fashion designer Jonathan Anderson has always valued the relationship between ceramic forms and fashion. In December, he curated an exhibition of ceramics and porcelain by Akiko Hirai, titled Setting a Hare in the China Shop, at the JW Anderson shop in London and, in February, collaborated with the ceramic artists Magdalene Odundo and Shawanda Corbett for the labels fall 2021 collection and presentation. Photographed by Juergen Teller, the project included a series of JW Anderson womens wear looks, still-life images and sketches of Ms. Odundo and Ms. Corbetts ceramics, as well as their portraits, and blankets designed as part of the collaboration. I was really obsessed by this idea of silhouette and form, Mr. Anderson wrote in an email. Working with them and their art was an inspiration and incredible sort of sounding board for me while creating the collection. Vandals in Scotland who sprayed anti-police slogans on a war memorial to those who gave their lives in the Second Boer War have been condemned by a local group. The statue in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Park was daubed with red paint reading 'ACAB!' (All cope are b******s) and 'No peace?'. The statue, which depicts a soldier or army scout, remembers the 131 soldiers of the Highland Light Infantry who died in the Second Boer War between 1899 and 1902. The statue in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Park was sprayed with red graffiti with apparent anti-police slogans Jim Watson, of Friends of Dennistoun War Memorial, said: 'I'm lost for words yet again. 'It's another despicable act by those who don't know any better. 'I honestly don't know what people hope to get out of this, it seems an absolutely pointless act yet a disgusting act.' Last year the group petitioned to have a specific law against desecrating war memorials, similar to one that is being introduced by the Westminster parliament. They wrote on Facebook: 'Yet again we see sickening vandalism to the Boer war memorial in Kelvingrove Park. 'This is why we will be restarting our campaign to 'Protect Scotland's war memorial's' after the Holyrood elections.' The other side of the statue, which has the names of 131 soldiers who died, was written over with a slogan saying 'no peace?' The park's statues have previously been targeted with anti-police messages. A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: 'The graffiti has been reported to the team and they will get it cleaned off as soon as possible.' The discovery came days after protesters gathered in Glasgow as part of the Kill the Bill protests. The proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would give police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, but not in Scotland. Thousands of Kill the Bill activists descended on London (pictured) on Saturday as police braced for a weekend of chaos with rallies taking place in towns and cities across the UK Demonstrators stood on the steps of Glasgow Royal Concert Hall over the weekend. Ten police officers were hurt during clashes at the Kill the Bill protest in London on Saturday with 26 people arrested There appeared to be over 10,000 people at the rally, which was held in a crowded Parliament Square. As more Americans are being vaccinated for COVID-19, it is now possible to study the effectiveness of the vaccines among people engaged in their normal activity and outside of the confines of clinical trials. Research has also revealed the efficacy of the two-dose vaccines after the first and the second vaccines have been administered. While the results are encouraging, it is still important to observe mitigation measures and to become fully vaccinated with both doses. Effectiveness after one dose versus after full vaccination A total of 85.5 million people, or 25.7% of the U.S. population, had received at least one COVID-19 vaccination as of March 26. Additionally, 14.4%, or 46.4 million people, were fully vaccinated with both doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A group considered particularly at risk for infection are those ages 65 and older. In that age range, 73.3% had received at least one vaccine and 43.8% had become fully vaccinated. Johnson & Johnsons Janssen vaccine only requires one dose. Prior to the release of the vaccines to groups as they became eligible, all research on the vaccines effectiveness came from clinical trials. Now, a study has been concluded of first responders, health care workers and essential workers in their usual occupations who had received one or both of the two-dose COVID-19 vaccines. Individuals in these groups were chosen for the study because their professions made them more likely to become exposed to COVID-19. The research was conducted across six states during the 13-week period between December 14, 2020 and March 13, 2021. Research found that the first dose alone resulted in 80% effectiveness after two weeks. After the second dose, a 90% effectiveness was shown. The data also showed that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are effective against both asymptomatic individuals and those who show symptoms. More studies are planned that will examine various populations and the impact of the vaccines on infection prevention, hospitalization and death rates. Importance of receiving both doses Since the pandemic began, there have been over 30,213,759 cases reported nationwide, including more than 548,162 deaths. While the overall trend has decreased since January, an increase of 6.7% in infections was reported March 24 over the preceding seven-day period. According to the Mayo Clinics tracking data, within Michigan, the average positivity rate increased from 5.16% to 13.13% in one recent week. The states total cases number over 672,259 cases, including more than 16,092 deaths. The way to reverse any upward trend is to establish what Mayo calls herd immunity, a term now commonly used. Referred to as population immunity by CDC, the concept is that if enough people can resist infection, COVID-19 rates will decline to a manageable level. Population immunity is achieved when enough people either receive a vaccination or have recovered from COVID-19 and therefor will have developed antibodies that will protect against future infection. Different infections have varying rates for establishing population immunity. Johns Hopkins University estimates the acceptable level for COVID-19 immunity is 75%. Despite the evidence that the available vaccines are effective in preventing either new cases of COVID-19 or the severity level of the infection, there has been resistance by some people to take them. KFF, a non-profit health information reporting organization, states that while 61% of Americans now say they will get the vaccine, another 17% say they will wait until more people receive it and 13% do not plan to get vaccinated. A previous study released in September showed that only 39% would be willing to receive the vaccine, so the United States acceptance percentages have increased. In a worldwide survey encompassing 23 countries, Johns Hopkins Center for Communications found that 63% of those questioned would accept a vaccine. Age shows some commonality in acceptance or hesitancy toward vaccination. Although over 70% of those over age sixty-five viewed vaccination favorably, it was reported that 58% of those under age thirty were not inclined to get vaccinated. Personal health practices still needed Individuals, institutions and businesses are still being encouraged to continue virus mitigation practices until more vaccinations are distributed. Until population immunity is achieved, social distancing, hand-washing and mask wearing are still recommended as ways to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. To learn more about a variety of health conditions, management and treatment, log on to vascularhealthclinics.org. Do you have questions about your heart health? Ask Dr. Haqqani. If you have questions about your cardiovascular health, including heart, blood pressure, stroke lifestyle and other issues, we want to answer them. Please submit your questions to Dr. Haqqani by e-mail at questions@vascularhealthclinics.org . Omar P. Haqqani is the Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Vascular Health Clinics in Midland. Bollywood actors are known to make headlines even on weekends. Actors like Priyanka Chopra to Neena Gupta updated their fans with their whereabouts this weekend. Take a look at the weekend posts of Bollywood actors here. Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra took to her Instagram handle to share a picture from her backyard full of flowers. She notified her fans that 'Spring had Sprung'. She wrote that she is sorry for the things she said to people in winters. Take a look at Priyanka Chopra's weekend post. Alia Bhatt On the occasion of Ajay Devgn's birthday, his co-actor Alia Bhatt unveiled a teaser of their film RRR. She wrote that the character is Strong, Resilient and Daring. She added, "Meet the man on a mission to empower his people." Take a look at Alia Bhatt's Instagram post unveiling Ajay Devgn's look this weekend. Malaika Arora Malaika Arora shared a picture of herself sipping a cup of coffee. She wore her grey pyjamas and flaunted a no-makeup look. She wrote, "Starting the day right, working out and eating clean are the three most important elements for fit living." She mentioned that at no point in time can one underestimate the power of these. She also got herself vaccinated this weekend. She encouraged her followers to take their first dosage. Take a look at Malaika Arora's photos here. Kareena Kapoor Actor Kareena Kapoor shared an old picture of herself from her trip to Switzerland. She wrote that they were her Apres Ski Days. She also mentioned she misses them and waiting to go back. She shared a selfie wearing a black turtle neck top with sunglasses. Karisma Kapoor Karisma Kapoor shared a few photos and videos of herself doing her favourite weekend chore. She mentioned that she loved watching her vegetables on weekends. She wore a grey tee back and black sweatpants as she shared the video. Take a look at Karisma Kapoor cleaning her veggies on the balcony. Sanya Malhotra Sanya Malhotra was recently seen in the Netflix original movie Pagglait. The actor played a widowed young woman. She shared a few pictures captured on the set. In the first picture, she looked extremely happy in her character of Sandhya. In the second picture, she was seen holding the clap. She thanked her followers for giving a huge response to her film. Soha Ali Khan Soha shared a selfie with a dog in her backyard. The dog winked at the camera while Soha captured the picture. She wrote that she like big 'Mutts' and she cannot lie referring to Sir Mix-a-lot's song Baby got Back. Take a look at Soha Ali Khan spending time with a mixed breed dog. Radhika Madan Radhika Madan shared a few pictures of herself journaling. She wore a tank top and paired it with a denim jacket and pants. She also wore tan boots to complete her look. Radhika wrote a line from Amitabh Bachchan's song Kabhi Kabhi mere dil me. Take a look at Radhika Madan writing down her thoughts during the weekend. Neena Gupta Veteran actor Neena Gupta took to her Instagram handle to share a picture with South actor Rajinikanth. She congratulated him as he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke award by the Prime Minister and the Information Broadcasting minister. She was seated beside him in an aeroplane. Take a look at Neena Gupta's Instagram picture from this weekend here. Promo Image Source: Priyanka Chopra/ Alia Bhatt/ Malaika Arora's Instagram Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. SOFIA: Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's center-right, pro-European Union GERB party (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria) won the parliamentary elections held during the weekend but fell short of an absolute majority. With 42 percent of the ballots counted, the Central Election Commission (CEC) reported that GERB had garnered 24 percent of the vote share, reports DPA news agency. There Is Such a People (ITN) party, headed by TV presenter and cabaret artist Slavi Trifonov, came in a surprisingly strong second place with 19 percent. The opposition Socialists came in third at nearly 15 percent, followed by the Turkish minority party DPS with 8.8 percent. Two other protest forces are likely to enter Parliament: The conservative-liberal-green coalition Democratic Bulgaria and the anti-corruption alliance Stand Up! Mafia Out! According to the official figures, the nationalist Bulgarian National Movement (IMRO) was unable to clear the 4 percent hurdle. The protest parties had ruled out a coalition with GERB before the election, accusing Borisov's coalition government of corruption and proximity to oligarchs. Earlier Monday, Borisov suggested putting together a cross-party government of experts, citing the coronavirus pandemic but was short on details. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu back in court as corruption trial goes on US Trade Representative slams India's high tariffs, equalisation levy Nepal grants emergency approval to the Chinese Vero Cell Covid-19 vaccine Flash At least 55 people were killed and 40 others went missing as flash floods and landslides struck East Nusa Tenggara province in central Indonesia on Sunday, spokesman of the National Disaster Management Agency Raditya Jati told Xinhua on Monday. Among the deaths, 44 were found in Flores Timur district and 11 others in Lembata district, the spokesman said, and the report of the risk assessment of the disaster in Alor districts had not been received. As many as 24 people were missing in Flores Timur district and 16 others in Lembata district, he said. Hundreds of people were forced to flee home as the disaster affected 334 houses, Jati added. Four houses were seriously damaged, 12 suffered from minor damages and 17 were swept away by the current. Jati said the access to the scene was poor and the roads covered by mud have hampered the relief efforts. Head of the agency Doni Monardo was heading to the disaster-impacted areas to see directly the condition at the scene, he said. India L. Sneed, an associate in global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLPs New York office, has been named to City & States 2021 Above & Beyond list. City & States annual Above & Beyond awards recognize a truly outstanding group of women, including civil rights leaders, candidates for elected office, and groundbreaking innovators, according to the publication. Sneed, a member of the firms Government Law & Policy Practice, took on a Compassionate Release of Prisoners pro bono matter representing 53-year old James G. Boswell through the Compassionate Release Clearinghouse. The project helps prisoners with comorbidities that make them more susceptible to COVID-19, making them eligible for compassionate release. In prison, Boswell developed several health issues that supported a Compassionate Release Motion. Although the Board of Prisons and the U.S. prosecutor opposed his release in writing the court returned an order in favor of the motion filed by Sneed. His release to home confinement was granted. He was ultimately released on Jan. 7, 2021. Sneed notes, It is one of the biggest accomplishments of my legal career. Having worked in New York City government in various capacities, Sneed has an intimate understanding of how to navigate the complexities of local government. She focuses her practice on administrative law and government affairs, as well as economic development and financing initiatives before government agencies. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, Sneed was deputy executive director for a mayoral initiative created to lower crime in The New York City Housing Authority. Sneed also served as chief of staff to the 41st district councilmember, where she oversaw the legislative, budget, and community engagement priorities led by the councilmember. Prior to that, she was assistant district attorney for Kings County, where she prosecuted criminal offenses and was appointed to the Investigations Division Civil Rights Bureau, as well as to the Brooklyn Young Adult Court. Sneed was also executive director of New York State BLAC Caucus and a legislative and budget director for the 28th district councilmember while in law school. About Greenberg Traurigs New York Government Law & Policy Practice: Greenberg Traurigs New York Government Law & Policy Practice, based in New York City and Albany, is one of the leading government relations teams in both the City and the State. Since the teams inception in 1995, they have been consistently ranked among the top lobbying practices in New York City by the City Clerks Office and among the Top 5 law firm lobbying practices in New York State by the Commission on Public Integrity. About Greenberg Traurigs Womens Initiative: Greenberg Traurig is committed to its women lawyers success, which includes a firmwide womens affinity group encompassing recruiting, retention, and business development. The firm regularly collaborates with like-minded organizations to address these issues on a broader scale in a variety of industries and communities. Greenberg Traurig also takes thoughtful action to address issues such as maintaining a healthy work-life balance, breaking the glass ceiling, mentoring, creating and maintaining healthy lifestyles, and giving back to the community. Twitter: @GTLawWomen About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT), has approximately 2200 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 3.0 Certified. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Instead of socialising at boozy Christmas parties or Friday night knock-off drinks, workers at Access Health bond at alcohol-free events such as tea-making classes, trips to the zoo or horse riding. In stark contrast to the toxic workplace culture at Parliament House, where Prime Minister Scott Morrison is open to the possibility of introducing alcohol limits and breath-testing, workers at the health service in Melbournes east are far more likely to meet over frozen yoghurt than wine. Access Health mental health and alcohol and drug clinicians Yoshe Le, Gabrielle Klepfisz, Carissa Mirra and Ly-Huong Tran (left to right) playing Jenga. Credit:Jason South Beth Locke, manager of Access alcohol and other drug services, said it had led to an enjoyable and cohesive workplace culture. We want to have alternatives and make sure that this is a really normal part of working that we dont necessarily have alcohol as part of needing to be part of a team or needing to be social, she said. Biafra Nations League, BNL has asked the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma to resign immediately following the attacks on the state ... Biafra Nations League, BNL has asked the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma to resign immediately following the attacks on the state police headquarters and the correctional centre. The group said that the Governor found himself in the current situation after he invited the military to attack members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Eastern Security Network, ESN. Princewill Chimezie Richard, National Leader of the BNL made the claim while addressing newsmen in Owerri, the capital of Imo State on Monday. According to him, many prisoners languishing in the correctional centres are innocent of the offences they were accused of. He accused the police of congesting the correctional Centre without charging suspects to court, adding that the group will not condemn the attack. The group called on the Governor of the State, Hope Uzodinma to, resign for peace to reign in the State. Uzodinma entered trouble when he invited the military to Orlu to massacre innocent people in the name of searching for IPOB/ESN. It was reported that unidentified hoodlums attacked the correctional centre on Monday morning, setting the prison on fire and freed hundreds of inmates. The personal data of more than 500 million Facebook users were published on a low-level online hacking forum for free on Saturday, according to a recent report. The exposed data has personal information of 533 million Facebook users from 106 countries, which includes details such as phone numbers, Facebook IDs, full names, locations, past locations, birth dates, and in some cases email addresses, account creation date, relationship status, bio. At least data of over 32 million records on users in the U.S., 11 million records on users in the UK, and 6 million records on users in India are included in this leak. The leaked data was first discovered by Alon Gal, Chief Technology Officer of cybercrime intelligence firm, Hudson Rock in January 2021. At the time, a user in the same hacking forum was selling an automated bot that could provide phone numbers for hundreds of millions of Facebook users in exchange for a price. Back then, Gal had blown the whistle on this and had tweeted, In early 2020 a vulnerability that enabled seeing the phone number linked to every Facebook account was exploited, creating a database containing the information 533m users across all countries. It was severely under-reported and today the database became much more worrisome. He had further added, Few days ago a user created a Telegram bot allowing users to query the database for a low fee, enabling people to find the phone numbers linked to a very large portion of Facebook accounts. This obviously has a huge impact on privacy. Now, this very same entire database, which was previously accessible via a Telegram bot, has been posted on the hacking forum for free, allowing access to anyone with basic data skills. All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for that account was leaked. I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data, Gal wrote in a tweet on Saturday. According to him, bad actors are most likely to use the exposed private information such as phone numbers of Facebook users for social engineering, scamming, hacking, and marketing. All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked. I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data. https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3 pic.twitter.com/nM0Fu4GDY8 Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) April 3, 2021 In an emailed statement on Saturday afternoon, Facebook acknowledged the news but said the data was retrieved during a breach in 2019. This is old data that was previously reported on in 2019, a Facebook spokesperson said. We found and fixed this issue in August 2019. Although a couple of years old, Gal pointed that the exposure has allowed hackers to view phone numbers and other personal information of Facebook users. Individuals signing up to a reputable company like Facebook are trusting them with their data and Facebook [is] supposed to treat the data with utmost respect, he added. Users having their personal information leaked is a huge breach of trust and should be handled accordingly. This is not the first time Facebook has its users data leaked online. In 2019, data of 419 million Facebook and 49 million Instagram users were exposed in databases online. In the same year, the social media giant also suffered another data breach where data of 267 million users was exposed. Our Top 5 Magazines + Digital We get it. You live by the Ski Valleys snow report even when youre hours away. You follow every Taos post on Instagram. Our small town occupies a BIG part of your heart. Keep in touch with all things Taos when you subscribe to FIVE of our national award-winning magazines, plus access to the website and e-edition for a full year at the special low rate of just $55. A proposal to impose night curfew in the national capital is being considered by the in view of rising cases, official sources said on Monday. "A proposal for imposing night curfew is under consideration. The details are being discussed, including the time period of the curfew which could be from 10 pm to 5 am," a senior government official said. Chief Minister had on Friday said that Delhi was undergoing the fourth wave of COVID-19 but a lockdown was not being considered yet. "As per the current situation, we are not considering imposing a lockdown. We are closely monitoring the situation and such a decision will only be taken after due public consultation," the chief minister had said in a press briefing. As per the health bulletin on Monday, a total of 3,548 fresh cases of COVID-19 infection and 15 deaths were reported within the last 24 hours. (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, April 5 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached immovable assets to the tune of Rs 165.86 crore owned by Anup Majhi in the illegal coal mining case. Majhi, the director of the company engaged in the purchase and sale of dry fuel, is accused of alleged illegal coal trading in the Asansol-Raniganj belt of West Bengal. The attached assets include land, factory premises, plant and machinery and other assets of two companies-- Ispat Damodar Private Limited and Sonic Thermal Private Limited. The manufacturing plants of both these companies are situated in Purulia and Bankura in West Bengal and are owned by Anup Majhi. The ED initiated an investigation on the basis of a FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Kolkata. "The money laundering investigation revealed that Majhi had transferred Proceeds of Crime (POC) to the tune of Rs 67.80 crore to both the said companies in guise of share purchase of these companies for acquiring the plants or assets of these companies," the ED said. Additionally, POC to the tune of Rs 98.06 crore were also transferred to both of the companies. "The total POC of Rs 165.86 crore transferred to these companies by Anup Majhi had been layered through the maze of shell companies and generated from the illegal coal mining." In this case, two persons namely Vikas Mishra and Ashok Mishra were arrested by the ED on March 16 and April 3 this year respectively for their role in laundering of the proceeds generated from the illegal coal mining. Vikas Mishra is in judicial custody and Ashok Mishra is in ED custody till April 7. [April 05, 2021] Brian D. DeSoto Promoted to Divisional President within Great American's Property & Casualty Group Great American Insurance Group is pleased to announce that Brian D. DeSoto has been promoted to Divisional President of its Great American Risk Solutions Division. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005280/en/ Brian D. DeSoto has been promoted to Divisional President within Great American's Property & Casualty Group. (Photo: Business Wire) Mr. DeSoto began his career in law, specializing in bankruptcy and commercial litigation, prior to joining Great American's Corporate Claims Division in 2008. In 2010, he joined the Specialty E&S Division, now known as Great American Risk Solutions, with responsibility for Claim Operations. In 2014, Mr. DeSoto assumed the role of Divisional Senior Vice President overseeing Underwriting, Operations and Accounting as well as other Divisional functions. Mr. DeSoto is a graduate of Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature, cum laude. He also earned his Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Oregon School of Law. Additionally, he holds the Associate in Claims (AIC), Associate in Surplus Lines (ASLI), and Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designations. About Great American Insurance Group Great American Insurance Group's roots go back to 1872 with the founding of its flagship company, Great American Insurance Company. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the operations of Great American Insurance Group are engaged primarily in property and casualty insurance, focusing on specialty commercial products for businesses, and in the sale of traditional fixed and indexed annuities in the retail, financial institutions, broker-dealer and registered investment advisor markets. Great American Insurance Company has received an "A" (Excellent) or higher rating from the A.M. Best Company for more than 110 years (most recent rating evaluation of "A+" (Superior) affirmed October 28, 2020). The members of Great American Insurance Group are subsidiaries of American Financial Group, Inc. (AFG), also based in Cincinnati, Ohio. AFG's common stock is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFG. On January 27, 2021, AFG announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to sell its annuity business to Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. The sale is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005280/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Even before the pandemic made telehealth a hot topic, people with minor urgent health needs had started to turn to companies that offer on-demand video chats with physicians that they don't normally see. Insurers and employers even started buying access to this direct-to-consumer form of virtual care, hoping it might reduce in-person care, including emergency department visits. But a new University of Michigan study casts some doubt on whether that will actually happen. Published in the April issue of Health Affairs, the study finds that patients who had an on-demand virtual care visit for an upper respiratory infection in the three years before the pandemic began were slightly more likely to receive additional follow-up care than similar patients who had their first visit in person. The study compared data from more than 28,700 virtual visits with data from more than 57,400 in-person visits for acute respiratory infections in 2016 through 2019. Those visits, and any follow-up care, were all covered by a large insurer. All the virtual visits were done through a direct-to-consumer telehealth company that the insurer had partnered with. The authors say it's important to note that the vast majority of the patients did not require any further care for their infections, which included ear infections, bronchitis, laryngitis, sore throat and pneumonia. But 10.3% of the patients first seen through a direct-to-consumer telehealth visit ended up having an in-person visit in the next week, compared with 5.9% of those who had their first visit in person. This includes second telemedicine visits or visits to clinics, urgent care centers and emergency rooms. Less than 1% of all the patients in the study visited an emergency department after their initial visit, and the percentage was only slightly lower among people whose first visit was through a direct-to-consumer virtual provider compared with those who started with an in-person visit. Kathleen Li, M.D., M.S., is the first author of the paper and an alumna of the IHPI Scholars program at the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, and conducted the study as part of the institute's telehealth research effort. She notes that direct-to-consumer telehealth providers usually don't have access to patients' electronic health records, so they may not know the patient's full medical history or underlying conditions. As an emergency physician at Michigan Medicine, Li notes that often patients will come to the ED after trying to reach their primary care physician and not being able to get an appointment quickly. Li was a co-author on a recent National Poll on Healthy Aging report from IHPI that found that 1 in 8 older adults had gone to the ED after not being able to get a timely appointment with their regular provider. "If an appointment with a patient's regular provider isn't available right away, or the patient isn't able to get to the clinic in person during standard business hours, on-demand virtual care does offer convenience," she says. "But things have changed so much with the pandemic, and more primary care providers are now offering telehealth visits with themselves or members of their teams. It remains to be seen how primary care-based telehealth models will affect downstream use and cost of care." Senior author Chad Ellimoottil, M.D., M.Sc., who directs IHPI's Telehealth Research Incubator, says that while the insurance claims data in the study were available to the IHPI team, that may not be the case for most direct-to-consumer telehealth, especially if the patient pays directly rather than using insurance. "As more companies enter the marketplace of direct-to-consumer telehealth, it's going to be important to understand the outcomes for patients, and the broader implications for the health care system," says Ellimoottil, a urologist and telehealth researcher. "Data transparency is essential. We need to be able to directly compare outcomes of patients seen by direct-to-consumer telehealth companies with in-person care and with telemedicine provided by the patient's own primary care provider." For employers that offer a direct-to-consumer telehealth option through their benefits package, Li says, the bottom line comes down to balancing how much the instant access may result in an increase in visits or additional follow-up care, against the benefit of less time spent away from work and a potential reduction in inappropriate emergency department visits. "We need to optimize both the use of telehealth and of in-person emergency care," she says. ### Destinations US-Mexico Carriers Increase Summer Flight Schedules In total, 13 airlines will operate regular passenger flights between Mexico and the US this summer. In total, they are planning to fly 151,900 commercial scheduled operations in 2021's IATA Summer Season. Mexico City - Between March 28 and October 30, the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) summer season, there are over 151,000 commercial flights scheduled between Mexico and the United States. Compared to the IATA's 2019 summer season, that's a 6% increase in the number of flights, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. It sounds like great news, doesn't it? According to data provided by Cirium, 13 airlines will operate regular passenger flights between Mexico and the US this summer. These airlines are American Airlines, Aeromexico, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Delta, Frontier, Spirit, Sun Country, United, Viva Aerobus, Aeromar, Southwest, and Volaris. In total, they are planning to fly 151,900 commercial scheduled operations in 2021's IATA Summer Season. They'll offer nearly 23 million seats between both countries. The Mexico-US market has had one of the best recoveries worldwide from the current COVID-19 pandemic. Rene Armas Maes, commercial vice-president and associate at MIDAS Aviation, said. "Currently, the Mexico-US cross border market remains the largest country pair, representing 2.5 times the amount of capacity of the next biggest country pair." Therefore, Armas Maes expects that this trend will continue throughout the year. The Mexico-US market could reach its pre-pandemic levels by June 2021. American Airlines and United Airlines will be the largest players in the cross-border market, each having a 23% market share. Delta and Volaris will have a 12% market share, while Grupo Aeromexico will have a 7% share. The most important routes and destinations The strong rebound from the Mexico-US market is directly linked with leisure and VFR travel. Many U.S. travelers are looking to travel to beach and open space destinations in Mexico, mainly flying to cities such as Cancun, San Jose del Cabo, and Puerto Vallarta, said Rene Armas Maes. US travelers are mainly flying to beach destinations such as Cancun, San Jose del Cabo & Puerto Vallarta. Recently, many carriers have added routes and frequencies between both countries. For instance, Viva Aerobus announced new flights between San Jose del Cabo and Cincinnati; So, what does the data tell us? Undoubtedly, Cancun is the leading destination this summer. The 11 airlines flying between both countries will connect 40 US airports with Cancun. Currently, the only two airlines not flying between Cancun and US cities are Aeromexico and Aeromar. Los Angeles International Airport will have the largest number of operators flying to Cancun, with six different airlines. These are American Airlines, Alaska, JetBlue, Delta, United, and the only Mexican carrier, Volaris. Other important destinations in Mexico will be San Jose del Cabo, Mexico City, and Guadalajara, according to Cirium data. Both Los Angeles and Dallas Fort-Worth Airports will be the main gates into Mexico. Los Angeles will have 40 routes (many overlapping) provided by nine airlines. Dallas Fort-Worth will have 36 different routes by six other carriers, mainly American Airlines. American Airlines and Volaris will offer 61 different routes each. United Airlines will have 50 mainly from Houston. Between Delta and Aeromexico will offer 50 routes as well, mostly non-overlapping. Should we take this news with a pinch of salt? According to Rene Armas Maes, yes, we have to. Although capacity recovery is great news for the airline industry, it is just one part of the equation. He said: "Capacity is just one metric, and other data sets (flown data, RASKs, load factor, etc.) need to be considered as part of the big picture to really understand if demand is picking up or it is just for now a cross border overcapacity, one that may not be sustainable if an airline wants to be profitable and preserve cash in this uncertain times." So, this means that we shouldn't take for granted this summer schedule especially when a number of carriers file extended capacity schedules and then adjust capacity and frequencies based on close to departure booking curves in order to optimize load factors and hopefully route and network contribution profitability, Armas Maes added. Therefore, and most likely, we will observe capacity swings and correction as the summer goes by. However, the vaccination efforts in both countries will help to boost confidence and travel demand, but new waves of infection will harm it. Consequently and by filing extended schedules, a number of airlines in this cross-border market may be "artificially hedging" their operations from a revenue point of view. This strategy allows airlines to optimize liquidity but it may tarnish customer satisfaction due to cancel flights. In the meantime, we should keep an eye on the Mexico-US market. Original article - Between March 28 and October 30, the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) summer season, there are over 151,000 commercial flights scheduled between Mexico and the United States. Compared to the IATA's 2019 summer season, that's a 6% increase in the number of flights, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.According to data provided by Cirium, 13 airlines will operate regular passenger flights between Mexico and the US this summer. These airlines are American Airlines, Aeromexico, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Delta, Frontier, Spirit, Sun Country, United, Viva Aerobus, Aeromar, Southwest, and Volaris.In total, they are planning to fly 151,900 commercial scheduled operations in 2021's IATA Summer Season. They'll offer nearly 23 million seats between both countries.The Mexico-US market has had one of the best recoveries worldwide from the current COVID-19 pandemic. Rene Armas Maes, commercial vice-president and associate at MIDAS Aviation, said."Currently, the Mexico-US cross border market remains the largest country pair, representing 2.5 times the amount of capacity of the next biggest country pair."Therefore, Armas Maes expects that this trend will continue throughout the year. The Mexico-US market could reach its pre-pandemic levels by June 2021.American Airlines and United Airlines will be the largest players in the cross-border market, each having a 23% market share. Delta and Volaris will have a 12% market share, while Grupo Aeromexico will have a 7% share.The strong rebound from the Mexico-US market is directly linked with leisure and VFR travel. Many U.S. travelers are looking to travel to beach and open space destinations in Mexico, mainly flying to cities such as Cancun, San Jose del Cabo, and Puerto Vallarta, said Rene Armas Maes.Recently, many carriers have added routes and frequencies between both countries. For instance, Viva Aerobus announced new flights between San Jose del Cabo and Cincinnati; Spirit Airlines will operate four new international routes to San Jose del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta; United Airlines is already exceeding its pre-pandemic schedules to Latin America.Undoubtedly, Cancun is the leading destination this summer. The 11 airlines flying between both countries will connect 40 US airports with Cancun. Currently, the only two airlines not flying between Cancun and US cities are Aeromexico and Aeromar.Los Angeles International Airport will have the largest number of operators flying to Cancun, with six different airlines. These are American Airlines, Alaska, JetBlue, Delta, United, and the only Mexican carrier, Volaris.Other important destinations in Mexico will be San Jose del Cabo, Mexico City, and Guadalajara, according to Cirium data.Both Los Angeles and Dallas Fort-Worth Airports will be the main gates into Mexico. Los Angeles will have 40 routes (many overlapping) provided by nine airlines. Dallas Fort-Worth will have 36 different routes by six other carriers, mainly American Airlines.American Airlines and Volaris will offer 61 different routes each. United Airlines will have 50 mainly from Houston. Between Delta and Aeromexico will offer 50 routes as well, mostly non-overlapping.According to Rene Armas Maes, yes, we have to. Although capacity recovery is great news for the airline industry, it is just one part of the equation. He said:"Capacity is just one metric, and other data sets (flown data, RASKs, load factor, etc.) need to be considered as part of the big picture to really understand if demand is picking up or it is just for now a cross border overcapacity, one that may not be sustainable if an airline wants to be profitable and preserve cash in this uncertain times."So, this means that we shouldn't take for granted this summer schedule especially when a number of carriers file extended capacity schedules and then adjust capacity and frequencies based on close to departure booking curves in order to optimize load factors and hopefully route and network contribution profitability, Armas Maes added.Therefore, and most likely, we will observe capacity swings and correction as the summer goes by. However, the vaccination efforts in both countries will help to boost confidence and travel demand, but new waves of infection will harm it.Consequently and by filing extended schedules, a number of airlines in this cross-border market may be "artificially hedging" their operations from a revenue point of view. This strategy allows airlines to optimize liquidity but it may tarnish customer satisfaction due to cancel flights.In the meantime, we should keep an eye on the Mexico-US market. Site Map Print this Page Email Us Top Q. I am 75 years old. I withdrew $109,000 from my rollover IRA to pay down my two granddaughters student loans. Does New Jersey offer some credit to offset New Jersey taxes? It looks like I will have to give Uncle Sam some money. Grandparent A. First, your granddaughters are lucky to have such a generous grandparent. But unfortunately New Jersey does not offer any type of credit for paying off a students loan, so you will be paying both Uncle Sam and the state the related income taxes. Since you have given each granddaughter more than the annual gift exclusion of $15,000 a person a year, you will also need to have a gift tax return prepared, said Michael Maye, a certified financial planner and certified public accountant with MJM Financial in Gillette. Married individuals can each give $15,000, so if they do what is called a split gift, the annual gift exclusion amount is $30,000, he said. The good news is you likely wont owe any gift taxes upon filing but it will reduce your unified credit which for 2021, is $11.7 million a person, he said. The unified credit and federal estate exemption are a shared cap of $11.7 million, which effectively means use of the unified credit during your lifetime lowers the federal estate exemption when you pass away. There are some other things to consider for any times in the future when you withdraw from an IRA. The withdrawals are considered ordinary income, which means they can not only result in income taxes but potentially could increase Medicare Part B and D premiums and impact the taxability of Social Security income, Maye said. So for funding future goals or spending, if you had after-tax dollars, it might have made sense to fund them from the after-tax that bucket of assets or at least some portion of it, Maye said. Also, in terms of gifting, certain gifts are allowed in addition to the $15,000 annual exclusion. For example, the tax code allows anyone to pay the amount of tuition directly to a college without it being subject to gift tax rules, he said. Also, gifts paid for medical expenses paid directly to the care provider are not subject to gift taxes. You didnt say how much of your retirement assets were used for this generous gift. You should make sure you have left enough assets to fund your remaining years, which might be 20 years if you are healthy, Maye said. He said you should consider consulting with an advisor who can discuss future planning and tax implications. 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. A handcuffed suspect allegedly led Kansas police on a 100mph chase in a stolen patrol car over the weekend. Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) identified the suspect as 23-year-old Joshua D. Swartwout of Naples, Florida. In a statement, the KHP said an officer was transporting Swartwout to a detention facility around noon on Saturday after he had been arrested following a pursuit that involved a stolen vehicle. The trooper then witnessed a motorcycle crash on Highway 25 near Atwood, Kansas, and stopped to render aid. Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) identified the suspect as 23-year-old Joshua D. Swartwout (pictured) of Naples, Florida. Police said Swartwout led police on a 100mph chase in a stolen patrol car over the weekend Authorities said while the trooper was assisting the crash victim, Swartwout 'gained control' of the officer's patrol car and drove off at a 'high rate of speed'. Other KHP troopers and local units then pursued the patrol car on K-25 and onto Interstate 70. About 30 minutes later, the vehicle came to a stop at mile post 31 near Edison, Kansas, after the patrol car ran out of fuel. Authorities said Swartwout, who was still handcuffed behind his back, fled on foot but was he was quickly apprehended. He was arrested and taken to Sherman County Jail without further incident. No one was injured during the incident, police said, adding that there was also no damage to the patrol car. No one was injured during the incident, police said, adding that there was also no damage to the patrol car (file image) Trooper Tod Hileman, a spokesman for the KHP, told ABC News that they didn't ask Swartwout how he operated the vehicle while being handcuffed. But Hileman said: 'As a high-speed pursuit driving instructor for 20 years, I can only assume he was using his knees'. Hileman also noted that Swartwout was sitting in the front seat of the car because the patrol vehicle was not equipped with a rear-seat cage. While speaking about the trooper stopping to help the motorcycle crash victim, Hilman told ABC: 'We don't normally do that, but this trooper saw this accident occur right in front of him and it was in a rural area. 'Being trained as a highway patrol trooper, it's ingrained that you will help.' You are here: China China's State Council Information Office will release a white paper on poverty alleviation on Tuesday morning. The white paper, titled "Poverty Alleviation: China's Experience and Contribution," will be released at 10 a.m. Tuesday and a press conference will be held by the office. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A proposed $15.6 million expansion by Pine Rest Christian Mental Services that would add 60 adult in-patient psychiatric beds at its Gaines Township headquarters has received an initial denial by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Pine Rest was one of two healthcare organizations competing to fill an unmet need of 60 psychiatric beds in Allegan, Ionia, Kent, Lake, Mason, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana and Ottawa counties. The other organization seeking state approval to provide the beds was Auburn Hills-based Havenwyck Hospital. Havenwyck has proposed partnering with Mercy Health to build a 60-bed psychiatric hospital near Mercys southwest campus in Byron Township. Ultimately, MDHHS provided initial approval for Havenwycks proposal instead of Pine Rests. There were 60 psych beds available in the region and both applications were for 60 beds in the region of the state, said MDHHS spokesperson Lynn Sutfin. Only one application for 60 beds could be awarded. Both applications were scored and the one with the most points was approved and the other denied. Scoring criteria included cost per-bed, usage by Medicaid patients, and if the proposed projects include a partial hospitalization psychiatric program, outpatient psychiatric services, or psychiatric aftercare services. Pine Rest received 29 points, while Havenwyck/Mercy received 32 points. A joint letter to Havenwyck/Mercy and Pine Rest was issued by MDHHS about its decision on March 29. Sutfin said the applications were scored based on how well they aligned with standards set by the states Certificate of Need commission. The Certificate of Need program was developed to ensure only needed health services and expansions occur in Michigan. Hospitals that want to expand the number of beds they provide must receive approval from the program. In addition, health facility improvements above $3.4 million must also receive a Certificate of Need, state documents show. Sutfin said Pine Rest has 15 days to request an appeal of the initial denial. If Pine Rest does not appeal, the MDHHS director would then issue a final decision. Officials with Pine Rest declined an interview request. But in a statement provided by Communications Manager Matt Hiskes, the behavioral health care provider said it remains hopeful its application will be approved. Pine Rests recent Certificate of Need application is simply an extension of our proven and ongoing commitment to expand access to behavioral health care at all levelsparticularly during this COVID era, the statement said. Our application is unique in that it would allow Pine Rest to build more flexible capacity to serve children and adolescents, as well as adults, both in West Michigan and around the state utilizing existing infrastructure to control healthcare costs. As we expand, we will improve the lives of our friends, family, and neighbors of all ages. Being rooted in and accountable to this community for 111 years, we remain hopeful that our application will be approved. MDHHS records show there are 310 in-patient psychiatric hospital beds in Allegan, Ionia, Kent, Lake, Mason, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana and Ottawa counties. The joint venture by Havenwyck and Mercy to build a 60-bed psychiatric hospital in Byron Township would bring the total to 370 beds. Construction of the facility, pending final approvals, could start this year, with the facility slated to open in spring 2023. The hospital is expected to cost between $21 and $40 million, officials say. Havenwyck is an affiliate of Universal Health Services (UHS), a for-profit company that describes itself as one of the largest hospital and healthcare providers in the nation. The company operates Forest View Psychiatric Hospital, a 108-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital in Grand Rapids Township. State documents show Pine Rest has 162 in-patient adult psychiatric beds, 36 in-patient child psychiatric beds, and 40 temporary adult beds. Pine Rest received emergency state approval to add the 40 temporary adult beds because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The behavioral healthcare provider proposed making those beds permanent as well as 20 additional adult in-patient psychiatric beds. The organization proposed renovating 20,500 square feet of existing space and building 12,775 square feet of new space at its headquarters at 300 68th St. SE in Gaines Township to house the additional 60 beds. The project is estimated to cost $15.6 million, state documents show. Pine Rests statement to the Grand Rapids Press/MLive did not state whether it would appeal the states initial denial. Read more: Michigan coronavirus data for Monday, April 5: States positivity rate exceeds peak of fall surge $28.6B in stimulus aid for restaurants could run out almost instantaneously, leaders say Albion College offering $1,000 reward for information about racist graffiti Got some scoop for our reporters or editors? Click on the link below to send us your information. Send your news (26 Mar ) The eruption is now almost a week old and shows little signs of stopping anytime soon. Activity is now concentrated at two adjacent vents of a growing cone in the central part of the original eruptive fissure. They are filled with spectacularly boiling (degassing) lava that flows away to form thin flows that overlap on a growing lava field, that slowly but surely is filling the Geldingadalur valley. ... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Its been more than 21 years since the bizarre murder of Girly Chew Hossencofft began to unfold like a sensationalist, unbelievable science fiction novel. I was there from the start, writing the wacky reality of it all the warring alien queens, reptilian humanoids, a ninja sword hidden in a garage ceiling, government conspiracies and the conning of otherwise intelligent women who inexplicably fell under the spell of a mousy, maniacal mastermind who took on outlandish personas and changed his name from the average Armando Chavez to the aggrandized Diazien Hossencofft. Beyond the ridiculousness was the tragic story of a young woman who fell victim to estranged husband Hossencoffts madness, who predicted her own death at his hands and did everything she could to prevent it until Sept. 9, 1999, when she disappeared and was presumed dead. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ To this day, her body has not been found. To this day, one question has always haunted me: What happened to Demetri? He was the little boy Hossencofft claimed was created in a test tube in 1996 and the reason he gave for killing Chew, who had loved Demetri like a son and fought for custody. In 2002, Hossencofft testified at the murder trial of co-defendant and girlfriend Linda Henning. So they make the choice they took my son from me, Hossencofft said, referring to Chew and her divorce attorney. And I make the choice to take her life. Its as simple as that. Even before Chews death, Hossencofft had spitefully put the boy up for adoption in early 1999. The first adoption was disrupted within weeks, but a second one had stuck. That was the last I had heard about Demetri. Until now. Melinda Miles-Lindberg hadnt known how notorious Demetris father was, hadnt been aware of the high-profile murder case making headlines just weeks before she arrived in Albuquerque from Alaska in October 1999 to adopt Demitri. I didnt get then how much of a monster Diazien was, she said from her home in Panama, a world away from the frozen land where she raised Demetri and her two other adopted children. Even if I had known, I thought I would be good parent enough to deal with whatever issues arose. But sometimes the good parent cannot overcome every issue an adopted child has and the past Demetri was saddled with was daunting. Miles-Lindberg has written about her heartbreaking experience in her brutally honest book, Mommy No. 13: A Child of a Murderer and His Adoptive Mother. The title reflects the dozen women who tried to mother Demetri in his first three years, including Chew. Miles-Lindberg, 13th in line, promised him that she would be the last. But repeatedly being ripped from one caregiver to the next and treated like a science experiment by his father had taken a toll. Chew had been Hossencoffts victim, but so had Demetri. His name was changed at adoption, but Ill let you read that for yourselves in the book. Miles-Lindberg said her son, rambunctious and bright, showed little affection, connection or trust for others, including her. Hugging him, she said, was like hugging a board. He was always a joy, she said. He was just so shut down. The book details Miles-Lindbergs years of trying to break through her sons walls and learning to forgive and find herself. She, like many well-meaning adoptive parents, had to accept that sometimes the walls dont fall, that the blame for those walls is not hers but the pain is. Writing the book for me is how I heal, she said. He was 14 when he asked about his birth dad. Miles-Lindberg told him what little she knew. Three years later, they both learned much more about Hossencofft by reading September Sacrifice, a book about Chews murder written by former KOB-TV reporter Mark Horner. Both times, her son hadnt reacted in a horrified or hurt way, she said. He didnt remember Chew, the other mommies or the abuse. His only memory was of Diazien feeding him in a high chair and then leaving him in the high chair, she said. Her son detached himself from her and the family in 2015 when he was 18. He is 23 now, still estranged. Each birthday, she sends him a text message and wishes him well. He has never responded. Earlier this year, she found him on Facebook and sent a message to let him know about the book. He didnt like it, she said. He found it syrupy, she said. Thats the word he used. It was a negative response, but it was a response nevertheless, and she was elated. Nearly six years have passed since she has seen her son. She still believes one day they will see each other again. On his Facebook page, which she is now blocked from, he appears happy, with a decent job and a relationship. He is OK, she said. I want the women who took care of him, who tried to save him early on, to know that. He is OK. UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Reach Joline at 730-2793, jkrueger@abqjournal.com, Facebook or @jolinegkg on Twitter. People walk under cherry blossoms on a street along Gyeongpo Lake in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Sunday, although fears of COVID-19 transmissions are growing. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji Calls are rising for the government to strengthen the country's social distancing measures as the current levels have failed to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. The Seoul Capital Area (Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province) is presently at Level 2, while the rest of the country is at Level 1.5, in the five-tier social distancing scheme. Last week, the daily caseload hovered over 500, as the country has been observing sporadic infection clusters across the country in various locations. Due to fewer tests being conducted on weekends, the daily caseload fell back slightly below 500 for Sunday to 473 cases, including 449 local infections, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Monday. But KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong said the daily number could rise much higher than the current around-500 daily cases, adding that one patient infects more than one person on average. "The use of public facilities has played a role in the cluster infections in non-metropolitan areas," Jeong said in a media briefing. "If quarantine measures are not tightened, the nation is likely to seek an increasing trend of infections." With the rate of spread showing no signs of letting up, an increasing number of people are calling for strengthening the country's anti-virus measures. According to a survey conducted by Realmeter of 500 people aged 18 and older, 73.2 percent of the respondents said they agreed on raising the social distancing level, while 24.7 percent of respondents were opposed to it. In this regard, health authorities are also evaluating the current situation in order to decide what steps to take next, as they say the country is standing at a crossroads of a large-scale resurgence of the coronavirus. "Reviewing our experience over the past year, the current situation has many similarities to that of just before the pandemic really took hold," Health Minister Kwon Deok-chul said in a press briefing on Sunday. "If the increasing trend shows no signs of abating, the daily caseload can expand to more than 1,000 people a day in a short period of time. Now that there are signs of a resurgence again, we ask people to follow the quarantine rules and to keep good personal hygiene, such as always wearing masks and washing hands frequently." The government plans to announce new social distancing guidelines on Friday that will be applied starting next Monday. In the meantime, the government has concluded that two cases of allergic reactions were highly likely to be connected to the COVID-19 vaccine. The investigation team reviewed three anaphylaxis cases for people who received COVID-19 vaccines, and determined on Monday that two were linked to the vaccine. IIT Guwahati has suspended the student accused of raping his batchmate on March 28, as per a report in HT. Meanwhile, 4 others allegedly involved have been put in isolation. The institute has assured that it will take steps to prevent future incidents like this. Business Standard The accused has been suspended from the institute with immediate effect from April 4 as recommended by the students' disciplinary committee, said its statement. Four other students have been isolated from each other on campus and will be retained on campus for further police investigations as well as internal investigations, it also said. ET The accused is from Mumbai and he was arrested by Amingaon police in Kamrup district on April 3. A case of rape has been registered under IPC Section 376. Our investigations are underway. We will arrest others if there is any evidence of their involvement in the crime, said Kamrup SP Hitesh Chandra Roy. PORTLAND, Ore., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Syngas Market by Gasifier (Moving Bed Gasifier, Fluidized Bed Gasifier, Entrained Flow Gasifier, and Others), Technology (Steam Reforming, Partial Oxidation, Auto-Thermal Reforming, Combined or Two-step Reforming, and Biomass Gasification), Feedstock (Natural Gas, Coal, Biomass/Waste, and Others), and Application (Power Generation, Chemicals, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027." According to the report, the global syngas industry generated $43.6 billion in 2019, and is expected to reach $66.5 billion by 2027, witnessing a CAGR of 6.1% from 2020 to 2027. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities Increase in usage in industrial applications and the power generation industry drive the growth of the global syngas market. However, requirement of high capital investments hinders the market growth. On the other hand, surge in demand for chemicals creates new opportunities in the coming years. Download Sample PDF (450 Pages PDF with Insights): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/8204 Covid-19 Scenario Manufacturing activities and daily operations from the chemical, construction, power generation, and oil & gas industries have been hindered due to the lockdown imposed during the pandemic. This reduced the demand for syngas from these industries. The supplydemand gap, disruptions in raw material procurement, and price variations restrained the growth of the chemical industry, which in turn, lowered the demand for syngas. During the post-lockdown, the day-to-day operations in the chemical, power, and oil sectors resumed, and the demand for syngas is expected to increase gradually. The fluidized bed gasifier segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period Based on gasifier, the fluidized bed gasifier segment held around two-fifths of the global syngas market in 2019, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is due to their ability to enhance turbulence for complete gasification of low quality and low reactivity feedstock. However, the moving bed gasifier segment is estimated to witness the highest CAGR of 6.3% from 2020 to 2027, owing to wide usage for gasification of biomass as they have a lower operating temperature, larger flexibility in feed size, and ability to handle higher moisture content as compared to others. Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Syngas Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/8204?reqfor=covid The steam reforming segment to continue its lead position by 2027 Based on technology, the steam reforming segment accounted for the highest market share in 2019, contributing to nearly two-fifths of the global syngas market in 2019, and is expected to continue its lead position by 2027. This is attributed to its reliable, cost-effective, and wide usage for producing hydrogen. However, the auto-thermal reforming segment is estimated to manifest the largest CAGR of 6.3% from 2020 to 2027, owing to its high reliability, superior performance, simplified design for cost-effectiveness, and low environmental impact. Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, to offer lucrative opportunities Based on region, Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, is estimated to portray the fastest CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period. Moreover, this region contributed to the highest market share in terms of revenue, holding nearly two-thirds of the global syngas market in 2019, and is expected to maintain its dominant position by 2027. This is due to rise in demand from the chemical industry, majorly from refineries and China being a chemical manufacturing powerhouse that supplies a majority of the chemicals to the world. Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts/Industry Experts to Find Solution for Your Business @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/8204 Leading market players Air Liquide Air Products and Chemicals Inc. BASF SE John Wood Group Royal Dutch Shell Sasol Limited Siemens Syngas Energy Holdings SynGas Technology LLC The Linde Group Interested in Procure Data? Visit Here: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/syngas-market/purchase-options Access AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access Avenue is a user-based library of global market report database, provides comprehensive reports pertaining to the world's largest emerging markets. It further offers e-access to all the available industry reports just in a jiffy. By offering core business insights on the varied industries, economies, and end users worldwide, Avenue ensures that the registered members get an easy as well as single gateway to their all-inclusive requirements. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenue/trial/starter Similar Reports We Have: Compressed Natural Gas Market is projected to reach at $36,035 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 14.1% from 2017 to 2023. Green Power Market is projected to reach $103.5 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 12.3% from 2020 to 2027. Waste to Energy Market is projected to reach $50.1 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2020 to 2027. Hydropower Generation Market is projected to reach $317.8 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2020 to 2027. Wind Energy Market is projected to reach $127.2 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 9.3% from 2020 to 2027. Ozone Generation Market is expected to reach at $1,486 million by 2023, registering a CAGR of 7.4% from 2017 to 2023. Pre-Book Now with 10% Discount: Gasifier Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027 Natural Gas Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020 - 2027 Biomass Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast 20202027 Power Generation Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020- 2027 Biodiesel Feedstock Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027 Renewable Energy Certificates Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2028 About us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." 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Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact us: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free: 1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow us on: LinkedIn Twitter SOURCE Allied Market Research Zulum pointed to two essential things needed to foster new economic growth and social stability productivity and efficiency in the civil service. It is time we listened to reason and fundamental truths about improving every Nigerias live and putting in place the structures and systems that will make Nigeria work. Nigeria is a country in which there is a chasm between the leaders and the led. The distrust of political office holders by the ordinary Nigerian is such that most of the people celebrate when their leaders encounter tragic situations. If the governors take ill in some states, substantial proportions of the electorates would wish death on their States chief executives. The primary reason for this is that some Nigerians see their leaders as unconscionable tyrants who are pillaging their states resources to the detriment of ordinary citizens, who suffer in poverty and destitution. Many of the led do not understand how a governor cannot pay workers their wages while living in luxury and moving around in a convoy of exquisite SUVs and is guarded by a coterie of security operatives. So, when nature or fate strikes in the form of illness, accident or death or other tragedies, the masses who feel like the proverbial cow without a tail that relies largely on its gods to get rid of pestering fleas, rejoice over the tragedy of their leaders. Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, who is the incumbent in Borno State, is still a first-term governor and is different. The overall impact and import of his superintendence over Borno States affairs can be best measured when he finally exits the governors seat in Maiduguri. However, there appears to be a consensus that the governor is one of the shining lights of governance in Nigeria today. His performance during the relatively short time he has spent at the helm of affairs in Borno, perhaps the State most ravaged by the unending Boko Haram insurgency in the country, has been nothing short of remarkable. Little wonder his people love and support him. In his presentation at a lecture to commemorate my 50th birthday and the public presentation of my book, Strategic Turnaround: The Story of a Government Agency, the governor shared his thoughts on Nigerias national economic revival. What was striking about Professor Zulums lecture was how he connected the economy and security at both the country and personal levels, respectively. While he did not lay claim to being an economist, yet he got his economic fundamentals right. His message that if we increase productivity at all levels, then more citizens will gain employment and criminality would reduce, is succinct. Tackling the problem of Nigerias almost total dependence on crude oil as a means of foreign exchange earning, Zulum argued that a litre of orange juice and other fruit juices cost more than a litre of fuel. He then wondered why Nigeria would rather not produce significant quantities of these products and sell them to the world to earn foreign exchange. His appeal to these examples is symbolic, and if we look inward, there are many products that, which if Nigeria focussed on producing and exporting to the world, would create more revenue than crude oil. To illustrate this, a small country like Denmark makes a fortune from dairy products and eggs. Revenue in the dairy products and eggs segment of their national produce is estimated to amount to US$2,437 million in 2021. The market is expected to grow annually by 2.16 per cent (CAGR 2021-2025). In relation to the total population figures, a per capita revenue of US$419.16 is the estimate of what can be generated in 2021. In the dairy products and eggs segment mentioned, the volume is expected to rise to 751.7mkg by 2025. This segment is expected to attain a volume growth of 0.6 per cent in 2022. The average volume per person in the dairy products and eggs segment is expected to amount to 120.3 kilogrammes in 2021. Just imagine such per capita revenue from a product line in Nigeria (palm oil, dairy, rice, cocoa or any other product) is US$419.16, which means that the total revenue from that product or products will be US$83,832m in one year. This alone is about a fifth of Nigerias 2020 GDP. The impact of this on the lives of Nigerian citizens and the multiplier effect would be too significant to ignore. Then think of other products that Nigeria has comparative advantage in producing. Zulum further argued that the production of these products would create millions of jobs more than crude oil extraction, which has low job creation potential. With a higher income from productivity comes infrastructure development, social re-engineering, an improved quality of life, reduction in crime, and peaceful coexistence of different ethnic nationalities. the civil service currently appears antiquated and contributes little to the attainment of national objectives. Its present state of disarray has impacted negatively on governance in the country. Many Nigerians regard the civil service as a theatre of sharing the proverbial national cake among the countrys major ethnic and sub-ethnic groups Besides, he advocated for reducing the cost of governance by focusing on priorities, supporting the civil service so that they become more professional and more productive, and concentrate on education and putting in place infrastructure that will drive growth. The governors mention of an effective civil service as imperative for national development brings to the fore a system that has been the bane of Nigerias development. The civil service is one of the primary agents of growth in any nation. The transformation of any society or system depends mainly on the effectiveness and efficiency of its civil service, particularly in developing countries. The civil service is probably the most critical institution of a state that affects the lives of citizens due to the roles it plays. The Nigerian civil service, since the 1990s, has become a cog in the wheel of the countrys development. This involves some groups of people whose principal function is the implementation of government policies. Civil servants are not policymakers and therefore cannot question government policies. Whenever the government makes a policy, it becomes the duty of civil servants to implement this in the way that the government of the day wants it to be so done. In saner climes, the civil service is a modern institution that revolutionises and maintains an efficient way of organising society, establishments, and institutions. It is supposed to be a complex organisation with seemingly permanent officials appointed to assist members of the executive in the formulation, execution, and implementation of policies in ministries and extra-ministerial departments of government. It plays a crucial role in achieving the economic, social, and developmental objectives of federal and state governments. Countries look up to the civil service to implement developmental goals and administer policies on a day-to-day basis, while playing significant roles that accelerate social and economic change. Such desired change includes reduced unemployment, increased social products and the more equitable redistribution of income. Their anonymity attribute implies that civil servants should be seen and not heard, while characteristics such as neutrality, impartiality, and permanence enable the civil servant to be effective and productive. However, the Nigerian experience is different from the foregoing. Here, the civil service currently appears antiquated and contributes little to the attainment of national objectives. Its present state of disarray has impacted negatively on governance in the country. Many Nigerians regard the civil service as a theatre of sharing the proverbial national cake among the countrys major ethnic and sub-ethnic groups, instead of a veritable institution to help achieve national aspirations. The service suffers from undue politicisation, the lack of accountability, personalisation of governmental affairs, institutionalised corruption, indiscipline, and an ethnic predilection. Bureaucratic bottleneck wrought mainly by the lack of flexibility continues to bedevil the Nigerian civil service. Most of the problems of the Nigerian civil service are made worse by the civil servants themselves. Take the issue of poor remuneration. Much of the salaries of Nigerian civil servants are still relatively low, which makes many of them resort to sharp and unethical practices for survival. Meanwhile, some civil servants live above their incomes, as many of them demand bribes before performing their regular duties, while also defrauding and embezzling money earmarked by government for developmental purposes. ADVERTISEMENT The Nigerian civil service is more so bloated. Some of our civil servants do not have specific responsibilities. They roam around aimlessly from day to day, and at the end of the month, their truancy is unduly rewarded with a salary for doing virtually nothing. in a dynamic, fast-changing, technologically driven world, the Nigerian civil service must imbibe the practice and culture of invention and innovation both in imagination and routine work, and develop appropriate tools for anticipating change and challenges. It must be able to institutionalise change in modern governance and societal development. There are also the problems of the use of obsolete equipment and lack of training for many in the civil service. In several public institutions in the country, civil servants use outdated equipment suitable only for museums in other countries. Many civil servants in Nigeria cannot operate personal computers, and the impact of multiple trainings organised for them are never felt in terms of their productivity. To get it right in Nigeria, we need to create a civil service that sees itself as a tool for promoting growth, peace, stability, development, and democracy. The Nigerian civil servant should receive training regularly, and should be assisted in becoming up-to-date in the use of modern equipment, techniques, and methods. This training must be compulsory and geared towards the achievement of specialisation and professionalism in order to improve productivity. Merit, long sacrificed on the altar of ethnic sentiments, religious considerations, crass favouritism, and sometimes prurient cravings, should be restored to the Nigerian civil service. If we are to meet modern national development challenges, appointments and promotions in the service should be devoid of ethnicity, religion and undue favouritism and needs to be strictly on merit and qualification. Most importantly, the remuneration and other benefits of civil servants should be realistic and adequate. A situation whereby a graduate cadre civil servant earns a paltry N50,000 every month is unfortunate, as it should be clear to all concerned that without unethical practices, such a person would hardly survive on such salary. Government has to strive to make the civil service attractive in all respects. Civil servants should be accorded greater recognition and responsibility. They need to be motivated, to stimulate them to put in practical efforts into their work, because their individual productivity depends mainly on their levels of psychological satisfaction. This will increase the levels of commitment, hard work, creativity, and disposition among civil servants. Finally, in a dynamic, fast-changing, technologically driven world, the Nigerian civil service must imbibe the practice and culture of invention and innovation both in imagination and routine work, and develop appropriate tools for anticipating change and challenges. It must be able to institutionalise change in modern governance and societal development. Nigerian civil servants must rediscover the cherished tradition of service, loyalty, and excellence that they were hitherto known for and complement these with integrity, credibility, leadership, innovation, and transparency in the performance of their duties and management of scarce resources. In summary, Zulum pointed to two essential things needed to foster new economic growth and social stability productivity and efficiency in the civil service. It is time we listened to reason and fundamental truths about improving every Nigerias live and putting in place the structures and systems that will make Nigeria work. Dakuku Peterside is a policy and leadership expert. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo is due to testify today in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin for the deadly arrest of George Floyd, where prosecutors say he will undermine the defense claim the former officer followed police training. "This was murder it wasn't a lack of training," Arradondo said last year in a statement on the video footage of Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old handcuffed black man, for more than nine minutes. Arradondo, who in 2017 became the first black person to lead the city's police force, fired Chauvin and three other officers who were involved the day after Floyd's death, which led to global protests against police brutality. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges, arguing that he did only what he was trained to do in his 19 years as a police officer, a defense that Arrodondo is expected to dispute. Parties to the case said in court on Monday that Arrodondo would testify later in the day. Earlier, prosecutors from the Minnesota attorney general's office called to the stand the emergency room doctor who declared Floyd dead. Chauvin's lawyers have said he followed his training and that Floyd died because of a drug overdose. Here are some important moments from the sixth day of testimony in Chauvin's trial: Two paramedics who brought Floyd to the Hennepin County Medical Center after his arrest on May 25, 2020, told Dr. Bradford Langenfeld they had been trying to restart Floyd's heart for about 30 minutes without success. Langenfeld, an emergency physician, told the jury he took over Floyd's care. Asked by prosecutor Jerry Blackwell if the paramedics indicated that they suspected a drug overdose or heart attack, Langenfeld said they did not, indicating that only that Floyd's heart had stopped beating and that there may have been a delay in starting resuscitation efforts. "It's well known that any amount of time that a patient spends in cardiac arrest without immediate CPR markedly decreases the chance of a good outcome," he told the jury. Medical tests led Langenfeld to think it was unlikely that Floyd suffered a heart attack, he told the jury. The most likely explanation, the doctor said, was asphyxia. Videos of Floyd's arrest show that Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck for more than three minutes after Floyd appeared to have stopped breathing, and none of the police officers at the scene attempted to give Floyd first-aid care, which prosecutors say is contrary to police training. Floyd was declared dead at 9:25 pm, about 30 minutes after he arrived at the hospital and less than 90 minutes after police arrived outside the Cup Foods grocery store to arrest Floyd on suspicion of his using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes. "Our posture's gonna be that we're posted outside of DC, awaiting the president's orders. We hope he will give us the orders. We want him to declare an insurrection, and to call us up as the militia." Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, in November, looking ahead to Jan. 6 New Delhi : Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar today appeared before an accountability court here inconnection with the Panama Papers scandal and submitted surety bonds worth Rs 1 million to secure his bail. The court, which is hearing graft cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on September 8 against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his children and Dar, had issued a bailable arrest warrant against the minister onSeptember 20. Dar, 67, returned from London this morning along with Sharif who is expected to face corruption and money laundering charges in the Panama Papers scandal tomorrow. Dar's lawyer deposited surety bonds worth Rs 1 million to avoid his arrest. The court, after a brief hearing, postponed the case of Dar till September 27 and asked him to appear again as he would be formally indicted by the prosecution in a corruption case for having assets beyond his known sources of income. The NAB has filed three cases of corruption and money laundering against Sharif, his sons -- Hassan and Hussain, daughter -- Maryam, son-in-law -- Safdar, and Dar in the accountability court. The Supreme Court on July 28 disqualified Sharif from the prime minister's office in the Panama Papers scandal. The court's ruling stated that Sharif had been dishonest in not disclosing his earnings from a Dubai-based company of his son in his nomination papers during the 2013 generalelection. According to the Supreme Court, the accountability judge should decide the cases within six months. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 at-home test was one of two to receive FDA approval this week. The over-the-counter test does not need a prescription. Credit: Abbott The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved inexpensive, at-home coronavirus tests for over-the-counter sales this week, adding a potentially powerful weapon to the nation's pandemic-fighting arsenal that experts say will likely still be needed despite increasing numbers of vaccinated Americans. One of them is Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, who has called on federal regulators for much of the past year to clear the rapid antigen tests, arguing that widespread, frequent use of the diagnostic has the potential to stop outbreaks early and keep case numbers down. The tests provide results within minutes, he said on Thursday, and are particularly good at detecting infection during the 10 or so days when most people are contagious. Importantly, that covers the period when people may be asymptomatic and unknowingly infecting others, he added. "This is great news that these regulatory hurdles have come down," said Mina, who is also associate medical director in clinical microbiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital. In addition to the FDA's approval Wednesday of Abbott's BinaxNOW and Quidel's QuickVue rapid antigen tests for over-the-counter sale, Mina also hailed two new government-sponsored trials that approximate the at-home testing strategy he has supported. The North Carolina and Tennessee trials will provide residents with free kits and ask them to test themselves three times a week for four to six weeks. "We know that frequent testing with rapid results is critical because anyone can be exposed to this virus and not realize it until after they have become infectious," Mina, a member of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, said in a statement after the approval. "The best way to combat spread is to give people the tools to know that they are infectious in real time." During a media conference call Thursday, Mina said many Americans see the recent progress in the national vaccination campaign as a sign that the pandemic's end is nearing, but that likely will not be the case. Several states relaxed social distancing and masking mandates and eased business closures and other restrictions after steep case declines in January and February. That has been followed by a national increase to around the levels seen in October and November, and still above the level of last April's surge. The seven-day moving average of cases rose from 52,727 on March 14 to 62,542 on March 30, according to CDC statistics. "Some people might say that's a little too late, but it's not," Mina said of the tests' approval. "We're seeing resurgence of cases right now and there's still 1,000 people dying a day in the United States with COVIDwhich we've become numb tobut this is still a massive tragedy every single day." That renewed rise prompted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, a former professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, to issue repeated warningsincluding confessing a sense of "impending doom"that premature easing of restrictions combined with the spread of a more contagious variant threatens to lead to a fourth surge here similar to that already under way in Europe. Even if the current rise in cases doesn't result in a surge now, Mina said we could see a leap next fall, albeit one not as severe as this past fall and winter. He pointed to the virus' continued spread among the unvaccinated and the potential waning of vaccine-derived immunity among elderly who were dosed early in the campaign as potential drivers. Even in the case of another surge, vaccination of the most vulnerable combined with rapid tests would help snuff out outbreaks when they number just a few cases and eliminate the need for more business and school closures, Mina said. Such a strategy would allow society to function close to normal and avoid inundating the health care system to the point of collapse, as happened earlier in the pandemic, he added. "That means that when an outbreak starts in a school or a nursing home or wherever in the future, we don't have to close things down. We don't have to take extraordinary measures to prevent the spread of new variants," Mina said. "We can keep trotting forward as a society even in the context of ongoing, limited spread as long as we are preventing every outbreak from growing. I think getting these tests out is a huge step toward that." On Sunday, HBO aired the final two episodes of the six-part documentary series Q: Into the Storm, in which filmmaker Cullen Hoback explores the cancerous QAnon conspiracy theory and attempts to get to the bottom of who exactly is behind it. QAnon is an internet-fueled movement consisting of people who believe that pedophiles control the Democratic Party, Hollywood, and other major institutions, and that former President Donald Trump has been leading a covert effort in conjunction with the military to have these perverts arrested and executed. Many followers also believe that members of this cabal are satanists who practice cannibalism and that Trump is using UFOs to fight them. The conspiracy theory has been linked to multiple instances of violence and has torn families apart. The FBI considers QAnon to be a domestic terrorism threat, and at least 34 of its adherents participated in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hoback gained unprecedented access to some of the most important people controlling how QAnon proliferated online over the past several years, and in the finale, he offers a case for who he thinks Qthe supposedly anonymous government insider at the center of the conspiracy theoryreally is. Heres what he uncovered, and whether it truly gets to the bottom of one of the Trump eras strangest mysteries. Whats in the documentary? The main narrative of the series follows a feud between Fredrick Brennan and the father-son duo of Jim and Ron Watkins. Brennan is the creator of the site 8chan, now known as 8kun. The site is an imageboard where anonymous users can post pretty much anything; its become a hotbed of violent racism and outre pornography. Its also the sole venue through which Q communicates with his followers, in the form of cryptic messages called drops. Q claims to be a government official who was high up in the Trump administration and was privy to the former presidents secret war against the elite pedophiles. In addition to exploring the QAnon milieu and some of the speech-related issues the conspiracy raises, Hobacks mission in making this documentary is to figure out who the person claiming to be Q actually is. Advertisement Advertisement In 2015, Brennan sold 8chan to the Watkinses and moved to the Philippines, where they resided and ran several businesses. The documentary starts in 2018, a few years after Brennan hands over the reins to 8chan, and continues on through his falling-out with the Watkins family. Brennan began feuding with the Watkinses after authorities discovered that 8chan was linked to a number of mass shootings, including the ones in Christchurch, New Zealand, and El Paso, Texas. Brennan wanted to take 8chan down permanently, while the Watkinses wanted to keep it up based on what they said were free-speech grounds. The documentary follows the increasingly heated conflict that resulted from this disagreement. What do we learn about the main players in the QAnon saga? Advertisement The documentary is an intimate look at the people who have had the most control over Qs primary means of communication, namely 8chan and 8kun. Hoback is obviously sympathetic to Brennan, and its easy to see why. Brennan is exceedingly charming and self-effacing, and he seems to be pursuing a fairly principled, if occasionally underhanded, crusade to get 8chan shut down. Jim and Ron Watkins, on the other hand, strike a rather slimy camera presence. Jim, a U.S. Army veteran turned porn, message-board, and pig-farm impresario, wears the eerily perpetual smile of the Cheshire cat and describes his fantasy of murdering politicians with a machine gun in one of his first interviews in the series. In subsequent episodes, he blames his evasiveness in previous interviews on a suspect claim of hearing loss and later on appears to fellate a pizza crust in a shudder-inducing attempt at humor. Advertisement Advertisement Jims son Ron comes off as a heartless and power-hungry otaku. Hes disposed to grandiosity, at one point pushing to sing opera on camera and at another casting himself as the godlike final boss in a video game he developed based on 8kun. Ron also appears to pressure Hoback into visiting prostitutes in Japan in order to test his trustworthiness. Who does Hoback think is Q? Hoback believes Ron Watkins is Q. This isnt a particularly surprising conclusion. For more than six months, Brennan has been pushing his own theory that Jim and Ron Watkins control the Q account; his claims led to two major reports from ABC News and Reply All about the identity of Q in September. Referring to ABCs article, Brennan gleefully brags in the documentary that reporters basically wrote exactly what I wanted in certain instances. However, his theory at the time did seem to have some fairly convincing evidence behind it. As owners of the site, the Watkinses have control over accounts that post there, including Qs. Brennan also noted that Q stopped posting anywhere else on the internet when 8chan, the forum through which Q disseminates his messages, went down in 2018 because its service providers deplatformed the site. It was only after the Watkinses started a rebooted site called 8kun a few months later that Q started posting again. Advertisement Advertisement Importantly, Brennan and Hoback dont think that Ron started this whole conspiracy theory. They simply say that he has likely commandeered Qs account. Brennan has hypothesized that a South African conspiracy theorist name Paul Furber actually started posting as Q but then lost control of the account to the Watkinses. This is partly because Q inexplicably relocated to a different forum within 8chan outside of Furbers control in 2018. After this migration, Qs writing style notably changed. Hoback interviews Furber in the documentary, who contends that an impostor took control of the Q account. (Furber has denied ever being Q, and does so here.) And, to be clear, there are also other theories that vary in their plausibility. Advertisement Why does Hoback now suspect Ron? In the sixth and final episode of the series, Hoback presents his case for why he thinks the younger Watkins is Q. He mostly relies on circumstantial evidence that hes collected through shooting the documentary, some of it compelling, some of it not. Much of it boils down to Rons inconsistent statements; he would one day seem to know Qs intricate motivations and inner circle, and then hed claim to know nothing about Q the next. Ron and his father also spend buckets of money on their hobby of collecting luxury watches and pensQ has been known to post pictures of expensive-looking watches and pens in an attempt to prove that hes in secure locations like Camp David. The piece of evidence that Hoback presents as the closest thing he has to a smoking gun is an apparent slip-up that Ron makes in an interview near the end. In his final conversation with Hoback, Ron seems to admit that he had been anonymously directing the analysis and research that 8chan users were conducting based on Qs cryptic messages, even though hed previously claimed to not be involved with any of the content on the site beyond his responsibilities as administrator. Ron, after briefly discussing his role in spreading conspiracy theories about voter fraud following the 2020 election, says, It was basically three years of intelligence training, teaching normies how to do intelligence work. It was basically what I was doing anonymously before, but never as Q. Its deeply suspicious, but not quite enough to pin him as Q. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the big reveal in the finale of #QIntotheStorm where Ron Watkins says too much to Cullen Hoback and lets his guard slip. It was so good it made the whole six hours worth it. pic.twitter.com/QzwTGNcl5q Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) April 5, 2021 Hoback does admit that his theory lacked definitive proof. It seems clear, though, that the Watkinses have an overwhelming amount of control over the Q account and at the very least have the ability to commandeer Qs account at any time and post whatever they please. If they arent Q themselves, they likely have some sort of contact with Q. Its also possible that multiple people author Qs posts. Advertisement Are there any other suspects? In the documentary, Ron tries to convince Hoback that former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon is actually Q. Bannon had left the White House in August 2017, two months before Q started posting. In January 2018, Bannon stepped down as executive chair of Breitbart, around the same time the Q account allegedly changed hands. Ron showed Hoback the IP addresses associated with Qs drops. A number of drops were routed through an address in Orange County, California, where Bannon lived. Ron also pointed to a specific instance in which Q apparently made two posts from different IP addresses within 30 minutes of Bannons house. Hoback then visits the Italian monastery where Bannon had established a school for fledgling far-right populists to try to investigate Rons claims (Bannon had already left), but ultimately doesnt buy the theory. Hoback instead suggests that Ron actually tried to frame Bannon. He muses, In order to throw off anyone who came sniffing around, wouldnt it be smart to create a fake digital forensics trail, one that leads to someone from Trumps inner circle? Does this still matter? Q hasnt posted since December, and Trumps election loss has put a damper on the fantasy that he was going to use his power to root out the elite pedophiles. However, true believers are still trying to stay relevant. Salon reports that QAnon adherents have recently taken to defending Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz against allegations of child sex trafficking. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Thousands of our daily activities, from making coffee to taking a walk to saying hello to a neighbor, are made possible through an ancient collection of brain structures tucked away near the center of the cranium. The cluster of neurons known as the basal ganglia is a central hub for regulating a vast array of routine motor and behavior functions. But when signaling in the basal ganglia is weakened or broken, debilitating movement and psychiatric disorders can emerge, including Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Despite its central importance in controlling behavior, the specific, detailed paths across which information flows from the basal ganglia to other brain regions have remained poorly charted. Now, researchers at the University of California San Diego, Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute and their colleagues have generated a precise map of brain connectivity from the largest output nucleus of the basal ganglia, an area known as the substantia nigra pars reticulata, or SNr. The findings offer a blueprint of the area's architecture that revealed new details and a surprising level of influence connected to the basal ganglia. The results, spearheaded by Assistant Project Scientist Lauren McElvain and carried out in the Neurophysics Laboratory of Professor David Kleinfeld at UC San Diego, and the laboratory of Zuckerman Institute Principal Investigator Rui Costa, are published April 5 in the journal Neuron. The research establishes a new understanding of the position of the basal ganglia in the hierarchy of the motor system. According to the researchers, the newly identified pathways emerging from the connectivity map could potentially open additional avenues for intervention of Parkinson's disease and other disorders tied to the basal ganglia. "With the detailed circuit map in hand, we can now plan studies to identify the specific information conveyed by each pathway, how this information impacts downstream neurons to control movement and how dysfunction in each output pathway leads to the diverse symptoms of basal ganglia diseases," said McElvain. With support from the NIH's Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, the researchers developed the new blueprint working in mice by applying a modern neuroscience toolset that combines techniques from genetics, virus tracing, automated microscopic imaging of whole-brain anatomy and image processing. The results revealed surprising new insights about the breadth of connections. "These results are an example of how researchers supported by the BRAIN Initiative are using the latest brain mapping tools to change in a fundamental way our understanding of how the connections in the brain's circuits are organized," said John J. Ngai, director of the NIH's BRAIN Initiative. Previous work had emphasized that the basal ganglia architecture is dominated by a closed-loop with output projections connecting back to input structures. The new study reveals the SNr broadcasts even to lower levels of the motor and behavior system. This includes a large set of brainstem regions with direct connections to the spinal cord and motor nuclei that control muscles via a small number of intervening connections. "The new findings led by Dr. McElvain offer an important lesson in motor control," said Kleinfeld, a professor in the Division of Biological Sciences (Section of Neurobiology) and Division of Physical Sciences (Department of Physics). "The brain does not control movement though a hierarchy of commands, like the 'neural networks' of self-driving cars, but through a scheme of middle management that directs motor output while informing the executive planners." Remarkably, according to the researchers, the SNr neurons that project to the low levels of the motor system have branched axons that simultaneously project back up to the brain regions responsible for higher-order control and learning. In this way, the newly described connectivity of SNr neurons fundamentally links operations across high and low levels of the brain. "The fact that specific basal ganglia output neurons project to specific downstream brain nuclei but also broadcast this information to higher motor centers has implications for how the brain chooses which movements to do in a particular context, and also for how it learns about which actions to do in the future," said Costa, a professor of neuroscience and neurology at Columbia's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as director and chief executive officer of the Zuckerman Institute. ### Contributors to the study include Byungkook Lim and Brenda Bloodgood at UC San Diego, Jeffrey Moore at Harvard, Yuncong Chen at NEC Laboratories America and G. Stefano Brigidi, now at the University of Utah School of Medicine. This work was supported by the European Research Council, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Institutes of Health (T32 NS007220, U19 NS107466, U01 NS090595, R01 NS111162 and U19 NS104649), the Tourette Association of America, and equipment funds from the Dr. George Feher Experimental Biophysics Chair. This story was first published in the Texas Tribune. Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke has not ruled out a run for governor after all. Earlier Friday, The Dallas Morning News published remarks O'Rourke made on an upcoming morning program that roused the Texas political class and suggested he no longer was interested in running for governor. Ive got no plans to run, and Im very focused on the things that Im lucky enough to do right now organizing, registering voters and teaching, ORourke said on NBC DFWs Lone Star Politics, which will air Sunday. Im just going to keep doing what Im doing now. The O'Rourke camp then quickly reached out to The Texas Tribune to clarify his sentiment. "What I said today is what I've been saying for months: I'm not currently considering a run for office," he said in a statement. "I'm focused on what I'm doing now (teaching and organizing.) Nothing's changed and nothing I said would preclude me from considering a run in the future." READ MORE: Million dollar homes for sale in San Antonio The El Paso Democrat flirted with a run earlier this year when he said in an interview that running against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott was "something I'm going to think about." Last month, he stoked more rumors of his interest in the seat when he reemerged as an organizing force amid the Texas winter storm. He's also been a vocal critic of Abbott's on various issues, including the winter storm, the 2019 mass shooting by a white supremacist in El Paso and Abbott's lifting of the state mask mandate. O'Rourke is coming off an unsuccessful campaign for Democratic presidential nominee in 2019, and a narrow loss to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. There will be no U.S. Senate race this year, so the person Democrats nominate for the gubernatorial race will have outsized impact on down-ballot races. The Democratic party came out of the 2020 election with dashed hopes, despite high expectations. READ MORE: 'San Antonio's basketball queen' Kiana Williams was all the buzz on Twitter after Stanford's NCAA Championship win O'Rourke suggested suggested Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins as other potential gubernatorial candidates in the television interview. Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro is another oft-mentioned potential contender, and Austin-based actor Matthew McConaughey is also publicly mulling a run. My plan right now is to run for reelection, Hidalgo told Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith on his Point of Order podcast last month. Asked if she would rule out running for something else in 2022, she said, I wouldnt say its something that Im actively pursuing right now. Patrick Svitek contributed to this report. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI)Starting Tuesday it will be "advised" that people wear a mask. "I feel like it should be everyone's personal choice whether or not they continue to wear a mask," said Lacy Hawn. Health experts are warning of more contagious COVID-19 variants entering the community. The concerns follow Governor Eric Holcomb's decision to lift the state's mask mandate. Im not looking to change my mind, but Im happy to hear his reasoning behind his statement that he made, Holcomb said. My style has been to respect all other governors and the decisions that they have to make, according to the numbers and whats happening on the ground in their states. Holcomb signed executive orders that also end the statewide crowd size and other business restrictions meant to stem the coronavirus spread as of April 6. "My biggest concern is that, disassociating some customers coming in but again our base clientele pretty much, this is what they have appreciated throughout and that is why we are still in business," said Owner of Bistro 501, Mary Buckley. Holcomb said he was confident that Indianas health care system had the capacity to care for COVID-19 patients and that the state could react effectively to new spread of the coronavirus. "They just enabled 16 and older and I just made a vaccine appointment and I am not getting mine until May and I think until the majority of Indiana gets a vaccine we should continue to wear our masks," said Tippecanoe County resident, Austin Nelson. Dr. Daniel Wickert with Franciscan Health Arnett said COVID-19 isn't over. ""So my thoughts related to changing it from a mandate to an advisory is that the governor did not mean no masks anywhere. He still said that state buildings and schools and in private businesses who require masks, that's still acceptable and that's still appropriate," said Wickert. Dr. Wickert said the mask mandate changing is also one more reason people should schedule their COVID-19 vaccine. TALLAHASSEE, FL -- The Florida Division of Emergency Management has announced some changes at the 4 federally-supported COVID-19 vaccination sites across the state. Their statement reads as follows: "Federally-Supported Sites to Transition to One Dose Johnson and Johnson Vaccine Today (4/2/21), the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced that the four federally-supported vaccination sites in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Miami will transition to the one dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine Tuesday, April 6. The state has been able to make this change as it receives an increased allocation of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine this week. After Monday, April 5, the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine will no longer be offered at the four federally-supported sites. The four federally-supported sites will administer up to 3,000 one dose Johnson and Johnson per day, per site. In order to reduce confusion regarding first and second doses due to ongoing changes at the federally-supported vaccination sites, the four federally-supported sites will begin only offering the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. This will streamline the vaccination process at the sites and eliminate the need for individuals to return for a second dose. All individuals who received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the federally-supported sites are guaranteed to receive their second dose at the federally-supported sites. The four main sites and the satellite sites will continue administering second doses of the Pfizer vaccine for individuals who received their first dose at these sites. Once the satellite sites finish administering all second doses, they will no longer be operational. Other state-supported vaccination sites continue to offer the Pfizer vaccine. The Division continues to encourage individuals to visit state-supported vaccination site, in addition to the federally-supported vaccination sites. A full list of state-supported vaccination sites, and the vaccine offered at each site, is available at FloridaDisaster.org/Vaccine Matsaile Airport, Matsaile, Lesotho [ MSG / ] If you are planning to travel to Matsaile or any other city in Lesotho, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Matsaile Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Matsaile Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Lesotho. Matsaile Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided. Matsaile Airport Info: Matsaile Airport IATA Code: MSG Matsaile Airport ICAO Code: Latitude : -29.7333 Longitude : 28.75 City : Matsaile Country : Lesotho World Area Code : 536 Airport Type : Small Timezone : Africa/Maseru Matsaile Airport Timezone : GMT +02:00 hours Current time and date at Matsaile Airport is 19:11:12 PM (SAST) on Friday, Jun 4, 2021 Looking for information on Matsaile Airport, Matsaile, Lesotho? Know about Matsaile Airport in detail. Find out the location of Matsaile Airport on Lesotho map and also find out airports near to Matsaile. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Matsaile Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Matsaile Airport, airlines operating to Matsaile Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Lesotho. Scroll down to know more about Matsaile Airport or Matsaile Airport, Lesotho. Matsaile Airport Map - Location of Matsaile Airport Load Map Lesotho - General Information Country Formal Name Kingdom of Lesotho Country Code LS Capital Maseru Currency Loti (LSL) 1 LSL = 0.073 USD 1 USD = 13.666 LSL 1 LSL = 0.06 EUR 1 EUR = 16.635 LSL More LSL convertion rates Tel Code +266 Top Level Domain .ls This page provides all the information you need to know about Matsaile Airport, Lesotho. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Lesotho or traveling to Matsaile Airport. Details about Matsaile Airport given here include Matsaile Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes) Coordinates of Matsaile Airport - Latitude and Longitude (Lat and Long) of Matsaile Airport Location of Matsaile Airport - City Name, Country, Country Codes etc... Matsaile Airport Time Zone and Current time at Matsaile Airport Address and contact details of Matsaile Airport along with website address of the airport Clickable Location Map of Matsaile Airport on Google Map. General information about Lesotho where Matsaile Airport is located in the city of Matsaile. General information include capital of Lesotho, currency and conversion rate of Lesotho currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc... MSG - Matsaile Airport IATA Code Tule elk have had a long, hard history of survival in California. The subspecies of the elk, native to California, once roamed the state in the hundreds of thousands, but uncontrolled hunting and human settlement in the 19th century nearly wiped them out, with numbers dwindling to less than 30 in the 1870s. That last small herd in Bakersfield was saved by an elk-loving rancher named Henry Miller, and each of the 5,700 tule elk in California today are derived from that herd. More recently the animal has had to contend with the escalating threat of drought and wildfires drying up their grasslands, and a new survey from the National Parks Service reveals a decline of about a third over a year at the Point Reyes National Seashores largest herd. A reason for the sharp decline from 445 to 293 at Tomales Point is a point of contention that has led to a feud over the way the animals are being managed. While park officials attribute the deaths to a combination of overpopulation and malnutrition, resulting from two years little rainfall, activists believe that much blame can be put at the foot of an 8-foot-tall wire fence around the preserve. They claim the fence is trapping the animals and restricting access to water and food, and last year they controversially took the matter into their own hands. During the Woodward Wildfire that ravaged 4,500 acres of nearby land last September, activists trespassed into the enclosure to deliver troughs of water to the elk. If the park service refuses to care for the animals that they are mandated by law to preserve, then others have to step in, Fleur Dawes, of In Defense of Animals, told the LA Times at the time. The National Park Service refused to remove the fence, and in a new statement last week it pushed back against the notion that the animals are suffering from no access to water, though concluding that the drought is responsible. "These census results, along with necropsies, observations of living elk, and assessment of range conditions suggest poor forage quality caused by drought conditions exist parkwide," said Melanie Gunn of the NPS in a statement. "Although the NPS and CDFW believe the elk population declines are drought-related, there is no evidence that the population decline is due to dehydration and a lack of water," Gunn added. "Park staff mapped water sources and monitored water conditions at Tomales Point on a regular basis from July to November, confirming adequate water supplies are available for the elk in the many creeks, seeps, and springs distributed throughout the reserve. Conversely, the nutritional quality of forage is exacerbated by ongoing drought conditions." The Tomales Point herd was the first to be reestablished in Marin in 1978 after State and Federal legislation authorized the California Department of Fish and Game to reintroduce the species to the area. Ten animals were transplanted from an existing reintroduced herd in the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge near Los Banos to a 2,600-acre fenced enclosure on Tomales Point, at a decommissioned cattle ranch now designated as wilderness. The tule elk herd at Tomales Point thrived to the point when, in the early 1990s, biologists theorized that tule elk might become too numerous within the reserve. Park staff even attempted to prevent over-population and damage to the range through various means, including an experimental four-year effort to slow growth through the use of contraceptives. The recent sudden drop in the population has worried environmental activists such as Diana Oppenheim of the ForELK group, who described the survey results as devastating and infuriating to the Marin Independent Journal. We as activists and park lovers and conservationists saw the warning signs, Oppenheim told the newspaper. We showed them directly to the park and saw the park service really failing to look at the evidence and saw the park service failing to take any action to protect these animals. Environmental advocates Lisa Levinson, of In Defense of Animals, and Jack Gescheidt, of the TreeSpirit Project are also calling for the parks service to tear down the fence. It does the opposite of preserve: it lethally prevents elk from reaching water and forage even as thousands of private-profit cattle drink and eat their fill yards away, they wrote in statement. If the park wants to have a hands-off approach to wildlife management, they need to take down the fence. I literally see this as the park service failing to do their jobs. The park service, however, does not see the decline as a reason for alarm. "NPS management of elk at Tomales Point is guided by the 1998 Tule Elk Management Plan which predicts a series of modulated swings of population growth and decline in this herd, a process called natural or self-regulation," said Gunn. "The National Park Service is committed to maintaining three healthy herds of tule elk at Point Reyes National Seashore." Hunter Biden said he is 'full cooperating' with a federal investigation into his finances and claimed he's never given his father 'a nickel' from his overseas business ventures. President Joe Biden's son is being investigated by the Justice Department for his taxes, which is related to his work in the Ukraine and China. The federal probe began in 2018 and was revealed after the 2020 presidential election. 'They're investigating. I can't really talk about it, other than to say is that I'm fully cooperating, and I'm fully confident that at the end of the day it's all gonna be fine,' Hunter Biden told CBS' 'This Morning' in an interview that aired Monday. He said his legal team is not working on a plea deal. 'I am absolutely certain that what we're doing is is being completely cooperative with whoever is asking, from any authority whatsoever,' he told CBS' Anthony Mason as part of his publicity tour for his forthcoming memoir 'Beautiful Things.' He also said he's never given Joe Biden 'a nickel' from his business dealings in the Ukraine and China. 'Nothing ever,' Hunter Biden said. 'Not a nickel.' He added that neither 'directly or indirectly, not a nickel ever. 100% No, never.' In his interviews with CBS News as part of his publicity tour for his memoir Beautiful Things, Hunter discussed his overseas work, his struggle with addiction and his relationship with his brother Beau's widow, Hallie. The book is out April 6. He said that he convinced his father to issue a public statement supporting his affair with Hallie, arguing the relationship would 'seem wrong' if his father didn't bless it. He also revealed that his dad staged an intervention and chased him down the driveway of their Delaware home during the campaign. He also admitted smoking crack 'around the clock' and drinking a liter of vodka a day in a string of cheap motel rooms in California. Hunter Biden told CBS News he is 'full cooperating' with a federal investigation into his finances and is 'fully confident that at the end of the day it's all gonna be fine' Hunter Biden said he never gave Joe Biden any money from those dealings: 'Nothing ever ... not a nickel,' he said; Hunter and Joe Biden are seen above on election night in 2020 WATCH: Hunter Biden tells @AnthonyMasonCBS he is being fully cooperative with the federal investigation into his taxes. I'm fully confident that at the end of the day, it's all going to be fine." Next on @CBSThisMorning. pic.twitter.com/bm76tnw808 CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) April 5, 2021 Hunter's business dealings became a political liability for Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign when President Donald Trump used them to claim the Bidens were corrupt and that Joe Biden financially benefited from his son's international work. Joe Biden has not been charged with any wrongdoing and is not being investigated as part of the federal probe into Hunter. Hunter was on the board Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian gas company, while his father was vice president. During that time Joe Biden urged the Ukrainian government to fire a prosecutor, which Trump and his allies claim was done to benefit Burisma. But Biden was following United States policy and other European nations also advocated to fire the prosecutor. The concern was the prosecutor was not doing enough to fight corruption in the company. Hunter Biden quit the board during the 2020 campaign as Trump railed against his work. He told CBS News he would make the same decision and would not sit on the board if given another chance. He said he didn't realize the extent to which the Trump campaign would use his work against his father. 'I didn't fully comprehend the level to which this former administration and the people around him would go,' he said. 'I don't want to hand a weapon to people that would use it in an illegitimate way that they used the weapon of me against my dad.' Hunter also sat on the board of BHR, a Chinese equity firm, that was trying to raise a $1.5 billion financial stake - a number Trump latched on to to accuse Hunter Biden of personal financial gain. Hunter says he didn't make money from the venture. Hunter Biden accompanied his father, who was then vice president, and his daughter Finnegan on a 2013 trip to China but said the two men never discussed his work with BHR. In his interviews, he said that he convinced his father Joe Biden to issue a public statement supporting his affair with his deceased brother Beau's widow Hallie, arguing the relationship would 'seem wrong' if his father didn't bless it. ''Dad,' I told him, 'if people find out, but they think you're not approving of this, it makes it seem wrong,' Hunter Biden wrote in his memoir, Beautiful Things, set to be released on April 6, according to an advance copy obtained by Fox News. In early 2017, just months after his father left office as vice president, the pressure was on Hunter when a reporter called to ask him about his affair with Hallie, which began while he was still married to his first wife. Hunter argued to his father that it would be devastating to his children if Biden didn't bless the unusual relationship, telling him: ''The kids have to know there's nothing wrong with this, and the one person who can tell them that is you.' Hunter Biden has said that he convinced his father Joe Biden to issue a public statement supporting his affair with his deceased brother Beau's widow Hallie Hallie is pictured front standing next to Hunter Biden (left in blue suit and sunglasses) and Joe Biden (right in black) at Beau Biden's funeral on June 6, 2015 Biden was reluctant but eventually issued a statement saying: 'We are all lucky that Hunter and Hallie found each other as they were putting their lives together again after such sadness. They have mine and Jill's full and complete support and we are happy for them.' Hunter recounts that his relationship with Hallie was born out of mutual grief, and unfolded as he was 'backsliding' into substance abuse after getting out of rehab. 'I was madly trying to hold on to a slice of my brother, and I think Hallie was doing the same,' Hunter wrote. Hunter recounts that his relationship with Hallie was born out of mutual grief 'If we weren't all in, we worried, the relationship would be perceived as a salacious fling. So we tried to make something work that, in hindsight, was never in the cards,' he continued. Hunter's relationship with Hallie blew up by 2019, around the same time as a series of his foreign business ventures evaporated. He went on to marry South African filmmaker Melissa Cohen, with whom he has a son. On Sunday, Hunter spoke in an interview about his drug addiction, his relationship with sister-in-law Hallie Biden, the ongoing FBI investigation into his finances and his decision to join the board of Burisma. 'I spent more times on my hands and knees picking through rugs smoking anything that even remotely resembled crack cocaine. I probably smoked more parmesan cheese than anyone that you know,' the president's son told CBS Sunday Morning with a laugh, as he told Tracy Smith about his battles with addiction. The younger Biden said his father staged an intervention for him during his time as vice president. 'He sort of ditched the Secret Service,' Hunter Biden recalled, with the now-president telling his son that, 'You're not fine.' In a teaser released Friday for another portion of the interview, Hunter Biden spoke about a second intervention, in which the then-2020 presidential candidate chased his son down the driveway, sobbing, begging him to stop using drugs. Photos of Hunter smoking a crack pipe (left) and appearing inebriated (right) that were found on a laptop that made headlines just weeks before the November 3 presidential election On 'CBS Sunday Morning,' Smith asked about the FBI's current probe into Hunter Biden's taxes, which came to light in December during the transition. Hunter Biden released a statement through the Biden-Harris transition office at the time. He told CBS that he couldn't discuss much about the case. 'I can say this. I'm cooperating completely and I'm absolutely certain, 100 per cent certain, that at the end of the investigation that I will be cleared of any wrongdoing,' the president's son said. Reporting on that investigation suggests that it deals with Hunter Biden's business dealings with Chinese firms. As for his business in Ukraine, Hunter Biden said he didn't believe taking a spot on Ukrainian energy company Burisma's board was a mistake. 'No, I don't think I made a mistake taking a spot on that board,' he said. 'I think I made a mistake in terms of underestimating the - the way in which it would be used against me.' Smith pushed back, suggesting it was hard to believe that Hunter Biden didn't realize that optics could look bad. Hunter Biden, pictured with his wife Melissa Cohen and their son Beau Biden Jr. on March 26 as they boarded Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland Hunter's daughters Maisy, 20, Finnegan, 21, and Naomi, 27, (far left, center left and center right) are pictured with their cousin Natalie (far right) who is Beau Biden's daughter 'I'm being as honest with you as I possibly can,' Hunter Biden replied. 'All I know, is that not one investigative body, not one serious journalist have ever accused - has ever come to the conclusion that I did anything wrong, or that my father did anything wrong.' Former President Donald Trump made Burisma a household name, floating to rally crowds that Hunter Biden was getting rich off his name - and that Joe Biden intervened and got a Ukrainian prosecutor fired for wanting to investigate Burisma to protect his son. Hunter's new memoir, Beautiful Things, is out April 6 As he does in his forthcoming memoir, 'Beautiful Things,' he explained what compelled him to start dating Hallie, the widow of Beau Biden. 'I think people were confused by that. And I understand that,' he said. 'It came out of a real overwhelming grief that we both shared. And we were together and trying to do the right thing and that grief turned into a hope for a love that maybe could replace what we lost.' 'And it didn't work. It didn't work,' he said. He added, 'I made a lot of decisions that I probably shouldn't have made.' Smith said that Hunter Biden told her that he had been sober since marrying his second wife, Melissa Cohen. Hunter Biden said that he talked to his father every night - and that the president called all the grandkids daily too. 'By the way, he's always done that,' Hunter Biden said. 'Because he lost - because he, like me, knows what it's like not to be able to pick up the phone and talk to your son,' Hunter Biden said, choking up. Smith pointed out that, 'He almost lost you.' 'Yeah, yeah. Yeah,' Hunter Biden agreed. 'It's hard.' 'I'm a Biden, we cry too much,' he added. New Delhi: Shabari was an elderly woman, who received Lord Ramas blessing for her devotion towards him in the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana. As a small girl, Shabari always wanted to know the meaning of Dharma. In order to know its meaning, she travelled miles and met Sage Matanga one day at Mountain Rishyamukha. She accepted him as her Guru (teacher). Several years passed and when Matanga was about to die, Shabari asked him the way to reach "abode of peace" which he had reached. Thereupon, the sage told her that by the virtue of her service, Lord Rama will visit her one day and that she has to wait for the auspicious day. ALSO READ | Urmila: The Goddess of sacrifice in epic Ramayana Thereafter, Shabari waited for Lord Rama and everyday she used to go out of her ashram to pluck berry fruits for Lord Rama. Before putting it in her basket, she used to taste it to check whether it was sweet or bitter. She wanted to present only sweet berries to the Lord. As per saying, hundreds of devotees were waiting to receive Lord Rama but he went to Shabaris ashram because of her honest devotion towards him. She was delighted to see the Lord in front of her. She then presented the fruits to her Lord but Lakshmana (Lord Ramas younger brother) noticed that she had already consumed the fruits and referred to them as impure. But Rama understood the reason behind the act. Pleased with her devotion, Rama blessed her with his vision. ALSO READ | Digital Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand: Quest for Sita For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Bishop Charles Agyinasare, Resident Pastor of Perez Chapel Headquarters, Accra, says the death and blood of Jesus have given value to the lives of believers. He said through the blood of Jesus our lives have become valuable... his blood has given meaning and purpose to our lives. Bishop Agyinasare said this at a Good Friday Service of the Church in Accra. He said the blood of Jesus, through his death, had redeemed Christians from evil and wrongdoing. We were Gods possession and the devil stole us; however, we have been redeemed with love through his blood, he added. The Bishop said the death of Jesus had granted us fellowship with the Lord. The blood of Jesus has brought many benefits to mankind, including healing, authority over the devil, and delivered us from the curse of the law. If you are in a situation and feel defeated, the blood will change your situation, he added. Bishop Agyinasare told the congregation that the death and blood of Jesus had provided everything they needed to be successful in life. 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 Moscow has furiously claimed a boy named Vladik died when an unmanned aerial vehicle struck a village in rebel held eastern Ukraine known as Donbass. Pictured: Vladik, 5, allegedly killed by drone A boy aged five 'killed by a Kyiv drone' has become an alarming new flashpoint as tension spirals amid claims Russia is moving military hardware thousands of miles from Siberia to its border with Ukraine. Moscow has furiously claimed a boy named Vladik died when an unmanned aerial vehicle struck a village in rebel held eastern Ukraine known as Donbass, and warned of 'the most dire consequences'. Strongly pro-Kremlin newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda alleged the boy was 'killed by Ukrainian beasts' with an improvised explosive device. Vladik 'loved nature, was a cheerful and kind little boy, (who) dreamed of becoming a cook ... ' it said. Ukraine has angrily denied any responsibility for his death and his grandmother's alleged injury, blasting Russia for fake news as each side accused the other of deepening strains and inflammatory language. One independent Russian military analyst has already warned that a European or even World war could be triggered 'in a month' pitting Russia against Ukraine and its Western allies including the US. Meanwhile, the EU has voices 'severe concern' over Russian military activity surrounding Ukraine. Worrying new footage purports to show the movement of a train loaded with tanks, armoured vehicles and troops as well as a Pantsir missile system from Tyumen in Siberia, heading west, 45 pieces of equipment in all. Another shows the 74th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade and 120th Artillery Brigade heading west from Kemerovo region, originating from Yurga station, also in Siberia. They are believed to be bound for Voronezh region, which shares a border with Ukraine, according to the Conflict Intelligence Team, a Russian investigative blogger group monitoring armoured movements from open sources. Pictured: Still grabs from videos showing what are purportedly Russian military vehicles heading to the disputed Ukrainian border The train is loaded with Hurricane multiple launch rocket systems, in service with the 120th brigade The group said: 'We assumed the transfer of units from this district to the Ukrainian border, but now this information has been confirmed. 'Such a redeployment cannot be explained by exercises, with the exception of strategic exercises, which only take place in autumn. 'So in all likelihood, its goal is precisely to put pressure on Ukraine or prepare for a possible offensive.' Other videos show movements of the Russian military within regions closer to the Ukrainian border. Russian daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported cited experts as saying 'it is obvious that Moscow is indeed preparing for a possible war or an armed conflict in the west. 'The 'undisguised' relocation of Russian troops and a large quantity of military hardware to Crimea and the borders with Donbas is arranged. 'These troops have been relocated to demonstrate military might of the Russian Armed Forces and their readiness to protect Russia's interests.' Pictured: More military hardware reportedly on the way to the disputed Ukraine border Pro-Kremlin Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of English-language television news network RT and state-owned international news agency Rossiya Segodnya, is among prominent Russian voices actively calling for Putin to make a military grab for areas of eastern Ukraine currently held by rebels. 'The truth is that Russian people living in Donbass must live in Russia,' she said on television. She claimed that if reports are correct that Putin is pouring 4,000 extra troops to the border with Ukraine 'then I am very happy'. If not 'then I am sad, because my position remains the same: Mother Russia, take Donbass home.' She said: 'I believe that the overwhelming majority of people in Russia want this, and perhaps not overwhelming, but all the people of Donbass want it. 'Those who did not want it left to Kyiv or elsewhere, for example to work in Europe. I believe that it would be in our interest.' Pro-Kremlin Margarita Simonyan (pictured top-right), editor-in-chief of English-language television news network RT and state-owned international news agency Rossiya Segodnya, is among prominent Russian voices actively calling for Putin to make a military grab for areas of eastern Ukraine currently held by rebels One Russian news outlet quoted Vladik's unnamed grandmother in the village of Alexandrovskaya saying: 'I do not know what kind of war there can be with this child. 'He did not know what war is, we did not teach him this word and he did not know how to play this game. We don't pronounce this word.' She demanded that the dead boy's photo should be taken to the mother of the Ukrainian soldier she alleged had killed her grandson. 'Let her see what he received this money for,' she said. 'They are drenched in the blood of a child.' A Ukrainian official questioned the facts of the incident including confusion over the name of the village. 'It is not even known whether there was any explosion / detonation at all in this place, at this time,' said Alexey Arestovich, spokesman for the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group. But Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the Russian parliament, insisted he was killed in a Ukraine drone attack. He called for Ukraine to take responsibility and be excluded from the Council of Europe. 'The rhetoric of the Ukrainian leadership, which is increasing tension, exacerbating the conflict, has gone far and is fraught with the most dire consequences,' he said. Footage has emerged showing the movement of tanks and other military vehicles by train Military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer Russian military analysis Pavel Felgenhauer has warned: 'The crisis has the potential to escalate into a pan-European war, if not even a world one.' He expressed concern at Russian naval movements in recent weeks through the English Channel apparently to put in place landing craft for potential use on Ukraine's Black Sea coastline. The news of the child's death comes days after a Russian military analyst warmed a European or even World War could be triggered in Ukraine after Russia dispatched 4,000 to the disputed border. With tension sharply rising, analyst Pavel Felgenhauer, 69, said it now requires a 'psychoanalyst' to determine Russia's intentions in Ukraine but warned events could see 'war in a month'. The West has expressed alarm about Moscow's movement of troops and forces, and Felgenhauer says they are right to be concerned as unverified new footage appears to show military movements in Russia's Voronezh, Rostov and Krasnodar regions, along with key railway routes. 'The crisis has the potential to escalate into a pan-European war, if not even a world one,' Felgenhauer warned starkly in an interview with Rosbalt news outlet in Russia. 'But for now, potential. Will it happen or not? Let's wait and see. In the West, they don't know what to do about it.' Russian President Vladimir Putin listens during a meeting on labor issues via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Over the weekend, Russia vowed to 'take extra measures' if Nato sends forces to Ukraine after the Kremlin dispatched the troops to the disputed border Over the weekend, Russia vowed to 'take extra measures' if Nato sends forces to Ukraine after the Kremlin dispatched the troops to the disputed border. 'No doubt such a scenario would lead to a further increase in tensions close to Russia's borders. Of course, this would call for additional measures from the Russian side to ensure its security,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He insisted, however, that Russia was 'not threatening' Ukraine, despite an earlier statement which warned a war in Donbass would 'destroy' its neighbour. Footage has emerged showing shows dozens of military helicopters close to the frontier, and the movement of tanks and other military vehicles by train. The United States pledged its 'unwavering' support to Ukraine on Thursday as defense officials said they were aware of thousands of troops newly-deployed to the separatist Donbass territory, which is controlled by pro-Moscow factions. Asked why Russia may be pushing for a conflict now, Felgenhauer replied: 'Address this question to a psychoanalyst. Do I need to explain? 'The facts are there, everything is already happening.' He claimed all the conditions could be in place by early May when Russian will hold a major Red Square parade to mark the anniversary of victory in World War Two, and he suspected a 'decision has been made already'. Felgenhauer said factors pushing Russia towards seizing land from Ukraine were 'the closure of pro-Russian TV channels in Ukraine, the threat of arrest and trial of Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchyuk, the arrest of Alexei Navalny, [and] President Biden calling Putin a murderer'. 'The threats are growing, and rapidly. Much is not discussed in the media, but we are seeing very bad signs,' he added. In the third week of March, three large Russian Baltic Fleet landing ships passed south through the English Channel, accompanied by a corvette, he said. 'There will be ten such combat units in total, plus small airborne troops,' he said. 'You can collect up to two divisions, taking into account the air force.' Russia could be planning a 'Normandy-style landing' between Odessa and Mykolaiv, he claimed. Putin has huge forces in occupied east Ukraine - which fell under his sway in 2014, and in Crimea which was occupied. The Biden administration pledged its 'unwavering' support to the Ukraine on Thursday (pictured: Russian president Vladimir Putin, left, and Joe Biden, right) 'Obviously, a major operation is being prepared, and other forces will be brought in as well,' he said. 'Everyone is talking about a possible tank invasion from Belgorod through Kharkiv in the direction of Zaporizhia in order to surround Ukrainian forces on the left bank of the Donbass.' Putin might 'cut off Ukraine from the sea, create [a new rebel state of] Novorossiya, for example' or he could make a move then pause and start dictating terms to the West, Felgenhauer added. Or Russia could seek to extend his control devouring Ukraine as far as Transnistria, a landlocked, Moscow-controlled no man's land 'unofficial state' with its own KGB secret service, he claimed. Felgenhauer predicted that the West's expected reactions to such moves were 'unclear'. 'Some [in the West] say that the Russians should not be provoked, and military intervention is too risky. 'Others, on the contrary, are in favour of unification (of Russia and Ukraine) and open confrontation, because then it will be possible to bargain with Russia.' Ukraine alleges Russia has 32,700 troops in Crimea, and commands 28,000 separatist servicemen in rebel-held eastern Ukraine. 'Despite significant enemy forces, the Ukrainian army is prepared for all potential scenarios,' said Ruslan Khomchak, the Ukrainian commander-in-chief. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov defended the troop movement towards border areas. The Russian Federation moves troops within its own territory at its own discretion,' he said. The Kremlin said Thursday Ukraine and the West should not 'worry' about Russian troop movements on the Ukrainian border (pictured, a tank of pro-Russian militants of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic) 'This shouldn't concern anyone, as such actions do not endanger anyone.' He claimed: 'As you know, intense activity of the armies of NATO member states and other organisations, as well as particular states etc, is being observed on the perimeter of Russian borders. 'We need to stay on guard.' A NATO official said that the Western allies have 'concerns' over Russian 'large scale military activities around Ukraine'. An American expert on Russia, Michael Kofman said that while there was 'no strong evidence that an attack is imminent' it was clear 'something is up outside of regular exercises or normal troop rotation'. He warned: 'Russian intentions are unclear.' Ukraine, Western countries and NATO accuse Russia of sending troops and heavy weapons to prop up its proxies in Donbass who seized a swathe of eastern Ukraine in 2014. Russia says it only provides political and humanitarian support to separatist fighters in what it casts as an internal conflict. Ukrainian military intelligence accused Russia of engineering provocations to create a pretext to send additional Russian military units to Donbass. 'In addition, an attempt to advance Russian occupation forces deep into Ukraine is not ruled out,' it said. ANAHEIM, Calif., April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anaheim drug rehabs prepare for a surge of new admissions, as the coronavirus levels appear to be lowering nationwide. Many struggling addicts have avoided care because of COVID-19 general fears, travel restrictions, limited resources, or some combination of all of them. As the country seems to be rounding a corner in the pandemic, inpatient and outpatient Anaheim rehab centers are getting ready for a busy summer. As more and more Americans receive their vaccinations, people will start to get back to normal. Unfortunately, there are individuals that suffer from substance abuse that have been putting off treatment because of fears of traveling & health worries. Their wait to any type of normalcy, has been compounded with struggling with an addiction. Many have put off help, from fears stemming from the virus and sadly many have not survived the wait. The recent pandemic has forced many indoors for long periods of time and unemployment numbers were the highest they have been in years. This caused many individuals to increase their drug use, or for some, a relapse. We have two simultaneous health tragedies occurring, between Covid-19 and our mental health crisis, and have yet to fully understand the impact of either. According to OCgov.com Orange County, CA COVID-19 case count has the city of Anaheim with the second highest number of total cases with 41527. Second to only Santa Ana which currently has 44564 total cases. Over the pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control tracked 32,000 deaths from synthetic opioids last year, primarily fentanyl. They are forecasting deaths will jump more than 26% this year, to some of 46,000. Fentanyl has been an increasing problem throughout the United States, even prior to the coronavirus hitting America. Fentanyl is an inexpensive, artificial opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine that is pouring into California over the Mexican border, masquerading as other drugs, and leaving devastation in its wake. With this horrific surge in overdose deaths from fentanyl, impacting every community in the nation, one California state Senator from Laguna Niguel, Pat Bates, has decided to take legislative action. On Dec. 15th, of last year Bates re-introduced a Bill that would address the issue through a directive to the California's Attorney General, mandating his office with the task of formulating a plan of how to gain control of the fentanyl plaguing our country and to also explore viable programs and craft meaningful options to address it going forward. This Bill, has been written in the same language as an earlier legislative effort targeting methamphetamine, that had shown success. Senate Bill 75 would require the A.G.'s office to develop and chair a "Southern California Fentanyl Task Force," with its mission being to improve police coordination, advise changes to the law, and to formulate a state-wide awareness program to educate the public to its danger. It would cover the hard-hit counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego. This new bill is the latest version of a concept Bates had originally presented for consideration back in March 2020, was sidelined as the Legislature shifted to the pandemic. A year later, as our nation adapts, it appears Legislators hope to accomplish a major overhaul of the addiction treatment facilities this next year. In California, the toll has been very unsettling. There were 104 fentanyl-related overdose deaths in 2014; quadruple that in 2017 (431); and practically quadruple that in 2019 (1,513). Officials anticipate fentanyl-related deaths to increase to some 1,900 in California in 2020. For individuals, or those in a relationship that want to enter a couples rehab, there are centers in Anaheim California that can assist them. These centers follow strict guidelines issued by the state of California about COVID-19, and how they should proceed. To find out more about how to enter a drug rehab in Orange County, or to speak with a representative from an addiction helpline, use the contact information provided. The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine and the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Qatar have signed a memorandum on the mutual recognition of diplomas and certificates of seafarers. The document was signed during the official visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the State of Qatar on Monday, April 5, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure. "Today's memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Qatar opens a window of new opportunities for further professional development of our seafarers. The memorandum will create an appropriate legal mechanism for the mutual recognition of diplomas and certificates of seafarers between our countries. What is important is that it will promote further employment of Ukrainian sailors on board ships flying the flags of the State of Qatar," Minister of Infrastructure Vladyslav Kryklii said. The memorandum provides for the settlement of the issue of areas and forms of cooperation between Ukraine and Qatar in the field of maritime transport and education. President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska, are on an official visit to Qatar on April 5. op Christian families in a village in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh fled after villagers belonging to a tribal religion ostracized and threatened to kill them if they did not convert back to their ancestral religion, but the 10 Christians who could not flee were beaten and forced to reconvert, according to a report. The village gathering (last month) threatened to beat us to death if we did not attend the ceremony, Raidhar Nag, 21, who was among the Christians who fled Chhingur village in Chhattisgarh states Bastar District, told Morning Star News. They stopped us from fetching water from the village well, obtaining the free government ration or even working in our own fields. Nag added that while his family and a few others fled the village on March 10, four Christian families decided to hide inside the village. But they were tracked down, beaten and forced to recant their faith and worship tribal deities in a ceremony. They took them along and forcibly sprinkled some water on them as per the tradition and made them worship the tribal deities, Nag said of the ceremony. Source:The Christian Post Imperial Valley News Center Orange County Man Arrested on Criminal Complaint Alleging He Received Illegal Kickbacks from Corrupt Sober Living Homes Santa Ana, California - Special agents with the FBI Tuesday morning arrested an Orange County man on federal charges of soliciting and receiving illegal kickbacks from corrupt sober living homes in exchange for finding them new patients in a process known as body brokering. Darius Jarell Moore, 27, of Santa Ana, is charged with one count of solicitation and receipt of payment in return for referring a patient to a recovery home or clinical treatment facility. Moore is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana. An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges Moore received hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks from four Orange County facilities with two separate ownership groups via a shell company Moore Recovery Solutions LLC, a Santa Ana-based business. The kickbacks allegedly were covered up by bogus contracts for marketing services. According to the affidavit, Patient brokering has created a situation where substance abusers with no desire to stop using drugs are able to gain income from their insurance benefits by periodically participating in treatment programs.The facilities generally know patient brokers pay patients and give patients drugs, but they maintain deniability by discharging patients who admit they were paid and stopping work with particular patient brokers as soon as such actions become overtly known. The complaint specifically alleges that Moore in October 2020 accepted a $16,000 kickback wired to a bank account held in the name of Moore Recovery Solutions from a checking account of a corrupt sober living home. The affidavit further details more than $350,000 in illegal kickbacks that the sober living homes allegedly paid to Moore in exchange for recruiting new patients. The sober living homes then submitted claims to health insurers. The affidavit also details a recorded conversation between Moore and a sober living home employee discussing the clients Moore had placed into the facility and the cash value of the clients. In December 2020, investigators executing search warrants at Moores residence found marketing agreements between Moore Recovery Solutions and two sober living homes that agreed to pay him $70,000 per month and $10,000 per month, respectively, but no other evidence that Moores company was a legitimate marketing service, according to the affidavit. Investigators also found text messages from patients to Moore asking for money and asking to be placed in treatment. In response, Moore told the patients he would only talk to them through Signal, an encrypted communication application. A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Moore would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. This matter was investigated by the FBI, the United States Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and the California Department of Insurance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin R. Barron, Chief of the Santa Ana Branch Office, and DOJ Trial Attorney Justin Givens of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section. Courtesy photo The Brookston American Legion post used a donation from Carroll White REMC to fund a significant portion of the cost of installing a new LED lighting system inside the facility. As the number of Americans vaccinated against COVID-19 increase, more and more people are receiving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) little white card.s Several companies, including Staples and Office Depot, are offering to laminate vaccine cards for free through the month of April to protect them. However, health experts said you should think twice before doing so. They say that the plastic coating prevents errors from being fixed and you may not be able to add information about booster shots if they are needed down the road to protect against variants. Health experts say Americans don't need to have their cards laminated and instead advise taking photos and making photo copies They say that the plastic coating prevents errors from being fixed and you may not be able to add information about booster shots if they are needed down the road to protect against variants. Pictured: A nurse inoculates Sarah Luisi at the Uniondale Hempstead Senior Center, n Uniondale, NY, March 31 Firstly, experts recommend making sure all your information is correct before laminating your card. This includes your name, your date of birth, the date you received your vaccine dose for Johnson & Johnson or doses for Pfizer and Moderna, and the location. Dr Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health advised creating a back-up of your card before laminating it. 'Take a picture after getting the first shot, then after the second one too, in case you lose the physical card,' she told CNN. 'Keep the picture on your phone, and email yourself a copy to be safe.' Wen also advised photocopying the card and keeping it in a safe place, perhaps where other important documents are store. This is due to several reports of people saying the lamination process has been making the writing on the cards ineligible. In Pinellas County, Florida officials say multiple people have called about the writing being hard to read after laminating. 'In some locations, a label is placed on the card that talks about the vaccine brand and lot number and those have been printed on thermal printer labels,' Tom Iovino, public information officer for the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, told KRON 4. 'So what happens is if you put them through a thermal laminator, they will be completely black and illegible.' In addition, if we need booster shots to protect against variants, nothing could be added to the card. However, Wen says if you've already laminated your card, that shouldn't stop you from getting a booster shot. 'If you do end up getting a booster after, you can always get a different card. I wouldn't let that be a deterrent,' she told CNN. 'Lamination isn't necessary if you follow all the other steps above, too. The key is to have proof of vaccination easily accessible.' According to the CDC, 106.2 million Americans - 32 percent of the population - have received at least one dose and 61.4 million - 18.5 percent - are fully immunized. Over the weekend, the U.S. reached an average of three million vaccinations per day and about four million alone were vaccinated on Saturday. HBO The forces involved here are less visible than gunfire, class property or political crusades, but they are no less powerful, Raoul Peck posits in his new docuseries Exterminate All the Brutes, premiering April 7 on HBO. The critically acclaimed filmmaker is referring to the series of myths that comprise white supremacy, the subject of the four-part series that explores the brutal methods and ideological justifications of Western colonization. In his latest project, Peck reapplies experimental techniques from his 2016 Oscar-nominated documentary about writer and activist James Baldwin, I Am Not Your Negro, to challenge our collective understanding of America as a powerful and commonly labeled great nation. Exterminate All the Brutes is laden with accounts of historical events such as the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Anglo-Powhatan Wars, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, told bluntly and poetically by Peck, who also serves as sole narrator in addition to writer and director. Like his previous documentary, the series is also in conversation with literature, film, and other works of art that have been influential in either denouncing or propagating false narratives about colonialism and non-white populations, including Sven Lindqvists 1992 non-fiction book from which the series takes its name (its also a line from the Joseph Conrad novella Heart of Darkness, which is mentioned in the series). How a COVID-Infested Cruise Ship Devolved Into Class Warfare In part one of the docuseries, titled, The Disturbing Confidence of Ignorance, Peck speaks admirably of his late Swedish historian friend, who died in 2019, as he appears in archival footage working in an office. Lindqvists desire and willingness to uncover the horrors of colonialism via a journey across the Sahara Desert, the subject of his acclaimed book, serves as both inspiration to Peck in his current research and a model of productive cross-racial relationsif only all white people were that eager to interrogate their position in the world. Story continues Likewise, Peck spends most of the documentary emphasizing the importance of knowing the truth of white supremacy, particularly the employment of genocide in the establishment of African and American colonies, rather than providing a roadmap toward decolonization. This approach will presumably attract viewers who are wrestling with this subject matter for the first time and want to learn about significant events in world history in a relatively short amount of time. Its easy to imagine this series appearing across anti-racist viewing lists if it had premiered ahead of last summers Black Lives Matter protests. But for those who consider themselves knowledgeable about our colonial past and understand how these histories fit into current conversations about the removal of Confederate monuments or ending capitalism or abolishing the police, Pecks assertions throughout the series that were missing courage to draw conclusions from the past, or that dominant historical narratives need to be challenged, as if hes one of the rare few to do so publicly, can feel patronizing and out of touch with the work of non-white historians and the current political movements being led by people of color across the globe. That said, Im not sure that I would recommend Exterminate All the Brutes to someone digging into the subject for the first time either, despite the introductory nature of the series. Pecks excursions through different time periods and parts of the globe, not to mention the countless list of politicians and military leaders that are briefly mentioned and never spoken about again, is hard to keep track of and even retain after a few minutes, as the series moves from one invasion to the next without drawing connections between these incidents of violence. Its especially disorienting considering that, in the first episode, Peck supplies his audience with a set of basic terms which summarize the whole history of humanitycivilization, extermination, and experimentation. He doesnt abandon these terms, but it would be helpful to viewers if he attempted to categorize the information this way, as well as following the designated topic of each particular episode, which he often strays from. Pecks experimental impulses, which are at the very least captivating, also get in the way of coherence. Were inundated with a wide range of film clips from On the Town to Raiders of the Lost Ark to The Wolf of Wall Street, illustrations, animated maps and charts that move at an unreadable pace, paintings, home videos of Pecks childhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Democratic Republic of the Congo, and fictional re-enactments. Many of these segments are accompanied by Pecks monotonous voiceover that viewers might find grating, as there are noticeably no talking heads. But its the dramatizations in particular, mostly interactions between white settlers and Black and Indigenous people, that feel especially fruitless and misplaced within the documentary. In the third episode, Killing at a Distance or How I Thoroughly Enjoyed the Outing, that begins explaining the role of weaponry in imperialism, we spend several minutes watching a fictional enslaved woman undressing a settler (played by Josh Hartnett) and giving him a bath. After hearing a woman start to howl outside, she peers out the window to the sight of four slain Black men Hartnetts character just lynched. Thats the entirety of the scene, and its unclear what were supposed to glean from it in relation to the episodes theme or as a standalone vignette. Likewise, the rest of the re-enactments are poorly conceived and underwritten, including an embarrassingly cliched reimagining of Black people enslaving white people. Others, featuring gratuitous, graphic depictions of Black and Indigenous death, feel like Peck is hand-holding a particular section of his audience and disregarding viewers who dont need to visualize, say, an Indigenous woman being shot and experiencing additional gruesome violence after her death to believe that sort of brutality occurred. Missionary with indigenous Shuar children from Gualaquiza, Morona Santiago, Anya Yala Cultural Center (circa 1925- 1935) from Exterminate All the Brutes HBO Standing out in all of this clutter is mesmerizing footage of Pecks childhood in Haiti that adds an element of intimacy and warmth to a rather bleak film. I was admittedly most interested in how Pecks upbringing in Haiti (and education later on in Berlin) shaped his view of the world. In part two of the documentary, he talks briefly about his fascination with the pomp and circumstance of Catholicism as a child and his disillusionment with the religion after receiving a beating from a priest at his school. Peck touches on the interrelation between violence and religion in regard to the Crusades and how Europeans labeled non-Christians as savages but not in direct relation to this story, which is left as a loose end. Still, Pecks voice as a writer feels more confident and relaxed in these autobiographical portions of the film whereas, when hes editorializing historical events, it can become breathless and stiff. In its early stages, Exterminate All the Brutes was reportedly a 15-part series. I cant tell whether a larger allotment of time would have helped Pecks project feel more or less congested and jumbled. One thing thats certain is that its impossible to expose the ugly truth of colonization without naming sexual violence as a main tool of oppression. Surprisingly, Pecks docuseries only alludes to non-consensual relations between white settlers and Black, Indigenous, and Asian women (Lindqvist also fails to articulate the ramifications of gendered violence in his book) despite European colonizers reliance on rape to terrorize communities and uphold slavery. In the year 2021, this sort of oversight simply feels like erasure. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. THE boss of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) said he had never been so depressed and would need to put the crash helmet on to deal with the fallout from a photo of star trainer Gordon Elliott sitting on a dead horse. Brian Kavanagh also asked what could he [Elliott] have been thinking in text messages exchanged with associates, which were released under FOI. He wrote to one acquaintance: As you say, what an idiot. Time to put the crash helmet on (again). Records also reveal how Mr Kavanagh personally wrote to all staff and members of the board about the controversy saying he was appalled and bewildered. Read More In response, one board member vet Meta Osborne said her stomach had been churning after she first became aware of the photo. Mr Kavanagh responded personally saying: Although I didnt grow up with horses, they are what attracted me to the industry. I love them and was never as depressed coming into work as I was on Monday. The records also reveal how Horse Racing Ireland considered contacting all of the owners of horses trained by Gordon Elliott to say they would be available to offer assistance. One email said: Would it be a good idea for me to draft an email to Gordons owners after a decision is announced [following a disciplinary hearing]. The email wouldnt be suggesting any action or anything like that it would simply be HRI letting them know we are here to assist if they have any queries. However, internal records reveal how this would need to be handled cautiously. The chief executive Brian Kavanagh wrote: A delicate balance to be struck, but as you say, there will be practicalities. In a message sent to all staff, Mr Kavanagh said that respect for the horse was at the heart of everything that the industry did. He wrote: Many of you will have grown up with horses and will know that this is in no way a proper reflection of what goes on in the stud farms and stables of the country. Mr Kavanagh said it was clear that the photograph had done untold damage and that the industry had to make clear this was not representative. He also urged staff to send on any suggestions they had for how HRI could make clear to the public that horse welfare was paramount for everybody in the industry. A separate note was sent to the board of the HRI setting out the steps the public body had taken to deal with the fallout from the controversy. In that email, Mr Kavanagh said that Gordon Elliott had personally phoned to apologise for the difficulties which he had caused. The email said: I advised him to be upfront and honest in dealing with the situation and with the IHRB [Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board] investigation in particular. Mr Kavanagh told the board joint sessions had taken place with their PR firm Teneo and that staff had been updated on what was happening. He said they were in daily contact with the Department of Agriculture and were also developing a communications strategy. The note said: [We] are briefing our advertising agency regarding the prospect of a campaign along similar lines to that which we ran at the time of resumption of racing. HRI had also provided assistance to industry speakers and commentators ahead of media appearances where they were being asked about the controversy. One board member responded directly with vet Meta Osborne saying poor behaviour towards horses was very rare but that it still happens. Ms Osborne wrote: My overriding emotion has been one of deep sadness and I have found it hard not to let my emotions get the better of me when the subject has been mentioned. In another internal email sent by an official, questions were raised over a decision by horse racing authorities in Britain to ban Gordon Elliotts horses from Cheltenham even before the investigation was complete. The message said: If it was an English trainer would IHRB or ourselves be saying he cant run horses at Punchestown without waiting for the result of the enquiry into the matter? Asked to comment on the records, HRI said they had nothing further to add. Read More Frank Fiannaca and Mary VanWyk-Fiannaca are proudly celebrating the 25th anniversary of USA Payroll. Pictured with the Fiannacas are their staff, some of whom have been with them since 1996. We are grateful for our dedicated staff, loyal clients, and committed accountants and business associates. We could not have made it to 25 years in business without them. Our focus remains on giving our clients peace of mind when it comes to payroll, so they can focus on running their businesses. USA Payroll of Cherry Hill, NJ, a provider of electronic payroll, tax, human resources and time and attendance solutions to businesses of all sizes in the Greater Philadelphia region and across the United States, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The company was founded in 1996 by husband-and-wife team, Mary VanWyk-Fiannaca and Frank Fiannaca on the back porch of their Westmont, New Jersey home. Since then, as the business and its services expanded, the Fiannacas have outgrown their office space and relocated the company five times. Today, as always, USA Payroll professionals combine the latest in business technology with exceptional, personalized service. The average tenure for USA Payroll employees is 10 years and their client retention rate is 90-95 percent, with a steady growth rate of 10-15% annually. Mary VanWyk-Fiannaca commented, We are very grateful for our dedicated staff, our loyal clients, and our committed accountants and business associates. She continued, We could not have made it to 25 years in business without them. Our focus remains on giving our clients peace of mind when it comes to payroll, so they can focus on running their businesses. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, USA Payroll has been extremely proactive in following all necessary health and safety protocols to keep its employees and clients safe, while maintaining business as usual for its clients. USA Payroll is a testament to what happens when you surround yourself with good, honest people, added Frank Fiannaca. Loyal employees are a formula that leads to loyal customers. In fact, our first employee, Maryann Geissler, still works for us and continues to work with our very first client. The advancements in technology, opportunities in payroll, and the business world in general are quite different from when she started 25 years ago, but for Geissler, one thing remains the same. She notes, Working with a team of dedicated and forward-thinking professionals in this evolving field has been a wonderful learning experience for me. Though the payroll business can be demanding, Mary and Frank have helped make it an interesting and successful journey for all of us. USA Payroll prides itself on being a family-oriented company that provides outstanding customer service. This has enabled the company to maintain its employees with little turnover. Dave Yarnall, the companys CFO, noted that The company utilizes the most up-to-date technology to ensure that all information is safe and secure from unauthorized users. We conduct multiple audits to verify that our processes and procedures meet or exceed all security and banking standards. USA Payroll is a member of the Independent Payroll Providers Association and the American Payroll Association. In addition, the company is SSAE 16 certified and is compliant with all EFTPS regulations. About USA Payroll USA Payroll was founded in 1996 by Mary VanWyk-Fiannaca and Frank Fiannaca with the goal of offering unsurpassed personalized service with cutting edge technology. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA Payroll serves the Philadelphia/NJ marketplace with national capability. Over the past 25 years, USA Payroll has expanded to offer a wide range of electronic payroll, human resource, tax and time and attendance solutions to small and large businesses, treating each client according to their individual needs, with a customized approach tailored to each client. To learn more visit http://www.usapayrollnj.com. There is a crisis in the Jewish community: Leftist Jews have turned their synagogues into temples to progressivism, driving out those Jews who want to practice the values in the Torah and its commentaries and who are libertarian or Republican in their politics. The New Jewish Exodus Project seeks to create a place for that second category of Jews. On January 3, 2021, American Thinker published The New Jewish Exodus, in which I wrote about the tragedy and crisis taking place within the American Jewish community. I expressed my frustration and sadness having to leave the synagogue I once cherished because of the prevalence of social justice/identity politics encompassing every aspect of this religious institution. Within the synagogues, progressive-left ideologies and social justice/identity politics monopolize conversations, newsletters, and activities. Even sermons contain political messaging. As conservatives and Republicans, we dont agree with their causes or agendas so, sadly, the once peaceful feeling in our religious and spiritual homes has vanished, leaving many of us without a religious affiliation for the first time in our lives. This leads to feelings of alienation and great sadness. As one rabbi told me They have lost their sense of community. Divisive rhetoric and personal attacks, when there is a disagreement, have become the norm. Many of us have lost friends and relatives to censorship and cancel culture or chose to walk away from diatribes and arguments with unrealistic conclusions. Respectful listening and debate, oral or written, have a limited life span or are entirely one-sided. In 2018, two weeks before Yom Kippur, I wrote a letter to my rabbi. Please dont discuss politics in your Yom Kippur sermon or any sermon. This is not a time to attack anyone or take sides. I want to be elevated to a higher place, learn something beautiful and meaningful that changes my life and makes me a better person. I have never written to a Rabbi requesting this. But I am so sick of the hatred, disdain and discomfort I experience as a Republican that I want to feel I am in a safe place when I go to shul. Most of our members are Democrats. God bless America, we can choose! I am more afraid of telling people I am a Republican than a Jew. Sad. I find all this hatred against Trumps agenda scary, especially when no ones daily life has really changed. The hate speech from the left is now escalating and inciting violence. Today, I even saw someone on the news blame Trump for the Hurricane coming to North Carolina. On Yom Kippur, he started his sermon saying, I received two letters. One said, Talk about politics. The other said, Dont talk about politics. To my happiness and joy, he chose not to discuss politics. And on this holiest of days, he gave the most wonderful and beautiful sermon I have ever heard. Many of us had tears in our eyes. We need more of this neutrality and spirituality to feed our souls. Im not the only one with this concern as can be seen from emails to me and the Conference of Jewish Affairs (CJA) all expressing concern about the alienation they are experiencing within their own communities. People are contemplating leaving or have already left their now progressive/left synagogues because of their transformation from spiritual spaces to places that are obsessed with social justice/identity politics. They consistently spoke of the rabbis and Boards of Directors turning deaf ears to their complaints. How much sadness has this caused within this segment of the Jewish community? In a very Jewish way, I can only answer this question with a question: When did Judaism stop being Jewish? When it turned its back on its own. Remarkably, though, there is hope from this despair. The CJA has responded to these plaints by creating The New Jewish Exodus Project. The project reflects the great concern about the divisiveness occurring within the Jewish community, which is seen as a crisis that the progressive/left and socialist ideologies created to undermine the basic constructs of Judaism. Rabbi Aryeh Spero, the CJAs president, and I are documenting the schism created by the progressive/left/Democratic Jewish perspective versus the conservative/Libertarian/ Republican Jewish perspective. We believe the progressive/left point of view and its messaging of victimization are contrary to Jewish values, are not in the best interests of the Jewish community, and will backfire, eventually leading to increased antisemitism. For millennia, Jews have been sustained as a people, not by seeing themselves as victims, but through a sense of courage, conviction, and triumph over those who have tried to destroy us for centuries. The best example of this is the State of Israel which overcame the murder of six million Jews in Nazi concentration camps, to become a leader in technology, science, and medicine. What better proof that, with a mentality of courage and conviction, and the desire, dedication, and determination to succeed, you can start with nothing and build a great nation-state and democracy. And, moreover, did this even while your enemies still abound. Victimization? Never! A critical part of the schism in American Jewry is that fellow Jews are turning their backs on Israel, a place that will always welcome them. The progressive ideologists will sacrifice Judaism and even Israel on the altar of left-liberalism. Multicultural liberalism is their Torah, their Avodah Zara or idol. We call this, the golden calf of liberalism. Rabbi Spero sees whats happening now as a repeat of Biblical descriptions of Jews falling away to worship false idols. As he wrote me once: Avodah Zara was a combination of hedonism, universalism, moral relativism, and self-hate under the guise of a type of false, but fashionable religion. It is afflicting the Jews today. This time, since religion is not as important today as in ancient times, it goes under a secular ideology: liberalism, leftism, social justice, multi-culturalism, Marxism, universalism, anti-Zionism, anti-Israelism. But, it is the same as before: hedonism, moral relativism, universalism, self-hate, and admiration for those who would kill us. What will happen to the Jews in America? Sadly, American Judaism may whither as has happened in other places in other eras. The ultimate solution, of course, is to leave politics out of the synagogue. Period! All we want is our spiritual home returned to us so that ALL Jews feel welcome and embraced. And if necessary, a sign on the outside of the synagogue entry doors saying, Shalom, peace be with you. You are loved. No politics allowed. Adrienne Skolnik serves on the National Advisory Committee and Chairman of the North Carolina chapter of the Conference of Jewish Affairs. IMAGE: Man in synagogue (cropped) by cottonbro from Pexels. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. When Mimis in the Marigny announced last fall it wouldnt reopen, after closing a year ago due to the pandemic, the heartbreak of losing yet another iconic neighborhood bar cut deep. But for fans of chef Heathcliffe Haileys take-no-prisoners approach to imaginative tapas in his leased space in Mimis upstairs kitchen, it felt like tragedy. Haileys exuberant approach to his global small-plates menu had drawn a loyal late-night crowd for more than 13 years, and Mimis played an important role in revitalizing the neighborhood after Hurricane Katrina. When Mimi Dykes did not renew the lease in November, Hailey didnt have many options. I couldnt really open and just throw food out the window, he says. The good news is that by December, thanks to an introduction from his former business partner Joaquin Rodas (now at Bacchanal), Hailey landed another gig. The Louisiana native, who marinates history into everything he cooks, is back, running the kitchen at the newly opened Pluck wine bar and restaurant in the Warehouse District. Opened by sommelier Skye LaTorre, who matches Haileys passion for cooking with her devotion to the grape, Pluck offers indoor and courtyard dining at 722 Girod St. The space, like its owner and chef, is unpretentious and welcoming, placing the emphasis on taking a progressive approach to both food and drink. Hailey is tickled pink to be back in the kitchen. This has been the longest Ive ever been out of work and not cooking until five in the morning, he says. For now, Pluck is open for dinner from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Plucks opening menu is Haileys trademark mash-up of Spanish, Creole and other global flavors, with many ingredients sourced from local growers and makers. He loves his new kitchen, which is similar in size but more linear than what he was used to at Mimis. I dont need a lot of space, he says, just room enough to dance when I need to. The snack section of the menu includes his signature citrus-cured olives, along with plucky popcorn tossed with smoked chili and Cotija cheese. He chopped back his grandmothers fig tree and is using the wood to smoke nuts and hunks of tuna loin he makes into pate to spread on bread from Bellegarde Bakery or La Boulangerie. Bite-sized goat cheese croquettes are served with caramelized red onions, bright with a splash of sherry vinegar and local honey. A changing menu of charcuterie a natural pairing with all kinds of wine may include buffalo mozzarella from Italy, Humboldt Fog out of California and jamon serrano from Spain. A Between Two Breads section offers the likes of ham and house-made butter on a baguette, French-style, with house-made cornichons. The chefs small plates include grilled wild mushrooms with garlic and a verdejo wine sauce, flash-fried frog legs with herbs and more house-made butter, shrimp pastis and roasted quail with a Beaujolais reduction. For dessert, a piece of grilled French bread is swabbed with Sicilian dark chocolate and topped with black sea salt. I always lean more to savory than sweet, Hailey says. Haileys menu is designed to complement Plucks carefully curated wine list, which has more than 20 wines served by the glass. Ive learned so much from Skye already, Hailey says. Her knowledge is encyclopedic. Adriane Hilliard co-founded the Tail of Two Sisters pop-up Adriane Hilliard teaches at Dolores T. Aron Academy in New Orleans East. She also likes to cook. During the pandemic, she and her sister Shali The list of by-the-glass offerings is divided between sparkling, orange, pink, white and red wines. Theres a 14-page list of bottles, with prices between $32 and $1,200. Most bottles are less than $80, with many exceptions in the Champagne and Burgundy selections. Working in the Warehouse District is different than inhabiting a funky corner of the Marigny on Franklin Avenue, but Hailey isnt worried that neighborhood folks wont find him. Eventually, well be open noon to midnight, so theres always going to be service industry people getting off work to come by, he says. I can see Herbsaint from here, so I know those folks will be coming in. Were all hungry and thirsty for humanity and conversation. Pluck 722 Girod St. 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday Reservations and walk-ins accepted Misa serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes on a patio setting in Uptown Thanks to the pandemic, Tal Sharon has a new restaurant. Like most things in the Israeli chef and restaurateurs world, it wasnt planned that way. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on July 29, 2020. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via Reuters) Former Air Force Officer Disputes Gaetz Family Extortion Claims A former Air Force officer accused of being involved in an alleged extortion racket against the family of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) denied the accusations on Monday. Bob Kent said he did take part in an effort to solicit $25 million from Gaetzs father, former Florida state Sen. Don Gaetz, but denied that the effort was extortion. I explained in no way was I trying to extort him and if he decided not to help hed never hear from me again and I wouldnt go to the press, Kent said during an interview with Michael Smerconishs radio show. Documents published by the Washington Examiner outlined the alleged extortion scheme, which has been probed by the Department of Justice. The scheme involved asking Don Gaetz for $25 million to try to secure the release of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who was apprehended by Iranian authorities in 2007. Text messages show Don Gaetz was presented with the effort, dubbed Project Homecoming, as part of a plan that would make his sons future legal and political problems go away. Matt is more than welcome to attend the meeting but we are fine just to meet with you as my partner knows you are a man of your word and has a great deal of respect for you, one message, signed Bob Kent, stated. Kent said on CNN on Monday night that the message was sent by him. Matt Gaetz was in need, or if the allegations are true, hes in need of some goodwill from the government. Im in need of a sponsor to fund the rescue project, Kent said when asked about the text. There is no threat. I dont have anything to do with the indictment. I dont have anything to do with the investigation into Matt Gaetz, Kent added. There were no threats, there were no demands. Kents partner has been named by Rep. Gaetz as Don McGee, a Florida lawyer who has not returned inquiries but who denied to the Daily Beast being part of an extortion attempt. Kent told Smerconish that he hopes Don Gaetz was wearing a wire, as Rep. Gaetz asserted he was in a previous interview. He also described the allegation that he attempted to extort the Gaetz family as a fantasy that they concocted. Gaetzs office hasnt returned requests for comment. His communications director resigned last week, but he has said he will not step down. Gaetz says the recent articles about a supposed investigation into him having sex with a minor stemmed from the extortion racket. Social media. I have a definite love-hate relationship with it. Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and even Twitter have been great for staying connected with people I dont see on a regular basis, as well as reconnecting with folks I hadnt seen or talked with for many years. What a way to quickly reach out to old friends! But the social media also have their dark side. Behind the safety of their screens and keyboards, some people use these forums to say things they would never think of speaking in public, especially face-to-face with their targets. No wonder our society has become increasing negative, even snarky. With the flick of a finger, people can bully or demean without fearing repercussions. And social media definitely arent the place to conduct a civil discussion or debate. Which leads me to the topic for today: Most of us are familiar with the so-called golden rule. And I dont mean the one that goes, He who has the gold, rules. Im referring to what Jesus taught in His sermon on the mount, as well as His response when religious leaders challenged Him, asking Him to specify which commandment in Jewish law He considered to be the greatest, or most important. Addressing a large crowd of His disciples, as well as many curious onlookers, Jesus was teaching about relationships, especially with those they would regard as enemies. He taught that instead of responding to their unkind or even evil treatment with the same kind of behavior, instead they should pray for them and, whenever possible, do good to them. He said, in the King James translation I learned as a young person, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Luke 6:31). Thats clear enough, but I like the way a popular paraphrase, The Message, expresses it: Here is a simple, rule-of thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them (Matthew 7:12). Jesus also stated this principle another way. After asserting that the greatest commandment of all is, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, He added, the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). Imagine for a minute if, before they impulsively texted something hurtful, sent a nasty email, or crafted a nasty response to someone on a social medium like Facebook or Twitter, everyone paused long enough to consider, Is this the kind of thing I would like others to say to me? Is this the way Id want other people to treat me? They could also check themselves by self-inquiring, Is what Im preparing to post (or text) a reflection of the love I have for myself and what Id like others to demonstrate to me? As Ive read through the book of Proverbs, Ive found many passages that concern how we communicate with one another. For instance: Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips (Proverbs 4:24). And Proverbs 11:12 states, A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue. Proverbs 12:18 affirms, Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. I could cite dozens of other passages, in both the Old and New Testaments, but the one I think sums it up is Ephesians 4:25, Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Maybe, for communications sake, we should rephrase the Golden Rule to, Tweet unto others as you would have them tweet unto you. And if you think Im preaching, even meddling, please know my No. 1 audience is myself. * * * Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly published, Marketplace Ambassadors; Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Todays Workplace; Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. A weekly business meditation he edits, Monday Manna, is translated into more than 20 languages and sent via email around the world by CBMC International. The address for his blog is www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. His email address is btamasy@comcast.net. (Newser) An Oklahoma man who stalked a married former co-worker left candy and food outside her home before his behavior escalated dramatically, police in Tulsa say. Justin Arthur-Ray Davis, 22, was arrested Friday after allegedly shooting the woman's husband and trying to kidnap her from her home, ABC reports. Police say the husband was escorting his wife to her vehicle Friday morning when Davis emerged from his truck and chased the couple with a shotgun. Police say Davis fired through the apartment door, hitting the husband in the hand, then entered and grabbed the woman, "dragging her down the stairs, assaulting her along the way." story continues below Police say the husband tried to save the woman but Davis "pointed the shotgun at him saying he will kill him if she doesnt get in the truck" and fired into the air twice. Neighbors who witnessed the incident called 911 and Davis took off without the woman when officers arrived, police say. He was arrested when he crashed his truck after a short chase on I-44. "Davis has been stalking the victim for over a month after he resigned at their mutual work place," police said in a Facebook post. "She has made reports of Davis sitting outside her apartment and leaving candy and food on her door step." He faces charges of stalking, attempted kidnapping, and assault with a deadly weapon, KFOR reports. (Read more Oklahoma stories.) FALMOUTH, Maine, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Foundation for USP7 Related Diseases (usp7.org) today announced a new research grant award to Neurolentech in a search for a cure to the rare disease Hao-Fountain Syndrome. The Austrian startup Neurolentech, led by Carsten Pfeffer, Ph.D. and co-founded by Gaia Novarino, Professor for Neuroscience at Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), will receive $100,000 over two years towards funding studies that will focus on modeling Hao-Fountain Syndrome in cells. Group photo of Hao-Fountain families at their most recent conference Hao-Fountain Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the USP7 gene, with just 80 known patients worldwide. It leads to autism spectrum disorder, increased prevalence of epilepsy, developmental delay/intellectual disability, abnormal brain MRIs, speech impairment, hypotonia, gastrointestinal issues, and eye anomalies. Neurolentech will develop and characterize neuronal cultures with USP7 gene mutations using transcriptomics, morphology, and electrophysiology, in order to seek biomarkers in those models for potential drug treatments. Dr. Novarino's lab at IST Austria will analyze a haploinsufficient USP7 mouse model to gain a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying Hao-Fountain Syndrome. This grant is the result of years of fundraising from the Foundation for USP7 Related Diseases, including hundreds of donations from all over the world, including from its sister organization in France, Manger La Vie, which also seeks to cure Hao-Fountain Syndrome. "We are humbled to work with the inspiring families of the Foundation for USP7 Related Diseases towards a better understanding of the molecular and cellular disorder pathology and we fully support their aim of finding treatments for Hao-Fountain Syndrome," said Dr. Pfeffer. Dr. Novarino added, "Basic research into the mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders like Hao-Fountain Syndrome will provide the most promising approach to help the patients. We are thrilled to work together with patients and their families in order to advance the best research for USP7 related diseases. The only way to deal with not knowing is to start investigating." Bo Bigelow, chairman and co-founder of the Foundation for USP7 Related Diseases said, "We started this organization to move quickly in investigating the mechanisms of USP7 and what's causing Hao-Fountain Syndrome, so we can get to a cure or treatment. We are delighted to discover brilliant collaborators like Dr. Novarino and Dr. Pfeffer, who share our sense of urgency, and we're thrilled to partner with their amazing startup." ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR USP7 RELATED DISEASES The Foundation for USP7 Related Diseases was started in 2017 by a group of parents of affected children. It is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to cure Hao-Fountain Syndrome by finding patients and funding research. It is a member of COMBINEDBrain, NORD, The Global Genes RARE Foundation Alliance, and the Rare Epilepsy Network. For more information, visit usp7.org. ABOUT NEUROLENTECH Neurolentech is a spinoff company from IST-Austria started by Professor Gaia Novarino and Carsten Pfeffer in 2020. The startup's goal is to fight neurological disorders patient by patient, through an efficient method of taking blood or skin cells from patients from which they generate stem cells, and producing brain cells for detailed examination. The Neurolentech team is supported by funds from the Austrian federal promotional bank (AWS). For more information, contact Bo Bigelow: [email protected] Related Images hao-fountain-families.jpg Hao-Fountain families Group photo of Hao-Fountain families at their most recent conference SOURCE Foundation for USP7 Related Diseases To the editor: Refer to the editorial page of March 8. Rachel Pearson, a pediatrician from the Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, blames the U.S. of A. for incarcerating children. These children are being sent across our southern border by their own parents. So, what should we do with them? Reunite them with their parents! That is the other outrage of the day. We, being the U.S. of A., separate children from their parents. Who is doing what to whom may I ask? These children will not be incarcerated. They will be with their parents. Of course, it is traumatic to the child. Being sent to a different land with little knowledge of your language. Apparently told to "Go!" with no idea what to expect! Now that is traumatic! Where are these parents! Then we also have a multitude of people surging across our southern border. They bring their culture with them, which will probably produce the same results as in Central America, South America and Mexico. These are the lands whose culture states that the government has a duty to support them. We have new Californias being produced. No wonder the Democrats want them admitted. The Democrats want us all beholden to the taxpayer dollars. Until, some day, we run out of other people's money. JAMES D. WHITESIDE Midland New Delhi, April 5 : The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the criminal proceedings against Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa ordered by the High Court in a land denotification case. On January 27, the apex court had granted protection from arrest to Yediyurappa and Minister Murugesh Nirani in connection with a case, where they failed to grant 26 acres of land to private investor M Alam Pasha in 2011. The top court had then issued notice to Pasha on two separate petitions filed by Yediyurappa and Nirani. "Issue notice. There shall be stay of arrest in the meantime", the court had said. Today, senior Advocate K.V. Viswanathan, representing Yediyurappa, urged a bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, to issue an interim order in the case, as the trial court may proceed with the matter. After a brief hearing in the matter, Bobde stayed the criminal proceedings against Yediyurappa, which were ordered by the High Court. Pasha had accused the Chief Minister, Nirani and others of allegedly forging the documents to establish the withdrawal of approval of 26 acres of land to him in Devanahalli Industrial Area in Bengaluru Rural in 2011. Yediyurappa's counsel had pointed that earlier complaint was quashed by the High Court, which was restored later, and proceedings cannot be initiated against his client on the same complaint. The counsel had asked the top court to stay the proceedings initiated in Bengaluru court. During the hearing, the bench had told petitioner's counsel "you are the Chief Minister, who will issue warrant against you." The bench observed that against chief minister, the court usually issue letter of request and not warrant. Yediyuruppa had argued that High Court erroneously allowed the petition by the complainant under 482 CrPC and set aside the well-reasoned order passed by a special judge in August 2016. "The High Court erroneously set aside the aforesaid order only on the ground that the petitioner had demitted the office which had allegedly been abused by him at the time of commission of alleged offence and therefore no sanction was necessary to be obtained", said the CM's plea in the top court. Yediyuruppa and Nirani, now Mining Minister, moved the top court challenging January 5 High Court order, which allowed criminal proceedings against them. The High Court noted that Pasha's earlier complaint quashed for want of sanction, would not be a bar to maintain the instant complaint. Pasha moved the High Court challenging the special judge's order of August 26, 2016. The High Court said it was contrary to the well-established principle of law that sanction for prosecution of the public servants was not necessary after they demit the office or retire from service. The High Court restored a fresh criminal complaint filed against them in the Bengaluru court. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Harsh Vardhan has called a meeting with 11 states and UTs of grave concern on Tuesday to take stock of the worsening situation The back-to-back meetings, after the one chaired by the PM on Sunday, is a part of the Central governments efforts to contain the spread of the virus, which has once again turned into a full-blown crisis. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: With Indias new Covid-19 cases crossing one lakh in a single day on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has again called for a meeting with Chief Ministers of states and Lieutenant-Governors of Union territories on Thursday to review the situation. The back-to-back meetings, after the one chaired by the PM on Sunday, is a part of the Central governments efforts to contain the spread of the virus, which has once again turned into a full-blown crisis. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan has called a meeting with 11 states and UTs of grave concern on Tuesday to take stock of the worsening situation. Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan are some of the places that are reporting a very high surge in daily cases. Mumbai recorded 9,857 new cases on Sunday, prompting the state government to announce additional curbs. The state has announced containment measures that include imposing prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC. All beaches and outdoor activities will remain out of bounds, while malls and shops will remain closed. Their staff will have to get vaccinated during this shutdown period. Mumbais Siddhivinayak Temple will be closed from Monday evening onwards till further orders for darshan and the regular aarti and puja can be seen by devotees through webcasts. Similarly, the Saibaba temple in Shirdi in the state will also remain shut from Monday midnight. Delhi on Monday had 3,458 new cases while Karnataka reported 5,279 cases, of which 3,728 cases were from Bengaluru Urban alone. Kerala, with 2,357 daily cases on Monday, saw a fall in its spike while new cases have started coming from Bihar while Tamil Nadu had 3,672 by Sunday night. The Delhi government has announced that one-third of all vaccination centres in all Delhi government hospitals will operate 24 hours from Tuesday. However, the Centre has asked Delhi to keep a watch on the beneficiaries, saying it has found cases of some people under 45 and healthcare and frontline workers being vaccinated in private centres despite a restriction on them. In a letter to Delhis principal secretary (health), the Union health ministry pointed out that there were serious lapses in the registration of beneficiaries by Vimhans (Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health, Neuro and Allied Sciences) operating as a private Covid vaccination centre. Vimhans has been found to register beneficiaries below 45 as health care workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs), and vaccinate them. Noting vaccines were a precious commodity, these serious lapses at the VIMHANS CVC in compliance of Covid-19 vaccination guidelines harm the countrywide vaccination exercise as eligible beneficiaries may get deprived from vaccination. The Delhi administration has been asked to immediately issue a show-cause notice to VIMHANS on such wrong practices which violate Covid-19 vaccination norms and seek a written explanation from them within the next 48 hours. Appropriate monetary fines may also be imposed on the hospital. Further, it has been suggested that depanelment of the hospital may be considered if the explanation to the show cause notice was found unsatisfactory. In another case, the Delhi Government, in pursuance of the advice from the Union health ministry, has issued a show-cause notice to Bensups Hospital, Sector 12, Dwarka, for violation of the guidelines issued by the Centre on the eligible population groups for receiving Covid vaccination, where persons below the age of 45 have been wrongly registered as HCWs and FLWs. Meanwhile, Zydus Cadila sought the approval of the Drugs Controller General of India for the use of Pegylated Interferon alpha-2b in treating Covid-19. French President Emmanuel Macron often appeared to be channeling the tenor and tropes of Charles de Gaulle in a nationally televised speech on Wednesday. It has been a year of anguish and sacrifices, but also a year of heroic acts during which we have learned and resisted, the president intoned. As it soon became clear, the invocation of de Gaulles spirit was an act of calculation born from desperation. France, announced Macron, would be subjected to a series of public health measures amid a new surge in coronavirus cases, including a monthlong closing of schools and the shutting of all nonessential businesses. Its Frances third national lockdown since last March. Advertisement The decision marks a year littered with mistakes made by Macron in his effort to master the pandemic. It could also mark a pivotal moment in the fortunes not just of Macrons presidency, but the French republic. Should this latest lockdown either fail or falter, it may well be that, come next year, the next resident of the Elysee Palace will be Madame la Presidente Marine Le Pen. Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. All lockdowns are unhappy, but every lockdown is unhappy in its own way. Inspired by the measures that had already been taken in China, the goal of the first confinement last March was zero COVID. It ranged far and deep, closing schools, offices, restaurants, and, apart from those deemed essential, stores and markets. Though the economic and social consequences were seismic, the vast majority of French supported the measures. The rewards seemed to be equal to the sacrifices. When the lockdown was partially lifted two months later, Frances case and mortality rates had dropped sharply. Advertisement But the reopening was short-lived. By early fall, the incidence of positive casesno doubt fueled by the traditional summer vacations and the relaxation of basic health protocolsbegan to rise once again. Region by region, stores and restaurants that had reopened just months earlier were again shuttered. In late October, when this piecemeal approach failed to stem the surge of positive cases, Macron announced a second confinement, a kind of lockdown lite. Concerned the economy could not recover from a second full lockdown, and his popularity could not recover if he imposed the same strict constraints, Macron kept schools open this time and broadened the range of essential businesses. The idea, this time, was not to crush the virus but instead live with it. Advertisement Advertisement The French managed this delicate cohabitation with the virus for several weeks, leading Macron to ease restrictions for the Christmas season. Once a new and more virulent variant of the virus appeared in early January, however, the arrangement became unmanageable. Praised by his communications team for his mastery of the scientific evidence, Macron decided to ignore his health advisers, who understood the dire consequences of the new variant and urged the president to impose a third lockdown. Instead, he prescribed curfews and restrictions on a region-to-region basis, wagering that this would keep the virus at bay until vaccines arrived. Macron lost the wager. His dash to find une troisieme voie, or third way, between battening down the hatches and bursting them open, was kneecapped by the governments poor logistical planning. While the absence of masks for medical personnel was the measure of the governments muddle last March, the absence of deep freezers for the vaccine became the new standard for administrative incoherence. Advertisement Between the end of January, when Macron embarked on the third way, and the end of March, there were nearly 20,000 more COVID-19-related deaths. With less than 5 percent of French having received both doses of the vaccine, the president-cum-epidemiologist yielded to reality. The man who once described himself as the clock master conceded the virus was now the true timekeeper. Advertisement So much now rides on the tempo of vaccinations and the timing of the renewed lockdown. Should the former prove too slow and the latter too late, the human cost will be incalculable. More easily calculated, though, is the political cost. A year from now, the first round of presidential elections will take place. Over the past several months, nearly all the polls predict a sequel of the 2017 election, in which the centrist Macron faced Marine Le Pen, leader of the extreme-right-wing Rassemblement National, or National Rally, in the elections second round. (French presidential elections go to a runoff if no candidate wins an absolute majority in the first round.) In 2017, the contest was over before it began. Though the unknown and untested Macron was mistrusted by both the left and right, he benefited from their shared fear and loathing for Le Pen, as well as her catastrophic performance in their single televised debate. With three-quarters of voters turning out, Macron tallied 66 percent and Le Pen 34 percent of the vote. Advertisement While Macrons victory was decisive, it was not the blowout it appeared to outsiders. In 2002, the conservative Jacques Chirac won over 82 percent of the vote in the second round against the other Le Pen, Jean-Marie, the street-brawling father of Marine and founder of the anti-Semitic, anti-European, and anti-Muslim party the Front National. When she took over from her father in 2011, the younger Le Pen launched a process of dediabolisation, or de-demonization of the party whose name dared not be spoken by respectable republicans. She declared that the Holocaust, whose reality her father variously questioned or reduced to a historical detail, was the height of human barbarity, and purged the partys ranks of Holocaust deniers and revisionists. (Her father, who refused to recant his earlier denialism, was also shown to the door.) Advertisement Advertisement Changing the partys name to the less confrontational and more inclusive National Rally, Le Pen now emphasizes her partys attachment to the republicthough, crucially, not all of its lawsas the common rule. In short, Le Pen recognized the sanctity of the constitution, yet reserved the right to tweak it. Discovering the French were more attached to the euro than she anticipated, Le Pen stopped clamoring for a Frexit and now claims her goal is to reform the European Union from within. But when it comes to Islam and immigrationthe two terms are one in right-wing rhetoricthe more things change chez Le Pen, the more they stay the same. Promising to introduce a referendum on overhauling immigration laws should she become president, Le Pen has also proposed a law banning the wearing in public of the hijaban item of clothing she insists is Islamist. Advertisement For the moment, Le Pens proposals are only thatproposals. But will this be the case next year? According to a flurry of recent polls, a rematch between Macron and Le Pen in 2022 appears a much closer affair than it was five years ago. In a poll conducted by the Institut Francais dOpinion Publique, or IFOP, Le Pen outscores Macron in the first round28 percent to 24 percentand comes a close second in the final round, 53 percent to 47 percent. The narrowing gap reflects what IFOP identifies as the fragilization of the republican front that first coalesced around Chirac two decades ago. Le Pens efforts at de-demonization and the growing normalization in political discourse of her partys once-extreme positions are shifting the countrys political landscape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps more so than any other leading political figure, Le Pen has benefited from the pandemic. In a polemical book she published last summer titled The Black Book of the Coronavirus: From Fiasco to Abyss, she blasted the governments stumbling response to the crisis. She claimed that the pandemic revealed the failure of Frances elites and its hyperliberal ideologythemes dear to the yellow vest protest movement that had paralyzed Macrons government in the months leading up to the pandemic. She called the third lockdown Macrons Waterloo. But Le Pen faces a delicate balancing act: retaining her disaffected base while reaching out to mainstream voters. Tellingly, Macron has chosen to give Le Pen a helping hand. For months, parties across the political spectrum, from the left-wing France Insoumise (Defiant France) to the right-wing Republicains, have railed that Macron, too weakened to face their own candidates, has done his utmost to make a rematch with Le Pen a reality. These same parties, however, are largely responsible for their predicament. The Socialist Party, humiliated in the 2017 elections, is now a shadow of its former self, with no other movement able to unite the left. As for the right, Les Republicains equally mortifying defeat in 2017, followed by the series of scandals enmeshing leading figures like Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Fillon, has perhaps fatally wounded it as well. Advertisement In a speech to members of his party, La Republique En Marche (Forward the Republic), Macron insisted they have just one opponent: the National Rally. We must reaffirm this opposition, one the French themselves have made. Though Macron gave that pep talk before the pandemicand the string of governmental miscues and mistakestook center stage in France, he has tried to keep the publics eyes on Le Pen. In mid-February he agreed to a televised debate between Le Pen and his hard-line interior minister, Gerald Darmanin. Not only did the debate make the case that a MacronLe Pen rematch was inevitable, but it also allowed Macron to appeal to the same voters who tend to support Le Pen. This led to a remarkable moment when Le Pen, striving for a presidential and republican tone, was needled by Darmanin for being too soft on Islamist radicals. With each passing day the cynical strategy imposed by Macron resembles ever more closely the doomsday machine from Stanley Kubricks Dr. Strangelovea device that seeks to deter nuclear war by guaranteeing armageddon if anyone starts one. By locking in as his opponent someone he thought a majority of French would never support, Macron now runs the risk of an automatic and cataclysmic electoral response next year. Last weeks joint special meeting of the Jersey City Board of Education and City Council was a welcome effort to, if nothing else, get the two bodies working together congenially instead of pointing fingers. Members of both bodies face tremendous pressures as they work to balance budgets and do whats best for public school children and taxpayers alike. Those pressures, though, can be different for each of the individuals, making it especially helpful for them to have the opportunity to express their concerns and ideas face-to-face in a positive, get-down-to-work setting. BOE President Mussab Ali deserves accolades for setting up the meeting and running it with extreme professionalism. (Maybe he should run for the Hudson County Board of Commissioners?) And, Council President Joyce Watterman deserves credit for enthusiastically accepting the invitation along with the rest of the council. How can the city and the schools work together, Ali asked during the meeting, hitting the exact tone needed. Even without the burden and challenges of the pandemic, the city school district has faced myriad problems in recent years, especially in the area of budgeting as the district came out of decades of state control. Last month, the board gave initial approval to a trimmed down $812 million budget for next school year that could raise the average homeowners property tax bill by $1,000. A loss of state education funding and the egregious granting of far too many city tax abatements are blamed for many of the districts financial shortfalls. Thats the hand the school district has been dealt, but it cant be a source of fatalism. Rather, it needs to be a challenge to overcome. Our long-term problem, Councilman-at-Large Rolando Lavarro said, is, How do we develop sustainable funding that the schools require to provide a quality education? Exactly. To that end, the school board and council wisely decided to break into three committees -- legislative, finance and operations and tentatively set their next collaborative meeting for May 4. We look forward to a conversation, school board member Lekendrick Shaw said. So do we. Alis challenge going forward will be two-fold. First, last weeks meeting had technical glitches that prevented the public from hearing some of the speakers. That needs to be corrected for next time since, because of the pandemic, the board and council members were in person and the public was only able to participate remotely. And, second, Ali will have to keep this group of 18 elected officials focused on task rather than on inevitable political grandstanding in order to find meaningful solutions to a very complex problem. Send letters to the editor and guest columns for The Jersey Journal to jjletters@jjournal.com. Police set up checkpoints in an attempt to stop an Easter exodus to the seaside. Officers were stationed on roads heading to Portrush and Portstewart yesterday. Under the current Covid regulations, people have been urged to stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse for being out. Read More A PSNI spokesperson said: "During this Easter period local policing teams and neighbourhood officers in the North Coast area will be carrying out duties to ensure the free flow of traffic in the area and ensuring the public are adhering to Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations. "Police would ask everyone to work with them during this pandemic to help to protect the NHS and keep everyone safe." People have been urged to enjoy the Easter break "in a safe and slightly different way". A year ago, Uber let its California drivers see ride destinations before picking up passengers and let them set pricing in an effort to prove that the drivers were truly independent contractors. It was part of the companys strategy to block drivers from being reclassified as employees under AB5, Californias gig-work law. Now, Uber is acknowledging that the move has hurt business and is considering axing its visible destinations and price-naming policies, The Chronicle has learned. The seesaw may disappoint drivers who appreciated that extra control over their work. Too many drivers cherry-pick lucrative rides and decline other requests, making the service unreliable, the San Francisco company said on Monday. Uber no longer has to worry about proving that drivers are independent contractors, because Prop 22 the November ballot measure that Uber and fellow gig companies spent $220 million to pass enshrines their non-employee status. Uber is re-evaluating past changes we made in California so we can make Uber more reliable, the company told The Chroncle. In January 2020, days after AB5 took effect, Uber made the changes, saying they were due to new state laws and warning riders that they might have a harder time finding a ride. AB5 makes it harder for companies to claim that workers are not employees. It relies on a test that says workers are employees unless they work free from a companys control, do work not central to a companys core business, and have their own independent enterprises in that line of work. Ubers goal was to show that drivers had more freedom and flexibility and thus fit those requirements. Drivers could set their own price as a multiple of an Uber base price, could see where riders were going, and could reject ride requests without penalties. Riders no longer saw pricing before a ride. Uber argued in court last summer that drivers ability to see destinations and set prices meant they were truly independent. California and three city attorneys are suing Uber and rival Lyft over driver classification under AB5, in a case that continues, but now will look at conduct only before Prop 22 took effect. But on the streets, the move backfired. A third of California drivers declined more than 80% of their ride requests, making the service unreliable, Uber said this week. About a fifth of potential passengers in California now end up not finding a ride, a sevenfold increase from previously. The pandemic further constrained the number of drivers, who must now grapple with the risk of the virus. The changes disproportionately hurt airports, Uber said. Airport rides have long been a profitable backbone of the service, and thats where the company hopes to see increased demand as more Americans start to travel as they become vaccinated. Weekly ride completion rate for San Francisco and Los Angeles airports is less than 60%, by far the lowest for major airports in the country, Uber said. Harry Campbell, a Los Angeles Uber and Lyft driver who runs the RideShare Guy blog and podcast, said that drivers who work full time liked having the additional controls so they could reap the maximum profit. To make it work as a full-time driver, you have to be very strategic, he said. Many drivers (previously) were shocked to find out that they didnt know where a passenger was going until they accepted the ride. When Uber added the destination feature, it was a game changer for a lot of drivers. Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available. But as a passenger, Campbell said hes noticed that the service is worse. Uber provided tweets from irate riders who said they hated having to haggle over prices, were waiting longer for rides, and sometimes were hijacked into higher rates at the last minute when they had no wiggle room because of a flight to catch, for instance. Its been a pattern, a bit of a tease for Uber to give drivers features they want and then take them away, he said. This type of feature was something drivers always wanted. I think drivers will be pretty pissed off to lose it. Overall, Campbell thinks the flip-flip could alienate drivers, even as Uber is now dangling incentives to draw more people back to work. Its been a pattern, a bit of a tease for Uber to give drivers features they want and then take them away, he said. This type of feature was something drivers always wanted. I think drivers will be pretty pissed off to lose it. Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Obama is another oppressor. Those are not my words. Instead, they are the words of activist Julie Contreras, who works with a group that runs shelters for undocumented children at the U.S./Mexico border. Contreras joined with other Hispanic immigrants who opposed renaming two Chicago-area schools after Barack and Michelle Obama. Yes, they wanted the names changed, but not from one oppressor to another. The schools are currently named Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Daniel Webster Middle School, but since Jefferson owned slaves and Webster supported slavery, those names must go. Unfortunately, the Obamas are tainted too. I will not be part of renaming a school after someone who did not and does not represent the undocumented community, said District 60 school board member Edgar Castellanos, who came to America undocumented as a child. As expressed by Contreras, From the time Barack Obama became President until 2017 when he left, he today is still the highest ranking president with deportations in our nation. We feel that Barack Obama did disservice to us. He denied us, and he didn't stop the deportations, the way he promised. She added, If you're removing the name of Thomas Jefferson one oppressor the name of Obama is another oppressor and our families do not want to see that name. Welcome, my friend, to 2021, where even Barack Obama is an oppressor and where people like actress Sharon Stone are speaking out against cancel culture and woke America. (To quote her directly, cancel culture is the stupidest thing I have ever seen.) Perhaps now would be a good time for America to read Animal Farm together? This really does not end well. On the one hand, its refreshing to be reminded of the fact that illegal immigration is a genuine problem and that President Trump was not the Deporter in Chief. Democratic presidents before him took a hard line, and that was for the good of the country. But lets be real here for a moment. If the first black president is viewed as an oppressor, who can possibly stand? If the man who openly advocated for the redefinition of marriage and lit up the White House in rainbow colors in celebration is perceived as being part of the establishment culture, who can pass the PC test? I do not pretend to be an expert on immigration (quite the contrary), and I am not qualified to address the problem of undocumented children at our borders. So I do not write this to mock the concerns of Contreras and Castellanos. Let others better qualified than me speak to that issue. What I can speak to with some level of expertise is the insane direction that cancel culture is taking us, since I have been tracking that for many years now, long before it was commonly known by that name. In the end, the concerns and convictions of a radical, outspoken minority become the dominant cultural force, silencing all dissenting voices, even to the point of deplatforming and canceling them, seeking to make them into non-persons. The Daily Mail even ran a headline this week, stating, Now Facebook and Instagram 'non-person' Trump: Platforms ban ex-President's interview with daughter-in-law Lara where he signals he will run for President in 2024. Yes, Facebook and Instagram pulled the clip because it featured Trump speaking and the voice of Donald Trump. Is this not cultural madness? Is this not PC thinking run amuck? Is this not a dangerous precedent that is too extreme and unhealthy even for most left-leaning Americans? Do you really want a culture like this? The reality is that soon enough, you, too, will become passe. You, too, will be excluded as outmoded or outdated. As bigoted or biased. As too white. Or too male. Or too Christian. Or too rich. Or too influential. Or too whatever. What goes around comes around, which is why many of us have long documented how the left eats it own. Careful! As I wrote in July 2019, There is a biblical principle that everything produces after its own kind. Cats produce cats. Dogs produce dogs. Apple trees produce apples. Orange trees produce oranges. Love produces love. Hate produces hate. What does identity politics produce? It produces bigotry. It produces division. It produces a victim mentality. Were seeing it today in the Democratic party. Joe Biden is now a racist. Nancy Pelosi is a racist. The party is reaping what it sowed. Everything is seen through the lens of identity politics. For the moment, Pelosi has maintained her power, albeit somewhat tenuously, and Biden has ascended to the presidency. But if Obama can become a dirty name, dont expect these white political leaders to do much better. Thats why I wrote in June 2020, shortly after leftist mobs turned on Jeff Bezos, To all the wealthy, liberal elites who are cheering on the protests and riots, a word of warning is in order. The same holds true for the conservative Christians who are lining up to show their support for the BLM movement. To each of you I say: Do not be deceived. The cancel culture will soon be coming for you. (The article was titled, What Are You Going to Do When They Come for You?) In truth, this radical agenda is driven by a small, outspoken minority. And that means that the solution to the problem is simple. The rest of us the overwhelming majority must simply say no to the cultural madness. We must stand against the silencing and canceling and non-personing of others. We must create an environment where we can have our differences, publicly and loudly, without forcing others into submissive silence. If we dont, watch out. The pigs from Animal Farm will be shipping you off for slaughter soon enough. (For those not familiar with the book, the pigs were real pigs.) By Park Jae-hyuk Attention is being focused on the next investment target of IMM Private Equity (IMM PE), as the domestic private equity firm (PEF) completed successful divestments last week from W Concept and Taihan Electric Wire. The PEF and Citigroup Global Markets Securities, the underwriter for the sale of W Concept, selected Shinsegae Group's e-commerce unit SSG.com as the preferred bidder to acquire the womenswear fashion platform, Thursday, and signed a share purchase agreement. SSG.com will take over a full stake in W Concept 80 percent held by IMM PE and 20 percent held by ISE Commerce after the Fair Trade Commission approves the merger deal. Considering that a regulatory filing by ISE Commerce showed the company sold its stake in W Concept for 53 billion won ($47 million), IMM PE will receive 212 billion won after closing the deal. The PEF had paid 61.2 billion won for acquiring the 80 percent stake in W Concept in 2017. The sale of Taihan Electric Wire to Hoban Group, which was signed three days before the W Concept deal, also enabled IMM PE to make a handsome profit. "We signed a share purchase agreement with Hoban Group, taking into account its non-price factors that can further nurture Taihan Electric Wire, rather than considering the price it offered," IMM PE said in its statement. Its earnings from Taihan Electric Wire, however, are considered significant among market insiders. After buying a 70 percent stake in the electric wire manufacturer for 300 billion won in 2015, IMM PE sold its 30 percent stake for over 270 billion won through five block deals and the remaining 40 percent for 252 billion won through its recent transaction with Hoban Group. Based on these track records, the PEF is expected to focus more on its new investments and management of its portfolio companies. According to industry sources, it is on the shortlist for bidders to acquire a 49 percent stake in SK Lubricants, which is estimated at 1 trillion won, along with Korea Investment Partners, Apollo Global Management from the United States and ENEOS from Japan. In addition, market insiders are wondering whether or not IMM PE will bet trillions of won on envisioned mega-acquisition deals involving businesses related to future mobility, online platforms and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) standards. ALBANY Early last Wednesday morning, residents of a city neighborhood woke up to find a giant mural of the mythological Minotaur on the side of a yellow brick building on Hamilton Street. Not even fully finished, the 30-foot creature caught the eyes of neighbors who took to social media over the weekend wondering where it came from. Despite the Minotaurs pensive face and arms, with weapons in hand, relaxed at his sides, some Reddit and Facebook users expressed anxiety about such a monster appearing on the street near lower Madison Avenue out of nowhere. Two users even questioned if the Minotaur was supposed to represent QAnon Shaman Jake Angeli, who stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., in January wearing a helmet with prominent horns like those the Minotaur is depicted with. Quite the opposite, said building owner William Tragedy Yager who had the mural painted as part of the opening of his latest venture a tasting room and meadery called The Bull and Bee. It is not to be associated with the QAnon Shaman at all. We have zero political stance. ... He is the freedom fighter for equality of all inner-species. The half-man, half-bull Minotaur of Greek mythology was "a love child of King Minos wife and Poseidons fire-breathing bull," Yager explained, and he was imprisoned in a labyrinth. He was misunderstood, he wasnt trying to be a warrior or violent, he was just trying to live, they kept sending hero after hero to kill him so he had to be on guard and the bees would alert him to let him know when they were coming," said Yager, owner of a number of other local businesses, including a barbershop, laundromat and tattoo parlors. "Our Minotaur kept bees in the labyrinth so he made mead also, Yager said as a way of explaining the connection between the myth and the alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey that will be featured as his new establishment. The mural's artist, Samson Contompasis, painted the giant figure overnight, standing on the ground using a 23-foot pole with 3-inch rollers attached to the top. He has been refining this method of creating roller pieces for over 15 years, using drawings projected onto the building to guide his painting. It is not fully done; it will probably be done tonight or in the next day or two, Contompasis said about the mural. The latest additions have been a bee tattoo on the Minotaurs chest, and some additional bees flying around him. The bull in the business' name is also a nod to the Italian restaurant and bar Bulgaros which was open for more than 50 years at the same location until it closed in 1980s, said Yager, who believes in bringing new life to the neighborhood. The goal is to really make this a destination area, said Dan Dineen, the manager of the taproom. While the taproom will serve primarily drinks, the menu will include links to The Excelsior Pub and Hill Street Cafes food menu in hopes of prompting guests to visit multiple establishments in the neighborhood. Wow, someone is fixing up that building, thank God, said Ian Benjamin, an Albany resident, when he first saw the mural. It is really good to see people putting effort into the neighborhood. Clearly, if you are putting up a mural that isnt offensive or derogatory it strikes me as you care, you are willing to invest in the neighborhood and in Albany. Thousands of residents have been put on high alert after Covid-19 fragments were detected in sewage from nine Melbourne suburbs. Residents have been told to keep an eye out for flu-like symptoms if they live in Altona, Altona Meadows, Hoppers Crossing, Laverton, Point Cook, Seabrook, Seaholme and Williams Landing. The alert remains in place after it was first issued by Victorian health authorities on Thursday night. Officials said particles of the virus had been detected in the sewage at Altona wastewater treatment plant. Thousands of residents have been put on high alert after Covid-19 fragments were detected in sewage from nine Melbourne suburbs (stock image) Residents have been told to keep an eye out for flu-like symptoms if they live in Altona, Altona Meadows, Hoppers Crossing, Laverton, Point Cook, Seabrook, Seaholme and Williams Landing (pictured, nurse conducting Covid-19 swab at Royal Melbourne Showgrounds) 'Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, is urged to get tested, especially if you live in or have visited these areas during these dates,' the department said in a statement. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the positive samples could have come from previously infected residents who were longer contagious, but continued to shed the virus. Victoria has gone 38 days without recording a new case of Covid-19. Australia's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd said there was a 'likely' link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and a man who developed a rare blood clot disorder after receiving the jab. Though he stopped short saying there was no definitive evidence. 'Given how consist of the clinical features are in this case, with some similar cases which have been seen overseas, it is likely that this case, which is reported, is related to the vaccine,' he said. The man received the AstraZeneca jab on March 22 and is the first Australian known to have developed the illness, which has presented in small numbers of vaccinated people in the United Kingdom and Europe. Prof Kidd said an initial TGA review had found it was 'likely' that the blood clot disorder was linked to the man's AstraZeneca vaccination (pictured, driver has a Covid-19 swab test at Royal Melbourne Showgrounds) Victoria has gone 38 days without recording a new case of Covid-19 (pictured, Melbourne residents walking on the streets) Professor Kidd emphasised that the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 in the largely unvaccinated Australian population was a 'far greater' risk than the 'extremely rare' blood clot disorder. The Therapeutic Goods Administration and Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation have been advising the government's central medical advisory body throughout the Easter weekend with input from UK and European counterparts. Prof Kidd said an initial TGA review had found it was 'likely' that the blood clot disorder was linked to the man's AstraZeneca vaccination. A short section of Southeast Louden Road near Corbett will be closed starting 7 a.m. Monday while a contractor repairs a slope below the road. The section of Louden Road, between Southeast Littlepage and ORegan roads, closed in late January due to damage to the hillside below the road from a broken water line. A 100-foot section reopened in early February with one travel lane. A recent release said Multnomah County had a geotechnical evaluation done and has contracted out the repairs. Travelers will need to choose an alternate route all days and hours for about two weeks. Work hours will be 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Residents will have access to their homes at all times. Some neighbors will have longer routes than normal, due to the road closure. Residents east of the closure should use Larch Mountain Road to access the eastern section. Access to the west end of Louden Road is from SE Littlepage Road. For more information about Multnomah County roads, visit www.multco.us/roads. *** BANFIELD 7:55 a.m.: A crash is blocking the left lane of I-84 eastbound near 33rd Avenue. Traffic is backed up to the Grand Ave overpass. *** With spring comes paving season in Portland. File photo. Its paving season again! The Portland Bureau of Transportation will be paving Southeast 136th Avenue and constructing new sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and street lighting between Division Street and Foster Road beginning Monday, April 5. During construction, traffic will be limited to one lane, with northbound traffic detouring first. After the east side is paved, the following two weeks will have a southbound detour. Bus stops for TriMet line 10 along SE 136th Avenue will be closed intermittently along these sections. In addition to paving, throughout the month of April and May utility providers will be removing utility poles for sidewalk construction, which may require additional lane changes along the corridor. In late April, paving and detours will continue along SE 136th Avenue, between Holgate Boulevard and Harold Street. Heads up for Friday night, April 9. Contractors will be closing West Burnside Street 7 p.m. Friday through 7 p.m. Sunday, April 9-11 to perform repairs to the Barbara Walker Crossing which was damaged by a slide this winter. Drivers will be detoured onto U.S. 26 or Interstate 405, depending on the direction theyre traveling. Detours will begin for eastbound traffic at Northwest Skyline and Burnside, and for westbound traffic at Northwest 23rd Avenue and Burnside. Make plans for your alternate route now. Detour map for West Burnside closure April 9-11, 2021. Check back throughout the morning for the latest commuting updates and follow us on Twitter: @trafficportland The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has assured the chiefs and people of northern Ghana, especially residents of the Savannah Region, that work on the Daboya Bridge would begin this year. When constructed, the Daboya Bridge, spanning the White Volta, would be a critical link in the commercial and everyday life of people in the eastern parts of northern Ghana, and is designed to serve as an alternative route for travelers from the north to the south and from the Savannah region to the Upper West Region. Speaking at Bole in the Savannah Region on Saturday (April 3, 2021), Vice President Bawumia indicated that Government is committed to constructing the Daboya Bridge, as well as undertake various infrastructure works in the Region in order to accelerate the socio-economic development of the area. "The Government of President Akufo-Addo has over the past four years completed over 600 infrastructure projects in the Savannah region (captured in the delivery tracker ) and will do even more to accelerate the development of Gonjaland and northern Ghana in general. "One project that is very dear to my heart and the government is the construction of the Daboya bridge, I have been informed that design works are ongoing and barring any unforeseen challenges, work will begin this year," he announced to loud applause. Vice President Bawumia made the announcement at the 45th Annual Congress of the Gonjaland Youth Association, which brings together all youth living in Gonjaland, irrespective of their tribe. The Congress, which was graced by the presence of the Chiefs of Gonjaland, was attended by sons and daughters of Gonjaland from far and near including Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor, MP for Damongo and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources. Emphasising Governments commitment to the infrastructure development of Gonjaland, Vice President Bawumia outlined a long list of projects undertaken over the past four years, with a promise of more in the near future. Gonjaland has witnessed significant infrastructure development in the first term of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo government. Government completed 631 projects in the area of education, energy, health, water and sanitation, agriculture, youth and sports, housing among others. Some 155 other projects are currently on going. These projects together with the several others are geared towards improving the living standards of the people of the Gonjaland. We are focused on providing quality drinking water, quality education, supporting local economic activities and creating jobs and stimulating the potentials of the youth. The government will continue to provide the enabling environment and the needed infrastructure in order to open up the region. Vice President Bawumia reminded the youth of that they are the pivot around which the accelerated development programme of the government revolves, adding that it is for this reason that Ghanas post-COVID-19 recovery plan (Ghana Cares Programme) focuses key projects on attracting educated youth into commercial agriculture as well as promoting engineering and ICT industries. Government, he pledged, will give the needed attention to the Savannah Region to stimulate local economic development. I call on all citizens of Gonjaland, wherever you are, to channel your resources towards investing in the opportunities in the area. It is now time to focus on the development of our people. Source: Graphiconline.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 Wesley Belisle, 4, died in April 2018 when he was swept into the Atlantic Ocean while on a vacation in North Carolinas Outer Banks with his parents, Lindsey and Derek Belisle. At the time, authorities said Wesley was walking along a beach with his mother when he was pulled out to sea by a rogue wave. GEORGETOWN COUNTY In its first meeting since January 2019, the Georgetown County Legislative Delegation, which typically meets annually, met at the Howard Center April 5 to discuss appointments to county volunteer boards that oversee elections, airports, recreational agencies and other services. The meeting originally was set to happen March 29 at Chairman Senator Stephen Goldfinch's law office in Pawleys Island, but out of an abundance of caution over a threatened ethics complaint by the state Democratic party chair Trav Robertson, Goldfinch rescheduled the meeting for the following Monday. "Senator Goldfinchs use of his private law firm to conduct county and state business provides an opportunity to showcase his private law firm to the public," Robertson said in a press release that threatened the ethics complaint. Goldfinch cited members of the delegation not feeling comfortable meeting in person due to COVID-19 as the reason for such a gap in between meetings, as well as the loss of its secretary of 30 years. The delegation had to hire a new secretary and build a system from scratch, he said, causing the inconsistent meetings. There is no law designating how often county legislative delegations should meet, though Goldfinch confirmed it was practice for Georgetown County's to meet once a year. Because the meeting location was moved, there was no longer an ethics complaint to file, but several residents before the meeting April 5, including Georgetown's NAACP chapter president, Marvin Neal, said they were upset over the previous location of the meeting and that this meeting was the first one in more than two years. Neal also addressed topics such as a hate crime law, open carry laws, women's rights to an abortion and teacher wages, taking an ideologically left-leaning stance on all and urging the delegation to act. "The confederate mindset still exists in the county we live in right now, its time to stop talking about moving forward and its time to demonstrate sound leadership," Neal said. 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! Though resident and former Republican South Carolina Senate nominee, David Ellison, outwardly disagreed with Neal's ideological points, he agreed that he was upset by the previous proposed location of the meeting. "I was troubled by the way that the meeting wasn't intended to be held in a public forum," said Ellison, who lost to Senator Ronnie Sabb in November 2020. Among the appointments was James Sanderson to the county board of voter registration and elections, which Goldfinch abstained from the vote on. Goldfinch said while he respects not interfering with appointments in districts that aren't his, he believes Sanderson's union involvement and outward Democratic ideologies make him unfit for the board. "If we go down this path of partisanship on the election commission, I will personally have to respond with somebody who leans Republican, and I don't want to have to do that," Goldfinch said to Representative Carl Anderson, who still voted to appoint Sanderson to a vacant position on the board along with Sabb. To finish off the meeting, the delegation assigned Anderson as its new chairman. The delegation switches chairman every two years and takes turns on party. Since Goldfinch is a Republican, a Democrat needed to be chairman next. Though it was Sabb's turn to be chairman, he declined, pushing it onto Anderson, who was chairman before Goldfinch. Anderson said as the next chairman he hopes to ensure the delegation meets quarterly. Irbil (Iraq): Iraqs prime minister on Tuesday ordered the northern Kurdish region to hand over control of its airports to federal authorities or face a flight ban, signaling a tough response to a landmark Kurdish independence referendum held the day before. The Iraqi Kurdish leadership billed Monday's vote as an exercise in self-determination, but the Iraqi government is strongly opposed to any redrawing of its borders, and Turkey and Iran fear the move will embolden their own Kurdish populations. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadis ultimatum came the day after the vote and ahead of the release of official results. He said the ban would exclude humanitarian and other urgent flights.The vote was a historic and strategic mistake by the Kurdish leadership, Al-Abadi said during a press conference in Baghdad. I will not give up on the unity of Iraq, that is my national and constitutional duty. Regional authorities in Iraqs autonomous Kurdish north put the turnout at over 70 percent, but many voters reported irregularities, including cases of individuals voting multiple times and without proper registration. Many expect a resounding yes vote when the official results are released, most likely tomorrow, according to the Kurdish electoral commission. For decades, Kurdish politics have hinged on dreams of an independent Kurdish state. When colonial powers drew the map of the Middle East after World War I, the Kurds, who now number around 30 million, were divided among Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq. After polls closed in Iraqs Kurdish region yesterday night, the skies above Irbil filled with fireworks and families flocked to the center of town to celebrate. Across the border thousands of Iranian Kurds held rallies in support. The vote has already ramped up regional tensions. Iraqi troops began joint military exercises with Turkey along the border. Fearing the vote could be used to redraw Iraqs borders, taking a sizeable part of the countrys oil wealth with it, al-Abadi has called the referendum an act of sedition that escalated the ethnic and sectarian tension across the country. In Iran, thousands of Kurds poured into the streets in the cities of Baneh, Saghez and Sanandaj yesterday night. Footage shared online by Iranian Kurds showed demonstrators waving lit mobile phones in the air and chanting their support into the night. Some footage also showed Iranian police officers assembling nearby or watching the demonstrators. Iranian state television on Tuesday acknowledged the rallies, a rarity in the Islamic Republic. Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and its regular army have been running military exercises near the border with Iraqs Kurdish region in a sign of Tehrans displeasure at the Kurdish referendum. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Elizabeth Hurley celebrated her son Damian's 19th birthday on Sunday as she took to Instagram to share a sweet throwback snap and message. The model, 55, posted a sizzling swimsuit photo of herself in a leopard print one-piece with her 'beautiful baby' on a previous lavish boat trip. Elizabeth penned: 'Happy 19th Birthday to my beautiful baby @damianhurley1 . Sweet: Elizabeth Hurley celebrated her son Damian's 19th birthday on Sunday as she took to Instagram to share a sweet throwback snap and message Damian also took to Instagram to celebrate his birthday as he posed in the grounds of their 6million 13-bedroom estate in Herefordshire. He penned: 'ITS DAMIAN DAY!! happy birthday to meeeeee xxx.' Damian also gave a glimpse into his birthday celebrations as he posted a video of a lavish fireworks display which he captioned: 'For mee.' The teenager turned 19 in style as several famous faces took to Instagram to celebrate his birthday. Birthday boy! Damian also took to Instagram to celebrate his birthday as he posed in the grounds of their 6million 13-bedroom estate in Herefordshire Proud mama: The model, 55, posted a sizzling swimsuit photo of herself in a leopard print one-piece with her 'beautiful baby' on a previous lavish boat trip Michelle Visage put: 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' while David Furnish added: '@damianhurley1 Happy Birthday to my wonderful God son. Wishing all the best on this truly special day!!! .' While supermodel Naomi Campbell sweetly wrote: 'Happy Birthday @damianhurley1 blessings to you on this special day .' It comes after Damian paid a sweet tribute to his glam mum Elizabeth on Mother's Day with a series of personal snaps last month. Taking to Instagram, the teen shared a cute photo of him when he was a child, splashing around in a pool with his famous mother, now 55. Incredible: The teenager turned 19 in style as several famous faces took to Instagram to celebrate his birthday He shared a more recent picture of the actress, barely having aged, in a plunging swimsuit, sat on a boat. Smiling for the camera, Damian captured his mum as she sat underneath a rainbow in the sky above her. He also shared a more recent snap of the both of them, in the countryside. He rounded off the tribute with a snap of Elizabeth wrapped up in winter clothes, karate kicking. Lovely: Damian also gave a glimpse into his birthday celebrations as he posted a video of a lavish fireworks display which he captioned: 'For mee.' He captioned the images: 'All hail all mamas everywhere. Especially mine because shes supreme. Happy mamas day xxx' to which Elizabeth replied: 'My beautiful baby ' Elizabeth also tribute to her own mum Angela, 80, in a sweet post where the model uploaded images of her relatives as she celebrated the special occasion with 'every mother in the world'. The Royals star caught the eye as she slipped into a glamorous low-cut dress in one photo with her parent, and cosied up to her only child in a cute throwback snap. Putting on a leggy display, the actress stunned in the peep-hole ensemble as she held hands with Linda. So cute: It comes after Damian paid a sweet tribute to his glam mum Elizabeth on Mother's Day with a series of personal snaps last month The media personality previously revealed her mother had moved into her Herefordshire mansion so they could spend the lockdown together. In an older photo, the Austin Powers star cuddled a young Damian as they appeared to ring in the festive season. In her accompanying caption, the businesswoman wrote: 'Happy Mothers Day to every mother in the world. 'I have been blessed to have a wondrous mama and I give thanks for that every day. Ive been a mother myself for 18 glorious years and my mother has guided me through every stage of parenthood. All hail our mighty mothers .' (sic) Glam: Taking to Instagram, the teen shared a cute photo of him when he was a child, splashing around in a pool with his famous mother, now 55. He shared a more recent picture of the actress, barely having aged, in a plunging swimsuit, sat on a boat The swimwear designer was treated to eggs on toast, muffins and a card as she enjoyed breakfast in bed by the teen. It comes after Elizabeth compared her first lockdown experience to an episode of The Waltons after she spent the period with family at her 6million mansion. The actress spent 16 weeks holed up at the Herefordshire estate in a group of nine, including her elder sister Kate, son Damian, mother Angela and vulnerable friends. Appearing on Lorraine in October, Liz told stand-in host Christine Lampard at the time: 'It was like The Waltons! We had nine of us, but I was the only one who left in 16 weeks to do a brief raid on the shops.' 'All hail our mighty mamas': Elizabeth paid tribute to her own mum Angela, 80 Much-loved family drama The Waltons ran from 1971 to 1981 (with three subsequent movie spin-offs) and revolved around the tight-knit clan's lives on a Virginia mountain during the Depression and the Second World War. The show was such an example for American family life at the time, that President George Bush once even said in a speech in 1992 that he wished to make families in the United States 'more like the Waltons and less like the Simpsons'. Elizabeth revealed that her household took things back to basics for lockdown, much like The Waltons, explaining: 'We all stayed safe and then we had to just get on, find a way to make it work. 'There was manual labour, not allowed TV until 6PM. We were all outside - we had beautiful weather in the UK - sweeping up, clipping, attacking things with a chainsaw, making the outside beautiful, growing veg... 'We all got healthier. We ate quite a lot but there was the manual labour!' Dumpster Today Franchise Business Growing Fast "Our franchisees are in business for themselves but not by themselves. We do what our competitors do with less trucks, less employees, faster and with more efficiency." Owner, Chad McKenzie Dumpster Today opened in 2018, as a residential and commercial dumpster rental service company, after owner, Chad McKenzie, had several bad experiences with the existing rental companies in the area. Complicated pricing, not returning calls, and not actually having dumpsters available were common. McKenzie saw an opportunity for improvement. Having more than a decade of successful experiences running businesses in the residential and commercial service industries, McKenzie developed a new, streamlined process of ordering, delivering, and managing dumpster rentals with the customer's perspective and experience in mind; and Dumpster Today was born. "We aligned these areas of much needed service improvements to the core profit centers of the new business model.", states McKenzie, "This ensures the business owner's interests and profits are aligned with customer satisfaction. In an industry known to be a bit rough and tumble, the results of applying good customer-focused processes are great customer experiences and great profits for us." By November of 2020 the Dumpster Today business franchise opportunity was released, essentially duplicating McKenzie's model. The branded franchises are being sold per territory or as a multi-territory to approved franchisees who wish to join the Dumpster Today Team. New owners seek to cash-in on an easier to manage, successful model built in a blue-collar customer service industry with big profits. Being in business for themselves, but not by themselves, providing incredible service with a smile to satisfied customers, every day. Per McKenzie, the model boasts an improved, customer-friendly experience with clear upfront costs, fast, online ordering and a digitized, clear communication process throughout the rental experience. Utilizing smart phone notifications and texts, the business is also easy to run. The Dumpster Today franchise is also built to be business-owner investment friendly. Franchise owners under the DT model are able to deliver more dumpsters using fewer trucks and fewer employees than traditional dumpster delivery service companies. The dumpsters themselves are custom built roll-off dumpsters with walk-in doors that fit residential driveways. The dumpsters and delivery trucks have a smaller than average footprint and are clean and neighborhood-friendly, meeting HOA guidelines. These areas of improvement keep the operational costs down, moral high and management frustrations low. In addition to traditional finance options, Dumpster Today was recently approved as a franchise by the SBA for low cost franchise loans, making the franchise an even more affordable way to enter a competitive industry as a small business owner. With financing rates at historic lows, the timing is optimal for prospective franchise owners to step into an established business model with big profits in a blue-collar field. When asked why someone would be interested in a franchise, McKenzie touts that the new DT franchisees do not have to go-it-alone. They enjoy the support and brotherhood of the entire Dumpster Today Team. Sharing the mission of delivering more cans with fewer trucks and employees than the competitors, the alliance of owners are expanding the brand and franchise value together. McKenzie offers that a Dumpster Today franchise offers security. Gaining a smooth, turn-key solution with years of research and development already integrated ensures revenue and is less risky than a stand-alone business. While many businesses have shuttered, slowed down, or are under-performing during the pandemic, Dumpster Today is going strong and growing. In addition to the first corporate location in Orlando, FL, three Dumpster Today Franchises have been sold and are operating in Lake County, Florida, Newport News, Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio with an additional multiple-territory deal just signed in the Greater Tampa, Florida area covering all of Hillsborough and Southern Pasco counties. Talks are also said to be underway with additional prospective franchisees on the East Coast of Florida and in Texas and Ohio. "Our goal over the next 5 years is to have 50 territories in North America. We are off to good start in 2021 with seven territories heading into the fourth month of the year. We look forward to our franchisees sharing in the growth of our valuation as a company while we work together as a team. From the start we invested in the best equipment, renewed thoughtful processes, and the latest technology. This has attracted great, high quality franchisees who we are proud to work with and share success with. As our alliance grows, we look forward to enjoying our successes together! We are looking for those who want to grow with us. In times where many businesses are toughing it out, it's fun to grow and see real progress", says McKenzie. For more information on the Dumpster Today franchise opportunity, prospective franchisees can reach out to franchising@dumpstertoday.com and visit the website at dumpstertoday.com. Porterville, CA (93257) Today Sunny. Very hot. High 103F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low around 65F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. As a close neighbor to China, Japan should "show their basic respect" in China's internal affairs, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday warned his Japanese counterpart in a phone conversation. Reiterating Beijing's stance on the Diaoyu Islands and South China Sea, Wang expressed opposition to Tokyo for meddling in China's issues on Xinjiang and Hong Kong. "We urged the Japanese side to abide by basic criteria of international relations," Wang said. The Chinese diplomat called on both sides to "treasure" and "preserve" the hard-won, ameliorating relationship between the two countries. On his side, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said that the ties between Japan and China are vital, doubling down on Tokyo's stance on continuing to develop bilateral relationship. Tokyo is willing to maintain dialogues with Beijing and enhance mutual trust, he said, adding that the country would strengthen cooperation with China in all fronts. We will stay in touch with Beijing on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, Motegi added. The Bay Area has yet another coronavirus variant to contend with. Through genomic sequencing, the Stanford Clinical Virology Lab has detected five cases of an emerging variant that originated in India, according to lab director Dr. Benjamin Pinsky and news reports. The first confirmed case was a patient from a Stanford Health Care clinic and likely occurred in Santa Clara County. County health officials said they are not yet monitoring the new variant because it is not yet on the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions list of concern. The variant is being dubbed the double mutant because it carries two mutations in the virus that helps it latch itself onto cells. It could possibly be responsible for the troubling new surge in cases in India. It is not yet known if the variant is more infectious or resistant to vaccine antibodies. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, said it appears the variant could be more infectious because it accounts for 20% of cases in the heavily hit state of Maharashtra. Chin-Hong said cases have increased more than 50% there in the past week. It also makes sense that it will be more transmissible from a biological perspective as the two mutations act at the receptor binding domain of the virus, but there have been no official transmission studies to date, he wrote in an email. One of the mutations, E484Q, is similar to the E484K mutation found on both of the variants first detected in Brazil and South Africa. The other mutation, L452R, is also found in a variant first detected in California. Pinsky said both mutations could possibly reduce neutralization by antibodies, therefore making vaccinations less effective against the strain. This Indian variant contains two mutations in the same virus for the first time, previously seen on separate variants, Chin-Hong said. Since we know that the domain affected is the part that the virus uses to enter the body, and that the California variant is already potentially more resistant to some vaccine antibodies, it seems to reason that there is a chance that the Indian variant may do that too. He said so far no studies have confirmed any of this. Still, Chin-Hong said it appears this variant may be more regional, as the B.1.1.7 variant that originated in the U.K. is the more dominant strain in India. And while its not certain if the variant is resistant to vaccines, he is optimistic that vaccinations will work given what is known about their efficacy against the variants originating from South Africa and California. The latest discovery adds to the list of worrisome variants that have made their way to the U.S., including the widely spreading B.1.1.7. variant, which is 50% more infectious. The P.1 strain that originated in Brazil and a variant from South Africa have both been found in the Bay Area, and both are believed to be somewhat resistant to vaccines. There are many cases statewide of the variants originating in California that are more infectious and could possibly be resistant to vaccines, and ones from New York identified in Santa Clara County that could also be potentially vaccine-resistant. Pinsky said there is still much to be learned about the variant from India, but nobody should panic, especially because case numbers are down in California and large numbers of people are getting vaccinated. Its important for us to continue to monitor the emergence of these variants, he said. The point is to keep getting vaccinated and to keep monitoring for the emergence of variants. I dont think it is of significant concern yet. We just have to be vigilant. Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang HOOSICK FALLS Legislation penned by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, would create a medical monitoring database designed to aid those poisoned by toxic chemicals - from firefighters to residents of Hoosick Falls sickened by a contaminated water supply. Gillibrand held a roundtable discussion in Hoosick Falls on Monday to discuss the proposal. The lawmaker's proposed PFAS Accountability Act would provide legal pathways for courts to award medical monitoring for victims of significant exposure of chemicals that seep into drinking water supplies. Those eligible to join the registry include those with pending litigation related to PFAS exposure, communities near military bases and airports, firefighters, workers who handle the chemicals, and others. Hundreds of residents in the village of Hoosick Falls lived for years with dangerous levels of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a contaminated municipal water supply, which was located near a manufacturing plant blamed for the pollution. Elevated levels of PFOA, a chemical used in making heat-resistent products, were found in the village's water system in the fall of 2014 by Michael Hickey, a former village trustee whose father died of cancer. It took until February 2017 for the village's water system to be fully transitioned to a new "full capacity granular activated carbon filtration system (GAC)," the state announced at the time. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International, which once occupied the factory under a different corporation, entered into agreements to pay for the remediation. The crisis spurned renewed concern about possible PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, from the Taconic plastics plant in nearby Petersburgh. A filtration system was also placed on that small town municipal system, and nearby wells were tested. They didnt ask for any of this, said Emily Marpe, a mother of three whose youngest daughter had elevated levels of chemicals in her bloodstream - despite being born years two years after Marpe stopped drinking the water. My children are entitled to it. Chemicals in the PFAS class have been linked in studies to kidney and liver cancer and other diseases. Marpe suffers from thyroid disease, and said her older daughter has developed similar issues. Fallout from the discovery of PFAS in the Hoosick Falls water supply erupted into a war of finger-pointing between local, state and federal agencies after questions emerged in late 2015 about why it took at least 14 months before residents were warned to stop drinking from the village's contaminated wells. PFAS-related diseases can also take years to develop, which is why medical monitoring is critical, participants said, particularly among children and adolescents. Families should not have to spend years fighting for something as simple and necessary as medical monitoring, and yet that is exactly what happens without the guarantee of success, said Hoosick Falls Mayor Rob Allen. The legislation would create a national registry designed to update members on latest developments in medical research and treatments, which is critical in staying on top of illnesses that are not widely understood and often misdiagnosed, Gillibrand said. This is uncharted territory, Gillibrand said. The risk to public health from the contaminants is comparable to U.S. soldiers exposed to burn pits in Iraq used to destroy waste and first responders of the Sept. 11 attacks, Gillibrand said, and the bill is designed to reflect federal legislation adopted to help the latter. If you do get medical monitoring, itll be yours forever, Gillibrand told the round table of residents, elected officials and activists. Village residents on the municipal supply system are reliant on the carbon-treatment system to clean their water of PFOA. Yet even though the water is filtered, many residents continue to call for a permanent water supply that doesnt require filtering toxic chemicals. Residents and activists welcomed the legislation. Loreen Hackett, co-chair of the Hoosick Area Community Participation Work Group, said victims of toxic exposure have repeatedly demanded two things: Stopping toxic PFAS exposures and medical monitoring for their contaminated families. I was very happy to be a part of this and very happy to see this bill come to fruition, Hackett said. Gillibrand revealed the bill after years of discussion with residents. Its your stories that have motivated me, Gillibrand said. Hickey, the resident who discovered and exposed the contamination, called the legislation a huge step in holding these corporate polluters responsible. Courts could award medical monitoring if, as a result of significant exposure, the victim has suffered an increased risk of developing a disease associated with exposure to PFAS and there is a reasonable basis for them to undergo periodic and effective diagnostic medical monitoring for diseases associated with PFAS exposure. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pennsylvania, has co-sponsored companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Companies responsible for the pollutants would be required to absorb the costs, Gillibrand said, and the bill will also incentivize funding for PFAS safety research. Gillibrand acknowledged shepherding the proposed legislation into law will be a heavy lift, and called on attendees to be persistent in their advocacy. The lawmaker envisions inviting the group to Washington, D.C. to speak once concerns around the pandemic begin to recede. Exposure to contagions is a national issue and isnt limited to Hoosick Falls, said Gillibrand, who aims to visit West Virginia and enlist Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, in support of the bill. The good news, Gillibrand said, is that this is something the Biden Administration is interested in. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has vetoed a bill that would have made the state the first in the country to prevent doctors from providing certain types of care to transgender youth. But his veto could be overridden by a simple majority vote in the Arkansas Senate and House, which passed the bill with sizeable majorities. At least 16 other states are considering similar legislation, which transgender advocates have attacked, saying that cutting off badly needed care to adolescents would inevitably lead to more suicides. Civil rights organisations have also pledged to sue to stop any such measures that might pass. Hutchinson's veto was a bit of a reversal from his action on another transgender bill just one week ago, when he signed into a law a bill that bans transgender women and girls from playing female sports. The Arkansas bills are part of a wave of legislation that Republicans have introduced on transgender issues this year - a record 93 bills in at least 22 states, according to Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ organization. But rather than again side with social conservatives on a transgender issue, Hutchinson, a Republican in his second and final term, offered a small-government conservative argument for opposing what he otherwise called a "well-intended" bill. "The state should not presume to jump in to the middle of every medical, human and ethical issue. This would be, and is, a vast government overreach," Hutchinson told reporters, saying he expected the legislature to take up an override vote. The bill's language threatens to revoke the medical licenses of any healthcare professionals who provide puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or gender-affirming surgery to minors, and it opens healthcare providers up to lawsuits from patients who later regret their procedures. Arkansas had become the second state after Mississippi to pass a law that bans transgender women and girls from playing female sports. Idaho passed a similar law last year that has been blocked by federal court. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem last week issued a pair of executive orders banning trans women and girls from female sports, after failing to reach a deal with the state legislature on similar legislation. Alabama and Tennessee are among the states advancing toward transgender healthcare bans for teens. Proponents say they want to protect kids from medical procedures that they will later regret. They also accuse transgender advocates of minimizing the side effects and downplaying cases where transgender people reverse their decision to transition. But critics say the proposals are unconstitutional, defy the best medical science, and rely on outdated stereotypes, seeing them as a political ploy to whip up right-wing outrage. They heavily lobbied Hutchinson for a veto. "This veto belongs to the thousands of Arkansans who spoke out against this discriminatory bill, especially the young people, parents, and pediatricians who never stopped fighting this anti-trans attack," Holly Dickson, director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Arkansas, said in a statement, vowing to sue if the legislature overrides the veto. Experts say each step in an adolescent's treatment is undertaken with the consultation of doctors, therapists and social workers, often over months if not years. MPs have called for robust laws against online harm after three girls, who were part of an Instagram suicide pact, were found seriously ill in the street. A dozen girls, aged 12 to 16 from across the South of England, were found to be part of the online chat group which described members as a Suicide Squad. Facebook, which owns Instagram, said it has investigated the closed social media group but discovered no content that broke its rules. This means the group has not been removed online. A dozen girls, aged 12 to 16 from across the South of England, were found to be part of the online chat group which described members as a Suicide Squad Julian Knight, chairman of the Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee, last night said the disturbing incident showed that tougher laws were needed to regulate social media and called for the introduction of proof of age policies. He said: This shocking story underlines why we need really robust online harms legislation right away. One part that is really disturbing is that young people under the age of 16 seem to be able to access these social media sites and the template to share such disturbing content. We need a much more thorough age assurance in place to protect young people. In the same way you cant go into a pub unless you show your ID, there needs to be an age verification process for social media too. Facebook, which owns Instagram, said it has investigated the closed social media group but discovered no content that broke its rules Mr Knight added: This incident is very disturbing, I cant imagine what the parents went through. The online group was only discovered when three of its members were found seriously unwell in the street after travelling to Chingford, east London, last month. They were rushed to hospital for urgent treatment where one of them revealed they had made a suicide pact. The girls were later discharged from hospital. Their phones were seized and officers were able to trace another nine girls who were also members of the chat. But by the time the youngsters were identified, seven of them had already self-harmed. Officers from five police forces have been part of the investigation, which was revealed in a police briefing note first reported by the BBC. Social care services from seven local authorities are also involved in protecting the children identified. It is understood that some of them met on other social media platforms before joining the Instagram group whose title explicitly mentions suicide. A second social media page, which was linked to another incident on the same day, is subject to a police investigation and has been removed. A spokesman for the British Transport Police (BTP), which led the investigation, said they believed that the two incidents were localised. In a statement, a Facebook spokesman said they were co-operating with the police on this important investigation. But the spokesman added: [We] reviewed reports but found no content that broke our rules, not in fact any suicide or self-harm related content. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit www.samaritans.org Itanagar/Guwahati, April 5 : The second employee of a New Delhi-based private oil and gas exploration company, abducted by the anti-talk outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent, was released on Monday after 106 days in captivity, officials said. Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Ltd's radio operator, Ram Kumar, a resident of Bihar, was freed two days after the first employee, drilling superintendent Pranab Kumar Gogoi, of Assam's Sivasagar, was released. Security officials in Itanagar and Guwahati said that Ram Kumar was released on Myanmar side of Lungwa village and was intercepted by Assam Rifles troopers during their border patrol. He was subsequently handed over to the Arunachal Pradesh Police. Gogoi and Ram Kumar were abducted from the company's Kumchaikha hydrocarbon drilling site in Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang on December 21 last year. Earlier Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma other Ministers and Congress leaders including the party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi had separately appealed to ULFA-I leaders to release the two hostages. The ULFA-I, led by 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua -- had earlier set February 17 to "take action" if the authorities concerned did not take appropriate steps to secure the release of the oil company officials. The outfit, in several statements earlier, had threatened action against the two. Teacher turned comedian Urvi Majumdar started in comedy after a break-up. She watched a lot of YouTube videos of female comedians: Sarah Silverman, Becky Lucas and Aparna Nancherla, and loved what they did, and wanted to do it too. But it was more than just the appeal of performance. She saw a power in what they were doing. Comedy, says Majumdar, breaks the barriers between social classes. Urvi Majumdar says audiences are connecting to cultural tensions as they penetrate pop culture. Credit:Emma Holland Sometimes it seems like the important conversations in the arts are preserved in an echo chamber of people who have cultural capital and are highly educated, she says. I liked how comedy united people from all social backgrounds. A good joke ensures you dont have to be well-versed in complex cultural concepts to understand it. (Newser) Argentina's president has become the latest world leader to test positive for COVID, but Alberto Fernandez's case comes with a twist. Fernandez was vaccinated in January, reports CNN. The 62-year-old received Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, and he was fine until a mild headache and a slight fever prompted him to get tested last week, he tweeted. Both his physician and Russia's Gamaleya Institute, which developed the vaccine, say the case is no cause for alarm because while vaccines may not prevent all new cases, they do help keep cases from becoming serious. Fernandezs symptoms are mild due in large part to the protective effect of the vaccine, says his doctor, per the New York Times. The institute tweeted the same sentiment. story continues below "I'm already isolated, complying with the current protocol and following the instructions of my personal doctor," wrote the president. "I have contacted the people I met in the last 48 hours to assess whether they constitute close contact." Argentina, like many nations around the world, is seeing an uptick in cases of late. Last week, it suspended flights from Brazil, Chile, and Mexico because of even greater surges in those countries. Though Argentina approved use of the Russian vaccine in December, vaccinations are going slower than expected. Less than 2% of the nation of 45 million has been fully vaccinated. Argentina has seen more than 2.3 million cases and 56,000 deaths. (Read more Argentina stories.) Patrick Schwarzenegger and his half-brother Joseph Baena have been pictured out bonding together in Los Angeles, ten years after father Arnold's affair with the family housekeeper was first revealed. It is the first time that Patrick, 27, and Joseph, 23, have been seen spending quality time in public with one another, as they enjoyed a workout on Monday, along with Joseph's girlfriend Nicky Dodaj. The sighting comes after years of a complicated history between Joseph and his half-siblings, including brother Christopher, 23, and sisters Christina, 29, and Katherine Schwarzenegger, 31, which now appears to be on the mend. Arnold's former wife Maria Shriver is mother to their four children, while he fathered Joseph with his then-housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena back in 1997. PICTURED: Patrick Schwarzenegger and half-brother Joseph Baena seen bonding for the first time on Monday in LA... 10 years after Arnold's affair with family housekeeper was exposed However, news of The Terminator star's lovechild was not revealed until 2011, when Joseph was 13 years old, and it is unclear when he was officially introduced to his half-siblings. Tellingly, Joseph did not attend the wedding of sister Katherine when she tied the knot with Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt in June 2019. Yet, Joseph himself posted 'Congratulations!' on Katherine's wedding Instagram snap of her big day - held in Montecito, California - with two hearts and a champagne bottle emoji. It was a star-studded wedding with guests including Katherine's parents, Maria and Arnold, as well as Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn and actor Rob Lowe. Joseph follows both Patrick and Katherine's official Instagram accounts, but they do not appear to follow him back Rare outing: It is the first time that Patrick, 27, (left) and Joseph, 23, (right) have been seen spending quality time in public with another, as they enjoyed a workout on Monday Family fitness: Joseph's girlfriend Nicky Dodaj was also pictured out for the daily bout of exercise in Los Angeles In April 2019, for National Siblings Day, Katherine posted a throwback of herself with Patrick, Christopher and Christina, captioning the post 'I love them so much #nationalsiblingsday.' Katherine then faced comments from trolls online who pointed out that she had failed to mention her half-brother Joseph in the 2019, despite the fact they were all well aware of one another by now. But Arnold has since fostered a great relationship with Joseph, and the pair have been regularly spotted together on trips out, particularly to the gym. Joseph clearly follows his father's love of fitness, and has often been compared to a young Arnold when he was known as a world-renowned bodybuilder. Following in their father's footsteps: Both Joseph and Patrick appear to be avid fitness fans just like Arnold Schwarzenegger Hiking: The group appeared to be going on a strenuous hike in Los Angeles on Monday Daily grind: It appears that Joseph and his girlfriend Nicky Dodaj both share a love of fitness Arnold addressed the situation in his book, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, explaining that Maria had confronted him with suspicions in a couples' counseling session. 'The minute we sat down, the therapist turned to me and said "Maria wanted to come here today and to ask about a child whether you fathered a child with your housekeeper Mildred." I told the therapist 'It's true',' he wrote in his book. The former Governor of California went to explain that he tried to 'control the situation' by keeping Mildred in her job as housekeeper, despite the fact it raised further questions from wife Maria. 'I blocked out the fact that as a husband and father, as a man with a family and wife, I was letting people down,' Arnold added, talking about his relationship with Guatemalan-born Mildred. Secret: Arnold fathered Joseph with his then-housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena back in 1997 (the pair pictured above on Instagram) Family affair: Some comments on social media have pointed out that Joseph has not been included in group family pictures (like this birthday post for Arnold last August) Amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, the government on Monday issued an order to augment the number of beds reserved for patients at its several hospitals. The national capital recorded 3,548 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Monday, while 15more people succumbed to the infection taking the death toll to 11,096, according to the health department. The government's order stated that in view of the increase in COVID-19 cases in the city, it has been decided to designate an increased number of beds in these hospitals for admitting confirmed or suspected cases of infection. The hospitals include LNJP, where beds are to be increased from 300 to 1,000. At Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, the number of reserved beds is to be increased from 50 to 100 while at GTB Hospital it is to be hiked to 500. "Further, MD/Directors of all the above-mentioned COVID Hospitals must upgrade the number of beds indicated against their hospital with immediate effect and logistics required, if any, may be sourced by using powers delegated under section 50 of the Disaster Management Act," the order said. In another order, the Delhi government said in order to augment bed capacity for COVID-19 patients and to also ensure that treatment of non-COVID critical patients is not compromised, 54 large private hospitals having bed strength of 100 beds or more are to reserve at least 30 per cent of their ICU bed or double the occupancy as on April 5, whichever higher and 30 per cent of their ward bed capacity or double the occupancy, whichever higher for COVID-related treatment. (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 Australian couple has expressed their relief after being freed from house arrest in Myanmar and allowed to leave the country. But there are still serious concerns for another Australian, Sean Turnell, who has been imprisoned since the army seized control of the country on February 1. Australian business consultants Christa Avery and Matthew O'Kane were initially refused permission to leave Myanmar last month when they were about to board a flight home. Matthew O'Kane has been released from house arrest in Myanmar and allowed to leave the country Christa Avery (pictured) and her husband have expressed their relief after they were released and allowed to leave Myanmar They have since been released from home detention without charge and flew out of Yangon on Sunday. 'I am, of course, incredibly relieved to have been released and to be on my way home with my husband Matt,' Ms Avery said in a statement. 'Even though I knew that I had done nothing wrong, it was very stressful being held under house arrest for two weeks.' Mr Turnell, an economic adviser to elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has been detained since the military coup. Sean Turnell is still imprisoned in Myanmar after a military coup seized control of the country 'I hope that even if Sean cannot be released very soon, he can, at least, be moved to house arrest for his physical, mental and emotional wellbeing,' Ms Avery said. Authorities have said Mr Turnell is under investigation, but no charges have been announced against him. More than 2500 government politicians, civilian leaders and foreigners have been detained since the coup. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provided consular assistance to Ms Avery and Mr O'Kane during their detention. The department also supported their departure from Yangon. 'We welcome their release,' a spokesman told AAP. 'Due to our privacy obligations we will not provide further detail.' Consular assistance generally involves welfare checks, liaising with local authorities, providing lists of local lawyers and helping communicate with family members or close contacts. Embassy staff cannot provide legal advice, intervene in legal cases or get Australians out of prison. The death of a pregnant woman in front of her toddler son ahead of a family Easter egg hunt marked a violent weekend as the number of known murders in Houston surpassed 100 deaths. The shooting which unfolded Sunday during a pit stop for diapers left Brianna Navarro, 22, dead with a gunshot wound to the back as she and her boyfriend tried leaving an argument at a convenience store in the 11200 block of Richmond Avenue. Her assailant remains on the lam, while her family is in shambles over her death and that of her unborn child. She was very happy to be having her third baby, Loretta Romo, Navarros grandmother, said. The mother of two boys, ages 6 and 2, was six months pregnant, she said. She also worked as an assistant manager at HEB along the Katy Freeway. Recent deaths on Monday brought the citys homicide tally to 103 a 37 percent increase from the same time last year, according to preliminary Houston Police Department statistics. Officials were unsure if Navarros death was included yet in that number. The same stretch in 2020 was marked by the start of the quickly spreading coronavirus pandemic and a growing number of homicides nationwide. In Houston, investigators by then were already looking at 75 killings. Even as the pandemic kept many residents at home, that number ballooned to more than 400 murders ending last year as the eighth worst murder rate in three decades. Last years murder rate calculated by the number of known murders per 100,000 people remains 70 percent lower than that of 1990, when 681 people were killed. Violent crime, which has been declining in recent years, increased in Houston during the pandemic months, with aggravated assaults driving that uptick, records show. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Monday, while swearing-in Chief Troy Finner as HPDs next police chief, asked that the department and community to do more to reduce crime across the board. Finner was not available after the ceremony to answer questions about the growing crime rate. The moments leading up to Navarros death remains unclear. Police radio traffic indicates the shooting was reported around 12:45 p.m. and that the boyfriend was at the scene with a firearm. A dispatcher warned that he is not the shooter. Police now believe her boyfriend clashed with another man at the store. That man, authorities said, opened fire from his vehicle as Navarro and her boyfriend drove away narrowly missing her toddler in the back seat. He got in it with somebody, officials later said as officers began looking for surveillance footage. More Information Navarro's family is asking for help with funeral expenses at https://gofund.me/21660a87, while the Houston Police Department is asking potential tipsters on the death investigations to call the Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. See More Collapse Whoever the shooter is, Navarros family hopes he turns himself in. He is just a person that just does not care about life, Navarros cousin, Victoria Valdez, said. Hours after Navarros death, police rushed to another fatal shooting in a parking lot near Dave & Busters a chain arcade and bar in the 7600 block of the Katy Freeway where a robbery escalated to violence. An armed man shot and killed Miguel Vasquez, 37, in front of his daughter around 10 p.m. as the two left the business and walked back to their vehicle. Vasquez was struck and tried running back to the arcade for help. He later died at a hospital. A suspect in Vasquezs death has not been identified or apprehended. Navarros death, meanwhile, has left her family wondering how her two sons will be cared for. After driving to Houston from Wharton, and waiting hours at the crime scene for Navarros body to be taken to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science, Romo later found her daughter Navarros mother in tears. How am I going to do this, the mother wondered. Me and her we just have to work harder, Romo said. nicole.hensley@chron.com [April 05, 2021] Rotunda Capital Partners Acquires Storm Smart Rotunda Capital Partners ("Rotunda"), an operationally-focused private equity firm, has acquired a majority stake in Storm Smart (the "Company"), one of the largest vertically integrated direct to consumer marketers, manufacturers and installers of storm protection products in the state of Florida. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005314/en/ Headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, Storm Smart provides homeowners and businesses with innovative hurricane protection and lifestyle improvement solutions, professional installations, and exceptional customer service. Since their start in 1996, the Company has helped more than 80,000 homeowners increase the value of their property by making their homes both safer from storms and more energy efficient. "Storm Smart has been the leader in their category for the past 25 years," said Bob Wickham, partner with Rotunda. "They have revolutionized the storm protection industry through the development of innovative products and a history of consistently providing outstanding service. We are excited to partner with them in their next stage of growth." Storm Smart Founder Brian Rist will retain a significant equity interest in the Company and continue to serve on its board of directors. John Boland will remain as EO. "This is a tremendous outcome for Storm Smart's more than 250 employees who have been the real success of the business," said Rist. "I believe with Rotunda's partnership, we will be able to accelerate our expansion into new markets while retaining the strong, customer-focused culture Storm Smart is known for." About Storm Smart Storm Smart's innovative products have launched the company to become the largest direct to consumer marketer, manufacturer and installer of code-approved hurricane protection products in Florida, with more than 80,000 customers in Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and Guam, since opening its doors in Fort Myers in 1996. The company has a long list of accomplishments, including being named 2016 Distributor of the Year and 2015 Manufacturer of the Year, both by the Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association, as well as Nonprofit Business Partner of the Year by the Cape Coral Community Foundation. Storm Smart is headquartered at its three-building campus in Fort Myers, FL. The company also has two showrooms in Southwest Florida, located at 11040 Plantation Road in Fort Myers, and in Naples at 2400 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Unit 102. For more, visit www.stormsmart.com. About Rotunda Capital Partners Rotunda Capital Partners is a private equity firm that invests equity capital in established, lower middle market companies. Rotunda partners with management to build data-driven growth platforms within its targeted sectors, including value-added distribution, asset light logistics and industrial/business services. Founded in 2009, the firm has a long history of helping management teams achieve their goals for growth. The Rotunda team actively provides guidance and draws on deep industry and financial relationships to contribute to the successful execution of Rotunda's companies' strategic plans. For more, visit www.rotundacapital.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005314/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Appointment 5 April 2021 Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has announced that Sophie Latapie has been appointed as Cluster Director of Communications for Rosewood Mayakoba and Rosewood San Miguel de Allende. In her new role, Latapie will be responsible for spearheading the strategic direction, initiatives, planning, coordination, and management of both property's integrated public relations and communications. Reporting directly to the Regional Director of Sales & Marketing for Rosewood Mayakoba and the Director of Sales and Marketing for Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, she will oversee media relations and create and communicate the hotel's messages and ensure overall continuity of hotel brand consistency and image. Latapie was most recently the Communications and Marketing Manager for the West Coast properties of Soho House & Co, a collection of members' clubs, restaurants, hotels and cinemas, catering to those in the film, media, fashion and creative industries. She held that position since 2018 during which time, Latapie oversaw all internal and external communication and marketing efforts, social media, and partnerships for the brand's four regional locations including Soho House West Hollywood, Little Beach House Malibu, Cecconi's and Soho Warehouse in downtown Los Angeles. Prior to her tenure at Soho House & Co, Latapie spent eight years working at award-winning public relations agencies in New York, Austin, and Los Angeles representing a broad spectrum of clients in the Food & Beverage category including celebrity chefs, restaurant groups, spirits brands, luxury food products, and culinary festivals. Latapie is a graduate of The University of Delaware, where she received her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree in Journalism, International Relations, and French. She will be based in the Los Angeles office of the company. COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio Department of Medicaid chose Aetna Better Health to manage the care of children with complex behavioral health needs in a new program called OhioRISE, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday. When fully implemented, Aetna will get $900 million a year to manage the care of around 60,000 children in OhioRISE from a combination of state and federal money, an Ohio Medicaid spokeswoman said. DeWine, when announcing the program during a Monday briefing, said the kids tend to need services among many programs administered by the state and federal governments. He provided some examples of children who would qualify for OhioRISE, such as a child with a developmental disability and a mental illness, or a child with a substance abuse disorder and a chronic health issue. On an average day, 140 Ohio children receive services outside the state for complex behavioral problems. Parents often have to relinquish custody of their children to ensure they get the care they need. Under OhioRISE, those situations are expected to end. Children are expected to get services in their communities. Far too many families in Ohio struggle to stay together, and in many cases thats not because of abuse or neglect, which is what we normally think of what breaks families up, DeWine said. But in this case its because their children have very complex needs. The contract with Aetna goes begins Jan. 1. In the first fiscal year, which will last until June 30, 2022, it will cost the state $130 million in new money. In the second year, it will cost Ohio $265 million in new money, with the balance of the roughly $900 million coming from federal government, as well as funds from Ohio Medicaid and other state agencies that had already been used to pay for services for the kids, the Medicaid spokeswoman said. Habeebah Rasheed Grimes, CEO of the Positive Education Program in the Cleveland area -- one of the states largest nonprofits that serve these children -- said children can have challenges at school and home, contact with the police and county job and family services agencies, as well as hospitalizations. Some children experience suicidal urges. We are seeing that the hospital systems are eager to have partners who can support the needs of these young people without them having to be placed into psychiatric beds, or stay in hospital beds for a long period of time, she said. They are in need of support from their community and there are financial barriers to the families being able to access some of these sources of support in the community where the child is living. Rasheed Grimes said that the coordinated, holistic approach under OhioRISE will give families some assurance that things will work out for the best, with providers, families, patients and others on the same page for treatment. In 2013, Central Ohio father Mark Butler had to surrender custody of his son after violent outbursts at school and home. Andrew has autism, a severe intellectual disability, several mental illnesses and is nonverbal. Neither Andrews Medicaid waiver nor the familys private health insurance could pay for the health care he needed. Butler described the sorrow his family felt when Andrew moved to a treatment facility two hours from home. That sorrow turned to frustration when I attended meetings and I watched multiple agencies behave almost like youre playing Hot Potato with my sons health care, he said. These days, Andrew is a happy adult who lives in a supportive living environment. The family has a great relationship with him, Butler said. Yet Butler said that he doesnt want other families to suffer as his did. My family, like many in our situation, struggled for so long in silence, isolated and afraid of what would happen to Andrew, he said. More coverage: Ohio records 2,918 new coronavirus cases for Sunday and Monday: Update Ohio will rush coronavirus vaccines to areas with case spikes Ohio Supreme Court approves rule changes expanding bail reform 4,214 coronavirus vaccine doses in Ohio deemed unusable With vaccinations up, why arent Ohio coronavirus numbers going down? Saudia Cargo, a dedicated freight subsidiary of Saudi Arabian national flag carrier Saudia, has joined Unicef Humanitarian Initiative to support worldwide vaccines delivery mission. According to the Saudi Arabian airfreight flag carrier, it is one of the first airfreight companies to join the initiative launched by Unicef to support the prioritisation of Covid-19 vaccines delivery alongside essential medicines, medical devices and other critical supplies to fight the pandemic. The members of the initiative are 10 leading airlines which together cover routes to over 100 countries with one goal in mind, to support the Coax Facility the global effort to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines regardless of any countrys income level. Covax Facilitys first round distribution plan provides doses to 145 countries starting the first half of 2021. These countries will immunize 3% of their population, on average and subject to all requirements and final allocation plans. The initiative commits airlines to prioritize the shipment of all live-saving supplies, add freight capacity to routes whenever necessary, and take the important measures of temperature control and security. Saudia Cargo is ready and on full power to operate for Unicef Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative and take part in this global vaccines delivery effort through Saudia Cargos wide range of destinations and connection points. We fully understand our role and will work hand in hand with Unicef and ensure the maximum global reach for the vaccines. Safe, timely and efficient transportation of these supplies is paramount and we are sure our air freighters will expertly get the job done, said Omar Hariri, CEO, Saudia Cargo. Delivery of these life-saving vaccines is a monumental and complex undertaking, considering the sheer volumes that need to be transported, the cold chain requirements, the number of expected deliveries and the diversity of routes, said Etleva Kadilli, Director of Unicef Supply Division. We are grateful to these airlines for joining forces with the Unicef Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative to support the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines. The 10 strong fleets of the worlds finest airfreight companies operating upon Covax Facilitys effective delivery strategy will form a global logistics preparedness mechanism for any potential humanitarian health crises on short and long terms. For now, the Covax deliveries and subsequent vaccinations to frontline health workers remains with utmost importance to empower their critical role in this unprecedented global scenario.--TradeArabia News Service New Delhi : In a bid to arrest Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs daughter Honeypreet, the Panchkula police on Tuesday raided a house in Greater Kailash of national capital. The police conducted raids with an arrest warrant for Honeypreet at A-9, Greater Kailash in Delhi, but they returned empty-handed. The move comes a day after Honeypreet Insan, who has been on the run following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in two rape cases, had approached the Delhi High Court seeking transit anticipatory bail, her lawyer said. Priyanka Taneja alias Honeypreet, the adopted daughter of the jailed Dera chief, tops the list of 43 persons 'wanted' by the Haryana Police in connection with incidents of violence that had followed Ram Rahim's conviction in the rape cases. #Visuals Panchkula Police raided A-9 Greater Kailash with arrest warrant for #HoneyPreetInsan, but she was not found. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/swMgM1xOg6 ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2017 Earlier, a lookout notice was issued against Honeypreet by the police. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A month ago, Gal Gadot announced that she is pregnant with her third child. But she is not letting her pregnancy slow her down. The actor recently shared a picture of herself, revealing how she is balancing both work and relaxation. Gal Gadot shows off her growing baby bump in a one-piece swimsuit Gal Gadot has more than 51 million followers on Instagram and has been quite active on the social media handle. A few hours ago, she posted a photo that has her soaked in the sun wearing a black one-piece while reading a script and resting her hand on her growing baby bump. The actor accessorized her simple swim-suit look with a digital watch and a pair of sunglasses, with her hair tied back in a loose ponytail. Her caption read, Working on two major projects, referring to the script she is reading and her baby. Take a look at her post below. At the beginning of March, Gal Gadots husband Yaron Jaron Varsano announced that they are expecting a third child. The couple got married in 2008 and has two daughters named Alma and Maya, aged nine and 10, respectively. The former Miss Israel made the news public by sharing a cute photo with her family. In it, she was seen relaxing with her family as they placed their hands on her stomach. Gal Gadots upcoming big-screen project is the multi-starrer murder mystery thriller Death on the Nile. She will also be seen in Red Notice with Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson. The Netflix film has Gadot as the worlds greatest thief teaming up with Reynolds as Worlds greatest conman as they face Interpol agent, Johnson. The shooting on the project started in January last year but has issues due to the pandemic. It resumed in September and then wrapped up in November. The movie is expected to arrive in mid or late 2021. Gal Gadot will reunite with her Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins on a historical movie Cleopatra. She will play the titular Queen of Egypt. It will be told from the perspective of women and will be an empowering female story. Gadots other venture with Netflix is the spy thriller Heart of Stone, as the streamers bought the rights for the movie. Promo Image Source: gal_gadot Instagram Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form COLUMBUS, Ohio At a recent COVID-19 vaccination clinic, a woman about to get her shot asked the nurse, Are we going to have to do this every year? We dont know yet, the nurse answered. She was right. The vaccines are too new to determine things like how long they provide immunity, and another crucial variable is how many people end up getting the vaccine. Ultimately, only time and more research will provide the answers. Thats definitely one of the questions of the hour, said Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser, chief quality and patient safety officer for Ohio State Universitys Wexner Medical Center. Everyone wants to know what this will look like moving forward. Among the medical community, the prevailing sentiment is moving toward the idea that COVID likely will have some footprint in the community for the foreseeable future. The consensus of several experts interviewed last week, though, was that perhaps as soon as next year, dealing with COVID-19 will become more like dealing with the flu: It may require a booster shot, but the disease will no longer be a raging pandemic, and we wont have to have such a large-scale, urgent vaccine campaign. We anticipate that this is not going to go away, but we envision it becoming endemic, said Dr. L.J. Tan, chief strategy officer for the Immunization Action Coalition, a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota, that helps educate health care providers on vaccines. So what does endemic mean, exactly? And whats the difference between that and a pandemic? In short, a pandemic is a disease that is spreading out of control and to different parts of the world. A disease is considered endemic when it is seasonal and/or more predictable, such as malaria in tropical parts of the world or the flu in the United States. Some of the difference can be attributed to whether the disease is caused by a new (or novel) virus to which a population has no immunity. This factor is why diseases such as smallpox or measles devastated indigenous Americans when Europeans settlers first arrived, and why COVID-19 has hit us so hard. One can achieve immunity either naturally the body is exposed to the disease and develops antibodies or by vaccination, which prompts the body to develop antibodies and other defenses. For a large population to combat a virus such as COVID-19 through natural immunity alone, however, would come at an incredible cost of lives. And thats why getting vaccines into as many arms as possible is crucial to de-escalating a pandemic. The longer the virus circulates through a population, the more it has a chance to mutate and create some of the variants that have been popping up recently. How well we stop the variants goes hand-in-hand with how well we continue to vaccinate, Tan said. If we can stop the virus from replicating, then they cant mutate. If we can reduce mutation by vaccination, we could see an immediate impact as soon as next year. Experts say COVID-19 likely will not be a case like the measles in which a vaccine was created that eventually eradicated the disease in America. Thats because the measles virus did not mutate. Instead, a better comparison for what COVID-19 will look like in the future is the flu, a disease that occasionally produces worrisome variants that cause outbreaks. Millions of people routinely get a flu shot each year, and those vaccinations are formulated to combat the latest mutations to the virus. Virginia Ruef, a regional pharmacy officer for Mount Carmel Health System, said those boosters are important, even if they are not 100% effective. You hear from year to year, `Oh, the flu shots arent that effective this year, Ruef said. But you still are getting an exposure to a variant, and your body remembers that. So years later, if you had four or five years of flu shots, a variant may emerge that is similar and you already have some immunity built up. Ruef and Gonsenhauser both predicted that a COVID-19 vaccine will quickly become a routine part of annual health care, one shot you get alongside a flu shot or other periodic boosters. Ill be shocked if we dont end up with a combination flu-COVID vaccine, Gonsenhauser said. There wont be large-scale vaccination sites, it will just be part of what you do every year. ___ Ken Gordon of The Columbus Dispatch wrote this story. (c)2021 The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) Visit The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) at www.dispatch.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. JERUSALEM, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) was recently selected as one of the 2021 Best Nonprofits To Work For by the NonProfit Times, the leading national business publication for nonprofit managers. The publication partnered with Best Companies Group to identify nonprofit organizations that have excelled in creating quality workplaces. This survey and awards program is designed to identify and recognize the 50 best employers in the nonprofit industry. "I'm grateful for this honor," said Fellowship President and CEO Yael Eckstein. "A leader is only as strong as the staff, just as the staff is only as strong as a leader. I attribute our strength to our amazing donors and supporters and to our dedicated staff who look at their work not just as a job, but a mission. "Everyone at The Fellowship, at all levels of the organization, works hard every day both to fulfill our mission of helping Jews in need around the world and to make this a great place to work. I'm so proud to head an organization where people work together in a spirit of respect and cooperation and are nurtured professionally and valued personally." Nonprofits from across the United States entered a two-part survey process to determine Best Nonprofits To Work For. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated organization's workplace policies, practices, and demographics. The second part consisted of a survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. While survey respondents described The Fellowship's benefits and pay as "exceptional" and "the best in the industry," the most common thread running through employee comments praised a healthy corporate culture that promotes teamwork and values each individual. "[The Fellowship] treats its employees with the same level of compassion and care that they do the people we are out in the world helping," wrote one staff member. Another noted, "This is a caring organization. They go the extra mile to ensure that working conditions are good and employee morale is high. They communicate well and we are a unified organization with a shared purpose." "The staff members in all of our global offices, like our supporters, are mission-driven," said Robin Van Etten, The Fellowship's Global COO. "They're here to save the lives of Jewish people in need, to bring aid to those who are isolated, forgotten, and have no one else to turn to. And they're equally committed to being supportive and respectful of each other as they do this vitally important work. I'm so proud of what we've created at The Fellowship, and I'm so pleased that it is being publicly recognized." The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) was founded in 1983 to promote better understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews and build broad support for Israel. Today it is one of the leading forces helping Israel and Jews in need worldwide and is the largest channel of Christian support for Israel. Founded by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, The Fellowship now raises more than $120 million per year, mostly from Christians, to assist Israel and the Jewish people. Since its founding, The Fellowship has raised more than $1.8 billion for this work. The organization has offices in Jerusalem, Chicago, Toronto and Seoul. For more information, visit www.ifcj.org . Yael Eckstein is the President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. In this role, Eckstein oversees all ministry programs and serves as the organization's international spokesperson. She can be heard on The Fellowship's daily radio program airing on 1,500 stations worldwide. Before her present duties, Yael served as global executive vice president, senior vice president, and director of program development and ministry outreach. Based in Jerusalem, Yael is a published writer, leading international advocate for persecuted religious minorities, and a respected social services professional. As President and CEO of The Fellowship, she also holds the rare distinction of being a woman leading one of America's largest religious not-for-profit organizations. Website | www.IFCJ.org Facebook | The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews Twitter | @TheFellowship Instagram | @TheFellowship Contact: Daniel Lidwin [email protected] 413-304-1203 SOURCE International Fellowship of Christians and Jews Khartoum, April 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Apr, 2021 ) :Tribal clashes in Sudan's restive Darfur region have killed at least 18 people and wounded 54, a doctors' committee said Monday. "The committee recorded 18 fatalities and 54 wounded, who are receiving medical care at Al-Jeneina Teaching Hospital," the West Darfur Doctors' Committee said in a statement, citing clashes on Saturday and Sunday. Rolling Meadows, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/05/2021 -- BEST Inc. avails printed circuit boards (PCB) training tools, assembly, and rework/repair services to help electronic companies to function more productively. The company's product categories include metal stencils, rework stencils, PCB repair kits, reballing preforms, and training materials. At BEST Inc., they offer delivery to various foreign countries. Many orders beyond Illinois are shipped without requiring payment of sales tax. Additionally, BEST Inc's online store, Soldertools.net, is a secure platform for buying products. It offers the most recent SSL Encryption together with the industry's newest security solutions. Responding to a query, BEST Inc's spokesperson commented, "Apart from our special efforts on customer service, we are thoroughly trained soldering geeks. To ensure our customers have a highly satisfactory experience while purchasing materials, we guide them when they call us, through the repair process. Customers are also allowed to talk freely with our amiable customer service staff, operations personnel, or with a master soldering instructor. We do not just offer sales of the materials; we also assist you with knowing how it's being used. When you shop with us, you can be sure to receive the 'BEST' services". EZReball reballing process is a helpful process for amateur repair technicians in changing balls on a BGA package in an efficient and prompt way. BGA requires reballing for numerous reasons, and this is done in many methods. This depends on the alloy that is fitted in the device, the volume of the rework, as well as the package type. Among the preform methods for BGA reballing is through a preform produced from a temperature-resistive polyimide, and also from an adhesive backing that is separated from its outer layer after reflow. The EZReball product is the most uncomplicated and top-notch preform with top yield. Electronic companies in need of a BGA chip reballing can contact BEST Inc. The spokesperson further added, "BEST printed circuit board repair kits and materials allows access to PCB repair tools. These PCB repair tools are required for rapid repair and adjustment of traces, lands, SMT pads, contact fingers, plated hole connections, as well as PCB base board materials. These materials are packaged together and created by a leading PCB repair company. At BEST Inc., we have been handling PCB repairs since the late 1990s. We offer complex PCB repairs, educate on repair techniques, and also fabricate PCB repair tools and kits for technicians to facilitate their printed circuit board repair works". Moreover, PCB trace repair kits and materials are the most ideal repair kits and materials for repairing PCBs. Various PCB repair kits consist of a wide range of materials required in making specific repairs in trace, through-hole, pad, epoxy, or laminate. They come with various specialty tools utilized by both teaching assistants for board level repair instructors and expert repair technicians. Thus, electronic companies that need a circuit board trace repair kit can place an order by contacting BEST Inc. or visiting their website. About BEST Inc BEST Inc. has well-disciplined soldering technicians that possess IPC certification and offer repairs and rework services on the most complicated BGA and PCB. They work with the latest equipment, which facilitates accurate PCB and BGA reworks. BEST Inc. also provides the easiest checkout process through payment methods such as credit cards, PayPal, checks, and so forth. More so, on soldertools.net customers can place orders via phone call. Contact Information: BEST Inc. 3603 Edison Place, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008. Phone Number: 847 797 9250 Fax: 847 797 9255 Email: info@solder.net Web: https://www.soldertools.net/ Things like a one-in-100-year pandemic, and a rising tide of neo-Nazism, racism, anti-Semitism and violence against women and children, have made me question the meaning of life during the months we endured strict lockdowns in Melbourne. Is there any point to the struggle? What is the better way (if any) to shuffle through this mortal coil before we shuffle off it? Should you stridently defend your comfort zone with weapons, violence and rhetoric as long as you have breath to draw (as evidenced by the storming of the Capitol in the United States last November)? Or should you always seek to pay it forward, or at least do no harm, as much as you are able to, in your circumstances? What is the best way to get through life before we shuffle off this mortal coil? Credit:Getty My life has been marred by ugly instances of unkindness from strangers: the elderly white businessman in the navy suit with shiny brass buttons who gave me an earful outside the State Library of Victoria; the white 20-something male who laughingly told me to F--- off back to your own country (surely only something First Nations peoples are entitled to say to the rest of us: white, migrant or refugee) when I was standing alone in the dark at Camberwell station waiting for a lift home; the white dad, mum, teen son and teen daughter hurling abuse at me, complete with hand gestures, gurning and Chinky eyes out of the open windows of a car with state-government licence plates in Lygon Street; the five white friends who deliberately sat around me on a train journey home from work at 10.44pm to let me personally know how much they hated Chinese people; the racial taunting from family members of my Greek migrant neighbour during the first COVID-19 lockdown while I was standing in the safety of my own backyard (because, like Orwells pigs, some migrants are more equal than others?). Epic sunsets. Breathtaking views of the Bay of Banderas. If a trip to a coastal paradise is on your bucket list, you've just lucked out. Houstonians will soon be able to fly out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Puerto Vallarta nonstop thanks to Spirit Airlines. Launching on July 1, Spirit Airlines will offer daily flights to one of the most popular beach destinations in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, from Houston's George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), Dallas Fort-Worth International (DFW) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Look for the flights to be scheduled three days a week, including Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Beginning May 5, Spirit Airlines will also add nonstop service between LAX and Los Cabos, Mexico. AFP Contributor/AFP via Getty Images "Passengers are looking for destinations that offer the characteristics of Mexican beaches, such as Puerto Vallarta, and that are relatively close to their destination of origin," Spirit's collaborating partner, Grupo Aeropotuario del Pacifico CEO Raul Revuelta said in a release. GET AWAY FROM IT ALL: Here are the countries now allowing U.S. travelers to visit Here's a breakdown of the new service to Puerto Vallarta: Houston (IAH): 3X weekly Dallas, Fort Worth (DFW): 3X weekly Los Angeles (LAX): Daily Puerto Vallarta has become a highly sought-after beach destination for Houstonians amid the pandemic, according to River Oaks Travel Founder Dasha Westerfield. Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group via Getty "Even during the pandemic, we've been sending a lot of Houston travelers to Puerto Vallarta," Westerfield told Chron. "If you go to Punta Mita, it's more remote and secluded, which is a better option for people who would like to social distance." Whether it's taking a stroll along the cobblestone streets of Old Vallarta or indulging in the sun-soaked Playa Las Animas beach, Puerto Vallarta offers a peaceful spot to simply unwind away from the hustle and bustle of Houston. "Our Houston travelers go to Puerto Vallarta to simply relax. Families can rent a villa there. Price-wise, it's pretty friendly for what you're paying," Westerfield added. Biden administration: Be careful on Iran deal By Slater Bakhtavar In July of 2015, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed between Iran on one side, and the United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, France, and Germany on the other. That is, the UN Security Councils five permanent members, plus Germany. The aim of the JCPOA was to prevent Irans radical theocratic regime from developing nuclear weapons, in the fear that it would use them to terrorize the world. The JCPOA imposed a number of new conditions on Iran, such as requiring it to sharply reduce its then-existing supply of enriched uranium, setting limits on how much uranium enrichment it may conduct in the future, and limiting its gas centrifuges and heavy water facilities. Compliance would be monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which was given broad liberty to visit and inspect the nations nuclear industry centers. The Iranian regime agreed to this deal because of its (almost certainly false) claim that it sought only nuclear energy generation and not weapons, and because the six other signatories promised in return to ease crippling economic sanctions that had been leveled against Iran. The goals of the JCPOA are unquestionably noble, but the deal has one fatal flaw: It legitimizes a brutal, oppressive regime that is in no way a representative body for its people. When six of the most powerful and respected nations in the world enter into negotiations with the Iranian government, they ignore the fact that that government came into power via coup (unfortunately with American help) in 1979, and has ruled the country by religious fiat ever since. They suggest to the global community that such despots are worthy of acknowledgment, and in doing so, they make the work of deposing those despots all the more difficult for the people of Iran. This is why then-US President Donald Trump is to be lauded for, in 2017, refusing to recertify the Iran nuclear deal. This was a preliminary step, constituting the United States declaration that it could not verify Irans ongoing compliance with the JCPOA. The following year, the US committed to a full withdrawal from the agreement, leaving the other five signatory nations with Iran to continue it on their own. This very nearly failed, and for a hopeful time it seemed as if the JCPOA would fall apart altogether. Sadly, however, several other parties to the deal failed to support the US move. In fact, they opposed it, negotiating with Iran and offering to offset renewed American economic sanctions in order to preserve the agreement. Largely because of these efforts, the JCPOA remains in force to this day. Irans government has not even consistently complied with the terms. In 2019, the regime openly announced that it would halt implementation of certain conditions. That same year, it also increased uranium enrichment beyond agreed-upon limits, and doubled its quantity of advanced centrifuges, all in violation of the terms of the JCPOA. The IAEA has confirmed the claims, but again, it didnt have to Iran declared these facts itself. Despite the deals ill-advised nature and the regimes bad faith, let us be clear that economic sanctions on Iran were never the correct tool to use before, during, or after the negotiations. Such sanctions only have the effect of pushing millions of innocent Iranians into poverty, for the actions of a government they did not elect and very often do not support. The correct approach to the JCPOA was never to draft it in the first place, not to worry about how to enforce it when the regime withheld compliance. Neither is military action with the aim of forcible regime change a moral or sensible solution. In the first place, this would be very difficult strategically, and costly in blood and treasure. Even more importantly, however, it would once again bring pain to the people of Iran, who would be made to endure a war against their homeland. Any use of force against Iran would be wrong. One may wonder, then, just what the US is to do to prevent the evil regime of Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. And the correct answer to this question, quite apart from any direct action, is simply to support the Iranian people. A growing proportion of the citizens of Iran belong to a young, progressive demographic, who largely admire Western ideals of liberty and democracy and have no taste for the absolute theocracy under which they currently suffer. They have already proven their desire for change through campaigns such as the Green Movement and various courageous public demonstrations against the governments oppressive policies. Their will is strong; they merely need help from those who sympathize with their liberal ideals. Advances in communications technology such as the advent of the Internet have already made it possible for Iranian dissidents to network and organize in entirely unprecedented ways. We should encourage the development of such technology in Iran, to further strengthen their unity and enable them to effect change. Equally important is that we constantly remind them that the United States is on their side. Agreements like the JCPOA, which again, acknowledge and legitimize their brutal regime, accomplish the opposite of this. That is why its so distressing that the Biden administration has begun calling for a return to the nuclear deal, seeking to undo former President Trumps work and once again sit at the table with the theocratic Iranian government. In the end, regime change in Iran and an end to fears of that brutal government gaining nuclear weapons must come from within. As a free nation, it is the United States duty to support and encourage this change, without direct interference. President Biden is wrong to legitimize Irans current rulers. The JCPOA should fade away, and at the very least, should enjoy no American support. Mr. Slater Bakhtavar is an attorney, foreign policy analyst, political commentator and author of "Iran: The Green Movement." Home New Delhi: Jordan has accused former crown prince Hamzah bin Hussein, the half-brother of the country's ruler King Abdullah II, of hatching a plot to "destabilize" the kingdom, according to a Bloomberg report. The move has reportedly exposed a rift at the heart of the country's royal family and follows Hamzah's announcement this weekend that he had been forced into isolation. In a first official explanation of a string of arrests a day earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said on Sunday that the former Crown Prince Hamza Bin Hussein worked in concert with foreign entities. More than 16 people, including at least one other royal, were taken into custody, he reportedly said at a news conference in Amman. There was an effort to target Jordans security and stability, this effort was foiled, he was quoted as saying. He, however, gave no evidence to back up his claims, and also declined to say whether the unidentified foreign entities were people or governments and if any money was paid to those involved in the plot. According to the report, the latest crackdown has come as Jordan struggles with a worsening squeeze on its finances and a resurgence of COVID-19 cases that has prompted the government to renew restrictions on movement. Recently, the US provided the Middle East kingdom with $700 million in August. Jordans stability is considered to be crucial to the region as it sits at the crossroads of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamza was the crown prince for four years before the title was transferred in 2004 to the current kings eldest son, Hussein. An AP report, however, said that Prince Hamzah said he has been threatened by the country's security agencies but does not plan to follow their "unacceptable" orders that he remain confined at home and cut off from public communication. A new voice recording was released Monday. The recording, which circulated online, indicates that tensions are running high between Jordan's King Abdullah II and his half-brother Hamzah. The United States quickly sided with Abdullah, a close Western ally in a volatile region. "The army chief of staff came to me and issued threats in the name of heads of security agencies," Hamzah is quoted by AP as saying in the recording, adding "I recorded his comments and distributed them to my acquaintances abroad as well as my family in case something happens." "I don't want to escalate now, but of course I will not abide when he tells me you are not allowed to go out, tweet or connect with people and you are only allowed to see family members,'" he is further quoted. "When an army chief of staff says that, this is something that I think is unacceptable," he added. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Sunday that the prince had recorded conversations and passed them to foreign sources. Safadi, however, did not provide specifics on the alleged plot or say what other countries were purported to have been involved. Abdullah and Hamzah are both sons of the late King Hussein, who still remains a beloved figure two decades after his death. (With Agency Inputs) Live TV Interested drivers can learn more about this promotion by visiting the Toyota of Santa Maria website Toyota of Santa Maria is bringing out a new promotional campaign on the all-new 2021 Toyota Camry. There are multiple different offers available at once on the Camry, providing one of the best and most cost-effective promotions of the 2021 calendar year so far. With the new Make Every Mile Count program, drivers who are interested in the 2021 Toyota Camry can get multiple discounts on a new Camry model. These promotional discounts can be used on any trim level of the Toyota Camry, except the TRD models. To list out the available discounts drivers can get on the 2021 Camry, the first one to point out is the $1,500 customer cash that is taken off the vehicles initial MSRP. Note that no cash transaction occurs here, just a $1,500 rebate off the vehicle. Drivers are also eligible for 0.9% APR financing for the first 60 months after purchase. Drivers who are interested in learning more about the Make Every Mile Count promotion can find more information on the subject by visiting the Toyota of Santa Maria website and scrolling through the headlines on the front page of the website. Toyota of Santa Marias website is located at https://www.toyotaofsantamaria.com/?utm_source=prweb&utm_medium=press_release&utm_campaign=2021april5 and if you would like to contact them a different way that is possible by visiting their about us page on their website. Other promotional offers and discounts on a variety of vehicles and services can also be found on the Toyota of Santa Maria website as well. A collection of vibrant and colorful new murals will now greet visitors driving or cycling into the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood on Evans Avenue and Hunters Point Boulevard. The addition of the concrete barriers upon which the artwork is painted is part of a series of safety enhancements in the area, providing new protected bicycle and pedestrian lanes, and reducing traffic from four lanes to two. SFMTA spokesperson Erica Kato said the organization partnered with residents and community groups to identify transportation priorities that reflect community values and support the growing neighborhood. Art and beautification were high priorities, so project staff partnered with two groups of artists to paint murals on the infrastructure one sponsored through Shipyard Trust for the Arts, and the other sponsored through the San Francisco African American Arts and Cultural District. Afatasi the Artist, a native San Franciscan who lives in the Bayview, said she wanted her murals to represent the neighborhood and the residents who live there. For my mural, I wanted to honor the Bayview-Hunters Point legacy of being a Black space and of being one of the Black communities in the city and being one of the last Black communities in the city, she said. To honor the people that live here and that have lived here. Tessa McLean As a multidisciplinary creative, Afatasi also creates textiles and music through an Afro-Polynesian perspective, which are reflected in the patterns and colors utilized on the barriers she painted. Other artists include Rhonel Roberts, Claudio Talavera-Ballon, Ira Watkins, Tanya Herrera and Malik Seneferu. Each was selected to decorate five barriers over a few weeks, debuting April 3 at the first Bayside Saturdays, a new series of events every Saturday in April along the India Basin & Hunters Point waterfront. Residents and visitors can participate in free drop-in fitness classes, giveaways, live music and small-business specials. Afatasi said she was thankful she was chosen as one of the artists to beautify the space, but she said she doesnt feel like the project and its purpose was communicated well enough to the community. With things like gentrification, a project like this makes an area like this feel more gentrified, because for the longest time, our community didnt have safety features on our street, she said. Now that there's an influx of people moving into the community, now there's talk about safety. She said she hopes in the future that more residents will feel like they have input in improvement projects. Tessa McLean The new barriers are just one development within the Bayview CBTP Quick-Build Projects, a series of improvements from SFMTA that are designed to increase pedestrian visibility at crossings and reduce vehicle speeds in the neighborhood. Additional adjustments, like one forthcoming on Williams Avenue, are being made to address the 13% of streets that account for 75% of San Franciscos injuries and fatalities. By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil fell 4% a barrel on Monday, as rising output from OPEC+ and the threat of another severe COVID-19 wave countered signs of a strong economic rebound in the United States. Brent crude for June fell settled at $62.15 a barrel, down $2.71, or 4.2%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate settled at $58.65 a barrel, shedding $2.80, or 4.6%. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, agreed on Thursday to hike production monthly from May to July. OPEC member Iran, exempt from making voluntary cuts, is also boosting supply. [OPEC/O] "The timing was not good," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho Securities. "It seemed like OPEC+ was going to roll the deal, but they didn't and now it looks like they're going to have to pay at least in the short term." Oil has recovered from historic lows last year with the support of record OPEC+ cuts, most of which will remain after July. The global economic outlook has become clouded by another wave of coronavirus infections. Cases have spiked in India, Canada and other nations. France tightened lockdowns to head off the disease's spread. The United States saw job growth exceed 900,000 in March, but U.S. caseloads have surged as well, even though it has been among the fastest countries to vaccinate residents. Investors are also focused on the revival of indirect U.S. talks with Iran as part of negotiations to resurrect the 2015 nuclear deal that limited Iran's ability to produce nuclear weapons. Washington officials said they expected the discussions beginning on Tuesday to be difficult. Eurasia analyst Henry Rome said he expected U.S. restrictions on Iranian oil sales to be lifted only after talks are completed and Iran returns to compliance. Iran has already boosted exports to China despite the sanctions. (Additional reporting Alex Lawler and Florence Tan; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Barbara Lewis and David Gregorio) .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal As the federal government examines the environmental impact of oil and gas leasing, New Mexico is eyeing technology and equipment upgrades to slash industry emissions. The Oil Conservation Commissions new rules situate New Mexico as the only oil-producing state to regulate methane at well sites, pipelines and processing facilities. Routine venting and flaring of natural gas are now banned. Pipeline inspections are mandatory. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Operators must meet a 98% gas capture rate by the end of 2026. That goal is significant for a state where the oil and gas industry accounted for 53% of statewide greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, said Sarah Cottrell Propst, cabinet secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Getting a handle on as much of the industry as possible in the rule was really important to us, Cottrell Propst said. The rules are very clear about the environmental outcome, that gas capture percentage that operators need to hit. But it gives them a lot of flexibility on technology for how to get there. Kairos Aerospace uses spectrometers designed to detect methane in its flyover surveys of well sites and pipelines in the Permian Basin. Ryan Streams, the companys business development manager, said the data and aerial photos aid operators in finding and fixing the worst methane leaks at their wells, storage tanks and pipelines. Streams has participated in several methane rulemaking processes in other Western states and at the federal level. Right now when we work with a (New Mexico) company, the way they respond to leaks is sort of up to them, Streams said. With these new rules, were likely to see more uniformity among industry in terms of their responses. Its a good way to put everybody on an even playing field. Oil and gas operators will receive credit toward their gas capture goals under the new regulations by using technology to find and fix methane leaks before state regulators spot them. EMNRDs new rules are only half of New Mexicos regulatory battle to slash emissions. The state Environment Department will finalize rules later this year that target harmful ozone precursor pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. Ozone aggravates respiratory issues and can create smog. If you see a methane leak, theres probably VOCs in it, Streams said. The NMED rules would require reduction of ozone precursors leaking from new and existing industry equipment. Storage tanks, pneumatic controllers and compressors would all need to meet new state installation and inspection standards. Many standards in the rule would be stricter than federal requirements. Some groups are concerned about inspection exemptions in the NMED draft rules for lesser-producing oil and gas wells, often called stripper wells. The rule would also exclude industry equipment in Bernalillo County and on tribal lands, where NMEDs Environmental Improvement Board does not have jurisdiction. Nathalie Eddy, a Earthworks field advocate, said the EMNRD rules address industry pollutions effect on public health. NMED must follow the lead with comprehensive, effective rules that rein in ozone and methane pollution from all operators, otherwise climate goals will be missed and front-line communities will continue to suffer, Eddy said. A health worker carries medication inside the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Monday March 26, 2021. Polish hospitals struggled over the Easter weekend with a massive number of people infected with COVID-19 following a huge surge in infections across Central and Eastern Europe in recent weeks. Tougher new pandemic restrictions were ordered in Poland for a two-week period surrounding Easter in order to slow down the infection rate. (AP Photo/Omar Marques) Polish hospitals struggled over the Easter weekend with a massive number of people infected with COVID-19 following a huge surge in infections across Central and Eastern Europe in recent weeks. Tougher new pandemic restrictions were ordered in Poland for a two-week period surrounding Easter in order to slow down the infection rate. The country hit new records of over 35,000 daily infections on two recent days, and deaths have been in the hundreds each day. The aim of the new restrictions was to prevent large gatherings over the long weekend culminating with Easter Monday. Meanwhile, the government is also trying to speed up the country's vaccine rollout, but the pressure on the country's hospitals is still relentless. On Easter Sunday, coronavirus patients filled almost all of the 120 beds at the County Hospital of Bochnia, 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the southern city of Krakow. "It is a difficult situation, because there are a lot of patients," said Bozena Gicala, a nurse treating COVID-19 patients who spoke to Associated Press reporters visiting the hospital. She said the support of her colleagues was critical in managing the unprecedented situation. Another nurse, Ewa Ptak, said she had COVID-19 herself and is on a mission to help those who are suffering more than she did. Paramedics arrive with a patient suffering from COVID-19 at the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Sunday, April 4, 2021. Polish hospitals struggled over the Easter weekend with a massive number of people infected with COVID-19 following a huge surge in infections across Central and Eastern Europe in recent weeks. Tougher new pandemic restrictions were ordered in Poland for a two-week period surrounding Easter in order to slow down the infection rate. (AP Photo/Omar Marques) "Thank God I went without a hospital and I was fine. But I know what it is and I just want to help people," Ptak said. One patient, 82-year-old Edward Szumanski, voiced concerns about how some people still refuse to see the virus that has killed over 2.8 million people worldwide as a threat. Poland has seen about 55,000 of those deaths. "The disease is certainly there and it is very serious. Those who have not been through it, those who do not have it in their family, may be deluding themselves, but the reality is different," he said. Szumanski said he is also worried that ICU spaces in hospitals could soon run out and that more people will die. There have been warnings and reports in Polish media about how the nation's health care system is reaching a breaking point. The hospital's medical director, Jaroslaw Gucwa, said the pandemic has been made worse by those who believe it is all a hoax and have shunned masks or ignored restrictions. A medical worker attends to a patient suffering from COVID-19 inside the isolation area in the emergency ward at the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Sunday, April 4, 2021. Polish hospitals struggled over the Easter weekend with a massive number of people infected with COVID-19 following a huge surge in infections across Central and Eastern Europe in recent weeks. Tougher new pandemic restrictions were ordered in Poland for a two-week period surrounding Easter in order to slow down the infection rate. (AP Photo/Omar Marques) An image of the bandaged wrists of a patient suffering from COVID-19 in a ward at the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Sunday, April 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Omar Marques) A health worker passes by a patient suffering from COVID-19 in a corridor at the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Sunday, April 4, 2021. Polish hospitals struggled over the Easter weekend with a massive number of people infected with COVID-19 following a huge surge in infections across Central and Eastern Europe in recent weeks. Tougher new pandemic restrictions were ordered in Poland for a two-week period surrounding Easter in order to slow down the infection rate. (AP Photo/Omar Marques) A patient suffering from COVID-19 lays in a bed at a general ward that has been converted to a COVID ward at the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Sunday, April 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Omar Marques) Health workers wearing personal protective equipment prepare food for patients suffering from COVID-19 at the general ward that has been converted to a COVID ward in the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Sunday, April 4, 2021.(AP Photo/Omar Marques) A nurse attends to patients with respiratory problems at the emergency ward of the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Sunday, April 4, 2021. Polish hospitals struggled over the Easter weekend with a massive number of people infected with COVID-19 following a huge surge in infections across Central and Eastern Europe in recent weeks. Tougher new pandemic restrictions were ordered in Poland for a two-week period surrounding Easter in order to slow down the infection rate. (AP Photo/Omar Marques) Medical Director, Jaroslaw Gucwa speaks during an interview inside the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Sunday, April 4, 2021. Polish hospitals struggled over the Easter weekend with a massive number of people infected with COVID-19 following a huge surge in infections across Central and Eastern Europe in recent weeks. Gucwa, said the pandemic has been made worse by those who believe it is all a hoax and have shunned masks or ignored restrictions. (AP Photo/Omar Marques) Paramedics arrive with a patient suffering from COVID-19 at the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Sunday, April 4, 2021.(AP Photo/Omar Marques A critically ill patient lays in bed in the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Monday March 26, 2021. Polish hospitals struggled over the Easter weekend with a massive number of people infected with COVID-19 following a huge surge in infections across Central and Eastern Europe in recent weeks. Tougher new pandemic restrictions were ordered in Poland for a two-week period surrounding Easter in order to slow down the infection rate. (AP Photo/Omar Marques) Medical workers wearing personal protective equipment transfer a patient suffering of COVID-19 to another ward at the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Sunday, April 4, 2021.(AP Photo/Omar Marques) Health workers attend to a critical patient in the Intensive care Unit at the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Monday March 26, 2021. Polish hospitals struggled over the Easter weekend with a massive number of people infected with COVID-19 following a huge surge in infections across Central and Eastern Europe in recent weeks. (AP Photo/Omar Marques) A medical worker prepares medicine for a patient suffering of COVID-19 inside the isolation area of the emergency ward at the hospital in Bochnia, Poland, Sunday, April 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Omar Marques) The hospital is so stressed that it is discharging patients who still need more treatment "in order to make room for the next ones in a serious condition. This is not a normal situation," he added. Poland registered 204 new COVID-19 deaths on Easter Sunday, but the numbers in recent days have been much higher, mostly around 500 per day, On Wednesday, they hit a high for this year of 653. "The hardest part is when you intubate your friends and leave them in intensive care," Gucwa 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. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Economist Milton Friedman famously wrote in a 1970 essay that the social responsibility of a business is to increase its profits. But a recent symposium hosted by the University of New Mexicos Anderson School of Management took a different approach, setting out to find a more holistic view of the role companies can play. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The second-annual Believe in New Mexico Symposium, which took place virtually on March 26, brought in a mix of speakers, from local business owners to spoken-word poets, to explore socially responsible investing, social entrepreneurship and other tools for shifting the lens of business practices to create a more equitable world. I believe capital is the key to shifting our world into a force for good, said Lawrence Ford, CEO and founder of Conscious Capital Wealth Management and afternoon keynote speaker, during the event. Impact investing, a discipline where investors seek a measurable beneficial social or environmental impact alongside traditional financial returns, remains a relatively new field in New Mexico and across the country. Reilly White, associate professor of finance at the Anderson School, said during the symposium that New Mexicos impact investment ecosystem is a bit behind the nations overall, citing data from a survey of investment professionals in the state. Still, White said New Mexicos economy has long been driven by collaborative investment, dating back to the formation of the states system of acequias, irrigation canals designed to share water for agriculture. New Mexico has always understood the value of community-engaged investment, over necessarily just the aspect of profit itself, White said. It is fundamental to the survival of the community. Wellington Spetic, an Anderson School lecturer, added that a number of barriers have prevented social entrepreneurship from taking off in New Mexico, from lack of access to capital to negative associations with entrepreneurship. To help bridge that gap, the symposium brought in speakers who have been active in this ecosystem to host roundtable discussions. Di Zhou, investment principal at Denver-based Cambiar Investors, said socially responsible investing has moved into the mainstream, with many firms offering tailored investment portfolios oriented around environmental, social and corporate governance. Kimberly Griego-Kiel, president of Horizons Sustainable Financial Services in Santa Fe, added that impact-driven investing can perform just as well as traditional investment approaches. If you make good choices in your investments, were going to say social investing does not under-perform, she said. On the entrepreneurship side, speakers like Drew Tulchin, president of New Mexico Angels, said crowdfunding and other more egalitarian ways of raising capital can help bridge New Mexicos historic funding disadvantages and help local companies. The more we all work as a village to raise the proverbial child, the more we could have the Meow Wolfs of the world not be the story, but to simply be this years story, Tulchin said. Listening to speakers, it was easy to get lost in the details of different approaches to social investment and entrepreneurship. Luckily, the symposiums first speaker, Vanessa Roanhorse, CEO and founder of Roanhorse Consulting, provided a broader perspective. A Navajo woman who returned to New Mexico after working for the Delta Institute in Chicago, Roanhorse talked about the way systems of capital have excluded marginalized groups. Roanhorse said keys to creating a more equitable future include creating integrated capital structures and nurturing funds that operate in and fund communities of color. Its on us as people, as individuals, to hold our money accountable and to be the owners of where we want our money to go, Roanhorse said. Stephen Hamway covers economic development, health care and tourism for the Journal. He can be reached at shamway@abqjournal.com. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-06 01:09:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday called for a global minimum tax rate on corporations that would provide a more level playing field for all countries. "We are working with G20 nations to agree to a global minimum corporate tax rate that can stop the race to the bottom," Yellen said in prepared remarks for a virtual event hosted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. "Together we can use a global minimum tax to make sure the global economy thrives based on a more level playing field in the taxation of multinational corporations, and spurs innovation, growth, and prosperity," she said. Yellen's remarks came after U.S. President Joe Biden last week proposed a series of corporate tax changes that could raise roughly 2 trillion U.S. dollars over 15 years to pay for infrastructure investments in 8 years. The Biden proposal would increase the U.S. corporate income tax rate to 28 percent, up from the current 21 percent, attempting to partially reverse the tax cuts under the Donald Trump administration. It would also raise the global minimum tax on U.S. multinational corporations from 10.5 percent to 21 percent, in a bid to discourage offshoring and create incentives for investment in the United States. Yellen said the Biden administration wants to end a "thirty-year race to the bottom" on corporate tax rates around the world. "It is about making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods and respond to crises, and that all citizens fairly share the burden of financing government," she said. Yellen also emphasized that global cooperation is needed to address global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, technological change and climate change, as "no one country will be successful if it goes at it in isolation". "Over the last four years, we have seen firsthand what happens when America steps back from the global stage. America first must never mean America alone," she said. Yellen's remarks also came as global financial and central bank officials begin to gather online this week for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Yellen said she would use the spring meetings to advance discussions on climate change, strengthen tools to improve vaccine access and financing for the world's poorest countries, increase the focus on inequality and support a strong global economic recovery. Enditem ALBANY The office of state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is urging state transportation officials to adopt new protocols recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board in a critical report on the causes of the 2018 limousine crash in Schoharie that killed 20 people. In its final report on the crash, the NTSB faulted both the state Department of Transportation and Department of Motor Vehicles for allowing the illegal, 31-foot stretch Ford Excursion limo involved in the crash to remain on the road after numerous interactions and two failed roadside inspections in the months leading up to the crash. Specifically, the NTSB asked the DOT to adopt the recommendations of a 2014 state comptrollers audit of the DOTs participation in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program, or MCSAP, through which the state receives millions of dollars a year to conduct roadside commercial vehicle inspections. Our audit, along with the recommendations from the NTSB, provide the state with immediate areas to address, Jennifer Freeman, a DiNapoli spokesperson, told the Times Union. The families who had to fight for disclosure of critical information about their loved ones' death deserve no less. The 2014 audit had found that the DOT had not done enough to follow up with owners of vehicles that had been ordered off the road after failed roadside inspections to see if they had actually done the repair work needed to make them safe for commercial operation. The NTSB has cast the lions share of the blame for the crash on Prestige Limousine, the illegal Saratoga County limo operation that was repeatedly fined by the DOT and told to keep the Excursion off the roads because it was unsafe. But the NTSB also said the DOT shared the blame for not doing more to make sure Prestige wasnt driving the limo behind its back, as it did on Oct. 6, 2018, the day of the disaster. "Each layer of protection ... failed," NTSB member Michael Graham said during the agencys Sept. 29 meeting when it adopted its final findings of the crash. "There is more than one bad actor here." However, in a letter sent to the NTSB on Feb. 1, DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez disputed the NTSBs assertions, arguing that the 2014 comptrollers audit of the DOT is completely unrelated to the facts, conditions, and circumstances related to the crash because the Excursion was only operating within New York, unlike interstate vehicles that travel over state lines. This passenger vehicle (the Excursion) would not have been flagged for a random roadside inspection under this federal law, Dominguez wrote. DOT investigators did two roadside inspections of the Excursion in the months leading up to the crash, and State Police, who perform vehicle inspections under the MCSAP program, also pulled the Excursion over near the Saratoga Race Course on Travers Day, two months before the crash, for not having a federal DOT number affixed to its side. Twice the DOT sought to suspend the registration of the Excursion, only to rescind the order after its owners, the Hussain family, paid civil fines. Dominguez, however, pointed out in her letter to the NTSB that DOT had implemented the recommendations of the 2014 audit, so the NTSBs recommendation is essentially moot. We stand by our audit findings and urge the state Department of Transportation to move forward to prevent future tragedies from happening again, Freeman said. Our audit, along with the recommendations from the NTSB, provide the state with immediate areas to address. Boris Johnson led tributes to former Tory minister Dame Cheryl Gillan today after her death at the age of 68. The former Secretary of State for Wales, who was the MP for Chesham and Amersham for almost 30 years, passed away at the weekend following a long illness. A minister between 2010 and 2012 under David Cameron, she was notable as the temporary co-chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers in 2019 when Boris Johnson was elected party leader and became Prime Minister. She was centre-stage during the leadership election, overseeing the voting process and announcing the MPs who had gone through each round. Mr Johnson today tweeted that Dame Cheryl had been 'a great servant to the people of Chesham and Amersham, to the Conservative Party and to the country as Secretary of State for Wales'. 'Always full of wise advice and good humour, she was much loved on all sides of the House of Commons and will be sorely missed. My sincere condolences to her family and friends,' he said. The former Secretary of State for Wales, who was the MP for Chesham and Amersham for almost 30 years, passed away following a long illness. A minister between 2010 and 2012 under David Cameron, she was notable as the temporary co-chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers in 2019 (pictured) when Boris Johnson was elected party leader and became Prime Minister. Amanda Milling, the co-chairwoman of the Conservative Party, said: 'It was incredibly sad to hear that Dame Cheryl Gillan MP passed away at the weekend. 'Cheryl had been ill for some time, but battled her illness with great stoicism and grace. 'Cheryl was a dedicated parliamentarian for many decades, serving in the Cabinet and she made a huge contribution to public life and our party. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cheryl's family and friends.' Trade Secretary and Conservative MP Liz Truss tweeted: 'Very sorry to hear the sad news about Dame Cheryl Gillan. 'She was a brilliant Parliamentarian, a kind colleague and great fun. We will miss her. All my thoughts with her family and loved ones.' The runner-up in the 2019 leadership contest, former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, joined in paying tribute to the ex-marketing executive. 'So sad to hear we have lost Cheryl Gillan, one of the warmest and most generous hearted people in the House of Commons,' said the chairman of the Commons Health Committee. 'She was a formidable campaigner for autistic people but also the definition of British stoical good humour - an enormous credit to her party and to Parliament.' A little over a year ago, most people probably didnt think too much about their local health department. Im quite comfortable being in the shadows. Im not a person who ever needs any glory, said Morgan County Health Department Administrator Dale Bainter. You dont go into public health expecting someone to sing your accolades. But I am thankful to see so many of my colleagues get the credit that they deserve. The 45-year-old Bainter has headed the local health department for seven years and has been a Jacksonville resident since 2006. Regardless of how many years theyve been working, nothing could have prepared Bainter and everyone else in the public health field for the COVID-19 pandemic that has saturated their every waking hour. Days turned into weeks turned into months turned into a year. Theres nothing to distinguish one time frame from the next, Bainter said. There were times that myself and my colleagues didnt know what day of the week it was because we were working every day. More Information If you have a suggestion about someone who should be profiled, send their name and any contact information available to communitynews@myjournalcourier.com. See More Collapse Bainters journey here began at his small-farm home in northeastern Missouri, where he farmed and worked in construction before going to college to earn a degree in biology and chemistry. That coursework included health sciences and public health classes, and Bainter became interested in the public health field. Of course when you graduate from college, your No. 1 goal is to find employment, said Bainter, who applied twice for a job with the Adams County Health Department in Quincy before being hired as part of that agencys environmental health program. Bainter met his wife, Dana, at a training session they both attended in Galesburg. That relationship brought him to the area as the director of environmental health at the Jersey County Department of Health, where he stayed for almost a decade, and then the job at the Morgan County Health Department. For six of the past seven years, it was business as usual, with Morgan County providing all of the services required of a certified local health department, and creating new opportunities when possible such as the partnership that brought the SIU Center for Family Medicine into the Health Department building. We have some wonderful individuals at the Morgan County Health Department that have spent their entire careers in public health and they are good at their jobs, Bainter said. Its nice to finally see them being recognized. That recognition came at a price, because COVID-19 required a massive, coordinated health department response while it didnt absolve the agency of its other responsibilities, even though local health departments have been seriously underfunded by the state for many years. Im very proud that the health department has continued to run full services. While occupancy restraints have limited the ability of people to get into the building, we havent cut services, Bainter said. They are essential services, and if they are essential it means we shouldnt stop them even during the pandemic. Managing our time and staff exhaustion levels has been difficult, he said. Its just been a lot of dedicated individuals who have done what needs to be done and we just keep moving forward. The department set up and continues to operate a testing center in the community, they continue to perform extensive contact tracing for those who may have been exposed to the virus, and staff are now engaged in a mass vaccination effort. I had someone say one day, you guys are shifting gears into the next phase, Bainter said. I reminded them that were not shifting gears, we are just driving another car at full throttle. I am pleased with our community response, there were times when the community was as confused as we were because the information was changing more swiftly than we could get the message out, Bainter said. While I know there was frustration in our community, there was always a certain level of support, people wanted to do what was right. No one in the Bainter family has tested positive for COVID, including Dana, who is the administrator of Liberty Village nursing home in Jerseyville, and their four children, ages 6 to 17. Dale chalked that up to awareness, vigilance and a lot of family isolation time. My family and I didnt do a whole lot over the past year and we kept our inner circle very small, Bainter said. I know how excited I was just to be able to go out to eat again. In the middle of the pandemic, another opportunity presented itself that will help chart the agencys future course. The health department had bought a lot at the corner of West Lafayette and Westgate avenues in Jacksonville for a new building, but the closure of MacMurray College and the resulting auction of property allowed the department to buy the former Putnam Center for Fine Arts Building at East State Street and North Clay Avenue. The $375,000 purchase price is substantially less than what a new building would have cost. Its got a wonderful size and layout and it was built to a standard and quality that would be hard for the health department to afford in todays construction climate, Bainter said. Im excited to bring access to needed essential services east of the downtown area. Bainter hopes to be moved into the new building during this year in time to observe the 100th anniversary of the Morgan County Health Department, which when it was founded in 1922 was the first full-time local health department in the state. Bainter plans to have a centennial exhibit in the buildings lobby. Bainter feels fortunate to be part of a health department with such a strong history and to work alongside the other public health officials at the Morgan County Health Department. Morgan County has always been a leader in the public health field, Bainter said. What I find most rewarding are the individuals that I have gotten to work with here who are so dedicated to the well-being of this community. New Hampshire state authorities announced Monday theyre investigating the suspicious death of a woman amid a fire in the Granite State. The investigation into the fire and the womans death on Mt. Pleasant Street in Derry is ongoing, New Hampshire Deputy Attorney General Jane E. Young, Derry Police Chief Edward B. Garone and State Fire Marshal Paul J. Parisi said in a joint statement. A man was injured as well. He was taken from the scene of the fire to a Boston hospital for treatment, according to the statement. Officials noted based on the facts known at this time, there is no evidence to suggest there is a threat to the general public. No further information was released Monday morning. UDA-backed drug dealer Dee Jenkins has admitted possessing a cocaine haul - but claims it was for his personal use. The 40-year-old, who survived a February murder bid at his home off Belfast's Shankill Road, admitted the charge at the city's crown court last week. But he denied accusations of having cocaine with intent to supply following raids at his home last October by the Paramilitary Crime Taskforce. At the time, police chiefs said the operation was directed against the West Belfast UDA. Jenkins, who has a previous conviction for running a cannabis factory, was freed on bail and is back living at Hopewell Crescent, the scene of the February 22 attempt on his life. Expand Close Video of a gunman approaching the home of drug dealer Dee Jenkins prior to opening fire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Video of a gunman approaching the home of drug dealer Dee Jenkins prior to opening fire A 29-year-old man standing at the rear of the drug dealer's home was seriously wounded in the attack, having been hit with several bullets in the torso. Jenkins blamed rival drug dealer Dee Coleman, a former UDA leader in the Shankill estate, for masterminding the attack. His home, also on Hopewell Crescent, was later smashed up by members of the terror gang in revenge. The 35-year-old was also ordered out of the area. Coleman is now living 30 miles away in Ballymena, ironically in a flat formerly used for meetings of Narcotics Anonymous. Expand Close Dee Coleman / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dee Coleman Facing cocaine and cannabis dealing charges, he has been trying to broker a move to Carrickfergus under the protection of the South East Antrim UDA. However, the organisation's bosses have so far given him the cold shoulder. Residents of the Shankill estate, sick of the UDA drug dealing that has plagued the area for years, have questioned why the terror gang exiled Coleman but left Jenkins alone. One veteran loyalist asked: "The UDA is saying Dee Coleman was put out because he is a drug dealer. Well, if that's the case, why wasn't Dee Jenkins told to leave as well? The two of them are just different cheeks on the same arse. When it comes to drug dealing, they are as bad as each other. "No one wants them here. Local people have even renamed Hopewell Crescent, where they were living, 'Dopewell Crescent' because of the amount of drugs being sold there." According to Shankill residents, Jenkins, despite being out on bail, is continuing to deal drugs using contacts built up through a social media account registered under the pseudonym 'Mr P'. Screenshots obtained by this newspaper show kilos of cocaine for sale on the page. His rival Dee Coleman has also used social media platforms to sell vast quantities of the drug, promoting video recordings of a surgically-gloved man handling blocks of cocaine. Expand Close A video circulating on social media offering cocaine for sale / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A video circulating on social media offering cocaine for sale Loyalist sources say that although exiled in Ballymena, the ex-UDA 'C Company' chief, who was expelled from the terror gang last year, is continuing to supply drugs. In a series of audio recordings shared widely online, Dee Jenkins blames Coleman, who has convictions for involvement in a loyalist feud gun attack, blackmail, drugs and assaults, for the attempt on his life. A furious Jenkins rages: "Send who you f*****g want. Come and look me in the eye. I'll look you in the eye. Just remember you're f*****g nothing. "Feeding people coke (cocaine) and getting them to do stuff... if you had the balls, you'd do it yourself." cbarnes@ sundaylife.co.uk New York Asian Americans stage "Stop-Asian-Hate" rally Xinhua) 13:53, April 05, 2021 NEW YORK, April 4 -- Over 10,000 Asian Americans gathered in New York on Sunday for a "Stop-Asian-Hate" rally. The demonstrators assembled at Foley Square in Lower Manhattan, and marched to City Hall Park and across the Brooklyn Bridge before ending at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn. Local officials, victims of hate crimes and people from various ethnic communities participated in the event. The Asian participants included Chinese Americans and hundreds of people with Nepali, Myanmar or Malaysian origins. During the event, John Chan, convener of New York-based Asian American advocacy group the Coalition of Asian Americans for Civil Rights (CAACR) and chairman of Asian American Community Empowerment, lashed out at the inaction of the government in the face of rising anti-Asian hate crimes in New York. Decrying the government's silence on Asian hate crimes, Chan encouraged Asian Americans to get registered and cast their votes. "We're not begging for respect. We should unite together and make our own decision," said Chan, adding that too many people now are afraid of walking out of their homes. Chan appeals to the U.S. federal government to make April 4 the "Stop Hate Day" in the United States. A couple of anti-Asian hate and violence cases were reported in New York last week despite continuous denouncement of hate violence and crimes from different sides. "We hope all Asian Americans come out and speak out for our own rights and benefits," said Niu Hong, chairman of Federation of Chinese American Associations of New York. Niu said the federation organized scores of Chinese American groups to join the rally to demonstrate that "we're not silent anymore. And we're also Americans." Niu called on Asian Americans to unite together and fight for their own rights and interests. "I have to participate in this rally because it concerns everyone and my own future. If I didn't come to the rally, I would regret it in the rest of my life," said Guoke Haddad, who came to New York from China over six years ago. As a housewife, Haddad said she doesn't have to come to the event, but she wants to make some impact. Haddad's husband also joined her in the rally and bought her a pepper spray in case of any accidents. Organizers of the rally urged the government to track cases and data on hate crimes, give top priority to the issue, and crack down on hate speeches and actions. Politicians should stop defaming and scapegoating Asian Americans right now, said the CAACR, which also calls on law enforcement departments to further fight discrimination and hate violence and impose harsh punishment on perpetrators. Hate crime prevention divisions should provide more language service to Asian communities and victims and join hands with local communities to work out strategies, stressed the CAACR, adding that governments at both state and city levels should raise public awareness to fight Asian hate crimes and discrimination by providing people with more related information. The government also needs to provide more resources and funds to non-profit organizations on crime prevention and education so as to safeguard solidarity in diversified communities, it said. (Web editor: Du Mingming, Bianji) Students of Boissevain School will be learning from home until at least Friday this week after three COVID-19 cases were recently linked to the K-12 institution. Advertisement Advertise With Us Students of Boissevain School will be learning from home until at least Friday this week after three COVID-19 cases were recently linked to the K-12 institution. Turtle Mountain School Division superintendent Tim De Ruyck told the Sun on Monday that he was made aware of the first COVID case on March 27, with the remaining two cases coming to his attention over the next couple days. Even though in-person classes wouldnt resume for another week due to spring break, Manitoba Public Health and Manitoba Education told De Ruyck that his best course of action would be to institute remote learning for all Boissevain School students from this Monday until at least Friday. However, De Ruyck maintains that the rest of the schools in the Turtle Mountain School Division returned to in-person learning on Monday, with the exception of a few K-8 students from Minto School who are connected to these recent COVID cases. "Those students, when they reach high school age they typically go to Boissevain," he said. "So we have had a couple of families from Minto School who were affected, because they have siblings who attend both schools." Although Boissevain School is planning to return to in-person learning next week, De Ruyck said those plans could change if the division receives different instructions from Manitoba Public Health or Manitoba Education. "The school has been following all protocols regarding distancing and sanitizing and mask wearing," he said. "And as is often the case, we dont know what the source is, but we just continue to follow protocols." Back in late March, the Mountain View School Division cancelled in-person learning at Winnipegosis Collegiate for a day after public health officials identified at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 in the school. According to the provinces COVID-19 dashboard for Manitoba schools, Park West School Division officials are also grappling with three coronavirus cases at Major Pratt School in nearby Russell. As of Monday afternoon, the province identified 84 current COVID cases in Manitoba schools for the 14 days prior to March 31. kdarbyson@brandonsun.com Twitter: @KyleDarbyson Mathura, April 5 : A sculpture of Lord Krishna (Laddoo Gopal) has gone "missing" from the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan. The Delhi-based business family that had taken the deity for 'darshan' to the temple, have announced a cash reward of Rs 11,000 to the person who finds it for them. Bhavya Gupta, a software engineer came with her mother to Barsana to celebrate Holi on March 23. Her father runs a wholesale business of cold drinks in Delhi. "We have been offering prayers to Laddoo Gopal (the child form of Lord Krishna) for the past 27 years. On March 24, we took 'Laddoo Gopal' for 'darshan' at the Banke Bihari temple. It went missing from there. "Since then, we have been searching for it. When we failed to locate our Laddoo Gopal, we decided to announce a cash reward and pasted posters in Vrindavan," Bhavya said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Two protesters have been detained during a clash with police over the Namakhvani hydro power plant (HPP) in Georgia's Imereti. The Interior Ministry has announced that police officers have been mobilised in Rioni gorge since morning to maintain the rule of law amid the resumption of the HPP preparatory works. The ministry calls on citizens to act in full compliance of the law on freedom of expression and adhere to the rightful demands of the police. "For security reasons, the movement of citizens in the Rioni gorge in certain directions is temporarily restricted Police infrastructure is mobilised at the site, including a special vehicle that ensures smooth operation of radio communications," the ministry said. Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava said in mid-March that the construction of the main facilities of the Namakhvani HPP, in particular the dam and the reservoir, will be suspended until major studies are re-verified and validated, while construction of the auxiliary infrastructure will continue. However, locals and activists who have earlier met with Merab Lominadze - new director of the Turkish company Enka Renewables which is in charge of the construction - claim that the construction is actually underway now. LOS ANGELESA new book gives sex workers the space to discuss their lives and daily struggles in their own words. Edited by former dominatrix and Gender Studies Ph.D., Natalie West, along with Tina Horn host and producer of the podcast Why Are People Into That?! the volume titled We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival collects essays by Melissa Gira Grant, Audacia Ray, Arabelle Raphael, April Flores, Lorelei Lee and others into a book that Booklist described as salvation for sex workers who are too often marginalized by mainsteram media. Published by The Feminist Press, the book, according to the publishers decsription, explores sex work as work, and sex workers as laboring subjects in need of respectnot rescue. The book, however, presents an unflinching portrait of the hazards faced by sex workers on a daily basis, particularly in the aftermath of the 2018 shutdown of Backpage.com, a classified ad site that welcomed sex workers and gave them an opportunity to screen potentially violent or otherwise undesirable clients, and share safety information with other sex workers. Essays in the book also fault the 2018 passage of the United States FOSTA/SESTA law, which according to statistics as well as the anecdotal accounts of sex workers has led to an increase in violence against sex workers. The law makes online sites responsible for user content which can be interpreted as promoting sex trafficking, but in practice, sex workers say, it has simply deprived them of another layer of security by making it more difficult to use the internet to promote their services. Other essays in the book cast a harsh light on the behavior of police officers, who until recently were legally permitted to have sex with sex workers that they were actually investigating. The practice was finally fully prohibited in 2017, when Michigan became the final state to pass a law against cops using their positions of authority to coerce sex workers into sexual acts. The new book also includes sex worker essays on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their work and their lives, often forcing them to figure out how to earn a living online. But the underlying and constant theme of the book is the self-empowerment of sex workers, and the legitmacy of the sex work profession. Too often those of us who are advocating for the dignity and rights of sex workers are afraid to voice these less-than-positive experiences, writes one sex worker in the book. But in this fight, there is room to demand more. Yes, I can say I was raped, but that doesnt give you license to take away the place where I work, the means by which I support myself, and my financial independence. A portion of the proceeds from We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival, wil lbe donated to SWOP Behind Bars, a program for incarcerated sex workers run by the Sex Workers Outreach Project. Photo By The Feminist Press .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Presidents in any country tend to have criticism piled upon them the longer they are in office. Such is the case with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). People who are angered or surprised at AMLOs policies should not be, as he fully revealed where he was coming from in the two previous presidential campaigns he unsuccessfully ran before winning the office in 2018. AMLO is a blend of quirkiness and populism. During his previous two campaigns in 2006 and 2012, AMLO clearly displayed this interesting combination. One of his slogans of the 2012 campaign that summed up his security policy was Abrazos, no balazos. (Hugs, not bullets). This also described the way he approached the drug war in Mexico. He openly states that he does not want to fight the drug cartels with force, believing that this will trigger more violence. For this approach, he has been severely criticized as essentially allowing Mexicos notorious drug cartels have free rein in the country. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ After losing the 2006 campaign, his followers proclaimed him the legitimate president of Mexico. He proceeded to form his own Cabinet and attempt to establish his own government, which ultimately failed. After losing the 2012 campaign, AMLO claimed widespread voter fraud and illegal movements of money by Enrique Pena Nieto, the eventual winner. AMLO and his followers protested all over Mexico and were a severe disruption to life in the capital, Mexico City. During the early stages of the pandemic, AMLO downplayed the seriousness of the COVID-19 virus. He held meetings and rallies without being masked or respecting the social distancing doctors and disease experts have called for. Many Mexicans blame his lackadaisical attitude as the reason he himself caught the virus this past January. After recovering, he refused to wear a mask, insisting that his doctors told him he was no longer contagious after catching the virus. When asked whether he should be setting an example for Mexicans to wear masks he refused to answer the question. It is estimated that Mexico has lost nearly 200,000 people to COVID-19, the third-highest total in the world. Because of the lack of an effective approach in dealing with the pandemic, Mexico currently finds itself one of the least-vaccinated large countries in the world. The little amount of vaccine supplies it has managed to procure have come from Russia and China. President Joe Biden recently made the decision to share 2.7 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine with Mexico, the first 1.5 million doses having recently arrived. Coincidentally, Mexico then started cracking down on Central Americans crossing into Mexico with the goal of eventually reaching the U.S. Many people viewed this action cynically, especially coming from a world leader who was one of the last to recognize Bidens presidential victory. In an effort to revitalize its slumping and antiquated energy sector, Mexico passed energy reform laws in 2013 and 2014. This was hailed as a milestone in being able to attract badly needed foreign investment to bring efficiencies and modernization to various energy sectors. In retrospect, energy reform is regarded as one of the successes of Enrique Pena Nietos presidency. Economists throughout the world viewed this as a step for Mexico to improve infrastructure throughout the country. AMLO has openly railed against Mexicos energy reform and has accused private companies and foreign governments of robbing Mexico through this new policy. He is now actively seeking to roll back energy reform to exert stronger federal government control over Mexicos state-owned electricity company, and to dissuade further foreign investment in Mexicos energy sector. His actions are receiving strong opposition from Mexicans and foreigners. Even more hard hitting is AMLOs recent proposed law that threatens to close, or at the very least weaken, privately owned gasoline stations, which Mexico started allowing five years ago. He is accusing them of importing foreign fuels without paying taxes. If his proposed law passes, these private stations could be taken over by PEMEX, the national petroleum company. During his campaigns, AMLO spoke strongly against the fact that Mexico imports so much of its refined fuels. In this country of nearly 130 million people, with some of the largest petroleum reserves in the world, only six refineries exist. Contrast that to the 135 refineries operating in the U.S. Many see his attack on private gas stations as a way to cut off the importation of foreign fuels and a path to building more refineries that produce national fuel. To do this, Mexico most likely will need the foreign investment that AMLO is seeking to dissuade in its energy sector. If anything, AMLO is a president who throughout his political career has not substantially changed his stripes. His mix of quirkiness and populism have been present since the beginning. Many argue that his policies threaten to reverse positive changes that Mexico has painstakingly achieved over the past few decades. Whether this occurs depends on what AMLOs policies accomplish before he leaves office at the end of 2024. Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com. Four Irish brothers who ran paving and driveway businesses have been jailed in Sweden for a massive tax dodge. The O'Connor brothers - John, Edward, Mark and James - were all sentenced to three years and eight months in prison at Stockholm District Court this week. They were convicted of deliberately transferring 4 million to avoid paying any tax in "an organised and systematic manner". Three of them will be deported from the country upon release from prison, while a fifth brother, Thomas, is still wanted by prosecutors, according to the judgement published this week. Expand Close James OConnor was found guilty of the tax scam. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp James OConnor was found guilty of the tax scam. Read More John O'Connor won't be deported because he has been living in Sweden for more than 10 years. The wife of James O'Connor, Chantal O'Connor, was acquitted on a charge of money laundering. Seized designer handbags, including a Louis Vuitton bag and another bought in Mexico, were returned to her. Swedish authorities mounted a huge investigation into the brothers and their companies and were supported by the Criminal Assets Bureau in Ireland. A series of raids and arrests were made in Sweden last October after authorities began investigating the transfer of large sums of money from Edward O'Connor's bank account. Much of the cash paid by customers to the brothers through their landscaping and driveway business ended up being transferred straight back to Ireland. The verdict detailed how a large number of different bank accounts were used and several transfers were made between them. The O'Connors were frequently forced to open new accounts when some banks began to ask questions about the large deposits and transfers being made through the personal accounts. Expand Close Edward OConnor was sentenced to 3 years 8 months / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Edward OConnor was sentenced to 3 years 8 months Most of the cash had been transferred abroad and when they were arrested "there was almost no money left in any of their bank accounts", the court was told. The court found the investigators had shown the brothers had worked together and that various companies were part of the same operation. Thomas O'Connor (37) was also referred to in the judgement this week. He was registered as the chief executive of one of the landscaping firms. Thomas O'Connor was found in the same aparthotel as Edward and John O'Connor when it was raided by police in October last year, but escaped before he could be questioned. "The prosecutor has since searched for him in Sweden, Ireland and the United Kingdom without success," the court heard. A Swedish woman who handled their administration, Caroline Lindstrom, was convicted of lesser charges and was not jailed. She had first met John O'Connor when he did a job for her father in 2010 and she began to help with his business. Referring to her testimony, the court stated that she said: "John O'Connor is the head of the family. He can be very dominant. His brothers listen to him and respect him. John O'Connor's opinions are very valuable and her view is that this is often what John O'Connor wants." Chantal O'Connor's evidence that she knew nothing about her husband James's business dealings was accepted by the court. She was aged between 26 and 28 when the crimes were committed, had several children and didn't get a proper education, according to the court's verdict. James O'Connor had previously run a business which left a large unpaid tax bill due to the Swedish authorities and changed his name to James Kenneally. Expand Close Chantal OConnor had her designer handbags returned to her / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Chantal OConnor had her designer handbags returned to her Chantal had said she couldn't remember when she had told police investigators that James Kenneally and James Darren O'Connor were different people. In the published judgement it was stated the crimes the brothers are convicted of "may be considered very serious." "It appears to be well planned and has been committed together and in agreement with others. It has targeted fiscal interests and typically affects other legal players in the industry in terms of competition." Prosecutors had asked the brothers to be deported from the Kingdom of Sweden when they finished their sentences. It was found by the court that "it can be assumed that they will be guilty of continued crime in the country. Thus, the general conditions for deportation are met." However, because John O'Connor had lived in Sweden for ten years his case did not reach the standard needed for his deportation. Expand Close A vehicle registered to Mark O'Connor / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A vehicle registered to Mark O'Connor Prosecution documents in the case revealed the scale of the investigation carried out by the authorities into the O'Connors' business. It included using a code-cracking firm to download the contents of iPhones and a Macbook seized by police. Hundreds of receipts, emails, texts and bank transactions were traced and documented to build up the case against them. A family tree of the brothers, the firms and their Swedish associates makes up just one of thousands of pages included in the investigation file put before Stockholm District Court. Investigators laboriously linked payments to their firm from customers which were then transferred to accounts controlled by family members. Most of the customers who dealt with the brothers were happy with the standard of work that had been carried out. Police even tracked down footage from ATMs to show how the brothers shared bank cards from different accounts using cash that should have gone through the business. [April 05, 2021] Air Lease Corporation Announces Delivery of One New Boeing 737-8 Aircraft to Cayman Airways Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) announced the delivery of one new Boeing (News - Alert) 737-8 aircraft on long-term lease to Cayman Airways. This aircraft, featuring LEAP-1B27 engines, is the third new 737-8 to deliver to Cayman Airways from ALC's order book with Boeing. "ALC is honored to work with Cayman Airways, the national flag carrier of the Cayman Islands, to modernize the airline's fleet and expand their route network," said Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. "Our team has now leased three generations of Boeing 737 aircraft to Cayman Airways: the 737-300, 737-800 and now the 737-8. The new technology 737-8s will further the airline's long-term goals, providing advanced technology, passenger comfort and fuel-efficiency." Cayman Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, Fabian Whorms said: "We are very fortunate and appreciative of having ALC as our aircraft lessor while we retire and replace our aging B737-300 aircraft with the new B737-8 aircraft model. ALC was selected by Cayman Airways in 2016 after a competitive public tendering process and ALC has subsequently demonstrated a very strong commitment to working with Cayman Airways through the most difficult of industry challenges. Cayman Airways also has a historical relationship working with Mr. Udvar-Hazy that spans more than three decades, and we look forward to continued excellent relations with ALC for many years to come." Forward-ooking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) ALC is a leading aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California that has airline customers throughout the world. ALC and its team of dedicated and experienced professionals are principally engaged in purchasing commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions. ALC routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the "Investors" section of ALC's website at www.airleasecorp.com. Investors and potential investors are encouraged to consult the ALC website regularly for important information about ALC. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, ALC's website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release. About Cayman Airways As the national flag carrier for the Cayman Islands, Cayman Airways has operated in recent years non-stop Boeing 737 jet service between the Cayman Islands and the following major US cities: Miami and Tampa, Florida; New York, New York; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and Chicago, Illinois. Non-stop jet service is also provided between the Cayman Islands and regional destinations including: Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica; Havana, Cuba; and La Ceiba, Honduras. The airline's Cayman Airways Express service currently operates Saab 340B-plus and deHavilland DH6 Twin (News - Alert) Otter aircraft between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005410/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] State Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, chairs a new special Senate committee, which plans its first listening session Tuesday and is tasked with envisioning a post-coronavirus pandemic Massachusetts. CBS seems to be vying with NBC for the title of most Democrat-friendly broadcast network, with a hat trick of three separate instances of propaganda aimed at favoring the donkeys by attacking Republicans in the last few days. In addition to lying by omission about Florida governor Ron DeSantis, as Andrea Widburg explains on these pages today, the former "Tiffany network" got caught publishing nakedly partisan material favoring the Democrats' opposition to Georgia's voting rights law. Joseph A. Wulfsohn of rival Fox News first spotted the pro-Democrat activism: CBS News is being slammed for a report on the controversial new Georgia voting law that some critics called "partisan advocacy." On Friday, CBS tweeted out a report headlined "3 ways companies can help fight Georgia's restrictive new voting law," which outlined how corporations could combat the GOP-backed law. It triggered a furious reaction from conservatives on social media. "LOL this tweet is outright partisan advocacy," Washington Examiner reporter Jerry Dunleavy reacted. "I missed the announcement that CBS is now a Democratic SuperPAC," RealClearInvestigations senior writer Mark Hemingway quipped. "Putting aside that the premise here is a lie, on what planet is it acceptable for a news organization to engage in this type of activism and then expect to be taken seriously?" conservative writer A.G. Hamilton asked. Monica Showalter yesterday explained on these pages what a no-no this was in terms of journalistic standards. Ridicule, as Saul Alinsky taught those fighting the powerful interests (which means us, these days) is a powerful tool, and CBS reacted by clumsily attempting to bury the evidence. Tim Graham of NewsBusters: On Saturday, not only did CBS News delete the tweet, but it also reframed the report to downplay its advocacy. The headline was changed to "Activists are calling on big companies to challenge new voting laws. Here's what they're asking for." They added no editor's note explaining the change. The framework of the Brooks article remained. The three ways companies were urged to fight the Georgia election law was: 1. Do not donate to Republicans who sponsored the law just as corporations decided not to donate to Republicans who challenged the presidential election results. 2. Spread awareness of the Georgia law to other states which the media are doing aggressively. "Major advertising campaigns have helped these companies individually, but ads can also help stamp out efforts nationwide to pass voting laws similar to Georgia's, activists said." 3 Fight for federal law in this case, support H.R. 1, the federal law supported by Democrats to submit the states to federal supervision of election rules. Companies "need to work aggressively to call for the passage" of the For the People Act, leftist Nse Ufot said. No mea culpa, no explanation of the changes, just a crude attempt to disguise the evidence. Not content with these two attempts to help Dems, the network's Sunday morning show joined the cause of helping Biden and the Dems with a softball interview with Hunter Biden aimed at promoting his new book (for which he reportedly received a $2-million advance). Bill D'Agostino explains at NewsBusters: Hunter Biden's new book deal landed him a sympathetic interview on this weekend's CBS News Sunday Morning with correspondent Tracy Smith. While the interview alluded to various political scandals plaguing the younger Biden (namely the Burisma controversy, the laptop scandal, and an ongoing active investigation into his finances), it provided viewers with barely any information about the scandals themselves, while giving him plenty of time to argue his innocence. The interview allowed a scant 26 seconds about the ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden's finances. "What is it about? Can you say anything more?" Smith inquired. Biden insisted he was innocent and she politely moved on. If you have the stomach for it, the entire segment, almost ten minutes long, is embedded here: Hmm, does CBS stand for "Can't Bear Scrutiny?" To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Earn your Associate of Applied Business in Business IT (BIT) degree online from the University of Cincinnati. This program can be completed fully online, with curriculum customized to fit your schedule, interests and how quickly you want to complete your degree. Application deadline July 1, 2021. Learn More Cyberattacks are increasing in frequency, ramping up the data privacy threats they pose to government agencies and businesses alike. Governments both domestic and foreign need to step up efforts to pass legislation that bolsters technological defenses this year, warn privacy groups. Stiffer privacy laws are gradually being reviewed and signed into the U.S. market. But that process is mostly taking place at the state level. Meanwhile, cyberattacks present IT experts and legislators with a war on two fronts. The software industry struggles with security issues that make cyberattacks viable. Government officials and business execs struggle with complicated legal issues involving outdated or missing privacy protections. Bigger and more successful incursions into government, business, and personal computers are common events. Phishing campaigns and ransomware attacks are finding new victims regularly. The situation is much like a game of Whack-a-Mole. Privacy advocates see better opportunities for privacy laws taking hold as they focus on pushing federal legislators to enact stronger consumer privacy laws in the coming years. These new laws need to pay prime attention to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), cloud computing, and blockchain. "I expect increasing regulation, especially when it comes to state laws that focus on sensitive personal data," says Scott Pink, special counsel in the Silicon Valley office of the international law firm O'Melveny & Myers, and member of the firm's Data Security and Privacy Group. Pink regularly advises media and technology companies on how to comply with the current patchwork of state and industry-specific privacy regulations. He believes that 2021 could mark a new era in privacy laws aimed to safeguard a wide array of valuable digital information. "COVID-19 health data is of immediate concern as we move into the pandemic's next phase. Governments and health care systems are collecting vast amounts of contact tracing and vaccine-related information. Implementing laws, policies, and procedures to ensure the integrity of that data will be key," Pink told TechNewsWorld. Cyberattacks are a significant risk, especially as remote working and the increasing sophistication of phishing and social engineering attacks create more vulnerabilities than ever before, he emphasized. Cyberattacks and their impact on data privacy can severely impact the operations of government agencies, companies, schools, and beyond. RATs in the Attack Mix The most prevalent threats lurking in 2021 are RAT infestations. The acronym RAT stands for Remote Access Trojan, a form of malware that allows hackers to control devices remotely. Once a RAT program is connected to a computer, a hacker can look at local files, acquire login credentials and other personal information, or use the connection to download viruses that can then, unbeknownst to the user, be spread to others. Remote access intrusions can be problematic, especially with millions of people now working from home, noted Robert Siciliano, cyber social identity protection instructor at ProtectNow. "Microsoft's remote desktop protocol and numerous third-party remote access technology services dramatically increase the attack surface for hackers wanting to break into corporate and government networks," he told TechNewsWorld. Some of the cyberattacks are based on escalated tactics made available since the pandemic and are different from those prior to last year, he noted. Neither corporate America nor local, state, and federal governments never saw this coming. The Cloud Factor Counts Too Still, hackers are not succeeding strictly by using modern-day- high-tech tactics. Today's threats are an escalation of existing threat methods that have been around for years and that have been accelerated by even more prevalent use of cloud computing and agile development, according to Naama Ben Dov, associate at YL Ventures, an American-Israeli venture capital firm that specializes in seed stage cybersecurity investments. The cloud migration is a big part of the data privacy troubles we are seeing today. Data remains the highest value target for attackers. As such, data theft is the most prevalent threat this year, insisted Eldad Chai, co-founder and CEO of Satori Cyber, a data access and governance firm in Tel Aviv that is one of YL Ventures' portfolio companies. "Through access to a corporation's data, attackers can inflict reputation, legal and operational damages that are disproportional to any other attack vector," he told TechNewsWorld. Of course, much of that data is in the cloud. The trend of moving data to the cloud has accelerated over the past years and is now at a record high with the success of platforms such as Snowflake and the boost 2020 provided to cloud migration programs, Chai noted. "The massive migration of data to the cloud, the democratization of data within an organization, and the work-from-home environment have expanded the attack surface for data and make it extremely hard to operate an effective data protection program," said Chai. WFH Also Problematic The work-from-home scenario has made the hacker's job so much easier. Attackers follow where their targets go, observed Ben Dov. Right now, more than ever, that data is dangling between home workers' computers, in-office workspaces, and cloud storage banks. Conventional wisdom has always been workers are more productive in an office environment; and when COVID hit, IT managers were mostly unprepared, Siciliano said. Although some companies deployed tech help to those employees using their own computers and routers at home to address security with devices outside the network, it simply was not enough. "Work at home devices connecting to company networks with misconfiguration is an IT manager's greatest fear," he said. Too Little, Too Late In the U.S., existing federal laws such as the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 never quite anticipated this level of work at home, for example. The federal government is unlikely to make any significant changes anytime soon with so many other life-threatening existential concerns, in Siciliano's view. One growing threat to data privacy incursions is ransomware. But it is an effect and not the cause of privacy loss. Ransomware ultimately ends up being an effect of a remote access Trojan or technology, he noted. "IT managers must be more proactive with hardware, software configurations, and security awareness training," said Siciliano about preventing data privacy disclosures. Shifting Tech Threatens Effectiveness Among the most prevalent privacy threats we faced in 2021 comes from a reliance on third-party IT services that increasingly displace, or replace, applications historically deployed on-premises, according to YL Ventures' Ben Dov. "Like the SolarWinds incident, many supply chain attacks target IT management systems that were in use long before the rise of the cloud. Organizations still depend on these tactics, and this attack will force a rethink of the extent of IT supply-chain exposure," she told TechNewsWorld. The same applies to software applications, she continued. Recent years have seen an explosion in the amount of third-party software. This reality makes organizations lose visibility into the risks entailed with being exposed to said third party components. That situation will no doubt get worse before it gets better, Ben Dov warned. Increased data privacy breaches, particularly private data, is increasingly on the sprawl. "As long as there is a lack of meaningful technological approaches to identifying and securing data, many leakages are bound to happen," she said. Fix What's Broken Many existing solutions focus on data governance and adherence to compliance. These goals are important but do not aim at the root of the problem. They are only good to the extent that certain regulations go, according to Ben Dov. "We need solutions that are able to track and monitor data through an entire lifecycle, in a way which will meaningfully integrate with existing business units of organizations and enable them to execute rather than stifle R&D, sales, and marketing. Security should be a cross-enterprise interest and goal which supports business processes," she countered. Currently, the lawmaker is mostly focused on our rights as individuals to privacy. While this is welcomed and needed, it overlooks the implementation of privacy programs, and every company has its own way of meeting the privacy requirements, offered Satori Cyber's Chai. "Focusing the laws on the outcomes, such as if data is lost you get fined, does not deal with many of the underlying issues in actually protecting individuals' privacy," he said. Chai is not sure it is likely to happen this year. But he hopes that governments will do a better job in defining and standardizing data protection programs in a manner that will guide the industry in implementing effective and sustainable programs. New Privacy, Security Wrinkles With adoption of both cloud infrastructure and cloud services (SaaS), more attacks tailored and customized to circumventing the existing guardrails of the cloud will occur. Hackers will seek ways to circumvent cloud authentication mechanisms, suggested Ben Dov. A related concern involves the trend of companies developing their own in-house applications, becoming their own software company. That opens the door to application-specific attacks, she cautioned. "Hackers will always choose the easiest path in, and until 2020 exploiting bugs in old operating systems to install malware or social engineering people to install malicious software on their laptops was an easy path in," added Chai. "With data and servers moving to the cloud, we will eventually see less such attacks and more attacks focused on the cloud environments." A key element that needs to be addressed, according to Siciliano, is a lack of concern for the security role employees need to play. That is especially true regarding phishing. Employees need a better understanding of how their ineffectiveness could result in calamity. "Security awareness training as it pertains to phishing simulation by itself is absolutely not enough and will not solve the problem. The discussion needs to shift from security awareness to security appreciation, and right now most organizations are not doing that," he complained. Final Thoughts The main gap Chai sees today regarding data security and privacy is that existing solutions are not suitable to a model that leverages the legal context of the data. Models for existing data protection tools are mostly black or white. Either you have or you do not have access to data, he explained. However, the privacy and legal context of data is much more complex, he reasoned. A piece of data could be authorized for usage based on the consent given when collecting the data, the geographical location of the data, the size and nature of the data set, the way the data will be used, and a set of other considerations. "Until the legal and privacy context are integrated into existing models for data protection, we will still be behind," he said. That process will need increased industry-government-academic cooperation and partnerships to share data pertaining to cybersecurity threats. It will also take knowledge about the threat to counter them, added Ben Dov. Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open-source technologies. He is an esteemed reviewer of Linux distros and other open-source software. In addition, Jack extensively covers business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e-commerce and consumer electronics. Email Jack. Mumbai, April 5 : Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has been admitted to hospital with Covid-19. Akshay took to social media on Monday to share the health update. "Thank you everyone for your warm wishes and prayers, they seem to be working. I am doing fine, but as a precautionary measure under medical advice, I have been hospitalised. I hope to be back home soon. Take care," Akshay Kumar tweeted. On Sunday, the actor tweeted to inform that he has tested positive for Covid-19 and is living under home quarantine. Akshay Kumar is currently shooting for his upcoming film "Ram Setu". Meanwhile, 45 crew members from the sets of the film have reportedly tested Covid positive, following which the shoot has been halted, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) president B. N. Tiwari told indianexpress.com. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text (Newser) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday urged the adoption of a minimum global corporate income tax, an effort to offset any disadvantages that might arise from the Biden administration's proposed increase in the US corporate tax rate. Citing a "30-year race to the bottom" in which countries have slashed corporate tax rates to attract multinational businesses, Yellen said the administration would work with other advanced economies in the Group of 20 to set a minimum, the AP reports, "Competitiveness is about more than how US-headquartered companies fare against other companies in global merger and acquisition bids," Yellen said in a virtual speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. "It is about making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods." Yellen's speech came as the spring meetings of the World Bank and IMF began in a virtual format. story continues below Low-tax countries might be cool to the idea, per NPR, which gave the example of Ireland. That country's lower taxes have drawn Apple, for one, to settle there. Republican Sen. Pat Toomey said Yellen's proposal was unlikely to make much progress overseas. He also said Republicans should reverse any corporate tax hike if they regain a congressional majority in upcoming elections. President Biden has proposed hiking the US corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%, partially undoing the Trump administration's cut from 35% in its 2017 tax legislation. Biden also wants to set a minimum US tax on overseas corporate income, and to make it harder for companies to shift earnings offshore. The increase would help pay for the White House's $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal. "We have 51 or 52 corporations from the Fortune 500 who havent paid a single penny a day for three years?" Biden said Monday. "Come on." (Read more corporate tax stories.) MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks to the generosity of Cox Enterprises Chairman and former Wetlands America Trust President Jim Kennedy, Ducks Unlimited (DU) will have an additional $1.1 million to support wetlands conservation efforts along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. The James M. Cox Foundation, the company-affiliated foundation chaired by Kennedy, announced the donation. As the most generous individual donor in DU history, Kennedy is well-versed in the work Ducks Unlimited accomplishes across North America and is committed to helping DU achieve its conservation goals. "I was always taught that you leave the world better than you found it, and that's why I have chosen to help Ducks Unlimited any way I can," Kennedy said. "Ducks Unlimited's conservation work on Louisiana's Gulf Coast not only benefits the waterfowl and wildlife that thrive in the landscape, but also helps support the communities surrounding this critical habitat." DU and the James M. Cox Foundation have a shared commitment to environmental stewardship and focus on giving back to the communities in which their team members work and live. Cox has more than 45,000 employees in the U.S. including 1,200 who work in Louisiana. Cox Communications provides broadband and cable services to residential and business customers, and Cox Automotive provides wholesale marketplaces and technology services to auto dealers. For the foundation, the opportunity to help facilitate wetlands restoration efforts in Louisiana will not only benefit wildlife, but also those who depend on this area for their livelihoods. "Jim Kennedy is one of DU's most ardent supporters, and this contribution truly shows his passion for conservation," said DU CEO Adam Putnam. "Wild places like Louisiana's Gulf Coast are disappearing at alarming rates, but thanks to generous contributions like this one we can help combat that loss and leave a legacy our children will be proud of." The coastal prairies, marshes and bays of the Gulf of Mexico are among North America's most productive wetland systems. Tragically, they are also among the most threatened, with more than 90% of coastal wetland loss in the lower 48 states occurring here. Kennedy's gift to Ducks Unlimited's Gulf Coast Initiative will enable DU to conduct crucial conservation work along the coast, in addition to promoting science, public policy and outreach efforts. Conservation work under the Gulf Coast Initiative primarily focuses on the restoration and enhancement of high-quality coastal marsh and rice prairie wetland complexes. To date, more than 130,000 acres have been improved through the initiative. SOURCE Ducks Unlimited, Inc. Related Links www.ducks.org GREENVILLE An autopsy is planned Monday for a Greenville man found dead Sunday. At 2:41 a.m. Sunday Greenville Police requested the help of the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 8 for a death investigation. State police said preliminary reports indicate Greenville Police responded to a well-being check near Spring and Prairie and found an unresponsive man later identified as Terraine T. Betts, 48, of Greenville. No further information was available Monday. Church services resumed across Northern Ireland yesterday as the main denominations started a gradual return to in-person worship on Easter Sunday. At Stormont Presbyterian it was 100 days ago that the congregation last joined together in praise, and afterwards Rev Albin Rankin said the reunion was "uplifting and hopeful" and "another small step out of Coid-19 restrictions". "The last time we were together as a group was on Christmas morning," he said after taking his first morning praise in the Upper Newtownards Road church to mark Easter Sunday. "It's been a long time, but the sense of emotional and spiritual healing has really lifted the spirits of everyone." Congregations across all denominations around Northern Ireland have been relying on online services each Sunday, with Covid-19 restrictions having closed the doors on normal church services. But Rev Rankin is now hoping Easter will herald the start of a new beginning. "It's very appropriate that we were able to come together once more for Easter," he said. "It's a time of year that signals a new beginning, and we hope and pray that this is a step towards better times ahead. "It was a very significant and special day for us all, but we will remain cautious," he said. "It was lovely to see faces again, an uplifting and hopeful day for the church community and another small step towards all our hopes being fulfilled. "It has been a difficult time, but we have managed to survive and even thrive by staying close together through online services, telephone calls and across social media. "But nothing beats the feeling of togetherness when you're together. "Face masks were worn by all, no-one hung around at the end. Everyone appreciated how special the day was to be as one again in the same physical space. It was a day filled with hope." At St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh, the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin, welcomed both a physical and virtual congregation and told the congregation that he was "conscious this year of the victims of the Covid crisis, including those who are finding it more and more difficult to cope with lockdown: the lonely and bereaved; those who are unable to see or embrace loved ones; those for whom the last year has brought increased financial or business worries; those whose relationships have been under great pressure; those who have found their addictions hard to manage." Earlier, the Archbishop had expressed concern that law makers in the Republic had neglected the spiritual wellbeing of the community during the pandemic, with only churches in Northern Ireland being permitted to allow public services over Easter weekend. "It's a really difficult balancing act but we would have really hoped to have some opportunity to gather in cautious, small numbers for Holy Week and Easter, as we're doing in Northern Ireland," he said. "We're really hoping for the day when across the whole island people can gather to worship safely." [April 05, 2021] Canon Colorado 1650 Achieves Outstanding Results in Keypoint Intelligence Field Test MELVILLE, N.Y., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that Keypoint Intelligence released its Field Test Report, which assessed the Canon Colorado 1650 64-inch roll-to-roll printer in three categories image quality, usability and speed. Across all categories, the printer obtained exceptional results and Keypoint Intelligence highlighted, "an all-round impressive performer, the Colorado 1650 is a standout choice for virtually all wide format printing applications." Based on tests conducted by Keypoint Intelligence's production print expert technicians, the report proved the Colorado 1650 to be a true workhorse, demonstrating high speeds in all test scenarios. Impressively, it was found to be three times faster than the competitive average across each quality mode tested. In addition to its speed, the printer's automatic maintenance, user replaceable components and on-the-fly ink replacement features were all recognized as contributing factors for its increased uptime and faster turnarounds. The technicians noted that Canon's FLXfinish curing technology makes it easy to produce both gloss and matte finishes without the need to change inks or media. Furthermore, in switching output finish, there was no impact on image quality, even at the most productive speeds. The FLXfinish also enhances the printer's handling of porous materials such as soft signage and uncoated media because its UVgel technology ensures that each ink droplet is immediately fixed on the media, allowing for highly controlled dot gain and more precise image quality. In the report, color images were cited as being "routinely vibrant, while delivering exceptional neutrality in black-and-white half-tones." In addition, "the Colorado 1650 delivered superb PANTONE color accuracy, generating Delta E00 measurements no greater than 2.32 on average across 15 corporate colors," a key benefit for rint service providers. Notably, the report also emphasized that, given its extremely accurate dimensional stability, modular design and matte finishing capabilities, the printer is very well positioned for the growing digital wallpaper marketplace. The printer was found to be easy to configure and its double-sided printing and print-side-in substrate support functionalities enable improved media handling and facilitate longer, unattended print runs. Further recognizing its ease-of-use, the report talked of the Colorado 1650's user-friendly interface and how it enables print service providers to reduce downtime due to its transparent "at a glance" status monitoring, a simple to navigate 10.5-inch smart control panel and a remote control app. "We're delighted that our Colorado 1650 has undergone Keypoint Intelligence's stringent wide format signage assessment and that, as the report indicated, it performed so well. At Canon, it's our highest priority to ensure that we can offer our customers and partners a solution that delivers breakthrough productivity, maximum quality and media versatility," said Shinichi Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "To date, the Colorado series has seen close to 2,000 installations worldwide and feedback from our customers and partners has been very encouraging. This independent Keypoint Intelligence endorsement is a powerful way for us to strengthen the quality and productivity assurance we offer to customers and partners, and it provides proof of the printer's excellent fit for the fast-growing digital wallpaper marketplace." Access the full Canon Colorado 1650 Field Test Report from Keypoint Intelligence. About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $30.4 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2020 and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2020. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA. Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office. Specifications subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by channel partners and may vary. All third party trademarks belong to their respective owners. CONTACT: Nicole Esan, niesan@cusa.canon.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canon-colorado-1650-achieves-outstanding-results-in-keypoint-intelligence-field-test-301262272.html SOURCE Canon U.S.A. Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] President Joe Bidens son Hunter Biden is opening up about his drug abuse struggles and a relationship with his brothers widow. I spent more time on my hands and knees picking through rugs, smoking anything that even remotely resembled crack cocaine. I probably smoked more Parmesan cheese than anyone that you know, Hunter Biden told CBS Sunday Morning. I mean, I went one time for 13 days without sleeping, and smoking crack and drinking vodka exclusively throughout that entire time. Biden, 51, was kicked out of the Navy Reserve after failing a drug test and entered rehab several times for substance abuse problems. He told CBS that he started binge-drinking vodka so much after his brother Beaus death that his father intervened. He came to my apartment one time, Hunter said Sunday. And this was when he was still in office as vice president, and so he kinda ditched his Secret Service, figured out a way to get over to the house. And I said, What are you doin here? He said, Honey, what are you doing? I said, Dad, Im fine. He said, Youre not fine. Hunter Biden on his memoir "Beautiful Things" and his struggles with substance abuse https://t.co/T5feFq3TY4 pic.twitter.com/DFTm7CTa38 CBS Sunday Morning (@CBSSunday) April 4, 2021 Hunter Biden appeared on the CBS show to promote his new memoir, Beautiful Things, which hits stores Tuesday. According to NPR, the book is largely about addiction. He wrote that he first bought crack cocaine at age 18 and started drinking in high school. He credits his wife, Melissa, with helping get his life under control in 2019 but before that, he was in a relationship with Hallie Biden, the wife of his late brother. He said he spent a lot of time at her house to help with the kids after Beau died of brain cancer in 2015, sleeping in the den and taking the children to school in the morning. Hunter Biden said he started dating Hallie in 2017 after splitting from his wife, Kathleen, while they were still legally married. He said that the relationship began after he completed a stint in a treatment center in Arizona. (Hallie) flew out the next day. I was at my lowest, she was at her neediest, and we clung to each other with abandon. We talked at length about how much we had come to rely on each other, how our health and well-being seemed dependent on the love wed grown to share, he wrote. According to the book, he also convinced his father to put out a statement approving of the affair. Dad, I told him, if people find out, but they think youre not approving of this, it makes it seem wrong, Hunter wrote, according to Fox News. Hunter dated Hallie for two years and reportedly fathered a child with an Arkansas woman, Lunden Alexis Roberts, during that time. He also has three children from his previous marriage to Kathleen, and a son named Beau with wife Melissa. Hunter and Hallie broke up in April 2019 and a month later, he married Melissa Cohen, 35, after just six days of dating. Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, left, walks with his wife Melissa Cohen and son Beau before boarding Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Friday, March 26, 2021.AP Photo/Patrick Semansky Besides his relationships, Hunter has also been a target among critics of his father, President Joe Biden, over a laptop that was allegedly obtained in October, just before the 2020 election. Hunter Bidens business dealings became a hot button topic for then-President Donald Trump as Hunter faced questions about his service on the board of a Ukrainian gas company and an investigation into his taxes by the Justice Department. Hunter Biden told CBS that he didnt recall dropping off a laptop at a Delaware computer repair shop and doesnt know if the alleged laptop is his. There could be a laptop out there that was stolen from me. It could be that I was hacked. It could be that it was Russian intelligence. It could be that it was stolen from me, he said Sunday. He also said he couldnt comment on the DOJ investigation, but is cooperating completely. And I am absolutely certain, 100% certain that at the end of the investigation, that I will be cleared of any wrongdoing, Hunter said. Im 100% certain of it. And all I can do is cooperate, and trust in the process. SCRANTON The loosening of some state-mandated COVID-19 restrictions was clear Sunday afternoon as Joshua Mast hustled in and out of the kitchen at Posh. Mast, co-owner of the restaurant on North Washington Avenue, admitted moving from 50% to 75% capacity was helpful, but noted sales were still lagging behind on Easter. Its a good thing, but even though were busy were still not at full capacity, he said. Normally, wed serve about 300 people today and were at about 150. Even though were at 75%, were still only at 50% of our business. As of Sunday, restaurants were allowed to resume bar service and serve alcohol without food. The curfew for removing alcoholic drinks from tables was also lifted. Mast said the lifting of each restriction benefits the restaurant. It helps a little bit more and more, he said. Connor Sullivan, 18, of Scranton, knows firsthand the importance of restaurants being able to reopen their bar areas. I work at Bar Pazzo and I havent been able to barback at all, he said. Sullivan also enjoyed hearing the constant chatter throughout the dining room at Posh while having brunch. Its louder in here and it feels more normal, he said. Patrick Nasser, co-owner of Backyard Ale House on Linden Street, was glad to see the capacity increase, but is even happier to resume normal bar service. Any amount helps at this point and as people are getting vaccinated weve seen a higher comfort level in our customer base, he said. Not all bars and restaurants are created equally, we all have a different vibe. Weve always been more of a bar that serves food, so having the extra capacity for people to enjoy craft beers is significant. Jack Cooper, co-owner of Coopers Seafood House on North Washington Avenue, looks forward to seeing some workers return to the restaurant. Its going to be huge for our bartenders, he said. A lot of them will be coming back. Due to the spacious interior at Coopers, the restaurant was only operating at 25% capacity, but will move to 50% for the time being, Cooper said. He added the extra capacity may come in handy during the summer months. Weve already opened up our outside seating and that fills up really quick when its nice out, Cooper said. While Coopers has plenty of room, the extra capacity allotment will have a bigger effect on other establishments. I was elated for everybody and 75% is going to be wonderful for smaller restaurants, Cooper said. Capacity for other businesses such as gyms, casinos, theaters and malls also increased to 75% occupancy Sunday. Jenna DeMarco, general manager of Planet Fitness in the Green Ridge section of Scranton, welcomed the change. Were definitely pumped for the increase to get more of our existing members in the club and also some new ones, she said. Denise Bonacuse of Scranton, who also works at the facility, completed a workout Easter Sunday and believes the new rules will bring more members back to the gym. I know people are happy to get back to working out and feeling good, she said. I think people get depressed when theyre not able to live their normal lives. Californias vaccination rates vary widely by county from just 24,000 doses administered per 100,000 residents in Lassen County in northeast California to over 97,000 in Alpine County in the Sierra Nevada. While age-related eligibility can account for some of this variation, several other demographic factors play a role: Republicans tend to be more vaccine-hesitant than Democrats, for instance, while lower-income people tend to have a harder time accessing vaccine appointments than higher-income ones. News stories and social media dialogue have discussed the importance of both political leanings and income brackets to vaccination rates. But which factor is more important to a countys overall inoculation progress? The Chronicle analyzed vaccination rates for all 58 of Californias counties, then looked at how they correlated with two different factors: the countys median income and the share of the two-party vote that went to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. We found that political leanings were more important than income. The percentage of Biden voters explained nearly a third of the difference in vaccination rates between counties, while median household income accounted for just over 20%. We used the statistic R-Squared to measure the share of the difference in vaccination rates between counties that is explained by various factors. The better a factor predicts a county's vaccination rate, the higher the R-Squared. For example, Biden's share of the vote has an R-Squared of about 0.3. This means that just by knowing Biden's share of the vote in a county, a statistician would, on average, be 30% better at predicting that county's vaccination rates than if they knew nothing at all. The relationships become even stronger when taking into account counties age differences: 60% of the difference between counties can be explained by the Biden vote share and the share of the population 65 or over, while age and income combined only explain 44% of the difference. Vaccine hesitancy among Republicans nationwide has been widely documented. Two national polls released this week found that Republicans were the most vaccine hesitant of any group surveyed, according to the Los Angeles Times. And in California, a poll released Tuesday by the Public Policy Institute of California found that nearly 4 in 10 Republicans said they would either definitely or probably not get vaccinated the highest vaccine hesitancy rate of any group surveyed. That being said, a majority of U.S. states have fallen behind on vaccinating their more vulnerable residents, including lower-income people and Black and Latino populations. (The Chronicles analysis found that a countys share of Black and Latino residents had a significantly weaker correlation to vaccination rates than its politics or income.) California in particular has struggled to distribute and administer vaccines to vulnerable people; in mid-March, a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that California ranked among the five worst states in getting its poorest and most vulnerable residents vaccinated. But the government has also been taking steps to address this issue. At the beginning of March, state officials announced they would be allocating 40% of vaccine doses to the 447 lowest-income ZIP codes, including 10 in the Bay Area. The California man accused of carrying out a deadly mass shooting at the former workplace of his estranged wife is expected to be arraigned from his hospital bed this week. Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez, 44, is accused of killing four people, including a 9-year-old boy, in a rampage last week at an office complex in Orange, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles. A fifth victim was critically injured. Gonzalez, who was wounded in a gun battle with police, was scheduled to be arraigned Monday after his initial arraignment was delayed Friday. But he has been unconscious and unable to speak since the shooting. The hearing will be postponed until he's conscious, a Orange County District Attorney spokesperson told USA TODAY on Monday. Police had not determined a motive. Gonzalez is charged with four counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and two counts of attempted murder of a police officer. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said he has not decided whether to seek the death penalty. A police vehicle with flashing lights is seen behind police tape following a March 31 shooting at an office building in Orange, California. Police said Gonzalez was living in a nearby motel and drove to the office in a rented car. He locked gates to the office suite at Unified Homes before the attack, preventing his victims from fleeing and responding police officers from immediately rushing in. Officers exchanged fire through a chain link fence, then used bolt cutters to cut the locks. 'My heart is crushed': Estranged wife of California shooting suspect says family has been threatened Security video inside the office showed the gunman wearing a bandana over his face, armed with a semiautomatic handgun and carrying a backpack that authorities said contained pepper spray, handcuffs and ammunition. Killed were Luis Tovar, 50, who owned Unified Homes; Leticia Solis Guzman, 58; and Jenevieve Raygoza, 28, and her brother, Matthew Farias, 9. Blanca Tomayo, the mother of Farias, was found wounded, the body of her son in her arms. This undated photo provided by the Orange Police Department shows Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez, a 44-year-old Fullerton, Calif., man who is the suspect in a shooting that occurred inside a business in Orange, Calif., on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. A child was among four people killed Wednesday in the shooting at a Southern California office building that left a fifth victim wounded and the gunman critically injured, police said. His estranged wife said she has no idea why Gonzalez targeted her former workplace. Mendoza, who said she had worked at Unified Homes for more than a decade until a couple years ago, said she and Gonzalez were separated about two years ago, and she has not been in contact with him since then. Story continues 'He took the bullets for her': Dad grieves 9-year-old son, found dead in mom's arms "I dont have the words to describe the pain and horror that this tragedy has caused me," Aleyda Mendoza wrote in a lengthy text message to USA TODAY and other news outlets. "My heart is crushed." The massacre is the latest in a string of mass shootings after a lull amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The carnage took place a week after a gunman in Boulder, Colorado, killed 10 people at a supermarket. The week before that, a gunman in the Atlanta area killed eight people at three spas. Contributing: Elinor Aspegren and Dennis Wagner, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Orange, California, shooting suspect's arraignment delayed again Following steep rise in COVID-19 cases in Telangana, people visit the Urban Primary Health Center at Bholakpur to take COVID vaccination. (DC/P. Surendra) Hyderabad: Daily COVID-19 cases being reported from across Telangana have tripled in just one week, causing serious concern among health department officials. The state reported 1,097 fresh COVID-19 cases pushing the tally to over 3.13 lakh, while the death toll rose to 1,723 with six more fatalities, the state government said on Monday. On April 3, new cases reported stood at 1,321, up from 403 on March 28. In Hyderabad city and the GHMC area, the daily Covid-19 cases have doubled in the same period while in the neighbouring Medchal-Malkajgiri and Ranga Reddy districts, the cases increased by three and four times over the past seven days. The total number of cases stood at 3,13,237 while with 268 patients being cured, the total recoveries were at 3,02,768. The state has 8,746 active cases and 43,070 samples were tested on Sunday. Cumulatively, over 1.04 crore samples have been tested. The samples tested per million population was over 2.80 lakh, the bulletin said. The case fatality rate in the state was 0.55 per cent, while it was 1.3 per cent at the national level. The recovery rate in Telangana was 96.65 per cent, while it was 92.8 per cent in the country. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 302, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri 138 and Rangareddy 116, it said in a bulletin, providing details as of 8 PM on April 4. A week ago, on March 28, the GHMC had reported 146 cases, followed by Medchal-Malkajgiri with 40, and Ranga Reddy district with 34 cases. Hyderabad city, along with these two periurban districts, have emerged as the drivers of the second wave of Covid-19. Incidentally, Nizamabad district, which had 10 new cases on March 28, reported 96 cases, a nine-fold increase in just one week. Only four districts, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Jogulamba-Gadwal, Mulugu and Warangal Rural reported Covid-19 cases in the single digits. There has also been a significant increase in the number active Covid-19 cases this past week. From 4,583, the number of cases in this category zoomed to 7,923 Saturday even as those in isolation whether at home or at institutions leapt from 1,815 on March 28 to 3,866. According to a separate release, over 12 lakh people in the state have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine while over 2.60 lakh got their second shot also as of April 4. How TS fared in a week Date: Daily cases March 28: 403 March 29: 463 March 30: 684 March 31: 887 April 1: 965 April 2: 1,078 April 3: 1,321 April 4: 1,097 The federal government will not mandate the use of vaccine passports for travelers or businesses post-pandemic, President Biden's chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told the Politico Dispatch podcast Monday Why it matters: Passports showing proof of vaccination could speed up international travel re-openings, but the idea of requiring immunization credentials has become a point of contention, particularly among Republican officials. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) banned the use of vaccine passports in his state on Friday. What they're saying: "I doubt that the federal government will be the main mover of a vaccine passport concept," said Fauci. "They may be involved in making sure things are done fairly and equitably, but I doubt if the federal government is going to be the leading element of that." Fauci noted that he believes that businesses or schools could require vaccine passports to enter their buildings. "I'm not saying that they should or that they would, but I'm saying you could foresee how an independent entity might say, 'well, we can't be dealing with you unless we know you're vaccinated,' but it's not going to be mandated from the federal government." The big picture: The E.U. unveiled its proposal for vaccine passports in March, which would allow citizens who can certify that they have been vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID-19 to cross borders without quarantine requirements. California's reservoirs are half empty. The massive bodies of water that the state depends on for agriculture and everyday use in homes are dropping dramatically. Case in point: Lake Shasta, the state's largest water reserve, is at 53% of capacity as of April 3. On the same date last year, it was at 80% of capacity. While last winter was marked by parched conditions similar to this year, reservoirs were still full in spring 2020, as the state was coming off a run of wet rainy seasons. But at the end of a second consecutive dry winter, the reservoirs are starting to show signs of drought conditions. (Left) Allen J. Schaben/ LAT via Getty Images, (Right) CA Dept. of Water Resources There are nearly 1,300 reservoirs across the state that help capture winter precipitation, which is then stored for the dry season in the summer. The California Department of Water Resources announced last week that the largest of those reservoirs are alarmingly low. "With below average precipitation statewide, California's reservoirs continue to show the impacts due to dry conditions," said Sean de Guzman, chief of the snow Surveys and water supply forecasting for the department, on Thursday. "For water year 2020-21, California has received about 50% of average precipitation, which currently ties for the third driest on record." The severity of dry conditions is particularly apparent in the Feather River watershed, where Lake Oroville is at 41% of capacity. Tucked in the Sierra foothills outside Sacramento, Folsom Lake is at 37% of capacity. You can also see the stunning drop in water levels in the series of before-and-after photos in this story showing California reservoirs replenished with water in previous years compared to this year's low levels. CA Dept. of Water Resources The situation isn't nearly as dire as it was amid the seven-year drought from 2011 to 2017. December 2011 was the second-driest December in California and the following winters saw similar parched conditions. In January 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought state of emergency and called on Californians "to conserve water in every possible way." The emergency proclamation specifically asked residents to reduce water use by 20%. California's major reservoirs were designed based on the assumption that the Sierra Nevada snowpack would act as a natural reservoir in the mountains, replenishing the reservoirs through spring and summer. The Sierra is one of the state's most important water sources and provides about 30% of the yearly fresh water supply. CA Dept. of Water Resources This year's snowpack tells a complicated story. The southern Sierra remains well below average at 39%, while the northern and central section is at 63% of average. The section of the Sierra stretching from Mammoth into the Cascades at the Oregon border saw fewer storms than normal but they were cold and brought more snow than rain, the Department of Water Resources said. The department's electronic snow survey stations placed throughout the Sierra indicate that statewide, the snowpack was 57% of average as of April 2. At the same time last year, it was 54% of average. New Delhi: In a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, the Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday (April 4) decided to seal the area around 20 houses if one person is found COVID-19 positive. In a letter released by Uttar Pradesh chief secretary RK Tiwari, if any COVID-19 patient is found in urban areas, the area will be declared a Containment Zone, news agency ANI reported. If there is more than one case in a particular area, the area around 60 houses will be sealed. The containment period will last for 14 days, the letter read. "The area of 20 houses will be sealed if even one patient is found positive with the virus. If more than one case found, the area of 60 houses will be sealed. The movement of the people in the containment zone will be stopped and the condition will be the same for the 14 days, the letter to district officials, top police officers and chief medical officers stated. For multi-storey apartments, the directions state that if one active corona case emerges, the entire floor of the apartment will be sealed. In case of more than one patient, the whole block will be sealed, ANI quoted the letter as saying. A team will be formed in every containment zone, which will include officials from the Health Department and civic bodies. There will be a supervisor for every five teams, PTI report said. Amid surge in coronavirus cases, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a review meeting at his official residence in Lucknow and directed that special attention be paid to Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh reported 4,164 fresh cases on Sunday which pushed the infection tally to 6,30,059. The death toll in Uttar Pradesh rose to 8,881 with 31 more fatalities. (With inputs from agencies) Live TV While some had the perfect Easter Sunday full of freshly baked hot cross buns and delicious chocolate eggs, others weren't so lucky. Social media users from across the globe have taken to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to share their hilarious Easter fails, from burned baked goods to melted chocolate eggs. The blunders include a very angry looking Easter themed pancake, a chick shaped meringue that didn't quite go to plan and an M&S chocolate egg that melted after being hidden in the loft. Here, FEMAIL reveals the most entertaining and unfortunate Easter fails the internet has to offer. Choccy horror! Dawn, from Ireland, shared this hilarious snap of chocolate left in the sunshine Taking the biscuit! This vegan blogger, from Germany, produced a rather wobbly Easter bunny Angry bunny! Ami, from the UK, couldn't help but laugh at her hilariously sinister bunny Easter meets Halloween! Rebecca, from the US, created an evil chocolate pancake Clucking hell! Actor Edd Campbell Bird, from south west London, shared a picture of his Easter chick meringues that didn't exactly go to plan Poor Percy! Ella, from the UK, was devastated to discover her M&S Easter egg had melted while hidden in the loft Careful where you leave your chocolate! Jayd, from the UK, was left with a melted bunny Hot cross burnt! Carrie, from the UK, was left with extra crispy hot crossed buns Egg-cellent! Andrew, from Durham, also fell foul of the unseasonably warm Easter weather Hoping mad! This user was left with two squished faces on his Harry Hopalot chocolate Happy Ester! Andrew, from the US, shared a picture of his Easter decorating fail Farmers in Punjab and Haryana on Monday held protests outside (FCI) offices and raised various demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price. The protesters expressed anguish over the central government's decision to seek farmers' land records for online payments to their accounts and demanded its immediate rollback. Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said his organisation 'gheraoed' 34 FCI offices in 15 districts of Punjab. Protests were also held outside the central procurement agency at Chandigarh, Amritsar, Sangrur and Haryana's Kurukshetra and Sonipat. The protesters asked the Centre to give a legal guarantee on the MSP for their produce. Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher asked the Centre to postpone its decision of direct payment to farmers for the time being, saying if it is implemented, then those who cultivate land under tenancy will face problems in getting payment. The farmers also demanded that the procurement process be completed in a minimum time. The government should ensure that farmers do not face any problem due to lack of wheat bags and other facilities, the protesters said. Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur, with their main demand being complete repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee for the minimum support price on their crops. So far, there have been 11 rounds of talks between the protesting unions and government, but the deadlock has continued as both sides have stuck to their stand. In January, the government had offered to suspend the farm laws for 12-18 months, which was rejected by the farmer unions. (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.) Mandeep Kaur, New Zealand's first Indian-born female police officer, is now a senior sergeant, as per a TNN report. She got her new badge from NZ Police Commissioner Andrea Coster at a ceremony in Wellington back in March. Twitter However, it all started 17 years back when she joined in 2004. There has been no looking back for her from then on as she is a source of inspiration for many Indians. Kaur came to New Zealand as an immigrant. She's from Malwa in Punjab. She always wanted to be a cop. But being from a conservative family made it tough. Earlier, she spent a bit of time in Australia, where she moved to at 26. In New Zealand, she was at first a taxi driver. High Commissioner of India to NZ Shri Muktesh Pardeshi received Inspector Rakesh Naidoo & newly appointed Senior Sergeant Mandeep Sidhu of NZ Police & discussed policing & community engagement. He presented a book on Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Sergeant Sidhu.@nzpolice @MukteshPardeshi pic.twitter.com/r6k7CTy1p3 India in New Zealand (@IndiainNZ) March 9, 2021 Nonetheless, she beat the odds to be a frontline officer in road policing, family violence, investigation support, neighbourhood policing, and community policing. She is a big voice in the NZ police department right now and deserves all the success. New Delhi, April 5 : A controversy erupted on Monday after Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar tweeted a picture of former Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta and his wife with a derogatory comment. Reacting to Dastidar tweet, BJP MP, Locket Chatterjee tweeted, "That is Shri Vijendra Gupta with his wife. Shame on you for using the picture to malign the BJP and it's leaders. But then that is the culture TMC represents, so we can't expect anything better." Dastidar tweeted a picture in which former Delhi BJP Chief Gupta is seen holding his wife Shobha Vijender saying, "Hai, Hai BJP supports rapists. The culture of Bengal does not allow this." "He is our colleague, senior BJP leader and Delhi MLA Vijender Gupta and his wife, who herself is a senior leader of BJP. The poor mentality of the Trinamool Congress was exposed today," Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP from Jharkhand tweeted quoting Trinamool MP's tweet. Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga said, "The ATMC MP is saying Culture of Bengal doesn't allow love between husband and wife. I want to tell TMC MP that Bengal has rich heritage, rich culture and rich literature. It's not small Like TMC mindset. You are insulting Bengal, shame on you." After being mocked for talking in a derogatory manner against Gupta and his wife, Dastidar later deleted her tweet. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said there was no immediate plan to impose lockdown or curfew here but the COVID-19 situation in the state and neighbouring ones was being monitored by his government. He said the number of tests in the state had increased and asked people to adhere to COVID-19 norms strictly so that the outbreak can be tackled. "There is no immediate plan to impose lockdown or curfew in We are monitoring the situation in and where COVID-19 cases are rising alarmingly," he told reporters. Goa's COVID-19 tally stands at 59,068, of which the active caseload is 2,077. (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 Dublin shopkeeper who died after giving chase to a shoplifter has been remembered as a gentle soul with a happy smile. Akram Hussein passed away after a youth robbed the Drumcondra store where he worked early yesterday morning. A book of condolences has now been set up at the Centra shop in memory of Mr Hussein following his sudden death. He was originally from Bangladesh and had been living in Ireland for some time. Expand Close Tributes to much-loved Akram Hussein (Photo: Mark Condren) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tributes to much-loved Akram Hussein (Photo: Mark Condren) Gardai say that at around 9.15am on Sunday morning they responded to a reported theft at the shop on the Drumcondra Road Lower. A youth entered the Centra and took a number of items from the shelf before fleeing the scene. Two staff members, one of which was Mr Hussein, then gave chase to the shoplifter. However, during the pursuit Akram Hussein, who was aged in his mid 40s, became unwell and returned to the store before an ambulance was called. Expand Close Locals sign a book of condolences for Centra Drumcondra manager Akram Hussein (Photo: Mark Condren) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Locals sign a book of condolences for Centra Drumcondra manager Akram Hussein (Photo: Mark Condren) Expand Close Locals sign a book of condolences for Centra Drumcondra manager Akram Hussein (Photo: Mark Condren) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Locals sign a book of condolences for Centra Drumcondra manager Akram Hussein (Photo: Mark Condren) He was rushed to the Mater Hospital where he sadly passed away yesterday afternoon. A book of condolences has also been set up at the store in memory of the late shopkeeper. Local Independent councillor Nial Ring said: Its an absolute tragedy, Ive been there and its a very well known shop used by a lot of people. He was just a guy going about his business trying to make a living, and for something like this to happen is an absolute tragedy Unfortunately, people dont like trying to take the law into their own hands but its a natural reaction when somebody robs your shop. Its like taking money from your pocket, and its so sad that this has ended in such tragic circumstances, Mr Ring added. Expand Close Locals leaving tributes to Centra shopkeeper Akram Hussein (Photo: Mark Condren) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Locals leaving tributes to Centra shopkeeper Akram Hussein (Photo: Mark Condren) Local group Drumcondra tidy village wrote in a Facebook post: We are devastated to hear the news that Akram from Centra Drumcondra passed away earlier today. Akram was the life and soul of Drumcondra. Even if he was down he would have a friendly word and a happy smile for you. Such a gentle soul. He was the worlds best shopkeeper. May he RIP. Bless you my friend Akram. Expand Close Locals leaving tributes to Centra shopkeeper Akram Hussein (Photo: Mark Condren) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Locals leaving tributes to Centra shopkeeper Akram Hussein (Photo: Mark Condren) Local resident Clare Gormely, who organised the tribute in the store, wrote: I have set up a book of condolence in Centra in memory of Akram, it will be sent to his family in Bangladesh. May Akram rest in peace. You will always be in our thoughts. A Garda spokesman said that a file will now be prepared for the Coroners Court by officers at Mountjoy garda station in relation to the incident. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 5, 2021) - Hunter Technology Corp. (TSXV: HOC) (OTCQB: HOILF) (WKN: A2QEYH) (FSE: RWPM) (ISIN: CA4457371090) ("Hunter" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has expanded its core product team with the addition of two seasoned technology platform developers as well as an accomplished product designer. Hunter's two new senior software engineers bring extensive experience from online marketplaces including Amazon and CompareAsiaGroup as well as online trading platforms BNP Paribas and Diginex. These corporate experiences will expand the technology team with specialised expertise in marketplace technology, trading systems and blockchain development. Hunter has also secured a seasoned user experience and branding expert with proven track record to design customer-centric user interfaces from prior project experience with consumer brands such as Nike and Gucci. Enhancing its product design expertise will augment Hunter's ability to differentiate its platform, creating an effortless digital experience that will increase user activation and improve customer loyalty. With Hunter's legacy oil exploration and transaction experience, coupled with its growing team of experienced professionals, Hunter is delivering on its commitment of being a technology-driven player with a mission to transform the energy sector. The recent team expansion will further help Hunter expedite its delivery and ensure a robust product that adds true value to its clients. The current phase of the company is one of research-based product development with the core team executing against aggressive product goals that were set at the beginning of the year. The Company is well on track for the OilEx market release with live transactions mid-year. The new team members joining now will further support progress in critical areas and help carry forward the positive momentum. With the recent private release of the OilEx live pilot ahead of schedule and the latest additions to the product team, Hunter is confident it will be able to further accelerate time to market for its full platform launch. About Hunter Technology Corp. Hunter Technology Corp. develops interactive software platforms powered by blockchain technology that digitalize and streamline physical oil trading throughout the transaction lifecycle. With its solutions, Hunter delivers more favorable economics and fair market access for all and promotes the transition towards a more environmentally and ethically responsible ecosystem. Its flagship product OilEx will connect independent oil producers, buyers, and traders in a trusted digital marketplace to optimize prices, simplify processes, improve transparency, and support a reduced carbon footprint. Through its data analytics capabilities, Hunter will offer real time supply chain management tools for tracking the origin, transhipment and processing of hydrocarbons and the environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance during their life cycle. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Florian M Spiegl Chief Executive Officer (888) 977-0970 For further information, visit our website at www.huntertechnology.com NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information. This news release contains certain statements which may constitute forward-looking statements or information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") regarding Hunter's business development plans. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, including factors beyond Hunter's control, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", "will" or be "on track to" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements (including execution risk, market risk, industry risk, market reaction, the impact of general economic conditions and competition from other industry participants, as well as stock market volatility). In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, Hunter's business development plans as well as Hunter's future performance as it develops its business. Although Hunter believes that the expectations in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are based on factors, estimates and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statement. Such factors include, but are not limited to: risks relating to delays, development and marketing risks, unforeseen requirements resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, commodity prices, inability to access, on favorable terms, sufficient capital from internal and external sources, the ability to access, hire and retain employees; regulatory changes and impacts, timing and completion of the Company's online platforms as well as general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, as no assurance can be provided as to future results, levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable law, Hunter does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Trading in the securities of Hunter should be considered highly speculative. There can be no assurance that Hunter will be able to achieve all or any of its proposed objectives. Please review Hunter's SEDAR filings including its management discussion and analysis available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com for a more fulsome discussion of risk factors affecting Hunter. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/79356 GLOBAL LITHIUM WRAP: Global markets generally firmer Global lithium markets were generally firm in the week ended Thursday April 1, with domestic Chinese prices rising on fresh restocking by consumers after having been stable for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, there weren't enough people who loved LG's smartphones enough to buy them in the quantities required to sustain great longevity for LG's smartphone business, which has now breathed its last gasp. Stating that it wishes to focus on "growth sectors including EVs, IoT and B2B solutions", LG has announced that it is closing its mobile business unit, with the decision approved by its board of directors "earlier today". Reports last month and even earlier suggested LG was thinking of this action in January, even though LG was showcasing its rollable display at CES 2021 and was otherwise planning to launch a phone with such a display later this year, and was planning to launch new LG smartphones in the first half of 2021. All of that is now no longer happening, although given LG does have a display business, there's no reason why its rollable screen technology won't find its way into other brands of smartphones, as it is pretty impressive, with TCL another company working on rollable screen tech, too. LG pioneered and popularised the wide-screen camera on smartphones, 18:9 aspect ratios, it introduced a stylus into its phones that it sadly didn't continue doing, LG had modular attachments to ist LG G5 model that it sadly didn't continue, LG had dual screen phones, its innovative LG Wing dual-screen phone and more, but none of these innovations were enough to capture enough of the public's attention, nor the hearts, minds and wallets. Personally, I'm sorry to see LG leave the smartphone business, but it is business and LG can now focus on other areas. LG says its "strategic decision to exit the incredibly competitive mobile phone sector will enable the company to focus resources in growth areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, artificial intelligence and business-to-business solutions, as well as platforms and services." You'll still be able to buy an LG Android smartphone though, because current LG phone inventory will continue to be available for sale, but once those units are gone, LG's phone business will be long gone for good. So, what about service support and software updates for existing models that still quality for updates? We're told that "LG will provide service support and software updates for customers of existing mobile products for a period of time which will vary by region. "LG will work collaboratively with suppliers and business partners throughout the closure of the mobile phone business. Details related to employment will be determined at the local level." So, what's next? Well, we're told that, "moving forward, LG will continue to leverage its mobile expertise and develop mobility-related technologies such as 6G to help further strengthen competitiveness in other business areas. "Core technologies developed during the two decades of LGs mobile business operations will also be retained and applied to existing and future products. "The wind down of the mobile phone business is expected to be completed by July 31 although inventory of some existing models may still be available after that." Indeed, LG is moving forward with its home automation business, with a media release from March 31 celebrating LG's ThinQ line of smart home devices, noting the smart home revolution is here, with the market predicted to reach US $622 billion by 2026, with LG suggesting such a figure is merely "scratching the surface" of what's possible. LG has also been busy licensing its WebOS TV operating system, with Aldi's Bauhn brand offering a 70-inch WebOS TV last month for $799,99 AUD, which a friend purchased for his family. The TV had the WebOS interface and LG's "magic remote", along with the ability to set up LG ThinQ devices if you have any, and for the price, it was pretty impressive! The Bauhn brand has previously offered Android TV as an interface, while the Soniq brand also has a WebOS-powered TV, a 65-inch model for $699 AUD, although Soniq's other models are Android TV powered. LG has also just introduced its impressive 2nd-gen thin and light Gram notebook range to Australia, so while one business division closes, another one opens. So, LG as a company isn't going to disappear - it is simply refocusing its business on areas where it believes it can make money by providing products and services that people and companies want to buy. When you're doing that as a company, and succeeding, well... Life's Good! George Floyd had pulseless electrical activity and his heart wasnt beating when he arrived at a Minneapolis hospital, a doctor testified Monday. Dr. Bradford Langenfeld was on duty at Hennepin County Medical Center the night Floyd was brought in after being restrained by police last May, and testified Monday at the trial of one of the officers. Heres what Langenfeld saw and what it means: WHAT IS PULSELESS ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY? It means that some feeble or disorganized electrical activity can be detected on a heart monitor but its not enough to make the heart beat and supply blood and oxygen to the rest of the body. WHAT ELSE DID THE DOCTOR SEE? Floyd had no pulse when he arrived and was in cardiac arrest, which Langenfeld described as the sudden cessation of blood flow to all the tissues of the body when the heart stops pumping. The doctor described looking for possible explanations and theorized that hypoxia, or insufficient oxygen, was one of the top possibilities. Doctors measured gases in Floyd's blood and saw extremely high carbon dioxide levels, again suggesting lack of sufficient oxygen. WHAT TREATMENTS WERE GIVEN? Floyd was given some medicines that sometimes can help restore circulation, but that did not help. Defibrillators to shock a heart back into normal rhythm do not work in a situation like Floyds. A narcotics antidote such as Narcan also does not help once someone is in cardiac arrest, Langenfeld said. WHEN DID THE DOCTOR PRONOUNCE HIM DEAD? Floyd had been in cardiac arrest before arriving at the hospital and doctors worked on him for roughly half an hour after his arrival. After his heart activity stopped altogether flatlining Langenfeld called it the doctor pronounced him dead. The county medical examiner ruled Floyd's death a homicide and said he died of cardiopulmonary arrest, complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression. ___ Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Nigers defence ministry said Sunday that four of its soldiers had been killed the day before in twin terrorist attacks in the countrys southeast, the day after President Mohamed Bazoum was sworn in. Several terrorists had been killed in the simultaneous Saturday morning attacks against military positions, the ministry said using a term usually used to describe jihadists. It added that the heavily armed attackers came from a neighbouring country in a reference to Nigeria, where groups linked to Boko Haram are active. The first president installed in a democratic transition of power in Nigers six decades of independence from France, Bazoum on Friday lashed out at jihadist war crimes in his country as he took office. Niger is being hit by insurgents linked to Al-Qaeda or the so-called Islamic State (IS) crossing from Mali and Burkina Faso in the west, and by Boko Haram crossing from Nigeria in the southeast. Thousands of people have been killed, and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes. Since the start of this year alone, more than 300 people have been killed in three attacks in the west. Hoping to improve security through cooperation with neighbouring states, especially Mali, Bazoum has previously ruled out any talks with the jihadists. We cannot envisage any dialogue of any kind so long as there is a single Nigerien jihadist chief, a single jihadist base on our territory, he said in a recent interview with French media outlets RFI and France 24. As well as the jihadist insurgency, Nigers government claimed it had thwarted an attempted coup after gunfire broke out near the presidency in capital Niamey early Wednesday. Brent Pope opened up about how he feels he isnt the same man he was a year ago, as he broke down on air discussing his serious health struggles. The rugby analyst and author has received praise from the public after his candid interview with Marty Morrissey on RTE Radio 1 on Monday morning. He spoke openly about his hellish year and told Marty about how he has been in and out of hospital as he believes his immune system has packed in. Doctors have not yet figured out what the problem is, but Pope said it could, unfortunately, be serious. "It's been a hellish year. It really, really has. I've ended up in hospital three or four times for various things, he said. Read More "My arms look like pin cushions I've had that many needles in them. I'm still undergoing testing for a lot of things and unfortunately, some of them could be serious. "I'm not the same Brent Pope I was 12 months ago. The New Zealander said his life has been changed forever and this is not due to Covid, but through the torment of trying to get a diagnosis, and not knowing whether there will be good or bad answers. "There's been quite a few diagnoses along the way where I've ended up in hospital for ulcers and bleeding ulcers and then various stages of liver problems, he said. "I've got other symptoms now, I just got news today that I'll have to go back into hospital again. "I just had an endoscope last week and they just said 'something's come up on that so we're going to have to have another look.' "It's as if my immune system has packed in. It's as if this is a systematic attack. It's not just in one place, it's in a number of places." In the candid interview, the former rugby player opened up about his mental health struggles. While sounding visibly upset as he spoke, Mr Pope said the current state he is in with being unable to get a diagnosis is an awfully scary and lonely place to be. He also said he struggled with his mental health when he was younger, and at one point wanted to escape the pressure of being in the spotlight as a New Zealand rugby player. Listeners flocked to Twitter to show their appreciation for the honest and powerful interview from Mr Pope. One person said: Wishing you well Brent Pope there will be better times ahead. Thank you for your honesty & integrity. While another wrote: Moving and brave interview with Brent Pope on RTE Radio 1 with Marty Morrisey this morning - absolute gent - its ok not to be ok #mentalhealth. And a third commented: What an emotionally charged chat with Brent Pope, I hope he has support afterwards and Marty, you handled it very sensitively. Another listener said the interview was uncomfortable listening, writing: That was very uncomfortable listening to #brentpope interview with Marty Morrisey. The poor man seems so sad. The sportsman entertained thousands of Irish people as a panelist for Irelands international matches, and has previously opened up about his crippling anxiety. He said he used to put on a brave face and felt ashamed for the way he felt, but now speaks to men all across the country about mental health and the importance of speaking about it. Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 05.04.21: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday will discuss the actions aimed at solving the issues in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Kremlins press service reports that Putin and Pashinyan plan to discuss the course of implementation of the statements made by the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue on November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021. The two will touch upon the future actions for solutions to issues in the region, particularly in the context of the restoration of economic and transport links in the South Caucasus. The search for the bodies of servicemen who are considered dead or missing continues Monday in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in the Jrakan (Jabrayil) region. The total number of dead bodies foundor transferred to the Armenian sideever since the ceasefire last November is now 1,529. Armenia is getting ready to hold snap parliamentary elections scheduled for June 20. Earlier, the Armenian parliament has passed a separate amendment to the Electoral Code on the electoral system - and therefore, a transition has been made to a simple proportional-representation system with closed electoral lists. The other provisions have not been discussed in the National Assembly yet. Head of the majority My Step faction Lilit Makunts, in turn, said what provisions of the Armenian Electoral Code will be applied during forthcoming snap elections. Makunts noted that when they have the official conclusion of the Venice Commission on the draft amendments to the Electoral Code, they will then discuss which Electoral Code provisions will be adopted for the upcoming snap parliamentary electionsslated for June 20and which provisions will be put off for the ensuing elections. The Administrative Court of Armenia has denied the motion by the representative of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to dismiss the lawsuit by the former chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Onik Gasparyan. Onik Gasparyan had petitioned to the Administrative Court on March 10 with a request to recognize null and void the presidential decree on dismissing him from the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, which was approved by the PM's March 10 statement to consider Gasparyan dismissedby virtue of lawfrom this position. Pashinyan has submitted a decree on firing Gasparyan as the latter demanded the PM's resignation amid the internal political crisis in Armenia. The Homeland Salvation Movement, which demands the resignation of PM Nikol Pashinyan, issued a statement announcing that it was disassembling its tent camp on Derenik Demirchyan Streetat the side entrance to the Armenian parliament buildingand starting visits to the provinces. The first such visit will take place on Tuesday to Sevan town. The son of Elena Pindzhoyan, the Armenian founder of a Russian studio, fell from the window of an apartment on the third floor and died. The incident took place in the Moscow region. Kiril Pindzhoyan, 14, was at home with his grandmother, who was in the bathroom when he fell. The boy could have reportedly fallen while trying to take an impressive selfie. As of Monday morning, 479 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Armenia, and the total number of these cases has reached 197,113 in the country. Also, 22 more deaths from COVID-19 were recorded, making the respective total 3,614 cases. The number of people who have recovered over the past one day is 880, the total respective number so far is 176,889. Top Turkish officials on Sunday lashed out at an open letter signed by more than 100 retired admirals warning about a possible threat to a treaty governing the use of Turkey's key waterways. Turkey's approval last month of plans to develop a shipping canal in Istanbul comparable to the Panama or Suez canals has opened up a debate about the 1936 Montreux Convention. In their letter, 103 retired admirals said it was "worrying" to open the Montreux treaty up to debate, calling it an agreement that "best protects Turkish interests." The letter drew a strong riposte from top government officials, while prosecutors in Ankara have also launched an investigation. Turkish authorities have already detained ten retired admirals for their letter. The 27th SAG Awards took place on Sunday online. Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7 won best ensemble cast. Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer in August last year, posthumously won best male actor for his performance as a Blues musician in the 1920s drama Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Schitt's Creek picked up the best comedy series as well as the best female comedy actor for Catherine O'Hara. The Crown was awarded best overall drama title, and Gillian Anderson won best female drama actor for her performance as UK PM Margaret Thatcher. TV category winners included Jason Bateman for Ozark, Jason Sudeikis for Ted Lasso, and Mark Ruffalo for I Know This Much Is True. SICKLERVILLE, N.J., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas F. Morley, DO, FCCP, MACOI, FAASM is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Top Distinguished Pulmonologist for his exemplary contributions to the medical education field and his professional excellence at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Pulmonology. Located in Stratford, New Jersey, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine is committed to preparing future physicians and scientists striving to improve health in New Jersey and throughout the nation. The school has been selected as a regional COVID-19 vaccination site. Among the various specialties offered at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, the department of pulmonology is dedicated to improving your day-to-day symptoms through customized treatment plans. The department consists of highly skilled pulmonologists who specialize and provide services in the areas of respiratory tract diseases and lung conditions, such as COPD, asthma, and bronchitis, as well as at-home sleep studies and coordinated care with the internal medicine department. Board-Certified Pulmonologist Dr. Thomas F. Morley has led his distinguished medical career for 36 years, specializing in sleep medicine, critical care, and all pulmonary issues. He is currently serving patients within the Department of Pulmonology at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine at the offices in Stratford and Sewell, New Jersey. In addition to his clinical role, Dr. Morley continuously shares his breadth of expertise by teaching medical students at the same institution. In light of his academic achievements, Dr. Morley completed his undergraduate studies at Temple University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, followed by obtaining his Doctor of Osteopathy degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He went on to further his medical training by completing an internship, residency, and fellowship in internal medicine and pulmonology at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. With a commitment to excellence, Dr. Morley holds a special recognition certificate in critical care and is board-certified in pulmonary disease internal medicine, critical care medicine, and sleep medicine through the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine. Remaining abreast of the latest developments in his field, Dr. Morley maintains active memberships with the American Osteopathic Association, the American Thoracic Society, and the College of Osteopathic Internists. He also serves as a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American College of Chest Medicine. As a testament to his professional excellence, Dr. Morley has been the recipient of several awards and recognitions, including the Patients' Choice Award (2014-2018), On-Time Doctor Award (2014- 2018), and Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2014-2018). In honor of this recognition, Dr. Morley dedicates this to his wife of 35 years, Dorothy Morley. Dr. Morley remains grateful for her enduring support. They have four children and seven grandchildren. Dr. Morley would also like to recognize James. Giudice, D.O. Dr. Giudice was Dr. Morley's fellowship trainer. Since that time, he has been a lifelong mentor and friend. To learn more, please visit https://newjersey.jeffersonhealth.org/physician/thomas-f-morley-do. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Chris Boyle Published: April 05 2021 Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Parisi is a reserve sailor deployed to the Navys four public shipyards as part of the Surge Maintenance program. A 2001 graduate of East Islip High School and native of Islip Terrace, New York, is serving at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine, as part of the largest mobilization of reservists in Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) history. The mobilization is tied directly to the COVID-19 pandemic. Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Parisi is one of the reserve sailors deployed to the Navys four public shipyards as part of the Surge Maintenance (SurgeMain) program. Established in 2005 to augment the Navys organic civilian shipyard workforce in times of need, SurgeMain has 2,200 enlisted reserve sailors and 240 reserve officers across 75 units. I joined the Navy Reserves back in 2008 when SurgeMain was still relatively new, Parisi said. I've seen it go through many changes and grow to the program that it has become today. With only one year left before I retire, I am proud and honored to be a part of its first major mobilization and finally see SurgeMain supporting the mission that we have trained very hard for over all these years. Between mid-March and late June, up to 25 percent of the naval shipyards production workforce had been on administrative leave due to being at high risk for severe complications tied to the COVID-19 virus. As a result, the four shipyards collectively experienced schedule impacts for most of the ships and submarines undergoing maintenance. This delayed maintenance work could result in delays to ship and submarine maintenance which could cause disruptions to the Navys deployment schedules and require ships and sailors to remain forward-deployed for longer periods of time. NAVSEA, the largest command within the Navy, oversees the construction, delivery and maintenance of all the Navys commissioned ships and operates four naval shipyards - Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, VA, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, ME, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, WA, and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Honolulu, HI. Workers at each of these shipyards perform a vital role in national defense by performing maintenance on ships, submarines and aircraft carriers required for combat-ready fleet forces. The four naval shipyards are critical to providing deployable, combat-ready warships for our Sailors and Marines, said NAVSEAs Commander Vice Adm. Bill Galinis. Augmenting our organic civilian workforce with SurgeMain Reservists allows us to address the maintenance challenges generated by the pandemic so we can return ships back to the Fleet. Parisi is a machinists mate responsible for testing and maintaining the integrity of the submarine's various piping systems. My biggest joy is being able to work with and get to know the active duty sailors attached to the subs, Parisi said. "I was never stationed on a sub, but after speaking with the sailors and seeing the hard work they put in each and every day, it gives me a greater respect and appreciation for what they do and the sacrifices they make to keep us all safe." According to Parisi, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Islip Terrace. My family and friends have always taught me to be positive and to look at the overall greater good," Parisi said. There are a lot of challenges that come with being in the reserves, with this mobilization being one of them. I had to leave behind my wife, kids and a well-paying job, but knowing that what I am doing here is making such a big difference is what keeps me going. As a member of the U.S. Navy, Parisi, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow. "I am proud to serve during this pandemic," Parisi added. "We have always been told that we exist so that one day, we can use our skills and abilities, acquired from both our military and civilian careers, to support our country in a time of need. Well, that time is now, and I am honored to have been selected where I can put everything I have learned so far to good use. Two new programs in Jefferson Parish aim to boost vaccination rates among the homebound and the mobility-impaired, Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng announced Monday. The parish will partner with Ochsner Health to deliver Johnson & Johnson shots to residents who are homebound or bedbound for medical reasons. For residents who use wheelchairs, walkers, canes, etc., the parish will drive them to a clinic on the east bank or west bank to receive a Johnson & Johnson vaccination. JenCare, Oak Street Health and Our Community Health in Gretna are partnering with the parish on this, Lee Sheng said. To set up an appointment for either service, call (504) 518-4020 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Lee Sheng said the parish is also working with the state Department of Health and the Louisiana National Guard to target specific areas where vaccine participation seems to be lagging. She said two of those areas in the 70062 and 70058 zip codes are in Jefferson Parish. 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 We are working to break down barriers and increase access so that as many people as possible can get a COVID vaccine, Lee Sheng said. The new initiatives come as the parish continues to ramp up access to the vaccine. Last week Jefferson Parish teamed with Ochsner for Vaccine Fest, a 24-hour event in Metairie that provided thousands of vaccines. The initiatives also come as Louisiana has topped the 2 million vaccine does given mark. State officials said Monday that 834,087 people whave been fully vaccinated, with another 1.27 million receiving at least one dose. State officials opened vaccine eligibility last week to all adults 16 and older. For details on where to find the vaccine in Jefferson Parish, check out the COVID section on the parish's website at COVID.jeffparish.net. After the COVID-19 pandemic closed business doors in 2020, four College of Charleston students and two local businessmen developed a platform to drive up e-commerce in the city. The project, which is called ImpactHub CHS, aims to revitalize the local economy by providing a website for Charleston businesses to sell their products. While the idea for the company came from Stuart Williams, a local businessman and adjunct professor at the college, four sophomore business students were put to the task of turning it into reality. The students are all part of the Stuart M. Williams Impact Scholars Program, which gives them the opportunity to work on projects aimed at making a profit while also making a difference. The students wanted to find a way to help local businesses compete with the rise of online shopping during the pandemic. All of these local businesses that really thrive off the tourist environment of Charleston, not only did they not have those tourists coming in, but people were at home buying things digitally, said Jody Bell, one of the students involved with the project. "These local businesses were really struggling." While it may look like an Amazon for locals from the outside, ImpactHub is much more than an online shopping destination. The platform is limited to businesses within the Charleston area. Those businesses are then ranked based on the location that a product is made and where it is sold. Businesses with products that are made and sold in Charleston receive the highest ranking, which serves as a way to inform consumers about what businesses are the most likely to help the Charleston economy. In addition to benefiting the economy, the platform is targeted to benefited people. Williams said the theory he teaches is called "impact economics," and aims to make capitalism more ethical. Aside from teaching the theories in class, Williams' business, In Place Impact, works with companies to apply impact economics in their work. "For years, people have been talking about how do we edit capitalism to make it more inclusive," he said. "(Impact economics) makes communities economically, environmentally and socially sustainable for every resident." To align with the impact economics goals, the students created an "evangelist" program to go along with ImpactHub CHS. The program gives people the opportunity to work as ambassadors for ImpactHub by marketing the platform in the community. Williams said the evangelists are often people who do not have the opportunity to find work elsewhere. ImpactHub CHS partnered with Unbound Life, a Charleston business that helps match homebound people with job opportunities. Vishal Patel, owner of Unbound Life, said the ultimate goal is to create a closed loop, where business is benefiting people and people are able to benefit the community. "The more we empower these marginalized communities, the more they are able to contribute to society and the better, in general, our society becomes," Patel said. When a product is sold on the platform, 90 percent of the profits goes to the business and 10 percent goes to ImpactHub CHS. Of that 10 percent, 6.5 percent goes to the evangelist who introduced the program to the consumer. While ImpactHub CHS is working to give back to the community, the people who may be benefiting the most from the project are the students who now have the experience of building a business just two years into college. "As a sophomore in college, being able to participate in a startup and an experience such as ImpactHub is incredibly important to my development, the way that I approach business, the way that I approach other people and the way that I envision my goals in the future," said Rex Bingham, one of the students to work on the project. For Bell, the ability to work on something that benefits the community and gives her business skills aligns perfectly with her professional goals. "We joined this program as underclassmen, and it's a small enough team where we really had a lot of responsibilities," she said. "We've seen this thing be built from the ground up." The students are accepting businesses to join ImpactHub CHS. They are hosting information sessions on April 6 and 7 via Zoom. Information about the sessions and how to join the platform can be found on the company's website, impactchs.com. New Delhi: United States Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday landed in Delhi on Monday for his two days visit to India to strengthen defence ties between the two democratic countries. Mattis visit is considered to take the India-US defence ties to the next level during. It is believed the discussion will largely be on F-16s and security situation in the Indo-Pacific region likely to dominate the agenda. Mattis visit to India is the first visit by any member of President Donald Trumps cabinet. He is to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Mattis told reporters on his flight that the trip will be a historic opportunity for two democracies at a time of strategic convergence. On being asked how he would balance the India-Pakistan dynamics Mattis said that relationships US is pursuing with India is not to the exclusion of other countries. He further said, "India is clearly a pillar of regional stability and security: we share a common vision for a peaceful and prosperous future in the Indo-Pacific region." The US defence secretary also told the media that stronger relation between India and United Stated should not affect relations with neighbours such as Pakistan. According to people in the MHA no specific defence trade deal is likely to be announced during Mattis visit but efforts will be made to identify new projects under the ambitious Defence Technology and Trade Initiatives (DTTI) under PM Modis flagship program Make in India. Prior leaving Pentagon, Matiss met Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna at the Pentagon. (With agency inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Newly elected Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday ruled out any troop contribution in Afghanistan and said it will continue to provide development assistance to the war-torn country. Sitharaman said this after talks with her US counterpart James Mattis during which they discussed key bilateral, regional and international issues, including terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The two sides also deliberated the ways to deepen maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region while discussing the rising tensions due to the recent missile tests by North Korea and growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. India and US had a useful interaction on how the two countries could strengthen cooperation bilaterally as well as with the Afghan government in pursuit of the common objective of a peaceful, democratic, stable and prosperous Afghanistan, Sitharaman said. She further added that India has built dams, hospitals and it will continue providing development assistance to Afghanistan. We give them facilities in our hospitals both for those who are wounded on field and for civilians. Those assistances for medical help will continue...We shall expand if necessary. However, of course, we have made it clear that there shall not be boots from India on the ground, she said. The Defence Minister said that while replying to a question during a joint press briefing with the US counterpart on whether India will contribute troops in Afghanistan. ALSO READ: Nirmala Sitharaman, US Defence Secretary discuss terror havens The US wants greater participation by India to contribute more in the war-torn nation. We applaud Indias invaluable contribution to Afghanistan and welcome further efforts to promote its democracy, stability and security, Mattis said. The issue was discussed in depth, Sitharaman said this while referring to Indias concerns over cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. The situation in our neighbourhood and the growing menace of cross-border terrorism were discussed in depth. There is a growing convergence in the approaches of both our countries on this issue, Sitharaman said. The Defence Minister said she has also urged Mattis to take up the issue of terrorism whenever he visits Pakistan. She said both sides recognise the importance of holding those who use terrorism as an instrument of state policy to account and to dismantle the infrastructure that supports terrorism. On his part, Mattis said there can be no tolerance to terrorism safe havens. Our two countries recognise the stress the global terrorism poses to people throughout the world. There can be no tolerance of terrorist safe havens. As global leaders, India and the US resolve to work together to eradicate this scourge, Mattis said. Contending that defence partnership is one of the key strategic pillars between India and US, the two sides also focused on sharing cutting-edge technologies and platforms and exploring additional specialised military drills between the two countries. In this context, we agreed that the full implementation of the understanding reached following the announcement by the US last year recognising India as a Major Defence Partner will provide further energy and momentum to our collaboration on defence technology and manufacturing, Sitharaman said. Mattis said India and the US are two strategic partners and their defence cooperation has steadily expanded in recent years underpinned by a strategic convergence between the two countries based on common objectives and goals in the region. This cooperation will benefit both economies by reducing trust issues between our two democracies, he said but did not elaborate on the nature of the issues. The armies of the two countries are currently participating in the joint military drill Yudh Abyas 2017 and the navies recently concluded the 2017 edition of Malabar, a trilateral exercise between India, the US and Japan. (With PTI inputs) ALSO READ: US Defence Secretary James Mattis reaches India, talks likely on new defence projects For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Footage has emerged of the 'smoking gun' that the makers of a new HBO docu-series claim proves their theory that Ron Watkins - the son of 8chan founder Jim Watkins - is the man behind Q. In an interview during the sixth and final episode of Q: Into The Storm, Ron makes an apparent slip-up by seeming to admit to being an active user of the main QAnon forum something he had previously denied. The conspiracy theorist, after briefly discussing his role in spreading unproved claims of voter fraud following the 2020 US election, says, 'It was basically three years of intelligence training, teaching normies how to do intelligence work. 'It was basically what I was doing anonymously before,' he continues, before quickly adding: 'But never as Q.' At this point he gives a knowing smile before erupting in laughter and backtracking to again deny that he is Q: 'No, never as Q, I promise. Because I am not Q and I never was.' It is not clear from where Ron gave the interview but he was recently known to be living in Japan. Little is known about him, including his age. In an interview during the sixth and final episode of Q: Into The Storm, Ron Watkins (left) makes an apparent slip-up by seeming to admit to being an active user of the main QAnon forum something he had previously denied. Pictured right is HBO filmmaker Cullen Holback Holback erupts with laughter after the revelation. In a voiceover, he suggests that the moment proves Ron is Q Q: Into The Storm is a six-part series that first aired on HBO Max on March 21. 8chan has now been renamed 8kun, and the forum Ron apparently admits to actively posting on during the docu-series is called '8kun threads Pol and research'. This is the main venue through which Q supposedly communicates with his followers through so-called 'Q drops', which users immediately reply to with 'analysis' of what they may mean. Ron was apparently admitting to anonymously directing this analysis - even though he has previously claimed to not interfere with content on the site beyond his responsibilities as an administrator. In a voiceover, filmmaker Cullen Holback suggests that this suspicious discrepancy proved his theory that Ron is Q, the supposedly anonymous government insider leading a charge to help former president Donald Trump fight a 'deep state' of Satan-worshiping pedophiles. 'See that smile, Ron had slipped up, he knew it and I knew it - after three tireless years of cat and mouse,' Holback says, in a reference to how long it took him to research the documentary. Throughout the HBO series, Holback presents his evidence for Ron being Q, which mainly consists of a series of inconsistencies in his responses to questions about his knowledge of QAnon. This includes in one part of the documentary claiming to have a detailed understanding of Q's motivations and inner circle, before later insisting he knows nothing about the mysterious figure. In addition, Holback points to Ron and his father Jim's hobby of collecting luxury watches, and notes that Q has been known to post pictures of expensive-looking watches and pens in a bid to prove that he's in secure locations like Camp David. Ron has repeatedly denied being Q, and posted on encrypted messaging app Telegram before the series' first episode: 'I am not Q. I've never spoken privately with Q. I don't know who Q is.' 8chan has now been renamed 8kun, and the forum Ron apparently admits to actively posting on during the docu-series is called '8kun threads Pol and research' Throughout the HBO series, Holback presents his evidence for Ron (pictured) being Q, which mainly consists of a series of inconsistencies in his responses to questions about his knowledge of QAnon 8chan was originally created by Fredrick Brennan but he quit after Watkins refused to remove the racist manifesto of the Christchurch, New Zealand, shooter, in 2018. QAnon began as a marginalized theory contained to the dark corners of the internet but it exploded under Donald Trump's presidency and was particularly bolstered by the unproven theory that widespread voter fraud won the election for Biden amid widespread conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic. The premise of QAnon is that there is a deep state organization of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who Trump was fighting back against throughout his presidency. Many of the January 6 Capitol rioters are QAnon theorists. The site is hosted on servers in Manila, in the Philippines, and is safe from the censorship that Trump fans complain about on western social media. 8chan's founder Frederick Brennan has been trying for years to get the site taken offline, claiming it is now out of control and dangerous. He previously named either Ron or Jim as Q, saying in a June 2020 interview: 'I definitely, definitely, 100 percent believe that Q either knows Jim or Ron Watkins, or was hired by Jim or Ron Watkins.' Ron's father is Jim Watkins (left). He now owns 8chan, now known as 8Kun, the online messaging board where QAnon took its roots. Frederick Brennan (right) founded 8chan and he quit in 2018 as he watched it become increasingly right-wing. He has previously said that Jim Watkins or his son is Q Many of the Capitol rioters were QAnon followers, including Douglas Jensen, who is shown storming the Capitol wit h a Q shirt on SOME OF QANON'S THEORIES THE UNDERPINNING PEDOPHILE THEORY QAnon is founded on and operates under the belief that there is a deep-state organization of powerful, Democratic politicians who are pedophiles. Supporters of the theory think that for years, these pedophiles have been able to operate free from criticism by protecting each other. It also teaches that they are Satan worshipers who, after abusing children, drink their blood. None of it is true. FRAZZLEDRIP One fake theory that has been tied to QAnon but was not necessarily borne out of it is the idea that there is a video, found on the laptop of disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner, which shows his wife Huma Abedin and Hillary Clinton abusing a child and then drinking the child's blood. PIZZAGATE Pizzagate erupted as a theory during the first Trump election in 2016. It is the theory that the Comet pizza shop in Washington DC has been used for years as a base for the pedophile and child sex trafficking ring. Again, there is no evidence of it. Advertisement Speaking to ABC, he added that Watkins, if he wanted, could 'send ''Q'' a direct message and get into private contact with basically the leader of this political cult that everybody wants to hear from right now.' Only Jim and Ron have verified 'Q's posts on 8chan, which has fueled speculation that one of them is the leader. The posts have also appeared on 4Chan, the less extreme version of the site. Many of the rioters from the January 6 attack on the US Capitol were QAnon followers and some even wore 'Q' branded clothing. The rioters were irate and incredulous when Trump lost the election, and deduce that the only explanation for it was that he is being victimized by a secret organization of powerful pedophiles and child traffickers who had arranged widespread voter fraud to secure the election for Biden. Among the wild theories tied to QAnon is Frazzledrip - a far-fetched theory that claims there is a video of Hillary Clinton and her former aide Huma Abedin mutilating a young girl and drinking her blood as part of a satanic ritual. QAnon also believes the Pizzagate theory - that a pizzeria in Washington DC was being used by powerful politicians and leaders to sexually traffic children. None of the theories have ever been supported by any evidence. They were at first considered harmless, marginalized to a corner of the internet, but under Trump's presidency they gained steam and have now infiltrated the real world of politics. Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has said in the past that she believes some of what QAnon teaches, and some voters factored it in when deciding how to cast their ballots this year. Watkins lived with his father in the Philippines in the early 2000s. Jake Angeli was another prominent figure in the Capitol riot. He calls himself a QAnon Shaman Little is known about Ron Watkins. He is believed to be living in Japan but it's unclear where and it's also unclear how old he is This is an example of the kind of post left on 8chan by 'Q'. The account has never been claimed Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has said in the past she believes some QAnon theories It's believed he is now living in Japan but it's unclear where. It is also unclear how old he is. Qanon took its roots after President Trump won the 2016 election. In 2017, the posts - known as Qdrops - started appearing online. They claimed that he was fighting back against a 'deep state' network of pedophiles and that the world had no idea what was really going in within the highest levels of Washington power. 'Q' claimed to be a military source with privileged information on the matter. They never revealed their identity, nor did they give proof for any of what they were claiming. But as Trump waged war on Democrats in Washington and as he fought endless battles with the mainstream media, the theories - which once seemed far-fetched - started gaining sympathy. In January, the theory and those who support it were deemed terror risks. By Benjamin Jumbe Former member of the NRM central Executive Committee Capt. Francis Babu has asked the NRM Chairman President Yoweri Museveni to carry out independent investigations into reported intrigue in the party. He expresses fear that if intrigue and blackmail are not addressed, they are bound to further tear down the party. Capt Babu attributes the divisions in the party to the top party leadership that he has accused of on several occasions supporting opposition candidates against party flag bears in the just concluded elections. He says this is also evidenced by the confusion surrounding the forthcoming election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, in an unexpected move, called for the U.S. Solicitor General to step into the long-running legal battle by New Jersey to kill the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor a bi-state agency created more than 65 years ago to police the regions ports. In its order, the court sought briefs to hear the views of the United States, in a case that argues New Jersey should not be able to walk away from a federally approved interstate compact. The state wants to withdraw from the commission and turn over its policing role to the New Jersey State Police. The case before the justices so far has been on very narrow grounds, dealing with whether the commission could seek legal intervention to save itself. But instead of ruling on whether to take the case, the high court instead asked the office that represents the federal government before the Supreme Court for its opinion on the complex issues in the case. Waterfront Commission officials declined comment, but some legal experts questioned whether New Jersey can implement what they believe is an unconstitutional statute. The commission which includes one member from each state appointed by its governor has wide jurisdiction over the regions piers and terminals, including the ports in Newark, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Staten Island and Brooklyn. It certifies that those hired on the waterfront are not tied to organized crime and are otherwise fit to work in the shipping trade. But mounting political pressure in recent years by the New York Shipping Association and International Longshoremens Association, which represents dockworkers, ultimately led to efforts in Trenton to kill the commission. Industry officials argued the commission was overstepping its authority and overstating the problem of crime on the docks. In his final week in office, Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation he once vetoed as unconstitutional to withdraw New Jersey from the compact with New York. That essentially meant the end of the agency. The commission immediately went to federal court seeking an injunction against the state and the new governor, Phil Murphy. It argued that New Jersey could not simply decide for itself that it no longer wanted to honor its obligations under a bilateral compact ratified by Congress. A federal judge struck down the controversial New Jersey law. U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton in her ruling against the governor and the state Legislature said they could not simply walk away from its agreement with New York. But in June, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed the ruling, agreeing with the state and finding that the commissions lawsuit impinges on the State of New Jerseys sovereignty. In a final appeal, lawyers for the Waterfront Commission went to the U.S. Supreme Court. They argued that if the decision were to stand, it will signal to states that they can destroy compact commissions they find irksome simply by appropriating the commissions functions for themselves. Separately, the commission last month publicly released years of critical reports detailing the continued influence of the mob at New York and New Jersey ports, after NJ Advance Media reported that the findings that had long been suppressed by officials in Trenton because they said it would be bad for business at the port, according to one former commissioner. The reports, dating back to 2013, alleged not only that organized crime has continued to hold sway at one of the nations busiest ports, but also detailed how sweetheart jobs were steered to friends and family. They also raised questions over whether Blacks and women were systematically excluded from work on the waterfront by the powerful International Longshoremens Association. ILA officials called the hiring numbers in the reports inaccurate and not reflective of the true diversity of current employment at the port. New Jersey, in its own court filings before the court, has argued that the reasons for the commission no longer exist, noting also that with cargo now moved in shipping containers handled by far fewer longshoremen, and that most of the ports operations have shifted to New Jersey. In light of the complete transformation of the harbor since the 1950s, the New Jersey Legislature determined that there was no longer a continuing need for bi-state regulation of the overwhelmingly New Jersey-centered port activity, and that New Jersey should resume state regulation of its docks, the state Attorney Generals office wrote. Federal law does not otherwise prohibit a state from withdrawing from a compact that is silent on withdrawal and termination. It remains to be seen whether New York the other side of the long-standing waterfront partnership will allow New Jerseys unilateral withdrawal, which could open the door to a much higher stakes battle. The two states also are joined together through the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a far larger agency that serves as a massive economic engine, operates the airports, bridges, tunnels and seaports spanning the metropolitan area. New York has yet to take a position in the matter. __ 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. Indonesia steps up security at churches for Easter after suicide bombing attack Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Christian minority in Indonesia, home to the worlds largest Muslim population, will attend Easter service under heavy security following last weeks suicide bombing outside a church carried out by a married couple affiliated with a homegrown terror network that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The southeast Asian archipelagos National Police spokesman, Rusdi Hartono, told media that all police departments have been asked to be prepared for potential terror attacks against churches during Easter celebrations, according to APF, which also reported that services for Good Friday were held under heavy security. Two days before Good Friday, police shot dead a 25-year-old woman, identified as Zakiah Aini, who pointed a gun at police officers at the National Police headquarters in Jakarta and fired at least six shots, Jakarta Globe reported, adding that Zakiah was a university dropout who supported the IS. On Palm Sunday last week, a 26-year-old man, identified as Muh Lukman, and his wife, Yogi Sahfitri Fortuna, a.k.a. Dewi, blew themselves up in front of the gate of the Cathedral Church in the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi province at about 10:30 a.m. as the church was preparing for its third service. The couple, natives of South Sulawesi, had been married for six months. Police disclosed that at least 20 people were wounded in the incident, according to The Associated Press. Three female suspects are in custody on charges of knowing in detail about the bombing plot and motivating the couple to carry out the attack, the Globe reported, which said the couple blew themselves up after being denied entry by a security guard at the church. The guard, identified as a 52-year-old man named Kosmas, is recovering from burns to his head and abdomen. There have been many arrests between January and the [church] bombing. Counterterrorism squad Detachment 88 has arrested at least 94 terror suspects in pre-emptive strikes since January, National Police spokesman Chief Comr. Ahmad Ramadhan was quoted as saying. Police have said many of the suspects and the two suicide bombers had been part of a homegrown terror group, Jamaah Ansharut Daulah, or JAD, whose leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The JAD, Indonesias most active terror cell for the last two years, was also behind coordinated attacks on three churches Immaculate Saint Mary Catholic Church, Indonesia Christian Church and Surabaya Central Pentecost Church in Surabaya on May 13, 2018, which killed at least 13 people. According to the United Nations Security Council, Jamaah Ansharut Daulah "participates in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities" in conjunction with groups like the IS and al-Qaida. The group was established in 2015 as an umbrella organization for over two dozen Indonesian extremist groups that pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Indonesias Constitution is based on the doctrine of Pancasila five principles upholding the nations belief in the one and only God and social justice, humanity, unity and democracy for all. However, many extremist groups in Indonesia, including the Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, oppose Pancasila. Indonesia, where Christians form about 10% of the population, is ranked No. 47 on Open Doors USAs World Watch List of countries where Christians face the greatest levels of persecution. With the countrys main opposition MDC party at war with itself amid leadership wrangles and mass defections to Zanu PF, the ruling party says it cannot wait for 2023 elections to finish off its rivals. With the countrys main opposition MDC party at war with itself amid leadership wrangles and mass defections to Zanu PF, the ruling party says it cannot wait for 2023 elections to finish off its rivals. This comes as Zanu PF has set a target to increase the number of its registered voters to five million to ensure a 65 percent victory in the next polls. It also comes as President Emmerson Mnangagwa narrowly won the 2018 elections, garnering 50,67 percent of the vote against MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisas 44,39 percent, although Zanu PF managed to get more than two thirds majority in Parliament. Speaking to the Daily News on Sunday in an interview yesterday, Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu said the ruling party would make use of its newly reconstructed district coordinating committees (DCCs) to mobilise support to ensure a landslide victory in 2023. We are a people-centred party and our presence should be well felt across the entire nation and our DCCs serve as that conduit for the partys policy architecture to interface with all citizens of Zimbabwe, including Zanu PF outsiders. Our mass-line approach transcends the card carrying limits of our commissariat reach and membership. This is evidenced by the recent and forthcoming mass exodus of opposition stalwarts to Zanu PF, Mpofu said. Our mobilisation scope is bigger than what our detractors narrowly seek to vilify. We are getting stronger by the day and the 2023 election is taking too long to arrive for Zanu PF to prove once more its popularity. This comes as dozens of MDC supporters, including bigwigs such as former MP Blessing Chebundo (Kwekwe Central), senators Lillian Timveous, James Makore and Obert Gutu, recently jumped the opposition ship to join Zanu PF. Mpofu said contrary to reports of factional fights in Zanu PF triggered by the DCCs, the ruling party is united and ready to roar. In actual fact, we are united and geared up towards reclaiming our mandate to govern courtesy of the forthcoming 2023 elections. We are aware that the DCCs are the cog of Zanu PFs powerbase. Therefore, the politburo is committed to strengthening the party constitutional function of the DCCs.This resonates with the broader national agenda of having national policies articulated and implemented directly at grassroots level, said Mpofu. DCC structures were disbanded in 2012 after the party felt that they were being used to propel divisions in Zanu PF. The structures were brought back into the fold following the Esigodini Conference in December 2018, and their duties include supervising and monitoring party projects and rejuvenating the party. This comes as independent observers have also predicted that the opposition in its current fractured state stands no chance against Zanu PF and its candidate in the next elections. Daily News Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s risk management services subsidiary, Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. (GB), has acquired Pleasantville, New York-based Terrier Claims Services Inc. (TCS) and its affiliate, MT Investigations LLC. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1996, TCS is a full-service claims investigation firm dedicated exclusively to insurance defense, third-party administrators, defense attorneys and government agencies. The team conducts field investigations, trial preparation and property adjusting services in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, in addition to nationwide desktop investigations. Daniel Sullivan, Edward Sullivan, David Perini and their associates will remain in their current locations in Pleasantville, Albany and Mineola, New York; Wall, New Jersey; and Philadelphia, under the direction of Jim Bond, executive vice president of Gallagher Bassett Technical Services. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 49 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Source: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Topics Mergers Claims A.J. Gallagher A man accused of stabbing his estranged wife to death in 2013 months after he was released from jail for trying to strangle her has been apprehended after fleeing years earlier to Mexico, according to court records. Authorities arrested Alan Fabricio Fernandez last week on a murder charge stemming from the November 2013 death of 22-year-old Abigail Owens. He remains held without bond at the Harris County Jail. Fernandez, details of whose arrest were not immediately known, did not appear last Wednesday before a magistrate during a probable cause hearing, records show. Months before Owens' death, Fernandez was released from a one-year jail sentence for misdemeanor assault in which he tried strangling her. A protective order was filed after that 2012 arrest, records show. Owens' mother warned of Fernandezs harassing behavior while lodging a missing persons report for her daughter. The mother said she wrote a Facebook post Nov. 7 of that year and then vanished, along with her boyfriends pickup truck. More than a week later, a would-be thief led police to Owens' body in the 5500 block of Pine Street. The self-professed car prowler told authorities that he spied a rifle in the backseat and broke in. He then discovered the woman's body under a pile of clothes, which were later identified to have belonged to Fernandez. He got out of the truck and flagged down a police officer for help, charging papers show. Police at first sought Fernandez for questioning but did not call him a suspect in the case. The murder charge, filed in February 2014, outlined that Fernandez likely fled to Mexico soon after her death. His sister and mother both told investigators that Fernandez called them from the Mexico border and confessed to killing Owens, according to authorities. He said he killed her "by cutting her throat with a knife" but claimed it was an act of self-defense. Medical examiner records indicate Owens throat was slashed and stabbed several times on both sides and that the wounds were not accidental. nicole.hensley@chron.com Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh has resigned from his post, hours after the Bombay High Court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the corruption allegations levelled against him by Mumbai's former commissioner of police Param Bir Singh. A division bench, comprising chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice GS Kulkarni, has asked the CBI to complete its 'preliminary probe' within 15 days on the issues raised by Singh in his 'letter-bomb' last month. The court had reserved its orders after hearing Singh's petition and some other PILs pertaining to the issue, on 31 March 2021. The HC invoked home minister Deshmukh's recent statement in which he had expressed his readiness to face any inquiry into the corruption allegations levelled against him by the former police commissioner. "The press release of Deshmukh suggests that he is not averse to facing any inquiry. It is therefore, ordered accordingly," the division bench said, directing the CBI to conduct a 'preliminary probe' into the matter within 15 days. The HC added that the allegations made by Mr Singh in his 'letter-bomb' of 20 March 2021which prompted another petitioner to lodge a police complaintwere of "a serious nature and against the highest functionary of the government of Maharashtra, when it comes to the functioning of the police department". "Prima facie, the issues are such that the very faith of citizens in the functioning of the police department is at stake. If there is any amount of truth in such allegations, certainly it has a direct effect on the citizens' confidence in the police machinery in the State," said chief justice Datta and justice Kulkarni in the order. Since it was an issue of the credibility of the state machinery, the court cannot remain a mere spectator and that such allegations could not remain unattended, especially when, prima facie, they pointed to a cognizable offence against high ranking public officials. After the allegations surfaced in the public domain, there is a "legitimate public expectation of a free, fair, honest and impartial inquiry and investigation" into these, necessitating a probe by an independent agency to instil public confidence and safeguard the fundamental rights of the citizens. In the present case, Deshmukh was the home minister, and the police department was under his directions and control. "There can be no fair, impartial, unbiased and untainted probe if the same were entrusted to the state police force, the probe has to be entrusted to an independent agency like the CBI," the Court ruled. However, the Court said that the CBI need not register a first information report (FIR) immediately as the Maharashtra government has already set up a 'high-level committee' to probe the matter. "The government resolution by the state government for a high-level committee leads us to believe that there is no interference required," said chief justice Datta. After the probe is over, the CBI director was at liberty to decide the future course of action and if it was not proceeding further, the agency would inform the parties concerned accordingly. The Court said its directions were issued for an effective probe so that "the truth is unearthed and the Devil, if any, shamed in accordance with the procedures established by law." The Court made it clear that its observations in the order were to address the rivals claims and "are without prejudice to the rights and contentions of the parties who might figure in the position of an accused in future." The judges further said that the CBI preliminary probe and further action, if at all required, "would proceed uninfluenced by the fact that this Court has ordered such an action," while disposing off all the petitions. Following the High Court ruling, a high-level meeting of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders was convened by party chief Sharad Pawar in which deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and other senior leaders were present to discuss the ramifications even as the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party clamoured for Deshmukh's resignation. "Soon after the high court directives, Mr Deshmukh met NCP President Sharad Pawar and offered to resign to ensure an impartial probe. After the nod, Deshmukh has gone to meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to submit his resignation," NCP national spokesperson and minority affairs minister Nawab Malik told mediapersons. In a tweet, Mr Deshmukh said, after the decision of HC on a petition filed by advocate Jayashree Patil, he decided to resign on moral grounds. Besides Mr Singh's PIL, the court heard three other pleas filed by Ghanshyam Upadhyay seeking a court-monitored SIT, another by Mohan Bhide wanting a retired HC or SC judge to probe and a third by advovate Jayshri Patil for a CBI or any other independent agency probe. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... PHOENIX A 30-year-old woman who was found underwater in a bathtub at a Phoenix home has died, authorities said. City firefighters responded to a house Sunday morning and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said it appears to be a drowning, but no other details were immediately released. The name of the woman also is not immediately available. Phoenix police said they are investigating the death, but there were no signs of foul play or suicide at the scene. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ DENVER, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- VanWest Partners, an opportunistic investment firm specializing in commercial real estate acquisition, management, and sales, announces the acquisition of 5 self storage facilities to its newest fund, VanWest Self Storage Fund II, LLC. Year to date, the firm has closed on a total of 7 self storage facilities representing just under $30mm in total capitalization. VanWest Partners acquires five self storage facilities in Michigan The 5-property Michigan portfolio was closed in mid-March and includes 2 self storage facilities in the greater Detroit market and 3 self storage facilities in the Grand Rapids market. The portfolio totals just over 265,000 net rental square feet and 1,628 units including 232 boat and RV parking spaces. VanWest plans to rebrand the 5 facilities under its ClearHome Self Storage management platform. By leveraging technology coupled with an active, hands on-management approach, ClearHome will drive net operating income by optimizing expense loads and dynamically managing revenue streams. With the addition of the Michigan portfolio, VanWest now owns and operates self storage facilities in 8 states and 12 metro areas nationwide. VanWest Self Storage Fund II is comprised of a diverse mix of storage facilities within select markets of the United States, and provides an investment opportunity that combines current income as well as capital appreciation. "We're excited to add the Michigan portfolio to Fund II, and we look forward to acquiring additional facilities in the Grand Rapids and Detroit markets. The geographic concentration of the portfolio compliments our other Midwest markets nicely and positions Fund II to further benefit from the economies of scale that a large, diverse portfolio offers," said Jacob Vanderslice, Managing Partner of VanWest. VanWest Partners and its affiliates have successfully invested in 30 self storage projects totaling over 1,500,000 net rentable square feet and over 12,000 units. About VanWest Partners VanWest Partners is an opportunistic investment firm specializing in commercial and residential real estate within the United States. By harnessing a diversified strategy and uncovering value in often-overlooked markets, VanWest maximizes investment performance for its stakeholders while avoiding the traditional, single focus strategy of many investment companies. At VanWest, we reveal and maximize opportunity to make a positive and lasting impact. Learn more about VanWest at VanWestpartners.com or on LinkedIN. Media Contact: Katie Lyon (303) 877-2859 [email protected] SOURCE VanWest Partners Taqueria Del Pueblo, a popular vendor inside the Worcester Market Market, is expanding to a second location. The Mexican restaurant will be opening at 57 Highland St. The new space will be larger than its area in the Worcester Public Market and include sit-down dining. While the Taqueria Del Pueblo will remain in the Canal District, the restaurant said it will be updating its menu to coincide with the opening of its new location. The restaurant featuring Mexican cuisine was an original vendor at the public market when it opened in March of 2020. It immediately became one of the most popular eateries in the markets the food court. It even expanded its hours of operation for takeout while the market was closed. The restaurant was opened by Raquel Zelayandia and her parents, who came to the United States from El Salvador about 30 years ago. She and her brother were born in Worcester. The idea to open within the public market evolved from a lineage of family recipes creating tasty tacos. Zelayandia also traveled to Mexico before opening the taqueria and spent two weeks in Mexico City and another two weeks in Puebla. She hoped to absorb the atmosphere of the Mexican taqueria, where customers can quickly grab tacos that are still made of quality ingredients. The atmosphere will likely translate to the dine-in experience as well. If you have enjoyed the food and service at the Public Market location, you will be blown away by your visit to our newest location, the restaurant said in a Facebook post on Sunday. Related Content: The first confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the US and in Europe were confirmed in January, 2020; the former in Washington, and the latter in France. Other cases quickly followed in other parts of the US and several other European countries such as Germany, Italy, and the UK. Since the initial testing criteria had been narrow, the virus spread via cryptic transmission in January and February, thus setting the stage for the first wave experienced in March and April, 2020. Study: Cryptic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the first COVID-19 wave in Europe and the United States . Image Credit: bob boz / Shutterstock Spatial and age-structured epidemic model To analyze this cryptic transmission phase and the first wave of the pandemic that ensued, researchers from Italy, UK, and the US used a data-driven, spatial, stochastic, and age-structured epidemic model. They developed a mechanistic understanding of the evolution of the epidemic and estimated the time required for local transmission in various states and countries. The model developed by the team offers a statistical idea of SARS-CoV-2 introductions across European countries and many states in the US. The study is published on the medRxiv* preprint server. The study measured the association between the extent of domestic and international air travel and estimated the virus arrival times in the US and Europe. They showed that domestic and international travel patterns were a main driver in the establishment of local transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, the model was also used to estimate the COVID-19 disease burden across the US & Europe. The study provided model estimates for the infection attack rates and infection fatality ratios as of July 2020. The results showed that the model-estimated infection attack rates agree with the results of serological studies on SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence at different spatial resolutions, including city, state, and country. The model highlights a strong statistical association between the estimated number of infections at the end of the first wave and the number of cases at the time of implementing major mitigation policies in each state or country. Study findings The study used a global metapopulation epidemic model to offer a mechanistic understanding of the global dynamic behind the establishment of the pandemic in the US and Europe. The model used in the study is calibrated on international case introductions at the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the modeling results should be interpreted cautiously in light of the assumptions and limitations inherent to modeling approaches, they are of interest in combination with sequencing data of SARS-CoV-2 genomes to reconstruct in greater detail the early epidemic history of the COVID-19 pandemic." The study's findings show that widespread community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was likely in many areas of the US and Europe by January 2020. As per estimates, only 13 in 100 SARS-CoV-2 infections were detected by surveillance systems by early March. Modeling results suggest that international travel was the key driver of the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 with possible transmission events of the virus as early as December 2019. Early picture of the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe and the United States. (A) Timelines of the daily reported and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Europe and US including information on initial reported cases and other significant events related to the outbreak. (B) Model-based estimates for the daily number of new infections in Europe and US. The inset plot compares the weekly incidence of reported cases with the weekly incidence of infections estimated by the model for the week of March 8 14, 2020 for the continental US-states and European countries that reported at least 1 case. Circle size corresponds to the population size of each state and country. (C) The probability that a city in Europe and the US had generated at least 100 cumulative infections by February 21, 2020. Color and circle size are proportional to the probability. The researchers also described the resultant heterogeneous spatiotemporal spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the disease burden of the first wave during February to July 2020. Infection attack rates found in the study ranged from 0.19% to 13.2% in Europe and 0.78% to 15.2% in the US. According to the researchers, the spatial modeling of SARS-CoV-2 introductions and transmission offers insights into the design of model-driven surveillance systems and preparedness plans that have a broader initial capacity and indication for testing. The estimated viral importation patterns and the cryptic transmission phase dynamics may help in planning and developing public health policies related to international travels. The estimated SARS-CoV-2 importation patterns and the cryptic transmission phase dynamics are of potential use when planning and developing public health policies in relation to international traveling and they could provide important insights in assessing the potential risk and impact of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants in regions of the world with limited testing and genomic surveillance resources." *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Some in this group are advancing the integration of robots into their factories. Others are integrating artificial intelligence and augmented reality into work processes. Still others are using specialized cameras and machine vision for high-speed counting, vibration monitoring and predictive maintenance. All in this compilation were identified by SME Media's Smart Manufacturing magazine in consultation with manufacturing experts from across a full range of industry segments and disciplines. "We've seen in the last several months how quickly our industry can rebound to near full production," said Robert Willig, executive director and CEO of SME. "These 25 luminaries in manufacturing are pushing the pace of change in our industry, paving the path that leads to elevated quality, improved productivity, increased profitability and higher employment here in North America. One individual leading this charge is Anthony Oteka, vice president of Stanley Black & Decker's Stanley Production System and Industry 4.0 Strategy and Planning in the company's Industrial Platform and Global Operations. Oteka said that the company has adopted several robotic and automation technologies across a number of their product manufacturing, quality and packaging disciplines globally. "These technologies help drive manufacturing excellence, meet and exceed both internal and external customers' expectations and drive process standardization," he said. Expanding the company's data analytics through artificial intelligence and deploying cutting-edge technology solutions that provide flexible-manufacturing processes, improve productivity and lower cost also are high on his list. "The collaboration with and adoption rates from our operations teams have been instrumental, as well," he said. The article in the April 2021 issue of Smart Manufacturing magazine includes significantly more detail on the advances and accomplishments of these exceptional leaders in their own areas of manufacturing. It is available at the following URL: https://www.sme.org/smemedia/smart-manufacturing-magazine/february-2021/. About SME SME connects manufacturing professionals, academia and communities, sharing knowledge and resources to build inspired, educated and prosperous manufacturers and enterprises. With nearly 90 years of experience and expertise in events, media, membership, training and development, and also through the SME Education Foundation, SME is committed to promoting manufacturing technology, developing a skilled workforce and attracting future generations to advance manufacturing. Learn more at sme.org, follow @SME_MFG on Twitter or facebook.com/SMEmfg. SOURCE SME Related Links http://www.sme.org FinanZero, a Brazilian online credit marketplace, announced today that it has closed a $7 million round of funding -- its fourth since it launched in 2016. It has raised a total of $22.85 million to date. The real-time online loan broker allows people to apply for a personal loan, a car equity loan or a home equity loan for free and receive an answer in minutes. A key to FinanZeros success is that it doesnt offer the loans itself, but has instead partnered with about 51 banks and fintechs who back the loans. FinanZero is based in Brazils financial capital, Sao Paulo, and has 52 employees. From day one we said, We only work with a success fee, so we only get paid when the customer signs the loan contract, said Olle Widen, the companys co-founder and CEO. Instead of charging the customer, FinanZero gets a commission from one of its partners, and with a growing volume of credit applications -- an average of 750,000 applications per month -- the company has seen 61% revenue growth from 2019-2020. Olle Widen, co-founder and CEO of FinanZero. Image Credits: FinanZero The Brazilian finance and banking market has been ripe for disruption, as it has traditionally favored the rich. Those with low incomes -- the vast majority of Brazilian citizens -- are then left with few options when it comes to financing, and which in turn forces them into compounding debt from which theyll likely never escape. Traditionally, young Brazilians have lived with their families until they got married, and while there is a cultural aspect to it, the bottom line is that mortgages were infinitely hard to get approved. With products like FinanZero and Nubank -- Latin Americas largest digital bank -- Brazilians are starting to see more economic mobility and independence from the legacy institutions that dictated their lives for so long. Widen, who is Swedish, moved to Brazil about 10 years ago for personal reasons, and while there, was pitched the idea of FinanZero by Webrock Ventures, an investment company focused on bringing Nordic innovation to Brazil. Story continues At the time, Swedish startup Lendo -- a precursor to FinanZero -- was making waves in Sweden, and the team felt that a similar model would succeed in Brazil, a country known for its bureaucracy and red tape, and thus primed for a streamlined and hassle-free approach to loans. The original idea was to just copy Lendo, Widen said, but as others have discovered, along the way the team needed to tropicalize the product and the experience, meaning they had to build a custom solution for the Brazilian market and its people. The founder of Lendo was a childhood friend of mine, said Widen, of his close ties to the Swedish fintech. To apply for a loan on FinanZero you dont need to provide your credit score. Instead, all you need is a utility bill (proof of address), proof of income and your government ID. The process is so simple, Widen said, that 92% of loan applications are initiated from a smartphone. Our business model is very based on the banks risk appetite and we saw 60% growth from 2019-2020. We are close to 3 million visits per month, about 1.5 are unique and in March of 2021, we had 800,000 people fill out the entire loan form. We have about a 10% approval rating across all products, Widen said. The round was led by the Swedish investors VEF, Dunross & Co, and Atlant Fonder, which are all previous investors in the company. The funding will go toward marketing -- most of which will be on T.V. -- product development, and talent acquisition. Strictly Come Dancing will be back with a bang this winter, with the popular ballroom show believed to be returning for a 13-show run. The famous dancing competition's annual trip to Blackpool is also on the schedule, after being scrapped last year in light of the coronavirus pandemic. BBC bosses are currently in talks with Strictly staff and professional dancers including Katya Jones, 31, ahead of its nineteenth season. Back: Strictly Come Dancing will return this winter for a 13-show run and BBC bosses are currently in talks with staff and professional dancers including Katya Jones, 31 (pictured) A source confirmed to The Sun: 'They're going to put on a full series this year. That means 13 episodes will and all of the themed weeks. 'The pinnacle will be the trip to Blackpool and that's always been the way on Strictly. 'As things stand, the whole show will head to the North West in November. Everyone is really excited.' The BBC declined to comment when approached by MailOnline. Strictly's eighteenth season faced major setbacks and was forced to go ahead with strict social distancing protocols in place. Exciting: The famous dancing competition's annual trip to Blackpool is also on the schedule, after being scrapped last year in light of the coronavirus pandemic This meant the annual Blackpool trip was scrapped, and the competition only ran for nine episodes. However, the BBC succeeded in keeping the show on air despite a handful of COVID-19 outbreaks, with the likes of Katya and her celebrity partner, world champion boxer Nicola Adams, 38, testing positive for the virus and leaving the show early. Popstar HRVY, 22, also tested positive before the show aired, however was able to recover in time to take part. Last month BBC confirmed the 16 dancers who will hit the dance floor this Autumn, with fan favourites such as Anton Du Beke, Johannes Radebe and Dianne Buswell all back. It comes after it was reported that BBC bosses were 'worried' that Oti, 30, would leave the show after landing a new judging job on ITV's The Masked Dancer. But it's now clear that Oti will be back in the ballroom when the new series kicks off in the autumn after being crowned the champion of the 2020 show with Bill Bailey following her 2019 win with Kelvin Fletcher. While Anton, 54, is to continue his reign as Strictly Come Dancing's longest-serving professional dancer by marking his 19th season on the show. Making up the female pros are Oti, Janette Manrara, Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova and Nancy Xu. Here come the girls! Making up the female pros are Amy Dowden, Oti, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova, Dianne Buswell, Janette Manrara, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones and Nancy Xu (pictured L-R in 2020) While Aljaz Skorjanec, Anton Du Beke, Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Johannes Radebe and Neil Jones make up the male pros. Sarah James, Executive Producer of BBC Studios said of the news: 'We are so thrilled to be welcoming back our incredible line-up of professional dancers for 2021. 'Their passion and dedication for Strictly shone through more than ever last year as they all sacrificed so much to deliver an unforgettable series during unprecedented and challenging times. 'With so much talent returning to the ballroom, the 2021 series promises more show-stopping choreography, memorable performances and world class dancing.' Pros: Anton Du Beke, Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Neil Jones, Aljaz Skorjanec, Giovanni Pernice and Johannes Radebe make up the male pros (pictured L-R in 2020) Despite 16 pros being announced for the new series, the 2020 show saw just 12 celebrities take to the dance floor instead of the usual 15. There are normally a number of reserve dancers who perform in the group dances and step in if another pro is unwell or injured. The 2020 series saw Nancy, Nadiya, Graziano and Neil act as reserve dancers, the three latter stars have previously had celebrity partners on the shows while Nancy, who joined in 2019, is yet to have a pairing. Delight: Strictly is said to be 'delighted' Oti has decided to take part in the 2021 series after being 'worried' that she would leave (pictured after win with Bill in December) While reigning double champion Oti was paired with Bill, Janette with HRVY, Amy with JJ Chalmers, Dianne with Max George, Karen with Jamie Laing, Katya with Nicola Adams and Luba with Jason Bell. Aljaz was paired with Clara Amfo on the 2020 series, Anton with Jacqui Smith, Giovanni with Ranvir Singh, Gorka with Maisie Smith and Johannes with Caroline Quentin. No celebrities for the 2021 series have been announced yet although it was recently reported that Stacey Solomon had been approached to join the upcoming show. Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has frowned at the lack of strong political cohesion in the ruling All Progressive Congress,... Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has frowned at the lack of strong political cohesion in the ruling All Progressive Congress, making the party to fail in some areas. He said, APC as a party started as a mixture of various elements who tried to make a compound, but unfortunately the party is still a mixture not graduated to make a compound. Speaking during the partys constitutional Town Hall event for Northwest zone in Kano, Monday, Ganduje said Those who read sciences know that it is easier to removed a mixture but not easy to remove a compound. Governor Ganduje warned that, it is high time we proscribed all Appendixes that come together to formed APC to build a full compound, so that the party will purge together and make the difference regarding the nations democratic political partys needs. The Governor further expressed worries that Nigerian democracy has been relegating party structures to the background and parties are only considered when there are elections. He said, APC as a party had made a lot of mistakes and paid for it, therefore, it is time to look back and review some of the lapses so that the conducts of Governance could be redressed. Governor Ganduje noted that in Kano, his Government was able to put strong party caucuses at State, Local Government and Wards levels and each must meet monthly to pass a resolution for adoption. Meet the perfect pick-me-up treat created by three iconic California companies. Single origin coffee beans from Brazil are roasted to perfection by Peet's, then generously coated in See's signature dark chocolate supplied by Guittard. Full of rich, flavorful crunch, these pair perk-fectly well with See's other java-inspired goodies, like Cafe Latte Lollypops, Cafe Latte Krispys and the Coffee Lovers box! "As part of our Centennial year, we are releasing a new piece each month. When we decided to make chocolate-covered coffee beans, I couldn't think of better partners than our friends at Peet's and Guittard. All three of us have deep roots in the Bay Area and share traditions of creating premium products and taking care of customers. So, developing this together with other California icons that also have a great company culture was a real treat," said Pat Egan, President & CEO of See's Candies. Throw the Chocolate Coffee Beans in your work or gym bag for the perfect afternoon pick-me- up. For the ultimate dessert, top off or mix them in your favorite ice cream, milkshake, or yogurt. If you just want a simple delight, enjoy a few of the Chocolate Coffee Beans with your morning cup of joe. "Coffee and chocolate are one of the greatest duos of all time and they share many parallels in sourcing and production. Our medium roast Brazil, with its identifiable soft nuttiness and satisfying sun-dried sweetness, perfectly complements a coat of See's dark chocolate," said Emily Bollinger, Green Coffee Manager of Peet's Coffee. "We are excited to share a special partnership with See's Candies and Guittard Chocolate Company that celebrates our common heritage in the Bay Area," said Shawn Conway, CEO of Peet's Coffee. The first of its kind collaboration between the local companies takes place as See's Candies commemorates 100 years of business and a 75-year-old relationship with Guittard Chocolate. "Our partnership is grounded in a common goal: a commitment to quality and craft of both chocolate and candy. We're thrilled to work with Peet's Coffee, another long-lasting and innovative Bay Area company, on this product collaboration that highlights our collective dedication to coffee, chocolate and confection," said Gary Guittard, President of Guittard Chocolate. See's Candies Chocolate Coffee Beans are available now for $5.00 in Shops and online, while supplies last. About See's Candies For 100 years, See's Candies has been dedicated to making candy Mary See's way. Only the finest, freshest ingredients are used in making each recipe. American made, famous for deliciousness, with the friendliest customer servicesince 1921. Today, customers can choose from over 100 different candies and chocolates, whether shopping online or visiting one of See's iconic black-and-white checkered shops. Founded and headquartered in sunny California, See's Candies has expanded from one candy shop to over 240 shops across America and a flourishing online store. For more information visit https://www.sees.com/. SOURCE See's Candies Related Links www.sees.com AMHERST Robert S. Feldman says he and his wife would have preferred to remain anonymous, but the advantages of letting people know about their gift outweighed the quality of humility. We were ambivalent about making our names public, but we were encouraged to let other people know this happened. It might serve as an example that would cause others to donate, too, Feldman said after he and his wife, Katherine E. Vorwerk, committed $1.225 million to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The gift will fund a new professorship in psychological and brain sciences, the study of which is more relevant than ever, Feldman said. It involves the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. With the COVID-19 pandemic, people experienced higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression and even suicidal tendencies, said Feldman, a senior advisor to UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. He is also the former deputy chancellor of the university and dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Vorwerk is a retired instructor in the department of psychological and brain sciences. This is a very diverse field. How do we explain our tendencies, and how do we handle and treat them? At its core, we are looking at who we are and for ways we can be better, Feldman said. The professorship will be awarded to an outstanding faculty member who specializes in social psychology, fostering cutting-edge research and supporting an already strong department. This will strengthen an already wonderful faculty. Gifts like this move the university ahead in substantial ways, Feldman said. The multi-year current gift, along with an additional commitment through their estate, will establish the Feldman-Vorwerk Family Professorship. They also took advantage of a 2020 state campaign that allowed them to use matching funds to fully finance the professorship. Attrition and budget cuts have affected the department, but its building back up, said Feldman, who cited Subbaswamys leadership and the desire to give something back to UMass. The chancellor has done amazing things for the university. He was the inspiration for this gift, said Feldman, who described himself as largely retired, though he still talks with the chancellor on a variety of issues. Feldman emphasized his wifes role as an equal partner in what Subbaswamy described as a remarkably generous donation. It is with immense gratitude that I thank Bob and Kathy for their longstanding generosity to UMass Amherst. From their professional lives to their volunteer work, and now with this professorship, they have demonstrated their strong belief in the potential of UMass to continue to grow as a world-class university, Subbaswamy said. Vorwerk served on the board of directors of the Friends of the Fine Arts Center, and is a former member of the Women for UMass Amherst Steering Committee. She was elected to several terms on the Amherst School Committee, where she served as chair, and was a member of the town Finance Committee and Town Meeting. She served as president of the League of Women Voters of Amherst and is currently a volunteer at the Fisher Home Hospice in Amherst. Before joining the central administration, Feldman was a professor in brain and psychological sciences, where he served in a variety of administrative positions and won the College Outstanding Teacher Award. He initiated the Power Up for Success program for first-year students, as well as the Developmental Disabilities and Human Services Specialization Program. Feldman has written more than 250 books, book chapters and scientific articles. More than 2.5 million students worldwide have used his psychology and student success textbooks. He is also a fellow of the American Psychological Association, Association for Psychological Science, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. Gifts such as this one are so important to the future of the college, said Tricia Serio, dean of the College of Natural Sciences. By endowing a professorship, these two devoted members of the UMass community are helping to ensure that we continue the tradition of excellence in the department by attracting and retaining the highest quality faculty. Group Corp. led an investment of $1.15 billion in genetic-testing company Invitae Corp. to help expand the use of its platform. The funding will be in the form of convertible debt, Invitae said in a statement Monday. The convertible senior notes due in 2028 will have an initial conversion price of $43.18 per share, a 20% premium to the companys trailing volume-weighted five-day average price as of April 1, according to the company. San Francisco-based Invitaes shares have tripled in the past 12 months and closed Thursday at $39.19 in U.S. trading, pushing its market valuation to $7.7 billion. The stock jumped 5.4% Monday morning in New York. With the support of our long-term shareholders, were creating the platform to support the routine use of genetics in mainstream medicine to result in better healthcare for everyone, said Sean George, co-founder and chief executive officer. founder Masayoshi Son has been expanding his in publicly traded in recent months, including in Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc. Bloomberg News reported in February that the Japanese-based company planned to spend billions of dollars investing in the biotech and health-care sector. The Invitae investment was made through SoftBanks asset management group, SB Management, which earlier this year also took a stake of about 6% in Pacific Biosciences of California Inc., a DNA-sequencing company. As of Dec. 31, SoftBanks public holdings also included 4D Molecular Therapeutics Inc. and AbCellera Biologics Inc. Son had previously set up a $100 billion Vision Fund to invest in private startups, making bets on such as Didi Chuxing and DoorDash Inc. While SB Northstar was forced to wind down controversial derivative positions in big tech after a backlash from investors, it has taken equity stakes in a variety of other businesses. It recently invested in Norway-based education software provider Kahoot! AS, and bought one-tenth of Swedish cloud-based platform provider Sinch AB. Widely followed investor Catherine Wood is the biggest holder of Invitae shares through her exchange-traded fund Ark Innovation ETF, which owns about 14%, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Wood told CNBC earlier this month that Invitae is one of the funds most under appreciated holdings. Invitae offers genetic testing for a range of diseases, including hereditary cancer, cardiology, neurology, pediatric genetics, as well as reproductive health in the U.S. and abroad. Invitae also announced Monday that it is buying Genosity Inc., a company that offers software and laboratory solutions, for $200 million. J. Wood Capital Advisors LLC and Perella Weinberg Partners LP acted as and J.P. Morgan acted as placement agent to Invitae on the transaction. Indian man among six new imported Covid-19 patients in Vietnam Five Vietnamese people and an Indian man who recently arrived in Vietnam have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, raising the total number of patients in the country to 2,637, the Ministry of Health reported on Monday evening. Illustrative photo According to the ministry's report, five Vietnamese new patients including three men and two women aged between 21-34 recently returned from Japan and Angola to Quang Ninh and Danang. They were sent to quarantine upon arrival and are now being treated at hospitals in Hanoi, Danang, and Quang Nam Province. The 40-year-old Indian man landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City on April 1 and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on April 3. He is now being treated at the Cu Chi Fields Hospital for Covid-19 patients. With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 2,637, including 910 locally-transmitted cases reported since the new outbreak started in Hai Duong on January 28. As of 6 pm on April 5, a total of 2,416 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, over 27,000 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. KYODO NEWS - Apr 5, 2021 - 20:21 | World, All The Philippines on Monday warned China that it would file more diplomatic protests for every delay in the withdrawal of its vessels from a disputed reef in the South China Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, demanded that China should immediately withdraw the fishing vessels and maritime assets from the area of Whitsun Reef, known in the Philippines as Julian Felipe Reef, and also rejected China's description of the area as its "traditional fishing grounds." "Julian Felipe Reef is part of the Kalayaan Island Group and lies in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of the Philippines," the department said, while pointing out the land feature's geographical proximity to the country. It said the current situation should be handled in accordance with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and a 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidated China's historical claim over much of the South China Sea. The court "further ruled that UNCLOS superseded any historic rights, or other sovereign rights or jurisdiction in excess of the limits imposed therein," it noted. China continues to disregard the ruling issued in The Hague and did not participate in the arbitration proceedings. On Saturday, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that there were still 44 Chinese vessels at the disputed reef, down from several hundred, as assessed by maritime and aerial surveillance." "The Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian has a lot of explaining to do...I am no fool. The weather has been good so far, so they have no reason to stay there," Lorenzana said in a statement. China had said rough sea conditions caused the vessels to be moored in the vicinity of the reef, which it calls Niu'e Jiao and insists are part of the Spratly Islands which it claims. The Chinese Embassy responded to Lorenzana's remarks later Saturday by saying Philippine authorities should "avoid any unprofessional remarks which may further fan irrational emotions." "The Chinese fishermen have been fishing in the waters for their livelihood every year. It is completely normal for Chinese fishing vessels to fish in the waters and take shelter near the reef during rough sea conditions. Nobody has the right to make wanton remarks on such activities," it said. On Sunday, Lorenzana fired back by demanding that China "refrain from conducting activities that disturb regional and international peace and security." "The continued presence of Chinese maritime militias in the area reveals their intent to further occupy features in the West Philippine Sea," he said, using a local name for the South China Sea waters within the country's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. He said China had used similar tactics before to occupy Scarborough Shoal and Mischief Reef, "brazenly violating Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights under international law." Also Sunday, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said he was "considering a demarche" or a political step, despite his initial diplomatic protest filed last March 21. Meanwhile, the United States, Japan, Australia, Britain and Canada have joined in criticizing China's continuing encroachments in the South China Sea. Related coverage: Japan signs deal to export defense equipment to Indonesia China could step up armament, provocations near Senkakus: Japan Over 200 Chinese boats massed in disputed S. China Sea: Philippines Chile closed all its borders for the month of April, Bolivia shuttered its frontier with Brazil and Peru went into Easter lockdown Thursday as South America moved to brake a quickening coronavirus pandemic. Chile's government said it would batten down the hatches starting next Monday while it seeks to speed up its vaccination campaign. The measure came as Chile recorded its highest daily infection rate, 7,830, since the pandemic began. The country passed the mark of a million reported infections (1,003,406 in total), with 23,328 deaths recorded since March last year. The country's intensive care units are 95 percent full, and government spokesman Jaime Bellolio said Thursday: "We urgently need to make an additional effort, because we are in a very critical moment of the pandemic." Neighboring Peru, for its part, entered a four-day national lockdown for the Easter weekend. The streets of Lima were quiet with little other than food shops and pharmacies open, while restaurants were limited to take-aways and home deliveries. Peruvians have lived under a daily curfew for the last 13 months, along with a ban on public gatherings, though this has not stopped politicians from amassing supporters for campaign events ahead of April 11 presidential elections. Peru's average daily infection rate last week exceeded 9,000, with about 200 fatalities every 24 hours for a total of more than 52,000 deaths to date. The country has a ban in place until April 15 on all flights from Brazil, Britain or South Africa to try and prevent virus variants from these countries entering its territory. Bolivia said Thursday it would close its border with Brazil for at least a week from Friday, and place under lockdown border towns where the Brazil virus variant had been identified. Bolivia has reported 12,257 coronavirus deaths out of more than 272,000 recorded infections in a population of 11.5 million, and hopes to vaccinate its adult population by September. In terms of vaccination, Chile is one of the best-performing countries in the world with seven million of its 19 million population having received at least one shot, and 24 percent of the population with the two doses required for immunity. In Peru, with a population of 33 million, some 570,000 people have received a shot. South America has been hard hit by a new pandemic wave with Brazil at its epicenter. The country of 212 million people has seen the virus kill more than 66,000 people in March alone, for a total of over 320,000. An illustration of Aquilolamna milarcae, or the eagle shark. OSCAR SANISIDRO / AFP Ninety-three million years ago a creature that would be quite unimaginable today roamed the oceans of North America. When taking a first look at this specimen, you realize that you are witnessing something extraordinary and completely new, says Romain Vullo of Geosciences Rennes, a research team set up by the University of Rennes and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and which is leading studies on the first and only example of Aquilolamna milarcae. The common name for the species is eagle shark, given on account of its two huge pectoral fins, which are similar to those of a manta ray. The fossil was discovered in 2012 in Vallecillo, a small municipality in Mexicos Nuevo Leon state, but it wasnt until March 19 that it was documented in Science magazine. When taking a first look at this specimen, you realize that you are witnessing something extraordinary and completely new Romain Vullo, researcher from Geosciences Rennes Its dimensions are unique and provide us with a lot of information about the ancient morphological diversity of sharks, says Vullo. Aquilolamna milarcae was wider than it was long, measuring 1.9 meters from the tip of each wing-like fin and 1.6 meters from nose to tail. Its fossil has been dated to sometime in the mid-Cretaceous, the geological period spanning 145 million to 66 million years ago. Its a little older than a Tyrannosaurus rex, Vullo adds. Reconstructions based on the fossilized remains have brought to light some of the characteristics these animals displayed in life. Aquilolamna milarcae had ray-like wings but did not use them in the same way: mantas move theirs in an oscillatory, vertical motion. The eagle sharks fins were practically immobile and used in much the same way as a modern paraglider, to help the creature to maintain its balance. It traveled through the water like a small subaquatic airplane, guided along gently by its tail fin. Vullo, who specializes in vertebrate paleontology and Cretaceous life and has been fascinated by sharks since childhood, laughs as he explains that the most threatening thing about the eagle shark is probably its name. Its ponderous movement, flat head and small teeth indicate it was no prehistoric predator. The research team believes it was in all likelihood planktivorous. The Aquilolamna milarcae fossil discovered in Vallecillo, Mexico. WOLFGANG STINNESBECK / AFP The discovery is all the more exceptional, explains Vullo, because in shark paleontology, the most common thing is to find teeth and not skeletons, the cartilaginous composition of which make them less equipped for surviving the passage of millions of years. However, in the case of Aquilolamna milarcae, the opposite is true. Its bone structure is well-preserved but there are no teeth remaining in its mouth. This has posed the most difficult aspect of the investigation because teeth are the key to determining with the greatest level of certainty how an animal fed and how to classify it in comparison with other sharks. Other mysteries that remain to be solved are whether Aquilolamna milarcae had dorsal or pelvic fins, which were not identified when the fossil was uncovered. To get an idea of the eagle sharks habitat it is necessary to consider what the world was like during the mid-Cretaceous. Ninety million years ago, the water level of the worlds seas was considerably higher than today due to greater humidity and a lack of ice in the polar regions, Vullo explains. The oceans were between 150 and 200 meters higher than they are now and North America was divided into two islands, separated by a huge channel running from the Arctic Ocean through the middle of modern Canada down to the conjunction of the North Atlantic and Pacific in the Gulf of Mexico. The western chunk of the continent was delimited by the Rocky Mountains and the eastern portion by the Appalachians. Its ponderous movement, flat head and small teeth indicate the eagle shark was no prehistoric predator Vallecillo, which today is situated on an expanse of semi-arid land in northeastern Mexico, was once a coastal plain that eventually became a deposit for a preserved oceanic ecosystem. Although it was a good distance from the shoreline Mexico had during the Cretaceous period and the eagle shark probably spent most of its time in the ocean depths, it may have occasionally swum closer to the reefs abutting the coast. There was a very rich ecosystem in the Proto-Gulf of Mexico, says Vullo. When animals died, their corpses sank to the ocean floor, where conditions were favorable for the preservation of their skeletons in the absence of scavengers and strong currents. It was a pretty quiet ocean floor with very little activity and the sediment was very fine, adds the paleontologist. Therein lies the secret that has seen Vallecillo gain international fame as an exceptional site. It was in the same area that a Mauriciosaurus Fernandezi fossil was discovered in 2011, a marine reptile that was named in honor of Mauricio Fernandez, a millionaire businessman and local politician who is seeking a fourth term as the mayor of San Pedro Garza Garcia, the wealthiest municipality in Nuevo Leon and in Mexico. I never hoped to find such a crazy and incredible species, Vullo admits, adding that he believes there will be many more finds in Vallecillo. We have to wait and keep our fingers crossed. In the meantime, the research team is trying to determine if teeth they have found in the vicinity belong to Aquilolamna milarcae and, if they are lucky, they hope to uncover another specimen that will help them to further understand the characteristics of the enigmatic eagle shark. English version by Rob Train. Mumbai: The Bombay High Court will give its verdict on the former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh and other petitions related to his case on Monday (April 5). Param Bir Singh has demanded a CBI inquiry into his transfer, alleging that he was transferred as Commandant General of Home Guards on March 17 after exposing the alleged corrupt activities of Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. What was in Param Bir Singhs letter addressed to CM Uddhav Thackeray? The former Mumbai Police Commissioner in his letter addressed to CM Uddhav Thackeray had alleged that Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was involved in various illegal activities. According to the letter, Anil Deshmukh has allegedly approached a junior officer Sachin Vaze to collect over Rs 100 crore every month from Mumbais bars, restaurants, hotels and other establishments. Why didnt Param Bir Singh register an FIR against the state Home Minister? During the hearing, the former police commissioner was asked by the Bombay High Court, why did he not register an FIR against the alleged corruption of the state home minister Anil Deshmukh before bringing the case to court? Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta further pointed out that the former top cop did not register a FIR in the case which suggests that he did not do his job correctly. The Chief Justice also asked Param Bir Singh, how writing a letter to the Chief Minister would have helped the case? Earlier, the ex-top cop's letter created a political ruckus in Maharashtra. With many standing against Param Bir Singhs letter and defending Anil Deshmukh, while others stood against Deshmukh and demanded a probe in the case. Following this Maharashtra Home Minister also requested CM Uddhav Thackeray to allow a probe in the case, so that truth will come out. "In the last Cabinet meeting, I had asked the chief minister to investigate the allegations levelled against me by the former Mumbai Police commissioner. He has agreed to it and the probe will be done by a retired high court judge. The truth in the entire matter will come before the people," Deshmukh said at Nagpur airport. However, the deputy CM, in support of the Maharashtra Home Minister, accused Singh of lying, making the false accusations as part of a conspiracy hatched to discredit Deshmukh and the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Many alleged that the former top cop was making such allegations as an attempt to save himself from any action in the SUV case and the case related to the death of Mansukh Hiren. Live TV Adhir Ranjan calculated move, however, has raised eyebrows of the Left and ISF which see the Trinamul and the BJP as common enemies in the poll battle. (Photo: PTI) Berhampore: In a dramatic twist, the Congress has indicated that it would look into offering support to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to tackle the BJP but only if she withdrew all 22 Trinamul Congress candidates in Murshidabad as a "favour". The Congress is fighting the West Bengal Assembly elections in alliance with the Left Front and the Indian Secular Front of Furfura cleric Peerzada Abbas Siddiqui. WB Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, MP from Berhampore, who has been a key face in forming the alliance, Sanjukta Morcha, made the conditional offer on Sunday to the TMC chief in wake of her open letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and many others for support. His calculated move, however, has raised eyebrows of the Left and ISF which see the Trinamul and the BJP as common enemies in the poll battle. At Berhampore, Chowdhury said, "Ms Banerjee has been scared of her defeat in Nandigram. That is why she wrote to Ms Gandhi to get the support of Congress to combat the communal BJP here. But I request the CM: You first withdraw all the 22 TMC candidates in this district in favour of Congress. Then we will think about supporting you." He added, "Ms Banerjee, who has realised of her failure to fight the BJP alone, back-stabbed our party earlier by poaching many of our MLAs and taking control of municipalities and Panchayat bodies, which were won by us, with the help of her former protege Shuvendu Adhikari." 'I was 18 months older but my cheeky little sister was the leader,' says Esther, who is now 31. 'She was confident and fiercely intelligent, with a smile that lit up a room'. Esther is pictured left while Rebecca is pictured right As children, Esther and Rebecca Marshall were often mistaken for twins. 'I was 18 months older but my cheeky little sister was the leader,' says Esther, who is now 31. 'She was confident and fiercely intelligent, with a smile that lit up a room.' Their parents, both busy London GPs, also worked in hospital outpatient clinics, so the two girls and their sister Sara, who is five years younger than Esther, would often go there after school, chatting to staff while they waited for their parents to finish their shifts. 'There was no question that Rebecca would follow them into medicine,' says Esther. 'She had an amazing brain she could memorise whole textbooks combined with a deep desire to help people.' But the perfectionism, drive and compassion that marked Rebecca out as a gifted medical student were the very traits that would send her mental health spiralling. In February last year, Rebecca, who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder eight months before, took her own life at the age of 28. She thought she would never be able to follow her dream of being a doctor and could see no other future for herself, her sister says. Bipolar disorder affects about 1.3 million people in the UK. Once called manic depression, it is characterised by mood swings, from manic highs to suicidal lows, with each cycle typically lasting several weeks. It is thought people are born with a genetic predisposition towards bipolar, but lifestyle factors such as stress and poor sleep play a part. As sufferers all experience it differently, it is very difficult to recognise and treat. The charity Bipolar UK estimates that, on average, those affected wait eight years for a diagnosis. Rebecca's symptoms began in 2010 in her first year at medical school, but it was eight years and a series of depressive and manic episodes before the condition was diagnosed. Whether Rebecca would still be alive if her bipolar had been recognised earlier is impossible to know. While Esther studied geography at the University of Leeds and then pursued a corporate career, Rebecca began her medical training at University College Hospital in London. They are pictured above together as children 'That's something that keeps me awake at night,' says Esther, 'because I will forever feel responsible. I was her big sister. I'd kept her alive all those years she was ill why couldn't I stop her killing herself?' Grief counselling has helped, she says, 'as has talking to hospital consultants and to other people with bipolar, who have assured me that as soon as Rebecca made the decision to end her life, there was nothing anyone could have done'. Esther believes the signs Rebecca was struggling were there while she was still at school. At 16, she passed her GCSEs with top marks but Esther noticed she had started to withdraw and was losing some of her natural spark. 'She was at a highly pressurised private school and felt a constant drive to achieve,' says Esther. 'She worked herself into a frenzy, never believing she was good enough.' While Esther studied geography at the University of Leeds and then pursued a corporate career, Rebecca began her medical training at University College Hospital in London. 'That was when things really started to unravel,' says Esther. 'She became extremely fastidious about what she ate; and she began to self-harm. The first time I saw what she'd done, I was so horrified by the sight of it that I threw up. 'I felt so helpless. I remember sitting with her and asking: 'Do you think going into medicine is the best thing for you?' I thought she might be worried that if she quit, she would feel she'd let everyone down. She seemed utterly lost.' The perfectionism, drive and compassion that marked Rebecca out as a gifted medical student were the very traits that would send her mental health spiralling Esther persuaded Rebecca to talk to her GP, who prescribed the antidepressant sertraline, and to their parents, who were desperately sad and worried. 'I felt I was the mediator,' says Esther, 'constantly trying to understand what she was feeling and how we could help.' In the summer of 2017, Rebecca qualified as a doctor. But she found the following three months working in A&E difficult to cope with. 'It's a place where, as hard as she tried to save people, they still died,' says Esther. 'If you have a predisposition to mental illness, anxiety around making the right call, and the guilt and stress when you feel you haven't got it right, can send you spiralling.' That November, Rebecca was at a conference when she began to behave in a way that alarmed her friends, all fellow doctors. 'She was talking very fast and not making sense,' says Esther. Realising things weren't right, her friends took her home. With their parents away in New Zealand, it fell to Esther to look after her sister. She managed to coax Rebecca to go to a nearby hospital but as it was a Sunday, there was no psychiatrist on duty and they were sent home. 'There were moments of complete lucidity when she'd say, 'Esther, I know what's happening. I'm having a psychotic episode; these are the drugs I need . . .' ,' recalls Esther. 'The next moment she had no idea who I was and she'd be reciting a 30-page medical paper word for word. It was terrifying and terrorising. I've never felt so out of my depth in my life.' Psychosis is where you believe things are happening that aren't real, and see and hear things that aren't there. It is initially treated with anti-psychotic drugs, but it would be five days before a bed on a psychiatric ward became available for Rebecca. 'She was awake for five days and nights,' says Esther. 'She paced the flat, regurgitating medical jargon, while I hounded local hospitals to find her a bed and crisis teams called me to tell me what I had to do to keep her safe. 'The only thing that seemed to help was playing classical music. For short periods she would sit in a corner, rocking to and fro, making the most painful, piercing screams I've ever heard.' In hospital, Rebecca was given various drugs to help her sleep. 'They stopped the psychosis but, depending on the drug she'd been given and the dose, I might get a very emotional sister when I visited, or someone who was incredibly angry,' says Esther. 'Then she'd shout: 'Why have you come? Leave me alone!' I'd sit outside and cry my eyes out.' After a month, Rebecca was well enough to move back in with her parents. 'We learnt very quickly during that year to recognise the signs of anxiety and sleeplessness which were often the triggers for mania,' says Esther. 'Rebecca hated the anti-psychotic medication because it made her put on weight, so she'd secretly stop taking it, then spiral again.' The birth of Esther's baby boy with husband Adam in August 2018 was a high point in a year of almost unremitting worry. 'The depressive periods were hard,' says Esther. 'Rebecca would become extremely self-deprecating. She'd mention suicide. She would stop seeing friends and stop drawing and painting, which she had found very therapeutic.' Rebecca was there on the day Asher was born and loved to be with him. But over the next 18 months, she was in and out of hospital. She was diagnosed with depression, then anxiety, then psychotic depression depression with episodes of psychosis. 'It wasn't until a wonderful consultant said 'I need to look at you in a holistic way' that she was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder,' says Esther. Rebecca was prescribed an anti-psychotic drug and lithium, a mood stabiliser. Guy Goodwin, an emeritus professor of psychiatry at Oxford University, explains why bipolar is so often not recognised earlier. 'It tends to begin in young people at a time when there is an awful lot going on in their lives,' he says. 'It may co-exist with eating disorders or alcohol abuse or self-harm, so a complex, fraught picture can develop which masks what is really going on. Since it usually starts as depression, true bipolarity only emerges later when the patient experiences mood elevation. 'Added to that, we have a system that isn't well-adapted to recognising bipolar disorder. It is given no priority in early intervention and there are few NHS services specialised in its treatment. 'When young people with severe illness are treated for a manic episode, they often recover well initially but don't get adequate care after discharge from hospital, even though it takes them a long time to recover fully. 'Sufferers have to learn to live within their emotional means.' This takes knowledge and experience ('psychoeducation'), which good services may provide. It also means regular habits of sleep and exercise and avoiding stressors such as irregular working hours. And it often also requires long-term use of medication, Professor Goodwin says. 'The objective is to prevent relapse either to depression or mania, which is common and disruptive to relationships and occupational success.' Although most people with bipolar do eventually learn to manage their condition, it is known to increase the risk of suicide substantially, particularly in the first ten years after diagnosis. On a new combination of drugs, Rebecca's condition seemed to stabilise; by January last year she had been well for eight months and was working at a GP practice, in an admin role where she could use her medical knowledge. 'She was seeing friends and joining family dinners,' says Esther. 'And she'd come over to see me and Asher most days. I felt things were looking up.' But on January 27, a day when she knew both her parents had evening surgeries, Rebecca stripped the sheets from her bed and the pictures from the walls in her room, then left the house with the things she needed to end her life. Esther had just put Asher to bed when her mum called to say Rebecca was missing. 'I was sure she wanted to be found,' says Esther, 'so when the police knocked on the door, I wasn't expecting them to tell us they had discovered her body. 'I remember standing up and screaming, then ringing Adam to say: 'She's actually done it.' I would have cared for my wonderful sister for the rest of her life but that isn't what she wanted.' On the day Rebecca died, Esther composed an email to friends. 'It was one of the hardest things I have ever done and I cried and cried,' she says. 'But as soon as I hit 'send', the sky went dark and a rainbow came out. When I looked out on this beautiful sight, I thought: she's telling us that after all she has suffered, she's safe.' Studies of suicide among doctors suggest that female doctors are up to four times more likely to take their own lives. Dame Clare Gerada, a GP and medical director of the NHS Practitioner Health programme, which provides confidential advice for doctors and dentists, chairs the charity Doctors in Distress set up after cardiologist Jagdip Sidhu took his own life in 2018. 'I run a group for families of doctors who killed themselves one of the universal factors is shame,' she says. 'There is an unwritten rule that doctors don't get sick. Admitting you have a serious mental illness is still taboo.' Dame Clare explains that the very personality traits that predict whether people will make good doctors including competitiveness, perfectionism and drive can act against them. 'They blame themselves for not being able to deliver the care required by their patients, and feel guilty for events beyond their control,' she says. Soon after Rebecca's death, Esther decided to leave her high-powered corporate job (improving diversity at a multinational company) to focus on the series of books for children that the two sisters had discussed writing and illustrating when Rebecca was ill. 'We couldn't find books for Asher that promoted good mental health and diversity, so we decided we'd write some together,' she says. The Sophie Says series, in which a young girl explores her feelings, are a way for Esther to continue her sister's legacy. Last year, Esther was invited to Buckingham Palace to speak to Meghan and Harry about her work. She has also won several awards. Last week, Bipolar UK launched a commission on the problems around recognition, diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder, in hope that it can focus the minds of policymakers at a time when there are promises to increase the mental health budget. The loss of Rebecca remains intensely raw for Esther, her parents and her youngest sister. In the books the two elder sisters dreamed up together, rainbows feature on every page. 'Rebecca is also in every NHS rainbow in every window,' Esther says. 'And in the middle of the night when I can't sleep, she is by my side, telling me everything is going to be OK.' Esther Marshall is a mental health activist and the author of the Sophie Says children's books (5.99, from sophiesaysofficial.com or amazon.co.uk). For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org LG has officially announced that it would bid creating future smartphones farewell after the initial rumors and speculations that the company would soon cease production of handheld devices. Initially, LG was alongside Apple, Sony, and Samsung in the early iterations of the smartphone industry that broke ground for the different technology available today. LG Confirms Smartphone Business Shut Down In the recent press release of the South Korean tech giant, LG is discontinuing and closing down its smartphone production division, along with the lined-up devices that would have released this 2021. The main device that would have been releasing this year, the LG Rollable, would not be seen by the public despite the positive reception during CES 2021. The South Korean consumer electronics company said that this is a "strategic exit" for the company, which would lead them to focus on its other products such as electric vehicle components, smart home solutions, and the like. Over the past years, this setup has been apparent among LG's lineup. The company's smartphone products have declined in the market. Instead of a bitter farewell, LG said that it would be fruitful and beneficial for the company, especially as it could help distribute the company's resources to products that they thrive on and are known for. LG is known mostly for their Smart Home solutions such as smart TVs, Purifiers, Robot Assistants, Airconditioning, Artificial Intelligence, and the like. Read Also: Sony a7iii vs. a7R IV: Which is the Best Mirrorless, Full-Frame Digital Camera? LG's New Focus: 6G Technology, Other Products LG was known to be the United States' "Most Green Eco-Friendly" company, and the recent news of the company's farewell to the smartphone industry would leave a huge dent in the market. Initially, the company has been declining in the smartphone business and has planned to pull out today, Apr. 5, which the company did. With its farewell to the smartphone industry, LG is looking forward to providing technology and innovations to different aspects of the consumer electronics world, which revolves on a lot of aspects other than phones. LG has divulged that it would now be looking into the next-generation cellular phone connection called the "6G" to be the evolved version of 5G. LG's Future in the Consumer Electronics Industry The announcement from LG is ambitious and was already looking ahead, where the world will transition to the next-generation cellular network, despite the present only on the verge of transitioning from 4G to 5G. The South Korean would also focus on other of its strengths like smart home integration, along with helping Tesla with its electric vehicle needs, particularly its power cells. Related Article: LG Closes Smartphone Products: US Most 'Green' Eco-Friendly Company Now Out of Phone Business This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Joseph Balmes, Woods legal guardian who has known her since he was 2, said she was hospitalized in January because of a severe case of COVID-19. She is currently in a rehabilitation facility, but plans to return to her Lake Bluff home, he said. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could become the next couple to join the ranks of other celebrities to open their own winery in Santa Barbara, as they settle into their new lives away from the royal family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to the premier Southern California wine-making region last year and after landing multi-million dollar megadeals with Netflix and Spotify locals say this could be their next great venture. Speaking from their $14.5million mansion earlier this month, the pair revealed they were eager to 'live authentically' and get back 'down to basics' at their home. Locals and winemakers in and around the couple's new hometown believe Montecito could be the best place for Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, to launch their own Brangelina-style wine label. Harry and Meghan have been busy starting new business ventures after leaving the royal family last year. Neighbors tell DailyMail.com the two should dip their toes in the Southern California winery business next The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to the premier Southern California winemaking region last year after stepping down from their royal duties. Pictured above is Meghan and Harry's $14.5million Montecito mansion Insiders say the move would make a lot of sense if they were to add a winery to their $14million mansion. The idea could especially pique the interest of Meghan, who is also known to be a huge wine fan and named her now-defunct lifestyle blog The Tig after her favorite red wine. The couple even served a Californian red wine Domaine Eden pinot noir - at their May 2018 wedding in Windsor Castle. And there is already a growing trend for top tier Hollywood celebrities to get involved in the wine industry. Sarah Jessica Parker, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Jon Bon Jovi have all done well in the wine industry as well as Brad and Angelina. Local resident Penny Bianchi, who lives next door to Harry and Meghan interviewer and friend, Oprah Winfrey, said: 'Investing in wine is pretty common in Montecito. 'I've got a bunch of friends who have wineries, I even know a couple of people who have vineyards on their own properties. 'It seems to be a very popular thing to do around here so I wouldn't be surprised if Harry and Meghan did the same. David DeLaski (pictured) who runs Solminer winery in Santa Barbara County with wife Anna (left) after they moved up from Los Angeles, tell DailyMail.com they believe Harry and Meghan would be welcomed with open arms by the wine industry there Santa Barbara County is home to more than 275 wineries (stock image) and its bustling wine scene were famously portrayed in Oscar-winning movie Sideways in 2004 Award-winning Santa Barbara winemaker Greg Martellotto (left) who runs Martellotto Winery in Buellton, said the project could be a great transition from their ambassadorship from the Queen. According to DeLaski (right) starting up could cost up to $10million - but that shouldn't be a problem for Harry and Meghan 'Montecito has so many great things to speak of and the wine industry is one of them. 'It would be really interesting and cool if they started a wine label of their own.' Santa Barbara County is home to more than 275 wineries and its bustling wine scene were famously portrayed in Oscar-winning movie Sideways in 2004. The region's wine industry is estimated to have an annual economic impact of $1.7billion and employs almost 10,000 people, according to the Santa Barbara Vintners website. Much of its success is due to its location among East to West-oriented mountains, which create perfect conditions for cool climate wines such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Award-winning Santa Barbara winemaker Greg Martellotto, who runs Martellotto Winery in Buellton and is a member of the Santa Barbara Vintners Association, told DailyMail.com: 'I think it would be fantastic if Harry and Meghan get involved with our industry. 'It would be confirmation of what wine insiders already know. 'They are global people with name recognition around the world who could go anywhere but they came to Santa Barbara and I think that in and of itself says a lot. Harry and Meghan could potentially follow in Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's footsteps in launching their own wine label. The former Hollywood couple create their own rose wine, Miraval, Cote de Provence (right) displayed in Paris, in 2013 Meghan and Harry opened up on their lives after leaving the royal family for the first time earlier this month, expressed their desire to live more 'authentically' 'It would be great for them to transition their ambassadorship from the Queen to the Santa Barbara wine region. 'Santa Barbara is like Napa 20 or 25 years ago. 'It's clear that we are producing world class wines and there's great opportunity here because Napa is outrageously priced and there is definitely land available in Santa Barbara. 'It's exciting and for me as a producer, when we get people from other regions coming in it reinforces what we know there's an exciting future for wine in Santa Barbara. 'Harry and Meghan are following a long line of British expats who moved to Santa Barbara, including John Cleese and (Depeche Mode musician) Martin Gore. 'It's the latest chapter of the British Invasion to California.' David DeLaski, who runs Solminer winery in Santa Barbara County with wife Anna after they moved up from Los Angeles, also believes Harry and Meghan would be welcomed with open arms by the wine industry there. DeLaski said: 'Santa Barbara offers a lot to winemakers, they call it the American Riviera. It's a magical place. During their bombshell interview with Oprah on CBS, Meghan and Harry showed off the hens they rescued from a factory farm while giving a rare glimpse of their $14.5 million mansion in Montecito. Sources told DailyMail.com the idea to keep chickens could have come from Oprah herself Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shared candid footage of Archie playing on a beach during their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this month 'It has amazing climate and it is just a beautiful place to grow grapes. 'Every varietal does well, the weather is great but is also nice and cool by Southern California standards. 'It's an up and coming world class wine region where you can find affordable property, although it is coming up in price because of the increase in demand. Penny Bianchi, who lives next door to Harry and Meghan interviewer and friend, Oprah Winfrey, said she wouldn't be surprised if the couple were inspired to invest in winemaking 'There's a lot of celebrities buying up property in this area as it's just two hours away from LA. 'People are starting to understand that there are some pretty special wines coming from this place. 'You can get set up to produce wine very easily if you have the means. 'Lots of people have success in other businesses and decide they want to come and spend money in wine country on a new venture. 'You just need $10million and you're good to go, which I guess for Harry and Meghan is no problem. 'If money is no object there are definitely people here in the community that will help you to spend it on creating a really beautiful wine facility. 'There's a lot of infrastructure and talented people to hire, it's a whole industry. 'It's a lifestyle choice celebrities like Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas and P!nk own wineries in the area. 'P!nk is our neighbor, her kids go to our school. She's great, just a very down to earth person. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were seen dressed down as they made their first outing as non-Royals in their adopted new home state of California in April 2020 'It's a very supportive winemaking community here, we're artisan winemakers so we are not as much in competition with each other and more with big industrial winemaking brands. 'We're trying to work together to show people something special which they can't find at a grocery store. 'I think Harry and Meghan would fit into the winemaking community here.' Meghan spoke of the enormous impact that wine had on her life on her blog The Tig. Telling the story of the first time she tasted Tignanello, she wrote: 'So there I am, with very minimal wine knowledge and I take a sip of this wine. 'It wasn't just red or white suddenly I understood what people meant by the body, legs, structure of wine. It was an ah-ha moment at its finest. 'For me, it became a 'Tig' moment a moment of getting it. 'From that point on, any new awareness, any new discovery or 'ohhhhh, I get it!' moment was a 'Tig' moment.' The water impact tests of the Orion are part of the formal qualification program to fulfill the structural design and requirement verification before Artemis II , NASAs first mission with crew aboard Orion. This series of drop tests began March 23 when it was done from the height of 18 inches (46 cm) at the impact basin at NASA Langley.The drop test is essential to ensure the safety of the occupants inside the capsule when it lands on water. The data will help engineers better understand what Orion and its crew may experience when landing in the Pacific Ocean after the Artemis missions to the Moon.Data from the water impact tests are part of the formal qualification test program to fulfill the structural design and requirement verification before Artemis II, NASAs first Artemis mission with the crew, NASA wrote. Information will help feed final computer models for loads and structures prior to the Artemis II flight test. The current tests use a new configuration of the crew module that represents the spacecraft's final design.In preparation for the procedure, high-speed cameras have been set up to capture the space capsule falling into the Hydro impact basin. They enable NASA researchers to measure the angle and plunge depth of the Orion as it hits the water, learn what events may endanger a crew and develop equipment to prevent or mitigate such events. The current test series builds on previous tests and uses a configuration of the crew module based on the spacecraft's final design.The experiment will air live on NASA Television , the NASA app, the NASA Youtube channel and the agencys website. The event will be live-streamed on multiple agency social media platforms, including the Facebook channels for Orion and Langley. By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans. New York became the fifteenth state to join the pot party when governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on March 31. As The City explains: The historic law, the culmination of drawn-out, fierce negotiations in Albany, will allow people to possess up to three ounces of pot and grow a limited amount of cannabis at home. The measure also will expunge the convictions of people whose offenses wouldnt have been crimes under the new law. But the laws centerpiece is a set of social equity provisions that should pour 40% of tax revenues from legal weed sales into communities long-devastated by over-policing and offer marijuana business opportunities to traditionally underrepresented groups. New Yorks legalization applies to adults only, and anyone under the age of 21 is still prohibited from partaking of the evil weed. So, while you can now legally smoke pot in NY state, you cannot yet legally buy it. Hows that? Well, as New York magazine explains, thats because its not yet legal to sell cannabis in the state. The WSJ reports that its expected that retail sales wont begin until 2022, as state officials need time to formulate regulations covering legal sales. Cuomo first proposed legalizing marijuana in 2018, but previous efforts were derailed, in part over disagreements on how tax revenues should be spent. Cuomo embraced sin taxes in his latest state budget proposal, to offset COVID-related costs, and made a renewed bid for legalization, as I wrote in January (see Cuomo Embraces New Sin Taxes to Replace Some COVID-19 Fiscal Shortfalls; Full Legalization of On-Line Betting and Adult Cannabis Use to Feature in 2021 State of the State Proposals.) Another factor behind the move was the successful November 2000 referendum to legalize marijuana in New Jersey. Once that particular cat was out of the bag, New York would have found it difficult to enforce p anti-marijuana laws, as New Yorkers could score a stash by crossing the border. This was a reversal of the longstanding NY/Nj divergence on the minimum drinking age. I checked my facts with my 86-year mother, who recalled that she and her classmates at her NJ high school crossed the border to NY on her prom night, so they could drink legally. By the time I turned eighteen, NJ had dropped its legal drinking age to eighteen, but then in response to anti-drunk driving pressure, increased the age again, by one year each year, beginning as of July 1. Anyone reached the qualifying age before July 1 was grandfathered in and could continue to drink legally. I remember this situation well, because my birthday falls in June, whereas my cousins is three weeks later, in July. I qualified to drink legally despite the annual age increases, but she did not. Later, NY was also forced to raise its drinking age, as were other states that wished to receive federal highway funds. And so I believe the US now has a uniform minimum drinking age of twenty-one, in all parts of the country that allow for legal consumption of alcohol. Complicated Licensing Regime Taking pot legal in New York iwill no doubt be a lucrative proposition. The state will soon implement a complex licensing regime for retail sales. This was inevitable, given two of the rationales for the new policy raising state tax revenues and allowing communities that suffered most under the previous prohibition regime to have greater opportunities to profit under the new regulatory framework. Perhaps a form of reparations, as it were. According to the City: The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) sets a goal of giving half of all sales licenses to those who qualify as social equity applicants. That includes: Women-owned businesses Businesses owned by people of color Minority or Women Owned Business Enterprises, defined as a business in which women and/or people of color own at least 51% of the company Small farm operators in financial hardship or farms operated by someone in an underrepresented demographic Service-disabled veterans People from areas negatively affected by past cannabis prohibition. Jerri-Lynn here. The intention to redress past prohibitions are provisions are reinforced by the following provisions. Again, according to The City: Applicants who fit one or more of those categories will be given additional priority if they: Make 80% or less of their countys median income. In the case of New York City, 80% of median income is $63,680. Come from an area disproportionately impacted by past enforcement of cannabis laws Were convicted of a marijuana-related offense before the bill was signed into law. The City includes a further overview of measures the state intends to take to support entrepreneurs who go into the pot business. These are intended to compensate for the difficulties these businesses might face, due to continuing federal prohibitions on marijuana. In New York States Urban Development Corporation will receive additional funding to provide assistance to social equity applicants including creating a small business incubator that will dole out low- and no-interest loans to help pay for start-up costs. Thats the big missing piece of the puzzle that we havent seen in other states, said Melissa Moore, the Drug Policy Alliances New York director. You can do priority licensing for social equity, but if there isnt an avenue for people to be able to access capital it becomes a moot point because of federal prohibition its just about impossible for people to access the normal type of small business loans that would generally be available, she added. Nathaniel Gurien, CEO of a Manhattan-based cannabis consulting firm, told THE CITY the incubator, which will give financial advice to applicants, is crucial to the success of social equity efforts. Gurien said the educational component could help everyday New Yorkers who may want to use existing skills to pivot to legal pot sales. Like in Times Square, you have all these tour bus hawkers, said Gurien. Some of those guys who may live in The Bronx and qualify for minority equity licenses, they can get a decent low-interest loan from one of these business development [agencies] with cannabis-related funds. The City includes further details on how the legislation is expected to assist underserved communities. In the interests of keeping this post to manageable length, I wont discuss those further her, but refer interested readers to the full article. Expungement of Past Convictions As I wrote in my January piece, a key element of the new law is further expungement of previous marijuana convictions There the devil is in the details, and as The City reports, some have have yet been determined: The act is short on details and Cuomos press office didnt respond to questions. But the legislation sets forth a timeline of expunging records within two years after the bills signing. The new law builds on one the legislature passed in 2019. It now will provide for an expanded expungement of convictions for marijuana or concentrated cannabis offenses. Expungement will apply not only to marijuana possession offenses, but also to some sales convictions: Per New York magazine: And as Gothamist explains, if you were convicted of selling small amounts of weed anything less than 25 grams that conviction gets automatically expunged, too. Stymie Illicit Drug Trade Some proponents supported the legislation as a means to stymie the illicit drug trade. Per the WSJ: State Sen. Liz Krueger, a Democrat from Manhattan who also sponsors the bill, said the law would end disparate enforcement practices that have disproportionately hurt communities of color. She said during a floor debate that the bill would reduce the illicit drug market. Right now, we have an enormous system of drug distribution in this state that is controlled by cartels, she said. To have a legalized systemwhich is the proposal of this legislationensures that the drug is safe from seed to sale. The Bottom Line Proponents have many ambitions for supporting marijuana legalization in New York. How well these will be achieved or indeed, whether they will be achieved at all depends on the details that state officials must still work out during the next eighteen months or so. As businesses look for ways to safely reopen, Mount Sinai Health System announced today the launch of the Mount Sinai COVID-19 PCR Saliva Testing program to provide quick, noninvasive, and precise testing to support safety for businesses and leisure activities in New York. The Program offers an easy, effective, and accurate COVID-19 test for the public. Mount Sinai is an official partner of the New York State Excelsior Pass program, a new effort to fast-track the opening of theaters, stadiums, and other businesses. Using advanced laboratory technology that detects the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19 in saliva, the Mount Sinai program guarantees final results within 48 hours, although the vast majority of results return within 24 hours. The program offers four convenient testing locations in Manhattan: Mount Sinai Business Health at 226 West 14th Street, Mount Sinai Doctors at Health Quarters Noho at 632 Broadway, Mount Sinai Doctors at 55 East 34th Street, and Mount Sinai Express Care at 1190 Fifth Avenue. Results are transmitted securely and rapidly to the Excelsior Pass app, allowing ease of admission to venues that use the app, such as theaters and stadiums. Mount Sinai has shown extraordinary commitment and leadership in scientific and clinical efforts to beat this pandemic. We developed one of the first highly sensitive antibody tests, pioneered innovative therapies to treat COVID-19, and are researching the lingering effects suffered by long-haulers. This program is designed to help our community in slowing transmission and getting us back to normal, said David L. Reich, MD, President and Chief Operating Officer, The Mount Sinai Hospital. The Mount Sinai program will make testing more accessible and convenient so as to protect public health. We are proud to partner with New York State and to be a provider of choice for testing. Mount Sinais saliva test is an easy, safe, and accurate alternative to the more commonly used nasal and nasopharyngeal swab tests but uses the same, highly accurate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. It can also be administered to young children. If a saliva sample cannot be obtained, or if someone has eaten or drunk something prior to the test, a nasal swab test can be performed instead. The test can also be used for business or leisure travel purposes or return-to-work authorization. To schedule an appointment, visit https://www.mountsinai.org/lp/covid19-saliva-test. About the Mount Sinai Health System The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai is a national and international source of unrivaled education, translational research and discovery, and collaborative clinical leadership ensuring that we deliver the highest quality carefrom prevention to treatment of the most serious and complex human diseases. The Health System includes more than 7,200 physicians and features a robust and continually expanding network of multispecialty services. Hunter Biden, the son of US president Joe Biden, publishes his astonishingly frank new memoir, Beautiful Things, on 6 April, recounting in detail his troubled life and battles with alcoholism and crack cocaine. A lawyer and businessman, Mr Biden was the frequent target of baseless Republican conspiracy theories during the Donald Trump era, his fathers predecessor particularly keen to push bogus corruption accusations concerning his tenure on the board of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma as a means of smearing Biden Sr, a tactic that backfired when it inadvertently brought about his own impeachment by the House of Representatives, the first of a historic double. The author has given a brace of promotional interviews to CBS ahead of the books publication in which he has spoken candidly about everything from his familys interventions to curtail his drug use to the smoking laptop that appeared just prior to Novembers election after he supposedly abandoned it in a Delaware repair shop. There could be a laptop out there that was stolen from me. It could be that I was hacked. It could be that it was the - that it was Russian intelligence, he told Tracy Smith on CBS Sunday Morning. Heres everything we know about Beautiful Things ahead of its hitting the shelves on Tuesday. Read more: Hunter Biden is no fan of Donald Trump While this is hardly surprising, Biden Jr is agreeably forthright in his attacks on the former occupant of the Oval Office, calling the New York luxury property magante a vile man on a vile mission. He pushed debunked conspiracy theories about work I did in Ukraine and China, even as his own children had pocketed millions in China and Russia and his former campaign manager [Paul Manafort] sat in a jail cell for laundering millions more from Ukraine, Mr Biden writes. None of that matters in an up-is-down Orwellian political climate. Trump believed that if he could destroy me, and by extension my father, he could dispatch any candidate of decency from either party, all while diverting attention from his own corrupt behaviour. He continues: I became a proxy for Donald Trumps fear that he wouldnt be re-elected. It was a predictable enough tactic. I expected the president to get far more personal far earlier to exploit the demons and addictions Ive dealt with for years. President Trump was known to cry Wheres Hunter? at his campaign rallies last year to amuse his Covid-defying MAGA crowds, a mocking taunt about his rivals sons apparent reluctance to come forward and defend himself against the Ukraine allegations tossed at him by conservatives. He may regret that now. Trumps inner circle scorned as trolls and lapdogs In addition to accusing the ex-president himself of flagrant hypocrisy, Hunter Biden also calls out his sons, writing: I am not Eric Trump or Donald Trump Jr. Ive worked for someone other than my father. I rose and fell on my own. He also dismisses pro-Trump Florida congressman Matt Gaetz - currently fighting for his political life - as a troll and reacts with incredulity to South Carolina senator Lindsey Grahams transformation under Trumpism. Once a close friend of Joe Bidens - even seen in a viral video with tears in his eyes speaking fondly of what a decent man his old congressional adversary is - Senator Graham is described by Biden Jr as having morph[ed] into a Trump lapdog right before my eyes, slandering me and my father in the coldest, most cynical, most self-serving ways. Hunter recalls his mothers death in vivid detail Beautiful Things is first and foremost a memoir and Hunter Biden does not shy away from the defining trauma of his childhood: the car accident that killed his mother and infant sister. Neilia Hunter Biden was killed on 18 December 1972 when her car was sideswiped by a tractor-trailer as she took her children to pick up a Christmas tree near Wilmington, Delaware. Suddenly, I see my mothers head turn to the right, her son recalls. I dont remember anything else about her profile: the look in her eye, the expression of her mouth. Her head simply swings. The next thing he remembers is waking up in a hospital bed and looking over at his brother Beau: Hes mouthing three words to me, over and over: I love you. I love you. I love you. Thats our origin story. His struggles with drugs raged while his father was vice president Hunter Biden has been clear in his recent CBS interviews that it was Beaus death from a brain tumour in 2015, aged just 46, that caused him to slide off the rails towards the end of Biden Srs second term at Barack Obamas side. Im a 51-year-old father who helped raise three beautiful daughters, the author states in the books prologue. Ive bought crack cocaine on the streets of Washington, DC, and cooked up my own inside a hotel bungalow in Los Angeles. Ive been so desperate for a drink that I couldnt make the one-block walk between a liquor store and my apartment without uncapping the bottle to take a swig. In the last five years alone, my two-decades-long marriage has dissolved, guns have been put in my face, and at one point I dropped clean off the grid, living in $59-a-night Super 8 motels off I-95 while scaring my family even more than myself. He describes having his first glass of champagne aged eight, his several visits to rehab in his 20s and the 12-to-16-hour benders he went on following the death of his sibling, including a month spent in a Washington apartment drinking vodka, which led to considerable weight loss. I didnt eat anything much beyond what was available at the liquor store: Doritos, pork rinds, ramen noodles. Eventually my stomach couldnt even handle the noodles, he writes. Hunter Biden 'smoked more parmesan cheese than anyone you know There are also extraordinary accounts of his roaming the Los Angeles underworld in search of crack and befriending a homeless fellow addict whom he subsequently invited to stay with him. Once you decide that youre the bad person everyone thinks youve become, its hard to find the good guy you once were, he writes, very movingly. Eventually, I quit looking for him: I decided I wasnt the person everybody who loved me thought I was anymore. Ive always felt alone in a crowd, he says elsewhere. Mr Biden also writes about his father - a teetotaller - evading his Secret Service detail while vice president to stage an intervention, telling him: I know youre not fine, Hunter. You need help. He never let me forget that all was not lost, Biden Jr writes. He never abandoned me, never shunned me, never judged me, no matter how bad things got - and believe me, from there they would get much, much worse. He also speaks warmly of his stepmother, first lady Dr Jill Biden, fighting to help him get clean. Hunter discusses his romantic relationship with Beaus widow Speaking to Ms Smith on CBS, Hunter said of his brief attachment to his sister-in-law, the grieving Hallie Biden, which started when she picked him up from rehab in the wake of his brothers passing: I think people were confused by that. And I understand that. It came out of a real overwhelming grief that we both shared. And we were together and trying to do the right thing and that grief turned into a hope for a love that maybe could replace what we lost. In Beautiful Things, he says of their brief partnership: Our relationship had begun as a mutually desperate grasping for love we both had lost, and its dissolution only deepened that tragedy. He is less forthcoming about Burisma The only part of the book found wanting by early reviewers has been Hunter Bidens description of his tenure on the board of the Ukrainian energy company between 2014 and 2019, which The New York Times called dry as toast. The episode that led to the impeachment of a president and landed me in the heart of the decades biggest political fable is most remarkable for its epic banality, he writes, going on to describe it for 18 pages in spite of himself in passages said to be far less illuminating than his account of his first job mucking out the llamas and unclogging the otter pool at Wilmingtons Brandywine Zoo. He does hint that he was hired by the Eastern European firm because of his fathers prestige: Theres no question my last name was a coveted credential. That has always been the case. Do you think if any of the Trump children ever tried to get a job outside their fathers business that his name wouldnt figure into the calculation? My response has always been to work harder so that my accomplishments stand on their own. To put it more bluntly, having a Biden on Burismas board was a loud and unmistakable f*** you to [Vladimir] Putin, he adds. Questioned about Burisma on CBS, Biden Jr said: No, I dont think I made a mistake taking a spot on that board. I think I made a mistake in terms of underestimating the... the way in which it would be used against me. All I know is that not one investigative body, not one serious journalist, have ever accused... has ever come to the conclusion that I did anything wrong, or that my father did anything wrong. Hunter credits his new partner with getting him straight The book does have a happy ending, fortunately, thanks to the authors meeting with the South African filmmaker Melissa Cohen in 2019, who helped him finally see off his drug dependency. When he confessed to her that he was an addict, she replied simply: Not anymore. Youre finished with that. The couple are now married and have a son. (Boston)-Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) faculty member, Sandra Looby-Gordon MD, has been chosen as the recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. This award is presented to faculty who best demonstrate the foundation's ideals of outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families and health-care colleagues, as well as clinical excellence. A clinical associate professor of medicine who has served on the faculty since 1992, Looby-Gordon is a primary care provider who also treats complex patients with substance use disorders. She is known for her empathy toward patients and colleagues, and is a role model for her trainees to whom she has taught primary care, inpatient general medicine, addiction medicine and culturally competent care. In her own words, her goal is to provide excellent care with compassion and respect regardless of her patients' zip codes. Cherished by her colleagues, patients, and medical students alike, Looby-Gordon embodies the qualities of compassion and empathy as a caregiver and approaches teaching with sensitivity and openness. A nurse colleague said, "She's an incredible human being and always treats her co-workers and patients with dignity and respect. She goes above and beyond for her patients and is very knowledgeable, patient and kind." A physician colleague said, "I love having the opportunity to precept residents with her or participate in a case conference with her. Being in her presence, you always feel the warmth and caring for the patients, her trainees, and her colleagues." Evaluations from medical students and residents demonstrate her superlative personal and professional skills. "Dr. Looby-Gordon was a pleasure to learn from as she instantly made students feel at ease and capable of performing their clinical duties without fear." Another said, "I felt she valued my opinions and thoughts on rounds." Comments from residents include, "Very caring about the patients, always addressing their social determinants of health as well." From one of her patients, "She has been my doctor for almost 20 years. She is friendly and easy to talk about problems with." ### The Arnold P. Gold Foundation is a public, nonprofit organization founded by Drs. Arnold and Sandra Gold to perpetuate the tradition of the caring doctor by emphasizing the importance of the relationship between the practitioner and the patient. Our objective is to help physicians-in-training become doctors who combine the high tech skills of cutting edge medicine with the high touch skills of effective communication, empathy and compassion. EUGENE, Ore. The Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicles division said its impossible to know exactly how large its backlog truly is, but it hopes to work through it this year. Since the department closed for almost 11 weeks during the pandemic, a large backlog has grown thats estimated to be in the tens of thousands. DMV spokesman David House said the department hired temporary employees and increased the number of services available online from three to more than 20. Starting in May, drivers will also be able to renew their license online, as long as they dont make any changes or apply for a Real ID. All of this is happening as the departments 60 field offices try to find ways to cram in more appointments each day. We've actually been ramping up and up and up, House said. Were doing almost triple what we did and now we're well into the 30,000s of customers per week. One of the biggest backlogs is with title transfers, because they require lots of documents and are complex transactions. House said those wait times are going down too. The longest period typically was 20 weeks, down to 18 weeks now and it's going down, House said. DMV is adding appointments to its schedular in one-to-two-week blocks, depending on staffing and availability. House said to check the website daily for free spots. One thing to avoid is showing up at a DMV hoping to be squeezed in, which House said happened last Friday. We got swamped across the state with people showing up without an appointment hoping to get in. And we weren't able to help many of those customers, House said. We're still a long way from coming to that point. The DMV plans to keep the current appointment system even after the pandemic, but will eventually also allow walk-ins. State legislators are also working to extend the grace period for expired licenses and registration through the rest of the year. Women across borders are often forced to battle sexism irrespective of their accomplishments. This time, as the giant container ship Ever Given crashed into a bank of a single-lane stretch of the Suez Canal, Egypt's first female ship's captain, Marwa Elselehdar, bore the brunt of the mishap even as she was on post hundreds of miles away in Alexandria. Rumours about Elselehdar's role on the Ever Given were largely spurred by online trolls who posted screenshots of a fake news headline stating she was involved in the Suez incident, according to a BBC report. The 29-year-old who was in command of the Aida IV as a first mate at the time of the Canal blockage told the publication that although she had no idea who first spread the story or why they did it, this wasn't the first time she had faced challenges in the industry which has been historically dominated by men. Also read: Egypt's Suez Canal Authority says shipping backlog cleared "I felt that I might be targeted maybe because I'm a successful female in this field or because I'm Egyptian, but I'm not sure," she said. Elselehdar, who among the only two per cent of the world's women seafarers, was allowed to join after a legal review by Egypt's then-President Hosni Mubarak at a time when the academy only accepted men. "Onboard, they were all older men with different mentalities... It was challenging to go through this alone and be able to overcome it without affecting my mental health. People in our society still don't accept the idea of girls working in the sea away from their families for a long time. But when you do what you love, it is not necessary for you to seek the approval of everyone," she told BBC. Read | Investigation begins into how ship got stuck on Suez Canal She feared that the rumours about her role in the Suez blockage would impact her work. "This fake article was in English so it spread in other countries," she said. "I tried so hard to negate what was in the article because it was affecting my reputation and all the efforts I exerted to be where I am now." International supply chains were thrown into disarray when the 400-metre-long container ship Ever Given ran aground in the canal on March 23, with specialist rescue teams taking almost a week to free her after extensive dredging and repeated tugging operations. (With agency inputs) Eamonn Holmes has told how sharing his chronic pain journey with other sufferers on social media has been a humbling experience. The Belfast man was presenting This Morning today with wife Ruth Langsford, after severe back pain led to sleepless nights and a visit to hospital last week for an MRI scan. Hosting a chronic pain clinic on Mondays show, Eamonn, back in the hot seat for the Easter break, told viewers that hed had a physiotherapy session at 4.30am, followed by a cold shower, in an attempt to allay the pain before going on air. He also told fellow sufferers, who have been opening up to him about their ongoing struggles with chronic pain, that they were not alone. Speaking at the start of the pain clinic, Eamonn said: You may, if you have been following my social media, understand this. About a month ago, I did something to my back; I dont know what. This can be getting into a car, getting out of a car, getting into bed, whatever. Ive got an MRI scan but of course the trouble is everything closes down for Easter and I havent got it analysed yet. What I do know is that I cannot sleep at night. The pain is absolutely worse at night. And the humbling thing is, when you go on social media and you talk to people about who actually have this and who suffer from this, you realise age isnt a barrier, where you live isnt a barrier, how much you earn isnt a barrier. So many of you have this chronic pain situation, from all sorts of different sources. After Ruth agreed that a lot of people were struggling with long-term pain, Eamonn introduced viewers to pain specialist Dr Katy Munro and urged them to keep talking about the issue, to create greater awareness. Dont think youre alone in this one, he said. Eamonn explained that hed had the pain for a month and said that he hoped he didnt have it much longer. But he pointed out that many people were living with chronic pain their whole lives. Ruth chipped in: Its awful, and the fact you are tweeting on social media at three oclock in the morning because you cant sleep because of the pain, and there are hundreds of thousands of other people contacting you because they cant sleep with the pain. Its a really serious problem. Millions of people are affected. Within minutes of the chronic pain segment starting, #Eamonn was trending on Twitter, with many people delighted to see the couple back hosting the show in the absence of Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. Scores of viewers also praised Eamonn for highlighting the issue of chronic pain, while others offered ideas on how best to deal with it. One audience member tweeted: Well done Eamonn. Thank you for bringing chronic pain to the forefront. My husband also suffers. For him, its hard to fight the depression that comes with it. Another posted: Thats fantastic that you have a physio and the cold showers are something I will try as heat seems to do nothing. Keep going, we are all here to support you. Thank you for using your platform to raise awareness. At the end of the segment, which featured Dr Munro talking about medication, alternative therapies and pain management clinics, Eamonn told sufferers he had much love and respect for them, as they struggled with day to day living and sleepless nights. I read in this paper that school districts are receiving huge amounts of funding from the Biden administration. For example, Pottsville Area School District is getting $5.5 million. It is about time school boards stop taxing property owners and give us rebates. Pottsville With the Pottsville Area School District getting $5.5 million from the stimulus package, pushed by President Joseph Biden, hopefully, they will help the senior citizens with their property taxes. They should get at least a 25% deduction. Pottsville Here is a radical idea. I hope too many people dont get upset by this. When we increase the gas tax or we earmark the gas tax, lets earmark it for the roads. That is what it is suppose to be for. Just like when we created the lottery, the lottery was suppose to be for property tax relief and a number of other things. Well, now the money from the gas tax is going by the wayside to fund state police pension. Lets change it back to the original idea. Schuylkill Haven I was just wondering when some of the elderly people are going to get their stimulus checks? I worked 44 years for mine. Pine Grove Years ago in Schuylkill County, it was District 5 PennDOT out of Allentown. Many of the higher-up PennDOT people were from Schuylkill County. The roads were taken care of. Today, we dont have any big shots from here. All they know is oil and chip. Let these politicians get off their cans and do something. Shenandoah To the people that are calling in about not knowing how to get the COVID shots: if you call Lehigh Valley Hospital at 1-833-584-6283, they will help you schedule an appointment. I wish everyone good luck at getting on. Schuylkill Haven Pottsville, lets stop putting Trump down for not serving in the military. Your precious Obama and Clinton didnt serve either, but I never heard a word from you about them. My husband is a vet and Trump has done more for the military than Obama or Clinton ever thought about doing. I am worried about Sleepy Joe having the nuclear button in his hand. Evidently, some Democrats are too. Gordon As opposed to Trump, Democrats like the meek and mild demeanor of Joe Biden. So does the rest of the world. They will walk all over him. And your lying leader has done more to destroy the United States in his first 60 days then any president in history. Pine Grove Auburn says anyone working against Biden by spreading division and animosity is not a patriot. Dont you remember the Democrats doing it every day of the former administration of Donald Trump, our best president to date? Summit Station The United States is working with the Sahel region of Africa - an ecological belt that stretches from the Atlantic coast of Senegal in the west to the shores of the Red Sea in Sudan. It also often refers to five West African states comprising the so-called G5-Sahel, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. We are here to work with you to help bring security, stability, and good governance to the people of the Sahel, said Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale in remarks to the International Coalition for the Sahel Ministerial. Instability has grown in the Sahel despite the coalitions collaboration to disrupt terrorist networks. The number of people displaced in the central Sahel is now eleven times greater than it was two years ago. The number of people facing acute hunger has tripled over the past year. With these dire conditions in view, Under Secretary Hale announced more than $80 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the region. As we work to alleviate suffering, we recommit to supporting our African partners in their work to address not just the suffering, but the drivers of conflict, he said. Rural populations need access to basic services in the short term and mechanisms to encourage economic opportunity and resolve disputes in the long term. These can help counter the appeal of terrorist group recruitment and prevent inter-communal conflict. Moreover, marginalized groups and people throughout the region especially those who are far from national seats of power need to have a voice in how they are governed. Governments must also protect their people. When security forces violate and abuse human rights, governments must hold those responsible to account. Malis stability is critical to the wider region, noted Under Secretary Hale: We laud the transitional governments commitment to long-needed governance, anti-corruption, and security reforms. However, we believe that the implementation of those reforms should begin now and be handed over to a democratically elected, representative government by the April 2022 timeline, as the transitional government has agreed. Democracies have proven to be more stable, open, committed to human rights, conducive to economic growth, and less prone to conflict than undemocratic forms of governance We look forward to continuing our work with our African and European partners, said Under Secretary Hale, to help create a more prosperous and stable Sahel region." 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. A man at the centre of a dramatic police chase after he allegedly stole a car has been captured on camera downing a drink in front of officers moments before his arrest. Police were following the man's movements after attempting to pull over a vehicle about 10:20pm on Sunday on Mandurah Road in Madora Bay, southwest of Perth - but he allegedly failed to stop. The Holden Colorado utility police were chasing after was allegedly stolen from nearby Barragup. A man was captured on aerial footage downing a drink he retrieved from an allegedly stolen vehicle that was at the centre of a police chase The man laid on the ground as he was surrounded by police on Old Pinjarra Road in Greenfields, southwest of Perth, on Sunday night Police called in aerial support as the vehicle travelled through several streets. The 43-year-old man later abandoned the car on Old Pinjarra Road in Greenfields, with footage from the police helicopter showing him grabbing a drink, which he drunk before officers closed in. Two officers drew their weapons as the man threw his arms in the air, before laying on the ground. The man was charged with multiple offences, including two counts of stealing a motor vehicle, two counts of having no authority to drive and failure to stop. He was refused bail to appear before Perth Magistrates Court on Monday. Gurugram, April 5 : Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will on Thursday review the progress of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway project in Haryana's Nuh district. The foundation stone for the project was laid in March 2019. The 1,250 km long expressway to pass through Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, will cut travel time between Delhi and Mumbai by 13 hours from 24 hours. Recently, the Minister and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) claimed in a statement that a section of the expressway will be operational in the second half of 2022. It is expected that the proposed 12-lane expressway will ease traffic congestion on Pune-Mumbai expressway and other highways as well as bring down vehicular pollution in the national capital. Besides, vehicles including buses and trucks can ply on the route at 120 kmph speed. The total estimated cost of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway project is about Rs 87,453 crore, including land acquisition cost of about Rs 20,589 crore. The carriageway will run parallel to the Delhi-Alwar route in Haryana and will exit the state at Kolgaon. In Rajasthan, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will pass through Bharatpur, Malakhera, Rajgarh, Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Indragarh, Kota and Rawatbhata. In Madhya Pradesh, the highway will cross Bhanpura, Garoth, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Jaora, Ratlam and Thandla. In Maharashtra, the expressway will pass through Thane and Palghar to end at Mumbai. The upcoming expressway, will have India's first animal bridges. These will be designed to keep the wildlife section unaffected from the new infrastructure. There will be around five such animal bridges, passing through Ranthambore wildlife corridor and Mukundra wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan. Also, the toll collection on the stretch will be through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. An initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for implementing electronic toll collection across the national highways in India. What might push gas prices over the $3 a gallon level for regular? It might depend on how many more people take that traditional road trip to the Jersey Shore this summer, experts said. Prices have taken a steady walk upward in the past 30 days, which have been blamed on a variety of reasons including a large container ship blocking the Suez Canal for close to a week. The real factors will be supply, affected by OPEC oil ministers decision to increase crude oil production at a meeting Thursday, and demand, if traffic bounces back to 2019 traffic volumes, said Tom Kloza, Oil Price Information Service global petroleum analyst. That ship was just a side showit wasnt a factor in crude oil and gas prices. Its OPEC and the Saudis. The thing moving oil and gas price is money, he said. The big question is when will we see gas demand be the same as 2019? Currently the average price for a gallon of regular in New Jersey is sitting at $2.90, where GasBuddy.com reports its been for a few days. That price was $2.85 a month days ago. A ride on Route 17 in Bergen County illustrated the wide price range at gas stations located a mile or two from each other. A BP posted a $2.99 price for regular, but closer to Paramus, a Sunoco had regular for $2.79. GasBuddys crowd sourced cheapest prices showed they ranged from $2.53 a gallon for regular at a Delta in New Milford to $2.65 at a Fuel $ in Ledgewood. What could make regular prices top $3 a gallon? More driving, but that could be influenced more by day-trippers than commuters, Kloza said. That next question is what well see in the summer weeks, he said. I dont think weekday traffic will be back to 2019 levels for a while, with people working from home. The coronavirus tanked travel for all transportation modes last year, due to restrictions to slow the spread and commuters working from home. Car traffic has been the quickest to rebound, when compared to airline and mass transit travel, but its not back to pre-coronavirus levels. Port Authority bridge and tunnel crossings were used by 8.25 million vehicles in January, about 1 million less than the 9.57 million in January 2020. New Jersey may get to a $3 averagewell flirt with it over next 60 days, Kloza said. It will be crude oil (prices) that gets us there. Other factors include the introduction of summer blend gas, which will hit the pumps soon, said Robert Sinclair Jr., a AAA Northeast spokesman. The prospect of increased travel with warming weather and summer driving season will probably keep prices high, he said. Also, hurricane season begins June 1st with a major storm hitting the Gulf Coast possibly causing prices to spike. OPEC ministers agreed Thursday to increase oil production by roughly 2 million barrels a day in May and June, restoring production that was cut during the pandemic, the Associated Press reported Everything suggests theyll manage supply and not risk a surplus, Kloza said. Why didnt the container ship blocking the Suez Canal have a bigger bearing on prices? Because the U.S. is importing more gas from European countries that are on lockdown due to a second COVID-19 wave, Kloza said. The U.S. has the highest wholesale prices. As long as that is the case well be the place to get rid of gas, he said. With European counties in lockdown, the U.S will see that gas come here. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com Due to the cold snap, the end of the heating season in Kyiv was postponed for several days, the press service of Kyiv City State Administration said. "Due to the fact that in the Ukrainian capital in the following days the weather remains cool and the average daily temperature is under eight degrees above zero, the heat cutoff in Kyiv has to be postponed for several days. In particular, on Wednesday night the temperature will drop to one degree above zero and snow is possible, and on Thursday, the temperature at night will be kept at around zero degree," the local authorities said. The decision was influenced by toughening of lockdown restrictions, due to which some of Kyiv's citizens will work remotely from home. According to forecasters, the cutoff of heating in the capital can start on April 10. The decision to turn off the heat is taken when the average daily temperature rises above eight degrees Celsius for three days. As reported, the end of the heating season in Kyiv was to start on Monday, April 5. It was expected that within five days the heat supply in the Ukrainian capital will be completely cut off. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus M.Barysevich meets the Ambassador of Israel On April 5, 2021, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Mikalai Barysevich met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to the Republic of Belarus Alex Goldman-Shayman. During the conversation the parties discussed topical issues on the Belarusian-Israeli agenda including plans to intensify political dialogue, trade and economic cooperation as well as interaction in the international organizations. The parties paid special attention to the preparation of events to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belarus and Israel, which will be celebrated in 2022. print version All New Jersey residents age 16 and over will be eligible to make an appointment for the coronavirus vaccine beginning April 19, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday in another major eligibility expansion. The news means people will be eligible two weeks ahead of when Murphy originally planned to make vaccines available to every New Jerseyan. The governor said hes still confident that 70% of the states eligible population some 4.7 million people will be vaccinated within six months of when the first dose was administered in mid-December. Yes, we still have roughly three million people to go to meet our initial goal, Murphy said during his latest COVID-19 briefing in Trenton. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage There are currently 1,796,798 fully vaccinated people in the state, Murphy said. Thats about 38% of the states goal to have the 4.7 million vaccinated by June 30. Hes optimistic about reaching the goal based on the increased number of doses being sent to New Jersey by the federal government. Two months ago, on Feb. 5, we reported roughly 180,000 fully vaccinated individuals. One month later, on March 5, we reported 789,500. Or, nearly 610,000 in one month, Murphy said. Over the past month, more than 1 million people have received their second dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or their single shot from Johnson & Johnson, and are now fully vaccinated, he added. The news comes as New Jersey is being hit with a third wave of new cases of the virus. Murphy announced another 2,984 cases on Monday and an additional 15 deaths. The states seven-day average for newly confirmed cases is 3,918, up 7% from a week ago and 44% from a month ago. In all, New Jersey has now reported 817,464 coronavirus cases out of more than 12.2 million PCR tests since the state reported its first case on March 4, 2020. There have also been 513 positive antigen tests, including 513 reported Monday. Those cases are considered probable, and health officials have warned that positive antigen tests could overlap with the confirmed PCR tests because they are sometimes given in tandem. The state of 9.2 million people has reported 24,649 residents have died from complications related to COVID-19 22,081 confirmed deaths and 2,568 fatalities considered probable. More New Jerseyans became eligible for the vaccine on Monday. The latest group of people eligible are: People ages 55-64 People ages 16 and up with intellectual and developmental disabilities Educators, including support staff, in higher education settings Communications infrastructure support, including engineers, and technicians, and members of the press Real estate, building, and home service workers, including construction workers, code officials, plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, property management, and maintenance workers Retail financial institution workers, including bank tellers, lending services, public accounting, and check-cashing workers Sanitation workers providing disinfection and janitorial services, city sanitation workers; residential, commercial, and industrial solid and hazardous waste removal workers Laundry service workers, including those working in laundromats, laundry services, and dry cleaners Utility workers including, electrical generation and supply system, natural gas delivery, nuclear power plant, water supply, telephone, cable/fiber/optical/broadband/cellular service workers Librarians and support staff at municipal, county and state libraries. Murphy announced two big expansions in vaccine eligibility last month. They included: Food production, agriculture and food distribution Eldercare and support Warehousing and logistics Social services support staff Elections personnel Hospitality Medical supply chain Postal and shipping services Clergy Judicial system The list of those who were previously eligible includes: Health care workers People who live and work at long-term care and high-risk congregate facilities First responders People 65 and older Motor Vehicle Commission workers NJ Transit workers and other transportation workers Public and local transportation workers, including bus, taxi, ride-share and airport employees All public safety personal who have not already been made eligible such as probation officers, child protective service workers and probation officers. Members of tribal communities Migrant farm workers People who are homeless and people living in homeless shelters or domestic violence shelters People 16 to 64 who have certain medical conditions Those medical conditions include: Cancer Chronic kidney disease COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) Down Syndrome Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies Overweight or obesity ( BMI of 25 or higher) Sickle cell disease Smoking Type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus Asthma (moderate-to-severe) Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain) Cystic fibrosis Hypertension or high blood pressure Neurologic conditions, such as dementia Liver disease Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues) Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder) Note: Individuals who are pregnant and those in an immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant, blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines are also eligible but should follow CDC guidance and first discuss vaccination with their medical provider before receiving the vaccine. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Dhaka, April 5 : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged citizens of the country to do their bit in curbing the spread of Covid-19 as the second wave is even stronger. "The second wave of the coronavirus is becoming more deadly across the globe. Infection and fatality rates of the virus showed a sudden surge from March 29 to 31, and since then, it has been rising," Hasina said in her concluding speech at the 12th session of 11th Parliament which was prorogued on Saturday. "I know everyone will face difficulties. Despite this, I say people's lives should be given preference over everything," she said, adding the situation will be under control if people follow rules and health protocols. She urged people to wear facemasks, maintain social distancing and avoid social gatherings, including wedding ceremonies. The Prime Minister also mourned the country's Covid-19 victims, which also include several lawmakers. She further told Parliament that inoculation against Covid-19 would continue, assuring that her government was making efforts to purchase more jabs. Hasina also confirmed that domestic flight operations will remain suspended for a week, while shopping malls will remain closed. She asked authorities to make sure people arriving from abroad are quarantined. "Take special care of children and the youth as the Covid-19 infection rate is much higher among them, although the elderly people were infected with the virus during the first wave." The government has been working to make Bangladesh self-reliant in every sector. She also hailed the development of a new variety of onion. Hasina urged people to farm on every inch of land to prevent food shortage due to the pandemic. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Georgia Secretary of State Asks Court Not to Give Petitioners Access to Ballots A Georgia voting integrity group that seeks to examine ballots cast in the 2020 election shouldnt be granted access to the original ballots, the states secretary of state said in a new filing. Giving plaintiffs in the court case access to the original ballots would violate recent updates to the Georgia Open Records Act, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in an April 2 motion in Fulton County Superior Court. The office of Raffensperger, a Republican, said he takes no position on the merits of the case, but respectfully requests that the Court permit Petitioners to inspect ballot images only, and deny Petitioners request to inspect and scan ballots. This result is consistent with Georgia law, and appropriately balances Petitioners interests in inspecting ballot images with the States and the publics interest in maintaining the security and integrity of confidential ballots, the filing states. The amicus brief was filed in Favorito et al. v Cooney et al. Petitioners were given scanned ballot images per a ruling last month. Garland Favorito, head of a voting integrity group called VOTER GA, along with other voters, filed the case, alleging there were abnormalities in how ballots were counted in Georgia in the 2020 presidential race. Election workers count Fulton County ballots at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Nov. 4, 2020. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images) The petition cited multiple poll workers who said they observed unusual occurrences during ballot counting and noted that Election Day observers at State Farm Arena in Atlanta were led to believe that counting was over for the night, only to resume after all observers had left. Election officials failed to comply with state law that requires the government to treat similarly situated individuals in a similar manner, the petitioners said, asking the court to give them access to ballots to ensure the election results were correct. The judge hearing the case, Henry County Superior Court Judge Brian Amero, said last month that hes inclined to order the ballots unsealed and reviewed by experts hired by Favorito. Fulton County officials didnt immediately return a request for comment. A county official on April 5 told the court in a document that she objects to the proposed order to unseal election materials. Raffensperger in the new filing asked Amero not to let the group examine the ballots without considering his brief. Favorito told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement: Secretary of State Raffensperger never ceases to amaze me. He is now officially on record in adamant opposition to transparent elections. If the November 3, 2020, election controversy does not justify unsealing the ballots, then what ever would? Ballots have no voter information, so there is nothing secret about them as the brief tried to imply, he added. The ballots belong to the people of Georgia, not Brad Raffensperger. Citizens like us should not have to spend thousands of dollars and hours of our time to sue officials so we can see what should be public records in the first place. Raffensperger said in a statement on April 5 that some media outlets were mischaracterizing the motion. The paper ballots have been sealed, and recent updates to the Georgia Open Records Act allow for the public disclosure for ballot images only (not ballots). In fact, we worked with the Georgia legislature to make sure ballot images could be made available for review. Nonetheless, it is our responsibility to protect the security and confidentiality of the ballots according to the requirements of the Georgia Elections Code, he wrote. We welcome the public disclosure of these ballot images, and simply request that the judge set up a process to prevent any party from creating and spreading false information. During the covid-19 pandemic, CJR received a submission, via the Empowerment Avenue Writers Cohort, from an incarcerated writer, Kevin D. Sawyer, who explained what its like to be a journalist in San Quentin State Prison, in Northern California. We felt it needed no editing, and that even the means of submissiontypewritten, with corrections by handhelped tell his tale. So we have reproduced it below as we received it. (Click images to view larger.) Full text of Kevin D. Sawyers letter: SAWYER INCARCERATED JOURNALIST Sign up for CJR 's daily email Words: 1,200 Sources: Authors experience and opinion. By Kevin D. Sawyer Theres something uniquely different about being a writer and journalist who is incarcerated, besides the obvious. Unlike freelance journalists and those who work for mainstream and corporate publications, we who are imprisoned get to bite the hand that feeds us. And we never miss a meal. Mull over that for a minute the next time rent, insurance or the car payment is due. My ability of simple storytelling and reporting truth to power, such as my jailers, isnt lost in the fear or inconvenience of earning a living, or the preservation of an extravagant lifestyle. As long as Im a prisoner, by law, the state must continue to feed me. Im a non-unionized journalist and writer, not in want of organized-labor protection to sustain my writing. In the purest form of freedom to write, all I need is a pen, paper and the First Amendment. That doesnt mean I have not faced consequences though, especially from increased knowledge through reading the wrong books and writing unpopular views deemed inflammatory or indicative of my affiliation with a defunct prison gang. Two years ago, I articulated this to Columbia Journalism Review in a story I submitted titled Writing While Black. It doesnt quite work for us, but you should keep working on it, Kyle Pope, CJRs editor and publisher wrote to me. Theres something to your notion that simply reading (and writing) is considered a threatening act that is worth expanding on. He was right, but I knew it before he quoted, in part, what Id submitted to CJR: Writing requires honesty, and journalism demands truth. In American society, writers and journalists are destroyed on both sides of the prison gate. Threats work to achieve this sometimes, but its the economic rewards that do the most damage. When some writers standard of living is raised, it must be maintained. With that sometimes comes dishonesty. Pope said my statement was true, and that he was moved by (my) commitment to keep writing, and to keep reading, in the face of the threats (I) face. He wrote that I was doing the work of real journalism. The problem, however, is the enduring fact that Im imprisoned and too often find myself rendered invisible. Sure, I have a voice. But I write in a vast sea of darkness; sometimes literally, other times figuratively, or both. I struggle with how to allot some type of agency to other prisoners when, minimally, I face it as a journalists [sic] and writer who is incarcerated. The incessant absence of incarcerated voices in mainstream media is largely due in part to the reality that editors dont know who we are as writers and where we are confined. Fasten that to the fact that we do not have email, internet, cellphone or social media access. Thats another aspect of darkness. Yet, I feel fortunate to own a typewriter and have access to the U.S. mail. Recently I discussed this with Emily Nonko, a New Yorkbased freelance journalist who lends me and other incarcerated journalists her assistance. I told her how frustrating it is to not have a story acknowledged as received, even if its not published. At least Popes doesnt quite work for us placed me on his radar. For that I am grateful. Id made it to the plate but struck out in a game thats not over. Instead of being completely disappeared, I was heard. Nonko told me shes discovered there are many editors who dont know how, or that they can, set up prepaid telephone accounts with inmate call service providers to communicate with incarcerated journalists (where it is available). In California state prisons, Global Tel Link offers this service. Editors may also use email service through companies such as JPay to send letters to inmates. I usually receive these messages the same day theyre written, by 2:30 p.m. (PST), if theyre sent early in the morning. The email is routed to a printer in the prisons mail room so it arrives with the rest of the mail. I do, however, have to use snail mail to respond. So, although the technology is available, there are editors who are unaware of its usefulness. They have no means, or dont know how to connect to incarcerated writers, yet they talk about social justice and criminal justice, Nonko said. As important, it irks some incarcerated journalists to read stories written about prison, mass incarceration and criminal justice reform, by writers whove never set foot inside a jail or prison. Its not dishonest, but its not exactly beat reporting either. With 2.3 million men, women and children incarcerated in the United States, theres hardly a shortage of penal institutions one can find to visit. This leaves writers like me to dispatch stories with first-hand accounts and interviews to outside news organizations that hopefully will have an editor who covets truth from an insider. For example, I was living inside San Quentin when the coronavirus swept through the prison. Not one reporter, including state public information officers, listened to the horror of the screams of man down and the alarms that went off all day during the peak of the outbreak. I watched it all, including death, and had no place to send my story. That is, until I was told to contact Nonko. Aside from news, I also have opinions about gangs, crime, punishment, politics, and in contemporary times Black Lives Matter. Incarceration has not extinguished my views on such matters. Truth or opinion, Ill say it and write it even if its unpopular or thought to be seditious, and Ill still receive a hot meal. When I transferred from Folsom State Prison to San Quentin in 2011, my writings and research were confiscated. I filed an administrative grievance to have my work returned to me, but I was met with retaliation. Sometimes the hand bites back. I was accused by the prisons goon squad (special security unit) of being connected to the Black Guerrilla Family prison gang. Its a timeworn tactic in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation used to silence men by placing them in solitary confinement for writing while black. Undeterred, I bit back. Unlike outside corporate journalists, I didnt have a legal team to help me for the first seven years. I had to rely on my paralegal training, so off I went as a self-taught, indigent, prose litigant in prison. Not exactly a recipe for success, but thats another ingredient in the uniqueness of writing behind bars; time to learn. Nearly eight years to the day after my work was seized, I sat in a federal courtroom in San Francisco, with my attorney and two of his law school students. The case Sawyer v. Chappell, et al. had reached a settlement hearing. I prevailed. Truth and honesty were on my side. All a man has left when he enters prison is his word. Fuck that up and youre nothing in there. During that time, more than 200 of my writings were published in more than a dozen publications in the United States and Canada that include news, memoirs, fiction, essays and poetry. An even amount remains unpublished. I havent been inside the prison newsroom since covid-19 placed San Quentin on lockdown in March. Since then, more than 2,400 prisoners have tested positive for the virus at the prison, and 26 prisoners and one sergeant have died from the virus. I press on in my cell, though, with my 2013 AP Style Guide, law books (including media law), Brother ML 300 typewriter, dictionary, thesaurus, and other tools to do my craft of journalism, the old fashion way. Although Im not on the other side of the wall, after 24 years, Im hopeful. Ive done well up to this point. The only thing Id trade for the unique experience is the time Ive lost. Ill never get that back, but Ive written many stories along the way, including my own. All of them are dutifully packed with truth, and some with inflammatory honesty. How many writers and journalists are proud to vaunt that as they caress the hand that feeds them? Time to sharpen my teeth for dinner, with more incorruptible words. Thanks for hearing me, Kyle Pope! End It Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Kevin D. Sawyer has written numerous unpublished short stories, memoirs, essays, poems and journals and has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Post and the Guardian, among other publications. Supreme Court Rejects Alex Jones Dismissal of Sandy Hook Lawsuit The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal by Infowars host Alex Jones in a defamation lawsuit that was filed against him by relatives of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting. The court did not issue a reason for the dismissal, writing (pdf) in an order: The petitions for writs of certiorari are denied. Jones attorney, Norman Pattis, said the courts decision on Monday is a disappointment, reported The Associated Press. Judge Bellis, and the Connecticut Supreme Court, asserted frightening and standardless power over the extrajudicial statements of litigants, he added. Mr. Jones never threatened anyone; had he done so, he would have been charged with a crime. We are inching our way case-by-case toward a toothless, politically correct, First Amendment. Jones was penalized in 2019 by a trial court judge for comments made on his website show against an attorney for the relatives and for allegedly violating numerous orders to turn over documents to the families lawyers. Judge Barbara Bellis barred Jones from filing a motion to dismiss the case, which remains pending, and said she would order Jones to pay some of the families legal fees. The Austin, Texas-based host previously argued that he shouldnt be sanctioned for exercising his First Amendment rights. It came after the families of the Sandy Hook victims and an FBI agent filed a suit against Jones and his show for making assertions that it was a hoax. Since then, Jones has said he believed the 2012 shooting in Newton, Connecticut, actually occurred. On Monday, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families praised the Supreme Courts decision. The families are eager to resume their case and to hold Mr. Jones and his financial network accountable for their actions, Joshua Koskoff, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, told AP. From the beginning, our goal has been to prevent future victims of mass shootings from being preyed on by opportunists, he added. Earlier this year, the Texas Supreme Court rejected Jones request to toss the lawsuits. The rulings, issued in January, came without comment. Jones in 2019 was also ordered by a Texas judge to pay $100,000 in legal fees and refused to dismiss the suit. A Wisconsin jury also awarded $450,000 to one of the Sandy Hook parents in a lawsuit against other writersnot Joneswho said the shooting never occurred. The Sandy Hook families are suing Jones, Infowars, and several others for defamation and infliction of emotional distress, and they are seeking undisclosed damages. The Epoch Times has contacted Pattis for comment. The case is 20-1135 JONES, ALEX E., ET AL. V. LAFFERTY, ERICA, ET AL. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Myanmar's military junta ordered internet service providers to shut down wireless broadband services as more people are rallied to join the protest the coup. On Friday, all telecoms were mandated to cut wireless and mobile internet access across the entire country, reports Wired. This was following a similar order from the military to block access to social media services like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where activists communicate and organize protests. "What authorities are doing in the online environment is a reflection of their crackdown in the offline environment," said Oliver Spencer, adviser to Free Expression Myanmar, a domestic human rights group. "Their objective is to spread so much fear that the unrest, the opposition, just dies, because people's fear overtakes their anger. Shutting down the internet is meant to be just one demonstration of their absolute power," added Spencer. Ye Salween, a Myanmar analyst, said the same about the military authorities' attempt "to limit news flow and communications," reports Nikkei Asia. "Taking down wireless Wi-Fi could be a test run on two issues -- how much they can reduce the news flow, and how much this would affect businesses. If news flow reduces but impact on the bank and business operations is limited, the military would likely maintain the blocking," he told Nikkei. Last month, army spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said in a statement that since violence was provoked online, there would be no plans of restoring internet access. He claimed that it's for the sake of "stability." "The junta's top priority is to quell the protests and all other forms of resistance. They are ignoring pleas from businesses for the sake of any resemblance of 'stability' for now," said analyst Ye Salween. Human rights group Amnesty International warned that the internet shutdown could put the people of Myanmar at risk of more human rights violations, reports BBC News. "Because of military dictatorship, many of our lives have been destroyed," one female protestor told BBC. "We cannot allow our future generations to meet the same fate." Other journalists working on the ground also condemned the internet blackout. "This shutdown is mainly because they don't want the news from citizen journalists on the ground to reach the media and then go from the media to the public," J. Paing of the Myanmar Press Photo Agency told Radio Free Asia. RFA further reported that Myanmar's junta arrested 56 journalists since Feb. 1, with 30 now freed. But citizens were also not spared from these arrests over sharing of information. Witnesses told the outlet that two women from Ten Mile Market in Yangon were also arrested after they were seen talking to a CNN reporter on Thursday. Another 23-year-old interviewee was also taken to the interrogation center in Shwepyithar by the military forces. Jonathan Hawkins, CNN Vice president for communications, told RFA that they have reached out to the Myanmar military authorities for comment on the reported detentions of interviewees after responding to their team's queries. "CNN is in Myanmar with the permission of the military and is being escorted by the military, including during the visit to the market," he said. Now that Myanmar's digital communication has been stifled, a resident from the township of Yangon expressed his fear to RFA. "Life has been difficult since Feb 1, when they staged the coup, and since then, they started a news blackout. The Internet has been cut off, and now the ISPs are cut off," he said. "Without Wi-Fi, we can't get all the news. I don't know exactly what is going on, and feel insecure. I feel I'm no longer safe even at home," he added. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-06 05:14:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 crisis "has revealed how unequal our societies are," said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his message released on Monday for the World Health Day. Highlighting the inequalities and injustices that have been apparent throughout the pandemic, the UN chief said in his message for the day to be marked on Wednesday that the vast majority of vaccine doses administered so far have been confined to "a few wealthy countries" or those producing the shots cleared for distribution. "Within countries, illness and death from COVID-19 has been higher among people and communities that contend with poverty, unfavorable living and working conditions, discrimination and social exclusion," said Guterres. Thanks to the COVAX initiative, the UN backed international effort to provide equitable vaccines across the world, more countries are receiving doses, "but most people in low and middle income countries still must watch and wait," the top UN official added. "Such inequities are immoral, and they are dangerous for our health, our economies and our societies." To date, COVAX has shipped more than 36 million doses to 86 countries, the UN chief's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told correspondents at the UN headquarters on Monday. Algeria received more than 36,000 doses over the weekend from COVAX, he said, helping to accelerate the vaccination campaign already underway there. "The UN Resident Coordinator, Eric Overvest, said the new doses will help ensure that no one is left behind," Dujarric added. "Our teams on the ground have helped to train healthcare workers, sensitize people on vaccines, and supported the cold chain." As of April 5, the World Health Organization is reporting that there have been nearly 131,021,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including more than 2,850,520 deaths. Up to the end of March 31, there had been 547,727,346 vaccine doses administered worldwide. "As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must implement policies and allocate resources so all can enjoy the same health outcomes," said Guterres. That will involve reaching the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, he added, "and it means delivering universal health coverage so everyone, everywhere, can thrive." Enditem Advertisement A drone has discovered a possible second breach in a large Florida wastewater reservoir which officials are rushing to drain before it collapses entirely and releases a 20ft wall of water on homes and businesses nearby. The Piney Point Reservoir in Tampa sits on stacks of phosphogypsum, a solid radioactive byproduct from manufacturing fertilizer plant nearby. State authorities say the water in the breached pond is not radioactive but it contains too much nitrogen and can therefore cause algae to grow faster and kill fish. But it could also harm humans who come into contact with it or eat tainted fish and on Monday, Congress Vern Buchanan said it looked 'pretty contaminated.' For around a week, a leak in the reservoir wall has meant that between 2million and 3million gallons water have been escaping every day. To try to avoid a total collapse, officials are pumping water out of it now and into the Tampa Bay, while residents who have not already been evacuated wait for news. Scroll down for video The original breach at the Piney Point resevoir in Manatee County near Tampa is shown above. Overnight, the Army Corps of Engineers found a second using thermal imagery An aerial view of the breached reservoir at Piney Point, near Tampa, where water containing pollutants has been leaking underground for days. Officials are now trying to pump water our of it, into the Tampa Bay, to avoid a total collapse and 'catastrophic flooding' The reservoir is shown, right, with the stacks which are beneath it tabbed up. Right now, water is being pumped from it into Tampa Bay, to the left, to avoid the total collapse of the reservoir wall which would unleash water on homes and businesses This is the current evacuation zone for the area. There are houses, businesses, a county jail and a small airport within it U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, addresses the media Monday, April 5, 2021. Officials announced that at 2am, they detected a second possible leak using infared drones which detected a change in temperature Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency. If the reservoir collapses, it would trigger 'catastrophic' flooding in the area, and residents have the added worry of the water containing pollutants. On Monday, a drone was sent to examine the reservoir from above. It found a second potential breach, which officials are now investigating. 'At approximately 2 a.m., an infrared drone identified a signature that could indicate a second breach. 'However ... the Army Corps of Engineers, new engineers from the [Florida] Department of Environmental Protection are back out at the site now and they are reassessing that, Manatee County Public Safety Director Jacob Saur said. Saur added that it was only detected because the temperature of the water in the area of the breach was different. Rep. Buchanan said on Monday: 'To see the water spewing out, it looked pretty contaminated to me. I continue to be concerned about this. 'I want the best and the brightest on the ground. It's something that could have been dealt with over the years.' He added that he was concerned about the threat to homes in addition to wildlife. Among those are the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, Buchanan said at a news conference. 'I think we are making some progress. This is something that has been going on too long. Now, I think everybody is focused on this.' Another view of the breach which has been allowing millions of gallons of water to gush out of the reservoir for days There are a number of homes and businesses near the plant that are at risk of being flooded. Above, Port Manatee, where the water is being pumped into the Tampa Bay now The Florida National Guard has flown pumps to the reservoir site and the Army Corps of Engineers is also there Wastewater from Piney Point is flowing into Tampa Bay at this berth at Port Manatee. Above, the port on Monday In this photo taken by a drone a new expanded emergency evacuation order was sent out to an area around Piney Point, the former phosphate mine, Saturday, April 3, 2021 near Bradenton, Florida GILLETTE, FLORIDA - APRIL 05: U.S. Highway 41 northbound and southbound is closed due to a possible wastewater breach at the former Piney Point phosphate plant on April 5, 2021 in Gillette, Florida There is an area nearby that remains under an evacuation order and others who are outside of the zone but nearby say they too are getting ready to leave. Melissa Fitzsimmons lives with her husband and 19-month-old daughter in Palmetto, Florida, on the edge of the evacuation zone. Fitzsimmons said that for the past four days she has been terrified since she found out about the leak. While her house is on a hill and may not be directly affected by the water if the leak continues to grow, Fitzsimmons said her family is preparing for the worst. 'Within 24 hours it escalated to like a catastrophic evacuation, and we really didn't know anything until we saw that there was an evacuation and then suddenly an evacuation within the block of our house. 'Were not in the full on evacuation zone so we didn't make the decision to leave, but we are certainly ready to go, I would say within like a 10-second notice, we can be out the door.' Governor Ron DeSantis toured the site in a helicopter on Sunday Scott Hopes, the Manatee County administrator, said the additional pumps should increase the capacity for a controlled release of the water from about 35 million gallons (about a 132 million liters) a day to between 75 million and 100 million gallons a day. 'This has become a very focused local, state and national issue,' Hopes said. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection says the water in the pond is primarily salt water mixed with wastewater and storm water. It has elevated levels of phosphorous and nitrogen and is acidic, but not expected to be toxic, the agency says. The ponds sit in stacks of phosphogypsum, a solid radioactive byproduct from manufacturing fertilizer. State authorities say the water in the breached pond is not radioactive. Still, the EPA says too much nitrogen in the wastewater causes algae to grow faster, leading to fish kills. Some such blooms can also harm humans who come into contact with polluted waters, or eat tainted fish. The Piney Point reservoir, and others like it storing the phosphogypsum byproduct, have been left unaddressed for far too long, environmental groups say. 'This environmental disaster is made worse by the fact it was entirely foreseeable and preventable,' said Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "With 24 more phosphogypsum stacks storing more than 1 billion tons of this dangerous, radioactive waste in Florida, the EPA needs to step in right now." Dale Rucker, a hydrologist and former editor of the Journal of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, says the leak is a reminder that governments need to pay attention to aging infrastructure that could endanger the environment and put communities at serious risk. 'Continued neglect can have serious environmental consequences like we are seeing. These environmental catastrophes are going to happen with higher probability,' Rucker said. New Dlehi: Bengaluru teenager drowned at a pond in Karnatakas Ravagondlu Betta, around 40 kilometers from the state capital, while his friends were busy clicking selfie. The deceased has been identified as Vishwas G, a student of National College in Jayanagar. The victims parents and relatives of the teenager are protesting in front of the college with his body on Monday. The parents are alleging that Vishwas died due to negligence of the college and faculty in charge of the NCC unit, Prof Girish and Sharathh. Also read: Indian U-17 cricketer dies in Sri Lanka after drowning in swimming pool The relatives called of the demonstration after the college management assured them of stringent action against the people for their negligence. Police said that the deceased, a resident of Hanumantha Nagar along with 25 other fellow NCC cadets were picnicking with his friends in Ravagondhu Betta in Karnatakas Kanakpura district. Vishwas drowned in the the 300-year-old Kalyana, a stepped pond, when he along with his friends entered the water in afternoon. Also read: 25 die in two separate tragic incidents in rivers Yamuna, Ganga "The victims father has lodged a complaint alleging that negligence by the National College management led to death of his son. We registered a case of unnatural death, based on the complaint, and may register a case against the college management if a probe confirms their negligence," a police officer said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. British police arrested more than 100 people after protests in central London on Saturday. The capital was swarmed by thousands of demonstrators as a number of protests took place simultaneously. Many were protesting the Governments proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. If passed, the legislation would give police in England and Wales more powers to impose conditions on non-violent protests including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance, with those convicted liable to fines or jail terms. While the majority of attendees arrived and left peacefully, a small minority stayed leading to clashes with police. The Metropolitan Police said that 107 arrests were made - for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on police and breaches of Covid legislation, while one woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon. The police said arrests were made after "a small minority" of protesters, who were not social distancing, remained in Parliament Square despite the rest of the demonstrators leaving. Scotland Yard later added that 10 officers were injured on Saturday, though none of these injuries are believed to be serious. The Evening Standard reported. At least 27 bodies have been recovered from a river outside Bangladeshs capital Dhaka after a ferry collided with a cargo vessel and capsized. The ferry sank soon after departing from Narayanganj district, about 20km (12 miles) from Dhaka, said district administrator Mustain Billah, according to Reuters. The cargo vessel left the scene after the collision, police said. Rescuers recovered five bodies on Sunday and a further 22 on Monday, Narayanganj additional deputy commissioner Shameem Bepari told the Dhaka Tribune. Several people are still missing. A seven-member committee has been formed to probe the incident. It has been asked to submit its findings in the next five days. The ferry was carrying around 50 passengers and was going to the neighbouring Munshiganj district. It was packed with people who were leaving the city after a nationwide lockdown was announced by the Bangladesh government to combat a spike in Covid-19 cases. Read more: Bangladesh decided to impose the seven-day lockdown, beginning Monday, to curb the spread of the virus. The country has recorded 637,364 cases and 9,266 deaths related to the virus to date, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Thousands of people left Dhaka on Sunday fearing they would get trapped during the lockdown, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. The government has ordered that all public transport services will remain suspended during the lockdown, and only emergency services will be operational. Protests have erupted against the governments decision on the lockdown, with shop owners demanding a reversal of the decision to close shopping malls. People also called for restrictions on public transport to be removed. This is the second time lockdown has been imposed in Bangladesh since the start of the pandemic. The country shut down for two months last year. LG Electronics' smartphones are displayed at the company's store in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap Korean tech giant to quit making phones from July 31 By Baek Byung-yeul LG Electronics announced Monday that it has decided to end its money-losing smartphone business and realign its business structure with a focus on new businesses, such as future mobility. The decision came at a board meeting of the Korean electronics giant, and following it the company will end its mobile phone business from July 31. LG described the decision as a strategic exit as the company needed to reallocate resources efficiently to promising areas such as electric vehicle (EV) components, connected devices, robotics, artificial intelligence and business-to-business platforms. Among the new business areas mentioned, the company is expected to concentrate on EV components given it has been expanding its presence gradually in emerging sectors such as EV and vehicle components. Last December, LG announced the establishment of a joint venture with automotive parts maker Magna International to manufacture electric motors, inverters and onboard chargers used in EVs. "LG Electronics has not been able to produce meaningful results due to its insufficient response time when the premium smartphone market is dominated by two companies and the price competition in the budget smartphone market has intensified," the company said in a statement. "Under these circumstances, LG will focus its capabilities on core business that can streamline internal resources and secure competitive advantages through a choice and concentration strategy. At the same time, the company plans to improve its business structure by accelerating preparations for new business sectors," LG added. After suffering operating losses since 2015, LG recently attempted to sell its mobile communications unit, which oversees the smartphone business. The company was in negotiations with various interested buyers, including Vietnam's Vingroup, but failed to reach an agreement with any of them. With the exit decision, LG noted that it will reassign around 3,700 employees currently working in the mobile communications division. Most of the staff are expected to be relocated to the new EV component joint venture established between LG and Magna, which will be officially launched in July. Also, smartphone production lines overseas such as in Vietnam and Brazil will be realigned to manufacture home appliances. LG halted its phone production line in Korea in 2019. "Moving forward, LG will continue to leverage its mobile expertise and develop mobility-related technologies such as 6G to help further strengthen competitiveness in other business areas. Core technologies developed during the two decades of LG's mobile business operations will also be retained and applied to existing and future products," the company said. This car prototype illustration shows the LG and Magna logos of each company for their joint venture. Courtesy of LG Electronics (Newser) Candace Chrzan was in the backyard of a home in Mount Zion, Georgia, shooting bottles for target practice Tuesday night when her gun jammed. The 17-year-old handed the .22-caliber pistol to the boy whose family owns the gun, police say, and it accidentally fired as he tried to unjam it, a bullet fatally striking Candace in the head. The boy, also 17, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter in her death, NBC News reports. Police say he was "physically and visibly distraught and upset" when they arrived at the scene. Another teen who was not present at the shooting was also arrested; he allegedly took to Snapchat to threaten to kill the teen who was involved in Candace's death, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. story continues below Police say Candace's death was a "horrible accident," but a family friend tells 11 Alive that the high school senior's grandparents, who raised her, still have unanswered questions. They say Candace was well-trained in gun safety, and that they didn't know she was going to be target shooting that night. There were three other teens at the home at the time, and the family friend says she doesn't know who one of them was. She also says one of the teens posted a photo to Snapchat of crime scene tape and the ambulance, which is how many peopleincluding, unfortunately, the teen's grandparentsfound out about her death. (Read more Georgia stories.) Ever since global lockdowns began easing, many Bollywood stars have found their way to Maldives. Of course, Disha Patani and Tiger Shroff are most at home there but the archipelagic state has also hosted Madhuri Dixit, Ananya Panday and Ishaan Khatter. Actor Shraddha Kapoor was also in the Maldives with rumoured beau Rohan Shrestha as they attended Kapoor's cousin's wedding. Now, the Baaghi actress has once again found herself there and shared multiple images on Instagram. This is her third visit to the island destination in two months. "Running back to nature!!!" Kapoor wrote in a caption on social media while her brother Siddhanth Kapoor suggested that the actress should just relocate there. "Lets just settle there now," he said with laughing emojis. Kapoor will also be seen in Chaalbaaz which will be directed by Sridevi's Chaalbaaz director Pankaj Parashar. "Although there's a huge responsibility on me, I'm happy that Bhushan sir and Ahmed sir feel that I will be able to pull it off. Also, its a great opportunity and a learning experience for me to work with Pankaj sir who has entertained us for so many years. Looking forward to this journey," she told PTI. Chandigarh, April 5 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday ordered a magisterial probe into the circumstances leading to the roof collapse of a factory at Baba Mukand Singh Nagar in Ludhiana, which claimed four lives and left nine others injured. The Chief Minister, while expressing grief over the loss of lives, announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, besides directing the district administration to ensure free and prompt treatment of the injured persons. According to a spokesperson from the Chief Minister's Office, the magisterial inquiry would be conducted by the Divisional Commissioner of Patiala who has been directed to submit his report within two weeks. The Chief Minister made it clear that strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty of negligence, which cost four precious lives. The unfortunate incident occurred at around 9.50 am on Monday when 40 workers were working in the auto-parts manufacturing unit of Jasmail Singh & Sons. Rescue teams successfully brought out 36 persons from the debris, who have been admitted to various hospitals for treatment. Four persons died in the mishap while six others are under treatment. The condition of one of the injured persons is stated to be critical. The deceased have been identified as Mustakeen and Sagar Kumar, both residents of Bihar, and Peechu and Imtiaz from Ludhiana. POSCO Chemical Co., an affiliate of South Korea's steel giant POSCO Group, said Monday it will provide a key material for Ultium Cells' rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles (EVs). POSCO Chemical said it will supply anodes, one part of lithium-ion batteries used in EVs, to Ultium Cells, a battery joint venture of South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution Ltd. and American automaker General Motors Co. Anode is a key material in a battery that preserves lithium coming from the cathode and generates electricity while releasing lithium. In December, the chemical company struck a supply deal with Ultium Cells for cathodes, another crucial material for EV batteries. POSCO has expanded investment in chemicals for rechargeable batteries as the EV battery market has been on a roll as automakers around the world race to go electric and eco-friendly due to tightened regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. GM and LG are currently spending $2.3 billion on a new battery cell plant in Ohio, which is expected to be completed in 2022. The plant is considered a linchpin of GM's plans for its next-generation EVs. (Yonhap) Last weeks consultation workshop opened discussions on the goals of the Plastic Alliance The Plastic Alliance is one of four initiatives under the Rethinking Plastics Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter Project running in Vietnam until 2022, co-funded by the European Union and the German government. The launch took place in the framework of a consultation workshop with representatives from some of the countrys largest supermarket chains and local authorities gathered to open discussions on an MoU to establish the Plastic Alliance, following the example of a similar and successful initiative in Thailand. According to the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE), which is implementing the pilot project, and Expertise France the implementation unit for the entire Rethinking Plastics Project in Vietnam the MoU would outline a voluntary commitment for action against single-use plastic bags by supermarkets operating in Vietnam, gathering supermarkets and retailers into a unified front. Kim Thi Thuy Ngoc, head of the Division of Science and International Cooperation at ISPONRE, outlined tentative targets for the 1-year Plastic Alliance pilot programme. The goals could, she offered as an example, include replacing single-use plastic bags with eco-friendly bags at participating supermarkets in Hanoi and communication and consumer awareness raising activities. This and ancillary initiatives could target a 10 per cent reduction in the total amount of single-use plastic bags compared to 2020, she suggested. At the same time, ISPONRE proposed that all supermarkets participating in the alliance could roll out communication activities to raise consumer awareness and run promotion and discount programmes that could include providing discounts and bonus points for plastic-free purchases. Fanny Quertamp, senior advisor in Vietnam at Expertise France, shared some experiences from France, Germany, and Thailand to highlight that besides the objectives, engaging supermarkets that share a common goal would be an initial step. We are aware that the initial terms of the MoU are loose. This is to allow wide participation to open the doors for subsequent, higher commitments. At the same time, they will remain open to revisions and change, Quertamp said. She explained that while supermarkets have their own plastic reduction initiatives, these efforts are disparate and unsustainable. Creating an alliance would bring industry stakeholders together, standardising sustainability action and crafting market-wide promotion schemes. One major objective consists of the formulation of recommendations for public policies at the national level. Additionally, the Plastic Alliance would help develop and implement a communications programme to mobilise participation and encourage sustainable consumption. Supermarket stance more or less? The consultation workshop gave way to a spirited discussion by representatives of the leading supermarkets across Vietnam, discussing the form of the Plastic Alliance. While there was widespread agreement about the necessity of an alliance and reducing plastics, participants were divided over where the initiative should start from, with many calling for more detailed government regulations to provide a framework for individual and collective plastic reduction efforts. Nguyen Nhon Quy, corporate communication and social responsibility manager at AEON Vietnam, highlighted that initiatives like charging for plastic bags could reduce customer satisfaction. He cited an AEON survey showing that 65 per cent of customers were not happy to pay extra for greener bags. He advised that the regulatory environment should be made to encourage anti-plastic moves and customer perceptions changed before serious action could be taken. Meanwhile, some of the participants suggested expanding the scope of the alliance outside Hanoi to turn it into a nationwide platform, precluding the formation of other groupings in other cities. This would help supermarkets follow uniform standards in all geographies and present a unified front in regulatory lobbying. Nguyen Trung Thang, deputy director general of ISPONRE, said that while Vietnam has set the target to switch completely to eco-friendly plastic bags in all retail units by 2025, implementation is lacking and industry-wide support would be essential to promote awareness. Quertamp argued that the environmental situation has progressed beyond the point where supermarkets and industries can afford to wait on the government to take initiative. She stated that all stakeholders need to come together to take action, proactively crafting recommendations to shape the legal framework through discourse and reining in plastics through action. The stakeholders ended the meeting with an agreement to continue discussing the details of the MoU. Rethinking Plastics Project The pilot project is part of the Rethinking Plastics Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter Project commissioned by the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. This larger project is being implemented by Expertise France and GIZ across Vietnam, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Japan from May 2019 until April 2022. The main beneficiary of the pilot project is Ministry of Industry and Trade. In Vietnam, the Rethinking Plastics Project is implemented by Expertise France in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The project aims to support the transition towards the sustainable consumption and production of plastic in East and Southeast Asia to contribute to a significant reduction of marine litter in line with the EU Plastics Strategy. Bringing experiences from across the EU to the region in reducing single-use plastics in supermarkets, the Rethinking Plastics project includes a series of national and international campaigns that promote positive change at all levels of the plastic chain. Much like in China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, the scheme focuses on promoting transition to a circular economy via plastic waste prevention and management in Vietnam. Current priorities include initiatives to reduce single-use plastics in food delivery and takeaway, which saw a rise due to pandemic-related restaurant closures. Additionally, it aims to provide support for waste management in ports and consultancy regarding extended producer responsibility for packaging. A controversial Canadian church leader has shared a video of himself berating police officers attempting to enforce Covid-19 restrictions during an Easter service. Pastor Artur Pawlowski shouted 'Nazis are not welcome here' and referred to officers as 'Gestapo' during the confrontation on Saturday. Pawlowski, the pastor of Calgary's Street Church, was leading a Passover service at a building known as the Fortress (Cave) of Adullam, when officers and city officials arrived. In the footage, filmed by the pastor, several officers stand on the stairwell into the building while he orders them to 'get out of this property immediately'. 'I don't want to hear anything... out immediately,' he shouts, as a female officer appears to try and explain their presence. 'I don't care what you have to say, Out!,' Pawlowski bawls, telling officers to leave 'until you come back with a warrant'. 'Out of this property, you Nazis,' the pastor shouts. 'Gestapo is not allowed here.' A controversial Canadian church leader has shared a video of himself berating police officers attempting to enforce Covid-19 restrictions during an Easter service. Pastor Artur Pawlowski (pictured) shouted 'Nazis are not welcome here' and referred to officers as 'Gestapo' during the confrontation on Saturday In the footage, filmed by the pastor, several officers stand on the stairwell into the building while he orders them to 'get out of this property immediately' This is how you handle police who enter a church without a warrant. Theyre lucky they only got a tongue-lashing: s. 176 of the Criminal Code makes it a crime to disturb a church service. Those @CalgaryPolice thugs were breaking the law (and knew it). pic.twitter.com/0XhAuwv0yg Ezra Levant (@ezralevant) April 4, 2021 The officers eventually exit the building with the pastor following behind. 'Nazis are not welcome here,' he shouts after the officers. 'And don't come out without a warrant.' Pawlowski then turns the camera on himself for a lengthy rant, labelling officers 'sick psychopath's and accusing them of 'coming to intimidate Christians during the holiest festival'. The pastor, who often engages in open-air preaching and is known for his staunch opposition to homosexuality, abortion and Sharia law, shared the video on Twitter, writing: 'Police came to disrupt Church gathering! 'Gestapo came again to intimidate the Church parishioners during the Passover Celebration!!! Unbelievable!' 'I don't care what you have to say, Out!,' Pawlowski bawls, telling officers and officials to leave 'until you come back with a warrant'. 'Out of this property, you Nazis,' the pastor shouts. 'Gestapo is not allowed here' In a press release, Calgary Police Service said officers had been dispatched to ensure Covid-19 regulations were being followed. 'The concern was that the people in attendance were not adhering to the government's COVID-19 public health orders, which are in place to ensure everyone's safety,' police said in the release, noting 'the organizer of the gathering was uncooperative'. No tickets were issued at the time but police said it was possible they might be in the future. 'It will be up to our partner agencies to determine subsequent enforcement activity in response to this situation.' An Alberta Health Services (AHS) spokesperson told CTV News that representatives attended the service to 'observe whether the organization was following' the province's Covid-19 guidelines but could not complete their work because of the confrontation. 'Our inspector was not granted access inside, so was unable to confirm if (Chief Medical Officer of Health) orders were being followed,' said Marni Kuhlmann, senior communication advisor with AHS, in an email to CTV News. 'Our inspectors have an important job to do and we ask that business owners and organizations treat them with respect. We stand by all of our public health inspectors who are doing an incredible job in trying and challenging circumstances,' she said. Officials and officers eventually leave the building, having been unable to check whether guidelines were being adhered to at the service Local media reported that Pawlowski (pictured) has been charged multiple times under Alberta's Public Health Act for breaching Covid-19 regulations 'We expect that all places of worship across Alberta follow the CMOH restrictions and we thank everyone who continues to do their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 this holiday weekend and throughout the pandemic.' CTV News reported that officials from the City of Calgary Bylaw Services were also in attendance, alongside city police. Local media reported that Pawlowski has been charged multiple times under Alberta's Public Health Act for breaching Covid-19 regulations. Churches in the area can hold services but must keep attendance below 15 per cent and follow guidelines including wearing masks and social distancing. However the controversial pastor was praised by some on social media who see pandemic restrictions as infringing on their right to religious worship. Ezra Levant, the founder of far-right commentary website Rebel News, said Pawlowski's response was 'how you handle police who enter a church without a warrant.' 'They're lucky they only got a tongue-lashing: s. 176 of the Criminal Code makes it a crime to disturb a church service. Those @CalgaryPolice thugs were breaking the law (and knew it),' he claimed in a tweet. New Delhi: This seems straight from a science fiction saga. Scientists at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a structure that can spot key patterns that preface any dangerous event. It is a new design that can predict dangerous, life-threatening events that are likely to occur in near future. This is done by identifying any fluctuation or disturbance occurring in the climate, aviation routine, or circulation of the ocean currents. The new design can be used to monitor a wide range of complicated, multidimensional systems to pick up the warning signs that are most likely to occur. Themistoklis Sapsis, associate professor at MIT said, Currently there is no method to explain when these extreme events occur. We have applied this framework to turbulent fluid flows, which are the Holy Grail of extreme events. Theyre encountered in climate dynamics in the form of extreme rainfall, in engineering fluid flows such as stresses around an airfoil, and acoustic instabilities inside gas turbines. If we can predict the occurrence of these extreme events, hopefully we can apply some control strategies to avoid them, added Sapsis. In predicting extreme events in complex systems, scientists have typically attempted to solve sets of dynamical equations incredibly complex mathematical formulas that, once solved, can predict the state of a complex system over time. Sapsis said that the framework is generalisable enough to apply to a wide range of systems in which extreme events may occur. He plans to apply the technique to scenarios in which fluid flows against a boundary or wall, such as air flows around jet planes, and ocean currents against oil risers. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The Company is preparing for the deployment of precision phage therapy on a wider scale NANTES, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: Pherecydes Pharma (FR0011651694 ALPHE) (Paris: ALPHE), a biotechnology company specializing in precision phage therapy to treat resistant and/or complicated bacterial infections, today announces that Celine Breda, Doctor of Pharmacy, has joined Pherecydes Pharmas Management Committee as Director of Industrial Operations. Celine Breda brings to the Company 25 years of experience in the quality control, development and production of biological products. After beginning her career at Sanofi Pasteur in France and the United States, Celine joined the biotechnology company Valneva in 2005, where she headed pharmaceutical operations for more than eight years. When Valnevas bioproduction site in Nantes was sold in 2013, she became Director of Operations of this unit, initially for BE Vaccines, a subsidiary of Indian pharmaceutical group Biological E, and then, from 2019, for Naobios, a subsidiary of CDMO Clean Biologics. Guy-Charles Fanneau de La Horie, Chairman of the Executive Board of Pherecydes Pharma, states: We are delighted to welcome Celine Breda to the team. Controlling our industrial operations is a key component of our development and success, given that the production of phages in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is particularly complex. With her substantial and diverse experience in pharmaceutical production, Celine will clearly strengthen our expertise in this domain, enabling us to successfully launch the production of our phages in accordance with GMP norms and to deploy precision phage therapy on a wider scale. About Pherecydes Pharma Founded in 2006, Pherecydes Pharma is a biotechnology company that develops treatments against resistant bacterial infections, responsible for many serious infections. The Company has developed an innovative approach, precision phage therapy, based on the use of phages, natural bacteria-killing viruses. Pherecydes Pharma is developing a portfolio of phages targeting 3 of the most resistant and dangerous bacteria, which alone account for more than two thirds of hospital-acquired resistant infections: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The concept of precision phage therapy has been successfully applied in 22 patients in the context of compassionate use, under the supervision of the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM). Headquartered in Nantes, Pherecydes Pharma has a team of around twenty experts from the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology sector and academic research. For more information, www.pherecydes-pharma.com Disclaimer This press release contains non-factual elements, including, but not limited to, certain statements regarding future results and other future events. These statements are based on the current vision and assumptions of the management of the Company. They incorporate known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could result in significant differences in results, profitability and expected events. In addition, Pherecydes Pharma, its shareholders and its affiliates, directors, officers, counsels and employees have not verified the accuracy of, and make no representations or warranties about, statistical information or forecast information contained within this news release and that originates or is derived from third party sources or industry publications; these statistical data and forecast information are only used in this press release for information purposes. Finally, this press release may be drafted in French and in English. In the event of differences between the two texts, the French version will prevail. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210331005525/en/ Pherecydes Pharma Philippe Rousseau CFO investors@pherecydes-pharma.com NewCap Dusan Oresansky Investor Relations pherecydes@newcap.eu T.: +33 1 44 71 94 92 NewCap Nicolas Merigeau Media Relations pherecydes@newcap.eu T.: +33 1 44 71 94 98 Source: Pherecydes Pharma A detail of one of the oldest stained glass windows in the cathedral is the "Notre-Dame de la Belle-Verriere," or "The Blue Virgin" window. The upper window dates from around 1180 and shows the Virgin Mary sitting on a throne as she holds Christ on her lap. His hand gesture signifies a blessing. (Cynthia Liang/Shutterstock) Reflecting the Divine: Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, France Larger Than Life: Art that inspires us through the ages The suns rays entering the nearly 27,000 square feet of stained glass windows of Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral create thousands of colored shards that bathe the interior in ethereal beauty. But beyond this earthly splendor, every one of the more than 175 glorious stained glass windows inspire and encourage worshipers to venerate the Virgin Mary and look up to God. Located just 50 miles from Paris, Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, is one of the most authentic and complete works of religious architecture of the early 13th century, according to the UNESCO website. A church has been on the current site since around the fourth century, after which at least five churches have been built due to war or fire. In 1194, fire devastated most of the early Gothic cathedral that had been built in 1145. But the crypt and west facade remained intact. An important relic, once owned by Charlemagne, also survived the fire: the Sancta Camisia (Latin for holy tunic), the silk undergarment that many believe Mary wore when she gave birth to Jesus. Charlemagnes grandson Charles the Bald presented the relic to Chartres in 876. Roman Catholics felt that the unscathed relic was a sign of encouragement for them to build an even more beautiful cathedral to venerate the Virgin Mary. Today, the High Gothic style of architecture that dominates the cathedral is the result of 26 years of rebuilding it after the 1194 fire. Highlights of the High Gothic style include elaborate sculptural reliefs, high vaulted ceilings, vast amounts of stained glass, and flying buttresses, which are exterior stone reinforcements necessary for bearing the immense stained glass windows incredible weight. The cathedral demonstrates the evolution of Gothic architecture. Most of its architecture is from the High Gothic period, but early Gothic style can also be observed, such as on the west facade (pictured here with the two towers). (Petr Kovalenkov/Shutterstock) The south entrance to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres is an exquisite example of High Gothic architecture. (Valery Egorov/Shutterstock) With its elegant early Gothic architecture, the west facade is one of the few mid-12th-century features to survive the 1194 fire that destroyed most of the cathedral. (Andre Quinou/Shutterstock) The 15th-century astronomical clock. (Natalia Bratslavsky/Shutterstock) On the royal portal of the west facade, elaborate sculptural reliefs depict religious scenes. Christ is enveloped in an ellipse called a mandorla, symbolizing his divinity. Symbols representing the evangelists surround him. (Kiev.Victor/Shutterstock) The Coronation of the Virgin Mary is represented in the north transept sculptures. (Rosemarie Mosteller/Shutterstock) The nave consists of an arcade at the bottom, then a triforium (an interior gallery), and up high is a clerestory, which allows light to enter the church. (Pit Stock/Shutterstock) Centuries of soot and grime had blackened the walls of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres. In this 2018 photograph of the nave, conservators cleaned and painted the walls white and shades of beige and yellow to reflect medieval decoration. (The top-left and top-right corners of the image show walls yet to be restored.) (Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock) One of the most important relics in the cathedral is the Sancta Camisia, Latin for holy tunic. This is the silk undergarment that many believe Mary wore when she gave birth to baby Jesus. (Valery Egorov/Shutterstock) One of the oldest stained glass windows in the cathedral is the Notre-Dame de la Belle-Verriere, or The Blue Virgin window. The upper window dates from around 1180 and shows the Virgin Mary sitting on a throne as she holds Christ on her lap. His hand gesture signifies a blessing. (Cynthia Liang/Shutterstock) A detail on The Blue Virgin window shows several scenes of how Christ lived his life. (Pack-Shot/Shutterstock) In Vendome Chapel, the stained glass showing the coronation of the Virgin Mary dates from around 1415. (Ivan Soto Cobos/Shutterstock) The Last Judgment is shown in the west rose window, which was created around 1215. (Anyamuse/Shutterstock) Union Home Minister on Monday said that the government is determined to take the ongoing fight against the unrest created by naxals to its logical conclusion. The minister, who is on a visit to Chhattisgarh, made the comment after paying tributes to the 22 security personnel who were killed by naxals in the state on Saturday. "Paid tributes to the brave security personnel who were martyred while fighting the naxalites at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh," he said in a tweet in Hindi. "The country will never forget your bravery and sacrifice. The whole country stands behind the bereaved families. We are determined to take the ongoing fight against the unrest created by the naxals to its logical conclusion," said Shah. The minister will chair a meeting at the Police Coordination Centre in Jagdalpur to review the security situation arising out of Saturday's incident and also meet some of the injured security personnel in hospitals, an official said. Thirty security personnel were injured in the ambush by naxals and were admitted to different hospitals in the state, officials had said on Sunday. After arriving in Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur town from Delhi, Shah paid his last respects at the Police Lines here, where the mortal remains of 14 personnel were kept in coffins draped with the flag. Besides Shah, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and other dignitaries also laid wreaths on the coffins. This is Shah's first visit to the Bastar region of the state after assuming charge of Union home minister, an official said. The review meeting in Jagdalpur, will be attended by Chief Minister Baghel, senior officials of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), he said. Shah will then leave for the Basaguda camp of the CRPF in Bijapur in a chopper and will have an interaction and lunch with the CRPF and state police personnel there, he said. Security personnel were ambushed by naxals when they were out on a combing operation in a forest along the Bijapur and Sukma districts of the state. Out of the total 22 fatalities, the CRPF lost eight men, including seven commandos of the CoBRA battalion (CRPF's elite unit) and one jawan of the Bastariya battalion, eight of the other deceased were from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and six from the Special Task Force (STF). One CRPF inspector is still missing, officials said. The home minister onSunday vowed to give a befitting response to the Naxals and said that the battle against the extremists will be won through joint effortsby the central and state governments. (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 board of Air France-KLM was meeting on Monday to approve new French government-backed refinancing measures designed to see the airline group through the COVID-19 crisis, sources close to the situation said. Air France-KLM is expected to convert part of its 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) in direct government loans into hybrid instruments and raise new equity capital under the plans to be announced by Tuesday morning, the sources told Reuters. The company and the French finance ministry both declined to comment on Monday. Air France-KLM, which last year received a total of 10.4 billion euros in loans backed by France and the Netherlands, has for months been discussing a multi-stage recapitalisation plan to lighten the resulting debt load. After drawn-out talks with Brussels over the number of take-off and landing slots at Paris-Orly airport to be given up by Air France in return for renewed aid, France's finance minister said on Sunday a compromise agreement had been reached. France and the Netherlands each own close to 14% of Air France-KLM, and the Dutch state has held separate EU talks over converting its 1 billion-euro loan to KLM into hybrid debt, in return for slot concessions at Amsterdam-Schiphol airport. 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. American rock legend and actor Stevie Van Zandt has weighed into the debate on Irish nationalism, stating he hopes the fall-out from Brexit will be a united Ireland. In a series of posts on his Twitter feed this evening, the guitarist for Bruce Springsteens E Street band wrote: Wouldnt it be a wonderful ending to a tragic story if Brexit ended up resulting in the unification of the Irelands! Despite some comments from the Twitter users, including one poster questioning the appropriateness of his comments on the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, the 70-year-old who is also well known for his role as Mafia thug Silvio Dante on The Sopranos television series - was taking no prisoners. He shot back: "What are you on about? You a Leaver? Get offa my feed! He then rounded off the discussion, by stating: Its a tragedy for us globalists who believe in more unions, partnerships, and treaties in a demilitarized, poison free, world of equality, that separates church and state, living in harmony with Mother Earth. Can you dig it? WALTHAM, Mass., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, announced that it will release its financial results for the first quarter 2021 before the market opens on Thursday, April 29, 2021, and will hold a conference call on the same day at 8:30 a.m. EDT. During the call, the company will discuss its financial performance, as well as future expectations. To listen, call (833) 714-0931 within the U.S. or (778) 560-2662 outside the U.S. The conference ID is 7956359. You may also listen to the call live on the "Investors" section of our website, www.thermofisher.com. The earnings press release and related information can be found in that section of our website under "Financial Results." A replay of the call will be available under "Webcasts and Presentations" through Friday, May 14, 2021. About Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $30 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 80,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com. Media Contact Information: Ron O'Brien Phone: 781-622-1242 E-mail: [email protected] Investor Contact Information: Rafael Tejada Phone: 781-622-1356 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.thermofisher.com SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific Related Links http://www.thermofisher.com Slacks founder and chief executive Stewart Butterfield says its acquisition by software giant Salesforce should help the workplace messaging company make greater inroads into the conservative Australian market. Slacks popularity has benefited from the coronavirus lockdowns, with many local companies turning to the platform to enable communication between staff working from home. But Mr Butterfield said Australia had been a challenging market before the pandemic took hold. Australia is a very important market and interestingly, harder to crack than some other markets, he said. The customers that we reach in Australia tend to be either resource extraction or financial services, the biggest companies in Australia are pretty concentrated in those sectors, and theyre frankly more conservative and its taken us longer to make real progress. Slack founder Stewart Butterfield says the companys acquisition by Salesforce will help it make inroads in Australia. Credit:Josh Robenstone Salesforces $US27.7 billion ($36.5 billion) acquisition of Slack, set to complete in July, will provide Slack with both the funding and corporate relationships to boost the messaging services adoption in Australia. Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse man has been accused of creating fake Home Depot barcodes to pay lower prices for dozens of items at stores across Central New York. Jeffrey G. Gordon, 37, was charged with three counts of felony grand larceny and one count of petit larceny, according to the New York State Police. His thefts at stores in DeWitt, Camillus, Clay, Cicero, Auburn and Watertown totaled roughly $10,000, troopers said. Because the allegations happened at so many stores, he was charged with separate crimes in three different counties: Onondaga (roughly $6,000 theft), Jefferson (roughly $1,000 theft) and Cayuga (roughly $2,000 theft). All told, Gordon is accused of 28 different fraudulent transactions from November 2020 to February 2021. Gordon apparently copied the barcodes from elsewhere and created labels that he stuck on the higher-priced items before going through checkout, troopers said. The thefts mainly consisted of tools, according to a police report. He would use self-checkouts to avoid scrutiny, scanning the fake barcodes to pay lower prices for items than marked, troopers said. Home Depot security eventually caught on, with at least the Camillus and DeWitt stores contacting police. Gordon was listed in the police report as unemployed. Gordon was charged Saturday and released on appearance tickets. Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070. All 12 host cities at Euro 2020 have indicated to UEFA they will accommodate at least some fans at the tournament in the summer, ahead of a deadline to confirm numbers this week. Cities had been warned by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin that they would lose their matches if they could not confirm supporters will be present by the April 7 deadline. However, all of the venues are expected to confirm the attendance of supporters when they make their submissions on Wednesday, albeit with some offering to accommodate just 10% of the overall capacity of their stadiums. Dublin's Aviva Stadium could yet miss out on Euro 2020 games amid fears over fans attending "We have several scenarios, but the one guarantee we can make is that the option of playing any Euro 2020 match in an empty stadium is off the table,' Ceferin said last month. "Every host must guarantee there will be fans at their games." Commitments of just 10% capacity may not be sufficient to satisfy Ceferin and UEFA. A report in the Irish Times last week suggested the Irish government has been warned a threshold of 25% capacity may be required to hang on to its four fixtures. And a spokesman for the Department of Sport in Ireland, told the Irish Sun that 'the government... is not in a position at this point to provide assurances on minimum spectator levels'. Delayed Euro 2020 tournament is due to be held in 12 cities across 12 different countries Dublin is still believed to be the shakiest of the host cities. The European governing body had hoped to make a decision on which of the 12 venues would be retained by the end of the week. But UEFA is now braced for further delay in deciding whether any cities will be dropped from the tournament as it and governments across the continent wrestle with the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It is expected proceed on a city-by-city basis. Government's roadmap out of lockdown has created the chance of big crowds at Wembley The matter will presumably have to be resolved by April 20, when UEFA's Congress is due to meet and the formal decision on host cities is set to be taken. UEFA needs to cities to confirm they can accommodate fans and then scale up the numbers as the pandemic eases, it it is possible to do so. It appears the numbers of fans can be increased until April 28. But the uncertainties - and disparities between different cities - are huge. While Dublin and the Irish government are very cautious, Russia is exceptionally confident. There, the local organising committee for Euro 2020 has said it plans to tell UEFA it will allow 50% capacity in the 68,000-seat Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg. Britain is well ahead of its European neighbours in vaccinating the country's population Alexei Sorokin, head of the committee, said UEFA will allow host cities to increase the planned attendance figures until April 28. 'If there are significant improvements [in the epidemiological situation], we do not rule this out,' he told the Russian Tass news agency. The Gazprom Arena has already hosted 22,500 Zenit St Petersberg fans in recent weeks. Copenhagen has also been bullish in their estimates and some cities, such as London, are confident of significant attendances. Copenhagen has committed to up to 12,000 fans at the Parken stadium, which equates to 30% of the capacity for its four matches, unless there is a serious outbreak of coronavirus. The Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg is ready to host large crouwds at Euro 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has offered to host every Euro 2020 game this summer Wembley, which hosts seven matches, has reportedly told UEFA that it is hoping to accommodate 45,000 spectators - 50% of the 90,000 capacity - for the semi-finals and final. As well as Ireland, there have been concerns over Glasgow, Bilbao and Baku, but all those cities now appear more committed to going ahead with fans, now. The commitment to at least some fans allows the possibility that numbers could rise if final decisions on the host cities are put off for a few more weeks. 'There are a lot of people doing their best, trying to make difficult decisions,' said a source involved in the discussions. 'Things are so fluid. If they ask the final question now, they might get a lower number, so they want to take decisions as late as possible. And they think they might get something more definite in the next fortnight.' Delays cannot be open-ended since decisions must be taken on ticket allocations. Managing a tournament across 12 countries, with different levels of Covid infection and vaccination rates, varying regulations and restrictions, and different levels of public support is exceptionally complex. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be an ideal venue to host extra Euro 2020 games But with respect to tickets, UEFA is helped by the fact that huge numbers have been sold, so rather than issuing new ones it is likely to be a matter of refunding existing ticket holders. If Ireland is unable to satisfy UEFA's requirements it is widely expected that those matches at the Aviva Stadium - involving Sweden, Slovakia and Poland as well as a second-round match - would be played in England, with the state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a possible venue. Shifting the matches would be a logistical challenge given the teams would need to be safely accommodated in hotels and training facilities and tickets would need to be reallocated. Nearly two months after Kourtney Kardashian made her romance with Travis Barker Instagram official, she publicly acknowledged him as her boyfriend in a recent TikTok video. To make the post even more adorable, the couples children were also featured in it as they gave fans an inside looking into their fun family getaway ahead of Easter Sunday. Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian attending the UFC 260 at UFC APEX | Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker played the viral Pass the Phone challenge with their children Things are going so well between Kardashian and Barker that they are already taking family vacations together with their kids. Earlier this month, the couple took a trip to Deer Valley, Utah, and brought their children along for the ride. On Apr. 3, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star and the Blink-182 drummer took to their respective Instagrams to share videos and photos from their snowy excursion. While Kardashian posted photos of her and her 6-year-old son, Reign Disick, posing in their warm attire, Barker shared a video of him snowboarding down a steep slope. The Blink 182 drummers 15-year-old daughter Alabama Luella also posted content from their vacation to her TikTok feed, sharing a video of her and the rest of the family doing the viral Pass the Phone challenge. The video begins with Alabama passing the phone to somebody who cant get acrylics, before giving the device to Kardashians 8-year-old daughter, Penelope. Once Penelope was onscreen, she said, Im passing the phone to somebody that doesnt let me do anything namely, her mom! It was then Kardashians turn, who said, Im passing the phone to my boyfriend, before handing the device over to Barker. The video continued with the family sharing hilarious facts about each other, like Barker wiping out while snowboarding and not being able to walk. Viewers also learned that the musicians eldest daughter, Atiana, was on her second hair-dye fail, but lets be honest, who hasnt had one of those. The video concluded with Kardashian passing the phone to her youngest son Reign, who demanded, Pause it! before getting a little tongue-tied. I um oh f*ck, oh sh*t! the 6-year-old said in frustration, before Kardashian declared, Okay, were done. Kourtney Kardashian confirmed her romance with Travis Barker in February Though Kardashian and Barker have been dating for a few months, this is the first time shes called the rock star her boyfriend in public. While she made their romance Instagram official over Valentines Day weekend by sharing an Instagram photo of their hands intertwined to her feed, the Poosh founder has yet to speak out about her relationship with Barker. However, the Blink-182 drummer raved about his budding romance with Kardashian while appearing on a recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. RELATED: Kim Kardashian West Questions Kourtney Kardashian and Addison Raes Close Relationship on KUWTK Im spending time with a woman whos a great mom, whos a great friend and you dont have to worry about any of those things, Barker told Barrymore. It just comes natural its like a maturity thing. And I also really like missing someone and cherishing the time that I spend with them instead of every day being with them, especially in the beginning of the relationship, he added. I think missing someone is so important. Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker spent their first Easter together Although Kardashian and Barker have kept their relationship on the down-low, their romance continues heating up. Following their snowy excursion in Utah, the rock star joined the mom of three and the rest of the Kardashian-Jenners in Palm Springs, where they celebrated Easter together as a family. In true Kardashian fashion, the famous bunch went all out for the fun and festive holiday, from filling their vacation home with endless amounts of sweet treats to holding an Easter egg hunt for their little ones to participate in. Though Kardashian and Barker didnt snap any photos together during the holiday, both shared similar footage from the celebration (which was obtained by E! News) to their respective social media accounts. From what we can tell, Kardashian and Barkers relationship continues to grow, and we cant wait to see how it evolves over the next few months! Thank you for tuning in to episode 5 of The CUInsight Network, with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. Today, my guest is Tony Repanich, President & COO of Shield Compliance. Tony shares how he actually grew up wanting to be in the financial services industry. He also gives us insight on what credit unions must consider when providing support to cannabis businesses. Tony discusses how Shield Compliance adds value to the industry by helping credit unions build efficient compliance procedures to serve legalized cannabis organizations. In our chat, Tony goes over the difficulties that credit unions might face when making the decision to serve the cannabis industry and what they can do to mitigate those risks. He expresses that the collaboration between technology and compliance makes onboarding less challenging. In our conversation, Tony and I chat about how servicing legal cannabis companies can give credit unions a competitive edge over other financial institutions. We discuss the steps a credit union must take to be successful in serving this industry and the evolution of legalization. From our rapid fire questions we learned that Tonys most recent purchase has changed the way he does virtual meetings entirely. In his free time, Tony likes to hop on his Peloton and jam out to his pop music playlist. As a Seattle native we were not surprised to find out who Tony thought of when he hears the word success. Enjoy my conversation with Tony Repanich! How to find Tony: Tony Repanich, President & COO of Shield Compliance tony@shieldbanking.com www.shieldbanking.com LinkedIn | Facebook Show notes from this episode: What an amazing interview with Tony, check out all the awesome work his team is doing over at Shield Compliance here. Want to hear more from Tony? Click here. Learn more about how changes in Washington affect the cannabis industry. Learn more about how credit unions are serving the cannabis industry in Washington, Colorado, California, and Michigan. Shout-out: Governor Gavin Newsom Shout-out: Quickbooks Shout-out: Howard Schultz Shout-out: Starbucks Shout-out: Peloton Album mentioned: Adele 19 by Adele Book mentioned: Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America by Barbara Ehrenreich A little girl stops to look at a statue of John A. Macdonald in Victoria Park in Regina on Aug. 22, 2018. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press) Theyll Be After Something Else Fairly Soon: Regina Parks Macdonald Statue Latest to Go News Analysis Regina city councils vote to remove Sir John A. Macdonalds statue from a prominent city park is the latest in a trend of removing monuments honouring Canadas founder as well as his name from buildings that leaves some historians and others concerned. Brian Giesbrecht, a retired judge and a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, said he finds the push to remove statues kind of dismaying. Our history, it really defines us, and if we start erasing it, what does that mean, and what effect does it have on us? he said in an interview. And what do we teach our children in school? Are we going to actually tell our children that John A. was a bad man, and we have to now take his statue down because he was a bad man? Isnt that telling them that their country is no good? Giesbrecht says Canadas first prime ministers feat in laying the foundation for the country we know today was an extremely difficult accomplishment, and despite his personal failings, he is a true hero. To try to expect him to be a perfect person by our modern standards is just not a reasonable thing, he says. On March 31, Reginas city council voted 74 to remove Macdonalds statue from Victoria Park. Itll be put into storage while public consultations are held on a new location. The council agreed in 2016 to carry out the calls to action made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In the past few years, indigenous activists protested at Macdonalds statue, calling for its removal on account of Macdonalds role in initiating the residential school system and other indigenous-related policies. A recent city administrators report said the current location of the statue makes some Indigenous people feel unwelcome in Victoria Park. The report said given that the park is an important location for community building and a location of major cultural events, including National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations, it is important that the Park design be inclusive. At the March 31 meeting, councillor Bob Hawkins proposed an amendment to leave the statue in place while undertaking further public consultation on its removal, but he was voted down 65. Hawkins told The Epoch Times that the process and results were flawed. Reconciliation has to be the product of a genuine, open-minded dialogue, and when you dont have that, and we didnt have that here, reconciliation is harmed. I hope we can move beyond that, he said. Im also disappointed, very disappointed, as a student of Canadian history, that a balanced picture has not been presented in this case of the record of Sir John A. Macdonald. Sen. Murray Sinclair, who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said in 2017: The problem I have with the overall approach to tearing down statues and buildings is that is counterproductive to reconciliation because it almost smacks of revenge or smacks of acts of anger. Hawkins, an Oxford and Yale graduate with degrees in law, history, and economics, cited Sinclair to fellow council members. Because they were not compelled, he expected a negative result. For many people therell be anger, theyll feel bitter about this, and itll push reconciliation back rather than forward, he said. I dont think you build reconciliation by tearing down statues of prominent people. The Regina statue of Macdonaldwhose political career spanned almost 50 years and whose greatest achievement was getting the Canadian Pacific Railway builtwas erected during Canadas centennial in 1967. James Pitsula, professor emeritus of history at the University of Regina, said Canadians knowledge of their own history has faded since then, and on the whole Canada does not have a strong sense of its history. Most people dont have a clue about the National Policy of 1878, or the grand coalition of 1864, or the fight for responsible government in the 1840s and 1850s, the whole wrangling between French and English that Macdonald worked out with Cartier, the fear of American takeover of the Westthe whole gamut of things that Macdonald was involved with, he said. Because even after 1867, the whole country could have gone down quite easily. It was struggling, and he kept pulling it all together. Pitsula says Macdonald had the unique skill set required to make the constitutional concept of Canada real, including an oily knack of deal-making and coalition-building. He was able to get consent among the big movers and shakers, the big players, political and in business. He was able to get everybody on the same page more or less. Giesbrecht says Macdonald has been misjudged. One of the claims is that John A. Macdonald forced indigenous kids to go to residential schools. Well, thats just plain false because attendance did not become compulsory for indigenous children until 1920. Macdonald specifically said these children should not be forced to go to school because at that stage in history, it would have simply been too hard on a people who have no history of sitting in schools, he said. Many of the progressive chiefs were asking for the construction of schools and for education, and particularly the teaching of English, and John A. Macdonald went along with them. Macdonald was also instrumental in Reginas founding. He appointed Conservative MP Edgar Dewdney to his cabinet as indigenous commissioner of the North-West Territories in 1879, and also its lieutenant-governor in 1881. Their shared influence guided the railway and designation of Regina as the territorial capital in 1883. At the March 31 meeting, city council accepted a recommendation to remove Dewdneys name from a city pool, renaming it Buffalo Meadows Pool. A report by the citys administration said Dewdney was directly responsible for the development and administration of harmful policies toward Indigenous peoples. There are campaigns in other provinces to have Macdonalds name removed from public schools. In 2017, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario adopted a resolution urging provincial school boards to consider this move. In November 2020, the principal of Sir John A. Macdonald High School in Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia, announced that the school would be renamed to reflect inclusivity, especially regarding indigenous students. As for statues, a statue of Macdonald was removed from outside Victorias city hall in 2018 as part of the citys program for reconciliation with local First Nations. New calls for the removal of statues honouring Macdonald arose amid the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. On Aug. 29, 2020, after having been repeatedly vandalized, the statue of Macdonald in downtown Montreal was torn down by activists. Giesbrecht worries whether the trend will stop at statues and names on buildings, or if other symbols of Canadas history will also be targeted for removal. I think theyll be after something else fairly soon, he said. Its a bit depressing. Nava Bharat Ventures announced the recent developments concerning the operations of the company and its subsidiaries as under: I. The Company has engaged with the local Power Utility in Odisha and has been able to resolve the long pending metering and connectivity issue of the 60MW IPP in Odisha pending disposal of the legal case before the Hon'ble High Court for final settlement. This paves way for operationalizing this 60 MW IPP, which remained idle for several years, over the next two month period. 2. Further, the 150 MW IPP of 100% subsidiary, Nava Bharat Energy India, Telangana, which was shut down in FY 2021, has resumed power generation following improved merchant power market and is now exporting power through Power Exchange. 3. The Company's stepdown subsidiary, Maamba Collieries (MCL), (Zambia), during its mandatory major overhaul of two Power Units, in sequence, noticed that certain critical parts of turbine in one Unit are damaged requiring replacement. In consultation with the Board of Directors of MCL, procurement of the required parts for replacement and additional spares from the OEM and other suppliers has been initiated. Owing to the long lead time in supply of these critical parts, MCL anticipates delay in resumption of normative operations, at present being run on one Unit only, resulting in reduction of envisaged revenues in FY 2021-22. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) OXNARD, Calif., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mecanica Scientific Services (Mecanica), an engineering and scientific analysis firm, has been selected by Daimler Trucks of North America to provide support to Freightliner customers and handle data imaging services for those customers operating Freightliner products equipped with the Detroit Assurance suite of safety systems, as of April 1, 2021. Mecanica is to provide support for Freightliner customers in the Western United States, with DELTA|v| Forensic Engineering Inc., servicing the Eastern States. "We are excited to expand our work with Daimler Trucks North America in improving customer support and service for Freightliner customers," states Bradley Higgins, Group Manager, Event Data Recorders. By using Mecanica, Freightliner customers with Detroit Assurance VRDU will now get a fast response times in retrieving forensic images and data, saving customers time and expense. "We lead in accident reconstruction," states John C. Steiner. For nearly twenty years, Mecanica's engineers have specialized in Event Data Recorders (EDR) and Heavy Vehicle Event Data Recorders (HVEDR) technologies. Additionally, for over ten years, Mecanica has provided forensic data imaging services for a North American Class 8 tractor and bus OEM and their customers. Mecanica now adds this specialized support service for Freightliner customers operating Detroit Assurance suite of safety systems. With its headquarters in Oxnard, CA and offices in San Diego, CA, Sacramento County, CA, as well as its subsidiary, Mecanica Cientificos de Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V. with operations in Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico, Mecanica has grown since its inception in 2014 from a staff of three to twenty-two employees. Mecanica has expanded its client base to include public and private entities throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Mecanica also has a training institute, Mecanica Tech, that provides certification and training related to accident safety to industry professionals. For more information, please contact Kathy Curry, Director of Administration (805) 728-1642 [email protected]. SOURCE Mecanica Scientific Corporation Related Links https://www.mecanicacorp.com Where are the Democrats? Regarding Little input on final draft of Senates voting bill, (A1, April 2): Remembering that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has refused to debate any of his opponents during his campaigns, I was not surprised at the underhandedness of this process. Where are the Democratic members of our illustrious governing body? They should be screaming from Austin telling the truth about how prejudiced our government truly is. What a sham! It is one thing to realize the Republican party is in trouble in Texas, but quite another to steal into the night to pass such prejudicial legislation. Texas used to be a place that valued human rights and the right to vote is paramount. Mark Niles, Houston Its not a conspiracy Regarding Voting restrictions bill clears Texas Senate, (A14, April 2): Im saddened that Texas Republicans continue riding on the conspiracy bandwagon of voter fraud that doesnt exist. Its disheartening that Texas Republicans want to make voting difficult for any constituent. No court has found any meaningful level of fraud, but Republicans never let facts stand in the way of a good voter suppression bill. Jeanne Calkins, Fulshear Corporations, step up Regarding Dell, American Airlines and other influential Texas companies decry proposed voting reforms, (April 2): The people of Texas need to put pressure on Texas-based corporations before the list of bills pass into law legalizing voter suppression. In Georgia, Delta, Coca Cola and others bravely stepped up after the laws were passed. We need to be proactive and condemn the actions of those sitting in Austin now. Perhaps a published list of corporate contacts would be a good place to start. Rhonda Stone, Houston Fresh ideas Regarding I-45 must not go forward over objections, (A12, April 1): In regard to the present proposed expansion of the I-45 Project, I wonder if the residence or business of former Judge Ed Emmett was under consideration for possible demoltion or closure would his opinion that is it odd for the leadership were listening to this relatively small group of people be the same. It appears that new ideas or fresh ideas are welcomed only when they are presented by right person born at the right time and from the right place. Right meaning correct by societal standards not political leanings. I applaud Judge Lina Hidalgos continuously coming forth with new and fresh ideas. However, it seems as though they are often dismissed or discounted citing her age, experience, sex, or place of birth as the reasoning. As this happens, we, the community of Harris County, are the losers. Virginia Cones, Houston Oil prices dropped early on Monday, as renewed concerns about oil demand had the market rethink whether last weeks OPEC+ decision to ease the production cuts by more than 1 million bpd over the next three months was a wise move amid still fragile demand recovery. As of 9:19 a.m. EDT on Monday, WTI Crude prices had dipped below $60 a barrel and traded at $59.86, down 2.42 percent. Brent Crude was down 2.41 percent at $63.20. Markets got off to a slow start after a long weekend, digesting last Thursdays decision by OPEC+ and Saudi Arabia to gradually raise supply over May-July, against a festering Covid situation in Europe and some other hotspots across the world, Vanda Insights said on Monday. After another surprise decision from OPEC+ last Thursday, oil prices jumped by more than 3 percent before the long weekend, as the market interpreted the easing of the cuts plus Saudi Arabia reversing its extra cut of 1 million over the summer as a sign from the alliance that demand is expected to be strong over the rest of the spring and the summer. But on Monday, news out of India, the worlds third-largest oil importer, showed that demand recovery continues to be a rocky path. India reported its highest number of new daily coronavirus cases since the pandemic began and reinstated lockdowns in some areas, including in its biggest city, Mumbai. Related: This Tiny Country Could Become Europes Newest Oil Producer Indias lockdown and continued lockdowns in major European economies, including Germany and France, are once again rattling the oil market amid fears that expectations of strong demand from now on may not materialize. The potential of Iranian oil barrels legitimately returning to the market is also upsetting forecasts of demand and supply for the rest of the year, although Irans oil is not expected to return very soon. The United States will take part in indirect talks about the Iran nuclear deal with diplomats from Europe, Russia, and China in Vienna this week. Although the start of talks doesnt mean a swift return to the so-called Iran nuclear deal, the odds of the U.S. lifting of the sanctions on Iranian oil exports may have risen compared to a few months ago. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Rare coin from 2nd Temple period discovered in Jerusalems Tower of David Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Archeologists in Jerusalems Old City have discovered a box containing artifacts including a rare silver Tyre Coin, which, they believe, might have been used by pilgrims to pay the Temple tax during the reign of King Herod. The coin has the image of Melqart, the chief god of the Phoenician city of Tyre, imprinted on one side, and that of an eagle on the other, according to The Times of Israel, which said the box holding the coin was originally found during an excavation in the 1980s. The box, which was lost, was discovered recently as part of a conservation project at the Tower of David Museum, The Jerusalem Post reported. The Tyre shekel, very few of which have been found thus far, was used during the Second Temple Period and produced in the ancient city of Tyre from 125 BCE until the outbreak of the Great Revolt in 66 CE. We know from the Gospels that Jesus visited Jerusalem ... and we know that He talked to the money changers. So here we have the evidence, the archaeological evidence to the historical sources, Eilat Lieber, the director of the museum, told CBN News. The Tower of David complex includes Herods palace where the trial of Jesus took place, according to the Bible. The Tower of David is one of the most important structures in Israel, both in terms of its history and location, The Jerusalem Post quoted Yotam Carmel, conservation manager at Ken HaTor, the company put in charge of the project, as saying. The last conservation project at the Tower of David was carried out in the 1980s. Since then, the citadel has been in desperate need of conservation. It connects the ages, Lieber was quoted as saying. You can see how the past, the present, and the future are actually here at the Tower of David. During the work for the future of the citadel, we found the evidence from the past. And we can actually, know more about our identity. Christians can see how the sources, the Gospels are coming alive here in Jerusalem. All we want is to bring Jerusalem to the world, the story of Jerusalem, the rich history of all of us, Jewish people, Christians from all over the world. The rare coin will be displayed in a new and permanent exhibit at the museum, which is scheduled to reopen next year. President Putin signs law on new requirements for nonprofits registered as foreign agents 18:12 05/04/2021 MOSCOW, April 5 (RAPSI) Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law banning the use of residential premises as locations of structural units of foreign NGOs, according to the official website of legal information. clarify that NGOs performing functions of foreign agents also include organizations that receive money or other property from Russian legal entities whose beneficiaries are foreign citizens. Besides, the document introduces a ban on the use of residential premises as locations of structural units of foreign non-profit non-governmental organizations established or being established in the territory of the Russian Federation, the State Duma said in a statement earlier. Alongside the aforesaid provisions, the law also introduces additional grounds, on which surprise inspections may be carried out, as well as the obligation of foreign non-profit organizations and structural units thereof to submit programs and other documents, on the basis of which such entities are organizing their events, to the Ministry of Justice, as well as to report to the said Ministry on the results of holding such events. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey Thursday rescinded three Executive Orders issued during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic: With nearly three and a half million vaccine doses administered across Arizona, were on track to fighting off the pandemic and returning to normal, said Governor Ducey. At the beginning of the pandemic, we took necessary measures to protect vulnerable populations and all Arizonans. Now the vaccine is out far and wide, and we have much better knowledge of the virus than we did before. Im grateful to the hospitals, medical professionals and long-term care facilities that prioritized Arizonans safety, and Im looking forward to scaling back on measures that are no longer needed. The Governor rescinded the following Executive Orders: Governor Ducey issued Executive Order 2020-10 on March 19, 2020 to temporarily halt non-essential or elective surgeries. On April 22, 2020, he issued an order resuming elective surgeries if certain criteria were met. With cases continuing to decline, todays order provides hospitals with the flexibility to conduct elective surgeries. The Governor issued Executive Order 2020-22 on April 7 to protect long-term care facility residents. Early in the pandemic, the state acted on the best available science and federal recommendations to institute rules to protect vulnerable residents of long-term care facilities. With vaccination efforts well underway, new guidelines from federal partners, and the input of the Arizona Task Force on Long-Term Care, Arizona is now able to roll back some of those limitations and help facilitate additional visitation as well as off-site visits for long-term care residents without the need for quarantine upon return. The Biden administration is desperate to demonstrate global leadership. President Biden has settled upon climate change as the ideal issue with which to be seen in command of the world. He has decided to lead a "climate summit" for forty world leaders to prove it. But Vladimir Putin has seen through his plans and resists submitting to U.S. control. This week, the Kremlin confirmed that along with Chinese president Xi Jinping, President Putin has now been formally invited to President Biden's "climate summit" but has not specified whether Putin will accept Biden's invitation either by attending himself or by sending a Russian delegate. In all, forty world leaders have been invited to the White House for the event, described as an "important milestone" en route to the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). COP26, originally to have been held in November 2020, has been postponed to be held 112 November 2021 in Glasgow by the U.K. in partnership with Italy. The COP26 summit is envisioned as a means of accelerating movement toward the goals of the Paris Agreement. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, no details regarding Biden's summit are forthcoming. Russia is pressing for information through the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C. and through the U.S. Mission to Moscow. Before actually inviting Putin to his summit, Biden announced it at the end of March, affirming that he had also invited Chinese President Xi Jinping. All that has been shared is that the climate summit will be held virtually, timed to coincide with Earth Day, which is celebrated on April 22. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry stated in January that the U.S. has to "make up for four years of lost action on climate" clearly referring to former president Donald Trump, who formally withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement in June 2017, the earliest possible date since under the agreement, no country could give notice to leave until after three years had passed. There were sound reasons for Trump's decision. If carried out, the energy regulations agreed to in Paris by the Obama administration would have destroyed hundreds of thousands of American jobs, eliminating an estimated $2.5 trillion in GDP by the year 2035. These cuts, moreover, were incremental, designed to lead to ever greater reductions in future CO2 emissions. The Green Climate Fund envisioned by the Paris Agreement for subsidizing climate adaptation programs in poorer nations was to collect $100 billion from signatories per year by 2020. The Obama administration had already shipped $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to this fund, without authorization from Congress. Moreover, the top recipients of these funds in the past have been among the most corrupt governments of the world rather than the neediest. In contrast, one of President Biden's first acts as president hours after taking office was to sign an executive order to rejoin the Paris accords, reversing yet another of Trump's acts as president. The U.S. officially rejoined February 19. According to the White House, "[t]he President, in his invitation, urged leaders to use the summit as an opportunity to outline how their countries will also contribute to stronger climate aspirations." So far, however, the Biden administration has failed to disclose any details regarding the summit, nor anything regarding a possible joint declaration or separate agreements, beyond a promise to present "an ambitious new plan to reduce emissions by 2030" ahead of COP26. From the point of view of Dmitry Suslov, a deputy director of Russia's Higher School of Economics, the main purpose of this virtual event is to announce the return of American leadership using the topic of climate change, which plays an increasing role in the global agenda. "The United States wants to use the event as a platform to show how great they are and what kind of leaders they are with their new ambitious approach. ... The very fact of the gathering of about forty foreign leaders by the US President will be important evidence of American leadership, as well as its demonstration." To chief researcher Vladimir Vasiliev of Russia's Institute of the U.S.A. and Canada, Biden's team is "obsessed" with climate problems. "Probably, at the summit, some alarmist issue or other will be announced, so that everyone must 'save the planet.'" He anticipates that the Biden administration will try to impose climate programs as a high priority upon the other states. "It is hard to say what Russia will do, especially in light of Biden's statements about Putin. Perhaps this situation will become a reason to ignore the substantive part of this summit, referring to the unfriendly relations of the United States." Vasiliev perceives that Washington's actual goal in inviting Russia and China to the summit has nothing to do with climate change. According to Vasiliev, Washington wants Moscow to develop "green technologies" and reduce the role of non-renewable energy despite the fact that Russia's hydrocarbon economy is the basis for the Russian Federation's economic well-being. "As for China, the U.S. wants to slow down its economic development with the help of environmental restrictions. ... [V]arious programs to clean the air and improve environmental safety ... will actually provoke a sharp rise in production costs and lead to a drop in the competitiveness of Chinese products." He maintains that the invitation of Russia and China to a climate summit under current diplomatic conditions fits well into the "two-pronged" foreign policy approach of the Biden administration. "In addition, Washington at the summit will look especially good against the background of Russia and China, which do not promise a transition to full carbon neutrality by 2050. ... [T]he United States will declare what good fellows they are with plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions." Under U.K. sponsorship, Biden's highly anticipated 2021 U.N. Climate Change Conference does not promise to advance his calls for climate change. Great Britain's own trade adviser, Tony Abbott, has declared global warming to be "absolute crap." One of his first acts as prime minister of Australia (20132015) was to abolish the Australian climate change advisory council, and then to scrap Australia's carbon tax. Lynn Corum is a translator of Russian who studies developments in the Russian press that affect America's national interests. She has been researching and writing on Putin's stated plans since 2009 and is a world expert on Project Russia, the Kremlin's published state ideology. Image via Pxhere. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Planning a staycation can be the perfect way to refresh and recharge without breaking the bank. Even something small like a virtual trip with family can positively affect older adults mental health. While spring is usually a time for vacations and visiting family, this years plans may still look different, as home remains one of the safer places for older adults who have yet to receive the vaccine. Whether youre staying close to home or thinking of ways to enjoy the warm weather, there are many ways for older adults to make the most of this season. As one of the more disproportionately impacted populations, seniors have sheltered safely at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. And while many older adults found silver linings during this time like learning a new skill, mastering technology or even perfecting their favorite recipe being isolated from neighbors and family has had an immense impact on older adults mental well-being. In fact, according to a report from the AARP Foundation and United Health Foundation, more than six in 10 adults age 50 and older reported experiencing social isolation since the pandemic began. Weve all spent more time at home than anywhere else this year and could use a mental getaway to help cope with lifes stressors, says Lakelyn Hogan, Ph.D., gerontologist and caregiver advocate at Home Instead. But as we continue taking the necessary safety measures, staying close to home this season can be just as enjoyable as any trip, allowing you to safely spend quality time with loved ones. Planning a staycation can be the perfect way to refresh and recharge without breaking the bank. Even something small like a virtual trip with family can positively affect older adults mental health. Hogan shares a few activities for seniors to plan with their families this spring: Bring the vacation to you. Through the wonders of technology, you can travel the world from your own living room by taking virtual tours of museums, national parks, and zoos. Take a remote trip one step further by immersing yourself in a new culture and re-creating a getaway experience in your home through food, music, decorations and more. Be a tourist in your community. Explore your own town and the great places in your neighborhood by visiting tourist attractions with a friend. Sometimes its easy to forget your citys hidden gems, so now is a chance to discover something new and help support the local economy. Remember to take precautions like wearing a face mask and practicing social distancing. Share your favorite vacation memories with loved ones. Take a trip down memory lane and share your favorite vacation memories with family and friends. Putting together a virtual scrap book is also a great conversation starter and way to reminisce about these exciting and happy times. Swapping stories with others may even result in new ideas for vacation plans of your own in the future. Take advantage of the warmer weather. Getting outside has many mental and physical health advantages, even just sitting outdoors and soaking up vitamin D can be beneficial. Plan a day at the park or take a stroll around the neighborhood to spend some much-needed time outdoors. If walks or trips to attractions arent possible because of mobility issues, a visit to the porch or patio can be a great alternative. You can even get the whole family involved by pitching a tent in your backyard for a night under the stars. Plan for future trips. Take the time to plan a future trip and consider places and destinations to visit when it is safer and more feasible. Planning a vacation can help lift your spirits and add something to the calendar that the whole family can look forward to. While following safety precautions remains necessary, seniors can and should still make plans this spring to give themselves a chance to relax and reconnect. Whether it be a trip to the park or enjoying virtual adventures from the comfort of their couch, older adults can plan fun activities that help maintain good mental and emotional health. For more information on staycation ideas and social activities for seniors, visit: http://www.caregiverstress.com/senior-activities/social-activities/. ABOUT HOME INSTEAD Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, the Home Instead franchise network provides personalized care, support and education to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, the network is the world's leading provider of in-home care services for older adults, with more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchises that provide more than 90 million hours of care annually throughout the United States and 14 other countries. Local Home Instead offices employ approximately 90,000 CAREGivers worldwide who provide basic support services that enable older adults to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. Home Instead franchise owners partner with clients and their family members to help meet varied individual needs. Services span the care continuum from providing personal care to specialized Alzheimers care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources. Visit HomeInstead.com. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. New Delhi: A 24-year old Odisha woman has been allegedly stripped naked and beaten up by her in-laws for not being able to fulfil their dowry demands, reported the PTI news agency. The incident took place in Odisha's Kendrapara district and has been reportedly caught on camera. "The woman's uncle has filed a complaint with the local police station, following which a probe has been launched in the matter," PTI quoted a police officer as saying. He added that some locals in the Koruk village had tried to intervene to rescue the woman, but her family members did not listen to any of their requests. "The woman's statement has been recorded," the police officer stated and added that her in-laws have fled the village and a special police team has been constituted to hunt down the offenders. (With inputs from PTI) Live TV A new study shows a correlation between the end of solar cycles and a switch from El Nino to La Nina conditions in the Pacific Ocean, suggesting that solar variability can drive seasonal weather variability on Earth. If the connection outlined in the journal Earth and Space Science holds up, it could significantly improve the predictability of the largest El Nino and La Nina events, which have a number of seasonal climate effects over land. For example, the southern United States tends to be warmer and drier during a La Nina, while the northern U.S. tends to be colder and wetter. "Energy from the Sun is the major driver of our entire Earth system and makes life on Earth possible," said Scott McIntosh, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and co-author of the paper. "Even so, the scientific community has been unclear on the role that solar variability plays in influencing weather and climate events here on Earth. This study shows there's reason to believe it absolutely does and why the connection may have been missed in the past." The study was led by Robert Leamon at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and it is also co-authored by Daniel Marsh at NCAR. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, which is NCAR's sponsor, and the NASA Living With a Star program. Applying a new solar clock The appearance (and disappearance) of spots on the Sun -- the outwardly visible signs of solar variability -- have been observed by humans for hundreds of years. The waxing and waning of the number of sunspots takes place over approximately 11-year cycles, but these cycles do not have distinct beginnings and endings. This fuzziness in the length of any particular cycle has made it challenging for scientists to match up the 11-year cycle with changes happening on Earth. In the new study, the researchers rely on a more precise 22-year "clock" for solar activity derived from the Sun's magnetic polarity cycle, which they outlined as a more regular alternative to the 11-year solar cycle in several companion studies published recently in peer-reviewed journals. The 22-year cycle begins when oppositely charged magnetic bands that wrap the Sun appear near the star's polar latitudes, according to their recent studies. Over the cycle, these bands migrate toward the equator -- causing sunspots to appear as they travel across the mid-latitudes. The cycle ends when the bands meet in the middle, mutually annihilating one another in what the research team calls a terminator event. These terminators provide precise guideposts for the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next. The researchers imposed these terminator events over sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific stretching back to 1960. They found that the five terminator events that occurred between that time and 2010-11 all coincided with a flip from an El Nino (when sea surface temperatures are warmer than average) to a La Nina (when the sea surface temperatures are cooler than average). The end of the most recent solar cycle -- which is unfolding now -- is also coinciding with the beginning of a La Nina event. "We are not the first scientists to study how solar variability may drive changes to the Earth system," Leamon said. "But we are the first to apply the 22-year solar clock. The result -- five consecutive terminators lining up with a switch in the El Nino oscillation -- is not likely to be a coincidence." In fact, the researchers did a number of statistical analyses to determine the likelihood that the correlation was just a fluke. They found there was only a 1 in 5,000 chance or less (depending on the statistical test) that all five terminator events included in the study would randomly coincide with the flip in ocean temperatures. Now that a sixth terminator event -- and the corresponding start of a new solar cycle in 2020 -- has also coincided with an La Nina event, the chance of a random occurrence is even more remote, the authors said. The paper does not delve into what physical connection between the Sun and Earth could be responsible for the correlation, but the authors note that there are several possibilities that warrant further study, including the influence of the Sun's magnetic field on the amount of cosmic rays that escape into the solar system and ultimately bombard Earth. However, a robust physical link between cosmic rays variations and climate has yet to be determined. "If further research can establish that there is a physical connection and that changes on the Sun are truly causing variability in the oceans, then we may be able to improve our ability to predict El Nino and La Nina events," McIntosh said. ### About the article: Title: Termination of Solar Cycle and Correlated Tropospheric Variability Authors: Robert J. Leamon, Scott W. McIntosh, and Daniel R. Marsh Journal: Earth and Space Science DOI: 10.1029/2020EA001223 This material is based upon work supported by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a major facility sponsored by the National Science Foundation and managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. As the world currently witnesses the second deadliest wave of Covid-19 wave since the pandemic outbreak last year, Nepal recently announced that the second phase of its coronavirus vaccination drive will begin from Wednesday, using China-made Vero Cell vaccine manufactured by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products in February this year. Nepal has granted emergency approval to the Chinese Vero Cell vaccine, given the active caseload that stands at 277,944 on Monday, while 273,240 people have recovered in Nepal. On Sunday, Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population made the announcement where it hinted that at least 400,000 people will be initially vaccinated using the Chinese drug for Covid-19. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Dr. Jageshwor Gautam was quoted by ANI as saying "As many as, 500,000 of the total 900,000 people targetted for vaccination have already received Covid vaccines. These 800,000 doses of China-donated vaccines will be administered to the remaining 400,000 people of the targetted group," he detailed in a press briefing. I would like to convey sincere thanks to the Government and people of China for the generous assistance of eight hundred thousand doses of Covid-19 vaccines as an additional grant provided to Nepal. pic.twitter.com/ngnZpXeRIV K P Sharma Oli (@kpsharmaoli) March 29, 2021 'Students studying under scholarship schemes will also get the vaccines' He further said that the students pursuing their education in China under scholarship schemes and preparing to go for further studies would also be administered the vaccine made by Sinopharm. HouYanqu, the Chinese ambassador to Nepal handed over Covid-19 vaccines to Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi at a special event organised at TIA on March 29. Glad to hand over China Aid COVID-19 vaccines to Nepal to contribute to early resumption of normal economic and social life in Nepal! pic.twitter.com/YqZMWKHz0e Ambassador Hou Yanqi (@PRCAmbNepal) March 29, 2021 The vaccines donated by China arrived!! pic.twitter.com/9NMUHnziSD Ambassador Hou Yanqi (@PRCAmbNepal) March 29, 2021 Major nations hesitant over approval of Chinese vaccines! Meanwhile, Chinese vaccines are still a subject of concern to many nations including India, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. Senior medical experts in Sri Lanka warned that "The Chinese vaccine Sinopharm, which was being given by Beijing should not be used on Sri Lankan nationals." Moreover, Vietnam has also been hesitant in accepting vaccines from China, even as it recently began its inoculation drive. Vietnam has opted for the drug against Covid-19, which is developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. Florida's work crews were pumping millions of gallons of impure wastewater into an ecologically sensitive Florida bay on Sunday. They made efforts to alleviate the "imminent" collapse of an old phosphate mine's storage reservoir. Florida is facing imminent pollution catastrophe Manatee County officials have released evacuation orders for the area surrounding Florida's Piney Point. This serves as preparation of the imminent catastrophic collapse of a phosphogypsum stack retention pond holding up to 700 million gallons of wastewater. It has been recorded that 22,000 gallons per minute are being discharged from the holding pond to alleviate a failure of the radioactive phosphogypsum stack itself and the release of millions of gallons of wastewater. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday headed for the site of the defunct phosphate plant south of Tampa. A leak at a waste water reservoir forced the evacuation of numerous homes. It also threatened to flood the area and Tampa Bay with polluted water, reported Yahoo News. Manatee county's officials extended an evacuation zone overnight. They also cautioned that up to 340m gallons could inundate the area in "a 20ft wall of water" if they could not repair the rupture at the Piney Point reservoir in the Tampa Bay area, Bradenton's north. Aerial photos aired on local television showed water pouring from leaks in the retention pond's walls, reported The Guardian. Phosphogypsum is the contaminated waste from processing phosphate ore into phosphoric acid. This is predominantly used in fertilizer. The week-old leak in the containment wall of the Piney Point waste water reservoir forced DeSantis to declare a state of emergency over concerns of the probable collapse of stacks of phosphogypsum waste. According to Jacob Sauer, director of public safety for Florida's Manatee County, "Structural collapse could occur at any time." Gov. Desantis Vows To Take Executive Action Against Vaccine Passports The governor toured the site by helicopter. He then stated at a press conference that engineers were still making efforts to plug breaches in the reservoir wall with rocks and other materials. Other mitigation efforts involved the controlled release of 35m gallons every day at Port Manatee. According to Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director at the Center for Biological Diversity, "This environmental disaster is made worse by the fact it was entirely foreseeable and preventable. With 24 more phosphogypsum stacks storing more than 1 billion tons of this dangerous, radioactive waste in Florida, the EPA needs to step in right now," reported Center for Biological Diversity. According to the Department of Environmental Protection Agency of Florida Secretary Noah Valenstein, the potential environmental catastrophe's primary threat is targeted at human health. Meanwhile, according to DeSantis, Florida's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had brought in 20 new pumps. He stated what they are looking at now is attempting to prevent and respond to, if necessary, an actual chaotic flood situation. Justin Bloom, Suncoast Waterkeeper founder and board member, remarked the situation appears to be turning out to be the "horror" chapter of a long, devastating narrative of phosphate mining in Florida and beyond. They wish the contamination would not be as bad as they fear. Trump Flies to Florida, Supporters Greet Him Upon His Landing @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Jeff Weiner writes for the Orlando Sentinel, and we asked him to come on Mondays episode of What Next to explain what exactly is happening with Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. Last week, it was reported that Gaetz is under investigation for sex trafficking. But before we get into all that, Jeff Weiner says, you have to understand who Matt Gaetz is. Weiner might not want to spell it out in an article about the congressman, but he says most people would agree: Matt Gaetz is a troll. Im not even sure that he would object to that term, to be honest, Weiner says. Advertisement Theres plenty of evidence to back up the claim. Theres the time, toward the beginning of the pandemic, when Gaetz wore a gas mask on the House floor. He also stormed a classified impeachment hearing in a secured room. And there have been whispers for a long time that there was something more to Matt Gaetzs trollish behavior, especially when it comes to how he treats women. Reports are emerging that he was known for showing off racy pictures of women hed been with and that he and other Republicans in the Florida Legislature played a game in which they earned points for sleeping with women. Advertisement Advertisement The investigation into Gaetzs behavior now is about whether hes been sleeping with a teenage girl, bringing her across state lines, and paying for sex. Gaetzs troll persona seemed to be working out so far, but it may have caught up to him. From what weve seen from him, there really are no boundaries, says Weiner. I dont think that Matt Gaetz was expecting consequences to arrive for him. Advertisement On Mondays episode of What Next, we looked at the how Gaetz found himself under investigation. It turns out this scandal is even weirder than you think. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Mary Harris: So youve made a pretty good case that for a long time Matt Gaetz has been a provocateur in the world of Republican politics and involved in some alleged activities that are pretty unsavory. But the current crisis hes going through, it actually doesnt center on any of this stuff. It relates more to his relationship with this one guy, Joel Greenberg. So I wonder if you can explain a little bit who Joel Greenberg is. Jeff Weiner: That sound you heard is me taking a very deep breath. There is a lot to say about Joel Greenberg. Its difficult to know where to start. What I will say right off the jump is that Joel Greenberg, locally, is very similar as a figure to Matt Gaetz, nationally. Advertisement Advertisement Greenberg exploded onto the scene locally in 2016 when he ran for tax collector, which may sound boring; its not a very flashy office. But its extremely powerful. You basically are the one, as it sounds, collecting taxes, determining the tax valuation of properties. Millions of dollars passed through the office, which Greenberg would very much take advantage of later in his career. But Greenberg rode into office as an anti-corruption, anti-cronyism candidate who was going to clean up the office, which in retrospect is somewhat ironic. Tax collector doesnt seem like one of those offices that you might normally pay attention to. Was there a moment when you and your colleagues thought, Weve got to start looking at whats going on over there? Advertisement He started carrying a badgelike, a law enforcement looking badgethat said tax collector on it. This is not something that every tax collector gets; its something that he made for himself. One day he used it to pull somebody over, a woman who was allegedly speeding. According to him, he turned on a flashing light on his dashboard and pulled her over, flashed his tax collector badge, and started lecturing this woman about her speeding. Advertisement So he was cosplaying as a cop. Thats how I would describe it. The local prosecuting office reviewed it and decided that that there was not actually a violation of the law, even though it is illegal obviously to pretend to be a police officer. The woman who was pulled over by him certainly feels like he was cosplaying as a cop and spoke to us again this week about how outraged she still is that he was not charged for doing this. Ive covered a lot of pretend police officers. It generally is a pretty alarming behavior. It generally is not something that someone does once and never again. Advertisement That was where I was like, We have to pay really close attention to this guy. And pretty much any direction that scandal could go, it tended to follow Joel Greenberg. The other thing that tended to follow Joel Greenberg were influential Republicans of the MAGA variety. Matt Gaetz probably is the most prominent of those. The thing that was odd about [their friendship] is that the Panhandle [where Gaetz is from] is very far from central Florida. Joel Greenberg was the tax collector in Seminole County, which is right outside of Orlando. Thats a four-hour drive to Matt Gaetzs district. So its not like these guys were hanging out because they lived near each other and had the same you mentalities. Matt Gaetz and Joel Greenberg would be seen about town in Seminole County eating dinner together, out at bars together or whatever. And its like, why is Matt Gaetz even here? Advertisement Advertisement This wasnt a secret. They were posting selfies. Joel Greenberg is a prolific selfie poster and very much seems to relish posting photos with people like Matt Gaetz. So, they documented this stuff extensively. Matt Gaetz was on the Joel Greenberg bandwagon very quickly. Within six months of Joel Greenberg taking office, Matt Gaetz was already giving radio interviews where he would talk about Greenberg potentially running for Congress in the next election cycle. These were guys who very quickly became supporters of each other, and it lasted until very recently. Joel Greenberg was indicted for the first time in June of last year, and earlier that month, he launched his reelection campaign and Matt Gaetz was the first donor. Advertisement Since June, the list of indictments against Joel Greenberg has just gotten longer and longer. Originally, federal prosecutors were investigating him for stalking a political opponent. Greenberg allegedly used fake Twitter accounts to accuse the man, a teacher, of molesting a child and favoring white supremacy. But when the feds traced a digital breadcrumb trail to Greenbergs home, they found more to investigate, starting with a pile of fake IDs in Greenbergs car. If I go into the tax collectors office for a new drivers license and I hand in my old one, they would throw it in a basket and then they would destroy it later. But what Joel Greenberg would do, according to the authorities, is take the IDs out of the basket and then he would use them to make fake IDs for himself. So the federal authorities find these IDs in his car, and obviously that leads to a second indictment against him for identity theft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why does he need fake IDs? Thats a really good question. At this point, I think its safe to say that it is tied to the third indictment that came against him, which was the sex trafficking allegation. So in that charge, what authorities said had happened was that Joel Greenberg had been involved in traffickingpotentially across state linesa girl between the ages of 14 and 17 for the purposes of commercial sex and in doing so had basically created an identifying document for that girl. So it appears to be the case that Greenberg was using his office as tax collector to create false identities potentially for this girl. This is how Congressman Gaetz gets into hot water. The investigation into Greenberg turned up a video of Gaetz and Greenberg entering the tax collectors office after hours and messing with that basket of discarded IDs. Its no smoking gun, but it raises a lot of questions. Advertisement Joel Greenberg would often enter his office after hours, and on one such occasion on a Saturday in April of 2018, according to a source who spoke to us, he was seen entering the office with Matt Gaetz, interacting with the baskets where these discarded IDs were kept, and then entering the back room of the office. Matt Gaetz was present for all of this. Multiple reports have since indicated that that is one of the inciting incidents in the investigation thats going on into Gaetz right now. The New York Times reported this week that the same girl who Joel Greenberg is accused formally of trafficking is the one that Matt Gaetz is suspected of trafficking. Advertisement We dont have them caught red handed. We have connections and allegations, right? And Gaetz would push back pretty aggressively and say, I didnt do this. Advertisement We dont have any firm evidence of sex trafficking. We also dont know necessarily what the feds have gathered as part of their investigation. Its been reported this week that the 17-year-old is not the only thing that that Gaetz is being investigated for. Theres this expansive behavior that he and Greenberg were allegedly involved in, where they were soliciting sex for money with women, including through these websites for sugar daddies, potentially paying women to travel across state lines for the purposes of sex. Matt Gaetz, it should be said, has denied every allegation against him, every hint of scandal. He insists that he never has had sex with anyone for money that hes never interacted with or even encountered this alleged 17-year-old, that basically this is all bogus and false. Advertisement Last Tuesday, Gaetz showed up on Tucker Carlsons show to defend himself. He alleged that he was actually the victim of an extortion plot and that he was working with the FBI to take his tormentors down. Advertisement Watching that, it struck me as fairly familiar of a certain kind of politician, of which Gaetz is one, who is enmeshed in some kind of controversy and is trying to, rather than defend the behavior, find some way to make the people potentially accusing him into the villains. By claiming, truly or falsely, that he was working with federal authorities, he was trying to go beyond saying that the allegations against him werent true, but trying to say that, in fact, he was the white knight, he was the one who was working with the authorities to bring the bad guys to justice. Advertisement As much as that may have seemed unconvincing to me and you, and potentially to others, I will say that to people who are inclined to believe Gaetz and to be on his side, its a pretty persuasive and helpful argument. I instantly was getting emails from people being like, You said that Matt Gaetz was linked to this sex investigation. And I turn on Fox News and I find out that actually hes being extorted. How dare you? You should be ashamed. Well, the Trump doctrine is to hang on, concede nothing, and just keep it pushing. Is Matt Gaetz going to be able to do that? Advertisement That doctrine has been tested again and again, and honestly, its worked many times, as weve all seen. The problem here for Matt Gaetz is that, whether or not hes able to convince the people who are amenable to hearing the Trump doctrine that hes still one of the good guys, I dont think federal prosecutors are going to go for that. I really think that probably his political fate is very much tied to his legal fate. Advertisement Joel Greenberg is scheduled to stand trial in June. Does that give you any timeline here about what might happen next with Gaetz? I dont necessary expect that trial date to stick. He just was indicted again this past week on allegations related to embezzlement from his office and also having essentially created shell companies to steal COVID relief funds, which is an entirely separate allegation against him that we had gotten into. Hes the gift that keeps on giving. Its the headache that keeps kind of throbbing. This investigation seems like one or two peoples very big mess, but I wonder if you think there are any larger implications here either for the GOP in Florida or nationally, Trump loyalists, or whether you really think this is just about two guys doing a ton of sketchy stuff? I definitely dont think its about two guys only, even in the New York Times report about the sex allegations that are being investigated, there was a mention of another Republican official who allegedly had sex with one of these women. So were certainly on the lookout here for other people who may be involved in this. Implications for the national GOP? I guess one of the main ones would be that Matt Gaetz is one of the most visible figures of the Trump wing of the Republican Party. Hes somebody whos constantly making media appearances. Hes somebody whos very much seen as part of the future of that wing of the Republican Party. I think that people definitely expected him to continue his ascent in national politics. So, whatever harm this scandal has done to him, and certainly if he winds up being charged, that would have an effect on the direction of the national party almost by necessity, just because of what a visible figure he had become for a certain branch of the party. And the potential for him not having that authority and influence anymore would itself be very significant. Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday. For a number of weeks, doctors and scientists in Germany have been calling for a complete public lockdown to prevent a third pandemic wave and the prospect of more than 100,000 infections per day. Their appeals have been roundly rejected by both the federal and state governments. In particular, no consideration has been given to shutting down businesses, even though the incidence of infections is increasing rapidly in companies and factories, as well as on construction sites. The spread of the pandemic in workplaces is largely ignored in the national media and public discourse. Company management, the trade unions and their affiliated works councils are doing everything they can to keep infections secret and under wraps. On a regional level, however, local media outlets have repeatedly reported on outbreaks that endanger the lives and health of workers and their families. Construction site of the Tesla factory in Grunheide (Photo: Ralf Roletschek / CC BY-SA 1.0) On March 28, the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) reported a sharp increase in coronavirus infections at the German Railways (Deutsche Bahn, DB). The infection figures among DB Regio workers are currently going through the roof, declared Ralf Damde, the managing director of the joint works council at DB Regio. The works council has called for all railway employees with contact to customers to be vaccinated as soon as possible. The council has also requested that the company issue workers a certificate confirming they are part of critical infrastructure and should be classified in priority Group 3 for vaccination. However, in many regions vaccination of priority Group 2 has only just commenced, and there is a shortage of vaccine shots. This means many weeks could pass before vaccinations for Group 3 are possible. According to RND, one week ago DB Regio had confirmed 87 infections in rail transport and 44 in bus transport. With numbers rising rapidly, however, many more cases are expected. At regional bus depots in Brandenburg (Oder-Spree), which belong to DB, workers from other companies have been called to work because so many local drivers are infected. In any event it is likely that the figures given are only the tip of the iceberg. A major outbreak of COVID-19 has occurred at the huge Tesla construction site in Grunheide near Berlin, according to a report in the Tagesspiegel on March 26. According to the newspaper, the number of workers infected with COVID-19 has risen to between 80 and 100. Around 1,000 people work on the site. On March 22, there were reports of just 20 infected and 40 employees under quarantine. Local authorities and Tesla have refrained from providing any information about the extent of the outbreak, leading to speculation that the number of those infected could be much higher. When asked, the Brandenburg Health Minister, Ursula Nonnenmacher of the Green Party, replied that the Oder-Spree district was responsible for local outbreaks. The district announced that the outbreak at the Tesla construction site was of a double-digit magnitude. The health department declared it was in close contact with the company and saw no reason to intervene. The subservience on the part of the authorities to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, one of the richest and most ruthless entrepreneurs in the world, was also expressed in their response to questions from the press. Please understand that with regard to a private company we cannot go into the details of how infections arose, the companys hygiene concept and its implementation. Despite the outbreak at the construction site and many other issues, Tesla plans to have its first vehicles rolling off the production line in Grunheide in July 2021whatever it takes. At the moment a large contingent of engineers and fitters from a company in Poland are working on the construction site, carrying out key electrical work. Just over 10 months ago, Musk insisted on the reopening of his Tesla plant in Fremont, California, even though state guidelines called for factories to be closed at the end of May due to the pandemic. Workers there were forced to risk their health at work or lose their jobs. For months, Tesla, local and California authorities claimed there had been no coronavirus infections at the Fremont plant after its reopening. In fact, it is now clear that up to 440 workers were infected with COVID-19 between May and December 2020. Figures on the severity of the cases and/or possible deaths have still not been published. At the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, Lower Saxony, 214 workers have been infected with coronavirus. Forty-nine are part of the permanent workforce; the rest are employed by six subcontractors. As is almost always the case in this sector, they work under difficult conditions with low wages and are crowded into collective accommodations. All of these conditions are conducive to the spread of COVID-19. Due to the infections, the shipyard, which builds cruise ships, was due to start a two-week break from March 29, with the workforce receiving short-time working payments. Each day, 2,600 tests were planned for the workforce, and the two-week break was to be used to improve infection control at the shipyard and reduce the very high incidence rate of infections of over 500 (per 1,000 inhabitants) in Papenburg. A night-time curfew has been in place since March 20 due to the high rate of infection. Shortly after being announced, however, the planned break in operations was once again cancelled. Instead, work at the yard is to continue with half of the workforce, who are to be tested two to three times a week at a test centre on the shipyard premises. The Meyer shipyard agreed to the work continuation with the district of Emsland and the local health authority. At the Lurssen shipyard in Bremen, more than 100 workers from various subcontractors have also been infected with coronavirus. The Bremen health authority has had more than 1,000 workers tested. Almost all of the cases detected are the more contagious British variant of the virus. Nevertheless, operations are also continuing at this shipyard. Workers have also tested positive at the DM drug store logistics centre in Weilerswist in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In the middle of last week, a total of 94 positive cases had been confirmed. All of the cases involved the British virus mutant, and 800 employees have been sent into quarantine. This is the second major outbreak at DM in Weilerswirst within a short period of time. Nevertheless, the authorities claim they have investigated the latest outbreak and found that the company has maintained all hygiene standards in an exemplary manner. These cases reflect only a small percentage of those affected by the pandemic in German industries and companies. They make clear that nothing of substance is being done by the government, trade unions and local authorities to protect workers. We saw the pandemic accelerate the digital transition process of businesses last year. A year later, the implications of this transition have been significant and wide-ranging from creating consumer experiences & engagements, to e-commerce, online education, e-payments, online medical consultations almost all off-line activity is now done in the digital space. Digital spends have gone up manifold, and brand strategies now incorporate reaching out to consumers in the online space. With this, there has also been the need for upskilling the workforce to tackle the business operational requirements in the new normal. In the run-up to DIGIXX MEDIA SUMMIT 2021, Adgully will be bringing a series of interactions with Indias leading Digital evangelists as part of our series on DIGITAL DIALOGUE. Keeping a sharp eye on all the Digital developments and disruptions is Adgullys industry leading premier property DIGIXX. Like in the previous years, DIGIXX MEDIA SUMMIT 2021 is all geared to discuss, analyse, crystal-gaze and explore the world of Digital trends in a day-long event comprising Panel Discussions, Master Classes, Keynote Addresses and Fireside Chats. In conversation with Adgully, Jaikishin Chhaproo, Head - Media & PR (PCPBD), ITC, speaks about how digital platforms have started growing and how will they cross TV spends in a long term; what will be the strategy of the companies to face future challenges in terms of skills and technology, how digital platforms are imparting training to people and much more. With the accelerated transition to digital due to the pandemic crisis, how has this helped businesses scale up their operations? How do you see this shift to digital panning out over the next 5 years? As a medium, digital has been growing consistently since the last 15-16 years. As a share of spends, it has grown from a miniscule per cent to 20%+ for most categories. With Jio aiding the growth for this medium in Bharat, the rise has been exponential. The sharp targeting helps seamless shift of money to the medium. No other medium gives this sharp a targeting. Monitoring surely is a challenge since there is no single currency yet. In the last 12 months, given the situation of lockdown, absence of fresh content on TV for some time, no new movies coming in and a plethora of options on digital the audiences started exploring and discovering content on this medium. This resulted in the time spent on this medium going beyond 3.45 hours a day. Brands with the objective of chasing eye-balls moved to this medium, and in the last 12 months the increase in spends has been apparent. Once single currency monitoring is in play, digital is likely to be equal to TV in the short term and likely to cross TV spends in the long term. The seamless movement of leading the viewer to buy from the same window is a unique advantage for this medium, and with brands now talking solely digital brand, the roadmap for digital is only North. Digital and performance go hand in hand. How are brands evaluating and measuring their performance on digital as a medium? There are metrics that have evolved for digital while the CPM, CPV/CPCV exist. The key measure is ROI and CPC. In the absence of a single currency, some make-do algorithms are in play. TV +/or AV GRPs are being calculated and used. Currently, a digital plan for the HSM market will have equivalent CPRP to leading GEC channels. With the right data coming in, this will give us more robust numbers, and once the scale on CPC tips in favour of digital, coupled with the linkage to increase in sales, it is a win-win for the brands and the medium. What kind of investments digital companies need to plan to face the future challenges both in terms of skill and technology? The talent needs to reinvent itself very frequently. In the early 2000s, it was the same set of planners and buyers who were discussing digital. Over a period of time as the medium evolved, we have had digital experts emerging, agencies setting up taking a nibble of an expertise area. Today, we have digital agencies, social agencies, performance agencies, analytics agencies, e-commerce agencies...then there are agencies who have diversified from their core to set up digital arms challenge is the quality of talent. Technically, one can get the certifications from Google and FB and set up an office. The brand exposure is limited and the learnings are happening on the job at the cost and expense of the brand. From an advertisers perspective, most of the activities are synchronous and, with the right talent pool in the agency, can be well managed within. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has called for countries around the world to adopt a global minimum corporate tax as part of the Biden administration's push to hike rates and fund the $2.3trillion infrastructure bill. Yellen told the Chicago Council on Global affairs that she wants to end the 'thirty-year race to the bottom' where nations have slashed levvies to attract overseas business. She said President Joe Biden's administration would work with other advanced economies in the G20 to set a minimum to prevent firms moving their profits offshore to avoid paying taxes. 'We are working with G-20 nations to agree to a global minimum corporate tax rate that can stop the race to the bottom,' she said in a virtual speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. 'Competitiveness is about more than how U.S.-headquartered companies fare against other companies in global merger and acquisition bids,' Yellen noted. 'It is about making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods.' The U.S. is involved in talks with about 140 nations to develop a global agreement on minimum levies, led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, but participants haven't yet reached a deal. President Biden proposed hiking the corporate tax rate in the US to 28 percent from 21 percent, partially undoing the Trump administration's cut from 35 percent in its 2017 tax bill, and to increase the international minimum tax rate that American companies pay on their foreign profits to 21 percent. That tax plan would generate about $2 trillion over 15 years to pay for his ambitious $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal. According to the Tax Foundation, the global corporate tax average in the G7 is 24 percent. Republicans have objected to the tax increases. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged the adoption of a minimum global corporate income tax, an effort to offset any disadvantages that might arise from the Biden administration's proposed increase in the U.S. corporate tax rate According to the Tax Foundation, the Trump administration's reduction took the U.S. corporate tax rate from the highest among the 37 advanced economies in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to the 13th highest. Many analysts have argued, however, that few large U.S. multinationals paid the full tax. 'Together we can use a global minimum tax to make sure the global economy thrives based on a more level playing field in the taxation of multinational corporations, and spurs innovation, growth, and prosperity,' Yellen said. It was Yellen's first major address as Treasury Secretary. In her remarks, she acknowledged the US had stepped back for its global leadership role under the previous administration. 'Over the last four years, we have seen firsthand what happens when America steps back from the global stage,' Yellen said. 'America first must never mean America alone.' President Trump lowered the US corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent in his 2017 tax cut legislation, claiming that American firms were moving abroad because of the high rates at home. President Joe Biden's corporate tax plan would generate about $2 trillion over 15 years to pay for his ambitious $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal. 'What the president proposed this week is not an infrastructure bill. It's a huge tax increase, for one thing. And it's a tax increase on small businesses, on job creators in the United States of America,' Republican Senator Roger Wicker said Sunday on 'Meet the Press.' Wicker argued Biden's increased corporate tax rate will mean fewer jobs created in America. He also pointed out Biden is asking the Senate to reverse its support of Donald Trump's 2017 tax cut package, which lowered the corporate tax rate that Biden is now trying to increase. 'That's going to cut job creation in the United States of America,' he said. 'And it's the very reason we lowered those tax rates in 2017. It's a plan that worked. And, if the President wants a bipartisan plan, how can he possibly try to get something passed that every single - that repeals a bill that every single Republican in the Senate voted for in 2017.' And some Democrats are also questioning Biden's method of paying for his plan. Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told the Wall Street Journal he didn't think paying for the full cost of the plan through tax increases was necessary. 'When you're borrowing money for current consumption versus borrowing money for investment it's a different thing,' he said. The United States's corporate is above the world average with 28 per cent Given the tight Democratic majorities in Congress, Biden can't afford to lose any members of his party when it comes time to vote on the massive infrastructure package. But the legislative process is expected to move slowly with the plan not coming up for a vote until later this summer. 'We're just asking corporations to pay their fair share at a rate, by the way, that would be lower than it's been for most of my life. Now, again, if folks on the Hill have other ideas about how to pay for it, we're going to be interested to hear those ideas, but there is a clear vision to pay for this bill in full,' Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday on 'Meet the Press.' Changes are expected to Biden's original proposal in order to get the legislation passed on Capitol Hill. Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey said he wanted to see the administration consider alternatives to the corporate tax increases to try to court Republican votes. 'I think on the corporate piece, if it's a nonstarter for the Republicans and it means we can't get bipartisanship, I'm eager to hear their other ideas,' he said. Biden's plan seeks to spend hundreds of billions on what are traditionally considered infrastructure projects but also funds additional projects such as broadband internet across the nation, affordable housing, home- or community-based care for the elderly and people with disabilities and a Civilian Climate Corps. At his first Cabinet meeting last week, Biden tapped five secretaries - Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo - to sell his plan which would be the largest American spending package since the space race in the 1960s. Vice President Kamala Harris will also play a role, selling the plan to business leaders in California on Monday. Introducing DocMorris Adipositas Care (Obesity Care), a digital hub empowering people with obesity to find relevant care for a better quality of life. Berlin, 31 March 2021 / News Aktuell The Novo Nordisk and Zur Rose Group collaboration presents DocMorris Adipositas Care, a digital hub which provides people living with obesity a new way to find the right care. Adipositas Care thoughtfully empowers people living with obesity by enabling them to learn about obesity and discover possible care solutions, to link to specialized advisors, doctors and digital solutions in obesity care, and by supporting them with the testimonials of peers who took action to better manage their health, all within one digital location. The program launches today in Germany with the intention to expand across other European markets. In January, Zur Rose Group announced its partnership with Novo Nordisk to raise awareness of obesity and to improve access to the right information, diagnosis and care for people living with this condition. Obesity (BMI >30) is a disease that affects a quarter of the adult German population (23% of men and 24% of women), a segment of the population at increased risk for many other serious diseases and health conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and musculoskeletal disorders. To reduce the risk of health complications and improve their quality of life, people living with obesity share a need to reduce their weight, address the mental health implications of the disease and cope with the social stigmas associated to their condition. Today, the collaboration starts with the new web-based health experience and individual-relevant Hub: Adipositas Care supported by an insights-based obesity awareness campaign for people living with obesity. Thanks to our collaboration with Novo Nordisk, today marks the beginning of a new era for people living with obesity says Betul Susamis Unaran, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer of the Zur Rose Group. The new obesity health journey empowers people living with the condition by bringing forward a new way for them to access best possible care solutions, enabling them to get informed about their disease and linking them to online and offline specialized doctors and advisors in obesity care. The launch of this new health experience is a critical step in bringing Zur Rose Groups ecosystem vision to life: in creating a world where everyone can manage their health in one click. Creating a new, individual relevant health experience DocMorris Adipositas Care puts people with obesity in the center of the experience by addressing their key concerns. The hub release today is the first product version that will continue to be developed and improved over the next months. Features of the launch release include: - Education that addresses weight loss, mental health, obesity stigmas and empowers people with obesity to take better healthcare decisions : The hub supports people with obesity to better understand their condition, the reasons behind their difficulty in losing and maintaining weight as well as the potential causes of obesity. - Support on how to get started and ways to address top concerns : Guided by their most common concerns, the hub supports people living with obesity to access relevant content, treatment options adopted by peers and links to medical help and counseling. - Discovery of best possible treatment options for this chronic condition : Many people living with obesity have tried various approaches to manage their weight and associated challenges. The hub enables them to discover possible treatment options such as medication, digital therapeutics and surgery provided by specialized healthcare professionals in obesity care. - Link to specialized doctors and advisors in obesity : The hub enables access to specialized doctors online via a dedicated section at TeleClinic, Germany`s leading provider of telemedicine, and offline doctors and advisors via adipositas-spezialisten.de a tool to locate healthcare practitioners with obesity expertise in Germany. A key step forward for the DocMorris European healthcare ecosystem The DocMorris Adipositas Care hub anchors in the strategic expansion of the DocMorris brand from pharmaceuticals to a consumer-centric digital healthcare platform, as the umbrella brand for the Zur Rose Group's European healthcare ecosystem. The new DocMorris Adipositas Care hub reflects Zur Rose Groups vision of creating a world where everyone can get convenient access to health anytime, anywhere, just one click away. Experience DocMorris Adipositas Care here: www.docmorriscare.com/adipositas RKI DEGS 1 Study 2012. Available from: https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Gesundheitsmonitoring/Themen/Uebergewicht_Adipositas/Uebergewicht_Adipositas_node.html World Health Organization 2020, Obesity and overweight, United Nations. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight [January 2021] Media contact Segment Germany of the Zur Rose Group: Torben Bonnke, Director Communication & PR Email: torben.bonnke@docmorris.de, phone +49 30 21222 36 12 eHealth ecosystem contact Betul Susamis Unaran, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer Email: betul.unaran@zurrose.com, phone +41 79 834 41 40 Bengaluru, April 5 : Karnataka Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar on Monday said that the state government will not hesitate to act tough on private tutorials that are still conducting classes physically even in the wake of rising Covid cases. After a meeting with academicians and experts here, he told reporters that he had received multiple complaints that private tutorials were insisting on conducting classes physically. "When the state government has taken a decision to stop conducting classes physically between Classes 1 to 9, tutorials must also follow this norm. For us, there is no need to make it a big issue or ego issue. This is a matter of children's health, hence, it is not right on anyone's part to be adamant," he warned. The minister added that the government was yet to take a decision on whether to conduct examinations for Classes 1 to 9. "There are two sides of arguments in this regard; that many feel that all students studying in Classes 1 to 9 must be promoted while some experts believe that it was appropriate to hold examinations for above Classes 8 and 9, so that students must have respect for examinations. Therefore, we are yet to decide on this issue," he said. Rep. Matt Gaetz insists he will not quit Congress, denied accusations he had sex with a 17-year-old girl and believes he's being targeted by political enemies because he 'loathes the swamp.' In a column for the Washington Examiner published on Monday, the embattled Florida Republican predicted that 'some of my feckless colleagues in Congress' will call for him to step down. 'No, I am absolutely not resigning,' he wrote in one of his first public comments about the allegations. Gaetz, starting his fifth year in Congress, has been battling to preserve his political career since reports last week that he is under federal investigation for possible sex crimes. There is also a string of lurid allegations against him including claims he was involved in a Harry Potter-themed sex game, paid for sex using Apple Pay and showed Congressional colleagues naked photos of women during session. Democrats have called for an ethics investigation over the nude images and Republicans have said they will call on him to resign if he is indicted, according to reports. 'The Biden Justice Department would rather investigate me for adult, consensual sex than for his shady business dealings, than others for illegal leaks, or a former Justice Department official for the evident extortion of a congressman. Go figure,' he said. Rep. Matt Gaetz said Monday he will not leave Congress and denied accusations that he had sex with an underage girl, suggesting that he's being targeted by political foes because he 'loathes the swamp' Engaged since New Year's Eve to Ginger Lucky (left), he wrote: 'My lifestyle of yesteryear may be different from how I live now, but it was not and is not illegal.' As a Trump ally, Gaetz has so far received almost no public support from his congressional Republican colleagues and none from the former president. The 38-year-old Gaetz is under scrutiny by federal prosecutors over whether he had sex with a 17-year-old and other underage girls and violated federal sex trafficking laws. That's according to people familiar with the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they could not discuss details publicly. Gaetz, who has not been charged with any crimes, denied the accusations Monday. 'First, I have never, ever paid for sex,' he wrote. 'And second, I, as an adult man, have not slept with a 17-year-old.' Engaged since New Year's Eve, he wrote: 'My lifestyle of yesteryear may be different from how I live now, but it was not and is not illegal.' He added: 'Washington scandal cycles are predictable, and sex is especially potent in politics. Let me first remind everyone that I am a representative in Congress, not a monk, and certainly not a criminal. Gaetz also criticized Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, who defended Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal (left) and referred to Cuomo's ten accusers 'Nancy Pelosi once defended President Bill Clinton after he got an intern to fellate him in the Oval Office. 'But when it comes to the allegation that I, a grown man, paid for an adult girlfriend's expenses? Well, consider that a bridge too far for the power-hungry hypocrites. 'I want to be clear about something as we process the leaks and lies from the past week. To this point, there are exactly zero credible (or even non-credible) accusers willing to come forward by name and state on the public record that I behaved improperly toward them, in the manner by which Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ten accusers. 'Instead, CNN, the New York Times, Politico, and others are just repeating false allegations about a congressman who loathes the swamp and fights both sides of it on a daily basis.' Gaetz used his column to attack Democrats, news organizations and others, saying his enemies are 'just repeating false allegations about a congressman who loathes the swamp and fights both sides of it on a daily basis.' Trump has remained silent on the allegations despite the two men being close allies, Gaetz publicly supporting him in his impeachment trials and Gaetz getting engaged at Mar-a-Lago in December. Pictured Trump and Gaetz He also predicted: 'Im sure some partisan crooks in Merrick Garlands Justice Department want to pervert the truth and the law to go after me.' The FBI, the Biden administration's Justice Department and 'the Cheney political dynasty' were among the entities Gaetz accused of unjustly targeting him. Gaetz helped lead an unsuccessful battle early this year to depose Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, from her job as No. 3 House GOP leader. 'Folks won't be surprised that bizarre claims are being made about me shortly after I decided to take on the most powerful institutions in the Beltway: the establishment; the FBI; the Biden Justice Department; the Cheney political dynasty; even the Justice Department under Trump,' he added. 'Yes, just like the mafia, the D.C. swamp protects its 'made men.' Since I'm taking my turn under the gun, let me address the allegations against me directly. First, I have never, ever paid for sex. And second, I, as an adult man, have not slept with a 17-year-old.' He also pointed out criticism from 'anti-Trump cheerleaders' Meghan McCain and Bill Kristol. Gaetz's article was published the same day a former congressional aide told reporters he was interviewed last week by the FBI. Nathan Nelson, a military adviser who left Gaetz's office in October, said he was questioned about whether he'd left that job because he knew of Gaetz's 'involvement in illegal activities.' 'Im here this morning to state that nothing could be farther from the truth. Neither I nor any other member of Congressman Gaetz's staff had any knowledge of illegal activities,' Nelson said at his home in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Nelson provided no specific details about the FBI's questioning. Without detailing them, he said he believes the charges against Gaetz are false. Ginger Luckey and Matt Gaetz. Gaetz got engaged to food analyst Luckey, 26, in December at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Contact with alien life is just around the corner, according to leading physicist, but we shouldn't expect it to be friendly. String theory expert and futurist Michio Kaku believes we'll find signs of life in the universe within the century. But just blindly reaching out to extraterrestrials is 'a terrible idea,' he told The Guardian, comparing it to Montezuma meeting with Hernan Cortes before the Spanish decimated the Aztec in the 16th century. Kaku, the author of several science best-sellers, advises making first contact 'very carefully.' Scroll down for video 'I think that aliens out there would be friendly but we can't gamble on it,' said futurist Michio Kaku, author of The God Equation. Kaku calls blithely reaching out to extraterrestrials a 'terrible idea' The reference to Montezuma may spark fear among Earthlings, as the ancient ruler of the Aztecs in the 1500s who welcomed Cortes and was killed because of his good deed. Cortes took advantage of the welcoming, took Montezuma hostage so that he could take the Aztec throne. Montezuma is said to have later been killed by his angry subjects who believed he had willing given up to Spanish rule. And Kaku warns that welcoming foreign beings to Earth may have the same outcome. With the planned October launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (pictured), 'We'll have thousands of planets to look at,' says Kaku, who has predicted humans will make contact with aliens within the 21st century But just blindly reaching out to extraterrestrials is 'a terrible idea,' he told The Guardian , comparing it to Montezuma meeting with Cortes before the Spanish decimated the Aztec in the 16th century Kaku is a professor of theoretical physics at City College in New York and a leading proponent of string theory. He popularizes physics on TV and has written several New York Times best sellers, including Physics of the Future and The Future of the Mind, which postulates on the possibilities of telepathy and programmable memories. Who is Michio Kaku? Japanese-American scientist Michio Kaku was born in San Jose, California on January 24, 1947. He attended Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley, where he received his PhD in 1972. Kaku's studies focus on theoretical physics, and the continuing search for a so-called 'Theory of Everything' that unites the four fundamental forces of nature the strong force, the weak force, gravity and electromagnetism. Today he popularizes physics for the public as a science communicator, hosting TV specials for the BBC, the Discovery Channel and other outlets. He has also written various popular science books including Physics of the Future, Beyond Einstein: The Cosmic Quest for the Theory of the Universe, and The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind. Several of his titles have topped the New York Times best-seller list. Advertisement His latest book, The God Equation, discusses the ongoing quest to develop a 'theory of everything' that unites the fundamental forces of nature. But Kaku's scientific curiosity extends into other realms, including the search for intelligent life in the universe. In a 2018 reddit AMA, he said he felt humanity would make contact with aliens 'within the century.' His optimism comes from the planned October 2021 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, which will offer even greater infrared resolution and sensitivity than the Hubble telescope. 'We'll have thousands of planets to look at, and that's why I think the chances are quite high that we may make contact with an alien civilization,' he said in a new interview with The Guardian. But the noted futurist is ambivalent about ringing an ET's doorbell. 'There are some colleagues of mine that believe we should reach out to them,' he told the Guardian. 'I think that's a terrible idea.' 'We all know what happened to Montezuma when he met Cortes in Mexico so many hundreds of years ago.' Montezuma II, the last emperor of the Aztecs, was defeated by Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes in 1520. 'Now, personally, I think that aliens out there would be friendly but we can't gamble on it,' Kaku added. 'So I think we will make contact but we should do it very carefully.' In our rush to communicate, he said in the reddit AMA, we also should think about their intentions: 'Are they expansive and aggressive, or peaceful?' And communication may not be that easy. Because we're using radio waves, 'talking to them will be difficult, since they could be tens of light years away,' he said in the AMA. Kaku is hardly alone in having reservations about a close encounter. 'We don't know much about aliens, but we know about humans,' renowned physicist Stephen Hawkings (pictured) said in 2018 '[Another] possibility is that they land on the White House lawn and announce their existence,' he added. 'But I think that is unlikely, since we would be like forest animals to them.' Kaku is hardly alone in having reservations about a close encounter. 'We don't know much about aliens, but we know about humans,' renowned physicist Stephen Hawkings said in 2018, Live Science reported. 'If you look at history, contact between humans and less intelligent organisms have often been disastrous from their point of view, and encounters between civilizations with advanced versus primitive technologies have gone badly for the less advanced.' An alien civilization receiving a message from Earth could be 'billions of years' ahead of human development, he added. 'If so, they will be vastly more powerful, and may not see us as any more valuable than we see bacteria.' But, like Kaku, Hawkins still supported the search for alien life. In fact his comments were given at a press event announcing a ten-year, $100 million effort to listen for broadcast signals from the million closest stars, using two of the world's most powerful telescopes. 'It's time to commit to finding the answer - to search for life beyond Earth,' he said. 'We are alive. We are intelligent. We must know.' MONTREAL - A Montreal-area health authority is blaming human error after oxygen was cut off to nine intensive care COVID-19 patients last spring, leaving one dead. This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, yellow, emerging from the surface of cells, blue/pink, cultured in the lab. Also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus causes COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, NIAID-RML MONTREAL - A Montreal-area health authority is blaming human error after oxygen was cut off to nine intensive care COVID-19 patients last spring, leaving one dead. The news about the incident that occurred at Hopital Charles-Le Moyne, in Longueuil, Que., was first reported by La Presse today. Health authority spokesperson Martine Lesage said today in an email that construction work last spring required part of the hospital's medical gas network to be temporarily shut off. She says a misinterpretation of a map of the gas network led to oxygen being cut off to the hospital's COVID-19 intensive care unit on June 5. Lesage says Maurice Leblanc, 71, died, and that the eight other patients recovered without serious consequences from the incident. She says the regional health authority has issued recommendations aimed at ensuring similar incidents don't happen again. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2021. This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship. Texas Republican senators disregarded the hours of expert testimony in committee and objections on the floor, they overlooked the full-page ads by advocates in newspapers and ignored bipartisan polls. Nothing let alone the will of the people was going to stop them from their mission: Making it harder to vote in a state that leads the nation in voter obstruction. Never content with choosing their voters through gerrymandering, GOP lawmakers facing the existential crisis of irrelevance in our diversifying state are taking no chances on who gets to cast a ballot. Theyve done the math and theyre not willing to put in the work to become a more inclusive party or to try and win a war of ideas to retain power. Why bother when its easier to stop more people from voting? Thats not how things work in a democracy, and thats fine by them. Welcome to the Oligarchy of Texas. In the dead of night and skirting public notice rules, legislators passed Senate Bill 7 last week. One of Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks priorities, SB7 spells out voter suppression under the guise of election integrity and is mostly a compendium of bad policy. After moving quickly through the Senate, the legislation now heads to the House for consideration. The bills fig leaf of legitimacy comes from requiring and funding voting machines that produce a paper trail which experts point out should improve election security and which has been mostly ignored for more than a decade and requiring that the Texas Secretary of State develop an electronic mail ballot tracking system. TEXAS TAKE: Sign up for Texas politics and policy news, curated by the Chronicle's Austin bureau Beyond those two measures, the legislation approved 18-13 on a party line vote does more harm than good, starting with giving partisan poll watchers almost unfettered access throughout a polling location and allowing them to record video or audio if they reasonably believe election laws are being broken. The bill was amended so those recordings could only be shared with the secretary of state (sorry, Facebook), but it is still an invitation to intimidation, if not a twisted kind of voter vigilantism. While poll watchers are not allowed to see someones vote, there is nothing keeping them from hovering nearby, cell phone in hand, waiting to record and intimating fraud based on nothing more than a hunch. SB7 also targets specific voting expansions implemented in Harris County and other large counties this past election that made it easier for more people to vote. The proposal sets the number of polling places and voting machines that can be made available based on the number of eligible voters in each state House district. This would lead to fewer polling locations and longer lines, with state Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, noting that out of the 14 House districts that would lose polling places, a dozen are districts represented by House members who are Black, Latino or of Asian descent. Harris County voters who enjoyed the accessibility of voting in their car or having the option of visiting a 24-hour polling location will have to do without, as SB7 bans both. It limits polling hours during early voting from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and does away with drive-thru voting all together. Why? Not because such votes were shown to be unreliable. It appears instead they that those methods proved to be popular with the wrong voters. As reported in the Chronicle, more than 50 percent of ballots cast through drive-thru and 24-hour locations were by Black and Latino voters. State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, said he wrote the bill with no intention to disenfranchise minorities. Theres nothing in this bill that has to do with targeting specific groups, he said. The rules apply across the board. THE NEWS YOU NEED: Sign up for free newsletters and get the best of the Houston Chronicle delivered to your inbox Hes right, the rules apply to everyone, but that perpetuates the preposterous fiction that theres no such legal concept as disparate impact. Lots of laws are neutral on their face when it comes to race but their effects are anything but. The Voting Rights Act used to target such bills for special scrutiny in states such as Texas, but not any more. Doing away with a method of voting favored by Black and Latino voters is just the kind of law that made the Voting Rights Act so necessary. Neither is it reasonable to impose unnecessary paperwork on volunteers who assist elderly or disabled voters at the polls or who drive them to a polling location to access curbside voting, which SB7 does. Mercifully, a provision that would have required disabled voters to prove their disability before they could vote by mail was struck from the bill. We continue to ask why these measures have been deemed an emergency, why Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott believe this is urgent legislation that needs to be rushed through this session, why almost every elections bill that stands a chance of passing this session makes it harder to vote, not easier. SB7 makes it clear there is indeed a problem with voter fraud in Texas, one that has nothing to do with the folks casting ballots and everything to do with those trying to stand in their way. A two-time cancer survivor says she was humiliated by American Airlines staff in a dispute over her 'f*** cancer' sweatshirt after she was told she wouldn't be allowed to board her flight to North Carolina if she did not cover up. Roslyn Singleton was boarding a flight from Los Angeles to Charlotte last Tuesday when she was approached by an employee who told her to cover up her sweatshir. Singleton asked the employee if the policy prohibiting her sweatshirt was in writing and she says was asked if she wanted to speak to a manager. 'I ripped the sweatshirt off my body and I just walked away and stood in line and felt humiliated,' 'I don't love cancer,' she said. ' I don't respect it, and my sweatshirt gave my exact sentiments on something that has tried to kill me twice' Singleton says she covered up the sweatshirt with a jacket but was approached by staff once more while in line to board the plane. She said the worker 'humiliated' her. 'The first thing she said to me she didn't say hello, she didn't say ma'am, she didn't say anything she said, 'I was made aware that there was an issue,' Singleton told WSOC-TV in an interview. 'I literally just took my jacket off. I ripped the sweatshirt off my body and I just walked away and stood in line and felt humiliated because she literally pointed me out like a child after I complied with what they asked me to do.' In a statement to WSOC-TV, American Airlines says their policies 'prohibit clothing that displays offensive statements and inappropriate language from being worn on board.' But the airline goes on to say that airline employees should have considered the context of Singleton's sweatshirt and offered an apology to her. 'In this instance, our team should have taken the broader context of the message displayed on the customer's shirt into consideration when explaining our policies. 'Our team is reaching out to learn more about Ms. Singleton's experience, apologize and reaffirm our support for efforts to fight cancer.' American Airlines says they are internally reviewing why Singleton was approached a second time after covering up her sweatshirt with her jacket Singleton, who says her father is currently battling cancer, tells WSOC-TV why she wore her sweatshirt. 'I don't love cancer,' she said. 'I don't respect it, and my sweatshirt gave my exact sentiments on something that has tried to kill me twice.' She adds that she would have 'gladly' removed the sweatshirt with no problem if she were approached differently. American Airlines says they are internally reviewing why Singleton was approached a second time after covering up her sweatshirt with her jacket. WSOC-TV reports that Singleton and her attorneys are seeking an apology from the airline and are asking that employees involved in the incident be fired. Singleton is also asking that American Airlines review policies dealing with customer conflicts. Just before the pandemic hit, training for critical care nurses was shortened in Manitoba. Just before the pandemic hit, training for critical care nurses was shortened in Manitoba. Now, amid concerns about a third wave and rapidly spreading variants of COVID-19 that are landing a higher proportion of Manitobans in intensive care, health officials say theyre trying to improve orientation for new nurses before theyre expected to start working with the sickest patients. The first class of nurses to undergo the condensed four-month program was formed in April 2020. Previous training programs were six months to a year in length for nurses who wanted to learn the specialty. The students, all of them qualified nurses with a minimum one year of experience in acute medicine, now complete an American-based online module for approximately two months, and are meant to spend the rest of their critical care education completing various forms of on-the-job training under guidance from other nurses and educators. But as COVID-19 burdened the provincial health system, demand on intensive care units intensified, and there wasnt enough time to complete the practicum portion of the course and learn from senior nurses before being tasked with monitoring one or more patients, one ICU nurse told the Free Press. The nurse said she was assigned to monitor two patients during one shift early on, after she finished the online course, during the pandemics second wave. Its a practice known in nursing as doubling up, instead of the standard one-to-one nurse-to-patient ratio. "Its just kind of like playing with fire a bit when we have really new staff doubled on their own alongside with other staff who are also doubled on their own, even if those nurses have tons of experience," the nurse told the Free Press in interview, speaking on the condition of anonymity. In a statement, a spokesperson for Shared Health said changes to the critical care education program now called an orientation program were planned to "modernize" the course, so trainees could go directly into their chosen specialty (medical, surgical or cardiac care). Each of those units requires specially trained nurses. New ICU nurses reported being doubled-up on critical patients against standard ICU protocols. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) Shared Health has said the nurse-to-patient ratio is still one-to-one for the most critically ill patients, although nurses who work in the unit have said it hasnt been uncommon during surges to be assigned to more than one COVID-19 patient even when all patients are extremely ill. Another class of 36 critical care nurse trainees is set to begin in April. Since April 2020, 94 nurse trainees have enrolled in the program; 89 of them graduated and are working in ICUs, Shared Health said. Improvements to critical care orientation are ongoing for new staff and nurse extenders (nurses who dont specialize in critical care but were sent to temporarily fill in), Shared Health said. "Orientation for nurse extenders included a blend of complex critical care theory, technical lab skills, and clinical orientation in a buddied learning environment. Work is ongoing to further evolve the program with additional educational content and supports as opportunities to strengthen orientation are identified. Other supports available to staff include stress management debriefing, site-wide mental wellness services, quiet zones and access to spiritual health teams," the statement said. The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba doesnt approve or review specialty, post-graduate education programs for nurses (except for graduate nurse or graduate nurse practitioner programs), and it hasnt received specific complaints about critical care education, a spokesperson for the regulatory body said. Nurses did reach out, however, with concerns about practising in a pandemic. "We have had some inquiries where our staff provided guidance on how to meet standards during a pandemic, which may have included critical care. However, the focus was not on the education the nurses received to become critical care nurses," the college spokesperson wrote in an email. NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara said the Manitoba Opposition has heard from several nurses, some new and some veteran, all of them expressing similar concerns. "Consistently, the concerns that have been reiterated to me are that they are not being equipped with an adequate amount of time and on-site experience before being expected to deliver direct patient care in what is an incredibly acute and high-stress and unique medical situation in this pandemic." katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay Lawmakers in elected and swore in a new president Sunday for a five-year term, the Balkan nation's second female leader in the post-war period. The 120-seat parliament, which convened in an extraordinary session for two days, gave 71 votes for Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, the former parliament speaker, in the third round of voting, while 11 votes were invalid. Two opposition parties and the ethnic Serb minority party boycotted the voting. In November, the 38-year-old Osmani-Sadriu temporarily replaced former President Hashim Thaci, a guerrilla leader during Kosovo's war for independence from Serbia in the late 1990s, who resigned after facing charges for war crimes and crimes against humanity at a special court based in The Hague. Osmani-Sadriu, post-war Kosovo's seventh president and its second female one, had the backing of the left-wing Self-Determination Movement, or Vetevendosje!, which won Kosovo's February 14 early election in a landslide. The party now holds the three top posts: the president, the speaker and the prime minister. Osmani-Sadriu was the top vote-getter in that election. As president, she will have largely a ceremonial post as the head of state. But she also has a leading position in foreign policy and is the commander of the armed forces. Resuming normalisation talks with former war foe Serbia is a priority in her list, even though the government of Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said it's not high in its key goals. became independent in 2008 after NATO intervened in 1999 to stop then-Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic's bloody crackdown on Albanian independence fighters' insurrection. It is recognized by more than 100 countries but not by Serbia or Serbian allies like Russia and China. (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.) Bahraini officials said work is moving at a steady pace on the East Sitra Town project, which once completed, will be home to 3,000 residential units. To be implemented in three phases, the project will boast key facilities and services that serve about 20,640 citizens, reported BNA. These include schools, kindergartens and nurseries, public parks, childrens playgrounds, houses of worship, health, social and cultural facilities, a youth club, commercial centres, petrol stations, water treatment station and a centre for visitors services in addition to a 2.6-km seafront promenade and 13-km-long bicycle lanes. The accelerated pace of work at housing projects reflects the governments seriousness in meeting the citizens housing demands according to schedule, remarked Housing Minister Bassim bin Yacoob Al Hamar. The minister lauded His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas directives to address the housing issue in the kingdom, citing the royal order to build 40,000 housing units to the citizens. The minister also hailed the constant follow-up of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on the distribution of residential units, stressing the ministrys keenness to achieve the housing pledges made by the government in its current Action Plan 2019-2022, through expediting the working process at various projects and coming up with creative solutions to meet the citizens needs. He was speaking while paying a visit to the East Sitra Town project, where he was briefed on the ongoing project, overseen by the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC). The Chinese group affirmed the completion of the land reclamation and preparation of the land ahead of the commencement of the infrastructure works and the construction of the units, stated the BNA report. The East Sitra Town Phase One, featuring a total of 1,077 units, is expected to be completed over the next two-and-half years, it added. An arrangement of three exoplanets to explore how the atmospheres can look different based on the chemistry present and incoming flux. Credit: Jack H. Madden It is no exaggeration to say that the study of extrasolar planets has exploded in recent decades. To date, 4,375 exoplanets have been confirmed in 3,247 systems, with another 5,856 candidates awaiting confirmation. In recent years, exoplanet studies have started to transition from the process of discovery to one of characterization. This process is expected to accelerate once next-generation telescopes become operational. As a result, astrobiologists are working to create comprehensive lists of potential "biosignatures," which refers to chemical compounds and processes that are associated with life (oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, etc.) But according to new research by a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), another potential biosignature we should be on the lookout for is a hydrocarbon called isoprene (C 5 H 8 ). The study that describes their findings, "Assessment of Isoprene as a Possible Biosignature Gas in Exoplanets with Anoxic Atmospheres," recently appeared online and has been accepted for publication by the journal Astrobiology. For the sake of their study, the MIT team looked at the growing list of possible biosignatures that astronomers will be on the lookout for in the coming years. To date, the vast majority of exoplanets have been detected and confirmed using indirect methods. For the most part, astronomers have relied on the transit method (transit photometry) and the radial velocity method (Doppler spectroscopy), alone or in combination. Only a few have been detectable using direct imaging, which makes it very difficult to characterize exoplanet atmospheres and surfaces. Only on rare occasions have astronomers been able to obtain spectra that allowed them to determine the chemical composition of that planet's atmosphere. This was either the result of light passing through an exoplanet's atmosphere as it transited in front of its star or in the few cases where direct imaging occurred and light reflected from the exoplanet's atmosphere could be studied. Artists impression shows the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the solar system. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser Much of this has had to do with the limits of our current telescopes, which do not have the necessary resolution to observe smaller, rocky planets that orbit closer to their star. Astronomers and astrobiologists believe that it is these planets that are most likely to be potentially habitable, but any light reflected from their surfaces and atmospheres is overpowered by the light coming from their stars. However, that will change soon as next-generation instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) takes to space. Sara Seager, the Class of 1941 Professor of Physics and Planetary Sciences at MIT, leads the research group responsible (aka the Seager Group) and was a co-author on the paper. As she told Universe Today via email: "With the upcoming October 2021 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope we will have our first capability of searching for biosignature gasesbut it will be tough because the atmospheric signals of small rocky planet are so weak to begin with. With the JWST on the horizon the number of people working in the field has grown tremendously. Studies such as this one coming up with new potential biosignature gases, and other work showing potential false positives even for gases such as oxygen." Once it is deployed and operational, the JWST will be able to observe our universe at longer wavelengths (in the near- and mid-infrared range) and with greatly improved sensitivity. The telescope will also rely on a series of spectrographs to obtain composition data, as well as coronagraphs to block out the obscuring light of parent stars. This technology will enable astronomers to characterize the atmospheres of smaller rocky planets. In turn, this data will allow scientists to place much tighter constraints on an exoplanet's habitability and could even lead to the detection of known (and/or potential) biosignatures. As noted, these "biosignatures" include the chemical indications associated with life and biological process, not to mention the types of conditions that are favorable to it. Image taken by a crew member of Expedition 13 from the ISS, showing the eruption of Cleveland Volcano, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Credit: NASA These include oxygen gas (O 2 ), which is essential to most forms of life on Earth and is produced by photosynthetic organisms (plants, trees, cyanobacteria, etc.). These same organisms metabolize carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), which oxygen-metabolizing life emits as a waste product. There's also water (H 2 O), which is essential to all life as we know it, and methane (CH 4 ), which is emitted by decaying organic matter. Since volcanic activity is believed to play an important role in planetary habitability, the chemical byproducts associated with volcanismhydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen gas (H 2 ), etc. are also considered biosignatures. To this list, Zhan, Seager, and their colleagues wished to add another possible biosignatureisoprene. As Zhan explained to Universe Today via email: "Our research group at MIT focuses on using a holistic approach to explore all possible gases as potential biosignature gas. Our prior work led to the creation of the all small molecules database. We proceed to filter the ASM database to identify the most plausible biosignature gas candidates, one of which is isoprene, using machine learning and data-driven approaches." Like its cousin methane, isoprene is an organic hydrocarbon molecule that is produced as a secondary metabolite by various species here on Earth. In addition to deciduous trees, isoprene is also produced by a diverse array of evolutionary-distant organismssuch as bacteria, plants, and animals. As Seager explained, this makes it promising as a potential biosignature: "Isoprene is promising because it is produced in vast qualities by life on Earthas much as methane production! Furthermore, a huge variety of life forms (from bacteria to plants and animals), those that are evolutionary distant from each other, produce isoprene, suggesting it might be some kind of key building block that life elsewhere might also make." While isoprene is about as abundant as methane here on Earth, isoprene is destroyed by interaction with oxygen and oxygen-containing radicals. For this reason, Zhang, Seager, and their team chose to focus on anoxic atmospheres. These are environments that are predominantly composed of H 2 , CO 2 , and nitrogen gas (N 2 ), which is similar to what Earth's primordial atmosphere was composed of. According to their findings, a primordial planet (where life is beginning to emerge) would have abundant isoprene in its atmosphere. This would have been the case on Earth between 4 and 2.5 billion years ago when single-celled organisms were the only life and photosynthetic cyanobacteria were slowly converting Earth's atmosphere into one that was oxygen-rich. By 2.5 billion years ago, this culminated in the "Great Oxygenation Event" (GOE), which proved toxic to many organisms (and metabolites like isoprene). It was also during this time that complex lifeforms (eukaryotes and multi-celled organisms) began to emerge. In this respect, isoprene could be used to characterize planets that are in the midst of a major evolutionary shift and laying the groundwork for future animal phyla. But as Zhang noted, teasing out this potential biosignature will be a challenge, even for the JWST: "The caveats with isoprene as a biomarker are that: (1) 10x-100x the Earth's isoprene production rate is needed for detection; (2) Detecting near-infrared isoprene spectral feature can be hindered by the presence of methane or other hydrocarbons. Unique detection of isoprene will be challenging with JWST, as many hydrocarbon molecules share similar spectra features in near-infrared wavelengths. But future telescopes that focus on the mid-IR wavelength will be able to detect isoprene spectral features uniquely." Relative sizes of Kepler habitable zone planets discovered as of 2013 April 18. Left to right: Kepler-22b, Kepler-69c, Kepler-62e, Kepler-62f, and Earth (except for Earth, these are artists renditions). Credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech Beyond the JWST, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (successor to the Hubble mission) will also be taking to space by 2025. This observatory will have the power of 100 Hubbles and its recently upgraded infrared filters will allow it to characterize exoplanets on its own and through collaborations with the JWST and other "great observatories." There are also several ground-based telescopes currently being built here on Earth that will rely on sophisticated spectrometers, coronographs and adaptive optics (AOs). These include the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) These telescopes will also be able to conduct direct imaging studies of exoplanets, and the results are expected to be ground-breaking. Between improved instruments, rapidly improving data analysis and techniques, and improvements in our methodology, the study of exoplanets is only expected to accelerate further. In addition to having tens of thousands of more available for study (many of which will be rocky and "Earth-like"), the unprecedented views we will have of them will let us see just how many habitable worlds are out there. Whether or not this will result in the discovery of extraterrestrial life within our lifetimes remains to be seen. But one thing is clear. In the coming years, when astronomers start combing through all the new data they will have on exoplanet atmospheres, they will have a comprehensive list of biosignatures to guide them. Explore further If a planet has a lot of methane in its atmosphere, life is the most likely cause More information: Zhuchang Zhan et al. Assessment of Isoprene as a Possible Biosignature Gas in Exoplanets with Anoxic Atmospheres, Astrobiology (2021). Journal information: Astrobiology Zhuchang Zhan et al. Assessment of Isoprene as a Possible Biosignature Gas in Exoplanets with Anoxic Atmospheres,(2021). DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2146 The parent of The Post and Courier is proposing to spin off its newspaper division and other subsidiaries into three separate businesses under a plan to realign the holdings of the family-owned company, it was announced April 5. The restructuring of Charleston-based Evening Post Industries is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, CEO John Barnwell said. None of the businesses is being sold, he said. Under the reorganization, Evening Post Industries will capitalize the companies before spinning them off as independent standalone ventures with separate management and boards of directors. Theyre not going to be under the same corporate umbrella we have now, Barnwell said. Members of the Manigault, Gilbreth and Herres families will remain as shareholders, but their ownership stakes will decline or increase based on their individual preferences and business interests. Many of the details are still being finalized, Barnwell said. This company split will allow the principal owners to better align their interests while maintaining a very high degree of stable and well-known management continuity, he said. The holding company, which dates back to 1896, eventually will be dissolved. The Post and Courier and the other papers that Evening Post Industries owns will be one of the spinoffs. It will be led by Pierre Manigault, who is currently chairman of the parent company. The news group also will operate a book publisher and White Oak Forestry, which owns and manages timberland, mostly in the Georgetown area. The other standalone businesses will be focused on real estate development projects, primarily in Charleston and Georgetown, and on the health field, including Heart of Hospice and a pharmaceutical firm. All three companies will be run by the same executives who already manage them day-to-day. The transaction requires the approval of shareholders, who will probably vote on it this summer. The majority of investors of the closely held company support the split, said Barnwell, who will retire when the transition is finalized after about 12 years as chief executive officer. The ownership shift marks one of the most significant restructurings within Evening Post Industries since 1991, when the company combined The News and Courier and The Evening Post to form The Post and Courier. Sign up for our new business newsletter We're starting a weekly newsletter about the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina. Get ahead with us - it's free. Email Sign Up! Weve been thinking about it for a couple of years, Barnwell said. The current generation of principal family shareholders began looking harder at the idea after Evening Post Industries sold its 16 television stations for $591 million in 2019. That had a lot to do with it because we received a lot of liquidity and distributed a lot of liquidity. ... But we also have a fair amount of liquidity left at the corporate level, Barnwell said. Some of the leftover proceeds from the TV station sales will be used to finance the restructuring plan. Theres going to be investment capital in all of the companies, Barnwell said. As an example, he said, a fair amount will be allocated toward the newspaper group, which includes the Summerville Journal Scene, the Aiken Standard and The Post and Couriers new expansion offices in Columbia, Greenville and Myrtle Beach. Enough money to sustain the business for a pretty good amount of time, Barnwell said. After the split, he added, the spinoffs will no longer have to compete with each other for funding at the corporate level, allowing them to budget and invest based on their own needs. It makes everybodys interests a lot more clear, Barnwell said. The restructuring coincides with, but isnt tied to, a recently announced plan by Evening Post Industries to vacate its longtime headquarters at 134 Columbus St., which will be razed and redeveloped. The decision to move followed the companys plan to replace the huge press inside the nearly 70-year-old building and install the newly acquired printing machinery at another site in the Charleston region. Lease negotiations are still in the works for the new location. The eventual closing of 134 Columbus was expected to eliminate a small but undisclosed number of jobs throughout the company, Barnwell said. The Sept. 30 restructuring goal will likely accelerate those cuts. (Natural News) The United States should pursue research into solar geoengineering to cool Earth even if climate intervention carries a lot of risks. This is according to a statement made by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) said on March 25. Solar geoengineering involves increasing the amount of radiation that gets reflected back to Earth to cool the planet. It is a form of geoengineering or the deliberate modification of Earths natural systems to tackle climate issues. In a new report, a panel of scientists recommended allotting $40 million a year to ramp up solar geoengineering research. In particular, it suggested looking into spraying reflective aerosols into the atmosphere, thinning high-altitude clouds and brightening low-altitude marine clouds. Climate engineering is a really dumb idea, but it might not be as dumb as doing nothing at this point or continuing to do what weve been doing, Lynn Russell, an atmospheric chemist at the University of California, San Diego and a co-author of the report, told Associated Press. It has a lot of risks and those are important to learn as much as we can about. Scientists warn that geoengineering may disrupt precipitation patterns, agricultural productivity and food supplies worldwide. At the same time, there is no international agreement that sets standards for geoengineering. The report acknowledged those risks and suggested establishing exit ramps to end research if unacceptable hazards were found. It also proposed conducting geoengineering experiments in close coordination with other nations. (Related: First it was a conspiracy theory, now the mainstream media says geoengineering will fix global warming.) Peter Frumhoff, the director of science and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists and a member of the panel, clarified that the report was meant to lay the groundwork for more informed decisions about whether or not geoengineering should be taken seriously. Waleed Abdalati, a former scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration who served on a similar geoengineering panel in 2015, put it this way: It is not so much playing with fire as it is researching fire, so that we understand it well enough to deploy, if necessary. Critics say no to geoengineering Mark Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University who was not involved in the report, said that geoengineering would accomplish nothing but destroy the environment. He explained that geoengineering would encourage the exploitation of the planets natural resources by temporarily masking an increase in temperature. All it does is increase air pollution, killing more people in the end, while reducing the sunlight available for food production, biological activity and vitamin D production for people on Earth, he told Clean Technica. Under no circumstance should we permit geoengineering such as this to be considered as a potential solution to any problem on Earth, Jacobson went on. Raymond Pierrehumbert, a professor of physics at the University of Oxford who was also not involved in the report, conveyed his distaste for the term geoengineering. He said that the word made it sound like humans had control over Earths temperature in much the same way as they controlled a rooms temperature with a thermostat. Jennie Stephens, the director of Northeastern Universitys School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, warned that geoengineerings effects could be distributed unequally. The world is in the place were in because weve had this concentration of wealth and power. This would actually exacerbate and further concentrate power among a few, Stephens said. This is something that a few elites are going to control, and its going to have impacts on everybody else. Indeed, some globalists have provided funding to ongoing geoengineering projects. Microsoft founder Bill Gates, for example, is backing a sun-dimming study that attempts to spray the sky with reflective particles to cool the planet. With the help of the Swedish Space Corporation, Harvard University researchers who are behind the study will fly a test balloon over Sweden this year to test how to maneuver the balloon and check equipment at high altitudes. If the test flight goes well, the researchers can release a tiny amount of calcium carbonate into the atmosphere as part of another experiment. (Related: Bill Gates block the sun SCoPEx balloon launch experiment in Sweden hits a snag as environmental groups express criticism.) Learn more about the dangers of interfering with Earths perfectly fine climate at Geoengineering.news. Sources include: CleanTechnica.com UCSUSA.org Reuters.com 1 Reuters.com 2 Professor Neil Ferguson warned the South African strain had taken root in Europe Professor Neil Ferguson today called for tighter border controls with Europe to keep out the dangerous South African of coronavirus amid fears it could undermine Britain's vaccine roll-out. The SAGE adviser - dubbed 'Professor Lockdown' because his gloomy modelling of the first wave spooked ministers into the spring shutdown - warned while the strain had failed to take root in the UK it was behind up to 20 per cent of infections in some countries on the continent. He added immunity from AstraZeneca's jab is 'particularly vulnerable' to the mutant strain, raising the risk of a spike in cases. South Africa has already suspended its use citing concerns the shot is not effective enough. Scientists have yet to offer any exact estimates of how well AstraZeneca's jab works against the variant - but No10's scientific advisers fear it is 30 per cent less effective at stopping people getting symptoms. Nonetheless, experts are still confident the jab is strong enough to protect the vast majority of people from falling severely ill with the B.1.351 strain. AstraZeneca's vaccine is the main one being used in Britain's inoculation drive, with 15.8million people having received the jab so far, compared to 10.8million of Pfizer's. Britain has already spotted 469 cases of the variant, sparking surge-testing in dozens of postcodes in a desperate attempt to root out the virus. The warning comes as Boris Johnson is today set to unveil a 'traffic light' system to allow foreign holidays, with countries ranked red, amber or green. Government sources say each nation will be categorised using criteria including the percentage of the population jabbed, the rate of infection, any emerging variants and their access to reliable data and genomic sequencing. But ministers caution it is still too early to say which countries sun-seekers will be able to visit - with the blanket ban on travel in place until May 17 at the earliest. More than 31million Britons have already received their first dose of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine, or more than half the adult population. But the EUs anaemic inoculation drive has left countries on the continent squabbling over scant supplies of doses. The Prime Minister will unveil a traffic light system to allow foreign holidays today Studies suggest the AstraZeneca jab may be 'particularly vulnerable' to the South African variant, officially known as B.1.351 More than 31million people in Britain have already received their first dose of the vaccine. But on the continent many countries are far further behind IS ASTRAZENECA'S JAB REALLY MORE VULNERABLE TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT? Scientists have warned that immunity from the AstraZeneca jab may be more vulnerable to the South African variant of coronavirus compared to other jabs. Clinical trials showed it was 79 per cent effective - at blocking symptomatic Covid - against the initial virus, and stopped hospitalisation or death in all the 32,000 participants. But recent studies have suggested it offers only partial immunity against the South African variant. One study involving 2,000 adults under 65 in South Africa found it did not protect against mild-to-moderate infections with the variant. And a second paper from Oxford University published last month found the AstraZeneca jab produced seven times fewer antibodies against the strain compared to the original virus. Nonetheless, experts are still confident the jab is strong enough to protect the vast majority of people from falling severely ill with B.1.351. On the other hand, Pfizer has claimed its jab offers 100 per cent protection against the South African variant. In a trial involving 8,000 participants they recorded nine infections with the variant, all in the unvaccinated group. But experts have alleged the trial was 'too small' for concrete conclusions to be drawn from. Moderna's jab - which is set to be distributed in the UK later this month - is currently being tested against the South African variant. Advertisement The Imperial College London epidemiologist stopped short of calling for an outright ban on travel to Europe, but told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that ministers should be cautious when they loosen restrictions on trips abroad. 'I think the key thing is the risk of importing variants which might undermine our vaccination programme and the one were particularly concerned about at the moment is the South African variant called B.1.351,' he said. 'The concern here is the proportion of cases reported in a number of European countries which are this variant is now up to anywhere from four to five per cent in France and up to 17 per cent, nearly 20 per cent up in Luxembourg. 'So rather than some of the "red list" countries which are far away, I think where the real policy challenge lies in terms of mitigating risk is around what to do around travel to Europe and back. 'I think that (testing everyone from European countries) would be sensible and reconsidering the exemptions in place at the moment.' He added: 'While we've done very well in the vaccination programme so far we're only about half way through and we're very dependant on the AstraZeneca vaccine at the moment. 'The AstraZeneca vaccine as we know is particularly vulnerable to the South African variant. 'As time goes on and we can roll-out the Novavax vaccine, and Moderna, which are perhaps less vulnerable then we'll have more leeway so it is a balancing act.' Recent studies have suggested the AstraZeneca jab offers only partial immunity against the troublesome variant. One paper involving 2,000 adults under 65 in South Africa found it did not protect against mild-to-moderate infections with the variant. And a second from Oxford University found it triggered seven times fewer antibodies against the strain compared to the original virus. On the other hand, Pfizer has claimed its jab is 100 per cent effective against the variant based on a study on 8,000 people in South Africa. But some scientists have said this sample size is 'too small' to draw concrete conclusions from, and that there's still a risk people could catch the South African variant after being inoculated with their jab. The top adviser also said: 'We are detecting cases of the South African variant almost every week within the UK, so it is not something we can keep out forever. 'But keeping it out for as long as we can, and keeping it at a low level for as long as we can... would be beneficial.' Professor Ferguson also called for 'everyone' entering the UK to be tested for Covid, to minimise the risk of a dangerous variant entering the country. An exemption list - including lorry drivers and those travelling on Government business - allows those mentioned not to quarantine or get a swab upon arrival. Professor Ferguson also revealed that he got the AstraZeneca jab against the virus. There is also concern over the Brazilian variant, P.1, which studies have suggested could also dodge vaccine-triggered immunity. There have been only 32 cases identified in the UK so far, which have also sparked surge-testing. Virologists say the low numbers show it has yet to take root in the country. The 'traffic light' system will see travellers returning from green countries not having to isolate, although they will need to have tests before and after they fly. Those coming back from red list countries would have to quarantine in a hotel for ten days, however, while arrivals from amber destinations will have to isolate at home. Britons will be allowed to holiday in countries with high vaccination rates this summer, Boris Johnson will say today (File image) A Government source told the Daily Mail last night: 'It is too early to predict which countries will be on which list over the summer. As such, we continue to advise people not to book summer holidays abroad.' One scientist said yesterday the system could be too simplistic to stop the spread of new cases. Professor Gabriel Scally, a member of the Independent Sage committee, said: 'It is not quite as simple as looking at what the situation is in an individual country from which a flight originated. We know people will mix together from all over the world, and this is what spurred the autumn surges of cases.' WASHINGTON - The U.S. services sector, which employs most Americans, recorded record growth in March as the easing of coronavirus restrictions released pent-up consumer demand. WASHINGTON - The U.S. services sector, which employs most Americans, recorded record growth in March as the easing of coronavirus restrictions released pent-up consumer demand. The Institute for Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, reported Monday that its nonmanufacturing index rose to an all-time high 63.7 last month from 55.3 in February. The old record of 60.9 was set in October 2018. Joe Got Prince who works for the the Goyenechea family at the Maemax Market and restaurant holds a Halo-Halo dessert in La Vergne, Tenn., on March 25, 2021. There are dozens of global markets in Middle Tennessee, each selling hard-to-find foods and ingredients from cuisines around the world. Shops like Maemax represent a growing industry nationally while the overall American supermarket industry grew just 0.6 percent from 2015 to 2020, the globally-focused supermarket industry grew 3 percent over that same period.(Stephanie Amador/The Tennessean via AP) New orders also hit a record, and hiring and prices grew faster. Anything above 50 signals growth, and the services sector is on a 10-month winning streak since rebounding from the economic impact of the pandemic last spring. The March reading was much higher than economists had expected. The rollout of vaccines is encouraging Americans to return to normal life shopping and eating out and President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion economic rescue plan is also likely to stimulate demand for services and juice economic growth. All the right pieces for a faster services recovery expanded vaccine eligibility, reopenings, and historic fiscal expansion are falling into place,'' economists Oren Klachkin and Gregory Daco of Oxford Econmics wrote in a research note. Although debate on economic policy often focuses on manufacturing, services such as banks, retailers and restaurants account for 71% of all U.S. jobs and 83% of private jobs. 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 Teaching unions want to keep pupils in masks when they return from Easter. The NASUWT fears that abandoning the safety measures would risk the health of teachers and children, and send out the wrong message about Covid-19s threat. Secondary school pupils are currently advised to wear face coverings where social distancing cannot be maintained including in the classroom. But the Government had said that the measures would be reviewed at Easter. NASUWT union fears stopping measures would risk the health of schoolchildren and teachers Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: We are not out of the woods yet and maintaining the highest levels of Covid security in our schools is critical as we move into the new term in order to protect the safety and health of teachers and learners. A survey of more than 4,000 NASUWT members found that 75 per cent support secondary pupils being required to wear face masks in class. A Government spokesman said: A decision will be made shortly... about whether the evidence suggests these measures [face covering guidance] can continue into the summer term. Leaders of five education unions, including the NASUWT sent letters to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured) It came after the leaders of five education unions, including the NASUWT, called on the Government not to rush into removing face masks from class without careful consideration of the scientific evidence. The joint letter from unions, to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, argues that the current evidence does not justify a change in policy on face coverings at the start of next term. But last month, MPs heard that school leaders had received threatening letters from parents who did not want their children to wear face coverings. A straw poll, of over 300 NASUWT members, suggests that 67% of teachers support the continuation of the guidance on face coverings into the new term. (Natural News) Democrats have solidified their effort to act as an Orwellian Ministry of Truth with the passage of Speaker Nancy Pelosis H.R. 1085 in the House of Representatives. This bill rewrites the historical facts from Jan. 6 under the guise of honoring the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) who bravely protect Congress. (Article by Louie Gohmert republished from TheEpochTimes.com) Pelosis goal, of course, isnt to show respect and admiration to the Capitol Policewhich would be particularly ironic coming from the defund the police partybut to perpetuate a false narrative that 74-plus million Americans are dangerous racists and insurrectionists who have no part in civilized society. H.R. 1085 states its purpose as to award three congressional gold medals to the United States Capitol Police and those who protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. That certainly sounds innocent enough. However, the language in the bill editorializes in its findings Pelosis deliberately politicized view of what happened that day, instead of doing what a bill put before members of Congress for a vote to recognize the USCP presumably would do, which is to recount the many meritorious acts of our brave and devoted officers. When Pelosis bill speaks of a mob of insurrectionists, she ascribes both a mental state and a crime to many Americans who merely showed up to a rally to protest the blatant corruption theyve witnessed in this nations electoral system. To illustrate how hyperbolic and outright deceptive Pelosis choice of words is here, the internets own Free Dictionary defines insurrectionist as a person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority, which is another way of saying the government. These are the words that Pelosi has chosen to use to accuse her fellow Americans of the crime of armed insurrection. As any first-year law student can tell you, publicly accusing someone of a crime is actionable as libel or slander in a court of law. The facts as we know them, including testimony before the U.S. Senate from an FBI counterterrorism official, reveals that not a single individual who entered the building that day was carrying a firearm, and as a result, none were arrested and charged with a firearms offense. Because of my high regard for the Capitol Police, some of whom I personally know and hold in great esteem, I wanted to recognize their valor without lending credence to these deliberate falsehoods. Had I voted in favor of the Speakers language, I would have affirmed her narrative. It is for this reason that my colleagues and I removed her divisive language and filed that bill to honor our Capitol Police, so that every member of Congress could vote on a non-politicized bill in good conscience. As to be expected, the left and the media set out to attack my colleagues and me for voting against Pelosis narrative, which engaged in the ultimate gaslighting of the American people. For months, our country was under violent siege by radical leftists from Antifa and the Black Lives Matter movement. Cities were burned, businesses were looted, and livelihoods were destroyed. A disturbing report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association revealed that between May 25 and July 31, 2020, 8,700 protests took place across the country. Of those, 574 of them turned into riots in which mass looting and destruction occurred. At least 2,000 police officers were injured, multiple police precincts were set on fire, hundreds of police cars were damaged, 2,385 incidents of looting occurred, and 624 arsons were reported. At least 25 Americans were killed, including a federal law enforcement officer and a retired police chief. The damage to property during the riots has been estimated to cost between $1 billion and $2 billion. What did Democrats do while this was occurring? Our now-Vice President Kamala Harris urged her followers on Twitter to bail out the rioters. This same bail fund helped free one rioter twice. Since then, he is facing three new felony counts of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm for allegedly having marijuana, cocaine, and psilocyn mushrooms. When mobs were destroying city property, Pelosi casually responded that people will do what they do. Radical leftist lawmakers introduced a bill to defund the police. Democrats showed no concern for the thousands of innocent lives that were destroyed due to the riots over the summer. We certainly didnt hear them condemn the violence against the thousands of police officers that took place during these mostly peaceful protests. Unlike what we now see at the Capitol fortress in Washington, there were no calls from the left for the National Guard to deploy to these cities and install fencing to protect its residents. To the contrary, when President Donald Trump sent DHS officers to Portland, Oregon, after weeks of unrest, Pelosi called them stormtroopers and Trumps secret police. Many Americans, and I suspect many law enforcement officers, see right through the Democrats recent, fraudulent metamorphosis into the party of law and order. As someone who has spent a majority of my adult life working for justice, law and order with an abiding respect for honorable, self-sacrificing law officers, I call upon Congress to set aside its self-serving agenda in this time of great peril and to bring forth responsible legislation in the future, not continue down this path of divisiveness. As members of Congress, we owe it to those who elected us to hold sacred our vows and our duties as Americas lawmakers. Read more at: TheEpochTimes.com In this Thursday, July 2, 2020, file photo, cars drive under a sign greeting visitors near the entrance to Walt Disney World, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. A new television show about the residents and caretakers at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom is being produced by National Geographic and will start streaming in the fall of 2020 on the Disney+. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File) Secret documents have cast doubt on the independence of a wide-ranging review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme that recommended the most radical overhaul of the $25 billion program since it was established. Emails and draft copies of the 2019 report, written by former senior public servant David Tune, show National Disability Insurance Agency officials inserted an entire chapter into the review of the schemes legislation, and made substantial changes to almost every part of the document. The disability sector is opposed to the NDIS using independent assessments. The review was used by the Morrison government to introduce independent assessments for NDIS participants, where health professionals employed by one of eight providers paid by the government will review users eligibility for the scheme. Disability advocates have labelled the measure a cost-cutting measure to reduce the number of people in the program. More than 900 pages of documents, released under freedom of information laws, show emails from NDIA officials and Department of Social Services staff prioritising the NDIA boards topics, talking points and inserting a multitude of changes to the draft versions of Mr Tunes report. This afternoon many Kansas City social justice activists rally in defense of downtown and Westport homeless camp which have earned repeated complaints and frustration from nearby residents and businesses. First and foremost, we're disappointed to see social media and so many "journalists" fall victim to activist chatter that mistakenly alleged an afternoon sweep. Allegations of drug use and illegal activity at these sites should at least offer some reason to second guess their claims. But here's the more important trend from a local political perspective . . . KC TENANTS FORSAKE MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS IN SUPPORT OF THE HOMELESS!!! Here's a peek at their tense exchange today . . . Accordingly . . . AS ALWAYS, NO GOO DEED GOES UNPUNISHED AS ONE OF MAYOR Q'S STRONGEST CONSTITUENCIES CONDEMNS THE IMPENDING EVICTION NOW MISLABELED A HOMELESS SWEEP!!! Even better . . . The entertaining part of all this is watching Mayor Q betray his social justice and progressive talking points. The takeaway . . . Whilst a more responsible elected leader would have always supported home owners, stakeholders and nearby businesses . . . Mayor Q continually lets himself get carried away with progressive rhetoric that hoped to outlaw rent or some similar kind of nonsense. Now that voter outcry has reached a crescendo and Westport leaders are searching for a challenger to Mayor Lucas, removing these protesters is the only real option if elected officials want to maintain any semblance of credibility. And so, the homeless drama turns into a local media circus wherein more than a few newsies help to amplify the voices of alleged drug addicts over the legit concerns of Midtown Kansas City residents. Check the links . . . Fox4: Homeless install plastic fence around camp at city hall as they try to prevent city from removing them KMBC: Homeless camp at city hall given notice to leave by Sunday Beacon: Where can we go?: For Kansas Citys unhoused community, camp sweeps not the answer Pitch: City, KCPD initiate day of homeless camp sweeps at multiple locations KCTV5: People experiencing homelessness await forced removal at City Hall, Westport camps Channel 9: Homeless camped outside city hall say they won't leave Developing . . . (Newser) Florida's reservoir emergency isn't the only reason the state's governor is finding himself in headlines again. Sunday night's episode of 60 Minutes featured a report by Sharyn Alfonsi, which criticized vaccine rollouts in the Sunshine State under Ron DeSantis, per the Hill. The report specifically looked at Palm Beach County over the past three months, where vaccination distribution "[deteriorated] into a virtual free for all and ... some wealthy and well-connected residents cut the line, leaving other Floridians without a fair shot," per CBS News, with Alfonsi adding it sounded like The Hunger Games. The outlet notes Palm Beach County is home not only to the very rich, but also to a significant contingent of low-income residents and people of color, and that these groups have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to vaccinations. Per state data as of Feb. 1, of the county's 160,000 residents who'd been vaccinated, only 2% were Black, while 3% were Hispanic. story continues below At the center of Alfonsi's report: the revelation that Publix was awarded a contract in January by DeSantis to solely administer the vaccine in the countyafter the supermarket chain had donated $100,000 to his political action committee. That meant residents were forced to travel to Publix locations to get their shots, even if those sites were far from home, making it onerous to get the vaccine for those who didn't have cars or other means to get there. Although DeSantis wouldn't be officially interviewed for the report, Alfonsi tracked him down at an Orlando-area presser last month, where she confronted him about Publix, per Axios. "How is that not pay to play?" she asked the governor, who called that framing "wrong" and a "fake narrative," adding he decided to go with Publix only after meeting with local leaders. Publix, for its part, issued its own statement to the news program, calling the suggestion that its contract was tied to its campaign donations as "false," "offensive," and "irresponsible." Much more here from the 60 Minutes report. (Read more Ron DeSantis stories.) (Newser) The Republican governor of Arkansas called for "tolerance and diversity" Monday after vetoing a bill that would have banned gender-affirming treatment for transgender youth. Gov. Asa Hutchinson, whose veto may be overridden by the state legislature, described HB 1570 as "extreme" and urged lawmakers to take a "more restrained approach" to the issue, Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports. Hutchinson described the bill, which would have barred health care providers from treating transgender minors with medication or surgery, as a "product of the cultural war in America." He said he spoke to health care providers and transgender youth while considering the bill. story continues below Hutchinson described the bill as "well intended," but said it would create "new standards of legislative interference with physicians and parents" and noted that it did not "grandfather young people currently on hormone treatment." The bill passed both houses of the GOP-controlled Arkansas legislature with large majorities, largely on party lines, the New York Times reports. It will take only a simple majority to override the veto. ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio described the governor's veto as "an important rebuke of this sweeping range of legislation targeting trans youth across the country." He said he hoped the move would send a message to Alabama and Mississippi, which are considering similar bills. (Read more Arkansas stories.) New Delhi, April 5 : Artificial Intelligence-assisted next-gen technologies would be employed for threat monitoring in the Indian Air Force's captive networks, including the current network upgrades, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria said on Monday. "If we intend to utilise AI heavily in combat aviation, we may need to redefine or even abandon some traditional principles. These principles are not strict or templated. Essentially different nations with different threat perceptions would have different requirements and this would have evolved over a period of time and experience," he said, at an E-symposium on Artificial Intelligence for Air Warriors organised by the FICCI here. "AI can give you models with impeccable logic to prove that the proposed solutions are the best," he added. Talking about Artificial Intelligence in air warfare, he said that it can bring enormous changes in the way air wars are fought in the aerospace domain. On Artificial Intelligence in the force, Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said: "Our entire inventory management has been computurerised and digitised and we have already started to work on AI based formulation so as to come out with predictive maintenance or predictive threat scenario." "We have started testing AI and AI-based applications on some projects which are at the different stages. We have already improved our operation efficacy by shrinking timelines in the entire chain," he added. On training strategy, the IAF chief said: "We have already working on effective training strategies where data recorders example are being used to identify outliers in pilot performance, be it in operations, exercises using AI techniques to determine the strong and weak points in terms of manoeuvring or overall orientation, etc." He also said "to optimally use AI, we must first decide as to when the system should be supervised by the human and when not. This is the decision that should involve technical logic and questioning. Humans are designed to be more effective at problem solving whereas AI thrives in an environment with high correlation and underlying patterns." April 05 : With Mumbai witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases in the second wave of the pandemic, many Bollywood celebs are getting infected by the virus. The latest to be affected by coronavirus is the veteran star Govinda. In a statement, Govindas wife Sunita Ahuja confirmed the news and said that the actor has contracted the virus and tested COVID-19 positive on Sunday morning. Sunita further informed that Govinda is experiencing mild symptoms and is home quarantined. Updating on his health, she said that there is nothing to worry as he is doing fine, and following all the necessary protocols. She also added that regarding Govindas condition, the family, who has also got themselves tested, are in constant contact with the doctors. On Saturday, Govinda had shared an Instagram post about weekend therapy and wrote: Let the weekend therapy begin in style! Let's set the positive weekend vibe on. On Sunday, actor Akshay Kumar had also tweeted that he has also contracted the virus. A little later, Govinda's COVID-19 diagnosis was revealed by his wife Sunita. Recently, Alia Bhatt, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Kartik Aaryan, Paresh Rawal, Milind Soman, Sanjay Leela Bansali, Aamir Khan, Madhavan among others were tested positive for COVID-19. Recently, Amitabh Bachchan and his family, Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Malaika Arora, among others, have taken the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. Meanwhile, on the work front, Govinda was last seen in the 2019 film Rangeela Raja. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR MONDAY, APRIL 5, 2021 Doing Good, in Service of The Common Good April 4 , 2021 (EIRNS)On the occasion of Holy Week and Easter, statesman Lyndon LaRouche more than once wrote of the mission of all mankind. On March 29, 2002, he addressed it in his, Easter, A Time For Reflection, a substantial work, beginning with the question, that Now, in a time of great menace ... How should all peoples, of whatever religious profession, from around the world, view the leading developments of these days? What should we do? After in-depth consideration, he wrote, To sum up the point to be emphasized on this occasion, consider the following: The doctrine of the immortality of the soul has a rich history, from Platos Socratic dialogues, through the role of the same Platonic notion of the term agape expressed summarily by Pauls I Corinthians 13, and permeating the Gospel of John. It is the concept, translated as promotion of the general welfare of present and future generations, in the U.S. Constitution, and, otherwise, the notion of doing good in service of the common good. Today his words ring out. The specifics of the great menace he spoke of, meaning crises of all kindseconomic, cultural, warfarehave worsened in the intervening years to the point of todays ongoing pandemic and famines. Look at just the dimensions of the food and farm crises. One year ago April, the UN Security Council received a briefing on the world hunger situation from World Food Program Director David Beasley, who told the diplomats that, unless emergency action were taken, the world would see famine of Biblical proportions. That is exactly what came to pass. Look at the 10 nations Beasley singled out at that 2020 UN briefing: Yemen, Syria, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria (northern), South Sudan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Haiti, Venezuela. The total number of people in dire need of food in these combined areas right now is close to 120 million, according to the March 23, 2021 Hunger Hotspots report for March to July 2021, of the WFP and UN Food and Agriculture Organization. It is so bad, in fact, that there are people in these 10 nations, plus another 20 nations, who all together lack food to such a degree, that up to 34 million people are at the point of starvation in the coming weeks. At the same time, producers of food are being pressured into mass shutdown. Farmers in the worlds highest productivity food belts are under impossible conditions of low prices and green dictates, that unless corrected, will result in mass food shortages. On Good Friday/Passover April 2, thousands of farmers protested in the greater Paris area, after farm demonstrations otherwise took place in Lyon and elsewhere in the weeks before. In Germany, farmers also protested in February and March in Berlin, Munich and many other major cities, including holding vigils at targeted government offices, and bringing their tractors into the streets. In India, the farm protests continue for the fifth month. But who is acting for the good? Who even knows that these unheard of, desperate situations even exist? It is the same with even the COVID-19 pandemic. Although most of the world by now does know full well, with great sorrow and loss, the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, who is making an issue of such fundamentals for health security, as getting electricity and safe water in Africa, stopping the closure of hospitals anywhere, and building more health infrastructure on an emergency basis everywhere? Break the vaccine blockades, and go full tilt for inoculation and all measures of public health. The blackout of reality, and enforced indifference are key parts of the Green New Deal and Great Reset operations to demobilize the world into accepting mass depopulation. According to City of London/Wall Street/Silicon Valley/Big Tech and so on, you are allowed to care and comment only on saving the Earth from global warming. Nothing else. But we can break this evil spell. The Schiller Institute conference process, and publications and organizing everywhere are critical. The development programs are essential, for example, for Southwest Asia, and for the North American Belt and Road Initiative, as presented at the March 20-21 Schiller Institute international conference. Look at Africa. A week ago, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari issued a strong call for going ahead with the Lake Chad Water Transfer Projectthe Transaqua planfor the Lake Chad Basin and Central Africaa necessary program championed for decades by LaRouche circles. Buhari met with Chad President Idriss Deby on March 27. Buharis press release stated, It is imperative that there be water transfer to the Lake Chad from the Congo Basin, so that the people can resume their normal lives. Details will be forthcoming about the next Schiller Institute international conference, planned for May 8, five weeks from now. Helga Zepp-LaRouche said in conclusion of the March 21 panel on Southwest Asia: Pivot for War, or Peaceful Development with the New Silk Road, after a discussion of British geopolitics, that we need, total development for the whole Eurasian continent, including the Americas, including Africa, so that everybody has an advantage. But this needs to be put on the table as a totality. I think the lesson out of the pandemic and now the famine, is that we have to organizeand thats what the Schiller Institute really wants to accomplishthat we put this idea of overcoming underdevelopment for everybody, for every nation, on the agenda. Then, you can see that there would be an advantage, even for the United States, [for] which the biggest problem obviously is the military-industrial complex. But they could change; they could retool and produce some useful things. So, I think we need to have a world mobilization to have a new world economic order and the blueprint for it is the World Land-Bridge. That way, you overcome geopolitics. Federico Ceballos-Sierra, University of Illinois, surveys coffee plants at his family farm in Colombia. He is lead author on a study estimating how climate change will impact Colombian coffee production. Credit: College of AC ES, University of Illinois. If your day started with a cup of coffee, there's a good chance your morning brew came from Colombia. Home to some of the finest Arabica beans, the country is the world's third largest coffee producer. Climate change poses new challenges to coffee production in Colombia, as it does to agricultural production anywhere in the world, but a new University of Illinois study shows effects vary widely depending on where the coffee beans grow. "Colombia is a large country with a very distinct geography. The Andes Mountains cross the country from its southwest to northeast corner. Colombian coffee is currently growing in areas with different altitude levels, and climate impacts will likely be very different for low altitude and high altitude regions," says Sandy Dall'Erba, professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACE) and director of the Regional Economics Applications Laboratory (REAL) at U of I. Dall'Erba is co-author on the study, published in Agricultural Systems. Other studies on the future of coffee production have either considered the country as a whole, or focused on a few areas within the country. Dall'Erba and lead author Federico Ceballos-Sierra, who recently obtained a Ph.D. from ACE, look at climate and coffee production for the entire country, broken down into 521 municipalities. This high level of detailed information allows them to identify significant regional variations. "Colombia is not going to experience reduced productivity overall. But when we look into the impact across municipalities, we see many differences that get lost in the national average. That has important implications for coffee growers who live in one municipality versus another," Ceballos-Sierra says. "Low-altitude municipalities will be negatively affected by climate change, and thousands of growers and their families in these areas will see their livelihood jeopardized because productivity is likely to fall below their breakeven point by mid-century," he states. The researchers analyze climate data from 2007 to 2013 across Colombia's 521 coffee-producing municipalities and evaluate how temperature and precipitation affect coffee yield. Subsequently, they model anticipated weather conditions from 2042 to 2061 and future coffee production for each municipal area. At the national level, they estimate productivity will increase 7.6% by 2061. But this forecast covers a wide margin of spatial differences, ranging from a 16% increase in high altitude regions (1,500 meters or 5,000 feet above sea level) to a 8.1% decrease in low altitude regions. Rising temperatures will benefit areas that are now marginal for coffee production, while areas that are currently prime coffee growing locations will be too hot and dry in the future. Ceballos-Sierra grew up on a coffee farm in the Tolima district of Colombia, and he has seen firsthand how changing climate conditions affect production. "My family's farm is about 1,900 meters above sea level. Twenty years ago, people would consider that an upper marginal coffee growing area. But now we're getting significant improvements in yield," he says. Meanwhile, coffee growers in lowland areas see decreasing yields, while pests that prey on coffee plants, such as the coffee bean borer, are becoming more aggressive and prevalent. The research findings have important implications both for coffee growers and policymakers. "In the future it will be more beneficial to grow coffee higher up in the mountains. So for those who can afford it, buying land in those areas would be a good investment," Dall'Erba states. "The government might want to consider building infrastructures such as roads, water systems, electricity, and communication towers that would allow farmers in more elevated places to easily access nearby hubs and cities where they can sell their crops. We would expect more settlements and an increasing need for public services in those locations." However, because relocation is expensive, it will not necessarily be an option for most of Colombia's 550,000 smallholder coffee growers, who will need to find other ways to adapt. Farmers might be able to implement new strategies, such as more frequent irrigation, increased use of forest shade, or shifting to different coffee varieties or other crops. "Our research presents what we anticipate will happen 20 to 40 years from now, given current conditions and practices. Future studies can look into different adaptation strategies and their costs, and evaluate which options are best. Beyond the 40-year horizon we focus on, the prospects might be grimmer without adaptation. Production cannot keep moving to higher levels. Indeed, no mountain top is above 5,800 meters (18,000 feet) in Colombia," Dall'Erba says. Colombia's policymakers can also focus on supporting farmers who no longer will be able to make a living from growing coffee, so they can transition to something else, Ceballos-Sierra states. "Looking into these regional estimates allows us to make predictions and provide policy suggestions. Specific place-tailored strategies should guide how coffee production adapts to future climate conditions in Colombia," he concludes. The researchers say their findings may also apply to other coffee growing locations, including Hawaii, California, and Puerto Rico in the United States. The article, "The effect of climate variability on Colombian coffee productivity: A dynamic panel model approach," is published in Agricultural Systems. Explore further Avoiding a bitter end for coffee from climate change More information: Federico Ceballos-Sierra et al, The effect of climate variability on Colombian coffee productivity: A dynamic panel model approach, Agricultural Systems (2021). Federico Ceballos-Sierra et al, The effect of climate variability on Colombian coffee productivity: A dynamic panel model approach,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103126 Russian President signs bill on punishment for insults to veterans into law TASS, Sergey Bobylev 15:58 05/04/2021 MOSCOW, April 5 (RAPSI) Russias President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed an initiative on criminal liability of up to imprisonment for humiliation of honor and dignity of veterans of the Great Patriotic War into law, according to the official website of legal information. The lower house of parliament, the State Duma, passed the bill on March 17. The upper house of Russian parliament, the Federation Council, approved it on March 31. The liability introduced by the amendments has already been in force as to the rehabilitation of Nazism and involves imprisonment for up to five years and sets a fine of up to 5 million rubles ($68,000 at the current exchange rate). There is a general rule that the minimum threshold of liability makes two months in detention and, accordingly, 5,000 rubles ($68), according to an author of the amendments, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Irina Yarovaya. The changes in the legislation are to be introduced for the purpose to prevent illegal actions aimed at denying the fact that the value of the heroic deeds of the veterans for all citizens of Russia and the world is not diminished by the passage of time. Moreover, the document envisages criminal punishment of up to 5 years in prison for justification of Nazism with the use of the Internet. Companies distributing such information will also face administrative fines ranging from 3 to 5 million rubles. Among the authors of the amendments are also Chair of the State Duma's Committee on Defense Vladimir Shamanov, Chair of the Committee on Informational Policy Alexander Khinshtein and his First Deputy Sergey Boyarsky; lawmakers from all other political parties represented in the lower house of Russias parliament joined those deputies from the United Russia party. Among them are the First Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Ivan Melnikov (Communist Party), member of the State Duma Committee on Security and Corruption Control Andrey Lugovoy (LDPR), and First Deputy Head of the State Duma Committee on State Building and Legislation Mikhail Yemelyanov (Just Russia). ADVERTISEMENT President Muhammadu Buhari has sympathised with the government and people of Nasarawa State over the killing of two leaders of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) in the state. The Chairperson of the group in the state, Mohammed Hussain, and the chair in Toto Local Government Area, Mohammed Umar, were killed by suspected bandits on Friday night. The spokesperson of the police in Nasarawa, Ramham Nansel, also confirmed the incidents. On 2/4/2021 at about 7 p.m., information was received that unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits attacked and killed one Mohammed Hussaini, the Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Nasarawa State, and Mohammed Umar, the Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Toto LGA at Garaku market. Upon receipt of the information, the Commissioner of Police, CP Bola Longe, swiftly deployed Operation Puff Adder II personnel to the scene where the two corpses were recovered and taken to the hospital, he said in a statement. Mr Buhari, who said the leaders forged a strategic partnership with the government against the menace of bandits and kidnappers, described Mr Husaini as a beacon of hope of peace. This was contained in a statement issued by Garba Shehu, the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity. The President described the late State leader, Alhaji Mohammed Husaini who was among those murdered as a beacon of peace for Nasarawa State and the subregion. In praying for the repose of the souls of those killed, President Buhari urged the Fulani leaders in the state to choose new leaders who will build on the foundations of peace set up by the Husaini-led leadership. The President also reiterated the determination of his administration to work with all members of the society to rid the country of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers. Four women and two men have been charged and will appear at court after a Kill the Bill protest in London where 10 police officers were hurt. Four of those charged - three women and a man aged between 23 and 39 - have been accused of assaulting an emergency worker. The other two defendants have been charged with obstructing a constable and all six are due to appear at Westminster magistrates' court later this month. Six people have been charged with a range of offences after a protest turned violent. Pictured: A police officer fires pepper spray during Kill the Bill protest in Parliament Square on Saturday Protestors at a demonstration against the proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill Thousands of Kill the Bill activists descended on London (pictured) on Saturday as police braced for a weekend of chaos with rallies taking place in towns and cities across the UK The demonstration, which took place on Saturday, saw thousands of people gather in Parliament Square, London. Some protestors chanted, banged drums and waved placards at the demo to rail against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which will impose certain conditions on future protests. Projectiles were also thrown by demonstrators and several people were led away in handcuffs. A small group of around 50-100 protesters in London began to block roads around Parliament Square and chanted anti-police slogans including 'All Cops Are B******s'. Pictured: Protestors and police officers pictured in Parliament Square, central London, during Kill the Bill protest. Projectiles were reportedly thrown as police pushed protesters away Police officers are seen restraining a demonstrator during a 'Kill the Bill' protest in London Who has been charged after Kill the Bill protest Lucie Nduhirane, 34, of West India Dock Road, E14 has been charged with assaulting an emergency worker and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday, 19 April. Michael Thompson, 39, of Elderfield Road, E5 has been charged with assaulting an emergency worker and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 20 April. Pippa Roikonen, 30, of Queens Road, SE15 has been charged with assaulting an emergency worker and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 20 April. Tania McCleary, 23, of Palmerston Road, W3 has been charged with assaulting an emergency worker and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 20 April. Samuel Roberts, 31, of Bowditch, SE8 has been charged with highway obstruction and obstructing a constable and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 20 April. Estella Moreno, 24, of Reginald Street, Luton has been charged with obstructing a constable and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 20 April. Advertisement The Met confirmed that while the vast majority socially distanced and left peacefully, they arrested a total of 107 people at the event on suspicion of a range of offences. Lucie Nduhirane, 34, Michael Thompson, 39, 30-year-old Pippa Roikonen and Tania McCleary, 23, have all been charged with with assaulting an emergency worker. They are all due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later this month. Samuel Roberts, 31, of Bowditch, SE8, has been charged with highway obstruction and obstructing a constable. Estella Moreno, 24, of Reginald Street, Luton, has been charged with obstructing a constable. Both Roberts and Moreno are also due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later this month. The force has today said that 72 people the vast majority of whom were arrested for breach of the peace - have been released with no further action. An additional 19 people have been either bailed or released under investigation while nine people have been reported for fines under the Health Protection Regulations. One person has been issued with a penalty notice for a public order offence. The protests were in opposition to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which proposes to give police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those which are deemed too noisy or a nuisance. The event was attended by Jeremy Corbyn who addressed the crowds on Saturday afternoon. The former Labour leader stood next to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi as he spoke at the rally, describing the Government-proposed bill as a 'very dangerous, slippery slope' and defending the right to protest. The former leader of the Labour Party addressed crowds gathered in Parliament Square as he described the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill as a 'very dangerous, slippery slope' He said: 'If we don't protest, things don't change', which drew cheers and applause from onlookers. Close by, anti-lockdown demonstrators staged their own protest, supported by Mr Corbyn's brother, Piers. Pictures showed bottles and missiles being thrown as police with riot helmets fired pepper spray and held batons aloft, screaming for the crowd to 'get back'. Police were also seen taking away a young woman crying out in pain following clashes at the demo, which began after people marched to Trafalgar Square, with her friends saying she had sustained an injury to her shoulder. A separate group in Parliament Square was seen demonstrating with anti-sexism slogans, including 'educate your sons' and 'misogyny is the virus', chanting 'women scared everywhere, police and Government do not care'. Pictured: Police intervene as protestors attempt to stop a delivery truck during the 'Kill the Bill' protest held in opposition to the Government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill A demonstrator is seen holding a red smoke flare at the 'Kill the Bill' protest n London By the evening, the Metropolitan Police said 'a small minority' of protestors, who were not social distancing, were still in the square and that arrests were being made after they turned down requests to leave. The majority of protesters from the demonstration, who gathered earlier in the day, had dispersed several hours earlier but those still present shouted 'shame on you' repeatedly at officers. Three Kill the Bill protestors unfurled a banner which read 'Kill Cops' and held aloft the incendiary message outside the Houses of Parliament - just 50 metres away from where PC Keith Palmer was stabbed to death in 2017. Nederland residents are the most recent to benefit from federal money dedicated to Tropical Storm Harvey recovery and improving resiliency across the region. The Texas General Land Office, which manages the money, recently announced more than $4.2 million will go to the city for improvements near Babe Ruth Park and the intersection of Nederland and Magnolia avenues. With the $4,259,659, the city will replace storm sewer culverts, regrade roadside ditches and install outfall ditches, according to the GLO. Related: State releases $8.5M for Harvey recovery in Hardin Co. City Manager Chris Duque said city staff already is working on preliminary steps necessary before the money can be used. He said that he hopes bids will be awarded to contractors by early next year. The $413 million of nearly $5.7 billion in disaster recovery fund from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was split between regions impacted by Harvey through regional Councils of Government. Those organizations then determined how that money should be distributed for infrastructure improvements, buyouts and acquisitions. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox Hurricane Harvey devastated communities across the Texas Coast, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush said in a news release announcing Nederlands allocation. These recovery funds are critical to improving local infrastructure that will protect lives, homes and businesses from future storms. We continue to work with our partners in communities across the region to leverage these resources efficiently and effectively to benefit Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey. Other awards includes $8.5 million to Hardin County for improvements related to drainage, streets, communication and public-facility systems in the county; $2.5 million to widen Taylors Bayou and replace the Texas 124 bridge; and $2.9 million to the city of Port Neches to improve the water system. While the funding largely addresses issues raised as a result of Harveys historic flooding, it also allows local governments to look forward to increase their communitys resiliency as opposed to simply building back the same. kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/KaitlinBain Big Tech censors Christians 'at least once a week' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A new report from the Napa Legal Institute has revealed the full extent of big-tech censorship of Christians. It details the growing attitude of hostility towards faith-based views and organizations in large tech companies, and urges decisive actions by faith leaders to confront this new culture. The report, compiled by the Napa Legal Institute and published last week, alleges that since the beginning of the year, religious organizations and individuals have been censored on social media at a rate of roughly once a week. You can read the full report here. While many of these actions have gone relatively unnoticed, some have risen to the status of national news. Among them was Amazons removal of Ryan T. Andersons book When Harry Became Sally, which challenged progressive orthodoxy on transgender issues. Amazon deleted the book from their catalogue and refused to reverse the decision, despite widespread backlash by conservatives and Christians. They later doubled down on the ban, saying they have chosen not to sell books that frame LGBTQ+ identity as a mental illness. In practice, that standard gives Amazon a blanket justification to censor any content that presents the traditional Christian view of gender and sex. Whether or not they follow through on their new policy, the existence of such a policy puts any faith-based publisher or author in a position of suspicion, especially if they write on LGBT issues. This new policy is particularly concerning for Christians given Amazons control of the publishing market by some estimates, as many as 80% of book sales go through Amazon. As the report shows, the censorship culture extends far beyond Amazon. In February, Twitter suspended the account of Catholic bishop Kevin Doran after he attacked the practice of assisted suicide, which is officially condemned by the Roman Catholic Church. The tweet that led to Bishop Dorans suspension read, in part, Assisted suicide, where it is practiced, is not an expression of freedom or dignity, but of the failure of a society to accompany people on their way of the cross. His account was eventually restored after a month, but others have suffered permanent consequences. LifeSiteNews, a pro-life news outlet, had their YouTube account permanently banned, removing their catalogue of over 2,000 videos. They had amassed over 300,000 subscribers over the course of a decade, before being abruptly banned. Other pro-life groups have also been targeted. The Susan B. Anthony List was deplatformed by Facebook during the run-up to the presidential election, preventing ads revealing Democratic candidates positions on abortion from reaching voters. Facebook alleged that, according to a 3rd party fact-checker, they were spreading debunked information on late-term abortions. After receiving public backlash, Facebook apologized and allowed some of the ads to run again. In early March, Instagram permanently suspended the Catholic Connectaccount, alleging copyright infringement. Instagram has neither reversed the suspension nor explained their reasoning, despite coverage in Catholic media and an appeal by Catholic Connect. Many of the cases tracked by the Napa Legal Institute result in permanent suspensions, but in some cases the results are reversed. Though censorship may be increasing, many Christians are actively fighting back and, in some cases, winning. The Napa Legal Institute states that Big Tech's unpredictable de-platforming of faith-based organizations and their leaders has become so frequent that faith-based organizations can no longer rely on continuous service from these companies, particularly social media providers. Faith leaders must respond decisively to the changed landscape. Although sometimes our first impulse is to screen companies out of our invest portfolio or to boycott the products, Christians should consider a salt and light approach in which they use their relationships with these companies to be an influence for good. One of the ways to respond decisively is through corporate engagement. Many of the companies responsible for the censorship are large, publicly traded companies. What that means in practice is that their shares are widely held by Americans, either directly or indirectly. Consider contacting your financial advisor or the mutual fund or ETF you are invested in to see if you are invested in these companies. If so, consider your options for engaging with these corporations, whether that be reaching out to their investor relations department, contacting the fund you are invested in to let them know how you would like your shares to be voted, or voting your shares directly. Proxy season, in which many of the largest publicly traded companies in America hold their annual shareholder meetings, is fast approaching, which means there is ample opportunity for investors to engage on these issues. Even if you are not an investor, you can still reach out to the customer service departments of these companies, which are often easy to find and use on social media. We reached out to the Napa Legal Institute for comment and will be publishing their responses in a separate article. Catastrophe bonds are being hailed as the next frontier for socially responsible investing. Such debt, which insures against natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and pandemics, is gaining traction with investors looking to brandish their ethical credentials. Proponents say the notes fit the bill because they provide humanitarian relief and spread the cost of protection. They are still a niche part of a booming global market for social debt, which funds projects to help society, with a proliferation of new asset types. The European Unions record-breaking social debt sales have helped ethical offerings account for more than one in five bond deals in the region this year. Reliable contingency financing for disasters is a very important tool for society, said Joanna Syroka, senior underwriter and director of new markets at Fermat Capital Management in London. Weve seen an increase in inquiries from end-investors who want to understand what ESG means in insurance-linked securities over the past year. So far catastrophe bond issuance totals $36.3 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Thats a drop in the ocean of an ethical debt market now worth over $2 trillion. Yet the potential for investment is surging as net assets of environmental, social and governance funds in Europe jumped 37% last year to 1.2 trillion euros ($1.4 trillion), while conventional funds grew less than 5%, according to a report by the European Fund and Asset Management Association. Typically popular among those seeking higher yields and uncorrelated returns to other assets, catastrophe bonds are now tapping into mainstream demand for ESG investments. In a first of its kind, the Danish Red Cross last month sold $3 million of bonds to provide dedicated insurance against volcanic eruptions. Being prepared for emergencies is not only a clear commitment to help, but also proves impressively that the capital market can live up to its social responsibility through CAT bonds, said Nico Rischmann, co-founder of Plenum Investments, which bought the volcano bond. David Howden, chief executive of Howden Group Holdings, which brokered the deal, called it a humanitarian service and said that replicating the bond structure in other areas would be beneficial to the world. Fast Money Innovation in catastrophe bonds will be welcomed, provided its well thought out and structured, according to Fermats Syroka. The market has been criticized for failing to divert money fast enough to battle deadly waves of Ebola and COVID-19. Many investors arent aware of the many different elements of the machinery that must function properly to get socially positive outcomes, said Glen Yelton, head of ESG client strategy for North America at Invesco in Atlanta. Catastrophe bonds support the affordability of insurance coverage and that function will become increasingly important down the road with the impact of climate change. Top Photo: REYKJAVIK, ICELAND MAY 08: Towering ash plume from Icelands Eyjafjallajokull crater during its eruption, spewing tephra and cloud of ashes that drift toward continental Europe on May 8, 2010 near Reykjavik, Iceland. Photo credit: Etienne De Malglaive/Getty Images. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Catastrophe The 9 Pro seems to have placed Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus, known for its midrange flagships, in the league of best premium smartphone makers alongside those like Samsung and Apple. The previous-generation premium (the OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7T Pro and OnePlus 8 Pro) were also good, but they lacked the imaging competence, design superiority, innovation and novelty offered by the best premium smartphone brands. A distinct product with something exclusive to offer is what needed to make a meaningful stride in the premium smartphone market. After struggling to get that right for some time, it may to have cracked that with the OnePlus 9 Pro. From its Hasselblad partnership for the camera system to a QHD+ resolution screen of 120Hz refresh rate, ingress protection rating and fast wireless charging support, the OnePlus 9 Pro has a lot to show for itself. It does seem to justify its price tag of Rs 69,999? Read on to know how: OnePlus 9 Pro: Design The OnePlus 9 Pro does not look like any of its predecessor; it looks better. Made of glass and metal, the smartphone has fine ergonomics for comfortable use and good in-hand feel. The glass on the front and back has a two-side curved profile with smooth corners and edges that make the phone easy to handle and operate. That said, even as the phone is fun to use, its glossy glass back (morning mist colour review unit) is prone to fingerprint marks and smudges. It also makes the phone susceptible to accidental drops if you are not careful in handling the phone. Therefore, the phone needs constant care with regard to cleaning and handling. On the positive side, the OnePlus 9 Pro handles everyday abuses without taking any dent or scratches. Moreover, the phone is IP68-rated for water and dust resistance. Therefore, the phone has a shot at surviving in the face of water and dust but it is strongly advised not to intentionally put its ingress protection capability to test by doing so. OnePlus 9 Pro: Display OnePlus has come a long way in adding finesse to its fluid AMOLED display technology, and the OnePlus 9 Pro brings the best of that. Its 6.7-inch two-side curved screen of a QHD+ resolution boasts adaptive refresh rate that automatically sets the refresh rate based on on-screen content requirements. While there are that have AMOLED panels of 120Hz refresh rate, and even adaptive refresh rate tech, there is none in India so far capable of variably adjusting the refresh rate all the way down to 1Hz. OnePlus says its adaptive refresh rate tech, named Smart 120Hz, uplifts the user experience without compromising the battery efficiency. While the user experience is top-notch and the screen justifies the fluid moniker, the battery efficiency claim seems a little overstated. Nevertheless, there is an option in the display settings to switch the screen to 60Hz and fullHD+ resolution to improve the on-battery time. Battery efficiency aside, the OnePlus 9 Pros display capability goes beyond its Smart 120Hz refresh rate tech. It is an HDR10+ certified AMOLED panel of 10-bit colour depth with exceptional brightness. The former comes to notice while rendering supported high dynamic range content, and the latter aids the phones sunlight legibility. Besides, there are tons of value-added features like Vibrant Colour Effect Pro, Motion Graphics Smoothing, and Ultra-High Video Resolution. These features make use of the displays peak potential and dramatically improve the phones multimedia rendering capabilities. Important to note that the commonly used apps like Instagram, Prime Videos, Netflix, VLC Player, YouTube, etc, are optimised to take advantage of these features for an enhanced user experience. From a smooth user experience to an impressive multimedia rendering capability, the OnePlus 9 Pros display is perfect for every occasion. However, it has some glitches that seem to stem from the operating system. These include unresponsiveness to touch and the broken full-screen app functionality. While the former makes the phone unusable until you lock and unlock it, the latter does not allow you to manually set the app to use full screen. Surprisingly, the display setting to make an app use full-screen display fails to fetch the app list. OnePlus 9 Pro -- Apps display scaling issue OnePlus 9 Pro: Camera This is one area where OnePlus has always struggled to match the imaging competence offered by other premium smartphones, leave alone outshining them. Well, the equation changes with the OnePlus 9 Pro. The phones primary sensor takes detailed shots, irrespective of lighting conditions. It is quick in fixing focus and captures the frame with almost zero shutter lag. Moreover, it is tuned to capture natural colours, resulting in true-to-life imaging experience. The primary sensor is a stellar performer but it is the phones freeform lens-based ultra-wide-angle sensor that steals the show. I do not remember the last time I used the ultra-wide-angle camera on a smartphone and enjoyed it as much as I did with the OnePlus 9 Pro. There is a colour symmetry between the primary and the ultra-wide-angle camera, and the latter is as good a performer as the former at least in daylight conditions. Unlike the conventional ultra-wide-angle sensors, the OnePlus 9 Pro takes flat frames with minimal distortion of any sort. Therefore, the frames appear to have been taken from a regular camera with a wide field-of-view. Adding versatility to the package is the telephoto lens, which enables up to 3.3x optical zoom. In terms of performance, however, it is the weak one in an otherwise good package. For imaging enthusiasts, there is a manual mode named Pro, which lets users tweak the key camera settings like focus, shutter speed, white balance, ISO, etc, before taking shots. The manual mode is not new to but the one available on the OnePlus 9 Pro has been co-developed in partnership with Hasselblad, a Swedish camera equipment maker known for sending cameras to the moon on NASA missions. OnePlus has said that the Pro mode is backed by Hasselblads Natural Colour Calibration algorithms. Unfortunately, the improvement is not the monumental "our greatest leap forward in mobile photography yet" as advertised by OnePlus. Moreover, the Pro mode is limited to the primary sensor, and so is Hasselblads natural colour calibration processing. This not only dampens the utility of the otherwise spectacular ultra-wide-angle sensor but also kills the OnePlus 9 Pro camera systems prospect of being an all-rounder good for both amateurs and pro users. Overall, the OnePlus 9 Pro camera system is different (in a good way), competent, consistent and fun to use. It delivers the performance one expects from a premium smartphone. Moreover, it opens the possibilities no other smartphone maker has explored and experimented with. Denting the package, however, is the much advertised Hasselblad promise because it is restricted to the primary camera through the Pro mode, and the outcome is generic. OnePlus 9 Pro: Performance Performance has always been at the core of OnePlus smartphones and the OnePlus 9 Pro is no different. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip, paired with up to 12GB RAM (LPDDR5) and 256GB internal storage (UFS 3.1). It ships with Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 operating system, which deserves praise for keeping the user interface close to stock Android while integrating value-added features to elevate user experience (customised colour tones, dark mode, night mode, hidden space area, etc). From graphic-intensive games to multimedia editing, there is nothing that the phone could not handle. Moreover, there is a game space with built-in Pro Gaming mode (earlier known as Fnatic mode) for enhanced gaming performance. The OnePlus 9 Pro supports networks, both standalone and non-standalone, and WiFi 6. Though both could not be tested at present, these make for a future-ready smartphone which you might not have to upgrade to experience connectivity benefits in the times to come. The phone also has stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. OnePlus 9 Pro: Battery The OnePlus 9 Pro is powered by a dual-cell battery of a combined 4,500mAh capacity. The phones battery seems underpowered, especially when the display is set to QHD+ resolution and Smart 120Hz refresh rate. Thankfully, the phone ships with a 65W fast-wired-charger, which replenishes the completely drained battery fully in about 45 minutes. It is a universal charger with USB-C to USB-C cable. Therefore, you can use it to charge laptops, tablets and other devices that support power delivery charging (charges at 45W). Coming back to the OnePlus 9 Pro, it supports 50W fast wireless charging, too. The phone takes about an hour to charge through OnePlus Warp Charge 50 Wireless Charger (sold separately for Rs 3,990). Wireless charging warms up the phones back side but not so much as to make it uncomfortable to use. OnePlus 9 Pro review: Verdict The OnePlus 9 Pro is a distinct smartphone that deserves every bit of its premium tag. Though reasonably priced, the phone cuts no corners and offers a wholesome experience that justifies its Pro moniker. The phone is a complete package, competent enough to take on other flagships from established brands like Samsung and Apple. Check out the Galaxy S21 Plus (review) if you would still rather choose Samsung over OnePlus just because the latter has narrowed the price gap, which used to be wide until last year. A 26-year-old Grants Pass man has been booked into jail on charges of first degree murder, abuse of a corpse and other offenses in connection with the deaths of two men whose bodies were found last month in a burned car in southwest Oregon. The suspect was apprehended during a traffic stop in Cave Junction north of the Oregon-California border on Thursday, KOIN-TV reported. Harley Boitz faces additional charges of arson, felon in possession of a firearm and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The bodies of Daniel Hill, 24, and Paul M. Folk, 26, both of Josephine County, were found March 24 in a remote, wooded area about seven miles south of Lake Selmac on a rough logging road. Folk had been previously reported as a missing person. During the investigation of the deaths, a sheriffs deputy shot at a vehicle that was approaching officers and then sped away from a staging area about 2 miles from the burned out car. -- The Associated Press (Newser) Taking advantage of warmer conditions brought by climate change, Russia is strengthening its military presence in the Arctic and testing new, more powerful weapons. Satellite images show bases being built up along Russia's Arctic coastline, CNN reports, including Cold War-era installations that are being refitted. The area close to Alaska now has bombers, MiG31BM jets, new radar systems, and underground storage for high-tech weapons. "There's clearly a military challenge from the Russians in the Arctic," a senior State Department official said. "That has implications for the United States and its allies, not least because it creates the capacity to project power up to the North Atlantic." American military officials had been skeptical of a pair of new types of weapons that now appear to be successful. story continues below The US is keeping an eye especially on a "super-weapon," the Poseidon 2M39 torpedo. Russian officials have said the nuclear-powered stealth torpedo will be capable of carrying a warhead that can cause radioactive waves that could leave a coastline uninhabitable. It's designed to move along the sea floor to evade US defenses. NATO and US forces and equipment have been shifted to counter the Russian activity, which has been more noticeable lately. Last week, three submarines broke through five feet of ice at the same time, surfacing with 1,000 feet of each other, a first for the Russian navy, per Live Science. Russian military leaders have been quoted in state media saying high-tech weapons are being tested in the region. The military announced that an anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile, the Tsirkon, was successfully tested in November; Vladimir Putin had touted the development of the Tsirkon and the Poseidon in 2018. (Read more Russian military stories.) Islamabad, April 5 : A Pakistan anti-terrorism court judge, his wife and two children were killed after unidentified gunmen opened fire at his vehicle in Swabi district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police sources said. The judge was on his way to the national capital Islamabad when the militants ambushed him and killed him with his family members near an interchange at the motorway on Sunday, the sources told Xinhua news agency. Two policemen, including the judge's driver, were wounded in the attack, the sources added. "The judge, his 10-year-old son, wife and six-year-old daughter were killed on the spot, and the policemen are also in a very critical condition," the sources said. The attackers fled the scene before police arrived. No group or individual has claimed the attack yet. A trough over Fraser Island could bring flash flooding, heavy rainfall and hazardous surf conditions to the Sunshine Coast on Monday, the weather bureau predicts. The Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Matt Marshall said there was a severe weather warning for the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Island and Hervey Bay, with Brisbane missing the full impact. The trough sitting offshore near Fraser Island is active at the moment but were monitoring it because the weather will depend on its fine movements, he said. If it moves a little further towards the coast thats where well see most rain going but if it moves offshore, the rain will fall over the ocean. [April 05, 2021] Delaware Enhanced Global Dividend and Income Fund Announces Distributions Today, Delaware Enhanced Global Dividend and Income Fund (the "Fund"), a New York Stock Exchange-listed closed-end fund trading under the symbol "DEX," declared a monthly distribution of $0.0586 per share. The monthly distribution is payable April 30, 2021, to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 23, 2021. The ex-dividend date will be April 22, 2021. The Fund's primary investment objective is to seek current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. The Fund invests globally in dividend-paying or income-generating securities across multiple asset classes, including but not limited to: equity securities of large, well-established companies; securities issued by real estate companies (including real estate investment trusts and real estate industry operating companies); debt securities (such as government bonds; investment grade and high risk, high yield corporate bonds; and convertible bonds); and emerging market securities. The Fund also uses enhanced income strategies by engaging in dividend capture trading; option overwriting; and realization of gains on the sale of securities, dividend growth, and currency forwards. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest: (1) at most 60% of its net assets in securities of U.S. issuers; and (2) at least 40% of its net assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers, unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Manager, in which case, the Fund would invest at least 30% of its net assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers; and 3) the Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in securities issued by real estate companies (including real estate investment trusts and real estate industry operating companies). In addition, the Fund utilizes leveraging techniques in an attempt to obtain higher return for the Fund. The Fund has implemented a managed distribution policy. Under the policy, the Fund is managed with a goal of generating as much of the distribution as possible from net investment income and short-term capital gains. The balance of the distribution will then come from long-term capital gains t the extent permitted, and if necessary, a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with 'yield' or 'income'. Even though the Fund may realize current year capital gains, such gains may be offset, in whole or in part, by the Fund's capital loss carryovers from prior years. Under the Fund's managed distribution policy, the Fund makes monthly distributions to common shareholders at a targeted annual distribution rate of 6.5% of the Fund's average NAV per share. The Fund will calculate the average NAV per share from the previous three full months immediately prior to the distribution based on the number of business days in those three months on which the NAV is calculated. The distribution will be calculated as 6.5% of the prior three month's average NAV per share, divided by 12. The Fund will generally distribute amounts necessary to satisfy the Fund's managed distribution policy and the requirements prescribed by excise tax rules and Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. This distribution methodology is intended to provide shareholders with a consistent, but not guaranteed, income stream and a targeted annual distribution rate and is intended to narrow any discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's common shares, but there is no assurance that the policy will be successful in doing so. The methodology for determining monthly distributions under the Fund's managed distribution policy will be reviewed at least annually by the Fund's Board of Trustees, and the Fund will continue to evaluate its distribution in light of ongoing market conditions. You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution policy. The amounts and sources of the Fund's distributions to be reported will be estimates and will not be provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. About Macquarie Investment Management Macquarie Investment Management, a member of Macquarie Group, is a global asset manager with offices in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. As active managers, we prioritize autonomy and accountability at the team level in pursuit of opportunities that matter for clients. Macquarie Investment Management is supported by the resources of Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG; ADR: MQBKY), a global provider of asset management, investment, banking, financial and advisory services. Advisory services are provided by Macquarie Investment Management Business Trust, a registered investment advisor. Macquarie Group refers to Macquarie Group Limited and its subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. For more information about Delaware Funds by Macquarie, visit delawarefunds.com or call 800 523-1918. Other than Macquarie Bank Limited (MBL), none of the entities referred to in this document are authorized deposit-taking institutions for the purposes of the Banking Act 1959 (Commonwealth of Australia). The obligations of these entities do not represent deposits or other liabilities of MBL, a subsidiary of Macquarie Group Limited and an affiliate of Macquarie Investment Management. MBL does not guarantee or otherwise provide assurance in respect of the obligations of these entities, unless noted otherwise. 2021 Macquarie Management Holdings, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005464/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] (Natural News) The company responsible for the batch of Johnson & Johnson Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines has already been cited by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for quality control problems in the past. Johnson & Johnson announced Wednesday, March 31, that a batch of its COVID-19 vaccine could not be used because it did not meet quality standards. Specifically, a vaccine ingredient made by Emergent BioSolutions at its Baltimore factory failed to meet quality standards. Johnson & Johnson said the factory, known as Bayview, had not yet been approved by the FDA to make part of the vaccine. It was unclear how many doses had been discarded and how the problem would affect future deliveries of Johnson & Johnsons vaccine. But it was clear from the start that Emergent is a disaster waiting to happen for Johnson & Johnson. (Related: Johnson & Johnson threw out 15 MILLION DOSES of its coronavirus vaccine after sloppy worker mixed in the WRONG ingredient.) The little-known company has had a string of citations from the FDA for quality control problems. The FDA inspected Emergents Bayview plant just as its link-up with Johnson & Johnson was being announced in April last year. The agency described the facility as a contract testing laboratory that did not manufacture products for distribution. Technology and personnel upgrades required at Bayview Upgrades in technology and personnel were required before Bayview could begin making a drug substance material for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a two-month process during which the required biological cells are grown. Records obtained by the Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act revealed that the FDA criticized Emergent for problems with its testing of a potential treatment for anthrax during the April 2020 inspection. The FDAs lead investigator, Marcellinus Dordunoo, cited the company for failing to train employees in the particular operations they perform as part of their function and current good manufacturing practices. Other problems cited by the FDA during the inspection included failures by the Bayview plant to ensure that electronic data generated through testing of drug ingredients was protected from deletion or manipulation. A closer review found 202 deletions and 543 reprocessed files, yet the company did not investigate how those alterations had occurred or their possible effects. Dordunoo wrote in his report that Emergent had not investigated the issues he described as data integrity concerns. The FDA also criticized Emergent for not following proper testing and lab procedures and for carelessness in the handling of rejected materials in the Bayview plant. According to the FDA, deviations from test methods are not investigated by the company and are manually corrected days after performance, with no supporting data or documented justification. An inspector also observed that items in a reject cage did not have reject labels, and wrote in the report that separate or defined areas to prevent contamination or mix-ups are deficient. The inspection was not triggered by the companys link-up with Johnson & Johnson, but the issues listed by FDA inspectors stood out due to the large role Emergent would soon have to combat the pandemic. FDA has a series of critical reports concerning Emergent Emergent is one of about 10 companies that Johnson & Johnson is using to speed up manufacturing of its recently approved vaccine. Johnson & Johnson heralded its partnership with Emergent as a step toward its goal of supplying more than 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine globally by the end of 2021. The pharmaceutical giant apparently missed the series of critical reports from the FDA about Emergent. Following a December 2017 inspection at a plant in Canton, Massachusetts, the FDA reported that Emergent hadnt corrected continued low level mold and yeast isolates found in the facility. Nearly a year later, the FDA questioned why Emergent had an unwritten policy of not conducting routine compliance audits at a separate plant in Baltimore, known as Camden, where an anthrax vaccine is put into vials. FDA inspectors noted that the companys processes there were flawed. Your firm received 3 complaints for residue on the outside of the vials for 3 different lots, the FDAs inspection report said. Tests on that residue confirmed it was the vaccine, according to the report. In another 2018 inspection, the FDA noted Emergents ongoing problems managing contamination at the Baltimore facility where BioThrax is produced. Procedures designed to prevent microbiological contamination of drug products purporting to be sterile are not adequately established and followed, the FDA report stated. FDAs inspectors also noted that Emergent staff filling vials of vaccine held their hands directly above open vials in a way that violated sterility safeguards. Despite the string of citations for quality control problems, Emergents revenues skyrocketed in recent years jumping from about $523 million in 2015 to more than $1.5 billion in 2020. The company has invested heavily in lobbying the federal government, spending $3.6 million on lobbying in 2020 alone. U.S. can do without Johnson & Johnson doses The federal government has ordered enough two-dose shots from Pfizer and Moderna to vaccinate 200 million people, which should be delivered by late May. It has also ordered 100 million single-dose shots from Johnson & Johnson. (Related: Mans skin PEELING OFF after taking Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine.) A federal official said Wednesday evening that the Biden administrations goal of having enough vaccines for all adults in the U.S. by the end of May could be met without additional Johnson & Johnson doses. Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday, April 1, that none of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses on the market are affected and the company was on track to deliver 24 million doses in April and 100 million doses by the end of May. These are doses that the U.S. government has purchased, but we also have plenty of doses from Pfizer and Moderna, regardless, Psaki said. A Johnson & Johnson spokesman said earlier Wednesday that the company met the end-of-March goal. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions online vaccine tracker showed that Johnson & Johnson had provided about 6.8 million doses to the U.S. vaccine effort. Reports said Johnson & Johnson has been shipping finished vaccines from its factory in the Netherlands to the U.S. Johnson & Johnson said it was putting more of its manufacturing and quality experts inside Emergents factory to supervise production. The FDA authorized Johnson & Johnsons COVID-19 vaccine on Feb. 27. Follow Immunization.news for more news and information related to coronavirus vaccines. Sources include: LATimes.com ABCNews.go.com APNews.com George Floyd death leads states to require cops to intervene View Photo SALEM, Ore. (AP) When a police officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd in Minneapolis, other officers at the scene didnt intervene, even while Floyd said he couldnt breathe and stopped moving. That lack of action is leading a growing number of states to compel police to stop misconduct by a fellow officer. Since Floyds death, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nevada, and New Jersey have passed laws requiring police to intervene when they see a fellow officer engaged in misconduct, said Katie Ryan of Campaign Zero, a group which encourages reforms to reduce police violence. Previously, many laws were aimed at compelling police to only report misconduct. But activists say Floyds death makes clear that alone is not enough. The one essential component is that, in real time, a fellow officer has to intervene when witnessing another officer of any rank using excessive force, Ryan said. Oregons Legislature also passed a bill in a special session last year requiring intervention by an officer witnessing police misconduct. It also requires officers to report abuses to a supervisor. This year, lawmakers are tweaking the new law to strengthen how the complaints are handled. It is sponsored by Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Democrat who chairs the House subcommittee on equitable policing. For me, the original trigger was the George Floyd case, said Bynum, who is Black and from a Portland suburb. Portland was an epicenter of Black Lives Matter protests that erupted nationwide after Floyds death. On the night of Sept. 5, a Black resident came to police officers to inform them their tear gas was seeping into his house, affecting his son and dog. One officer whacked the man on the head with his baton, causing a concussion. Other officers told their colleague the man was an area homeowner, not a protester. Bynum says that shouldnt matter, that even if he was a protester, he shouldnt be attacked unprovoked. He wasnt doing anything. And so I never got really clear answers from the city about why that was OK, Bynum said. Police said back then that the incident was being investigated, but a half-year later they remain mum on the outcome or status. I have not been provided information to release about the incident, Lt. Greg Pashley, a police spokesman, said in an email. Generally, the Professional Standards Division does not provide updates about internal investigations. Bynums new bill aims to address such cases. Under a proposed amendment, it requires complaints to be filed with a direct supervisor of the reporting officer, their chain of command or with the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, or DPSST, which licenses law enforcement officers across the state. The bill sets a three-month deadline for investigations to be completed. Under the proposed amendment, if an investigation confirms misconduct occurred, the officers unit must notify the DPSST, which would be tasked with establishing a database for reports of misconduct. Rep. Ron Noble, a Republican who co-chairs Bynums subcommittee and previously served as a police officer for 28 years, said at a hearing that the additional steps over last years bill are needed. This is a result of our experience in ensuring that what officers do report does get investigated and is followed up on, Noble said. Failure by an officers to intervene or report misconduct are grounds for disciplinary action. The employer may not retaliate against a reporting officer. Maryland lawmakers are also working on legislation containing duty to intervene provisions. So is Washington state. When the Washington state Senate passed such a bill in February, Republican senators opposed. Some said it should clarify that force being used by an officer should be excessive to an objective, reasonable observer, not just to the officer witnessing it. Democrats said that would cause an officer to think twice before intervening. Sen. Manka Dhingra, the bills sponsor, said good officers must be empowered to stop wrongdoing. They want to make sure theyre doing the right thing. This bill helps them do that, Dhingra said. ___ Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, contributed to this report. ___ Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press Chandigarh, April 5 : Three labourers were killed and four were still trapped on Monday when an unauthorized under-construction portion of a two-storeyed auto manufacturing factory in Punjab's Ludhiana town collapsed, police said. Thirty seven labourers were rescued in a joint operation by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the local administration. The building is located in a densely populated locality in Mukand Nagar on Daba Road. Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma told the media that the lintel on the third floor collapsed when the factory owner was carrying out illegal construction. Rescue officials at the site said that efforts were being made to locate the trapped people. Police said that a lintel of the building collapsed, partially damaging nearby buildings too. According to the police, the injured were admitted to the Civil Hospital and SPS Apollo Hospital. The construction was underway without the permission of the Municipal Corporation, a senior police official told IANS. The factory owner was trying to extend the structure of the building by placing jacks on the third floor. Ludhiana Police Commissioner Rakesh Agrawal said a case has been registered against contractor Mohammad Haroon under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. JACKSONVILLE, Ore. When the first confirmed cases of coronavirus began to show up in Oregon, live events were among the first activities to be shut down by state officials. More than a year later, little has changed and many organizations tied to this sector are expressing frustration from the apparent lack of responsiveness shown by Governor Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority. The Britt Music & Arts Festival released a public statement on Monday, describing concerns from the industry that have gone largely unaddressed. Britt was part of a coalition of venues, promoters, and other groups including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival that lobbied the Governor for a "sensible strategy" on reopening in a letter back in March. According to Britt, the coalition never received a response to the letter, but there was a webiner held on March 31 to address the topic. Governor Brown's liaison Leah Horner and state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger led the session. "Although originally led to believe the group would be invited to provide input into the reopening process, members were instead limited to submitting questions at the end of the OHA presentation questions which were largely left unanswered," Britt said. "Additionally, the Governors team did not provide guidance to allow reopening of venues and events once specific benchmarks are met." Britt said that the coalition letter was also not addressed during the March 31 meeting. Meeting attendees were told "that there was no strategy, and that the Governor would not be pursuing any input from the industry." Representatives of the venue group brought up how different kinds of venues are treated with seeming incongruity in Oregon's risk level guidance. Even in "Lower Risk" counties, faith institutions can hold indoor gatherings at 75 percent capacity, while outdoor venues remain limited to 50 percent capacity. "The live performance industry faces many reopening challenges that other businesses do not," Britt said. "First and foremost is the amount of time necessary to schedule, plan, and present performances. Venues require this lead time based on consistent benchmarks and regulations before they can offer live performances to awaiting audiences. "Without them, venues cannot dependably schedule events, sell tickets, and hire staff. Many touring artists have already canceled their tours in Oregon due to this uncertainty. At this point, a single performance cancellation can potentially lead to financial collapse for many of our time-honored venues." Britt and the other venue organizations assert that live events will be crucial to Oregon's economic recovery, bringing money into local economies above and beyond the price of admission carrying over into business for the restaurant and hospitality sector. "Furthermore, Oregon's event spaces act as a voice for who we are; our story is told on the stages, arenas, and theaters of the state," the venues wrote. "The decisions made today can bring Oregon back to a position of strength and sustainability for jobs, tourism, and its tax base. Alternatively, poor decisions will result in unmitigable damage to an industry that is already poised on the edge of economic collapse." Kuala Lumpur, April 5 : Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak will return to a court on Monday in a first attempt to overturn his corruption conviction last year. Najib was sentenced to 12 years in jail on July 28, 2020, at the end of the first of five trials related to large-scale graft during his nine years as premier, which ended in a shock defeat in the 2018 elections fought in part over the scandals, reports dpa news agency. He was found guilty of money laundering, abuse of office and breach of trust after almost ten million dollars were allegedly stolen from SRC International, a subsidiary of 1MDB, a state fund set up by Najib. Up to $4.5 billion could have been looted from 1MDB, according to the US Department of Justice, which has repatriated hundreds of millions of dollars to Malaysia after recovering assets, including Picasso artwork and a luxury yacht, it said were purchased with money stolen from the fund. One of Najib's other ongoing trials centres on allegations he stole hundreds of millions of dollars from the fund, money he has claimed was a donation from Saudi Arabia. Twelve days of appeal hearings are scheduled for this month, with Najib submitting 307 grounds for appeal of the sentence, which included a fine of 210 million ringgit ($50 million). Najib is free on bail, pending the appeal, and remains an MP for the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the biggest party in the governing coalition led by incumbent Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. A 22-year-old woman, whose family said she was pregnant, was killed Sunday in a west Houston shooting, according to police. The woman, Brianna Navarro, was shot around 1 p.m. in the 11200 block of Richmond Avenue as she and her boyfriend were leaving a fight at convenience store, police said. Gunshots rang out and Navarro was struck in the back as she sat in his vehicle. JERUSALEM (AP) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas flew to Jordan by helicopter on Monday ahead of an official visit to Germany on which he will undergo a health exam, officials said. His office did not provide any further details on the trip, which was not announced in advance. A Palestinian official said Abbas would undergo a routine health check in Germany. The official was not authorized to comment and so spoke on condition of anonymity. The 85-year-old Abbas, a heavy smoker with a history of heart problems, has attended public events in recent days and there was no indication he was ill. He received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine last month. But he has traveled abroad for medical treatment in recent years. In 2018, he visited a hospital in the United States after appearing weak in an address to the U.N. Security Council. He underwent an emergency heart procedure in 2016 after suffering exhaustion and chest pains, but was given a clean bill of health and quickly discharged from the West Bank hospital. Abbas has never chosen a successor and a number of senior members of his Fatah party are believed to be eyeing the position. Abbas took over as caretaker president following the death of the iconic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 2004. Abbas was elected to a four-year term the following year but remained in office after his mandate expired. The Palestinians have not held elections since 2006, when the Islamic militant group Hamas won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections. That ignited a political crisis, culminating in Hamas' seizure of power in Gaza the following year, leaving Abbas' authority confined to parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Abbas has decreed parliamentary elections for next month and a presidential election in July. It's unclear whether the votes will take place, however, due to the longstanding dispute with Hamas and growing schisms within Abbas' Fatah party that could lead him to call them off. The Palestinian leader's popularity has plummeted in recent years as he has failed to make progress in achieving an independent state or mending ties with Hamas, and as he has presided over an increasingly authoritarian Palestinian Authority. Anil Deshmukh resigns hours after Bombay HC orders CBI probe Maharashtra's Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Monday resigned from his post just hours after the Bombay high court ordered a CBI probe into allegations of corruption and misconduct made by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni said this was an "extraordinary" and "unprecedented" case that warranted an independent inquiry. Read here Byju's acquires Aakash Educational Services Edtech decacorn Byjus has closed the deal to acquire exam preparation firm Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) for nearly $1 billion. The stock-and-cash deal is the biggest in the education space, said sources. Byjus said the deal is a strategic partnership with AESL, a leader in test-prep services. Read here Manufacturing PMI falls to 7-month low in March Growth in manufacturing slowed to the lowest rate in seven months, as increasing Covid-19 cases hit demand, said IHS Markits purchasing managers' index (PMI) on Monday. PMI fell from 57.5 in February to a seven-month low of 55.4 in March. In PMI lexicon, a reading above 50 means growth and the one below 50 shows contraction. The data came on a day the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy committee sits for deciding the policy rate. The decision will be made on Wednesday. Read here Investors' wealth tumbles over Rs 4.54 trillion as crash Investors' wealth tumbled over Rs 4.54 trillion in morning trade on Monday as crashed amid a sharp spike in coronavirus cases in the country. The 30-share BSE benchmark index plummeted 1,449.03 points to 48,580.80 in morning trade. Following this, the market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies dived Rs 4,54,987.72 crore to Rs 2,02,71,414.07 crore. Read here Govt determined to end Naxal menace, says Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the government is determined to take the ongoing fight against the unrest created by naxals to its logical conclusion. The minister, who is on a visit to Chhattisgarh, made the comment after paying tributes to the 22 security personnel who were killed by naxals in the state on Saturday. Read here Fort Polk, LA (71446) Today Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. High 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. By Ras J. Baraka and Sakinah Hoyte In the past few weeks, the city of Newark has launched three major initiatives to help people without permanent addresses, each guided by the values that every human being is entitled to dignity, respect, and a safe place to rest. This, of course, is easy to say but much harder to do. As we search our own souls and ask how we view the homeless, the answer may not include with dignity or respect. As many of us walk or drive past them daily with little to no acknowledgment because they cause us feelings of discomfort. These feelings of discomfort are often related to more than just their appearance and behavior. For empathetic people, they may trigger a deeper, more visceral reaction, a nagging feeling of there but for the grace of God go I. Many of our homeless became that way because they were asked to leave a family member or friends shared residence: a fight, divorce, separation. Job loss or wage cuts, leading to eviction or foreclosure. Homelessness, like drug addiction and mental illness, can visit every demographic. We see this on our streets but like many social ills, it disproportionately impacts Blacks and Latinx, who sometimes dont have family networks with the means to support more mouths to feed. Another dark reaction homelessness emotes from our gut is one of societal failure. The richest country in the world, home to more than 600 billionaires and nearly 20,000 millionaires five times as many as China, the next closest country should be able to provide housing as a basic human right to all, just as we should be able to provide mental health services, drug treatment and other social remedies to transition those living on the street into permanent housing. The first of our three initiatives will do just that. At the end of February, we broke ground on a major renovation to convert the old Miller Street Elementary School into a modern, 24,000-square-foot social services facility and emergency shelter to help Newark homeless residents into permanent housing. This will be done in conjunction with Claremont Development, which has owned the site, and Catholic Charities, which has run social and health services programs there. The project, called Miller Street Pathways to Housing Center, is a milestone in Newarks community-wide efforts to address and eradicate homelessness and to provide critical, low-barrier, transitional support services to the most vulnerable among us. Those services will include individual counseling and case management, behavioral health services, social services, nutrition services, and a daily drop-in center for individuals to bathe or shower and do laundry. There are separate cargo containers with a full bathroom in Newark Hope Village, an innovative sheltering program that uses shipping containers to house residents at-risk or without addresses. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media) Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media A full commercial kitchen on-site will prepare meals for residents and train people in the shelter in meal production to make them employable. The new facility will comprise a total of 166 transitional beds for men, women, and families. Eighty-four beds will be for men, 44 for women, and there will be 21 code blue beds, and seven individual suites with a total of 17 beds for families. The daily drop-in facility will feature individual bathrooms with showers, washers and dryers, tables and chairs and televisions. Our second project deals with the reality that some homeless people choose to live outdoors for various reasons, including institutional and systemic trauma, opposition to rules, fear of egregious treatment and violence in shelters and cannot be enticed to come in for shelter or services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our homeless respected city-wide lockdowns and stayed sequestered in our shelters, creating a shortage of beds for our recalcitrant population during extreme weather. Our solution was to partner with Homes 4 Homeless and the United Community Corp. to create a low barrier, emergency shelter and safe sleeping space called NEWARK Hope Village. We made national news with this initiative because the living units are re-purposed shipping containers, a unique way to create safe, modern shelter and housing. The village was used as an open canvas for area artists to create an aesthetically pleasing place of warmth, comfort and safety. The villages aim is to provide a catalytic refuge to the most vulnerable of our outdoor population, those disengaged from traditional shelters and supportive homeless services, and whose lives are at risk during extreme weather conditions. We hope the atmosphere in the village will promote healthy living and to rebuild trust, to reengage them in social service supports and remain safely sheltered while we work to connect them to permanent housing. Our final initiative was to offer free COVID-19 vaccines to our residents without addresses, continuing our year-long practice of keeping them safe and alive during the pandemic. From the outset of COVID-19, we put our willing homeless in shelters and an airport hotel, provided three meals a day, and tested them regularly. This resulted in a positivity rate of less than 3% last spring, far less than the state average, we believe saving an untold amount of people from contracting the disease. These humanitarian efforts are aimed at a population that is sometimes only seen as an annoyance, if seen at all. But by seeing them we can not only serve them with hopes of eradicating homelessness but create a community awareness that embraces the idea that we have a societal responsibility to provide our fellow neighbors with what should be a basic human right, safe housing and individual responsibility to treat them with dignity and respect. Ras J. Baraka is the mayor of the city of Newark. Sakinah Hoyte is the citys homeless czar. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will celebrate its foundation day on April 6 across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the party workers on this occasion. The Prime Minister will address the BJP members through video conference at 10:30 am on April 6. BJP national president JP Nadda will address the workers as well. Arrangements have been made to display the PM's address by putting big screens on the party's state offices, district offices and mandal offices. The 41st foundation day coincides with the ongoing assembly polls in four states and one UT. To mark the foundation day, various programmes will be organized at the booth level and glorious history, evolution, ideology and commitments of the party will be discussed through webinars at the state and district levels. The BJP was founded as Bharatiya Jana Sangh by Syama Prasad Moookherjee in 1951. Live TV Lockheed Martin benefits from ABL's lower-cost launch vehicle by accelerating risk reduction with demonstration missions, which lay the groundwork for future large efforts. As a new entrant, ABL gets the benefit of a long term partnership and stable launch manifest for its future growth. "This long-term agreement with ABL solidifies our strategic partnership for the future," said Rick Ambrose, executive vice president at Lockheed Martin Space. "Having this assured access to space will accelerate our ability to demonstrate the spacecraft and associated payload technologies we are developing to the meet the future mission needs for our customers." "We designed RS1 with flexibility in mind. We can serve a wide array of missions from many different launch sites using RS1's large payload capacity and deployable ground systems," said Harry O'Hanley, CEO and co-founder of ABL. "We're excited to support Lockheed Martin's launches, providing a unique end-to-end capability to the most important U.S. space missions." ABL provides launch services with the RS1 launch vehicle and GS0 deployable launch system, which are both under development with funding from the U.S. Space Force. RS1 is capable of delivering up to 2,976 lbs (1,350 kg) to low Earth orbit. GS0 is a containerized system operable by a small team to rapidly launch RS1 from new sites in the U.S. and around the world. Lockheed Martin is developing payload technologies to support a variety of mission areas, such as earth observation, global ubiquitous communications, climate monitoring and beyond. "We believe that routine, dedicated access to space for small satellites is critical to achieving U.S. and allied civil and defense priorities," said Dan Piemont, president and co-founder of ABL. "This major agreement will help ABL and Lockheed Martin accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation space systems over the decade to come." For additional information, visit our websites: www.lockheedmartin.com and https://ablspacesystems.com/. For downloadable imagery and video, visit ABL's Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ablspacesystems/ About ABL Founded in 2017, ABL develops low-cost launch vehicles and launch systems for the small satellite industry. ABL is headquartered in El Segundo, California, U.S. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest announcements and news across the corporation. SOURCE Lockheed Martin Related Links http://www.lockheedmartin.com It remains unknown when the state Department of Motor Vehicles can resume emissions testing after a cyberattack knocked the system offline last week. On March 30, Applus Technologies detected and stopped the attack, which the company said temporarily interrupted the system. The company said its first priority was locking down the entire system. We take very seriously our responsibility to provide the highest quality, most reliable vehicle inspection and emissions testing services to our customers and we pledge to have service restored as quickly as possible, CEO Darrin Greene said in a statement. Applus Tech said it is still investigating whether anyones information was at risk after the attempted malware attack. It is too early to offer anything specific, but it is also inappropriate to speculate at this time, the company said. The FBI was contacted once the company learned of the attack. Applus Tech said the issue has impacted eight states. Among the impacted states is Connecticut, which continues to report issues with its DMV services as of Monday, specifically the emissions program. Officials said law enforcement agencies have been told not to ticket drivers with expired emissions while testing is down. Our technical team, assisted by independent forensic experts, is working around the clock to resolve this issue in order to restore the program to full operations, Applus Tech said. But it remains unknown when the system will be restored. We do know it will not be a matter of hours or days, Applus Tech said. It is important to note that we want to ensure we have resolved all issues before restarting the system in order to avoid any additional delays or inconvenience once the programs are back up and running. The company said it must ensure every component of the system is free from malware. There will be a testing process to ensure things are operating normally before the programs are brought back online. HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vietnam International Bank (VIB, Vietnam - Stock code: VIB) held the 2021 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on March 24, 2021 in Ho Chi Minh City. Summarize 2020 with impressive growth results maintained for many consecutive years According to the report at the meeting, in 2020, total assets of VIB increased by 33% compared to the beginning of the year, reached VND 245 trillion. Profit before tax increased by 42% compared to 2019, reached VND 5,803 billion. With this profit, the Return On Equity (ROE) reached 30%, helping VIB continued to maintain its position in highest group of banking industry in terms of business performance. Meanwhile, NPLs continued to fall below 1.5%. VIB has made a mark on the market as a leading retail bank with an average annual growth rate of over 50% in the past four years, ranked at the top of the industry with good asset quality. The retail outstanding balance was 84% of total outstanding balance, of which over 95% retail loans has collateral. VIB is one of the market leaders in terms of scale, quality and growth rate about core retail banking products and services such as auto loans, mortgage, business loans, payment services, deposits, insurance. The bank also focused on investment and development of high-tech products and services. VIB's pioneering steps in digital transformation and application of leading technologies have drastically changed the user experience, especially in essential consumer activities such as card payments and e-banking, and contribute to creating a breakthrough in cashless payment technology. Particularly, MyVIB application has been rated as the best digital banking of the year and the best customer experience in Vietnam by The Asset magazine for four consecutive years. As the first private commercial joint stock bank to complete 3 pillars of Basel II standards, VIB continues to be a pioneer in the pilot application of Basel III standards in risk management. This demonstrates VIB's commitment towards international standards to ensure effective risk management coupled with strong quality growth. VIB sets business plan for 2021 to continue sustainable growth, based on strong governance VIB's AGM agreed to approve business plan for 2021. Specifically, total assets are expected to increase 26%, bringing the bank's assets to over VND 300 trillion. Depending on the credit growth limit approved by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), credit balance is targeted to reach VND 225 trillion, equivalent of 31% - possible growth on the basis of intrinsic competencies. Capital balance is expected to reach VND 235 trillion, equivalent to credit growth. Depending on diversifying income sources from credit activities and service fee revenue, increasing the technology content in products and services, profit before tax is targeted to increase 29%, reach over VND 7,500 billion. The AGM approved the plan to raise capital via bonus shares and public offering With strong growth over the past years along with the bank's financial potential and specific business strategies, VIB's AGM approved the capital increase plan, including raising capital via paying dividends in shares 40% and issuing additional shares. The charter capital expected to after these capital increase plans is about VND 16,000 billion, optimizing for the strong growth of total assets and meet safety ratios in business in 2021. Continuing the10-year transformation journey 2017-2026, leading in scale and quality in many core businesses With the spirit of continuous innovation and creativity in the transformation journey, VIB is focusing on developing financial solutions with high technology to best meet customers' needs and bringing outstanding experience for them. The AGM also believed that the 10-year transformation journey 2017-2026 will continue to witness the bank's sustainable, customer-oriented growth, and affirm VIB's leading position in quality and and scale. All reports and proposals of the Board of Directors and Supervisory Board were approved by 2021 VIB AGM Shareholders. SOURCE Vietnam International Bank UW Faculty Member Receives Award to Create Online Lab for School Counselors Lindsey Nichols An associate professor in the University of Wyoming College of Educations School of Counseling, Leadership, Advocacy and Design will develop resources for the states school counselors after being named the colleges Patricia McClurg Education Faculty Fellow for 2021-23. Lindsey Nichols received the award named in honor of McClurg, a former faculty member and dean of the college. The fellowship fund was established to award associate professors as they continue their growth and excellence in research. Nichols is working with UW Libraries and other partners to create an online school counseling learning lab where school counseling and mental health resources, programs and research will be showcased. We hope to stimulate interest from prospective students while supporting current students, alumni and related guests with a host of resources, Nichols says. This will be an exciting platform for the school counseling program, as research inspired by the lab will reflect a wide range of topics in counseling and education -- from best practices, teaching and learning strategies to creative curriculum and activity development from students. Nichols says theres a need in Wyoming communities for a better understanding of what rural school counselors and school mental health professionals need to be successful. In addition to sharing existing resources, the online platform will create opportunities for community-based, participatory research projects. She expects to launch the program this fall. Nichols holds a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from Pennsylvania State University; a masters degree in school counseling from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; and a masters degree in history and social sciences education and a bachelors degree in history, both from the University of Connecticut. She joined UWs faculty in 2019 after seven years at the University of Montana. Only 4% of Asian American respondents said they are reluctant to get a shot, compared to 18% of Latinos. Seven percent of those with a graduate degree expressed opposition to getting vaccinated, while 22% of people with less than a four-year degree are not inclined to get a shot. When asked why they will not get the vaccine, 19% of vaccine-hesitant respondents answered that they aren't worried about COVID, 14% said they are already healthy and 12% fear a vaccine's negative side effects. Another 12% said they simply don't trust the vaccine and will rely on their own immune system to address any infection, reports the Bay Area Council. The vaccine side effects are, however, not a bad thing. "Side effects are a good sign," Dr. Melanie Swift, co-chair of the COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation and Distribution Work Group at the Mayo Clinic told SFGATE. "But it confuses people because a lot of these symptoms are COVID symptoms, but the difference is there are no respiratory systems as you can get with COVID. With the vaccine, you're not coughing, you don't have a runny nose, you don't lose your sense of taste or smell." The Founder of Latter Rain Assembly and former vice presidential candidate, Tunde Bakare, has said that President Muhammadu Buharis administration has been unable to deal with the root causes of Nigerias challenges. Mr Bakare spoke during his State of the Nation address on Easter Sunday titled The Conspicuous Handwriting on the Wall. I am compelled to cry out because of the intent of the president as contained in his tribute dated October 14, 2019, in honour of my 65th birthday, PMB wrote to me: We have shared ideas on how to engender a better country and formed a tag team for political power. May the ideas germinate fully, proliferate and give us the country of our dreams, said Mr Bakare, who was Mr Buharis running mate in 2011. I am compelled to speak out at this point because, given the state of the nation, the legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari is in grave danger of being confined to an unsavoury side of history. I am indeed compelled to speak out because Nigeria is in a state of emergency. Mr Bakare recalled that when Mr Buhari took the oath of office in 2015, he summed up his election campaign promises in three pivotal agendas, namely: Security, Anti-Corruption and Eco Diversification with a focus on job creation. I applauded this three-point agenda because the focal areas should have provided an opportunity for the president to address Nigerias fundamental issues given that they point to the foundational deficits in our polity, namely the deficit of a government structure that can guarantee the security of lives/property, the deficit of a moral compass and national value system that can eliminate corruption from our national psyche, and the deficit of an economic structure that can unleash the potential of Nigerias diverse zones. Mr Bakare said Mr Buharis first term saw him grapple with the collapse in oil prices and Nigerias first recession in about 25 years. He noted that despite the false starts, the administration succeeded in bringing Nigeria out of recession and made some gains in security, job creation and anti-corruption, achievements which were largely responsible for him being re-elected. Laudable as these achievements are, the current state of the nation is a clear indication that these efforts have been insufficient in dealing with our national problems; they have been unable to address the underlying problems of the Nigerian nation. At best, these efforts bought the administration some time to stabilise the nations condition from a volatile state, as pain relievers can help stabilise a patient in critical condition so that the underlying condition can be treated. The major limitation of the PMB administration has been the failure to appreciate the fact that the problems of Nigeria are more deeply rooted than these honest efforts can reach, and that what is required is a holistic and systematic approach to governance. After winning re-election in 2019, rather than do a deep dive to address the fundamental causes of our national malady by dealing with the root causes of insecurity, corruption and joblessness, the PMB administration decided to treat more symptoms by broadening its agenda. Mr Bakare said years after the government assured Nigerians that Boko Haram had been technically defeated, Nigerians are once again confronted with entire villages being overrun. We are inundated with report after report of soldiers being ambushed and killed and hostages being beheaded and kidnapped, he said. While I commend the bravery of our armed forces, the worsening security situation is an indication that our approach to security governance is simply superficial and inadequate to deal with the root causes of the problem. Nearly seven years after the shocking kidnap of the Chibok Girls, 112 of them are yet to be rescued, while Leah Sharibu, kidnapped in Dapchi in 2018, remains in captivity and is now reportedly a mother of two. The start-up kidnap industry has secured funding and has now scaled; from Dapchi to Kankara and from Kagara to Jangebe and elsewhere, we have experienced the cycle of abduction of school children, alleged ransom payments sometimes in the hundreds of millions of naira. Nigerians are then left wondering which school will be next. If our schools degenerate into kidnap hotbeds on this administrations watch, not even the school feeding programme can encourage over 10 million out-of-school children to enrol in a school. ADVERTISEMENT In fact, the number of out-of-school children can be expected to rise with the swelling ranks of pupils whose parents are scared to return them to their schools for fear of abduction by terrorists and bandits. Bombay High Court had directed the CBI to probe into allegations of corruption and misconduct levelled by Param Bir Singh against him Mumbai: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Monday resigned from the Uddhav Thackeray-led ministry, the party announced. The development came shortly after the Bombay High Court directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into allegations of corruption and misconduct levelled by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh against him. "Deshmukh informed NCP chief Sharad Pawar that it won't be appropriate to remain in the post as CBI will be probing the charges against him," senior party minister Nawab Malik told reporters. Deshmukh submitted his resignation letter to Thackeray, Malik said. State BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said he is happy that Deshmukh has quit, adding there will be many "shocking revelations" in the CBI probe. Chinese ships are moored at Whitsun Reef within the Philippine exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, March 27, 2021. Philippine officials threatened on Monday to file daily diplomatic protests unless Beijing removed dozens of ships from disputed South China Sea waters, as Manila kept the pressure up over what it alleges are Chinese militia ships encroaching in and around its exclusive economic zone. The statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs was the latest shot in an escalating war of words over Chinas refusal to vacate Whitsun Reef, which Manila calls Julian Felipe Reef and is within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). For every day of delay, the Republic of the Philippines will lodge a diplomatic protest, the DFA said, stressing that Chinas ships blatantly infringe upon Philippine sovereignty. The department pointed out that the reef is 638 nautical miles from Hainan Island, the nearest Chinese landmass, as the Philippines rejected Chinas argument that it is part of their traditional fishing grounds. Tradition yields to law whether or not it is regarded as traditional fishing, Manilas foreign office said, noting that an international tribunal had ruled in favor of the Philippines five years ago. The 12 July 2016 Award in the South China Sea arbitration conclusively settled the issue of historic rights and maritime entitlements in the South China Sea, it said. The tribunal ruled that claims to historic rights, or other sovereign rights or jurisdiction that exceed the geographic and substantive limits of maritime entitlements under UNCLOS, are without lawful effect, the DFA said, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In a Facebook posting on Saturday, the Chinese Embassy laid claim to territories in the South China Sea and described as perplexing remarks by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier in the day demanding that the ships leave the region. Lorenzana had said 44 Chinese ships were still near the Whitsun Reef and should leave, adding that Beijings earlier explanation that the ships were fishing boats sheltering in bad weather was not true. I am no fool. The weather has been good so far, so they have no other reason to stay there. These vessels should be on their way out, Lorenzana had said. The Chinese ambassador has a lot of explaining to do. In its Facebook post, the Chinese Embassy said the ships were in its territory. The Niue Jiao is part of Chinas Nansha Islands. The waters around Niue Jiao have been a traditional fishing ground for Chinese fishermen for many years, the statement said. Niue Jiao is the Chinese name for the Whitsun Reef. The Chinese fishermen have been fishing in the waters for their livelihood every year. It is completely normal for Chinese fishing vessels to fish in the waters and take shelter near the reef during rough sea conditions. Nobody has the right to make wanton remarks on such activities. The embassy also called on Philippine authorities to avoid any unprofessional remarks which may further fan irrational emotions. DFA statement On Monday, the DFA said it strongly denounces the Embassys attempt to impugn the Secretary of National Defense a Cabinet Official of the Republic of the Philippines by calling his statement unprofessional. The Embassy statement contained blatant falsehoods such as claims of adverse weather conditions when there were none and the supposed non-existence of maritime militia vessels in the area, it said. The statement also attempted to promote the clearly false narrative of Chinas expansive and illegitimate claims in the West Philippine Sea. The West Philippine Sea is how Manila refers to the South China Sea. Chinese Embassy officials could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday. Previously, Harry Roque, spokesman for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, had agreed with the Chinese envoys statement that Chinese fishing boats were moored in the area because of bad weather. We hope the weather clears up and in the spirit of friendship we are hoping that their vessels will leave the area, Roque told reporters on March 25. Since then, Manila has described the Chinese ships activity as swarming and said that the build-up of Chinese presence in Whitsun Reef and other parts of the Philippine-claimed areas was a navigational hazard. China claims most of the South China as its own even as six other Asian governments have territorial claims or maritime boundaries that overlap its sweeping claims Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesias exclusive economic zone. She has taken over from Hollywood star Keira Knightley in the lead role. And Claire Danes was joined by her co-star Tom Hiddleston as they filmed scenes for The Essex Serpent in Essex on Monday. The actress, 41, transformed into a Victorian beauty as she donned a flowing red dress while shooting on location for the AppleTV+ series. Filming: Claire Danes was joined by her co-star Tom Hiddleston as they filmed scenes for The Essex Serpent in Essex on Monday Claire wrapped up with a cream shawl with a red floral print while her strawberry blonde locks were styled into an updo. The Homeland star filmed a scene in a large field as members of the production crew could be seen sporting face masks nearby. At one point, Claire kept warm by donning a blue padded coat in between takes. Tom's character appeared to be injured as the actor could be seen sporting fake blood on his cheek for the scene. Location: Tom's character appeared to be injured as the actor could be seen sporting fake blood on his cheek for the scene Outfit: The actress, 41, transformed into a Victorian beauty as she donned a flowing red dress while shooting on location for the AppleTV+ series The film star, 40, sported a dark brown coat along with a black jumper and brown trousers for the shoot. The programme follows Cora, a widow who moves from London to the Essex village of Aldwinter in search of a mythical sea creature. Tom plays Will Ransome, the trusted leader of the local community . Homeland star Claire replaced Keira Knightley in the role when the British actress had to withdraw for 'family reasons'. Chilly; At one point, Claire kept warm by donning a blue padded coat in between takes Period drama: Tom sported a dark brown coat along with a black jumper and brown trousers for the shoot Plot: The programme follows Cora, a widow who moves from London to the Essex village of Aldwinter in search of a mythical sea creature Maldon District Council confirmed that filming would be taking place in the area, telling Essex Live in a statement: 'We are delighted that the production company has chosen the Maldon District as one of their locations for a new six-part drama. 'They have a sizeable base on Promenade Park, and they will minimise any disruption during their filming and ensure safety can be maintained at all times. 'We would remind everyone that while this is clearly exciting, social distancing must still be maintained at all times.' Clio Bernard is directing the series while writer Anna Symon is adapting Sarah Perry's novel of the same name for the screen. Replacement: Homeland star Claire replaced Keira Knightley in the role when the British actress had to withdraw for 'family reasons Shoot: Maldon District Council confirmed that filming would be taking place in the area They said: 'They have a sizeable base on Promenade Park, and they will minimise any disruption during their filming and ensure safety can be maintained at all times' The release date for The Essex Serpent is likely to be next year. TV star Tom will next be seen as his Marvel character Loki in an upcoming spin-off series which sees him travel through time and alter human history after stealing the Tesseract during the events of Avengers: Endgame. Tom's Loki has been one of the longest-running recurring castmembers in Marvel's connected film universe, starting with Thor in 2011. Adaptation: Clio Bernard is directing the series while writer Anna Symon is adapting Sarah Perry's novel of the same name for the screen By Alexander Tanas and Natalia Zinets CHISINAU (Reuters) - A Ukrainian judge who left the country in 2016 facing corruption charges was taken back across the border into Ukraine after being abducted outside a gym, the Moldovan interior minister said on Monday. Judge Mykola Chaus was accused by Ukrainian law enforcement of taking a $150,000 bribe and stashing money in a glass jar in his garden five years ago. His wife Svitlana says the bribery case was fabricated. His lawyer Iulian Balan told Reuters that Chaus was not guilty of any crimes on Moldovan territory and that the only information he had about his client's whereabouts came from the Moldovan authorities. After being stripped of his legal immunity by parliament, Chaus left for Moldova and applied for political asylum and Moldovan citizenship. The asylum claim was turned down in March. "...the Ukrainian judge Chaus has crossed the state border of Moldova and is on the territory of Ukraine," Interior Minister Pavel Voicu told a briefing, citing CCTV footage. Police also found a minibus used by Chaus and his bodyguards, he said, adding that the kidnappers spoke Ukrainian. Ukraine's national anti-corruption bureau (NABU), which investigated Chaus, declined comment. Ukrainian leaders have promised to clean up entrenched corruption in the judiciary, which opinion polls have found is one of the least trusted institutions in the country. Corruption is also a major deterrent to foreign investment. The government under then President Petro Poroshenko introduced legislation in 2016 to force Ukrainian politicians, officials and judges to declare their assets in a publicly searchable online database. The database showed judges with annual salaries of around $10,000-$13,000 declaring expensive cars, watches and large sums of cash. (Writing by Matthias Williams; editing by Barbara Lewis) Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke has not ruled out a run for governor after all. Earlier Friday, The Dallas Morning News published remarks O'Rourke made on an upcoming morning program that roused the Texas political class and suggested he no longer was interested in running for governor. Ive got no plans to run, and Im very focused on the things that Im lucky enough to do right now organizing, registering voters and teaching, ORourke said on NBC DFWs Lone Star Politics, which will air Sunday. Im just going to keep doing what Im doing now. The O'Rourke camp then quickly reached out to The Texas Tribune to clarify his sentiment. "What I said today is what I've been saying for months: I'm not currently considering a run for office," he said in a statement. "I'm focused on what I'm doing now (teaching and organizing.) Nothing's changed and nothing I said would preclude me from considering a run in the future." The El Paso Democrat flirted with a run earlier this year when he said in an interview that running against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott was "something I'm going to think about." Last month, he stoked more rumors of his interest in the seat when he reemerged as an organizing force amid the Texas winter storm. MORE TEXAS NEWS: Snakes lurk in bluebonnets, Texas officials warn He's also been a vocal critic of Abbott's on various issues, including the winter storm, the 2019 mass shooting by a white supremacist in El Paso and Abbott's lifting of the state mask mandate. O'Rourke is coming off an unsuccessful campaign for Democratic presidential nominee in 2019, and a narrow loss to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. There will be no U.S. Senate race this year, so the person Democrats nominate for the gubernatorial race will have outsized impact on down-ballot races. The Democratic party came out of the 2020 election with dashed hopes, despite high expectations. O'Rourke suggested suggested Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins as other potential gubernatorial candidates in the television interview. Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro is another oft-mentioned potential contender, and Austin-based actor Matthew McConaughey is also publicly mulling a run. My plan right now is to run for reelection, Hidalgo told Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith on his Point of Order podcast last month. Asked if she would rule out running for something else in 2022, she said, I wouldnt say its something that Im actively pursuing right now. Patrick Svitek contributed to this report. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Warner Mentch, 18, center, who is graduating from Hutchison High School next month, won a scholarship worth $180,000 from the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. At left are his parents, Carl and Chandra Kohntopp, and at right is recruiter Sgt. James Robinson. Laura Csortan celebrated the Easter long weekend with her close friend Anthony Bell by her side. The model, 44, was spotted enjoying a laughter-filled catchup session with the millionaire accountant, as well as her four-year-old daughter Layla, as they dined at a trendy Sydney restaurant on Saturday. Clearly in good spirits, Laura and Anthony were seen laughing and sipping beverages as they sat across from each other at the table, while making sure to involve Layla in the conversation. Beaming: Laura Csortan, 44, was all smiles as she and millionaire accountant Anthony Bell enjoyed lunch in Sydney with her daughter Layla, four, on Saturday At one point in the lively conversation Laura threw her head back and burst into a bout of hysterical laughter, before pointing cheekily at Anthony. She was also seen clutching her forehead in apparent amusement following a particularly funny joke. Prior to arriving at the cafe, Laura was seen holding Layla's arm as she chatted with Anthony in the carpark next to her black Land Rover. In good spirits! Laura and Anthony were seen laughing together and sipping beverages as they sat across from each other at the table Apple of her eye! Doting mother Laura made special effort to ensure Layla was involved in the conversation Drinking up the conversation! Laura sipped a red-coloured beverage as she listed to Anthony explain something Glamorous arrival: Prior to arriving at the cafe, Laura was seen holding Layla's arm as she chatted with Anthony in the carpark next to her black Land Rover The brunette showcased her lean legs in a pair of tiny ripped denim shorts, while covering up her arms in a long-sleeved black top. She completed her look with white sandals, gold jewellery and a pair of black sunglasses. Anthony meanwhile wore a grey T-shirt and a pair of casual blue board shorts. Good one! At one point in the lively conversation Laura threw her head back and burst into a bout of hysterical laughter, before pointing cheekily at Anthony Flashing her pearly whites: Laura couldn't contain her joy as she giggled at the table Looking cherubic as ever, Layla was dressed in a grey top and floral-print leggings. Back in in July 2017, Laura hit back at The Sunday Telegraph over false accusations she was dating Anthony, and that he was the father of her only child. She took to Instagram at the time, slamming the publication for its 'cruel insinuation' she was in a relationship with Anthony. Animated: A tone stage, Laura opened her eyes widely and pulled an animated expression What's so funny? She was also seen clutching her forehead in apparent amusement following a particularly funny joke 'I woke up this morning to the most hurtful and cruel article. No mother, let alone a single mum should be put through an insinuation like this just because they support a friend unconditionally,' she wrote at the time. 'Layla's father is presently living overseas and does not wish to be dragged through the media. Nor is it anyone's business,' she added. Anthony has also made it clear the claims were false, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'There is absolutely no truth to that rumour.' Legging it! The brunette showcased her lean legs in a pair of tiny ripped denim shorts, while covering up her arms in a long-sleeved black top False accusations: Back in in July 2017, Laura hit back at The Sunday Telegraph over false accusations she was dating Anthony, and that he was the father of her only child Laura has always refused to reveal the identity of her daughter's father, saying 'he doesn't want to be involved'. In September last year, Laura went public with her new rumoured boyfriend Rhys Cameron, after the couple were spotted strolling arm-in-arm outside a medical centre in Sydney's Rose Bay. The pair have not been pictured together since. RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas flew to Germany on Monday for a medical checkup, Palestinian officials said. Abbas, 85, has long been in poor health and was admitted to hospital with pneumonia in 2018. A heavy smoker, he was also treated in a U.S. hospital the same year during a trip to address the U.N. Security Council. Abbas flew by Jordanian helicopter from his Ramallah headquarters in the Israeli-occupied West Bank to Amman, where he made a brief comment on the placing of Jordanian King Abdullah's half-brother under house arrest. "When these events occurred, we saw the whole world, without exception, standing by Jordan and by His Majesty, and this is evidence of the great respect and great interest in this peaceful and secure country," Abbas said in televised remarks. His comments were broadcast by the official Palestinian TV channel. Palestinian political and security affairs are heavily intertwined with neighbouring Jordan, where more than 2 million registered Palestinian refugees live. Jordans Hashemite ruling family is also the custodian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in East Jerusalem. In January, Abbas called presidential and parliamentary elections for later this year in what was widely seen as attempt to restore his democratic mandate and reset relations with Washington. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi, Writing by Stephen Farrell, Editing by Timothy Heritage) Haiti - Politic : The Presidency denies a rumor ! The Communication Office of the Presidency gives a formal denial to the dishonest rumors circulating on social networks, suggesting that the President of the Republic, Jovenel Moise, would have tried to cross a flooded river in the North-West department and that he almost left his skin. Indeed, the Head of State who was in Mole Saint-Nicolas, with his family for the Easter holidays, heard news that compatriots trying to cross the said river were in difficulty. Without wasting time, as he was in the area, President Moise went to the scene, with his accompanying team, to help these fellow citizens in difficulty. At no point in time was President Moise faced with any situation. "It should also be noted that the President does not have in his procession vehicles of the Nissan Patrol brand, as can clearly be seen in the images. This information is only intended to sow confusion around the activities of the Head of the State and to discredit the whole of the Government, in a weakened political context," specifies the Communication Office of the Presidency. He calls for the vigilance of the population not to give in to the traps of a small group of manipulators at the head of an informal and poisonous laboratory, specialized exclusively in the production and dissemination of fake news, sensational and particularly toxic, aimed at accentuating instability and institutionalizing panic in the community. HL/ HaitiLibre YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. At least 55 people have died after flash floods and landslides hit Indonesia on Sunday, the BBC reported. The affected area stretched from Flores island in eastern Indonesia to East Timor. "There are 55 dead, but this number is very dynamic and will definitely change, while some 42 people are still missing," Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Raditya Djati told broadcaster MetroTV, according to the BBC. At least 21 people have also died in Indonesias neighboring East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, news agencies quoted officials in the island nation as saying. AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine immunity is vulnerable to the South African variant, a British health expert claims. AstraZeneca vaccine is vulnerable against South African variant Professor Neil Ferguson called for stricter border controls in Europe today, citing worries that the deadly South African coronavirus could jeopardize the UK's vaccine roll-out. If the strain had yet to take hold in the UK, the SAGE adviser - dubbed 'Professor Lockdown' after his grim modeling of the first wave spooked ministers into the spring shutdown - cautioned that it was responsible for up to 20% of infections in some European countries. He went on to say that AstraZeneca's vaccine immunity is 'especially vulnerable' to the mutant virus, increasing the possibility of an outbreak. South Africa has also stopped using it, expressing fears that the shot is ineffective, Daily Mail reported. Despite this, experts believe the COVID-19 vaccine is effective enough to prevent the vast majority of patients from being seriously ill from the B.1.351 virus. The strain has also been found in 469 cases in the United Kingdom, triggering surge tests in hundreds of postcodes in a desperate effort to eliminate the virus. Boris Johnson is expected to unveil a 'traffic light' scheme today to encourage international vacations, with countries ranked red, amber, or green. According to government sources, each country would be classified depending on criteria such as the proportion of the population that has been vaccinated, the incidence of infection, any new variants, and access to accurate data and genomic sequencing. Ministers warn, however, that it is already too early to predict which countries sun-seekers will be allowed to visit, given the blanket travel ban in force until at least May 17. More than 31 million Britons, or more than half of the adult population, have now received an initial injection of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine. However, the EU's unimpressive inoculation campaign has left countries on the continent fighting over limited dose stocks. Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Halts Following Factory Mistake AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine raises questions for young people Besides, the development of blood clots in patients who received the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has raised new concerns about whether young people can be given the vaccine, one of the UK's leading scientists said. Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, who is a member of the government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), said: "In terms of the data at the moment, there is increasing evidence that there is a rare risk associated with these unusual blood clots with vaccines, especially with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, although it could be associated at a lower level with other vaccines." Professor Ferguson received the AstraZeneca vaccine, as per INews. He told the BBC that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) is "considering this matter very urgently," but that "no vaccine, no drug is risk-free, it is all about a balancing factor against risk." Vaccine Protection Stronger Among Those Previously Infected by COVID-19, Study Reveals The US stopped AstraZeneca from using the Baltimore plant Meanwhile, a senior health official confirmed that the US has put Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in charge of a plant that destroyed 15 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine and has barred British AstraZeneca from using the plant. J&J said it was taking over the Emergent BioSolutions facility in Baltimore and that it will supply 100 million doses to the government by the end of May. Emergent said in a separate statement issued late Sunday that it plans to work with the US government and AstraZeneca to reduce the production of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine at its Baltimore facility. The Department of Health and Human Services has also expanded Emergent's order by $23 million in aims to increase distribution of J&J vaccine doses, Emergent continued. The $23 million will be used to buy biologics processing equipment specific to Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine to increase production of the bulk drug product into the third suite of Emergent's Baltimore Bayview plant, said the company. The transfer was facilitated by the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the health official, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the situation. AstraZeneca, whose vaccine is yet to be approved in the United States, has said it will coordinate with President Joe Biden's administration to locate a new production site, Business World via MSN reported. Pfizer Launches First-Ever COVID-19 Pill, Prevents Virus Mutation Inside the Human Cells @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Longford-Westmeath Sinn Fein TD Sorca Clarke has called for more women to get active in politics and for barriers in their way to be removed. Deputy Clarke said, Last Tuesday week, we had an amazing engagement at the Committee level with Dochas, the umbrella group of Irish NGOs based on development and a number of their constituent members. The theme was on women in development. What struck me was how essential it is to have women in leadership roles for the benefit of all of society and especially for women themselves. Women are there every day driving forward the solution to the problems we face and in times of crisis often with an unequal burden in terms of domestic care. If women are not represented in high office, womens issues tend to get brushed under the carpet. This is true around the world. The compounding crisis in womens healthcare in Ireland has exemplified just why it is so important to have a women heard at all levels of society, especially in politics. When it comes to issues around sexual abuse and harassment women are disproportionately targeted. On top of this we have the gender pay gap, unequal employment practices, unpaid domestic labour and a myriad of other issues which women need to be in a position to legislate for. The Manitoba NDP posted revenue of more than $1 million in their 2020 annual return their largest in a non-election year in five years. Advertisement Advertise With Us Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew, right, congratulates Lonnie Patterson after she received the NDP nomination for Brandon East in 2019. (File) The Manitoba NDP posted revenue of more than $1 million in their 2020 annual return their largest in a non-election year in five years. "New Democrats are serious about winning the next election, and a strong financial outlook for the party is one important step in the path to government," president Lonnie Patterson said in a release. "In the last year weve seen more Manitobans join our movement, participate in our campaigns and donate to our war chest. In the face of a conservative government that is cutting health care and education and attacking workers, Manitobans are looking to New Democrats for a better vision." Patterson, who previously held the position of vice-president of the Brandon and southwest region and ran in Brandon East during the 2019 election, was elected president last year. She has also served on Brandon City Council. The release also noted the Manitoba NDP was the only major political party in the province to submit their annual return to Elections Manitoba on time. The Elections Manitoba website cites an extension date of April 30 for various other parties, including The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba and the Manitoba Liberal Party. According to paperwork filed by the Manitoba NDP, the party started 2020 with a deficit of $130,643 and ended the year in a surplus position of $486,266. Of their $1,094,764 in total revenue, more than $800,000 was made up of donations. Of these donations, approximately $200,000 was comprised of pledges smaller than $250. The party has eliminated 2019 campaign debt, paid out constituency associations and put $250,000 into the election war chest. In addition to electing Patterson, last years convention found delegates vote 93 per cent in support of Leader Wab Kinew. The Brandon Sun A woman was left shocked after discovering the 42 Karen Millen skirt she had bought was available on the Oasis website for 30. Joanna Sikora, 39, from Winchester, said she felt 'lied to' when she discovered the label on her Karen Millen skirt had been altered to hide the fact it was originally from Oasis. Both brands are owned by fast fashion online retailer Boohoo. Speaking to the BBC, Joanna said the label on the skirt had been blacked out with pen, and the Oasis name had been cut out. Boohoo came under fire last week when it was revealed it was selling the same clothes for different prices across its various brands. Joanna Sikora, 39, from Winchester, revealed how the dress she bought from Karen Millen for 42, left, was actually from Oasis, right where it sold at 30 Joanna shared a picture of the label, which had been blacked out with pen to hide the dress's original brand The disgruntled customer showed how the Oasis label had been cut out and replaced with a Karen Millen label FEMAIL has contacted Boohoo for comment. The retailer told the BBC the 'miscommunication was not intentional.' Joanna, a long time Karen Millen customer, said: 'What was really disappointing was that I felt lied to. They didn't even try very hard to hide what they had done and thought consumers would be stupid enough not to realise. 'Prior to Karen Millen being owned by Boohoo, I trusted them. I would purposely shop there because I liked the designs, the quality and the fit. But I will never shop with Karen Millen again now.' Joanna said she bought the skirt in 2020, a year after Karen Millen was bought out by Boohoo in 2019. She came forward following similar revelations over recent weeks. Boohoo, which owns Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Warehouse, Oasis, and Karen Millen among others, launched a probe after a BBC investigation found the same identical mushroom was available for 89 in upmarket retailer Coast but just 65 at Dorothy Perkins. And the coat isn't the only item with a price disparity across the Boohoo brands, with the group selling a black coat in Warehouse for 18, while it was 150 per cent more expensive in Oasis at 27. The same coat is also listed in Dorothy Perkins for 20, while Debenhams list the coat online as a Dorothy Perkins item for just 18. Yesterday the Boohoo group revealed they were launching a probe after an investigation revealed their brands were selling identical items for vastly different prices. And it appears the coat isn't the only item with a price disparity across the Boohoo brands, with the group selling a black coat in Warehouse for 18, while it was 150 per cent more expensive in Oasis at 27. At Warehouse, an identical coat was only 18, 150 per cent less than in Oasis The coat is listed on Debenham's website as an item from Dorothy Perkins, where it cost 18, reduced from 65 But on the Dorothy Perkins website itself, the coat is 20, despite being identical to the one sold for 18 and 27 in other Boohoo-owned brands All the items were on sale, with their original prices also vastly different. In Debenhams and Dorothy Perkins, the coat was originally 65, while in Warehouse and Oasis it was 89. What brands does Boohoo own? Burton Debenhams Dorothy Perkins Warehouse Oasis Karen Millen Coast Wallis Advertisement The retailer told the BBC after the original discovery that it is investigating the differences across the Boohoo-owned brands and say that the error was 'not intentional'. It added: 'All Boohoo group brands work independently, and so this miscommunication was not intentional as teams are not privy to what's being bought and sold across the other group brands. 'Our internal investigation continues and we will be re-pricing all the crossover stock to be aligned.' Fashion giant Boohoo owns several different brands after buying up businesses when their owners fell into administration. In February they announced a 25.2million deal to buy Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton after Sir Philip Green's Arcadia empire collapsed amid the pandemic. The online retailer said they would be buying the brands and stock but would shut all 214 physical stores, concessions or franchises with 2,450 job losses. The retailer is no stranger to controversy. The BBC investigation found a padded coat was originally sold for 89 at Oasis but was retailing for 65 at Dorothy Perkins The same coat was in the sale for 30 in Warehouse and 66.75 in Coast Investigations over the past five years revealed concerns over low pay and poor working conditions at their Leicester clothes factories. The working conditions at the factories were further highligted when there was an outbreak of Covid amongst the workers at the start of the pandemic. A damning report released last year also indicated directors were aware of questions over its supply chain much earlier after reporters and politicians raised the issue. Boohoo was founded by British businessman Mahmud Kamani, 55, who before launching the company started his business selling handbags at a traders' stall in Manchester. He spotted the potential of internet sales and set up his online retailer in 2006 with the aim of delivering their own-branded fashion at rock bottom prices. It since became synonymous with the wildly popular, yet equally controversial, fast-fashion phenomenon. Its sales topped 850 million in 2019, propelling Mr Kamani to 131st place on The Sunday Times Rich List, with a family fortune of 1.16 billion. Boohoo was contacted by Mail Online for comment. As the strike of 1,100 mine workers at Warrior Met Coal in Alabama enters its fifth day, the company has signaled its intentions to mobilize scabs. The company announced April 2, likely in a move to assuage investors fears, that it has continuity plans should the strike continue. Workers have also reported that the company intends to bring in scabs, as well as armed private security and Alabama state troopers to secure the mines. Warrior Met Coal mine in Alabama [Credit: warriormetcoal.com] The mobilization of scabs, police, and modern-day Pinkertons should serve as a warning to the miners at Warrior Met that the company is aiming to crush the strike. The only way forward for striking mine workers is to break out of the isolation which currently exists around their struggle and take matters into their hands through the formation of a rank-and-file strike committee. An appeal must be made to striking steelworkers at ATI and Bradken, along with Amazon workers, autoworkers, educators, and broader sections of the working class to join them in a common fight against the corporate attack on the working class. Such a struggle cannot be waged through the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), which is currently doing all it can to keep the mine workers isolated. The UMWA is using the tactic of an unfair labor practice strike to avoid raising any concrete demands, while at the same time planning to shut down the walkout at the earliest opportunity under the pretext that management is bargaining in good faith. Warrior Met Coal arose out of a larger restructuring of the American coal industry that occurred between 2014 and 2016 with the clear aim of vastly ramping up the exploitation of mine workers. This process involved the bankruptcy of Warriors predecessor, Walter Energy, and a number of major coal companies such as Peabody, Alpha Natural Resources, Patriot Coal Company, and James River Coal. Walter Energy filed for bankruptcy in December 2015, receiving permission from Federal Bankruptcy Judge Tamara Mitchell to terminate retiree benefits for 65 non-union employees and their dependents. Coal Acquisition LLC, a company formed by senior members of Walter Energy and bankrolled by Wall Street investors, entered into a stalking horse agreement with Walter Energy to buy up its assets as soon as the bankruptcy proceedings had concluded. The new company, renaming itself Warrior Met Coal, quickly scrapped the old contract with its workforce with the complicity of the UMWA. The 2016 contract, drawn up at the time of the reopening of the mine under Warrior Met Coal, imposed a $6 wage cut, as well as additional cuts to benefits and pensions. It was precisely on this basisthrough the evisceration of the living standard of its workforcethat the company was able to make record profits and coal shipments. While the companys earnings took a hit in 2020 due to the pandemic, its cash flow rebounded by the end of the year, after lobbying the state government to classify miners as essential workers to keep production flowing. For the past two years, Warrior Met CEO Walter J. Scheller III has raked in an annual salary of over $4 million. Despite this, the company is demanding that further cuts to wages, benefits, and pensions be imposed on the mine workers. The workforce at Warrior Met Coal faces long hours, grueling schedules, and dwindling pay. The company runs a dictatorial four strike policy in which workers are automatically fired if they miss four days of work over a period of 15 weeks, or around four months. There are no extenuating circumstances outlined in the policyeven for work-related injuries. Safety is also a grave concern for the miners. In 2001, a buildup of methane gas in the No. 5 mine (at the time under Walter Energy) triggered an explosion which killed 13 miners. This was the same root cause of the Upper Big Branch mine disaster in West Virginia which tragically took the lives of 29 miners. In both cases, the warnings made by gas sensors put in place to measure methane levels were ignored by management in the interest of continuing coal production. None of these issues are being raised by the UMWA, which will not lift a finger against the company threats to use scabs to break the strike. Over the past 40 years, the UMWA has turned a blind eye to, or even participated in the violent suppression of miners strugglessuch was the case in the tragic murder of West Virginian miner John McCoy. Cecil Roberts, now president of the UMWA, collaborated with the company and the state to protect the identity of the gunmen who killed McCoy. If mine workers are to wage a struggle, they must do so outside of the straight-jacket of the union. The World Socialist Web Site urges miners to join autoworkers, educators, Amazon and logistics workers, postal workers, and city bus drivers in forming rank-and-file committees, independent of the unions and the Democrats and Republicans, in order to fight for safe and decent working conditions, higher wages, fully paid for health care and retirement, and more. For more information and to share your story, contact the WSWS today. On Sunday morning, Areyelle Yarbough stood before a virtual congregation and sang before her father took to the pulpit for Easter service. Hours later, the 32-year-old Alabama A&M University graduate, masters degree student and manager in the Jefferson County Department of Revenue, lay on the pavement in Birminghams Patton Park, an innocent bystander unresponsive from an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Yarbrough was caught in crossfire as hundreds, if not more than a thousand, packed the park to celebrate the holiday. The daughter of the Rev. Michael Yarbrough of Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Birmingham, she was working to get her MBA and employed as the countys manager of principal accounting, which includes sales and business tax licensing. Yarbrough was pronounced dead on the scene. It has been said that she was trying to protect children when she was struck by the barrage of gunfire. Five others were wounded, ages 21, 17, 16, 15 and 4. Im really angry today, said comedian and radio talk show host Rickey Smiley, who a Birmingham native who knows the Yarbrough family well. Smiley is offering a $5,000 reward for information in Yarbroughs death. Its time for the community to stand up. Everybody was out there at the park on Facebook Live. You know who did it. Turn it in to the police department,' Smiley said. I want these murderers, and all murderers found,' Smiley said. Stop this no-snitch policy. What does it prove? How is that cool? Smiley knows the senselessness of violence all too well. He has been shot, and his daughter, Aaryn, was one of several people injured last year, also in crossfire, when she was on her way to get food at Whataburger in Houston. I have a family of five and two of us are victims of gunshot violence from the community in which we serve, he said. Smiley joined Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin to address the shooting and appeal for anyone with information to come forward. All of us should be angry. If youre not, I dont know. All of us should be sad, and if youre not, I dont know, Woodfin said. I dont understand why a 32-year-old innocent Black woman has to die when shes just minding her own business, enjoying Easter Sunday in the park. A park is supposed to be safe place. There has to be some type of rule in place no women, no children,' the mayor said. If thats violated. no-snitching shouldnt even be part of the conversation. The mayor also asked for all footage shot in the park Sunday to be turned over to police. We cant solve this without the publics help. Theres always room to do the right thing. Please do the right thing. Jefferson County Commission Pro Tem Lashunda Scales, whose district covers the area where the crime happened, also called for community involvement as well as regional law enforcement to be assigned to address the deadly crime that is happening in Birmingham and throughout Jefferson County. I am devastated to know the life of one of the countys brightest employees was taken,' Scales said. My condolences to her family and friends. We must stop the violence. A shooting in Birmingham on Easter Sunday left one person dead and four others, including two teenagers, injured. (Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com) Sundays shooting happened at W.C. Patton Park at 7 p.m., according to authorities. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service transported three of the victims and two others arrived at hospitals by private vehicles. Initially, fire officials said two of the injured were in serious condition and one critical. Birmingham police Sgt. Rod Mauldin later said all of the surviving victims are stable for now. Yarbrough was was pronounced dead at 7:33 p.m. Gunfire erupted inside Birmingham's busy WC Patton Park Easter Sunday, leaving at least one person dead and at least four injured.. The 16-year-old boy who was shot was struck in the right hip. Another female was shot in the chest. It wasnt immediately clear how old she is. An eyewitness said there were roughly 1,000 people in the park, many of them grilling and eating with their families. She said two women were sitting on top of a blue Dodge Charger when someone opened fire, striking the Charger and the two women. The witness said one of those women is the person who authorities say was shot in the chest; the witness said the other was Yarbrough. The witness said one person opened fire, and then multiple people started shooting in different directions. She saw people running and leaving, so police and ambulances were having trouble getting in. They didnt even know what they were shooting at, she said, estimating that about 100 shots were fired. Mauldin said investigators believe an altercation among a group of males led to the shooting. The majority of the victims are believed to have been innocent bystanders. We know people saw things,' Mauldin said. We need people to come forward with any information you have concerning this incident. No matter how big or small you think it is, its valuable to us tonight. We need descriptions. We need names. Patton Park has long been a gathering place on Sundays. While there has been trouble there in the past, police said there have not been any problems there in quite some time. Today is a major problem,' Mauldin said Sunday. We have to stand up for our communities when things like this happen,' he said. This was a park full of people and there were several children in the park tonight. Mauldin said such violence is frustrating. People want to come out to our parks and have a good time, enjoy their families,' he said. These suspects chose to put everybody in danger. Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham police at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. LATEST: Five people were taken from the water at Knockadoon Pier this afternoon, after two small boats capsized. A Coast Guard spokesperson said the Irish Coast Guard was alerted to an incident, involving five people who had gotten into difficulty while sailing off the coast of Knockadoon Head. "A rescue operation was coordinated by the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre Dublin in conjunction local gardai," the spokesperson said. "Coast Guard helicopter R117 along with Youghal Coast Guard Unit and Youghal RNLI were tasked to the scene where two small sailing boats had capsized." All five casualties were taken safely from the water and were brought onshore by an RNLI Lifeboat. EARLIER: Emergency services are currently at the scene of an incident at Knockadoon Pier. Gardai attached to Youghal Garda Station are currently at the scene where there are reports that two boats have capsized off Knockadoon Pier. The incident occurred at approximately 3:15 pm this afternoon. Gardai have been advised that the Coast Guard have removed five people from the water. A jealous boyfriend who left his former girlfriend fearing for her life when he broke into her property while she was asleep and held her hostage at knifepoint has been jailed for five years. Bahaa Kadum, 26, broke into the property of Shannon Griffiths in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, as she slept with her partner Thomas Fahey at 4.30am on October 20 last year. Miss Griffiths woke up to see Kadum stood in her bathroom urinating in the toilet before running back to her bedroom to alert her boyfriend. After realising the pair were in a relationship, Kadum went into the kitchen and pulled out a large knife from a drawer before confronting his ex-girlfriend. Mr Fahey moved into the second bedroom and tried to barricade himself inside while the assailant repeatedly punched and stabbed the door with the knife. He managed to flee the property by jumping from the bedroom window as Kadum continued to terrorise Miss Griffiths and struck her face twice, causing her to fall into the landing wall. Bahaa Kadum, 26, was sentenced to five years and three months imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of false imprisonment and two counts of making threats to kill The siege finally ended when police, who had been alerted by Mr Fahey, attended Miss Griffith's property and arrested Kadum. He was sentenced to five years and three months imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of false imprisonment and two counts of making threats to kill. In a statement Miss Griffiths said: 'This was the most terrifying experience of my life and I genuinely believed I was going to die. 'He is a manipulative person who wanted to control me and my life and I cannot believe he would come to my home and keep me hostage. 'If the police had not arrived, I would have been murdered by him. I am terrified about him getting out and hunting me down. I always have to look over my shoulder. 'I should not have to live my life like this. He is a horrible and dangerous human being.' Miss Griffiths and Kadum had dated for three years but had split up in May 2020 due to him being 'controlling and possessive' and the following October she began a relationship with Mr Fahey. Ben Lawrence prosecuting said: 'Miss Griffiths and Mr Fahey were upstairs in bed when she heard a noise and saw the defendant in the bathroom, urinating in the toilet with the door open. 'He then entered the bedroom, asked who Mr Fahey was, then turned and went downstairs whilst being followed by Miss Griffiths and picked up a large kitchen knife. Kadum smashed a downstairs kitchen window (pictured) to get into the property of Shannon Griffiths in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, at 4.30am on October 20 last year The jealous boyfriend threatened to kill his ex-friend and her partner after breaking into their property. Pictured: Damage to the house during the siege Kadum went into the kitchen and pulled out a large knife from a drawer before confronting his ex-girlfriend 'He told Miss Griffiths: ''I'm going to kill him'' then ran upstairs saying: ''If I can't have you, no-one can.'' 'Mr Fahey moved into the second bedroom and sought to barricade himself inside but the defendant tried to barge the door open, punched it, and stabbed it with the knife saying: ''Come out now, I'm going to stab you.'' 'Miss Griffiths pursued the defendant upstairs and sought to pull him away from the door and told him to get out. But he struck her to the face, twice, causing her to fall into the wall and she was in tears. 'He said: ''I dare you to try and save him again'' and she retreated, and tried to find her phone to call the police. 'Meanwhile Mr Fahey, fearing for his safety and wishing to seek help, escaped the house via the upstairs bedroom window. 'The defendant heard the noise of his exit and chased after him but Mr Fahey was too fast for him and he subsequently contacted the police. 'The defendant returned to the house to confront Miss Griffiths. 'He was was being really racist towards her and he swore on his dad's ashes and his mum's life that he would kill her. 'He came towards her with the knife, causing her to fear he would use it and she cowered behind the sofa. He told her he was going to kill her and that she was going to die saying he would stab her or set her on fire and then kill himself. The jealous boyfriend terrorised his former girlfriend and struck her face twice, causing her to fall into the landing wall 'He was gritting his teeth and spitting at her as he stood over her and said: ''Look what you've made me do.'' 'She asked him to let her leave but he said, ''you're f***ed, you've got no chance''. 'She describes that she was a hostage in her own home. At one point, he obtained toilet roll and threatened to set fire to it and to blankets with a lighter. 'At another point, she tried to move away but he struck her to the head again and dragged her back to the sofa. 'He then struck her a number of times to the head. She said she had ''never been so scared in my life''. She genuinely thought he was going to kill her. 'A little later, he moved towards her with the knife and when she tried to push him away, the knife connected with her arm, causing a small cut. 'The offending ended when the police attended. The defendant asked Miss Griffiths to help him escape and told her not to say anything to the police. However, she ran out of the back door crying.' Kadum stabbed himself in the left forearm before being arrested. He denied the offences in police interview and claimed he was still in a relationship with Miss Griffiths. In mitigation, defence counsel Robin Kitching said: 'He had no idea that Mr Fahey was there and had gone to the house to see Miss Griffiths. 'The incident then unfolded quite unexpectedly and he had no intention to cause any injuries to either of them. He wishes to express his remorse and regret.' Sentencing Kadum, the judge Mr Recorder Ian Harris told him: 'The facts of your offending are appalling and terrifying. It was thirty minutes of abuse, terror and vile verbal abuse and threats. 'It was 4.30 in the morning and people are entitled to feel safe and secure in their home, particularly in the dead of night. You went into that house uninvited, and you were unwelcome. 'This was planned, as you were dropped off by your brother who drove you there. You were motivated by jealously and revenge. 'No doubt the police would have been met by a scene of carnage.' Kadum has also been banned from contacting Miss Griffiths and Mr Fahey indefinitely under the terms of a restraining order. Belagavi : , April 5 (IANS) Congress leader Lakhan Jarkiholi, the younger brother of former Karnataka minister and Sleaze CD case accused Ramesh Jarkiholi, on Monday announced he would campaign for BJP candidate, Mangala Angadi, in forthcoming Belgaum Lok Sabha bypoll. Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar and Angadi, widow of former Union Minister, Suresh Angadi met Jarkiholi at his residence in Gokak and invited him to canvas on behalf of the BJP ahead of the April 17 poll. "For me, my eldest brothers Ramesh and Balachandra are most important. They are in deep trouble, I cannot see them in trouble anymore. I want to help them, that is why I have decided to work in favour of the BJP," Lakhan Jarkiholi told reporters while announcing his decision to campaign for BJP instead of his brother, Satish Jarkiholi, who is the Congress candidate. Shettar told reporters that Lakhan Jarkiholi is deeply upset with many issues in Congress, hence, he has decided to campaign for them. "Even Ramesh and Balachandra will campaign for us from next week onwards," he said. Lakhan Jarkiholi is known to handle elections on behalf of his brother in Gokak for nearly two decades. However, he had contested against his elder brother, who had quit the Congress and joined the BJP, in the 2019 bypolls in which Ramesh Jarkiholi won and became Water Resources Minister. Incidentally, another brother, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president Satish Jarkiholi is contesting against Mangala. Lakhan Jarkiholi, the youngest of the five brothers, was quite vocal and demanded that state Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar must resign from his post on moral grounds as his name too has cropped in Sleaze CD case, like his brother's. Claims that a leak of the user data of 533 million Facebook users has just taken place is a bit of a stretch. A major part of this data has been out on the Web for a long time. The people who want to obtain it have been buying the data and using it to make money. They will now be able to get the same data plus that of a few million more free. Tech security specialist Matthijs Koot was one of the few people to point out that the data of 370 million users became public in January/February this year. And, he wrote, the only countries listed among the 533 million that were absent from the earlier leak were Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan and Syria. When comparing this 533M set to the 370M set that became public in Jan/Feb, notice the (only) countries that were absent in the 370M set: - Afghanistan - Iraq - Jordan - Palestine - Sudan - Syria ^^ that set surely does not look random/coincidental. Not sure how to explain. https://t.co/I4AE563MnX Matthijs R. Koot (@mrkoot) April 4, 2021 "That set surely does not look random/coincidental. Not sure how to explain," he added. I am no fan of Facebook, but facts are sacred and while technology journalists and writers like to scream themselves hoarse over the how evil Mark Zuckerberg's company is, it is important to stick to the facts. Asked what was new about the leak, Emsisoft ransomware researcher Brett Callow replied: "Whats new is that the info is now easily and freely accessible by absolutely anyone." There is some humour to be milked out of the situation as can be seen from the following tweets: a phrase rarely used not in a toilet Jonas L (@jonasLyk) April 4, 2021 Hysteria over these kinds of incidents is common. The point nobody has raised is why people are so stupid to post all their personal details on a site like Facebook or any site for that matter. People all over the world love to blame technology companies for anything and everything. I am willing to grant that in many cases they do have a point. Sites like Facebook offer free services and, in turn, use individuals' data to make a buck. People who assume that Facebook has some obligation to treat them like honoured guests are stupid. When the Cambridge Analytica "scandal" broke, there was a huge amount of hysteria as well. But when Elizabeth Denham, Britain's Information Commissioner, issued a report last October that found the company had used "in the main, well-recognised processes using commonly available technology" to create what it sold to the Trump campaign, few publications bothered to report it. The story told was that CA, working with Cambridge University researcher Aleksandr Kogan, had used 50 million Facebook users' personal data, which he "scraped" illegally, to influence the results of both the British Brexit vote and the 2016 US election. There was much sensational reporting by journalist Carole Cadawalladr who wrote about it in an article in 2017 titled The great British Brexit robbery. Cadawalladr's reporter colleagues at the Guardian, who worked on the story, were sceptical about it as well and privately said it was being pushed on them by senior editorial staff. She has made no statement about the ICO report. She won a number of awards for her so-called exclusives. Whether she will return them now and acknowledge that her reporting was mostly hype remains to be seen. Sensational claims about Facebook will continue to be published. It would be good to bear in mind that the company is not extracting the data of anybody at gun-point; the user is willingly giving it up. It's time to take personal responsibility and stop laying all the blame on a company that has just one objective: to make as much money as it can for its shareholders. Update, 7 April: Inga Goddijn, executive vice-president of vulnerability intelligence, breach data and risk ratings vendor Risk Based Security, commented: The lack of transparency about the Facebook incident is disconcerting. From my perspective, there has been quite a lot of media attention given to the situation with very little explanation provided by Facebook. "This type of leak is not all that uncommon. A clear statement from Facebook describing the timeline of the event, their root cause analysis (which apparently was completed in 2019) and what they did to address the situation would go a long way toward putting this latest redistribution of data into context. Senior NCP leaderDilip Walse Patil was on Monday given the charge of Maharashtra Home department following the resignation of Anil Deshmukh. Earlier in the day, Deshmukh resigned as the home minister after the ordered a preliminary inquiry by the CBI into allegations of extortion raised against him by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh. Chief Minister has forwarded the resignation letter of Anil Deshmukh to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari with a request that it may be accepted, the CMO said in a statement. This letter also mentioned that Walse Patil be given the charge of the Home department. Walse Patil is currently holding the Labour and Excise portfolios. The labour portfolio being held by Walse Patil is now assigned to Rural Development Minister Hassan Mushrif while Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will look after the Excise department, the statement 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.) As Walter Isaacson worked on his new book, The Code Breaker, it took on an increasing ripped-from-the-headlines feel. While I was reporting the book, a Chinese doctor produced the first designer babies using gene editing tools, Isaacson said in a telephone interview. And then, COVID hit and we ended up fighting COVID using genetic vaccines. And then Jennifer Doudna, my main character, won the Nobel Prize. So it turned out to be very timely. The best-seller, which was published in March, charts the development of CRISPR-Cas9, the revolutionary gene editing tool. Isaacsons book focuses on Doudna, a biochemist who played a leading role in developing CRISPR. Isaacson will talk about the book Friday as part of the San Antonio Book Festival. On ExpressNews.com: Big names including Sandra Cisneros, Isabel Allende set for SA Book Festival The Code Breaker begins with the coronavirus crisis. The opening pages are set in mid-March 2020. Isaacson writes about Doudna meeting with her colleagues at Berkeley College and other scientists about the burgeoning pandemic and how they might help combat it, telling them, We need to step up. I wanted to open with the main character rallying the troops to fight COVID, Isaacson said. More Information Walter Isaacson What: Walter Isaacson will talk about "The Code Breaker with science journalist Shraddha Chakradha as part of The San Antonio Book Festival. When: Noon Friday, sabookfestival.org. Cost: $41.51, which includes the book; register at the festival website. See More Collapse He was about halfway through writing the book when the pandemic struck. Ive been working on it for six or seven years, gathering string, as I was finishing the biography of Leonardo DaVinci, he said. In a sense, Code Breaker completes a trilogy for Isaacson, following his 2008 book about Albert Einstein and his 2011 book on Steve Jobs. Ive written about the physics revolution of the first half of the 20th century and then the digital revolution of the second half of the 20th century with Steve Jobs, and I think that the next big innovation revolution will be in the life sciences, and its going to be more consequential than even the digital revolution, he said. So I was looking for a way to explore and take a journey of discovery into the realm of gene editing and genetic vaccines and all the things weve seen come to pass in the past few years. On ExpressNews.com: Jenny The Bloggess Lawson chats about her new book Broken and her bookstore While working on the book, he was able to try his hand at gene editing with the help of a pair of graduate students. He writes about editing a piece of DNA in a test tube with one student, then working with another to edit a gene in a human cell. The cell had been engineered to generate a fluorescent protein that glowed blue; he and the student worked to change the glow from blue to green. It made me realize that its pretty easy to do gene editing, he said. So we ought to start thinking now about ways we can control this and what type of restrictions we do or dont want to have. That was one focus I have in writing the book, was to get people started to discuss how we should be using gene editing. In a different kind of hands-on reporting, Isaacson took part in a clinical trial to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Last July, I signed up for the Pfizer vaccine trial because it uses a technology based on some of the early work that Jennifer Doudna did, which is using RNA as the molecule that can be either a messenger or a guide to do what we want to do inside of our cells, he said. He writes about the experience in the book. Its a journey of discovery, and I feel like Im going hand-in-hand with the other researchers, and I hope the readers come along, he said. He also writes about the thorny ethical issues raised by the ability to edit human genes. Asked where he stands on when the tool should be used, he noted that its being used now to cure people of such genetic disorders as sickle cell anemia: I think thats perfectly fine, especially when living patients can give their consent. Hes less certain about whether it should be used to design children by editing genes in embryos and reproductive cells. I dont see any need to do that now, he said. I think we should focus on the miraculous ways it can help us with hundreds of thousands of people who have genetic disorders or cancers that can be treated with CRISPR. dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN BALTIMORE A man has died after he was run over with his own vehicle during a carjacking in Baltimore, police said. The Baltimore Sun reports that a 16-year-old was taken into custody and that two other suspects remain at large. Police have not released the name of the victim, who was 41 years old, or of the teenager. Police also did not say what charges may be pending. Police said the carjacking occurred early Friday morning. An officer on patrol witnessed the three suspects assaulting the victim, striking him with the car and then fleeing, police said. Police said that a 16-year-old who was driving the vehicle was arrested about two blocks away. Mayor Brandon Scott applauded the police department on Saturday for immediately apprehending a suspect. My heart goes out to the families impacted by this violence, Scott said in a statement. This tragedy serves as another example of why comprehensive reform of our criminal justice system must prioritize rehabilitation and trauma-informed services. City Councilman Zeke Cohen said in a Facebook post that the victim was leaving for work when he was attacked. His death is as heartbreaking as it is infuriating, Cohen said. ALSO READ: Friends, family gather in Harrisburg to remember 16-year-old killed by gunfire Previously unseen pictures of the ISIS massacre in Mozambique have been released, showing bodies scattered across roads and people fleeing from the slaughter. Dozens of innocent people were killed when Islamist insurgents launched a raid on the northern town of Palma on March 24, including Briton Philip Mawer. Now, in the shocking pictures obtained by Sky News, the scale and violence of the attack by the Islamic State-affiliated local al-Shabaab group is becoming more clear. The aerial footage shows corpses of those brutally murdered by the insurgents after being pulled from their lorries, some beheaded, by the killers in the African nation. Smoke is shown rising from the town's buildings after the ISIS militants rampaged through its streets, killing people that crossed their path. People can be seen running towards rescue helicopters as they desperately flee the key industrial town, that was overrun by an estimated 100 fighters. One picture, taken from the air, shows people hoping to be rescued having spelled out 'Help' and 'SOS' with stones and white bed sheets. As Mozambique's military says it is regaining territory in the town, the true death toll of the attack remains unknown, with internet and mobile phone networks disrupted making communication with the region difficult. According to eyewitness reports, the gunmen ruthlessly attacked nearby villages before their main assault on Palma, and even ambushed a convoy of foreigners trying to escape the violence. Newly released footage from Sky News shows the ISIS massacre in Mozambique (pictured), which left bodies of people brutally murdered by the insurgents strewn across the roads of the gas town of Palma, found in the north of the African country 'The Mozambique army was completely caught off guard, they were being attacked from the inside,' one security analyst who did not want to be named told Sky News. 'They didn't know which way to turn, some just abandoned their positions and ran,' he added. Helicopters of the Dyck Advisory Group, a private armed contractor hired by the government, are shown in the footage trying to rescue people on the ground. However, it is reported that the aircraft could only take a limited number of people at a time, so they continued to land and take off despite coming under heavy fire. Luisa Jose, a 52-year-old mother of five, says she came face-to-face with Islamic State-linked insurgents when they attacked the gas hub town. 'I was running to save my life ... they were coming from every street,' she told Reuters news agency from a stadium in the port city of Pemba housing some of the thousands who fled the violence. 'I saw them with bazookas. They wore uniforms with red scarves ... tied to their heads.' Jose said the militants quickly overran her hometown of Palma, next the huge gas projects worth $60 billion. Thousands have fled the town of some 75,000 people where dozens were killed, according to an early government toll, and French energy giant Total has abandoned a site where a multi-billion-dollar gas project is under way. Bulama Bukarti, a sub-Saharan terror analyst with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, told The Guardian that the attack was the first time foreign nationals had been targeted by the ISIS-backed group. He also noted the sophistication of the attack, with the insurgents targeting banks and warehouses for food and money, mimicking actions seen by other Islamist groups in Africa. 'This is outpacing other insurgencies in Africa; it took Boko Haram in Nigeria six years to get to where this group has got to in three,' Bukarti added. 'The situation is getting more and more desperate, and it needs something like a regional intervention from African nations with western logistical support.' It is believed that the insurgents infiltrated the town in the days leading up to the attack, and then attacked from the inside. A ship, believed to be carrying supplies, was grounded on the shore near the town and used by the insurgents to re-stock as the attack continued. One picture, taken from the air, shows people hoping to be rescued having spelled out 'Help' and 'SOS' with stones and white bed sheets as the insurgents made their way through the town On Monday, Mozambique's military said it was fighting back and regaining territory in the town, and claimed a 'significant' number of militants had since been killed in fighting. On Sunday, the army escorted officials and journalists through Palma. Commander Chongo Vidigal, leader of military operations to regain control of Palma, told state television TVM the area was now 'safe', although he stopped short of declaring that the army had regained complete control. 'The airfield area was the only one we needed to clear and we did that this morning. It's completely safe,' Vidigal said. 'I think that it is a significant number of terrorists who were shot down,' he said, adding the authorities would provide a precise number later. Footage broadcast by TVM showed soldiers hastily pulling black plastic sheeting over a dead body on the street. Images showed the blackened remains of several buildings, including banks, the town's hospital and the state prosecutor's office. Heavily armed soldiers stood by as a few remaining residents picked through debris. Some collected bags of grain, while one man was shown trying to clear a destroyed stall. Cabo Delgado's governor, Valygi Tualibo, painted a rosier picture, claiming Palma was back in government hands. Visiting the town as part of Sunday's media visit, Tualibo told reporters he was 'greatly satisfied' with what he saw. 'The situation is bleak, but we are excited,' the governor said on TVM. 'Palma is under 100 percent control by Mozambican authorities.' Thousands of Mozambican troops had already been deployed to Cabo Delgado before the attack on Palma. But the army's ability to fight the insurgency has long been questioned, with analysts pointing to poor training and a lack of equipment. The aerial footage also showed people on the ground running towards a rescue helicopter (pictured) as part of efforts to evacuate the town Several experts have expressed doubts over the authorities' claims to retaking Palma. 'There might be pockets that are safe but they are definitely not in control,' Willem Els, senior training coordinator at the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, told AFP. 'Insurgents are still roaming around,' he cautioned, citing sources on the ground. 'The only enclave that is really secure at the moment is the area around Afungi.' Security forces have been bolstered by a South African private military company, Dyck Advisory Group (DAG), but its contract with the government ends this week. DAG founder Lionel Dyck confirmed their involvement ends on Tuesday. 'God help the people,' he told AFP via WhatsApp on Monday, adding that it was 'unlikely' soldiers had retaken Palma. Vidigal noted the Total gas plant, which the company abandoned on Friday, was secure. 'The facilities are safe, they are protected,' he said. The Sea Star 1 has evacuated around 1,400 people, mostly workers from the French energy giant Total, after armed insurgents attacked the city of Palma Total pulled out all its remaining staff on Friday, while the United Nations suspended civilian evacuation flights over security concerns. Aid workers believe tens of thousands of people fled the assault, which began on March 24. However, just 9,900 of those displaced had been registered in Pemba and other parts of Cabo Delgado province, according to the U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA. Many could still be hiding in the surrounding forest, said the international aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres, and those who emerged have recounted seeing bodies of others who died of hunger or dehydration along the way. Some were also killed by crocodiles or perished in deep mud, according to a contractor whose employee witnessed both. Most communications to Palma were cut when the attack began, and Reuters news agency has not been able to independently verify witnesses' accounts. A spokesman for Mozambique's defence and security forces declined to comment on Saturday, while calls to the national police went unanswered. The province of Cabo Delgado, where Palma is located, has been home since 2017 to a simmering Islamist insurgency now linked to Islamic State. Clashes between the militants and government forces around Palma continued as recently as Friday, security sources told Reuters. South Africa said on Saturday that Mozambique's neighbours would meet next week to discuss the insurgency. Mozambique's government has said dozens were killed in the attack on Palma but the full scale of the casualties and displacement remains unclear. Al-Shabab, an ISIS-affiliated jihadi group, has made gains in Cabo Delgado, the northeast of Mozambique, and seized the strategic port of Mocimboa da Praia in August before the latest attack in Palma Fato Abdula Ali, 29, said she was separated from her husband and three children in the chaos. Nine-months pregnant, she couldn't keep up with other residents as they made their escape and delivered her baby son alone in the bush. She cut the infant's umbilical cord with a tree branch, she said. The next day, she said, she stripped herself of her blood-soaked clothes and found another group of people who took turns carrying her to safety. 'My whole body aches,' she told Reuters at a hotel in Pemba. Luisa Jose said she spent almost five days in the bush, eating bitter cassava tubers and drinking from cloudy pools of water before making it to Quitunda, a village for people relocated by the mega gas projects led by major oil companies, including France's Total. From there, she says, she was evacuated by Total but had to leave behind more than six family members, including her husband and a daughter, because there was no room on the boat. Total on Friday pulled all of its remaining workforce from its project site near Palma, two sources with direct knowledge of site operations told Reuters, leaving it in the hands of the military. Total declined to comment. Jose has had no news of her family members since she left them behind. They are among thousands believed to be stranded in Quitunda, according to aid workers and diplomats. 'Are they safe? Do they have shelter? Will they come back? I don't know,' she said. A body matching the description of missing Briton Philip Mawer was found on Thursday, according to his employers. Briton Philip Mawer (left) has not been heard from since attempting to flee Palma. Also pictured: Nick Alexander (right) who was rescued on Sunday having spent two nights crawling through the bush A body matching the description of missing Briton Philip Mawer was found in Mozambique following an attack which ISIS has claimed responsibility for The rise of ISIS in Mozambique Mozambique is a majority Christian country, with Muslims comprising around a fifth of its population. A religious movement, Ansar al-Sunna, first appeared in 2015 in the north of the country, formed by followers of radical Kenyan cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed who has been linked to the 1998 US embassy bombings. The group attracted disaffected young men who resented a lack of opportunities in an area of rich natural resources. It started building mosques and religious schools, becoming more and more popular with locals. But in 2017, the group starting launching attacks and became known locally as al-Shabab, although they do not have any known connection to Somalia's jihadist rebels of that name. Militants started posting photos on the encrypted messaging service Telegram posing in front of the ISIS flag and praising its then leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Islamic State then confirmed that jihadis in Mozambique had joined its Central Africa Province division (ISCAP), along with militants in the Democratic Republic of Congo. ISIS have since claimed responsibility for many of the attacks carried out in Mozambique, including brutal beheadings and massacres, often posting photos of the victims online. In an official ISIS news bulletin in June last year, leaders taunted the West and African nations for failing to stop the insurgency in Mozambique, and said its interest there is financial with the country's huge coal and gas reserves. The militants still refer to themselves as al-Shabab but they are now strongly considered to be an arm of ISIS, which was confirmed by US officials in December. Coordinator for counter-terrorism Nathan Sales said: 'What we're seeing today is a committed ISIS affiliate that embraces the ISIS ideology, that embraces the ISIS tactics and procedures, and embraces the ISIS vision of a caliphate with territorial control.' As part of ISCAP, al-Shabab is part of ISIS's formal structure and the jihadi group in the Congo allegedly helps fund its Mozambican counterparts. Attacks have become increasingly sophisticated, using new and advanced weapons which indicate the group's involvement in the militant network. The rebels are mainly active in Cabo Delgado province and their attacks became much more frequent and deadly in the past year as they look to hold strategic towns. In August, they captured the port town of Mocimboa da Praia and nearby villages, one of the first territory gains by ISIS in months. The terrorist group then declared Mocimboa da Praia the capital of ISCAP. The insurgents are fighting against Western and Christian values as they seek to install a radical form of Islam and Sharia law in the country, targeting civilians as security forces struggle to quell their uprising. Their attacks have left an estimated 2,600 dead and caused 670,000 to flee their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis. US special forces arrived in Mozambique this month to train marines in counterinsurgency. Advertisement In a statement on behalf of Philip's family, RA International said: 'It appears that Philip died while trying to escape from the siege by ISIS-linked insurgents of the Amarula Hotel.' Mawer, a contractor from Somerset, had not been seen or heard from since gunmen ambushed a convoy of vehicles fleeing a hotel. His family described him as a 'much-loved son, brother, uncle and friend' while RA international called him 'an ebullient, outgoing character'. The 50-year-old was working for RA International, a Dubai-based firm that provides living quarters and other logistics for expatriate workers. Mercenary pilots recovered the body from the wreckage of a car destroyed in the attack, according to The Times. The mercenaries, from the Dyck Advisory Group (DAG) handed over the body to the SAS soldiers after recovering it from a 4x4 which had been spotted on Monday. A decision was made in London for the SAS soldiers not to search the destroyed vehicle themselves, so the mercenary pilots conducted the search. His family said in a statement: 'It was the nature of his chosen line of work to be in the more dangerous corners of the world and Philip's career had previously taken him to Somalia, Sierra Leone, Algeria, Afghanistan and Yemen. 'His ability to get things done in the most hostile of environments made him a valued colleague. 'Earlier in his life, Philip overcame a period of compulsive gambling and went on to write the book Overcoming Problem Gambling: A Guide For Problem And Compulsive Gamblers, using his personal experience to help others to overcome this destructive addiction. 'He would often receive letters of thanks from people helped by the book.' It comes after three members of the Special Air Service (SAS) joined the search for Mawer on Monday. The soldiers arrived in Pemba on Monday and slipped into Mozambique without the use of weapons or military vehicles. The officers were deployed to the country to help search for Briton Philip Mawer, who had not been heard from since attempting to flee the town of Palma last week. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued by its Amaq news agency on Monday alongside a photo of militants from the group celebrating the capture of the town of Palma. The SAS officers were deployed from a base for bush warfare training in Nairobi, The Times reported. His friend Peter Zweemer told The Sun that the French oil giant Total, whose employees Mawer was reportedly helping to build a camp for, left its workers to be 'slaughtered'. 'As far as I know and from eye witness accounts, unfortunately, we have to assume Phil got killed Friday. 'There is still no access into Palma to recoup bodies or asses damages and missing people do appear under the most amazing circumstances but I'm afraid the news about Phil is not encouraging. 'It's a shambles and they allowed these contractors to be slaughtered.' It comes after it emerged that a flotilla of small boats launched a Dunkirk-like rescue of thousands of survivors of the attack. The boats transported people from Palma, to the town of Pemba, 150 miles further down the Mozambican coast. Brendon Bekker, the Zimbabwean director of KEA projects, a construction firm working locally, was among those who were evacuated on the boats. He told how one of his colleagues was fatally shot from the shore after boarding one of the vessels. 'When the insurgents first attacked Palma, they came in from about three different directions,' he told the Daily Telegraph, adding that 'there was people all over the different beaches.' Meanwhile efforts were ongoing to locate the thousands of people still remaining in the town, with reports that militants were still in control despite claims from Mozambican security forces that it had been retaken. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Monday and announced they had seized the coastal town after days of fighting, the terrorist group said in a statement on its Telegram channels. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-06 00:12:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia expressed concern on Monday about plans by the United States and Britain to deploy ground-based intermediate and shorter-range missiles. Pentagon officials in the U.S. have recently made statements about the practical steps required to deploy in various regions of the world ground-based intermediate and shorter-range missiles, previously banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. The British military has joined in on the "openly hostile, destabilizing" statements and actions in this regard, it noted. The plans will narrow the space for a diplomatic solution to post-INF Treaty problems, it warned. Russia will continue to carefully monitor the actions of the U.S. and its allies to create a ground-based INF arsenal in Europe and Asia-Pacific, said the statement. "We are by no means shutting the door to dialogue, but in the current conditions we do not rule out that Russia will be forced" to respond to the growing missile threats, the statement read. In August 2019, Russia and the U.S. formally withdrew from the INF Treaty after accusing each other of violating the landmark arms control deal signed in Washington in December 1987. Enditem New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Monday announce to give Rs 25 lakh to a minor girl as compensation six years after she was brutally raped. The victim will get the compensation as fixed deposit of Rs 3.5 lakh (encashable when she turns 22) in the name of the survivor for pursuing a professional career, fixed deposit of Rs 5 lakh (encashable when she turns 18) towards her higher education, fixed deposit of Rs 5 lakh. The compensation provided by the DCW also includes deposit of Rs 2 lakh with a quarterly limit on withdrawal of Rs 7,150, deposit of Rs 4 lakh with a monthly limit on withdrawal, Rs 11 lakh in the account of the survivor towards medical requirements, Rs 5.4 lakh with a monthly limit on withdrawal in her account for pursuing her interests in dance, English and other co-curricular activities. The state women commission had earlier asked the Juvenile Justice Board, a few months back to take measures to rehabilitate the victim who was subjected to the heinous crime and murder attempt when she was only five-years-old. According to reports the minor was found bleeding by the police in a park in north-west Delhi in March 2011. The victim then had told the police that a man had abducted her while she was playing in front of her house. She was attacked with bricks before being raped. A statement said, The commission conducted a detailed exercise to assess the financial, medical and other needs of the survivor and her family in order to ascertain the suitable amount of compensation." According to women commission the victims father is a rickshaw puller who earns only Rs 300 a day and her mother is a housewife. The survivor has expressed her desire to become a doctor. The commission has also stated that the victims wound were so severe that she she needed a long term treatment and counselling. The commission further added, "In the particular case, the survivor's family belongs to the most destitute section of society and is simply financially incapable of ensuring that her particular needs are met. DCW further said, It is therefore responsibility of the state to ensure the welfare of this child, whom the state was not able to protect from the heinous crime of sexual assault," DCW said. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai, April 5 : Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has resigned from his post, hours after the Bombay High Court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the corruption allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh, a top Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader said here on Monday. "Soon after the high court directives, Deshmukh met NCP President Sharad Pawar and offered to resign to ensure an impartial probe. After the nod, Deshmukh has gone to meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to submit his resignation," NCP National Spokesperson and Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik told mediapersons. In a terse resignation letter addressed to the CM, Deshmukh said: "In the wake of the HC ruling, I feel it would be improper for me to continue in the post on ethical grounds. Hence I have decided to voluntarily keep away from the post. Kindly relieve me from this responsibility." The fast-paced development came shortly after a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G. S. Kulkarni directed the CBI to conduct a 'preliminary probe' within 15 days into Singh's allegations against Deshmukh. However, the court said that the CBI need not register a First Information Report (FIR) immediately as the Maharashtra government has already set up a 'high-level committee' to probe the matter. "The Government Resolution by the state government for a high-level committee leads us to believe that there is no interference required," said Chief Justice Datta. Following the high court ruling, a high-level NCP emergency meeting was convened by Pawar in which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and other senior leaders were present to discuss the ramifications even as the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party clamoured for Deshmukh's scalp. Several BJP bigwigs including State party chief Chandrakant Patil, Leaders of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis (Council) and Pravin Darekar, Sudhir Mungantiwar and others welcomed Deshmukh's move to keep off the post to ensure an impartial probe. This is the second major setback for the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the past three months with a minister compelled to quit the cabinet. On Feb. 28, Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod had quit amid a cloud over the death of a Tik-Tok star Pooja Chavan (22) in Pune on Feb. 7 after the BJP threatened to withdraw its members from a joint panel of the Shakti Bill and disrupt the legislature proceedings during the Budget Session in March. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Mumbai: INDIAN NAVY SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT TO PARTICIPATE IN EXERCISE LA PEROUSE on Monday April 05, 2021.(Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, April 5 : For the first time, the Indian Navy is participating in the multi-lateral maritime exercise La Perouse, being conducted in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region from Monday. The Indian Navy ships and aircraft will exercise at sea with ships and aircraft of French Navy (FN), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and United States Navy (USN) during the three-day exercise at sea. Indian Naval Ship INS Satpura with an integral helicopter and INS Kiltan, along with P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft, are participating. The exercise, led by French Navy, has participation by French Navy Ships Tonnerre, an amphibious assault ship and frigate Surcouf. The United States Navy is represented in the exercise by amphibious transport dock ship Somerset. Her Majesty's Australian Ships (HMAS) Anzac, a frigate and tanker Sirius have been deployed by RAN for participation in the exercise while the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Ship (JMSDF) is represented by the destroyer Akebono. In addition to the ships, integral helicopters embarked onboard ships will also participate in the exercise. "Exercise La Perouse will witness complex and advanced naval operations including surface warfare, anti-air warfare and air defence exercises, weapon firing exercises, cross deck flying operations, tactical manoeuvres and seamanship evolutions such as replenishment at sea," Indian Navy said. The exercise will showcase high levels of synergy, coordination and inter-operability between the friendly navies. Participation by the Indian Navy in the exercise demonstrates the shared values with friendly navies ensuring freedom of seas and commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order. Manama Internet Exchange (Manama-IX), the Bahrain-based Internet peering service provider, said it has witnessed booming data volumes over the past year. The traffic is primarily driven by bandwidth-hungry applications, Internet usage, gaming, video streaming, content delivery, IoT, big data and AI technology. Over the last 12 months, the Manama-IX platform's traffic has witnessed a 20-fold growth, primarily due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with growth rates anticipated to continue well into the future, making it the fastest growing Internet exchange platform in the region since its inception in 2019. To address growing Internet traffic and meet the demand from members of the platform, additional resources and capacities were added to the Manama-IX, thereby allowing more traffic exchange over the platform by Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), Cloud Providers and Gaming Networks, said its top official. "We are delighted that Manama-IX has helped the platforms members to address their Internet traffic demands with lower latencies in a robust ecosystem. Moreover, we are extremely proud of the immense traffic growth that has been attained in Manama-IX since its inception, which is a clear reflection of the successful efforts put into catering to customer needs in the region," remarked Hani Askar, the Acting General Manager of Global Business at Batelco. Members of the Manama-IX platform benefit from improved performance, as Internet traffic is routed in an efficient, fast, secure, stable and cost-effective way, which allows members to offer low latency and an optimised online experience for their end-users, he explained. This positions Manama-IX as the ideal ecosystem, it enables members to easily exchange traffic in a carrier-neutral environment, localising the traffic between the operators and offering more flexibility when managing their interconnections. The benefits and capabilities of Manama-IX serve to attract new members to the platform ultimately, he added. According to him, Manama-IX plays an important role in the seamless operation of the Internet by helping to facilitate Internet services that enable all types of remote communications globally. "We have a clear strategic roadmap to invest in the Manama-IX platform to support our aims to become the leading Internet exchange in the region," he stated. "Our vision behind Manama-IX is to contribute towards the development of Internet services across the region, in line with Bahrains national vision of becoming a leading regional digital hub," he added. BYJUS, worlds leading ed-tech company today announced its strategic partnership with Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), a leader in test prep services. This partnership brings together two of the largest and most-trusted education brands in India - combining Aakashs pedagogy expertise in the test-prep segment with BYJUS content and tech capabilities. After the integration, BYJUS will make further investments to accelerate Aakashs growth. With over 33 years of experience, Aakash has built a highly effective learning ecosystem that has helped millions of young aspirants get into the country's best institutions. In 2019, AESL partnered with Blackstone to create Indias largest digitally enabled, omni-channel test preparation company. Under the phenomenal leadership of Founder JC Chaudhry and Aakash Chaudhry, it will continue to function independently. Byju Raveendran, Founder, and CEO, BYJUS said, I am happy to have Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), a market leader and the most trusted name in the test prep services, on board with us. Our complementary strengths will enable us to build capabilities, create engaging and personalised learning programs. The future of learning is hybrid and this union will bring together the best of offline and online learning, as we combine our expertise to create impactful experiences for students. Byju further added, The pandemic has brought the importance of the blended format of learning to the forefront. As we unite our forces to bring together decades of expertise and experience, this partnership will further accelerate Aakashs growth and success. Aakash Chaudhry, Managing Director, AESL said At Aakash, we are looking to transform student experiences by steering innovative and digitally-enabled learning solutions. Together with BYJUS, we will work towards building an omni-channel learning offering that will accelerate test-prep experience to the next level. While this partnership will enhance our operational verticals, Aakash will continue to operate as a separate entity with the same passion and commitment with which its Founder & Chairman Mr. J C Chaudhry incepted it. We are excited to partner with BYJUS, and will strive to deliver long-term value to our students, employees, investors, and other stakeholders. The addition of Aakash is a significant step towards strengthening BYJUS product offering. It reiterates the companys focus on creating impactful learning products for students by adding more verticals, subjects, and languages to the same platform. Amit Dixit, Co-Head of Asia Acquisitions and Head of India Private Equity at Blackstone, said We invested in AESL because it is one of the leading education brands in India with a professional management team, best-in-class corporate governance and a 33-year track-record of exceptional results. We have always believed omni-channel will be the winning model in test prep and tutoring, and we look forward to being a part of the partnership between the two foremost companies in Indian supplementary education Aakash and BYJUS. The combination of Aakash and BYJUS is highly synergistic and we are excited to help build Indias largest education company With over 215+ centres, Aakash provides test preparatory services to students preparing for medical and engineering entrance exams, school/board exams, KVPY, NTSE, Olympiads, and other Foundation level exams. Known for its integrated teaching methodology and focused learning environment, Aakash has built a tradition of excellence and has helped millions of students embark on successful learning journeys. Launched in 2015, BYJUS is the leader in offering personalised learning programs for school students in India. With over 80 million students cumulatively learning from the app, 5.5 million annual paid subscriptions, and an annual renewal rate of 86%, the app creates personalized learning programs for individual students based on their proficiency levels and capabilities which help them learn at their own pace and style. In just 6 months during the lockdown, BYJUS has added 45 million new students on its platform. Over the years, Aakash has built and maintained the highest standards of teaching, result-oriented test preparation for some of the toughest entrance exams like JEE, NEET, NTSE etc. with its expert faculty. Unified by a shared vision to create value for the student community and boost the learning ecosystem, this integration will help accelerate and scale Aakashs growth in the test prep industry. EY was the exclusive financial advisor for BYJUS on this transaction. Phoenix Advisers was the exclusive advisor for the AESL. Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (second from left) and Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (left) meet with Brunei Sultan Hassan Hassanal Bolkiah (second from right) and Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah in Bandar Seri Begawan, April 5, 2021. Updated at 7:38 a.m. ET on 2021-04-06 After lengthy discussions, leaders of Southeast Asian nations are to meet in Jakarta to talk about the crisis in Myanmar, the governments of Brunei and Malaysia announced Monday but without specifying a date. The top-level special meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations will take place at ASEANs headquarters in the Indonesian capital, the leaders of Malaysia and Brunei agreed after a bilateral meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan on Monday, days after China and Russia said it supported such a move. [B]oth leaders agreed for ASEAN leaders to meet to discuss the ongoing developments in Myanmar and tasked their respective ministers and senior officials to undertake necessary preparations for the meeting that will be held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, said a joint statement by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Hassanal Bolkiah, the sultan of Brunei, which holds this years chairmanship of the regional bloc. Referring to the situation in post-coup Myanmar, the two urged all parties to refrain from instigating further violence, and for all sides to immediately exercise utmost restraint and flexibility. BenarNews contacted representatives at the ASEAN Secretariat, but they declined to comment. An Indonesia foreign ministry spokesman said the meeting is still under discussion, without confirming that it would take place. The spokesman referred further questions to Brunei. On March 19, Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo and Malaysias Muhyiddin called for an emergency meeting of ASEAN leaders to discuss the situation in Myanmar. As of Monday, at least 570 people had been killed by security forces across Myanmar since the military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyis elected government on Feb. 1, according to information posted online by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), an NGO. The situation in that country has become even more violent and fluid since March 27, when the junta killed at least 114 protesters in the single deadliest day of post-coup blood-letting. ASEAN has been roundly criticized for not reaching a consensus on how to deal with the junta in member-state Myanmar. A special meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers on March 2 had failed to agree on a joint call for releasing Suu Kyi and other democratically elected Myanmar leaders detained by the military. Critics have said that ASEANs foundational principle of non-interference in members domestic affairs is an obstacle. Last week, China and Russia backed calls for an ASEAN leaders emergency meeting on Myanmar. China has good-to-excellent relations with ASEAN members Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, in addition to Myanmar. So far, Beijing has been muted in its response to the military coup in Myanmar and its violent aftermath. The Asian superpower has mostly called for stability, unlike Western nations which have condemned the toppling of an elected government and the ensuing violence. If this meeting fails to materialize, ASEAN as a community has little relevance. Lets hope Myanmar will not be represented in the meeting by the military junta, because otherwise the summit will likely be deadlocked, Dinna Prapto Raharja, an international relations analyst at Synergy Policies, a private think-tank in Jakarta, told BenarNews. The special meeting of the regions top diplomats last month included the Burmese militarys appointed foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, who apprised the meeting of voting irregularities in the November election, Reuters had reported, citing Myanmar state media. The military had alleged voting fraud tied to the Nov. 8 general election, which Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy won handily, according to polling authorities. Before the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting, top Indonesian diplomat Retno Marsudi met Wunna Maung Lwin and Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai in Bangkok on Feb. 24. Retno had said she told Wunna Maung Lwin that the wishes of the Myanmar people must be heard, as she called for an inclusive democratic transition process. At the upcoming special meeting, Indonesia should emphasize the need for a ceasefire and an end to violence, Dinna said. After that, ASEAN needs to mediate talks between the Myanmar military and civilian leaders to allow them to form a government that is acceptable to all, considering Myanmar is ethnically and religiously diverse, she said. Thai-Myanmar border Meanwhile, a joint statement from more than 200 individuals and 56 Thai rights organizations called on Thailands government to give sanctuary to displaced people, who have fled into Thailand in the wake of military strikes in neighboring Karen state. Burmese air strikes on March 27 had targeted villages controlled by Karen National Union (KNU) rebels. On Friday, Thailand said it was providing humanitarian assistance to more than 1,000 people who crossed the border from Myanmar into Thailand last week. The [Thai] state must not deny an asylum request. The security forces must let those asylum seekers who flee from violence and persecution stay in Thailand in compliance with the humanitarian principles and human rights, said the statement posted on the Facebook page of the Friends Without Borders Foundation, a Thai NGO. In the event of an influx of displaced persons from areas of persecution, Thailand should allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) access to such groups so the agency is able to screen people for protection. A Myanmar group that helps people from the state of Shan, which also borders Thailand, expressed grave concern on Friday about the safety of thousands of internally displaced people (IDP) housed in camps. According to a statement from the Shan State Refugee Committee, the army had announced it would start attacking border positions of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), the NGO said in a statement. Like the KNU, RCSS/SSA is also an armed, ethnic insurgent movement. Nontarat Phaicharoen contributed to this report from Bangkok. CORRECTION: An earlier version had wrong information in the name of Brunei's sultan. The inhabitants of Brawie and Lower Axim, in the Nzema East Municipality, woke up Sunday morning to a bizarre sight of live mammals washed ashore. The big fishes, suspected to be dolphins, have brought mixed feelings to the Communities. While some residents described the incident as a good omen for a bumper harvest in the coming fishing season, others said some bad fishing practices might have triggered the incident. Mr George Grant, popularly called Wonder, an eye witness, told the Ghana News Agency, that the suspected dolphins became the talk of the town for the whole day. He added, "We were here relaxing only to notice sea current wash ashore these fishes to the amazement of most of us here." He said because the fishes were alive, many of the fishermen, particularly the young ones, rushed to the scenes with tricycles and containers to collect the fishes for sale. "The young ones here rushed to collect the fishes for sale without finding out what might have caused their being washed ashore in the communities. I learnt the fishes attract high prices," he added. Meanwhile, Mr Solomon Ampofo, the Natural Resources Coordinator of the Friends of the Nation, said though investigations were ongoing, the washing ashore may be due to accidental caught in tuna purse seine nets, and underwater noise due to acoustic surveys. These seismic interruptions to their normal behavior could drive them away from areas important to their survival such as feeding and breeding grounds. He said pollution from heavy metal and man-made chemical concentrations could also be a contributing factor. Mr Ampofo said the mammals are suspected to be Melon-headed whales or Electra dolphin, little killer whales, or many-toothed blackfish, is a small- to a medium-sized toothed whale of the oceanic dolphin family. He, therefore, called for swift and detailed investigations to ascertain the cause of the incident Mr Ampofo also urged the communities to keep calm and collaborate with investigative authorities and environmentalists to ascertain the cause. "We are urging for greater public awareness and education on the importance of these marine mammals in the oceans and how communities should help protect them," he said. 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 With no competing bloodlines or public rivalries, Jordans royal family has traditionally avoided the high-profile arrests, purges and coups experienced by other monarchies in the Middle East. It is part of the regimes carefully cultivated reputation as a Western-allied bastion of stability in a region often marked by chaos. But the house arrest of Prince Hamzah, another junior royal, and the detention of multiple other high-profile figures, have pushed private rifts into the public eye. Praying that truth and justice will prevail for all the innocent victims of this wicked slander. God bless and keep them safe, Queen Noor, the princes US-born mother, tweeted yesterday. The Jordanian government denied the prince had been arrested. But a video shared with the BBC by his lawyer showed him saying he was not allowed to go out, to communicate with people or to meet with them, because in the meetings that I had been present in or on social media relating to visits that I had made there had been criticism of the government or the king. At a press conference yesterday Ayman Al Safadi, Jordans deputy prime minister, said Prince Hamzah had been communicating with foreign entities and associates inside Jordan in a long-term plan to destabilise the country. Bassem Awadallah, former chief of the royal court; Sharif Hassan Ben Zaid, a royal family member; and 14 other unnamed figures had been detained, he said. The deputy prime minister said Mr Awadallah, who has business ties in several Gulf states, was planning to leave the country and was trying to secure a plane for Prince Hamzahs wife to leave. Mr Safadi said efforts had been made to contain the situation within the family, but steps had to be taken when the suspects moved past the planning stage and began to discuss when they would carry out their plan. Authorities cut communications between Prince Hamzah and the foreign parties. I am not the person responsible for the breakdown in governance, for the corruption, and for the incompetence that has been prevalent in our governing structure for the last 15 to 20 years, and has been getting worse by the year, the prince said in the video. While there have been no public quarrels, relations between Prince Hamzah and his half-brother King Abdullah II are thought to have been strained since the former was stripped of his title as crown prince in 2004. Abdullah came to the throne in 1999 when their father, King Al Hussein bin Talal, died of cancer. He named Prince Hamzah believed to have been the favourite of King Husseins 11 children the crown prince, making him next in line. But he was stripped of his title just five years later when Abdullah gave the role to his eldest son, Al Hussein bin Abdullah II. The schism laid bare at the weekend has been brewing for some time, according to Lina Khatib, Middle East and North Africa director at UK think tank Chatham House. Some members of the royal family have been trying to instrumentalise Jordans economic and governance problems to present themselves as reformists who possess the solution to Jordans challenges, said Ms Khatib. Their narrative seeks to undermine the king, who continues to enjoy wide support in the West. The appearance of cracks in the royal family raised concerns over Jordans stability in both the West and the Middle East, with world leaders offering King Abdullah II their support. It remains unclear whether Prince Hamzah will face charges or will be dealt with by the family internally. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2021) In another departure from the style of his predecessor, President Biden has resisted weighing in during the riveting murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. But the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man whom Chauvin pinned to the ground for nine minutes with his knee on Floyds neck, had a profound impact on the 2020 presidential election. It sparked protests across the country, some of them violent, galvanized African American voters, and narrowed Bidens choices for vice president, leading to the historic selection of Kamala Harris. And when the trial in Minnesota comes to an end, the administration -- and the country -- will be left with a bigger challenge: finding a way to translate broad public support for police reform into sound policy so that tragic incidents like this one do not keep happening. For his part, the president vowed last summer, as clashes erupted between police and protesters, to establish a police oversight commission in his first 100 days. We need each and every police department in the country to undertake a comprehensive review of their hiring, their training and their de-escalation practices, Biden said during remarks in Philadelphia last June. And the federal government should give them the tools and resources they need to implement reforms. Biden still has several weeks to fulfill that pledge although he hasnt provided any indication that he has begun the process. In his first two-plus months in office, the president obviously has been consumed with other pressing matters, including a humanitarian crisis at the border and the COVID vaccination rollout. Pressed this week on whether Biden is on track to fulfill the police commission pledge, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki pointed to the presidents support for a police reform bill that passed the House in early March on a mainly party-line vote. That measure is stuck in the Senate with no sign of movement without a change to the upper chambers filibuster rules. This bill is an opportunity to put in place a number of the actions that he, that many in the advocacy community, feel are imperative at this point in our nations history, Psaki said. Dubbed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the legislation would ban chokeholds and roll back so-called qualified immunity for law enforcement, a big change to legal doctrine that would make it easier to pursue claims of police misconduct in court. The wide-ranging measure would also ban no-knock warrants in certain cases, require data collection on police encounters, prohibit racial and religious profiling and provide more funding for community-based policing programs. Never again should an unarmed individual be murdered or brutalized by someone who is supposed to serve and protect them, Rep. Karen Bass, a California Democrat, said in a statement when the bill passed the House on March 3. Never again should the world be subject to witnessing what we saw happen to George Floyd. But a similar House bill passed last year only to die in the Senate, where Republicans have long opposed lifting qualified immunity protections for police in any significant way. We have work to do in the Senate, Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, told RealClearPolitics. The Senate is notoriously slow we are working very hard to make sure that [senators] know that the provisions of the bill are very popular. The Democrats messaging strategy, Muriel said, should cite several polls showing widespread support for laws making it easier to hold police accountable for misconduct. A Pew Research Center survey in July found that 66% of respondents believe citizens should have the power to sue police officers for using excessive force. But the issue is far more complicated when questions about cutting funding to law enforcement are added to the mix. The same poll found that just 25% of Americans say spending on policing in their area should be decreased. While liberals talk about reforming the police and defunding their departments in the same breath, that widespread opposition to defunding initiatives has made it a radioactive issue for many Democrats, especially in more moderate states and localities. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a centrist Democrat from a Virginia battleground district, angrily told House progressives after the November election that their defund the police movement nearly cost her her seat and was likely responsible for other Democrats losing theirs in swing districts across the country. While Biden won the presidency by more than 7 million votes, Democrats suffered a loss of 13 House seats, leaving them with a very slim majority. And cities such as Minneapolis and Los Angeles that decreased police funding in the wake of last years racial unrest have experienced huge spikes in violent crime and have since backtracked after residents complaints that more police officers were needed. During his campaign, Biden distanced himself from the defunding movement, calling instead for more money for training and citing the need for different tactics, including non-police responses for mental health emergencies. During a meeting in Georgia ahead of the January Senate runoff elections, Biden urged civil rights leaders to avoid bringing up the issue of police reform because Republicans had successfully labeled Democrats in swing districts as anti-police. That's how they beat the living hell out of us across the country, saying that we're talking about defunding the police, he told the gathering. We're not. We're talking about holding them accountable. We're talking about giving them money to do the right things. With an eye on the 2022 midterms, Republicans this year have continued to use the defund the police movement as a cudgel against Democrats. When the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed the House last month, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said unfunded mandates in the measure would cost police departments hundreds of millions of dollars the equivalent of taking 3,000 cops off the streets. Our men and women in uniform deserve better, he tweeted. With both sides in perpetual campaign mode at the national level, theres little chance to make headway on police reform in Congress, lament those who have tried and failed. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only black Republican serving in the upper chamber, last year worked to forge a middle ground but has grown increasingly frustrated by what he views as Democrats unwillingness to compromise and pass legislation that both sides can support. Amid last years violent protests over Floyds death, along with several other black men and at least one woman who died at the hands of police, Scott spoke up about his own unsettling encounters with law enforcement, including one year in which he was stopped by police seven times. I, like many other Black Americans, have found myself choking on my own fears and disbelief when faced with the realities of an encounter with law enforcement, he wrote in an op-ed in USA Today. Scott then authored a bill that he says overlaps with the leading Democratic police reform legislation and includes action aimed at ending police use of chokeholds by withholding funds from localities that dont ban the practice. Among numerous other provisions, Scotts measure, like the Democrats version, would provide more funding for community-based policing programs and require data collection on policing practices. It would also create grant programs for police body-warn cameras, along with imposing penalties for failing to ensure the correct usage of them. The bill, however, lacked the main element Democrats have been pushing: It did not include any changes to qualified immunity -- the legal doctrine that protects police and other government workers from being held personally liable for misconduct except in very limited circumstances. The same Democrats who today are excoriating the Senates filibuster tradition filibustered Scotts measure last summer when Republicans held the majority, preventing it from reaching the floor for a vote. Scott says hes open to modifying the immunity protections, but nearly all of his Republican colleagues view such efforts as poison pills something too many of their supporters would never accept. Leadership starts at the top full stop, Scott told RealClearPolitics in a statement. I am open to having conversations on civil qualified immunity as it relates to police departments, cities and municipalities being held accountable for the actions of those they employ. But, he added, hes disappointed that the House has decided to vote on a partisan bill in an attempt to fix a non-partisan issue. I hope my friends on the other side of the aisle will come to the table to find common ground where we can make meaningful changes that will bring us closer to the goal of a more just country, he concluded. But without nuking the filibuster, the immunity issue remains a stumbling block for changes to federal law that would impact the entire country. In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court provided a qualified immunity exception to protect government officials from being sued if they were acting in good faith and didnt know that what they were doing was illegal. Knowledgeable reformers also emphasize that the administration need not wait for changes on Capitol Hill. Marc Morial, for one, says he would like to see Bidens law enforcement team, once confirmed and installed at the Justice Department, start ushering in changes to police policies across the country that dont require congressional action. Other advocates for imposing more accountability measures are looking to states to blaze the reform trail. Keith Neely, an attorney at Institute for Justice, a libertarian nonprofit, notes that Colorado and New Mexico have passed ground-breaking new laws aimed at limiting qualified immunity when police have engaged in proven misconduct. Colorados law allows police who violate peoples civil rights to be held personally responsible in civil court if local authorities rule that the officer wasnt acting under reasonable belief that the action was lawful. Officer fines would be capped at 5% of the damages, up to $25,000 of their own money, while cities and counties would be forced to pick up the tab for most cases of alleged police misconduct that doesnt meet the reasonable belief threshold. New Mexico passed a similar measure, though it requires cities, not individual officers, to pay fines and other court-ordered restitution. That bill is still awaiting the governors signature while similar measures limiting immunity have been introduced in states as diverse as New Hampshire and Texas. Police unions, including the largest, the Fraternal Order of Police, have strongly opposed the idea of rolling back these protections. Doing so, the unions argue, would severely hurt cities ability to recruit and retain officers. People think that police officers have a free rein to do whatever they want and they are not held accountable, but thats not true, Rob Pride, a Loveland, Colo., police sergeant and the highest ranking black member of the union, said in an interview with the Marshall Project (an online journalism nonprofit focusing on criminal justice issues) that qualified immunity does not prevent police departments from firing officers. But reformers are looking for more than cities finding the backbone to fire rogue officers after the fact -- the Minneapolis Police Department fired Chauvin the day after Floyds death. They want to prevent such violent events from taking place. Holding localities responsible for writing bigger checks for legal payouts will likely make them vet their law enforcement employees more carefully and provide more training to prevent misconduct, Neely said. Thats the mindset taking root in Colorado and New Mexico, where Democrats control the governors office and the legislature. Some advocates believe states are a better venue for these types of reforms because they can tailor them to local needs rather than be forced to accept one-size-fits-all marching orders from the federal government. For instance, a compromise in Colorados reform law gives local city leaders not an independent oversight agency the role of deciding whether an officer acted in good faith and, therefore, doesnt have to personally pay damages. Federalism allows for states to serve as the laboratories of democracy, and I think thats true, Neely said. States have this unique ability to try new, innovative policies on the local level that folks arent ready for on a federal level or may not work properly at a national level. For instance, Neely said, changing state law could shift the legal venue for many of these police brutality cases. Americans are allowed to sue law enforcement or other government officials who they believe violated their constitutional rights, and most of these cases have been brought in federal court because state courts traditionally offered fewer civil rights protections. States that weakened qualified immunity protections for police could start seeing far more cases. Its impressive what the states have already been able to accomplish, Neely said. And I have every reason for optimism that progress will continue to move forward at the state level, and that states will be the driving force for national change. People go to see blooming cherry trees in Tokyo, Japan, on March 27, 2021. Ahmet Furkan Mercan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Cherry blossoms bloomed ahead of schedule in Japan this year. Experts say that climate change is playing a role in the progressively earlier blooms. A researcher says the March 26 bloom in Kyoto was the earliest in more than 1,200 years. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Cherry blossom trees are blooming ahead of schedule in Japan this year, and experts say it's a symptom of climate change. The sakura trees in Kyoto reached peak bloom on March 26 this year, the earliest since the Japan Meteorological Agency first started collecting data in 1953, according to the Associated Press. And there's evidence that it could be the earliest of all time. Yasuyuki Aono, a researcher at Osaka Prefecture University, looked through records going back to 812 AD and found the earliest peak bloom day to be a day later, on March 27, in the years 1612, 1409, and 1236, according to the CNN and the AP. But Aono didn't have data for some years. Tokyo also experienced an earlier-than-usual full bloom on March 22, the second-earliest date on record. People wearing face masks walk under cherry blossom at the Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, Japan, on March 27, 2021. Viola Kam/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Across the Pacific in the United States, the cherry blossom trees in Washington, DC were ahead of schedule as well. According to The Guardian, the DC cherry blossoms reached peak bloom four days ahead of the 30-year-average date of April 1. The cherry blossoms on the National Mall now reach peak bloom six days sooner than they did 100 years ago, according to The Guardian. "We can say it's most likely because of the impact of the global warming," Shunji Anbe, an official at the observations division at the Japan Meteorological Agency, told the AP about the early cherry blooms in Japan. Cherry blossoms are among the first plants to bloom in the spring, and their blossoms last typically for just two weeks before falling. Two people sit under blooming Japanese cherry blossom trees along the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, on Monday, March 29, 2021. Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images The progressively earlier blooms are impacted by two factors - urbanization and climate change, Amos Tai, a professor of earth science at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told CNN. Story continues As cities get bigger, they tend to be warmer than surrounding rural areas, leading to earlier blooms for trees in cities. But Tai says the bigger impact on the earlier blooms is climate change, which involves rising temperatures around the world. In Kyoto, for example, the average temperature for March has climbed to 51 degrees Fahrenheit in 2020 from 47.5 in 1953. The earlier blooms will have serious consequences on the intricate ecosystem that cherry blossom trees are part of, Tai told CNN. For example, insects whose life cycles are timed to the bloom could finish their growth once the trees are already done blooming, and thus miss out on the nutrients. "Ecosystems are not accustomed to these kinds of large fluctuations, it causes them a lot of stress," said Tai. "Productivity may be reduced, and ecosystems may even collapse in the future." Read the original article on Insider 2 million heroes honored via database for festival By ZHANG YANGFEI (China Daily) 13:56, April 05, 2021 The parents of Xiao Siyuan, a People's Liberation Army soldier who died at age 24, pay tribute to their son in Xinxiang, Henan province, on Sunday during the Tomb Sweeping Day, a festival to commemorate the dead. Xiao is one of four martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect China's national sovereignty and territory during the Sino-Indian border clash in June. [Photo by Yuan Xiaoqiang/For China Daily] Chinese people across the country paid tribute to nearly 2 million martyrs online during Tomb Sweeping Day on Sunday. A Chinese official website specially dedicated to martyrs launched an event for the annual festival so people could pay their respects via an online platform to those who gave their lives. The site has a searchable database listing 2 million heroes by name whom visitors could choose to honor, sweep their tombs and leave flower baskets. As of 10 pm Sunday, the website showed that more than 23 million people had mourned fallen heroes. Speaking of the festival, President Xi Jinping has said that heroes always charge forward when a calamity occurs and this embodies the great spirit of the Chinese nation. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the Chinese nation worships heroes and gives birth to a multitude of heroes. He said the accomplishments of the revolutionary martyrs will go down in history and their names will never be forgotten. The purpose of learning from the heroes, he said, is to apply their spirit in one's everyday work and demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility toward people's lives and safety. Honoring martyrs has always been part of the tradition of this festival, and this year, in keeping with the continuing COVID-19 pandemic precautions, online services enabled people to honor the deceased while avoiding mass gatherings. People from across China left comments on the martyrs website. A user from Shandong province said, "A tribute to the people's heroes, without whose sacrifice, we would not have a better life." Qiao Peiyuan, a high school student from Henan province, said: "Honor the martyrs. The martyrs of the revolution never die! May we remember them and contribute our efforts to building China!" After the event on the website, netizens used various ways of honoring martyrs on social media. On Sina Weibo, a microblogging platform, netizens discussed many topics and some of these threads soon garnered millions of comments. The topics included "The People's Heroes Never Die", "They Are Alive So Long As We Remember Them", "We Will Always Remember You" and "They Dedicated Their Last Heartbeat to the People of Their Country". China Central Television's official online account posted on Saturday night a video of three minutes of silence and called on netizens to repost it and to observe the silent vigil themselves. The video was reposted more than 4 million times. "I am truly and deeply grateful to and remember the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in order to bring us the peace we have today," said Su Hanglu of Sichuan province. "China has suffered so much. What's written in history books are just nonemotional lines but the hardships and suffering those martyrs went through are unimaginable. Each and every one of them deserves to be remembered," she said. (Web editor: Du Mingming, Bianji) Today the senior Missouri Senator took center stage in the ongoing national debate over EPIC government spending. Here's a breakdown of the conversation . . . Politico: Sen. Blunt sees 'easy win' if infrastructure plan scaled back Fox News: Blunt - Biden 'infrastructure' bill should be 30% of current level, slams partisan add-ons as 'big mistake' CNBC: Republican Sen. Roy Blunt calls on Biden to slash massive infrastructure plan to $615 billion Raw Story: Chris Wallace nails Roy Blunt for GOP spending hypocrisy: 'Haven't you lost your credibility' on the deficit? For those who want a deep dive, here's a glimpse at the conversation in its entirety . . . You decide . . . A Texas high school teacher has landed in hot water after giving freshman students in his communications class an assignment to watch the Derek Chauvin trial and act as mock jurors without their parents' consent. Chauvin, 45, a former Minneapolis police officer, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter stemming from the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in May 2020. Some parents of students attending Cedar Hill High School in suburban Dallas were shocked to learn last week that their children have been shown portions of the high-profile trial, including video of Chauvin's kneeling on Floyd's neck. Scroll down for video Parents at Cedar Hill High School in suburban Dallas exploded in rage after learning that a teacher had assigned a project to students watch the Derek Chauvin trial without their consent Chauvin, 45, a former Minneapolis police officer, is on trial in Minnesota in connection with the May 2020 death of George Floyd (pictured in court on March 30) Parents sent a letter to the communications teacher last week, expressing their dismay over the school project revolving around the trial The disturbing recording of Floyd being pinned down by Chauvin for nearly nine minutes and saying 'I can't breathe' has been widely circulated on social media and in news reports, and has ignited mass protests against police brutality and systemic racism. Cedar Hill parents on Friday sent a letter to the teacher, expressing their dismay over the school project revolving around the Chauvin trial, reported WFAA. 'It is unfathomable to me that you felt it appropriate to force my child to watch George Floyd's murder on television in your classroom, and then move on with his day as if nothing had happened,' the letter stated in part. According to the parents, the teacher, who has not been publicly named, failed to seek their consent and instructed the students acting as mock jurors to not discuss what they saw during the trial with anyone for six weeks. It was only after the parents complained to school officials that the teacher allegedly sent a letter home, explaining the classroom assignment. The project entailed having the students watch the livestream of the trial, now entering its second week, for about 45 minutes in class, and then more at home on their own. Freshman students were shown a livestream of the trial last week, including video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck (left). Floyd, 46, died after saying he could not breathe It was not until parents complained that the communications teacher sent them a note, detailing the project Students were barred from discussing the trial proceedings with their families 'They may not text discuss what they hear with friends, siblings, or relatives not even the family dog,' the teacher wrote. 'I'm kidding.' Cedar Hill Principal Jason Miller reportedly sided with the parents, saying the project was not 'age-appropriate' Parents clapped back at the teacher, accusing him of showing high school freshmen a 'triggering and traumatizing' video, and them sending them off 'to handle their own emotional and mental health' without professional help. Cedar Hill Principal Jason Miller reportedly sided with the parents. 'I dont feel that viewing and discussing this case in school is age-appropriate for scholars,' Miller was said to have written in a note to families. The school district issued a statement on Friday, distancing itself from the controversial assignment. 'The assignment was not approved by campus or district administrators,' it stated. 'The matter has been addressed with the teacher, and the assignment was removed.' Chauvin's trial in Minneapolis is expected to last six or seven weeks. The first week was dominated by emotional testimony from eyewitnesses and video of Floyds arrest, in which the man could be heard crying out 'momma!' while being restrained by Chauvin. Prosecutors say Chauvins knee killed Floyd. The defense argues that Chauvin did what he was trained to do and that Floyds use of drugs and underlying health conditions caused his death. Boris Johnson is set to outline a traffic light system central to the governments plan to open up foreign travel while preventing Covid variants finding their way into the UK. Ministers have said the current lockdown ban on international travel will remain until at least 17 May, with the governments global travel task force due to report on recommendations for next steps on 12 April. But on Monday the PM is expected to set out a system under which countries are assessed across a range of factors and assigned one of three risk ratings. It comes as the government seeks to roll out a raft of measures to see a return to normal life following the rapid rollout of the UKs vaccine programme, with Covid status certificates among the measures being trialled ahead of the return of mass attendance events. For international travel, countries will be assessed on factors including the proportion of the population that has been vaccinated, rates of infection, the presence of emerging new variants, and access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing. Read more: Travellers returning from green rated countries who undergo pre-departure and post-arrival testing will be free to return to daily life on their arrival in the country with no need to isolate. For those classed as "amber, restrictions will remain as they are with arrivals required isolate at home for 10 days. Travel from red countries will remain banned apart for from UK residents, who will continue to be ordered to quarantine in designated hotels. The government has said it still too early to predict which countries would be on which list and continue to advise against booking holidays abroad this summer. There are currently 39 nations on the UKs red list, including the Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh, which will subject to the restrictions from 9 April. But the government has so far avoided placing European nations popular with UK tourists, such France and Italy, on the list despite surging infections. Industry body Airlines UK, which has been calling for some type of traffic light system, said it was vital that mass air travel was able to resume soon. There are tens of thousands of jobs dependent upon aviation and the sector cannot survive another lost summer with little or no revenue, said chief executive Tim Alderslade. We can do this proportionately and in a risk-based way, its not a question of opening up the border to every country out there. If there are concerns about variants restrictions will remain but where it is safe to do so we need to start the process of opening up. We cannot with a straight face talk about Global Britain without aviation. The new travel rules come as the government also conducts a social distancing review looking into ways of allowing closer contact between friends and families, enabling greater capacity on public transport, and reduce spacing requirements within venues and workplaces. Additional reporting by agencies Iti doresti o presa libera si independenta, care nu da inapoi cand vine vorba de respectarea standardelor profesionale, refuza sa se lase cenzurata, sustine independenta justitiei, transparenta decizionala si valorile democratice. Alege sa o sustii. SOFIA -- Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's center-right party is set to come in first in the countrys April 4 parliamentary elections, but it could struggle to form a ruling coalition after parties behind large-scale, anti-government protests last summer won a large share of the vote. With nearly all of the ballots counted, the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party was ahead with 26 percent of the vote, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said, putting it on track for its worst performance since Borisov formed it about 15 years ago. There Is Such A People, a new, anti-establishment party formed by popular Bulgarian talk-show host Stanislav Trifonov, was running second with 17.9 percent, followed by the Socialist Party, the successor to the Communist Party, with 15 percent, the CEC said. The mostly ethnic Turkish-backed Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) and the liberal, Western-leaning grouping Democratic Bulgaria were next with 9.9 percent and 9.7 percent of the vote, respectively. Get Up! Get Out!, a new, center-left alliance launched by former Ombudsman Maya Manolov, received 4.8 percent of the vote. No other party received more than the 4 percent minimum required to enter parliament. The results were a clear blow for the GERB party and the Socialist Party, which posted its worst parliamentary election performance since the collapse of communism in 1989. The GERB party is expected to get about 70 seats in the 240-seat legislature, but it will need at least 121 seats to form a new, stable government. That will not be easy, analysts said. Nationalist parties, the GERB partys main coalition partners over the past four years, did not receive enough votes to enter parliament. Several of the parties that did make it into parliament have vowed not to work with the GERB party. As the outcome of the election became clear, Borisov, 61, called on his opponents to join forces to form a government. I offer you peace. I offer that we put together experts and people who will undertake the [government] responsibilities, Borisov said in a video on Facebook. In a clear knock at his novice opponents like Trifonov, Borisov claimed he was better positioned to lead the Bulgaria, especially in a time of crisis. You have no expertise. You have no people. You don't understand things. You need to learn, while our potential is huge, Borisov told his opponents. Borisov has served as prime minister for nearly the entire period since 2009 with a brief stint out of office in 2013-14. Emilia Zankina, a Bulgaria expert and dean of Temple Universitys Rome campus, told RFE/RL prior to the election that it would be almost impossible for the GERB party and Borisov to form a ruling coalition because the parties expected to make it into parliament were so ideologically incongruent. "I dont see this government [under the GERB party] lasting too long," she said. Parvan Simeonov, a Sofia-based political analyst for Gallup International, told RFE/RL on April 5 that the weak performance by the GERB party and the Socialists Party -- the nations two dominant parties since the late 2000s -- indicates a strong preference in Bulgarian society for change. The analyst said the three parties behind the anti-corruption protests in the summer -- There Is Such A People, Democratic Bulgaria, and Get Up!, Get Out! -- could potentially form a ruling coalition government with the tacit support of the Socialist Party. There still could be some behind-the-scenes arrangement [to keep Borisov in power], but I think Bulgarian society would not let him form another government, said Simeonov, adding there could be more protests if the prime minister seeks to hang on. If the six parties are unable to form a coalition government, the constitution requires the president to appoint an interim government to prepare for new parliamentary elections later in the year. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa Donald Trumps fundraising campaign has been accused of duping supporters into making repeated donations as it accumulated a massive war chest in the run-up to the presidential election. The key to the operation was the small print in the fundraising emails sent out by the Trump campaign and WinRed, the company that processed the donations. A box making the donations recurring, rather than a one-off, was ticked in advance authorising the campaign to continue taking money. It led to a flood of additional donations but also hit supporters with sizeable credit card bills they were not expecting. According to The New York Times, banks and credit card companies were inundated with fraud complaints. Several donors complained about what they regarded as sharp practice. I made a donation to President Trumps campaign and Lindsey Grahams campaign, said Jeff Kropf, director of the Oregon Capitol Watch Foundation, a conservative group. I was very diligent to check all the boxes on the website that made it a non-recurring donation, but they did it anyway. It overdrew my account and I was hit with bank charges. I was very upset and I sent them an email straight away and they did reverse all the donations. In fact, I only wanted to reverse the recurring donations. Describing the tactic as deceptive, Mr Kropf added: They should make recurring donations something that you choose rather than automatic. I have a radio show and the advice I give is that people should write the candidate a cheque. That is what I do. Victor Amelino (78), a California retiree, also found he was donating far more than he intended to the campaign. Somehow they got hold of my account and they were taking money from my account, Mr Amelino said. I would call them bandits. It is over and done with. WinRed also raised money for several Republican Senate campaigns. Keith Millhouse, a California transport consultant, chose to donate money to David Perdue, a Republican Senate candidate in Georgia, believing that the US would be better served if the Democrats did not control all three branches of government. He intended to make a $100 donation, but found further payments were deducted taking the total to $400. An investigation by The New York Times established the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee eventually made 530,000 refunds to donors, worth $64.3m. WinRed denied sharp practice, dismissing The New York Times article as a hit piece. Describing it as misleading, the company added: Its not surprising that the Times would target WinRed. Weve been at the forefront of helping the GOP revolutionise our online fundraising game. The Trump campaign did not reply to a request for comment. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2021) Read More Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] AMMAN, Jordan A rare public rift within the Jordanian ruling family seemed to edge toward resolution late Monday, as the royal house first announced that King Abdullah II and his estranged half brother, Prince Hamzah, had agreed to mediation measures, and then released a statement in which the prince was quoted as pledging loyalty to the king. The royal court said Prince Hassan an uncle of the two men, and brother of former King Hussein had helped settle their long-simmering dispute, which exploded into public view on Saturday when Prince Hamzah was accused of having plotted to undermine the countrys security. The uncles intervention seemed to quickly de-escalate a standoff that had sent jitters through Jordans foreign allies who value the kingdom as an oasis of relative calm in a tense region; as a key partner in military efforts to curb Islamist extremism; and as an important player in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Within hours of the mediation announcement, the palace released a second statement, bearing Prince Hamzahs signature, in which he was quoted as praising the king and confirming his fealty. Kate Winslet has revealed she and Saoirse Ronan shared 'private things' from their own lives to better understand their characters in 'Ammonite'. The actresses portray lovers Mary Anning and her close friend Charlotte Murchison in Francis Lee's historical drama. Kate, 45, admitted they had an intimate conversation about their 'own paths' when discussing the issue of whether straight actors should play gay roles. Co-stars: Kate Winslet has revealed she and Saoirse Ronan shared 'private things' from their own lives to better understand their characters in 'Ammonite' Asked if she was aware of the criticism her casting could have faced, Kate told Attitude magazine: 'I was aware of that, yeah. I would be foolish to say that I wasn't aware that people may feel that way. 'You know, I can tell you that there were private things shared between myself and Francis and Saoirse connected to our own paths et cetera that we felt were relevant to add to these characters and those aren't things that I'd be really sharing publicly.' The Oscar-winning star admitted the 'balance is off' when it comes to equality on screen but she hopes that simply by telling more LGBTQ stories in cinema, more casting opportunities will ultimately be created. She said: 'It's like I said before, the balance is off, right? I mean, let's be real here: there are a lot more known straight actors in the mainstream than there are LGBTQ actors, and we definitely need to right that balance Characters: The actresses portray lovers Mary Anning and her close friend Charlotte Murchison in Francis Lee's historical drama Kate added that she thinks there is a 'serious lack' of LGBTQ films that make their way into mainstream which she hopes will change. The film star added that she hopes by telling more LGBTQ stories, it might make LGBTQ actors feel more celebrated and welcomed. Kate hopes she can 'contribute' to a shift in storytelling attitudes with her own work. She added: 'I hope that by being a part of this film and normalising a same-sex connection in this way, I really, really hope it will inspire LGBTQ performers to feel just to feel more celebrated, and to hopefully change this.' It comes after Kate claimed gay Hollywood actors are keeping their sexuality secret as they fear it will destroy their careers and stop them being cast in straight roles. Conversation: Kate, 45, admitted they had an intimate conversation about their 'own paths' when discussing the issue of whether straight actors should play gay roles The actress said she was aware of 'at least four actors' who weren't making their sexuality public as they were 'terrified' it will 'stand in the way'. Kate told The Times' Culture Magazine: 'I cannot tell you the number of young actors I know - some well known, some starting out - who are terrified their sexuality will be revealed and that it will stand in the way of their being cast in straight roles.' The Titanic actress also told of a 'well-known actor' who was told not to 'publicise' the fact they were bisexual by their American agent. Kate said the film industry harboured 'judgment, discrimination and homophobia' and said the secrecy was 'painful' for the actors who fear their careers will be compromised if they come out. The comments come as both the BAFTAs and Oscars failed to nominate anyone openly gay or bisexual in the main acting categories. She said: 'There were private things shared between myself and Francis and Saoirse connected to our own paths et cetera that we felt were relevant to add to these characters' Last year, the BAFTAs were the subject of controversy, after it was revealed that all of the major category nominees were white. Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, admitted she was 'very disappointed' over the lack of diversity following the 2020 nomination announcement, which saw not a single actor of colour honoured. Jose Arroyo, a film studies professor at Warwick University, told The Times: 'People aren't in the closet because they want to be [but] because they're safer there. Hollywood is commercial, it is about selling ideas and desires ... If an audience sees you with disgust or disdain, it is obviously an inhibition to the money men.' Kate also revealed she has been asked more about the lesbian love scenes in her Ammonite than any heterosexual roles she has taken on. She told Digital Spy: 'I definitely feel a sort of a duty to serve Mary Anning. Still. And of course, the story. 'The story is so much about her, and her remarkable achievements that were unsung, unknown, reappropriated by men, taken from her wrongfully.' In February It's A Sin writer Russell T Davies urged Hollywood stars to turn down gay roles in films and instead encourage producers to instead cast an LGBT actor. Ammonite: Kate added that she thinks there is a 'serious lack' of LGBTQ films that make their way into mainstream which she hopes will change The 57-year-old producer said famous gay actors 'don't exist to lead blockbusters' and straight actors must 'step aside' to help them get more opportunities. All the gay characters in his Channel 4 drama, which chronicles the lives and deaths of a group of friends in the 1980s AIDS epidemic, are played by LGBT actors. But Swansea-born Davies, who is gay, admitted his house was 'built off straight people who played gay parts' and said any change has to begin at 'ground level'. It comes after Davies caused much debate after claiming only gay actors should play gay characters in film and TV to ensure an authentic portrayal. Medical experts have revealed that the late archbishop of Kampala Diocese Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga died of a heart attack. This has been revealed by the Kampala Diocese Assistant Health Coordinator Dr Andrew Ssekitoleko during a requiem mass for the late Lwanga held this afternoon at Rubaga Cathedral. He says the post-mortem was conducted by 4 pathologists at Mulago National Referral hospital on Saturday after he was found dead in his house earlier in the morning. Dr Ssekitoleko says this conclusion is consistent with the late Lwangas health history. Todays requiem mass was led by Paul Ssemwogerere, the Bishop of Kasana-Luwero diocese. Another will be held at the deceaseds ancestral home in Kyabakadde, Lugazi Diocese starting at midday, led by Christopher Kyazze, the Bishop of Lugazi Diocese. Another requiem mass to be held on Wednesday at Namugongo Catholic Shrine starting at 10am, shall be preceded by public viewing of the body between 8-9:30am. Archbishop Lwanga who died at the age of 68 is to be laid to rest at Lubaga Cathedral on Thursday. In February 2020, the Evangelical Free Church of Bemidji in Minnesota finally purchased a baptismal tank, eager to conduct baptisms in its building rather than offsite at a local university swimming pool or nearby lake. After putting baptisms on hold during the pandemic, the churchs pastor asked a teenaged believer to take off his mask and plug his nose as he became the first to undergo the sacrament in the new wooden baptistry on Easter Sunday14 months later. In addition to some churches opening their doors for the first time in over a year, the holiday marked a delayed chance to celebrate new life through baptism, a practice that represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus commemorated during Holy Week. We are thrilled that we not only are able to gather for worship in person this Easter but also that we are able to have these baptisms as a part of our Easter celebration, said associate pastor Eric Nygren. To reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, the Evangelical Free Church baptized a set of two siblings during one of its services on Sunday; each shared their testimony by video before stepping up to be baptized before the congregation. Last year, when only 7 percent of churches were meeting in person, churches had to call off baptisms or, in some cases, adapt the practice as they got creative with other aspects of Easter services. One Florida church held Zoom baptisms where new believers baptized themselves in bathtubs or swimming pools while the congregation watched online. By the second Easter of the pandemic, church attendance for Easter had risen but wasnt back to typical levels; around 2 in 5 Christians (39%) said they planned to go in person this year, compared to the 62 percent who normally do, Pew Research found. As church buildings slowly welcome more and more congregants through their doors, theyll have the chance to celebrate new converts who made decisions to be baptized during the pandemic. After a year during which death has hovered so near, baptisms feel like ushering in a new era of church fellowship. While the Catholic Church traditionally holds baptisms for adults joining the church during its Easter Vigil, some Protestant churches had bigger-than-average baptism celebrations this Easter due to postponing the practice during the pandemic. Outdoors and indoors, babies and professing believers, churches added to their numbers during the Sunday services: 82 people baptized at First Baptist Church of Cleveland, Tennessee; 45 baptized at Christ Place Church in Flowery Branch, Georgia; dozens at a beachside service by Coastline Calvary Chapel in Pensacola, Florida; and on and oneach a tangible sign of how God has continued to grow his church despite the challenges of the past year. On Easter Sunday at Tanglewood Bible Fellowship, David Shields baptized two converts who found the Duncan, Oklahoma, church during the pandemic. One became a believer a few weeks ago. Every single person who has visited our church has said they heard about us and watched us online before, said Shields, who went from doubting the effectiveness of virtual services to seeing them as his churchs greatest community outreach. He became the Tanglewoods senior pastor just three weeks before the pandemic shut down worship services in March 2020 and believes the Lord has blessed their efforts to continue to preach his Word through the video services. Nygren has also seen streaming services as a boon. Though his Evangelical Free congregation had a livestreamed service before 2020, more new visitors are finding the church online and following up by coming in person now that cases are down and more people are vaccinated. Next Sunday, a week after Easter, New Life Church in Colorado Springs will baptize more than 100 new converts during its second baptism service since the pandemic began. The church consulted with local health officials to ensure that symbolic life in Christ didnt coincide with real-life outbreaks of COVID-19. By alternating tanks, regularly disinfecting the water, and wearing masks and shields, the church got approval for mass baptisms. Senior pastor Brady Boyd believes the pandemic has stirred within people a hunger for the gospel that he has never before seen in nearly 25 years of pastoral ministry. Each week, New Life has 5,000 live worshipers at its eight congregations and another 25,000 streaming the service online. The church bought airtime on its local ABC affiliate to broadcast the service each Sunday. Even in the midst of the pandemic, the gospel didnt get stopped, and people are responding to it, Boyd said. As Christ followers, we need to be reminded that the gospel is more powerful than anything. Among evangelical Protestants, Pew found that nearly 2 in 5 (37%) say the pandemic has strengthened their faith. The teenager baptized Sunday at the Evangelical Free Church of Bemidji described being inspired by an audiobook about Brother Andrew. I want him to be at work in my life like he was in Brother Andrews life, he said in remarks prior to his baptism. Ive started reading the Bible not just out of habit, but because I want to learn more about Jesus. As Myanmars military leaders continue to restrict internet use, some pro-democracy activists have turned to radio to get their message out. On April 1, operators of Federal FM Radio launched their new station. They say the unregistered station aims to provide citizens with information about events happening around the country without the influence of military propaganda. It will also seek to inform listeners about the idea of federalism a political system in which power is divided between the national and local governments. Last week, Myanmars military rulers ordered the countrys wireless internet services to halt operations. Local internet providers in the country said the order suspended all wireless internet data services until further notice. The military overthrew Myanmars elected government on February 1. The new rulers immediately ordered restrictions on internet use and also have closed many independent media organizations. A founding member of Federal FM Radio spoke to VOA about the station. When the internet is cut off, the federal radio will be the means of communication and to communicate with each other, the member said. The person did not want to be identified for security reasons. The individual said the station will provide information to pro-democracy leaders in different areas and can be used as a powerful weapon against the military government. One (purpose) is to educate, to inform about federalism, the person told VOA. The first listeners were in Yangon, but there are plans to expand radio service to the whole country. Organizers say the non-profit program is made up of community volunteers. One state-run newspaper reported that Myanmars Military Council declared it planned to take action against the program because it is not a registered broadcasting organization. One organizer admitted there were clear dangers for people involved with the station. In an effort to protect the workers, the group tries to carry out its activities evasively, the person said. A Federal FM announcer told VOA that the stations main goal is to publicize the idea that a federal democratic union would be the best political system for the future of Myanmar. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, gained independence in 1948 from Britain. But most of its modern history has been governed under military rule. In 2015, the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the countrys first open democratic election. The latest military takeover took place on the day newly elected lawmakers were supposed to take their seats in Parliament. The generals said they seized power because of wrongdoing in elections in November. The military also detained Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. Large pro-democracy demonstrations began across Myanmar soon after the military seized power. The protesters are demanding that the military return power to the democratically elected government. The government has answered the activism with bullets, tanks and airstrikes targeting demonstrations. The group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners estimates that thousands of people have been detained and more than 550 killed. Exiled political prisoners from Myanmar formed the association. Im Bryan Lynn. Tommy Walker reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for Learning English, with additional information from The Associated Press. Caty Weaver was the editor. ________________________________________________________ Words in This Story notice n. a sign or signal giving information about something evasive adj. directed toward avoidance or escape We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. KY 2151 Closure Today in Graves County By West Kentucky Star Staff GRAVES COUNTY - Starting today, drivers in northern Graves County are advised of a two-week closure of KY 2151 between KY 139 and White Mountain Road.The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says the road will be closed at 8 a.m. to allow a culvert that carries a branch of Mayfield Creek to be replaced.The roadway is expected to reopen to traffic on Friday, April 16. John Gray secures Atlanta area location for new Relentless Church campus Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Relentless Church leader John Gray and his wife, Aventer, have settled on a location for their new Atlanta area campus, the couple revealed in an announcement Sunday. In a short video, Gray revealed that they will establish a second campus of their Greenville, South Carolina-based church in Powder Springs, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta with a population of over 15,000. The neighborhood, according to Niche, is one of the best places to live in Georgia and attracts many families and young professionals. Were getting ready to drive up onto the campus of a miracle. Were gonna fill this campus with the love of Christ, Gray said in the promotional video for the campus as his wife Aventer smilingly agreed. And were going to diffuse hope to hurting people and were going to grow and build disciples. Were getting ready to create an atmosphere where everyone knows they belong. The new campus located at 4665 Macland Road in Powder Springs was formerly occupied by Seven Springs Church. But the campus was sold to Seven Springs Investors in June 2018, The Greenville News reported. The property was listed for sale on the commercial website LoopNet with a total assessment of over $7.2 million. While Seven Springs Investors will maintain ownership of the property, Gray and Relentless Church have entered into an agreement with the company to use the facility. The Relentless Church pastor told The Greenville News that the church is also "in the process of acquiring the building and is satisfied with the current agreement. Weve been talking about this for two years, but I never knew, I could never see where God wanted us to plant, Gray said in the video. Atlanta is in a moment in time. And I believe that we have something to add to the conversation. Everything thats happening finds a home in this city. I believe that theres space for a church that has a multicultural, multigenerational, uncompromised approach to loving every single human being that walks through the door. We make no apologies for it. Thats the kind of church I want to lead. Thats the kind of man I want to be. He told The Greenville News that the campus will start as a mid-week campus and will not hold weekend services. The first interest meeting for prospective members will be held on April 14. The Relentless Church pastor first announced the idea of an Atlanta campus in December. Gray further noted that his church settled a longstanding property dispute with Redemption Church leaders, Pastors Ron and Hope Carpenter, who own the Greenville campus where Relentless Church is currently based. While the Carpenters sought to evict Relentless Church in an explosive and public dispute, The Greenville News reported last year that the parties reached an undisclosed settlement allowing Relentless Church to remain at the facility. "We are very satisfied with what the courts have decided," Gray told the publication. "Every aspect has now been satisfied." The trans-Tasman travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand could reopen within a week as both countries continue to enjoy low coronavirus cases. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is set to announce the start date of the bubble today, which will allow travellers to fly without needing to quarantine. The first flights are expected to start on April 12 or April 19, according to federal government and industry sources who spoke to The Australian. Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry tourism chief John Hart told the publication 'the 19th was pretty much definite'. 'That's what the airlines have been told and they've already started bookings,' Mr Hart said. New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern is set to announce the start date of the bubble today The trans-Tasman bubble is expected to reopen between New Zealand and Australia on April 19 (pictured: passengers at Sydney Airport) There was earlier speculation the travel bubble could reopen as early as Friday, with Air New Zealand launching flights between Melbourne and Auckland on April 9. The airline is also planning to launch a new route between Auckland and Hobart when the travel bubble reopens. Australian airlines Qantas and Jetstar are preparing to ramp up flights in time for the travel corridors opening. Ms Ardern has said there will be no vaccine requirement when travelling in the trans-Tasman bubble. While travellers from New Zealand could enter some Australian states without undergoing hotel quarantine, once they returned to New Zealand, they had to complete and pay for 14 days of quarantine. When the trans-Tasman bubble reopens, this will no longer be a mandatory requirement. Ms Ardern said New Zealand will be taking a state-by-state approach, with only some Australian states to be included in the bubble. Air New Zealand (pictured) are already offering flights between Auckland and Sydney as well as Melbourne from Friday, April 9. The bubble is not expected to reopen for two weeks The bubble will allow travellers from Australia and New Zealand to travel between the two countries without quarantining (pictured: passengers at Sydney International airport) New Zealanders can currently enter New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory without having to quarantine, but not Western Australia. The decision comes after months of deliberation and pressure from her political opponents. Ms Ardern has walked away from two previous deadlines to create the bubble. Government officials have been tinkering with plans, including regulations for airports, airlines, how to contact trace Kiwis while overseas, and response protocols to Australian outbreaks. One of the conditions of the plan is a separation of airports into 'green zones' for quarantine-free flights and 'red zones' for flights carrying passengers from countries with Covid in the community. Most Australian states have allowed Kiwis to visit without the need for a fortnight of hotel quarantine for months (passenger at Sydney Domestic Airport) Air New Zealand (pictured) is planning on adding additional quarantine-free flights from Auckland to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane from next week Airport executives say they will be ready from mid-April, and health officials are due to inspect Auckland Airport this week with a view to clearing the country's biggest airport for takeoff. The national carrier hopes to fly from NZ's three other international airports, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, when the bubble is announced. Ms Ardern's government built enormous credibility with Kiwis in 2020 by putting a premium on public safety during the pandemic. More than a year after the arrival of coronavirus' arrival to Aotearoa, New Zealanders remain fearful of the return of the deadly virus. Many do not want a bubble, even if Australia's hotspot model has proven effective at containing outbreaks within local environments. NZ first agreed the bubble in May after Ms Ardern attended National Cabinet, with Australian counterpart Scott Morrison and state and territory leaders. Ms Ardern pledged to restore regular travel by September, before Melbourne's major outbreak quashed those hopes. In her final press conference of 2020, she declared the government's new deadline was the end of March - only to see that timeframe sail past again. NZ has managed to restore pre-Covid travel for one country - the Cook Islanders - but only for residents of the closely aligned Pacific nation CLEVELAND, Ohio - The former director of the embryology lab at University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center has blamed administrators and staff for the malfunction that rendered 4,000 embryos and eggs nonviable in 2018. Were talking about a scathing affidavit he filed in court on This Week in the CLE. Listen online here. Editor Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with Leila Atassi and Jane Kahoun. Youve been sending Chris lots of thoughts and suggestions on our from-the-newsroom account, in which he shares what were thinking about at cleveland.com. You can sign up for free by sending a text to 216-868-4802. Here are the questions were answering today: What does the former director of the embryo lab at University Hospitals have to say about the disaster that destroyed 4,000 embryos and eggs in 2018, and what does he accuse hospital attorneys of doing since then? What do Asian Americans in Ohio have to say about Lt. Gov. Jon Husteds use of the term Wuhan virus and his refusal to apologize or acknowledge the legitimacy of their concerns? Whats the latest project of the Vaccine Queens to help more people get protected against the coronavirus, and isnt their latest project supposed to be done by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health? How does todays forecast for the Indians home opener pretty much a holiday in this region compare to the weather for all of the other home openers? Should our newsroom stop reporting that victims in rape cases were intoxicated when they were attacked? What is so special about Intro, the building going up near the West Side Market, that our architecture critic Steve Litt did a pretty deep dive on it? Want more? You can find all our past episodes here. We have an Apple podcasts channel exclusively for this podcast. Subscribe here. Do you get your podcasts on Spotify. Find us here. If you use Stitcher, we are here. RadioPublic is another popular podcast vehicle, and we are here. On Google Podcasts, we are here. On PodParadise, find us here. And on PlayerFM, we are here. Candidates should play fair to the last minute Rival candidates running in the April 7 mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan are indulging themselves more in negative campaigning rather than competing against each other squarely on policies and visions to make the country's two largest cities better places to live in. It is disappointing that the candidates and their parties are still resorting to mudslinging and character assassination with only one day left before the moment of truth. Desperate to win the elections, the candidates from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) have made groundless allegations against each other. For instance, Seoul mayoral candidate Park Young-sun of the DPK has gone too far in attacking her rival Oh Se-hoon of the PPP over his family-owned land in Dogok-dong, southern Seoul. She and her party have repeatedly called on Oh to abandon his candidacy to take responsibility for the controversy over his alleged role in helping his family receive huge compensation for the land designated for a residential development project as former Seoul mayor. Oh's camp strongly countered her and the DPK by saying that Park should not have run for mayor in the first place to abide by her party's previous pledge not to field a candidate in a constituency where the party-affiliated head quits over misdeeds such as sexual harassment. Oh pointed to the case of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon who committed suicide following allegations of sexual harassment by his secretary. He called out Park and her party for breaking this pledge, calling them liars during a TV debate late Monday night. Voters are already fed up with the candidates' slanderous remarks against each other. All candidates should engage in fair competition by presenting better ideas and policies. The turnout for early voting in Seoul and Busan on April 2 and 3 reached 20.54 percent, breaking the record of 19.4 percent set in the Oct. 29, 2014, by-elections. Many experts presumed that more supporters of the opposition candidates than those of the ruling party went to polling stations to hold the Moon Jae-in administration accountable for a set of policy blunders, including a failure to bring soaring housing prices under control. A recent land speculation scandal involving employees of the state-run Korea Land and Housing Corp. has made centrist voters turn their backs on the ruling camp. Both the DPK and the PPP seem to be elated by the higher than expected early voting turnout. The DPK asserts there are still many "shy progressives" or hidden supporters of the party, while the PPP appears self-confident in winning the election. The two parties should bear in mind that an increasing number of people are fed up with their negative campaigns and populist pledges. Oh and Park cannot avoid criticism for their unrealistic and populist campaign promises to drastically increase the housing supply. They also triggered public anger by using slurs. For instance, Oh described President Moon as a "grave Alzheimer's patient" while Park's campaigners called Oh "garbage." It regrettable that the candidates have failed to play fair by presenting handsome policies needed for the nation's capital and second largest city. They have also disappointed the people who are craving a drastic change in politics and a better future. Voters should make a wise and cool-headed decision on polling day. Apr. 5COLUMBUS A man implicated in the alleged pedophile-pill ring a federal grand jury indicted last summer is asking to be released from custody, arguing new evidence has come to light showing he did not drive kids to a Wheelersburg home to be abused. W. David Cole, 62, of Portsmouth, is described in court records as a close friend of 69-year-old Larry Dean Porter, who authorities said paid parents cash and drugs in order to rape their children. Federal records indicate this had been going on for years one witness told the FBI she had seen parents, who themselves had been abused by Porter, bring their own children to him years later. Porter, along with Cole and nine other people, is now facing federal charges following two rounds of indictments last year. Cole was indicted in July 2020 on charges of conspiring to sex-traffic children, conspiring to obstruct a child sex trafficking investigation and destroying or removing evidence. According to a federal criminal complaint, Cole brought women with their children to Porter's home, knowing what Porter was doing to the children. While Cole denied having any sexual desires towards kids, he did admit to authorities he had sex with the drug-addled mothers, according to the complaint. In the days following Porter's March 2020 arrest in Jackson following a police sting, Cole is accused of removing electronic evidence from the alleged ring leader's home. On Tuesday, attorneys representing Cole filed a motion to reopen Cole's detention order and release him from pretrial custody, in which he was placed on June 1. A U.S. Magistrate had ruled Cole could not prove he was did not pose a danger to the general public, records show. According to Cole's attorneys, two state's witnesses have provided statements contradicting some of the government's claims, especially two major events Cole's alleged role in driving victims to and from Porter's house and his alleged role in removing evidence following his buddy's arrest. Story continues While the motion does not detail the nature of the evidence, the defense stated "the government's case in support of pretrial detention depended on the weight of the evidence against him. New information has emerged that casts doubt on this evidence." Based on this evidence, Cole's attorneys want another hearing to determine whether or not he qualifies for a pretrial release. Cole is being held at Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio, near the Indiana/Michigan line. (606) 326-2653 henry@dailyindependent.com RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- A team led by a biomedical scientist at the University of California, Riverside, has developed a new RNA-sequencing method-- "Panoramic RNA Display by Overcoming RNA Modification Aborted Sequencing," or PANDORA-seq -- that can help discover numerous modified small RNAs that were previously undetectable. RNA plays a central role in decoding the genetic information in DNA to sustain an organism's life. It is generally known as the intermediate molecule used to synthesize proteins from DNA. Cells are full of RNA molecules in complex and diverse forms, two main types being ribosomal RNA, or rRNA; and transfer RNA, or tRNA; which are involved in the synthesis of proteins. Small RNAs play essential roles in health and diseases, including cancer, diabetes, neurological diseases, and infertility. Examples of small RNAs are microRNA; piwi-interacting RNA, or piRNA; and tRNA-derived small RNA, or tsRNA. Small RNAs can get modified by chemical groups and thus acquire new functions. The development of high-throughput RNA sequencing technologies -- useful for examining the quantity and sequences of RNA in a biological sample -- has uncovered an expanding repertoire of small RNA populations that fine-tune gene expression and protect genomes. "PANDORA-seq can be widely used to profile small RNA landscapes in various physiological and disease conditions to facilitate the discovery of key regulatory small RNAs involved in these conditions," said Qi Chen, an assistant professor of biomedical sciences in the UCR School of Medicine, who led the study published today in Nature Cell Biology. "Modified small RNAs wear an 'invisibility cloak' that prevents them from being detected by traditional RNA-sequencing methods. How many such modified RNAs are there? What is the origin of their sequences? And what exactly is their biological function? These are questions PANDORA-seq may be able to answer." PANDORA-seq employs a stepwise enzymatic treatment to remove key RNA modifications, which then takes off the invisibility cloak used by the modified small RNAs. "PANDORA-seq has opened Pandora's box of small RNAs," said Tong Zhou, a bioinformatician at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and a co-corresponding author of the study. "We can now dance with these once invisible partners in the RNA ballroom." According to Chen, PANDORA-seq uncovers a surprising small-RNA landscape that is dominated by tsRNAs and rRNA-derived small RNAs, or rsRNAs, rather than microRNAs, which were previously believed to dominate many mammalian tissues and cells. "With PANDORA-seq, we found unprecedented microRNA/tsRNA/rsRNA dynamics when somatic cells are reprogrammed to induced pluripotent stem cells, which are generated by adult cells and have properties similar to those of embryonic stem cells, making them capable of differentiating into all cell types of the body," said Sihem Cheloufi, an assistant professor of biochemistry at UCR and a co-corresponding author of the paper. "Some tsRNAs and rsRNAs can impact protein synthesis and even affect lineage differentiation in embryonic stem cells." Chen explained the current best-studied classes of small RNAs in mammals are microRNAs, which are abundant in mammalian somatic cells and control the kind and amount of proteins the cells make; and piRNAs, which are mainly expressed in the testis and modulate germ cell development. "Currently, these small RNAs can be comprehensively profiled by high-throughput methods such as RNA sequencing," he said. "However, the widely used small RNA sequencing protocols have intrinsic limitations, which prevent certain modified small noncoding RNAs from being detected during RNA sequencing. PANDORA-seq overcomes these limitations." Junchao Shi, a doctoral student working in Chen's lab and the research paper's first author is enthusiastic about the use of PANDORA-seq. "The new method could revolutionize the view of small RNA landscapes," he said. "Frankly, all previous studies using traditional RNA-sequencing may now need to be revisited." Cheloufi said the team now wants to understand how tsRNA/rsRNA are generated, how they function in stem cells, and how they orchestrate cell fate decisions during development. "Answers to these questions are timely to develop diagnostic tools, identify therapeutic targets, and advance regenerative medicine," she said. While developing PANDORA-seq, Chen was reminded of the parable of the blind men and the elephant, which teaches truth is only revealed when various parts come together. "We sometimes forget the big picture, being focused on just a small part of it," he said. "Perhaps the only way to arrive at total truth -- the big picture -- is to push against our boundary of knowledge and confirm the revealed truth with newly devised technology." "It is fascinating to observe down the lenses of a microscope in the lab the profound cell fate change during cellular reprogramming and differentiation," said Reuben Franklin, a doctoral student in Cheloufi's lab and a coauthor on the study. "But PANDORA-seq allows us to eavesdrop on the molecular players during these processes." ### Chen, Cheloufi, Shi, Zhou, and Franklin were joined in the research by scientists at various institutions in the United States, United Kingdom, and China. Chen and Cheloufi were funded by the National Institutes of Health and UCR startup funds. The title of the paper is "PANDORA-seq expands the repertoire of regulatory small RNAs by overcoming RNA modifications." The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment is more than 25,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of almost $2 billion. To learn more, email news@ucr.edu. The Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office on Sunday launched an investigation into a "declaration" signed by 103 retired navy admirals, which has drawn strong condemnation from the government and the public who claim the document implies interference in democratic institutions and the will of the public. After Turkey's decision last month to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, a European treaty aimed at preventing and combating violence against women, with a presidential decree, it came into question whether Turkey could withdraw from other international agreements the same way. In a TV interview, Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop, who is also a constitutional lawyer, said that technically it is possible and gave the example of The Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits. Following discussions about Sentop's statements, 104 retired admirals on Saturday released a statement warning the government. "We are of the opinion to refrain from any kind of rhetoric or action that could make the Montreux Convention... a matter of controversy," they said. The Montreux Convention is a 1936 agreement that gives Turkey control over the Bosporus and Dardanelles and regulates the transit of naval warships. The convention guarantees the free passage of civilian vessels in times of peace and restricts the passage of naval ships that do not belong to littoral Black Sea states. Signed on July 20, 1936, at the Montreux Palace in Switzerland, the convention gives Turkey permission to remilitarize the Bosporus and Dardanelles. It went into effect on Nov. 9, 1936, and was registered in the League of Nations Treaty Series on Dec. 11, 1936. Vice President Fuat Oktay in a Twitter message called out the coup supporters who are unwilling to accept the will of the nation and targeted democratic institutions that were elected by the people and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Noting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's determined stance, he said that the necessary response will be clearly made. Turkey's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun underlined that the nation has the last word in this country and the spotlight will be put on antidemocratic initiatives that go against the national will, accompanied by an image of the Communications Directorate building with the lights on. "Not only those who signed but also those who encourage them will give an account before justice," he added. Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kaln said that the Turkish nation and its representatives will not allow this mentality of tutelage. "The statement of a group of subordinate soldiers, evoking the coup periods, only made them ridiculous and miserable," he added. India cannot ignore the fact that Australia, Japan and the United States continue to do far more business with China than they do with India Given the kind of links that China has established with all major economies, it remains to be seen how effective the Quad countries can be in decoupling themselves from China. (AFP file photo) Even at the height of the Cold War and the anti-Communist McCarthyism of the 1950s in the United States, when Americans were warned to look for Reds under the bed, Hollywood never dreamt up a story in which a high-level Soviet woman spy makes it to the US defence secretarys bedroom. So an Australian television series, Secret City, that shows the wife of the Chinese ambassador in Canberra, an attractive Mata Hari doubling up as a Chinese secret agent, having a torrid affair with none less than the defence minister of Australia, shows how intimate have been the links between the power elites of China and Australia. Social intimacy between the Chinese power elite and their Australian, Japanese and even American counterparts has been cemented over four decades of intense diplomatic, business and people-to-people engagement between them. By contrast, the very limited social contact between Indian and Chinese elites sets India aside from its partners --Australia, Japan and the United States -- in the four-member Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, that has come to be known as the Quad. This despite Indias increased social and business interaction with China over the past three decades. Many analysts have pointed to the key paradox in the Quad -- that each of the four countries have extensive economic links with China that they cannot wish away even as they seek to engage in what some have termed the geo-economic containment of China. All four countries have been trying to reduce their economic dependence on China even as China is itself trying to reduce its dependence on external trade. While the numbers are changing, the magnitudes are still large. India cannot ignore the fact that Australia, Japan and the United States continue to do far more business with China than they do with India. It could take a long time before their trade and investment links with India are large enough for them to ignore China. Till that happens, India must expect that its three Quad partners will hedge their bets in dealing with China. Apart from the business and economic links, it is the social links with China that set Japan, Australia and the United States apart from India in a significant way. Japan and China have had centuries old and intimate social and cultural links that continue to manifest in high level of people-to-people interaction between the two neighbours. Millions of Chinese and Japanese travel to each others countries. Chinese students are to be found in the thousands in Japan and vice versa. Taken together, the business and social relations between the two have created an influential pro-China constituency within the Japanese elite. The level of social and cultural interaction between Indian and Japanese elites is woefully limited. As for Down Under, the plot of Secret City has not been conjured out of thin air. It reflects the kind of social intimacy that the Chinese and Australian elites have established over the past century. As with Japan so with Australia, inter-elite interactions with China remain far in excess of such interaction with India. While an increasing number of Indians now study and work in Australia and Indo-Australian relations have improved over the past decade, there are few among the Australian elite who take a more favourable view of India than they do of China. The US is in a special class of its own when it comes to Sinomania. Indeed, its recent Sinophobia has not yet turned China into the kind of object of hate and derision that the much less powerful Russia still is. US-China people-to-people relations have had a long history. Chinatowns and chop suey have been an important part of American social life from New York to San Francisco. Millions of American and Chinese students and tourists have visited each others countries for close to a half century now. Several US universities and think tanks are funded by Chinese businesses. The more limited interaction that Indian elites have had with their Chinese counterparts over the past couple of decades of increased social and economic interaction will now only atrophy given the deterioration in the bilateral relationship in recent months. The behaviour of the Chinese authorities would seem to suggest that they do not really care if their business and social relations with India will suffer on account of the geopolitical differences. That will be a pity. Consider next the geopolitical space within which the Quad functions, namely the Indo-Pacific. This too is a peculiar construct. Almost all countries of the Indo-Pacific not only remain economically engaged with China, they do more business with China than they do with the United States or India. Not surprisingly, therefore, they all signed up for membership to what has been described as the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Japan is the only RCEP country that insisted on keeping the door open to India even as India chose to walk out. Most others looked the other way and went along with China. Handling this paradox at the heart of the Indo-Pacific region in general and the Quad in particular will remain a challenge for all countries, including China. Continued assertiveness and muscle-flexing by China can only strengthen the resolve of countries in Asia and Europe to reduce their dependence on China. While China is big enough to continue to grow on the strength of its domestic economy, its very size and expanse makes it dependent on links with the rest of the world. China has also learnt from the former Soviet Unions experience that excessive insularity is as much of a threat to internal growth and stability as excessive dependence. Economies large and small have to strike a balance between self-reliance and building relations of inter-dependence with the rest of the world. Given the kind of links that China has established with all major economies, it remains to be seen how effective the Quad countries can be in decoupling themselves from China and for how long China can afford to completely ignore global opinion. The Netflix series Cobra Kai has worked most of the Karate Kid sequels into the show. Fans are still waiting for Julie Pierce (Hilary Swank), the girl Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) trained in The Next Karate Kid. However, Okinawan characters from The Karate Kid Part II appeared in season 3, and the show has even incorporated The Karate Kid Part III. Martin Kove | Netflix Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) describes his time with Cobra Kai in season 2. John Kreese (Martin Kove)s Vietnam War buddy Terry Silver (Nick Marini) appears in flashbacks. Thomas Ian Griffith played Silver in The Karate Kid Part III, but Kove said Kreese was supposed to have Silvers role in the sequel. Martin Kove was supposed to be the main villain of Karate Kid III In The Karate Kid Part III, John Kreese plots revenge on Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi for Cobra Kais defeat in the All Valley Karate Tournament. Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) challenges Daniel to defend his title. Miyagi doesnt want to train Daniel to fight for superficial reasons, so Silver tricks Daniel into training with Cobra Kai. RELATED: Karate Kid III Had a Completely Different Plot Before It Became John Kreeses Revenge Robert Kamen wrote that whole piece for me, Kove told /Film in an interview. I was to do that sting operation that Terry Silver did but I got a TV series called Hard Time on Planet Earth on CBS. My agent at the time always said he could get me out of it and never could. So it had to be restructured for Karate Kid III, making it another so-called Vietnam buddy to do a sting on Ralph and training Mike Barnes and do everything that Terry Silver did, and put me on vacation. Adapting Karate Kid III had lasting impacts on Cobra Kai Inventing the character of Silver had lasting consequences for Kove and Cobra Kai. Karate Kid Part III established that Kreese was homeless. Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) visits Kreese in a shelter in season 2. Plus, it elaborated Kreeses Vietnam backstory, which was a major season 3 subplot. The circumstances were still disappointing for Kove. L-R: William Zabka and Martin Kove | Netflix RELATED: Cobra Kai Star William Zabka Says Season 3 Gave Johnny Lawrence a New Purpose Its interesting to play a homeless character and trusting my Vietnam buddy would do that. It was interesting to play but it was very frustrating because I thought in that period of time, I was doing a Disney show, and I got on the phone with Jeff Katzenberg asking him can we move dates and things like that. And he would say, Well, youre the only star we have and we have an air date. Weve got to meet the air date. So in my heart, I felt I was letting down [director] John Avildsen and [producer] Jerry Weintraub and all those people, but my agent couldnt get me out of the series. I think I was in the same state of mind as the character was. I was feeling quite sad and loved the role that Robert wrote for me and I couldnt do it. Martin Kove, /Film interview, 4/22/19 Martin Kove made one last try for a bigger role in Karate Kid III Hard Time on Planet Earth only lasted 13 episodes, but those were the same 13 weeks that Karate Kid III was shooting. Assistant director Cliff Coleman thought of a way to schedule Kove, but Avildsen and Weintraub didnt go for it. So Terry Silver was born. Martin Kove | Steve Dietl/Netflix RELATED: Cobra Kai Star Vanessa Rubio Thought the Writers Were Kidding When They Suggested This Season 2 Scene He said to John at this meeting, we all sat around with Jerry and John and business affairs, We can make this work. We just shoot him out on the weekends. And John didnt want to do that. I understand why. My role equaled Ralph and Pats role in size so it wouldve been hard. So I was emotionally distraught, the character was emotionally distraught and I think it worked for the piece. Source: /Film Adrian Zenz Photo: Screenshot of an online video Recently, at the instigation of the US, some Western politicians, scholars and media have wantonly fueled rumors about Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. What exactly do these people want? To smear China's image. The US and other Western countries are engaged in strategic competition with China, both in the material dimension of economy, science and technology, and the non-material dimension of systems and values. China excels in the first dimension; as for the second, even the West has to admit China's institutional advantages after the test of the COVID-19 pandemic, but will they give up so easily? Of course not, so it is only natural that they would borrow the nasty tricks that difficult students play on top ones out of a feeling of discontent. The West wants to prove that China's development, no matter how successful, is merely a totalitarian achievement, an accidental fluke and a flash in the pan, because the Chinese system does not work. Essentially, this does not only reflect the institutional hegemony in the West, but also the psychological victory after losing strategic confidence. To divide and dismember China. This has been a major part of the US's long-standing strategy on China, and a very insidious and poisonous one. The American plot to dismember China started to simmer as early as the eve of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. It is also with such ill intentions that the US instigated "the rule of China separately by the Communist Party of China and the Kuomintang along the Yangtze River," later offering long-term support for "Taiwan independence" forces and obstructing China's reunification. It offers support for the "Hong Kong independence" forces that try to sow trouble in Hong Kong and China at large today. The US has never stopped supporting and using the forces of "Tibet independence" and "Xinjiang independence." For many reasons, the US believes that wantonly fabricating and spreading rumors on Xinjiang issues would most conveniently stir up hatred among the ethnic groups in Xinjiang, other Chinese people and the Chinese government, intensify China's internal contradictions, and lead to civil unrest in China. As a result, the US will do everything to fabricate and spread such rumors. To undermine the Chinese economy. The fact that China's economic growth stands out today is prone to arouse jealousy, which is particularly true for those who are hostile to China, who need excuses to create economic chaos and problems for China. For example, people in Xinjiang migrate to Southern China to work or pick cotton locally to earn money, which is all too common and could help people shake off poverty and become better-off. However, some people in the West describe it as "forced labor" and then in all seriousness, they announce sanctions against Xinjiang, China, and prohibit the import of cotton and other related products originating in Xinjiang. This clumsy and inept way shows that those anti-China and Sinophobic forces are totally blind when they rush to find a way to disrupt the development pace and undermine the growth momentum in China. To hold back the Belt and Road Initiative. Featuring consultation, contribution, openness, sharing, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, this initiative is an important public good provided by China to the international community, with the aim to create new development opportunities and impetus amid a sluggish global economy. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the initiative in 2013, it has been well received by the international community with warm support. By the end of last year, China had signed agreements on Belt and Road cooperation with 138 countries and a large number of development projects had been launched or completed, significantly boosting the economy and people's livelihood of various countries. In contrast, those self-proclaimed large and powerful countries that should have provided similar public goods for the international community, but didn't do so, regard the initiative as a thorn in the side and start to look for trouble. As an important hub of the Belt and Road Initiative, Xinjiang would naturally become their first choice. Frankly speaking, although some Western politicians use political swindlers and religious extremists like Adrian Zenz to invent wild lies about Xinjiang and deceive people, justice and righteousness would not allow them to deceive the whole world forever. Maxime Vivas, a French writer, and The Grayzone, a website in the US, have revealed through facts Adrian Zenz's ugly collusion with former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and others to smear and attack China. In the end, they have simply turned themselves into clowns in front of the whole world. The author is Consul General of China in Rio de Janeiro. Global Times Located at 2800 University Boulevard West, Suite C., Jollibee will join the regional shopping destination's featured restaurant offerings. Store hours are 9 a.m. 11 p.m., seven days a week. Jollibee customers can enjoy their favorite menu items by ordering through the store's "call & pick-up" order process. For convenience, customers may begin placing their orders two hours in advance of their desired pick-up time by calling (240) 657-9840. Ordering will be available everyday beginning at 7 a.m. and payment will be accepted prior to pick-up. Customers will receive a text message once their order is ready to ensure proper social distancing protocols are followed. In compliance with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, indoor dining and walk-in orders will not be offered at this time. "We cannot wait to welcome our fans who have patiently waited for Jollibee's arrival in the DMV, as well as introduce the brand to curious new customers," said Maribeth Dela Cruz, President of Jollibee Group North America, Philippine Brands. "We are proud to serve flavorful food options and look forward to sharing our exciting menu with the Greater D.C. community." Jollibee's signature menu items include: Chickenjoy : Jollibee's signature fried chicken is delicately hand-breaded to create a crispy and crunchy exterior, pressure fried for maximum juiciness and marinated to the bone to provide next level flavor. Chickenjoy is often complemented with a side of silky, savory gravy for dipping each and every bite. : Jollibee's signature fried chicken is delicately hand-breaded to create a crispy and crunchy exterior, pressure fried for maximum juiciness and marinated to the bone to provide next level flavor. Chickenjoy is often complemented with a side of silky, savory gravy for dipping each and every bite. Jolly Spaghetti : Spaghetti? At a fast-food restaurant?! You heard that right. This dish, beloved by adults and kids alike, features a signature sweet-style sauce loaded with chunky slices of savory ham and hotdog and is topped with a generous sprinkle of cheese. : Spaghetti? At a fast-food restaurant?! You heard that right. This dish, beloved by adults and kids alike, features a signature sweet-style sauce loaded with chunky slices of savory ham and hotdog and is topped with a generous sprinkle of cheese. Peach Mango Pie: This easy-to-enjoy dessert is delivered in a hand-held sleeve, so you'll never lose the delicious filling made with real sweet Philippine mangoes or its light crispy crust. "We are thrilled to welcome Jollibee to our dining mix at Westfield Wheaton this spring," said Stuart Amos, General Manger, Westfield Wheaton. "Our customers are always on the look-out for new, exciting dining options at our shopping center, and we couldn't be more excited to introduce them to Jollibee's delicious menu offerings." Westfield Wheaton marks the brand's first location in Maryland and its 49th store in the U.S. Since the start of 2021, Jollibee has opened five new locations, putting the brand on track to achieve its goal of opening 300 store locations throughout North America by 2024. Jollibee fans can look forward to more locations popping up in major cities throughout the year, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. Prior to the pandemic, Jollibee store openings have generated tremendous excitement amongst fans from all over the world who gather to celebrate their passion for Jollibee. With safety measures being a top priority, brand fans and curious first-time consumers are prohibited from crowding into stores but can still take home a taste of joy through the "call & pick-up" order process. For more information on these and Jollibee's other upcoming 2021 store openings, stay tuned to Jollibee USA Facebook and Instagram pages. About Jollibee Jollibee is the largest fast food chain brand in the Philippines, operating a Philippine network of more than 1,400 stores. A dominant market leader in the Philippines, Jollibee has embarked on an aggressive international expansion plan. Jollibee has more than 240 international branches including in the United States, Canada, the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Brunei, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Italy, and in the United Kingdom. In North America, Jollibee opened its first store in 1998 in Daly City, California. It now operates 65 stores across the region, with 48 stores in the states of Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Washington, and Virginia of the United States, and 17 stores across Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. Technomic has consistently cited Jollibee among its Top 500 ranking restaurants in the United States. It was also awarded as Multinational Corporation of the Year by the Asian Business League of Southern California in 2017 and Corporation of the Year by the Asian Business Association in 2019. About Jollibee Group Jollibee Group is one of the fastest-growing Asian restaurant companies in the world. It operates in 33 countries, with over 5,800 stores globally with branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People's Republic of China, United Kingdom, Italy, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Panama, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and India. It has eight wholly-owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger), four franchised brands (Burger King and Panda Express in the Philippines, Dunkin' Donuts and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China), 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee and PHO24 brands. Jollibee Group is a significant investor in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund and the ultimate holding entity of the Tim Ho Wan (THW) Brand and has a joint venture with the THW Group to open THW restaurants in Mainland China. It also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States. The Group will also establish a 50/50 joint venture to operate and expand Yoshinoya in the Philippines. Yoshinoya is one of the largest and most recognized Japanese restaurant brands globally. Jollibee Group was named the Philippines' most admired company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for ten years. It was also honored as one of Asia's Fab 50 Companies and among the World's Best Employers by Forbes. In 2020, Gallup awarded the Jollibee Group with the Exceptional Workplace Award, making it the first Philippine-based company to receive the distinction. Jollibee Group has grown brands that bring delightful dining experiences to its customers worldwide, in line with its mission of serving great tasting food and spreading the joy of eating to everyone. SOURCE Jollibee One of the countrys largest food festivals thought it had devised a smart approach to keeping guests safe during its upcoming event: Require a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination. But Floridas governor may have just complicated the South Beach Wine & Food Festivals plan for 2021. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order Friday banning any Florida business from requiring customers to show proof theyve been vaccinated against COVID-19. The festival, which expects to draw 20,000 people to South Florida from May 20-23, had started selling tickets March 22 with the requirement that guests show a negative coronavirus test less than 3 days old or a proof of vaccination before attending any event. The governors order states any business requiring vaccinations wouldnt be eligible for state funds or contracts, and Florida International Universitys hospitality school is a beneficiary of the festival. Festival founder Lee Schrager said he has spoken with the festivals attorneys and feels its rules will hold up, since the requirement is a negative COVID test, which is allowed, or proof of vaccination as an alternative. Were not going to change anything, Schrager said Monday. If you dont have proof of vaccination, show us a negative COVID test and that will do. DeSantis wrote in his executive order that requiring so-called vaccine passports will reduce individual freedom. The order does not prevent businesses such as restaurants and retail stores from using other screening protocols recommended by state and federal offices. The South Beach festival, which will operate at less than half capacity at most events, will require guests to wear masks whenever they are not eating. The festival will provide masks if one a guest brings does not meet its standard. Guests who refuse will not be allowed to attend. The full guidelines are available at sobewff.org/covid-guidelines. The festival normally draws more than 60,000 guests to South Florida. The number of events has been cut from about 110 to 68, with five in Broward County and one in Palm Beach. The large outdoor events that have been the festivals hallmark will still go on, but at half capacity and broken up into two sessions with an hourlong cleaning period in between. We made a commitment that safety and comfort would be our No. 1 priority, Schrager said, and thats not going to change. Are you vaccinated? South Beach food festival will require proof or test to attend New Delhi: Ahead of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry's New Delhi visit, starting Monday (April 5), the US has said that India is a "critical part of the solution to the climate crisis". John Kerry will be on a four-day visit to the country, during which he will be meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and holding talks with his counterpart, environment minister Prakash Javdekar. A spokesperson at the US Embassy in New Delhi said, In New Delhi, Special Presidential Envoy Kerry will meet with representatives of the Indian government, private sector, and non-governmental organizations." The US Embassy in their statement also added, As one of the worlds largest economies and a global leader in science and innovation, India is a critical part of the solution to the climate crisis. We see India as an important partner on future clean energy research, development, and deployment, not least because of their successful domestic agenda in this area." The visit comes ahead of US President Joe Biden's Climate Summit from April 22nd to 23rd, and the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November. India has been invited to the Climate Summit that will take place virtually later this month. This will be the second time PM Modi, and US President Biden will be together at a virtual summit, after last month's Quad meeting. The spokesperson added, "A key focus for our Administration is supporting and encouraging Indias decarbonization efforts through clean, zero, and low-carbon investment, and supporting India in mitigating its fossil energy use. Kerry during India visit will also be meeting External Affairs minister Dr. S Jaishankar, Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Live TV (Natural News) Upset that independent media outlets, often of a lower caliber, are taking over the internet due to their growing popularity, the dying fake news media empires of the world are lashing out with hatred against their newfound competition. What was once obscure is rapidly becoming mainstream, and failed journalists everywhere are scoffing at guys like Glenn Greenwald who not only call them out for their lies but also have much bigger followings, despite being canceled by the big guys. Greenwald, formerly of The Intercept, is never shy in exposing the corruption of big media. Heck, this is how he built The Intercept into what it is before ultimately leaving to become his own one-man show over at Substack. Rather than support Greenwalds endeavors, legacy journalists are aiming to destroy him because they know that can never compete. And Greenwald is just one of many who the establishment media sees as a threat to their subsistence, which wanes daily. They hate where their industry is and they hate where they are within their industry, writes independent journalist Freddie DeBoer on his Substack. If you feel you cant get mad at the industry thats impoverishing you, its much easier to get mad at the people who you feel are unjustly succeeding in that industry. Greenwald is one such person whose work is helping to impoverish many a fake news purveyor because it is good and it sticks. It is a breath of fresh air compared to the usual garbage that flows across the airwaves and on Twitter, and people like it for that reason. What they do not like is media hacks constantly telling them how evil white people are, or how terrible America is for not paying black people whatever reparations they demand. Woke culture might be loud, but it is hardly profitable, at least when it comes to the news. Trying to shut down your competition because you cant compete makes you a sore loser In 2018, newspaper circulation fell to its lowest level since 1940 as a result of all the left-wing insanity that is typically published there. The year 1940, by the way, is the first year that such data is available, suggesting that reading a newspaper is now almost as unpopular as when newspapers did not even exist. With this drop in readership comes a drop in revenues, which means journalists have to be fired and newsrooms shrunk. And the reality is that the carnage has only just begun. Television media is also on the decline. MSNBC, CNN, and even Fox News are all seeing serious declines in viewership, along with plummeting advertising revenues. This affects all who work in media, to be fair, not just those working in the legacy media. Life in the content industry already sucks, deBoer puts it plainly. A small handful of people make bank while the vast majority hustle relentlessly just to hold on to the meager pay they already receive. I have always felt bad for them, despite our differences, because of these conditions, he adds. And they have a right to be angry. But they dont have much in the way of self-awareness about where their anger really lies. What DeBoer means by this, of course, is that struggling journalists who blame platforms like Substack for their failures and try to shut it down in revenge are missing the plot. It is they who are responsible for their own failures as people are tired of all their condescension and virtue signaling. More of the latest news about the failing legacy media can be found at Collapse.news. Sources for this article include: FreddiedeBoer.Substack.com NaturalNews.com 2020 Annual Report Sydney, Mar 31, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - During the financial year the principal continuing activities of Empire Energy Group Ltd ( ASX:EEG ) ( OTCMKTS:EEGUF ) consisted of the progression of exploration and appraisal work programs in Empire's wholly owned and operated exploration tenements and applications located in the highly petroleum prospective Northern Territory McArthur Basin (including the Beetaloo Sub-Basin).Key activities completed during the year included the successful drilling of the Carpentaria-1 well in Empire's EP187 permit, intersection of liquids-rich gas at Carpentaria-1, certification of a prospective resources by Netherland, Sewell and Associates Inc and preparation for further exploration and appraisal activities.The production and sale of oil and natural gas in the United States of America. The Empire Group sells its oil and gas products primarily to owners of domestic pipelines, utilities and refiners located in Pennsylvania and New York.To view the Annual Report, please visit:About Empire Energy Group Ltd Empire Energy (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) holds over 14.5 million acres of highly prospective exploration tenements in the McArthur and Beetaloo Basins, Northern Territory. Work undertaken by the Company since 2010 demonstrates that the Eastern depositional Trough of the McArthur Basin, of which the Company holds 80% has very considerable conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon potential. The Beetaloo sub-Basin, in which Empire holds a substantial position, has independently assessed world class hydrocarbon volumes in place with a major ramp up in industry activity underway to appraise substantial discoveries already made by major Australian oil and gas operators. Empire Energy is an experienced conventional oil and gas producer with operations in the Appalachia region (New York and Pennsylvania). Empire has been successfully developing and producing oil and gas since 2006. (Reuters) -Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: India's daily virus cases breach 100,000 India reported a record rise in COVID-19 infections on Monday, becoming the second country after the United States to post more than 100,000 new cases in a day, as politicians stage massive election rallies raising fears of further spreading the virus. Hospitals in the worst affected state, Maharashtra, are being overrun by patients. India's richest state, home to its commercial capital Mumbai and numerous industries, reported a record 57,074 new cases overnight. The country's daily infections have risen about 12-fold since hitting a multi-month low in early February, when authorities eased most restrictions and people largely stopped wearing masks and following social distancing. China reports biggest daily case jump in over 2 months China reported its biggest daily jump in new COVID-19 cases in more than two months, as a city on the border with Myanmar in southwestern Yunnan province accounted for all new local cases. Ruili's local government put residents in its urban area under home quarantine, launched a massive testing drive and began restricting people from leaving and entering the city from last week after reporting COVID-19 patients. The city accounted for all of the 15 new local cases reported on April 4. The total number of new infections, including imported infections originating from overseas, stood at 32, the highest total since Jan. 31. Japan fears variants are behind possible fourth wave Japanese health authorities are concerned that variants of the coronavirus are driving a nascent fourth wave in the pandemic with just 109 days remaining until the Tokyo Olympics. The variants appear to be more infectious and may be resistant to vaccines, which are still not widely available in Japan. The situation is worst in Osaka, where infections hit fresh records last week, prompting the regional government to start targeted lockdown measures for one month from Monday. Story continues A mutant COVID-19 variant first discovered in Britain has taken hold in the Osaka region, spreading faster and filling up hospital beds with more serious cases than the original virus. UK's Johnson launches mass testing programme British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday everyone in England will be able to take a COVID-19 test twice a week in a new drive to track the pandemic as society reopens and the vaccine roll-out continues at its rapid rate. Johnson, who is expected to confirm plans to relaunch international travel and open sections of the economy later on Monday, said the new mass testing programme would break the chain of transmissions and spot cases without symptoms. As much of Europe enters new lockdowns to tackle surging cases, Johnson has set out a staggered plan to ease restrictions in the coming months. Tourism first! Phuket in vaccination drive In Thailand, it's the all-important tourism sector that has jumped to the head of the vaccination line, with the country's most popular resort island embarking on a mass inoculation programme two months ahead of the rest of the country. The island of Phuket aims to deliver shots to at least 460,000 people - most of its population - as it gears up for July 1, when vaccinated overseas visitors will no longer be required to quarantine. (Compiled by Linda Noakes; Editing by Giles Elgood) An Australian mum has been hailed the 'organisation queen' after showing off her impeccable kitchen and bathrooms. Home stylist Sonya Meares tries to include seasonal touches in her home when possible and 'snuck in some Easter decor' before taking pictures of her flawless home. The mum often posts photographs and organisation tips on Instagram and Facebook and has built up a huge following of more than 30,000 house-proud mums and dads. An Australian mum has been hailed the 'organisation queen' after showing off her impeccable kitchen and bathrooms Home stylist Sonya Meares tries to include seasonal touches in her home when possible and 'snuck in some Easter decor' before taking pictures of her flawless home The mum says this is her favourite cupboard, and home to her fragile Easter decorations The busy mum's recent posts sent waves of drawer envy through her followers and she admits if she could renovate again she would add even more. Choosing a pastel colour scheme for the home has helped the mum make everything flow, from pastel pink and green pots and pans to tea towels, plates and flowers using the same delicate shades. Another photo revealed the tea and coffee cupboard which includes teapots, a pot plant and fancy tea settings. Even the fridge is well-organised with herbs in pots and everything else in glass-bottomed containers. The bathroom is Sonya's other happy place when it comes to organisation. She says the large mirrored cupboard has been one of her best decisions as it allows for a lot of extra storage. Sonya posted the photos on Facebook on Easter Monday and within two hours was inundated with hundreds of likes and comments. 'I love the idea of having plates, cups and bowls in drawers, I never would have thought of that,' one woman gushed. The busy mum's recent posts sent waves of drawer envy through her followers and she admits if she could renovate again she would add even more Her fridge is also impeccably organised, with labels and a place for everything 'Your styling is absolutely amazing,' another woman said. Others joked the stylist must live alone for her home to be so beautiful. 'I am wishing my house to be like this but I would have to get my husband and kids to live in the shed. Love your home,' one mum said. 'Can I come live with you? I try organise like this, I cant master the visual effect of it and my family just ruin it five minutes later,' another joked. But Sonya explained she has a husband, son and daughter and still manages to keep her home looking beautiful. She said she loves to organise kitchens and bathrooms the most and showed off hers She uses organising trays from different stores including Ikea, Kmart, Target and Bunnings The mum said her family learned how to be as tidy as she is which is why her home stays so nice 'I love my family and they had to learn how to be tidy its my role in life,' she said. Others agreed they could never maintain such organisation. 'I can only dream of this neatness,' one woman said. 'This would never stay this way for me but I love looking at it,' another woman gasped. 'This is therapy. The very best I have seen so far,' said another. The dedicated mum shops around for the perfect pieces, buying items from Bunnings, Kmart, Ikea and Target to style her home. Advertisement Scott Disick and Amelia Gray Hamlin are still going strong in their relationship, despite their 18-year age-gap. The 19-year-old daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin looked stunning in a tiny white mini-skirt and bikini top as she strutted alongside her much-older man in Miami over the weekend, also spending time with her sister Delilah Belle Hamlin, 22. Meanwhile, Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Scott, 37, kept his newly-bleached blonde buzz cut covered up in a black bucket hat before all three of them dipped in the pool of a nearby hotel. Going swimmingly! Amelia Gray Hamlin, 19, and her much-older boyfriend Scott Disick, 37, were pictured in Miami over the weekend, proving that their relationship appears to be going from strength to strength The pair could not keep their hands off one another as they cooled off in the swimming pool after taking a romantic stroll on the beach. Amelia was seen helping her boyfriend - who is 18 years her senior - get himself into the water by holding out her hand for support. Once the pair were in, Amelia was pictured doting on Scott and putting her arms around him in full view of the hotel guests. The sighting comes amid much chatter about Scott's past relationship with the mother of his three children, Kourtney Kardashian. Dreamy: The loved-up pair were later seen packing on the PDA as they relaxed poolside at a nearby hotel No hiding it: The pair put on a very affectionate display in the public pool as they cozied up to one another in the water Although Kourtney, 41, has moved on with former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, her situation with Scott is often called into question on their reality show. Kourtney and Travis, 45, who has two teenage children Alabama, 15, and Landon, 17, also spent this Easter together over the weekend. However, in a most recent episode of KUWTK, Kourtney and ex Scott ended up in bed together talking about their lives. Taking a dip: It appeared the couple were in full-on vacation mode for their Easter weekend in Miami It's a family affair! Amelia was also joined by her sister Delilah Belle Hamlin, 22, pictured right Blazed: Scott, 37, appeared to be puffing on a vape pen as he got himself into the pool with friends nearby Sister Khloe, who has admitted to rooting for the former couple, tried to explain the situation saying: 'Kourtney and Scott are both getting here tonight thinking they're meeting Kim and I for a family dinner. But we want to set up a Swiss-themed romantic dinner because we know that's something Kourtney claims to love.' She added: 'Once the sun is setting, everything's going to look more romantic and enticing and she will be overwhelmed by love.' Scott - who said it was 'pretty obvious they tried to set us up' - also spoke directly to camera in a confessional about Kourtney and her family. Still going strong! Amelia Gray Hamlin, 19, and her much-older boyfriend Scott Disick, 37, were pictured in Miami over the weekend, proving that their relationship appears to be going from strength to strength White hot: The 19-year-old daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin looked stunning in a tiny white mini-skirt and bikini top as she strutted alongside her much-older man in Miami over the weekend 'I think the family puts a lot of pressure on Kourtney more so than me in regards to them wanting her to be back together with me.' 'They just see two people that spend a lot of time together, do a lot of things with their children, so why can't we have a perfect family and a white picket fence? But it's just not that simple.' He concluded: 'But to have a moment to just be together and see if we like being together without the kids, you know it was a cool thing.' Family fun: Scott appeared to be in deep conversation with his girlfriend Amelia and her sister Delilah Sister, sister: Delilah almost upstaged Amelia in a toweled material bikini, though they appeared to be coordinating in baby pink So much fun: Scott is clearly a hit with Amelia's sister, Delilah, who had a go on his vape while in the pool She's enjoying that! Delilah looked overjoyed after puffing on Scott's vape pen, as the group appeared to be having a wild time Trio: Scott, Amelia, and Delilah all kicked back together in the pool to take some time off from their schedules, which will often see them spend time at the beach and at luxury hotels Despite all this, a source told People Magazine earlier this month that things are going well between Scott and Amelia. 'He's been telling friends how much she means to him and how into her he is,' a source told the publication. Meanwhile the source added that the pair are not worried about their 18-year-age-gap. 'She grew up in the industry and knows how all this works,' the source explained. 'It's a different type of maturity, and they really don't feel the age difference.' Family snap: Amelia posed for a photo with sister Delilah, mom Lisa Rinna and dad Harry Hamlin Watertown library seeks grant funds for major technology upgrade Libraries get a rare opportunity to access grant funds as part of the American Rescue Plan. Watertown library looking for funds to upgrade technology. The new coronavirus version, presenting both the characteristics of the British strain B1.1.7, and the E484K mutation, which according to some studies can reduce the effectiveness of vaccines against the virus, has been identified in Romania, based on sequencing performed at the "Stefan cel Mare" University of Suceava (USV), shows a press release sent to AGERPRES, on Monday, by the spokesperson of this academic institution, Codrut Serban. According to the same source, the biological sample was collected at the Suceava County Emergency Hospital, from a patient without a recent history of travel to UK. ''For the three worrying variants known to be from the United Kingdom (line B.1.1.7, name VOC202012/01), South Africa (line B.1.351, name 501Y.V2 15) and Brazil (line P .1, name P.1), the Institute of Public Health of England added, in February, a new version of the virus (line B.1.1.7 + E484K, name VOC202102/02). Although the number of cases identified with the new version (B.1.1.7 + E484K) is currently relatively low (only 43 cases are presented in the British Report of 1 April 2021), the main concern comes from the ability of the versions presenting the E484K mutation to show greater resistance to vaccine-generated antibodies, thus reducing the effectiveness of vaccines. In March, the new version (B.1.1.7 + E484K) was introduced as a version of concern (VoC) also in the list of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which monitors the epidemiological situation at the European Union level. In a statement issued on Sunday, April 4, by the Reuters agency, the concern regarding the spread of this version is also presented in Japan, approximately 70pct of the sequenced samples from a hospital in Tokyo presenting this mutation,' specified the USV press release.During the Laboratory of Metagenomics and Molecular Biology of the "Stefan cel Mare" University of Suceava (USV), over the last two weeks, sequencing was performed for a number of 91 samples, from patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, in the counties of Suceava, Cluj, Iasi, Timis and Botosani.From the analyzed samples, a number of 88 new cases were detected belonging to strains of epidemiological interest B.1.1.7 (VOC 202012/01), known to be originating in the United Kingdom, and one case belonging to strains B.1.1.7 + E484K.To date, USV has sequenced over 400 samples from patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 and will continue to monitor the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in Romania, in collaboration with its partners.''Based on the collaboration agreements concluded so far, samples are selected from hospitals located in the counties of Suceava, Timis, Cluj, Dolj, Iasi, Botosani, Neamt and we express our willingness to collaborate with other institutions with COVID-19 compartments, in other counties, as well, to analyze the special situations and perform the corresponding genetic analyzes,' the USV representatives show.The current sequencing activity at USV is partially funded by the Executive Unit for the Financing of Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation through the project "SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of circulating strains in Romania," coordinated by university professor Mihai Covasa, PhD, being co-financed by USV. India has recently crossed the one lakh mark daily rise in Coronavirus cases for the first time after a spike of 1,03,558 fresh COVID cases in a day. However, Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma thinks that it is not mandatory to wear a mask as there are no Covid cases in Assam. People on the internet started calling him out as soon as a video of him went viral on the internet. Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the health minister of Assam, said in an interview that there was no Covid in Assam and thus there is no need to wear a face mask. He also said that if there will be a need to wear a mask, hell let everyone know. Check out the video here- "There is no Covid in Assam, there is no need to wear mask now in Assam...If there's a need I will inform people to wear the mask." - Assam's Health Minister & Forever CM-in waiting. pic.twitter.com/gVyi69I8h6 Saral Patel (@SaralPatel) April 3, 2021 The video of the interview went viral on the internet and people back-lashed at the health minister for his irresponsible comment. People pointed out facts and how cases in India have again started rising and Himantas comment will only mislead people. Not only this, but he also said, If people wear masks, how will the beauty parlours run? This comment made many people on the internet angry as they are concerned as to how a health minister can say something this irresponsible. Heres what people have to say Covid iske chacha ka beta hai. Jab aayega toh ye bata dega sab ko... idiot Atul Arora (@atulaurora24) April 3, 2021 Chalo one thing is clear, Assam's economy runs only on beauty parlours #KhelaHobe (@MufeedMirror) April 3, 2021 For de sake of beauty parlour, no mask.. like really seriously.. Aamir Ali (@ali_aamir) April 4, 2021 Scientists working on vaccines right now : pic.twitter.com/OAp0Ek8tYz Kangana (parody) (@khanakteKangan) April 3, 2021 This video ain't gonna age well Masoom Hussain (@masoom_hussain1) April 3, 2021 Modi is a refined version of him. He is following the hierarchy to the top of ladder. cow corner (@silly_point_) April 3, 2021 Chalo one thing is clear, Assam's economy runs only on beauty parlours #KhelaHobe (@MufeedMirror) April 3, 2021 Later, he tweeted saying, For those who are making fun on my statement on masks must come to Assam and see how we have contained COVID-19, compared to states like Delhi, Kerala, and Maharashtra along with impressive recovery of the economy. We will celebrate Bihu also with the same enthusiasm this year. Check out his tweet here- Those who are making fun on my statement on mask, must come to Assam and see how we have contained COVID-19 in compare to the states like Delhi, Kerala, and Maharashtra along with impressive recovery of our economy.We will celebrate Bihu also with the same enthusiasm this year Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 4, 2021 What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below! (Natural News) Renewed efforts around the world to reduce carbon emissions have boosted the demand for platinum in the automotive industry. Hydrogen-fuel-cell technology is expected to play an important role in reducing global carbon emissions. This technology relies on platinum, which can withstand higher temperatures than other metals. Fuel cells need platinum for the catalyst that separates hydrogen into protons and electrons, which then generate the electrical current. Manufacturers are still exploring alternatives because hydrogen fuel cells are expensive, largely due to the high price of platinum. The increased interest in the technology has pushed platinums price to its highest in six years. Platinum traded as high as $1,281.40 an ounce last month, the highest since Jan. 2015. Its trading at $ 1,167.17 an ounce as of March 30. We feel quite excited about the potential of the hydrogen economy, said Natascha Viljoen, chief executive of Anglo American Platinum Ltd. (Amplats), the worlds No. 1 platinum refiner by volume. We do see quite significant support from government and private sector. In February, Japans Toyota Motor Corp. announced that it had developed a fuel-cell system in a compact module that could be adapted easily for use in trucks, buses, trains, ships and generators. (Related: Toyota to sell hydrogen fuel cell module to companies.) It followed a November announcement by Korean car giant Hyundai Motor Group that it would combine with European chemical giant Ineos to explore opportunities in new hydrogen technologies. Other carmakers are also working on incorporating fuel cells in large vehicles. China has also announced plans to spend $2.5 billion in 10 cities over the next four years to improve hydrogen-fuel-cell technology and develop policies for refueling stations. The country is home to almost all of the worlds fuel-cell buses and trucks. Platinums value had declined due to shift to electric vehicles Platinum is also used in catalytic converters that scrub out pollutants from internal combustion engines exhaust. The demand for it had declined as car makers began to transition to electric vehicles in recent years. Battery-powered cars dont use platinum group metals, which include palladium and rhodium among others. But the enthusiasm around hydrogen fuel cells resuscitated platinum mining companies that were cutting jobs and selling assets a few years ago. Hydrogen is gaining a lot of momentum around the globe as the potential clean energy alternative, assisting in further de-carbonization of the environment, said John Caruso, senior asset manager at RJO Futures. During the summer of 2015, the market saw a crossover in the platinum to gold ratio. Platinum futures fell by more than 26 percent that year. Platinum has historically traded at a premium to gold. It is considered to be 30 times rarer than gold and more expensive to mine. But platinum futures were cheaper at $893.20 an ounce compared to $1,060.20 an ounce for gold by the end of 2015, according to FactSet data. The platinum price was dragged down that year by the Volkswagen AG emissions test scandal. The carmaker admitted to using software to cheat on pollution standards, which helped accelerate the shift to electric vehicles. But now, efforts by carmakers to develop hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are raising the metals price back up. In February, Japans Toyota Motor Corp. announced that it had developed a fuel-cell system in a compact module that could be adapted easily for use in trucks, buses, trains, ships and generators. (Related: Toyota to sell hydrogen fuel cell module to companies.) It followed a November announcement by Korean car giant Hyundai Motor Group that it would combine with European chemical giant Ineos to explore opportunities in new hydrogen technologies. Other car makers are also working on incorporating fuel cells in large vehicles. China has also announced plans to spend $2.5 billion in 10 cities over the next four years to improve hydrogen-fuel-cell technology and develop policies for refueling stations. The country is home to almost all of the worlds fuel-cell buses and trucks. Platinum mining thrives in South Africa during pandemic despite initial setback Selling platinum group metals abroad in U.S. dollars has helped South African producers weather their countrys economic woes during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Amplats, which is based in Johannesburg, reported record earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of around $2.8 billion in 2020 up 39 percent from the previous year despite disruptions at its processing plants due to repairs. Sibanye-Stillwater Ltd., the worlds No. 1 platinum producer by volume, said net profit for 2020 skyrocketed to $1.78 billion from $4.5 million a year earlier. Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd., the worlds third-largest producer of platinum group metals, recorded free cash flow of $1.35 billion for six months ending Dec. 31 last year. Miners are also spending large amounts of money to boost production. Sibanye-Stillwater said in February that it was planning to invest around 6.3 billion rand ($421.4 million) to develop two platinum group metals projects and one gold project in South Africa. Impala Platinum announced plans to expand production at two of its mines one in South Africa and one in Zimbabwe. Amplats said in February that it planned to increase output by 20 percent by 2030. But platinum miners didnt completely dodge the pandemics wrath. Mining had been shut down for five weeks from late March to May last year in South Africa. According to Sibanye-Stillwater, the pandemic led to an approximate 14 percent decline in global demand for platinum, palladium and rhodium. Fortunately for the producers, supplies of recycled platinum group metals also fell as COVID-19 restrictions led to fewer vehicles being scrapped, leaving the markets for platinum, palladium and rhodium all in a deficit at the end of 2020. The deficit in recycled supplies worked out well for rhodium as its price tripled to $17,000 per troy ounce last year. Rhodium is a byproduct of platinum mining and also used in catalytic converters. Follow CarbonDioxide.news for more news and information about the global efforts to curb carbon emission. Sources include: WSJ.com MarketWatch.com Back in September 2020, Politico wrote on the issue of schools and infection rates: The data on how coronavirus is spreading at schools and colleges is inconsistent, erraticand sometimes purposely kept out of the publics reach. It has been stated repeatedly and proven on numerous occasions that children are more likely than adults to display little or no symptoms, while being capable of infecting others, including their relatives and families. More recent studies have identified schools and students attending them as contributing to community transmissions. The recent extensive contact tracing studies, including modeling analysis of mitigation measures, have never been discussed or mentioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in addressing critiques of its stance in favor of school reopenings. The CDC has cherry-picked every study that will corroborate the foregone conclusion that schools are safe, while ignoring the growing evidence of the role of asymptomatic transmission by children in propelling the coronavirus throughout communities. Covid-19 screening at Thorncliffe Park Public School (Twitter/@TPPS_TDSB) In fact, there has never been any concerted effort by public health departments of state or federal governments to conduct a thorough and comprehensive, methodical and prospective study of the relationship between schools, children and the community spread of the coronavirus, despite the urgency for this data to inform the public and make science-driven public health policies. Such an endeavor would entail systematic weekly surveillance of students and staff with PCR (polymerase chain reaction tests detect genetic material from a specific organism, such as a virus) testing and contact tracing in urban, rural and suburban school districts across the country, like the surveillance being conducted in the UK by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Such a wealth of analytical data, if made publicly available, would assist communities in understanding the relationship between their activities and the state of the pandemic. Such detailed broad-based data would go far in addressing necessary policy decisions vital to parents and teachers alike. As Irwin Redlener, director of the Pandemic Resource and Response Initiative at Columbia University, noted in the fall of last year, Were going to have thousands and thousands of local experiences, which will not be comparable, and Im afraid were going to have a lot of anecdotes and no useful data. One such anecdote is the notorious Wisconsin study, previously analyzed by this writer on the WSWS, which was limited to 17 schools in a rural district in that state, with class sizes ranging from 11 to 20 students, every student and teacher equipped with a three-layer mask, and constant monitoring of social distancing and mask-wearing and weekly reports to health officials. This study, conducted last fall, which in no way replicated the conditions faced in a typical urban or suburban school setting, was trumpeted as proof that schools were safe environments for children and staff alike. The lack of robust and accurate national data based on real-world experience has been central to the back-to-school crisis. The current ill-advised guidelines, based on poorly designed studies motivated by political expediency, with the goal of having schools reopen and packed to the hilt with students, are dangerous and even criminal. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walenskys testimony on March 17 before the House Energy and Commerce Oversight Subcommittee, under pressure from financial sectors to change the six-foot policy, only further confirmed that science remains a casualty of reactionary politics, under the Democrats as much as under Trump. As soon as our guidance came out, it became very clear that six feet was among the things that was keeping schools closed, and in that context, science evolves, she said. Despite repeated acknowledgments by every national and international agency, including the CDC, that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is an airborne pathogen, making even six-foot social distancing rules problematic, the CDC, with the approval of Republican and Democratic officials, now claims less [distance] is more. Walenskys evolution to a three-foot rule will allow many more schools to open for full-time in-person classes with more students packed into each classroom. The media and mainstream news came out fawning over these developments, claiming that science had righted a devastating wrongchildren kept from attending classes were being permanently scarred and injured. However, what has been lacking in these media hosannas was any serious or frank discussion on the strength of the evidence from the studies cited by the CDC to change its guidelines. It is instructive to consider the three studies that were so critical to their decisions. Elementary schools in Salt Lake County, Utah Like the Wisconsin study, this studys dominant bias stems from an invitation to the CDC by the Utah Department of Health to investigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission across 20 elementary schools in Salt Lake County, Utah. These reflect controlled conditions where the school district and the county had prepared for such an intervention, with students and staff being informed and consenting to testing and contact tracing. They provide no real-world context to what transpires in the over 13,000 school districts throughout the country where testing is limited to symptomatic individuals, and tracing is happenstance. The Salt Lake County study is similar to many of the CDCs arsenal of case studies, such as the Georgia overnight camp study, that raise critical questions for developing ongoing nationally based community surveillance. Schools are but one chain in the links that make up the whole of society. A pandemic is not confined to a group of people or location. It takes advantage of any weakness a community cedes to the virus. The focus of the study was limited to one school district over a short period from December 3, 2020, to January 31, 2021, with schools closed for two weeks for holidays in the course of the study period and when cases of COVID-19 in January were rapidly declining. This poses many difficulties on its generalizability. In this context, it was not surprising that outbreaks did not occur. However, the study intended to show that schools that employed strict mitigation measures had low secondary attack rates where a primary COVID-19 case infects another in a high community transmission setting, in this case, schools. It should be noted that Utah had implemented pandemic emergency measures in November in response to the surge that inundated the state in October. By the end of the holidays (schools were closed on December 21 and only resumed classes on January 4), COVID-19 cases were rapidly declining in Utah, consistent with the rest of the country. Epidemiologically, schools and communities work in a dichotomous relationship. With 1,214 staff and 10,171 students, 81 percent were attending school. Out of 51 coronavirus cases detected, 40 students (0.4 percent) and 11 staff (0.9 percent), 12 secondary cases were identified among their contacts, of which only five were determined to be originating at the school, giving a very low attack rate of 0.7 percent. A critical finding in this study, used in changing CDC distancing guidelines in school, was that though the Salt Lake County elementary school district upheld a six-foot social distancing policy, the median distance between students seats was just three feet. We will review the implications of this finding in the third study conducted in Massachusetts public schools. But first, we will proceed to the New Jersey study conducted by the CDC and published in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on March 19, 2021, two days after Dr. Walenskys testimony. Comprehensive mitigation strategy at a New Jersey school This study is typical of the disconnect between the CDCs idyllic expectations and real-world conditions. They report on a New Jersey Grades 9-12 boarding school with 520 full-time residents, 255 commuter students and 405 faculty and staff. The comprehensive mitigation strategies employed included universal masking, the wearing of personal Bluetooth tracking devices, testing, upgrading (including fitting MERV 13 filters) of their HVAC units to improve ventilation, six-feet distancing, contact tracing and following appropriate quarantine or isolation protocols. Additionally, they mandated twice-weekly testing. All students and staff had to quarantine for two weeks and had to provide documentation of a negative PCR testing result within seven to 10 days before campus arrival. Among the staff, there were a total of 19 positive tests (five percent), while eight students (one percent) received confirmation of a COVID-19 infection. The CDC reported that there were only two cases confirmed as in-school transmission. Twenty-five of 27 cases were thought to have occurred off-campus after exposure with family members or friends. The CDC report noted compliance was high with these protocols. The report then goes on to conclude that comprehensive mitigation strategies are effective and noted that recent analysis of schools across Europe found relatively low levels of school-related transmission. First, the experience of a boarding school, where airborne precautions and comprehensive testing and tracing were being conducted, is hardly similar to the situation facing the majority of public schools in the US, where lack of funding, dilapidated HVAC units, low universal masking enforcement, and no testing and tracing are the norm. Secondly, the reference to across Europe is false. The study cited in The Lancet looked at a cross-section of infection clusters and outbreaks in England from June to July 2020 following symptomatic cases. This was also a period in the UKs experience with the pandemic when daily cases were at their lowest levels. We will review the data from the UK Office of National Statistics later. However, there were no discussions on the issue of three-feet versus six-feet social distancing mentioned in the report. The primary purpose of including this particular study in their repertoire of three studies was to show that when cases in New Jersey began to climb in November, the strict and thorough efforts by this boarding school helped mitigate infections. Yet, the report then admits that the financial means to implement such extensive measures might be less feasible in other settings because of costs. To be continued The Reverend Dr Paul Kwame Nasimong, the Head Pastor of the Full Gospel Assemblies of God Church in Techiman, has called on the Bono East Regional Minister to shun political detractors and concentrate on building a better society for all. He told Mr Kwasi Adu-Gyan to focus and prioritise development and endeavour to overlook political detractors and saboteurs who might seek to undermine his administration and political career. Rev Dr Nasimong gave the advice when the Regional Minister joined worshippers of the church at a service to mark the Ressurection of Jesus Christ in Techiman in the Bono East Region. "You must try as much as possible to overcome any form of undermining from your detractors and saboteurs who might think you do not deserve this highest political position in the region," the Reverend Minister advised. "As you assume this position, the church expects you to emulate the biblical leadership of Daniel, who never allowed unnecessary pressures from critics and saboteurs to sway him in decision making," he added. On his part, Mr Adu-Gyan advised Christians to remain faithful to God, and put their faith in action to receive God's favour and his abundant blessings. He urged Ghanaians to celebrate the Easter festivities in moderation and endeavour to observe health safety protocols to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus Disease. 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 Duong Xuan Truong, general director of Ciena in Vietnam What solutions does Ciena offer to facilitate the operations of its partners in Vietnam? Ciena solves the problem of both internet bandwidth capacity and transmission delay. Moreover, when demands are changing continually, Ciena helps customers adapt to real-time requirements by using our Adaptive Network. It is what sets Ciena apart from other companies. Another demand from telecom operators and the government is developing automation to cut down costs. Ciena's customers successfully applied our services and recorded good feedback. Network speed doubles and triples, but the number of maintenance employees remains unchanged, reducing the cost of management and operation. How far has Ciena scaled up your operations in Vietnam? Ciena is a networking system, services, and software company. We are one of the leading partners in the world. We have more than 7,000 employees working in 35 countries, over 1,800 customers in the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, 85 per cent of whom are the most significant service suppliers. In Vietnam, we rank as the second-largest supplier for telecom operators. Over the last two years, we have built up the network infrastructure for FPT Telecom to ensure the adaption to the changing market flexibly. At present, we provide Metro Network to FPT Hanoi and FPT Saigon. We analyse data from the network each hour and minute to ensure stable connections and minimal lag. The optimal network solution is intelligent and flexible to ensure customers' relentless demand for more excellent connectivity and bandwidth-consuming services. FPT is adopting our latest WaveLogic technology that supports greater scale, programmability, and intelligence from the network edge to core. Customers will see drastic changes in service quality in the coming time when Ciena and FPT officially introduce the technology. How would you describe Vietnam's 5G development roadmap and potential? Our customers are 85 per cent of the world's leading corporations. Ciena provides communication networks, IP systems, and automation software to optimise the results for our clients. We see that the 5G rollout poses challenges for telecom operators globally and in Vietnam, given that the technology is entirely new compared with 3G and 4G services. In the world, telecom operators implement pilot projects in specific areas and are formulating business plans with input about the demand before launching 5G on a large scale. I think that Vietnamese telecom operators should build comprehensive business plans for the 5G rollout. Specifically, the plan should be based on research and forecasted user demand so that telecom operators can select the locations and the procedures to implement the service efficiently. For example, they can survey with supermarket operators like Vinmart to collect feedback from clients about their wish to use 5G services and their possible investment in the technology to serve customers better. In Vietnam, I can see that the government and telecom operators have made concrete steps to launch 5G successfully in line with international standards. Could you share what Ciena is doing to speed up the development? Ciena works with Vietnamese telecom companies in the e-government space. To build a smart government, Vietnam needs to apply telecommunications infrastructure systems like 5G. This can help ease administrative procedures and reduce the time for both investors and residents as more work can be done online. As a result, the transparency of the administrative works will increase, which will, in turn, help improve the efficiency of the government and companies. In the past two years, Ciena has teamed up with Vietnamese telecom giants to prepare the necessary steps to roll out 5G services. It took us 2-3 years of preparation to launch 5G this year. At present, telecom operators are actively switching their infrastructure to support the rollout of 5G services. Ciena is committed to working closely with them to provide information and advice during the implementation process. For example, we work with them to select the best model for the rollout. We will also help telecom operators to address the challenges related to network design, transmission, and standards. With the support of 5G, new versions of applications in areas like intelligent government, retail systems, factories, self-driving cars, or games can be developed. How would you evaluate the pace of development in internet infrastructure in Vietnam? What can Ciena offer to improve the internet user experience in Vietnam? Vietnam has a stable quality of bandwidth and transmission delay, and both the bandwidth and number of internet users have boomed. Technology-wise, Vietnam stands near the top of both the region and the world. In particular, Ciena supports the latest technology with speed at 200-400Gbps/wavelength, equivalent to the global speed. In the near future, we will apply an 800Gbps/wavelength for the metro network. The Ministry of Information and Communications and telecom operators are speeding up technology applications, boosting the economy and user experience. Vietnam is changing its ranking in the world, and its internet is becoming faster. We have found the situation to be very promising over the past few years. In recent years, the speed of development in Vietnam is almost equivalent to the ASEAN region in terms of 5G IP, optical transmission speed, software, and AI applications. At present, Ciena is providing the latest solutions and systems to Vietnamese telecom operators at the most competitive prices. As a result, these telecom operators can deliver services to users at a reasonable rate. Besides, we are also striving to improve user experience by offering faster connections and less lag. We help clients build adaptive networks in response to the constantly changing demands of their users. Finally, we analyse all of the user experience to optimise the network for higher quality. At present, there is the growing popularity of online services such as video streaming, gaming, and e-commerce. This creates more opportunities for telecom operators to earn more revenue if they can attract users with the optimal user experience. There are also other opportunities in smart manufacturing, e-government, and retail. The identity of Q, the supposed top-secret government operative and prophet of the extremist ideology QAnon, has for years been a fiercely debated mystery. But a possible slip-up in a new documentary suggests the answer was always the most obvious one: Ron Watkins, the long-time administrator of the message board 8kun, the conspiratorial movements online home. Most major QAnon researchers have long speculated that Watkins had written many of the false and cryptic posts alleging that former president Donald Trump was waging war against an elite international cabal of Satan-worshipping paedophiles. Watkins has long denied his involvement, saying he was merely a neutral backroom operator of the site and never a participant. QAnon supporters wait for a military flyover at the World War II Memorial during 2020 Fourth of July celebrations in Washington. Credit:Evelyn Hockstein/The Washington Post But in the Sunday finale for the HBO series Q: Into the Storm, filmmaker Cullen Hoback points to what he argues is a key piece of evidence that Watkins had lied about his role in the more than 4000 messages Q had posted since 2017. In a final scene, after Watkins talked about how he had shared voter-fraud conspiracy theories after Trumps loss in the 2020 elections, he told Hoback: It was basically three years of intelligence training, teaching normies how to do intelligence work. It was basically what I was doing anonymously before, but never as Q. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 5) Halfway through the lockdown, the Department of Health on Monday said it is too early to determine if the two-week enhanced community quarantine enforced over Metro Manila and four nearby provinces is successful despite the encouraging findings published by the OCTA Research Group. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday admitted the spread hasn't slowed down yet. She said it will take about two weeks after the ECQ period ends on April 11 to fully realize if it has been effective in curbing the spike in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna. "It is too early to say for us to analyze and say na nagwo-work na ang ECQ. About two weeks from now tsaka natin makikita [It's too early for us to say the ECQ is working, we will see after two weeks]... We won't see any changes right now," she said in a virtual briefing. OCTA on Monday said the reproduction number in Metro Manila, the epicenter of the country's coronavirus outbreak, has decreased from 1.88 to 1.61 after one week of ECQ. It said it is "clear the lockdown has been effective" in slowing down the rise in new cases. Vergeire explained that the reproduction rate can be affected by several factors, so the government does not heavily rely on it to determine the success of its COVID-19 efforts. Her two-week timeline is based on the surge that happened back in July-August 2020. She said that once the ECQ ended during that time, cases peaked then took 10 days before it started to go down. The official added it took three to four weeks after the lockdown before hospitals started getting decongested. The Health Department also warned that the country may see an "artificial" decline in new COVID-19 cases in the next few days because dozens of testing laboratories halted operations during the Holy Week. Vergeire appealed to laboratories to continue testing and analyzing samples as this is crucial in seeing the real situation in the country. "We need to know the numbers so it can guide our response. Itong artificial na pagbaba ng mga kaso, huwag natin isipin na bumabagal ang spread ng transmission. Hindi pa natin makikita ang epekto nitong ginagawa nating ECQ until about two weeks from the time we have ended the ECQ," she said. [Translation: Let's not assume the spread of transmission is slowing down because of the artificial decline. We won't see the effect of ECQ about two weeks from the end of ECQ.] The government is eyeing the possible relaxation of quarantine measures in NCR Plus by next week should COVID-19 response strategies prove to be effective. Free Meal Giveaway Today at Paducah Middle School By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - Paducah Public Schools is giving away free meals this afternoon at no charge.In partnership with Strengthening Families & Communities, Paducah Public Schools is hosting a Spring Break meal pick-up today from 4 pm through 6 pm at the Paducah Middle School Cafe, located at 342 Lone Oak Road.Anyone 18-years-old or younger can receive five days of meals at no cost.Officials ask everyone to wear a mask and practice social distancing. NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Across North and South America, products containing cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are being promoted as being good for health. For instance, CBD is claimed to offer relief from pain and reduction in inflammation, while THC is being promoted as a treatment for low appetite, insomnia, glaucoma, anxiety and muscle spasticity. As a result, the Americas cannabis market is set to grow from $93,487.2 million in 2019 to $293,791.0 million in 2025, at a high 22.5% CAGR between 2020 and 2025, according to the market research report published by P&S Intelligence. Key Findings of Americas Cannabis Market Legalization of cannabis is key driver for market Higher cannabis consumption witnessed during COVID-19 pandemic THC more popular cannabis product in Americas Vape shops most-important distribution channel for cannabis products Highest demand for CBD and THC witnessed in U.S. Partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions rampant among market players This is because with the rising popularity of THC- and CBD-containing products, the demand for cannabis, also known as marijuana, weed, and pot, is increasing; plants of the cannabis genus contain THC and CBD. The promotion of such products as those that can help people in enhancing their life and wellbeing is allowing Americas cannabis market players to increase their sales and convert more people to regular users. The COVID-19 pandemic, though initially harming the Americas cannabis market, helped it in eventually. The imposition of lockdowns and strict restrictions on movement in regional countries has caused widespread stress and depression; therefore, a large number of people resorted to marijuana. The American Medical Marijuana Association (AMMA) conducted a survey in the U.S. that revealed an increase in the weed smoking incidence among at least 30% of the participants. Get the sample copy this report @ https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/americas-cannabis-market/report-sample The THC category is predicted to continue dominating the Americas cannabis market, on the basis of product type, in the years to come. THC-containing products are being promoted as an effective remedy for nausea, appetite loss, pain, insomnia, glaucoma, muscle spasticity and anxiety, all of which are highly prevalent in the region. In the near future, the highest CAGR in the Americas cannabis market, of 29.4%, based on distribution channel, is predicted to be experienced by the pharmacies category. The governments of numerous U.S. states and Canadian provinces have allowed pharmacies to offer cannabis-based products, including sprays, creams and roll-ons. After the approval, CVS Pharmacy began to sell CBD products in eight U.S. states in March 2019. Browse detailed report with COVID-19 impact analysis on Americas Cannabis Market Research Report: By Product Type (Cannabidiol, Tetrahydrocannabinol), Legality (Illegal, Legal), Application (Recreational, Medicinal), Distribution Channel (Vape Shops, Specialty Stores, Pharmacies, Online Stores) Industry Analysis and Growth Forecast to 2025 @ https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/americas-cannabis-market Within the legal CBD sub segment of the application segment of the Americas cannabis market, the medicinal bifurcation held the larger share in the past. CBD is said to be beneficial for people suffering from chronic pain, arthritis, migraine, cancer, and numerous other health problems. With the increase in the prevalence of these issues, number of countries legalizing marijuana and derivative products, research and development investments, and awareness about the benefits of cannabis among doctors and patients, this bifurcation will continue growing. The U.S. is the highest revenue contributor to the Americas cannabis market, and it will also display the highest CAGR in the coming years. The increasing investments in the industry, rising number of states legalizing the substance, and growing focus on discovering new medical applications of cannabis are driving CBD and THC consumption in the country. In several states of the U.S., people are now allowed to use marijuana for recreational and therapeutic purposes, which is opening new opportunities for market players. Make enquiry about this report @ https://www.psmarketresearch.com/send-enquiry?enquiry-url=americas-cannabis-market Major players in the Americas cannabis market include Canopy Growth Corporation, Aurora Cannabis Inc., Cronos Group Inc., Aphria Inc., Trulieve Cannabis Corp., GW Pharmaceuticals plc, Green Thumb Industries Inc., Cresco Labs Inc., OrganiGram Holdings Inc., Auxly Cannabis Group Inc., CannTrust Holdings Inc., and HEXO Corp. Browse More Reports CBD Oil Market - North America is predicted to dominate the CBD oil market in the years to come, which can majorly be ascribed to the growing usage of CBD in the U.S Medical Marijuana Market - North America is currently the most productive region in the global medical marijuana market, as the R&D activities, aimed at studying the likely applications of marijuana in disease therapeutics, are garnering heavy investments About P&S Intelligence P&S Intelligence is a provider of market research and consulting services catering to the market information needs of burgeoning industries across the world. Providing the plinth of market intelligence, P&S as an enterprising research and consulting company, believes in providing thorough landscape analyses on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness. Contact: Prajneesh Kumar P&S Intelligence Contact: +1-347-960-6455 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com SOURCE P&S Intelligence Washington, April 5 : One person was killed and two others suffered life-threatening injuries in a triple shooting on Saturday night in Virginia Beach, police said on Sunday. The Virginia Beach Police Department said in a press release that officers responded to a call for a gunshot wound about 10:08 p.m. local time on Saturday in the 1600 block of Hiawatha Drive. When arriving at the scene, police found three victims suffering from gunshot wounds, the Xinhua news agency reported. One of them was declared dead at the scene, and the other two sustained life-threatening injuries and were rushed to hospital, police said. There was an active investigation going on and no suspect information was available as of now, according to the police. The fatal shooting came just over one week after what police described as "a very chaotic night" in Virginia Beach on March 26 during which multiple shootings left two people dead and eight others injured. One of the deceased was 25-year-old Donovon Lynch, who was shot and killed by a police officer who has yet to be identified. Fine young cannibal: A sea star, just days from metamorphosis, consumes a sibling. A faculty-undergraduate research team documented the previously unknown behavior. Their discovery was published in the journal Ecology. Credit: The College of William & Mary Karina Brocco French explains that sea stars are like butterflies: They go through metamorphosis. "They start out as adults on the sea floor, and they look like what you expect a starfish to look like," she said. "And they spawn, and then those little embryos end up flying through the water, if you will, during a larval stage where they look like weird little spaceships." The weird little spaceship stage lasts around a month, Brocco French said, before they metamorphose into juveniles, settling onto the sea floor. Jon Allen said the juveniles are essentially pinhead-sized, star-shaped versions of their parents. To grow, the juveniles must eat, and Brocco French and Allen discovered that what the young sea stars eat often turns out to be each other. Cannibalism is widespread in nature, but their discovery marks a heretofore unknown example of cannibalism in marine invertebrates fresh out of metamorphosis. Their findings are described in "Cannibalism of newly-metamorphosed juvenile sea stars," recently published in the journal Ecology. Allen is an associate professor in William & Mary's Department of Biology. Brocco French is a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Irvine. She is a 2016 William & Mary graduate, and the research was conducted while she was an undergraduate member of Allen's marine invertebrate lab. Their study animal is Asterias forbesi. "This is our good old Virginia starfish. It goes from New England to the Gulf of Mexico," Allen said. "So if you found this starfish on the Eastern Shore, it would likely be the one Karina and I were working on." And if you pick up one of these starfish, there's a good chance that your beach souvenir ate one or more of its siblings at a very early age. Allen and Brocco French recorded cannibalism among the sea stars as early as four days post-metamorphosis. "I'm convinced that if they could, they would eat each other during the little spaceship phase," Brocco French said. "But unfortunately, I don't think they have the ability to do that until they turn into little bitty sea stars." Allen said the larval sea-star spaceships eat unicellular algae, but "when the spaceship lands, the juveniles on the bottom eat the larvae." The star-eats-spaceship behavior was documented earlier by other researchers, he added. The juveniles are so much bigger than the larvae that this form of cannibalism was not surprising. But when juvenile-eats-juvenile action occurs, a sea star is taking on a meal roughly the same size as itself. Brocco French explains that sea stars feed in a manner that is totally different from how it's depicted on "Spongebob Squarepants." "They extrude their stomachs, kind of like turning it inside out like a plastic bag," she said. "And then they sort of engulf whatever it is they're trying to eat, and start to break it down, and then absorb the broken-down stuff. So they don't need teeth or anything. They've got it covered." Allen adds that a sea star has multiple stomachs; the one Brocco French describes is known as the cardiac stomach. "Instead of putting their food in their mouth, they slide their stomach out of their mouth into their food," he said. Their observations show that even minute differences in size can delineate the difference between the dinner and the diner. The bigger ones always seem to eat the smaller ones. The duo's interest in the teeny young cannibals began with a fortuitous disaster in the invertebrate lab. "This started out as a totally different project, as Karina probably remembers painfully," Allen said. "We were going to be culturing these juveniles to look at their reaction to predatory crabs, and whether the sea stars change their behavior in response to predator cues from the crabs. But they all started eating each other before we even introduced the crabs. So we had to scrap that experiment." They turned their attention to the more interesting phenomenon of sea star cannibalism, behavior that for the most part had escaped notice among the scientific community. Allen said that in evolutionary context, sibling cannibalism provides an adaptive advantage to the individual sea star, especially when you consider the inevitable competition that results when a female Asterias produces five to ten million eggs each year. They began their paper by noting that cannibalism is common in the animal kingdom, the practice documented in more than 1,300 species, vertebrates and invertebrates alike. Brocco French and Allen suspect that cannibalism is even more widespread. It would make sense that future research would reveal that previously unsuspected cannibalistic behavior is common among small animals and animals in early growth stages, like their sea stars. Allen says he hopes the Ecology paper will represent an "aha! moment" for researchers to look closely at the wide range of microscopic life for additional examples. "We thinkanthropomorphizingthat cannibalism is terrible. No one should be cannibalistic, "he said. "But in nature, 'red in tooth and claw," this is something that can be favored. So it seems to be a strategy that's likely to be common." Explore further Study confirms evolutionary link between social structure and selfishness More information: Karina Inge Brocco French et al. Cannibalism of newly metamorphosed juvenile sea stars, Ecology (2021). Journal information: Ecology Karina Inge Brocco French et al. Cannibalism of newly metamorphosed juvenile sea stars,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3352 Motorcyclist David Gerard Edwards (60) from Aghalee died following a crash in Moira on Saturday. Police have named a motorcyclist who died in a crash in Moira over the weekend as David Gerard Edwards. The 60-year-old from the Aghalee area was involved in a crash on Saturday around 3.20pm on the Lany Road when a Red Ducati motorbike collided with a Yellow JCB telehandler. Sergeant Mackenzie said the motorcyclist sadly passed away at the scene afterwards. Enquiries are continuing and police would appeal to anyone who witnessed the collision or why may have dash-cam footage available, to contact police on 101 quoting reference 1185 of April 3. Paris: A powerful government minister recently condemned it as an organisation whose activities are racist. Politicians accused it of promoting separatism before demanding its dissolution. Frances 114-year-old university student union, Unef, has a long history of drawing the ire of the political establishment most notably over the years when it lobbied for the independence of the countrys most important colony, Algeria, or took to the streets against employment contracts for youths. But recent attacks zeroed in on something that resonates deeply in a France struggling to adapt to social change: the unions practice of limiting some meetings to racial minorities to discuss discrimination. Leaders of Frances 114-year-old university student union, Unef, from left, Maryam Pougetoux, Quentin Bourgeon and Adrien Lienard at a demonstration in Paris, March 19, 2021. Credit:Dmitry Kostyukov, New York Times On Thursday, the Senate endorsed banning the group and others that organise restricted meetings, attaching a Unef amendment to President Emmanuel Macrons law against Islamism, a political ideology the government blames for inspiring recent terrorist attacks. The National Assembly, controlled by Macrons party, still needs to ratify the bill, expected to be one of the defining pieces of legislation of his presidency. Prime Minister Florin Citu proposes an inter-ministerial committee to ensure Romania's return to normalcy from June 1. "Today I will announce the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee, under the coordination of the prime minister, to ensure, from June 1, the return to Romania's normalcy. We will start, in fact, this is the first milestone, the first step, the first benchmark we set for the return to normalcy," Florin Citu told, on Monday, a press conference held at Victoria Palace of Government. He specified that this inter-ministerial committee will include all ministries and also the invitation of some unions and employers is taken into account. EPAs totalitarian assault on America By Duggan Flanakin Biden-Harris Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan is clearly on a mission. He has bold aspirations , and a long to-do list, says The Washington Post. But to succeed, the Post acknowledges, he must help the EPA get its groove back. As Reagan put it, Weve got a lot of work to do, starting with rebuilding staff morale and getting all our staff back to feeling as if they matter, their voices matter. Regan says his job is to restore the scientific integrity and the utilization of data, of facts, as we move forward, and make some very important decisions. His second goal is to increase cooperation between the EPA and its subordinate state environmental agencies. EPA will dictate; states will fall in line. A big step toward that goal was extending a Memorandum of Agreement between the EPA, the Environmental Council of the States, and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. According to Regan, EPA is committed to building on the values of transparency, respect, and an open dialogue that are the cornerstone of a successful partnership with the states. As EPA defines the terms. An Obama-appointed federal judge just restored the EPAs use of secret science in formulating regulations that businesses and industries must follow just because the EPA says so with scientific evidence that cannot be cross-examined. U.S. District Judge Brian Morris (in Great Falls, Montana) took just hours before vacating the Trump EPA rule that would have ended this Star Chamber style rule. For decades, the EPA relied on unreviewable studies to impose draconian restrictions on businesses and industries, and thus on the U.S. economy. Trump wanted to bring true transparency to the process. Opponents claimed the Trump secret science rule would block the use of critical public health studies kept secret supposedly to protect the identities of trial participants which of course was not the case. As Trump EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler explained , the secret science rule in no way blocked previous secret studies; rather, it created tiers in which preference is given to studies with public data. Peer reviewers looking at a studys raw data did not need to know any of the subjects names, so no patient confidentiality was at risk. Moreover, in most cases, a review of basic methods, statistics and results is sufficient to determine if they actually support the studys conclusion. Wheeler also noted: Too often Congress shirks its responsibility and defers important decisions to regulatory agencies. These regulators then invoke science to justify their actions, often without letting the public study the underlying data. Part of transparency is making sure the public knows what the agency bases its decisions on. Now the Biden-Harris EPA has revived its old policy based on a failed 2015 (Obama-Biden) rulemaking that twists the Clean Air Act language in an effort to destroy auto racing as a sport in the USA. The EPA claims modifying a vehicle previously certified for street driving for use as a competition-only racecar is unlawful even for vehicles that are trailered and never driven on public roads again. This policy seeks to end a 50-year-old American tradition. It has no precedent; even California exempts racing vehicles from regulation. Not only does the EPA claim it is illegal to convert a vehicle for racing by modifying its emission system; it claims manufacturing, selling or installing race parts for such vehicles is likewise unlawful. Its even said enforcement actions against high performance parts including superchargers, tuners and exhaust systems will now be a top priority. This policy constitutes a direct assault on the nations 1,300 racetracks, tens of thousands of participants and vehicle owners, and millions of racing fans nationwide. It is also a death blow to retail sales of racing products, a $2 billion a year industry. The move appears to be part of the Obama-Biden-Harris EPA strategy to rid the planet (or at least the USA) of internal combustion engines by taking away the romance of the racecar. To thwart this likely unconstitutional EPA power grab , the Specialty Equipment Market Association has filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in a lawsuit by Gear Box Z, Inc. challenging the racecar conversion ban. The industry group also supports the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act (RPM Act), which reaffirms the legality of converting street vehicles into race-only vehicles and confirms the legitimacy of producing, marketing and installing racing equipment. They should prevail. But with todays courts, do even the most specific, commonsense laws still matter? A recent Wall Street Journal editorial says the Biden-Harris EPA has a secret plan to force massive CO2 emissions reductions under the Clean Air Act, using ozone as its vehicle of choice. Plan B is the fallback strategy to be implemented once it is clear that even the Democrat-controlled Congress will not enact economy-killing anti-fossil fuel legislation. The ultimate goal is total fossil fuel eradication. Under Plan B, EPA will reset the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone to zero way below natural levels that Mother Nature herself emits! The science is based on a questionable 2017 study from Harvards T. C. Chan School of Public Health, which claims there is no safe level of ozone in the atmosphere. How do you prosecute Mother Nature? Plan B responds to the failure of the Obama-Biden Clean Power Plan, which was blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court. It reflects former EPA Administrator Lisa Jacksons blunt admission that it is technically infeasible and even legally questionable to regulate CO2 as a criteria pollutant under the Clean Air Act. The simple reasons are fundamental. CO2 is what humans and animals exhale. It is what plants inhale to support photosynthesis and produce the oxygen that most life on Planet Earth requires to exist. It does not cause asthma or other diseases. CO2 emissions generated in a locality cannot be measured reliably and certainly cannot be reduced within the 10-year timetable for criteria pollutants. CO2 is not a pollutant. Using ozone and the NAAQS to regulate CO2 is reportedly the brainchild of Joe Goffman, whom the Biden-Harris Administration has installed as principal deputy assistant administrator for the EPAs Office of Air and Radiation. Goffman, a chief architect of the Obama era Clean Power Plan, is known as EPAs law whisperer . His specialty is teaching old laws to do new tricks. Goffmans plan was jump-started on January 19, 2021, when 16 Democratic state attorneys-general filed a legal challenge to the EPAs recently reauthorized ozone NAAQS. Their one-paragraph sue-and-settle lawsuit claims the standards are unlawful, arbitrary and capricious and therefore must be vacated. The Trump EPA in December 2020 had retained the ozone NAAQS at levels set in 2015 by the Obama-Biden Administration. That action marked only the second time since the 1970 Clean Air Act was enacted that EPA completed its ozone NAAQS review within the mandatory 5-year timeframe. As the Wall Street Journal explains , Democratic AGs, green groups and top Biden environmental regulators intend to impose the Green New Deal on states through backdoor regulations, because they know they cant get it through the front door of Congress, even this sycophantic Congress. Under this nefarious scheme which could be imposed this year without any open dialogue in Congress every state would be forever out of compliance, JunkScience.com director Steve Milloy emphasizes. It is simply impossible to eliminate natural background levels of ozone. But this action would give EPA effective and arbitrary control over the entire economy, especially fossil fuel use. Giving unelected bureaucrats and a like-minded political cabal effective and arbitrary control over the entire U.S. economy creates a dictatorship of faceless and nameless totalitarians whose diktats the political class can claim they are powerless to upend. This is where America is headed, unless we stop these power-crazed autocrats. Duggan Flanakin is director of policy research at the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow ( www.CFACT.org ). His career includes overseeing publication of scientific research at the U.S. Bureau of Mines and in-depth reporting on regulatory agencies, environmental education, and science policy. Home Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have increased their exposure in and Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) since the rally in steel prices. In Tata Steel, holding was up by 5.69 per cent and in by 0.93 per cent between October and December; in JSPL and JSW Steel, it was marginally down by 0.72 per cent and 0.03 per cent, respectively. Between October and March, holding in was up 6.54 per cent. While holding in saw a sharp increase, overall institutional holding was up by just 1.33 per cent. All major steel companies, in fact, saw an increase in institutional holding; in JSW Steel, it was up 0.42 per cent, JSPL 0.99 per cent and 0.19 per cent. The increase in exposure comes at a time when the sector is riding the commodity cycle; steel prices started increasing from July 2020 after India entered the unlocking phase, largely on the back of a recovery in domestic demand and surge in international prices. This was reflected in a rally in steel stocks; in the last six months, the BSE Metal index appreciated by 76.74 per cent. Frontline steel stocks Tata Steel, JSW Steel, JSPL and rallied to fresh 52-week-highs on Monday. JSW Steel recently completed purchase of Bhushan Power & Steel and is also looking forward to commissioning additional five million tonnes before June while steel prices are at multi-year high. According to Isha Chaudhary, director, Crisil Research, China HR (hot rolled) FOB prices rose over 60 per cent over July 2020 to reach $735 per tonne in Mar 2021; domestic steel prices followed suit by rising over Rs 15,300 (41 per cent up) from July 2020 to reach Rs 53,000 per tonne in March 2021. The major surge in steel prices, however happened post-October with prices touching an all-time high in January. The rally in domestic prices was softer post-January 2021 led by pressure from end-users. But since the middle of March, prices started picking and prices of flat steel were increased by about Rs 4,000 in April. Apart from global factors and domestic demand, input cost has also led to a steel price increase. NMDCs iron ore prices (64 per cent Fe fines) saw a spike of 83 per cent over July 2020 to reach Rs 4,310 per tonne in Mar2021. This was led by a shortage in the merchant iron ore market owing to delay in starting operations of mines post Odisha auctions. Strong demand for iron ore led by revival in steel demand coupled with lower output by merchant players led to the supply crunch, explained Chaudhary. The months ahead also look strong. Chaudhary said, the price rally seen from second half of previous fiscal has more steam than expected. Prices will be particularly strong in Q1FY22 led by strong demand in China and domestic market and push from elevated iron ore and coking coal prices, said Chaudhary. Domestic steel mills are still operating at a discount to landed prices thereby leaving headroom for hikes. However, Chaudhary said, While prices will soften sequentially from Q2FY22, however, it will remain higher on y-o-y basis for FY22. An ICICI Securities report cautioned that cyclicality will eventually manifest and higher prices will lead to demand destruction sooner than expected; regional demand disappointment will lead to the next round of steel price correction, it further said. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 00:06:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Citizens line up to buy commemorative coins at a bank in Huai'an, east China's Jiangsu Province, Jan. 29, 2021. (Photo by He Jinghua/Xinhua) BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua) -- China's banking sector is likely to see its profits grow by 5 percent in the first half (H1) of 2021, predicted Bank of China Research Institute in a recent report. Chinese commercial banks registered net profit decline in 2020 compared with 2019 largely due to narrower interest margins and sizeable provisions, which will be eased in the first half of the year, according to the report. The recovery and improvement of China's macro economy will bring growth potential to the banks' asset business development, according to the report. Walker speaking at Bowdoin's 2016 Baccalaureate ceremony. Click here for more information. He revisited the shotgun housenow abandoned and overgrownwhere he was raised by a single mother and talked about the struggles of growing up in the South during segregation. "Inequality is the greatest harm to our democracy because inequality asphyxiates hope," Walker told CBS correspondent Lesley Stahl. Born in 1959 Walker was one of the first children in the country to benefit from the Head Start program. He graduated from the University of Texas in 1982 before earning a JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 1986. Walker pursued a career in law and banking before moving into the world of philanthropy. He now oversees a $14 billion dollar endowment as head of the Ford Foundation, which gives away around $500 million each year to nonprofit organizations. Walker told Stahl that the fight against inequality is central to the mission of every grant he oversees. Watch Darren Walker: The 60 Minutes Interview. The Philippines on April 1 said that it has discovered illegally built structures on features in the Union Banks which is a series of reefs in the South China Sea. The structures are discovered near where Manila has already located a flotilla of Chinese fishes vessels that are allegedly manned by militias and gathered only recently. As per CNN report, the Philippines military on Thursday said that the structures were spotted during the maritime patrols conducted on March 30. However, it did not give the exact location of the structures or any more details as to who was behind erecting them in the South China Sea. The Philippines military only said that the structures presence violated international law. China has been previously accused of using its vast fishing fleet to help assert its territorial claims throughout the 1.3 million square miles of the South China Sea. Reportedly, China has dismissed accusations of operations as an irregular naval force as groundless. Reportedly Philippines Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said in a statement that The Laws of the Sea gives the Philippines indisputable and exclusive rights over the area. These constructions and other activities, economic or otherwise, are prejudicial to peace, good order, and security of our territorial waters and added, These structures are illegal. China claims Whitsun Reef overriding UN ruling Union Banks that the Philippines calls the Pagkakaisa Banks also has Whitsun Reef, called Julian Felipe Reef by Manila. The reef is actually a part of the Spratly Islands archipelago and is claimed by both the Philippines and China. The Philippines claims that it falls inside the countrys exclusive economic zone and even United Nations (UN) ruled in 2016 that Chinas claim to virtually all of the South China Sea. however, China has refused to adhere to the recognition. Apart from Whitsun Reef, China has unilaterally transformed all other reefs in the Spratly chain into man-made islands with substantial infrastructure and other military fortifications such as missiles. Meanwhile, the Philippines stresses that Whitsun Reef safeguards a lagoon where the country says over 200 fishing boats are allegedly operated by Chinese maritime militia. Image credits: AP The lineup of performers for the 56th annual Academy Of Country Music Awards was released on Monday. The Academy of Country Music, dick clark productions and CBS announced that Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan will all take the stage for the show. The event will air live from Nashville on Sunday, April 18. She will sing: Maren Morris will perform at the 56th annual Academy Of Country Music Awards, it was shared on Monday; seen on March 14 at the Grammys Also on the call sheet will be Lee Brice, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Mickey Guyton and Ryan Hurd. And there will also be in attendance Jack Ingram, Alan Jackson, Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce, Jon Randall, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, The War and Treaty, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, CeCe Winans, and Chris Young. Over 25 artists will perform more than 30 songs from three iconic Country Music venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashvilles historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. She will croon too: And Kelsea Ballerini was also placed on the list; seen on The Voice The show will be hosted by Keith Urban and New Female Artist of the Year nominee Mickey Guyton. The health and safety of the artists, fans, industry, staff and partners involved in the ACM Awards is their number one priority, it was stated in a press release. 'All guidelines set forth by national, state and local health officials will be closely followed and implemented during the production along with additional safety measures to be instated by dick clark productions and the Academy of Country Music,' it was shared. The hosts: The show will be hosted by Keith Urban and New Female Artist of the Year nominee Mickey Guyton The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards honors the biggest names and emerging talent in the Country Music industry. The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will broadcast LIVE on Sunday, April 18, 2021 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. R.A. Clark, Barry Adelman and Linda Gierahn are executive producers. Damon Whiteside is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music. This past week, President Joe Biden announced his first slate of federal judicial nominees. The list contained a diverse and seemingly brilliant set of lawyers and judges from all manner of professional backgroundsin a welcome departure, there are not only former prosecutors and corporate lawyers, but also public defenders and civil rights lawyers. While its easy to say that kind of professional diversity matters on the federal bench, its not always clear how it might concretely change things. Luckily, just a few days before the list was released, we saw a tangible reminder of why that kind of background matters. Advertisement On March 25, the California Supreme Court issued a blockbuster decision invalidating Californias cash bail system as unconstitutional. In the United States, when someone is arrested, their release prior to their criminal trial is often conditioned on whether they can afford to make bail. Those who cannot afford to pay frequently languish in jail for months and even years. This makes the United States one of only two countries in the world in which someone can be jailed for being too poor to pay for their release. These cash bail systems have come under great criticism in the past decade, with courts invalidating cash bail systems in cities like Houston and Dallas, and other states largely doing away with cash bail on their own. (Contrary to critics fears, crime has consistently gone down in cities and states that eliminate cash bail.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Californias elimination of the practice is a change of an entirely different order. In some ways, this development can be traced back to a U.S. Supreme Court decision from a decade ago that has nothing to do with cash bail but does have something in common with the recent California Supreme Court decision: Leondra Kruger, who now sits on Californias highest court. Ten years ago, Kruger was the acting principal deputy solicitor general of the United Statesthe top political deputy in the Office of the Solicitor General, arguing cases in the Supreme Court on behalf of the federal government. In 2011, Kruger argued for the United States in Turner v. Rogers, a case about what due process is required before a person can be jailed for failing to pay child support. Michael Turner was appealing his jailing for civil contempt after he failed to pay child support. He argued that he had a federal constitutional right to court-appointed counsel because not only was he unable to afford to pay child support, but he also could not afford to pay a lawyer. Advertisement Arguing on behalf of the United States, Kruger asserted that the Constitution required a hearing at which Turners ability to pay must be addressed before he could be jailed for failure to pay child support. Before such a hearing, Kruger argued, the parties must be advised that the hearing would cover the subject of their ability to pay; then the court must actually hold that hearing; and, before putting someone in jail, the court must expressly find at the hearing that the person has the ability to pay and has chosen not to do so. Kruger argued that these minimal procedural safeguards were necessary so that courts were not jailing people solely for having insufficient funds to buy their own freedom. Advertisement Advertisement Her arguments worked: That summer, the Supreme Court, in a 54 decision, held that the precise procedural safeguards for which Kruger had advocated should be adopted by courts to avoid depriving someone of liberty without due process. In his majority opinion, Justice Stephen Breyer went so far as to cite the pages of oral argument transcript in which Kruger had painstakingly explained what kinds of safeguards were needed and why. Turner has become an important precedent for lawyers around the country who are fighting cash bail systems. In particular, advocates frequently cite those procedural safeguards advocated by Kruger at argument, and later adopted by the court, and several courts have cited Turner in their decisions striking down cash bail systems. Advertisement Kruger now sits on Californias Supreme Court. And last week, she had the chance to affirm, as a jurist, the very same principles she had advocated as a lawyer a decade ago. In In re Kenneth Humphrey, she joined her colleagues in holding that California cannot jail people solely because of their inability to pay; that, instead, the court must consider the arrestees ability to pay the stated amount of bailand may not effectively detain the arrestee solely because the arrestee lacked the resources to post bail. Advertisement Kruger thus provides something of a case study in why the primary architects and advocates of major civil rights reforms are such important additions to the bench. Their aspirations about what the law may someday allow can actually become lawthough often only after years of labor. The conservative legal movement doesnt have a lock on elevating advocates of a specific kind of legal ability directly to the bench, though they are extremely adept at it. Progressives should do this as well. Advertisement As a lawyer, Kruger proved herself adept at persuading moderate and conservative judges to rule in favor of progressive outcomes. She did so not only in the Turner case, but in others as well, including persuading the full conservative majority to protect civil rights whistleblowers from retaliation against family members and to extend the timeline for civil rights plaintiffs to bring disparate impact claims (in an opinion penned by Justice Antonin Scalia!). Since she was appointed to the bench, Kruger has been the decisive vote and written the majority opinion in a case overruling prior precedent to bar certain warrantless searches of cars. Shes authored other opinions increasing access to bodycam footage, allowing defendants to withdraw guilty pleas where their lawyers fail to advise them of the immigration consequences of such a plea, and protecting the redistricting process in the face of the Trump administrations shenanigans around the census. Advertisement The cash bail decision wasnt especially close, in part because since Turner, the law had already been moving in this direction on the issuebut if it had been, a Justice Kruger on the bench with a decade of advocacy in the area would be vital in persuading her colleagues. Biden has received plaudits for promising to create a federal bench that looks like America, and one that rewards careers in public interest and civil rights law. Attorneys around the country spend decades planning and strategizing the kinds of litigation that will ensure that voting rights, criminal rights, racial inequality, education, poverty, and employment law bend toward a more inclusive and diverse country. We cant always know in advance how any single courtroom victory, like Turner, may change the arc of legal history, but we can surely see that the designers and builders of this vision should be on the bench in vast numbers to ensure that they do. Advertisement Biden needs to move quickly now. As has been well documented, the past four years have seen a rapid succession of federal judges appointed to the bench by Trump and confirmed by the Mitch McConnellled Senate. More than 225 federal judges were appointed by Trumpmore than a quarter of currently active federal judges. Like Kruger, many were themselves effective advocates before they became judgesbut they advocated for very different clients and outcomes, including limiting womens health, marginalizing LGBTQ teens, and immunizing the very wealthy from legal consequences. Indeed, the lawyer who once opposed Kruger in the Turner case, arguing that it was perfectly acceptable to jail someone merely for his inability to pay? That was one Stephanos Bibasnow Judge Bibas, appointed by Trump to a lifetime seat at the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Autism can affect any family, regardless of skin color, wealth or religion. During the past 15 years, the rate of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has grown from 1 in 166 children in 2004 to 1 in 54 today. Boys are four times as likely to be diagnosed with autism as girls. There is no evidence that autism prevalence differs across race or ethnicity, but Black and Latino children and those with limited resources are often underdiagnosed and diagnosed later than their counterparts. This makes it more likely that the services they need will be accessed later and opportunities for early intervention will be missed. April is Autism Awareness Month. Beyond raising awareness, the designation should remind us that accepting and including people living with autism will remove barriers, reduce misconceptions and help us truly appreciate the contributions they make to our world. People with autism add to the diversity of our communities, and we need to understand better what they contribute and how they and their families can be supported. They also have many strengths that can benefit communities and employers. Social and occupational isolation are but two of the many challenges facing persons with autism. We dont have enough providers who can diagnose autism and many that can dont accept insurance. The national average for time on a waitlist prior to being diagnosed is more than one year. People with autism experience many co-occurring challenges, such as intellectual disability, epilepsy and mental health problems. There are also health disparities among people with autism that may contribute to shorter life expectancies. Their life expectancy is shortened by 20 to 36 years compared with the general population. Commentary: Texas fails to deliver on autism therapy With any lifelong disability or illness, research and services must take a lifespan perspective. What does this perspective look like? Here in Texas, medical researchers continue to study the brain and biology of autism. Neurologists, psychiatrists and neuropsychologists are tracing its origins and improving the ways to diagnose it early. Behavioral specialists and educators study and design educational approaches for children with autism. Others are focusing on young adults entering college and the labor force, and attending to the aging out of youth services and entitlements. In adulthood, there are issues of education, training and employment. In old age, there is the need for care and services. Social workers and disabilities specialists support people living with autism, as well as their families, friends and communities. We dont truly know why and how autism happens to so many of us. Science has more work to do. But until we can prevent or cure it, science and services must come together seamlessly to improve the lives and futures of people with autism and their families. Texas can lead the way by providing comprehensive opportunities for individuals with autism and their families so those of all social strata have equitable access to services. Texans need to continue to support these services and build on them. Specifically, we can create autism awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and foster acceptance of people with autism in society. Lawmakers can make sure that funding is available for important services. Professionals can develop interdisciplinary teams to diagnose autism early, especially in underserved and low-resource communities. Schools can ensure that teachers and staffers have expertise in evidence-based learning practices for people with autism. Employers can learn how to make accommodations for youths and adults on the spectrum. More work is needed to better support people with autism who have these challenges. We can do better. Working across disciplines and society, Texas can lead the way. Luis H. Zayas is the dean of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. Clay Johnston is the dean of the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. HALIFAX - Nova Scotia is reporting three new cases of COVID-19 today in the Halifax area. A pharmacist prepares the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine at a pharmacy prototype clinic in Halifax on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting three new cases of COVID-19 today all are in the Halifax area. The CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan HALIFAX - Nova Scotia is reporting three new cases of COVID-19 today in the Halifax area. Health officials say one case is related to travel outside Atlantic Canada, one is a close contact of a previously reported infection, and the other is under investigation. Nova Scotia has 32 active reported COVID-19 cases and one person in hospital with the disease. The province says it had administered 113,471 doses of COVID-19 as of Sunday, with 29,532 people having received a booster shot. Chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang is reminding residents to get tested regularly to help officials quickly detect and isolate cases. The province says it completed 1,212 COVID-19 tests on Sunday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2021. NEW YORK, April 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sulfuric Acid market will register an incremental spend of about USD 1.96 Billion, growing at a CAGR of 3.25% during the five-year forecast period. A targeted strategic approach to Sulfuric Acid sourcing can unlock several opportunities for buyers. This report also offers market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Download free sample report Sulfuric Acid Market Procurement Research Report Key Highlights Offered in the Report: Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices. Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation on pros and cons of prevalent pricing models. Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers. Get a free sample report for more information Insights into buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers: Several strategic and tactical negotiation levers are explained in the report to help buyers achieve the best prices for the Sulfuric Acid market. The report also aids buyers with relevant Sulfuric Acid pricing levels, pros, and cons of prevalent pricing models such as volume-based pricing, spot pricing, and cost-plus pricing and category management strategies and best practices to fulfill their category objectives. For more insights on buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers, Click here. Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth: The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers. Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 1.00%-3.00%. Identify favorable opportunities in Sulfuric Acid TCO (total cost of ownership). Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes. Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities. Some of the top Sulfuric Acid suppliers listed in this report: This Sulfuric Acid procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies. Story continues BASF Group Akzo Nobel N.V. Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. China Petrochemical Corp. (SINOPEC) INEOS Group Holdings SA Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.) Inc. HALDOR TAPSOE Pan Pacific Copper Co. Ltd. Chemtrade Logistics Inc. Valero Energy Corp. To get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment, Subscribe Now for Free. Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope Appendix Get access to regular sourcing and procurement insights to our digital procurement platform- Contact Us. About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more: https://www.spendedge.com/request-for-demo Contacts SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SpendEdge Logo (PRNewsfoto/SpendEdge) Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-sulfuric-acid-market-procurement-intelligence-report-with-covid-19-impact-analysis--global-market-forecasts-analysis-2021-2025--spendedge-301261245.html SOURCE SpendEdge Tawazun Economic Council has entered into an offset agreement with Swiss-based Pilatus Aircraft under which Strata, a company wholly-owned by Mubadala Investment Company, will add three further work packages for the PC-24, the worlds first Super Versatile Jet. Spanning over seven-year period, the agreement will see Al Ain-based aero-structure manufacturer supply major aircraft components to Pilatus Aircraft. Supported by Tawazun under its economic programme, Strata had previously entered into partnerships with global leading aircraft manufacturers including Boeing and Airbus. Its contract with Pilatus is now set to enhance its position as a major contributor to global value chains by offering Made with Pride in UAE products. Under this agreement, the Swiss group will award Strata three additional work packages for the PC-24 the worlds first Super Versatile Jet: two for autoclave manufacturing, of pylon fairings, bullet fairings and tail cones, and one, for the first time in the UAE, to manufacture aerospace class hot press composite parts. It is a fulfilment of the Tawazun Economic Programs obligation that aims to generate high economic value and create social and strategic benefits to the UAE, said Matar Ali Al Romaithi, Tawazuns Chief Economic Development Officer, after signing the agreement with Ismail Ali Abdullah, CEO of Strata Manufacturing, and Johan van Nieuwenhuizen, Director of Industrial Participation of Pilatus. "This agreement demonstrates Tawazuns continued efforts and commitment to providing innovative solutions and creating economic development and commercial value for all companies involved in procurement programs. We are supporting the interests of all parties as well as the development of the wider industry in the UAE, as guided by our wise leadership," stated Al Romaithi. "In addition to solidifying the UAEs leading position in the aviation industry, Tawazuns goal is to continue to contribute to the diversification of the national economy by integrating local suppliers into global supply chains, and aiding the UAE in becoming more competitive as we focus on and attract innovation and technology," he added. Ali Abdulla said: "For us at Strata, the extended agreement marks the next step in a long-term partnership aimed at delivering further high quality composite work packages for Pilatus in the UAE." "Pilatus is a key customer of our global partner network and the expanded agreement highlights Stratas advanced technological capabilities in the global aerospace supply chain - including our Made with Pride in the UAE components," he stated. "It also highlights the confidence Pilatus has in Stratas manufacturing abilities and excellent delivery record, which we have continued to exceed year-on-year during our 10-year history of pioneering the UAEs aero structures manufacturing sector," noted Abdulla. Roman Emmenegger, VP of Manufacturing of Pilatus, said: "We are extremely satisfied and today we further strengthen our relationship with this significant extension to our agreement. We are also proud that one of the packages will establish a new capability to manufacture hot press composites at Strata, a first in the UAE." "Pilatus is committed to further strengthen our relationship with the UAE which dates back over thirty years supporting the UAE Air Force with our PC-21 and PC-7 training aircraft, and the creation of aerospace centres of excellence with major players such as Strata," he added. According to him, Strata will support Pilatus goal of ramping up its production rate for PC-24 aircraft to serve the global market. "The pylon, an aerodynamic panel surface for engine pylon systems and structures, bullet fairing and tail cone, that houses aircraft flying control operating mechanisms, and the new aerospace class hot press capabilities, expands Stratas standing as a leading global composite manufacturer," he added.-TradeArabia News Service MEP Gahler calls for the opposition United National Movement party to reach a compromise over Nika Melias arrest By Veronika Malinboym Michael Gahler, a member of the European Parliament, and a member of the EPs Committee on Foreign Affairs stated in an interview with TV Pirveli that the opposition United National Movement party should reach an agreement on the issue of Nika Melias release. MEP added that a possible compromise, in this case, would be agreeing on Melias release on the condition of him wearing the electronic tracking bracelet. Michel Gahler also noted that the cases of Giorgi Rurua and Nika Melia, both of whom the countrys opposition bloc classifies as political prisoners should be considered separately, as, in the case of the former, the option for release would be the presidential pardon, while the latter needs to post his bail to be released from detention.MEP Michel Gahler was among the seven signatories of the joint statement of the members of the European Parliament which was released shortly after the last round of failed talks between the ruling party and opposition mediated by Christian Danielson during his second visit to Georgia. In their statement, the MEPs call for the EU to respond to the parties reluctance to come to an agreement and de-escalate the political climate in the country:Following the refusal from the political parties to compromise, Georgias leaders should not expect a return to business as usual from the European Union. The European Parliament, in particular, will call for consequences in terms of EU financial assistance, including both a suspension of further disbursements of and an increase in conditionality linked to EU Macro-Financial Assistance and budget support programmes, the statement reads.The first round of talks mediated by the special representative of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, was held on March 12. Following the failure of the first round of talks, Danielsson returned to Tbilisi on March 27 to hold the second round of negotiations, however, no agreement was reached. The inclusive nature and representative meaning of the three colours of the Irish flag was the main argument put forward for retaining the tricolour A quarter of TDs and Senators in the Republic would be unwilling to lose the tricolour and national anthem as part of efforts to achieve a united Ireland, a new survey has shown. The poll by The Irish Sun newspaper also found that over 35% were open to changing the national symbols. One TD surveyed suggested a tune like Danny Boy as a possible replacement for Amhran na bhFiann the Irish national anthem. Roughly six in every 10 members of the Oireachtas polled ruled out rejoining the Commonwealth to help secure reunification. Each of the 63 public representatives who responded to the newspaper said they want to see a united Ireland, with 44% of legislators suggesting a border poll date between 2023 and 2030. Fourteen of Sinn Feins parliamentary party members said they were open to a border poll within four or five years with the remaining four not specifying a date. People Before Profit said a border poll was the peoples democratic right and that they wanted to see one take place in the short term. Retaining the tricolour and/or anthem was only a red line issue for roughly a quarter of respondents. Five Sinn Fein representatives completely ruled out giving up the tricolour, and/or anthem, if that was to become part of any negotiations. Two Fianna Fail, three independents and the six Social Democrat TDs also said no to those changes. Some 19 representatives said they would prefer to keep them but are open to debate, while 23 were open to change and five did not say yes or no. Meanwhile, half of the Fianna Fail members polled said they wanted to see a vote take place in the next 10 years while half ruled out any consideration to rejoining the Commonwealth. All but one of Fine Gaels 11 respondents suggested a timeline for a border poll after more preparatory work. The inclusive nature and representative meaning of the three colours of the Irish flag was the main argument put forward for retaining the tricolour. Sinn Fein TD for Donegal Padraig Mac Lochlainn said: The Irish tricolour is a proud flag that represents peace between the Green and Orange traditions on this island and I will argue the case for it to remain. However, all of this will be up for discussion as part of the process of reunification. But some Oireachtas members said the flag may be required to be changed in a united Ireland. Fianna Fail Senator Niall Blaney said he would not predetermine what the demands of the unionist parties may be but was of the belief that there needed to be a give and take approach to obtain the bigger goal. More than half of those TDs and Senators surveyed flatly rejected the possibility of rejoining the Commonwealth to aid Irish reunification. Aontu leader Peader Toibin did not oppose changing Irish symbols or joining the Commonwealth but stressed the bread and butter issues such as an all-Ireland Health Service, police service, rail, ICT service, etc would be the determining factors for many families who were formerly unionist. IBM dinged for piecemeal approach to Army protest One lesson from this dismissed bid protest by IBM is that if you see a problem with a solicitation -- keep reminding the Government Accountability Office that you still consider it a problem, even if you find other issues you think are more important. The Government Accountability Office dismissed IBMs protest involving the nearly $800 million Army Unified Enterprise Resource Planning Capability Support Services contract because GAO felt the company had dropped a concern and then re-raised it. But it was too late by then. The contract consolidates several existing ERP contracts. IBM and Accenture are incumbents on some of the consolidated contracts. Accenture won the contract with a $787.7 million bid in late 2019. Accenture and IBM are the only companies that pursued the work. IBMs first protest in December 2019 netted a corrective action. But the Army again picked Accenture, which led to a second IBM protest. Then came another corrective action, which triggered another protest by IBM. Protest number three by IBM claimed the corrective action didnt address problems with the solicitation. The rub is right there. IBM had raised that issue earlier. But during all the back and forth of past awards and protests, IBM didnt respond to an Armys response to its earlier challenge of the terms of the solicitation. When IBM didnt raise its concerns about the terms, GAO believed that it had dropped that part of its protest over how government employees would be incorporated into the work. In the eyes of GAO, IBM essentially communicated it abandoned that part of its protest. So when IBM later brought up problems it had with the terms of the solicitation, GAO said the company could no longer challenge the terms of the solicitation. GAO said that IBMs approach to the protest was an improper piecemeal presentation. GAO wrote. Our office will dismiss a protesters piecemeal presentation of arguments that could have been (or, in this case, were already) raised earlier in the protest process. GAO said a protest is obligated to present all of the known legal or factual grounds for its protest. A piecemeal approach causes delays, GAO said. IBM argued that the clock restarted because the Army was still making amendments to the solicitation through the corrective action process and through questions and answers with the bidders. But GAO said that was not the case because the alleged deficiencies were already apparent to IBM. Here is one final twist. In my reading the protest decision, it sounds like GAO agrees with IBM on how there are problems with the procurement. GAO said it will not make a recommendation that the Army implement fixes: "We note that this procurement appears to be significant to the Army and based on its prior history, will likely be the subject of a future post-award protest. The Army might want to provide additional clarification before the next set of proposals come in, according to GAO. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here The Biden administration has stopped the production of the Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine at a plant in Baltimore after a contract manufacturer mixed up ingredients from the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, spoiling millions of doses of the latter's vaccine. The contract manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions, which had been making both vaccines, was asked Saturday to halt production, and Johnson & Johnson will now solely produce its single-dose vaccine at the plant, The New York Times reported. The contract manufacturers mistake has contaminated about 15 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but it was found out before any of the spoilt doses were shipped, The Times (of London) noted. The American company Johnson & Johnson said it was assuming full responsibility of the facility in Baltimore, and pledged to deliver 100 million doses for the U.S. by the end of May. Source:The Christian Post Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, Politburo member, head of the Party Central Committee's Organisation Commission and deputy to the 14th legislature, was elected as Vietnam's Prime Minister at the 11th session of the 14th National Assembly this afternoon. browser not support iframe. Mr. Chinh, who is currently head of the Communist Party of Vietnams Organisation Commission, received support of 462 out of 466 lawmakers present at the ongoing session of the National Assembly. Under the sacred golden star red flag of the Fatherland, in front of the National Assembly and fellow voters nationwide, I, the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, will be loyal to the Fatherland, people, and the Constitution, and will work hard to fulfil tasks assigned by the Party, State, and people, the new PM stated during his oath. He pledged absolute loyalty to the Fatherland, the people, and the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and affirmed that he will do his utmost to fulfil all tasks assigned by the Party, State, and people. Chinh said priority will be given to upholding the respect for the law; strengthening discipline in the State administrative apparatus and society as a whole; effectively mobilising and using all resources for national development; developing strategic infrastructure; and stepping up national digital transformation and developing the digital economy. Attention will be paid to developing a comprehensive social welfare system, with a focus on remote, border, and island regions and ethnic minority-inhabited areas, and caring for the material and spiritual lives of all people, the PM added. Mr. Chinh was born in 1958 hailing from Thanh Hoa province. He had held key posts such as Secretary of the Quang Ninh provincial Party Committee and Deputy Minister of Public Security before being elected Prime Minister of Vietnam. The 14th National Assembly is holding its last session in Hanoi to complete personnel work in the State apparatus before voters will go to the polls next month to elect a new legislature for the 2021-2026 tenure. VNA/VOV The reports out of its native Korea were correct, LG is shutting down its mobile business. With losses continuing to mount, and billions of dollars seemingly squandered on quirky handsets, the electronics giant has officially thrown in the towel on its struggling phone division. In a statement, the company said "Moving forward, LG will continue to leverage its mobile expertise and develop mobility-related technologies such as 6G to help further strengthen competitiveness in other business areas." For now, LG said that its current phone inventory remains available for sale, and that existing devices will continue to receive after-sale support and software updates "for a period of time which will vary by region." The company expects to complete the winding down of its mobile business by the end of July, though it notes that some LG phones may continue to be sold after that date. Despite its CEO's pledge to turn around its fortunes by 2021, both LG's Velvet and Wing devices failed to gain traction with the public. The lure of dual-screen phones (and the promise of rollable displays) was clearly not enough to prompt consumers to part ways with dominant players Apple and Samsung. While the litany of affordable flagships from the likes of OnePlus and Xiaomi continued to chip away at what remained of its market share. By December, the writing was on the wall for the Korean electronics giant. With its stake in the global phone market down to a paltry 1.7 percent, LG announced it would outsource the designs of more of its low- and mid-range handsets to third-parties. Just months earlier, it had attempted to crack the cheap 5G phone arena with the $400 K92. "LG brand's departure from the mobile space may be disappointing to some but we're in an industry where pivoting and doing what's in the best interest of employees and shareholders is also critically important," LG head of global corporate communications Ken Hong told Engadget. "As other beloved phone brands have demonstrated before us, it's a numbers game, not a popularity contest." Clearly, LG was not ready to give up on its smartphone ambitions without a fight. Last month, Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo reported that it was even in talks to sell the flailing business to Germanys Volkswagen AG and Vietnams Vingroup JSC, but the discussions ultimately failed. According to Nikkei Asia, LG's inability to ramp up its smartphone business was influenced at least in part by a global semiconductor storage unlike its domestic rival Samsung, LG does not produce its own smartphone chipsets, and limited supply has meant the company has struggled to secure an adequate supply of silicon for future mobile devices. LG's full statement can be found below: "LG Electronics Inc. (LG) announced that it is closing its mobile business unit. The decision was approved by its board of directors earlier today. LGs strategic decision to exit the incredibly competitive mobile phone sector will enable the company to focus resources in growth areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, artificial intelligence and business-to-business solutions, as well as platforms and services. Current LG phone inventory will continue to be available for sale. LG will provide service support and software updates for customers of existing mobile products for a period of time which will vary by region. LG will work collaboratively with suppliers and business partners throughout the closure of the mobile phone business. Details related to employment will be determined at the local level. Moving forward, LG will continue to leverage its mobile expertise and develop mobility-related technologies such as 6G to help further strengthen competitiveness in other business areas. Core technologies developed during the two decades of LGs mobile business operations will also be retained and applied to existing and future products. The wind down of the mobile phone business is expected to be completed by July 31, although inventory of some existing models may still be available after that." Chris Velazco and Richard Lawler contributed to this story. Over the weekend 100 teachers and staff at Athol Royalston Regional School District got their second COVID vaccine, but the shot left many of them feeling sick. On Saturday 100 of our teachers and staff had their second Covid vaccine shot, the district said in a statement. This evening we have received many calls from staff and teachers not feeling well. The school then had to canceled classes for Monday, citing the number of teachers and staff who had already called out sick. Due to the number of people who will be out the district will need to close school tomorrow, the schools website states. Side effects from the vaccine are common, including soreness in the arm, fever and flu-like symptoms including fatigue, chills and headache. They are often minor and typical of the immune system revving up. Painkillers can be taken afterward for symptoms without worry of interfering with the vaccine, however, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidance to recommend against painkillers before a COVID-19 shot, The Associated Press reported. Roughly 90% of districts in Massachusetts were expected to return elementary students back to five days of full in-person instruction. All elementary schools in the state will return to the learning model by May 3. Athol said the missed day will be made up in June. Related Content: Egypt's first female ship captain has been falsely alleged for the blocking of Ever Given at Suez Canal, courtesy of a fake news campaign. A doctored image which made its rounds widely on Facebook and Twitter alleged Marwa Elselehdar, 29, for the massive cargo vessel getting barred in the Suez Canal on March. The situation hobbled global trade. However, she was nowhere near the scene of the blocking. Egypt's First Female Ship Captain Falsely Blamed for Suez Situation According to Elselehdar, after news broke that the Ever Given had barred the Suez Canal on March 24, she became aware of rumors circulating the internet indicating she was responsible. At the time of the accident, she was hundreds of miles away. She was commanding a ship named the Aida IV in Alexandria. Online rumors and fake news headlines were prevalent, saying she was behind the maritime disaster. This held up the major shipping route for almost a week prior to the freeing of the Ever Given. She remarked, "I was shocked. I felt that I might be targeted maybe because I'm a successful female in this field or because I'm Egyptian, but I'm not sure," reported Fox News. Alexandria was over 200 miles away from the site of the collision in Egypt. The rumors on the internet were propelled by a doctored image of a news headline indicating she was involved in the Suez Canal accident. The identity of Ever Given's captain has not been divulged. However, according to Egyptian officials, human error may have resulted in the ship running aground in March. Elselehdar does not work for the shipping company. Ever Given Stuck Again in Suez Canal, Needs To Pay Egypt $1B for Damages A probing on the situation is underway to explain the Ever Given's grounding. However, it is clear that the 29-year-old was not to be accused. Rumors circulating on the internet about Elselehdar's supposed involvement were aggravated by the sharing of screenshots of fake news headlines, reported Business Insider. Edited photographs and fake social media handles pushed the lies which she fears have tainted her reputation. The doctored headline was based on a story based on truth by Arab News profiling her success as Egypt's first female captain. Also, according to Elselehdar, "People in our society still don't accept the idea of girls working in the sea away from their families for a long time." She added the fake article was in English so it spread globally, reported 9News. A number of Twitter accounts under Elselehdar's name also spread fake rumors that she was needed to be held accountable in the Ever Given's crash. The 29-year-old stated she did not know who began the rumors or their motive behind them. The bogus news prompted trolls to target the ship captain. She said the comments on the article were very harsh and negative. However, there were also numerous other supportive comments from ordinary people and people she works with. She is one of the few females in the heavily men-dominated shipping industry. She became the youngest and first woman Egyptian captain to cross the Suez Canal in 2016. Suez Canal Open Again, Shipping To Be Snarled for Months @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NEW ALBANY, Miss. (WTVA) - One arrest has been made and a second shooting suspect remains at large in New Albany. New Albany Police Chief Chris Robertson says Charles Brown, 30, is still wanted for the shooting that happened on March 30 in Shady Dell Park. New Albany shooting suspect Charles R. Brown. New Albany shooting suspect Charles R. Brown. Police consider Brown to be armed and dangerous. Police did arrest another suspect Demarcus Jones, 23. He faces charges of attempted aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a felon. Anyone with information is asked to call New Albany Police Department at 662-534-2222 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Mississippi at 1-800-773-8477. Youths attack a PSNI vehicle in the Nationalist area of Shantallow, Derry, following the discovery of a suspicious package near Templemore Road. Picture: PA PSNI officers have been attacked with stones after attending the scene where a suspicious object was discovered. Police attended to protect a bomb disposal unit that was sent to the scene at the Templemore Road, in a predominantly nationalist part of Derry. The incident was subsequently declared an "elaborate hoax" by police, and a security alert was stood down shortly after 9pm. A PSNI statement said: "Police and ATO (ammunition technical officer) examined a suspicious object, which was discovered in the area at around 4.20pm this afternoon, and have declared it an elaborate hoax." Roads were closed and the public asked to keep away after the alarm was raised on Easter Monday. Pictures show a number of youths attacking a PSNI vehicle, hurling stones and pieces of wood. Video captured from the scene that is circulating on social media showed a number of youths being chased away by riot vehicles. It follows several nights of unrest in loyalist areas in both Derry and Belfast. However, the incident is not linked to the unrest in unionist communities seen in the last week. A PSNI statement said: "Police are currently attending a report of a suspicious object located at the Templemore Road area of Derry/Londonderry this evening. "A number of roads in the area have been closed and members of the public are asked to avoid the area whilst the object is examined." The New Orleans City Council is considering a resolution opposing a massive Taiwanese plastics facility in St. James Parish that could release the same type of tiny pellets that blanketed New Orleans riverbanks last summer. The resolution, slated for consideration on Thursday , wont have much impact on the proposed $9.4 billion Formosa Plastics plant slated for an area near the Sunshine Bridge, more than 45 miles upriver, but it could express New Orleans value systems and bring more attention to river pollution, said Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer. I dont think people in New Orleans really and truly understand how interconnected we are via the Mississippi River and our waterways, she said, noting that plastic pollution can harm water quality, fisheries and the beauty of a city that depends on tourism. The resolution, sponsored by Palmer and Councilwoman Cyndi Nguyen, would urge the petrochemical industry to reduce toxic emissions and (take) stronger steps to clean up current contamination from the CMA CGM Bianca, a cargo ship that spilled an estimated 743 million lentil-sized plastic pellets, known as nurdles, into the river near Napoleon Avenue on Aug. 2. No cleanup orders or penalties have been issued by the U.S. Coast Guard or other government agencies. The Coast Guard, which typically leads river and marine pollution cleanups, determined it has no jurisdiction over the nurdles because they are not considered a hazardous material, like oil or chemical waste, under the Clean Water Act. The initial cleanup response fell to small groups of loosely organized and poorly-equipped volunteers. It really is unconscionable that it was volunteers with five-gallon buckets and brooms cleaning this up, Palmer said. Were sitting here talking about expanding an industry in which our state leaders have failed us. The response from the state and the industry is its not our responsibility. +8 A new crop of nurdles is washing up in New Orleans, renewing calls for cleanup, penalties Almost six months after a cargo ship spilled millions of plastic pellets into the Mississippi River, large numbers of the pellets, known as "n Formosa said its facility was approved by state and local regulators and will be operated in a safe manner. The project underwent a rigorous environmental and operating permitting process and will also comply with multiple laws, regulations and permits designed to protect public health, Formosa spokeswoman Janile Parks said. The company urged the New Orleans City Council to reject the resolution. Groups opposed to (the Formosa) project in St. James Parish are attempting to have the New Orleans City Council pass a resolution in opposition to the project since their efforts to have the St. James Parish Council pass a similar resolution have been unsuccessful, Parks said. In fact, the (parish) council and the planning commission in St. James Parish previously and unanimously approved the project and its location, which is in an area designated for industrial use. We urge the New Orleans council to carefully consider the facts and deny any resolution opposing (Formosas) project in St. James. Formosa estimates the facility will generate thousands of construction jobs and 1,200 post-construction jobs over the next eight years. In 2019, Formosa agreed to pay $50 million to settle a lawsuit in which a judge ruled the company had illegally dumped billions of nurdles from a manufacturing facility in Port Comfort, Texas. 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 Two members of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade faced felony charges for dropping a box of Formosas nurdles on the doorstep of a Louisiana chemical industry lobbyist in late 2019. The unusual form of protest elicited a response by a police hazardous materials team and the activists arrest by Baton Rouge police on charges of terrorizing. The charges were rejected by the East Baton Rouge District Attorneys office in December. Louisiana environmental activists have warned that the Formosa facility in St. James will bring more air pollution to the region and add more plastic waste to the already plastic-saturated waters of the Mississippi and Gulf of Mexico. An LSU study found that the Gulf has one of the highest concentrations of plastic waste in the world. The likely source of much of the plastic is the Mississippi, which acts as a giant collector of plastic and other waste that eventually drains into the Gulf. Nurdles and plastic fragments are often mistaken for food by fish and other wildlife. Plastic can cause digestive blockages and internal injuries, and it often carries a variety of pesticides and other pollutants that animals absorb into their systems. That moves up the food chain and can end up on our plate, said Michael Esealuka, an organizer with Healthy Gulf. The New Orleans council resolution has received support from several New Orleans restaurant and hospitality businesses, including Dickie Brennan and Company, which owns Brennans Steakhouse in the French Quarter. In a letter to council members, Brennans owners said the plastic from the Bianca spill will exist in our waterways for thousands of years, obstructing the bellies of birds and fish. The petrochemical industry is a threat to our wildlife, our communities, our seafood industry, and our economy in Louisiana. The Formosa plant is also opposed by environmental groups in St. James, where there are fears that the facility will increase air pollution in an area with an already high concentration of petrochemical facilities. We are a sacrifice zone for the state, said Sharon Lavigne, founder of Rise St. James. We are full. We cannot take anymore. All we get are sickness and death. Lavigne said New Orleans leaders are speaking more strongly against Formosa than her parishs leaders. I want to thank the New Orleans council for trying to help St. James, because our public officials in St. James are not trying to revoke this decision this death sentence for St. James, she said. +2 Jarvis DeBerry: Bill Cassidy is defending polluters, not Louisiana He call himself a doctor? a fuming Sharon Lavigne said of U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy last week. What kind of doctor is he? A doctor to just let Warmer weather will not end the COVID-19 pandemic, the nations top public health officials warned on Monday. We have not seen seasonal trends, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, said in a news conference when asked if spring and summer temperatures alone may curb the deadly virus. Walensky, along with White House pandemic advisers Andy Slavitt and Dr. Anthony Fauci, urged Americans to focus not on the weather but on getting vaccinated, maintaining social distancing and wearing masks at a time when cases are again spiking across the country. Walensky noted that respiratory viruses tend to have seasonal trends, but when it comes to coronavirus, which has seen multiple surges and killed more than half a million Americans since hitting the U.S. more than a year ago, were going to have to be careful throughout the spring and summer. Fauci on Monday said that a year ago, some officials were looking for summer to rescue us from surges. In fact, it was the opposite. I dont think we should even think about the weather to bail us out of anything were in right now, he added. Slavitt capped off the discussion bluntly: Vaccines, not weather. In February 2020, not long after the first dozen U.S. cases were reported, then-President Donald Trump suggested the outbreak would simply vanish with the heat. A lot of people think that goes away in April as the heat comes in, he told governors in a White House business session. Trump also told followers at a New Hampshire campaign rally that the virus would miraculously disappear as soon as temperatures began to rise. In an April 2020 news conference, he publicly pondered whether the virus could be treated with very powerful light, heat or injections of disinfectant which can be harmful and even deadly. He later took no responsibility for a nationwide spike in calls to poison centers. Last April, more than 60,000 Americans died due to COVID-linked illness, according to the CDC. While some initial studies suggested potential links between climate and the spread of coronavirus, many experts were skeptical. Early on in the pandemic, Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, answered the question Will COVID-19 go away on its own in warmer weather? by arguing, Probably not. Even with modest declines in the contagiousness of COVID-19 in warmer, wetter weather ... it is not reasonable to expect these declines alone to slow transmission enough to make a big dent, he wrote. SARS did not die of natural causes, Lipsitch added, referencing the 2002-2004 epidemic. It was killed by extremely intense public health interventions in mainland Chinese cities, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Canada and elsewhere. These involved isolating cases, quarantining their contacts, a measure of social distancing and other intensive efforts. Last month, experts studying the pandemic in partnership with the World Meteorological Organization found that how and when surges develop depends far more on human behavior (including social distancing and mask mandates), demographics and highly transmissible variants than by weather changes or air quality, The Washington Post reported. At this stage, evidence does not support the use of meteorological and air quality factors as a basis for governments to relax their interventions aimed at reducing transmission, Ben Zaitchik, a Johns Hopkins University Earth scientist who co-chairs the WMO research team, said in a statement. We saw waves of infection rise in warm seasons and warm regions in the first year of the pandemic, and there is no evidence that this couldnt happen again in the coming year. Walensky on Monday also shot down the notion that the virus should now be considered on par with the flu solely because the COVID-19 death toll has decreased to below 800 per week. COVID-19, she argued, has taken its toll on mortality and transmissibility at a far greater rate than influenza. Im not at all ready to say were back in flu range, she said. We still have to remain very vigilant, particularly due to variants. A Cape Cod surge of the P.1 variant has led to Massachusetts topping all U.S. states with 58 known cases of the antibody-resistant strain first detected in Brazil, according to the CDC. Bruce Murphy, Yarmouths health director, told The Cape Cod Times that coronavirus fatigue was partly to blame for the recent surge as the popular spot heads into the summer. Contact tracers have found that many are letting their guard down by carpooling and hosting parties, he said. Related Content: Coronavirus cases crossed 1 lakh per day in India New Delhi, Mon, 05 Apr 2021 NI Wire India reported 1,03,844 new cases of Coronavirus infection in past 24 hours, with this India becomes second country after US to report more than 1 lakh cases in a day. This is a very grim situation in the country as number of infection is increasing fast and country is recording massive spike in the new Coronavirus cases. On Saturday India reported over 93,249 cases in a single day. With the huge increase in the new cases India breaches 99,181 new cases mark which was reported in first wave. Now, its confirmed that the second wave of infections already started in the county with more force. People will have to observe proper Covid-19 guideline to stop the spread of this virus. Last year on September 17 over 98,795 cases were reported and now the count is 5,000 higher than the previous peak. The situation is India is getting worse despite large number of vaccinations. Maharashtra is the most affected state in the country where 57,074 fresh cases have been reported in the past 24 hours. Maharashtra crossed 50,000 per day cases mark on Sunday, which is the first time high in the state. In Maharashtra the total cases count crossed 30 lakh mark, which nearly three time higher than worst-hit Kerala. In Kerala total number of cases rose to over 10 Lakh mark. The total active cases rose to over 7 lakh in just 3 days from 6 lakh mark, which a huge warning sign for India. Center has already instructed states to implement Covid-19 guideline strictly. The deaths are increasing fast in recent week, the fatalities are also very high as compared to the first Covid-19 wave. On Sunday itself India recorded 477 deaths from the deadly Coronavirus. Gujarat reported 2,875 new cases, Uttar Pradesh reported 4,164 cases, while Delhi reported 4,033 new cases in past 24 hours. The high number of cases from these states is warning sign and authorities in the country are taking all possible steps to contain the spread of deadly Coronavirus. Maharashtra is going to impose curfew and weekend lockdown from Monday. State will inforce night curfew along with full lockdown during weekends. India already launched third phase of vaccination drive which will include people older than 45 years age. If you are older than 45 years then you are eligible and must get the vaccine. Indias vaccination drive is the worlds biggest program in which over 68 million doses are already given the eligible people. Double Eagle III Midco 2 LLC (the "Company" or "Double Eagle"), wholly owned by DoublePoint Energy, LLC ("DoublePoint"), announced that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to sell all leasehold interests, subsidiaries and related assets to Pioneer Natural Resources Company (NYSE:PXD) ("Pioneer"). This transaction is valued at approximately $6.4 billion as of April 1, 2021, comprised of approximately 27.2 million shares of Pioneer common stock, $1 billion of cash and approximately $0.9 billion of debt and liabilities. The transaction was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of each company and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Double Eagle is backed by equity commitments from funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE: APO), Quantum Energy Partners, Magnetar Capital, and Blackstone Credit. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005366/en/ Transaction Details Pioneer will issue approximately 27.2 million shares of common stock in the transaction with an additional $1 billion of cash. After closing, existing Pioneer shareholders will own approximately 89% of the combined company and existing DoublePoint owners will own approximately 11% of the combined company. Pioneer plans to finance the cash portion of the purchase price through a combination of cash on-hand and existing borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility. The transaction is structured as the acquisition by a Pioneer subsidiary of 100% of the limited liability company interests of DoublePoints wholly owned subsidiary, Double Eagle III Midco 1 LLC. Cody Campbell and John Sellers, Co-CEOs of DoublePoint said, "We are proud and appreciative of the work that our team has done to build a company and an asset base that is unparalleled in quality and truly cannot be replicated. We are honored to have the opportunity to combine our business with Pioneer, who we have long admired and regard as the premier operator in the Midland Basin. The fit and the synergies are clear, and we look forward to working with Pioneer to continue creating value." Story continues Geoffrey Strong, Senior Partner and Co-Head of Infrastructure and Natural Resources of Apollo, commented, "The combination of Pioneer and DoublePoint is compelling from both a financial and operational standpoint and a natural fit for DoublePoint. This acquisition continues the trend of consolidation in the prolific Permian Basin, combining two complementary footprints in a transaction with both top- and bottom-line synergies." Dheeraj Verma, President of Quantum Energy Partners added, "Quantum feels very fortunate to have had the opportunity to partner with John, Cody, Josh, Blake, Garrett and their team. Double Eagle built a truly world-class business through strong execution and unmatched creativity. Additionally, we are excited to be shareholders in Pioneer as we are firm believers in their strategy of free cash flow generation that enables a competitive base and strong variable dividend." Advisors J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as lead financial advisor to Double Eagle and sponsors, with Citi and RBC Capital Markets also acting as financial advisors. Vinson & Elkins LLP and Alston & Bird LLP are serving as legal advisors to Double Eagle. About DoublePoint DoublePoint is a Fort Worth, Texas based upstream oil and gas company, led by the Double Eagle management team in partnership with FourPoint Energy. DoublePoint is backed by equity commitments from funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc., Quantum Energy Partners, Magnetar Capital, and Blackstone Credit. About Apollo Global Management, Inc. Apollo is a leading global alternative investment manager with offices in New York, San Diego, London, Houston, Bethesda, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Madrid, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Delhi, and Mumbai. Apollo had assets under management of approximately $455 billion as of December 31, 2020 in its various affiliated private equity, credit, and real estate funds. For more information about Apollo, please visit www.apollo.com. About Quantum Energy Partners Founded in 1998, Quantum Energy Partners is a leading provider of private equity capital to the global energy industry, having managed together with its affiliates more than $17 billion in equity commitments since inception. For more information on Quantum, please visit www.quantumep.com. For investor relations, please contact Michael Dalton at (713) 452-2000. About Magnetar Capital Founded in 2005, Magnetar is a leading alternative asset manager with approximately $12.9 billion in assets under management as of January 2021. Magnetar's Energy and Infrastructure Group has actively invested in the North American energy and infrastructure sector for 15+ years and has committed over $6 billion across more than 60 private energy, infrastructure and renewables investments. The firm is based in Evanston, Illinois and has offices in London and Houston. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements based on Double Eagles current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Generally, forward-looking statements do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and may include words such as "believes," "will," "expects," "anticipates," "intends" or similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the proposed offering and the intended use of proceeds. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005366/en/ Contacts Patrick Leach Corporate Development Investor Relations investorrelations@depermian.com (Reuters) - Protesters in Myanmar clapped together in a show of dissent against the military junta on Monday as a regional bloc prepared for talks on the crisis that has killed nearly 600 people. Clapping began in various parts of the main city Yangon at 5 p.m. (1030 GMT) in response to a call by protest organisers, residents said. The gesture would honour "Ethnic Armed Organisations and Gen Z defence youths from Myanmar including Yangon who are fighting in the revolution... on behalf of us," Ei Thinzar Maung, a protest leader, wrote on Facebook. Despite the killing of at least 564 people by the security forces since the Feb. 1 coup, protesters have come out across the country every day to voice opposition to the overthrow of the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi and the return of military rule. The movement, which some protesters are calling a "spring revolution", has included street marches, a civil disobedience campaign of strikes, and quirky acts of rebellion organised via social media. In addition to the crackdown on the streets, the junta has sought to suppress the campaign by shutting down wireless broadband and mobile data services. On Monday, one person was killed in the central Sagaing region when security forces broke up a protest, the Myanmar Now news outlet reported. Earlier, demonstrators with placards of Suu Kyi and signs calling for international intervention marched through the second-biggest city Mandalay, images posted on social media showed. Brunei, chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), threw its support on Monday behind a leaders' meeting to discuss Myanmar. After talks between Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Brunei said both countries would make preparations for a meeting to be held at the ASEAN Secretariat in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. No date was given. The divergent views of ASEAN members on how to respond to the Myanmar army's crackdown on civilians and the group's policy of non-interference has limited its ability to act. Story continues Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore have all expressed alarm over the killings of demonstrators and support an urgent high-level meeting on Myanmar. Besides Brunei, the other ASEAN members are Myanmar itself, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. The United States and other Western countries have denounced the coup and called for the release of Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her campaign against military rule. She has been charged with violating an official secrets act that is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The military seized power as a new session of parliament was about to start after Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, swept to victory over army-backed parties in an election in November. The junta, headed by General Min Aung Hlaing, has said the election was fraudulent and promised to hold a new election at an unspecified date, but Myanmar's election commission and international observers have dismissed the assertion. JUNTA REBUTS UN ENVOY The junta said on Monday that comments last week by U.N. Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener about an impending "bloodbath" in Myanmar were inaccurate and misleading. "Ms. Burgener's remarks contravene the basic principles of sovereignty, and the fact that the United Nations is meant to work towards peace and stability of the world's nations," it said in a notice in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. Schraner Burgener told the U.N. Security Council on March 31 it must consider "potentially significant action" to reverse the course of events as "a bloodbath is imminent." The junta said the remarks were a "a far cry from reality and could delay and destabilise the efforts by the State Administration Council to establish a genuine and disciplined multiparty democracy". The coup and subsequent crackdown has led to Western sanctions on the military and its lucrative businesses. Fitch Solutions said on Monday a conservative forecast for Myanmar's economy would be for a 20% contraction in the fiscal year that began in October, instead of the 2% seen before the coup. External pressure is growing on the military to stop the violence, with some countries calling for it to cede power and free all detainees, and others urging dialogue and new elections soon. A total of 2,667 people have been detained under the junta, the Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) activist group said on Monday. The RFA news service said 11 people arrested last week for speaking to a visiting CNN news crew had been freed. CNN said it knew that 8 of the 11 had been freed. The junta has also announced arrest warrants for about 80 celebrities, social media influencers, journalists, models and musicians on charges of incitement. The military, which ruled for half a century until 2011, has also seen fighting with armed ethnic minorities reignite on at least two fronts. (Reporting by Reuters Staff; Writing by Martin Petty and Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Angus MacSwan) New Delhi, April 5 : The Central government has set up 50 high level multi-disciplinary public health teams and deployed them to 50 districts across Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Punjab in view of the recent very large numbers of daily new Covid-19 cases and daily mortality being consistently reported by these states. The teams, comprising a clinician, epidemiologist and a public health expert, are being rushed to 30 districts of Maharashtra, 11 districts of Chhattisgarh and 9 districts of Punjab to assist the state Health Departments and local authorities in Covid-19 surveillance, control and containment measures. The teams will monitor the overall implementation of Covid-19 management, especially in testing, including surveillance and containment operations, Covid appropriate behaviour and its enforcement, availability of hospital beds, sufficient logistics including ambulances, ventilators, medical oxygen etc., and vaccination progress. Three senior Central government officers have been appointed as nodal officers for the three states - Vijoy Kumar Singh of Ministry of Textiles for Punjab, Richa Sharma, Additional Secretary, Environment, Forest and Climate Change for Chhattisgarh, and Kunak Kumar, Joint Secretary, Housing and Urban affairs, for Maharashtra. The high-level teams will report to and coordinate with the nodal officers for the three states. They will submit daily reports on five aspects including testing, contact tracing including surveillance and containment, hospital infrastructure including ICU, ventilators and oxygen beds, enforcement of Covid appropriate behaviour, and Covid vaccination. As an ongoing effort to strengthen efforts of various State ad UT governments for COVID management, the Central government has been deputing Central teams from time to time to visit various states and UTs. These teams interact with the state/UT authorities and get a firsthand understanding of the challenges and issues being faced by them so as to strengthen their ongoing activities and remove bottlenecks, if any. India recorded 1,03,558 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, highest single day spike for the first time, taking the total tally to 1,25,89,067 on Monday. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) With an open border and a six-month visa on arrival, the Mexican coastal resort of Tulum is home to thousands of remote workers. And as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of abandoned dogs, but animal groups have also reported a surge of interest in adopting canine companions. Dogs provide a source of unconditional love and can help ease loneliness, says Carmen Torres, the co-founder of Alma Animal Tulum, a non-profit animal rescue organisation. Logans TRUSTED news source. Click here to stay informed and subscribe to The Logan Banner . Click #isupportlocal for more information on supporting our local journalists. Franklin Graham urges Christians to pray Arkansas gov. will sign bill banning child sex changes Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Evangelist Franklin Graham has urged the nation to pray that Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will sign a bill into law that would prohibit the hormonal and surgical mutilation of minors suffering from gender dysphoria. In Wednesday's broadcast of "Pray Vote Stand" with the Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Graham said it was as though every demon in Hell has been let loose in the last few months, and it is time for Christians to stand for Gods truth and with elected officials who are willing to sign good legislation, referring to Arkansas' "Save Adolescents From Experimentation" bill, better known by its acronym, the SAFE Act. Whats happening is just wicked, to take a child and try and convince them that they can change and be a girl; they can change and be a boy. We can give you drugs and you can have surgery and all these things. A child cant comprehend that, and once you start down this path you cant reverse it. Its just a wicked thing, he said. Graham went on to advise evangelicals to raise their voices just as loud or louder than what is heard on the left, noting that the worst thing that could happen is for the Lord to return and find Christians sitting on their hands. When He comes back, I hope He finds us fighting and standing for truth ... against this tsunami, this tidal wave of evil that is coming down society today, Graham declared. The evangelist said he believes the nation is in a moral free-fall and won't stop declining, but added that the church can help slow it down. Graham specifically urged people to pray for the Arkansas governor to have the courage to take a stand. Earlier this week, Arkansas state senators passed House Bill 1570, the SAFE Act, by a vote of 28-7. The bill earlier passed in the state House on March 10 by a vote of 70-22, with eight abstentions. Hutchinson has until Monday to either sign the bill or leave it alone for it to become law. The only way it would not become law is if he vetoes the measure. If enacted, Arkansas would be the first state in the nation to ban the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and elective cosmetic gender surgeries the mutilation of sex organs on gender dysphoric youth. A handful of other states, mostly across the Southern U.S., are considering similar legislation. Perkins also interviewed Arkansas state Rep. Robin Lundstrum, R-Benton, who is among the numerous co-sponsors of the SAFE Act, who noted that the bill prohibits experimental procedures from being performed on minors who are 18 years old or younger. It simply says were not going to experiment on our children; were not going to give them drugs that would keep them from going through puberty, Lundstrum said. We need to protect children and allow them to make choices after theyre 18, she stressed, emphasizing that the bill is tightly crafted and doesn't take away access to healthcare or counseling. Lundstrum told Perkins that she had received a heartfelt letter from a trans-identifying woman who is a Democrat and read the bill and agreed with it, saying that she, too, would never advise a child to undergo a medicalized gender transition. I think the shrill left is loud, but underneath, both sides of the aisle can agree, protecting children should be the first goal, she said. We dont need to experiment on our kids. We just need to love them. The Arkansas lawmaker said she doesn't know whether Hutchinson will sign the bill, but noted that both he and the state's first lady care about the well-being of children. She encouraged people to pray for and support the governor, and urge him to back the measure. CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar declined against its major rivals in the early New York session on Monday. The greenback slipped to near 2-week lows of 0.7067 against the kiwi, 0.9366 against the franc and 1.2517 against the loonie, off its early high of 0.7016, 4-day highs of 0.9439 and 1.2595, respectively. The greenback dropped to 6-day lows of 110.09 against the yen and 0.7652 against the aussie, from its early highs of 110.75 and 0.7599, respectively. Against the pound and the euro, the greenback fell to more than a 2-week low of 1.3903 and a 10-day low of 1.1803, coming off from its early high of 1.3813 and a 4-day high 1.1737, respectively. The greenback may test support around 0.72 against the kiwi, 0.92 against the franc, 1.22 against the loonie, 108.00 against the yen, 0.78 against the aussie, 1.41 against the pound and 1.20 against the euro. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX 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. Milwaukee County employee pay 2020 April 5, 2021 Search the 2020 salaries and compensation data for more than 5,000 Milwaukee County employees. Click on an employee's name to see a detailed breakdown of overtime, compensatory and other kinds of pay, as well as hire dates. Past years: 2019 More data: Dig into salaries, education, weather and more with WISCONSIN DATA ON DEMAND. Just when the restaurant industry was getting back on its feet, the recent curbs imposed by the Maharashtra government following the surge in the Covid-19 cases in the state is likely to push industry to the wall. On Sunday, the Maharashtra government restricted the operations of recreational activities in the state, including restaurants and bars, till April 30. While bars and restaurants are allowed to operate only within hotels; home delivery services are permitted for 13 hours (7 am to 8 pm) throughout the week. Takeaway is allowed only on weekdays, and within specified timings. Anurag Katriar, president at industry body National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) said that there's going to be bloodbath. "We feel that we have been singled out. There are a lot of sectors (trains/buses and construction) which don't operate within in a controlled environment. Our business is conducted under the controlled environment, and we can ensure proper safeguards if needed," he says. Mumbai is the largest restaurant market in the country with 87,650 outlets (organised and unorganised) out of the total size of over 5 lakh. The dine-in services form a bulk of restaurants' revenues, and within that, the dinner segment is over 75 per cent of the overall revenues. "Allowing home delivery services are not going to help since lunch deliveries are largely for offices where the demand is already suppressed," says a restaurant owner. Since March 2020 when the nationwide lockdown was imposed, nearly 30 per cent restaurants have shut shops, as per NRAI estimates. Those who have managed to survive; their cash reserves have dried up. With the recent prohibitions, the restaurants in Maharashtra are going back to a situation where some will be forced to shut down. "Till February, the restaurants were doing well despite restricted seating capacity. The industry had almost reached to about 70 per cent of the pre-Covid level. But over the past few days, the sentiments have dampened," says Katriar. For instance, on March 20, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that it would conduct random rapid antigen tests for Covid-19 infections at malls. Restaurateurs say that consumers clearly didn't want to go through the ordeal of testing while eating out. Then, on March 28, the Maharashtra government imposed night curfew (between 8 pm and 7 am) after the spike in cases. "We understand that the cases are going up but there should be a level-playing field for restaurants. The sharp recovery of the past few months has been undone by this one move," says a restaurant owner quoted above. Also Read: COVID-19 update: Maharashtra records highest single-day rise of 57,074 cases Also read: Maharashtra COVID-19 lockdown rules: Restaurants, offices, malls - what's allowed, what's not (@ChaudhryMAli88) The US government replaced British drug maker AstraZeneca with its American rival Johnson & Johnson in charge of a vaccine manufacturing plant ANKARA (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Apr, 2021 ) :The US government replaced British drug maker AstraZeneca with its American rival Johnson & Johnson in charge of a vaccine manufacturing plant. The move on Saturday came after AstraZeneca last month saw 15 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine spoiled due to contamination in a production plant in Baltimore, Maryland, according to local reports. "Johnson & Johnson is assuming full responsibility regarding the manufacturing of drug substance for its COVID-19 vaccine at the Emergent Bio-Solutions Inc. Bayview facility," the company said in a statement. It said it would increase output and the number of personnel at Emergent as it plans to deliver nearly 100 million single-shot doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the US government by the end of May. While almost 208 million doses have been distributed in the US, 165 million have been administered as of early Sunday. But so far, only 61.4 million people, or 18.5% of the US population, have gotten the full two doses, according to figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Michael Osterholm, who served on President Joe Biden's COVID-19 transition advisory board, told Fox News on Sunday that the US was seeing a "fourth wave. " "I believe that, in some ways, we're almost in a new pandemic," he said adding that the only good news was that current vaccines are effective against the B.1.1.7 strain, commonly known as the UK variant. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky warned last Monday of "impending doom" amid rising cases in the US, up 10% to around 60,000 cases per day from the previous week. "I know that travel is up, and I just worry that we will see the surges that we saw over the summer and over the winter again ... But right now, I'm scared," she said. President Biden later said on the same day: "We still are in a war with this deadly virus. And we're bolstering our defenses, but this war is far from won," according to a statement by the White House. More than 30.7 million cases have been recorded in the US since the start of the pandemic with over 555,000 deaths, according to Maryland's Johns Hopkins University.Global cases are more than 131 million, while over 2.8 million have lost their lives. AUSTIN, Texas, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- K9 of Mine today announced a dog training plan designed to help President Biden's dog, Major. Major is a two-year-old German Shepherd rescue dog who recently caused a stir with his 2nd bite incident at the White House. While the bite did not break skin, the incident has caused some alarm among White House staff and press. A photo of Major Biden frolicking on the White House lawn K9 of Mine has worked diligently helping owners of reactive dogs, similar to Major, access digital training materials and videos to work on their dogs' reactivity behavior issues. Major Biden's training plan - which can be found here on K9 of Mine - outlines several positive reinforcement-based strategies and training techniques designed to help Major work through arousal and aggression to strange triggers found within the White House. For more information on Major's training program, visit https://www.k9ofmine.com/president-biden-major-dog-training-plan About K9 of Mine: K9 of Mine is an online dog care site dedicated to providing owners with resources and information to help them better understand their canine companions. Meg Marrs K9 of Mine [email protected] Related Images president-bidens-dog-major.jpg President Biden's dog, Major A photo of Major Biden frolicking on the White House lawn SOURCE K9 of Mine [April 05, 2021] MAI Capital Management Expands to Greater Miami Region with Addition of New Advisor MAI Capital Management, LLC ("MAI"), a leading independent registered investment adviser that specializes in comprehensive investment and financial planning for high-net-worth individuals and families, announced Michael Dvorkin is joining its team. Based in the greater Miami, Florida area, Dvorkin is transitioning his clients to MAI and establishing MAI's presence in southeast Florida. Dvorkin brings over 20 years of professional experience in investment management. In his most recent role, Dvorkin worked closely with high-net-worth individuals and families, small business retirement plans and charitable organizations in providing investment management and advice. He was also responsible for designing and implementing investment strategies for the firm's clients. Dvorkin will assume the role of Managing Director and SeniorWealth Advisor at MAI. "Mike embodies the key characteristics of our MAI team: a client-centric philosophy and drive for success," said Rick Buoncore, Managing Partner at MAI. "He brings deep-seated wealth management experience and expertise, coupled with a rich history of supporting clients in meeting their goals. We look forward to supporting him in the next phase of his career, allowing him to build on his existing relationships and forge new ones with MAI." "With the backing of MAI's wide range of resources and tools, I am best positioned to foster client relationships and enhance their experience," said Dvorkin. "I look forward to extending these new offerings to clients and having the room to grow and build on my knowledge as a part of the MAI team." Mike Dvorkin joined MAI effective April 1, 2021. He adds approximately $70 million in assets to MAI. About MAI Capital Management MAI Capital Management ("MAI") is a fee-based registered investment adviser and wealth management firm based in Cleveland, with additional offices in Cincinnati, OH, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, Nashua, NH, Irvine, CA (News - Alert) , Reston, VA, Little Rock, AR, New York City and St. Louis. As of Feb. 28, 2021, MAI's assets under management totaled $10 billion. The firm also provides comprehensive investment management and planning services to high-net-worth individuals, families and athletes. MAI is led by Managing Partner Rick Buoncore. For more information, please visit www.mai.capital. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005277/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The underground galleries of the central city of Brasov will host Romania's first new media art museum, with its first exhibition open in June, the Brasov City Hall announced on Monday. "The project for cultural integration of the Dupa Ziduri underground galleries in the life of the city carried out by the Amural Association in partnership with the Brasov City Hall is entering a new stage. Under the cultural intervention project co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration, the underground galleries are preparing to become BUM - the Brasov Underground Museum - the first new media art museum in the country," according to the Press Office of the Brasov City Hall, agerpres.ro confirms. The Brasov Underground Museum is a project of cultural activation and urban regeneration through art and new technologies designed to configure a new alternative space on the cultural map of Brasov. By repurposing the city's underground galleries, a contemporary art space is being configured that is returned to the community and reintegrated with the urban fabric. The cultural project will begin in April 2021 with a historical research of the site to find out more about its past. At the same time, the city hall finishes the initial arrangements. There will be a call for new media artists in the coming days and the exhibition of the first art and technology museum. The first underground exhibition will open in June 2021. The galleries were dug in the Warthe Hill of Brasov during WWII to serve as an anti-aircraft shelter. They are immersed in darkness and compartmentalised, forming a perfect space for works of light, sculpture, video art and arts that use new technologies in general. Since 2015, the underground galleries have been known, together with the entire area known as Dupa Ziduri (Behind the Walls) to the attention of the Amural Association, which organises there an eponymous festival. LEMBATA, Indonesia - Rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment Monday after torrential rains caused multiple disasters on remote eastern Indonesian islands as well as in East Timor. Residents clear up debris from around their houses following a flood in Dili, East Timor, Monday, April 5, 2021. Multiple disasters caused by torrential rains in eastern Indonesia and neighboring East Timor have left a number of people dead or missing as rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment Monday. (AP Photo/Kandhi Barnez) LEMBATA, Indonesia - Rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment Monday after torrential rains caused multiple disasters on remote eastern Indonesian islands as well as in East Timor. At least 133 people died and dozens were missing in Indonesia, and 27 deaths were reported in East Timor. A tropical cyclone causing the damage is expected to continue affecting the Southeast Asian nations for days while moving south toward Australia. Mud tumbled down from surrounding hills onto dozens of homes in Lamenele village shortly after midnight Sunday on Adonara island in East Nusa Tenggara province. Rescuers recovered 49 bodies and 28 people were seriously injured, East Nusa Tenggara Vice Governor Josef Nae Soi said at a joint news conference late Monday. Flash floods killed at least 84 people elsewhere and 71 were still missing in the province, local leaders said at the virtual news conference. Severe flooding also was reported in Bima, a town in the neighbouring province of West Nusa Tenggara, killing two people and submerging nearly 10,000 houses. Relief efforts were hampered by power outages, blocked roads covered in thick mud and debris, as well as the remoteness of the area on an island that can only be reached by sea which is now surrounded by high waves, said the agencys spokesperson, Raditya Jati. Photos released by the agency showed rescuers taking residents to shelters. Indonesian scavenge usable items from the ruins of their house at a village hit by a landslide in Ile Ape Timur on Lembata Island, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Monday, April 5, 2021. Multiple disasters caused by torrential rains in eastern Indonesia and neighboring East Timor have left a number of people dead or missing as rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment Monday. (AP Photo/Ricko Wawo) The bodies of 13 people were recovered after being swept away by floods in Alor district, where dozens houses were destroyed, Soi said. Hundreds of people fled their submerged homes, some of which were swept away by the floodwaters. In another district, Ende, two people were killed after overnight rains caused rivers to burst their banks, sending muddy water into large areas of East Flores district, Soi said. The rains also caused solidified lava to tumble down the slopes of Ili Lewotolok volcano and hit several villages. That disaster on Lembata island killed at least 67 people buried under tons of solid lava, Lembata district chief Eliaser Yentji Sunur said at the same news conference. The lava was left after the volcano erupted in November. Hundreds of people were involved in the rescue efforts on Monday. Ten districts and the provincial capital of Kupang were affected by flash floods and a landslide that damaged five bridges and several public facilities in East Nusa Tenggara province, Jati said. He said more than 950 houses were damaged, including dozens that were flattened or swept away by floods and mud, forcing 2,655 people to flee to government shelters. President Joko Widodo said he ordered his Cabinet ministers and the chiefs of the military, police and disaster agency to carry out emergency response measures as quickly as possible. "I can feel the grief of our brothers and sisters there caused by these disasters," Widodo said in a televised address, offering deep condolences to the victims. In East Timor, 13 people were killed in the capital, Dili, and at least 14 bodies were recovered elsewhere in the tiny nation as rains caused landslides and dams to overflow. "We are still searching for the areas impacted by the natural disasters" and the toll could rise, said Joaquim Jose Gusmao dos Reis Martins, the nations secretary of state for civil protection. East Timor President Francisco Guterres Lu Olo offered his condolences to the victims and asked government officials to co-ordinate the response. At least eight people were reportedly still missing and about 8,000 displaced people were evacuated to temporary shelters run by the countrys Red Cross, said government spokesperson Fidelis Leite Magalhaes. He urged shops and markets to immediately reopen and people to return to their normal activities. Tropical Cyclone Seroja has produced high waves, strong winds and heavy rains for the past three days and its effects are expected to last until Friday, said Dwikorita Karnawati, head of Indonesias Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency. She warned that the cyclone could trigger waves up to 4 metres (more than 13 feet) on Sumba, Flores and Rote islands in East Nusa Tenggara province and up to 6 metres (19.6 feet) in the southern part of the province and in the Banda Sea and Indian Ocean. Authorities were still collecting information about the full scale of casualties and damage in the affected areas, Jati said. Seasonal rains frequently cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains. Australian forecasters have warned residents in Western Australia states far north that the tropical cyclone was intensifying and moving toward them. Seroja, or lotus flower, formed early Monday morning in Indonesian waters and was moving southwest, Australias Bureau of Meteorology said. Its not expected to affect Australian communities for the next 48 hours, but residents were urged to monitor forecasts. Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. AP journalist Raimundos Oki in Dili, East Timor, contributed to this report. The corporate regulator is assessing multiple complaints about a notable Australian cryptocurrency exchange that went dark for more than a year, leaving users unable to access up to thousands of dollars in bitcoin. Melbourne-based MyCryptoWallet was launched in late 2017 by entrepreneur Jaryd Koenigsmann and operates similarly to trading platforms such as CommSec, which let users buy, sell and trade currencies such as bitcoin, ethereum and ripple. Online exchanges for cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ethereum are highly unregulated and can pose risks for users. Credit: The exchange, which claimed to have signed up over 20,000 users in its first three months of operation, experienced a number of issues after its launch, including a dispute with NAB in early 2019 that saw the companys accounts frozen. MyCryptoWallet also reported further issues with its technology partners later that year which forced it to suspend withdrawals from the exchange. In August 2019, the company told its users its issues had been fixed and the business was operating as normal. However, over a year and a half later, many users are still in the dark, unable to access their funds or trade their crypto and left out of a market boom that has seen the prices of many cryptocurrencies soar. The Supreme Court of Inida had appointed a high-level panel led by former SC judge DK Jain in 2018 to probe the matter and take the culpable cops to task for having casued "tremendous harassment and immeasurable anguish to Narayanan. Overlooked for long, a case that destroyed the reputation of former ISRO scientist S. Nambi Narayanan finally seems to be heading towards justice. The central government has put its weight on a report submitted by Justice DK Jains panel appointed by the apex court to take on take the culpable cops to task for having caused tremendous harassment and immeasurable anguish to Narayanan. As India is on the cusp of reforming its space-tech sector, countless contributions of unsung Indian scientists are now being recognized, but at the same time, former ISRO scientist S. Nambi Narayanan is still counting on his hopes to get justice in an espionage case where he was illegally arrested by Kerala police officials. Sources suggest, a major development that can send ripples to the politics of Kerala is expected in this case ahead of polls in the state tomorrow. The central government has urged the top court to take account of the report submitted by Justice Jains committee and take action against the erring cops. CBI in its 1996 probe concluded that Narayanans arrest was illegal and a nexus of police and politicians had conspired to make Narayanan a scapegoat. The political chain of events around this case unfolded in such a manner in the past that it led to the resignation of then Chief Minister of Kerala, late K Karunakaran as he was targetted by a section of his own party, Congress. A lot of chaos is expected in Kerala as some of these Congressmen still hold strong positions in Kerala politics. The cops had alleged that Narayanan was involved in the 1994 espionage case of ISRO, In 1994, after Maldivian national Mariam Rasheeda was arrested for selling ISROs rocket designs to Pakistan, Kerala cops arrested Narayanan for giving these designs to her. The case has sparked a row over the internet as people are now suspecting police and politicians to be involved in Narayanans arrest. As the new season of auspicious dates for weddings as per the Hindu calendar system is starting April 22, the demand for gold has escalated in the Nepali market. As per news reports, jewellers have failed to meet the demand, forcing many of the customers to return empty-handed, citing insufficient supplies. Would this be the case if Hindu weddings were done without using any jewellery? Of course, not! Generally, a large sum of money is spent on jewellery during weddings in Nepal since gold ornaments are considered a must for every Nepali Hindu wedding. But, Tara Sharma, 24, who married last year, made her family not spend even a single penny on jewellery. This resident of the Baglung district in western Nepal says she has avoided using jewellery any other day also, claiming she has never used any of them till today. But, why? Here is her story. Fear into fierceness Born in 1996, in Sarkuwa of Jaimuni municipality-4 in Baglung as the youngest daughter among six daughters of her parents, Sharma was afraid to pierce her ears and nose after seeing some of her elder sisters getting theirs pierced. She felt that was painful. Tara Sharma with her parents. Photo: Tara Sharma I felt why would one pierce or had to pierce and wear such jewellery when it pains so much while doing so, she says. This curiosity of her remained unanswered for a while. Then came Sharmas turn to get her parts pierced in 2002. Sharma roughly remembers, I was in the first grade when my mother had bought a nose pin and earrings for me and my elder sister. By then, she had also heard things like girls must pierce their nose and ears and wear jewellery or else their in-laws will not accept them, will not eat anything cooked by them. But, still, she was firm in her decision because she thought it would hurt. She also convinced her sister of this. When my mother took me and my youngest elder sister to pierce our nose and ears, we ran off to our maternal uncles house At that age, Sharma was only aware of the physical pain. It was many years later when she realised the social implications of jewellery that how it was deepening the gorge between the rich and the poor in society by making the poor spend a lot on jewellery just because it was a status marker. Then, she vowed to never pierce her nose and ears and use any jewellery on her body. But, her parents continued telling her that being a girl, she had to do that. Nonetheless, Sharma says she also began questioning the rationale behind the rule. Then, according to Sharma, her family thought she would correct herself after she would get maturity and stopped putting pressure on her. Control vs liberation After around three years of her rejecting the jewellery in 2005, she heard an interesting opinion from a teacher. Sharma with her husband. Photo: Tara Sharma Initially, he was hesitating to share it saying this would upset the girls in the class, but we forced him. She also insisted the teacher shared his view because he was about to tell the reason why women and girls pierce their nose and ears and wear jewellery. Sharma continues, He then asked if we had seen oxen and bulls getting their nose pierced and if we knew why it is done. Then, all of us replied yes and I immediately said it is done to control them. Its the same case with the girls and women, replied our teacher. In the past, in order to control women by men, there was a culture of piercing their noses and wearing a thread. As time passed by, the thread was gradually replaced by gold as it seemed attractive and it would not be dirty easily like a thread. This day, she says, she vowed to never pierce her nose and ears and neither wear jewellery. I didnt want to be controlled. I wanted to live freely, she says, If the wedding cant happen without piercing my nose and ears and wearing jewellery, I told myself I would never get married. But, people around her would not like this idea. Because she was good in her studies, some, however, began accepting her as she was, according to her. The revolution at wedding She then completed her school and came to Baglung Bazaar, the district headquarters, for pursuing a bachelors degree. She also began working at a hospital to support the family to educate her two young brothers. By then, all of her five sisters had already been married. It was her turn to get hitched. When I was doing my masters and working for a local NGO, I received a proposal, Sharma shares, But, I was unwilling to marry. My fathers health was deteriorating and he had to undergo a heart operation. Nonetheless, he convinced me. By then, everyone was well-aware of my nature. Still, a marriage proposal came, Sharma remembers, adding the suitor now must be ready to accept her, jewellery-less, if he had to marry her. Her brother, who had known the suitor, also suggested he would agree on that. Hence, Sharma moved the communication forward. On February 17, 2020, the suitor and his family came to meet us, Sharma shares, Then also, I clearly mentioned that I wouldnt pierce my nose and ears and wear any jewellery in the wedding and afterwards. He happily agreed and took the responsibility to convince his family as well, says Sharma. And, he was successful in doing so. Tara Sharma and her husband at their wedding day. Photo: Tara Sharma The two families then scheduled the wedding to be held on February 25. As a student, I frequently received scholarships, and that encouraged me to do better. Therefore, I always had a wish to contribute to the schools scholarship fund. I hence proposed my new family why not spending the budget allocated for jewellery to provide scholarships. She says she felt blessed when the in-laws supported her. My family then established a fund at the school where my father-in-law used to teach in his memory. Days after the function, her wedding photo went viral on Facebook, and it received mixed comments. Many people also praised her. I have not seen a massive change in peoples mindset . However, I feel happy when some girls come to me and say they are inspired. The first case in the U.S. of a coronavirus variant that emerged in India has been found in California. Researchers at Stanford University's Clinical Virology Laboratory confirmed one case last week and have seven presumed cases that are being screened. The variant, which has been called a 'double mutant' by India's Ministry of Health, has two mutations on parts of the virus that help it hook onto our cells. Although there is no evidence yet to suggest that the strain evades vaccines more easily, public health experts say the mutations could allow the virus to spread more readily in communities and cause plateauing case numbers in the U.S. to rise significantly. Researchers at Stanford University confirmed what is believed to be the first U.S. case of a coronavirus variant that emerged in India (dark purple dot) Indian authorities have referred to the variant as a 'double mutant' because it has two mutations on parts of the virus that help it hook onto our cells. There are seven more presumed cases in California (above) The variant was first discovered in the Maharashtra state, which is the second most-populous state in India and where Mumbai is located. Cases has been plummeting since September, but began spiking last month with a 50 percent increase in cases in the last week alone. It was due to sequencing such a high number of cases that the county's Health Ministry was able to identify the variant. In a statement, officials said the variant was linked to between 15 to 20 percent of samples sequenced from Maharashtra state. 'This is another example where a variant is getting known by the country where it was discovered,' Dr Stuart Ray, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins, told DailyMail.com. 'India was doing enough surveillance to recognize the presence of this variant and any place that does so, it should be kudos to them, not an indictment that a variant is detected in a given place.' The variant was linked to between 15% and 20% of samples sequenced from India's Maharashtra state, which has seen a 50% spike in cases in the last week. Pictured: A healthcare worker tests a man for COVID-19 in Mumbai, India, April 5 Indian health authorities have labeled the variant a 'double mutant' because it carries two mutations: L452R and E484Q. L452R is the same mutation seen with the California homegrown variant and E484Q is similar to the mutation seen in the Brazilian and South African variants. Both of the mutations occur on key parts of the virus that allows it to enter and infect human cells. 'It has the worst of two very bad mutations out there and that's a big concern,' Dr Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist with the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, told DailyMail.com. Mokdad said the variant could be both more infectious variant like the California variant and an 'escape variant' like those from Brazil and South Africa, making vaccines less effective. 'This variant...it raises the concern that this could evade neutralizing antibody responses that people have developed either from prior infection or from vaccination,' Ray said. 'That would give the virus, with those changes, an advantage in spreading in the community, even that if there is some immunity. This the worry all of us have.' Both Mokdad and Dr Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, said that in a hypothetical situation, if a person with the Indian variant is in an elevator with an unvaccinated person, the risk of infection is higher. 'Because [the variant] has the same superpower as some of these other variants,' Chin-Hong told DailyMail.com. 'As SARS-CoV-2 involves, its kind of sticking with the increased transmission superpower because that's kind of like how it survives.' Mokdad added: 'If you are in the company of a group of people and one of them has it, you are at a higher risk of catching it than if that person has an old variant.' Chin-Hong notes that the variant hasn't taken off yet in other parts of India aside from the Maharashtra state, so it seems to act like a regional variant for now. 'It's like the story of the California variant, where it's so common in California, like 50 percent in the north, but hasn't really taken off across the U.S.,' he said. It is too early to know if the variant can cause reinfection or is more resistant to antibodies that are developed from vaccines. But Ray encourages people to keep getting vaccinated, as the mass immunization effort in the U.S. continues to ramp up, because evidence has shown that vaccines still prevent severe illness and death when people are infected with variants. He says that even though mutations may have an impact on neutralizing antibodies, vaccines also stimulate T-cells, which are white blood cells that bind to and kill viruses. 'These T-cells don't depend on neutralizing antibodies, they target segments of the [spike] proteins at other sites that would be unaffected by these mutations,' Ray said. 'We're developing complex immune responses to these vaccines and the complexity of those vaccines likely provide us some protection, even when we lose components of that response.' Dr Stuart Ray from Johns Hopkins encourages people to still continue getting vaccinated because evidence has shown that vaccines can prevent severe illness and death if infected with coronavirus variants, as 32% of the U.S. has received at least one dose While it is too early to say whether this variant will alter the course of the pandemic, Ray says it's important to have a well-developed surveillance program to keep track of variants, or stay ahead of them. He points out that Johns Hopkins University sequences every positive coronavirus test that has enough genetic material to do so. This results in more than 10 percent of all positive tests being sequenced. There is a general sense that that level of sequencing helps for what is becoming prevalent in the population,' Ray said. 'If we provide support for programs that do molecular surveillance, if we enable the systems that collect those data to be integrated in a way that allows us to keep a barometer f what's spreading more rapidly....those things will help us have a handle on how the virus evolution is altering the pandemic.' Tata Motors has completed the transfer of its defense business with effect from 1 April 2021 to Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) for an upfront consideration of Rs 227.7 crore. The transfer has been completed through a slump sale as per Scheme of Arrangement approved by National Company Law Tribunal at Mumbai and Hyderabad. Over the next several months, Tata Motors and TASL will work closely to ensure smooth transition of the Defense business. TASL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Pvt., is focused on providing integrated solutions for aerospace, defense and homeland security. The sale of Defense business to TASL is in line with Tata Group's strategy of consolidating the defense businesses under a single entity to bring scale and synergy. Tata Motors will continue to play a significant role in the value chain by supplying chassis and aggregates to TASL for developing specialized defense applications, while continuing to supply pure civilian PVs and CVs to defense forces directly. TASL will invest in enhancing design & development capabilities for expanding the global footprint and providing specialist, high value-added, futuristic solutions to defense customers in and outside India. The consolidation will yield benefits in the form of operational and financial synergies helping deliver better value for both the entities. The announcement was made after market hours on Thursday, 1 March 2021. Shares of Tata Motors rose 1.9% to settle at Rs 307.60 on Thursday. Tata Motors has been in the defense sector for several decades, and currently has a wide portfolio of logistics, combat support and armoured vehicles for the defense, paramilitary and state police forces. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [April 05, 2021] Simplicity Esports and Gaming Company Acquires Esports Gaming Center in Vancouver, Washington and Signs Percentage Rent Lease Boca Raton, Florida, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Simplicity Esports and Gaming Company ( OTCQB:WINR ) (Simplicity Esports), announced that it has acquired the assets of a gaming center previously owned by a PLAYlive Nation franchisee in Vancouver, WA. The location was originally opened in 2013 and has a database of over 17,000 unique customers. The Vancouver gaming center is expected to reopen in mid April. Roman Franklin, CEO of Simplicity Esports, stated, The Vancouver location is our fourteenth corporate owned gaming center and eighth on the West Coast. We plan to continue with strategic gaming center acquisitions as well as construction of new locations throughout 2021. The disruptions in the commercial real estate market, due to COVID-19 lockdowns have created an amazing opportunity to partner with landlords that are enthusiastic about our esports gaming centers being an experiential draw to increase foot traffic for their malls. I expect Vancouver and our other corporate gaming centers with percentage rent leases to be profitable within the first 30 days of operating at full capacity. Last week Simplicity Esports also announced multiple deals including a sponsorship and sublicensing agreement with its Brazilian subsidiary, Flamengo Esports totaling $200,000 USD. Abot Simplicity Esports and Gaming Company: Simplicity Esports and Gaming Company (WINR) is an established brand within the esports industry, competing and streaming in popular games across different genres, including Apex Legends, PUBG Mobile, Overwatch, League of Legends, and various EA Sports titles. Simplicity Esports is also in the process of designing, minting, and selling non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for the esports and gaming industries. Simplicity Esports also owns and operates 13 and is the franchisor for more than 20 Esports Gaming Centers providing the public an opportunity to experience gaming and esports in a social setting, regardless of skill or experience. Simplicity Esports also organizes and hosts various in-person events and play from home, online tournaments. Simplicity Esports also owns a Riot Games League of Legends franchise and top Brazilian esports organization, Flamengo Esports. Apex Legends, PUBG Mobile, Overwatch, League of Legends, Fortnite, EA Sports and Free Fire are registered trademarks of their respective owners. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond Simplicity Esports control, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of Simplicity Esports Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on August 31, 2020 and our subsequent SEC filings, as amended or updated from time to time. Copies of Simplicity Esports filings with the SEC are available on the SECs website at www.sec.gov . Simplicity Esports undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. Simplicity Esports Contact: Roman Franklin Chief Executive Officer Roman@SimplicityEsports.com 561-819-8586 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kutak Rock is pleased to announce Larry D. Fields has been elected managing partner of the firm's Kansas City Regional Office effective April 1, 2021. Fields will oversee a region that includes the firm's offices in Kansas City and Springfield, MO and Wichita, KS. He succeeds Eric Johnson, who has served in the position since 2017. Jay Selanders, Chair of Kutak Rock, comments, "Larry Fields is a proven leader and is respected across the firm for his intellect, strategic vision and sense of fairness. He represents who we are as practitioners and as a firm. With his commitment to developing our people, providing exceptional service to our clients and making a difference in the community, I am confident he will be highly successful in his new role." "I am honored by the opportunity to serve the Kansas City Regional Office as managing partner and grateful for the trust my colleagues have placed in me," remarked Fields. "Over the last 30 years I have honed my skills as an advocate, and I look forward to supporting the careers and goals of our lawyers and staff in Kansas City, Springfield and Wichita. I also embrace the challenges of helping Kutak Rock continue its mission of fostering a diverse workforce of engaged professionals who provide exceptional value and service to our clients." Mr. Fields joined Kutak Rock in 2005. His primary area of practice is litigating insurance coverage disputes and bad faith claims in some of the nation's most dangerous jurisdictions, including his home state of Missouri. He also educates and counsels some of the nation's largest insurance companies in methods and practices to help them avoid being sued for bad faith or set-up for coverage. Mr. Fields has tried more than 35 jury trials to conclusion and is one of the very few lawyers nationwide who has been accepted into the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American College of Coverage Counsel, both prestigious, invite-only organizations. Mr. Fields earned a J.D. and B.A. from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. About Kutak Rock LLP With 500+ attorneys in 18 U.S. locations, Kutak Rock represents clients in business and corporate, public finance, litigation, and real estate law. For more information, see www.KutakRock.com. SOURCE Kutak Rock LLP Related Links http://www.KutakRock.com Amman, April 5 : Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said that a "malicious plot" to destabilise the country by former Crown Prince Hamzah, royal court chief Bassem Awadallah, and royal family member Sharif Hassan Ben Zeid, has been foiled. In a statement on Sunday, Safadi, who is also the Foreign Minister, said: "Jordan succeeded in taking all necessary measures to foil the malicious plot and the security bodies intervened at the last minute and foiled these attempts seeking to harm Jordan's stability and security." Safadi said as part of a thorough security operation and investigation, Awadallah and Sharif Hassan were arrested as well as around 15 other persons on Saturday for involvement in the plot, reports Xinhua news agency. The minister said no military generals were arrested and the military establishment was not part of these attempts. Asked if legal measures will be taken against the Prince, King Abdullah's half-brother, he said King Abdullah II wants to resolve the issue within the Hashemite family. Safadi said that communications between the Prince's wife and a foreign individual affiliated with foreign security forces were intercepted on Saturday. This individual offered to provide a jet to facilitate the escape to a foreign country from Jordan. He added that the King was informed of the outcomes of the investigation and decided to directly converse with the prince and tackle the manner as a familial issue. On Saturday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Jordan's army Yousef Huneiti denied reports that Prince Hamzah had been detained, and said he has been asked to cease all activities used to target the "country's security and stability". Hamzah, 41, was Jordan's Crown Prince between 1999 and 2004, when Abdullah removed him and appointed his own son. At the time, he said he will remain a devout support to Abdullah in official letter published by state media. Support from Arab neighbours poured in to King Abdullah. Saudi Arabia expressed its full support to "any decisions or measures" taken by King Abdullah and Crown Prince al-Hussein to maintain the security and stability of the kingdom. Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt and the Gulf Cooperation Council have issued similar statements. A Lancaster County man is facing charges after police say he broke into a home and fired a rifle in the vicinity of a police car. According to East Cocalico Township police, Matthew S. Stoyer, 47, of Denver, Pa., is facing charges of burglary, criminal trespass and recklessly endangering another person. Investigators say they got a call around 5:43 a.m. Saturday from Stoyers family, saying he left the home, possibly under the influence of narcotics and in an agitated state. About an hour later, a shot was fired from a home on the first block of North Reamstown Road and in the vicinity of a police car driving by, police say. They took Stoyer into custody without incident. Police say Stoyer had broken into the home because he thought people were chasing him. He found several firearms in the home and fired two handguns at the people he thought were chasing him, police say. There was no evidence that anyone was actually chasing him, investigators added. He told police he fired a rifle in their direction to get their attention, investigators say. The incident is under investigation. Anyone who may have heard gunshots or witnessed the incident should call the police, 717-336-1725. Liberal senator Jim Molan has announced he has an aggressive form of cancer and is stepping away from parliamentary duties while he undergoes further medical tests and treatment. The retired army major-general made the announcement on Monday afternoon, saying he has never been afraid to fight the battles that need fighting. Senator Jim Molan is stepping away from parliamentary duties after being diagnosed with cancer. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In a message to colleagues, Senator Molan said he was last week diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. He said he would be taking leave from the Senate for further testing to confirm the prognosis and to commence treatment. CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meduit, one of the top five healthcare revenue cycle solutions companies in the country, announced today that Avadyne Health, headquartered in Moline, IL, has joined forces with Meduit. Together, the two companies will leverage their combined broad and complementary revenue cycle management (RCM) capabilities to fuel strategic growth in the healthcare sector. Established nearly 50 years ago, Avadyne Health delivers expertise in patient payment and financial engagement with a complete solution that addresses the needs of patients. They can scale self-pay account resolution and bad debt recovery services for multi-hospital networks to the largest health systems in the country. Avadyne Health manages over $3 billion in placements, serves over 5 million patients and collects over $1 billion in patient payments annually. The Avadyne Health team delivers optimal patient financial experiences delivered by a caring staff, said Jayson Yardley, Avadyne CEO. By joining the Meduit team, well be able to leverage our broad and complementary solutions to serve more patients and providers with state-of-the art services that lower the cost to collect and increase provider collections. As one of the leading revenue cycle solutions companies in the nation, Meduit makes vital contributions to the financial, operational and clinical health of hospitals and large physician practices by delivering expert, efficient and innovative RCM solutions. In addition to its proven healthcare-focused RCM solutions, Meduit is also widely regarded as a pioneer in artificial intelligence and robotic process automation solutions for healthcare RCM. With its national presence and depth of expertise, the Avadyne Health team will expand Meduits geographic footprint further, said Jeff Nieman, CEO of Meduit. Together, our two teams will be able to serve more hospitals and physician groups with solutions that are a win-win for both patients and providers. For more information, visit: https://hub.meduitrcm.com/avadyne About Meduit Meduit is one of the nations leading revenue cycle solutions companies with decades of experience in the RCM arena, serving more than 850 hospitals and physician practices in 47 states. Meduit combines a state-of-the-art accounts receivable management model with advanced technologies and an experienced people-focused team that takes a compassionate and supportive approach to working with patients. Meduit significantly improves financial, operational and clinical performance, ensuring that healthcare organizations can dedicate their resources to providing more quality healthcare services to more patients. For more information, please visit www.meduitrcm.com. Last year, we saw a series of racially charged incidents where law enforcement officers engaged in improper and harmful behavior toward members of the Black community. Following the events and protests of last year, we knew that this was the year to see progress in addressing some of the issues in our criminal justice system, Melton said. China is conducting secret Frankenstein-style human-animal hybrid experiments creating super viruses, human-monkey hybrids, human head transplants on monkeys and pigs, gene-editing babies, super soldiers etc. Most of these experiments are exported out of western countries since they were shutdown in the west due to heavy criticism. Chinas Secret Hybrid Experiments It is now known that China has been carrying out all kinds of dangerous and ethically controversial research which may not be allowed in Western countries. It is also known that scientists from other countries outsource controversial and unethical experiments to labs in China. Human-monkey hybrids, head transplants, souped-up viruses and gene editing are just some of the tests known to have been carried out by Chinese scientists. The US had already banned Franken-virus experiments as they pose a great threat of enhanced virus leaking from labs which may cause devastating pandemics just like the one the world is experiencing right now. A head transplant carried out on monkey in China as part of a study by an Italian scientist Other experiments on animals and human genes were also banned in the West, so those may also be shipped out to China to dodge regulatory or ethical considerations. It is inexcusable and irresponsible that some countries of the Western world are outsourcing risky biotechnological research to countries like China. In some cases, this is even done because ethical rules which exist in most parts of Europe would prohibit some classes of biotechnological research to be conducted in the home countries. Dr Roland Wiesendanger, Hamburg University In order to emerge as a biotech superpower, China is planning to build up to seven more high security labs the same as the Wuhan Institute of Virology by 2025. An official from the US embassy in Beijing told the Washington Post that there was an entire galaxy of activity, including labs and military labs in Beijing and Wuhan playing around with coronaviruses in ACE2 mice in unsafe labs. Super Viruses Chinese scientists are known to have been carrying out research to make the viruses more infectious. Such experiments were originally banned in the US in 2014 but were reintroduced by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2017. The research was conducted to prepare the world to fight against such pandemic. But it also had a risk of virus leak from the labs. NIH had funded this dangerous research in the WIV through a grant to the EcoHealth Alliance. Dr Wiesendanger told The Sun Online a virus created or modified within the lab could be even more devastating than Covid potentially with a death rate of up to 80 per cent. He said: Current biotechnological methods, as used in gain-of-function-experiments, could potentially be used to combine properties of viruses with a very high human-to-human transmission rate and a very high death rate. We urgently need international regulations and surveys for these types of experiments. Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University in New Jersey, previously told The Sun Online: Gain-of-function research of concern no matter where it is performed risks creating new pandemic pathogens and of triggering new pandemics. Five years ago, Italian state owned media Company, Rai Radiotelevisione Italiana, exposed how Chinese scientists were conducting biological experiments on a SARS connected virus believed to be Coronavirus, derived from bats and mice, asking whether it was worth the risk in order to be able to modify the virus for compatibility with human organisms. Human-Monkey Hybrids The worlds first ever human-monkey hybrid was developed by Chinese scientists, in 2019. It was named as humanzee or chimp-man-zee. A team led by Spanish scientists in China claim to have created a human-monkey hybrid embryo using groundbreaking scientific techniques. Pictured: an embryo It is said that the experiment was kind of a partial success as the embryo showed a red line in 14 days gestation. It means it can not grow. But it has started developing the nervous system. The hybrid creature could have grown and been born, but scientists aborted the process. Scientists on the team from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Murcia Catholic University even admitted it was carried in China to dodge ethical concerns. In the US, federal funds cannot be used to create mixed human-monkey embryos while there is no such rule in China. The experiment caused controversy as it was branded disturbing by one scientist, and even the team themselves raised ethical questions about the hybrid. Christina Lin, a California-based foreign and security policy analyst, has written about her concerns in the Asia Times. China is viewed as a dumping ground and giant test tube for all kinds of dangerous and ethically controversial research outlawed by Western countries, similar to how it became a dumping ground for recyclable waste in past decades. Christina Lin, a California-based Foreign and Security Policy Analyst Head Transplants An Italian scientist Sergio Canavero has been carrying out head transplant experiments in China alongwith Dr Ren Xiaoping at Harbin Medical University. A mouse was given a head transplant as part of bizarre experimentsCredit: Dr Xiaoping Ren/WSJ Their ultimate goal is to carry out the worlds first human head transplant on a human. Monkey-Pig Hybrids The experiments to develop the worlds first monkey-pig hybrids were conducted at the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology in Beijing. Doctors Ren Xiaoping and Sergio Canavero say they repaired fully severed spinal cords in animalsCredit: SCMP/Canavero Out of more than 4000 implants only 10 piglets were born and out of those 10 only two were the hybrids. Both the chimeras animals who have cells from two different species died within a week. About another experiment that aimed at making monkeys smarter by infusing monkeys genes with human genes that are responsible for human brain development, Dr James Sikela, of the University of Colorado, said: Frankenswine the worlds first-ever monkey-pig hybrids have been created The use of transgenic monkeys to study human genes linked to brain evolution is a very risky road to take. It is a classic slippery slope issue and one that we expect to recur as this type of research is pursued. Gene-Editing Babies Chinese scientist He Jiankui created the worlds first gene-edited babies in 2019 in order to make the girls resistant to the AIDS virus. With his team, he was involved in the births of three spliced tots from two women. Chinese scientist He Jiankui created the worlds first gene-edited babies He said he had used a tool called CRISPR to try to disable a gene that allows the AIDS virus to enter a cell. The experiments were dubbed monstrous by others within the scientific community and even China took action as he was jailed for three years. Super Soldiers According to the US intelligence officer, Chinese scientists are conducting certain experiments on their soldiers in order to develop biologically enhanced soldiers. John Ratcliffe, who served as President Donald Trumps director of national intelligence, said: While the potential leveraging of [gene editing] to increase human capabilities on the future battlefield remains only a hypothetical possibility at the present, there are indications that Chinese military researchers are starting to explore its potential. The paper also quoted a Chinese general who, speaking in 2017, said that modern biotechnology will have revolutionary influences upon weapons and equipment, the combat spaces, the forms of warfare, and military theories. Recently, China sent its Super Soldiers equipped with exoskeleton to the disputed Himalayan border with India. The Greenwich investment firm that owns Hungry Jack pancake mix and syrup is adding to its breakfast lineup by acquiring De Wafelbakkers, which sells frozen pancakes, waffles and French toast nationwide, including in Connecticut chains like Stop & Shop, ShopRite, Big Y and Acme. Brynwood Partners did not state what it paid for De Wafelbakkers, with the manufacturer employing 650 people at its headquarters plant in North Little Rock, Ark. and another facility outside Atlanta. Brynwood buys and runs food companies. Its current portfolio includes Chicago-based Hometown Food Company, which sells Hungry Jack, Arrowhead Mills, Pillsbury products and pancake mixes under the Funfetti brand. Brynwood also owns Stamford-based Harvest Hill Beverage Company, which sells Juicy Juice, SunnyD and Veryfine juices. Brynwood CEO Henk Hartong III said Monday that an investment bank reached out to his company on potential interest for De Wafelbakkers. Its interesting to see this private equity firm in Greenwich that has quietly over the last few years amassed a pretty significant position in the food and beverage business, Hartong said. We now have 16 factories ... and $2.2 billion in aggregate sales. That rivals some of the smaller, publicly traded food companies that are out there. Brynwood is acquiring De Wafelbakkers from Anschutz Corp., which picked it up as one component in its 2011 acquisition of the parent company that publishes the Oklahoman newspaper in Oklahoma City. De Wafelbakkers was created in 1986 by Meyers Bakery, whose namesake founder Charles Meyer is one of about 90 inductees into the Baking Hall of Fame maintained by the American Society of Baking; its ranks include Margaret Rudkin, the founder of Norwalk-based Pepperidge Farm. Kelloggs dominates the frozen waffle aisle with Eggo, which in February began selling Eggo Stuffed Pancake Bites with chocolate centers. Rival brands including Vans, Kodiak Cakes and Natures Path. The deal pushes Brynwoods total headcount to 4,100 people, spread across a multitude of brands like Buitoni pasta and sauces, take and bake frozen pizzas from Great Kitchens, and a contract bottler called Carolina Beverage Group. Hartong said the pandemic was an extraordinary challenge for both Brynwoods companies and De Wafelbakkers, which have dealt with worker shortages as a result of the pandemic even as demand spiked, as people stocked up pantries during stay-at-home orders nationally. Our businesses were operating full-on during the pandemic, Hartong said. We were doing everything we could to keep everyone as safe as we possibly could, but we recognized that we had a responsibility as food manufacturers to keep moving and keep grocery stores stocked. ... They worked every Saturday, every Sunday. I think at one point we only closed for Mothers Day and Memorial Day from March to June two days. Kelloggs CEO described a similar rush during a February conference call. The pandemic presented us with a sampling event like none other, and we ... outpaced most of our categories giving us an excellent opportunity to communicate to and retain new and lapsed consumers, said Kelloggs CEO Steve Cahillane in February. If I look at frozen, from the griddle our Eggo business obviously, terrific year. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman For Subscribers Mom shares story of son's suicide, shines light on teen mental health After Aiden Alexander's suicide, his family wants to break the stigma associated with suicide so more youths can be helped. (Newser) Headlines about a royal feud erupted over the weekend and continued into Monday, but it's not the royal family most people would think of first. This one involves Jordan, and it's more than just a trivial family spat, especially given the nation's vital role in Mideast security. The way it unfolded, with arrests and videos, was shocking, former Jordanian Foreign Minister Jawad Anani tells the New York Times. Despite the tensions, the royal family always presented the image of a united front. But yesterdays events shattered that image, and the rifts erupted in broad daylight." Coverage: The players: The feud involves two half brothers, both the sons of the nation's late King Hussein. One is the current king, 59-year-old Abdullah II, and the other is 41-year-old Prince Hamzah, reports the AP. The men have different mothersHamzah is the son of the popular (and American-born) Queen Noor, and Abdullah is the son of Queen Muna. story continues below What happened: Over the weekend, Hamzah released videos saying he'd been placed under what amounts to house arrest. The palace essentially accused him of conspiring with others, including foreign backers, of taking part in what the Times calls a "failed palace coup." Hamzah has denied this, though he described his half brother's regime as corrupt and incompetent. Queen Noor says her son is the victim of "wicked slander," but Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi accused Hamzah of having attempted to "mobilize" citizens against the state for "some time," reports CNN. Over the weekend, Hamzah released videos saying he'd been placed under what amounts to house arrest. The palace essentially accused him of conspiring with others, including foreign backers, of taking part in what the Times calls a "failed palace coup." Hamzah has denied this, though he described his half brother's regime as corrupt and incompetent. Queen Noor says her son is the victim of "wicked slander," but Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi accused Hamzah of having attempted to "mobilize" citizens against the state for "some time," reports CNN. The latest: On Monday, Hamzah released another message, this time in the form of an audio recording. "I'm not going to obey when they say you can't go out, you can't tweet, you can't communicate with people [and] you're only allowed to see your family," he said, per the BBC. "I think it's a bit unacceptable." On Monday, Hamzah released another message, this time in the form of an audio recording. "I'm not going to obey when they say you can't go out, you can't tweet, you can't communicate with people [and] you're only allowed to see your family," he said, per the BBC. "I think it's a bit unacceptable." Leaving? An Israeli businessman, Roy Shaposhnik, said Sunday that he had offered Hamzah the use of a private plane to leave Jordan, but the prince on Monday appeared to dismiss that idea, for now. "I don't want to move because I don't want to escalate (the situation) yet," he said, per the Washington Post. An Israeli businessman, Roy Shaposhnik, said Sunday that he had offered Hamzah the use of a private plane to leave Jordan, but the prince on Monday appeared to dismiss that idea, for now. "I don't want to move because I don't want to escalate (the situation) yet," he said, per the Washington Post. Bad blood: Decades ago, Hamzah had been considered the favorite to replace his father, but he was seen as too inexperienced when Hussein died in 1999, per the BBC. Abdullah not only ascended to the throne, but he stripped Hamzah of the title of crown prince in 2004 and bestowed it instead on his own son. Decades ago, Hamzah had been considered the favorite to replace his father, but he was seen as too inexperienced when Hussein died in 1999, per the BBC. Abdullah not only ascended to the throne, but he stripped Hamzah of the title of crown prince in 2004 and bestowed it instead on his own son. Importance: Jordan for years been "an oasis of relative stability in the Middle East," per the Times. "While wars and insurgencies flared in neighboring Syria and Iraq, Jordan was for decades considered a secure and dependable ally of the United States, a buffer against attacks on Israel, and a key interlocutor with Palestinians." The US and other Jordanian allies have voiced support for the king over the dispute. (Read more Jordan stories.) REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nevro Corp. (NYSE: NVRO), a global medical device company that is providing innovative, evidence-based solutions for the treatment of chronic pain, today announced that results of its SENZA-PDN randomized clinical trial (RCT) were published online in JAMA Neurology. Data from the SENZA-PDN trial formed the basis of the company's recent PMA supplement submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use of the Senza System for the treatment of chronic pain associated with Painful Diabetic Neuropathy (PDN). If approved, the Senza System would be the only spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system FDA approved with a specific on-label indication for treating PDN. The JAMA Neurology publication can be accessed at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.0538?guestAccessKey=aac5074b-819f-48cc-a293-5e17e3084b56&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=040521 In addition, a JAMA Neurology podcast featuring Dr. Erika Petersen, Professor of Neurosurgery, Director of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and lead investigator of the study is also available at: https://edhub.ama-assn.org/jn-learning/audio-player/10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.559 "It's been an honor to lead this clinical study showing the significant benefit of 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation for PDN patients who have suffered for years with refractory symptoms," stated Dr. Erika Petersen. "The substantial pain relief and improved quality of life sustained over six months demonstrates that this therapy can safely and effectively treat this patient population. I'm grateful to my co-investigators and the patients who participated in this study, as the results will have far-reaching impact on the lives of PDN patients." "No conventional, low-frequency SCS treatments have been thoroughly evaluated or demonstrated such positive results in treating PDN patients, and we believe there is a significant opportunity to offer our innovative treatment option to patients who are unable to find relief with currently available pharmacologic options," said D. Keith Grossman, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Nevro. "A six-month review cycle by the FDA could position the company to achieve approval and initiate U.S. launch activities to provide HF10 therapy for the treatment of chronic pain in PDN patients during the second half of 2021." The randomized SENZA-PDN study met its prespecified primary endpoint demonstrating that PDN patients with symptoms refractory to best available treatments can be safely and effectively treated with high-frequency (10 kHz) SCS. The study also demonstrated statistical significance in seven of eight prespecified secondary endpoints showing clear differences from the best available medical treatments. This safety and efficacy data will be used to support physician referral decisions as well as our market access initiatives to ensure adequate payer coverage of this procedure. The SENZA-PDN RCT results were previously presented during the plenary session at the 2021 North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) Virtual Meeting in January. An investor presentation is available in the "Investor Relations" section of Nevro's website at www.nevro.com. About the SENZA-PDN RCT Nevro's SENZA-PDN study, the largest RCT of spinal cord stimulation treatment conducted for PDN, compares 10 kHz SCS plus Conventional Medical Management (CMM) to CMM alone in 216 patients at 18 centers in the United States. The primary endpoint of the study is a composite endpoint that includes the difference in proportion of treatment responders without deterioration of neurological deficits at 3-month follow-up. Study participants continue to be followed out to 24 months. The SENZA-PDN RCT six-month data show sustained effectiveness of 10 kHz SCS versus CMM and demonstrated the following benefits: Pain: At six months, 85% of participants in the 10 kHz SCS study arm reported pain relief > 50% versus 5% in the CMM control arm ( p < 0.001). 50% versus 5% in the CMM control arm ( < 0.001). At six months, average pain relief in the 10 kHz SCS treatment arm was 76% (% reduction of VAS from baseline) as compared to an average worsening of 2% in the control arm. Safety: Safety was consistent with published reports of adverse event rates in traditional SCS trials, including for infections and explants in non-diabetic cohorts. 1,2,3 Only 2 of 90 permanent SCS devices were explanted at six months for a 2.2% explant rate (both explants were due to infection). Neurological Improvement: At six months, 62% of the 10 kHz SCS treatment group had observed improvement upon an investigator-assessed neurological examination, compared to 3% in of CMM subjects (p < 0.001). Quality of Life: At six months, 92% of patients were either "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with 10 kHz SCS therapy compared to 91% of CMM patients who were either "dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied" with treatment. At six months, sleep disturbance due to pain in the 10 kHz SCS group was remarkably diminished. Crossover: Subjects could opt to crossover to the other treatment arm at six months if they had insufficient pain relief (<50%), were dissatisfied with treatment, and were appropriate to proceed as determined by their physician. At six months, 82% of patients who met criteria in the CMM arm elected to crossover, vs none in the 10 kHz SCS + CMM treatment arm (p < 0.001). SENZA-PDN RCT Abstract Awards The SENZA-PDN RCT data has been presented at several physician meetings and recognized for scientific research excellence from the following professional societies: About Painful Diabetic Neuropathy (PDN) The World Health Organization estimates 422 million adults with diabetes worldwide and prevalence (8.5%) that has nearly doubled over four decades.4 Diabetes may cause systemic damage with profound impact on health-related quality of life and is potentially life-threatening. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a common complication presenting as pain and other dysesthesias, including numbness, burning, or tingling. Approximately 20% of patients with diabetes will develop PDN, a progressive, potentially debilitating chronic neuropathic pain condition.5 In the U.S., it is estimated that there are approximately 140,000 to 200,000 PDN patients each year that are refractory to conventional medical management, representing an annual total addressable market opportunity of approximately $3.5 billion to $5.0 billion.6,7 Internet Posting of Information Nevro routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the "Investor Relations" section of its website at www.nevro.com. The company encourages investors and potential investors to consult the Nevro website regularly for important information about Nevro. About Nevro Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Nevro is a global medical device company focused on providing innovative products that improve the quality of life of patients suffering from debilitating chronic pain. Nevro has developed and commercialized the Senza spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system, an evidence-based, non-pharmacologic neuromodulation platform for the treatment of chronic pain. HF10 therapy has demonstrated the ability to reduce or eliminate opioids in 65% of patients across six peer-reviewed clinical studies. The Senza System, Senza II System, and the Senza Omnia System are the only SCS systems that deliver Nevro's proprietary HF10 therapy. Senza, Senza II, Senza Omnia, HF10, Nevro and the Nevro logo are trademarks of Nevro Corp. To learn more about Nevro, connect with us on LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . ____________________ 1 Hoelzer et al 2017 Neuromodulation DOI: 10.1111/ner.12609 2 Mekhail et al 2011 Pain Practice 11,(2) 148153 3 Hayek et al. Treatment-Limiting Complications of Percutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulator Implants: A Review of Eight Years of Experience From an Academic Center Database Neuromodulation 2015; 18:603609. 4 World Health Organization. (2016). Global report on diabetes. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/204871 5 Schmader KE. Epidemiology and impact on quality of life of postherpetic neuralgia and painful diabetic neuropathy. Clin J Pain. 2002;18(6):350-354. 6 CDC National Diabetes Statistics Report 2020; Schmader KE. Epidemiology and impact on quality of life of postherpetic neuralgia and painful diabetic neuropathy. Clin J Pain. 2002;18(6):350-354. 7 Trinity Partners Market Research 2017. Forward-Looking Statements In addition to historical information, this press release contains forward-looking statements reflecting the company's current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including: our belief that there is a significant opportunity to offer our innovative therapy to PDN patients who are unable to find relief with currently available pharmacologic options; our belief that our FDA submission, assuming a six-month review cycle and regulatory approval from the FDA, could position the company to achieve approval and initiate U.S. launch activities to provide HF10 therapy for treatment of chronic pain in PDN patients in the second half of 2021; and our belief that the safety and efficacy data from the SENZA-PDN RCT will be used to support physician referral decisions and market access initiatives to ensure adequate payer coverage of this procedure. These forward-looking statements are based upon information that is currently available to us or our current expectations, speak only as of the date hereof, and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including our ability to successfully commercialize our products; our ability to manufacture our products to meet demand; the level and availability of third-party payor reimbursement for our products; our ability to effectively manage our anticipated growth and the costs and expenses of operating our business; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights and proprietary technologies; our ability to operate our business without infringing the intellectual property rights and proprietary technology of third parties; competition in our industry; additional capital and credit availability; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; and product liability claims. These factors, together with those that are described in greater detail in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 24, 2021, as well as any reports that we may file with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the future, may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied by our forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation, except as required by law, or undertaking to update or revise any such forward-looking statements. ### SOURCE Nevro Corp. Related Links http://www.nevro.com President Biden, navigating the perilous politics resulting from the influx of migrants at the border with Mexico, on Monday released a video thanking newly naturalized citizens for having the courage to come to the United States. You all have one thing in common courage, Mr. Biden said. The courage it takes to sacrifice and make this journey. The courage to leave your homes, your lives, your loved ones, and come to a nation that is more than just a place but rather an idea, in which everyone is created equal and deserves to be treated equally. A poll released Monday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 40 percent of Americans disapprove of the administrations handling of the surge in children at the nations southern border, with only 24 percent approving. A third had no opinion. Mr. Bidens remarks part of a message presidents often record to be played at the end of naturalization ceremonies struck a different tone than former President Donald J. Trumps emphasis on the duties of immigrants during a video he recorded during his first year in office. India added more than 103,000 coronavirus cases on Monday, the first time its daily increase in infections has entered six figures, as a key state entered a new lockdown amid a surging second wave. Of the new cases reported on Monday morning, 57,700 were in the worst-hit state of Maharashtra, which ordered non-essential shops to shut from today and began enforcing an evening and weekend curfew, as well as a ban on large gatherings. The national case total has been pushed past 12.59 million, fast catching up with Brazil which has the second-highest caseload of 13 million infections. India now has 741,830 active cases across the country and has recorded 165,101 Covid-related deaths, according to health ministry data. Previously, India hit its highest single-day spike during the first wave on 17 September, when 97,894 infections were recorded in a day. Read more: The spike in cases prompted prime minister Narendra Modi to chair a high-level meeting on Sunday to take stock of the situation. Mr Modi attributed the rise to a decline in compliance with Covid-appropriate behaviour, pandemic fatigue and lack of effective implementation of rules to contain the virus. He ordered the dispatch of teams of experts to the three worst-hit states Maharashtra, Punjab and Chhattisgarh to study the situation and devise methods to control the raging virus. Since February, India has been seeing a steady rise in Covid cases after apparent success in containing the first wave. In March, cases have risen by 39 per cent, which is the fastest rate of increase in any country. After adding 73,301 new cases on Saturday, India overtook Brazils daily infections of 66,176 and the USs of 65,624. India is only the second country after the US to see a spike of at least 100,000 cases in a single day at any time during the pandemic. On Sunday, the countrys wealthiest state Maharashtra accounted for 54.9 per cent of the infections. Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh were other states to contribute a large number of cases. The high spike in cases now is being partly attributed to widespread Holi celebrations last Monday, and experts previously told The Independent this was to be expected. Huge crowds of people gathered in temples and streets to celebrate the festival of colours on 29 March. Top health official VK Paul described the outbreak as moving from bad to worse as he pulled up worst-hit states for lack of measures in containing the virus. He warned that the surge has the potential to overwhelm resources. The experts have been calling on the government to accelerate the vaccination drive to control the surge and avoid the possibility of a third wave. According to official data, India has fully vaccinated at least 10 million individuals in the country so far. States have been announcing fresh restrictions with Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir government announcing prohibitory measures. Maharashtra announced a complete weekend lockdown, day-time restrictions and nightly curfews on its 110 million people on Sunday. Businesses, except shops, markets and malls for essential services, have been shut till 30 April. Meanwhile, neighbouring Bangladesh has announced a seven-day lockdown from Monday, with a ban on all domestic travel services and suspension of flights amid its own surge in cases. (CNN) He said he'd take the Covid-19 vaccine first, as a role model for the rest of Argentina. A little over two months after receiving the Russian-made Sputnik V, Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez has tested positive for the coronavirus. In a series of tweets posted Friday evening his birthday the Argentinian President said a fever and slight headache had prompted him to get tested. "I'm already isolated, complying with the current protocol and following the instructions of my personal doctor," he said. "I have contacted the people I met in the last 48 hours to assess whether they constitute close contact." An antigen test followed by a PCR test confirmed his Covid-19 diagnosis this weekend, according to Fernandez's medical team. The 62-year-old leader's health remains "stable, asymptomatic, with parameters within normal ranges," they said. Argentina became the first Latin American country to distribute the Sputnik V vaccine in late December, with the purchase of up to 25 million doses. Fernandez received his first dose of that vaccine on January 21, and his second in February, a press officer at the Presidential Casa Rosada said. It is possible to get infected and test positive for Covid-19 after being vaccinated. While vaccination reduces the likelihood of disease -- especially severe cases -- it's still unclear to what degree each coronavirus vaccine prevents all infections. Russia's Gamaleya Institute, which developed the Sputnik V vaccine, has wished Fernandez well and emphasized the shot's high protection against severe illness. "We are sad to hear this. Sputnik V is 91.6% effective against infection and 100% effective against severe cases. If the infection is indeed confirmed and occurs, the vaccination ensures quick recovery without severe symptoms. We wish you a quick recovery!," read a message on Sputnik V's official Twitter account, citing rates published February in the medical journal The Lancet. Argentina's initial vaccination campaign was accompanied by scandal, after revelations that a group of about 70 people had received early vaccine access, resulting in the resignation of then-health minister Gines Gonzalez Garcia. Fernandez defended his own early vaccination as necessary and proper, he told press during a trip to Mexico in late February, although he acknowledged that the so-called "VIP vaccinations" took place under "irregular circumstances." "The media in Argentina put Alberto Fernandez among the people who received the vaccine inappropriately, but I had to get the vaccine because the Argentine media said that the Russian vaccine could not be trusted. I had to call on the trust of the citizens," he said. With just 1.5% of the country's population now fully vaccinated, Argentina's government remains on high alert. Last week, the country suspended all incoming flights from Brazil, Chile and Mexico due to increasing Covid-19 cases in those countries, according to Argentina's state-news agency Telam. Flights from the United Kingdom have also been suspended. As of Sunday, Argentina had confirmed more than 2,383,000 cases of Covid-19, and 56,106 deaths due to the virus. Tweeting about his diagnosis on Friday, Fernandez urged the country not to let its guard down. "It is clear that the pandemic did not pass and we must continue to take care of ourselves," he wrote. Your bedroom should be a sanctuary of relaxation, whether you're staging your home to sell, or planning on staying put. But it's also one of the trickiest rooms to spruce up. Since you probably store most of your clothing and personal items in your bedroom, it can become a cluttered mess in the blink of an eye. Because it's not seen by many people (hosted any dinner parties in there lately?), many of us rate bedrooms a low priority for decorating. However, beautifying your bedroom doesn't need to be an arduous task. In fact, you can make a world of difference in less than an hour. Need some direction? We reached out to several real estate and interior design experts to walk us through an array of bedroom improvement projects, with a range of budgets and time constraints in mind. If you have 5 minutes Five minutes isnt a lot of time, but its definitely enough to give your bedroom a quick sweep. Throw dirty clothes in the laundry hamper, and hang or fold and put away any clean clothes. Kasia McDaniel, a home stager with Blue Diamond Staging and Design in Carthage, NC, recommends dusting and decluttering your nightstand. Cost: Free If you're staging your home to sell, remove as many family photos and personal items as possible," says Jennifer Ward, a professional home flipper and founder of House Buying Mamas in Indianapolis. All the agents we spoke to stressed the need to create a neutral atmosphere, something like that of a hotel, so buyers can envision themselves and their possessions in the space. Cost: Free If you have 30 minutes Half an hour is just enough time to upgrade any tired, outdated, or dinged-up hardware in your room. Focus on door handles and closet door handles, says Brooke Grasley, founder of Restore Decor and More in Joliet, IL. You could also replace and update light switch and electrical outlet covers. Cost: Door handles run upward of $18, while light switch and electrical outlet covers typically cost upward of $5. Ali Wenzke, the Chicago-based author of The Art of Happy Moving, recommends removing your TV and any other large electronics from the bedroom. You dont want a buyers eyes to go straight to the TV, Wenzke says. You want to evoke a feeling of relaxation and intimacy, and TVs tend to do the opposite. Cost: Free If you have 1 hour A full hour provides you with enough time for a major overhaul and ambiance reset. A bedroom without draperies can make the room look exposed and naked, but outdated or cheap-looking drapes can be even worse. Professional stagers and seasoned real estate agents recommend replacing your blinds and old curtains with new ones. If you have an hour to spare, new curtain rods and curtains can dramatically improve a bedrooms aesthetic, says Grasley. Sticking to the same color scheme, preferably a neutral one, and avoiding busy patterns is wise. Cost: Rods and curtains start around $75 a window and go up from there. Another great project that can be tackled in an hour or less? Lighting. Andra DelMonico, lead interior designer for Trendey in Wesley Chapel, FL, advises taking out a builder-grade, flush-mount ceiling light or fan and replacing it with a chandelier for an elegant look. If you have crown molding surrounding your bedroom, add LED lighting to create a gentle ambiance. Cost: $100-plus, with an additional $50 to $100 per hour for a licensed electrician. If you have 3 hours In three hours, you can focus on making the big-ticket itemthe bedlook its best, and also still have time to curate the space around it as well. Tomas Satas, founder and CEO at Windy City HomeBuyer in Chicago, recommends refreshing your linens. Spend a few hours shopping in person or online, and treat yourself to a new set of sheets, in simple, matching colors. Layering the bed with throw pillows, a plush duvet, and down blankets adds a luxurious look. Cost: Linen sets start at $100, duvets and blankets start at $50, and throw pillows start at $10. How much furniture do you have? If your bedroom is stuffed with multiple dressers and an armoire you inherited from your great-aunt, now may be the time to downsize. Take an afternoon to clean out and donate anything you no longer need or want. One of the biggest mistakes I see home sellers make is having way too much furniture in their bedroom, says Jason Gelios, a real estate agent with Community Choice Realty in Southeast Michigan. Too much furniture in a bedroom is a turnoff to home buyers." Of course, many of us are using our bedroom as a home office because of the pandemic. If you're staging your home for a showing, however, try moving that extra desk and chair to the basement. Cost: Free If you have a weekend With an entire weekend ahead of you, youll be able to tackle several of the projects mentioned above, and at least one of the two biggies below. Elevate your bedroom by installing decorative crown molding along the top of your walls. Crown molding is the best way to instantly make a bedroom feel elegant, says Ben Wagner, owner of New Yorks Leave the Key Homebuyers. Crown molding comes in a variety of styles, but a few of the most popular are Federal (great for low ceilings), Colonial Revival (upscale), and Early American (refined). This can be done in a day with the help of YouTube tutorials, or you can hire a handyman. Cost: $1 to $8 per linear foot, $50 to $100 an hour for labor Another high-impact bedroom update is to add storage space. DelMonico recommends either adding floating shelves or a built-in bookshelf, or reworking the closet to add additional cubbies and shelving units. While youre in the closet, our experts recommend removing and donating any extraneous clothing to make the closet appear more spacious and neater. Cost: If you do it yourself, the cost will be much less, starting at $250 for modest shelving. A more extensive closet redesign can cost thousands, depending on the design. For labor, count on $50 to $100 an hour. The post 10 Best Bedroom Improvement Projects Based on How Much Time You Have appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. DMX faces a life-and-death situation after he was rush to a hospital due to a heart attack. On Friday, DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, suffered from an attack while staying at his home in White Plains. DMX's Cause of Heart Attack According to TMZ, the rapper's overdose triggered the heart condition. Upon arriving at the hospital in White Plains, he only has limited brain function following the oxygen deprivation. During that time, a source then revealed that he is in a "vegetative state," and his doctors already warned the family that DMX may not make it. His lawyer of 25 years, Attorney Murray Richman, revealed his concerns in an interview with PIX11 News on Saturday. "He's been in the hospital as a result of a heart attack. He has been taken off life support system and he's breathing on his own," he said. "But we are concerned. It would be disingenuous of me to suggest that I'm not a worried man at this particular point." Per the lawyer, he felt concerned about the rapper's state. On the following day, DMX's manager, Nakia Walker, said that they are all praying for his fast recovery. Family sources added that his fiancee, Desiree Lindstrom, and mother Arnet Simmons received permission to see him in the ICU although he remains unresponsive. DMX's Drug Use History Over the past years, DMX's drug use has been known to the public. Although he is in a critical state right now, it was not the first time it ever happened. In February 2016, he collapsed outside an Inn in New York. He had no pulse when police and the medical team arrived at the scene. Four cops tried to revive him on the spot by giving him CPR before injecting him with Narcan. It is a medication used to reverse the effects of a drug overdose. Meanwhile, he publicly talked about it during his interview with Dr. Phil in 2013. During that time, he revealed that a family member gave him marijuana at the age of 8. "It was something that drew me in, and trapped me, and just had a hold on me for a long, long time," DMX said at that time. DMX then battled his substance abuse and admitted himself to rehab multiple times. In 2019, he entered the rehab for the last after completing a 12-month sentence for tax evasion. See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles Tirupati, April 5 : Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary Nara Lokesh called on Tirupati voters to choose a 'fighting' MP rather than a 'servant' of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in the forthcoming by-poll scheduled for April 17. Lokesh made these comments on Sunday while kicking off the opposition party's Tirupati Lok Sabha seat by-poll campaign. He mounted a door to door campaign in the Satyavedu segment and alleged that Jagan has failed to control the prices of essentials and that the Chief Minister had no respect for Dalits. The TDP's literal second-in-command claimed that the state government's prestigious jewel-like 'navaratnalu' scheme has turned into 'nava gulaka rallu' (stones). Lokesh claimed that atrocities, exploitation and mafia have become rampant under Jagan's rule. "A battle between the Jagan Reddy Alibaba robbers and the TDP fighters underscores the need for rejecting the unjust, failed YSRCP regime," he said. The TDP national general secretary claimed that the ruling party leaders looted all the resources of the state, not even leaving the Tirupati 'laddus' and alleged that the 'laddus' were put on commercial sale and distribution during the recent Panchayat polls. In his door to door campaign at Varadaiahpalem, Lokesh held one-on-one talks with the voters and alleged that the CM betrayed the people by not fulfilling his welfare promises. "YSRCP perpetrated atrocities, injustices and misdeeds against all sections of the society in the past two years. The Tirupati men, women and young people should use the by-poll as a golden opportunity to defeat the YSRCP nominee," the TDP leader said. Parts of Queensland's southeast are expected to receive more than 100mm of rain in a matter of hours, with authorities advising residents to seek shelter Extreme rain and flooding is forecasted from above Bundaberg to the Sunshine Coast. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds, heavy rainfall and dangerous surf for a large swathe of southeast Queensland late on Sunday afternoon. More than 100mm of rainfall and flooding is forecast for southeast Queensland The warning area stretches along the coast from Seventeen Seventy to North Stradbroke Island near Brisbane. The bureau expects heavy rainfall and flash flooding to develop in the state's southeast on Sunday evening and into Monday as a low weather front tracks south to southeast from Hervey Bay. "Six-hourly rainfall totals between 120 to 160 millimetres are likely in areas," the alert said. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for a large part of southeast Queensland The deluge could be even more dramatic for communities east of Bundaberg, Maryborough and Noosa Heads where isolated six-hourly rainfall totals could reach up to 250mm. Several flood watch warnings have been activated, less than a fortnight after the state suffered loss of life and property damage in a widespread rain event. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services have urged people in the warning area to seek shelter, move their car under cover or away from trees, and not to drive, walk or ride through floodwaters. TRIPOLI: The President of the European Council, Mr. Charles Michel, met the Prime Minister of Libya Abdul Hamid Dbeibah in the capital Tripoli, and emphasised the European Union (EU)'s support for stability in the war-torn country. The President also stressed that all the European Union countries speak with a unified voice regarding supporting the Libyan authorities in all issues, including development, immigration, security, and elections," report by Xinhua news Report adds, "Michel expressed the EU's readiness to provide all forms of support to the Government of National Unity to enhance stability in the country and hold elections." In a tweet on Sunday, Michel said: "I came to Tripoli in a moment of hope and challenges. The EU stands by the Libyan people and its new leadership. The Prime Minister commended the European Union's role in supporting stability and security of Libya, stressing the importance of the Libyan-European partnership and cooperation in issues of mutual interest, the statement added. "We are ready to increase our support to a unified, sovereign, stable and prosperous Libya." Dbeibah's Government of National Unity was approved by the House of Representatives (Parliament) in a major step towards re-establishing stability in the country that has been roiled by conflict for a decade. The interim government is tasked with preparing for national elections, scheduled for December 24. This government has replaced the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which has been in charge of Tripoli and western areas, alongside the competing eastern administration linked with warlord Khalifa Haftar. NMEC: Egypt's National Museum Main hall open for visitors Iran Foreign Minister urges constructive approach from European nuclear-deal participants Kenyas Ruth Chepngetich set new record in World half marathon Most other major pharmacies, including CVS and Rite Aid, stuck with the C.D.C.s guidance on the timing of second doses. CVS, for example, schedules second Pfizer shots for 20 to 23 days after the first shot, said T.J. Crawford, a spokesman for the chain. Some public health experts believe the United States should delay the second doses of vaccines by longer than Walgreens has been doing with the Pfizer vaccine. That way, more people can get partial protection through the first shots. Britain, for example, is delaying second shots by up to three months. Canada has begun delaying doses by up to four months. But it was a three-week gap that underwent extensive clinical testing, and U.S. officials and Pfizer executives have not voiced support for alternate dosing schedules. Asked about Walgreens scheduling, Kit Longley, a spokesman for Pfizer, said the safety and efficacy of the companys vaccine had not been evaluated on dosing schedules different from the three-week gap tested in clinical trial volunteers. It is largely arbitrary that Pfizers and Modernas vaccines, which both use similar messenger RNA technology, have different dosing schedules. Pfizers decision to test its vaccine with less time separating the two shots helped the company finish its late-stage clinical trial quickly and report results one week faster than Moderna in November. Walgreens decision to not adhere to the C.D.C.s guidance on dose spacing for Pfizers shot left some customers confused. Some assumed, based on their appointment dates, that they would be getting Moderna shots. Then they learned with surprise at their first appointment that they were getting Pfizer. Mary DeTurris Poust, a writer in Delmar, N.Y., who got her first Pfizer shot from Walgreens late last month, has been trying, to no avail, to reach a Walgreens representative to reschedule her second-dose appointment for a week sooner. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 5) The government is setting up more facilities, including a triage system at the local government level, to help decongest hospitals affected by the continuous spike in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, officials said on Monday. In an interview with CNN Philippines, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the government will also continue to expand modular bed capacities for intensive care unit patients, adding that officials have already identified sites where the tents can be built. One of which is in Taguig, the property of a GOCC corporation and then the other is in the PICC [Philippine International Convention Center] area, Roque told CNN Philippines' The Source. There are modular ICU bed units that are readily available and we are looking at constructing these. Roque added the Public Works Department is also building modular facilities for patients by using container vans. The Health Department earlier reported that select mega quarantine centers in the capital region the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, and the Quezon Institute will be reopened to help ease the burden of hospitals, many of which have reported critical and full capacity due to the spike in coronavirus infections. Aside from these facilities, Roque said the government is estimating no less than 500 additional ICU bed capacities very soon. Triage system for LGUs In a separate media forum, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said authorities will also be launching a triage system at the LGU level, where patients can already be assessed for transfer to either a hospital or a quarantine facility. Puputulin ang structure na (Were cutting off the structure that) from the home or LGUs, straight to the hospital, Vergeire said. Lalagyan natin ng (Were putting a) midway where patients can be assessed by LGU health officials. The LGU-based triage will be linked to the One Hospital Command Center, and will have a standby ambulance for possible hospital transfers, Vergeire said. She added the proposed system will initially be implemented in NCR, with meetings ongoing for its launch in nearby regions. "Eventually sa buong bansa kailangan mangyari na ito (Eventually this should be set up nationwide), Vergeire said. Aside from the physical set-up, an LGU triage hotline will also be launched, the official noted. Improved telecom lines for hospital referral Health Undersecretary and treatment czar Leopoldo Vega earlier revealed that the governments hospital referral system has been overwhelmed with hundreds of calls daily, as he appealed for the public's patience amid the rising COVID-19 cases. Roque, for his part, assured the government would contact telecommunication companies if there is a need to provide more lines for the network. If the problem is additional telecom facilities, we will make arrangements again to increase the number of lines so that anyone can access the One Hospital Command Center, Roque said. The DOH on Sunday recorded 11,028 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the total number of cases to 795,051. Death toll is at 13,425. The race to create a better supply chain is not limited to lithium-ion batteries. One of the people trying to get in on the supply chain portion of the $US174 billion worth of electric vehicle spending proposed in Bidens infrastructure package is Gerard Barron, chief executive of DeepGreen Metals, a start-up that raised about $US600 million in March to collect the mineral-rich rocks from the ocean floor. Despite some issues with environmentalists, company officials have met with Energy Department officials and visited Texas, Quebec and Norway in search of a place to build a processing plant and to offer cheap energy to run it. US battery makers must import minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, which make up about half the cost of their product. If we want to decouple from China, thats a dangerous game, Barron said. He noted that the Chinese own 40 percent of the worlds cobalt, but that more than 90 per cent goes to China for processing. Other companies are improving batteries or components. We dont have a supply chain in the United States. I think were trailing behind, said Francis Wang, chief executive of Chicago-based NanoGraf, which has developed a silicon anode that can be dropped into batteries to improve their longevity and recharging speed. We have a severe shortage of EV batteries in the US with insufficient domestic production and the SK plant in Georgia is necessary to address this supply chain threat. Former US deputy attorney general Sally Yates Doing more than that is an imposing task. The battery business is a tough business, Wang said. Its incredibly capital-intensive. It costs millions if not billions of dollars to get a factory off the ground. The margins are pretty tight. Razor thin. And there is a tremendous amount of risk. Those tensions are what have raised the stakes in the Georgia battery case. It began with LG accusing SK of stealing LGs technology and violating 22 of its trade secrets for the giant plant thats under construction. The ITC said that for a limited time, SK could make batteries only for its two big future customers, Ford and VW, to give them time to search for alternatives. Then the factory would have to effectively close down. Ford and VW had been SKs main customers - Ford for its popular F-150 and VW for its MEB brand. Now the companies will try to find an alternative supplier during a surge in industry demand. Loading But thats not easy. Electric vehicles are judged, in part, by the quality of their batteries. Its not the kind of thing where you can flip a switch and go to different chemicals and different costs, one industry executive said. Moreover, he said, we need all the battery supply we can get, and there is more than enough business for both LG and SK. SK has lined up prominent advocates to press its case. One, former deputy attorney general Sally Yates, said the factory should stay open to avoid disrupting the American economy and the fight against climate change. She said the two South Korean firms should fight it out in U.S. District Court, where LG is suing SK. We have a severe shortage of EV batteries in the U.S. with insufficient domestic production and the SK plant in Georgia is necessary to address this supply chain threat, she wrote. Recently, two administrative judges at the ITC issued their decisions that found no violation of LGs patents. SKs lawyer Sturgis Sobin, a partner at Covington & Burling, wrote to Katherine Tai, the new US trade representative advising Biden on his decision, though she has no authority of her own. Sobin urged the matter be left to the District Court rather than rush headlong into the shuttering of this critical plant and the loss of thousands of jobs associated with it. LGs lawyers say the Biden administration should let the process work - and the deadline pass. David Callahan, a partner at the Latham & Watkins law firm, said the two recent ITC cases were unrelated to the first case, even though LG was suing SK in one case and SK suing LG in the other. Callahan also disputed the idea that the United States is heading toward a shortage of EV batteries. He said LG Chem has a plant in Holland, Michigan, that has been making batteries for about eight years and a joint venture with General Motors in Lordstown, Ohio. Last month, he said, LG announced $US4.5 billion in commitments for two additional battery plants. Separately, Samsung announced last month that it would build a plant to make battery cells, which Samsung already imports and assembles. After two years of sluggish sales, electric vehicles sold like hot cakes over the past six months. Credit:Getty The process resembles the auto industry today, which imports a variety of parts then assembles or sells them. For example, Cars.coms 2019 American-made index said: The Chevrolet Bolt EV is built in Lake Orion, Michigan, but with a drivetrain from South Korea, US and Canadian content is 18 per cent. In the case of electric vehicles, automakers and their contractors must make battery cells, configure them into modules, build those modules into packs, then stick control devices on the packs. Samsung has been assembling packs from cells made overseas for years, Callahan said. What is less known is that Ibn Rushd also sought to harmonize his philosophical insights with Islamic law the Shariah. At the core of his effort was the vision of Ibn Tufayls philosophical novel: Religion and reason were both independent sources of wisdom. Religion had its written laws, while reason had its unwritten laws the universal principles of justice, mercy or thankfulness. When there was a conflict between these two, Ibn Rushd argued, written laws of religion should be reinterpreted because they were inevitably bound with context. Ibn Rushd applied this vision to the debate on jihad, criticizing the militant Muslims of his time who called for jihad until they uproot and destroy entirely whoever disagrees with them. He saw that position as reflecting ignorance on their part of the intention of the legislator, or God, who could not have reasonably willed the great harm of war. He used the same perspective to critique the enfeebling of women in medieval Muslim society, which was a result of the denial of their intellectual capacity. He did his best to advance the most women-friendly views in Islamic jurisprudence: Women had the right to refuse polygamy, enjoy an equal right to divorce, avoid the face veil and become judges. Ibn Rushds other key contribution to modern Europe was his call for open debate, where views are freely expressed and rationally measured. You should always, when presenting a philosophical argument, cite the views of your opponents, he wrote. Failure to do so is an implicit acknowledgment of the weakness of your own case. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, a towering intellectual we lost last year, had traced how Ibn Rushds insight was picked up by the Rabbi Judah Loew of Prague in the 17th century, John Milton and John Stuart Mill. Yet conservatives in Islamic Spain abhorred Ibn Rushds indulgence in philosophy and accused him of being a polytheist after he cited a Greek philosopher who was a worshiper of Venus. He was publicly humiliated, exiled and forced into house imprisonment. His books on philosophy were burned. They survived in Hebrew or Latin translations in Europe, but most of the Arabic originals were lost. This loss has had grim consequences for Muslims. Powerful orthodoxies in the Islamic world although parochialism and bigotry have proliferated in other communities as well are still denying values distilled from the unwritten laws of humanity: human rights, religious liberty and gender equality. They rather preach blind obedience to old verdicts, without asking why and how and without deploying reason and conscience. The result is a troubling religiosity that relies on coercion instead of freedom and generates moralism instead of morality. The way forward for the Islamic world lies in reconciling faith and reason. A good first step would be to reconsider what Ibn Tufayls Hayy ibn Yaqzan and the works of Ibn Rushd were trying to tell us. Mustafa Akyol, a contributing opinion writer, is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. This essay is excerpted from his forthcoming book, Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has vowed to continue a hunger strike despite suffering from a heavy cough and fever as he claimed inmates in his Russian prison ward were being treated in hospital for tuberculosis. Vladimir Putin's biggest opponent has vowed to continue a hunger strike he launched last week demanding adequate medical treatment at the harsh corrective penal colony more than 60 miles east of Moscow. Navalny, 44, claimed prison authorities had refused to give him proper care for acute back and leg pain as his allies said they would stage a rolling protest outside his prison unless he was examined by a doctor of his choice. His team said he had already lost 18lb before going on hunger strike - down from the 205lb he weighed when he arrived at his penal colony - due to sleep deprivation. Pro-Kremlin media and some members of a prison monitoring group have accused him of faking his medical problems to keep himself in the public eye - allegations which are denied by Navalny and his allies. It comes as the Russian government announced on Monday that Vladimir Putin has signed a law that could keep him in office in the Kremlin until 2036. Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny vowed to continue a hunger strike despite suffering from a heavy cough and fever as he claimed inmates were being treated in hospital for tuberculosis Navalny walks to take his seat in a Pobeda airlines plane heading to Moscow before take-off from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) in Schoenefeld, southeast of Berlin, on January 17, 2021 Two reports in pro-Kremlin outlets described Navalny as looking 'quite normal' and saying he is incarcerated in a colony that is 'practically exemplary'. In his post Monday, Navalny said the reports had 'not a single word of truth'. As evidence, he wrote that a third person out of 15 in his unit had been hospitalised with tuberculosis since his arrival at the penal colony in February. 'If I have tuberculosis, then maybe it'll chase out the pain in my back and numbness in my legs. That'd be nice,' he wrote on Instagram. 'I am surprised that there is no Ebola virus here,' he quipped, adding: 'such is our 'ideal, exemplary colony'.' He added: 'I quote the official statistics of today's temperature measurement: 'Navalny A.A., bad cough, temperature 38.1'. A temperature above 38C (100.58F) most often indicates a fever caused by an infection or illness. Navalny's lawyers have visited him regularly in custody and have helped him continue to post messages on social media. Authorities at the IK-2 corrective penal colony 60 miles east of Moscow, where the opposition politician is being held, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about a TB outbreak or Navalny's temperature and cough. They have said previously that his condition was satisfactory and that he has been provided with all necessary medical care. Anastasiya Vasilyeva, a doctor and ally of Navalny, confirmed plans for a protest would take place from Tuesday. Navalny was arrested on his return to Russia in January after spending months in Germany recovering from a poisoning last summer that he blames on the Kremlin. Earlier this month, Navalny, who is considered a flight risk by authorities, filed two complaints against prison officials, saying he is woken eight times a night by guards announcing to a recording camera that he is still in his cell. It comes as the Russian government announced on Monday that President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that could keep him in office in the Kremlin until 2036 He was arrested as he returned to Russia from Germany in January, where he had been recovering from what doctors said was poisoning with a nerve agent. The West has demanded that Russia release Navalny. Russia's relations with the Western are at their lowest since the end of the Cold War, marred by allegations of election interference and sweeping cyberattacks. Last week, video footage which appeared on Twitter appeared to show Russia sending trains filled with tanks and military vehicles into Crimea and toward Donbass, Ukraine's easternmost region that borders Russia. It comes as the Russian government announced on Monday that Vladimir Putin has signed a law that could keep him in office in the Kremlin until 2036. The legislation allows the Russian President to run for two more six-year terms once his current stint ends in 2024, following changes to the constitution last year. Those changes were backed in a public vote last summer and could allow Putin, 68, to potentially remain in power until the age of 83. He is currently serving his second consecutive term as president and his fourth in total. The reform, which critics cast as a constitutional coup, was packaged with an array of other amendments that were expected to garner popular support, such as one bolstering pension protections. The law signed by Putin limits any future president to two terms in office, but resets his term count. It prevents anyone who has held foreign citizenship from running for the Kremlin. The legislation was passed in the lower and upper houses of parliament last month. TORONTO, April 5, 2021 /CNW/ - The Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation (CSTF) is excited to open the submission period for its 2021 Awards and Bursaries program. From today until May 7, 2021, students can apply for a CSTF Bursary or CSTF Founders' Award to support their post-secondary education. This year's program gives even more Canadian students a chance to receive post-secondary education funding from CST. Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation (CNW Group/Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation) "CST is passionate about higher learning and we believe that finances should not be a barrier to accessing post-secondary education," said Peter Lewis, VP of CST Foundation. "Through our 2021 Awards and Bursaries program, CST is further demonstrating its passion for serving all Canadians in our mission to make post-secondary education accessible." Each year since 1984, the Canadian Scholarship Foundation has provided students with direct financial support through this program. And after a year of economic, social and education disruption, the 2021 Awards and Bursaries program has been adapted to reach more students, and support Canadians with greater financial needs. New this year, 25 Canadian students entering post-secondary school will have access to CSTF Bursaries worth $6,000 each. In addition, 10 CST beneficiaries can apply for a CSTF Founders' Award of $10,000 each to use for their second degree, diploma or post-graduate program. With a total $250,000 available for Canadians, these bursaries and awards will support post-secondary students of all ages. The funds can be used to cover only tuition and other school-related expenses such as books and supplies. Two decades of research have shown that first-generation post-secondary students often have to overcome numerous barriers, which usually includes socio-economic status. To help address this, CST will put an emphasis on providing awards and bursaries to students who are the first in their family to pursue post-secondary education. Story continues CSTF Bursaries In honour of notable members of the Canadian Scholarship Trust family, CST Foundation provides bursaries to students of all ages who are entering post-secondary education for the first time and whose financial needs may make it difficult for them to access post-secondary education. CST Founders' Awards The CST Founders' Awards were created in honour of five individuals who were instrumental in creating and establishing the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation. These awards support CST beneficiaries who demonstrate financial need, who have already completed post-secondary education and are continuing learning through a second post-secondary program of any kind. For more details about CST's award program, visit: cst.org/en/about-cst/awards About the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation Founded in 1960, the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to helping Canadian families better access post-secondary education. Through philanthropy, discovery, advocacy and by sponsoring the Canadian Scholarship Trust Plans to help families save for post-secondary education, CST continues to deliver on its mission. The Foundation rewards hard working and community minded Canadian students through its awards and bursaries program. CST has proudly helped over 800,000 students achieve their post-secondary dreams. For more information, visit foundation.cst.org. SOURCE Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2021/05/c9873.html Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen made the case on Monday for a global minimum tax, kicking off the Biden administrations effort to help raise revenue in the United States and prevent companies from shifting profits overseas to evade taxes. Ms. Yellen, in a speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, called for global coordination on an international tax rate that would apply to multinational corporations regardless of where they locate their headquarters. Such a global tax could help prevent the type of race to the bottom that has been underway, Ms. Yellen said, referring to countries trying to outdo one another by lowering tax rates in order to attract business. Her remarks came as the White House and Democrats in Congress begin looking for ways to pay for President Bidens sweeping infrastructure plan to rebuild America's roads, bridges, water systems and electric grid. Competitiveness is about more than how U.S.-headquartered companies fare against other companies in global merger and acquisition bids, Ms. Yellen said. It is about making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods and respond to crises, and that all citizens fairly share the burden of financing government. A story about debris of the Russian Iskander missle found not far from the recently liberated Azerbaijani city of Shusha is being discussed for a few days. However, nobody has clarified the issue. On Friday, the senior staff officer of the Azerbaijan Demining Agency, Idris Ismailov, stated that a missile was launched from the Iskander ballistic missile system, and its debris was found distantly in 780 m from each other. The story made big news as, according to Azerbaijani experts, it was concluded during checking an identification number of the missile (9M723) that the debris belonged to the Iskander-M missile system rather than to the Iskander-E, an export version, which was in Armenian services. Citing his own sources, Alexei Venediktov, Editor-in-Chief of Echo of Moscow Radio Network, told on air that when Ilham Aliyev got information on the marking, he called Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone. The marking on the Iskander missiles shows that its not an export version, not a version that was sold to Armenia or anyone else. 9M723 missiles are in Russian service exclusively, Venediktov said. In late February, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated that during the Second Karabakh War Russian, Iskander missiles in Armenian service didnt explode or exploded only 10% of them. Venediktov commented: When Pashinyan talked about Iskander missiles, everybody hissed him off, made a mock of him, especially Russian Defense Ministry. Putin said and Peskov repeated: Iskander missiles were not used. According to Editor-in-Chief of Echo of Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov failed to say anything about the Iskander missiles at the summit of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council in which heads of Foreign Ministries of Azerbaijan and Armenia participated. As far as I understand, Putin ordered to figure it out A launch of an Iskander missile is followed by a satellite. Nothing was launched from Gyumri base; at least, satellites (not only ours) showed that. I think somebody will have to answer the question: the military to Putin, Putin to Aliyev. As this is a serious issue, a painful issue. There is no real answer now. An anti-terrorism court judge and three members of his family, including wife and a two-year-old grandson, were shot dead after unidentified gunmen attacked their vehicle while they were travelling from the Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan to Islamabad, police said. Two security guards who were part of the judge's convoy were also injured in the shootout. The vehicle of ATC Judge Aftab Afridi, who was posted in Swat district, was intercepted by the gunmen near Swabi Interchange on Peshawar-Islamabad motorway in Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The gunmen sprayed the judge's vehicle with bullets, killing him, his wife, daughter-in-law and a two-year-old grandson. The gunmen fled the scene after the attack. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack was condemned by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Governor Shah Farman, Chief Minister KPK Mehmud Khan and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar. Khan said that the "perpetrators of this gruesome act will be apprehended and dealt with full severity of the law". (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, a career physician and medical school professor who jumped into politics during President Barack Obamas push for health care reforms, has become the latest entrant in the growing field to replace U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey for a term starting in January 2023. Toomey has said he wont seek a third term next year. The race to succeed him is seen as one of a handful that is going to determine majority control of the Senate - now at 50-50 with Vice President Kamala Harris giving the Democrats the working majority - for the second half of President Joe Bidens term. Arkoosh, who has been working full-time as a Montgomery County commissioner since January 2015, joins a Democratic primary headlined so far by Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, and Norristown businessman John McGuigan with at least several other contenders said to be seriously eyeing the race. Her jump into the race, long anticipated but first reported Monday by the Philadelphia Inquirer, was made official with the release of a 2-minute biographical video on YouTube Monday morning. Arkoosh has these things giving lift to her campaign at the start: She is the first woman to enter the race, in an era when there is a still a strong push to keep breaking gender barriers in Pennsylvania politics; she has developed a decent track record as chair of the Montgomery commissioners since Josh Shapiro left the board in 2016 to become Attorney General. In her campaign video, she echoed Bidens early policy themes of using federal dollars to invest in major infrastructure development and to battle climate change, while rebuilding and improving on the Affordable Care Act. She also promises to stand up to Trump Republicans. Push back on their harmful agenda. One thing that does not break in her favor so far is the lay of the early campaign battlefield for the 2022 primary. Arkoosh becomes the third announced Democrat in the Senate field so far from Philadelphia or its suburbs, joining Kenyatta and McGuigan. Others said to be seriously eyeing the race include Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, state Sen. Sharif Street, a Philadelphia Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, from Chester County. That sets up the early prospect of a wild scramble for votes that leaves no candidate with a decisive edge in Pennsylvanias biggest pool of Democratic voters, with Fetterman, the former mayor of Braddock in Allegheny County, standing as the only candidate from the rest of the state. That could change, though, as the field sorts itself out through this years jockeying - aka fundraising for what is likely to be a costly race - or if another of the states Democratic Congressmen, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, like Fetterman from Allegheny County, decides to enter the race. Many political observers have said thats why Fetterman, Arkoosh, Kenyatta, and likely Street, are getting in the race now. They need to start to build campaign war chests for a Senate campaign; Fetterman, the first in this year, recently announced the receipt of nearly $4 million from his first quarter of fundraising, cementing his status as a serious contender. Houlahan and Lamb, meanwhile, can use monies theyve already raised for their congressional campaign committees for a Senate bid, giving them a little more time to study their options. A spokesman for Houlahan said Monday she is still considering the Senate race, with an eye toward making sure the Democrats are putting their best candidate forward to flip the Toomey seat. If Houlahan thinks she would be that candidate, the spokesman said, she will jump in full force. Lambs campaign team could not be immediately reached for this report. Three Republicans have announced for the race to succeed Toomey thus far: 2018 Lt. Gov. nominee Jeff Bartos; Montgomery County attorney Sean Gale; and businessman Everett Stern. Arkoosh, 60, is a native of Omaha, Nebraska who arrived in Philadelphia for her medical residency in 1986 and stayed put. An anesthesiologist by profession, she became politically active in the fight for health care reforms through an organization called the National Physicians Alliance. She made her first run for public office in 2014, seeking a Congressional seat being vacated that year by U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz. Schwartz was attempting a run for governor. Arkoosh finished fourth in the primary in a district that was evenly split between Northeast Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, after a campaign where much of the Washington establishment backed former Congresswoman Marjorie Margolies. That race was won by current U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, who was serving at the time as a state legislator from the city. But Arkoosh acquitted herself well enough as a candidate to win appointment to a vacancy on the Montgomery County board the following January. She has since won two county commission terms in her own right, and succeeded Shapiro as chair of the board in December 2016. A married, mother of three, she lives in Springfield Township with her husband, Jeffrey Harbison. Beside her own work as an anesthesiologist, Arkoosh has also been on the faculties of the medical schools at Drexel and Penn. H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media DANBURY Democrat Roberto Alves has raised more than $75,000 so far for his campaign for the Hat Citys mayor. Alves, one of two Democrats in the race, raised the money from more than 275 contributors during the first quarter without holding in-person events, his campaign announced on Monday. Melissa Riddell is the Cool FM radio presenter, influencer and brand ambassador who loves to chat and always has a smile. With 76,000 Instagram followers shes a model of confidence. But the 27-year-old admits that confidence was hard-earned. As a teenager Melissa struggled with self-doubt and says it took years to grow into the outgoing success story shes become. The Portglenone woman is the sultry voice of Cool Goes Quiet every Monday to Thursday night, switching to high energy for the stations early morning Weekend Breakfast shows. As an influencer she works with skincare company Dermalogica, BPerfect, the global brand from Northern Ireland, and has made a name for her fashion reels with River Island, Boohoo, PLT and Zalando. Shes also one third of the Whats Happenin Podcast with Connor Coates and Curtis McCosh. Expand Close YACHTS OF FUN: Melissa on holiday / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp YACHTS OF FUN: Melissa on holiday Read More If it all looks like a dream job, thats because it is, says Melissa, but she has no qualms about sharing her feelings on the work it took to get there. As well as the drama degree at Liverpool University and learning the ropes at the Cool Academy, her personal journey took the presenter from someone who felt she wasnt good enough to a fashion and beauty role model. I was not a confident young girl and I didnt like anything about myself, she says. When I was 18 social media was only beginning and you were constantly seeing other beautiful people, but you dont know how much they are editing their photos. I have learned to love myself. Life is hard and you can constantly feel youre not good enough, especially in the industry I work in, and if you meet men and they make you feel less than. Expand Close Jet set lifestyle: Melissa enjoying the high life in Dubai / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jet set lifestyle: Melissa enjoying the high life in Dubai Now I feel that if I had nobody, I would still be fine because I love and respect myself. When you love and respect yourself other things will fall into place but if they dont it doesnt matter because you have your own back. Shes urged anyone whos struggling with self-belief to ignore the voice that says theyre not good enough, whether its from themselves or someone else. Its easy to look in the mirror and point out what you dont like. With past relationships I have let other people tell me who I was and once you come out of that youre at this crossroads. I believe I am a good person but that was a long process. Its about being nicer to yourself. Speak to yourself how you would speak to your best friend. You would never tell your best friend you look terrible without make-up. Melissas followers regularly reach out to her and one of the most common comments is that they feel lonely. Lockdown has exacerbated those feelings by cutting off social contact and she believes its important to acknowledge their emotional state and offer some hope. So many girls are saying to me they are lonely. Its been a really difficult time and you cant socialise, and you dont meet people so its hard to make friends. Expand Close BEAUTY: Melissa works with various brands / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp BEAUTY: Melissa works with various brands Im hoping things will be back to normal soon. Melissa started out on YouTube at university making videos as an early screen test. She wanted to learn how to present to camera and had to come up with something to talk about so the fashion and beauty blogging came about naturally. Thats how it started, as a way to help with where I wanted to go career-wise. It helped me get to Cool FM, which I absolutely love. Its my dream job and Im lucky to be able to do what I do. I didnt know influencing would be a career as well. With thousands of followers, integrity is imperative, and as an influencer there are strict guidelines about declaring paid content, as well as a responsibility to be honest. Melissa has declined approaches from brands shes too polite to name them who wouldnt be a good fit. And shes comfortable with the extra exposure that comes with the job. There is a pressure to look good, but it doesnt consume me, she says. I have a skincare ambassadorship, so I show my real skin. As long as you are honest thats the important thing. I dont like to disappoint people, and there are so many people who buy products because I say they are good so I feel like its my responsibility that they will love it. The presenter says shes been lucky enough to continue working as normal during lockdown and has no complaints about missing a holiday last year given what others have gone through. Shes missed her regular gym workouts with mixed martial arts champion Leah McCourt, who set Melissa up with partner Scott Harvey, an MMA fighter. To cope with watching him in action in the sometimes brutal sport she has learned more about it. There are so many ways you can win or lose a fight. I learned what I know from Leahs classes so when it comes to him getting in the cage, I understand whats happening. She is about to spread her wings from the family home with parents Ivan and Aileen, but says theyve loved the last year when the pandemic brought two of her three siblings back under the same roof. They had already been brought even closer together when Melissas sister Sharon suffered a stroke 18 months ago at the age of just 28. Recovery She has since made a full recovery, and its given the family a new outlook on life. A stroke has a different impact on everybody, but she is amazing, and she has recovered so well. She has worked so hard to get back to herself, and if you met her you would have no idea. There were moments when we didnt know what would happen and it brought us closer as a family. We are all a lot happier now and my parents are always saying you only have one life, so enjoy life, says Melissa. Read More Plea deal: Molly Martens, left, was convicted unanimously of the second-degree murder of her husband, Jason Corbett Killers Tom and Molly Martens are being held in a US jail without bond pending a decision within the next 72 hours on their plea bargain offer. The former FBI agent and his daughter, a nanny, are now discussing a deal which would see them avoid a full retrial for the brutal murder of Irish widower Jason Corbett in August 2015. Both have been offered a controversial plea bargain in which they were given seven days to admit the voluntary manslaughter of the Limerick father-of-two (39) who was beaten to death while asleep in bed. They were transferred from separate North Carolina prisons to Davidson County jail pending charge once a NC Supreme Court mandate on the quashing of their August 2017 second degree murder convictions came into effect. Their high-profile trial was staged over July and August 2017 in Davidson County Superior Court - located right beside Davidson County jail in Lexington, North Carolina where they are now in custody. Both are considering the plea bargain deal with their defence lawyers. If they accept the plea deal, they will likely receive a five year and seven month term for voluntary manslaughter. The father and daughter, aged 71 and 37, would then be transferred from Davidson County jail back to North Carolina prisons to complete their term. Manslaughter sentences, with aggravating factors, can extend to nine years in North Carolina. Having already served almost four years behind bars, they could expect to be released around March 2023 if a minimum term is applied. The duo had been serving 20-25 year sentences for the second degree murder of the packaging industry executive. If they reject the plea deal from Davidson County District Attorney, Garry Frank, the father and daughter will face a full retrial on second degree murder charges. Any such retrial is not expected before late 2022 with a major backlog of murder trials in North Carolina because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In a retrial scenario, both would be able to apply for release from Davidson County jail on bail pending their court hearing. The Martens family have already said that, if released, both would return to their homes in Knoxville, Tennessee "without fanfare." However, the Limerick family of Mr Corbett expressed outrage at the plea bargain offer and plan to take a legal challenge if the Martens accept it. Under North Carolina law, victims families have the right to challenge any plea bargain deal if it is considered excessively lenient. Mr Corbett's sister, Tracey Corbett-Lynch, said her family has been overwhelmed by the reaction of the US and Irish public to a petition launched over the controversial plea bargain deal. "Jason's murder, our fight for justice and the challenges such as consideration of offering plea deals leave families such as ours powerless and suffering so much more than is necessary," she said. The Corbett family launched a petition on www.change.org called 'Retrial for Molly and Tom Martens' which aims to garner public support for blocking the plea deal. It exceeded its 7,500-signature target within 72 hours. The Davidson County District Attorney's office has also been flooded with objections to the plea bargain offer. Ms Corbett-Lynch said it was not acceptable that a major factor in the plea bargain decision was the backlog of murder cases in North Carolina caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Monty Pythons Life of Brian is one of the most acclaimed movies the Monty Python troupe ever made. However, it wasnt always easy to make. One scene was especially hard to film because some of the actors had to refrain from laughing at the jokes. Heres a look at the scene and how the world reacted to the movie. Pontius Pilate | FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images Monty Pythons Life of Brian The Monty Python crew have often incorporated historical figures into their sketches and movies, including Oscar Wilde, Karl Marx, and Che Guevara. One of their movies, Monty Pythons Life of Brian, is set in ancient Judea and revolves around a man named Brian whose life parallels that of Jesus Christ. Pontius Pilate appears in several scenes of the film. Michael Palin portrays Pilate as having a major speech impediment which the film repeatedly uses for laughs. At one point, many centurions laugh because Pilate mentions a Roman friend whose name sounds like a vulgar term for the human anatomy. According to an interview Monty Python actor Michael Palin gave to the Irish Times, that scene wasnt easy to film. The most difficult thing to shoot was the Pontius Pilate because it had to be structured around continuous suppressed laughter, Palin revealed. All the centurions had to be on the verge of cracking up, while Graham [Chapman] and I had to remain totally straight-faced. It was really hard work. On the various takes, I used to have to think of a silly word to whisper into someones ear. It worked very well, but theres one take where Im nose to nose with Chris Langham and we both crack up, and Im not fully turned away from the camera. Michael Palin | Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images RELATED: How Bill Murray Reacted When Chevy Chase Unzipped His Pants Why Audiences didnt see the full Pontius Pilate atrium set from Monty Pythons Life of Brian In the scene, Pirates atrium seems rather modest. Terry Gilliam revealed Pilates atrium was significantly more impressive than what was onscreen. This was an intentional creative decision made by director Terry Jones. We built this extraordinary set for Pilates atrium, but you dont see it because of the way Terry shot it, Gilliam revealed. He shot it to highlight the character comedy, which is the right way. How audiences reacted to Monty Pythons Life of Brian Monty Pythons Life of Brian became very controversial, but not because of Pilates vulgarity. The end of the film shows Brian getting crucified and his crucifixion turns into a darkly comic musical number. The films use of crucifixion as a plot point was seen as blasphemous. The film was banned in Ireland and Norway. A trailer for Monty Pythons Life of Brian RELATED: Why The Beatles George Harrison Produced Monty Pythons Controversial Life of Brain Regardless of the films negative reception at the time, its received critical acclaim. It has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In addition, its been adapted into an oratio called Not the Messiah (Hes a Very Naughty Boy). While it was difficult to film one of Pilates scenes in Monty Pythons Life of Brian, the film became a classic. RELATED: Elvis Presley Saw 1 Monty Python Movie 4 Times, Quoted Their Sketches Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis has apologized after being criticized for a tweet that used an anti-Asian slur - before claiming not to know the term was racist. The 24-year-old tweeted Sunday night, 'Gotta stop letting g***s in Miami' in a post that was later deleted. After outlets ran stories about the tweet he later blamed journalists for 'blowing up' the story - and said the the word was used locally to mean 'lame' and he was unaware of its 'darker, negative connotation'. The 24-year-old tweeted Sunday night, 'Gotta stop letting g***s in Miami' in a post that was later deleted Davis (pictured) is a member of his team's social justice board and has spoken out against racism His explanation read: 'I would never offend any group of people. You reporters can look for another story to blow up. The term was directed towards a producer claiming he ''ran Miami''. With that being said I'll retire that word from my vocabulary giving the hard times our Asian family are enduring. 'I used a term that from where I come from has always meant ''lame'' but I did not realize it has a much darker, negative connotation. I have learned a valuable lesson and want to apologize to anyone that was offended by seeing that word because we need to focus on helping each other during these tough times.' Davis posted an extract from an online dictionary to support his claim that the word 'g**k' - which is a racist term for people of south-east Asian descent first used by -U.S. Marines during the Philippine-American War - is used in South Florida to mean 'lame'. It is not clear who the 'producer' he claims the tweet was responding to is or whether they are of Asian descent. Buccaneers General Manager Jason Light said in a statement: 'We have been in communication with Carlton regarding his social media post from Sunday evening. 'Carlton has been an active member of our Social Justice Player Board over the past two seasons and has played a key role in our organizational support for finding peaceful and productive ways to bring attention to societal issues that have plagued our country for many years. 'Words carry weight and it is incumbent upon all of us to have a thorough understanding of the words we choose and the effect they may have on others. We look forward to working with Carlton to find appropriate ways to learn from this experience and continue our joint efforts to put an end to all forms of social and racial injustices.' After outlets ran stories about the tweet he later blamed journalists for 'blowing up' the story - and said he thought the word meant 'lame' and he was unaware of its 'darker, negative connotation' The cornerback has spoken out against racism in the past and is part of the team's social justice board. It comes amid a rise in anti-Asian hate crime in the US over recent months, including a string of violent attacks. Surveillance footage released Sunday showed a pole-wielding man going on a rampage in an Asian-owned convenience store in Charlotte, North Carolina. The footage, shot at Plaza Sundries, shows a man pulling a merchandise rack to the floor and shattering refrigerator glass with a street sign post. It comes in the wake of a uptake in anti-Asian violence, with a 65-year-old woman kicked in New York City and eight people shot murdered at Atlanta massage parlors, six of whom were Asian women. It comes amid a rise in Anti-Asian hate crime in the US over recent weeks, including a string of violent attacks, including this attack on an Asian-owned store in Charlotte, North Carolina Hate crimes nationally against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have increased 150% during the pandemic, according to a study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. Last week, a 65-year-old woman was viciously attacked while walking to church near New York City's Times Square. The attack heightened already palpable levels of outrage over anti-Asian attacks that escalated with the pandemic. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said a company that's responsible for security at the transit center arrested Xavier Rashee Woody-Silas, 24 (pictured in a booking photo) Meanwhile, a teenager was arrested Friday for a random attack on an Asian couple in November, after footage of the attack resurfaced online and was seen on the news by the victims' daughter. The attack took place on November 19, 2020 in the late afternoon, in Tacoma, Washington - a suburb of Seattle. The attack began when the suspect intentionally bumped into the male victim as the couple was walking home, court documents allege. The suspect, who has not been named by police, then allegedly began punching the male victim, ultimately breaking one of his ribs. The incident was reported to police at the time, but footage of the attack only emerged online recently, KING 5 reports. The daughter of the victims called police after seeing the footage shown on the news. On Saturday, an Asian woman was stabbed to death while walking her dogs in California, but police said the attack was 'completely random' and not racially motivated. Yesterday Sir Keir Starmer chalked up a year since becoming leader of the Labour Party. It must seem longer to him and not just because time appears to pass so slowly during the interminable lockdowns. For he has struggled unavailingly with a party membership still madly missing Jeremy Corbyn whose evident distaste for his own country's history aroused a reciprocal contempt in Labour's former heartlands in the North. A recent strategy document Starmer commissioned, leaked to The Guardian, advised Labour to 'make use of the [Union] flag' in order to win back such support which only provoked the former shadow cabinet minister Clive Lewis to complain of 'pandering to the nativist right'. 'Nativist', by the way, is a posh word for 'racist'. Yesterday Sir Keir Starmer chalked up a year since becoming leader of the Labour Party Lamenting Lewis is far from alone in Labour in equating display of the national flag as racist or even 'fascist'. Thus when Starmer appeared to endorse the idea of using the Union flag to identify his party with patriotism, the secretary of the Warrington North constituency Labour Party, Robin Frith, ranted that this was 'another move from the fascist playbook'. The voters of Warrington would not see it that way, to put it mildly and there lies Sir Keir's problem. So I was a surprised to see the Labour leader in a column for yesterday's Observer telling his party to prepare for a general election which 'will come much sooner than expected' lamenting 'the rise of nativism and nationalism' in Britain. But perhaps I should not have been surprised that, in an article for the Sunday newspaper most likely to be read by Labour's existing membership, Starmer would throw them a little bone. He referred to Labour's 'patriotism' to distinguish this from those other 'isms' of which he disapproves. But voters do not distinguish between 'nationalism' and 'patriotism'. A recent strategy document Starmer commissioned, leaked to The Guardian, advised Labour to 'make use of the [Union] flag' in order to win back such support which only provoked the former shadow cabinet minister Clive Lewis, pictured, to complain of 'pandering to the nativist right' If they read Starmer's article at all they will just see this as more evidence that the politician who spent years trying to block Brexit is still deeply unhappy that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, and regards the outcome of the 2016 referendum as, indeed, a distressing manifestation of 'nativism and nationalism'. Yesterday, a YouGov poll of Labour members showed that 59 per cent of them wanted their party to campaign in the next election on a platform of rejoining the EU. That would be a good way of ensuring even more Tory gains in Labour's former northern strongholds when the next election does take place. To be fair to Starmer, he knows that, and has kept a studious silence on Brexit-related topics, whatever his private thoughts. But what is required from him is positive insincerity, rather than mere acquiescence. Tony Blair, the last Labour leader to win power from the Conservatives, did so in 1997 by shamelessly usurping the Tories' patriotic iconography. He had a policy of 'reclaiming' the Union Flag, and chose as the party's election mascot a British bulldog. Tony Blair, the last Labour leader to win power from the Conservatives, did so in 1997 by shamelessly usurping the Tories' patriotic iconography (pictured are Tony and Cherie Blair walking into Downing Street in 1997 after a landslide victory) He wrote an article for the Sun under the headline 'Why I love the pound' even though Labour's actual policy was to abandon the national currency and join the Euro. And when he entered Downing Street, Labour party members were issued with little Union flags which they were instructed to wave as Mr and Mrs Blair walked for the first time into No 10. Struggles But under Jeremy Corbyn, the only flag being waved at Labour party events was that of the Palestinians: at the 2018 party conference this display was accompanied by the sight of a delegate declaiming, on national television, 'I'm speaking for the Palestinian people', to rousing cheers in the hall. And when that leaked document urging the party to come out more for the British flag was published, a Labour councillor, Paul Warburton, expostulated: 'Next step, teaching the national anthem in schools.' It all brings to mind George Orwell's observation, in his 1941 essay England Your England: 'In Left-wing circles it is always felt that there is something slightly disgraceful in being an Englishman and that is a duty to snigger at every English institution . . . It is a strange fact, but unquestionably true, that [they] would feel more ashamed of standing to attention during 'God Save The King' than of stealing from a poor box.' Eighty years on, that remains true as Starmer's struggles make clear. But under Jeremy Corbyn, the only flag being waved at Labour party events (such as the 2018 party conference, pictured) was that of the Palestinians Scientist shamelessly rewrites Covid history Even before the inevitable public inquiry into the performance of the Government during the coronavirus crisis, the books are coming in with their own verdicts. A gripping account by the investigative journalists Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnott, is one of the first. The title alone, Failures Of State, tells you this is a damning assessment. One of their most critical interviewees is Professor Susan Michie, who throughout the period has been a senior member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. So it is quite something that Michie condemns the Government's decision just over a year ago not to suspend the Cheltenham Festival, with its vast and densely packed crowds of horseracing fans. 'I thought Cheltenham should definitely not have been allowed to go ahead,' she told the authors. 'I remember looking at the television images of what was happening there and feeling slightly nauseous about it, just feeling: 'God, this is awful.' Given what was happening in Italy and we could see what was happening here, it just didn't seem appropriate.' I was amazed by this, as I distinctly recall Michie going on numerous radio and television programmes at exactly that time, defending the Government's decision. And sure enough, still available online is an encounter on the BBC between the Prof and Andrew Neil, in which the presenter asks her: 'In parts of Europe they've banned big sporting events. 'What did you think when you saw the pictures of tens of thousands at the Cheltenham races this week? Did it make you wonder if we were doing the right thing?' Prof Michie replied that it made sense to go ahead with the festival, on the grounds that if people weren't in the stands, they'd be watching it crowded together in pubs. Which, of course, would not have happened if the event had been cancelled, as she now claims she wanted. And far from looking 'nauseous', she was smiling as she reassured Mr Neil. She even used her Twitter account to defend Boris Johnson's refusal at that stage to introduce mandatory social restrictions, rebutting a Labour MP who said this laid-back attitude would lead to the deaths of 'elderly and vulnerable people'. Yet now, Michie tells the authors of Failures Of State that 'immediate interventions at an early stage would have made far more sense', adding: 'I hope there is not just a Government inquiry but an independent public inquiry. 'I think that will be one of the things will be seen as among many mistakes the Government has made, one of the bigger ones.' As I say, amazing. Michie might claim that back in March of last year she was merely defending the official line, as an official adviser. But what sort of scientist would defend a policy that she believed at the time was fatal? And she was not at all obliged to go on all these programmes: there were plenty of other Government advisers available. No: what we are witnessing is a shameless re-writing of the history of our Covid-19 policy-making, by one of its more prominent participants. Intriguingly, Professor Michie has been a member of the British Communist Party since 1978. She comes from a political tradition in which the past was frequently re-written to avoid any admissions of error 'by the party'. As the old Soviet joke went: 'The past is rewritten so quickly, you don't know what's going to happen yesterday.' Now it's happening here. A former Army medic appeared in court today charged with murdering his 'on-off girlfriend' after her body was discovered on a busy road junction. The mother-of-two Emma McArthur, 43, was found dead with stab wounds to her neck, chest and back, near Crookham Common and Thornford Park Hospital in Thatcham, Berkshire, at 11.45pm on Thursday. Christopher Minards, 35, has been charged with one count of murder and one count of being in possession of a knife in a public place. Minards appeared at Reading magistrates court today, wearing a grey jumper before the magistrates Joanne Corrigan and Yuki Beardmore-Gray who remanded the Army medic into custody. Christopher Minards, 35, has been charged with one count of murder and one count of being in possession of a knife in a public place. Pictured: Reading magistrates court The court heard Minards was in an 'on-off' relationship with Ms McArthur. Prosecution counsel Shane Hauschild said: 'The victim Emma McArthur was aged 43 years and a mother-of-two children. The defendant and the victim were known to one another, they had met on Facebook in June 2019. 'Paramedics arrived and administered life support but despite their best efforts the victim was pronounced deceased at 12.47am. The defendant was later arrested on suspicion of murder.' On joining the army Minards was deployed with 4th Rifles and the Welsh Regiment in Iraq. A decade later, he stood charged with killing his 'on-off girlfriend.' Emma McArthur, 43, was found at the junction between Crookham Hill and Burys Bank Road near Thatcham, Berkshire, at 11.45pm on Thursday. Pictured: Police at the scene Remanding the defendant into custody, magistrate Joanne Corrigan added: 'You are being sent to Reading Crown Court, your first hearing will be tomorrow. 'You will be remanded in custody, you can leave with the officer today.' Minards, of Station Road, Thatcham, Berkshire, was set to appear at Reading Crown Court tomorrow. Saturday Kitchen star Rachel Allen has broken her silence after son Joshua, 21, was given a 30-month prison sentence for drugs charges. Rachel - who is a regular guest on the BBC cooking chat show - told the Independent that her fame has been difficult for her son to live with, saying it's 'really tough' to grow up in the spotlight. The mother-of-three went on to state that she feels 'guilty' children, Joshua, 21, Lucca, 18, and Scarlett, 12, who she shares with husband Isaac, weren't able to grow up out of the public eye as their lives have been 'much more commented upon'. 'It is hard': Rachel Allen has discussed for the first time how her fame effected her son Joshua who was given a 30-month prison sentence for drugs charges She explained: 'I didnt do anything like that to break the law, but I was able to grow up privately. And so you know what.. it is hard. And it has been really tough actually.' Revealing that she has been touched by the kindness of those reaching out to her, she added: 'You know the amount of people who have written to me, and sent letters and cards and prayers and religious medals... I could get emotional now just thinking about it.' The celebrity chef's eldest son was given a 30-month prison sentence, which was half suspended after he pleaded guilty for two drug charges at Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Ireland in 2018. Joshua was caught with nearly 19,000 worth of cannabis at the world-renowned cookery school, which was founded by his grandmother Darina Allen. Drug charge: Joshua Allen pictured leaving Cork Circuit Criminal Court with his father Issac Allen (L) in September 2019 after being caught with nearly 19,000 worth of cannabis He pled guilty to the possession for sale or supply of the drug at the school in Shanagarry, County Cork and was jailed for 15 months. Joshua was brought to court from Cuain Mhuire rehabilitation centre where he had been in treatment. Judge Sean O'Donnabhain heard how he had made a genuine effort to address his problems in the residential drugs addiction treatment centre. According to his lawyer, Joshua had completed a 12 week treatment programme and had left with an excellent report on his progress addressing his addiction issues. Healing: Joshua was brought to court from Cuain Mhuire rehabilitation centre where he had been in treatment (pictured with Rachel in 2014 on a charity trip to India) Reportedly the schoolboy had been under Garda surveillance for a considerable length of time when the drugs arrived at the cookery school from the U.S. The package, which had been labelled 'clothing', was detected by Customs officers in the mailing centre in Portlaoise who then informed gardai of the suspicious package they'd found. After Allen signed and opened the package at Ballymaloe Cookery School, he was arrested by gardai from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau during a raid in County Cork. Fame: Rachel revealed she feels 'guilty' that Joshua and her other two children Lucca, 18 (L) and Scarlett, 12 (R) weren't able to grow up out of the public eye Judge O'Donnabhain was told that the teenager had initially approached the case with a level of 'stupidity' and tested positive on one occasion during the legal process for having taken cannabis. The judge said: 'He [Joshua] did it for profit,' he said. 'His culpability in this is significant.' Rachel told the Irish Daily Mail at the time: 'He has admitted his guilt immediately and co-operated fully with the gardai. We are absolutely devastated at this turn of events, 'Our son is 18 years old, has never been in trouble with the gardai, and has made a huge mistake, which will have profound consequences for him. 'We do not in any way condone his actions. In fact, we utterly condemn them, but it is not for us to condemn him. We must now try to look after our son and our family, the best way we can.' 'Our son has made a huge mistake': Rachel said she utterly condemned Joshua's actions but that she had to try and look after her son and family as best she could (pictured in 2014) Rachel met her husband Isaac Allen when they were both aged 17-years-old in Ballymaloe in 1989. The couple went on to marry and welcome three children - Joshua, 21, Lucca, 18, and Scarlett, 12 - they celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary in October. Rachel has previously credited her husband for her success, she told the Irish Times: 'I definitely wouldnt be doing what Im doing without him; hes got more of a business mind.' While Isaac added: 'It's not just that shes very beautiful and super-intelligent. Theres something much deeper: theres the support you get just from being with somebody and I felt that very much about her from the very beginning and do to this day.' Rachel also spoke about their working relationship on RTE Guide, she said: 'Most of the time we work really well together. I think, though, that if we were to be chefs in a kitchen together that might be different. 'Hes probably quieter and more reserved than me, in a way. I like chatting to anyone, Id talk to the wall. But its a good balance that works, thank goodness.' The top security officials of South Korea, Japan and the U.S. met in Washington on Saturday even as the foreign ministers of South Korea and China met in the Chinese city of Xiamen. The trilateral meeting was widely expected after the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden, who has stressed greater cooperation with Washington's allies. China knew this, and it was no coincidence that the two meetings were scheduled on the same day. There was of course no equivalent meeting between China and Japan -- in other words, China regards South Korea as the weakest link among the U.S.' Asian allies. Shortly after meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong again urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Seoul. The government here is obsessed with the visit, which it for some strange reason believes will turn all its fortunes around, and has been begging Xi to come for four years. But China's Foreign Ministry made absolutely no mention of such a visit in a briefing afterwards. Instead, Wang said South Korea and China have already become "economically indispensable" to each other and proposed strengthened cooperation in 5G communications, artificial intelligence and semiconductor technologies. Chung and Wang also agreed to hold a "2+2" meeting of their foreign and defense ministers, just like the one Seoul holds with Washington. The Moon Jae-in administration has bent over backwards to do whatever Beijing wants. Ahead of his trip to China back in 2017, Moon agreed not to let the U.S. deploy additional Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense batteries here, not to participate in the U.S.-led missile defense network and not to establish a formal trilateral military bloc with the U.S. and Japan. These "three no's" were tantamount to relinquishing South Korea's military sovereignty. Moon also kept his mouth shut when China claimed that its invasion of Korean territory during the 1950-53 Korean War was aimed at "upholding peace," and he did not say a word about Chinas incessant incursions into Korea's exclusive economic zone in the West Sea. Moon also remained silent when Beijing cracked down on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong and instead spoke on the telephone with Xi before he called Biden and hailed China's "ever-expanding influence." China does not respect a lickspittle. Korea cannot afford to choose sides too aggressively, but some kind of decorum must be upheld. How was South Korea able to rise from the ashes of the Korean War and achieve an economic miracle over the last 70 years? Only because of the strong U.S.-Korea alliance. In contrast, Korea suffered huge economic losses due to China's growing influence and its unofficial boycott due to the THAAD deployment. On the other side of the Pacific, Suh called pitifully for early resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue, another of the government's magic bullets, but the White House did not even mention dialogue with Pyongyang. Instead, it merely called for "full implementation" of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea. Suh apparently called for a U.S.-South Korea summit but could not even get an approximate date. So now the government faces just the same pressure it always did from the U.S. and China, or possibly worse. Last year, the Korean ambassador to the U.S. even said South Korea "can choose sides" between Washington and Beijing. But it can do no such thing, and Moon's desperate pursuit of U.S.-North Korea dialogue and a visit to Seoul by the Chinese president were completely ignored. In the meantime, North Korea continues to bolster its nuclear arsenal. The government has only itself to blame. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 20:09:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KHARTOUM, April 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 people were killed and 54 others injured in armed militias' attacks in El Geneina, capital city of Sudan's West Darfur State, the Sudanese Doctors' Committee said Monday. "We counted 18 dead and 54 injured ... Since yesterday (Sunday), about 10 surgeries have been performed. The hospitals are still receiving more victims," the committee said in a statement. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 21:53:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Moscow will respond to recent Ukrainian sanctions against Russia amid the escalating conflict in Donbass, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a daily briefing on Monday. "The Russian side will react in such a way that is in line with our own interests," Peskov said, adding that Kiev risks severing all remaining ties between the two countries. According to the spokesman, Ukraine has not been fulfilling its obligations under the Minsk agreements, leading to an escalation of tensions in Donbass. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday announced sanctions against Russia's international cooperation agency Rossotrudnichestvo, the Volga-Dnepr company, and more than 60 other Russian and foreign companies. Russian voiced "serious concerns" over the escalation of armed confrontation between the Donbass insurgents and Ukrainian government forces, following flared up tensions in eastern Ukraine's Donbass at the beginning of the year. Commenting on the recent movement of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine, Peskov said last week that Russia was taking necessary measures to ensure its border security and poses no threat to others. Enditem Union Health Minister will on Tuesday hold a meeting with health ministers of 11 states and Union Territories, which has been witnessing a surge in cases, to review the situation there. These 11 states are Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. According to the health ministry, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab have shown a steep rise in daily COVID cases, accounting for 81.90 per cent of the over 1 lakh infections reported in a day. Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 57,074 which is 55.11 per cent of the new cases reported nationwide. It is followed by Chhattisgarh with 5,250 cases and Karnataka reported 4,553 fresh infections. India'stotal active caseload has reached7,41,830 andcomprises5.89 per centof the country's total infections. A net increase of 50,233 active cases have been recorded in a day, the data presented by the health ministry showed. Five states -- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Punjab -- cumulatively account for 75.88 per cent of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra alone accounts for nearly 58.23 per cent of the total active caseload, the ministry said. India's cumulative recoveries stand at 1,16,82,136 with52,847recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours. Besides,478 deaths were reported in a day. Eight states account for 84.52 per centof the new deaths. Maharashtra saw a maximum of 222 casualties, followed by 51 in Punjab. (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.) Kupwara: Army personnel on the job during an encounter between terrorists and security forces at Warnov area in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Sep 5, 2020. The encounter in a forested area started after a joint team of the police and the arm Image Source: IANS News Srinagar, April 5 : The Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested a terrorist associate from Sopore in north Kashmir's Baramulla district on Monday and recovered incriminating materials, from his possession, officials said. The police said that acting on a specific tip-off, a joint check-point was set up by Sopore police, the army and the CRPF at Model Town crossing in Sopore. "During checking, one hardcore terrorist associate linked to proscribed terror outfit TRF, identified as Ihsaan-ul-Haq Khanday, was apprehended," the police said. The police further said that during checking, incriminating materials, including a letter pad of TRF, were recovered from his possession. The police said that an FIR under relevant sections of law has been registered against Khanday and further investigation into the case is in progress. A couple who live in a care home have credited having a laugh for their 70 years of marriage, as they celebrated their platinum anniversary. Davie Hunter, 93, and his wife Margaret, 89, marked 70 years of blissful marriage on March 31. They met while working in a Schweppes factory in Glasgow and married in 1951 at Balornock Chapel, with a reception at Mrs Hunters mothers house costing 25. They settled in Cumbernauld and had two children. They moved into Renaissance Cares Rosepark Care Home in Uddingston in January so Mrs Hunter could receive full-time support. On celebrating their seventh decade together, the couple shared the secret of their successful marriage, putting it down to having a laugh. Mrs Hunter said: We still love each other as much as the day we met. The past 70 years have been absolute bliss with Davie he is my best friend, and I cant wait to enjoy more times like these together at Rosepark. It was so kind for the staff and the local shops to think of us and make our day by showering us with such generous gifts and surprises we cant thank everyone enough. Mrs Hunter said in their courting days her then-boyfriend would stay behind after his shift to sweet-talk her, resulting in him missing his bus home to Yoker almost every night. Mr Hunter said: Her granny used to say, that poor boy because I was always missing the bus and having to cycle all the way home just so I could stay and talk to Margaret. Annette Frew, an activity co-ordinator at the care home, said the couple were wonderful. She said: They are always having fun together and are the perfect example of soulmates. Both are full of character and never cease to get us all laughing away. Leaders with Napa County Fire and Cal Fires aviation unit are working on where to place the additional helicopter assigned to Napa County, officials said in the Saturday statement. Napa County group proposes quick response, wildfire-fighting planes A local group is offering to base quick-response firefighting planes in Napa County to help prevent the next big wildfire. In addition to the helicopter and crew members to be assigned to Napa County, Cal Fire also will base another 1,000-gallon helicopter at its Boggs Mountain base in Lake County in time for this years wildfire season, according to Napa County Fire Chief Geoff Belyea. That aircraft will be able to reach Napa County airspace in less than five minutes once airborne, he said in the Saturday announcement. Despite the promise of stronger backup from California, advocates of a plan to base two small fixed-wing firefighting planes in Napa County said Sunday their proposal remains as critical to local safety as ever. The environmental coalition Growers/Vintners for Responsible Agriculture seeks to have a pair of Fire Boss single-engine aircraft on local standby this year, with each craft able to scoop 800 gallons of water at a time from Lake Berryessa or Lake Hennessey and drop repeated payloads on a wildfire. The group is offering to rent the planes from a private contractor for six months and raise the $1.5 million fee if it can work out an agreement with Cal Fire. +2 Napa County holding wildfire summit to prepare for 2021 fire season Napa County on April 6 will hold a public meeting focused on protecting world-famous wine country and its cities from wildfires. Additional freedoms will be granted to people once they have been fully vaccinated, the Tanaiste has said. Leo Varadkar has confirmed the Government is developing a digital green certificate vaccine pass for people to prove they have been fully inoculated. He said the Government would introduce additional measures for the fully vaccinated, more freedoms for those who have been vaccinated. He added: We are developing a digital green certificate vaccine pass, so youll be able to prove that youre fully vaccinated. I know a lot of people might feel that they're never going to get vaccinated. We're going to surprise you. Leo Varadkar Mr Varadkar made the comments in a video posted to social media on Easter Monday, as he hailed Irelands progress in the battle against Covid-19. The Tanaiste said Irelands vaccination programme is set to accelerate in the coming weeks, telling the public: Were going to surprise you. The vaccination rollout in Ireland has been beset by problems, with criticisms over its speed, issues with deliveries from manufacturers and controversy over queue skipping. But Friday saw 30,500 doses administered, the single-day record total since the rollout began. Some good news on Easter Monday. Over 30,500 vaccines were administered on Friday Weall reach the 1 Million vaccinations milestone this week. Real progress is being made. https://t.co/4pihen6Esf Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) April 5, 2021 Ireland is now on course to pass the one million doses mark this week, and Mr Varadkar has promised the rollout will be accelerated in coming weeks. He said: We anticipate that by the middle of May the majority of adults will have had their first dose, and the over 70s will have been fully vaccinated. And by the end of June the vast, vast majority, more than 80% of people, will have been offered the first dose. Wed hope to do even better than that as well and many will have their second dose too. So you know, really the acceleration phase, the ramp up phase is April, May and June. With the addition of the fourth vaccine, the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine that gets a little bit easier still. I know a lot of people might feel that theyre never going to get vaccinated Were going to surprise you. Like I say most adults will have had their first dose by the end of May, thats not too far away. The more the vaccination programme progresses, the more options the Government will have to reopen the country, Mr Varadkar said. Lots of people, the most vulnerable, will be fully vaccinated at that point (end of May), and that allows us to make choices about reopening the country that we couldnt make last week he said. Mr Varadkar said that if the numbers continue to go in the right direction, the Government will examine the reopening of non-essential retail and personal services such as hairdressers and barbers in May. Religious services, contact sports, museums, galleries and libraries will also be in the mix by then, he said. Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team There were no deaths related to #COVID19 notified to the @hpscireland today. There has been a total of 4,718 #COVID19 related deaths in Ireland. Department of Health (@roinnslainte) April 5, 2021 There were 320 additional confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland on Monday, the Department of Health said. There were no deaths linked to the coronavirus in the past 24-hour period for the first time since late December. As of April 2, some 923,878 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland. In total, 655,292 people have received their first dose and 268,586 people have received their second dose. ADVERTISEMENT The police in Kano State have paraded a 27-year-old man, Abubukar Musa, they said abducted his uncle for a one million naira ransom. The police spokesperson in Kano, Abdullahi Kiyawa, sent a video showing the suspect being paraded, to journalists on Sunday. He said the suspect was arrested with two AK 47 riffles he allegedly used for his criminal operations. Mr Kiyawa said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect was one of the bandits operating in Kano, Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State and other northern states. Mr Musa, an indigine of Rurum village in Tudun Wada Local Government Area of Kano, narrated in the video how he abducted his uncle and collected the ransom before releasing him. The suspect said he borrowed the guns found in his possession from Muhammadu Bakanoma in Zamfara State to confront another bandit he called Malam at Birnin Gwari, whom he accused of abducting his wife and daughter. I am a cattle rustler. I once abducted my uncle Alhaji Haruna and my cousin Bappan Jauro six years ago. These are the only two persons I have ever abducted. I abducted him (Alhaji Haruna) because his two children (Medi and Bappan Jauro) had kidnapped my younger sister, Hafsat. I released him after receiving one million naira ransom. We are now living with him (Alhaji Haruna) in the same compound, Mr Musa said. Mr Kiyawa said investigation was still ongoing into the suspects alleged crimes. Another 16 Michigan businesses have been fined for having an unsafe workplace when it comes to COVID-19 precautions. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration is updating its website weekly with businesses cited for COVID-19 violations. In total, 190 workplaces have been cited for pandemic-related issues. The latest batch includes a pair of steakhouses, a grocery store, an auto parts store and a handful of businesses in manufacturing and construction. Fines ranged from $0 to $6,300. Violations include not requiring masks, not doing an employee health screening and not telling the health department or other employees when an employee tested positive for COVID-19. If cited businesses fix the problems and agree not to appeal, they only have to pay 50% of the fine. They have 15 working days to appeal the MIOSHA citations. Employers and employees with questions about COVID-19 workplace policies can call the MIOSHA hotline at 855-723-3219. To file a complaint against a workplace, go to Michigan.gov/MIOSHAcomplaint. Heres the list of 19 businesses to be cited by MIOSHA, including 16 that were fined for their problems, announced on Friday, April 2. American 1 Towing LLC Location: Onsted Fine: None Reasons: Not developing a written COVID-19 preparedness and response plan. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection. Branns Steakhouse and Grill Location: Holland Fine: $3,500 Reasons: Failure to require face coverings when social distancing could not be maintained, failure to assure that employee pre-work health was evaluated through the administration of either a daily in-person or virtual health check and failure to assure the installation and use of physical barriers in areas (like bar and hostess stations) where employees had frequent close contact with patrons. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint. Camacho Restoration LLC Location: Ionia Fine: $1,200 Reasons: Not having a written COVID-19 preparedness and response plan available. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection. Curtis Custom Carpentry Location: Metamora Fine: $2,000 Reasons: Not having a written COVID-19 preparedness and response plan available. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection. DeWys Manufacturing Location: Marne Fine: $4,900 Reasons: Lack of daily self-screening for employees, not enforcing face coverings when within 6 feet of other individuals and no records maintained for employee notification after contact with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 individuals. The inspection was initiated from an injury and illness report. FM Carpenters LLC Location: Detroit Fine: $5,700, but only $2,000 from COVID-19 violations Reasons: No written response and preparedness plan, no face coverings while within 6 feet of another and no daily health screenings. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection. Napa Auto Parts Location: Grand Rapids Fine: $4,500 Reasons: Lack of enforcing face coverings when within 6 feet of other individuals. The inspection was initiated from an employee complaint. Hudsonville Creamery and Ice Cream Location: Holland Fine: $5,600 Reasons: Lack of established disinfecting procedures when there is suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19, no daily self-screening for salaried employees or contractors, not notifying employees after contact with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 individuals within the proper time frame, not prohibiting individuals from being within 6 feet of other individuals whenever possible, not enforcing face coverings when within 6 feet of other individuals, training did not cover workplace infection-control practices, COVID-19 preparedness and response plan was missing several items, no posters to encourage employees to stay way when sick and proper hand hygiene and no records maintained for employee training, self-screening and notifications. The inspection was initiated from an employee complaint. John Henrys LLC Location: Millington Fine: $400 Reasons: The employer did not perform any daily employee health screenings prior to them coming into work. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint. LED Construction Location: Holland Fine: $1,200 Reasons: Lack of a written preparedness and response plan. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection. Luckys Steakhouse Location: Clio Fine: None Reasons: Not using ground markings, signs or physical barriers, to the maximum extent possible to reduce congestion. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint. Mason Tackle Co. Location: Otisville Fine: $1,500 Reasons: Not developing and implementing a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan and not using ground markings, signs or physical barriers, to the maximum extent possible to reduce congestion. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint. New Life Services Inc. Location: West Bloomfield Fine: $3,500 Reasons: Not requiring face coverings to be worn when employees could not consistently maintain 6 feet of separation from other individuals in the workplace and not placing posters that encourage staying away from the workplace when sick, cough and sneeze etiquette and proper hand hygiene practices. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint. Regency at Livonia Location: Livonia Fine: $6,300 Reasons: Permitting an employee to work around others in a shared office space while exhibiting signs and symptoms (i.e., coughing) of a respiratory-related illness. The inspection was initiated in response to an employer-reported fatality. Service Tectonics Inc. Location: Adrian Fine: $1,900, but only $500 for COVID-19 violations Reasons: Not requiring face coverings when social distancing could not be maintained, not maintaining social distancing and not maintaining a record of employee COVID-19 training. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection. Turris Italian Foods Inc. Location: New Baltimore Fine: $5,300, but only $4,500 for COVID-19 violations Reasons: The employer did not conduct the daily health screening including a questionnaire. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint. Ultra Aluminum Location: Howell Fine: $5,000, but only $2,500 from COVID-19 violations Reasons: Not contacting the local health department when a known positive COVID-19 case was detected at the workplace. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint. Wingerts Food Center, Pharmacy, Subway & Do it Location: Mayville Fine: $1,500 Reasons: Not conducting a daily entry self-screening protocol for all employees or contractors entering the workplace, not keeping everyone using the break room on the worksite premises at least 6 feet from one another to the maximum extent possible and not applying social distancing strategies on the worksite premises, not requiring patrons to wear a face covering (unless the patron is unable medically to tolerate a face covering) and not developing and implementing a written COVID-19 preparedness and response plan. This inspection was in response to an employee complaint. Wow Plastics LLC Location: Caro Fine: None Reasons: Not maintaining a record of daily health screenings. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint. RELATED STORIES Michigan barbershop, dance studio among dozens fined for COVID-19 violations $28.6B in stimulus aid for restaurants could run out almost instantaneously, leaders say These are the 10 coolest things made in Michigan Michigan grocers quickly adapted to the pandemic, and the changes are sticking With more people getting vaccinated amid universal adult access, Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday he expects outdoor parades and graduations will be held this spring. Details on easing restrictions for these events, swiftly canceled last year over concerns about the spread of COVID-19, are expected in the coming weeks as the state moves to vaccinate as many college and high school students through dedicated clinics in April and May. I think graduation, primarily outside, everyone wearing the mask, you can count on that, Lamont said Monday. Lamont said the decision to allow outdoor graduations and parades will likely hold unless something changes dramatically. He said indoor graduations may also be possible if there is inclement weather. I know thats important to a lot of you as you want to plan ahead. So plan on it, Lamont said. With vaccine eligibility expanded to everyone 16 and older last week, state officials expect the number of people vaccinated to increase quickly in the coming weeks. As of Monday, 45 percent of all adults age 16 and older had received at least one dose, according to the states data. The majority of those people graduating from high school and college are now eligible for the vaccine, and Lamont and other state officials said the number of people vaccinated will be much higher by the end of the month. Lamont said state officials are hopeful that 40 percent of all people age 16 to 44, who became eligible last Thursday, will receive at least one dose of the vaccine by the end of the week. The hope is then to reach 60 percent within the next couple of weeks, he added. We feel that by the end of April, we will be in a much different position, and hopefully, a more confident position for what we can expect for the future, Lamont said. State officials said 288,000 first doses of the vaccine are scheduled to arrive in Connecticut this week, a number that includes a substantial bump in Johnson & Johnson doses. Get vaccinated now. There is capacity. And that will make our decision making a little easier, Lamont said. Since expanding eligibility last week, Lamonts Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe said the process has been going smoothly. Theres a ton of new appointments opening up every day, Geballe said. In order to further drive up vaccine numbers, Connecticut this week is launching its fleet of 35 mobile clinics, run by the state Department of Public Health. Despite warmer weather and eased restrictions on businesses and personal gatherings, Lamont said it does not appear Connecticut will see another wave of COVID-19 infections. After an uptick that stretched into late last week, it appears new infections and hospitalizations have leveled off. Connecticut reported a 3.28 percent positivity rate for COVID-19 tests administered through the weekend the lowest in about 10 days. Hospitalizations dropped a net of 15 patients to 484 statewide. A total of 19 deaths were reported through the weekend. I feel like its steady as she goes here, were looking for any sharp breaks, Lamont said. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a Connecticut resident and former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said Monday he expects a tipping point of infections this month. I think that youre going to see a situation ... where you really start to see cases decline, hospitalizations decline more dramatically, Gottlieb said, noting the increasing number of people vaccinated against COVID-19. Connecticut continues to rank among the worst in the nation for cases per capita, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Over a seven-day average, Connecticut saw 245 cases per 100,000 residents. Despite ranking high in cases, Connecticut remains among the lowest for deaths per capita from COVID-19. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the CDC, said Monday the United States is entering its fourth week of increased trends in cases. I understand that people are tired and ready for this pandemic to be over, as am I, Walensky said during a White House COVID briefing. Please continue to hang in there and continue to do the things we know prevent the spread of the virus. Chennai, April 5 : Gold worth Rs.11.83 lakh was seized from two passengers who flew in from Dubai, Customs officials said on Monday. In a statement issued here, the Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport, said Sahubar Ali and Mohamed Jabir, who had come by an Air India flight were searched and three bundles of gold paste - one from Ali and two from Jabir - were recovered from their rectum. On extraction, 253 grams of gold valued at Rs 11.83 lakh was recovered and seized under the Customs Act, the statement added. It is an expanded version of the bureau's MICE innovation incubation programme 'Thailand's MICE Startup' starting in 2018, which has so far involved 37 successful startups and tech firms and the resources and experiences of which have been consolidated for the newly launched project. At the launch of 'MICE Winnovation', 29 tech firms showcased their products and services to 126 trade visitors representing convention venues, hotels, event organisers, travel agents, trade associations, and education institutions. Their products and services included software for monitoring visitor traffic, face recognition cameras, robots, on-demand workforce, and livestreaming services. Technomart, the business-matching segment of the day's programme, gave MICE entrepreneurs an opportunity to meet a select pool of potential technology partners who are familiar with the particular requirements of MICE. A total of 101 business-matching meetings were held onsite while 51 more were conducted online. Some of the online meetings took place as a result of searches made by attendees on TCEB's online MICE Innovation Catalog. To spur adoption of MICE technologies, TCEB is extending funding support in the form of Inno-Vouchers. These vouchers can be used by organisers of domestic and international exhibitions, international conventions, and festivals to offset their investment in new digital solutions. TCEB President, Mr Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, said the 'MICE Winnovation' project will enable Thai entrepreneurs to take concrete steps to embrace digital innovation in the face of a fast-shifting business landscape. "Implementing innovation is one of the four pillars of TCEB's Operational Plan for 2021 to maintain Thailand's competitiveness. 'MICE Winnovation' will unlock the resources built up under our 'Thailand's MICE Startup' programme since 2018. We have witnessed the co-creation of numerous technology solutions from the programme and will continue to support our MICE entrepreneurs to future-proof their businesses through innovation, while creating trade opportunities for startups and tech firms" he said. 'MICE Winnovation' is made up of four components: MICE Innovation Catalog an online innovation and technology databank listing products and services for pre-event, onsite, and post-event management Technomart a business-matching platform for MICE entrepreneurs and startups throughout Thailand Inno-Voucher a funding scheme to promote innovation implementation Digital Literacy for MICE an initiative to encourage MICE entrepreneurs to attend online or offline workshops where they can exchange ideas with experts to advance their digitalisation strategy. TCEB is set to launch a quarterly podcast in 2021 to help MICE professionals stay abreast of relevant technology and trends. 'MICE Innovation, Winning with the Innovation' is a collaboration between TCEB and the following partners: Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), National Innovation Agency (NIA), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thai Exhibition Association (TEA), Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA), and Thai International Events and Festivals Trade Association (TIEFA). More information on Thailand's tech entrepreneurs and their products and services is available from TCEB's MICE Innovation Catalog at: https://innocatalog.tceb.or.th Related Picture : https://we.tl/t-r5ITjpg6Hy About TCEB A LEADING AGENCY AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAILAND'S MICE INDUSTRY Established in 2004, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB the government agency under the supervision of the Prime Minister has been assigned a role to promote, support and develop business events industry corporate meetings, incentive trips, conventions, exhibitions, mega events and world festivals. Serving as a strategic partner, TCEB helps deliver creative ideas and solutions to bring success and fulfill the requirements of business events. The overarching goal is to drive Thailand to become a global MICE and mega events destination that can drive the country's strategic industries and national economy. SOURCE The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) The University of North Georgia (UNG) will welcome a keynote speaker and host a panel of faculty members and a student in a pair of events to mark Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. Though the month is designated nationally for May, UNG will host the events in April while spring semester classes still are in session. The event featuring UNG community members sharing their experience as Asian Americans will be held at noon April 22 via Zoom. Panelists are: "I'm looking forward to the panel," said Dina Makadiya, a junior from Toronto, Canada, who is president of the Asian Student Association (ASA) on UNG's Gainesville Campus. "Everyone has their own insights and stories. I'm excited to hear what they have to say." Aisha Yaqoob Mahmood, executive director of the Norcross, Georgia-based Asian American Advocacy Fund (AAAF), will serve as the month's keynote speaker in a noon April 7 event on Zoom. Participants can register through UNG Connect, with an option for the community to sign up as guests. "Mahmood developed a strong passion for immigrant rights and civic engagement as she founded the Georgia Muslim Voter Project and worked as the Policy Director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta," according to her AAAF biography. "These experiences have strengthened her desire to fight for justice for all marginalized people, including Muslims, immigrants, and refugees." Bringing attention to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) experiences in the U.S. has taken on greater urgency in the past year, said Kyle Murphy, interim assistant director of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) at UNG. Nearly 3,800 reports of hate incidents against AAPI have been reported since March 2020, according to the group "Stop AAPI Hate." "Mahmood is a major advocate for these communities," Murphy said. "It will be good for students, faculty and staff to see someone like her speak." Wade Manora Jr., interim director of MSA, emphasized the importance of this heritage month. "Their specific lived experiences get glossed over when it comes to discrimination," Manora said. "It's vitally important. You don't want a marginalized community to feel even more marginalized." Makadiya, who is pursuing a degree in biology, is grateful for this month's events. "It allows for a time to celebrate the Asian/Pacific American community, especially with the hostility we're facing now," Makadiya said. "Each portion of this community has its own unique beauty." Britney Chanseri, a sophomore from Mount Airy, Georgia, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, serves as vice president of ASA on UNG's Gainesville Campus. She appreciates the welcoming atmosphere at UNG. "At UNG, there's a club where I can be comfortable and meet people just like me. They're accepting and open," Chanseri said. "It takes time for people to realize that Asians are also in need of help and support, especially during the pandemic. It's very important to me." Other Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month events April 15: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month trivia (Zoom link available in UNG Connect), noon April 15: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month movie night: "Fagara," Robinson Ballroom on Gainesville Campus, 6 p.m. April 15: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month movie night: "Mulan," Dining Hall veranda on Dahlonega Campus, 6:30 p.m. As the first witness in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus corruption trial took the stand on Monday, President Reuven Rivlin was consulting with representatives of Israel's political parties as to who should form the next government. Why it matters: This split-screen moment between the Jerusalem district court and the presidents residence encapsulated the political and legal crisis that has engulfed Israel over the last two years. The crisis appears likely to continue now that a fourth election has ended with no clear winner. Driving the news: Netanyahu was on hand this morning to listen to the opening statement of the lead prosecutor in his case, Liat Ben-Ari. The prosecutor arrived with a security detail due to death threats against her. Ben-Ari said the main charge against Netanyahu is that he abused his power as prime minister to receive personal and political benefits from media tycoons. In return for favorable regulatory policies, the prosecutor alleged, Netanyahu asked the tycoons not for money but for something of critical importance to him: favorable media coverage, including in the run-up to Israel's 2015 election. Meanwhile, Rivlin was in the midst of consultations over who should receive a mandate to form Israel's next government. The two main contenders are Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid, whose parties finished first and second, respectively. Rivlin told the representatives of the various parties that he doesnt think either Netanyahu or Lapid will be able to win enough support to form a government and stressed that there's a real risk of a fifth consecutive election. Rivlin also raised for the first time the possibility of denying Netanyahu the mandate due to his corruption trial. In a meeting with representatives of Netanyahus Likud party, Rivlin said he might have to consider morals and values before offering the mandate, but stressed that he didn't know whether such a determination should be made by him, the Supreme Court or the Knesset. The state of play: The first witness who took the stand today was Ilan Yeshua, the former CEO of Walla News, one of Israels largest news websites. Yeshua is the key witness in Case 4000, in which Netanyahu was indicted for bribery. According to the indictment, Netanyahu gave regulatory benefits worth more than $300 million to Shaul Elovitch who owned Walla News as well as a major telecom firm in return for Elovitch tilting the site's coverage in Netanyahus favor and using it to attack his political opponents. Yeshua gave the police a mountain of evidence, including audio recordings, text messages and WhatsApp exchanges that show how Elovitch allegedly ordered him to shape the coverage every time his telecom company needed regulatory approvals from Netanyahu. In his testimony today, Yeshua said he felt like he was in North Korea and used to call Netanyahu and his wife Kim and Ri the names of the North Korean dictator and his wife. He said that Netanyahu intervened in Walla's coverage more in one week than all other Israeli politicians put together had in a decade. They [Elovitch and his wife] told me they dont care about journalism but about Netanyahu signing off on their business interests. I was told that if Sara Netanyahu gets mad, Benjamin Netanyahu will get mad and wont sign," he said. Whats next: Yeshuas testimony is expected to continue for at least two or three more sessions. He is only the first of more than 300 witnesses who are expected to testify in the trial, which will convene three days a week. Netanyahu left the court before Yeshua started testifying. It's unclear how often he'll attend the trial in person. The latest: After the court session ended, Netanyahu attacked the prosecutor in a statement, claiming the charges were fabricated and he was the victim of a politically motivated "witch hunt" and "an attempted coup to topple a right-wing Prime Minister." What's next: Rivlin is expected to hand the mandate to Netanyahu or Lapid by Wednesday, and he could even announce his decision on Tuesday after the new Knesset is sworn in. Whoever is chosen will have 28 days to try to form a government. Editor's note: Barak Ravid is a correspondent for Walla News. He joined in 2020, after Elovitch and Yeshua had left the company. Advertisement Piers Morgan has slammed Alex Beresford for launching a 'premeditated attack' during their on-air Meghan Markle row that cost him his job at Good Morning Britain (GMB) in his first TV interview since he quit the show. The 56-year-old journalist caused a social media firestorm last month after he said he 'didn't believe a word' of what the duchess said during her extraordinary interview with US chat-show legend Oprah Winfrey. It led to an explosive on-air clash with GMB weatherman Beresford, who accused Morgan of 'trashing' the Suits actress before he stormed off set. Later that day, the MailOnline columnist quit the ITV breakfast show. Sitting down with US TV host Tucker Carlson on Monday to tell 'MY truth' about the controversy surrounding his criticism of the Sussexes, Morgan said Beresford's comments were part of a 'premeditated attack'. During his hour-long interview with the Tucker Carlson Today programme on the Fox Nation streaming service, Morgan hit out at Beresford, calling the 40-year-old 'the stand-in weather guy' and 'not a journalist'. He also revealed he was 'disappointed' by his co-host Susanna Reid's apology after he stormed off set - but said he believed she may have acted 'in the grip of fear' of a 'huge Twitter pile-on' if she had defended him. Morgan even poured cold water on allegations that Meghan received racist coverage in the British Press, saying: 'I never saw that, I don't believe that' as he pointed to the media's positive coverage of the Royal wedding in 2018. Instead, he doubled down on his original comments, saying he was right not to believe the duke and duchess in their interview with Oprah because 17 of their claims have since been proven false, exaggerated or unverifiable. The former GMB host also described Meghan as the 'delusional duchess who is on the make' as he accused the couple of the 'most extraordinarily disingenuous smear, hit job' on the royal family. Piers Morgan has accused Alex Beresford of a 'premeditated attack' during their on-air Meghan Markle row that cost him his job at Good Morning Britain (GMB) The 56-year-old sensationally quit the ITV breakfast show last month, in the wake of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. Before his departure from the show, Morgan clashed on air with GMB weatherman Beresford Morgan set off a social media firestorm the day after the Oprah interview when he said he 'didn't believe a word' of what Meghan said about experiencing racism within the Royal Family Speaking to Tucker, Morgan said of Beresford: 'He is the stand-in weather guy, he's not a journalist, he's someone I've helped in his career like he has asked me to. 'He sent me a private message in which he expressed some concern about what he felt I wasn't really understanding about where Meghan Markle was coming from as a bi-racial woman. He is himself a bi-racial man so he wanted to explain so I said come on air, let's have the conversation. 'But the moment he came on air, he came with a pretty premeditated attack on me on a pretty personal level and frankly I just wasn't going to have it. 'I walked off... I was quite angry in the moment, he claimed that I have a personal vendetta against Meghan Markle, which I don't.' The journalist unpacked the events leading up to his dramatic departure from GMB In another update shared on Friday evening, Piers poked fun at Meghan, 39, as he referenced the moment when Oprah, 67, asked whether she was 'silent or silenced?' to which the wife of Prince Harry, 36, accused the Royal establishment of 'silencing' her During the GMB clash, Beresford responded to Morgan's claims that he used to talk to Meghan and she 'dropped him' once she started dating Prince Harry. He said: 'I understand that you don't like Meghan Markle, you've made it so clear a number of times on this programme, and I understand you've got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle and she cut you off.' Beresford told Morgan: 'She's entitled to cut you off if she wants to' - prompting Morgan to then storm off the GMB set. Morgan was also asked by Tucker how he felt the day after he stormed off set, when his co-host Reid apologised for his behaviour. 'It seems like you have affection for her,' Tuckers said. Morgan replied: 'I was disappointed, but she might have done it in the grip of fear, that if she spoke too highly in favour of me, the same thing might happen to her. There would be a huge Twitter pile-on. By an orchestrated mob.' The former editor of the Daily Mirror also said he doubted that Meghan had been subjected to racist coverage by the British Press. Morgan told Tucker: 'Contrary to what many Americans have been led to believe, the press coverage of these two right up to the wedding was completely over-the-top euphoric. Everyone in Britain was thrilled that finally we were having a non-white bride in the royal family, it hadn't happened. 'We were all very happy about this. I wrote about how wonderful it was on the wedding day. This narrative from the start that she was was bombarded with horrible, hateful, racist press coverage is another disingenuous load of nonsense fuelled by the Oprah Winfrey show where they flashed up a series of headlines, many of which had been deliberately cut to create a misconstrued impression, and many were actually American tabloids not British. 'But no, this narrative had to be believed, that Meghan Markle was targeted for her skin color by the beastly British tabloids. 'I never saw that, I don't believe that, I'm a former British tabloid editor myself and I would know if there was racist coverage in the British papers and there wasn't. 'There may have been on social media because that's a cesspit, we know that, but I didn't see it in the mainstream British Press.' Sitting down for his own tell-all with Fox Nation host Tucker Carlson aired Monday, Morgan said Beresford's comments were part of a 'premeditated attack' During the GMB clash, Beresford responded to Morgan's claims that he used to talk to Meghan and she 'dropped him' once she started dating Prince Harry. Beresford told Morgan: 'She's entitled to cut you off if she wants to' - prompting Morgan to then storm off the GMB set Morgan sat down for his own tell-all with Tucker Carlson aired Monday, where he vowed to reveal 'MY truth' about the controversy surrounding his criticism of Meghan and Harry that led to his departure from Good Morning Britain In his bombshell interview, Morgan accused Meghan and Harry of 'complete hypocrisy' over their interview with Oprah and of the 'most extraordinarily disingenuous smear, hit job' on the royal family. Morgan also said he has the backing of the public, telling Tucker: 'Old, young, black, white, it didn't matter. They've been coming up to me in their droves all day every day.' The former GMB host said people either agree with his comments on Meghan or defended his right to free speech. 'The British people have seen through this,' he told Tucker. Morgan said he has had a 'lot' of job offers since leaving Good Morning Britain and explored the circumstances surrounding his departure. He admitted that he should not have walked off the set during his row with Beresford, but said he 'didn't particularly like' Reid's apology for him. However, Morgan went on: 'I honestly think she was in the grip of fear. I think she was fearful that if she went too far in saying nice things about me, the same thing might happen to her, that there would be a huge Twitter pile on.' In his hour-long interview, Morgan described Meghan, who rose to fame starring in TV drama Suits, as the 'delusional duchess who is on the make'. Criticising the couple for their commercial deals with the likes of Spotify and Netflix, Morgan said, 'they're not making all this money through talent - Meghan was an OK actress on a show not many people watched'. And of Harry, Morgan praised his work in the Armed Forces, before adding: 'What's happened to that guy? That he's turned into this whiny brat in his mid-30s complaining his dad isn't still financing everything he does.' Asked by Tucker what the future holds for the duke and duchess, Morgan said: 'She has a track record of ditching everyone and everything when they cease to be of use to her so my advice to Harry is make sure you remain of use. 'And his primary use, it seems to me, is he has a royal title and she has been ruthlessly exploiting that title to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.' He accused the couple of telling 'so many ridiculous whoppers' in their March interview with Winfrey and dismissed claims he was racist for not believing them. Morgan said the interview was 'tacky, tasteless, disingenuous, and I'm afraid, I believe, in some cases, downright lying on a global scale'. And he used his appearance on Tucker's show to rail against what he described as the 'woke mob' and urged the public to 'stand up and say 'no''. He pointed to Sharon Osbourne's recent departure from a US chat show as an example of so-called cancel culture. Osbourne left The Talk after defending Morgan against allegations of racism over his comments on Meghan. The outgoing editor of Teen Vogue who was set to be replaced by Alexi McCammond warned Conde Nast and former staff about her racist tweets, a new report claims. McCammond, 27, was announced as Lindsay Peoples Wagner's replacement as editor in chief of Teen Vogue on March 4, before anti-Asian tweets she posted in 2011 resurfaced on social media and landed her in hot water. She had not even started in her new role when she announced her resignation on March 18. The Washington Post published an analysis of the scandal on Sunday, which revealed that Peoples Wagner, who came on as editor in chief in 2018, had contacted her former staffers to warn them about McCammond. Peoples Wagner reportedly told the staff that she had not put McCammond on her list of proposed successors. She also said that she'd warned Conde Nast that McCammond's tweets could resurface and throw her appointment at Teen Vogue into chaos. Former Teen Vogue editor in chief Lindsay Peoples Wagner (left) reportedly reached out to magazine staff to warn them about her successor Alexi McCammond (right) According to the Post, Teen Vogue staffers felt blindsided by McCammond's appointment and aired their concerns at a meeting with Conde Nast chief Anna Wintour. In a joint statement after that meeting, staffers sought to distance themselves from McCammond, writing: 'We've built our outlet's reputation as a voice for justice and change we take immense pride in our work and in creating an inclusive environment.' McCammond later apologized to staff in an email and set up one-on-one meetings to clear the air. However that did little to quell frustrations among the staffers who were particularly puzzled when they learned that Conde Nast knew about McCammond's tweets but didn't warn about the controversy that could arise around them. Conde Nast executives have said that they felt the apology McCammond issued about the tweets in 2019 would override any backlash. 'What they failed to realize is that there is an apology and then there is making amends,' Bonnie Morrison, a diversity consultant and former Men's Vogue staffer, told the Post. 'The entire fashion industry has revolved around Anna Wintour for years, and she is not someone who is well-positioned to determine which apologies are sufficient. Nor is she used to losing control of a situation.' Tweets that McCammond penned back in 2011 - when she was 17 and still in high school - began circulating on Twitter last month McCammond - who previously worked as a political journalist for Axios - was an unlikely pick for Teen Vogue's editor in chief from the start, given her lack of experience in editing or managing a staff. But she managed to catch the eye of Wintour, who in announcing her new role wrote: 'Alexi has the powerful curiosity and confidence that embodies the best of our next generation of leaders.' It didn't take long for a firestorm to erupt around McCammond's appointment after tweets that she penned back in 2011 - when she was 17 and still in high school - began circulating on Twitter. In one she wrote how she was 'Googling how to not wake up with swollen Asian eyes'. In another from the same year, she blamed a 'stupid Asian' teaching assistant for her failures during chemistry lessons. Other tweets used the terms 'Asian', 'homo' and 'gay' in a derogatory ways. The tweets prompted a revolt from several staff on the magazine, but Wintour -who serves as Vogue editor and Global Chief Content Office for publisher Conde Nast - was reportedly determined to stand by McCammond. McCammond previously apologized for the tweets, which she had deleted several years ago. McCammond issued the statement above announcing her resignation on March 18 McCammond - who previously worked as a political journalist for Axios - was an unlikely pick for Teen Vogue's editor in chief from the start, given her lack of experience in editing or managing a staff She offered a new apology in a message sent to Teen Vogue's staff and its readers days after her new role was announced. 'This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life in large part because of the intense pain I know my words and my announcement have caused so many of you,' she wrote. 'I've apologized for my past racist and homophobic tweets and will reiterate that there's no excuse for perpetuating those awful stereotypes in any way.' Wintour was aware of the decade-old racist tweets and discussed them with leaders of color at Conde Nast before the job was offered, The New York Times reported. Wintour tried to build support for the would-be Teen Vogue editor, the paper said, and included her in team meetings. McCammond met individually to try to ease their concerns, and explained her actions in a note. But the actions appears to do little to placate angry staff and advertisers, with Ulta Beauty pulling a seven-figure ad deal. Anna Wintour -who serves as Vogue editor and Global Chief Content Office for publisher Conde Nast - was reportedly determined to stand by McCammond On March 18 - days before she was slated to start the new role - McCammond officially stood down, releasing a statement which read: 'Hey there: I've decided to part ways with Conde Nast.' 'My past tweets have overshadowed the work I've done to highlight the people and issues that I care about - issues that Teen Vogue has worked so tirelessly to share with the world - and so Conde Nast an I have decided to part ways. 'I should not have tweeted what I did and I have taken full responsibility for that. 'I look at my work and growth in the years since, and have redoubled my commitment to growing in the years to come as both a person and as a professional,' she said. She received an outpouring of support from many high-profile media figures, including her former Axios colleague, Jonathan Swan. Swan, the chief national correspondent for news site Axios who worked alongside McCammond for four years, told Fox News on Friday that McCammond's apology should have sufficed and she should have been allowed to keep her job. 'I worked with her for four years. She doesn't have a racist bone in her body. 'If we can't as an industry accept somebody's sincere and repeated apologies for something they tweeted when they were 17 years old, what are we doing?' Hydra - tiny freshwater organisms look like inverted jellyfish, and their common similarities with four-time Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles is their somersaulting ability, it seems. Hydras are tinier than the width of a human finger but can curve their bodies and flip perfectly over their tentacles! The Serpent-like Monster Now, with the joining of biophysical experiments and computational modeling, scientists have discovered that dissimilarities in tissue stiffness through hydra's body length cause the possibility of this unique motion. Due to the fact that they were named after the serpent-like monster in Greek mythology that regrows two heads whenever each one is cut off, the hydra is recognized for like power of regeneration. Cut open a hydra and each half will grow back into two new bodies. In addition, they don't show aging, making some biologists label them as 'immortal'. This made an undergraduate student at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Suyash Naik, study this organism. Also Read: Next Extinction Target: World's Freshwater Fishes Young's Modulus Suyash said his first aim was to study what physical changes happen across the hydra body when it is regenerating. "While studying this, I discovered that hydra tissue is remarkably stiffer in its head region." This unexpected finding altered the direction of his research towards locomotion. Suyash weighed the hydra tissue's stiffness by calculating a property of materials known as Young's modulus: a number that determines how much an exact amount of force can stretch something. Rubber bands that are stretchy have decrease Young's moduli while metal rods usually have increase values. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) It's usual to spot experiments in physics labs where this quantity is weighed by suspending weights that are heavy on rods and observing how much they curve. But it is tricky weighing this quantity for the soft tissues of a miniature, delicate organism. The scientists made use of an atomic force microscope (AFM) on hydra for the very first time to achieve this. With the use of a cantilever, an AFM can weigh material properties down to the scale of individual atoms, which resembles a microscopic diving board, with a needle pointing downwards at one end. The position of the cantilever is changed gently across a sample without destroying it, like a back massager. Forces coming from individual molecules within the sample bring about the vibration of the cantilever, through which researchers can acquire a 'force terrain' of the sample surface. The strength of these forces can be converted to various material properties, both Young's modulus. With the use of the AFM, Suyash discovered that Young's modulus at the hydra's head is three times greater than at its base, which is a sharp reduction in stiffness from head to toe. Explanation of Hydra's Somersaulting Motion The scientists wondered what the purpose of this stark gradient might be. "We thought of a system of springs, with two parts of distinct stiffness attached like a slinky," Suyash said. This could give an explanation of hydra's somersaulting motion - where its stiff 'shoulder' saves energy when it curves, before letting out the energy to land. The scientists used two techniques to prove that the change in stiffness governed the ability of the hydra to somersault. Initially, they disturbed the shoulder tissue's stiffness by manipulating the method that binds cells together, after which the hydra was not able to somersault. Related Article: Freshwater in Danger: Marine Giants Face Extinction Risks For more news, updates about hydras and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! ADVERTISEMENT A 49-year-old man arrested for raping his daughter in Ogun State has said he engaged in the act because his wife was no longer sexually attractive, police spokesperson Abimbola Oyeyemi has said. Mr Oyeyemi in a statement on Monday said the suspect, Williams Akpan, committed the crime at Itele Ota community located in Ado-Odo-Ota local government area of the state. The police said the arrest followed a report lodged at Itele Ota Divisional headquarters by the victim, who told officers that her father had been sexually abusing her since she was seven. She added that the act had been going on for five years. The police spokesperson said upon the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Itele Ota division, Monday Unoegbe, detailed his detectives to the scene where the suspect was arrested. On interrogation, he confessed to the commission of the crime claiming that his wife is appearing too old, and she is no longer looking attractive to him, Mr Oyeyemi said. The statement further said the Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to family support unit of Ota Area Command for further investigation and prosecution. He also directed that the victim be taken to the General Hospital for proper medical treatment. Mumbai, April 5 : Actor R Madhavan on Monday shared a picture on social media from his recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Also present at the meeting was S. Narayan Nambi, scientist and aerospace engineer at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on whose life Madhavan's debut directorial feature, "Rocketary: The Nambi Effect", is based. The picture shows them seated in a boardroom, observing social distancing. "A few weeks ago, @NambiNOfficial and I had the honour of calling on PM @narendramodi. We spoke on the upcoming film #Rocketrythefilm and were touched and honored by PM's reaction to the clips and concern for Nambi ji & the wrong done to him. Thank you for the privilege sir," Madhavan wrote as caption. The film is based on the life of scientist and aerospace engineer S. Nambi Narayanan. Apart from directing, Madhavan essays the protagonist Nambi Narayanan. As a senior official at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Narayanan was in-charge of the cryogenics division. In 1994, he was falsely charged with espionage and arrested. The charges were dismissed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 1996, and the Supreme Court declared him not guilty in 1998. "Rocketary: The Nambi Effect" will release in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, English and Kannada languages. SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fuel Cycle Inc., the leading market research cloud for Fortune 500 companies is recognized by the 2021 Comparably Awards for the category "Best Company Outlook." This set of Comparably Awards are derived from sentiment ratings provided by employees who anonymously rated their employers on Comparably.com between March 2020 - March 2021. There were no fees or costs associated with participating, nor was nomination required to qualify. Winners were determined based on a combination of two scores: 1) Outlook, measuring responses to questions such as, "How confident are you about the future success of your company?" and 2) Employee Net Promoter Score, measuring responses to the question, "How likely are you to recommend working at your company to a friend?" "Engaging the hearts, minds, and work ethic of our team is an important part of our internal vision. By focusing on the whole person, each employee feels more invested in the present and confident about our future. To us, the best compliment comes when employees refer other people in their lives to join our team." - Setareh Motamedi, VP of Marketing at Fuel Cycle Internal initiatives dedicated to Fuel Cycle employees' professional development and personal well-being include a Leadership Development Program, workshops, virtual learning courses, internal mentorship, certification programs, and generous benefits packages. Weekly all-hands meetings keep the whole company abreast of goals and pivots, and routinely conclude with peer shout-outs where colleagues recognize each other's recent outstanding contributions, large and small. Each employee is regarded for their individual strengths and part in our diverse company culture and is encouraged to develop the skills that will be most enriching to their personal growth in and outside the office. For information about Fuel Cycle careers, visit www.linkedin.com/company/fuelcycle/ About Comparably: Comparably (www.comparably.com) is a leading workplace culture and compensation monitoring site that provides the most comprehensive and accurate representation of what it's like to work at companies. Employees can anonymously rate their employers in 20 workplace culture categories, providing the public a transparent and in-depth look at the experiences different segments of workers have based on gender, ethnicity, age, department, tenure, location, education, and company size. Since launching in 2016, Comparably has accumulated 10 million ratings on 60,000 U.S. companies. The platform has become one of the fastest-growing SaaS solutions for employer branding and a trusted third-party site for workplace and salary data, most notably for its annual Best Places to Work series. About Fuel Cycle: Fuel Cycle is the leading cloud-based market research platform for supercharging the relationship between humans and brands. Through an agile platform that captures actionable insights, offers seamless integrations, and enables automation of qualitative and quantitative research, Fuel Cycle's all-in-one ecosystem provides mission-critical insights to decision makers across product, brand, and digital experiences. For more information, visit fuelcycle.com. SOURCE Fuel Cycle Related Links www.fuelcycle.com New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable assets to the tune of Rs 165.86 crore owned by Anup Majee who is accused in illegal coal mining case. These assets include land, factory premises, plant and machinery and other assets of two companies namely M/s Ispat Damodar Private Limited and M/s Sonic Thermal Private Limited. The manufacturing plants of these companies are situated in Purulia and Bankura, West Bengal. ED initiated an investigation on the basis of the FIR registered by CBI. Money laundering investigation revealed that Anup Majee had transferred Proceeds of Crime (POC) to the tune of Rs 67.80 crore to both the said companies in the guise of share purchase of these companies for acquiring the plants and assets of these companies. Additionally, POC to the tune of Rs 98.06 crore was also transferred to both companies. The total transfer amounts to Rs 165.86 crore, which had been layered through a maze of shell companies and generated from illegal coal mining. In this case, two persons namely Vikas Mishra & Ashok Mishra have been arrested by ED on 16.03.21 and 03.04.21 respectively for their role in laundering the proceeds generated from the illegal coal mining. Vikas Mishra is in judicial custody and Ashok Mishra is in ED custody till April 7, 2021. Live TV [April 05, 2021] Tyler Technologies Acquires ReadySub School Scheduling Solution Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: TYL) today announced it has acquired ReadySub, a cloud-based platform that assists school districts with absence tracking, filling substitute teacher assignments, and automating essential payroll processes. "The acquisition of ReadySub strengthens Tyler's school portfolio and brings more comprehensive solutions to the school districts that we serve," said Lynn Moore, president and chief executive officer of Tyler. "We plan to build integrations with our school administration products, providing more value to districts as we help them implement all-in-one workflows. This supports our Connected Communities vision as we work with clients to tie together these disparate processes." ReadySub delivers comprehensive absence and substitute management and serves approximately 1,000 school districts across the United States, approximately 20 of which overlap with Tyler's 2,000 school district clients. The solution helps districts with the labor-intensive and demanding task of filling both planned and unplanned staff absences with the most highly qualified substitute resources. With continuous pressure due to substitute teacher shortages - exacerbate by the coronavirus pandemic - districts can more easily retain a pool of qualified substitutes and automate the searching and filling of needed substitute spots. Additionally, ReadySub can integrate with districts' payroll processes, eliminating duplicate work and streamlining related payroll tasks. For substitute employees, they can more easily make themselves known and available to districts in their area and control when they take assignments and when they plan to be unavailable. The solution's cloud-based platform makes it easy for substitutes and district staff to access the tool from any device, including smartphones and tablets. "We are looking forward to joining the Tyler Technologies (News - Alert) organization as we feel they share our vision for technology in K-12 space," said Michael Lucia, head of business development, ReadySub. "We are excited about seeing the positive impact we will make together for school districts, their staff, and their students." Founded by David Vail and Vince Zanella, ReadySub is based in Seattle, Washington, and has 10 full-time employees. ReadySub management and staff will become part of Tyler's Schools organization and its current employees are expected to remain working remotely. About Tyler Technologies, Inc. Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) provides integrated software and technology services to the public sector. Tyler's end-to-end solutions empower local, state, and federal government entities to operate more efficiently and connect more transparently with their constituents and with each other. By connecting data and processes across disparate systems, Tyler's solutions are transforming how clients gain actionable insights that solve problems in their communities. Tyler has more than 27,000 successful installations across more than 11,000 sites, with clients in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. Tyler has been named to Government Technology's GovTech 100 list five times and has been recognized three times on Forbes' "Most Innovative Growth Companies" list. More information about Tyler Technologies, an S&P 500 company headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at tylertech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005103/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] BODEGA BAY, Calif. - Dozens of people at a popular Northern California coastal overlook watched as an SUV drove through a parking lot without braking and then plunged off a cliff into the rocks below, killing two women, investigators said Monday. BODEGA BAY, Calif. - Dozens of people at a popular Northern California coastal overlook watched as an SUV drove through a parking lot without braking and then plunged off a cliff into the rocks below, killing two women, investigators said Monday. The cause of the weekend crash was still under investigation, California Highway Patrol Officer David de Rutte said. Initial witness accounts indicated that the vehicle drove through a wooden barrier in a large parking area at the Bodega Bays Head Trail before it went off the cliff. Bodega Bay firefighters work to secure the scene of a crash after a vehicle plummeted from the Bodega Head parking lot in Bodega Bay, Calif., through a wood barrier, left, landing upside down 100 feet to the rocky shoreline, killing two people in the SUV, Saturday, April 3, 2021. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) Witnesses saw the vehicle driving through the parking lot and it just kept driving, de Rutte said. It didnt stop. There was no accelerating but also no braking. Investigators were still trying to determine if the crash was accidental or intentional, he said. Both women were found dead when rescuers made it down to the Toyota SUV, which had landed on its roof on the rocks about 100 feet (30 metres) below. Authorities identified the driver as Maria Teixeira, 64, and the passenger as Elizabeth Correia, 41, both of the San Francisco Bay Area city of Dublin, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) south of the crash site. The Mercury News reported they were mother and daughter, both employees of public schools in the Bay Area, according to relatives and sheriff's officials. Teixeira was lead custodian at Montevideo Elementary in nearby San Ramon, and Correia was a first-grade teacher at Lydiksen Elementary in Pleasanton. Erin Aitken, a teacher and former colleague of Teixeiras, struggled like many who knew her to make sense of the crash. She was just a warm, good person, she was so smiley and happy. She helped everybody, Aitken said, remembering how proud Teixeira was when her daughter became a teacher. She was a big cheerleader for her kids. And she clearly loved being around children. Correia's biography on the school's website said she had taught in Pleasanton, where she grew up, since 2005. She enjoys teaching, reading, music, art, movies, Disneyland and spending time with friends and family, the website says. The crash happened Saturday as hikers and beachgoers flocked to the scenic Pacific Ocean overlook to take advantage of clear weather on the Easter holiday weekend. Ed-tech major Byju's on Monday, April 5, announced that it has acquired Aakash Educational Services Ltd (AESL) for around $1 billion (Rs 7,300 crore). The stock-and-cash deal will fortify the Indian decacorn's presence in the test preparation segment in India. The deal is Byju's biggest acquisition to date in India's burgeoning ed-tech space. Meanwhile, AESL will operate independently post the acquisition, with founders Aakash Chaudhry and J.C. Chaudhry continuing to steer the company. Byju's said the deal is a strategic partnership with AESL, which is a leader in test-prep services. However, the companies did not comment on the financial details of the deal. As part of the transaction, Aakash founders and Blackstone will become shareholders in Byju's. EY was the exclusive financial advisor for Byju's on this transaction. Phoenix Advisors was the exclusive advisor for AESL. Also Read: How BYJU's pivoted its business model from offline to online Byju's, which is the most valued ed-tech startup in the country, is backed by marquee investors like Mary Meeker, Yuri Milner, Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, Tencent, Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global and others. It is estimated to have raised over $2 billion in funding to date. According to the sources, the ed-tech giant is in talks to raise an additional $600-700 million in funding that will help in further growth acceleration. In the past, Byju's had acquired TutorVista and Edurite (from Pearson in 2017) and Osmo in 2019. "This will be the largest integration in the education space in India, especially in the startup space...Covid has really opened the gates to online education significantly and going forward, we believe that all kinds of models in education will exist in K-12, test prep and even in higher education," AESL Managing Director Aakash Chaudhry told PTI. Together with Byju's, AESL will be able to provide students with the education it was providing but at a much larger scale with multiple delivery channels that can be innovated out of both ecosystems (online and offline), he added. After the integration, Byju's will make further investments to accelerate Aakash's growth, he noted. Chaudhry said AESL will continue to operate as a separate entity and further expand its presence in the country. "At Aakash, we are looking to transform student experiences by steering innovative and digitally-enabled learning solutions. Together with BYJU'S, we will work towards building an omnichannel learning offering that will accelerate test-prep experience to the next level," he said. Also Read: Byju's raises $460 million in latest funding; valuation rises to over $13 billion In its over 33 years of existence, AESL has helped millions of students prepare for medical and engineering entrance exams. It has a pan-India network of 215 centres (including franchisees), and a student count of more than 2.5 lakh. In 2019, private equity firm Blackstone had picked up a 37.5 per cent stake in AESL. While the company hadn't disclosed the financial details, sources had said the Rs 1,350 crore transaction had valued AESL at $500 million (over Rs 3,545 crore). "Our complementary strengths will enable us to build capabilities, create engaging and personalised learning programmes. The future of learning is hybrid and this union will bring together the best of offline and online learning, as we combine our expertise to create impactful experiences for students," Byju Raveendran, founder and CEO of Byju's, said. Also Read: Byju's raises $460 million in latest funding; valuation rises to over $13 billion The addition of Aakash is a significant step towards strengthening its product offering, he added. Byju's cited industry reports and said the test preparation and after school tutoring (high school) segment is estimated to be a $7-8 billion opportunity in India and is expected to witness 55-60 per cent growth over the next 4-5 years. On whether the ed-tech platform will continue to scout for acquisitions, Byju's said the company will look at opportunities that bring in new products and formats, market expansion, and/or distribution opportunities. Launched in 2015, Byju's has over 80 million students cumulatively learning from the app, 5.5 million annual paid subscriptions, and an annual renewal rate of 86 per cent. During April-September 2020, Byju's added 45 million new students to its platform. BELGRADE (Reuters) - Montenegro's Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic on Monday launched the procedure to dismiss the justice minister over his denial of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide and asked parliament to back the motion. Vladimir Leposavic, the minister of justice, human and minority rights, last month questioned the legitimacy of international courts, which ruled that the Srebrenica massacre of around 8,000 Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces constituted genocide. Leposavic, a pro-Serb politician with no party affiliation, also said the Srebrenica genocide was not "unequivocally established as fact. His statement prompted sharp criticism by the United States, Britain, and the European Union, which Montenegro wants to join, as well as from within the region, including neighbouring Bosnia, Islamic communities and human rights watchdogs. In an address to parliament, Krivokapic said he privately told Leposavic to resign, something he refused. "Since he (Leposavic) has maintained his position, I made a difficult decision to motion for his dismissal," Krivokapic said. Many Serb politicians from the region openly deny that the Srebrenica massacre was genocide, as was determined by two international courts. In 2017, the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague jailed wartime Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic for life over genocide. Montenegro's 81-seat parliament, in which Krivokapic's coalition of pro-Serb and pro-Western parties has a slim majority, must vote on the Leposavic's dismissal in the coming days. (Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Daria Sito-Sucic and Steve Orlofsky) Yuma Library Yuma, Arizona - Join Justin Case of America Newscape as he presents Yuma County Library Happenings with Sarah Wisdom April 3, 2021. Dial-a-Story Storytime is just a phone call away! Dial-a-Story" featuring pre-recorded stories for children of all ages in English and Spanish, is now available at the Yuma County Library District. Call YCLDs Dial-a-Story line at (928) 597-3131. New stories are available each week! There is no charge for this service.. This project is supported by the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal CARES Act funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Nice is Not Enough: Understanding Systemic Oppression Current events across the nation are challenging us to take a hard look at how some groups of people are treated differently from others on a daily basis. Why does this happen? What systems intentionally or implicitly benefit some people at the expense of others? How does systematic oppression influence certain groups at work, at school, and in the community? On Saturday, April 17th, Rory Gilbert, co-founder of the Healing Racism Public Dialogue Series, presents Nice is Not Enough: Understanding Systemic Oppression at 11:00 a.m. via Zoom. A brief recorded video introduction will be followed by a live interactive discussion with Rory. Participants must register to attend the event. To receive an invite for this Zoom presentation, contact Lourdes Rose, Adult Programming Coordinator, at (928) 314-2452 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Citizen Science Kits Citizen Science Kits give you an opportunity to help real scientists with real scientific research! Kits are now available for checkout at the Main Library. These kits include activities for three skill levels (easy, medium, and advanced) for ages 8 to 13. This project was supported with funds granted by the AZ State Library, Archives and Public Records, a division of the AZ Secretary of State, under the Library Services and Technology Act, which is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Topics include: Measuring Air Pollution, Exploring BioDiversity, Zombee Hunting, and Observing Pollinators. For more information, call Youth Services at (928) 373-6468. America Newscape is a simple resource for all things America through this portal. These productions are not created or meant for children. For more information please visit: https://americanewscape.com Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 00:05:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People relax at a park in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, April 4, 2021. Tomb-sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, is an important occasion for Chinese to honor their ancestors. Many also spent the three-day holiday on leisure travel. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu) BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The total number of passenger trips topped 51.43 million Saturday, the first day of the nation's three-day Tomb-sweeping Day holiday, official data showed. The reading jumped 157.26 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Transport. China's railways are expected to see an increase in passenger flows during the three-day Tomb-sweeping Day holiday from Saturday to Monday. April 2 saw approximately 11.8 million railway trips, setting a single-day record for this year, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (CSRC). A peak of more than 14 million passenger trips in a single day is expected on April 3, said the CSRC. The latest data also show that airlines handled nearly 1.54 million passenger trips in China on April 3, a jump of 369.2 percent compared to the first day of the holiday last year. Tomb-sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, falls on April 4 this year. It is a traditional Chinese holiday during which people pay tribute to deceased family members. Many also spend the holiday traveling. Yunnan reports 15 confirmed, 5 asymptomatic cases 15:19, April 05, 2021 By Li Yingqing and Zhao Ruixue ( Chinadaily.com.cn A medical worker checks vaccine information at a COVID-19 vaccination site of Jingcheng Hospital in Ruili city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, April 1, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua] Yunnan reported 15 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and five new asymptomatic cases on Sunday, the provincial health commission said on Monday. All the confirmed and asymptomatic cases were found in the border city of Ruili during a citywide nucleic acid testing campaign, the commission said. As of Sunday, 51 confirmed cases and 56 asymptomatic cases including the imported infections are receiving treatment or under medical observation in designated hospitals in the province. Ruili started a mass vaccination drive for COVID-19 on Friday following a series of measures including citywide nucleic acid testing and home quarantine taken to contain the coronavirus spread during the past week. All eligible residents in the city are expected to be inoculated by April 6, according to the city government. The mass vaccination work conducted in Ruili, the first such vaccination for all eligible residents conducted during an ongoing epidemic in China, laid a solid foundation for the following overall epidemic control and prevention work in Ruili, Zhang Wenhong, leader of the Shanghai expert team for treating COVID-19 patients, said during an interview with Yunnan Radio and Television Station on Saturday. Zhang said with pressure from control and prevention on imported cases still great, vaccination is an important link in the overall epidemic control and prevention. (Web editor: Du Mingming, Bianji) Samsung is doing some co-branding with Adidas as a way to create some buzz around its wireless earbud products, while buffing up its eco-friendly bonafides, Sammobile has reported. The Galaxy Buds Pro Adidas Original Special Pack (available in South Korea only) comes in what looks like a mini sneaker box with the classic green-and-white Stan Smith branding. It also includes a branded case that looks like a classic snapback cap. Inside you'll find Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earphones (which don't seem to have any Adidas branding) in a choice of Phantom Black, Phantom Silver and Phantom Violet colors. The package also includes a special coupon to purchase a pair of Stan Smith sneakers. When you pair the buds with a Galaxy phone, they'll unlock a special Adidas Originals theme for the lock screen, icons, message and call screens. The snapback case is made from recycled plastic, and the the Galaxy Buds Pro themselves are made from 20 percent post-consumer materials. The Adidas special edition Buds Pro will go on sale on April 7th in a limited edition of 6,000 units for 279,000 KRW ($250). As mentioned, they'll only be available in South Korea. Ukraine expresses support for King Abdullah II of Jordan and awaits details of further events, the press service of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "Disturbing news from Jordan. We fully support King Abdullah II. We are convinced that he guarantees stability, security and development of the state. We look forward to the details of the events and wish the people of Jordan peace and prosperity," the message reads. Anti-corruption investigation body should keep neutrality Kim Jin-wook, head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), is under fire for offering his official car to Lee Sung-yoon, chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, to help the latter secretly enter his office in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, for questioning as a suspect. CCTV footage disclosed by local media last week showed Lee, who is suspected of having abused his power to block an investigation into the alleged illegal process of imposing an exit ban on a former vice justice minister, getting into Kim's official vehicle in an alley in Gwacheon, March 7. This came to light belatedly and is causing controversy since Lee, President Moon Jae-in's henchman in the prosecution, appeared to be receiving special treatment. Escorting a suspect to a law enforcement agency via the official car used by its chief is unprecedented and left the public's jaws hanging. The TV footage is reminiscent of secret dealings between criminals and raises concerns that the CIO may degenerate into the "guardian of those in power" just as conservatives feared when it went into operation in January. Kim said he had no alternatives for security reasons. But this is nothing more than a lame excuse. Transporting a suspect via an official car without a valid reason is certainly a serious breach of security regulations. It may now be reasonable to suspect that the new law enforcement agency, launched with the mission of holding the prosecution in check, is walking on eggshells, aware that Lee could be a strong candidate for the position of prosecutor general. There was an earlier controversy over Lee's special treatment when Kim didn't make a report after meeting him on March 16. Kim claimed that he called in Lee to conduct basic questioning, but the documents sent to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office showed only the date and location of their meeting and didn't contain what was discussed between them. Kim must know that people are already questioning the trustworthiness of the CIO even before it is fully operational. He should have been more careful about maintaining neutrality, and now must pay heed to the strong calls for his resignation and the abolition of the CIO. EAST HAMPTON The battle lines are being drawn as a group of residents seek to fend off a zone change that could lead to construction of what one resident called a mega gas station. At issue is a proposal to change the zoning on a parcel of land at the intersection of Main Street and Route 16 to allow expansion of an existing gas station/convenience store. Some residents questioned whether there is need for what neighbor Kate Avery described as the mega station in a residential neighborhood. According to the application for the change, the existing station is 15,182 square feet, and the proposed expansion would bring it to 76,122 square feet. Avery, who is an artist, has begun circulating a petition calling upon the state attorney general to intervene in the process to block approval for the zone change. The Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to take the zone change request at a meeting Tuesday. The application has been submitted by Atlantis Marketing of Mount Vernon, N.Y., a subsidiary of Atlantis LLC of Dallas, for the property at 1 Colchester Ave., located on the southeast corner of the intersection of Main Street and Route 16. Atlantis representatives could not be reached for comment. Avery contends the new gas station is grossly detrimental to our safety, our property values, and the idyllic aesthetic that makes East Hampton truly special. In an email to The Press, Avery said she was concerned that approval of an expansion of the property could lead to the eventual demolition of four residential buildings. She particularly was concerned about the Charles A. Strong house, a circa-1858 mansion which sits north of the service station. Planning Zoning Official Jeremy DeCarli said the only item currently on the table is the zone change application. The site in question currently contains a Food Bag branded convenience store and a gas station and has been home to a gas station from at least 1947, DeCarli said in an email last week. The parcel was zoned Commercial up until September, 1990, when the zone was changed to R-2 (single family residential), he said. The proposed zone change would allow for the expansion of the fueling station. Right now, as a non-conforming use in a residential zone, no expansion is possible, DeCarli said. The lot size and configuration also severely limits any possible expansion. There is no application at this time for the required special permit or site plan for the expanded fueling station, only the zone change, he said. The conceptual plan submitted with the application contemplates demolition of one building, but this is just a concept. Any new fueling station would need to be reviewed as part of the Special Permit process. But that, DeCarli said, could occur only if a zone change is approved. jmill@middletownpress.com Zydus Cadila announced on Monday, April 5 that it has sought approval from drug regulator DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) for its drug Pegylated Interferon Alpha 2b (PegIFN) to be used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The domestic pharma company has applied for an approval for additional indication with DCGI for the use of PegIFN, announcing that its phase-III clinical trials with the drug have manifested promising results in treating coronavirus patients. Over 91.15% of patients treated with PegIFN were RT PCR negative by day 7 as compared to 78.90 per cent on the 'standard of care' (SOC) arm; PegIFN reduced the duration for supplemental oxygen to 56 hours from 84 hours in moderate COVID-19 patients In what could be a breakthrough in the disease management of COVID-19, the interim results show PegIFN, when administered early on, could help patients recover faster, avoiding complications seen in the advanced stages. "PegIFN in COVID19 has several add-on advantages compared to other antiviral agents. The treatment regimen would be less cumbersome and more affordable for patients as Pegylated Interferon Alpha 2b, is a single-dose regimen. It would also ensure better compliance. PegIFN has had very well-established safety with multiple doses in chronic hepatitis B and C patients for many years," Zydus said. Also read: Maharashtra imposes night curfew, weekend lockdown amid COVID-19 surge During the phase 3 trials, patients also showed a lesser need for supplemental oxygen, which shows the drug was able to control respiratory distress and failure, a major challenge in treating COVID-19. "Pegylated Interferon Alpha 2b therapy has been very well-established with multiple doses being administered in chronic hepatitis B and C patients for many years. Type I interferons, including Interferon-alpha, have been found crucial in the protection against SARS-CoV-2 in the recent publications in the leading journal Science (Hadjadj et al, Bastard et al and Zhang et al)," the company said. Ageing reduces the body's ability to produce Interferon Alpha in response to viral infections and may be associated with higher mortality in elderly patients. PegIFN given early during infection can replace this deficiency and aid a faster recovery process. The Phase III trials were conducted on 250 patients across 20-25 centres in India and the detailed results of this will be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. "We are encouraged by the results of the Phase III study of Pegylated Interferon alpha 2b which has confirmed the potential to reduce virus titres when given earlier in the disease. With Indian Innovation at the forefront helping the country fight the pandemic with diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics, this marks an important milestone," Dr Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Cadila Healthcare Ltd, said. Besides conducting a Phase-II trial in Mexico, the company is also working with the USFDA for Pegylated Interferon to initiate appropriate clinical trials in the US. Also read: Centre asks states to stop fresh registration of healthcare, frontline workers for COVID-19 vaccine .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham began a critical week Monday by signing legislation that will deliver extra money to some schools and ban animal trapping on public land a burst of action as she faces a Friday deadline to act on dozens of bills. She approved 50 bills altogether Monday, touching on public financing for judicial candidates, community solar projects and medical debt. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Much of Mondays action centered on children including the creation of an independent office to review special education and a ban on hair discrimination in schools. Two of the measures are expected to send more money to schools serving large Native American communities and low-income families. Still awaiting action by Friday are proposals that would require private employers to offer paid sick leave, establish a Civil Rights Act and allow medical aid in dying. But Lujan Grisham signed a number of bills Monday. A wildlife measure she approved, Senate Bill 32, passed the House this month by one vote, 35-34. The legislation will ban traps, snares and wildlife poisons on public land. Jessica Johnson of Animal Protection Voters described it as the culmination of a decade of work to protect animals from unnecessary cruelty. The measure is named after Roxy, a dog who died of strangulation by a snare in 2018. The bill, Johnson said, will enhance the life of humans as well as companion animals, boost the safety of communities, and continue the important work of conservation and protection of the wildlife and public lands across New Mexico. Education measures Approval of the education legislation, meanwhile, comes as New Mexico confronts the loss of in-person classroom time during the COVID-19 pandemic, on top of already-poor academic outcomes. One measure signed Monday, House Bill 6, is expected to send an extra $60 million in federal Impact Aid to districts with vast amounts of tribal and other tax-exempt land. The state had previously deducted much of the federal money from the districts funding allocation, blocking the funds from reaching their intended target. Lujan Grisham said the legislation ends a long-standing practice that was fundamentally unfair, disadvantaging too many Native American students and communities. Another measure, Senate Bill 17, is expected to distribute $30 million over the next two years to schools serving a concentration of low-income families. The funding is for math, reading and other programs to support students. The need is great, and resources are limited, Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said in a written statement. Thats why its critical to target extra funding to the schools where it is most needed. Also signed Monday is legislation, Senate Bill 42, that will increase taxpayer-funded contributions into the pension system for educators. It calls for employers to boost their contributions into the fund by 1 percentage point each of the next two years, an amount expected to cost $34 million next year and $68 million the year after that. The bills signed Monday also included measures on the environment, elections and health care. She signed bills that will protect low-income New Mexicans from medical debt collection, make New Mexico the first state to extend public financing to District Court judicial candidates and enable groups of energy consumers to participate in community solar projects. Budget awaits action A $7.4 billion budget plan is awaiting action this week an appropriations bill for which Lujan Grisham has line-item veto authority. Also on deck are bills to expand tax breaks for working families and create a citizens redistricting committee. Any bill the governor doesnt sign or veto by Friday is automatically rejected, a procedure known as a pocket veto. The deadline applies to bills passed in the final days of the regular 60-day session, which ended March 20. A proposal to legalize retail sales of marijuana, by contrast, has extra time. It was passed in last weeks special session, so the governor has until April 20 to act. As for the regular session, Lujan Grisham has signed 67 bills and vetoed one out of 158 bills sent to her by legislators. Lujan Grisham, a Democrat in her first term, has generally vetoed far fewer bills than her predecessor, Republican Susana Martinez. Democrats hold majorities in both legislative chambers. Mondays approvals include: Senate Bill 140, updating New Mexicos child support laws to avoid the loss of $148 million in federal funding. House Bill 222, establishing an ombudsmans office to investigate and resolve problems with special education. House Bill 29 and Senate Bill 80, prohibiting discrimination in schools based on a students cultural headdress or certain hairstyles, such as braids, cornrows or weaves. House Bill 6, sending an extra $60 million to school districts that have a small tax base because they cover tax-exempt land for Native American communities and military bases. Senate Bill 17, distributing extra funding to certain schools based on a family income index. Senate Bill 32, banning traps, snares and wildlife poisons on public land. Senate Bill 160, extending public financing to District Court candidates. Senate Bill 84, establishing a Community Solar Act. Senate Bill 42, increasing taxpayer contributions to the educator pension system. The person said the footage showed Greenberg and Gaetz entering the agencys Lake Mary office on Primera Drive and Greenberg was seen going through baskets that held drivers licenses turned in by residents for disposal. Greenberg later confirmed that he and Gaetz had been in the office that weekend in text messages to an employee. Head of the Expert Group on COVID Response at China's National Health Commission Liang Wannian, center, answers a question as he sits with colleagues Feng Zijian, right, Tong Yigan, second left, at a press conference addressing the World Health Organization (WHO) report on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, at the National Health Committee in Beijing, China, on March 31, 2021. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) The Many Secrets of the Pandemic Revealed by CCP Experts Commentary Recently, there was a sudden outbreak of COVID-19 in Ruili, Yunnan province, China. To many, the outbreak may not be surprising. The pandemic is resurging around the world, and in mainland China the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can no longer maintain its lie that it is dealing with it well. It is only a matter of time until the Chinese people find out about the CCPs lies. The key is that the Chinese people wont know for sure how great the risk is for them. The resurgence of the pandemic coincides with the recent release of a report on the origin of the virus by a WHO expert team that traveled to China, which has raised even more concerns. This report is endorsed by the CCP, and the conclusions are of little value, as countries around the world should have known much earlier. What the CCP wants is to dismiss the possibility that the virus came from one of its laboratories and to whitewash the origins of the virus, which will naturally lead to questions from other countries. In the face of international skepticism, the CCP has, on the one hand, vigorously denied it and, on the other, ordered its indoctrinated experts to come forward with explanations in an effort to dispel the allegations, not realizing that the vague and ambivalent explanations of the experts have exposed many secrets of the CCP that used to be taboo. Here are just some that were revealed in a press conference of experts on March 31. Unable to Find Origin of Virus Outside Lab On March 31, the CCP held a press conference for Chinese experts, which are part of the WHOs joint international team composed of experts from various countries to track the origin of the virus. The speakers present included Liang Wannian, WHO Joint Expert Team China group leader; Feng Zijian, deputy director of the CCPs Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) and Chinese group leader of epidemiology group of the WHO Joint Expert Team; Tong Yigang, Chinese group leader of the animals and environment group; and Yang Yungui, Chinese group leader of the molecular epidemiology and bioinformatics group. Liang was the keynote speaker at the press conference. Once again, the CCP made it clear to the international community that the previous visit of WHO experts to China was not an investigation into the source of the virus, but only a joint study. The CCP has its own leaders in each group, who have closely controlled the scope and depth of the study, making it of little factual meaning. Coronaviruses with high genetic sequence similarity to the novel coronavirus have been identified in bats and pangolins, but the similarity is not sufficient to make them direct ancestors of the novel coronavirus, Liang said at the press conference. According to Liang, animals such as mink and cats are highly susceptible to the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, suggesting that bats, pangolins, skunks, felines, and other species could be potential natural hosts. The CCP has always denied that the virus came from a laboratory, and has misleadingly claimed that it came from the Wuhan Huanan Seafood Market. However, so far no evidence has been found to prove that the virus originates from animals, which is tantamount to the revelation of its previous lies. That said, Liang still did not give up on the CCPs initial statement by claiming that Huanan Seafood Market is one of the points of the outbreaks of the epidemic, but at the same time the spread may also have occurred in other parts of Wuhan. Liang said that samples collected from the market showed environmental pollution by the CCP virus, with the samples collected from the seafood stalls more evident of this pollution. He said that there was a possibility that the virus may have been introduced through contaminated cold chain products, animals, or animal products from an infected person. He added, however, that large-scale testing of animal products in the market has not found any positive results, and that they had not conducted any relevant tests on cold chain products. Liang rated possible transmission pathways into five levels, from very likely to extremely unlikely. He mentioned three likely ways of zoonotic transmission, which is the direct transmission from animals to humans, transmission from bats to humans through an intermediate host, and introduction through the cold chain and food chain products. The extremely unlikely way, according to Liang, is from the lab. Liang didnt explain the reason for the extreme unlikelihood of the lab, and neither did he provide any evidence that the virus is transmitted through animals or cold chain foods. This only shows that either the members of the expert groups are not professional enough, or that they have not really done enough verification, as it is hard for them to get access to a large quantity of data, so they are not able to draw a conclusion. With such results of the investigation, it is no wonder that Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, is afraid to speak up for the CCP, and he said Beijing had withheld data from the international investigation team following the publication of the China-WTO joint study into the origins the CCP virus. Liang has not been able to present a professional conclusion, and he has betrayed his professional credibility by pandering to the political conclusions of the CCP and rashly denying the lab leak origin. Liang even suggested that, for future study, scientists need to think in a broader context and, in tracing the origin of the virus, there needs to be global research carried out in multiple countries at the same time. He also suggested that relevant studies in various countries should be conducted in a more diversified manner to search for possible animal species that may become the host of the virus. With Liang denying the possibility of the lab leak of the virus and shirking the responsibility to the world in a disguised way, do experts from all over the world want to work with and trust such a person? People came to know more about the origin of the virus only after Liangs press conference explanations. For over a year, the CCP has not been able to provide any evidence to support its claims that the virus originated from animals or from cold chain products. Their public denial of the virus from the lab only serves to increase peoples suspicion that the virus did indeed come from the lab. Acknowledging Large-Scale Transmission of the Virus in December 2019 Liang admitted that some sizable spread of the new coronavirus occurred among the general population in Wuhan in December 2019, with the earliest identified case appearing on Dec. 8, and the earliest case associated with the Huanan Seafood Market appearing on Dec. 12. He said most cases concentrated in the second half of December 2019. This is the first time that a CCP expert has publicly admitted the time of the outbreak to be in December 2019, officially pushing back one month in the timing of the pandemic, deliberately covered up by the CCP, from January 2020 to December 2019. Dr. Peter Ben Embarek, the WHOs head of the investigative team sent to Wuhan, told CNN that his team was presented information of 174 cases in and around Wuhan in December 2019, suggesting there could have been as many as 1,000 infected cases in Wuhan by December. Out of the infected population, about 15 percent end up as severe cases, and the vast majority are mild cases, Embarek said. Embarek added that, from the samples they had obtained, 13 different genetic sequences of the CCP virus were found in Wuhan, and that some of the variants were not from the markets. Destruction of Large Number of Samples Liang said that many biological, product, and environmental samples had not been kept in Wuhan, as the outbreak occurred over a year ago and in the early days there was a lack of understanding of the disease and the virus. What Liang said seems to echo previous claims that the CCP had destroyed a large number of samples in order to hide the virus from the public. The destruction of evidence by the CCP has undoubtedly raised doubts about the true origin of the virus. If the virus really comes from animals and cold-chain food, wouldnt the preservation of these samples provide more evidence? How could the CCP insist on doing the opposite to eliminate the questioning of the outside world? Liang also said, On the other hand, this is a retrospective investigation, and there may be some discrepancies or deviation in peoples memory at the time. Liangs words couldnt convince even the general public. How can you call yourself an expert if you destroy the evidence and then ask the people in question to recall it? The CCP has repeatedly prevented international experts from entering China, which has seriously delayed the scientific investigation, but it now puts the blame on the memories of relevant people. When questioned about the allegations that the CCP didnt provide raw data to the international expert team, Liang said, These assumptions and allegations are untenable. Of course, some data, according to the Chinese law, cannot be taken away or photographed, Liang said. This is to confirm that the WHO experts did indeed not see all the data and that they could not copy it or take it away. He also said, You can hardly imagine our experts, upon arriving at the site, would read each individual case and each individual animal sample, from the original records taken at an early stage, one by one. He added, This is unrealistic and there is no need for this in scientific research. Liang himself denied the completeness of the data and the adequacy of the investigation, saying only: From the current conditions, we are trying to collect all that we should collect. Of course, it must be admitted that it is never possible to say that 100 percent of the data has been collected. He also said that, Our whole conclusion is based on the data we already have. He also said that efforts should be made to locate the origin of the virus. However, he added: If we are not able to achieve the goal in our generation, we still have the next generation, and if not in the next generation, then in our grandchildrens generation. We will make it one day. In short, he has left the task of tracking the origin of the CCP virus to his children and grandchildren. This shows that the CCP has no intention of tracing the true origin of the virus, nor does it have the least intention to cooperate with the international community. The so-called international joint prevention of the pandemic promised by the CCP is a lie. The CCP has created a catastrophe, yet it has shirked its responsibility. Every other country needs to take a careful look at this issue. Liang also said, The [earliest case found based on] the current study is [the one] on Dec. 8, but this case, though found to be the earliest, does not necessarily mean that it is patient zero that we have been tracing. Liang did not dare to admit that there might be even earlier cases, but he did admit that he had not found patient zero, nor had he found a host of animal origin. The explanations made by Chinese experts at the conference revealed their true professionalism and many secrets of the CCP. Zhong Yuan is a researcher focused on Chinas political system, the countrys democratization process, human rights situation, and Chinese citizens livelihood. He began writing commentaries for the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times in 2020. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Newly-elected Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivers the inauguration speech on April 5 afternoon (Photo: VNA) Hanoi The National Assembly (NA) adopted a resolution on the election of Pham Minh Chinh as the Prime Minister for the 2016 2021 tenure on April 5 afternoon. The resolution won over the support of 462 of the 466 legislators present at the sitting, equivalent to 96.25 percent of the total NA deputies, and took effect immediately after the adoption. Earlier, legislators elected the new PM by secret ballot. Pham Minh Chinh, born on December 10, 1958, is a member of the Party Central Committee in the 11th, 12th and 13th tenures, a Politburo member in the 12th and 13th tenures, Secretary of the Party Central Committee in the 12th tenure, Chairman of the Party Central Committees Organisation Commission and head of the committees sub-committee for internal political protection in the 12th tenure, an NA deputy in the 14th tenure, and Chairman of the Vietnam Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group of the 14th NA. Dhaka, April 5 : At least four people were killed after a ferry capsized in the Shitalakkhya river in Bangladesh's Narayanganj district, an official said on Monday. The accident site is about 20 km away from the capital Dhaka. Ershad Hossain, senior duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, told Xinhua news agency that "bodies of four women have so far been retrieved". According to the official, the ferry carrying scores of people capsized after it was hit by another boat in the river at around 6 p.m. on Sunday. "We've come to know that the ferry was carrying about 50 passengers," he said. According to the official, most of the passengers were able to swim ashore after the incident. A rescue vessel has been called in to salvage the ferry, the official said. Ferries are a key means of transport in Bangladesh and most of them are often overcrowded. French combat jet company Dassault paid 1 million euro to an Indian middleman after signing of the India-France agreement in 2016, a French magazine Mediapart report has revealed. Of the entire amount, 508,925 euro was paid under "gifts to clients" head, an investigation into Dassault group's 2017 account books has revealed. As per Mediapart report, the irregularity was first discovered by the sleuths of the French anti-corruption agency, Agence Francaise Anticorruption (AFA), during its scheduled audit of Dassault. The audit report is not open for public access. "The company said the money was used to pay for the manufacture of 50 large replica models of Rafale jets, even though the inspectors were given no proof that these models were made," the Mediapart reported on Sunday evening. The AFA audit report says the amount "seemed disproportionate in relation to all the other entries". The Mediapart report flags concerns over the AFA audit report, saying the matter was not referred to the French prosecution authorities for further probe and legal action. It said the inaction "raises questions over both the justice system and the political authorities". The report says the AFA audit had found that Dassault justified the "larger than usual gift" with a proforma invoice from an Indian company, Defsys Solutions. Both Dassault and Defsys are yet to comment on the controversial French media report. The invoice, dated March 30, 2017, suggests Defsys was paid 50 per cent of an order worth 1,017,850 to make 50 dummy models of Rafale jets, each costing 20,357 euros. Dassault was also not able to back its "gift" claims with substantial evidence regarding the existence of those dummy models and that is why they placed it under the gift category in its accounts. Notably, Defsys is one of Dassault's subcontractors in India, which is linked with controversial businessman Sushen Gupta. Also read: Infographic: What makes Rafale potent? Defsys provides solutions for a variety of defence and aerospace applications. It is a privately held entity that was set up in 2007. Gupta was earlier arrested for his alleged role in AgustaWestland VVIP Chopper scam in March 2019. As per the Enforcement Directorate probe in the AgustaWestland scam, Gupta allegedly devised a money-laundering scheme for the payouts during the purchase of the helicopters. During the time of the audit in October 2018, the French public prosecution services' financial crimes branch, the Parquet National Financier (PNF), had also received a tip in which irregularities were flagged to the authorities, the report adds. Speaking with India Today TV, Mediapart reporter Yann Philippin, who reported the story, said it's the first of his three-part probe on the Rafale jet deal. "The biggest revelations are due for episode 3," he told India Today TV. Also read: We are totally against corruption, ready for any probe, says Dassault CEO on Rafale deal India and France had signed a Rs 59,000 crore deal in 2016, under which Dassault aviation would manufacture 36 Rafale jets for India. India received the first batch of five Rafale aircraft on July 29, 2020, almost four years after it signed the inter-governmental deal. Following this, the second batch of three Rafale jets landed in India on November 3, 2020, and the third batch of another batch of three jets joined the IAF on January 27, 2021. The delivery of all 36 aircraft is likely to be completed by 2022-end. The fourth batch of three Rafale fighter jets landed in Gujarat's Jamnagar on Wednesday, March 31. Fujairah Terminals, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, and Al Mayya Group have signed an agreement to handle the livestock logistics for the annual import of more than a million sheep, goat and cattle into the UAE. Fujairah Terminals will grant Al Mayya Group exclusive rights to service livestock at a specially designated quarantine and berth area situated within its terminal facilities at the Port of Fujairah. Fujairahs strategic location on the UAEs eastern seaboard ensures a much shorter sailing time to and from key destinations including East Africa. The port, situated on the Arabian Sea, lies within 300km of all seven emirates. Thanks to the countrys highly advanced road network, it will easily connect Al Mayya Groups allocated port-side area to its other inland facilities across the UAE. AbdulAziz Al Balooshi, CEO at Fujairah Terminals, said: Fujairah Terminals landmark agreement with Al Mayya Group demonstrates our ability to tailor customer-centric solutions that enable the streamlining and enhancement of global trade. Underscored by the support of the Government and Abu Dhabi Ports advanced technology and handling capabilities, Fujairah Terminals is well equipped to meet the markets increasingly wide spectrum of demands and requirements. As the only multipurpose port on the UAEs eastern seaboard, Fujairah Terminals advanced infrastructure and ultra-modern facilities is ideally placed to readily connect and handle inbound sensitive cargo directly from East Africa, he added. Suliyman Halbouni, CEO, Al Mayya Group, said: Todays agreement with Fujairah Terminals marks a significant step forward in Al Mayya Groups ability to streamline its livestock logistics and improve economies of scale, working closely with our partners to serve the direction and vision of the UAE leadership protocol for regional food security and sustainability. TradeArabia News Service A two-week-old baby boy has died after his pram was hit by a car. A BMW is understood to have been involved in a collision with another car in High Street, Brownhills, before striking the babys pram at around 4pm on Easter Sunday, West Midlands Police said. The baby was being pushed along the pavement by family at the time and suffered serious injuries. Police said he was rushed to hospital but nothing could be done to save him. A relative suffered a shoulder injury but nobody else was injured. Police said the driver left the scene but a 34-year-old man was arrested in Bloxwich shortly afterwards. He has been taken into custody and will be questioned on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Sergeant Mark Crozier, from the collision investigation unit, said: A baby has tragically died and well be doing all we can to support his family during this deeply devastating time. Were in the process of speaking to witnesses and establishing the circumstances around this collision. I would ask anyone who was in the area, and has information which can assist our inquiries, to come forward. We understand the shock this will have caused but I would ask people not to speculate on what happened. Police said they are particularly keen to hear from anyone who was in the area and may have dashcam footage, either before or at the time of the collision. Anyone with information can contact police via FL_COLLISION_INVEST@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk, via Live Chat or by calling 101. It was once destined to be the site of a large new subdivision and, later, home to St. Tammany Parish's tallest building. But after getting caught up in the $1 billion fraud that brought down First NBC Bank, the Wadsworth Estates development near Mandeville is now set to be auctioned off to the highest bidder Thursday by order of the federal bankruptcy court. Wadsworth Estates LLC, owned by Ashton Ryan, the former First NBC Bank CEO who was indicted last summer on multiple counts of bank fraud, was put into bankruptcy in March 2020 by several of Ryan's partners in the proposed development. The 92 acres the corporation owns is part of a larger 161-acre development that has been on the drawing board for more than 20 years. It's located about 6 miles northeast of the Mandeville lakefront, just north of the junction of Interstate 12 and La. 1088 and adjacent to Wadsworth Parkway. The development was at the heart of the alleged conspiracy that the U.S. Attorney's Office has described in multiple indictments over the last three years. Jeffrey Dunlap, a Slidell developer, was the first in the First NBC fraud case to take a plea deal, in fall 2018. He pleaded guilty to conspiring with Ryan to file false documents in order to raise $22 million in loans from the bank so that Dunlap's contracting firm, Phoenix Civil Contractors, could continue to do work for Ryan on the Wadsworth site, even though Ryan wasn't in a position to pay him. The implication was that Ryan was using the bank's money to further his own interests. Several months before pleading guilty to bank fraud, Dunlap had filed a civil lawsuit against Ryan and Warren Treme, Ryan's partner at the time in Wadsworth Estates, claiming the two had stiffed Phoenix for $5.5 million for work at the site from 2009 through 2016. +4 First NBC's former chief, Ashton Ryan, indicted on bank fraud and conspiracy charges Ashton Ryan, who founded First NBC Bank in 2006 as New Orleans clawed its way back from Hurricane Katrina, grew it into a Wall Street darling In the federal case against Treme, who also was charged with bank fraud last summer, prosecutors alleged that Ryan never disclosed to the bank's board of directors that he was involved with Treme in Wadsworth Estates. Such a failure would be a violation of federal banking rules. Treme pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in September. He admitted that he co-owned several companies with Ryan, who he said had arranged millions of dollars in loans for him since 2006, both at Ryan's former employer, First Bank and Trust, and later from First NBC, right up to the time of the latter's collapse in April 2017. The arrangement was a clear conflict of interest and involved filing fraudulent documents, the U.S. attorney has charged. 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 Ryan has consistently maintained his innocence. The Wadsworth Estates project dates back to 2001, when Ryan and Treme, and their partner The Azby Fund, originally got parish approval to build 210 single-family homes and 65 townhouses on most of the land, with a mixed-use commercial complex on 35 acres separately owned by Azby on the I-12 side of the development. Over the next decade, which included the devastating impacts of Hurricane Katrina and the economic setbacks following the financial crisis, there was little progress on the development except for some road-building and other infrastructure, including sewerage and water, electrical, and the creation of a lake. Key figure in First NBC case, who had side dealings with Ashton Ryan, to plead guilty to federal charges The owner of a Slidell construction firm caught up in a federal investigation into First NBC Bank founder Ashton Ryan Jr. is set to plead guil In late 2013, the Wadsworth partners and the Azby Fund then sought and won permission to dump the residential project and instead build a business park on the site, which was to include buildings up to 200 feet tall. That would have been more than twice the height of the St. Tammany Parish government complex in Slidell, which at 72 feet has long been the tallest building on the north shore. The bankruptcy of Wadsworth Estates is actually the culmination of a set of civil lawsuits brought by another of its creditors, Beverly Construction, dating to 2014. Beverly, along with the Azby Fund and First American Bank and Trust, is a senior creditor in the bankruptcy; there are several other secondary creditors. Lawrence Green, CEO of Baton Rouge-based Henderson Auction, said his firm has been appointed to conduct the sale. They have decided to hold a live auction at the Maritime Museum in Madisonville as well as via live links online, in order to create some buzz for the sale, Green said. There is a $10,000 fee to participate in the auction of the Wadsworth Estates lot, which is being handled by Latter & Blum broker Ty Gose. Lunch is being served for those who turn up in person. Slidell contractor at center of First NBC Bank probe charged with conspiracy The owner of a Slidell construction firm caught up in a federal grand jury investigation into First NBC Bank founder Ashton Ryan Jr. was charg The auction was mandated after the property failed to find a buyer on the open market over the last several months, when it was offered at $16 million. Green said that it must be sold Thursday, whether it is for $1 or $10 million or more, under the court-ordered terms. He said it likely will garner interest from potential developers, as it is a rare piece of north shore property that already has government approval for multiuse development. Those interested might include the senior creditors, particularly the Azby Fund, which owns the acreage surrounding the Wadsworth Estates acres and has a long history with the property already, he said. New Delhi, April 6 : The BJP on Monday urged the Election Commission to take action against DMK chief M.K. Stalin for his "false allegations" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The BJP delegation comprising Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, party Secretary Sunil Deodhar, G.V.L. Narasimha Rao and others, submitted a memorandum saying Stalin, in his public address at Jayankondam in Ariyalur, "levelled false allegations against the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister saying: Modi while coming to Dharapuram two days back came with bundles of money bags. He (Modi) gave those bundles in Dharapuram. Tomorrow Amit Shah will be coming. He will also come with bundles of money bags'." The BJP said that these falsehoods and personal allegations and attacks, without any shred of evidence and totally unsubstantiated, are in clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct. "The aforementioned false, baseless and frivolous allegations against BJP's top leadership and the Prime Minister by Stalin are in clear violation of the election code. We request that the video of the address of Stalin be requisitioned from the election observers appointed by the Commission. It is also requested that the Commission may take immediate and exemplary action against Stalin," it said. The BJP also reiterated its request submitted already, for action against Stalin's son Udaynidhi Stalin for "spreading lies and casting false allegations against the Prime Minister for causing the death of former Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text ADVERTISEMENT The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has distanced itself from Mondays attacks on Police and Correctional Service headquarters in Imo. Its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said in a statement issued in Owerri on Monday that the group was formed on the principle of peace and would not compromise its principles. It would also not attack governments facilities, he stated. The attention of IPOB has been drawn to the fallacious and fabricated reports that it is involved in the attack of prison and police headquarters in Imo. IPOB and Eastern Security Network (ESN) are known groups, not unknown gunmen. ESN is in the bush chasing terrorists and have no business with the said attacks. We were not involved in the attack in Owerri and the recent attack on Onitsha-Owerri road at Ukwuorji junction. It is not our mandate to attack security personnel or prison facilities, he stated. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that headquarters of the Police in Imo as well as that of the Correctional Service were attacked at about 2 a.m. on Monday by unknown gunmen. They set hundreds of inmates free from the Correctional Centre and set many vehicles there ablaze. Meanwhile , soldiers have been drafted to secure the Government House in Owerri. The troops already barricaded arterial roads to the facility. (NAN) (Natural News) The Democrat-dominated New York state Senate has passed a bill allowing government officials to throw people in concentration camps indefinitely if they are deemed to be a public health threat. The next phase of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic, the legislation reflects what the Nazis did in World War II when they decided that human rights no longer apply during a crisis. Should the bill get signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, even healthy people who are deemed to be contagious could be scooped up and thrown in prison camps for the safety of the general public. Assembly Bill A416 relates to the removal of cases, contacts and carriers of communicable diseases who are potentially dangerous to the public health, the bill reads. Anyone deemed a case or even just a contact of case who might be infected or possibly a carrier of any illness, not just the Chinese virus, would become a target of government officials in New York who would have leeway and discretion to respond as they see fit. The legislation specifically states that as long as the opinion of the governor dictates that a person is a threat, he or she could be removed from the home and placed in government care for as long as the governor sees fit. Such person or group of persons shall be detained in a medical facility or other appropriate facility or premises designated by the governor or his or her delegee and complying with subdivision five of this section, the bill further reads. Welcome to the New World Order, brought to you by the Chinese virus In essence, AB A416 overrides the Constitution and replaces it with a new system of authoritarianism whereby the government, at least in New York, will now have unlimited power to take people from their homes and deprive them of life and liberty on a whim. All the government would have to do is accuse a person of possibly being infected with a virus and that would justify that persons removal from society. Just think of how many political dissidents might be swept up in this scheme and eliminated under the guise of public health. Perhaps the worst part about the bill is the fact that entire groups of people would be targets merely for being around a person who is accused of being an infection carrier. This bill isnt specifically for those who are known to be infected, explains the NoQreport. It can also apply to groups who are designated as potentially infected. This bill grants the power to the Governor and his czars to declare a wide variety of circumstances to be worthy of indefinite detention, aka quarantine. Say a person is accused of carrying an infection and that person had previously spent time at a local bar or pool hall. Under this new bill, everyone who was inside the bar or pool hall could be picked up and thrown in a concentration camp. This opens the door to indefinite detention, particularly for diseases that remain in ones system for extended periods of time, the NoQreport adds. Covid-19, for example, has been shown to allow infections to persist for over a month after a person is first exposed. Mutated variants of the disease could hypothetically extend their contagious period for much longer. If New Yorkers sit idly by and allow this bill to become law, it will eventually spread to all other states. Be warned, America: The New World Order is here and it is coming for you. More related news about how scary viruses and other threats to public health are now being used to imprison and enslave people can be found at Tyranny.news. Sources for this article include: TheReaderApp.com NoQreport.com NaturalNews.com I didn't start drinking coffee until this past fall. Despite working as a barista for four years, and growing up in a household that takes their coffee by IV, I just never had a taste for it. The last straw that turned my years of coffee-making knowledge into a coffee-drinking routine was starting graduate school. That timing is probably no coincidence. But coffee also entered my life in another way when it became the subject of a year-long research project. My classmates and I decided to focus on coffee for our final project after recalling headlines warning of the death of coffee due to climate change. We were looking for a link between climate stressors and coffee yield, but instead found a complicated political relationship that I decided to investigate further. I remembered back to my cafe days, when there was an emphasis on serving only fair trade coffee. Any frequent caffeinator has likely heard this phraseit is meant to signify top-quality beans, with standards based on social, economic, and environmental criteria. Fair Trade America even has a "climate standard," which is meant to protect farmers in the cooperative from adverse impacts of climate change. Until I went diving deep into coffee production, I still had this heroic notion about fair trade and how it helped coffee farmers. The problem is the system that is meant to ensure fair prices for coffee growers is inaccessible for small-scale farmers. Fair trade certification requires farmers to front a buy-in cost, which is not possible for the poorest coffee farmers, many of whom already run a yearly deficit. Economic studies of fair trade benefits, like this Harvard working paper published last year, find that any potential benefits do not extend to the most disadvantaged farm workers. The idea of a failsafe mechanism to help coffee farmers is enticing, but an economic solution that requires upfront investment is not it. By financially supporting the farms even when the crops fail, the farmers are able to recoup for the following planting season, but limiting access to this option means that climate stress will only further exacerbate inequality. Climate change may not be the death of coffee at my local shop, but it will be an enormous hardship for already struggling farmers. Some farmers have turned away from fair trade to natural climate adaptations. Shade-grown coffee is one approach. By planting a mixture of taller trees around the coffee farms, coffee is less susceptible to harmful climate impacts. The new trees could provide an additional income through crops like bananas or macadamia nuts. There are added ecological benefits of this farming method, as it helps to restore nutrients in depleted soil and provides migratory bird habitat. Shade-grown coffee can even get a certification of its ownbird-friendly coffeewhich helps ensure that coffee farms are helping restore bird biodiversity. Shade-grown coffee, though currently more accessible to poor farmers than fair trade, still requires an initial sink of money to plant new trees alongside their main crops. Sometimes farmers can get their mixed planting subsidized, since these methods promote a more resilient crop. Ecological solutions, compared to economic ones, set up farmers to respond to a changing climate. I fear the collapse of coffee for my own selfish reasons. I enjoy my daily cup of coffee, and I can even make some pretty convincing latte art. Even so, what I stand to lose from coffee collapse pales in comparison to people who grow coffee for a living and are barely scraping by. The climate crisis is hitting agricultural workers hard, and subsidizing sustainable farming practices is more important than ever. For the sake of coffee workers everywherethe joe must go on. Explore further Fungus that eats fungus could help coffee farmers This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu. Jaipur, April 5 : A social worker in Rajasthan is creating a sort of revolution by helping 15,000 women stand on their feet. Lata Kachhawaha of Barmer helped the women in selling their embroidery to foreign clients, earning a global identity in Kashidakari, a traditional form of handicraft which has been passed down through generations. This kind of embroidery is used to decorate shawls, handkerchiefs, bed covers, cushions and bags, among a host of other items. Speaking to IANS, Lata said, "Three decades ago, life in Barmer was quite different as there were very few women working in fields. While there was one woman posted in the Home Guards department, there were two to three widows serving in schools. So bringing out women to fields to work was quite challenging but it was not impossible," she says. "Basically, I was from Jodhpur and had come here after my mother's demise for a change when I was 22. Social work was something which impressed me and hence I joined Magraj Jain who was the founder of Sure (Society to Uplift Rural Economy) as I was instantly inspired by the work he was doing." She said, "We started imparting training to women from Barmer villages in groups counting to 100-150 and 200 and in the next 20 years, this number touched 15,000. These women have been linked to different groups/markets to sell their work and earn a decent living. Our women are now trained in quality maintenance and fixing costs in the international market." In fact, this art has also brought fame and laurels in foreign countries as the products made using this embroidery have been showcased in countries such as Germany, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka in various exhibitions. However, a few decades ago, this embroidery was limited to families and was given as dowry to decorate homes or was gifted to family members. But today, renowned brands such as Fabindia, Ikea, and Rangsutra get a large part of their material from the women of the Meghwal community in Barmer. Narrating the condition of Barmer when she started working, Lata says, "The conditions in Barmer were tough at the time when I came as droughts were regular features. Also there were no roads and transportation and communication in remote areas was a challenge. Further, the biggest issue was water shortage." "We saw how women who were working with their embroidery art were fleeced by a few merchants acting as middlemen who sold kashidakari items in the market, leaving families to receive very little income, mostly Rs 200." Most of these women are adept in kashidakari embroidery and are from the Meghwal community whose families had settled here post the 1971 Indo-Pak war. "So we aimed at preserving and promoting Kashidakari art, while ensuring these women attain financial independence. Hence we started a programme with 224 Pak-oustee women in the town." In 1994, Lata joined hands with designers from National Institute of Design, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and Dastkar to hold workshops and develop over 250 designs in accordance with the fashion trends of the time. "In 1994, we took these women to Delhi Haat which was their first train ride and their experience boosted us to take more big initiatives," she says. "Today, generations of women are involved in this work, and even the daughters of these households are earning as well as being able to study," she says. Lata has been recognised by the Government of Switzerland and felicitated with the International Prize for Women Creativity in Rural Areas, as well as the Mahila Shakti Award and Senior Citizens Service Award by the Rajasthan government. She remembers her mother and says, "She would tell me that while society has many ways to dictate what a woman should or should not do, I should stay focussed enough to carve my own path. She encouraged me to be educated, and I finished my postgraduate degree in law before coming to Barmer. Her words inspired me to ensure that other girls had the opportunity to realise their dreams," she says. Tributes have been paid to an Irish schoolgirl who tragically passed away after falling from a wall in southern Spain last month. Alannah Dunn (16) suffered serious injuries following the 16ft fall in the city of Granada on Friday, March 19. The teenager was a transition year student at Mount Anville secondary school in south Dublin and had been in Spain as part of an exchange programme. She had been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of a neurotrauma hospital in the city but sadly passed away last Thursday. Spanish authorities are carrying out an investigation into the freak accident while the Department of Foreign Affairs are offering consular assistance to her family. Read More Over the weekend Irish dancing groups that Alannah Dunn was involved with paid tribute to the talented dancer. An Coimisiun Le Rinci Gaelacha (CLRG), the largest governing body for Irish dancing worldwide, expressed their sympathies to her family in a statement over the weekend. We are deeply saddened to hear of the sudden and tragic passing of Alannah Dunn, age 16, niece of Deirdre Farrell ADCRG, and granddaughter of Bernadette Chaney Farrell ADCRG. CLRG would like to express our sincerest condolences to all of Alannah's family and friends during this difficult time. Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam, they said. The CLRG Leinster Region said that the talented student was a previous Leinster World Qualifier. It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you of the sad and tragic passing of Alannah Dunn. At only 16 years of age Alannah was unfortunately taken from this life at such a young age after a tragic accident. May she rest in peace, they wrote on Facebook. The Carrickmines teenager is survived by her parents, Caitriona and Martin, her brother and sister, as well as her extended family. Spanish media had reported that Alannah Dunn was returning from a social gathering known as a botellon, near the famous Avellano fountain when the tragedy occurred. Her friends alerted passers-by and emergency services rushed to the scene. Local police are continuing their investigations into the incident and were making enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. It is not known what caused the accident but authorities are investigating whether it was due to the terrain and the fact it was dark. It was reported that two young people were injured in the same area a few weeks previously. It is such an honor to be recognized a 2021 Top Patient Rated Plastic Surgeon. My goal is to help patients look and feel their best and achieve natural, lasting results, says Dr. Maurice Khosh Maurice M. Khosh, M.D., FACS is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in a wide spectrum of cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries. Dr. Khoshs exceptional reviews through reputable online sources have earned this distinguished award from Find Local Doctors. Find Local Doctors is a user-friendly online directory, helping consumers connect with skilled physicians in their area who are well known for their expertise. Dr. Khosh carries a unique set of dual board certifications in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology. He is a highly respected physician who has earned multiple prestigious awards for his advanced technique and beautiful, natural-looking results in cosmetic procedures, such as facelifts, blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty. Dr. Khosh is also widely recognized for his training and specialization in treating breathing issues during rhinoplasty. Additionally, Dr. Khosh offers a wide range of reconstructive procedures to address functional, trauma or cancer-related defects of the face, nose and scalp. Beyond plastic surgery procedures, Dr. Khosh offers a full menu of non-invasive services, including rejuvenation treatments for the eyes, cheeks, lips and neck. He has earned a stellar reputation as one of the best NYC plastic and cosmetic surgeons, providing a compassionate approach and successful results for his patients. It is such an honor to be recognized a 2021 Top Patient Rated Plastic Surgeon. My goal is to help patients look and feel their best and achieve natural, lasting results, says Dr. Maurice Khosh More about Dr. Maurice M. Khosh: Dr. Khosh graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, where he was inducted into the AOA Medical Honors Society. He completed his residency training at Columbia University in New York and then pursued a fellowship in facial plastic surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Khosh returned to New York where he joined the faculty at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center as the director of Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics, prior to moving into private practice. He is academically affiliated with the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons as a clinical assistant professor. He is closely involved with the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (serving on several committees) and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Advising on Board Examination Committee and Continuing Education Committee). In addition to his private practice, Dr. Khosh has collaborated with Michele Rivard, PA, to open Creative Facial Aesthetics. Together they provide excellent patient-centered care, focusing on aesthetics and plastic surgery, with the use of innovative anti-aging technology. For more information on the services offered by Dr. Maurice Khosh, visit his website at http://www.facedoctornyc.com, or contact his office in Manhattan directly at (212) 339-9988. "The Walking Dead's" final season is set to do a twist on a big Michonne comic arc. Gene Page/AMC Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead" comic. "TWD" teasers have hinted at a comic story line featuring Michonne's long lost daughter. Showrunner Angela Kang says they're "planning to do some version of that" story. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The final season of "The Walking Dead" is going to adapt a big moment from the comics. But expect it to have a twist. A teaser for the final season of "TWD" has hinted at a very popular comic story line featuring Michonne's long-lost child, Elodie. On the show, Michonne never had a daughter. Instead, the AMC series gave Michonne a young son who died early in the apocalypse. When asked if viewers may see some version of the popular Michonne/Elodie comic story line adapted to "TWD," but perhaps with another character, showrunner Angela Kang said, "Yes, I think for comic-book fans that definitely means something specific." "We're planning to do some version of that, but, since we don't have Michonne, we'll see what form that takes," Kang added. Danai Gurira, who played fan-favorite Michonne, previously left "TWD" on season 10 of the series. If you're not familiar with the comic story line in question, we'll catch you up to speed. What happens in the comics: Michonne and others are brought back to the Commonwealth where her daughter has lived. "The Walking Dead" season 11 teaser released on March 14 showed brief glimpses of a board with photos. If this was confusing to you when it aired, it meant a LOT to comic fans. AMC Fans recognized it as very similar to something seen in the comics. When Eugene, Michonne, and others first arrived at the Commonwealth in the comics, they come across a massive board filled with photos of missing people. In one of the comic's most surprising moments, Michonne spots a photo of herself on the board. The words, "If you have information please contact Elodie at the bakery" are visible under her name. She's later reunited with her grown-up daughter in an emotional moment. Story continues Michonne learns her daughter is alive after believing her to be dead for years in issue No. 175 of "TWD." Skybound, Image Comics The very same "TWD" teaser juxtaposed the imagery of the missing person's board with a cake, presumably, in a bakery. It looks like "TWD" plans to have someone working at a bakery on "TWD." AMC Who could get the Michonne and Elodie story line? Not Duane. From our conversation with Kang, it doesn't sound like Danai Gurira is coming back anytime soon to "TWD." With Michonne out of the picture, who does that leave to take on this story arc? One recent theory was that the show may somehow bring Morgan Jones' son, Duane, back into the fold. A bottle of whiskey seen on season 10, episode 20 showed a label with the name "Duane Jones" making fans wonder if this was purely an Easter egg or a nod to something more. Father Gabriel and Aaron downed a bottle of whiskey with the label "Duane Jones." Marvel Studios The timing was more suspicious because the episode aired the same night as "TWD" season 11 trailer with the Elodie story line tease. The problem there? Viewers were told Morgan's son died years ago when he was bit by his mother. When Insider asked Kang whether or not the "Duane Jones" bottle was simply an Easter egg or a wink and nod to something to come, Kang said it "was just an Easter egg." "It's not anything to do with something to come." If we're not seeing Morgan Jones' son, who could we see get some version of this story arc? No current "TWD" characters could have a reunion this emotional. They've either all left or have been killed off. Skybound/Image Comics Of the people heading to the Commonwealth, it would make the most sense for Ezekiel or Yumiko to get some grand reveal. Eugene is currently waiting to meet his pen pal Stephanie. We know Margot Bingham was previously cast on the series. Bingham was voicing the character on episodes of season 10, appearing in the show credits. Princess (Paola Lazaro), meanwhile, will likely meet Mercer (Michael James Shaw), the head of the Commonwealth army. In the comics, the two start a relationship. Lazaro recently told Insider she has spoken with Shaw and hopes "to hopefully have some deep scenes with him." Yumiko, Ezekiel, Princess, and Eugene are all currently held captive by the Commonwealth. Jace Downs/AMC Ezekiel is really seeking help and treatment from a medical unit. We learned on season 10 he has thyroid cancer, which has run in his family. If the show is going to make some big reveal with one of the characters, that leaves Yumiko, who the show has never focused on too much. Maybe Connie will wind up being at the Commonwealth somehow and that's how everyone will be reunited with her. It's not as much of a surprising reveal, but it would be a way to reintroduce a missing character. The main reason we think Yumiko could get at least part of Michonne's story arc is because another season 11 teaser showed a gavel in a courtroom. The final season of "TWD" features a courtroom. AMC Before the apocalypse, Yumiko was a criminal defense lawyer. In the comics, Michonne winds up becoming a judge at the Commonwealth. Maybe that role will go to Yumiko. If Connie doesn't get the Elodie reveal, maybe the group discovers some long lost relative to someone connected back in Alexandria or the series finally starts to give us some hints about Rick or Heath's (remember him?) whereabouts with the Civic Republic Military. We'd be shocked if a group as large as the Commonwealth (in the comics they're 50,000 strong) doesn't know about the CRM. The final season of "The Walking Dead" will kick off with eight new episodes on August 22. You can follow along with our "TWD" coverage here. Read the original article on Insider NORMALLY at this time of year, we would be scanning the latest flood forecast. Not this year; southern Manitoba is bone dry. At the moment, a word is being whispered in agricultural circles we havent heard for a while: drought. Opinion NORMALLY at this time of year, we would be scanning the latest flood forecast. Not this year; southern Manitoba is bone dry. At the moment, a word is being whispered in agricultural circles we havent heard for a while: drought. Droughts are a natural phenomenon. We lived through a doozy in the 1930s and another in the early 60s; but not only do the climate models predict that Canada will get hotter faster than the world average, actual measurement has confirmed that we are warming twice as fast. Yes, there is more moisture aloft the water-bearing capacity of the atmosphere increases by seven per cent for every one degree Celsius rise in temperature contributing to flood-producing rain events, causing not only spring flooding but heretofore almost unheard-of widespread summer and fall flooding. But the same climatological forces that are changing because of global warming and that stall storm systems over a particular region can also divert and block that moisture for extended periods. The potential for more intense and prolonged dry spells has already increased and will only continue to do so. There is a growing chorus of advocacy in almost all sectors of society around the world for serious action to combat climate change. This is a good thing a very good thing. The world climate change Conference of the Parties (COP 26) will take place this November in Glasgow; we will see then if action will finally match the talk. But even under the most optimistic scenario, it will take many decades almost certainly beyond the 2050 target for "carbon neutrality," set by Canada and many other industrialized countries, to stabilize world temperature. Since the facts we have today support that assertion, it would be more than prudent to plan for a Prairie future that will see a significant climate shift from the conditions under which our present agricultural practices and infrastructure were developed. Fortunately, Prairie agriculture is a very sophisticated business enterprise, informed by the best scientific and economic expertise. This sector is constantly updating practices to meet new challenges. The old methods that proved disastrous in the 30s are long-gone, replaced by sustainable soil and water conservation. Crops and cropping patterns are changing rapidly in response to the changing climate. We are at least better equipped today to deal with short-term dry spells than we were in the leadup to the Great Depression. Unfortunately, the infrastructure to manage the flow of water on the landscape was configured on an ad-hoc basis over many decades of relatively stable conditions. It will now be called upon to deal with much different conditions, and it will be found wanting, unable to handle greatly increased storm events, or to store sufficient water during periods of extended drought. Farming involves a mix of fixed and variable inputs. The soil is a fixed input we can modify, within limits, with variable factors such as fertilizer and cultivation. Broader topography is fixed; crops are variable. In the early days on the Prairies, water was a fixed input, gifted or withheld by nature, uncontrolled by humankind. Today, our drainage networks, designed with the single purpose of moving water rapidly off the land, and irrigation infrastructure have both introduced elements of control, an input from nature that we can, within limits, manage. Water is not the only necessary input for growing food, but is the one that will be most dramatically affected by a changing climate. If we dont re-engineer our soon-to-be-obsolete water infrastructure to handle more water in wet cycles and store much more water in dry cycles, it will be the limiting input. There are of course many pieces political, social and economic that will have to fall into place if we are to launch such a massive undertaking. Perhaps one of the first is to jettison a widely held view that the agricultural landscape is somehow "unnatural." It has been shaped by living creatures us just as the beaver "creates" its environment and tens of millions of bison shaped the pre-settlement Prairie environment. The laws of nature apply, just as they do in a landfill, a coral reef or your backyard. This is not a clarion call to despoil the environment, but rather a call to build resilience and adaptability into those parts of our environment that we already have altered for our immense benefit, the vast food producing lands that will become ever more vital as climate change impacts agriculture around the world. Nature left to itself is infinitely resilient, but the equilibrium it always seeks pays no heed to humankind. Should we be on the cusp of a drought year, there is little we can do in the short term to store and distribute water; our current infrastructure is just not built for that. But following on several years of improbable flooding, a drought year could be a very loud wakeup call. Norman Brandson was deputy minister of the former Manitoba departments of environment, water stewardship and conservation from 1990 to 2006. BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory message to Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his election as Vietnam's state president. In his message, Xi pointed out that China and Vietnam are socialist neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. Since last year, the two countries have helped each other and together made major achievements in the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, Xi said. With continuous sound development in bilateral relations, the two countries have jointly written a new chapter of China-Vietnam neighborly friendship, Xi said. Noting that the world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, Xi stressed that the China-Vietnam relations and their cause of socialist construction have entered a crucial stage of inheriting the past and ushering in the future. Saying he attaches great importance to the development of China-Vietnam relations, the Chinese president expressed willingness to work with Phuc, guided by building a community with a shared future with strategic significance to both sides, to strive for continuous, fresh and greater achievements in their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and better benefit the two countries and peoples. On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also sent a congratulatory message to Pham Minh Chinh on his election as Vietnamese prime minister. Li said he stands ready to work with his Vietnamese counterpart to steadily promote the synergy of the two countries' development strategies, speed up the construction of a mutually beneficial cooperation paradigm, and make positive contributions to the development of China-Vietnam relations featuring good-neighborly friendship and all-round cooperation. Myanmar anti-junta protesters hold photos of those who died during a protest against the military and offer prayers for them in Yangon, April 5, 2021. At least six people, including an 18-year-old, were killed in 24 hours of crackdowns on civilians by Myanmar security forces, witnesses said Monday, while an online news outlet reported that 10 soldiers died in weekend attacks by citizens in a remote town near the border with India. Security forces in Mandalay burned a tattoo of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi off the arm of a supporter of protests against the military junta that overthrew the countrys elected government, witnesses said. The Irrawaddy, an independent online news outlet, reported that in Tamu, a town in Sagaing region near the border with India, four soldiers died on Sunday when a grenade was thrown into a truck by residents after soldiers had fired on protesters building barricades. The deaths followed the killing of six members of the security forces in Tamu's fire station Friday in an attack led by striking police officer Thang Hou Gin, who died in the attack, The Irrawaddy reported. RFA could not confirm the accounts of the deaths in Tamu, which followed the deaths of four other soldiers on March 26, raising to 14 the number of soldiers killed in the past 10 days in the city of 44,000 people, the news outlet reported. Authorities in Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city, shot and killed teenager Htet Htet Win as she rode with her husband on the back of a motorbike Sunday night, witnesses said. The couple was heading home after work and was shot at about 9 p.m. during a dusk-to-dawn curfew. In the same part of the city, security forces arrested a man and burned tattoos of deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and numeric symbols of the civil disobedience movement from his arms on Sunday, witnesses said. The man, who declined to give his name out of fear, said he had left his house to go for a walk when four soldiers and policemen sitting in the dark pounced on him. Then they forced me to take my shirt off, asked me where I was headed, and why I had the tattoos, he said. When the man told security forces that he had gotten the tattoos free of charge, they said he could not have them, he recounted. So I said I would remove them, but they said theyd do it, and one guy held me while the others scorched the tattoos with a burning car tire, the man told RFA. Myanmar anti-junta protesters burn a Chinese flag in a sign of protest against the China-supported military regime in Yangon, April 5, 2021. Source: Reuters Gunfire in Pinlebu Three civilians were killed by gunfire from military forces in the town of Pinlebu in northwestern Myanmars Sagaing region around 10 p.m. local time Monday, residents said. About 40 soldiers had been firing their weapons since 5 p.m. in the streets of the town, where young people set up barricades at the top of a road to resist the crackdown, they said. The leader of the protest told RFA that a fire broke out near the township general administrator's office, and that tensions on both sides remained high. He also said that troops from the Kawlin military base were joining security forces to quell the protests. Hundreds of people marched through Pinlebu Monday morning in protest against the military regime, according to local residents and social media posts. At least one person was killed and 10 others were injured in clashes between security forces and protesters earlier today. A man was killed and two others wounded in the town when police opened fire on locals who asked for the release of two protesters taken away earlier, witnesses said. One of the three shot in the melee later died of his wounds, they said. Troops and police circled around Pinlebu in trucks and on motorcycles, arresting people on the streets, residents said. An unidentified dead body that showed signs of abuse or torture was dropped off by police Monday morning near Taungpalu village in Sagaing region, residents told RFA. The body had no bullet wounds, but the face was all black and blue, said a volunteer media who saw the corpse. The forearm was broken. Nobody knows who he was, and no claims have been made yet. In Naypyidaw, a 25-year-old Muslim man from Shwe Phi ward was shot in the back and died Sunday afternoon when police opened fire on a group of protesters riding motorcycles. A volunteer team of medics took his body to a nearby hospital. Nine weeks after the Feb. 1 coup, protests continued in several other cities and towns across the country, including Kale, Khin-U, and Kanbalu in Sagaing region; Myingyan and Singu in Mandalay region; Hpakant in Kachin state, Muse in Shan state; Mottama and Paung in Mon state; and Bago, Bagan, and Yangon. Karens dig bomb shelters Ethnic Karens in Hpapun district of eastern Myanmars Kayin state meanwhile are digging bomb shelters in the jungle to protect themselves from aerial attacks by the Myanmar military on villages in territory controlled by the rebel Karen National Union (KNU), citizen videos showed. Myanmars military has recently launched air strikes against the KNU the first such attacks in decades on the ethnic armed organization, which is one of 10 rebel armies that have signed the governments nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA). The aerial attacks have prompted thousands of Karen to flee their villages and seek refuge along the Thai border or inside Thailand, while others have holed up in the jungle. Many ethnic Karens allegedly were forced back to Myanmar after trying to seek refuge in Thailand. Three NCA non-signatory rebel armies issued a statement at the end of March, warning that they might let a temporary cease-fire with Myanmar forces lapse and fight to protect ethnic-minority civilians from government forces. Authorities release civilians Eleven Yangon residents who were detained by authorities after speaking with CNN reporter Clarissa Ward on April 2 were released on Monday, relatives and friends of those detained told RFA. They were freed after the military was questioned by CNN about the arrests, they said. Yin Thet Tin, the relative of one of the detainees, said authorities did not beat the 11 men and women. Ward spoke with the locals at the Sei Maing Gon market in Insein township and at the Mingaladon market in Yangon under the supervision of military minders. But when Ward and her team left, those who talked to her were arrested by soldiers. In a reply to an RFA inquiry, CNN said on April 3 that Ward was visiting Myanmar with the permission of the Myanmar Army and was traveling with military guards. The detainees were released after three days of detention at the Shwepyitha interrogation center, where they refused to answer questions on security grounds about what they had been asked. Authorities on Tuesday also released two Australian citizens who were placed under house arrest soon after the military coup, Reuters news agency reported. Matthew OKane and Christa Avery have been allowed to leave Myanmar without prosecution, the report said. The two were working as business advisers in Yangon and were arrested by police at the airport on March 19. Another Australian, Sean Turnell, an economic adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi, remains under arrest and has been charged under Section 3 of the colonial-era Official Secrets Act. The law created by the British colonial government in 1923 criminalizes the sharing of nearly all kinds of information held by the government. A Myanmar anti-junta protester holds flowers and grey balloons during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon, April 5, 2021. Credit AFP/Anonymous source Security forces raid media outlet Security forces are continuing to target media outlets in an effort to stop the flow of information about the protests and the brutal repression of demonstrators. Armed police and Myanmar soldiers raided the office of The Hakha Post, a news outlet based in Hakha, Chin state, on April 3 and confiscated documents and three computers, according to a witness who declined to be named. On the 3rd at about 11:00 am, they broke down the door and went in and took three computers and some documents, the person said. Nobody was there inside since the office had been closed for about two weeks. Founded in January 2010, The Hakha Post presented news about Chin state in the Hakha Chin dialect and on Facebook. The news outlets editor-in-chief told RFA that The Hakha Post continued to operate for about two weeks after the coup, but later ceased publication of its newspaper and instead published articles on its Facebook page. In early March, the military regime pulled the plug on several independent domestic news outlets, including 7Day News, Mizzima, Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), Myanmar Now, and Khit Thit Media, banning them from publishing, broadcasting, and transmitting messages via social media. Security forces raided the offices of three of the outlets, confiscating computers and office equipment. The Standard Time Daily, Myanmars last independent daily newspaper, stopped publishing in mid-March, citing difficulties in getting news stories during the martial-law period and concerns over the safety of its reporters. As of Monday, 58 journalists had been arrested by authorities since the Feb. 1 coup, with 30 released, two of whom were out on bail. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Thailand-based Myanmar NGO, says that a total of 2,741 people have been detained by the military regime and 543 have been killed. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Guyana is expecting to receive the first 200,000 doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine next week, the country's President Mohamed Irfaan Ali said MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th March, 2021) Guyana is expecting to receive the first 200,000 doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine next week, the country's President Mohamed Irfaan Ali said. "The Government would receive 24,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the WHO's COVAX facility on Monday, and 200,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia on Tuesday. The Government is also working to secure another 200,000 doses of the Sputnik V from Russia," the government said in a statement on Friday, citing Ali. The president added that the vaccination of the adult population would start on Wednesday. "Right now, we are finalising the logistics to bring that 200,000 in. We have established a supply chain. We have established the storage facility. We had meetings with the private sector because we have to bring all the storage capacity together to get this done," Ali said. Guyana was the 33rd country to approve Sputnik V for emergency use. In the meantime, the Russian vaccine has been approved in over 55 countries, becoming the world's second top vaccine in terms of approvals. According to the prestigious medical magazine Lancet, its efficacy stands at 91.6 percent. All three journalists - Ressa, Tice, and Gutierrez-Soto - are past recipients of the Club's John Aubuchon Award the NPC's highest honor for press freedom. Each is still struggling for freedom. Attendees will experience a virtual platform that looks and feels just like a visit to the National Press Club, The World's Leading Professional Organization for Journalists, and can navigate between three main events: A major address by Maria Ressa , who will provide an update on her case in the Philippines , where she faces up to seven years in prison for a conviction on trumped-up charges of "cyber libel." After her remarks she will be in conversation with Jason Rezaian of The Washington Post . , who will provide an update on her case in , where she faces up to seven years in prison for a conviction on trumped-up charges of "cyber libel." After her remarks she will be in conversation with of . A unique perspective on the case of Austin Tice , the Marine veteran and Polk Award-winning journalist that has been held in Syria for more than eight years. Austin's niece Maia who just turned 11 will discuss her memories of her uncle and her advocacy for him in school and her neighborhood. Maia will be interviewed by National Press Club President Lisa Matthews . , the Marine veteran and Polk Award-winning journalist that has been held in for more than eight years. Austin's niece Maia who just turned 11 will discuss her memories of her uncle and her advocacy for him in school and her neighborhood. Maia will be interviewed by National Press Club President . An update on the case of Emilio Gutierrez-Soto , a Mexican journalist driven from his hometown by death threats from the military, which was acting on behalf of cartels. Gutierrez-Soto has been fighting for asylum ever since. He was almost deported in late 2017. Now, with a new administration, there is renewed hope for asylum in this case. Joining in the conversation will be Kathy Kiely of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and Lynette Clemetson of the Knight Wallace Program at the University of Michigan . John Donnelly , Chair of the Club's Press Freedom Team, will moderate the program. Guests are welcome to experience one or all of these programs and may also visit the social lounge for conversation about these cases with NPC members and press freedom advocates from many of our other sponsoring organizations. Registration is free, however donations are encouraged, and will support the National Press Club's ongoing press freedom efforts and activities including offsetting costs of programs like this one. PRESS CONTACT: Lindsay Underwood for the National Press Club; [email protected], (202) 662-7561 SOURCE National Press Club Related Links http://press.org Multiple soldiers who oversee training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma have been suspended from duty following sexual assault accusations from a female trainee. Army officials are investigating claims from a solider who was training at the Oklahoma post who 'reported that she was the victim of sexual assault involving Fort Sill cadre members,' Maj. Gen. Ken Kamper, the army post's commanding general, said in a statement last week. The woman made a formal complaint on March 27, but it is unclear when the alleged assault took place. Kamper's statement did not specify how many soldiers were accused but according to a report from The Intercept, a military official with direct knowledge of the investigation says 22 service members are being investigated for multiple assaults against the trainee. In her complaint, the victim was able to identify at least seven of the soldiers, and she said the alleged incidents at times involved groups of assailtaints, according to The Intercept. Fort Sill in an expansive instillation about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of Oklahoma City Fort Sill houses about 53,000 people, including 20,000 military and civilian staff, and is a prominent artillery training center The Intercept also reports that investigators are looking into a video of an incident of assault involving several drill sergeants that was being passed around the base, a video a US Army spokesperson denied was part of the investigation. Kamper says that the accused were 'suspended from their normal duties, removed from any trainee environment and are all presumed innocent pending a full and thorough investigation.' The assault was 'immediately reported to law enforcement' and is being investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, Kamper said. According to Kamper, the soldier who came forward is 'absolutely safe,' 'We're proud of the courage she displayed in coming forward with these allegations.' he added. Kamper said a full and thorough investigation of the allegations are taking place and that officials are committed to protecting the privacy of the female trainee and the rights of all involved in the investigation. According to a recent report from the Department of Defense , in 2018 over 20,000 service members experienced sexual assault Reports of sexual assault in the U.S. military have steadily been on the rise over the last few years Fort Sill in an expansive instillation about 90 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. It houses about 53,000 people, including 20,000 military and civilian staff, and is a prominent artillery training center. The pervasiveness of sexual harassments and assault in the military became an issue of heightened national concern last year after the killing of Spc. Vanessa Guillen at an Army post in Texas. Army investigators said Guillen, who was 20, was bludgeoned to death at Fort Hood by a fellow soldier who later killed himself. Guillens family has said she was sexually harassed by that soldier, but the Army has said there is no evidence of that. An official told The Intercept that the Oklahoma military base has 'been historically bad' but officials are already 'calling this Fort Hood 2.0'. Its been bad historically but brass is already calling this Fort Hood 2.0, the official said on Thursday evening. It was a dark day at work today. Reports of sexual assault in the U.S. military have steadily been on the rise over the last few years. According to a recent report from the Department of Defense, in 2018 over 20,000 service members experienced sexual assault. When asked if the female trainee's assault was an isolated incident on the post, Kamper said that sexual assault is a national problem, the Lawton Constitution reports. 'When we look at the the Department of Defense, our new secretary's words about the sexual assault and when we look at our Army's commitment over time to root out sexual assault, it hurts our soldiers and families. It's terrible to for unit cohesion and is detrimental to our mission.' he said. By John Burton The recent wave of anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S. has complex roots. It is normally framed in the narrative that Asians have been victims of white supremacy. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act banned Chinese immigrants for 60 years and 120,000 Japanese Americans were put in internment camps during World War II. COVID-19 has added to the scapegoating of Asians, with frequent references by right-wing political leaders, including President Trump, to "kung flu" and the "China virus." Growing anti-China sentiment in the U.S. over trade and national security has helped fuel xenophobia. Hate crimes against Asians, which are defined as anything from shouted racial slurs to unprovoked physical attacks, have risen by 150 percent in the past year, according to one estimate, with nearly 4,000 cases being reported and many of the victims being women. Observers draw parallels with the hate crimes committed against Muslims in the U.S. following the 2001 terrorist attacks and President Trump's ban against Muslim immigrants after he took office in 2017. Less acknowledged is that the attacks also reflect tensions between Asians and other minorities. Black men have been identified as perpetrators in several of the most-publicized assaults caught on camera. One recent academic study concluded that 26 percent of offenders in anti-Asian hate crimes between 1992 and 2014 were non-white. This has led to concerns that Asians are also likely to engage in racial stereotyping that Black communities harbor anti-Asian sentiment because Asians are regarded by many Americans as a "model minority" who are successful and rich. This narrative was amplified during the 1992 riots in Los Angeles that were marked by violent conflicts between Koreans and Blacks and led to the widespread destruction of Korean American businesses. Blacks have also complained that Asians have long displayed racial prejudice against them. One example of the lingering tensions between Asian Americans and Blacks was a recent spat between two American journalists. Alexi McCammond, a young Black journalist, was named recently as the new editor of Teen Vogue magazine, but was forced to resign after it was revealed that she had made anti-Asian remarks on Twitter when she was a high school student a decade ago. Among those criticizing McCammond was Korean American CNN anchor and journalist Amara Walker, who wrote that "these decade-old tweets conjure up profound feelings of marginalization that many of us Asians and Asian Americans feel in our gut each time a stranger mockingly pulls the ends of their eyes up at us or hurls racist or xenophobic slurs." Walker added, "It's not lost on me that McCammond, too, worked as a political journalist of color during a racially charged time in our nation's history. Yet, it's difficult to see her as an ally when her past views perpetuated stereotypes and hate against one racial group." But Asian American rights campaigners, such as those in the San Francisco Bay area where many of the attacks have taken place, argue that Asians and Blacks can find common ground in resisting the racism to which they have both been subjected. There are also questions whether some of the attacks on ethnic Asians amount to hate crimes. Some of the assailants were homeless men with mental problems. This issue of intent has also been raised in regard to the young white man who killed six Asian women, of whom four were Korean, at massage parlors in Atlanta last month. The lack of evidence whether the attacks amounted to hate crimes has not stopped some from claiming they are the result of anti-Asian prejudice. Whether such assumptions are right or wrong reflects the fact there is little data that accurately keeps track of hate crimes against Asians in the U.S., since it is up to local police departments to determine whether that is the case and many do not follow federal guidelines. Another problem is that Asian immigrants may be reluctant to report hate crimes to the police because they are illegally in the country or cannot speak English well. Nonetheless, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that hate crimes against Asians are increasing in the U.S. Some worry that this trend will likely rise as the political rhetoric against China as a national security threat to the U.S. becomes harsher and affects American perceptions of Asians. This should concern Korean Americans and not just Chinese Americans since they also run the risk of becoming targets of racist acts in cases of mistaken identity of their national background. In 1982, during the height of the auto trade war with Japan, for example, a Chinese American man was beaten to death in Detroit because his attackers thought he was Japanese. Marilyn Strickland, the new Black Korean congresswoman from Washington State, summed up the situation best: "Words matter. Leadership matters." John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant. Students wait to cross the street at Tomken Road Middle School as Ontario prepares for its third province wide lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mississauga, Ont., on April 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette A diamond engagement ring may be the most important purchase you ever makebut its importance also makes it nerve-wracking! And sites that are great for one person may not offer anything that appeals to another. In this post, I'll share the best online jewelry stores for all types of engagement rings. Here's what you need to know about top jewelry websites, from the best value to the best for diamonds! Best Online Jewelry Stores: First Look The best online jewelry stores for you will depend on what you're looking for. However, from fine jewelry to fashion jewelry, quality retailers have a few things in common. Top jewelry shops offer a wide selection, an easy ordering process, and great customer service. 1. James Allen - Best Online Jewelry Store Overall Pros Wide variety of options Perfect choice for fine jewelry Selection of price points Lifetime warranty Cons International orders may pay customs Custom orders take 1-3 weeks For engagement and wedding rings, James Allen offers a wide variety of custom and pre-designed pieces. They show their designed pieces online with a 360-degree view. I found their handmade Danhov collection, which is delicate and whimsical, particularly appealing. If you're looking for a unique piece, you can create your own ring using their "Design Your Own Ring" process. However, keep in mind that custom orders may take several weeks to create. 2. Monica Vinader - Best Jewelry Gifts Pros Variety of fashion jewelry Uses ethical suppliers Includes import duties in price Cons Warranty expires after five years No solitaire options When you're looking to give jewelry as a gift, Monica Vinader blends fashion and fine jewelry perfectly for pieces that can be worn either casually or more formally. While diamond selections are limited, the site offers a wide selection of stones, including amazonite and moonstone. Read descriptions carefully, as some items are only gold plated (or silver plated) instead of solid gold. The Signature collection offers both wedding and engagement bands at reasonable prices ($85-$295). I found the rings' unique flat-topped look and stackability attractive. 3. Kobelli - Best Unique Fine Jewelry Pros Offers one-of-a-kind pieces Selection of financing offers Donates 1% to charity Cons Lifetime warranty is limited Returns within 30 days only Kobelli provides a wide selection of diamond rings. Their "One of a Kind" rings are particularly appealing for those proposing marriage or who just want a unique gift. Note, however, that if you custom-order a ring, your purchase may only be partially refundable, or not refundable at all. All of Kobelli's rings are conflict-free, meaning that none of the diamonds were mined or used in financing civil wars. In addition, they donate 1% of the purchase price to a charity of your choice, at no cost to you. 4. Whiteflash - Best Online Diamonds Pros In-stock Ideal Diamonds Developer of A CUT ABOVE Super Ideal Diamonds Lifetime 100% Trade-up Benefit Authorized reseller of top Designer Brands Cons 10-day return on virtual selection (30 days on In-stock Diamonds) No lifetime warranty Whiteflash offers a wide selection of fully vetted AGS Ideal diamonds: these are diamonds rated ideal by the American Gem Society Laboratory. The expert jewelers on the site provide extensive guides to help you make your jewelry purchase from among this high-quality selection. Because top-quality diamonds are at the center of Whiteflash's selection, you are able to purchase the diamond separately from settings and have the piece made to order. For example, I found their Benchmark Collection of rings to be classically beautiful and reasonably priced. However, it is important to note when the listed price does not include the center diamond. 5. Yadav - Best Diamond Jewelry Sets Pros Wide diamond selection Lifetime guarantee Lifetime upgrades Cons Choices can be overwhelming for new buyers Returns only within 30 days No returns on customized pieces When your gift includes not only a diamond ring but also diamond earrings, a necklace, and/or a bracelet, Yadav is your best bet. You can sort diamonds according to shape, color, clarity, cut, carats, and price using the "Create Your Own" line for a set that matches or as complementary pieces, like earrings and a ring. However, if you don't know much about diamonds, this choice can be overwhelming, and customized pieces can't be returned. For new buyers, pre-designed pieces are your best bet. 6. PR Jewel - Best Quality Costume Jewelry Pros Low price points Hundreds of options Free shipping with $20+ order Cons Lacks real stones 14-day returns Only exchanges defective items Cubic zirconia (CZ) is the traditional costume option for diamonds. PR Jewel has hundreds of CZ rings in silver sterling, gold, and rose gold settings. Prices start at less than $5 and go to $30+. However, keep in mind that these aren't real diamonds. Furthermore, the return policy is strict; returns must take place within two weeks. In addition, you won't be able to exchange items unless they're broken or otherwise defective. 7. Angara - Best for Inexpensive Traditional Jewelry Pros Hundreds of ring options Lifetime warranty Free shipping and returns Cons 30-day return policy Enhanced warranty costs extra Item prices vary by options When you picture a traditional diamond ring, chances are that you're imagining an item that Angara carries. From eternity bands to solitaire rings, Angara's online diamond ring selections start at $99. Be careful as you select an item, however, as some options add significantly to the cost. In my favorite line, "Love Naturally," for example, the blue sapphire and diamond twisted vine ring starts at $919 but can go as high as $10,809, depending on options. 8. LilyFair - Best Cheap Online Fashion Jewelry Pros Highly unique pieces Low price points 45-day returns Cons Lacks real gems Free shipping starts at $50+ No returns on custom designs When you want a cheap diamond-like ring in a fashionable setting, LilyFair has a variety of unique pieces. These include finger cuffs, ring sets, and dangling rings. These kinds of statement pieces catch the eye and start at less than $10. However, keep in mind that LilyFair does not offer real diamonds. Instead, their pieces feature rhinestones or cubic zirconia. For a fun, non-traditional approach to an engagement ring, though, you may find the right piece in their Bridal collection! 9. Rockford Collection - Best Place to Buy Men's Jewelry Pros Specialist in men's rings Lifetime warranty Risk-free sample ring Cons 14-day refund policy $150 restocking fee on returns $150-350 fee on exchanges Diamond rings aren't just for women. At Rockford, you can find a wedding ring for a man featuring high-quality metals and stones. Featured in GQ and Esquire, these wedding rings avoid the delicacy associated with women's rings, taking on a heavier masculine aesthetic instead. I found their black diamond bands especially striking. However, Rockford's refund and exchange policy is strict. Make returns within two weeks; you'll pay a $150 fee. That fee may go up to $350 for exchanges. 10. Stella & Dot - Best Everyday Rings Pros Wide selection of wearable pieces Low price points Delicate and statement items Cons No fine jewelry rings Cash refund only within 30 days Purchase policies through Ambassadors vary If you want the engagement ring you buy to be an affordable, everyday piece, Stella & Dot offers a selection of rings starting at $32. While they do not feature real diamonds, rings like the Elina feature CZ that also shine brilliantly. Stella & Dot sells both directly to consumers online and through their brand Ambassadors. Their online store has a set policy on refunds and exchanges. However, if you buy through an Ambassador's Trunk Show, you will need to negotiate the return or exchange with them directly. 11. Blue Nile - Best Minimal Jewelry Pros 20+ years' experience Ethically-sourced, GIA-graded diamonds Dozens of lab-grown diamond options Cons Financing only through store credit card Returns only within 30 days Separate return process for $2,000+ If you want a minimalist, classic piece, Blue Nile has hundreds of ring options to choose from. I found their Lightbox lab pieces particularly appealing for this aesthetic. Items in this line have a simple elegance to them. Purchasing more expensive pieces through Blue Nile can be tricky, as their only financing option is their own credit card. In addition, if you need to return a piece that costs more than $2,000, you'll have to call their customer service line first. 12. Littman Jewelers - Best Affordable Luxury Jewelry Pros Low price point Whimsical designs 60-day return policy Cons Lower quality diamonds on cheaper items Special orders in-store only Jewelry repairs in-store only If you want to buy a diamond ring but don't have thousands to spend, Littman offers a selection of designs at low price points. For example, their Diamond Accented Cat Fashion Ring in Sterling Silver is currently on sale for $75 (originally $100) and features a cluster of real diamonds. However, diamond quality varies. The cat ring, for example, features diamonds of only 0.05 carats, which are very small. Higher-quality and larger diamonds on the site cost significantly moreup to $16,150 for a ring featuring 6-ct stones. 13. Kay Jewelers - Best Gold Jewelry Pros More than 1,000 gold rings Three types of gold Outlet options Cons Complex financing options Repair guarantee for six months only Warranty inspection required every six months If you have your heart set on a gold ring, Kay is the best choice. They have hundreds of white gold, rose gold, and yellow gold rings. These include 10k gold, 14k gold, and 18k gold, with a choice of solid gold and gold-plated wedding bands and engagement rings. Keep in mind that a Kay ring is an investment. While they do offer a warranty, this takes some commitment on your part: you will need to bring your ring into a store every six months to keep it covered. 14. Zales - Best Silver Jewelry Brand Pros 4,000+ silver rings Wide variety of prices Outlet options Cons Complex financing choices Repair guarantee for six months only Warranty inspection required every six months If you have a silver engagement ring in mind, Zales is the first place you should look. Their nearly 5,000 silver rings start at under $50 and go to $1,999, giving you budget options as well as more luxurious choices. As with some other sites that offer both online and in-store purchases, Zales' warranties require that you bring your item in every six months for inspection. While this keeps it covered, it can also be a hassle, so ensure you are ready to make this commitment. Buying Guide for Engagement Rings Why Should I Buy Jewelry Online? Buying jewelry on the internet gives you the chance to see a huge variety of items. You can comparison shop rings with different metals, settings, and stone qualities, ensuring that you get the best price. Online jewelry shopping is already likely to give you a better price than an in-store purchase. Brick and mortar jewelry stores have to pay rent or a mortgage as well as staff, making their overhead costs much higher. These charges are then reflected in prices. In addition, many people prefer buying jewelry online because the shopping experience is more relaxed. There are no salespeople pressuring you to make a purchase, as there can be in a jewelry store; you can do it at your own time and in your own way. There's no pressure at an online store to add earrings to your purchase if you only came in for a ring! How Should I Choose the Best Online Jewelry Store for Me? First, determine what you want to buy. This can be general, from "a gold engagement ring" to "costume diamond jewelry" or "earrings and ring set." Then, skim the above categories to see our recommendations for each product category. Next, set a budget. This may limit your quality options, so determine which is more important to you: quality or price. Finally, look at customer reviews and store policies. It's important to keep policies like returns, customer service hotlines, and money-back guarantees in mind, particularly if you're purchasing jewelry for somebody else. How Can I Save Money Buying Jewelry Online? The best way to save money on online jewelry purchases is to comparison shop. When you find an item you like, don't automatically buy it. Instead, look on other sites to see if there are comparable items at lower prices. You can also look for coupon codes to reduce the price of your purchase. Many online retailers also offer a percentage discount at certain times of the year or when you sign up for their newsletter, so keep an eye on pop-up ads on each site. Keep in mind that your jewelry can also be an investment that you can sell at a later time. Where Can I Buy Diamond Engagement Rings Online? A wide selection of online retailers offer diamond or diamond-like engagement rings, including those listed above. Pay close attention to cheaper sites, however, as rings may be rhinestone or cubic zirconia (costume) instead of real diamonds. When you're just getting started with diamond jewelry, whether this is a ring or earrings, James Allen is a good beginning point. You can play around with a variety of options to discover what you want. The Best Online Jewelry Stores: Takeaways Buying an engagement ring, particularly a diamond one, is a huge investmentand an important one. These trustworthy sites, particularly: James Allen, Monica Vinader, and Whiteflash are your best options for finding ethically sourced diamonds and beautiful rings with customer-friendly policies to ensure you don't regret your purchase. Have you bought a diamond ring or other diamond pieces, like earrings from online jewelry stores before? What does your jewelry look like? [April 05, 2021] Ricoh unveils Return to Work Security Services to address security and safety needs in physical workplaces EXTON, Pa., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricoh USA, Inc. today announced RICOH Return to Work Security Services to help organizations get back to physical workspaces with proper safety and security measures in place. Return to Work Security Services combine consulting, technology and services to address potential obstacles and adjust to the "new normal" associated with returning to onsite work environments. It empowers organizations with technologies and services to use as part of a holistic approach of addressing their specific COVID-19 policies, processes and business objectives in the face of the pandemic and beyond for longer-term business continuity planning. Return to Work Security Services simplifies the complexities associated with returning to in-person work by empowering organizations to select the technologies and services they need with the agility to adapt to their unique environment as part of their individual plans to return to a physical workspace. Return to Work Security Services can become part of a smarter and safer employee or visitor experience from entrance to exit, allowing customers to utilize: Kiosk-based access screening at employee, visitor, warehouse and plant entrances to facilitate company policies such as wellness screens, automated temperature checks, mask compliance and hand sanitizing minimizing the need for human contact. Personnel density and physical distancing analysis and planning tools to reserve and modify the availability of reservable spaces, such as socially distanced desks, common rooms, warehouse spaces or occupancy-limited meeting rooms to accommodate social distancing protocols based on state and local mandates and compliance requirements determined by the customer. Access to analysis and materials that cstomers may incorporate into their own customized training, adoption and improvement programs and practices to reduce the risk of non-compliance, and access to past visitor logs for quick assessments, all allowing for proactive management of return-to-work challenges. Steven Burger , Vice President, Technology Innovation & New Business Development, Ricoh USA , Inc. "Business continuity measures such as taking preventative screening and distancing measures will remain paramount for the foreseeable future. Return to Work Security Services takes a common-sense, comprehensive approach to addressing the changes necessary for returning to the physical workplace so organizations can focus on recovery, growth and the future." Capturing the key attributes of users' most pressing return-to-work policies and processes, Ricoh's offering is customized for the specific needs of each customer with data-driven optimization and change management support. Ricoh also provides insights for improvements based on regular review of data analytics that customers may use as part of ongoing compliance programs and as they continue to refine their COVID-19 policies and practices. This latest service complements Ricoh's existing offerings that address safety needs such as RICOH Intelligent Voice Control, Workplace & Facilities Management Services and more. For more information on RICOH Return to Work Security Services, click here. For more information about Ricoh, click here, or follow the company's social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. | About Ricoh | Ricoh is empowering digital workplaces using innovative technologies and services enabling individuals to work smarter. For more than 80 years, Ricoh has been driving innovation and is a leading provider of document management solutions, IT services, communications services, commercial and industrial printing, digital cameras, and industrial systems. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in approximately 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ended March 2020, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,008 billion yen (approx. 18.5 billion USD). For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com. 2021 Ricoh USA, Inc. All rights reserved. All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ricoh-unveils-return-to-work-security-services-to-address-security-and-safety-needs-in-physical-workplaces-301262060.html SOURCE Ricoh USA, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 05, 2021] Jace Announces Data Center Audit Services PHOENIX, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jace Audit announces the launch of its Data Center Inventory and Audit offering. Led by industry veteran Greg Stenberg, who has spent over 25 years in DC buildouts, migrations, and global technology transfers, the timing comes on the precipice of major shifts due to pandemic outfalls as well as major shifts in computing allocations. Stenberg comments that "data center assets require one-time and continuous inventories for a myriad of reasons. M&A activities, divestitures, and shifts to cloud environments all contribute to the necessity of assessing one of an organization's most capital intensive resources." The IT Asset Management segment includes the providers of DCIM solutions which encompass a myriad of software products to monitor and optimize data center space, power, cooling, and carbon emissions. The foundation of every DCIM implementation is an initial inventory collection. Nlyte Software, Sunbird, Device42 and Trellis represent just a sampling of theDCIM companies that rely on a foundational asset inventory to successfully deploy their software solutions. The Federal Government alone has over 12,000 data centers with many that are mandated to comply with The Federal Government Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI) Mandate. Inventory will remain an extremely important service that Jace is positioned to provide. "With more stringent Regulatory Standards and focus on energy reduction, our knowledge of the DCIM industry allows our clients to accelerate meeting compliance mandates and targets." Adds Greg. Jace performs onsite audits and inventories and is also able to provide continuous asset management services through its all US-based services group. With white glove treatment by technical professionals who can accommodate even the most unusual challenges, Jace focuses only on inventory related services. Jace Audit performs on site services and has strict policies to protect both employees and customers from exposure to COVID 19. All Jace personnel are fully trained and tested on protecting themselves and others. Jace also requires all clients to provide COVID policies prior to any on site activities. For more information, visit www.JaceAudit.com or call 480-604-7694. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jace-announces-data-center-audit-services-301261626.html SOURCE Jace Audit [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Jamie Chung took a stand against anti-Asian racism as she attended the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. The Lovecraft Country actress, 37, carried a 'Stop Asian Hate' clutch and wore a dress in the symbolic color of red as she posed before a fire house in New York City on Sunday. 'In some Asian cultures, the color red symbolizes joy, luck and happiness. In Korean culture it symbolizes creation, passion and power. I'm so proud of my history and heritage,' Jamie wrote on her Instagram account. Making a statement: Jamie Chung took a stand against anti-Asian racism as she attended the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday Jamie looked fantastic in a plunging red dress with matching strappy heels. She worked a head full of long, loose waves that were coiffed by hairstylist Peter Butler using products from Leonor Greyl, and a perfectly done up complexion with a radiant hue of blush and pink eye shadow. 'We wanted to do classic American girl roller-set style: bouncy, full, healthy hair. Like 1980s Calvin Klein, but a modern version where the ends are softer, less curled,' Peter said of Jamie's 'do, revealing he achieved the look using the Leonor Greyl Eclat Naturel, to ensure her locks looked 'super healthy'. Jamie was the picture of confidence as she posed in front of an actual fire truck. The star couldn't have looked any happier as she beamed with joy ahead of the ritzy Hollywood event. Red hot: Jamie looked fantastic in a plunging red dress with matching strappy heels Say cheese! The actress beamed with joy beside the fire house Jamie stars opposite Jurnee Smolett and Jonathan Majors in the horror drama series Lovecraft Country. The critically-acclaimed series is up for two awards this evening: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series and Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy Or Drama Series. The series is just one of many being recognized this evening at the 2021 awards show. This year's SAG Awards will celebrate the best of their craft with a pre-taped ceremony airing on Sunday, April 4th 2021. Critically-acclaimed: Jamie stars opposite Jurnee Smolett and Jonathan Majors in the horror drama series Lovecraft Country Facing the unique challenges of a pandemic-era awards show, SAG-AFTRA's awards committee decided against a Zoom-heavy affair in lieu of pre-produced pieces and top-secret acceptance speeches shot ahead of time. Instead of entertaining an audience, the 2021 SAGs will honor nominees with a series of docu-series style segments in a nod to their traditional 'I Am An Actor' segments which usually open the show. Viola Davis, Riz Ahmed, Cynthia Erivo, Sterling K. Brown, Dan Levy, Rita Moreno, Common and Daisy Ridley are just some of the stars that are confirmed for the hour-long show, which will take place without a host. 'I can't wait to see all of the pieces come together, I think this is going to be really lovely,' actor and SAG awards committee member Elizabeth McLaughlin told ABC of Sunday's ceremony, which will air on TNT and TBS. Evolutionary ecology theory offers avenues to anticipate the future behavior of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pathogen. The repeated emergence of more infectious and possibly more virulent variants of SARS-CoV-2 shows that the virus is adapting under selective pressure. Although there has been a lot of discussion on how biodiversity-related events facilitate zoonosis, the role of the globally connected human population in driving the rapid evolution of the virus has not been sufficiently acknowledged. Analyzing the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 by tracking the mutations of the virus worldwide A team of researchers from Saudi Arabia and Spain recently quantified the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 by tracking the mutations of the virus globally, focusing on the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viruss spike protein, which determines its infectivity. In this study, the researchers used macroscopic considerations of evolutionary ecology theory to offer insights into SARS-CoV-2s current and future evolution. They first analyzed the rise of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 and their relationship to infection in humans. They also provided evidence of the rates and ways of selection driving SARS-CoV-2 evolution and, based on this evidence, discussed the expected outcomes and the best defense tactics. The researchers focused the analysis on mutations at the 194 amino-acid receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 based on raw sequenced genomes from GISAID identifying mutations and Mutation Fingerprints (MF), available through their in-house platform COVID-19 virus Mutation Tracker. They defined each set of SARS-CoV-2 genomes generating the same amino acid sequence in the RBD region of the spike protein as a unique RBD variant. The study is published on the preprint server, bioRxiv*. Results show three new RBD variants produced every day and doubling of RBD variants every 71.67 days The study estimated that by March 1, 2021, a total of 384 million people were infected by SARS-CoV-2, producing up to 1021 copies of the organism, with one new RBD variant emerging for every 600,000 infections. This results in about three new effective RBD variants produced every day, which means doubling of RBD variants every 71.67 days and selection of the most infective viral variants that challenge human defenses. This demands a shift to proactive rather than reactive measures, suggest the researchers. Our analysis provides evidence for extraordinarily rapid evolution and selection of SARS-CoV-2, with the number of unique RBD variants currently doubling every 71.67 days, which has clearly reached a full speed in the Red Queen race, risking outpacing that of human defenses. The rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines, thanks to the unprecedented collaboration between scientists worldwide, has been hailed as the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. It surely is the beginning of a new phase of continuous development of new and universal vaccines, which calls for sustained global collaboration. Novel and diverse vaccines will be the best tools to prevent the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 from outpacing human defenses in this race to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzing global genomic data about the COVID-19 pandemic using supercomputers may help gain a better understanding of viral evolutionary processes The study provides evidence for the extraordinarily rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2, with the number of unique RBD variants doubling every 71.67 days outpacing human defenses. In silico analyses of the efficacy of currently available vaccines against potential RBD variants are yet to be carried out. The development of new and more effective vaccines against such variants will help overtake SARS-CoV-2 in this evolutionary race, as the current reactive and catch-up tactics to vaccines are risky. Artificial Intelligence may further help analyze the immunogenicity of all the nonsynonymous variations across described and predicted SARS-CoV-2 sequences to generate a blueprint for effective vaccine development. We also have a massive amount of global genomic data available about the COVID-19 pandemic at a level unprecedented in human pandemic history. Analyzing them using supercomputers will help gain a better understanding of viral evolutionary processes needed to predict potential future evolutionary pathways for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. *Important Notice bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. The First Lady was pictured disembarking a plane from California on Thursday, when she wore a black jacket, an above-the-knee skirt, and patterned tights First Lady Jill Biden inadvertently started an all-out Twitter war over the weekend after donning a pair of patterned tights that sparked a bitter debate between her critics and supporters. The 69-year-old arrived back in Washington, D.C. on Thursday night following a trip to California, and was pictured stepping off her plane at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland wearing a black jacket, above-the-knee black skirt, black heeled boots, and a bold pair of tights featuring a criss-cross pattern. Her legwear quickly drew the eyes of multiple online critics - who slammed her tights as 'trashy' and 'embarrassing', while accusing the professor of being 'too old' to wear such a bold look. Under fire: Jill Biden's patterned tights sparked outrage among critics on social media, with some branding the 69-year-old's ensemble 'trashy' and 'embarrassing' Hitting back: The First Lady's supporters fired back at the criticism, insisting the tights - which she wore when returning to D.C. from California on Thursday - were 'bold' and 'on trend' Debut: Jill was first pictured wearing the tights when she arrived at Meadows Field Airport in California earlier in the day 'I think Jill B has the holidays confused. She must think it's Halloween. What is she 70? Either way she's much too old for fishnets & stilleto booties,' one person wrote. 'Madonna called and wants her trashy look back, Doc,' another Twitter user added. A number of people compared her to popstar Madonna, with one writing: 'Good Lord, she looks like Madonna's grandmother.' One Twitter user joked that Jill looked as though she had been shopping at youth-focused fast fashion retailer Forever 21, writing: 'Hey Jill Biden. Its not called Forever61 for a reason. Forever21 needs a cut off date!!' 'For an additional $29.99 Jill Biden could have accessorized her Halloween costume with the optional broom,' another added. Several conservative Twitter users also seized upon the opportunity to heap praise on Jill's predecessor Melania Trump, insisting that the 50-year-old would have looked much better in the patterned tights. 'FLOTUS is too ancient to rock fishnets,' one person wrote. 'Melania definitely has the legs for them not crusty old Jill Biden.' Another added: 'Jill Biden is just too old to be wearing fishnets. Its gross. But Melania on the other hand would rock them.' A third chimed in: 'Its not JUST the fishnets. Its the whole mess. A miniskirt? All black? Not too springy. The outfit is ugly for a woman of any age. No one pays attention to #Flotus anyway. The only thing Ive seen are people still talking about #Melania.' The criticism sparked outrage among Jill's supporters however, many of whom were quick to fire back and praise the First Lady's 'bold' ensemble - while pointing out that she was wearing 'patterned tights' and not 'fishnets' as some tweets incorrectly stated. Controversy: Some conservative Twitter users hit out at Jill, while comparing her to her 50-year-old predecessor Melania Trump - insisting she would have been able to 'rock' the tights Upset: Some compared Jill's ensemble to a 'Halloween costume' while others said she looked 'trashy' and 'embarrassing' 'She is wonderful, you are jealous,' one wrote, while another added: 'There is no such thing as age appropriate.' 'Can't believe all the fuss about Jill Biden's tights. In 2021 ffs,' a third person commented. Many people took the chance to take aim at Jill's conservative critics, comparing the backlash against the First Lady's ensemble to the outrage over a tan suit worn by Barack Obama in 2014, and sleeveless dresses donned by his wife Michelle. 'Jill Biden wore patterned tights (not fishnets, BTW) & conservatives lose their minds. Ivanka wears them all the time and they consider her a paragon of style. And let's not even get started on what Melania does - or doesn't wear. This is Jill's tan suit moment,' one person said. 'Michelle Obama upset them in a sleeveless sheath dress and Barack Obama upset them in a tan suit,' another wrote. 'So now they upset about Jill Biden and her cute ensemble with her patterned tights and ankle boots. She looked very chic.' Former President Obama was slammed by critics in August 2014 after he wore a tan suit to a news conference while discussing the crises in Iraq and Ukraine, with some insisting that the summer-centric ensemble was 'inappropriate' for such a serious event. Meanwhile his wife Michelle faced outrage back in 2009 when she donned a black sleeveless sheath dress for her first official portrait as First Lady, with critics claiming it was too 'informal' for such an official picture. During her flight back from California - before she revealed her controversial outfit at Andrews Air Force Base - Jill played an entertaining April Fools prank on her staff, Secret Service, and reporters traveling with her by dressing up as a flight attendant and serving ice cream bars on the plane. As food was being served to the press pool, a flight attendant with short black hair wearing a black pantsuit, black face mask and a name badge reading Jasmine walked through the staff, Secret Service and press cabins passing out Dove ice cream bars. Defense: Jill's supporters hit back at her critics, insisting that the First Lady 'rocked' the look, and insisting she can 'wear what she wants' Pattern? Others compared the outrage over her tights to critics who slammed Barack Obama for wearing a tan suit, and blasted his wife Michelle's sleeveless dresses A few minutes later her senior advisor, Anthony Bernal, and her press secretary, Michael LaRosa, came back to the press cabin laughing. Jill then reappeared in the press section, without her wig, and announced: 'April Fools!' Bernal and LaRosa reassured the pool they were just as surprised when 'Jasmine' revealed her true identity to them. The First Lady was 'visibly pleased with her prank', the reporters noted. And it is not the first time that the teacher has set out to raise a smile. 'I've always believed you've got to steal the joyful moments when you can,' she wrote in her memoir, explaining her love of practical jokes. 'Life is difficult, and if you sit around waiting for fun to show up, you'll find yourself going without it more often than not.' In her book 'Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself', published in May 2019, Jill tells how she once climbed into the overhead compartment on a plane, and jumped out to surprise people. 'The White House is a serious place, with serious people, doing serious work,' Biden wrote. 'If you're not careful, it can grind you down.' She then tells how she pranked the team on her plane on a flight to California, during Barack Obama's first term. Uproar: In 2009, Michelle Obama was slammed for wearing a sleeveless dress in her first portrait as First Lady, while Barack was blasted over his tan suit in 2014 Trickster: During the flight, Jill played an April Fools joke on her staff, Secret Service, and press who traveled with her by dressing up as a flight attendant and serving ice cream 'I had arrived at Joint Base Andrews early, coming straight from teaching my classes, and was the first one there,' she wrote. 'As I boarded Air Force Two, I looked around and had an idea. 'The overhead bins were small, but I knew if I scrunched up enough, I could cram myself into one.' She then climbed up on a chair, before stepping onto a table and pulling herself into the bin. Jill said she thought to herself: 'Finally, my ballet barre classes were paying off.' A naval aide helped give Jill a final boost and pulled the compartment's door down. 'When the first person opened the bin to stow his roller bag, I popped halfway out and screamed, 'Boo!' though it was hard to get it out through my laughter,' Jill recalled. 'Still, my surprise had the intended effect: this poor soul let out a high-pitched shriek and stumbled backward into his seat, a look of utter shock on his face.' She also told of pulling a prank on her husband, on Valentine's Day in 2009. Jill jogged two miles from the Vice President's residence to the White House and, while he was in a meeting, she snuck into his office with the help of his assistant and painted 'big multicolored hearts all over his windows for Valentine's Day.' She wrote: 'When he walked into the office accompanied by a senator later that morning, I wasn't there to see his reaction, but I know he was both delighted and embarrassed.' Christine Fedouchik Portera had been trying to get a COVID-19 vaccine for her uncle, a Staples employee, when she came across a Facebook group of volunteers booking appointments. Portera, a Bloomingdale resident, messaged Stephanie Hoyt, the groups creator and an active volunteer, about securing an appointment for her uncle. Hoyt replied yes, saying shed see what she could find. Not even 24 hours (later), she got an appointment for my uncle the very next day, Portera told NJ Advance Media. I was like holy sh**. Hoyt also secured appointments for Porteras sister, who has Tourettes syndrome and an intellectual disability, and her husband, who was initially reluctant to get the vaccine. Portera attributed the convenience of Hoyts service as a major reason her husband changed his mind. Hoyt started the group, called New Jersey Covid Vaccine Volunteers, about three weeks ago after struggling to secure appointments for her family members. She was eventually successful, after receiving tips and becoming friendly with other volunteers online. Along with two other volunteers, Hoyt, 28, decided to start a volunteer group to combine their efforts and help more people. The group has grown to about 115 volunteers, with people spanning all ages, locations, and careers. Everyone from tech-savvy high school seniors to 65-year-old women to finance employees are volunteers in the group, united by the same larger goal. Were all tackling the same issue, Hoyt, a training and communications specialist for a medical technology company, said. We just want to get these shots in peoples arms. She has personally booked more than 100 appointments, while the group has secured more than 600 appointments in total for people. The sites all differ, she said, but volunteers have become adept at figuring out the system. Living in Ramsey, Hoyt has become familiar with the sites in Bergen County. Some places drop appointments in the late afternoon, while others release them close to midnight. Some are posted throughout the day with alerts on Twitter, while others drop early in the morning Hoyt once woke up to schedule a CVS appointment at 4:45 a.m. Once released, the appointments go quickly, so volunteers remain ready with the necessary information at their disposal. I think the sites like to keep us on our toes, Hoyt, who books appointments in addition to her full-time job, said. Nothings ever consistent. People interested in the groups help can either call, email, or fill out their Google Form, which is available in both English and Spanish. The form inputs information directly into a spreadsheet, which volunteers can access while making appointments. Volunteers try not to include personal identifying information on the spreadsheetlike date of birth and address so they will individually call or email the requestor for that information while making an appointment, Hoyt said. But other important information like contact info, health conditions, available dates, and how far they can potentially travel is included on the sheet. The free service is available to eligible New Jersey residents. Hoyt, who has received one vaccine dose herself and is awaiting a second dose, said people are often grateful for the groups help in securing appointments, after getting frustrated themselves. She majored in international business in school and said shes always been decently tech-savvy, but there has been a new aspect shes learned throughout this process. I was not prepared for the customer service aspect of it, she said, so that is a new skill I can definitely say I have learned with it. Eligible New Jersey residents interested in the groups service to secure an appointment can call 973-957-2359 (a Google Voice number), email NJCovidVaccineVolunteers@gmail.com, or fill out the Google Form, available here. Portera, whose uncle, sister, and husband secured vaccines through the groups service, said the volunteers have uncomplicated the process. Theyve made this so easy. Its groups like this and people like Stephanie, she said, (who) make you realize that theres still good in the world. Theres still good out there. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Photo courtesy of the Brookfield Library / BROOKFIELD The library will be hosting a virtual event to meet native Connecticut painter Kimberly B. Edwards on April 19, according to a press release. The event will take place over Zoom at 7 p.m. As India recorded the highest single-day rise of 103,000 new Covid-19 cases, the Centre has convened another round of meetings with chief ministers and state health ministers over the next three days amid growing calls on Monday to open up the vaccination drive against the disease to all age groups. Prime Minister will interact with chief ministers on Thursday to discuss the Covid-19 situation and the ongoing vaccination drive, sources said. It was for the first time on Monday that Covid infections jumped by over one lakh since the first case was detected in the country on January 30 last year. The prime minister's last interaction with chief ministers was on March 17 during which he had expressed concern over the rise in Covid-19 cases in parts of the country and called for "quick and decisive" steps to check the "emerging second peak". Union Health Minister will on Tuesday hold a meeting with health ministers of 11 states that have been witnessing a surge in cases to review the situation there. The 11 states are Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. The daily rise in Covid-19 cases in India crossed the grim milestone of one lakh from 20,000 infections in just 25 days, unlike last year when it took 76 days for daily cases to reach the then peak of 97,894 on September 17, reflecting the speed at which the virus is spreading. India recorded an all-time highof 1,03,558single day new coronavirusinfections pushingthe nationwide tally to1,25,89,067, according to the Union Health Ministry data on Monday.The death toll increased to1,65,101 with 478 daily new fatalities, it said. Besides imposing fresh curbs over the last few days, several states including Maharashtra, Punjab and Delhi have announced closure of schools or suspended classes briefly till the Covid-19 situation is further reviewed. While a few states like Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu have announced closure of schools for an indefinite period, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab among others have suspended classes for a brief period. Schools have been directed to impart education through online classes. Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 57,074 (55.11 per cent). It is followed by Chhattisgarh with 5,250 while Karnataka reported 4,553 new cases. Eight states including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab have shown a steep rise in the daily new cases accounting for81.90 per centof the new cases reported in a span of 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said. The daily rise in cases fell below 30,000 since December 14 (27,071) and the lowest daily increase of 8,635 infections was reported on February 2 this year. India'stotal active caseload has reached 7,41,830 andnow comprises 5.89 per centof the country's total infection whilethe national Covid-19 recovery ratehas further dropped to 92.80 per cent, the data showed. A net increase of 50,233 cases has been recorded in the total active caseload in a span of 24 hours, it added. With Delhi witnessing a surge in cases, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Modi requesting him to relax the norms for opening vaccination centres and lift the age criterion for getting inoculated. States like Karnataka, Punjab and Rajasthan have earlier batted for expanding the vaccination drive to cover all age groups. At present, only people above 45 years of age are eligible to receive the Covid vaccine. Kejriwal reiterated that the Delhi government can vaccinate all the residents of the city within three months if necessary permissions are granted by the Centre. Delhi recorded 4,033 Covid cases on Sunday. On Monday, it registered 3,548 new cases. "The increased transmission of Corona across the country has presented a new concern and challenge, we will have to move the vaccination campaign more rapidly," Kejriwal wrote to the prime minister. "If the rules for opening new centres are simplified and everyone is allowed to vaccinate, then the Delhi government will be able to vaccinate all Delhi residents in three months, Delhi government is fully prepared for it," he said. According to the Centre's instructions, vaccination centres can be set up only at hospitals or dispensaries. "It is, therefore, requested that this condition be removed so that vaccination centres can be set up on large scale at schools, community centres, and other places. Delhi government will ensure that all necessary precautions are taken," he said. Further, he said vaccine should be made available to everyone by removing the age limit of 45 years and above. Health Minister Satyendar Jain said Delhi is witnessing a fourth wave of the pandemic and the testing capacity has been ramped up while micro-containment zones were being created where two or more cases are being reported. The Mumbai Police issued prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC banning the assembly of five or more people at public places in the city from 7 am to 8 pm from Monday to Friday till April 30. Mumbai had reported the highest 11,163 cases in a day on Sunday. The order also imposed a night curfew on weekdays and a strict lockdown on weekends beginning from 8 pm on Friday till 7 am on Monday. In Madhya Pradesh, a state health official said that Covid-19 cases rose "abnormally" after March 14, adding the positivity rate jumped from 1.1 per cent in January end to 10.4 per cent in the last seven days. He said the cases grew "drastically" compared to the "first peak" seen in September last year. "The case positivity rate which was just 1.1 per cent (per 100 tests) during January-end climbed to 10.4 per cent in the last seven days. The number of cases grew abnormally high after March 14. The cases rose by around 15 per cent compared to February," Mohammed Suleman, Additional Chief Secretary, Health, said in Bhopal. He said MP had recorded the highest number of 2,607 cases in a day on September 19, 2020, which was thought to be the highest peak. "However, we are reporting more than 3,300 cases now (in a day)." According to the WHO, the positivity rate should ideally remain below five per cent, he added. A new line of products bursting with benefits to treat bumps and breakouts, slow hair regrowth and groom bolder brows. With everything you need for pre- and post-wax care, building your "between" routine is Easy as EWC. The line of thirty products was formulated to amplify a personal routine that will help guests get to the bottom of their individual skin care concerns and needs. No topic is off limits - ingrown hairs, skin irritation and regrowth of hair are a few concerns EWC tackles. European Wax Center wants to ensure all guests are able to feel safe and heard while discussing their skincare needs or goals in-center or at home. No matter how you decide to remove unwanted hair, this line of at-home products will enhance your personal care routine and help promote self-confidence. "We're extremely proud of the new look and innovation we're introducing to guests with our four exclusive pre- and post-wax care collections. Our team went through years of extensive research and testing to ensure we developed a line of products driven by clinically tested results that can easily be incorporated into guests' daily routines," said Chris Kobus, Chief Experience Officer of European Wax Center. The EWC line is divided into four solution-based collections to help consumers find the product that is right for their specific skincare needs. EWC TREAT : Offers products built to prevent ingrown hairs with Powerful, targeted formulas that work to banish bumps for lasting smoothness. The category includes European Wax Center's fan favorites, Ingrown Hair Serum, Ingrown Hair Wipes, Face & Body Exfoliating Gel, and new Post-Wax Calming Mask. Designed to keep skin calm and smooth between waxes the Post-Wax Calming Mask is perfectly sized for use on the bikini line, underarms or chin area. : Offers products built to prevent ingrown hairs with Powerful, targeted formulas that work to banish bumps for lasting smoothness. The category includes European Wax Center's fan favorites, Ingrown Hair Serum, Ingrown Hair Wipes, Face & Body Exfoliating Gel, and Post-Wax Calming Mask. Designed to keep skin calm and smooth between waxes the Post-Wax Calming Mask is perfectly sized for use on the bikini line, underarms or chin area. EWC SLOW : Offers multi-benefit body care that helps visibly reduce hair thickness and regrowth between waxes with an exclusive naturally derived hair growth minimizing technology. The category includes four new fragrance options including Aloe, Shea, Coconut, and for the first time a Fragrance Free option, each including a three step daily body care system. Additionally, the Aloe line also includes the new aluminum free hair growth minimizing Deodorant. : Offers multi-benefit body care that helps visibly reduce hair thickness and regrowth between waxes with an exclusive naturally derived hair growth minimizing technology. 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SOURCE European Wax Center Related Links https://waxcenter.com [April 05, 2021] This Saves Lives Launches at Sam's Club to Help Children in Need Locally and Abroad This Saves Lives, a delicious snack brand on a mission to end severe acute malnutrition in children, is now available at Sam's Club online and in store for a limited time. Together, Sam's Club and This Saves Lives created a special 20 count box, featuring two top-selling flavors, Madagascar Vanilla Almond & Honey and Dark Chocolate & Cherry snack bars for only $17.48, and for the first time ever, both brands will be making a huge impact by giving in two special ways. As part of the Sam's Club "Fight Hunger. Spark Change" campaign, every box of This Saves Lives purchased from April 5 - May 3, will help send life-saving food to children suffering from severe acute malnutrition through This Saves Lives' global program*, while also helping to secure five meals** to Feeding America to support local food banks in the communities where purchases are made. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005228/en/ This Saves Lives special 20 count box sold at Sam's Club. (Photo: Business Wire) The impact of COVID-19 on children worldwide is incredibly substantial - every 11 seconds, a child dies due to severe acute malnutrition, and this number has more than doubled because of the pandemic. In America, 13 million children may face hunger as a result of the pandemic. The partnership between This Saves Lives, Sam's Club and Feeding America will increase awareness around the significant needs of children throughout the world, including those here at home, and inspire consumers to get involved in making a difference in the lives of people who need it most. Each purchase will make a direct impact on helping children and their families in the U.S. and around the globe. "This is a really special partnership between Sam's Club, Feeding America, and give back brands like This Saves Lives," said Kristen Bell, This Saves Lives co-founder and actor. "For each purchase, five meals will be given to food banks right in your community. These are baby steps we can take that add up to a big impact. Kind acts, multiplied a million times over." The "Fight Hunger. Spark Change" initiative has been running for the past seven years in support of the Feeding America network of local food banks. Together, suppliers, customers, members and the public have helped secure over one billion meals** for people who are facing hunger in America. This Saves Lives has focused on children with severe acute malnutrition globally. Now, through this unique partnership, the brands are working together to make an even bigger impact. "Sam's Club is excited to work with This Saves Lives to not only support children locally, but to provide children abroad with life-saving food," said Clint Gill, Senior Vice President and General Merchandise Manager, Sam's Club. "We're passionate about providing food to families across the country who need it most, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic hascreated a need for food assistance unlike any other, so it felt natural to join forces with This Saves Lives to make a larger impact across the globe." To shop the limited-edition This Saves Lives 20-pack, visit www.samsclub.com/thissaveslives. To learn more about This Saves Lives, visit www.ThisSavesLives.com, and to learn more about the Sam's Club Fight Hunger. Spark Change campaign, visit www.SamsClub.com/FightHunger. About This Saves Lives This Saves Lives is a delicious snack brand on a mission to end severe acute malnutrition in children. Every single purchase sends life-saving food to a child in need. Co-founders Kristen Bell, Ryan Devlin, Todd Grinnell, and Ravi Patel launched This Saves Lives with a simple motto, "Buy A Bar. Feed A Child. We Eat Together." Now with more than just bars, its snacks contain premium ingredients and are non-GMO, gluten-free, and kosher. Through a unique impact model, This Saves Lives has been able to increase its impact on severe acute malnutrition while revolutionizing the way private companies drive change in the world. The company has sold enough to donate more than 27 million life-saving packets of food for children in need, and this is just the beginning. Products are available in retail stores nationwide, including Starbucks, Target (News - Alert) , Whole Foods, and on amazon.com. Learn more at @thisbar and www.thissaveslives.com. About Sam's Club Sam's Club, a division of Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products, savings and services to millions of members in nearly 600 clubs in the U.S., including Puerto Rico. Now in its 38th year, Sam's Club continues to redefine warehouse shopping with its highly curated assortment of high-quality fresh food and Member's Mark items, in addition to market leading technologies and services like Scan & Go, Club Pickup and home delivery service in select markets. To learn more about Sam's Club, visit the Sam's Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com, and interact with Sam's Club on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. About Feeding America Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 40 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. * This Saves Lives partners with its giving partners to send nutritional aid to children suffering from severe acute malnutrition around the world. This Saves Lives has helped children in South Sudan, Haiti, Ethiopia, the DRC, Somalia, India, Guatemala, Mexico, and the Philippines. Its current primary giving partner is Action Against Hunger, and their efforts are currently focused mainly in Somalia, South Sudan, and Kenya. ** For each purchase of participating This Saves Lives products at Sam's Club from April 5- May 3, 2021, This Saves Lives will donate the monetary equivalent of at least 5 meals ($0.50) to Feeding America. $1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks. Visit SamsClub.com/FightHunger for details. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005228/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] In this advertisement photo from Dec. 13, 2005, a model shows LG Electronics' "chocolate phone," which had become a major hit. Yonhap LG Electronics said Monday it will withdraw from the mobile business after years of money-losing performance amid intensifying competition with bigger rivals. The South Korean tech powerhouse said in a regulatory filing that its mobile communications (MC) unit will no longer produce and sell handsets after July 31, citing its long slump and fierce competition in the industry. The decision came two months after the company said its MC division is open to "all possibilities" for its future operations. LG's mobile business has been in the red since the second quarter of 2015. Its accumulated operating losses reached 5 trillion won (US$4.4 billion) last year. LG, once the world's third-largest handset maker, reportedly had talks with Vingroup of Vietnam and Volkswagen of Germany to sell the mobile business, but the talks fell through, according to industry insiders. LG said its exit from the mobile business will lead to a decline in revenue for the company in the short term but will eventually improve its financial status and management efficiency in the longer period. Analysts said that LG's operating profit could go up by 1 trillion won this year if it withdraws from the loss-making mobile business. LG Electronics' new smartphone with a rollable display is introduced during a press conference at the CES 2021, Jan. 11. Courtesy of LG Electronics A new publication from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Marine Mammal Research Program (DISL) examines how bridge-building and in-water construction activities may affect manatees and other large aquatic species. The article, which was recently published in The Journal of Wildlife Management, addresses the direct causes of injury and death and the longer-term, cumulative impacts on manatees and their habitats. Some issues associated with construction activity include possible entanglement in barriers such as booms and siltation screens, loss of important habitats such as seagrass beds, and increased vessel activity near construction sites. "Boat strikes are a major cause of manatee deaths, and increased presence of boats and barges in construction zones puts manatees at greater risk in these areas," stated lead author and manager of DISL's Manatee Sighting Network, Elizabeth Hieb. "Increased noise in construction areas can also mask the sound of approaching vessels, making it more difficult for manatees to avoid collisions," added Hieb. DISL's new publication also reviews best practices to reduce the negative effects of construction on aquatic species. DISL researchers hope their work can be used to better understand and reduce the scope of risks associated with the construction of bridges, marinas, boat launches, and other infrastructure. Manatees may be particularly vulnerable in areas along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast where less is known about their abundance and distribution. Data collected by DISL's Manatee Sighting Network since 2007 suggest that more manatees are seasonally migrating from Florida to Alabama and nearby waters in recent years. Construction projects planned in Mobile Bay, such as the expansion of the I-10 Bayway and deepening and widening of the Mobile Bay ship channel will benefit from the data and other information compiled in this timely review. "This is not just an issue in Alabama or the U.S., but also globally," said Hieb. "More and more people are living in coastal areas where large species like manatees, dolphins, turtles, and fish also live, so manatees are a great model species for understanding how construction may affect many different species." ### Lt. Col. Michael Hastings of Mechanicville, an Afghan war veteran, assumed command of the New York Army National Guards 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion during a ceremony at Camp Smith Training Site, Peekskill, Orange County. The battalion, headquartered in Yonkers, has elements in Orangeburg and Peekskill. Hastings leads soldiers who specialize in handling satellite communications for military units over vast areas of operation. The unit has deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. Hastings replaced Lt. Col. Ian Seagriff, who has led the battalion for the past four years. Col. Seth Morgulas, commander of the 369th Sustainment Brigade, presided over the change-of-command ceremony and welcomed Hastings to his new command. Hastings recently returned from a deployment to the Middle East with the 42nd Infantry Division, where he served as the division's chief information officer. He was responsible for the design, operation, and security of tactical and strategic communications networks that reached throughout the region in support of 10,000 soldiers assigned to Task Force Spartan Shield in the Central Command area, including Kuwait. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps while attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2001. Hastings earned a master's in business administration in technology and management from RPI and is a certified informations Ssystems security professional. After a break in service he joined the New York Army National Guard in 2009. Hastings has served as a battalion mortar platoon leader and rifle company executive officer, as New York National Guard Joint Force Headquarters information systems plans office and 42nd Infantry Division information systems tactical headquarters officer-in-charge. He deployed to Afghanistan from 2012 to 2013 with the 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion, where he served as officer-in-charge of network operations and information assurance officer. The commander is a graduate of the Army's Infantry Officer Basic Course, Air Assault Course, Signal Captain Career Course, and the Army Command and General Staff College. He has earned a Meritorious Service Medal. As a civilian, he has worked as vice president in Information Technology, Cyber Security and Risk Management at Bank of America and Berkshire Bank Corp. He now works full-time as a technician for the Army National Guard where he serves as branch chief of Network Operations. Honor Flights pause Patriot and Leatherstocking Honor Flights of the Capital Region out of Albany International Airport as well as Hudson Valley Honor Flight out of Stewart International Airport have received word from the National Honor Flight all flights have been suspended through Aug. 15 due to COVID-19. The Honor Flights fly World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans for a free one-day excursion for visits to World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War memorials as well as historic sites in Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Va. The National Honor Flight board of directors suspended the flights due to the continued uncertainty with regard to COVID-19 and related issues. The board will meet to discuss possible future flights and other issues in April. Once the board gives an all clear for resumption of flights, a comprehensive set of standard operating procedures that all hubs must follow will be issued. NEW DELHI: The US Trade Representative in its latest report on Foreign Trade Barriers released on March 31 has underscored major trade barriers to American exports, foreign direct investment and e-commerce. Duties have been increased across two large groups: Labour-intensive products and electronics and communication devices, such as cell phones, televisions, and related parts and components. This comes days after the USTR proposed a retaliatory trade action of up to 25% tariffs on basmati rice, seafoods and gold against India for imposing equalisation levy on certain American companies. This report has been issued by Joe Biden Administration's newly appointed USTR, Katherine Tai who replaced Ambassador Robert Lighthizer after Donald Trump lost the election last year. It has found India's trade policies discriminatory which creates both tariff and non-tariff-barriers and poses a threat to US trade and imports to India. Trade barriers include government laws, regulations and policies. Earlier in January 2021, USTR had found India's Equalisation Levy as discriminatory and unreasonable, creating a significant new tax burden for the US companies and/or restricting US commerce -- forcing them to undertake costly compliance measures. US companies across the board have complained that the latest interpretation means that even merchandise trade will be subject to Equalisation Levy. The new interpretation is increasing nervousness and fear of tax terrorism, due to the retrospective impact of such levy, even further. Nepal grants emergency approval to the Chinese Vero Cell Covid-19 vaccine Lebanon wants discussions with Syria over emerging maritime border disputes Vietnam National Assembly elects Nguyen Xuan Phuc as New President Footage has surfaced of Married At First Sight groom Jason Engler using a homophobic slur against his bisexual co-star Liam Cooper and calling him 'ugly' and 'chubby' - as Liam's own 'wife' Georgia Fairweather laughs in the background. In the two-minute video obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Jason, 35, calls Liam, 29, a 'full-blown homosexual' - even though he has made it clear he is attracted to both women and men - and ridicules him for 'not going to the gym'. The clip also features Georgia - Liam's partner on the Channel Nine show - and fellow MAFS star Johnny Balbuziente, who giggle along with a visibly drunk Jason. The video was filmed and uploaded to Georgia's Instagram account in November as she, Jason and Johnny were catching up Brisbane. Jason's hurtful comments were made three days before Liam and Georgia filmed their final vows - which are yet to air on TV - and all but confirm the couple's split. 'Full-blown homosexual': Footage has surfaced of Married At First Sight star Jason Engler (pictured) insulting his bisexual co-star Liam Cooper and calling him 'ugly' and 'chubby' Slurs: Liam's own 'wife' Georgia Fairweather (left) laughs in the background as Jason (right) calls her 'husband' a 'full-blown homosexual' - even though Liam has made it clear he is attracted to both women and men The video begins with Jason - who is shirtless, wearing two pairs of sunglasses and holding a glass of white wine - saying: 'Cheers to everyone. Can I just say one thing right now? 'He is not one hundred and ten per cent anymore I wouldn't give a s**t anymore, because we're free and we're going to run amok in Brisbane.' Georgia can be heard saying off camera: 'Jason, tell them what you're talking about.' Spoiler alert: Jason's (left) hurtful comments were made three days before Liam and Georgia filmed their final vows - which are yet to air on TV - and all but confirm the couple's split. Liam and Georgia are pictured right on their wedding day 'Can I say Georgia's husband, a**, w**ker, I can't remember what his name is - Liam - is 110 per cent and is a wanker and Georgia is better than him.' 'He's ugly, fat, and he is chubby,' Jason continues. 'I'm by the pool and just want to say Georgia's husband is full-blown homosexual. He is ugly and chubby and doesn't go to the gym.' Insults: 'Can I say Georgia's husband, a**, w**ker, I can't remember what his name is - Liam - is 110 per cent and is a wanker and Georgia is better than him,' Jason rambles Hurtful: Jason says, 'Georgia's husband is full-blown homosexual. He is ugly and chubby and doesn't go to the gym.' Meanwhile, fellow MAFS star Johnny Balbuziente (right) urges Jason not to post the video, and Georgia is heard laughing Johnny, who is a musical theatre actor, also says, 'You're bi-what? bisexual?' referring to Liam being openly bisexual. Jason adds: 'He hasn't gone to the gym in 64 years. Georgia is way hotter than him and he is batting way above his average. 'She can't wait to say "shut your mouth and get out of here you chubby little w**ker" in a couple of days [at the final vows] and that's all I have to say about that.' Regrettable comments: 'He hasn't gone to the gym in 64 years. Georgia is way hotter than him and he is batting way above his average,' Jason continues Should know better: Johnny (pictured), who is a musical theatre actor, also says, 'You're bi-what? bisexual?' referring to Liam being openly bisexual Johnny then urges Jason not to post the video, before Georgia is heard laughing as the footage abruptly ends. A source close to Liam told Daily Mail Australia he felt 'absolutely betrayed and heartbroken' after watching the footage. Liam is understood to have kept quiet about the video until he was reunited with his castmates at the Married At First Sight reunion in February. Heartbroken: A source close to Liam told Daily Mail Australia he felt 'absolutely betrayed and heartbroken' after watching the footage 'He called Jason, Georgia and Johnny out at the reunion because it was disgusting, but they didn't own up to their actions,' the source said. 'They didn't say it wasn't okay or believe they did anything wrong Georgia and Johnny have LGBTQI family and friends but not one of them stopped Jason. 'How would Johnny's family feel if he heard that Johnny didn't stop this? Georgia's best mate who attended their wedding as a bridesmaid is also a gay man.' Confronted: Liam is set to confront Jason, Georgia and Johnny about the video at the reunion The source also revealed the video took a significant toll on Liam, who has 'struggled mentally' and 'lost a lot of weight' because of it. Jason has since apologised for what he said in the video, after he was approached for comment. 'I would like to sincerely apologise for my comments in regards to a fellow MAFS participant's sexuality,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'After a few too many drinks I made some inappropriate remarks that I am ashamed of and greatly regret. I will learn from this and try to become a better person from this experience.' Liam, Georgia and Johnny have also been contacted for comment. Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine By Nam Sang-so All humans have five fingers on each hand. Everyone has eyes, ears, a nose and a mouth at about the same locations on our faces. But there are no two humans that are completely identical. There are tall, plump people, and there are short, slim people. There are those with white, black, or brown skin. In our heterogeneous human societies, everyone is different. All living things on Earth have evolved to suit their environments. Humans have also transformed to adapt to the changing natural conditions around us, keeping our ten fingers until today. Unlike schools of fish, however, humans should never attempt to standardize ourselves. Rather, humans have found that heterogeneous, incoherent or muddled societies give us far better chances of surviving and of producing our next generations. Nevertheless, sometimes human brains get lazy and attempt to simplify complex matters. Humans may attempt to create one standard mindset or body, give that a value of "average," and refer to it as "normal." Rather than a garbled society, these human brains seem to find a society that swims together on the same course, just like a school of fish, more beautiful. For example, countries such as North Korea and China like to show off uniformly marching soldiers during reviews of troops. They may believe that collective institutions like the military can treat human beings just like a single combine harvester handles crops, cutting down all the plants at the same time. It must seem easy to them to cut down, thresh and package these crops all at once. Then there is the notion of the "melting pot." This notion can refer to the process by which a heterogeneous society becomes more integrated and homogeneous. However, there is also the alternative way to think of the concept: as a homogeneous society that becomes more heterogeneous through the influx of different, new elements. This notion is often used to describe the cultural integration of immigrants in the United States. "They've been attacked, blamed, scapegoated and harassed. They've been verbally assaulted, killed. Documented incidents of hate against Asian Americans have seen a skyrocketing," U.S. President Joe Biden stated in a recent press conference held in Atlanta. These remarks came after a deadly shooting spree at three spas in Atlanta and Cherokee County, Georgia, that left eight people dead, six of them women of Asian descent. "For the last year we've had people in positions of incredible power scapegoating Asian Americans Harm against any one of us is a harm against all of us. The President and I will not be silent," Vice President Kamala Harris remarked at the press conference. Living things are all incoherent, garbled. Each life is different and survives in its own way. We find our values by being independent and unique from others. Unfortunately, a large number of humans do not want to accept differences. Sadly, these people attempt to standardize humans, as if to pack the same, single crop of vegetables, uniformly into one package, in the stubborn belief that this process is "normal." In particular, we architects should spend more time investigating how our work does not duplicate any of these existing, homogenizing structures. The writer (sangsonam@gmail.com) is a retired architect/engineer. Posted Friday, April 2, 2021 8:08 am Charles Ferguson was born June 29, 1916, at a home up the Lewis River Valley at home by Dr Hoffmann. He was the third son born to James and Edith Ferguson. Life back at that time would be considered primitive to todays standard. The family raised cattle, horses, pigs, chickens, and strawberries. Dad would get up and milk nine cows before going to school. They all came down with the Spanish Flu in the 1918 to 1920 time frame, and all the family survived. In 1929, the family moved to the current farm at the end of South Pekin Road next to the Lewis River. Charles attended Clover Valley Grade School, prior to the move. After the move, he attended and graduated from Woodland High School in 1934, but due to the depression he had an extra year of enrichment. He then attended Lower Columbia College in its second year of existence and then transferred to Washington State College, where he graduated in February of 1940. He paid for college and room and board by working numerous jobs. While at WSC (WSU now) he was Cattle Club president and was on the cattle judging team that won second best in the Northwest. To save money, he hitch hiked and/or hopped freight trains to get to higher paying jobs, to college, and also for fun. He and Melvin Robertson made two long trips. One to San Diego and Tijuana by freight trains and hitch hiking where needed. Later they took a semester off from college and made a trip to New York City by freight trains and hitch hiking. They had planned to go to England. They didnt have enough money after England increased the requirements. So instead, they bought a used Model A and toured the south and made it to Mexico City. They returned to Texas and across the U.S. Southwest and then back to Pullman for the next semester of college. What a trip for those days, especially with the limited number of improved roads. After graduating, he started working as a milk tester in King County. On Dec. 2, 1940, he married his college sweetheart, Ellen Christensen, from Wilbur, Wash. They settled in Duvall, Wash., while he milk tested for three years. Their first child, Margaret, was born Sept. 2, 1941, exactly nine months after they got married. After moving to Woodland, they had four boys, Howard, Jim, Robert, and Douglas. In 1943, the family moved back to Woodland and purchased his dads dairy farm with his brother, Byron. Byron and Charles successfully ran the dairy farm for over 70 years until Byron died in 2013. His sons, Doug and Jim, took over operation of the dairy farm in 2014. He has been very active in community and agriculture organizations. He was a board member of the Mayflower Dairy Cooperative (now Darigold) for 13 years. He was a board member of the Lower Columbia College Foundation, Woodland School District, and Woodland Port District. He was also fire district commissioner, Cowlitz County Boundary Review member, Woodland Chamber of Commerce president, Woodland Presbyterian Church Elder, Lions Club member, and active in many other ag groups. He was proud to help lead a group of farmers clear brush and seed the now open space of Horseshoe Lake Park. Amazingly after all the hours on the farm, community and dairy organization, he had time for fishing, hunting, boating, travel, rock hounding, card playing, and of course storytelling and talking to others. He would love to talk to you about what is going on or the good old days. He enjoyed wintering in Yuma, Ariz., area until the spring of 2015, where his health had declined to the point where he needed some assistance. After Ellen died, he looked up an old school friend, Flo Loy, and spent quite a bit of time with her. Flo died in 2010. After that, he found a new girlfriend, Fran Hamilton of Phoenix, Ariz. She was the widow of his childhood friend, Robert Hamilton. Charles is survived by his daughter, Margaret Beck (Jim) of Centralia; and his sons, Howard of Lacey, James of Woodland, Robert of Seattle, and Doug of Woodland. He also has seven grandchildren, Jennifer Beck of Oakland, Calif./Centralia, Jon Beck (Heidi) of Clinton, David Beck of Centralia, Christopher Ferguson of Seattle, Joshua Ferguson of Woodland, and Joanna Ferguson of Federal Way. He also has two great-grandchildren, Cameron Beck and Moira Beck, both on Whidbey Island. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ellen in 1998; brothers, Wayne, Byron, Albert, and Donald; and granddaughter, Rosemary Ferguson in 2001. The family held a graveside service March 30, 2021, and a small celebration of life service at Woodland Presbyterian Church. Woodland Funeral Home, woodlandfh.com, handled the arrangements. Memorial gifts may be made to Woodland Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 297, Woodland, WA 98674, or Woodland Historical Museum, P.O. Box 255, Woodland, WA 98674. She was nominated for her ninth Screen Actors Guild Award for the Netflix movie Hillbilly Elegy. And while she didn't win during the awards show that aired Sunday night, Glenn Close did make quite a statement in a gorgeous red dress. The veteran star, 74, posed in the designer gown for a photo on her porch with beloved pup Pip in the background and posted it to her Instagram. Star: Glenn Close, 74, posed up a storm in a red Oscar de la Renta gown on her porch with beloved pup Pip in the background for the SAG Awards on Sunday In the caption, Close wrote: 'My blissful thanks to the Oscar de la Renta team for the effortlessly gorgeous gown I wore at home for the SAG AWARDS. Thank you! Thank you! Pip loves it.' The actress went on: 'I am so deeply honored that my peers deemed my work this year worthy of recognition. That means more to me than anything. 'I love my fellow actors and am constantly inspired by them--how we have to trust and collaborate and drown in each others' eyes. ' Lovely: Close was nominated for her ninth Screen Actors Guild Award for the Netflix movie Hillbilly Elegy and while she didn't win, she did make quite a statement in her gorgeous dress Big night: 'My blissful thanks to the Oscar de la Renta team for the effortlessly gorgeous gown I wore at home for the SAG AWARDS' she posted on Instagram. 'I am so deeply honored that my peers deemed my work this year worthy of recognition. That means more to me than anything,' she added Close lost out to Minari supporting actress Youn Yuh-jung, 73, a South Korean actress, and the Jagged Edge and Fatal Attraction star added a gracious note to her Instagram post. 'My congratulations to Youn Yuh-Jung for her beautiful performance in MINARI. She is the heart of the movie. I was thrilled to meet her on Zoom,' Close shared. Her Oscar de la Renta dress had a round neckline and long sleeves and fell in relaxed pleats from neck to floor. Close completed her look with diamond drop earrings and some soft red lip color. The actress received her eighth Oscar nomination for the Ron Howard-directed Hillbilly Elegy in which she stars with Amy Adams. Feted: Close completed her look with diamond drop earrings and some soft red lip color. The actress has received her eighth Oscar nomination for the Ron Howard-directed Hillbilly Elegy Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - April 5, 2021) - The Securities and Exchange Commission voted to take two actions to continue to advance implementation of security-based swap regulation under Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The Commission is publishing a notice of application and proposed substituted compliance order in response to an application from the United Kingdoms Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). In addition, the Commission is re-opening the comment period on the notice of application and proposed substituted compliance order in relation to the application by Frances Autorit des Marches Financiers (AMF) and Autorite de Controle Prudentiel et de Resolution (ACPR). These actions reflect the Commissions continued commitment to stand up the Dodd-Frank Title VII regime, prepare for the registration of security-based swap dealers later this year, and continue engaging with our foreign counterparts, said SEC Acting Chair Allison Herren Lee. I thank our UK, French and EU colleagues for their commitment in advancing strong cross-border regulatory cooperation. The FCA application seeks substituted compliance for UK-regulated firms based on compliance with UK requirements. The proposed substituted compliance order for the UK provides that certain UK-regulated firms that are also registered with the Commission as security-based swap dealers and major security-based swap participants conditionally may satisfy certain requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by complying with comparable UK requirements. The Commission would retain the authority to inspect, examine and supervise these firms and take enforcement action as appropriate. The Commission also is re-opening the comment period on the French notice of application and proposed substituted compliance order. The re-opened comment period will give market participants and the public an opportunity to consider potential changes to the proposed order and additional questions related to the proposed order. These actions reflect the Commissions consideration of the comparability of applicable non-U.S. requirements, and incorporate conditions intended to help promote comparability in practice. The public comment periods for the UK and French applications will remain open for 25 days following publication of the actions in the Federal Register. Additional information about substituted compliance applications is available at: https://www.sec.gov/page/exchange-act-substituted-compliance-and-listed-jurisdiction-applications-security-based-swap. * * * FACT SHEET UK and France Substituted Compliance Applications and Proposed Commission Orders Apr. 5, 2021 Action The Commission is taking two actions to continue to advance the availability of substituted compliance for certain non-U.S. security-based swap dealers and major security-based swap participants, in anticipation of those firms registration with the Commission beginning October 6, 2021. The Commission is publishing notice of an application by the UKs Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), requesting substituted compliance for UK-regulated security-based swap dealers and major security-based swap participants. The Commission also is publishing a proposed order to conditionally provide substituted compliance to UK-regulated firms. The Commission is also re-opening the comment period on the notice of substituted compliance application by Frances Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) and Autorite de Controle Prudentiel et de Resolution (ACPR) and the related proposed substituted compliance order. Substituted Compliance Framework Exchange Act rule 3a71-6 conditionally provides that non-U.S. security-based swap dealers and major security-based swap participants may satisfy certain requirements under section 15F of the Exchange Act by complying with foreign requirements that the Commission has found to be comparable. The Commissions comparability assessment must consider the scope and objectives of the foreign requirements and also the effectiveness of the foreign financial supervisory and enforcement frameworks. Rule 3a71-6 further conditions substituted compliance on the Commission and the foreign financial regulatory authority entering into a supervisory and enforcement memorandum of understanding and/or other arrangement addressing supervisory and enforcement cooperation and other matters related to substituted compliance. Substituted compliance does not constitute exemptive relief, but instead provides an alternative method by which non-U.S. dealers and major participants may comply with applicable U.S. requirements. The Commission retains the authority to inspect, examine and supervise those firms and take enforcement action as appropriate. The registration compliance date for security-based swap dealers and major security-based swap participants is October 6, 2021, and market participants will begin counting security-based swap transactions and positions toward the registration thresholds on August 6, 2021. See Key Dates for Registration of Security-Based Swap Dealers and Major Security-Based Swap Participants, available at:https://www.sec.gov/page/key-dates-registration-security-based-swap-dealers-and-major-security-based-swap-participants. The FCAs Application The FCA requests that the Commission grant substituted compliance in connection with requirements under the Exchange Act regarding: Risk control requirements related to capital, margin, risk management systems, trade acknowledgment and verification, portfolio reconciliation and dispute reporting, portfolio compression and trading relationship documentation. Recordkeeping and reporting requirements related to record creation, record maintenance, reporting, notices and quarterly securities counts. Internal supervision and compliance requirements related to supervision, conflicts of interest and chief compliance officers, and certain related matters. Counterparty protection requirements related to fair and balanced communications, disclosure of material risks and characteristics, disclosure of material incentives or conflicts of interest, daily mark disclosure, know your counterparty, suitability of recommendations and clearing rights disclosure. In support, the FCAs application includes analyses that compare UK requirements with relevant requirements under the Exchange Act. The application also includes information regarding the financial supervisory and enforcement frameworks in the UK. TheFCA'sapplication is availableon the SEC website. Proposed Substituted Compliance Order for UK Firms The Commission is publishing for comment a proposed substituted compliance order in connection with the FCAs application. The proposed order reflects the Commissions preliminary assessments regarding the comparability of applicable UK requirements, and the effectiveness of the UK financial supervisory and enforcement frameworks. The proposed order incorporates certain conditions or other limits including: Trading Relationship Documentation Firms would not receive substituted compliance in connection with certain disclosure-related provisions for transactions with U.S. counterparties, but would receive it for transactions with non-U.S. counterparties. Portfolio Reconciliation and Dispute Reporting Firms would have to report counterparty valuation disputes directly to the Commission, based on UK timing requirements. Capital Firms would need to: (a) maintain an amount of assets that are allowable under Exchange Act rule 18a-1, after applying applicable haircuts under the Basel capital standard, that equals or exceeds the firms current liabilities coming due in the next 365 days; (b) make a quarterly record listing: (i) the assets maintained under the condition described in (a) above, their value, and the amount of their applicable haircuts; and (ii) the aggregate amount of the liabilities coming due in the next 365 days; (c) maintain at least $100 million of equity capital composed of highly liquid assets, as defined in the Basel capital standard; and (d) include its most recent statement of financial condition (i.e., balance sheet) filed with its local supervisor, whether audited or unaudited, with its written notice to the Commission of its intent to rely on substituted compliance. Internal Supervision Firms internal supervision frameworks must also promote compliance with certain residual U.S. requirements and the conditions to the proposed order. Compliance Reports Firms must provide compliance reports directly to the Commission. Suitability The firms counterparty must be treated as a per se professional client under UK requirements and must not be a special entity as defined in Exchange Act section 15F(h)(2)(C) and Exchange Act rule 15Fh-2(d). Daily Mark Disclosure The firm must be required to reconcile, and in fact reconcile, the portfolio containing the relevant security-based swap on each business day. Recordmaking Firms would need to: (a) apply substituted compliance to a linked substantive Exchange Act requirement, when a recordmaking requirement is linked to that substantive Exchange Act requirement for which a positive substituted compliance determination is being made; (b) apply substituted compliance to Exchange Act rule 18a-1 with respect to certain records that are important for the Commission to examine for compliance with Exchange Act rule 18a-1; and (c) preserve the data elements to create certain records required by the Commissions rule and furnish the record in the format (e.g., blotter or ledger) required by that rule. Record Preservation Firms would need to: (a) apply substituted compliance to a linked substantive Exchange Act requirement, when a record preservation requirement is linked to that substantive Exchange Act requirement for which a positive substituted compliance determination is being made; and (b) apply substituted compliance to Exchange Act rule 18a-1 with respect to certain records that are important for the Commission to examine for compliance with Exchange Act rule 18a-1. Unaudited Financial and Operational Reporting Firms would need to: (a) report periodic unaudited financial and operational information in the manner and format specified by Commission order or rule; (b) present the financial information in the filing in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles that the firm uses to prepare general purpose publicly available or available to be issued financial statements in the UK; and (c) apply substituted compliance to Exchange Act rule 18a-1 if subject to that rule. Annual Audited Reports Firms would need to: (a) simultaneously transmit to the Commission a copy of audited financial reports filed with UK authorities; (b) include with the filing contact information of a person who can provide further information about the reports; (c) file accountants reports covering the financial reports if the firm is not required by UK law to have its financial reports audited; (d) file compliance or exemption reports addressing statements related to Exchange Act rule 18a-4 for which substituted compliance is not available; (e) file supporting schedules related to Exchange Act rule 18a-4; and (f) apply substituted compliance to Exchange Act rule 18a-1. Firms that change their fiscal year end would need to (a) simultaneously transmit to the Commission a copy of any notice required to be sent by comparable UK laws; and (b) include contact information of a person who can provide further details about the notice. Notification Firms would need to: (a) simultaneously transmit to the Commission a copy of any notice required to be sent by comparable UK laws; (b) include contact information of a person who can provide further details about the notice; (c) apply substituted compliance to Exchange Act rule 18a-1 (if subject to that rule) with respect to any required notifications related to that rule; and (d) apply substituted compliance with respect to a category of records required to made and kept current under Exchange Act rule 18a-5 with respect to the requirement to provide notification of a failure to make and keep current that category of records. Access to Books and Records Firms would remain subject to Exchange Act requirements to keep books and records open to inspection by the Commission and to furnish promptly to the Commission legible, true, complete, and current copies of those records of the firm that are required to be preserved. English Translations Firms would need to promptly provide an English translation of any record, report, or notification upon request. The Commission is requesting comment on each of the proposed determinations and conditions. Re-Opening of Comment Period on Substituted Compliance Notice and Proposed Order for France The French substituted compliance application addresses the same Exchange Act requirements that are the subject of the UK notice and proposed substituted compliance order. The application includes analyses that compare French and European Union requirements with relevant requirements under the Exchange Act, as well as information regarding the financial supervisory and enforcement frameworks in France. The application is available on the SEC website. The Commission is re-opening the comment period on the notice of the French application and the related proposed substituted compliance order. The re-opened comment period will give market participants and the public an opportunity to consider potential changes to the proposed order and additional questions related to the proposed order. The proposed conditions relate to capital, trade acknowledgement and verification, and trading relationship documentation and mirror those included in the UK proposed substituted compliance order. The additional questions, in part, seek comment on whether the more granular approach to recordmaking, record preservation, and reporting taken in the proposed UK proposed substituted compliance order should be incorporated into the French final substituted compliance order. Other questions are intended to promote consistency across the two proposed orders given the similarity of the regimes. Next Steps The Commission will seek public comment on these actions for 25 days following publication in the Federal Register. Security-based swap market participants are urged to be mindful of the October 2021 registration compliance date for security-based swap dealers and major security-based swap participants, and relevant firms should take action to prepare for registration. For further information, firms may contact the Office of Derivatives Policy in the Commissions Division of Trading and Markets, at 202-551-5870. It doesnt mean I havent felt a lot of body hatred in lockdown, she said. She is not a fan of some current terminology, of words like plus or curve or body positive. The thing thats complicated about the body positive movement, she said, is it can be for the privileged few who have a body that looks the way people want to feel positive. We want curvy bodies that look like Kim Kardashian has been up-sized slightly. We want big beautiful butts and big beautiful breasts and no cellulite and faces that look like you could smack them on to thin women. I have a big stomach, I always have. Thats where I gain my weight especially after early menopause, I have a straight-up gut, like an old man and thats not where anybody wants to see flesh. Its not like if I posted a sensual nude of myself on Instagram, people would be marveling at my beautiful derriere. As she said this, she did not sound angry or depressed or like she was sticking it to the man. She sounded sort of resigned and amused at herself. She was sitting in a very white room with a fireplace, wearing a cable-knit cardigan and lots of rings on her fingers. Her hair was long, and her bangs were short. In the middle of the conversation, she suddenly began chomping on a sandwich, which made her laugh. It seems appropriate for this interview that I eat this large baguette, she said. Were going to put a watermelon on your skirt, you sassy girl! Ms. Dunham had been contemplating getting into fashion long before the pandemic began. She had originally thought she would make a full-fledged collection from Size 0 to 20, because well, she doesnt really do half measures. Besides, shes smart enough, and does enough research, to know that there is a proud history of female designers getting into the business because they know what is missing, whether its Coco Chanel or Donna Karan or even the Olsens. But, she said, there was so much I didnt know about the infrastructure. In 2019, she met Patrick Herning, the owner and founder of 11 Honore, where she happened to be a frequent shopper. The two bonded over proselytizing for plus-size figures and began hatching a plan. Because Mr. Herning had recently introduced a private label line, he had the supply chain and design staff in place for Ms. Dunham. All she had to bring were the ideas. Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations. BRIDGEPORT A local man accused of chasing a terrified couple in his pickup truck on a downtown street, firing multiple shots at them, was charged again after police said he spat on a hospital security guard because he said she is Black. Police said Leroy Sanchez was taken to Bridgeport Hospital following his arrest March 31 for the chase incident. While at the hospital, police said, Sanchez allegedly made racial remarks to a Black female security guard and then spat on her. He was charged with assault on public safety personnel and disorderly conduct. Earlier that day, the 34-year-old Leroy Sanchez, who is on probation for gun and drug convictions, was charged with first-degree assault, criminal possession of a firearm, illegal discharge of a firearm, illegal transfer of a firearm, possession of a large-capacity magazine and possession of narcotics with intent to sell. Monday afternoon, Sanchez watched his arraignment proceeding on video from the basement lockup of the Golden Hill Street courthouse. These are serious allegations and he has a serious criminal record, Senior Assistant States Attorney Tiffany Lockshier told Superior Court Judge Kevin Doyle. She urged him to set a high bond for Sanchez. The judge agreed that Sanchez could pose a risk to the community and ordered him held in lieu of $520,000 bond. He continued the case to April 20. Shortly after 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Bridgeport police said they got calls of shots being fired from a pickup truck that was chasing a car through the intersection of Fairfield and Park avenues. Police said officers went to the scene and found a spent .40-caliber bullet casing in the roadway. A short time later, police said ShotSpotter reported multiple gunshots north on Park Avenue. At the same time, police said 911 dispatch received a call from a hysterical woman crying that her car was being fired on by a man in a red pickup truck. Police said the woman drove her car to the police department and she and her male passenger ran inside. The pickup truck was stopped by an officer in front of the courthouse on Golden Hill Street, police said. They said the driver, identified as Sanchez, came out of the drivers door holding a knife but agreed to drop it. They said he began yelling that he was trying to kill the Black guy, a reference to the male passenger in the car he allegedly had been chasing. Handcuffed, police said Sanchez then began repeatedly banging his head on the roof of a patrol car, denting the car. During a search, police said they found two bags of cocaine hidden in Sanchezs groin area. In his truck, police said they found a .40-caliber handgun loaded with an 18-bullet magazine and another magazine containing 12 bullets. While in booking, police said Sanchez began yelling and screaming and threatening officers. They said he also urinated on the floor. Police said he was taken to the hospital, where he then spat on the guard allegedly because she was Black. From his scuba diving camp in southern Egypt just off the Red Sea, Sam Purkis could see the massive curtain of sand in the distance racing toward him and knew he was in for the worst. The young Purkis had never experienced a sandstorm. All he knew about the unique weather phenomenon and how extreme such storms can be came from news accounts, books, and the recollections of friends who had lived through one. But that was about to change. When the sandstorm hit with all its raging winds, the sky went darka giant tidal wave of brown soot blocking out the sunlight. Purkis and the other campers could only hunker down and hope for the best. We were sheltering on a hillside, which was fortunate as the flash flood tore through the wadi below and swept everything into the Red Sea, Purkis, who was a dive instructor at the time, recalled of that eight-hour sandstorm more than 25 years ago. Cars, tents, trucks, two boatsthe storm took everything, leaving Purkis with only the shorts he was wearing. Today, he is professor and chair of marine geosciences at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, spending much of his time conducting research on carbonate sediment environments. Every now and then, though, something happens somewhere around the world to remind him of the violent sandstorm he encountered back in the early 1990s. Most recently, it was the mammoth container ship Ever Given, which ran aground in the Suez Canal on March 23, blocking one of the worlds busiest maritime trade routes, that brought those memories rushing back for Purkis. While the investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing, poor visibility and high winds generated from a sandstorm may have been one of the contributing factors. Investigators, who are also looking into technical reasons, just arent certain yet. But whatever the case, the strong desert storm that whipped over parts of Egypts Sinai Desert on that day has piqued interest in sandstormsfrom what causes them to the amount of damage they can inflict. Visibility in a sandstorm can diminish in an instant. It can look almost like night. And if its an intense storm, in some cases it takes the paint off cars, Purkis said. Its the amount of dust thats moved around by a sandstorm that can reduce visibility to such low levels; and in a particularly intense storm, those dust volumes can reach immense proportions. Theres nothing inherent to the dust properties, such as the dust size, that makes it more opaque than say smaller aerosols such as smoke, said Paquita Zuidema, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the Rosenstiel School, who studies cloud processes and their radiative impacts. These storms are very efficient at picking up the dust off the sandy places on our globe, and the Suez Canal runs through a very dry region. One theory is that the high winds in the sandstorm pushed the Ever Given sideways, with the containers on deck acting as a vast sail. The question then becomes, why were the winds so high? As I understand it, high winds are common this time of year in that area. It even has a name: khamsin, derived from the Arabic word for 50, Zuidema explained. These winds blow sporadically during about a 50-day time window. These storms can be triggered by mid-latitude disturbances, which is what causes the snowstorms in the U.S., and it does, indeed, look like Egypt was experiencing stormy conditions. If the sandstorm were a factor in the ships grounding, it wouldnt be the first time that dust played a role in affecting world events. The Suez Canal is in a greater region known as the Afro-Asian dust belt with a history of life, war, and peace being disrupted by sandstorms, said Ali Pourmand, associate professor of marine geosciences. During Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, he noted, a major sandstorm swept through Baghdad, playing havoc on military operations by reducing visibility and forcing grit into weapons systems. But the Mediterranean isnt the only region experiencing dust storm activity this time of year. Speaking globally, theres been a lot of dust activity of late, said Joseph Prospero, emeritus professor of atmospheric sciences at the Rosenstiel School, who has been studying the transport and impact of dust for decades. He noted the largest and strongest dust storm in a decade swept across northern China last month, driving air quality indexes in Beijing to dangerous levels. And in Mexico and western Texas during the past few weeks, enormous dust storms have produced plumes that have stretched out into the Central United States, he added. We just dont know, however, whether this is some sort of a climate anomaly, Prospero continued. These things are highly variable from year to year. We do know, of course, that the larger scale climate affects dust emissions. Its an intriguing question of how much its driven by day-to-day meteorology and how much the day-to-day meteorology is driven by modulations in climate. Thanks to a fleet of tugboats aided by a high tide, the skyscraper-size Ever Given is underway once again and the Suez Canal has been reopened. But the fallout over the incident is just beginning, as the blockage likely will result in billions of dollars in trade disruption as well as legal battles down the road. We can expect years of complex litigation to recover the costs of the Ever Given ship repairs, the salvage operation, business delays, possible damages to cargo shipments, decisions of some captains to select alternative routes around the Cape of Good Hope, and even loss of canal revenues and damage to the canal, said Daniel Suman, professor of marine affairs and policy at the School of Law and at the Rosenstiel School. Cargo owners will sue the shipping company, who will file claims against the vessel owner. However, extended legal battles will largely be between the parties insurance companies. The incident could also potentially lead to changes in maritime policy, according to Suman. Certainly, Suez Canal and Panama Canal authorities will reexamine their contingency plans particularly in light of the increase in new extremely large container vessels that present new risks to both these waterways, he said. The opening of Arctic ice-free maritime routes due to climate change may offer a cost-comparable alternative to canal transits for European to East Asian maritime traffic. To name the forsaking wouldnt seem to help, but it does. It always helps. I was 18 when I learned that lesson in the hardest way such lessons can be learned: by burying someone I loved. For three years she was my beloved teacher, the kind of teacher who opens worlds but who could also somehow hear me saying much that I couldnt yet say. Margaret, are you grieving / Over Goldengrove unleaving? she would say, smiling, in autumn, quoting Hopkins when she found me among the dogwoods after school. If she knew I lingered there in hopes of continuing our classroom conversation far from my classmates ears, she never let on. Though she must have been in a hurry to get home to her husband and her little boys, she just listened. When she died so young, the summer after my graduation, I could not believe how the world went on. People were still honking their horns in traffic. People were still balancing their checkbooks, still mowing their lawns, still hurrying to put supper on the table. Why hadnt it all screeched into silence? How could there be anything left to do in this world but grieve? Then I remembered Audens Musee des Beaux Arts, a poem she taught us late in her last year, when her voice was already growing fainter, quavering until she swallowed again: About suffering they were never wrong, The Old Masters: how well they understood Its human position: how it takes place While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along About suffering Auden was also not wrong, and through many seasons of grief in all the years since I was 18, I have remembered that poem. Nevertheless, as the poets remind us, too, suffering is not our only birthright. Life is also our birthright. Life and love and beauty. When despair for the world is all we can feel, as Wendell Berry puts it in The Peace of Wild Things, the world itself with its wood drakes and its blue herons who do not tax their lives with forethought / of grief may be our greatest solace. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey proclaimed April 2021 to be 'Made In Arizona' Month to highlight the diverse manufacturers of all sizes that call Arizona home and to encourage Arizonans to buy homegrown products. An incredible range of products are made right here in Arizona, said Governor Ducey. From food items like tortillas and prickly pear jelly to high-tech products like semiconductors and helicopter engines, Arizonas manufacturers do it all. And the word is getting around. Arizonas smart policies, pro business environment and skilled workforce have attracted more than 13,000 manufacturing jobs since 2015, and were on track to grow even more. We will continue to welcome manufacturersbig and smallto our great state and I encourage everyone to support products Made in Arizona. Im grateful to the companies that have chosen Arizona to do business, and to their talented employees who help power our economy. Arizona is a national leader in manufacturing advancements, with 13,000 new manufacturing jobs since 2015 and numerous manufacturers choosing Arizona to start, relocate and expand operations. Below are a few key Arizona manufacturing statistics: Bioscience manufacturing sector saw a 43 percent increase in employment from 2015 to 2019. Medical equipment, pharmaceuticals and chemicals manufacturing sector saw a 39 percent increase in employment from 2015 to 2019. Optics and photonics manufacturing sector saw a 46 percent increase in employment from 2015 to 2019. Total manufacturing exports grew by $2.1 billion to a record high $24.7 billion in 2019. Products Made in Arizona help power modern electronics, enhance national defense, improve quality of life, pioneer transportation advances, feed people around the world, contribute to medical breakthroughs and more. Manufacturers from across the globe choose Arizona to start, relocate and expand operations. According to a recent story on FOX 10, the Phoenix area has become a national hot spot for manufacturing, and analysts say Arizona isn't slowing down. On March 23, Intel announced an expansion of its Arizona-based manufacturing capacity with a $20 billion investment the largest private sector investment in state history. The investment will lead to the direct creation of 3,000 new high-tech, high-wage jobs, and 3,000 construction jobs, and an estimated 15,000 jobs long-term. Were all familiar with Arizonas 5 Cs copper, cattle, cotton, citrus, and climate. After today, I think we can safely add a new one: chips, with Intel leading the way, the Governor said during Intels expansion announcement ceremony in Chandler. Governor Ducey on March 31 launched Drive48, a new, state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing training center in Coolidge, Arizona. The facility is designed to train students in fields such as automotive, advanced manufacturing, heavy equipment and general industry. Drive48 is just the latest example of how manufacturing is making a comeback in America and Arizona is leading the way, Governor Ducey said at the launch event in Coolidge. Were showing the nation what it means to welcome innovation and industry, while creating additional opportunities for people to work in high-skill, high-tech industries of the future. In May 2020, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced it selected Arizona for the location of its new U.S. advanced semiconductor factory, creating more than 1,600 jobs. *** WHEREAS, Arizona has positioned itself as a national leader in manufacturing advancements and employment; and WHEREAS, manufacturers from across the globe choose Arizona to start, relocate and expand operations; and WHEREAS, Arizona draws manufacturers and their employees with our pro business environment, smart policies, highly educated workforce, affordable and reliable energy, vibrant innovation ecosystem, robust supply chain and more; and WHEREAS, the growing manufacturing sector in Arizona supports other key industries, expands job opportunities, and fosters economic growth; and WHEREAS, since 2015, Arizona has added more than 13,000 manufacturing jobs while exports have grown by $2.1 billion to a record high $24.7 billion in 2019; and WHEREAS, today, Arizona has more jobs in manufacturing than construction; and WHEREAS, recent manufacturers choosing to locate or expand in Arizona include Intel, TSMC, Lucid Motors, ElectraMeccanica, and UACJ Whitehall alongside Arizona manufacturers such as Karsten Manufacturing, Raytheon, Honeywell, Northrop Grumman, Pivot Manufacturing, Boeing, Benchmark Electronics, Vitalant, Joy Cone, Sub-Zero, Caterpillar, Bombardier, Footprint, Frito-Lay, Hexcel and more; and WHEREAS, the products Made In Arizona power modern electronics, enhance our national defense, improve our quality of life, pioneer transportation advances, feed people around the world, contribute to medical breakthroughs and more; and NOW, THEREFORE, I, Douglas A. Ducey, Governor of the State of Arizona, do hereby proclaim April 2021 as MADE IN ARIZONA MONTH To highlight manufacturers, big and small, and encourage people to buy Arizona products. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Arizona GOVERNOR DONE at the Capitol in Phoenix on this thirtieth day of March in the year Two Thousand and Twenty-One and of the Independence of the United States of America the Two Hundred and Fifth ATTEST: SECRETARY OF STATE A medical worker attends to a Covid-19 patient in an emergency ward at a hospital in Poland (Omar Marques/AP) Polish hospitals struggled over the Easter weekend with a massive number of people infected with Covid-19 following a huge surge in infections across Central and Eastern Europe in recent weeks. Tougher new pandemic restrictions were ordered in Poland for a two-week period surrounding Easter in order to slow down the infection rate. The country hit new records of more than 35,000 daily infections on two recent days, and deaths have been in the hundreds each day. The aim of the new restrictions was to prevent large gatherings over the long weekend culminating with Easter Monday. Meanwhile, the government is also trying to speed up the countrys vaccine rollout, but the pressure on the countrys hospitals is still relentless. On Easter Sunday, coronavirus patients filled almost all of the 120 beds at the County Hospital of Bochnia, 25 miles east of the southern city of Krakow. It is a difficult situation, because there are a lot of patients, said Bozena Gicala, a nurse treating Covid-19 patients. She said the support of her colleagues was critical in managing the unprecedented situation. One patient, 82-year-old Edward Szumanski, voiced concerns about how some people still refuse to see the virus that has killed more than 2.8 million people worldwide as a threat. Poland has seen about 55,000 of those deaths. The disease is certainly there and it is very serious. Those who have not been through it, those who do not have it in their family, may be deluding themselves, but the reality is different, he said. Expand Close Medical director Jaroslaw Gucwa (Omar Marques/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Medical director Jaroslaw Gucwa (Omar Marques/AP) Mr Szumanski said he is also worried that ICU spaces in hospitals could soon run out and that more people will die. There have been warnings and reports in Polish media about how the nations healthcare system is reaching a breaking point. The hospitals medical director, Jaroslaw Gucwa, said the pandemic has been made worse by those who believe it is all a hoax and have shunned masks or ignored restrictions. He said the hospital is so stressed that it is discharging patients who still need more treatment in order to make room for the next ones in a serious condition. This is not a normal situation, he added. Poland registered 204 new Covid-19 deaths on Easter Sunday, but the numbers in recent days have been much higher, mostly around 500 per day. On Wednesday, they hit a high for this year of 653. Since Houthi rebels took hold of the FSO Safer, floating storage and offloading vessel for petroleum moored north of the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, the Red Sea has been on the verge of many environmental catastrophes. Dire Warning In a tweet congratulating the Egyptian government on the Suez Canal reopening last week, Yemen's de facto president, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, warned of an escalating situation if the decaying 44-year-old vessel's hull integrity were breached. "The Safer contains 1.1 million barrels of oil [one barrel is 42 US gallons], according to Rachel Shelley, a senior environmental science research associate at the University of East Anglia and a former South Sinai resident," she told The Media Line. This is almost four times the amount of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez in 1989, which wreaked havoc on Alaska's Price William Sound." Related Article: Israeli Environmental Ministry Clarifies Greek Tanker Did not Cause Oil Spill Bigger than Previous Oil Spills During the Mauritius oil spill, rescuers were able to flush out the majority of the oil on board the MV Wakashio, but 1,000 [metric] tons [approximately 7,330 barrels] of oil spilled into the sea, destroying local corals, mangroves, dolphins, and whales, according to Nadine Wahab, founder of Eco-Dahab, a sustainable destination management company based in South Sinai, Egypt. Since the Deepwater Horizon oil leak in 2010, BP only managed to recover 25% of the [4.9 million barrels of] oil released into the Gulf of Mexico. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill, only 10 to 15% of the [260,000 barrels of] marine oil was recovered, according to Wahab. Red Sea Ecosystem The Red Sea is home to five of the world's most endangered marine animals, including whale sharks, manta rays, dugongs, Napoleon wrasses, and turtles, as well as a plethora of other sharks, dolphins, and migratory birds. "The importance of the Red Sea ecosystem cannot be overstated," Karine Kleinhaus of Stony Brook University's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences told The Media Line. The coral reefs of the northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba are thought to be among the world's last reef communities to survive beyond the middle of this century. UN Intervention The UN's spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, declared on January 28 that the oil tanker inspection would be postponed until March, adding that "sticking to the current inspection schedule would focus on the Houthis' cooperation." Houthi officials recommended that the UN suspend its plans after the UN committed $3.35 million to buy supplies and prepare for personnel deployment. "Ansar Allah [Houthi authorities] recently declared plans to 'review' their permission for the long-planned mission and urged the United Nations to delay some preparations," Mark Lowcock, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said in a briefing to the Security Council on February 18. This analysis has since been deleted. Unfortunately, we only found out about the study after a crucial deadline for deploying the squad in March had passed. Possible Consequences "Dahab is a small diving community," Wahab said. Visitors arrive from all over the world to see the reefs. The Red Sea and its marine environment are crucial to many populations' sustainability, especially those that rely on diving and water sports, such as Dahab. The spill could have a long-term effect on Egypt's tourism sales, which accounted for 12% of the country's GDP before the COVID-19 pandemic. We are seeing a slow-motion global crisis that will impact the livelihoods of 28 million people." Also Read: After A Month of Nonstop Coastal Cleanup, Israel Oil Spill Emergency Finally Declared Over For more environmental news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Greenville-area lawmakers are pushing a General Assembly resolution that, if it passes, could profoundly impact how the state's largest health system manages care in the Upstate. The competition-friendly resolution introduced by Greenville Sen. Dwight Loftis effectively compels Prisma Health to treat private practice doctors the same as doctors who draw a salary directly from Prisma. It is the most direct move yet by a group of Greenville lawmakers to control changes to health care delivery in the Upstate. They say they are doing it to protect doctors and patients but face an uphill battle against national medical industry trends toward consolidation, accountability and increased cost. Prisma, created by a merger of Palmetto Health in Columbia and the Greenville Health System in 2017, said it already puts patients at the center of all care decisions. "The Greenville County Legislative Delegation and the General Assembly believe that a healthy, competitive, and patient-centered environment requires GHAs assurance that physicians can practice independently and in a manner they deem to be in the best interests of their patients without direct or indirect fear of retribution in any form," the resolution said. The suggestion, voiced in that clause and repeated in anecdotes shared by lawmakers with The Post and Courier, is that independent Greenville-area doctors have experienced retribution. The "GHA" in the resolution is the Greenville Health Authority, a public entity from which Prisma Health leases most of its major facilities across Greenville, Oconee, Pickens and Laurens counties. It is these publicly owned assets still controlled by a lawmaker-appointed board that Greenville-area state Reps. Garry Smith and Mike Burns are trying to use as leverage with Prisma. Getting the GHA board to agree to that strategy is another matter. "So bottom line is this, just, this is really a wake-up call to GHA," said Burns, who helped get the concurrent resolution drafted. The resolution largely reiterates the Greenville Health Authority's duty to meet the health care needs of the Upstate but it goes on to say GHA's tenant Prisma must give all qualifying doctors a chance to join the system's medical staff and must give all qualifying doctors, including non-Prisma doctors, equal access to all GHA-owned clinical resources. In other words, private practice doctors should be on equal footing with Prisma-employed doctors when scheduling tests or procedures for their patients at GHA-owned facilities. Those facilities include Greenville Memorial Hospital and the 75-acre Patewood campus on Greenville's east side. The Senate version of the resolution was referred to that body's medical affairs committee on March 31 and will likely be introduced in the House on April 6. Checks and balances The genesis of the resolution, Reps. Smith and Burns told The Post and Courier, was complaints from some doctors in the Greenville area who felt the balance of power within the Prisma organization had shifted away from doctors, with decisions reached more for financial reasons than patient care. The pair of lawmakers, who opposed the 2017 merger, authored the resolution with input from legislative attorneys at the Statehouse. "What they're doing, it's all out war is what it is," Burns said of Prisma. "It's an all out war for control. It has nothing to do with what's best for the patient. It's for control. And, you know, what we're simply saying is we got to protect the patients, we've got to protect the doctors. And the only way to do that is for the GHA board to step up and start exercising its authority in this area." Traditionally, hospitals were set up like hotels, said Jerry Youkey, a retired surgeon appointed unanimously to the GHA board in March by Greenville lawmakers. Doctors who owned their practices gained access to hospital facilities through a vetting process and those doctors together formed the hospital's medical staff. Over the years, he said, medical staffs have grown to include increasingly more doctors employed directly by hospitals. Today, private practice doctors, once the norm, make up a significantly smaller share of doctors practicing at Prisma. Youkey said Prisma Upstate's predecessor, Greenville Health System, had a medical staff of around 1,500 when he arrived in Greenville in 1998, 110 of whom were employed by the hospital. Prisma spokeswoman Sandy Dees said the system's Upstate medical staff, now numbering 2,911 physicians, has 1,310 doctors employed directly by Prisma a roughly 12-fold increase of employed physicians over 23 years. This follows a national trend: A 2019 American Medical Association report found that "employed" practicing physicians outnumbered doctors who own their practices for the first time in 2018. Youkey said he believes the best care outcomes occur within a well-integrated system in which doctors and hospital administrators work together for the benefit of the institution and the patient. With too much doctor control, the frequency of procedures might spike. With too much administrator control, doctors might be told what they can and cannot do, and what resources they are allowed to access. Neither scenario is good for patients, he said. "It all gets down to whether the patient's best interests are driving the system," Youkey said, "and whether there's an appropriate balance of power between hospital administrators and physicians." This balance can be especially tricky in systems like Prisma that are open to qualified private practice physicians to treat their patients. Theoretically and this is addressed in the concurrent resolution Prisma's salaried physicians might get preferential scheduling for tests and operating rooms. This would contribute to the doctor-administrator relationship falling out of balance. Sandy Dees, spokeswoman for Prisma, said that is not happening. "Regardless of whether a physician is employed or affiliated with Prisma Health, we work to ensure that, together, we provide excellent and convenient care, always putting the needs of each patient at the center of everything we do," she wrote in an email to The Post and Courier. Lawmakers speak, physicians reticent Still, lawmakers pointed to multiple accounts to suggest Prisma is playing hardball with doctors. Smith said one local ear, nose and throat practice was escorted from the Patewood campus in March after physicians there changed their status from Prisma-employed to private practice. Burns said another independent practice, Gastroenterology Associates of Greenville, had its lease renewal at the Patewood campus blocked when Prisma claimed the space and then, when the gastroenterology practice applied to relocate its Greenville Endoscopy Center, Prisma filed an objection with state regulators. Dees confirmed that 13 doctors in the system's Greenville-based ENT practice notified Prisma in December that they intended to change their status to independent. She said Prisma worked with the doctors to extend their hospital privileges to carry on with surgeries at Prisma hospitals and remain in the system's network for insurance contracts. She did not address the nature of their move from the Patewood campus. Sign up for our Greenville development newsletter. Get all the latest updates on the Upstate real estate market, more openings and closings, exclusive development news and more in your inbox each week. Email Sign Up! The endoscopy center, she said, "leased space in a building owned by another party." That party is GHA. With the endoscopy center's lease expiring, she said, Prisma had first right of refusal, "and we are exercising our option to lease that space for the needs of our patients." Documents related to the endoscopy center from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reveal a legal feud. On Oct. 30, attorneys for Gastroenterology Associates wrote to DHEC saying the 43-year-old practice had to move its Patewood endoscopy center by September 2022 because its lease at the campus was coming to an end. The letter, penned by the Womble Bond Dickinson law firm, was part of a 510-page "certificate of need" application to DHEC, which regulates health care facilities. The doctors wanted to relocate the four-bed endoscopy center to Halton Road in Greenville. That CON application was "deemed accepted," according to a DHEC report, on Nov. 27. But on March 4, Prisma attorneys filed a formal objection to the endoscopy center's CON, arguing the terms of the gastroenterology practice's 2006 lease at Patewood gave the hospital's operator, now Prisma, the right to take over the endoscopy center. This objection, submitted by the Parker Poe law firm, was filed despite an August 2019 letter updating the 2006 lease and signed by Prisma Upstate's chief administrative officer saying Prisma would not oppose or hamper the gastroenterology doctors from pursuing a CON for a new endoscopy center. The gastroenterology practice's lawyers argued in a follow-up letter March 9 that Prisma could have the old endoscopy center at Patewood, and that a new facility on Halton Road would have plenty of demand and would be convenient for existing patients. At stake is a $4.3 million outpatient surgery center where 20 doctors expect to perform 10,000 procedures a year. Construction would need to start by June, according to the CON application, and the timeline is "urgent" in order to have the facility ready by the end of the Patewood lease in September 2022, the application said. The Greenville County delegation, led by Rep. Smith. signed a letter on March 17 in support of the Greenville Endoscopy Center's relocation to a space on Halton Road in Greenville. Doctors themselves have been reluctant to comment. Dr. Rob Brown, who heads up the ENT practice, said he was busy moving this week and was not immediately available for comment. An administrator at the Gastroenterology Associates said she would need to go through her practice's attorney to respond. After a few hours, she shared a prepared statement, referencing the practice's pursuit of a certificate of need from state regulators to build a new ambulatory surgery center at a site off the Patewood campus. "Greenville Endoscopy Center, Inc.s CON is currently under review and we believe it is critical that we are able to build a new ASC in anticipation of Prisma taking over our current ASC and space," Becky Swoyer wrote on behalf of Gastroenterology Associates. "Currently, Prisma has filed an objection to our ASC and we are working to resolve this issue soon so that we can avoid interruption to patient care. With a practice of 20 gastroenterologists performing on average more than 10,000 ASC procedures each year, we believe there is a significant need for this CON to be granted." Lawmakers turn to GHA The Patewood campus was purchased and developed by Prisma Upstate's predecessor, Greenville Health System, in the early 1990s. That property's ownership shifted to GHA after GHS, a publicly governed nonprofit, merged with Palmetto. Prisma Health, a private nonprofit, is the name the newly merged organization took on. It was unable to secure ownership of GHS's Upstate assets. Those assets, lawmakers agreed at the time, still belonged to the public. GHA's publicly appointed board now owns the former GHS assets and leases them to Prisma annually. But Smith and Burns have pressed the current GHA board to embrace a role that goes beyond simply acting as Prisma's landlord. The 1947 legislation, Act 432, that created Greenville County's public hospital system was amended more than a dozen times over the years to add responsibilities for delivering quality care in the Upstate responsibilities GHA inherited after Prisma took over medical operations at the old GHS facilities, Smith said. "What we need this board to understand is that none of those duties and responsibilities have gone away," Smith said. One example Smith raised, because it came up when the ENT doctors were escorted off the Patewood campus, was Prisma's operation of an Upstate police force with arresting powers. That authority, Smith said, was granted to the Greenville Health System in 2010 when it was still a public entity. He said it should not have transferred to Prisma, a private entity. GHA is engaging in "illegal delegation of authority," he said. At the same time, the lawmakers have supported efforts to boost competition in the Upstate market, most notably by inviting Charleston-based Medical University of South Carolina earlier this year to work with Bon Secours St. Francis to set up an emergency care center in northern Greenville County. They think the GHA should support that, too. Smith and Burns said the MUSC partnership was in direct response to Prisma's decision to close the little used and unprofitable emergency room at North Greenville Hospital in Travelers Rest. Youkey, the newest member of the 14-member GHA board, said nothing precludes the GHA from working with other partners like MUSC to deliver care in the Upstate. "My belief is that Prisma Health didn't have any obligation to continue to provide emergency services to North Greenville, under the terms of the lease, and so they elected to stop it," Youkey said. "And I presume that that still met the terms of the lease, so that's fine, but then I don't think that GHA, as I interpret their responsibility, is off the hook in regards to making sure that those systems are served. So they may need to find other partners or relationships to do it." Smith and Burns have consistently pointed to the Prisma merger as the root of these conflicts. The Greenville Health System was the stronger of the two entities in the merger, they said, and the Palmetto Health side of the merger has drawn resources from the Upstate. The trend toward mergers is powerful, studies have shown, and the benefits unclear. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported in September that 778 hospital systems merged between 2010 and 2017, with two-thirds of hospitals part of a larger system by 2017. There is no clear evidence, the Kaiser report said, that mergers improve quality of care, and the preponderance of evidence indicates mergers increase cost. These pressures coupled with changes in care delivery brought by the Obamacare reforms of 2010 including accountable care outcomes and bundled pricing could also be at the root of some of the reported discontent among Prisma and Prisma-affiliated doctors. *** Editor's note: An earlier version of this story indicated the staff of an ear, nose and throat practice was escorted from Prisma's Patewood campus by Prisma police officers. That was incorrect information provided to us by a source. Ireland will see benefits of Covid vaccines after 'three or four million doses' An infectious diseases specialist says Ireland will feel the benefits of Covid-19 vaccines once three or four million doses are given. Medics across Ireland have now given 930,000 doses of vaccines against Covid-19. Mass inoculation centres have kept working through the Easter weekend in Dublin, Galway and Cork. More than 13% of the population has had the first dose, and 5.4% has had a second. A new daily vaccination record was set on Good Friday when more than 30,000 people received a shot. Professor Sam McConkey of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) says it is very dependent on supply chains. Professor McConkey told Newstalk: "Everyone in the world is looking for this - the whole world is a huge demand for this vaccine in every conceivable country. "That discussion has been very widely had over the last two or three months with some successes but also some failures. "The answer is it depends on the supply - but certainly once three or four million of us are vaccinated." He added: "We've seen in Scotland, and we've seen in Israel where for various reasons they were able to - in Scotland get loads of AstraZeneca vaccine and in Israel loads of Pfizer vaccine - brought down the numbers dramatically in the community. "These vaccines do work to solve the problem in a dramatic way." HSE chief executive Paul Reid says the millionth dose will be given within days. Mr Reid said: "So we can start to see the programme scaling up now, particularly as we move through April but also specifically into May, where we seem to see much higher volumes coming. "Last week alone we have over 120,000 and we're on target to have at least, if not more than that over the coming week." Huge thanks to all involved in vaccinations this weekend. Best day ever - Good Friday (>30K). Our highest week ever (>120k). Over 930K done to date. 1M administered during next week. Over 70's & medically vulnerable prioritised. Were in a new phase. @HSELive @IMO_IRL @ICGPnews Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) April 4, 2021 Meanwhile, a public health expert is expressing concern that the Brazilian variant could spread in this country. It comes as 457 new cases of Covid-19 have been detected here along with three more deaths. As of last night, 237 patients with the virus were being treated in hospital, with 61 in ICU. DCU Professor Anthony Staines says the P1 variant is more transmissible. He said: "We've seen some cases of the P1 variant spreading in Ireland and that variant is substantially more infectious than the variant we have now which in its term is substantially more infectious than the variant we had last summer. "If it gets hold in the country it will be really challenging to bring case numbers down again." ADAMS, Mass. The town will revisit its marijuana bylaws to expand usage in the Industrial Park. During a workshop meeting Wednesday, the Selectmen agreed to begin the process of amending the town's marijuana bylaws to accommodate unallowed uses in the park. "I think the Planning Board thought this was a good first effort, and they wanted to have some experience with the marijuana business in the community," Donna Cesan, of Community Development, said, in reference to the original bylaws passed in 2018. "There was always an interest in going back to tweak them to make them better over time." Currently, only cannabis lab testing is allowed in the Industrial Park but over the years there has been interest from various businesses to start cultivation and manufacturing operations there. "One thing that has come to light is that there is an interest from the marijuana industry locating in Adams," Town Administrator Jay Green said. Most recently, the Zoning Board of Appeals made way for a retail and cultivation business to operate out of the former Burke Construction property at the entrance to the park. Green said this hasn't been the only request, and in 2020 the town turned away two or three businesses. Cesan said this goes back even further, and over the past few years the town consistently had to pass on three to five proposed establishments in the Industrial Park a year. Cesan said she thought there was still a need to have limitations -- retail wasn't the best fit while other uses seemed to be right in line with other businesses already in the park. Selectman Rick Blanchard agreed and felt retail would introduce unneeded traffic issues in the park. "I think retail would be a terrible idea," he said. The Selectmen felt it was worth taking another look at the bylaws. The Planning Board would be charged with makign these draft changes. "This is a blooming industry," Selectman Joseph Nowak said. "There is a lot of profit to be made." Town meeting will ultimately vote on any bylaw changes. In other business, Cesan updated the board on 26 Commercial St. that the town plans to demolish to make way for more parking at Hoosac Valley Elementary School. "We feel like we have enough information to present this to you this evening ... and to see if you want to proceed to the next steps," Cesan said. Town meeting allocated funds last year to acquire the long-vacant gas station. The town will have to remove three 10,000 gallon tanks from the property. Cesan said there is a fourth 1,000 tank that also has to go. This is estimated to cost $65,700. The town then has to have the soil tested. This is slated to cost $12,000. Including the demolition, the entire project should cost between $100,000 and $120,000. Cesan said the town is tapping Brownfield Funds to help along the project, but she plans to work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to see if they would be willing to share in some of the costs. Cesan said she hopes to have the project complete by September. "It is still a challenge at this point, and we don't know if we will be able to make it," she said. "But that is what we are working toward." The Selectmen also received a presentation on the Local Rapid Recovery Planning Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development recently awarded to Downtown Adams. The town and ProAdams were also part of the grant process. Berkshire Regional Planning Commission will utilize the $60,000 grant to develop a report identifying several projects that can respond to the effects of COVID-19 on the local community and business. Mark Malloy, of BRPC, was present at the meeting and outlined the timeline of the process. He said BRPC looks to collect data and hold public meetings to generate a list of ten short-term actionable items. He said the process could give way to state funding to address the projects. "There is no money right yet, but they hope as [the state] pulls together this plan they can create funding for local communities," he said. He said the project has a quick turnaround, and they hope to complete the report within six months. Nowak said he was happy the town received the grant but hopes something actually comes of it. "I hope this is beneficial and a lot of the plans we have had have just gone by the wayside," Nowak said. "Recommendations are good, but if you don't have the finances to carry them out they are just words without substance. I just hope something can come about it Lastly, Green presented the proposed $16,522,933 fiscal 2022 budget to the full board. Previously only the budget subcommittee saw the budget that, once approved by the Selectmen, will go to the Finance Committee. Burma Easter Sunday Sees Myanmar Death Toll at Hands of Military Regime Topping 560 Protesters in Mandalay's Mogok, known as a ruby town, staged a protest in support of elected lawmakers' Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) and rejecting the military coup on Sunday. / CJ At least five people were killed and more than two dozen protesters arrested by Myanmar military regime forces on Sunday, bringing the death toll to more than 560 in 63 days since the coup. Among the Easter Sunday deaths were two villagers who were arrested by soldiers and police on April 2. During a clash with villagers near Thapyayaye village of Yinmabin township, Sagaing region, the regimes troops arrested about eight civilians including some who had been wounded. A local resident told The Irrawaddy that families were contacted on Sunday morning and told to retrieve the bodies of two who had been among those arrested. Other arrested villagers have yet to be released. In Bhamo city of Kachin State, a 25-year-old volunteer night guard was shot dead by the soldiers and police during the forces raid on a residential area about 3 a.m. About 10 others were also reported to have been arrested. Despite the pre-dawn killings, Myanmars anti-coup protesters in several cities continued their strikes for the end of the dictatorship by returning to the streets. Scores of protesters also launched their latest campaignEaster egg strikeby decorating and drawing messages on eggs and sharing the images on social media as well as with the community on Easter Sunday with hopes of reinstating a democratic system in the country. May this Easter resurrect our lost future, a netizen wrote on the web. Another wrote, May Myanmar be reborn with true democracy again, and shared pictures of painted eggs. Since early morning, hundreds of protesters in the countrys second biggest city, Mandalay, marched against the regime. Mass protests also took place in other towns including Pyinmana of Naypyitaw, Launglon and Dawei of Tanintharyi region, Hpakant of Kachin State, Katha, Kyunhla and Ye U of Sagaing region, Loikaw of Kayah State and Winyaw of Kayin State, Bago region and others. Two people were shot dead in Pyinmana Township of Naypyitaw as soldiers and police opened fire on protesters on motorbikes. The regimes forces snatched one body. At least five anti-regime protesters were detained and others wounded during a crackdown by security forces on a protest in Minelone ward, Loikaw of Kayah State. In Yangons Tamwe Township, at least eight youth protesters were also reportedly arrested. Locals reported that soldiers and police made searches door to door while arresting protesters who dispersed before the crackdown. In Pyay, locally-based media outlet Myaelatt Athan reported the regimes forces raided the office of Moe Metta, a free funeral services association, on Sunday morning and arrested the chairman of the association. As of Sunday evening, at least 564 people have been killed by the regimes forces and more than 2,600 are being held in detention. You may also like these stories: Myanmars 10 Peace Signatories Back Elected Govt Seven Gold Panners Killed as Myanmar Military Bombs KNU-Controlled Area Fifteen More Killed as Myanmar Regime Continues Bloodbath New Delhi, April 5 : As India's daily Covid tally secured highest position in the world, surpassing Brazil and the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be holding a meeting with the Chief Ministers of states and Union Territories on Thursday, sources said on Monday. The meeting is scheduled to be organised at 6.30 p.m. on Thursday as India has been reporting an average of 78,489 Covid-19 cases -- a report based on 7-day moving average to visualise the number of new cases of the pandemic. In the meeting, Prime Minister will discuss the current status of the Covid-19 pandemic across the country along with issues related to the vaccination via video conferencing, and the measures to curb the second wave of the pandemic. The meeting comes in the backdrop of 1,03,558 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the highest ever single-day spike since the onset of the pandemic last year, taking the total tally to 1,25,89,067 on Monday. Taking note of the alarming rate of the spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths in the country with 10 states contributing more than 91 per cent of cases, the Prime Minister on Sunday also chaired a high-level meeting and directed that the "mission-mode" approach be continued in states and districts reporting high cases. He exhorted all the states to take required stringent measures with comprehensive restrictions in places so that the collective gains of Covid management in the country in the last 15 months are not squandered. It was emphasised that the reasons for the sharper rise in cases could be mainly attributed to the severe decline in compliance of Covid-appropriate behaviour, primarily in terms of use of masks and maintaining '2 Gaj ki Doori', pandemic fatigue and lack of effective implementation of containment measures at the field level. In a meeting with Chief Ministers of states and UTs on March 17, the Prime Minister had said that India needs to take quick and decisive steps soon to stop an emerging second peak of Covid-19 infections, and that "There should be daily monitoring. More beneficiaries should be mobilised to stop wastage." Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Haryana have been deemed states of "grave concern". The active cases have currently increased to 7,41,830 comprising 5.89 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 92.80 per cent. On Monday, the death toll increased to 1,65,101 with 478 new fatalities. The number of people who have recovered from the disease surged to 1,16,82,136, while the case fatality rate stood at 1.31 per cent, according to official data. The Centre has advised high-burden states and union territories to take stringent measures for containment of the surge. So far, 7.91 crore doses of corona vaccine have been administered in the country since the drive began on January 16. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) A person's blood group does not affect their risk of developing severe Covid-19 or being hospitalised by the infection, a study has found. Previous studies have indicated that people with type A blood are more at risk of catching the coronavirus. To determine if this was true, US doctors analysed health records of more than 100,000 people who had a Covid-19 test across Utah, Idaho, and Nevada between March and November 2020. Cross-referencing their Covid status with blood group revealed there to be no association between the two, debunking the previous findings. Scroll down for video People are more at risk of catching the coronavirus if they have type A blood, a study has found. Lab-based analysis investigated previous reports that blood group impacts on an individual's susceptibility to infection with SARS-CoV-2 Breakdown of British people by blood type O positive: 35% O negative: 13% A positive: 30% A negative: 8% B positive: 8% B negative: 2% AB positive: 2% AB negative: 1% Source: 900,000 blood donors on the NHS blood and transplant register Advertisement Blood group is a trait which is determined by a person's DNA and depends on the versions of genes inherited from a person's parents. These genes dictate the presence of antigens on the surface of red blood cells, the donut-shaped vessels which carry oxygen around the body in arteries and veins. Antigens are protruding proteins and there are two versions, A and B, which are found on the surface of red blood cells, also known as erythrocytes. Every person has either A, B, A and B, or none. These people will therefore have blood type A, B, AB and O, respectively, and this is known as the ABO blood group system. Another antigen on the cells, called Rhesus, is either positive or negative and this determines if a person is, for example, A positive or A negative. Blood groups vary in their commonality depending on geography and ethnicity but in the UK, the most common group is O positive, followed by A positive. Previous studies had found that people with type A blood are at greater risk of catching the virus. The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has a higher affinity for other cells such as those found in the respiratory tract which express a type A-specific molecule called an antigen Trial finds convalescent plasma therapy DOESN'T cut the risk from Covid-19 Injecting coronavirus patients with the blood of survivors does not boost their chances of getting better, a major study has found. Scientists running the REMAP-CAP trial have stopped enrolling infected ICU patients after finding 'no evidence' convalescent plasma therapy boosted survival rates. The therapy has also been dropped by the world-leading RECOVERY trial. The former focuses on critically-ill patients while the latter involves hospitalised, but not critically ill individuals. The findings from the study trials sounds the death knell for the once promising treatment which was being touted by the NHS, NIH and academics. Advertisement One study hinted that type A people have more receptors which the virus can bind to, making them more susceptible. But Dr Jeffrey Anderson, of the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, performed the most comprehensive and controlled analysis yet. 'With contrasting reports from China, Europe, Boston, New York, and elsewhere, we embarked on a large, prospective case-control study that included more than 11,000 individuals who were newly infected with SARS-CoV-2, and we found no ABO associations with either disease susceptibility or severity,' the authors of the study write in their paper, published today in JAMA Network Open. 'Given the large and prospective nature of our study and its strongly null results, we believe that important associations of SARS-CoV-2 and Covid-19 with ABO groups are unlikely,' they add. The researchers can not explain why the previous studies came to different conclusions, but cite various factors which may have led to the previous results. They say pure chance, publication bias, genetic differences, geography and variants may have led to skewed data indicating that some blood groups are more at-risk. However, the study did find that although blood group does not, other factors do indeed increase the risk of Covid-19. These included being a man, being older and also people not of white ethnicity. 'Among individuals with Covid-19, hospitalisation was associated with male sex and age,' the researchers write. 'Admission to an ICU was also associated with male sex and age.' The data also found that non-white people, including African Americans; American Indians or Alaskan Natives; Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders; Asians; and people who did not disclose their ethnicity are more likely to test positive. However, there was no link between these people and disease severity. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday took a dig at the BJP, saying the party's founders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were sidelined on attaining 75 years while fielding octogenarian 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan for the Kerala Assembly polls. "People like L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi who travelled across the country and built the party (BJP) were sidelined after they attained 75 years of age, asking them to be margadarshak (guide) and remain at home, but they (the party) gave ticket in Kerala to 88-year-old E Sreedharan," said Kharge. Speaking at the Babu Jagjivan Ram jayanti at the state Congress office here, he said the saffron party inducted two MLAs from Mamata Banerjee's TMC, aged 82 and 84, and gave them the tickets. "In this way, they (BJP) preach something and do something else. Such people are increasing, we have to understand it," he said. The former Union Minister, accusing Modi and BJP of creating divisions between communities, said the RSS ideology was poisonous. "If you think about giving a chance to RSS ideology, Narendra Modi leadership or BJP's ideology, it is an end, it's like consuming poison," he said. "That (RSS's) ideology is not good for humanity is our stand," said Kharge. Alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Bangladesh was politically motivated keeping the Assembly elections in mind. "The intention of his visit was elections in neighbouring West Bengal, also to show that he was keen on resolving fishermen's issue by raising it at the international- level with Bangladesh. He (Modi) tried to send an election message to the fishermen community in coastal areas, he said. Noting that polls were being held in coastal states like West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Kharge flayed the Prime Minister for claiming to have gone to jail for Bangladesh's freedom, by terming it as far from truth. "He did not claim to be part of India's freedom movement, as he was not born then or he would have done that too," Kharge added. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Wanting to help as quickly as possible, he organized a raffle with his restaurants, along with Marz Community Brewing, which he also owns, and Public Media Institute. We raised $4,000 in three days, Marszewski said. I was just blown away. We do fundraisers every month as a part of our mission, so we are used to doing this. We have a community that supports what we are doing and cares about helping others. We are really fortunate. It gives you hope. A two-week-old baby boy has died after his pram was hit by a car. A BMW is understood to have been involved in a collision with another car in High Street, Brownhills, before striking the babys pram at around 4pm on Easter Sunday, West Midlands Police said. The baby was being pushed along the pavement by family at the time and suffered serious injuries. Police said he was rushed to hospital but nothing could be done to save him. A relative suffered a shoulder injury but nobody else was injured. Police said the driver left the scene but a 34-year-old man was arrested in Bloxwich shortly afterwards. He has been taken into custody and will be questioned on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Sergeant Mark Crozier, from the collision investigation unit, said: A baby has tragically died and well be doing all we can to support his family during this deeply devastating time. Were in the process of speaking to witnesses and establishing the circumstances around this collision. I would ask anyone who was in the area, and has information which can assist our inquiries, to come forward. We understand the shock this will have caused but I would ask people not to speculate on what happened. Police said they are particularly keen to hear from anyone who was in the area and may have dashcam footage, either before or at the time of the collision. Anyone with information can contact police via FL_COLLISION_INVEST@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk, via Live Chat or by calling 101. On March 24, 2021, Intellias, a trusted technology partner to Fortune 500 enterprises and top-tier organizations, has adopted the United Nations Womens Empowerment Principles (WEPs) as part of its commitment to promoting gender equality and womens empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community. Intellias is now one of the 4,600+ signatory companies supporting the Womens Empowerment Principles and the only IT company in Ukraine to join the program. "Intellias is honored to be the first Ukrainian IT company to adopt the United Nations Women's Empowerment Principles. Our mission is to raise awareness of the WEPs to strengthen the role of women in business and support their leadership and decision-making. As we embark on this journey towards promoting women's rights, Intellias joins the authoritative community of leading businesses and state governments from across the globe in pursuit of building a gender-equal world." Vitaly Sedler, CEO and co-founder of Intellias The Womens Empowerment Principles are a set of principles aimed at guiding businesses on how to promote and nurture gender equality in organizations. Established by UN Global Compact and UN Women, the WEPs are informed by international labor and human rights standards and grounded in recognizing that businesses have a stake in and responsibility for gender equality and womens empowerment. "Women represent half of the world's population yet remain under-represented in the global workforce. Not only an affront to human rights and equality, but barriers to women's empowerment also hurt economic growth. That's why we are calling on business leaders everywhere to implement the Women's Empowerment Principles, and I want to thank you for joining the ever-growing community of WEPs signatories. We need ALL companies to get on board because gender equality is more than moral responsibility. Equality means business." Lise Kingo, UN Global Compact Executive Director Respect for human rights is a part of Intellias corporate values, business operations, everyday activities, and a workplace culture based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Protection of fundamental human rights, inherent dignity, and equal and inalienable opportunities for employees are embedded in the company's labor practices and code of corporate ethics. Every employee is entitled to all rights without discrimination of any kind concerning race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions, national or social origin, property, birth, or any other status. As a WEPs signatory, Intellias stands in solidarity with the United Nations to end gender inequality in labor and society, proclaiming gender equality as not only a matter of fairness but a critical component of job creation, innovation, productivity, and sustainable economic growth. "We congratulate Intellias for taking the first step on their WEPs journey. We consider Intellias to be a key partner in closing gender gaps in the workplace, marketplace, and community and in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals." Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director The WEPs are a primary vehicle for corporate delivery on gender equality dimensions of the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a roadmap to a more peaceful, just, and equal world for all people. By joining the WEPs community, Intellias testifies its commitment to this agenda at the company's highest levels and to work collaboratively in multistakeholder networks to foster business practices that empower women. About Intellias Intellias is a digital transformation enabler and trusted technology partner of Fortune 500 enterprises and top-tier organizations. Operating in Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the United States, and Saudi Arabia, nearly 1,600 Intellias experts deliver services to businesses from various domains. The company has been numerously featured in the Global Outsourcing 100 list by IAOP, recognized by Inc. 5000, acknowledged in the GSA UK Awards, and named the winner of a Silver Stevie Award 17th Annual International Business Awards. For more information, please visit http://www.intellias.com. About Women's Empowerment Principles The Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) guide businesses on how to promote gender equality and empower women in the workplace, marketplace, and community. Jointly established by the UN Global Compact and UN Women, the WEPs are underpinned by international labor standards and human rights and by the recognition that businesses have an important role in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. Adopting the seven principles is the best way that businesses can deliver on the ambitions for gender equality and women's empowerment as outlined in the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and in the 17 SDGs. For more information, please visit http://www.weps.org. Advertisement Piers Morgan says he was right not to believe 'delusional duchess' Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey because 17 of their claims have since been proven false, exaggerated or unverifiable. Morgan, DailyMail.com's editor-at-large, sat down for his own tell-all with Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired Monday, where he renewed his fierce criticisms of Harry and Meghan and railed against the 'woke cancel culture mob' that drove him to quit Good Morning Britain last month. Morgan set off a social media firestorm the day after the Oprah interview on March 7 when he said he 'didn't believe a word' of what Meghan said, after she leveled accusations of racism at the Royal Family and said she was not offered help with her suicidal thoughts when she was pregnant with son Archie. Speaking to Carlson on his Fox Nation show on Monday, Morgan said he's only become more convinced that Meghan is 'completely delusional' in the month since the interview aired. 'What I was witnessing was the most extraordinarily disingenuous smear, hit job, on the Royal family, on the Queen, on the monarchy, and frankly on Britain, my country,' he said of the first time he watched the interview. 'I went on air on Monday morning with full bells on and said quite clearly that I didn't believe what Meghan Markle was saying. Here we are a month later and frankly, I've had plenty of time to think about this - I still don't believe any of what they were saying. 'Seventeen different claims by the pair of them have now been proven to be either completely untrue, or massively exaggerated, or unprovable. I don't understand why I should have to believe people who are not telling the truth.' He accused Meghan of leading a 'woke mob' that branded him a racist for sharing his skepticism and demanded that people and businesses stop allowing cancel culture to infringe on free speech. 'It was Meghan's way and Meghan's truth,' he said. 'I was under attack from Ms Markle to confirm to her version of events and I had to believe her and if I didn't I was a racist who should be condemned. 'I should be allowed to say: "I don't believe you."' 'It's not really about Meghan Markle - she's a delusional duchess who wants to make millions off the royals while trashing family. It's really about free speech,' he said. 'What happened to me is happening all over Britain and America - I can take it, but there are many people who don't have our platform who are being wiped out, lives destroyed, careers ended over the most ridiculous things.' Morgan's key points in his interview with Carlson included: Meghan should reveal who allegedly denied her access to mental health care when she was feeling suicidal so they can answer: 'Did you tell a suicidal woman, who told you she was suicidal, not to get help?' 'We don't know the context' of Meghan's claim that someone in the Royal family raised concerns about 'how dark' baby Archie's skin color would be before he was born Morgan reminded that the only member of the Royal family who had to apologize for being racist was Harry when he used a racist slur to describe a Pakistani soldier in 2006 He accused Harry and Meghan of cashing in on their titles, saying: 'We'll be hearing a lot more Royal secrets from them because that's their only currency' He called for people and companies to stop bowing to the 'woke mob' because doing so flies in the face of free speech He said Princess Diana would have been 'horrified by the split between Harry and his brother.' Scroll down for a list of Meghan and Harry's 17 disproven and disputed claims Piers Morgan on Monday said he was right not to believe 'delusional duchess' Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey because 17 of their claims have since been proven false, exaggerated or unverifiable Morgan sat down for his own tell-all with Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired Monday, where renewed his fierce criticisms of Harry and Meghan and railed against the 'woke cancel culture mob' that drove him to quit Good Morning Britain last month Morgan set off a social media firestorm the day after the Oprah interview on March 7 when he said he 'didn't believe a word' of what Meghan said about experiencing racism within the Royal Family and feeling suicidal when she was pregnant Meghan and Harry's 17 'whoppers': The untruths, exaggerations and unverified claims from Oprah interview Piers Morgan on Monday said that 17 claims made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in their bombshell Oprah interview have since been proved to be false, exaggerated or are unverifiable. Morgan did not specify what the 17 claims were, but here is a breakdown of their claims in the interview and doubts that have since been cast: DISPROVEN: Harry and Meghan were actually secretly wed three days before the Windsor ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury Meghan said: 'You know, three days before our wedding, we got married. No one knows that... We called the Archbishop and we just said, 'Look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world but we want our union between us.' Just two weeks after the Oprah interview aired, Harry and Meghan admitted they did not get married three days before the Royal wedding after an official certificate blew their claim apart. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex confessed the ceremony with the Archbishop of Canterbury in Kensington Palace saw them just 'privately exchange personal vows'. It came after the General Register Office revealed the couple's wedding certificate for the first time - which showed they did get married on May 19, 2018 in the lavish, 32million taxpayer-funded ceremony at Windsor Castle after all. An official who drew up the license said Meghan is 'obviously confused' and 'clearly misinformed' over the wedding when she made her comments to Oprah. The Archbishop of Canterbury has also rejected the couple's claim that they married at a secret ceremony before the Windsor Castle wedding. He said: 'The legal wedding was on the Saturday. I signed the wedding certificate, which is a legal document, and I would have committed a serious criminal offence if I signed it knowing it was false.' Archie has a birthright to be a prince Meghan said: 'Idea of the first member of color in this family, not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be... It's not their right to take it away' Archie did not have a birthright to be a prince, but is set to become one when Charles accedes to the throne. That William and Kate's children have the HRH title and are styled as prince and princesses - and Archie is not - stems from a ruling more than 100 years ago. In 1917, King George V issued a written order that only royal offspring who are in the direct line of succession could be made a prince and receive HRH titles. The Letters Patent read: '...the grandchildren of the sons of any such sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of dukes of these our realms.' Under the rules, only Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge's eldest son Prince George - as a great-grandson of the monarch down the direct line of succession to the throne - was originally entitled to be a prince. The Queen stepped in ahead of George's birth in 2013 to issue a Letters Patent to ensure all George's siblings - as the children of future monarch William - would have fitting titles, meaning they were extended to Charles and Louis. Under the George V rules, Archie would be entitled to be an HRH or a prince when his grandfather Charles, the Prince of Wales, accedes to the throne. Archie wouldn't get 24/7 security because he wasn't a prince Meghan said: 'In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time, so we (had) the conversation of he won't be given security, he's not going to be given a title.' Being a prince or princess does not automatically mean royals have police protection. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's security is no longer paid for by the taxpayer. Harry and Meghan no longer receive British police protection, and are understood to be paying for private security. Meghan has not seen Samantha Markle in almost 20 years Meghan said: 'The last time I saw her must have been at least 18, 19 years.' During the interview Meghan distanced herself from her half-sister Samantha, who she said she hardly knows and she grew up 'an only child'. A photograph from 2008 - 13 years ago - shows Meghan with Samantha at her graduation. Samantha has slammed the royal's interview with Oprah Winfrey, saying 'the truth was totally ignored and omitted' while providing photos and documents to disprove each of the Duchess of Sussex's claims about her. The pregnant Duchess of Sussex told Oprah, 67, that Samantha 'doesn't know' her, claiming she was raised as 'an only child' - but her half-sister has now insisted that couldn't be further from the truth. 'I don't know how she can say I don't know her and she was an only child. We've got photographs over a lifespan of us together. So how can she not know me?' she told Inside Edition, while sharing images of the two women together at different stages throughout their lives - most recently in 2008, just 13 years ago. The Duchess also claimed that Samantha only changed her surname back to Markle after Meghan struck up a romance with Harry - but Samantha insisted that this claim was wholly inaccurate, and shared further evidence to refute it. Newspaper held story about Thomas Markle until Sunday before Meghan's wedding Meghan: 'If we were going to use the word betrayal, it's because when I asked him, when we were told by the comms team, this is a story that was going to be coming out, which, by the way, the tabloids had apparently known for a month or so and decided to hold until the Sunday before our wedding because they wanted to create drama, which is also a really key point in all this.' Meghan claimed 'the tabloids had apparently known for a month' that Thomas Markle had staged paparazzi photos before the wedding but 'decided to hold till the Sunday before our wedding... to create drama,' adding: 'They did not report the news, they created the news.' She suggested she had 'lost' her father forever as a result. In truth, far from sitting on the paparazzi story, the Mail on Sunday, which broke it, published within 24 hours of getting the proof. EXAGGERATED 'I was silenced' Meghan said she was 'silenced' by the institution. 'Everyone in my world was given very clear directive, from the moment the world knew Harry and I were dating, to say 'No comment'. On the day they announced their engagement, Meghan and Harry gave a lengthy interview to the BBC's Mishal Husain, although the duchess reportedly complained afterwards that the journalist had not been 'warm enough'. On their tour of South Africa, they granted interviews to ITN's Tom Bradby, when Meghan memorably told him: 'Not many people have asked if I'm OK.' Royal insiders have stressed that it was very much the case that Harry and Meghan themselves 'called the shots' when it came to publicity, deciding which charities to support, which engagements to go on, and which media to grant interviews to. Meghan never researched the Royal Family prior to joining Meghan said: 'I didn't do any research about what that would mean,' she said. 'I never looked up my husband online.' Meghan's claim that she never researched Harry, nor the Royal Family, before entering into the relationship is at odds with claims made in the couple's biography. Although the Sussexes maintain they did not contribute to Finding Freedom, it was written by friendly journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, who say the book was impeccably well-sourced by those closest to the couple. Prior to their first date at Dean Street Townhouse in 2016, the authors write: 'Naturally both participants in this blind date did their homework with a thorough Google search. Harry, who scoped out Meghan on social media, was interested.' A friend is also claimed to have impressed on Meghan the attention she would command for dating Harry, saying: 'This could be crazy...you will be the most wanted woman'. The duchess said she 'didn't do any research' into the monarchy, 'didn't fully understand what the job was', and did not grow up 'knowing much about the Royal Family'. Friends of the duchess have painted a different picture, revealing that she was fascinated by the royals in her youth. Ninaki Priddy, who was Meghan's maid of honour at her first wedding to Trevor Engelson, said her friend was 'always fascinated by the Royal Family. She wants to be Princess Diana 2.0'. She added: 'She had one of Princess Diana's books [Diana: Her True Story] on her bookshelf, and even when she was with Trevor she told me she wanted to go and stay in London for at least a month. I know she used to love The Princess Diaries films.' The mother of Suzy Ardakani, one of the duchess's high school friends, has described how she taped Diana's wedding and would watch it with her daughter and Meghan years later. Harry was financially cut off from the royals Harry said: 'My family literally cut me off financially, and I had to afford security for us' When Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step back from being senior royals, they said they wanted to be 'financially independent'. Before cutting ties, 95 percent of their money came from Prince Charles's income from the Duchy of Cornwall, and 5 percent from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant. Princes William and Harry received most of a 13million fortune left by their mother Princess Diana. Harry is also thought to have had millions left to him by the Queen mother. 'Lost' father who staged photos Meghan said the Press 'created' news about Meghan's father 'to create drama' Meghan estranged father Thomas denied his daughter's claims he had 'betrayed' her. He says that he's apologized '100 times' for doing a deal with a paparazzi photographer before the royal wedding in 2018 and urged the couple to see him now they only live '70 miles away' from his Mexico home in Los Angeles. He also denied the Royal Family - or Britain - is racist, calling Meghan and Harry's claims 'bulls**t' and saying if it is true a royal asked about how 'dark' Archie's skin would be, it was probably just a 'dumb question'. Thomas spoke to Good Morning Britain in the UK after watching the Oprah interview with his daughter and her husband. In it Meghan said she cannot fathom hurting her son Archie in the way her own father 'betrayed' her, admitting she 'found it hard to reconcile' with Thomas after he insisted that he had not been speaking to the media. She said: 'I look at Archie, I think about this child, and I genuinely can't imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my child'. Thomas said that while he did let her down, she had 'let me down too' by cutting him off after heart surgery almost three years ago. He said: 'The bottom line is she didn't lose me, she made a statement saying she lost me, she didn't lose me, I would've always been there for her, I'm there for her now if she wants me'. He added: 'We all make mistakes - but I've never played naked pool or dressed like Hitler like Harry did'. UNVERIFIABLE Help for mental anguish Meghan says she begged in vain for the Palace to help her mental state Feeling that she 'just didn't want to be alive any more' in January 2019, Meghan said she 'went to the institution, and I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help', but was refused because it 'wouldn't be good for the institution'. The duchess claimed: 'I went to human resources, and I said, 'I just really I need help',' but HR could not do anything because she was not a paid member of staff. She longed to check herself into a hospital or similar clinic but 'you can't just do that... I couldn't, you know, call an Uber to the Palace'. Meghan was not asked by Oprah why she went to HR rather than simply ask her GP to make a referral or seek advice from a mental health clinician herself, in the same way she might have done for any other ailment. One insider pointed out that HR exists for Palace employees while the royals themselves have a private office to help arrange everything from booking a holiday to fixing a medical appointment. Harry, meanwhile, said he was ashamed of admitting to his family that Meghan needed help, and so he did not talk to them. The duke, who is passionate about the mental health campaign he launched, called Heads Together, and has himself sought therapy in the past, said that with his wife he 'had no idea what to do'. Couple witnessed racism inside the monarchy Meghan said: [There were] concerns and conversations about how dark his [Archie's] skin might be when he's born' Harry and Meghan said they will never reveal the person who made these comments. However Oprah revealed that Harry confirmed it was not the Queen nor Prince Philip. After the interview, Buckingham Palace said that 'recollections may vary' of the events described by Meghan and Harry. Prince Charles also reportedly wanted to release a 'point by point' response to the couple's claims, but decided against it because he didn't want to give 'more ammunition'. Kate made Meghan cry before her wedding to Harry Responding to claims that she reduced Kate to tears, Meghan said: 'No, no. The reverse happened'. Reports of a pre-wedding clash between the duchesses first emerged in November 2018, when sources claimed Meghan had been left displeased with a 'stressful' dress fitting for the flower girls. Accounts differed as to the source of the row. Some said it was a disagreement on whether the bridesmaids should wear tights - Meghan reportedly believed they should not. Other reports said it stemmed from Princess Charlotte's dress not fitting, meaning another had to be scheduled. A source said at the time: 'Kate had only just given birth to her third child, Prince Louis, and was feeling quite emotional.' But during the Oprah interview Meghan flatly denied the reports and claimed it was Kate that left her upset. Meghan had to turn over her passport, keys and driving license to royal aides Meghan said: 'When I joined that family, that was the last time I saw my passport, my driving license, my keys - all of that gets turned over.' Senior royals are often pictured driving themselves and it is believed there have never been prior claims of a royal having keys and passports held. Harry and Meghan received police protection, meaning their travel was meticulously planned by officers. Meghan's press team didn't defend her when 'things weren't true' Oprah asked Meghan about stories that she made Kate cry, saying: 'So, all the time the stories were out that you had made Kate cry, you knew all along, and people around you knew that that wasn't true.' Meghan replied: 'Everyone in the institution knew it wasn't true.' And Oprah then said: 'So, why didn't somebody just say that?' Meghan said: 'That's a good question.' Making a wider point, Mail on Sunday royal correspondent Emily Andrews has said that Meghan's press team did in fact defend untrue stories, saying this was 'just not right'. Andrews said that she interacted with a press team who defended the Sussexes 'again and again and again, told me things were wrong - so didn't publish - and indeed tried to stop me when true.' Palace lied to protect other members of the Royal Family Meghan said: 'I came to understand that not only was I not being protected but that they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family, but they weren't willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband.' There was clearly frustration felt by the couple, with some justification, towards the Palace PR machine, which was sometimes reluctant to 'fight every little fire', as one source put it. But the Palace did robustly stand ground on many other stories that the couple insisted were not true, resulting in the media not running them. The Palace pursued at least one national newspaper all the way to press regulator IPSO over a story about their Frogmore home, and won a decisive victory for Harry and Meghan. The duchess complained that she was 'not protected', but Palace sources have hit back at the idea the duchess was left to fend for herself, suggesting it was her own aides who needed protection from her bullying ways something she strenuously denies. Meghan was banned from going out for lunch with her friends Meghan: 'I remember so often people within The Firm would say, 'Well, you can't do this because it'll look like that. You can't'... so, even, 'Can I go and have lunch with my friends?' 'No, no, no. You're oversaturated. You're everywhere. It would be best for you to not go out to lunch with your friends.' I go, 'Well, I haven't left the house in months.' Meghan appears to be talking about a four-year period, and it is likely the situation varied. She was spotted enjoying outings on numerous occasions, including a pub lunch with Harry, going for facials near their Kensington Palace home and shopping trips. Every British newspaper declined to buy photographs of these trips. No member of staff would dare tell Meghan where she could go. When the couple decided to leave the Royal family Early in the Oprah interview Meghan said she joined the Royal family with the intention of devoting her life to service. Later, when asked if the Queen was 'shocked' by Megxit, Meghan said Harry had been talking to his grandmother about stepping down for 'two years'. Harry and Meghan's combined murky timeline of when they expressed their intention of stepping down as senior Royals left this question unanswered. It's remains unclear when Harry specifically told the Queen of their plans. As to whether the Queen felt 'blindsided', only she could say. Advertisement Early in the interview Morgan zeroed in on Meghan and Harry's racism claims - accusing them of 'smearing' the Royal family and the Queen, and pointing out that the only member of the family who's been forced to apologize for racism is Harry. Speaking to Oprah, Meghan alleged that someone in 'The Firm' expressed 'concerns' about 'how dark' Archie's skin would be before he was born because she is mixed-race and Harry is white. Morgan asserted that Meghan was 'accusing the Queen and the Monarchy and the institution as being racist' - adding: 'We don't know the context, we don't know what was said.' Morgan said the question about Archie's skin color could have been 'innocent' if it was based on mere curiosity. He acknowledged, however, that if the question were 'loaded with a sense of derogatory tone or concern, then it becomes racism'. He further said that Meghan's suggestion that Archie was barred from becoming a prince because of concerns about his skin color was 'completely untrue'. 'It's not just a sense of her lived experience being untrue, it is factually incorrect. That boy was never going to be a prince until Prince Charles, Harry's father, becomes king on the death of the Queen,' Morgan said. 'And that's gonna happen whatever the skin color of Archie's mother, that's set-in-stone - it's been the case for 100 years. 'So for Meghan Markle to try and create a story that says that the decision to not make Archie the title of prince was based on his skin color is a lie.' Morgan said he did not believe the Royal family were racist, and noted it was 'ironic' that Harry is the only one forced to apologize for racist language. The Prince made a video diary in 2006, while in the British army, in which he described an Asian member of his platoon as 'our little Paki friend'. Morgan said: 'I have met the royals many times and I don't believe they are racist at all. 'In fact, the only member of the royal family who has had to publicly apologize for being racist is Prince Harry, who a few years ago had to apologize after using a deeply offensive racist term about a Pakistani soldier, that he was working with. 'And he used other racial slurs as well in that story which was published by a British tabloid. Which may explain his hatred for the British tabloids.' The prince made the comments in footage shot while training as an officer at the Sandhurst military academy in 2006. A year before, he was forced to make a public apology for wearing a Nazi insignia at a fancy dress party. When the 2006 footage emerged, in 2009, St James's Palace issued a public apology, saying: 'Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause. 'However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon. There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend.' Morgan concluded: 'But he's the only one. Isn't that ironic? That wasn't mentioned by Oprah Winfrey - and it should have been.' He also noted how both he and his friend Sharon Osbourne, who defended Morgan for voicing his opinions, had been forced from their jobs. Osbourne left daytime chat show The Talk on March 26, after a heated row on March 10 when she defended his right to air his views. 'If you're going to accuse people of racism - and I have a real vested interest in this debate, because I have been accused of racism simply for disbelieving Meghan Markle, who we now know was not telling the truth throughout that interview. 'I feel very angry about that, and very aggrieved about that,' he said. 'And I have seen friends of mine, like Sharon Osborne, being removed from their job for defending me, because apparently they were defending a racist. 'I have seen Don Lemon at CNN, the guy who sits in my old office, who I thought was a friend, actually say on his show that I had committed an act of racism by disbelieving somebody. That's an act of racism? 'So you have the Queen, and frankly every member of the royal family, is still smeared with the idea it may have been them who expressed concern over the skin color of Archie. Well, did they? And if so, who was it? 'As a British taxpayer, who helps pay for the royal family, I would like to know, actually, if there is a real racist inside the palace.' Morgan called into question Winfrey's conduct during the interview, asking why she didn't press for more answers or clarification. 'My problem with this whole interview is that these incredibly damaging allegations were tossed out there, and none of them were challenged properly,' he said. 'None of them were challenged based on actual reality. None of them were asked, well, who is this person?' Morgan also demanded that Meghan substantiate her claim that she was denied access to mental health care when she was feeling suicidal because she was told it 'wouldn't look good for the institution' by revealing who made that comment. 'You're accusing two people in the palace of being unspeakably cruel simply to protect the brand of the Royal family, if that is true let's have the names of these people and let's go to them and ask them is this true,' he said. '"Did you tell a suicidal woman, who told you she was suicidal, not to get help?" - because I find that impossible to believe.' 'It's not really about Meghan. It's about free speech': Morgan hits out at people and businesses - including ITV - for bowing to 'woke mobs' and 'destroying lives' Morgan said he couldn't be sure whether Meghan was 'deliberately lying' or 'completely untrue' - but said he does not care. 'It's not really about Meghan Markle - she's a delusional duchess who wants to make millions off the royals while trashing family. It's really about free speech,' he said. 'What happened to me is happening all over Britain and America - I can take it, but there are many people who don't have our platform who are being wiped out, lives destroyed, careers ended over the most ridiculous things. 'It's got to stop. And it will only stop when the mass body of people, who don't feel this way, who don't find themselves offended by absolutely everything, when they stand up and go: "Enough. I'm not going to let this happen."' Referencing his experience at Good Morning Britain (GMB), Morgan continued: 'Ultimately it's got to be the bosses of companies. Stand firm when the mob comes and bays for blood says: "You've got to get rid of this person he's a racist, he doesn't believe Meghan Markle." That doesn't make me a racist, what are you talking about? Bosses have to stand firm. If they don't, this will get worse and worse and worse.' 'The best way to beat a bully sometimes is to smack him back in the nose. And I'm talking metaphorically but what I mean is, when this woke mob comes again, you need people to go: "Nope, not having this."' He said if he was in charge of GMB's network ITV, he would have defended a host who said the things he did about Meghan and Harry. 'If I'd been running [ITV], I would've said: "Piers is here to express his opinions. Why do you think we now have a number one rated show on television? Because everyone's been tuning in for his opinion about the big interview." 'But that wasn't allowed to happen. The woke mob is a dangerous mob. And companies around the world fear it. Individuals fear it. And the only way you can defy a mob is to stand up and say: "No. I'm sorry, you're not going to get your way, put your pitchforks back, because you're not going to get your latest scalp."' Carlson agreed, saying that the Murdoch family that controls Fox News is 'the only reason I have my job'. Morgan replied: 'I worked with Rupert Murdoch myself and he remains to this day somebody who, when the mob came for him, he stood firm. He wouldn't toss you on the bonfire. He might do down the line if you were failing at your job, but not because people were offended by you, or decided that you have no right to have an opinion.' Morgan then took aim at CNN host Don Lemon, who called his comments about Meghan 'an act of racism'. 'It was really offensive to me, as someone who worked at CNN and gave everything I had for nearly four years,' Morgan said of Lemon. 'That really disappointed me. I would like Don Lemon to think again about what he said about me on air.' Morgan branded Lemon as being part of the 'illiberal mob' that increasingly controls public discourse. 'If we lose the right to have an opinion, the right to respect other opinions, then ultimately democracy dies. It's the bedrock of democracy,' he said. 'You then become something different, you become a totalitarian state run by an illiberal mob, who are the new fascists. Is that what anybody wants? Do liberals want that? I don't want that, I'm a liberal.' 'Saying I believe her would be like saying I believe Pinocchio': Morgan blasts Meghan's claim that she was 'silenced' and says her and Harry's 'lack of self-awareness is breathtaking' Carlson played numerous clips from Meghan and Harry's interview over the course of his hourlong chat with Morgan, including one where Oprah asked the duchess: 'Were you silent or were you silenced?' Meghan said the latter. 'I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice that moments after she complained about being silenced, she called your boss to silence you,' Carlson told Morgan with a laugh. Morgan shook his head in dismay before saying: 'I mean, you couldn't make this stuff up, frankly. 'The week before Harry had been on an open-top bus with his friend James Corden. This is the prince of privacy, who was talking about his private life, his family, on an open-top Hollywood star bus. 'The lack of self-awareness of these two is frankly breathtaking. But this idea that Meghan Markle was silenced - Meghan Markle guest edited British Vogue in the middle of her silence. Meghan Markle made 73 public appearances - many of which she spoke at - during her extended period of being silenced. 'Meghan Markle claimed that she had her passport taken away so she couldn't fly, yet miraculously she took 14 flights, some of them on Elton John's private jet, while she was simultaneously with Harry lecturing us about our carbon footprint. 'There are so many ridiculous whoppers in this interview that frankly in the end, saying I believe her would be like saying I believe Pinocchio. Why would I?' 'We'll be hearing a lot more Royal secrets from them because that's their only currency': Morgan says Harry and Meghan will cash in on their titles because without it they're just another couple of celebrities Morgan went on to predict that the couple will reveal more secrets in the coming months - despite claiming to crave privacy and a quiet life in Southern California. He said that the only way the couple will be able to stay in the news going forward is to essentially cash in on their royal titles - whether it be through deals with Netflix or podcasts with Spotify. 'Prince Harry is useful to Meghan because he has a royal title and she has been ruthlessly exploiting that title to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars,' he said. 'Good luck to them if they can get away with it but I think Americans should be on to this now. How much money would they be making if they weren't the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their anodyne views on a podcast to Spotify? Zero! Right? 'Would they be getting a two hour interview with Oprah if they weren't Royal? Of course they wouldn't. Would they be on an open top bus going through Hollywood with James Corden if they weren't Royal? No! So their entire existence is now being financed by their Royal connection, the same Royal connection which they spent nearly two hours lambasting and saying how much they hated.' Morgan accused the couple of displaying both inconsistent, hypocritical and ultimately shameful behavior, saying: 'I wonder what the game plan is for Harry and Megan? Do they carry on plummeting to the bottom in terms of spewing ever more lurid details? 'We know that within several days of the Oprah interview, Prince Charles and Prince William both called Prince Harry to discuss the interview. And the reason we know that incredibly private information, is because the first thing they did was tell Gayle King, Oprah's best friend who hosts the CBS morning show, who then broadcast this to the American people.' Morgan said that the revealing of details of private family phone conversations, which had ultimately not been constructive, was an act that could only be categorized as 'extremely disrespectful'. 'To do it to your own family, I don't know how you can trust them again?' Morgan said. 'It's complete hypocrisy all to keep the pot boiling and making themselves talked about which ultimately is their only currency because, you know, they're not making all this money through talent.' Morgan continued to ponder what the plan might be for the couple going forward and how they might be able to make millions despite the pair claiming to long for a life out of the limelight. 'Meghan was an ok actress on a show that not many people watched. I happened to like it. What has Prince Harry done? He went to war and my brother-in-law taught him at Sandhurst Military Academy and said he was a fine young soldier and very courageous man. What's happened to that guy? He's turned into this whiney brat in his mid-30s who's complaining his dad isn't still financing everything that he does. Complaining he was cut off by daddy and his millions. Actually that wasn't true either. It turns out Prince Charles had carried on financing him,' Morgan explained. 'Remember Harry inherited millions when his mother died. I knew Princess Diana well and I think she'd be horrified by the split between Harry and his brother, by the schism now between Harry and Royal Family generally and by the appalling smearing of the Queen which is already causing damage in some of the commonwealth countries who are buying into this outrageous lie that the Queen is somehow presiding over this racist institution. 'I'm afraid I predict we'll going to be hearing a lot more from them and we'll be hearing a more royal secrets from them because that's their currency and without that they're just another couple of celebrities now on the huckster trail.' Morgan slams 'stand-in weather guy' Alex Beresford for 'pre-meditated' Meghan attack that cost him his GMB job and says co-host Susanna Reid's reaction 'disappointed' him Early in the interview Morgan slammed his former GMB colleague Alex Beresford for launching a 'premeditated attack' during their on-air row about the Oprah interview that cost him his job on the ITV show. The day after the interview Morgan's comments led to an explosive weatherman Beresford, who accused Morgan of 'trashing' the Suits actress before he stormed off set. Speaking to Carlson on Monday, Morgan said of Beresford: 'He is the stand-in weather guy, he's not a journalist, he's someone I've helped in his career like he has asked me to. 'He sent me a private message in which he expressed some concern about what he felt I wasn't really understanding about where Meghan Markle was coming from as a bi-racial woman. He is himself a bi-racial man so he wanted to explain so I said come on air, let's have the conversation. 'But the moment he came on air, he came with a pretty premeditated attack on me on a pretty personal level and frankly I just wasn't going to have it. 'I walked off... I was quite angry in the moment, he claimed that I have a personal vendetta against Meghan Markle, which I don't.' During the GMB clash, Beresford responded to Morgan's claims that he used to talk to Meghan and she 'dropped him' once she started dating Prince Harry. He said: 'I understand that you don't like Meghan Markle, you've made it so clear a number of times on this program, and I understand you've got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle and she cut you off.' Beresford told Morgan: 'She's entitled to cut you off if she wants to' - prompting Morgan to then storm off the GMB set. Morgan was also asked by Tucker how he felt the day after he stormed off set, when his co-host Susanna Reid apologized for his behavior. 'It seems like you have affection for her,' Carlson said. Morgan replied: 'I was disappointed, but she might have done it in the grip of fear, that if she spoke too highly in favour of me, the same thing might happen to her. There would be a huge Twitter pile-on. By an orchestrated mob.' The former editor of the Daily Mirror also said he doubted that Meghan had been subjected to racist coverage by the British Press. Morgan told Carlson: 'Contrary to what many Americans have been led to believe, the press coverage of these two right up to the wedding was completely over-the-top euphoric. Everyone in Britain was thrilled that finally we were having a non-white bride in the royal family, it hadn't happened. 'We were all very happy about this. I wrote about how wonderful it was on the wedding day. This narrative from the start that she was was bombarded with horrible, hateful, racist press coverage is another disingenuous load of nonsense fueled by the Oprah Winfrey show where they flashed up a series of headlines, many of which had been deliberately cut to create a misconstrued impression, and many were actually American tabloids not British. 'But no, this narrative had to be believed, that Meghan Markle was targeted for her skin color by the beastly British tabloids. 'I never saw that, I don't believe that, I'm a former British tabloid editor myself and I would know if there was racist coverage in the British papers and there wasn't. 'There may have been on social media because that's a cesspit, we know that, but I didn't see it in the mainstream British Press.' Morgan said he couldn't be sure whether Meghan was 'deliberately lying' or 'completely untrue' - but said he does not care. 'It's not really about Meghan Markle -she's a delusional duchess who wants to make millions off the royals while trashing family - It's really about free speech,' he said Morgan accused Meghan and Harry of leading a 'woke mob' that branded him a racist for sharing his skepticism and demanded that people and businesses stop allowing cancel culture to infringe on free speech Last month, Morgan announced he had quit GMB after co-star Alex Beresford (right) challenged his comments about Meghan Morgan defends fired Teen Vogue editor, 27, who lost her job before she'd even started over racist tweets she apologized for writing when she was a kid During his rant against the 'woke mob' Morgan came to the defense of Alexi McCammond, the Teen Vogue editor in chief who was fired before even starting the job last month after racist tweets she posted when she was 17 in 2011 resurfaced online. 'The editor of Teen Vogue was fired before she could even start. She apologized for years about stuff she tweeted as a 17-year-old kid, but that wasn't enough. So, apologies don't ever get you anywhere,' Morgan railed. Alexi McCammond McCammond, 27, wrote several anti-Asian tweets in 2011 and was forced to resign from her job as editor of Teen Vogue earlier last month 'This woke mob want to cancel people who do not follow their narratives and it's got increasingly dangerous. I look at that poor young journalist who got fired before she even started and I ask myself, so what about the other members of that editorial team? 'Should we go back to their tweets when they were 16, 17 and see what's lurking there? We already know about one of them, that didn't live up to the holy level that they were setting for this woman. But this young woman's career has been completely trashed and burned because by the woke bonfire because she was not allowed to be contrite,' Morgan said. 'She wasn't allowed to express a sincere apology for stuff she spouted when she was a kid. It's ridiculous.' McCammond's resurfaced tweets include one in which she wrote: 'Googling how to not wake up with swollen Asian eyes'. Another since-deleted tweet read: 'Give me a 2/10 on my chem problem, cross out all of my work and don't explain what I did wrong thanks a lot stupid Asian T.A. you're great.' She also used the term 'homo' in a posting. They were written in 2011 and resurfaced after she was named as the new editor on March 5. On March 9, the tweets had gone viral and she was apologizing for them. Conde Nast - which has a history of racism allegations - stood by her and allowed her to keep the position. Staffers were irate that she was allowed to keep her job and said it sent the wrong message during a time of increased attacks on American Asians but she stayed on. Morgan calls his friend Sharon Osborne's ouster from CBS 'even more disconcerting' than his own after she defended his right to an opinion At another point in the interview Morgan praised Osbourne for defending his right to an opinion even at the cost of her job, accusing CBS of 'hypocrisy' for forcing her out as co-host of The Talk. Morgan contended that Osbourne's ouster was 'even more disconcerting' than his own from GMB. 'I thought it took enormous courage by Sharon in the middle of my firestorm... Sharon went on Twitter immediately, within one hour of the news breaking that I'd gone and defended me and my right to have an opinion,' he said. 'She didn't agree with everything I've said. She was already on the record from the day before as saying she disagreed with me about a lot of things,' Morgan said. 'But, when it really mattered, when the chips were down for me, she was there, she was a loyal friend. And my God has she paid for that loyalty.' After Osbourne spoke out on Twitter to defend Morgan, a heated on-air exchange followed in which her co-hosts accused Morgan of 'unconscious racism' and slammed her for supporting him. 'She was taken down very deliberately and it was all because she dared to tweet that I was entitled to my opinion,' Morgan said. 'And then because she said that on Twitter, she was attacked on her own show by her co-host who said that [her defense of me] effectively was her supporting someone who said racist things.' 'When it really mattered, when the chips were down for me, she was there, she was a loyal friend. And my God has she paid for that loyalty,' Morgan said of Osbourne (with him above) 'When Sharon got annoyed and said, well, what did he say that was racist? They couldnt say anything because I never had. And yet now, Sharons gone, too. So I -- I look at this -- this cancel culture, its a real thing,' he continued. 'This woke mob want to cancel people who do not follow their narratives and its got increasingly dangerous,' Morgan said. Morgan also slammed CBS for 'hypocrisy' in forcing Osbourne out, pointing to a parallel incident in the past involving Sheryl Underwood, one of The Talk co-hosts who challenged Osbourne on-air over her support of Morgan. 'Theres a real hypocrisy at The Talk as well involving Sheryl Underwood,' he said. Morgan recounted an incident from 2017 in which comedian George Lopez told a joke that there 'two rules' in the Latino community, one being never marry a black woman, and then berated a black woman in the audience who stood up an flipped him off. 'Now, you would think that Sheryl Underwood -- who is so outraged by people saying racist things that she evens imagines them saying it when they haven't -- that when she was confronted with clear evidence on video of her good friend George Lopez saying racist things and abusing a young black woman who then had to leave a venue, that Sheryl would be outraged, but she wasn't. She defended George Lopez on The Talk four days later,' said Morgan. 'So, there's a real sickening hypocrisy. I'm staggered Sheryl Underwood's still on that show,' said Morgan. 'But there lies the hypocrisy in the heart of this debate.' 'I know Sheryl Underwood. I've been on that show many times. She knows I'm not a racist. She knows that. So, she deliberately did what she did to create a firestorm with Sharon who defended me passionately,' he continued. 'And the one who has to leave is not the person falsely accusing Sharon's friend of being a racist with no evidence. It's Sharon for defending me against the fake charge,' said Morgan. 'That to me is outrageous. And Americans should be outraged. This is show called "The Talk" and because Sharon talked the truth, not anyone else's truth or even her truth, just the truth, I hadn't said racist things, because she said that she had to go. And I found that just so disgraceful,' he added. Confirming the news of his interview with Carlson on his Twitter account on Saturday, Piers wrote: 'Time for America to hear MY truth....' In another update shared on Friday evening, Piers poked fun at Meghan, 39, as he referenced the moment when Oprah, 67, asked whether she was 'silent or silenced?' to which the wife of Prince Harry, 36, accused the Royal establishment of 'silencing' her. Casting doubt over the authenticity of her accusations once more, Piers used Oprah's question to make light of his GMB exit. 'Time for America to hear MY truth': The journalist will unpack the events leading up to his dramatic departure in his first tell-all interview as he confirmed to Twitter on Saturday Revealing: In another update shared on Friday evening, Piers poked fun at Meghan, 39, as he referenced the moment when Oprah, 67, asked whether she was 'silent or silenced?' to which the wife of Prince Harry, 36, accused the Royal establishment of 'silencing' her He jested: 'UPDATE: On Monday, I will give my first interview since leaving Good Morning Britain to @TuckerCarlson on his new @foxnation show, with highlights that evening on his @FoxNews show. 'Was I silent, or was I silenced? (crying laughing emoji).' Carlson, 51, also confirmed the news to social media as he shared an exclusive clip from the interview and said: 'So, Piers Morgan was banished from television for asking a simple question, how is it that the most privileged people in our society get away with posing as the most oppressed? 'For asking that they crushed him - they took his job away. On Monday we will speak to Piers Morgan for his first wide-ranging on-camera interview since he was cancelled.' Morgan resigned from GMB on March 9 - a day after he stormed off set during an on-air row with weatherman Beresford, who criticized him for 'continuing to trash' the Duchess of Sussex. There were more than 41,000 complaints received by Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, including one from Meghan herself following the clash. The duchess was said to have raised concerns with ITV about the effect Morgan's comments may have on the issue of mental health generally and those attempting to deal with their own problems. But Morgan later repeated his condemnation of her interview the following day when he told reporters outside his West London home: 'If I have to fall on my sword for expressing an honestly held opinion about Meghan Markle and that diatribe of bilge that she came out with in that interview, so be it.' Soon after he announced his resignation and tweeted his thanks to the GMB team, praising them for their 'hard work and dedication' that led to them beating their main breakfast TV rival. In the wake of his departure at least three petitions calling for Morgan to be reinstated on GMB garnered more than 240,000 signatures. Morgan ruled out a return to the show but called the petitions a 'pleasant surprise' in an Instagram statement on March 13. 'I won't be going back, but thanks to everyone who has signed these petitions. Normally, people start petitions to have me fired or deported, so this is a pleasant surprise,' he wrote. 'Those of you that know me well enough know that, despite my many faults, I'm always willing to stand my ground for the things that I think matter most. 'My fervent opposition to the Iraq War led to my demise from the Daily Mirror. My outspoken views on the insanity of American gun laws led to the end of my time at CNN. 'And now I've lost my job at Good Morning Britain because I chose not to apologise for disbelieving Meghan Markle's claims in her interview with Oprah Winfrey.' He added: 'I thus became the latest ''victim'' of the cancel culture that is permeating our country, every minute, of every hour, of everyday. Though of course, I consider myself to be neither a victim, nor actually cancelled. 'However, I do believe the defence of free speech and the right to express honestly held opinions, is the most important issue of my career, and the most important issue in British society.' Sources at ITV have said that Morgan 'will continue to make programmes for the channel', according to iNews. This is likely to include his popular celebrity interview program, Life Stories, which has been on air since 2009. Since Piers' exit from the show he has received messages from several stars, naming Jeremy Clarkson and Bear Grylls, who have said he had a 'right' to say his mind. Sharon Osbourne also voiced her support for Piers during an appearance on The Talk, though she has since parted ways with the CBS show. Bill Murray in "Ghostbusters." Columbia Murray said putting the proton pack back on in the new "Ghostbusters" was "extremely uncomfortable." "Physically painful" filming involved wind, dirt, and the original Ghostbusters falling down a lot. "These are like Bulgarian deadlifts, or a Russian kettlebell, getting up and down," Murray said. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Bill Murray is coming back to play Dr. Peter Venkman in the latest movie in the "Ghostbusters" franchise, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" - and the 70-year-old admits putting the proton pack on again to play the silly ghost-chaser took a toll on his body this time around. "It was physically painful," Murray revealed while doing a virtual talk recently at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, according to Collider. "Wearing those packs is extremely uncomfortable." Murray has appeared in all the sequels following the hit 1984 original, but he said filming for the new movie was particularly challenging because a lot of "wind and dirt" was in his face due to the special effects. Plus, there was a lot of falling down and getting back up. "I was like, 'What is this? What am I doing? These are like Bulgarian deadlifts, or a Russian kettlebell, getting up and down with this thing on my back,'" he said. "It was very uncomfortable." Paul Rudd in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." Sony But the actor believes with pain comes glory. "Usually, when something has a very high misery quotient, something comes of that and some quality is produced that, if you can capture it and project it, comes on the screen and affects you," Murray said, according to Collider. Sony, which releases the "Ghostbuster" movies, hopes "Afterlife" will be a success. While the original "Ghostbusters" was an instant comedy classic thanks to the antics by Murray and costars Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver, and the late Harold Ramis, the 1989 sequel was a bust as was the all-female reboot in 2016. Story continues Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray, and Dan Aykroyd in "Ghostbusters." Columbia But Murray is optimistic. Not just due to the pain factor he went through this time around, but also because director Jason Reitman, the son of the director of the original movie, Ivan Reitman, is at the helm of "Afterlife." "I remember him calling me and saying, 'I've got an idea for another 'Ghostbusters.' I've had this idea for years.' I thought, 'What the heck could that possibly be?'" Murray said. "I remember him when he was a kid. I remember his Bar Mitzvah. I was like, 'What the heck? What does this kid know?' But he had a really, really wonderful idea." "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" is a direct sequel to the first two movies. Along with Murray, it also stars Aykroyd, Hudson, and Weaver all reprising their original roles. The movie also stars Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, and "Stranger Things" star Finn Wolfhard. The movie is set for release in November 2021. Read the original article on Insider Police in Britain shut down a Good Friday service at a Roman Catholic church in London, claiming violation of COVID-19 rules, and threatened to impose a fine of $280 on each person sitting on the pews, according to media reports. Calling the gathering unlawful, police disrupted a Liturgy of the Lords Passion service at Christ the King Polish church in Balham, south London, on Friday evening, according to Sky News, which reported that one of the police officers can be seen in footage telling the congregation that such a gathering was unfortunately unlawful under the coronavirus regulations. You are not allowed to meet inside with this many people under law, the officer continued. At this moment in time, you need to go home. Failure to comply with this direction to leave and go to your home address ultimately could lead you to be fined 200 or, if you fail to give your details, to you being arrested. Its Good Friday, and I appreciate you would like to worship, but it is unlawful. Churches are allowed to hold services without any limit on the number of congregants during Englands lockdown, provided the congregation follows social distancing and wear masks, according to the U.K.s Independent newspaper. Source:The Christian Post GOP States Expand School Choice as Lockdowns Boost Alternatives Several Republican-led states are advancing school choice programs amid a growth of alternative learning arrangements spurred by pandemic-related lockdowns. The new measures sometimes build on already established programs, expanding access to education savings accounts and scholarships, allowing more parents to pull their children from public schools and have the programs help pay for a private school, homeschooling, or even a private tutor. Such initiatives now have the potential to gain more popularity as parents have been dissatisfied with the way many schools handled the response to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, according to Jonathan Butcher and Lindsey Burke, education researchers at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank. Most public schools switched to partly or fully remote learning last year, which has proved to be substantially less effective than in-person instruction. Many parents have blamed schools for dragging their feet to reopen, even after health authorities acknowledged that its possible to do so safely. Meanwhile, homeschooling has exploded in popularity. Parents have also set up pod schools, in which a group of children gets together in a home to be taught by a hired tutor, Butcher and Burke outlined in a recent paper. The school choice programs in several states could be used to pay for this form of education, Butcher told The Epoch Times. West Virginia The most substantial school choice expansion is underway in West Virginia, where Gov. Jim Justice signed into law on March 29 the establishment of the nations first universal education savings account program. Participants will have all the education money that comes from the state budget (some $4,600 a year per pupil) deposited into a special account that can be used to pay for private schooling. Incoming kindergarteners will be automatically eligible, while children in other grades could get in after spending 45 days enrolled in a West Virginia public school. State dollars usually fund about 45 percent of education expenses. Another 45 percent comes from local budgets, typically real estate taxes, and another roughly 10 percent from the federal government, Butcher said. Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Mississippi already have similar programs with differing eligibility criteria, Butcher said. Kentucky The state is establishing a tax credit scholarship program for lower-income children. The program will be funded through private donations, and the state will distribute $25 million in tax credits each year to the donors on a first come, first served basis. The money is to be distributed through nonprofit intermediaries to applicants based on financial need. The eligibility is set at 175 percent of income qualifying for reduced-price school meals. Thats about $86,000 for a family of four (pdf). South Dakota The state already runs a scholarship program funded through tax credits, though only insurance companies are eligible for the credits. It recently expanded the program to cover students already attending private schools. Children from families earning under 150 percent of the amount eligible for free and reduced-price lunch can apply (about $73,000 for a family of four). Others Georgia is advancing a bill that would expand its voucher program to more special needs students. Florida is considering streamlining its five school choice programs into two, which would expand the options and eligibility for some of them. The Missouri House passed a bill that would establish a tax credit scholarship program for children attending public schools, entering kindergarten, or coming from a military family. It would be initially capped at $50 million. The Indiana House passed a bill that would set up education savings accounts for children with special needs, from military families, or from foster families. It would also expand eligibility for the current voucher program. Nearly two dozen other states have also introduced bills that would create or expand vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, or education savings accounts, according to the nonprofit Educational Freedom Institute. Only about half of those have passed at least one committee so far. Opponents of school choice have argued that such programs take students out of public schools, which then lose money thats apportioned per pupil. Public schools cant easily scale down their costs when students outflow because part of it is fixed, such as building maintenance, debt interest, and administration. Proponents say the per-pupil part of public school funding is generally about the same as the nonfixed part of their costs, so the schools should be able to cope. Update: The article was updated to clarify terminology referring to education savings accounts. China's banking sector is likely to see its profits grow by 5 percent in the first half (H1) of 2021, predicted Bank of China Research Institute in a recent report. Chinese commercial banks registered net profit decline in 2020 compared with 2019 largely due to narrower interest margins and sizeable provisions, which will be eased in the first half of the year, according to the report. The recovery and improvement of China's macro economy will bring growth potential to the banks' asset business development, according to the report. Prince William called for humanity to reset our relationship with nature and our trajectory as a species to avoid climate disaster as environmental pollution continues to escalate. In a special video message broadcast at the Conservation International Gala in the US, the Duke of Cambridge noted that the next decade would be "one of our greatest tests". Prince William said that the most vulnerable people around the world and those who have done the least to cause climate change" would face the worst blow. The royal urged everyone to take the lead taken by millions of young people who are currently trying to raise climate concerns. All of us, across all sectors of society, and in every corner of the globe, must come together to fundamentally reset our relationship with nature and our trajectory as a species," William said. I truly believe that humans have an extraordinary capacity to set goals and strive to achieve them. The remarkable development of the COVID-19 vaccine in record time is a case in point." Prince Williams Earthshot prize Prince Williams latest remarks on climate came after last year he launched the Earthshot Prize with a 50m prize fund for those who are coming up with solutions for climate change. For the next decade, the royals prize has five key aims including protect and restore nature, fight air pollution, revive the oceans, build a waste-free world and fix the climate. In the same message, Duke of Cambridge told the attendees, We want to find the brightest minds and boldest ideas that will help us to achieve these Earthshots. But it will require our collective energy, determination, and optimism to get there." Together we must unite every business, every community, every government and every person around our common goal to repair the earth...Together, I'm confident that we can begin to heal our planet, protect nature, and improve lives for billions of people, today and for generations to come, he added. Image credits: AP (Bloomberg) -- LG Electronics Inc. is shutting down its loss-making mobile communications unit in a move to streamline operations and focus on future projects such as electric vehicle components. The company will end production and sales of mobile phone products on July 31 to focus resources on growth areas including EVs, smart homes, robotics and artificial intelligence, it said in a statement. Phones constituted 8.2% of LG sales last year and there will be a short-term loss of revenue but the company expects the closure to be financially favorable in the long run. Itll strength its car-parts business and continue to develop mobile technologies such as sixth-generation networking and cameras, it said. Shares rose as much as 4.1% in the wake of the announcement. Affiliate LG Display Co. also climbed as much as 6.3%. LG was one of the pioneers of the Android operating system, collaborating with Alphabet Inc.s Google on the Nexus smartphone line and producing some of the best camera and display technology in the categorys early days. In the U.S., the company was third behind Apple Inc.s iPhone and fellow South Korean giant Samsung Electronics Co., but it hasnt been competitive for years and Chinese upstart OnePlus has since replaced it amid a global loss of market share to overseas rivals. The company said in January that it would review the direction of its smartphone business, having earlier that month promised it would sell a rollable phone this year. The firm held talks over a potential sale but negotiations failed due to big differences in valuing technology patents, according to local media reports. LG has been expanding its vehicle components business and partnered with Magna International Inc. for a joint venture to make key parts for EVs. Shares in the Seoul-based electronics maker soared more than 30% since the announcement, fueled by hopes that the collaboration may contribute to Apples EV project. LGs expertise from developing mobile tech may help its offerings in the auto space, such as with detecting user intent, drowsiness or gesture interactions. Story continues What Bloomberg Intelligence says LG Electronics may position itself as an electric-vehicle component solutions provider, boosting its appeal to tech giants such as Apple, and also to traditional automakers aspiring to make smart EVs. Narrowing losses at its vehicle-components unit, to 2 billion won in the latest quarter, is a sign that its on track to a turnaround. - Kevin Kim and Catherine Lim, BI analysts Click here for the full research. Though Apple has not confirmed it is working on a car project, Magna Chief Executive Officer Swamy Kotagiri said publicly that his firm was ready to build an Apple car at a recent industry forum, according to a Pulse News report. (Updates with share move and more details from LG from second paragraph) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. The most powerful stories are those that bring the hypothetical to life. In 1989, a reported 1,396,658 abortions took place within the United States. Claire Culwell may have been the only infant who survived the procedure that year. Her twin wasnt so fortunate. The Abortion Survivors Network reports only 365 documented cases of abortion survival in American history, though more survivors almost certainly exist. Like Culwell, many of them have grown up unaware of how they entered the world. In her memoir, Survivor: An Abortion Survivors Surprising Story of Choosing Forgiveness and Finding Redemption, Culwell recounts her idyllic childhood spent in a loving adoptive family. As a young woman, she became interested in finding her biological mother, a search that would drastically change her life. Raised in a compassionate Christian home by parents who worked for the evangelical organization Cru for over 40 years, Culwell was poised to receive the news of her unlikely birth sympathetically. After locating her birth mother, Tonya, and having a joyous first meeting, Culwell penned a note thanking her for choosing life. But the note compelled an astonishing admission. Tonya was only 13 at the time of the 20-week abortion that killed Culwells sibling and nearly took her own life. The day [my mother] took me to an abortion clinic, I was terrified, recounts Tonya in the book. I was alone and scared. The doctor never said a word to me as if this were just another day in the life of a bad young girl. Soon thereafter, Tonya discovered she was still pregnant. (She hadnt known she was carrying twins.) Her mother took her for a second abortion, which never took place due to complications ... 1 You have reached the end of this Article Preview You have reached the end of this Article Preview To continue reading, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital access. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Young India needs a lot of political mentoring at this stage when India lacks future leadership. Succession plans under the guidance of old veterans are 'need of the hour'. So, don't give up the idea of leadership change only in the Congress party alone but in other parties as well. All old political generation should replace them with the millennial for the millennial to save the lost cause. Iconic leaders of the Congress Party finally manifested their dissent through a long-awaited letter asking for a change in party leadership which recently echoed in a tweet. Having done that, they brought the required political sense of responsibility that India needed long back. Incumbent Party Chief declined to continue further, citing health concerns. It took decades to muster the courage which India was whispering for quite some time. Indian political canvas, which has changed by now, needs an immediate disruptive change to bring back the democratic politics at the center stage with the option of meaningful and relevant opposition. Regional parties are never an alternative that the Indian electorate would like to see in their choice basket. The whole of India was impatiently, waiting to see the level of patience these old iconic political stalwarts are holding and when the historical day will come. Finally, the day arrived, and the drama began. Even thinking of leadership change was a political taboo, forget asking. In democratic India, perhaps the monarchy exists only in the Congress party structure. More than the Congress party, the country would welcome the change. No wonder if BJP and other regional party leadership also would embrace the change happily. During acute political crises, whether internal or external, the contribution of credible oppositions was missing. The strength of credible opposition brings power through conducive criticism and correct political narratives, avoiding hollow political rhetoric. The current impasse surely will not prevail for long. The same old leadership may continue for a decade more; still, the thought of changing the guard has arrived on the horizon with a hope of new opposition political leadership. Congress(I), which was rechristened giving up the one alphabet within parenthesis "(I)," should go through total restructuring. In case of enormous resistance to change management, the leaders advocating the change should revive the 'cow & calf' congress to avoid political brand building from scratch. Therefore, the reincarnation of old political parties in New India might bring in fresh and young leadership with many new avenues of growth. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Yes, Theyre Open is a web series highlighting local bars and restaurants that are open for takeout, delivery, pickup or dining during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Live streams from the featured restaurants are broadcast on the Advance Facebook page every weekday at around 3 p.m. On Monday, the Advance/SILive.com visited Joyces Tavern, which offers indoor dining, outdoor dining and pickup at 3823 Richmond Ave. The restaurant is open noon to 10 p.m Sunday through Thursday; Friday and Saturday noon to 11 p.m. Visit JoycesTavern.com for more information. YES, THEYRE OPEN: Joyces Tavern is open for indoor dining, outdoor dining and pickup at 3823 Richmond Ave. The restaurant is open noon to 10 p.m Sunday through Thursday; Friday and Saturday noon to 11 p.m. Visit JoycesTavern.com for more information. Posted by Staten Island Advance on Monday, April 5, 2021 Staten Island restaurant owners: If you would like your establishment featured for free as part of Yes, Theyre Open, email reporter Victoria Priola at vpriola@siadvance.com. WANT MORE YES, THEYRE OPEN? Check out the listings below or check out all of our previous coverage here. Sagara Food City, 98 Victory Blvd. Twisted Vineyard, 500 Bay St. Rocket Fizz, 2955 Veterans Road W. Zio Toto, 86 Page Ave. La Iguana Azul, 8 Giffords Lane Bayou, 1072 Bay St. London, April 5 : Citizens in England will get tested for coronavirus twice a week for free, the UK government announced on Monday. The rapid tests will be offered widely to everyone at local testing stations in addition to schools and workplaces in future, dpa news agency reported citing the government as saying. Until now, freely available rapid tests were limited to particularly vulnerable groups. Testing was absolutely necessary in order not to jeopardise the success of the British vaccination campaign as the country started to relax the regulations, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. "As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine programme and with our roadmap to cautiously easing restrictions under way, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted," Johnson said in a statement. "That's why we're now rolling out free rapid tests to everyone across England, helping us to stop outbreaks in their tracks, so we can get back to seeing the people we love and doing the things we enjoy." Companies with more than 10 employees can request rapid tests for their workers, and regular testing will also continue in schools. Private individuals will also be able to get tested at local testing stations or order tests to their homes. Meanwhile, more than 31.4 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to official figures. As of Monday, the UK has reported 4,371,393 confirmed coronavirus cases and 127,078 deaths. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) James Madison was jumpy, and really, you cant blame the guy. Just 16 months earlier, the fourth president of the United States had been chased out of Washington by the British, who proceeded to burn both the Capitol and the White House. Five months after that, Gen. Andrew Jacksons ragtag fighting force exacted a measure of revenge at the Battle of New Orleans, but even with the War of 1812 having finally come to a close, Madisons thoughts understandably turned to the bolstering of the nations defenses. And so, in his 1815 State of the Union Address, delivered in December of that year, he pitched a plan to Congress. Whether to prevent or repel danger, we ought not to be unprepared for it, Madison insisted. This consideration will sufficiently recommend to Congress a liberal provision for the immediate extension and gradual completion of the works of defense, both fixed and floating, on our maritime frontier. That maritime frontier included the Gulf Coast. Less than three years later, work was underway on one of the first fortifications to be part of the presidents plan: Fort Pike. Its location on the peninsula between lakes Borgne and Pontchartrain at New Orleans far eastern end was chosen for its strategic value, guarding the entrance to the lake and the citys back door. In fact, it wasnt the first fort built on the site. That distinction goes to Fort Petites Coquilles, which was designed by Barthelemy Lafon, the prolific city planner who, among other things, gave New Orleans its series of streets named after the Greek muses. French for Fort Little Shells, it lived up to the adjective in its name. Despite its size, though, its existence is cited as one of the reasons the British decided not to attack New Orleans via the lake in January 1815, instead choosing another route that is said to have bought Jacksons troops valuable time to prepare. (Also helping, according to an account published in Vol. 27 of the Journal of the Military Institutions of the United States, was a lie sold to the British by a captured American officer, a Lt. Jones, who insisted the fort was extremely well-fortified. It was not.) When the time came to pick a location for Fort Pike, the site of Fort Petites Coquilles was chosen. The Army began construction on it in 1819, based on a design by French military engineer Simon Bernard, working with American Gen. Joseph Gilbert Totten. According to the states 1972 application to have the fort added to the National Register of Historic Places, it was built of red brick on a raft-like foundation of crisscrossed cypress logs and shell and was surrounded by a double moat. The only entrance was through a sallyport and over a drawbridge. Like its slightly smaller twin, the nearby Fort Macomb, the seaward side was designed in a broad arc, with emplacements for 23 heavy guns aiming seaward, as well as positions for smaller guns. On the land-facing side, the edges of the arc narrow down to an aggressive arrowhead shape. Located inside the perimeter walls were an armory, powder magazines, a blacksmith shop, a bake shop, a settlers shop and a commissary, all interconnected by arched passageways. In the center of the forts courtyard were two hot-shot furnaces, for heating cannon shot in the hopes of setting enemy ships afire, and a bomb-proof citadel containing kitchens and a mess hall. An upper floor was added to the citadel in 1850 and housed officers quarters, although that has been lost to hurricanes and vandalism. Troops, which numbered 400 in wartime and 80 in peacetime, were housed just outside the fort in a small village of wooden support structures. Construction cost $635,000 and was completed in 1826, with the finished product being named for Brig. Gen. Zebulon Pike, who, in addition to reaching the top of the tallest peak in the Rockies Pikes Peak, also named for him explored much of the Louisiana Territory. Despite its considerable armament, Fort Pike never fired a shot in war, serving instead as a stopover point for U.S. troops during the Seminole Wars in the 1830s and the Mexican-American War in the 1840s. During the Civil War, it was abandoned by Confederate troops, after which Union forces occupied it and used it to train former slaves. After its federal decommissioning, the fort became a state monument in 1928. Instead of a battleground, it became a popular picnic ground for New Orleanians. More recently, it was used as a location for such films as 2010s Jonah Hex and 2012s G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Thats the only way locals can see it for now. State budget cuts closed Fort Pike in 2015. It remains shuttered to the public today. SOURCES: Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States at the First Session of the Fourteenth Congress; National Register of Historic Places; LAStateParks.com; The Journal of the Military Institutions of the United States, Vol. 27/. Know of a New Orleans building worth profiling in this column, or just curious about one? Email Mike Scott at moviegoermike@gmail.com. Lee Meitzen Grue, who not only wrote poetry but also edited a journal, led a citywide poetry forum and built a stage in her backyard to provide outlets for other poets, died at her Bywater home Saturday. She was 87. She was the fairy godmother of all poets, said Susan Larson, the former Times-Picayune books editor. She was passionate all her life. She was passionate about everything. To be around her was to feel alive, if only for a few minutes. Grue was director of the New Orleans Poetry Forum from 1976 to 1990, and she and her husband, Ronald David Grue, established the Backyard Poetry Theater in 1980. From 1990 on, it was known as the Front Room Performance Space. She also directed the New Orleans Poetry Forum from 1976 to 1990 and edited The New Laurel Review, a literary journal. She did more for other people. She was a great literary citizen, said Larson, host of The Reading Life on WWNO-FM. Keeping the review going was financially challenging, said Gina Ferrara, a friend who has conducted poetry readings. Whenever she wanted to put out an issue, she would have a party of some kind, and people would contribute. But Grue also was able to get larger amounts of money from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts. She hustled, said George Koschel, who worked with her on The New Laurel Review. She was a hard-working poet. She liked to think she was lazy, but she did her bit. Grue, who was born on Feb. 8, 1934, in Plaquemine, spent most of her life in New Orleans. She was first drawn to literature when she discovered a vault full of books while visiting her grandparents in Anahuac, Texas. Friends recalled that one of her favorites was an anthology, The Golden Treasury of Poetry, because Louis Untermeyer, who compiled it, had done something unusual for the time: He had included works by female poets. From that moment on, her lifes calling was clear. She just kept on writing, said Valentine Pierce, a graphic designer who worked with Grue on The New Laurel Review. After her parents divorced, her mother moved to New Orleans, where she supported herself as a seamstress. When Lee graduated from Sophie B. Wright High School in 1951, she wrote that she wore a dress that her mother had copied from a frock that appeared on the cover of Vogue. Made of Swiss organdy, it had two cummerbunds with silk sashes one in blue, the other in bright coral. Based on such experiences, Grue collaborated with Susan Tucker, the Newcomb College archivist, on Mending for Memory: Sewing in Louisiana Essays, Stories, and Poems. In the early 1960s, when segregation was still in force, Grue began reading her poetry at the Quorum Club. The club, at 621 Esplanade Ave., was the first desegregated coffee house in New Orleans. 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 She was a community poet who brought people together, said Peter Cooley, a poet and professor of English at Tulane University. Most important of all, she brought together the African-American and White poets. Cooley, who remembered Grue as a true friend of poetry who was unfailingly gracious toward everyone, later worked with Grue in the New Orleans Poetry Forum. They were going around giving poetry readings at Lakeside Shopping Center to make people realize that poetry is important, he said. She earned an undergraduate degree at LSU in New Orleans (now the University of New Orleans) in 1963 and a master of fine arts degree in 1982 from Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Grue, who married Ronald Grue in 1963, was a visiting writer at Tulane from 1993 to 1998. She received awards from the Deep South Writers Association and PEN America, an organization that works to defend freedom of expression and human rights. Among Grues poetic works are French Quarter Poems, Trains and Other Intrusions: A Chapbook of Poetry and Downtown. She also wrote Blood at the Root: A Novel and Goodbye Silver, Silver Cloud, a collection of short stories, and she collaborated with Eluard and Kichea Burt on Live! On Frenchmen Street, an audio collection on CD. Jerry W. Ward Jr., author of The Katrina Papers: A Journal of Trauma and Recovery, called Grue arguably one of the finest practitioners of poetry in New Orleans storied history. Likening Downtown to an evening of jazz improvisations, Ward said Grues poems unlock the essence of design and magic in New Orleans, the spirituality of a place where community is created and reborn. She sings New Orleans, and she sings it true, said Jane Ciabattari, president of the National Book Critics Circle. The writer and former New Orleanian Andrei Codrescu described Grues poetry as one of the majestic pylons that keeps New Orleans above water. After Katrina, Grue taught fiction and poetry at the Alvar Branch of the New Orleans Public Library. She and her son Teal Grue were co-owners of BJs Lounge, where poetry readings were held regularly. Grue and her husband were divorced in 2000. He lives in New Orleans. Other survivors include two sons, Teal Grue, of New Orleans, and Ian Grue, of Jefferson; a daughter, Celeste Delafosse, of New Orleans; and four grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Robert Nichols is the state senator for Senate District 3. First elected in 2006, Nichols represents 19 counties, including much of East Texas and part of Montgomery County. He can be reached at 699-4988 or toll-free at (800) 959-8633. His email address is robert.nichols@senate.texas.gov. Armed men in the early hours of Monday attacked a correctional facility in Owerri, the Imo State capital, freeing some inmates. They also proceeded to the Imo State Police Headquarters where they set ablaze the building and destroyed all vehicles within the vicinity. Both the Imo State Police spokesperson and the state Commissioner for information were not available for comments as they did not respond to calls and SMS by PREMIUM TIMES. PRNigeria, a news agency with close ties to security agencies, reported that the armed men used guns and dynamite to carry out the attack. The news agency said the overnight attack was carried out by the members of the secessionist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). It said the group, which had been alleged to be behind the killing of security personnel in the South-east, stormed the facilities and set alight some offices, structures and vehicles within the vicinity. Heavy gunshots and explosions could be heard in the area when they arrived with sophisticated weapons including dynamite and guns. Meanwhile while some of the inmates in the Correctional facility refused to go others have voluntarily returned, a security source told the news agency. PRNIgeria also quoted another report as saying, At about 0100hrs of date, armed men suspected to be members of IPOB/ESN criminal gang in their numbers invaded Owerri Prisons mine using dynamites and other heavy explosives, gained entrance and released some inmates in the prison. The hoodlums also attacked the Police State Headquarters Owerri while firing consistently with AK 47 rifles and explosives, released some suspects detained in the SCID cell and put fire on so many vehicles parked at the Headquarter premises including the SCID office building. The onslaught/operation lasted close to three(3) hours. It said more than 30 inmates have already returned to the correctional facility. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had earlier reported the police spokesperson, Orlando Ikeokwu, as saying that the security agencies were on top of the matter. Mr Ikeokwu said only the State Criminal Investigation Department of the command headquarters was attacked. He also confirmed that some vehicles were set ablaze by the gunmen. NAN also reported that security agents had taken charge of the major streets in the state capital. Police as target PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the police blamed recent attacks on police facilities and personnel in the South-south and South-east on IPOB members with some suspects already arrested. Several police officers have been killed lately in a string of attacks by gunmen, mostly around the two regions. ADVERTISEMENT Police stations are often the target of the attacks, which appeared coordinated. The gunmen would raid the armoury, cart away police rifles, and then set the stations on fire, during the attacks. Police vehicles on patrol have also been targeted by gunmen. The police recently announced the arrest of the suspects who were said to be behind the attacks. The police spokesman, Frank Mba, a commissioner of police, said the arrest was an outcome of painstaking, deliberate and tireless collaborative effort between the police, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigerian Air Force. The police named the suspects to include Ugochukwu Samuel, otherwise known as Biggy, 28, from Arochukwu Local Government Area, Abia State; Raphael Idang, 31, from Odukpani Local Government Area, Cross River State; Cletus Egole, otherwise known as Alewa, 60, from Orlu in Imo State; and Michael Uba, 33, also from Imo State. CAIRO (AP) Tribal clashes that erupted over the weekend between Arabs and non-Arabs in Sudans western Darfur region have killed at least 40 people and wounded around 60 others, the U.N. said Monday. The violence was between the Arab Rizeigat and the Masalit tribes in Genena, the provincial capital of West Darfur province. It happened after unknown armed men on Saturday shot dead two people from the Masalit, according to the U.N. humanitarian affairs agency. Two others from the Masalit were wounded in that shooting, it said. The circumstances of the shootings were not immediately clear. Since then, the two tribes have mobilized forces and gun fire could still be heard in Genena late Monday, the U.N. said. Authorities declared a state of emergency in West Darfur. Adam Regal, a spokesman for a local organization that helps run refugee camps in Darfur, said a shell hit a camp for displaced people in Genena on Monday, causing a fire that burned several houses. He shared video footage showing flames and thick clouds of black smoke. The situation is very difficult and grave, he said. The Sudanese doctors committee in West Darfur said armed men also opened fire on an ambulance late Sunday, wounding three health care workers. Dr. Ibrahim Adam Othman, a member of the committer, said the death toll could be much higher because many were not able to reach hospitals. The U.N. said all humanitarian activities were suspended as roads around the southern part of Genena were blocked. It said more than 700,000 people have been affected by the clashes, since Genena serves as a hub for aid delivery to the conflict-wrecked region. An unknown number of people fled their homes in Hay al-Jabal and al-Jamarik neighborhoods in Genena and took refuge in nearby mosques and public buildings, the U.N. agency added. West Darfur Gov. Mohammed Abdalla al-Duma said in a statement that officials were taking necessary measures without elaborating. He urged residents in Genena to stay vigilant and remain at home until security forces contain the situation. The clashes posed a challenge to efforts by Sudans transitional government to end decades-long rebellions in areas like Darfur. Earlier this year, tribal violence in West Darfur and South Darfur provinces killed around 470 people. It also displaced more than 120,000 people, mostly women and children, including at least 4,300 who crossed into neighboring Chad, according to the U.N. Sudan is on a fragile path to democracy after a popular uprising led the military to overthrow longtime autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. A military-civilian government now rules the country, trying to end decades-long rebellions in various parts of the country, like the Darfur region. The Darfur conflict broke out when rebels from the territorys ethnic central and sub-Saharan African community launched an insurgency in 2003, complaining of oppression by the Arab-dominated government in the capital Khartoum. Al-Bashirs government responded with a scorched-earth campaign of aerial bombings and unleashed militias known as janjaweed who are accused of mass killings and rapes. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes. The International Criminal Court charged al-Bashir, who has been in jail in Khartoum since his 2019 ouster, with war crimes and genocide for allegedly masterminding the campaign of attacks in Darfur. By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press As managing director of Aakash Educational Services (AESL), Aakash Chaudhrys role is to manage the overall operations of the brick-and-mortar test preparation (prep) leader. Now the countrys $180-billion education sector has gone online to adapt to the new reality. Chaudhry may not have imagined that one day he would also have to do an acquisition deal online. This is because decacorn Byjus has closed the deal to acquire AESL for nearly $1 billion. Chaudhry and Byjus Founder and Chief Executive Officer Byju Raveendran closed the deal over videoconferencing platform Zoom. The stock-and-cash deal is the biggest in the education space. This partnership brings together two of the largest education brands in India, combining Aakashs pedagogy expertise in the test-prep segment with Byjus content and tech capabilities. The acquisition will help Byjus further dominate the market and increase its lead over its competitors, such as SoftBank-backed Unacademy, Vedantu, and traditional education institutes. With over 33 years of experience, Aakash said it has built a highly effective learning ecosystem that has helped millions of young aspirants get into the countrys best institutions. In 2019, AESL had partnered private equity (PE) firm Blackstone to create Indias largest digitally enabled, omnichannel test prep company. In late 2019, PE firm Blackstone picked up 37.5 per cent stake in Aakash, valuing the company at $500 million. Now both Aakash founders and Blackstone will also become shareholders in Byjus, said sources. Rather than fighting it out on a battleground, we (felt) we should join forces and create a bigger impact sooner than we would have been able to do it alone, said Chaudhry, adding, Giving away a baby is not an easy decision. After interacting with Byju (Raveendran), we got a sense that it (Aakash) is in safe hands. With over 215 centres and a student count of more than 250,000, Aakash provides test preparatory services to students preparing for medical and engineering entrance exams, school and board exams, KVPY, NTSE, Olympiads, and other foundation-level exams. The institute clocks an annual turnover of about Rs 1,200 crore, according to sources. The transaction will help Byjus scale up its core business of tapping the K-12 education space, where it is witnessing 100 per cent growth. It will also help it to tap the test prep space as the pure online model will take many years for students to adopt. Byjus, which is backed by investors such as Qatar Investment Authority, General Atlantic, Tiger Global, Naspers, and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, has raised a total funding of $2.3 billion. The Bengaluru-based firm is raising about $700 million from new and existing investors in a fresh funding round and nearing a valuation of $15 billion. In August last year, Byjus acquired Mumbai-based coding start-up WhiteHat Jr for $300 million. In 2019, Byjus also bought the US-based educational gaming company Osmo for $120 million in a stock-and-cash deal. Byjus is now in talks to acquire California-based online reading platform Epic to expand its footprint in the US market. From next year onwards, Byjus will have four business models which include its core model, Aakash, WhiteHat Jr, and Osmo doing at least $200 million in revenue. Thats a lot of levers for growth, said Raveendran, expecting to cross a revenue significantly higher than $1 billion by next year. Tapping into the mutual strengths of India, and the UAE could propel the trilateral trade between the countries to a high of USD 110 billion by 2030, top diplomats and members of the business community have said. The comments were made at an event organised by the International Federation of Indo- Chambers of Commerce (IFIICC) on Sunday to discuss the ongoing business collaborations being pursued through IFIICC's leadership across sectors. The international business potential backed by Israeli innovation, UAE's visionary leadership and strategic partnership of both nations with could be USD 110 billion by 2030, Ambassador Ilan Sztulman Starosta, Head of the Israeli mission in Dubai, said in a press release issued by IFIICC. Echoing similar sentiments, Ambassador of the UAE to and Founding Patron of IFIICC, Dr Ahmed Abdul Rahman AlBanna, said that UAE and India's bilateral trade is projected to grow from USD 60 billion in 2020 to USD 100 billion by 2030. UAE is a gateway to the world and this trilateral with and could benefit the world. Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India to Dubai, said, the Indian business community in the UAE could significantly leverage the strengths of this trilateral to boost economic growth of all nations. Ran Tuttnauer, Honorary President of IFIICC in Israel and Chairman of Israeli Manufacturers Council at Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI) participated in the event virtually from Tel Aviv. Tuttnauer stressed that International business through the UAE in collaboration with India using Israeli Innovation will be the future. IFIICC was launched on December 14 last year and is looking to set up offices globally, drawing the support of the Indian diaspora, the largest in the world. Innovation and collaboration can help usher in a new, post-pandemic era of sustainable economic growth, Merzi Sodawaterwala, Founder and Chairperson of IFIICC, said. Kamal Vachani, Honorary President of IFIICC for the UAE and Group Director & Partner of Al Maya Group, noted that the innovation and economic prospects of this trilateral are endless. The European business school (ESCP) in a seminar organised recently also highlighted the global potential of trilateral ties between Israel, the UAE and India. The seminar held last month was organised in cooperation with SPJIMR. Established in 1819, the ESCP Business School (cole Suprieure de Commerce de Paris) is considered to be the world's first business school. The post-Abraham accords phase normalising Israel's ties with some of the Arab countries has generated a lot of interest in this trilateral partnership with several events organised by various organisations, including leading banks. (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.) U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell went to Christ Health Center in Birminghams Woodlawn neighborhood last summer when she needed a COVID-19 test before visiting her 81-year-old mother in Selma. On Monday morning, Sewell was back at Christ Health Center to talk about good news. The Woodlawn clinic founded in 2009 will get about $5.1 million in federal funding as part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, the package of COVID-19 relief that was passed last month and signed by President Joe Biden on March 11. Sewell noted that shes the only Congressional representative from Alabama who voted for the package. Its critically important that we crush the virus, Sewell said, standing in front of the Dream Center, a converted firehouse in Woodlawn that is being used as part of Christ Health Centers COVID-19 testing and vaccination effort. What we really want to do is invest in the community and minimize health disparities, Sewell said. Dr. Robert Record, CEO of Christ Health Center, greeted Sewell outside the Dream Center and welcomed the infusion of federal funding. Our whole effort here is to serve and provide equity for the community we serve, Record said. Christ Health Center has vaccinated more than 6,000 people; more than 47 percent of those receiving vaccines are Black, he said. Its important to close the gap in healthcare disparities, Sewell said. She said Christ Health Center is doing that not just by offering testing and vaccines, but by helping people make informed decisions about vaccination among demographic groups who may have concerns and be reluctant to be vaccinated. They are also doing amazing outreach, she said. People just need the information to make a decision. Record noted that federal funding is based on the number of patients served, with an emphasis on funding for clinics that serve uninsured patients. Christ Health Center accepts insured patients but about 50 percent of its patients are uninsured, Record said. It went from 18,000 patients in 2019 to 25,000 in 2020, mainly due to the COVID-19 crisis, he said. That has put a strain on facilities, he said. There are about 19 Federally Qualified Health Centers in Alabama that are receiving the FQHC funding as part of the American Rescue Plan, Record said. Sewell said that the five FQHCs in her congressional district will receive a combined $29 million. Sewell said she got her COVID-19 test at Christ Health Center last year to make sure it was safe to visit her mother, Nancy Sewell, who was the first Black woman on the Selma City Council. Her mother was vaccinated earlier this year at Vaughn Regional Medical Center in Selma, she said. Rep. Sewell was vaccinated in Washington, D.C., along with other members of Congress. Data so far from the Centers for Disease Control show that the vaccines have been effective in preventing spread of COVID-19, Sewell said. Weve been through a global pandemic but were coming out on the other side not just surviving but thriving, Sewell said. Sewell also visited Birmingham City Hall and discussed the $148.82 million that the City of Birmingham will receive through the American Rescue Plan. She said the city will receive half the funding within 60 days of the passage of the plan, and the rest a year later. Birmingham City Schools will get about $120 million, she said. The American Rescue Plan will provide over $1.8 billion in local fiscal relief to cities and counties across Alabama, including $127.73 million to Jefferson County, $14.72 million to Bessemer, $3 million to Selma, $2.99 million for Center Point, $1.96 million for Fairfield, and $1.13 million for Tarrant. The legislation establishes a Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund that will give localities direct funds to fund first responders, frontline health workers, teachers, and other providers of services. This is transformational money, Sewell said. This is about people and providing rescue for people. ?? La ONPE piensa en la salud de todos los peruanos. Por eso aconseja al electorado usar su propio lapicero de tinta azul u otro color?? Este 11 de abril, vota con confianza y responsabilidad. ???????#PeruVotaSeguro pic.twitter.com/Q4JPs1JVeQ Remembering overseas martyrs on China's Tomb-sweeping Day Xinhua) 09:18, April 05, 2021 -- Overseas Chinese as well as local people have expressed in various ways their admiration for the fallen heroes from China, who sacrificed their lives in foreign lands for the cause of safeguarding world peace and promoting global development. -- During the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, a total of 2.9 million Chinese People's Volunteers soldiers fought on the battlefield, 197,653 of whom sacrificed their lives. -- In the 1970s, more than 50,000 Chinese engineers, technicians and workers traveled to Africa. During the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, more than 60 Chinese experts sacrificed their lives. -- China have sent over 40,000 peacekeepers to UN peacekeeping missions over the past 30 years, and 16 Chinese service personnel sacrificed their lives. BEIJING, April 4 -- The Tomb-sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival for people to sweep tombs to mourn the deceased and worship their ancestors and the martyrs. Ahead of this year's Tomb-sweeping Day, which falls on Sunday, overseas Chinese as well as local people have expressed in various ways their admiration for the fallen heroes from China, who sacrificed their lives on foreign lands for the cause of safeguarding world peace and promoting global development. CARRYING FORWARD FRIENDSHIP During his visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in June 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid homage to the martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) at the China-DPRK Friendship Tower, which stands at the foot of Moran Hill in downtown Pyongyang. Xi said the tribute paid to the tower demonstrates the firm determination of China and the DPRK to maintain peace. In June 1950, eight months after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Korean War broke out. In order to deter the invasion and expansion of imperialism, safeguard the security of China, stabilize the situation on the Korean Peninsula and uphold peace in Asia and the world, in October 1950, as requested by the DPRK, the CPV forces crossed the Yalu River to aid the DPRK until a truce was signed in 1953. During the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, a total of 2.9 million CPV soldiers fought on the battlefield, 197,653 of whom sacrificed their lives. A flower basket is presented by the Chinese embassy in honour of martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) at the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, April 4, 2021, on the occasion of Qingming Festival. (Xinhua/Jiang Yaping) "Numerous CPV soldiers lost their lives on this land. The victory has not only safeguarded the security of new China and the DPRK, but also made great contributions to world peace and human progress," Sai Tiejun, chairman of the Central Committee of the Federation of Overseas Chinese in the DPRK, told Xinhua ahead of the Tomb-sweeping Day. "The Chinese people love peace and oppose war. This is the precious wealth left to us by the martyrs of CPV soldiers," said Li Yuanfu, whose father participated in the war and chose to live in the DPRK after the war to promote China-DPRK friendship. A flower basket is presented by the Chinese embassy in honour of martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) at the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, April 4, 2021, on the occasion of Qingming Festival. (Xinhua/Jiang Yaping) "More than 70 years have passed. The China-DPRK friendship is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples. We must inherit and carry forward the great spirit of the CPV martyrs, and continue to make contributions to the China-DPRK friendship," Li said. DEDICATION TO COMMON PROSPERITY In the 1970s, more than 50,000 Chinese engineers, technicians and workers traveled to Africa and worked side by side with the Tanzanian people to build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) under extremely difficult conditions. During the construction of the railway, which has been called a "road of freedom" and "road of friendship," more than 60 Chinese experts have sacrificed their lives. In March 2013, during his visit to Tanzania, Xi visited a cemetery containing the remains of the Chinese experts who had lost their lives in the East African country. They interpreted the great spirit of internationalism with their lives, and, just as TAZARA, they will be remembered by both the Chinese and Tanzanians, Xi said. Having transported millions of tons of goods and innumerable passengers since it was put into operation, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway has greatly contributed to Africa's prosperity. "We Tanzanians will never forget the Chinese-built Tanzania-Zambia Railway in the 1970s, when dozens of Chinese engineers sacrificed their lives in the endeavors to help their African brothers develop their infrastructure and economy," said Julius Augustino, an employee of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. The Tanzania-Zambia Railway epitomizes the pragmatic cooperation and long-standing friendship between China and Africa. From assisting African nations in constructing roads, railways, airports and ports, to launching projects to improve local people's living standards, China has adhered to the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith in its cooperation with Africa. "A friend in need is a friend indeed. Africa, including Tanzania, has benefited a lot from Chinese aid over the years, which focuses not only on economic development, but also people's well-being," said Augustino. CHINESE "BLUE HELMETS" Committed to safeguarding world peace, China has also played an active role in the United Nations' (UN) peacekeeping operations around the world, making tremendous contributions to facilitating the peaceful settlement of disputes and safeguarding regional security and stability. It is the second-largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget and the largest troop-contributing country among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. China's armed forces have sent over 40,000 peacekeepers to UN peacekeeping missions over the past 30 years, and Chinese peacekeepers have left their footprints in over 20 countries and regions, according to a white paper released by China last year. Moreover, by sending engineering and medical units to support the UN operations, China has also promoted economic and social development in the host nations. During the peacekeeping missions, 16 Chinese service personnel sacrificed their lives and the fallen heroes' names have been listed in the white paper to commemorate them. Members of the 19th batch of Chinese peacekeeping forces to Lebanon lay a wreath to pay tribute to martyrs including Du Zhaoyu on the occasion of Qingming Festival in Khiam, Lebanon, April 4, 2021. (Photo by Ding Wendong/Xinhua) Among them is Du Zhaoyu, who was killed during a plane bombing in Lebanon in July 2006, after serving eight months as a UN observer in the Middle East. "Du had held fast to his mission and defended peace on this land until the last moment of his life," said Lyu Fushun, a member of the 19th batch of Chinese peacekeeping forces to Lebanon. Members of the 19th batch of Chinese peacekeeping forces to Lebanon pay tribute to martyrs including Du Zhaoyu on the occasion of Qingming Festival in Khiam, Lebanon, April 4, 2021. (Photo by Ding Wendong/Xinhua) "Today, the Chinese peacekeepers continue to commit themselves to the mission (of maintaining peace). We have also helped local people build their homes and restore production, and provide them with supplies and medical assistance," Lyu said. Grateful to the Chinese peacekeepers, Mahmoud Mehanna, an employee of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, said "I have witnessed the contributions and even sacrifices made by Chinese peacekeepers to Lebanon." Besides dangerous tasks such as mine clearance and explosive disposal, "they have also helped us build schools, repair office buildings, offer medical treatment for free and repair living facilities," Mehanna said ahead of the Tomb-sweeping Day. "They are the most lovely Oriental friends of our people in Lebanon." Enditem (Video reporters: Chen Zhi, Huang Aiping, Xu Liang, Yu Fuqing, Xie Huanchi, Pang Xinglei, Pan Yilong, Wang Xiao, Li Xiaobo, Wu Feizuo, Feng Yuanyuan, Jiang Yaping, Liu Yanxia, Hong Kerun, Wang Xiunan, Li Sibo, Gao Zhu, Wu Xiaoling, Hu Chao, Ma Yichong, Ding Wendong, Liu Pan, Wang Shoubao, Wang Huijuan, Yin Ke, Fan Haoyu, Yang Yuechen, Liu Zongya, Liu Xiongma, Zhao Yan; video editors: Dong Yue, Chen Mengchi, Zhang Xin, Yang Dingdu, Peng Tianxiao, Ma Huaizhao.) (Web editor: Du Mingming, Bianji) Beirut, April 5 : Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe said that Beirut must negotiate with Syria about the demarcation of maritime borders, official media reported. "Now is the right time for negotiations to demarcate maritime borders between Lebanon and Syria," Xinhua news agency quoted Wehbe as saying on Sunday. Wehbe's comments came after the Syrian government signed last month with a Russian company a contract for oil exploration in the Mediterranean while grabbing a Lebanese area of 750 square km from Block No. 1. "This is not an act of aggression but every state demands for its rights according to its perspective," Wehbe said, adding that negotiations must take place within the framework of international laws and the brotherly relations between the two countries. Lebanese authorities did not previously react to Syria's plan to start exploration in Block No. 1 although the block set for exploration intersects with the Lebanese areas and results in a clear border dispute. New Delhi, April 5 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday left for Chhattisgarh to review the security situation in the wake of the deadly Maoist attack in which 22 security personnel were killed. Shah will meet the security personnel injured in the attack. Shah will visit the gun battle site in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur where the attack took place, a Home Ministry official said. The Home Minister later will take a review meeting and then reach Raipur to see the injured security personnel. Shah also reviewed the gun battle inicident on Sunday at his residence in the National Capital, asserting that the "fight against Maoists will continue and we will take it to the end". In the meeting, the Home Minister took the stock of the situation on the ground with senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Intelligence Bureau and Central Armed Police Forces soon after he reached Delhi from Assam. He cut short his campaigning in Assam and returned to Delhi on Sunday in the wake of the Maoist attack. A total of 22 security personnel were killed and 31 were injured in a fierce gun battle with a platoon of over 300 People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPFs) Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from the 3.25 lakh strong paramilitary force's elite CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) unit is still missing, and search operation is still on to trace him. There are reports of heavy damage to the Maoists too. The security forces also recovered the body of a woman Maoist commander-- identified as Madavi Vanoja-- along with an Insas rifle, said the CRPF and the state police officials. Besides, citing intelligence inputs, the CRPF said more than 12 Maoists were killed in the operation and over 16 faced grievous injuries. "All the injured Maoist cadres were learnt to be taken into two-three tractor towards Jabbamarka and Gomguda region in the area." The gun battle took place on Saturday noon near Tekulgudem village under Tarrem police station in which eight personnel of Chhattisgarh's District Reserve Guard (DRG) and six of Special Task Force (STF), seven from CRPF's CoBRA and one from its Bastaria Battalion lost their lives. A shootout began soon after a joint team of CRPF and Chhattisgarh police's DRG and STF men reached the spot following the tip off regarding presence of wanted Maoist Hidma -- the commander of PLGA's Battalion No.1 -- and his associates. The PLGA's Battalion No.1 is one of the guerrilla forces that are very rampant in Chhattisgarh. Of the injured personnel include 10 from DRG, five from STF, and 16 from CoBRA-210 Battalion. Of the 31 injured, 13 suffered critical injuries and are being treated at a hospital in Raipur while 18 faced minor injuries and getting treatment in Bijapur. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Members of the far-right Boogaloo Bois militia armed with semi-automatic weapons clashed with angry locals during a protest Sunday outside of the Ann Arbor City Hall building in Michigan. About six Boogaloo Bois dressed in tactical gear, some wearing the group's signature Hawaiian-style shirts, had marched on the city police station to call for the release of a local man, Omar Shafie. Shafie, 32, was arrested after a 36-hour stand-off with a SWAT team from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office, during which he allegedly shot off several rounds. A rally to Free Omar Shafie was organized outside the Ann Arbor City Hall and police station, and promoted on social media. According to the News2Share site, police observed the armed group from a distance but did not intervene. An unnamed local man then approached the group, demanding to know why they were in town. He became involved in an angry exchange, demanding to know why they'd brought their guns to the city. 'Get your f***ing guns out of here, man,' he said. A man confronts members of the far-right Boogaloo Bois militia after they turned up to the Ann Arbor Police Department and City Hall to protest the arrest of a local man Omar Shafie The unarmed man yells 'get your f***ing guns out of here' to militia members A Boogaloo Bois member named Timothy Teagan shouts at the local resident Police kept a watchful eye on the armed protestors, as they called for the release of local man Omar Shafie, who was arrested after a 36-hour stand-off with law enforcement Omar Shafie was arrested on March 25 after a 36-hour stand-off with law enforcement in which he barricaded himself into his parents home and allegedly fired rounds at a SWAT team 'This is a peaceful community. We don't need this. We've been through a pandemic. We've lost thousands of lives,' he continued. 'You are not the police. You are a militia. They are in charge, not you. Get the f*** out of our town!' The incident that sparked the protest began in the early hours of March 24 when Shafie's parents called police to say their son was suffering from a mental health crisis and had assaulted them at their home in Superior Township, Michigan. Around 50 members of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office including a SWAT team, crisis negotiators and sheriff's deputies responded to the rural address. Sheriff's deputies brought the parents to safety, but Shafie refused to leave the house. He was armed with multiple weapons, was wearing a flak jacket and had rounds of ammunition strapped to his body, according to a local news report. Several shots were fired by Shafie during the encounter, which lasted well into the following day. Since his arrest, Shafie's girlfriend has disputed that he was suffering from a mental health crisis, and that police had infringed on his Second Amendment rights. Cylie Johnston posted what she said was a recording of a conversation with Shafie from Washtenaw County Jail. Shafie claimed his Second Amendment rights have been infringed by police, that he wasn't having a mental health crisis and he had been unfairly targeted. The case came to the attention of the Boogaloo Bois, who wanted to put on a show of force to support Shafie's cause. A Boogaloo Bois member takes part in the armed protest in Ann Arbor on Sunday over the arrest of Omar Shafie Protestors compared the arrest of Shafie to other incidents where civilians have been shot by police, such as Breanna Taylor The Boogaloo Bois have been described as Libertarian extremists who have been linked to two murders The small group of armed men who showed up on Sunday included a prominent member of the Boogaloo Bois identified as Timothy Teagan. Video footage of the protest captured him yelling at the local government building. 'We're gonna be out here for a little bit! If you'd like to come and talk it over, we're right out here. Talk to us maybe the way you should have talked to Omar,' he said. 'How much money did it take from the city to have fifty cops out there in a 36-hour standoff?' The Boogaloo Bois have been described as Libertarian extremists who believe a race war is imminent. They have been linked to two ambush-style attacks against security personnel and law enforcement officers in California in 2020. Individuals associated with the movement have also been charged with the attempted kidnapping of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a law allowing him to potentially hold onto power until 2036, a move that formalizes constitutional changes endorsed in last year's popular vote. The July 1 constitutional vote included a provision that reset Putin's previous terms, allowing him to run for president two more times. The change was rubber-stamped by the Kremlin-controlled legislature and the relevant law signed by Putin was posted Monday on an official portal of legal information. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a law allowing him to potentially hold onto power until 2036 The 68-year-old Russian president, who has been in power for more than two decades - longer than any other Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin - said he would decide later whether to run again in 2024 when his current six-year term ends. He has argued that resetting the term count was necessary to keep his lieutenants from 'darting their eyes in search for possible successors' instead of normal work.' The constitutional amendments also emphasized the priority of Russian law over international norms, outlawed same-sex marriages and mentioned 'a belief in God' as a core value. Russian lawmakers have methodically modified the national legislation, approving the relevant laws. Putin, 68, was due to be term-limited out of office in 2024 but last year won public backing to amend Russia's constitution and pave the way for two more terms. The necessary legislation passed the lower house of Russia's parliament last month. Putin won his first presidential election in 2000 after taking over as acting president when Boris Yeltsin resigned on the final day of the 20th century. He won another term in 2004, before moving to the prime minister's office in 2008 while Dmitry Medvedev held the fort as president. Putin and Medvedev then swapped jobs in 2012, with Putin returning to the presidency for a six-year term. He won a fourth term in 2018, but would have been ineligible in 2024 under a constitutional provision banning more than two consecutive terms. After years of speculation about how Putin might get around the '2024 problem', lawmakers proposed last year that his personal term-limit clock be reset to zero. Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday The proposal was put to a referendum in a package of measures alongside populist economic reforms and socially conservative gestures backed by the Kremlin. These included enshrining the country's 'faith in God' in one clause of the constitution while introducing another which effectively banned gay marriage. Putin won the referendum by a wide margin - nearly 78 per cent voted in favour - after voters cast their ballots over the space of a week in June and July to limit the risk of coronavirus. But there were hundreds of complaints of violations including people voting more than once and allegations that employers had pressured their staff to vote, according to Golos, an independent election monitor. Kremlin opponents criticised the initiative at the time, calling it a pretext to allow Putin to become 'president for life'. A KakaoPay user makes a payment with his smartphone using a QR code in this file photo. Courtesy of KakaoPay By Park Jae-hyuk KakaoPay is still facing difficulties in its attempt to win a MyData license, as the Chinese authorities have yet to respond to a request from the financial authorities here to confirm whether or not the Korean fintech firm's second-largest shareholder, Alipay, is under any sanctions there. The MyData business is regarded as a future growth engine for most financial firms here as its license enables them to receive their customers' credit information from conventional financial firms, so that customers can access all their financial data in one place. KakaoPay's rivals in the fintech industry, such as Naver Financial, Viva Republica and Banksalad, already won MyData licenses earlier this year, when the Financial Services Commission (FSC) gave final approval to 28 companies. Hana Financial Group's four subsidiaries Finnq, Hana Financial Investment, Hana Bank and Hana Card whose review procedures had been halted over a criminal suit involving their largest shareholder, have also been able to get a review for their approval since last Wednesday. "There have been no follow-up procedures for the criminal suit involving their largest shareholder over the past four years," an FSC official said. "It has been difficult to predict when the suit will end, considering the procedures of criminal suits." The FSC also plans to receive additional applications for the license within this month. In addition, Naver Financial is set to be a step ahead of its rival KakaoPay with its small deferred payment services, which allow users to make deferred payments of up to 300,000 won ($270). KakaoPay has no choice at the moment but to wait until the Chinese authorities give a response. The mobile payment unit of Kakao had applied for preliminary approval for a MyData license last December, but it could not win it for its failure to submit the required documents. After the company was forced to stop providing some of its services regarding asset management in February, KakaoPay CEO Ryu Young-joon even complained of the financial regulator's measures in a recent interview with a local newspaper. He reportedly called for the FSC to come up with alternative ways to check punitive actions and sanctions against its foreign shareholder, rather than depending only on responses from the financial authorities there. However, the FSC has reiterated its previous stance that it is trying its best to receive relevant documents from the Chinese authorities. This hydrogen fuel machine could be the ultimate guide to self-improvement Three years ago, scientists at the University of Michigan discovered an artificial photosynthesis device made of silicon and gallium nitride (Si/GaN) that harnesses sunlight into carbon-free hydrogen for fuel cells with twice the efficiency and stability of some previous technologies. Now, scientists at the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) - in collaboration with the University of Michigan and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) - have uncovered a surprising, self-improving property in Si/GaN that contributes to the material's highly efficient and stable performance in converting light and water into carbon-free hydrogen. Their findings, reported in the journal Nature Materials, could help radically accelerate the commercialization of artificial photosynthesis technologies and hydrogen fuel cells. "Our discovery is a real game-changer," said senior author Francesca Toma, a staff scientist in the Chemical Sciences Division at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Usually, materials in solar fuels systems degrade, become less stable and thus produce hydrogen less efficiently, she said. "But we discovered an unusual property in Si/GaN that somehow enables it to become more efficient and stable. I've never seen such stability." Previous artificial photosynthesis materials are either excellent light absorbers that lack durability; or they're durable materials that lack light-absorption efficiency. But silicon and gallium nitride are abundant and cheap materials that are widely used as semiconductors in everyday electronics such as LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and solar cells, said co-author Zetian Mi, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Michigan who invented Si/GaN artificial photosynthesis devices a decade ago. When Mi's Si/GaN device achieved a record-breaking 3 percent solar-to-hydrogen efficiency, he wondered how such ordinary materials could perform so extraordinarily well in an exotic artificial photosynthesis device - so he turned to Toma for help. HydroGEN: Taking a Team Science approach to solar fuels Mi had learned of Toma's expertise in advanced microscopy techniques for probing the nanoscale (billionths of a meter) properties of artificial photosynthesis materials through HydroGEN, a five-national lab consortium supported by the DOE's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, and led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to facilitate collaborations between National Labs, academia, and industry for the development of advanced water-splitting materials. "These interactions of supporting industry and academia on advanced water-splitting materials with the capabilities of the National Labs are precisely why HydroGEN was formed - so that we can move the needle on clean hydrogen production technology," said Adam Weber, Berkeley Lab's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Lab Program Manager and Co-Deputy Director of HydroGEN. Toma and lead author Guosong Zeng, a postdoctoral scholar in Berkeley Lab's Chemical Sciences Division, suspected that GaN might be playing a role in the device's unusual potential for hydrogen production efficiency and stability. To find out, Zeng carried out a photoconductive atomic force microscopy experiment at Toma's lab to test how GaN photocathodes could efficiently convert absorbed photons into electrons, and then recruit those free electrons to split water into hydrogen, before the material started to degrade and become less stable and efficient. They expected to see a steep decline in the material's photon absorption efficiency and stability after just a few hours. To their astonishment, they observed a 2-3 orders of magnitude improvement in the material's photocurrent coming from tiny facets along the "sidewall" of the GaN grain, Zeng said. Even more perplexing was that the material had increased its efficiency over time, even though the overall surface of the material didn't change that much, Zeng said. "In other words, instead of getting worse, the material got better," he said. To gather more clues, the researchers recruited scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) at the National Center for Electron Microscopy in Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry, and angle-dependent X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS). Those experiments revealed that a 1 nanometer layer mixed with gallium, nitrogen, and oxygen - or gallium oxynitride - had formed along some of the sidewalls. A chemical reaction had taken place, adding "active catalytic sites for hydrogen production reactions," Toma said. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations carried out by co-authors Tadashi Ogitsu and Tuan Anh Pham at LLNL confirmed their observations. "By calculating the change of distribution of chemical species at specific parts of the material's surface, we successfully found a surface structure that correlates with the development of gallium oxynitride as a hydrogen evolution reaction site," Ogitsu said. "We hope that our findings and approach - a tightly integrated theory-experiments collaboration enabled by the HydroGEN consortium - will be used to further improve the renewable hydrogen production technologies." Mi added: "We've been working on this material for over 10 years - we know it's stable and efficient. But this collaboration helped to identify the fundamental mechanisms behind why it gets more robust and efficient instead of degrading. The findings from this work will help us build more efficient artificial photosynthesis devices at a lower cost." Looking ahead, Toma said that she and her team would like to test the Si/GaN photocathode in a water-splitting photoelectrochemical cell, and that Zeng will experiment with similar materials to get a better understanding of how nitrides contribute to stability in artificial photosynthesis devices - which is something they never thought would be possible. "It was totally surprising," said Zeng. "It didn't make sense - but Pham's DFT calculations gave us the explanation we needed to validate our observations. Our findings will help us design even better artificial photosynthesis devices." "This was an unprecedented network of collaboration between National Labs and a research university," said Toma. "The HydroGEN consortium brought us together - our work demonstrates how the National Labs' Team Science approach can help solve big problems that affect the entire world." ### Co-authors on the paper include Guiji Liu, Jason Cooper, and Chengyu Song at Berkeley Lab; and Srinivas Vanka at the University of Michigan. The Molecular Foundry is a DOE Office of Science user facility at Berkeley Lab. This work was supported by the HydroGEN Advanced Water Splitting Materials Consortium, established as part of the Energy Materials Network under DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest scientific challenges are best addressed by teams, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and its scientists have been recognized with 14 Nobel Prizes. Today, Berkeley Lab researchers develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions, create useful new materials, advance the frontiers of computing, and probe the mysteries of life, matter, and the universe. Scientists from around the world rely on the Lab's facilities for their own discovery science. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory, managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. This story has been published on: 2021-04-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. In early 2021 China and Russia agreed, after more than a year of negotiations, to develop a joint BMEW (Ballistic Missile Early Warning) system. This involves Russia providing the tech needed to bring Chinese BMEW equipment up to Russian standards. As an incentive for Russia to cooperate, and provide the needed tech, Chinese Internet censors were ordered to allow open discussion about Chinese claims on a quarter of the Russian Far East and most of the prime coastal areas. China never cancelled these claims, even in the 1940s and 50s when China was very dependent on Russia. Once China got what it wanted, censors were ordered to block any talk of regaining border areas that are now Russian but claimed by China. China has begun working on a BMEW system since the 1960s and continued this effort into the 1980s. The Chinese built two long-range radars but never got beyond that. There were more important priorities, like figuring out how to censor the Internet in China and hack the Internet outside China. After 2000 China revived its BMEWS project but did not have much success, at least not compared to what the Russians and Americans had accomplished. It took nearly two decades but the Russians managed to replace their Cold War era BMEW radars with modern models. That new system was completed in 2021. Russia was still having problems building and maintaining the space satellites that are a key feature of any BMEWS. China has surpassed Russia in the ability to build and launch satellites. It is assumed that China will contribute some of this space-based BMEW tech to Russia while the Russians will provide China with the tech to build modern ground-based radars. Both China and Russia realize that the United States has upgraded its ground and space-based BMEW equipment and this new Chinese-Russian BMEWS will close the capability gap both nations have with the Americans. After the 1990s Russia worked hard to rebuild its Cold War era BMEWS. That did not go well with the space-based component. In 2014, one of the three remaining Russian satellites built to detect ICBM launches failed. The failed satellite was an Oko-1 that was launched in 2012 and was supposed to last 5-7 years. Russia began launching the Oko-1 satellites in 1991 but only two of them lasted more than five years. The Oko-1s are GTO (high stationary orbit) type satellites costing $45 million each and two are needed to provide worldwide coverage. The older satellites are in lower, non-stationary orbit and with only two of the pre-Oko-1 satellites left can detect American ICBM launches for only about three hours a day. Russia was not completely blind as it was having more success rebuilding its network of long range (over-the-horizon) radars. These provide less warning, and less time to decide what to do. Despite budget problems, Russia moved forward more quickly that earlier believed in building and deploying its new Voronezh-M early-warning radar. All nine of the new radars were operational by 2018. The government considers these radars essential to protect Russia from the growing possibility, according to Russian leaders, of nuclear attack by Western nations like America, Britain and France. These new radars replaced the Daryal radars and the even older models than Daryal were still in service. The older early-warning radars were usually in areas that were part of the Soviet Union but since 1991 are no longer in present-day Russia. The new early warning system provides detection for missiles coming from all directions. Russian leaders proclaim NATO to still be the major threat but some of the radars face China, just in case. For a long time, Russia was seriously concerned about Chinese aggression in the Far East. In the early 1960s the Russians discreetly approached the United States to see if they were interested in a joint nuclear attack against the Chinese to neutralize a mutual threat. The U.S. declined. Tensions between China and Russia escalated and by 1969 there were a number of border battles resulting in hundreds of casualties. By late 1969 a ceasefire had been agreed on, at the same time the United States was discussing a peace deal that would include the U.S. recognizing China and not the Taiwanese government-in-exile as the legitimate government of China. By 1972 that diplomatic switch had been achieved and the Russians were not happy. After the Soviet Union dissolved and the new, much reduced Russia realized that its Far Eastern region contained about 40 percent of their territory but only about right percent of their population. China had historical claims on much of that Far East region and Russia had far fewer resources to resist such an attack. In 2008, after nearly have a century of hostility, China and Russia settled disputes over exactly where their border was. As part of the deal, Russia returned two islands in the Amur River, and China dropped claims on some other river islands. This did not eliminate Russian fears of a Chinese attack. In late 2013 Russian defense officials proposed reversing the plans to create a brigade-based combat force and return to the use of divisions and rebuilding a large reserve force that Russia had favored for over a century. The reason for this was the possibility of a large war in the east. The only major foe out there was China but China was not mentioned. Nevertheless, China is the major potential threat to Russia. At that time the Chinese Army was already three times larger than Russias and had 15 tank and mechanized infantry divisions it could place on the Russian border. China was also reorganizing its ground forces into one based on brigades rather than divisions. Still, China had three times as many brigades in 2013. Officially, Russia has ceased to consider Chinese ground forces a threat, as Russian nuclear weapons were supposed to be what would stop a Chinese ground assault. Traditionalists in the Defense Ministry are pointing out that nuclear war would destroy both nations and that the current situation allows China to quickly grab the Russian Far East, which China has long claimed, and then call for a peace conference. This is the sort of tactic China has used in the past and the Chinese are big fans of their imperial past. The pro-brigade leaders won this debate and it is apparently agreed that a brigade-centric army would be more successful in fighting the Chinese threat. The new joint BMEWS does not erase that Chinese threat but does solidify the new Russian-Chinese defenses against their mutual enemies. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) talks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republican caucus luncheon in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 16, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) McConnell: Corporate Pushback Against Georgia Voting Law Is Economic Blackmail and Disinformation Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on April 5 admonished corporate leaders for their criticism of Georgias new voting law, accusing them of falling for absurd disinformation and of dabbling in behaving like a woke parallel government. Our private sector must stop taking cues from the Outrage-Industrial Complex, McConnell said in a statement. Americans do not need or want big business to amplify disinformation or react to every manufactured controversy with frantic left-wing signaling. The top Republican in the Senate said the discussion around SB 202, or the Election Integrity Act of 2021 (pdf), has become unmoored from fact. There is no consistent or factual standard being applied here, McConnell said. Its just a fake narrative gaining speed by its own momentum. Businesses must not use economic blackmail to spread disinformation. Dozens of CEOs and corporationsincluding Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and Coca-Colahave railed against SB 202, alleging voter suppression. Last week, dozens of black business executives from around the country, including Merck chief executive Kenneth Frazier and former American Express chief executive Kenneth Chenault, released a joint letter in The New York Times urging corporate America to stand up forcefully to oppose it. There is no middle ground here, Chenault said in the letter. You either are for more people voting, or you want to suppress the vote. Broadly, Georgias voting law institutes more stringent requirements around voting, including more rigorous voter ID laws, limits on the use of ballot boxes, and giving the Georgia legislature more control over its elections. Proponents say the measures are necessary improvements to shore up integrity and build confidence in the states elections. Opponents, including the business leaders, argue they amount to voter suppression that will hit communities of color especially hard. President Joe Biden has also weighed in, criticizing SB 202 as a blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience, adding: What Im worried about is how un-American this whole initiative is. Its sick. Biden also described the law as Jim Crow on steroids. McConnell responded to Bidens comment in his statement saying that opposition to SB 202 was part of a coordinated campaign by powerful and wealthy people to mislead and bully the American people. The President has claimed repeatedly that state-level debates over voting procedures are worse than Jim Crow or Jim Crow on steroids. Nobody actually believes this, McConnell said. Nobody really thinks this current dispute comes anywhere near the horrific racist brutality of segregation. But theres an old cynical saying that history is just the set of lies agreed upon. And a host of powerful people and institutions apparently think they stand to benefit from parroting this big lie. The reforms included in SB 202 include requiring photo or state-approved identification to vote absentee by mail. They also mandate that secure drop boxes be placed inside early voting locations, with constant surveillance. The law also shortens the election cycle for runoffs from nine weeks to four, and expands early voting across the state, addressing a key Democrat concern. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also refuted Bidens characterization of the law. It is obvious that neither President Biden nor his handlers have actually read SB 202, which I signed into law yesterday, Kemp said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times. This bill expands voting access, streamlines vote-counting procedures, and ensures election integrity. McConnell, in his statement on April 5, said corporations protesting the law could invite serious consequences if they become a vehicle for far-left mobs to hijack our country. Citing data that over 70 percent of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, support voter ID requirements, McConnell argued that the opposition to SB 202 was a way to build support for Democrat-led efforts to reform election laws. Washington Democrats want to pass a sweeping bill that would let them rewrite all 50 states election laws and turn the Federal Election Commission into a Democrat-run partisan body, McConnell said. This power grab is impossible to defend, so the left wants to deflect. Instead of winning the debate, they want to silence debate by bullying citizens and entire states into submission. The legislative thrust he was presumably referring to was H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021, which passed the Democrat-controlled House on March 3 on a largely party-line vote of 220210, with all Republicans and one DemocratRep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippivoting against it. The bill awaits action in the Senate. Democratsand other proponentshave framed the bill as a crucial step against voter suppression, while Republicansand other opponentsargue it weakens security measures and makes elections more prone to fraud. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 5, 2021) - Dynasty Gold Corp. (TSXV: DYG) (FSE: D5G) (OTC Pink: DGDCF) ("Dynasty" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it plans to complete a non-brokered private placement of up to 2,000,000 units for a gross proceeds of $340,000. Each unit consists of one common share at $0.17 and one common share purchase warrant at $0.25 for a period of two years. The financing is subject to TSX Venture Exchange's approval. The Company shall have the right to call the outstanding Warrants for expiry upon a 20 days notice in the event that the closing price of the common shares of the Company on the TSX-V is above $0.35 for 10 consecutive trading days. The units issued under the private placement are subject to a four-month hold period from the date of closing. The proceeds of the private placement will be used for working capital and market awareness programs. About Dynasty Gold Corp. Dynasty Gold Corp. is a Canadian exploration company currently focused on gold exploration in North America with projects in Ontario and Nevada under development. The 70% owned Hatu gold mine in the Tien Shan Gold belt, Xinjiang, China, one of the most prolific gold belts in the world, is in legal dispute with the Xinjiang Non-Ferrous Industrial Group Limited and its subsidiary Western Region Gold Co. Ltd.. For more information on the Company and its projects, please refer to the website www.dynastygoldcorp.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DYNASTY GOLD CORP. "Ivy Chong" _________________________________ Ivy Chong, President & CEO For additional information please contact: Vancouver Office: Ivy Chong Phone: 604.633.2100. Email: ichong@dynastygoldcorp.com This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/79439 Indian motorbike maker Royal Enfield has suspended business in Vietnam since late March after a disappointing two-year run. Al Naboodah International, the official distributor of the brand, said the decision was made since business results did not meet expectations. It said since Royal Enfield vehicles are imported from India they do not get import tax waivers like other brands such as Honda, Ducati and Kawasaki, which are shipped from Thailand. Another reason for the poor sales was that the retro and classic designs of Royal Enfield motorcycles were not popular in Vietnam, it said. It did not disclose sales figures. But it assured that warranty and maintenance services would continue uninterrupted. Al Naboodah International also represents also two other brands, Triumph and Harley Davidson, in Vietnam. Royal Enfield said it has no plans to exit the market, and is looking to appoint a new distributor for Vietnam. The company was originally the U.K.s Enfield Cycle Company Limited established in 1901. In 1955, it and its Indian partner, Madras Motors, founded Enfield of India with a factory in Chennai that produced the first batch of 800 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 cc engines for the Indian government. When Royal Enfield ceased operations in the U.K. in 1967, Enfield of India continued to operate and was acquired by tractor and commercial vehicle manufacturer Eicher Group Limited (India) in 1994. The company later changed the name to Royal Enfield Motors Limited. US President Joe Biden answers questions while returning to the White House on April 05, 2021 in Washington, DC (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Joe Biden has defended corporate tax hikes as Senator Joe Manchin threatened to block the presidents proposal. The White House is looking to raise the corporate tax rate to 28 per cent as a way to pay for his administrations $2 trillion infrastructure improvement plan. But the conservative Democrat senator, whose vote will likely be needed to pass the White Houses legislation, said on Monday that the rate would need to come down. Mr Biden was asked about the proposal as he landed back in Washington DC on Marine One after spending the weekend at Camp David in rural Maryland. He was asked by reporters if he was worried that the move would see companies ditch the US for cheaper locations. Read more: Not at all, said Mr Biden, before being asked why he believe that to be the case. Because theres no evidence of that, replied the president. The tax was 36 per cent and it is now down to 21 per cent. We are talking about a 28 per cent tax that everyone felt was fair for everybody. Here you have 51 or 52 corporations in the Fortune 500 that havent paid a single penny in taxes for three years. But Mr Manchin, of West Virginia, said that he supported a corporate tax rate of 25 per cent. As the bill exists today, it needs to be changed, Mr Manchin said on West Virginia Metro Newss Talkline show. I think [the corporate rate] should have never been under 25 per cent, thats the worldwide average. And thats what basically every corporation would have told you was fair. Earlier Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she wanted to see a minimum tax levy on corporations around the world to prevent companies relocating to find lower rates. Story continues Were working with G20 nations to agree to a global minimum corporate tax rate that can stop the race to the bottom, Yellen said in a speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Together, we can use global minimum tax to make sure that the global economy thrives, based on a more level playing field in the taxation of multinational corporations and spurs innovation, growth and prosperity. Under the infrastructure plan the US corporate tax rate would climb to 28 per cent from 21 per cent. The move would come four years after Donald Trump cut the rate from 35 per cent, which at the time was the highest in the world. A TD has denounced in the Dail the new Planning Regulator for Marxist and Stalinist policies. Independent TD Verona Murphy claims Niall Cussen, who is demanding higher densities in rural areas, is exceeding his powers, is out of control, and should be sacked. Comment and right of reply was offered to Mr Cussen via the Office of the Planning Regulator but was not immediately received. The role was created in 2019. Ms Murphy said the regulator had rejected the Wexford county development plan in a long letter, giving the manager only five days to reply. She said he had also sent an 88-page letter to Kildare County council. Read More A video of the new TDs contribution to a Dail debate on rural Ireland is gaining traction on social media after Ms Murphy attacked a Karl Marx policy of corralling and forcing people to live in high-density, ghettoised settings with no infrastructure to support them. The 24-page reply of the regulator to the Wexford draft county development plan is on the county council website. The tone and tenor of the regulators letter is the equivalent of a missive one might expect to receive from the Politburo, Ms Murphy said. Requiring high densities will shut down rural Wexford and ghettoise our towns. We need only look to the early 20th century and what happened in Eastern Europe at the hands of the ideologues such as Karl Marx and Josef Stalin, she added. The last great Stalinist sentence in his missive requires the CEO to confirm his recommendations and respond within five working days an outrageous demand and an assault on rural democracy. She warned: This is a power-grab by the regulator against every rural constituency in Ireland. I understand an 88-page letter has been received by Kildare County Council from the planning regulator. Mr Justice Kearns had made plain in the High Court the requirement of county councils to inform a development plan in a landmark ruling, Ms Murphy argued. He said that a planning authority must have regard to guidelines, but is not required to slavishly adhere. That judgment has been upheld consistently by the courts. The regulator is out of control, had ideological views and must consider his position, she said. Mr Cussen is however a past President of the Irish Planning Institute, and former Chief Planner at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. He previously worked in planning for local authorities in Clare, Meath and Dublin, and for An Bord Pleanala. Leader of the Rural Independent Group Mattie McGrath supported Ms Murphy and said the situation was disgraceful and too many powers appeared to have been given to the office. We have much rethinking to do, he said. Those of us in the Rural Independent Group will be forced to take a legal challenge. Kerry TD Danny Healy Rae told the Dail: I do not know who the Planning Regulator is, or where he is from, and I do not believe he knows any part of Kerry. He is going by figures and he does not understand the reality and the issues that people have to contend with. Independent TD for Roscommon-Galway, Michael Fitzmaurice, said central authority would now decide the number of houses to be built in each county, despite much talk of drawing more people back to country living. The Office of the Planning Regulator is in place and we all know that it is getting tougher for people in rural areas to build houses. Ms Murphy said: I urge the Minister for Housing, Darragh O'Brien, to take action immediately to put an end to this Stalinist regime and to remove the regulator. If the planning regulator is allowed to have his way, he will close rural schools, decimate local GAA clubs and ghettoise our towns, she said. Rural Ireland will become one massive Merthyr Tydfil. The Welsh town has high density and a notorious lack of infrastructure and services, she claimed. In response the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) claimed these were "misleading and inaccurate Dail accusations. Deputy Murphys claim that the work of the Office is ideologically driven is factually incorrect, a spokesman said. The OPR is obliged by legislation to point out to local authorities any policies in their draft development plans which need to be refined or strengthened to give effect to the planning policies of Government. The Office does not set policy. In the Offices letter to Wexford County Council, the notification with 5 days refers to the decision at the end of the lengthy plan making process when the decision to adopt the plan is made. This is a requirement under the legislation. The Office is confident it is fulfilling its statutory obligations in line with the legislative framework governing its operations. The petition for a writ of certiorari is granted. The judgment is vacated, and the case is remanded to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit with instructions to dismiss the case as moot. See United States v. Munsingwear, Inc., 340 U. S. 36 (1950). When a person publishes a message on the social media platform Twitter, the platform by default enables others to republish (retweet) the message or respond (reply) to it or other replies in a designated comment thread. The user who generates the original message can manually 'block' others from republishing or responding. Donald Trump, then President of the United States, blocked several users from interacting with his Twitter account. They sued. The Second Circuit held that the comment threads were a 'public forum' and that then-President Trump violated the First Amendment by using his control of the Twitter account to block the plaintiffs from accessing the comment threads. But Mr. Trump, it turned out, had only limited control of the account; Twitter has permanently removed the account from the platform. Because of the change in Presidential administration, the Court correctly vacates the Second Circuit's decision. I write separately to note that this petition highlights the principal legal difficulty that surrounds digital platforms namely, that applying old doctrines to new digital platforms is rarely straightforward. Respondents have a point, for example, that some aspects of Mr. Trump's account resemble a constitutionally protected public forum. But it seems rather odd to say that something is a government forum when a private company has unrestricted authority to do away with it. The disparity between Twitter's control and Mr. Trump's control is stark, to say the least. Mr. Trump blocked several people from interacting with his messages. Twitter barred Mr. Trump not only from interacting with a few users, but removed him from the entire platform, thus barring all Twitter users from interacting with his messages. Under its terms of service, Twitter can remove any person from the platformincluding the President of the United States'at any time for any or no reason.' Twitter Inc., User Agreement (effective June 18, 2020). This is not the first or only case to raise issues about digital platforms. While this case involves a suit against a public official, the Court properly rejects today a separate petition alleging that digital platforms, not individuals on those platforms, violated public accommodations laws, the First Amendment, and antitrust laws. The petitions highlight two important facts. Today's digital platforms provide avenues for historically unprecedented amounts of speech, including speech by government actors. Also unprecedented, however, is the concentrated control of so much speech in the hands of a few private parties. We will soon have no choice but to address how our legal doctrines apply to highly concentrated, privately owned information infrastructure such as digital platforms. On the surface, some aspects of Mr. Trump's Twitter account resembled a public forum. A designated public forum is 'property that the State has opened for expressive activity by part or all of the public.' International Soc. for Krishna Consciousness, Inc. v. Lee, 505 U. S. 672, 678 (1992). Mr. Trump often used the account to speak in his official capacity. And, as a governmental official, he chose to make the comment threads on his account publicly accessible, allowing any Twitter userother than those whom he blockedto respond to his posts. Yet, the Second Circuit's conclusion that Mr. Trump' Twitter account was a public forum is in tension with,among other things, our frequent description of public forums as 'government-controlled spaces.' Any control Mr. Trump exercised over the account greatly paled in comparison to Twitter's authority, dictated in its terms of service, to remove the account 'at any time for any or no reason.' Twitter exercised its authority to do exactly that. Because unbridled control of the account resided in the hands of a private party, First Amendment doctrine may not have applied to respondents' complaint of stifled speech. Whether governmental use of private space implicates the First Amendment often depends on the government's control over that space. For example, a government agency that leases a conference room in a hotel to hold a public hearing about a proposed regulation cannot kick participants out of the hotel simply because they express concerns about the new regulation. But government officials who informally gather with constituents in a hotel bar can ask the hotel to remove a pesky patron who elbows into the gathering to loudly voice his views. The difference is that the government controls the space in the first scenario, the hotel, in the latter. Where, as here, private parties control the avenues for speech, our law has typically addressed concerns about stifled speech through other legal doctrines, which may have a secondary effect on the application of the First Amendment. If part of the problem is private, concentrated control over online content and platforms available to the public, then part of the solution may be found in doctrines that limit the right of a private company to exclude. Historically, at least two legal doctrines limited a company's right to exclude. First, our legal system and its British predecessor have long subjected certain businesses, known as common carriers, to special regulations, including a general requirement to serve all comers. Justifications for these regulations have varied. Some scholars have argued that common-carrier regulations are justified only when a carrier possesses substantial market power. Others have said that no substantial market power is needed so long as the company holds itself out as open to the public. And this Court long ago suggested that regulations like those placed on common carriers may be justified, even for industries not historically recognized as common carriers, when 'a business, by circumstances and its nature, . . . rise[s] from private to be of public concern.' At that point, a company's 'property is but its instrument, the means of rendering the service which has become of public interest.' This latter definition of course is hardly helpful, for most things can be described as 'of public interest.' But whatever may be said of other industries, there is clear historical precedent for regulating transportation and communications networks in a similar manner as traditional common . Telegraphs, for example, because they 'resemble[d] railroad companies and other common carriers,' were 'bound to serve all customers alike, without discrimination.' In exchange for regulating transportation and communication industries, governmentsboth State and Federal have sometimes given common carriers special government.For example, governments have tied restrictions on a carrier's ability to reject clients to 'immunity from certain types of suits' or to regulations that make it more difficult for other companies to compete with the carrier (such as franchise licenses). This Court has been inconsistent about whether telegraphs were common carriers. But the Court has consistently recognized that telegraphs were at least analogous enough to common carriers. Telegraphs, for example, historically received some protection from defamation suits. Unlike other entities that might retransmit defamatory content, they were liable only if they knew or had reason to know that a message they distributed was defamatory. These companies special privileges, governments place them into a category distinct from other companies and closer to some functions, like the postal service, that the State has traditionally undertaken. Second, governments have limited a company's right to exclude when that company is a public accommodation. This conceptrelated to common-carrier lawapplies to companies that hold themselves out to the public but do not 'carry' freight, passengers, or communications. It also applies regardless of the company's market power. See, Internet platforms of course have their own First Amendment interests, but regulations that might affect speech are valid if they would have been permissible at the time of the founding. The long history in this country and in England of restricting the exclusion right of common carriers and places of public accommodation may save similar regulations today from triggering heightened scrutinyespecially where a restriction would not prohibit the company from speaking or force the company to endorse the speech. There is a fair argument that some digital platforms are sufficiently akin to common carriers or places of accommodation to be regulated in this manner. In many ways, digital platforms that hold themselves out to the public resemble traditional common carriers. Though digital instead of physical, they are at bottom communications networks, and they 'carry' information from one user to another. A traditional telephone company laid physical wires to create a network connecting people. Digital platforms lay information infrastructure that can be controlled in much the same way. And unlike newspapers, digital platforms hold themselves out as organizations that focus on distributing the speech of the broader public. Federal law dictates that companies cannot 'be treated as the publisher or speaker' of information that they merely distribute. The analogy to common carriers is even clearer for digital platforms that have dominant market share. Similar to utilities, today's dominant digital platforms derive much of their value from network size. The Internet, of course, is a network. But these digital platforms are networks within that network. The Facebook suite of apps is valuable largely because 3 billion people use it. Google searchat 90 percent of the market shareis valuable relative to other search engines because more people use it, creating data that Google's algorithm uses to refine and improve search results. These network effects entrench these companies. Ordinarily, the astronomical profit margins of these platformslast year, Google brought in $182.5 billion total, $40.3 billion in net incomewould induce new entrants into the market. That these companies have no comparable competitors highlights that the industries may have substantial barriers to entry. To be sure, much activity on the Internet derives value from network effects. But dominant digital platforms are different. Unlike decentralized digital spheres, such as the e-mail protocol, control of these networks is highly concentrated. Although both companies are public, one person controls Facebook (Mark Zuckerberg), and just two control Google (Larry Page and Sergey Brin). No small group of people controls e-mail. Much like with a communications utility, this concentration gives some digital platforms enormous control over speech. When a user does not already know exactly where to find something on the Internetand users rarely do Google is the gatekeeper between that user and the speech of others 90% of the time. It can suppress content by deindexing or downlisting a search result or by steering users away from certain content by manually altering autocomplete results. Facebook and Twitter can greatly narrow a person's information flow through similar means. And, as the distributor of the clear majority of e-books and about half of all physical books. Amazon can impose cataclysmic consequences on authors by, among other things, blocking a listing. It changes nothing that these platforms are not the sole means for distributing speech or information. A person always could choose to avoid the toll bridge or train and instead swim the Charles River or hike the Oregon Trail. But in assessing whether a company exercises substantial market power, what matters is whether the alternatives are comparable. For many of today's digital platforms, nothing is. If the analogy between common carriers and digital platforms is correct, then an answer may arise for dissatisfied platform users who would appreciate not being blocked laws that restrict the platform's right to exclude. When a platform's unilateral control is reduced, a government official's account begins to better resemble a 'government-controlled spac[e].' Common-carrier regulations, although they directly restrain private companies, thus may have an indirect effect of subjecting government officials to suits that would not otherwise be cognizable under our public-forum jurisprudence. This analysis may help explain the Second Circuit's intuition that part of Mr. Trump's Twitter account was a public forum. But that intuition has problems. First, if market power is a predicate for common carriers (as some scholars suggest), nothing in the record evaluates Twitter's market power. Second, and more problematic, neither the Second Circuit nor respondents have identified any regulation that restricts Twitter from removing an account that would otherwise be a 'government-controlled space.' Even if digital platforms are not close enough to common carriers, legislatures might still be able to treat digital platforms like places of public accommodation. Although definitions between jurisdictions vary, a company ordinarily is a place of public accommodation if it provides 'lodging, food, entertainment, or other services to the public . . . in general.' Twitter and other digital platforms bear resemblance to that definition. This, too, may explain the Second Circuit's intuition. Courts are split, however, about whether federal accommodations laws apply to anything other than 'physical' locations. Once again, a doctrine, such as public accommodation, that reduces the power of a platform to unilaterally remove a government account might strengthen the argument that an account is truly government controlled and creates a public forum. But no party has identified any public accommodation restriction that applies here. The similarities between some digital platforms and common carriers or places of public accommodation may give legislators strong arguments for similarly regulating digital platforms. '[I]t stands to reason that if Congress may demand that telephone companies operate as common carriers, it can ask the same of ' digital platforms. That is especially true because the space constraints on digital platforms are practically nonexistent (unlike on cable companies), so a regulation restricting a digital platform's right to exclude might not appreciably impede the platform from speaking. Yet Congress does not appear to have passed these kinds of regulations. To the contrary, it has given digital platforms 'immunity from certain types of suits,' , but it has not imposed corresponding responsibilities, like nondiscrimination, that would matter here. None of this analysis means, however, that the First Amendment is irrelevant until a legislature imposes common carrier or public accommodation restrictionsonly that the principal means for regulating digital platforms is through those methods. Some speech doctrines might still apply in limited circumstances, as this Court has recognized in the past. For example, although a 'private entity is not ordinarily constrained by the First Amendment' it is if the government coerces or induces it to take action the government itself would not be permitted to do, such as censor expression of a lawful viewpoint. Consider government threats. 'People do not lightly disregard public officers' thinly veiled threats to institute criminal proceedings against them if they do not come around.' The government cannot accomplish through threats of adverse government action what the Constitution prohibits it from doing directly Plaintiffs might have colorable claims against a digital platform if it took adverse action against them in response to government threats. But no threat is alleged here. What threats would cause a private choice by a digital platform to 'be deemed . . . that of the State' remains unclear. And no party threats directed at digital platforms can be especially problematic in the light of 47 U. S. C. 230, which some courts have misconstrued to give digital platforms immunity for bad-faith removal of third-party content. This immunity eliminates the biggest deterrent a private lawsuitagainst caving to an unconstitutional government threat. For similar reasons, some commentators have suggested that immunity provisions like 230 could potentially violate the First Amendment to the extent those provisions pre-empt state laws that protect speech from private censorship. See Volokh, Might Federal Preemption of SpeechProtective State Laws Violate the First Amendment? The Volokh Conspiracy, Reason, Jan. 23, 2021. According to that argument, when a State creates a private right and a federal statute pre-empts that state law, 'the federal statute is the source of the power and authority by which any private rights are lost or sacrificed.' Railway Employees v. The question facing the courts below involved only whether a government actor violated the First Amendment by blocking another Twitter user. That issue turns, at least to some degree, on ownership and the right to exclude. The Second Circuit feared that then-President Trump cut off speech by using the features that Twitter made available to him. But if the aim is to ensure that speech is not smothered, then the more glaring concern must perforce be the dominant digital platforms themselves. As Twitter made clear, the right to cut off speech lies most powerfully in the hands of private digital platforms. The extent to which that power matters for purposes of the First Amendment and the extent to which that power could lawfully be modified raise interesting and important questions. This petition, unfortunately, affords us no opportunity to confront them. Nicole Aronson has lost so many friends to addiction that she struggles to count them. Heroin and crack cocaine have taken her to hell and back, the 36-year-old Passaic County woman says. She has been homeless and absent from the lives of the two young children who need her. She has brushed with death on four occasions, she survived overdoses. When the coronavirus pandemic struck last year, Aronson was trying to stay sober, back at home in Wanaque and taking methadone to control her cravings. But as society locked down, Aronson said, she was overcome by the isolation, and began relapsing to the drugs that have already stolen years from her life. The stresses of the past 13 months are legion: lost jobs, shattered personal interactions, sickness and death. Theres widespread agreement in the drug treatment community that those anxieties have only fueled the heartbreak of addiction, as New Jerseys opioid epidemic rages alongside a virus that has upended many of the fragile social supports that those in recovery rely upon. Yet for Aronson, the pandemic was also motivation to get clean, and she is approaching seven months of sobriety. With all the death that COVID-19 dealt, Aronson said she was jolted into the realization of how lucky she was to be alive. It scared me. It made me realize how precious life is and I should be thankful to wake up every morning, Aronson said. I never ever want my children to have to cry for their mom, that is my biggest fear. Wheres Mommy. I need Mommy, and shes not here. In some ways, the states addiction crisis in the past year has followed the bad-news, good-news trajectory of Aronsons story. On the one hand, fatal overdoses leaped as coronavirus spread last spring, with May marking the highest number of deaths ever recorded, when nearly 10 people a day died from drugs in New Jersey. On the other hand, taken as a whole, the year ended without the explosion of drug deaths that advocates and public health officials feared. In 2020, there were 3,046 suspected fatal overdoses, 25 more than in 2019, an increase of less than 1%. That came despite myriad hurdles the coronavirus presented for those seeking help, with many drug programs still remaining largely remote, without the face-to-face peer interactions that have long been seen as vital. Is the above graphic not displaying? Click here. That has produced a fraught year for Aronson, for Ocean Countys Moccollie Mabry, for Camden Countys Michael Nocella and for three others in recovery who shared their stories with NJ Advance Media. At a time in which the battle against substance abuse silently continues, they have faced pitfalls that make addiction always a day-to-day struggle all the more difficult in the age of COVID-19. All those things that everyone had to deal with only made drug use worse and alcohol abuse so much worse, said Katie Walker, who works with people in recovery at the Center for Prevention and Counseling, a nonprofit in Newton, Sussex County. But weve also seen people come back and strengthen their recovery, almost as a result of what they were going through. Last year, the world shut down, Walker added. People lost their jobs, people were home maybe for the first time. It gave you some time to maybe evaluate your life, what is going on. Moccollie Mabry, who is 60, said he had to quarantine on three separate occasions as he sought a suitable inpatient program after years of abusing drugs and alcohol. A self-described hothead who served time in Ocean County Jail for assault and other charges, Mabry said the pandemic brought new worries: There were no buses to get around, businesses were closed and it was hard to find food to eat. But Mabry is now at a sober living home in Forked River and is assisted by the New Jersey Reentry Corp., which aids former inmates as they transition into society. He hopes the six-month binges he used to go through when he would drop 70 pounds and not eat or sleep are a thing of the past. Just shows that if I could do it, anybody could do it, Mabry said. Theres a light shining on me today, but before, I was in such a dark hole. Moccollie Mabry at Integrity House in Toms River. Marby had to quarantine on three separate occasions as he sought treatment for drug addiction amid the coronavirus pandemic. Mabry, 60, of Forked River said he has long struggled with drugs and alcohol, and that if he can find sobriety, others can as well. Friday, April 2, 2021.Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media It is harder to get into treatment now, said Michael McDonel, who sought help for his heroin addiction in January, when the 34-year-old was homeless and living a hand-to-mouth existence in Atlantic City. He is enrolled at a sober living house in Bridgeton and had 67 days of sobriety when he spoke recently to a reporter. When youre out in the streets and you have an addiction, Id say its a lot easier to catch COVID, McDonel said. People in addiction, they tend to share needles and all that stuff. All they care about is getting high. The opioid crisis has rocked the U.S. for more than a decade, and it hit New Jersey hard, especially with the rise of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic often tied to overdoses. And unlike some states, New Jersey has not seen its deaths begin to ebb, with overdoses consistently claiming more than 3,000 lives in recent years. Is the above map not displaying? Click here. Nationally, health officials warn of a rash of overdoses aggravated by the pandemic. In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that in the 12 months ending in May 2020, drugs killed more than 81,000 people in the United States, the highest number ever recorded and an 18% increase over the prior year. New Jersey announced its 2020 overdose figures on March 4, the one-year anniversary of the states first announced COVID-19 case. State officials said the toll could have been even more dire, while still calling it unacceptably high. While 3,046 may not have been our worst fears, may I say unequivocally, it is 3,046 precious lives lost too many, Gov. Phil Murphy said. Many in the treatment community say there is little silver lining for a year in which suspected deaths still increased, from 2019s 3,021. I feel horrible about that, said Erika Shortway, who directs recovery services at Prevention is Key in Rockaway in Morris County. Thats like 25 brothers, sisters, daughters, mothers, fathers. Thats terrible. It is heartbreaking. New Jersey has long worked to build up its tattered treatment system, expanding access to naloxone, an overdose reversal drug, and promoting opioid maintenance medications such as buprenorphine or methadone, which reduce cravings. As the pandemic hit, New Jersey ramped up those efforts, and pulled down barriers to telemedicine, making it easier for those with addictions to reach their counselors and doctors virtually. Across the state, providers embraced new ways to reach the at-risk as demand soared and the treatment system was disrupted. The Center for Prevention and Counseling, the Sussex County nonprofit, sent personal notes and care packages to clients, to try to let them know someone cared. In Camden, one of the states heroin epicenters, the Cooper Center for Healing began allowing walk-ins without an appointment, permitting those in crisis to seek immediate help, said Dr. Kaitlan Baston, its medical director. Meanwhile, a flood of prisoners across New Jersey were granted early release this winter in response to the pandemic, under emergency credits that were expected to free about 3,000 inmates. Many of them struggle with addiction at a time in which the treatment network is in upheaval, said Jim McGreevey, a former governor who chairs the New Jersey Reentry Corp. Joseph Vadimski, 52, earned parole from state prison in April 2020 after serving nearly 4 years on burglary and theft charges fueled by cocaine and heroin abuse. He spent nine months at a therapeutic community at Integrity House in Secaucus and is now at a halfway house in Paterson. COVID-19 has made treatment that much more difficult, especially in the early days when facilities were turned upside down responding to it, Vadimski said. Recovery meetings can be frustrating, given social distancing and mask wearing that makes it hard to interact with, or even hear, each other, he said. Then there are the fears of infection, which offer a ready-made justification for those drawn back to their former lives. People left because they used that excuse. I dont want to get COVID, Vadimski said. Whether they would have or not, I dont know. Vadimski said he has stuck with it because he wants to change. My mindset has been that I need to get my life together, Vadimski said. Im 52, not that thats an excuse to get better, but it pushed me in the right direction. Last year should have been one in which New Jerseys efforts to fight addiction finally paid off, said Angela Conover, the director of opioid response and prevention for the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. But not with the headwinds of the coronavirus. The hope was if 2020 had been a normal year, for lack of a better description, we would have seen the fruits of our labors, Conover said. The ultimate overdose numbers were distressing for a lot of people who were in this field. Robert Budsock is the chief executive of Integrity House, which is one of the largest nonprofit treatment providers in the state. In the past five years, he said, he has seen more tragedy than in his first three decades on the job. And looking ahead, neither the pandemic nor its effects on addiction are over, he said. The concern is that there is going to be a backlash, or an aftershock. We know it is going to happen, Budsock said. A lot of people are just getting by right now, in that when you experience something traumatic, you focus on just keeping one foot in front of the other. So far this year, deaths continue apace. In January and February, there were 540 suspected overdoses, four more than 2020 and nearly 100 more than 2019, Murphy said at the March 4 announcement. On the same day, Morris County warned of surging opioid deaths fueled by a more potent form of fentanyl circulating in North Jersey. In total this year, 24 people in Morris County have already lost their lives to opioids, said Meghan Knab, a spokeswoman for the Morris County Prosecutors Office, on Thursday. That compares to 78 in all of 2020. And neither Morris County nor the states figures include deaths from alcohol abuse, which advocates say has also gotten worse. At 61 years old, Michael Nocella has struggled with alcoholism since the 1990s, when he said it cost him his career as a police officer in Riverton and an EMT in Camden. All these years later, Nocella said he is still grappling with the trauma he underwent on the job: a suicidal man who pulled a gun on him and tried to shoot, a father who terrorized his two young children and Nocella with a machete during a standoff. Michael Nocella, a recovering alcoholic, poses for a photo with accolades he received during his days as a Riverton cop and Camden EMT, in Sicklerville, Friday, March 26, 2021.Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media Nocella, who has long tried to get sober, was nearing his end a year ago. He was living in a squalid apartment in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, and drinking a 30-pack of beer or more a day. Hed largely stopped eating and was so weak that he had to pay a cab driver to carry his booze into the house for him. He was isolated. Before COVID-19, he paid an elderly woman to drive him to and from the grocery store. But she had to stop, for fears of the virus. Township police officers, worrying he would wind up dead, had threatened to arrest neighbors who had been procuring him alcohol. It was an awful experience. I wasnt living, Nocella said. I should be dead today. Nocella said he wound up in a motel in Bordentown after New Jersey Adult Protective Services came to his aid. In his struggles in recent years, Nocella had connected with City of Angels NJ, a grass-roots group that works with people in recovery. They and an area police officer helped get him into treatment. Nocella spent five days in detox and 14 days in a psychiatric ward for depression and is now living at a boarding home in Winslow Township, Camden County, where he receives outpatient counseling. He has managed to keep his sobriety, he said. He hopes to eventually move into an apartment of his own. Like Nocella, April Spigelman has new hopes. The 38-year-old Cherry Hill woman is pregnant, expecting her third child in October. It would have been unthinkable 13 months ago, when she was struggling with alcoholism that had her hiding vodka in the bathroom and drinking while she pretended to her family that she was taking a shower. Spigelman enrolled in rehab on March 8, 2020, the day after she said she tried to take her own life by overdosing on Adderall. She spent eight weeks in an inpatient facility, with her husband and two sons, then 14 and 10, only able to visit her on the first week before coronavirus restrictions kicked in. April Spigelman, 38, of Cherry Hill, enrolled in rehab for alcoholism on March 8, 2020, as the pandemic erupted. Here, she holds her medallion from her treatment center at her home in Cherry Hill. Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media Spigelman said that as a drinker, she isolated, keeping others at arms distance as she got lonelier and lonelier. When she left rehab, she resolved to do the opposite, despite a disease raging around her that made it all the harder. She made friends at online support meetings, and shared her name and phone number with them. Theyd meet for coffee outside. Shed hear about meetings that were being held in parks that shed attend. She found a therapist and a psychiatrist. I put myself out there because if not, I could have easily reverted back to old ways, Spigelman said. If I didnt want to text that person because I was alone, then I would text them. It is a daily struggle. For Spigelman. For Nocella. For Vadimski. For McDonel. For Mabry. For Aronson. For countless people in recovery. Some days are better than others, said Aronson, the Passaic County mother. She is working part-time and studying to become a peer specialist who helps others facing addiction. At home, her elder child, who is 8, is navigating hybrid learning that has him attending school virtually some days. The temptations can sneak up on her. Shell hear a song on the radio that will take her back to her days of abusing drugs, and her heart will start to race. Driving past a highway exit where she used to go to use, shell break into a sweat. Even some smells can act as triggers. Addiction was a roller-coaster ride, she said, that she hopes stopped with the brake the pandemic provided her. It gave me more of a motivational drive. It made me want to struggle to get better, Aronson said. It gave me more of a reason. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Riley Yates may be reached at ryates@njadvancemedia.com. BATON ROUGE, La. The Louisiana Office of Cultural Development and the Louisiana State Arts Council announced Susannah Johannsen as the new Executive Director of the Division of the Arts. Previously serving as the Director of Economic Development and Certified Local Government Coordinator for Louisiana Main Street, Johannsen begins her new role with the Division of the Arts today, April 5, 2021. Susannah will not only serve as our Executive Director for the Louisiana Division of the Arts, she will additionally deploy her skill sets in economic development, strategic planning and community development towards expanding the connectivity of each and every citizen across our state, said Mary Lee, Chairperson of the Louisiana State Arts Council. Her recent work with our states vacant and blighted properties affirms her ability to turn a weakness into a sustainable strength. She is a team builder, a plan implementer, a problem solver and a difference maker. Susannah is passionate about Louisiana and its future. The Louisiana State Arts Council conducted a four-month, national search to select a new Executive Director. Johannsen has more than 20 years of experience managing projects and teams, experience in strategic planning, federal grant management, and community development. In her most recent role with Louisiana Main Street, she worked with 49 Certified Local Government communities and 35 Main Street communities across Louisiana to strengthen business development, combat blight, and urge revitalization in our communities. During the last three quarters of 2020, which took place during the pandemic, Main Street communities in Louisiana reported the opening of 112 new businesses adding 330 new jobs. I am thrilled about becoming the newest Executive Director for the Division of the Arts. The Division has a wonderful staff that is passionate about the arts and culture in Louisiana, and I am very much looking forward to getting to know them better and learning about their projects, plans and ideas, said Susannah Johannsen, Executive Director of the Louisiana Division of the Arts. I am also eager to get to know the members of the State Arts Council and the Regional Arts Councils. Louisiana has extraordinary talent, and I am excited to learn more about how each region is seizing the opportunities to celebrate and showcase our talented artists. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Johannsen studied Art History at Randolph-Macon Womens College in Lynchburg, Virginia. She also holds masters degrees in Landscape Architecture and Business Administration from LSU. Johannsen serves on several area boards including the Friends of the LSU Museum of Art, LSU Museum of Art Advisory Board, Baton Rouge Gallery, and the Big River Economic & Agricultural Development Alliance. "My love for the arts has been a constant in my life and has never wavered and for that, I am very blessed. My hope is to ensure everyone has access to the arts in their community. Creative Placemaking has become a catch phrase, but it is a concept that can help smaller, more rural communities find their identities again. It can help us remember the past and celebrate the future by ensuring there is a future. Some Louisiana communities are stretched to the brink, but through the arts and creative community development, we can combine all of the diversity and culture of the community to bring about revitalization and stabilization, said Johannsen. The work of the Division of the Arts is diverse like our communities, and I cant wait to dig in and learn about all the opportunities and partnerships we can forge to keep Louisiana beautiful, culturally rich and exceptionally dynamic. VALLETTA (Reuters) - Keith Schembri, the former chief of staff of ex-Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, was arraigned in court late on Saturday charged with money laundering, fraud and corruption, police said. He entered a plea of not guilty, court officials said. Schembri resigned in November 2019, shortly after Yorgen Fenech, a close friend of his, was charged with masterminding the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2017. Fenech pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. Prime Minister Muscat resigned two months later. Court officials said charges against Schembri on Saturday are not connected to the Caruana Galizia murder case. Schembri, Muscat and Fenech have all denied involvement in the murder and no charges related to it have been made against Schembri or Muscat. The charges against Schembri stem from a magistrates' investigation after Schembri's company won a multimillion-euro contract in 2010 to sell a printing press to Allied Newspapers, publishers of Times of Malta, the country's biggest-selling newspaper. Caruana Galizia had written about alleged money laundering in a 2016 blog post about the contract. Her family, who were present in the courtroom on Saturday, welcomed the arraignment but said it was overdue. "Prosecuting Schembri today brings us a step closer to a Malta where no one is above the law," they said in a statement. In a lengthy Facebook post on Thursday, Schembri said the accusations against him, which were already circulating in the media, were an "establishment plot" and he looked forward to clearing his name. His lawyers were unavailable for further comment. (Reporting by Chris Scicluna; Editing by Gavin Jones and David Goodman) The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. The internet is a wide space to be and it carries a lot of information within itself related to everything in the world. While some information is authentic there can be a few pieces here and there whos reliability seems uncertain and sometimes people believe that wrong information as well and pass it on. In order to prevent this Google took some steps to highlight to its public on how they can differentiate on which news seems certain and what is suspicious. Last week the tech giant shared insights on how to strengthen our fact checking abilities, as people seek evidence to confirm or refute a piece of information they are uncertain about. Google explained on how to perform fact checking with the help of its search engine and highlighted that if the search engine thinks that a reliable piece of information is authentic it will show a summary of that fact check determined by an algorithm.Apart from this the company gave four pointers on how to self-determine authentic information on the search engine.The first point the search engine gave is to look for news coverage. According to the company if you read a news on one site or through one source and you find it a bit uncertain do not believe it before you have searched for it on other websites as well just to be sure. Also, make sure to switch to news mode or search for a topic in news.google.com . Make sure to click through to Full Coverage" if the option is available.In their second point the search engine said that if a picture on the web seems unreal to you right click and search for Search Google for Image." This can be done on mobile phones too by just tapping and holding onto the image. Upon search you can see if the same image has been used on another context in the past sometimes or if it is being used for the same purpose or news.The third point the company said to use Google Maps to search for the authenticity of the location the place claims to be at. Also try checking Google Earth or look at the Street View of a location on Google Maps in regions where it is available.On the fourth and final advice the company has advised the users to search on fact check explorer about the certain topic. The fact check explorer carries over 100,000 fact checks from reputable publishers around the world.By following these few steps you will be able to access and know authentic information online and it will prevent you from passing on fake news to the public.Read next: Google is soon rolling out indoor Live View AR navigation along with a whole bunch of features on Google Maps By Andrew Chung (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court handed Alphabet Inc's Google a major victory on Monday, ruling that its use of Oracle Corp's software code to build the Android operating system that runs most of the world's smartphones did not violate federal copyright law. In a 6-2 decision, the justices overturned a lower court's ruling that Google's inclusion of Oracle's software code in Android did not constitute a fair use under U.S. copyright law. Justice Stephen Breyer, writing for the majority, said that allowing Oracle to enforce a copyright on its code would harm the public by making it a "lock limiting the future creativity of new programs. Oracle alone would hold the key." Oracle and Google, two California-based technology giants with combined annual revenues of more than $175 billion, have been feuding since Oracle sued for copyright infringement in 2010 in San Francisco federal court. Google had appealed a 2018 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington reviving the suit. The ruling spares Google of a potentially massive damages verdict. Oracle had been seeking more than $8 billion, but renewed estimates went as high as $20 billion to $30 billion, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. "The decision gives legal certainty to the next generation of developers whose new products and services will benefit consumers," said Kent Walker, Google's senior vice president of global affairs. Oracle's lawsuit accused Google of plagiarizing its Java software by copying 11,330 lines of computer code, as well as the way it is organized, to create Android and reap billions of dollars in revenue. Android, for which developers have created millions of applications, now powers more than 70% of the world's mobile devices. Google has said it did not copy a computer program but rather used elements of Java's software code needed to operate a computer program or platform. Federal copyright law does not protect mere "methods of operation." The companies also disputed whether Google made fair use of Oracle's software code, making it permissible under the 1976 Copyright Act. Story continues Dorian Daley, Oracle's executive vice president and general counsel, said that with the ruling "the Google platform just got bigger and market power greater" and "the barriers to entry higher and the ability to compete lower." "They stole Java and spent a decade litigating as only a monopolist can. This behavior is exactly why regulatory authorities around the world and in the United States are examining Google's business practices," Daley said. 'FUNCTIONAL PRINCIPLES' Technology industry trade groups cheered the ruling, saying an Oracle victory in the case would have inhibited competition by making it harder to use programming elements to ensure computer interoperability. "The high court's decision that fair use extends to the functional principles of computer code means companies can offer competing, interoperable products," said Matt Schruers, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association. Shares in Oracle rose nearly 4% and Alphabet gained 4.4% in mid-afternoon trading. In Monday's ruling, Breyer wrote, "Google's copying was transformative," adding that the company repurposed Oracle's code in a way that helps developers create programs. The ruling sidestepped the question over whether Oracle's code was entitled to copyright protection in the first place. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by Justice Samuel Alito, said the court should have found that Oracle's work deserved a copyright and Google's use was "anything but fair." Noting that Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp did not resort to copying like Google to create mobile operating systems, Thomas said the ruling will harm competition. If "companies may now freely copy libraries of declaring code whenever it is more convenient than writing their own, others will likely hesitate to spend the resources Oracle did to create intuitive, well-organized libraries that attract programmers and could compete with Android," Thomas wrote. Google twice lost at the Federal Circuit, in 2014 and 2018. A jury cleared Google in 2016. The Federal Circuit overturned that decision in 2018, finding that Google's incorporation of elements of Oracle's "application programming interfaces" was not permitted under the fair use doctrine, rejecting Google's argument that by adapting them to a mobile platform it transformed them into something new. Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not participate in the ruling. She had not yet joined the court when arguments were held on Oct. 7. (Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will Dunham) "As businesses race to digitally transform, it is essential that brands deliver digital experiences that carry the power to emotionally connect and inspire end users" 10Pearls, a global end-to-end digital transformation company headquartered in Washington D.C., is expanding its breadth of digital services with the acquisition of Likeable, an iconic marketing and social media agency. The New York-based agency will become part of 10Pearls, boosting its capabilities around brand thinking, customer experience, digital and social media marketing capabilities that businesses need to thrive in the post-COVID uber-digital economy. The acquisition will give 10Pearls a distinct marketplace differentiation, further enabling it to lead transformation for businesses. By starting with brand thinking and enabling digital and social conversations, the combined organization will be uniquely suited to create authentic customer experiences and intelligence-infused, seamless technology. It is this harmonization of experiences that enables the creation of innovative digital experiences that are disruptive and differentiated. As businesses race to digitally transform, it is essential that brands deliver digital experiences that carry the power to emotionally connect and inspire end users, said Imran Aftab, Co-founder & CEO of 10Pearls. We are thrilled to have Carrie Kerpen and her team of brand and digital media experts become part of 10Pearls. Joining forces with Likeable will allow us to partner with our customers more strategically across the entire gamut of digital needs and ensure consistency of brand values from content to digital experience. This marks a new chapter for 10Pearls and positions us for future exponential growth to follow on from last years high growth. Founded in 2006 by Dave and Carrie Kerpen, Likeable is a digital agency that offers client solutions from the lens of social-first. Likeable serves in a number of industries, including retail, hospitality, health, finance, and CPG. Likeable has been named a Top 50 Ad Agency and Top 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned Businesses by WPO and American Express OPEN, as well as Crain's 6th "Best Place To Work in NYC." I am excited to join a future-focused organization that offers transformational thinking to help businesses re-imagine at scale, said Carrie Kerpen, Likeable Co-Founder. In selecting a company to join forces with, we focused on a partner whose values align with our own. 10Pearls mission, commitment to diversity and inclusion, and focus on the double bottom line of giving back to the world is one that truly helps create a more likeable world. I was particularly attracted to their commitment to gender equity. Together, we will be able to provide tremendous value to our customers and serve them more strategically across the digital spectrum. Carrie will take on the Chief Marketing Officer responsibilities for 10Pearls and continue to serve as the leader of Likeable. The entire Likeable team will transition with her. This acquisition is in line with 10Pearls strategy of joining forces with purpose-driven, entrepreneur-run businesses that provide key expertise around digital, helping 10Pearls to establish itself as a differentiated leader in the digital transformation space. About 10Pearls 10Pearls is a global, purpose-driven digital technology partner helping businesses re-imagine, digitalize and accelerate. As an end-to-end digital partner, 10Pearls helps businesses create transformative digital products incorporating exponential tech (AI/ML, Blockchain, IoT, AR/VR). Our broad expertise in product management, user experience/design, cloud architecture, software development, data insights and intelligence, cyber security, emerging tech, and quality assurance ensures that we are delivering solutions that address business needs. 10Pearls clients include Global 2000 enterprises, high growth mid-size businesses, and some of the most exciting start-ups across several industries, including healthcare, education, real estate/ prop-tech, energy, communications/media, financial services, and hi-tech. The Washington Post has referred to 10Pearls as a double bottom line company that balances profits with social cause. To learn more, visit https://10pearls.com. About Likeable Likeable is the digital agency that provides faster service from the smartest in social with likeability guaranteed. We were one of the first-ever pure-play social media agencies and remain rooted in social-first thinking to this day. With a strong expertise in finance, food, and fun, we've been named a Top 50 Ad Agency and Top 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned Businesses by WPO and American Express OPEN as well as Crain's 6th "Best Place To Work in NYC. Learn more at https://likeable.com. WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Jim Jordans re-election campaign filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Sunday to answer questions about large accounting discrepancies between reports it filed several years ago and corrected reports the committee filed earlier this year. In early March, the FEC sent 10 letters to Jordans campaign to question receipt differences between his original and updated filings that were as high as $558,726.12, and disbursement differences that were as high as $911,530.36. The letters gave Jordans campaign until early April to respond, and said failure to do so could result in an audit or enforcement action. Replies that Jordan treasurer Thomas Datwyler filed on Easter said he made the changes at issue after he became campaign treasurer and reconciled all its reports to its bank statements and other records. He attributed many of the contribution differences to how the campaign initially handled the online contributions it received toward the end of the time periods covered in each campaign finance report. Datwyler said Jordans campaign initially reported most of the contributions at issue during the reporting period when they were entered into the campaigns reporting database, instead of the date when they were processed online, which occurred during a different reporting period. Starting with the campaigns last reports from the election cycle that ended in 2018, Datwyler said he amended reports to accurately reflect the amounts of receipts for the reporting period in which the credit card contributions were processed by the credit card company. The dates of these contributions were corrected and changed to the processed date, rather than the deposit date, or the data entry date, Datwylers letters explained. He said his review also corrected several cases where duplicate contributions were reported. Datwyler blamed many of reports disbursement differences to instances where digital consulting and/or credit card fees were either duplicated or were over reported. He also said some expenses in the original reports were incorrectly listed on the date that they cleared the campaigns bank account instead of the date they were processed. Those expenses were reconciled and amended to reflect the correct amounts of the disbursements, rather than the errors that had been included in the original reports, Datwyler wrote. Datwyler also mentioned that shifts in last years Ohio primary election date due to COVID 19 created some confusion surrounding the primary election reporting requirements, which also caused confusion regarding the reporting periods for the pre-primary report. Ultimately, in an abundance of caution, the Committee filed two pre-primary reports, one for the original reporting period and another for the new primary date and reporting period, Datwyler continued, urging the FEC to contact him if it has further questions. The amendments merely made sure that all the receipts and disbursements were reported within the reporting period for each of the pre-primary reports. A statement that Jordans campaign manager issued after the initial FEC queries stressed that no money was ever missing from Jordans campaign accounts, and the revised reports showed the campaign with more cash than it initially reported. Campaign manager Kevin Eichinger said some of the difficulties were caused by its troubles adjusting to skyrocketing donations as Jordans national profile grew. Jordans campaign hired Datwyler as its treasurer in July. During the two-year period before President Donald Trump took office, Jordan raised $733,416 for his re-election, spent $422,967 and ended up with $1.3 million in his treasury, according to statistics compiled by PoliticalMoneyLine. Over the next two years, his campaign took in $1,241,417 and spent $1,809,464. The bulk of his donations came from Ohio during both of those election cycles. From 2019 through 2020, Jordan raised $18,637,140, spent $13,268,968 and finished with more than $6 million in the bank. At that point, California had eclipsed Ohio as his top state for donors, and people from Florida gave almost as much to Jordan as those from his home state. Eichinger said Jordan received over 500,000 donations from roughly 300,000 individuals in 2020, with an average donation of $35. The outpouring of nationwide support for our message is why we are raising a ton more money, Eichinger said after the initial FEC queries. It wasnt like we were actively looking to raise more money. There was an organic outpouring of support. We needed to put in place the operation to handle that kind of influx. Read more: Jim Jordans campaign faces questions over accounting discrepancies that exceed $100K Former Ohio GOP chair Jane Timken raises $2.1 million for U.S. Senate bid U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan gives update on Friday attack that killed police officer and knife-wielding assailant at U.S. Capitol Planned Parenthood sues Ohio over its telemedicine abortion ban President Joe Biden deputizes Marcia Fudge to sell his infrastructure plan Joe Biden unveils infrastructure plan amid criticism from Ohio Republicans President Biden will outline his infrastructure plan today in Pittsburgh - here are some details Ohio Congress members introduce legislation to create a manufacturing czar Sen. Sherrod Brown wants to use Congressional Review Act to overturn Trump-era financial rules Ohio retirees take victory lap after pension fix is included in American Rescue Plan FEMA to provide up to $9,000 in financial assistance for coronavirus funerals Ohio health centers will get more than $160 million for coronavirus vaccinations and vulnerable group services Rep. Dave Joyce objects to marijuana-related firings at the White House Dr. Mark Hamed, medical director of several entities in the state, believes doubting the coronavirus science has contributed to a surge in cases in the region. Hamed, who is the medical director of the Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac county health departments, and District Health Department No. 2 in Northeast Michigan, issued a call to action to community leaders in the Upper Thumb last week due to the rising case trends. According to Hamed, the latest surge in cases in the region is worse than what was experienced last fall, which led to the second shutdown by state health authorities. In addition to his role as medical director of several health departments, Hamed is a practicing physician and has seen first-hand the effect the coronavirus has had on his patients at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and as emergency room and hospital medical director at McKenzie Health in Sandusky. According to Hamed, last spring many people in the metro Detroit area werent taking the coronavirus seriously and they werent wearing masks and social distancing. However, during the summer months last year everything changed. In June or July they knew someone that died from it, and now they are taking it seriously, Hamed said. It is unfortunate that our communities in the Thumb are now seeing what metro Detroit saw. According to Hamed, last fall the Upper Thumb was fortunate to avoid most of the surge in cases. However, the lack of cases then may have contributed to an overall disbelief in the region that has contributed to the Upper Thumb leading the state it its recent surge. The Upper Thumb saw more than 2,000 additional cases reported in the last 30 days and recently made national attention in the New York Times for being a coronavirus hotspot in the state based on its positivity rates. Early last month, the UK variant was identified in the Upper Thumb by the state. At the time, Huron County Health Department Public Health Officer Ann Hepfer warned that although a single case of variant had been identified, it likely was wider scale because of the states random testing methodology. According to Hamed, the variants are a contributing factor to the latest surge. I would assume that any covid cases out there right now are more than likely due to a variant, he said. The variant is a lot more contagious. Hamed said the variants attack and attach to the body in different ways, and while they may be less lethal, they are highly concerning. We are seeing less deaths, but we are seeing a lot of the younger patients coming in with atypical presentations, Hamed said. We do a workup and see a lung clot, or kidney issues, or dehydration not what we were seeing in COVID last year. Hamed said when comparing to what he saw last year, there are more concerning things. I was on shift Friday for 24 hours, he said. I saw a lot of COVID patients that are pretty sick. These are patients that are in their 20s to 50s, (with symptoms) ranging from gastrointestinal nausea, vomiting, dehydration, to lung issues pneumonia and pulmonary embolus, to neurological issues like strokes. The only risk factor we are seeing is they had COVID, he continued. People who have never smoked, but they are now coming in with wheezing and have chronic lung disease. Last December, during a live community forum hosted by the Tribune, Huron County Medical Examiner Russel Bush brought up concerns regarding lasting tissue damage following a persons recovery from COVID. At the time, Bush warned that, although limited data was available, he believed the disease could have permanent lasting effects on the body. Hamed said some of those permanent effects are what is being seen now. We are seeing long-term complications from COVID, Hamed said. A lot of people are not coming back to their usual selves. It is taking a long time for them to bounce back, if they bounce back at all. Hamed said Bush was correct that survivor is a more apt description for someone who previously had COVID, because of the lasting health effects. Hamed said the only solution to getting back ahead of the coronavirus pandemic is if people in the Upper Thumb wear their masks, follow guidelines and get the coronavirus vaccine. According to Hamed, people should know that the vaccine isnt only meant as a preventative measure against the virus, but also to lessen the virus' effects should someone contract it. The vaccine isnt 100% effective, Hamed said. In a good year with the flu shot you get a 60% effective and everyone is celebrating. With the COVID vaccines we are seeing 95% effective in preventing COVID. Hamed said despite the high effectiveness, just because someone ends up with COVID, doesnt mean the vaccine failed. For example, if 1,000 people were vaccinated, 50 would still end up with COVID based on the statistics, Hamed said. Hamed said it is important for everyone to be diligent about following the precautions, especially if they hope to have kids learning in-person, and hold annual events such as proms and graduations. According to Hamed prevention is key in combating the pandemic. He said if anyone has questions on if the coronavirus vaccine is right for them, they should speak to a qualified medical professional. Mask wearing is important, avoid indoor gatherings and vaccines are essential, Hamed said. It is going to take a while to get over it but if we do what we can do now, we can get over this. [April 05, 2021] Nightingale College Appoints Two New Vice Presidents to Further Elevate Institutional Excellence in Nursing Education Nightingale College, a national leader in distance learning nursing education programs, today announced two new vice presidents to provide leadership as the College seeks accreditation from Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Marianne Palacios is the new VP, Collaborator Experience - the College's human resources function - and Tyler Asman is the new VP, Operational Effectiveness. Nightingale College recently achieved candidacy status with NWCCU, a regional accreditor. The non-profit membership organization granted the pre-accreditation status and praised the College for reaching out to rural and underserved learners, fostering a culture of collaboration and providing extensive wraparound learner services. The College's recent accreditation achievement and its commitment to institutional excellence contributed to the addition of Tyler Asman and the promotion of Marianne Palacios. "We are fortunate in bringing these two strong women leaders to help us meet the growig and diverse needs of our learner community, collaborators and faculty," said Mikhail Shneyder, president and CEO of Nightingale College. "Both Marianne and Tyler bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to help us navigate the unique challenges of providing nursing education to underserved populations and geographies." Tyler Asman is an experienced professional in business administration, organizational development, operations and consulting. She will be taking leadership over operations and IT for Nightingale. Asman previously oversaw learning and improvement for United Way of Salt Lake, earning national recognition for innovations in education as well as fundraising and recruitment. She holds a master's degree in social work and a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Houston. Marianne Palacios is a highly knowledgeable professional with more than three decades of experience developing and overseeing human resources for companies throughout the Western U.S. She will oversee leadership development, succession planning, overall collaborator relations, talent acquisition, benefits, compensation, and compliance. Palacios holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Weber State University and has completed graduate courses in HR management at Utah State University. Nightingale College offers a prelicensure bachelor's degree in nursing, as well as RN-to-BSN program and a master's degree in nursing education. The College is introducing its practical nursing (PN) diploma program in May 2021. For more information about Nightingale College, please click here. About Nightingale College Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Nightingale College is a pioneer in distance education for prelicensure nursing; it offers nursing programs at diploma as well as associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree levels. The College is dedicated to improving demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic access to nursing education and is enrolling learners across the United States, with supervised on-ground field experiences (SOFE) regions in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wyoming. To learn more about Nightingale College, its mission and programs, visit www.nightingale.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005406/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] On March 14, Marvin David Scott III died while in custody at the Collin County Jail. According to his familys lawyer, Scott was having a mental health crisis at the time of the arrest. The details surrounding his arrest and death have not yet been released, but the Allen Police Department reported that Scott was first taken to a hospital, and when he was released, was arrested on marijuana charges, for possession of what apparently was a single joint. As a Black man, Scott was at a heightened risk for being arrested for marijuana possession and dying in law enforcement custody. Seven officers were fired on Thursday, but had Texas reduced the penalty for marijuana possession back in 2019, when the House of Representatives approved such a bill that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick then blocked from Senate consideration, Scott might still be alive. This tragic incident is but the latest example of the failures of Texas drug policy. The state stubbornly clings to prohibition and maintains harmful and ineffective penalties for other minor drug offenses. Possession of up to 2 ounces of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail, a fine of $2,000 and a permanent criminal record. Possession of less than 1 gram of marijuana concentrates, such as edibles, is a state jail felony. The penalty includes up to two years of incarceration and a maximum fine of $10,000. For drugs like heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, possession of less than 1 gram a small, personal use amount is also a state jail felony. In fiscal year 2020 drug possession cases, for which possession of less than 1 gram is the most common, accounted for 30 percent of new felony cases filed, the single largest felony offense category. The state jail felony system imposes lifetime burdens on individuals for minor drug possession. While any criminal record has collateral consequences, a felony conviction is especially detrimental to ones employment and education prospects. The pursuit of minor drug offenses has also done nothing to reduce drug use or stem the tide of overdoses. Fatal drug overdoses in the state are on the rise amid the pandemic. One barrier to reducing these deaths is that individuals who witness an overdose may hesitate to call 911 for fear of legal involvement, especially if they were also using drugs. Data from states with Good Samaritan legal protections for people who call 911 to report an overdose show that these laws can reduce overdose fatalities by up to 15 percent, with no adverse impact on public safety or drug use. Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a Good Samaritan bill in 2015. In the current session of the Texas Legislature, lawmakers can improve policy in all of these areas. Bills have been introduced to reduce the penalty of low-level drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor (HB 1086 and HB 169), lower or remove criminal penalties for possession of marijuana flower and concentrates (HB 1609 and HB 3772), and remove penalties for possession of drug paraphernalia (HB 1178). Another bill (HB 1694) would protect people who call 911 to report an overdose, but its current wording decidedly needs changing. In an apparent effort to address Abbotts concerns from 2015, it excludes people with prior drug convictions from legal protection. People with prior drug convictions are not dangerous but they may be more likely to experience addiction, witness an overdose and overdose themselves. The exclusion will create confusion about who the law protects; people will still hesitate to call 911 and the state will miss an opportunity to reduce overdose deaths and connect people with treatment services. None of these proposals are radical. Oklahoma residents voted to reduce the penalty for drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor in 2018. At least 40 states have Good Samaritan overdose prevention laws, most of which are far more inclusive than the bill up for consideration in the Texas Legislature. Sixteen states, not counting those that have gone the route of full legalization, have made marijuana possession a fine-only offense, a reform that 77 percent of Texans support. The knowledge that marijuana decriminalization can be implemented safely enhances its urgency; even with the decline in prosecutions, nearly 30,000 Texans were charged with marijuana possession in FY 2020, an occurrence that is largely a function of ones race, class, and, increasingly, geography. In this session, Texas lawmakers have multiple opportunities to improve drug policy with reforms that are evidence-based and have broad public support. They should seize the moment. Neill Harris is the Alfred C. Glassell, III, fellow in drug policy at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy. Irelands sweetheart Adam King was in hospital over the Easter weekend after suffering a fractured bone. His father, David King, has thanked Cork University Hospital (CUH) and the public for their support after his son fractured his femur. The six-year-old, who captured the heart of the nation on The Late Late Toy Show, is now at home and his father has asked fans to keep him in their thoughts. Taking to Twitter, he wrote: So a little personal post - as you all know Adam has brittle bones and sadly he suffered a femur fracture this weekend. Read More Thankfully he does not require surgery this time. He is happy to be home but is very sore. Please keep him in your thoughts. David thanked staff in CUH for looking after his son, and asked anyone who could to support its charity. He continued: As always, our family are beyond grateful for the professionalism, care and genuine love shown to Adam by everyone in our hospitals. To support the amazing work CUH do, please visit cuhcharity.ie. We may be a little bit quieter on here for a few days. Thanks to our family, friends and everyone here for your love and support. Hugs. Thank you to everyone in @CUH_Cork & to all our family & friends for your love & support. Please support the amazing work of @CUHCharity at https://t.co/fVsaALgu04 pic.twitter.com/X4xC3FYkOl Adam King Adventures (@AdamKingIRL) April 4, 2021 Adam warmed the entire nations heart on The Late Late Toy Show after he showed host Ryan Tubridy his virtual hug card. The idea was so popular that An Post turned Adams creation into a postal stamp and it was then designed as a Valentines Day card. On the show, Adam said his dream was to be a Capcom astronaut as he had brissle bones and wouldnt be able to be an astronaut that goes to Space. The six-year-old was then starstruck when International Space Station commander and astronaut Chris Hadfield reached out and had a video call with the entire family before Christmas. Adam said his dream is to communicate with astronauts that are orbiting in their spacecraft and said if aliens come to earth he thinks they will be very friendly, as he said theyre very small. Read More The will come out with its response after studying the Bombay High Court judgement ordering a preliminary CBI probe into the allegations of corruption against Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, leader said on Monday. Earlier in the day, the HC directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into allegations of corruption and misconduct levelled by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh against Deshmukh. Deshmukh, a senior leader of the NCP, a key ally in the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, resigned from the cabinet after the HC order, his party announced. Talking to reporters,Raut said the MVA government will study the judgement and then respond. "No investigating agency is an incarnation of God. The issue is political, too. Our tradition is that we honour decisions of the judiciary," the Sena MP said. The judgement needs to be studied in detail after which Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray or someone from the government would respond on his behalf, Raut said. A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni said this was an "extraordinary" and "unprecedented" case that warranted an independent inquiry. In its 52-page judgement, the bench said Singh's allegations against Deshmukh had put at stake the citizen's faith in the state police. (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.) HAZEL PARK, MI A Michigan police department is mourning the death of its K-9 officer. K-9 Lando, a loyal member of the Hazel Park Police Department, was euthanized during surgery to remove a mass on Friday, April 2. According to the department, Lando was having trouble keeping food down and when an ultrasound revealed a mass, surgery was required. However, during surgery, veterinarians found that the cancer had overtaken his body and the decision was made to euthanize him. He was a tough dedicated member of this department that hid his sickness, a post on the departments Facebook page reads. Just yesterday Lando was in training and performed perfectly. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we grieve, especially Mike (Kasdorf) as his bond with Lando was something that I have not experienced before. The department says Lando was Kasdorfs closest partner, best friend and family for the last five years. Thank you Lando for your outstanding service to the city of Hazel Park and many other surrounding areas in your career that was cut way too short, the post concludes. Thank you to the huge outpouring support from the K-9 community today. Some of us feel at a loss as to what to say or do but your support is heartwarming. Hazel Park residents have been sharing memories of Lando on Facebook through the weekend. With their help, we will save time and money on the administrative aspects of the practice, so my team and I can do what we love deliver great patient care. Smile Brands Inc., one of the nations leading dental support organizations (DSO) providing business support services to 650 affiliated offices across 30 states, is pleased to announce its latest partnership with Santa Ana Dental Group in Santa Ana, California. Smile Brands will provide full-service administrative support to the practice, which includes purchasing, payroll, accounting, IT, billing, facilities management, and marketing. Existing staff will remain in place and the business will continue to operate under the Santa Ana Dental Group name. Dr. David Cashman founded Santa Ana Dental Group in 1985 with the goal of bringing healthy, beautiful smiles to patients of all ages. Today, Dr. Cashman leads a staff of thirty-seven team members from their growing Santa Ana location which provides general preventative and restorative care, specialty care, cosmetic dentistry, and emergency services. When it came time to consider partnering with a DSO, Dr. Cashman specifically sought out Smile Brands. When looking to affiliate with a larger partner, it was important for us to find an organization that shares our values, explains Dr. Cashman. With their help, we will save time and money on the administrative aspects of the practice, so my team and I can do what we love deliver great patient care. Smile Brands co-founder and CEO, Steve Bilt sees a tremendous upside from partnering with the Santa Ana Dental Group. We are eager to partner with Dr. Cashman and his team, to grow the practice, and expand care access within the community. About Smile Brands Inc. Based in Irvine California, Smile Brands Inc. is one of the largest providers of support services to dental groups in the United States. The organizations award-winning culture has made it the only dental support organization on Glassdoors Best Places to Work list for the past three years. Smile Brands affiliated dentists leverage industry-leading business support services so that they can spend more time caring for patients and less time on the administrative, marketing, and financial aspects of operating a dental practice. The organization was founded in 1998 and supports 650 affiliated practices and 60 brands across 30 states. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit http://www.smilebrands.com. The federal coalition has lost significant ground in Western Australia and Queensland and faces collapse in South Australia, but has improved slightly in Victoria and remains relatively stable in NSW, a Newspoll analysis shows. The analysis of three months worth of data and published in The Australian also shows the coalition has lost male rather than female voters, despite the Liberal Party recently being under pressure over treatment of women in politics. On a two-party-preferred basis, the Scott Morrison-led coalition trails Labor 49-51 per cent on average over the past four Newspolls. On a two-party-preferred basis, the Scott Morrison-led coalition trails Labor 49-51 per cent on average over the past four Newspolls In WA the federal Labor vote surged from 32 per cent in the December analysis to 42 per cent in the latest quarterly analysis, while the coalition dropped from 43 per cent to 40 per cent. This produced a 12-percentage-point turnaround in the two-party-preferred vote from 53-47 in the coalition's favour in December to favour Labor 53-47 now, with the coalition on track to be defeated in three WA seats. The WA result indicates the state Liberal Party's disastrous election result in March had an impact on support for the Morrison government. In Queensland, Labor's averaged primary vote rose from 29 per cent in the December analysis to 35 per cent in the latest survey, while the coalition dropped from 45 per cent to 42 per cent. On a two-party-preferred basis, that puts the Liberal National Party ahead 53-47, down from 57-43 in December and on track to lose four Queensland seats. The only improvement for the coalition in the two-party-preferred vote was in Victoria where Labor's lead of 55-45 in the December analysis fell to 53-47. Mr Morrison's lead as preferred prime minister rose a point to 58 per cent while Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese remained on 28 per cent The worst state for the coalition is South Australia where its primary support fell six points to 38 per cent and federal Labor's vote rose five points to 41 per cent, putting Labor at 55-45 on a two-party-preferred split. In NSW, the coalition dropped two points to a primary vote of 42 per cent with Labor flat at 36 per cent, producing a deadlocked 50-50 two-party-preferred vote. Mr Morrison's lead as preferred prime minister rose a point to 58 per cent while Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese remained on 28 per cent. The Newspoll analysis also shows the coalition has lost ground with male voters over the past three months. The male primary vote for the coalition fell from 44 per cent in December to 41 per cent, while female voters remained stable at 41 per cent. The analysis also shows the Greens fell in every state other than NSW and SA and Pauline Hanson's One Nation also lost support. By Tanyalux Watanapalin, KYODO NEWS - Apr 5, 2021 - 17:58 | World, All Myanmar's military will continue its brutal operations against people as violence is its sole means of holding onto power following the February coup, a Thai-based Myanmar human rights group researcher has said. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners researcher, San Min, said in an interview on Sunday that the ongoing unrest in Myanmar is far worse than in previous years with a surging death toll. He said many innocent people have been killed, among them a number of children. "They will continue killing people as it is the only way to control the situation," the 52-year-old said. The group, based in Mae Sot in the northwestern Thai province of Tak, has published daily updates on the number of deaths from violence by Myanmar's security forces, as well as the number of protesters and others in detention, since the military seized power in the Feb. 1 coup. The group confirms and tallies those figures through associates across Myanmar who reach out to every victim's family for verification. Many Western and other media outlets cite its figures in reporting the rising death toll in the country. As of Sunday, 564 people had been killed in the military's violent campaign, with more than 2,600 others in detention, according to the group, which was established in 2000 to collect data on Myanmar's political prisoners. San Min said the latest campaign to quell protests is more ruthless and violent than those conducted against pro-democracy protesters in 1988 and 2007 as security forces have killed people not only on the streets, but also in their houses. The military did not expect people's resistance to last this long, the researcher said. "They underestimated the citizens' movements...and are running out of moves," he added, predicting the situation would only get worse. In seizing power, the military detained the country's elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and has since leveled a litany of charges against her. If convicted, she could face years in prison. San Min said the prosecutorial move against Myanmar's democracy icon is aimed at keeping her detained longer, and preventing the return of her formerly ruling National League for Democracy party to power. The military saw that it would not win in an "honest way" so it is determined to keep her detained as long as possible, said San Min. But he added that "the military will never win as people are fighting for democracy, not for her." The researcher said that while this could be a long struggle, military rule could be ended more quickly if there is a balanced mix of international pressure, popular disobedience movements and unity among Myanmar's ethnic minority groups, which have come out to support anti-coup protesters. Related coverage: Myanmar's detained leader Suu Kyi faces another charge Myanmar opposition declares Constitution "dead," announces new one Chaos, bloodshed unleashed by coup drive Myanmar minorities to flee New Delhi: Maharashtra Home Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh resigned from the post on Monday (April 5). This has triggered a fresh wave of turmoil in the ruling party. However, speculations suggest the NCP already has a leader lined up to replace Anil Deshmukh. Maharashtra Minister for Labour and Excise Dilip Walse Patils name is under consideration for the Home Minister post after the resignation of Anil Deshmukh. The Maharashtra Home Ministers resignation came a day after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI inquiry into the corruption allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh. I don't have the moral right to continue in office after the court order. I have decided to quit. Kindly relieve me from my post, Deshmukh's resignation letter said. Who is Dilip Walse Patil? Dilip Walse Patil is the son of former Congress MLA and Sharad Pawars friend Dattatray Walse Patil. Dilip is a seasoned politician and started his career as Sharad Pawars personal assistant. In 1990, he fought his first election on a Congress ticket from the Ambegaon Assembly constituency and won. He has held the seat since. Dilip Walse Patil followed Sharad Pawar into the NCP in 1999 and became a minister in Vilasrao Deshmukhs cabinet. He was given charge of power and medical education. Over the years, Dilip Walse Patil has also held the posts the finance and planning portfolio. Between 2009 and 2014, he also served as the speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. Live TV Advertisement Britain takes the plunge: How UK went from its hottest March day in 53 years to snow in a WEEK March 29 - Britons enjoyed drinks with friends in sunny parks, with temperatures hitting 66.2F (19C) as the Rule of Six returned outdoors. March 30 - Britons enjoyed the country's hottest March day for more than half a century. People flocked to parks and beaches as temperatures soared beyond 76.1F (24.5C), one day after lockdown rules were partially eased. March 31 - Police seized beer from revellers and shut down parks after two days of chaos saw Britons leave beaches and beauty spots covered in litter as temperatures hit 75F (23.9C) in parts. April 1 - Large crowds gathered in Manchester, London, Nottingham and Leeds on the last day of the UK's searing heatwave as temperatures hit 59F (15C). April 2- High spirited revellers kicked off the four-day Easter weekend as police were forced to break up crowds in Cardiff, Exmouth and Plymouth amid temperatures of 57.2F (14C). April 3 - Police were forced to disperse crowds for the second night in a row after groups that had been drinking on the beach in 55.4F (13C) throughout Saturday refused to go home after a day in the sun. April 4 - Hundreds hit Britain's beaches and parks for Easter Sunday to bask in glorious sunshine as temperatures reached 64.4F (18C) in the South of England. April 5 - Cold northern winds moved over the country with the mercury at 30F (-1C) up north and barely above freezing in the south. But just hours later the country was hit with sunny spells and bright blue skies which saw the mercury climb to 46F (8C). Advertisement Britons have been left in the lurch by the UK's typically topsy-turvy weather which has seen bright blue skies return within hours of bone-chilling -1C temperatures and snow in the morning. Arctic winds battered Britain overnight with thousands waking up to heavy snow, fierce blizzards and temperatures below freezing. But just a few hours later and the sun has come out in full force without a cloud in the sky. This morning's bitterly cold weather came just 24 hours after Britons packed beaches and parks all over the country to bask in warm temperatures of 18C (64.4F) and enjoy the easing of lockdown. Monday morning temperatures were far lower as cold northern winds moved over the country with the mercury at -1C up north and barely above freezing in the south. Tooting and Clapham in London were the most southerly places in the UK to see snow - despite forecasters saying the south would avoid frost. The freezing weather comes as people in England look forward to more lockdown easing on April 12, with the return of beer gardens, takeaway pints and al fresco dining. The forecast is still promising for the big reopening with temperatures of up to 14C (57F) expected - but the cold Arctic snap may lead to anxiety in the run-up to next Monday. The Met Office has issued three snow and wind warnings - in what is predicted to be a three-day cold snap bringing 'heavy snow showers'. Today's fiercesome winds saw two binmen cheat death when their 26-ton dust truck flipped onto its side in Leeds. While gale-force winds in Shetland resulted in a coach slipping off a snow-coated road into a ditch. The yellow warnings are in place from 4pm on Sunday until 10am on Tuesday for Scotland, with winds of up to 70mph forecast. Coastal areas of eastern England, parts of Wales and Northern Ireland could also see snow showers on Easter Monday. Southern England can expect to see some sunshine and highs of 7C later in the day, but gusts of up to 30mph will make the temperature 'feel like' -1C, forecasters said. It comes after the Met Office said highs of 17.9C (64.2F) were recorded in Pershore, Worcestershire, on Easter Sunday. The town is expected to see temperatures of 7C (44.6F) on Monday, an 11C fall. Met Office forecaster Sarah Kent said: 'We will see this plunge of much colder conditions coming in. It's Arctic maritime air, which does mean it's coming from the Arctic. 'So it's going to be cold for everybody, but also windy too. The wind chill is going to be significant.' It comes as: The PM will brief the Cabinet today that the conditions have been met to allow shops, gyms and hairdressers to reopen as planned on April 12; Mr Johnson will set out a new traffic light system for future foreign travel but warn it is still too early to book a summer holiday abroad; Fears 'false positives' could cripple the UK as Boris unveils plan to test everyone twice a week; Scotland reopens hairdressers from today - beating the rest of the UK to the punch once again, although non-essential shops could stay closed for weeks longer; Daily Covid deaths fell to just ten the lowest figure since September 14, and a reduction of more than 99 per cent since the peak in January. People gather in Greenwich Park as the sun comes out after arctic winds earlier today A couple sits in Greenwich Park to make the most of the sunny skies after a cold snap this morning People gather in Greenwich park to catch the sunny skies which followed this morning's snow People flock to Richmond Park as the sun returns to the sky on Easter Monday Britons have been left in the lurch by the UK's typically topsy-turvy weather which has seen bright blue skies return within hours of bone-chilling -1C temperatures and snow in the morning. Pictured: People in Richmond Park Pictured: A woman wraps up warm for a sunny walk through Embankment on Monday Slide me Pictured: Durdle Door in Dorset today and yesterday Slide me Pictured: Durdle Door in Dorset today and yesterday Slide me Pictured: Durdle Door in Dorset today and yesterday Arctic winds battered Britain overnight with thousands waking up to heavy snow, fierce blizzards and temperatures below freezing. But just a few hours later and the sun has come out in full force without a cloud in the sky. Pictured: Rylstone Cross in Yorkshire Pictured: People make their was past beach huts on Avon beach in Mudefort, Dorset this afternoon A couple was spotted making the most of the sunny weather on Sandhaven Beach in South Shields this afternoon SKIPTON: A pair of hikers brave freezing cold temperatures to view the Rylstone Cross near Skipton in Yorkshire, on Easter Monday SHETLAND: A coach blown off the road in blizzard conditions in Shetland today. No one was hurt. Wintry conditions ravaged Britain today SHETLAND: The bus was seen stuck in a ditch in the snow. The sudden freeze saw snow coat the ground in the Shetland Islands The sun was shining in Cambridge on Bank Holiday Monday. After the warm spell of weather over the weekend the start of the week brought a chill TODAY: Traffic on the A832 near Muir of Ord this morning as snow sweeps in across the Highlands on what is expected to be a bitterly cold day Slide me What a difference a day makes: There was gloomy weather and cool temperatures at Bournemouth in Dorset on Bank holiday Monday (right) as opposed to the bright sunshine of Easter Sunday (left) Slide me BOURNEMOUTH: There was gloomy weather and cool temperatures at Bournemouth in Dorset on Bank holiday Monday as opposed to the bright sunshine of Easter Sunday Slide me LONDON: People enjoy the sunshine on Primrose Hill in London left on Easter Sunday. The same spot is practically deserted today Police were out in force in Primrose Hill, London, today to ensure visitors were abiding by social distancing rules Londoners wore coats and scarves and held warm drinks as they made their way through Horse Guards Parade People having a picnic were seen wrapped up in blankets, hats, gloves and coats as they sat in the sun in St James's Park on Monday Friends gathered in Greenwich Park despite the sharp chill in London today. The mercury plummeted after warm weather yesterday A family took to Battersea Park, London, on Easter Monday. The chilly weather meant walkers wrapped up warm The blossom was in full bloom in Battersea Park, London, on Easter Monday. Walkers wore coats and hats as the weather got colder A woman poses for a picture in front of the blossom in Battersea Park, London, on Easter Monday The Met Office's yellow warnings are in place from 4pm on Sunday until 10am on Tuesday for Scotland, with winds of up to 70mph forecast. Coastal areas of eastern England, parts of Wales and Northern Ireland could also see snow showers on Easter Monday Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: 'There'll be a drop of 11 degrees between one day and the next, so you will definitely notice it!' Mr Partridge explained that a change of wind direction would bring a change in the atmosphere, leading to chilly weather. He said: 'The air we had on Sunday came in from the south so it's pretty mild having come off the continent. 'Overnight we'll see a cold front moving southward across the country, it's already across northern Scotland, and it'll push its way southward overnight. 'That will introduce much, much colder air across the whole country.' Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Mark Sidaway, said: 'After a settled, warm spell with plenty of sunshine particularly across England and Wales our weather will take a notable change in direction later in the weekend. 'Very cold Arctic air will move in from the north west through Sunday, bringing snow showers and freezing overnight temperatures. 'The snow showers will predominantly affect the north and west of the UK. The south and east will likely remain drier but still cold with a lower chance of wintry showers.' Sub-zero temperatures are expected in parts of northern England, while the mercury could drop to -7C in some areas of Scotland. Snow warnings are in place for northern Scotland, with as much as 15cm falling in higher areas. Met Office yellow warnings are in place until 10am on Tuesday for Scotland, with winds of up to 70mph forecast. People gather in Greenwich Park to make the most of the sunshine People sit in the sunshine at St James's Park today A couple sits on a bench in St James's Park today in the sunshine People sit in the sun at St James's Park today GATESHEAD: A motorist clears snow from a vehicle in Sunniside, Gateshead on Easter Monday following overnight snow LONDON: Walkers in a flurry of snowfall on Wormwood Scrubs in West London. Parts of the UK are experience freezing temperatures after a warm and sunny Easter Sunday yesterday NORTHUMBERLAND: Daffodils wilt in the cold after snow fell overnight on Easter Monday in Slayley, Northumberland. Temperatures have plummeted since yesterday ABERDEEN: Strong winds and heavy snow hit Scotland this morning as arctic winds blew in from the north across the UK LONDON: People walk through the snowy weather on Hampstead Heath, North London with the warm weather a distant memory LONDON: The capital was the most southerly place to get hit by the snow with frost coating cars and houses this morning SHETLAND: High winds and blizzard-like conditions hitting the mainland in Shetland this Easter Bank Holiday morning HIGHLANDS: Traffic on the A832 near Muir of Ord this morning as snow sweeps in across the Highlands with the warm weather replaced by a bitterly cold snap COUNTY DURHAM: A farmer controls his herd of sheep on snow covered grounds in Castleside, County Durham on a freezing cold Easter Monday GATESHEAD: A motorist clears snow from a vehicle in Sunniside, Gateshead on Easter Monday following overnight snow COUNTY DURHAM: Sheep stand on snow covered ground in Stanley, County Durham on Easter Monday following overnight snow as the UK enters an 'Arctic trough' NORTHUMBERLAND: An overnight snow fall on Easter Monday in Slayley, Northumberland. Temperatures are expected to be up to 11C lower than during the sunshine of the Easter weekend ABERDEENSHIRE: MailOnline reader John McArthur takes a photo of his two dogs enjoying the snow earlier this morning ABERDEENSHIRE: MailOnline reader John McArthur sent in this photo of snowy Laurencekirk taken on Easter Monday morning CUMBRIA: A dog walker enjoy a stroll in the snow in Nenthead, Cumbria on Easter Monday following overnight snow as the UK enters an 'Arctic trough' The east and west coasts of the country are likely to see a 'wintry mix' of showers, which may include some hail. Areas away from the coast are expected to be dry and bright, but with strong winds and below average temperatures, largely in the mid-single figures. The roadmap out of lockdown in the four home nations: Where are they now, and what's coming next? SCOTLAND Latest lockdown easing - From today (April 5) barbers and hairdressers allowed to reopen alongside garden centres and homeware stores. Whats coming next? - From April 26, beer gardens and gyms will be allowed to reopen. From May 17, cinemas will open their doors again and four people from two households can meet indoors. Infection/deaths - 219,986 total cases with 7,614 deaths. ENGLAND Latest lockdown easing - From March 29 up to six people from different households can meet outdoors and you can enjoy most outdoor sports. What's coming next? Beer gardens and restaurants with outdoor dining can reopen. Non-essential retail venues can also reopen from April 12. May 17 will see easing of international travel restrictions as well as the return of indoor mixing. On June 21, all legal limits on social distancing will be axed. Infections/deaths: 3,812,188 total cases with 127,616 deaths. WALES Latest lockdown easing - From March 27 'Stay local' rules scrapped and travel allowed within its borders. Six people from different households can meet indoors What's coming next? - Travel between Wales and the rest of the UK will be allowed from April 12 and all non-essential shops will be allowed to open. From April 26, outdoor hospitality will be given the green light. Indoor mixing will be allowed from May 10. Infections/deaths: 209,627 total cases with 5,511 deaths. N IRELAND Latest lockdown easing - From March 8 children in pre-school, nursery and primary one to primary three allowed back to the classroom. What's coming next? - Northern Ireland does not have a roadmap in the same way as other regions, but non-essential shops and travel is expected to come back soon. Infections/deaths: 117,503 total cases with 2,116 deaths Advertisement The wind will play a key factor in today's weather, as while southern England may see highs of up to 7C, gusts up to 30mph may make the temperature feel closer to freezing. Average temperatures for this time of year are around 10 to 12C but parts of the UK saw the mercury reach nearly 24C (75.2F) on Wednesday. Some Britons will be anxious at the prospect of today's cold snap stretching to next week. From April 12, beer gardens will be allowed to reopen and al-fresco dining will also return in the next stage of Britain's lockdown exit roadmap. Barbers and hair stylists across the UK will also open and many have revealed how they are fully booked up for two weeks from when they reopen, as millions of Britons rush to get rid of their lockdown locks. Salons can once again welcome customers back to the chair for the first time this year on April 12. And it appears many are desperate to get back, with scores of businesses not having any remaining slots for haircuts. Care home residents will also be reunited with more loved ones in a major easing of restrictions. Lockdown rules will be relaxed so they can have two regular visitors from Monday, April 12, instead of the current one. Residents will be able to meet two nominated relatives or friends indoors and hold hands but the guests will have to wear PPE and be tested in advance. Babies and very young children will also be able to join in for the first time without being counted as one of the visitors. It means some grandparents and great-grandparents will be able to meet the newest members of their families for the first time. Care minister Helen Whately said: 'We want to go further and our aim is to make visiting to care homes as normal as possible by the summer.' Boris Johnson will also today unveil a new traffic light system to resume international travel which will allow Britons to go on summer holidays to countries with high vaccination rates amid fears many European nations will be on the banned list. The PM's new system will see destinations rated as red, amber and green using criteria including the percentage of the population that has been vaccinated, the rate of infection, any emerging variants and the country's access to reliable data and genomic sequencing. The criteria could result in European countries like France and Italy being ruled out of bounds for British holidaymakers as parts of the EU suffer spikes in coronavirus cases and the bloc's vaccination drive continues to stall. Under the Government's scheme, sunseekers returning from countries in the green category will not have to isolate, although they will need to have tests before and after they fly. Those coming back from red list countries would have to quarantine in a hotel for ten days, while arrivals from amber destinations will have to isolate at home. The Prime Minister will re-affirm May 17 will be the earliest that foreign holidays can resume and the new system comes into effect. But he will say he is unable to advise yet whether any countries will be classed as green on this date. HIGHLANDS: MailOnline reader Zoe Brown sent in this photo of the widespread snow in the Brora North West Highlands HIGHLANDS: Boo the Jack Russell, MailOnline reader Zoe Brown's dog, enjoys the snow in the Highlands Easter Morning ABERDEEN: A cyclist carefully navigates the snowy path as an arctic blast brings wintry weather to the UK on Easter Monday NORTHUMBERLAND: A rabbit sits a field of snow that fell overnight on Easter Monday in Slayley, Northumberland as temperatures plunged from the weekend's mild weather SHETLAND: Dave Donaldson took these photos of the wintry conditions blasting the far north of the UK with temperatures plummeting to a windchill SHETLAND: High winds and blizzard-like conditions hitting the mainland in Shetland this Easter Bank Holiday morning NORTHUMBERLAND: Sheep walk through a snow covered field in Slayley, Northumberland, after snow fell overnight on Easter Monday DERBYSHIRE: Snow falling in Duffield, Derbyshire, one of the most southerly place in Britain to see snow fall on a day where temperatures plummeted SUFFOLK: Ivy Mitchell, 5 and Albert Mitchell, 3 enjoy the snowfall on Easter Monday in Suffollk and other parts of the UK SKIPTON: A pair of hikers brave freezing cold temperatures to view the Rylstone Cross near Skipton in Yorkshire, on Easter Monday SUNDERLAND: Dramatic waves crash over 23 metre tall Roker Lighthouse in Sunderland. An arctic blast has brought cold weather and strong winds to the country COUNTY DURHAM: Horses stand on snow covered ground in Waskerley, County Durham on Easter Monday following overnight snow NORTHUMBERLAND: Temperatures are expected to be up to 11C lower than during the sunshine of the Easter weekend as cold northern winds move over the country NORTHUMBERLAND: An overnight snow fall on Easter Monday in Slayley, Northumberland. Temperatures are expected to be up to 11C lower than during the sunshine of the Easter weekend as cold northern winds move over the country GATESHEAD: A dusting of snow covers rooftops in Sunniside, Gateshead on Easter Monday following overnight snow as the UK enters an 'Arctic trough' OLDHAM: Houses in Oldham covered in snow this morning as temperatures plummet sharply across the country on Easter Monday This weekend's sweltering highs are set to dramatically plummet on Easter Monday to just 2C in the south of England (Monday's predicted temperatures) Health Minister Edward Argar today said an increase in cases in Europe showed why the UK must 'get this right' in order to avoid importing potentially vaccine-busting variants of the disease. He told BBC Breakfast: 'We are seeing many of our friends in Europe seeing an increase in infections. 'That is one of the reasons why we have to be very careful that as we see an increase across the world in infections that we get this right because one of the things we don't want to see and just as the vaccination programme is working so well is getting new variants or risking new variants getting imported into this country. 'But, although tempting as it is, I'm not going to pre-empt which countries might be in which categories or what the Prime Minister might say.' Holiday chiefs today insisted there is still time before the summer season for European countries to get coronavirus case numbers under control again. Asked what the most likely holiday destinations could be when travel is allowed, Andrew Flintham, managing director for Tui UK and Ireland, told the BBC: 'Cyprus have come out and been very positive, Greece and Turkey have come out and been very positive, and Spain again. 'So I think all these European countries, whilst to a degree they are struggling with their rates at the moment, we are still a significant period away from the summer season properly opening up, we are probably 11 weeks away. 'The world has been changing on a weekly basis, never mind an 11-weekly basis. So we are still positive about those destinations. We are also positive that the Caribbean and some of those destinations will open up.' Wireless earbuds provide a lot of convention to the users over the previous versions which are still wired. Besides their portability and ease of use, they also come with different features which wired technology does not have. The latest model, Realme Buds Air 2 Neo, is reported to have an active noise cancellation feature. It will be debuting on Wednesday, Apr. 7 in Pakistan for its global launch. Find out its other outstanding characteristics that you should look out for. Realme Buds Air 2 Neo Looks Promising Through ANC While thinking of buying new earbuds to listen to music, people who rely on communicating with their clients might consider purchasing a product with an Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature. A good, wireless wearable serves as a good investment, and now is your chance to buy Realme's upcoming earbuds. Since the Chinese smartphone manufacturer released its Realme Buds Air Pro and the Realme Buds Air 2, which was teased earlier this month, the introduction of the ANC has been a priority feature. At the moment, it looks like the Realme Buds Air 2 Neo will be one of the most affordable earbuds when it comes to Realme wearables. Its price would be either in-between RS 2,999 and RS 3,299 or it could be less than this price range. Surprise Surprise! We are all set to launch #realemBudsAir2Neo Along with #realmeBudsAir2. With realme Buds Air 2 Neo, We Plan to bring Active Noise Cancellation to the Masses. It's a Flagship feature that we are bringing down in our AIoT so that you...... https://t.co/SQBGSbsFGK pic.twitter.com/3FPn17n7oc realme Pakistan (@pakistan_realme) April 3, 2021 Read Also: Man Swallows AirPod in his Sleep; What Happens Next? Realme Buds Air 2 Neo Features and Specs According to a report by Techradar, Realme Buds Air 2 Neo's design looks spectacular. It resembles an egg with its case and has a close similarity to Samsung's earbuds. Furthermore, there is also a function button on its inside, while on the outside, there are two, iridescent earbuds that feature the touch controls. Realme also said via Gizchina report, that its appearance was borrowed from the Buds Q which was launched last 2020. Moreover, the earbuds will also come in white color, but it is also expected that they will arrive in black or grey options. Besides its impressive active noise cancellation feature, it is also reported that it will come out with a 10-millimeter dynamic bass boss driver to generate a solid and high-quality sound. Previously, the Original Buds Air Neo appeared with game-changing 17-hour battery life. This time, the Buds Air Neo 2 will come out with an upgraded battery span of 28 hours for much longer usage, judging from its "Noise Off; Power On" tagline. Other Realme Products That Will Come Soon Besides Realme Buds Air Neo 2, the Chinese giant will also release the Realme Buds Air 2, Realme C21, and Realme C25 in Pakistan. The company throws a lot of C-series variety to grant the users an amazing battery capacity paired with an outstanding processor. Realme C25 will feature an Helio G70 Chipset, together with its 6,000 maH battery linked to its 18-watt ultra-fast charging capability. It will also boast its 6.5-inch screen, 48 MP triple camera at the back, and 8MP front camera. Meanwhile, Realme C21 will have an Helio G35 Chipset, but with a less impressive camera of 13 MP and 5 MP in back and front respectively. Its battery capacity is expected to be 5,000mAh. Related Article: AirPods Max Firmware Update: Battery Drain Problem Fixed and How to Update your AirPods Max This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joen Coronel 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Cher has been spotted showing off her flawless complexion and flashing her midriff while running errands in Los Angeles. The Turn Back Time diva looked stylish as she headed to an appointment in a black suit jacket, sweat pants bedazzled with rhinestones, Malibu Cowboy Boots and a designer black and white purse. She was accompanied by a female friend and smiled wide while making her way back to her car following the two-hour meeting. It was a rare public sighting for the 74-year-old who has spent much of her time in lockdown campaigning for animal rights behind closed doors and was last seen out in December 2020 in London. DailyMail.com spotted pop superstar Cher running errands in Los Angeles amid controversy over her 'tone deaf' tweets The 74-year-old went makeup free as she has spent much of her time campaigning for animal rights behind closed doors and was last seen out in public in December 2020 in London The 74-year-old went make up-free as she showed off her flawless complexion in her all-black ensemble She was accompanied by a female friend and smiled wide while making her way back to her car following a two hour business meeting This comes as Cher addressed her controversial tweet where she theorized that she possibly 'could've helped' George Floyd if she had been there during his arrest. She had been slammed for the tweet on Friday, with critics accusing her of making a tone-deaf remark that was insulting to those who had taken the stand to tell how tried to stop Floyd's death from occurring. On Saturday she posted a statement responding to the furor and wrote: 'IM TRULY SORRY If I Upset AnyOne In Blk Community.' After the uproar over her original George Floyd tweet, Cher wrote on Twitter: 'Wrestled With This Twt, Because I Thought some ppl wouldn't understand, Or Believe an Entertainer Could have Honest emotions about a human Being,suffering & Dying,even if It's Only Shown On tv.' She insisted: 'You Don't Know What I've Done,Who I Am,Or What I Believe.I CAN,I HAVE,& I WILL..HELP.' The music icon made the remark in a tweet posted to her 3.9 million followers Friday as she watched the televised murder trial of Derek Chauvin This comes as she was bashed for tweeting Friday that she believes she 'could have helped' George Floyd if she had been present during his arrest Cher masked up as she headed into her appointment which lasted about two hours Roughly two hours later she followed up with her apology tweet in which she wrote: 'Just got off phone With Friend Karen. 'Told her what Happened,& Realized,You Can Piss Ppl Off,& Hurt Them By Not Knowing Everything That's'NOT Appropriate'To Say.I know Ppl Apologize When They're In a Jam,BUT [hand] to God [praying hands], IM TRULY SORRY If I Upset AnyOne In Blk Community.I Know My [heart].' The music icon made her original remark in a tweet posted to her 3.9 million followers Friday as she watched the televised murder trial of Derek Chauvin - the cop accused of killing Floyd in Minneapolis last May. 'Was talking With Mom & She Said 'I Watched Trial Of Policeman Who Killed George Floyd ,& Cried'. I Said 'Mom,I Know This Is Gonna Sound CRAZY,But.. I Kept Thinking .....Maybe If I'd Been There,...I Could've Helped,' Cher tweeted. 'I Know My [Heart]': On Saturday she posted a statement responding to the furor and wrote: 'IM TRULY SORRY If I Upset AnyOne In Blk Community' Cher appeared virtually in January at the 'For We The People' concert, which celebrated President Joe Biden's inauguration. She led a host of stars who performed at the concert via Zoom to kick off a string of Inauguration celebrations. 'This is your time,' the superstar told Joe Biden. 'I know youre going to take the country in an amazing direction and I know that you love everybody, because thats who you are.' Cher is a clear Biden supporter described him as 'the right man for the right job at the right time'. She added that she is 'thrilled' and 'hopeful' for the future. The hitmaker went on to perform the song I Hope You Find It. The Kardashian team are working hard to remove all traces of an 'unauthorized' photo of Khloe Kardashian that emerged on social media over the weekend. The image in question shows Khloe, 36, standing by a pool wearing a skimpy leopard print string bikini. The Good American founder appears unfiltered, un-airbrushed and not as flawless as she looks in campaign shots for her brand. Soon after it leaked on various forums online, members of the Kardashian PR team reported the posts as copyright infringement, due to the photo being posted without permission. Unauthorized: The Kardashian PR team are reportedly scrambling to get this photo of Khloe Kardashian taken off the internet Picture perfect: The Good American founder appears unfiltered and un-airbrushed in the leaked snap - and not as flawless as she appears in her social media shots (seen here in a similar bikini in July 2020) In the candid image, which is still up on one subreddit, the mother-of-one appears to be mid-conversation and has her hair pulled up in a ponytail as she holds her phone and flashes a subtle smile at the photographer. The image seems to have been snapped at Kris Jenner's desert compound in La Quinta, California, where the Kardashian and Jenner clan just spent the Easter weekend. While most would be proud to look so good in a bikini, it's not hard to see that Khloe looks very different to her highly glamorized Instagram images. In the alleged unedited snap, her waistline appears less defined, her curves less dramatic and her skin not as impossibly smooth as it looks in her carefully staged glossy fashion shoots. Slide me Different look: Khloe is seen pictured right in October 2020 in a bikini snap shared to Instagram during sister Kim's island getaway for her 40th birthday Controversy: Khloe has long been under fire for her changing face and body, with many accusing the KUWTK star of brazenly photoshopping her Instagram posts Tracy Romulus, Kim Kardashian's BFF and chief marketing officer for KKW brands, said in a statement to Page Six: 'The color edited photo was taken of Khloe during a private family gathering and posted to social media without permission by mistake by an assistant. 'Khloe looks beautiful but it is within the right of the copyright owner to not want an image not intended to be published taken down.' The mistake could well cost the assistant their job, as the Kardashian team have been unable to contain the leak. After the photo surfaced on Saturday it spread across the internet before quickly disappearing on many sites. It wasn't long before reports emerged from Reddit users who were asked to take the photo down, with some allegedly receiving legal threats from the Kardashian team because of 'copyright infringement'. Insta: Khloe, 36, is seen here in a recent Instagram shot where she posed for a mirror selfie. The image appears to have been filtered and smoothed out A user named 'Calithetroll' started a subreddit to discuss the Kardashian PR team's attempt to remove all of the posts online. They explained that 'after reposting the picture, the mods confirm that someone reached out to them warning them about potential legal action due to the picture.' Some people, including subreddit moderators who attempted to share the Khloe photo, were reported for posting 'personal and confidential' information. It's unclear how the photo originally leaked online. There is some speculation on Reddit that it was Kris Jenner's mom MJ that posted it on her 'finsta' which is the term used for a 'fake Instagram' created by users to share more candid snaps with only with their closest friends and family. Soaring temperatures: Earlier this month, Khloe showed off her incredibly taut figure in a purple string bikini while relaxing by the pool in Palm Springs Bare: Noticeably absent from the poolside shots were the enormous diamond sparkler she has been sporting on her left finger in recent weeks However, screenshots of a Instagram conversation show Romulus contacting one poster and claiming the image of Khloe was 'stolen and doctored and originated from a fake IG account.' Despite the Kardashian clan scrabbling to take down the photo, much of the Reddit commentary about it was positive. 'Are you kidding? There is one pic of her looking actually natural and gorgeous with some flaws and she wants it gone from the internet?!' one person wrote. 'I am loving this hot tea. Kinda sad though. Khloe looks so stunning in it.' another added to the discussion. 'Is this the photo theyre talking about or a different one? Because this pic looks good?' another user chimed in. Heating up: Khloe also shared a slew of recent bikini snaps promoting her Good American swimwear line - proving to be her own best advert On brand: Khloe loves to flaunt her curves in sultry images posted to her Instagram Comparisons: Khloe chalks her morphing looks up to picture perfect contouring done by shading and highlighting through makeup (Left 2019, right 2008) Khloe has come under fire in recent years for her changing face and body, with many accusing the KUWTK star of brazenly photoshopping her Instagram posts to an extent fans sometimes struggle to recognize her. Following a slew of questions from fans, cosmetic and injectables specialist Claire McGuinness weighed in on the discussion, offering her opinion on what changes Khloe may have made. She speculated that the mother-of-one had changed her appearance so dramatically thanks to a combination of 'surgery, injectables, weight loss... and filters, makeup and lighting'. Not hearing it: Khloe has previously turned off the comments on an Instagram snap where her face looked nearly unrecognizable (pictured September 2019) However, sources insisted that Khloe is not concerned with the backlash over her changing looks. An insider told UsWeekly back in May: 'Khloe doesn't care about the backlash she's been getting from fans saying she doesn't look like herself in her recent photos.' 'She thinks she looks great,' the insider adds. 'And actually [she] does not care what people think as long as she's happy.' Who's that girl? Last year, Khloe has hit out a troll after posting yet another unrecognizable selfie Hitting out: As a host of her 112million Instagram followers swarmed the comments section, one penned: 'Why do you look so different', before the famously-funny star hit back: 'My weekly face transplant clearly', much to her fans' delight She's certainly having a sense of humour about it at least, after clapping back to fans who have questioned her new look. After being asked by a fan 'Why do you look so different in all your photos?', Khloe hit back: 'My weekly face transplant clearly.' Khloe's changing appearance has undoubtedly been controversial in recent months, but she has denied going under the knife to achieve her new look. In 2016, Khloe admitted to having fillers to change her facial shape, and in the same year she was made the face of Kybella and its Live Chin Up campaign. Kybella is an increasingly popular new treatment that targets double chins. The FDA-approved injectable, available at Cosmetique Aesthetics in LA, contours and improves fatty areas. She has admitted to getting Botox and fillers in the past but said she had them dissolved after feeling like she looked 'crazy.' To this day, Khloe maintains she has never had a rhinoplasty, and says her nose looks slimmer because of contouring. In 2013, she told Cosmopolitan magazine that she had never had cosmetic surgery but did not rule it out for the future. 'Im proud for losing weight when I wanted to and Ive never resorted to surgery,' she said. 'Im not against it - one day I probably will but it would be on my terms. I wont be bullied into it by social media or anyone else.' Change is good: Back in September, the star told People that she thrives on changing her appearance Back in September, the star told People that she thrives on changing her appearance. 'I never like to stick with one look for too long. Short hair, major glam, bright lips - you name a look, I've tried it. 'You get to be a different character every single day and experiment. To me, beauty should be anything but boring. It's a form of self-expression. There's really no right or wrong, it's more about how it makes you feel.' Changing faces: Khloe has also been accused of going under the knife in recent years and not being honest about it with her fans. In 2019 there was speculation she had a nose job but she has yet to comment on it 'I love my stripes': In February the E! star got real about her stretch marks as she shared a beach snap of her hips covered in fine lines She also spoke about her decision to go back to brunette after a stint as a blonde and she is having 'a lot of fun' with her new look. She shared: 'I'm having a lot of fun as a "new" brunette. I love to change things up whenever I'm getting too comfortable with a look. It's whatever makes you feel more playful and daring.' However, in February the E! star got real about her stretch marks as she shared a beach snap of her hips covered in fine lines declaring 'I love my stripes'. Keeping Up With The Kardashians' Photoshop Fails! As Khloe's team scramble to scrub THAT unedited snap from the internet, MailOnline looks back at the famous family's biggest photo faux pas The Kardashian clan have come under fire again for editing their pictures, after an untouched image of Khloe Kardashian was accidentally released into the public domain over the weekend. While most would be proud to look so good in a bikini, it's not hard to see that the mother-of-one looked different to her highly glamorized Instagram images that she shares with fans. Although the unedited snap has been praised by fans, who were still in awe of the reality star's enviable curves and natural good looks, Khloe's team have been working hard to remove all traces of the 'unauthorized' photo. The image in question showed the 36-year-old entrepreneur standing by a pool wearing a skimpy leopard print string bikini. The Good American founder appears unfiltered and un-airbrushed as she looks in campaign shots for her brand. The image came as a shock to many fans, who have not seen many unedited snaps of siblings Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, Kylie and Kendall on the internet. But it's well known that the family are fans of using photo editing apps, with their followers often calling them out for the gaffes. Now, as Khloe's team scramble to remove THAT unedited snap from the internet, MailOnline looks back at the famous family's biggest Photoshop fails. Kim's 'sharpened' and 'Photoshopped' derriere in April 2017 Bumbelievable: Kim turned the tables when she claimed that 'awful' pictures taken by the paparazzi during a trip to Mexico in April 2017 (left) were 'Photoshopped' to be unflattering (pictured right on her Instagram in October 2019) While the Kardashians are often accused of editing their own pictures to look in perfect shame, Kim turned the tables when she claimed that 'awful' pictures taken by the paparazzi during a trip to Mexico in April 2017 were 'Photoshopped' by the photographer to be unflattering. Speaking after images emerged of the reality star frolicking in a thong bikini, the mother-of-four admitted she wasn't in her 'best shape' and hadn't worked out for 12 weeks when the pictures were taken. Yet despite stating that she had been altering her own snaps, the 40-year-old socialite insisted during an appearance on The View that the paparazzi were to blame for 'sharpening' and 'Photoshopping' the pictures to make her look 'way worse' than she really did. Kim's 'six toes' photoshoot with sister Kylie (August 2019) Photoshop fail? Fans pointed out what looked like a sixth toe peeking out of Kim's perspex heels after the star posted a photo with sister Kylie Jenner in August 2019 (she can be seen with 10 digits in the pap shot on the right taken the next month) After posting a photo promoting her fragrance with younger sister Kylie, fans couldn't help but notice what looked like a sixth toe peeking out of Kim's perspex heels. In the photo, taken in August 2019, the mother-of-four and her make-up mogul sister wear matching one legged bodysuits, but it was Kim's left foot that caught fans' attention, as it looked as though she had an extra digit poking out of her clear stilettos. Despite fans chalking the mistake down to an editing fail, several followers became convinced the star did indeed have a sixth toe, prompting her to share a video of her feet in September 2020 to clear the air once and for all taping her foot and counting out each toe. Khloe's magically disappearing necklace in May 2020 Spot the fail: Khloe's fans pointed out a glaring photo editing mistake on the reality's stars photo in May (left) which proved her new look was down to Photoshop - not surgery. Her original look was then finally revealed on Keeping Up with the Kardashians three months later in August Whoops! A glaring Photoshop fail pointed out by Instagram users appears to prove that Khloe's altered appearance was all down to editing wizardry, with the dainty Nicole Rose Jewelry butterfly necklace around Khloe's neck missing the chain Back in May 2020, Khloe was accused of heavily editing an Instagram image that showed the reality star looking dramatically different. When she initially unveiled the image, fans accused the Keeping Up With The Kardashian star of having cosmetic procedures and even going under the knife after she unveiled the super glam look showing off new golden brown tresses. But a glaring Photoshop fail pointed out by Instagram users appears to prove that Khloe's altered appearance was all down to editing wizardry, with the dainty Nicole Rose Jewelry butterfly necklace around Khloe's neck missing the chain on one side. Khloe's 'no surgery just contouring' nose job (October 2019) Insta vs pap: Images shared by Khloe on Instagram (left) differed drastically to professional pictures taken at the opening of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in October 2019, with the star seeming to have slimmed down her nose While speculation has been rife over Khloe's changing appearance in recent months, particularly in regards to the shape of her nose, the star maintains she has never had a rhinoplasty, stating her nose looks slimmer because of contouring. However, Instagram account Celebface, which prides itself on exposing misleading photo editing by celebrities and high-profile social media influencers, pointed out that more than makeup may have come into play in one snap. Images shared by the star on Instagram differed drastically to professional pictures taken at the opening of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in October 2019, with the star seeming to have slimmed down her nose using photo editing software. Kourtney's itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow photoshopped bikini (July 2019) Same day snaps: Kourtney stunned in a yellow bikini set that featured a tie-up top that ensured her surgically enhanced cleavage was kept completely modest, yet the image appeared to have been sharpened and filtered on social media Kourtney is the one Kardashian sister who has admitted to having plastic surgery, revealing she got a boob job in college, and is often praised by fans for 'keeping it real'. However, the eldest sibling was accused of editing bikini snaps from a holiday in France in July 2019, after images shared on her Instagram contrasted with paparazzi snaps. Kourtney stunned in a yellow bikini set that featured a tie-up top that ensured her surgically enhanced cleavage was kept completely modest, yet the image appeared to have been sharpened and filtered on social media. Kourtney gives herself a leg up in the bath (March 2019) Rub a dub dub! Kourtney caused quite the stir when she promoted her new lifestyle website, Pooch in March 2019 as she shared a naked snap soaking in a bubble bath Legs eleven! All the jokes and criticism were focused on the glaring mishap with Kourtney's left leg, which looked much longer than the right one Kourtney caused quite the stir when she promoted her new lifestyle website, Pooch in March 2019 as she shared a naked snap soaking in a bubble bath. The famous family's hairdresser later come out and teased Kourtney about hiring her husband for the racy photo shoot, while some fans took to social media to call it a photoshop failure. All the jokes and criticism were focused on the glaring mishap with Kourtney's left leg, which looked much longer than the right one, with the mother-of-three's head and neck in the photo also looking like they had been retouched. Kylie's friendly photoshop filler (May 2017) Hard work! Kylie implicated not just herself but friend and designer Donatella Versace when she was accused of editing snaps of the pair (left) at the 2017 Met Gala by cinching in her waist and smoothing out Donatella's complexion original (right) Different: In a solo shot of the nude outfit, she also drew her waist in on its left side and lowered her eyebrow and hairline in the tweaked shot Kylie implicated not just herself but friend and designer Donatella Versace in a Photoshop scandal when she was accused of editing snaps of the pair at the 2017 Met Gala. In a duo of shots, Kylie appeared to have artfully drawn in her waist while also sharing a shot with designer Donatella, whose complexion was made dramatically smoother and looked totally line-free. In a solo shot of the nude outfit, she also drew her waist in on its left side and lowered her eyebrow and hairline in the tweaked shot. Kylie's pool party knees-up (April 2020) Oops! Kylie was was forced to delete an Instagram image after 20 minutes, as fans spotted a strange alteration to the picture. The warped concrete pool edge was a tell-tell sign an editing app like FaceTune has been used Rare snap: Kylie is rarely pictured on her holidays apart from her own Instagram images, but is pictured in 2016 looking wonderful in a red swimsuit The youngest of the Kardashian clan was forced to delete an Instagram image last summer after eagle-eyed fans pointed out a 'Photoshop fail' that appeared as if she had altered an image of herself posing in a bikini. Kylie posted a series of shots with the caption 'Taco Tuesday' at her new Holmby Hills mansion, and while some comments asked where the food was, others took note of the strange alterations that had been made to the image. The warped concrete pool edge was a tell-tell sign an editing app like FaceTune had been used on the photograph. Kendall's Barbie doll makeover (February 2021) Life in plastic? Although Kendall's work as a supermodel ensures she stays in top shape to model the selection of clothes she requires, the star was recently accused of editing her pictures to look like a Barbie doll 'It may allude to Photoshop': One user went over a number of technical irregularities with the post of Kendall, including how her arms and legs bended in the picture, the 'unnatural proportions' and 'impossibly smooth' bikini line Although Kendall's work as a supermodel ensures she stays in top shape to model the selection of clothes she's required to wear, the star was recently accused of editing her pictures to look like a Barbie doll. The model, 25, was accused of Photoshopping a SKIMS picture in February 2021, after fans were convinced her lithe supermodel proportions were exaggerated. The post garnered comments after she wore a thong bikini in the Valentine's Day-themed shoot, with her followers pointing out the 'unnatural proportions' and 'impossibly smooth' bikini line. The mysterious case of Kendall's shrinking waist (February 2021) Confident: Just days after being called out for editing a professional image to 'look like a Barbie doll', Kendall was accused of another Photoshop fail as she posed in a floral bikini There it is, and then it's gone: At least two IG accounts, @celebplastic and @igfamousbydana, pointed out an apparent 'glitch' on the 25-year-old supermodels Instagram Story post, which appeared to alter her waistline Just days after being called out for editing a professional image to 'look like a Barbie doll', the model was accused of another Photoshop fail. The Vogue covergirl looked incredible as she snapped a selfie in a barely-there floral bikini, but at least two accounts, @celebplastic and @igfamousbydana, were quick to point out an apparent 'glitch' on her post. The eagle-eyed Instagram users zoomed in to show a glitch which revealed an area of Jenner's silhouette just above her panty line mysteriously being sucked inward to create even more of an hourglass shape. The glitch led both watchdog accounts to accuse Kendall of using a body filter. WEST UNION, Iowa A Fayette County man is sentenced to life in prison for killing a four-week-old baby. Dean Alan Hettinger, 24 of Westgate, was found guilty in March 2019 of first-degree murder and child endangerment. Authorities say 4-week-old Holten Smith was in Hettingers care when the child suffered 36 rib fractures and brain injuries. Holten Smith was taken to Community Memorial Hospital in Sumner on April 29, 2018, after suffering seizures. The baby was transferred to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and died on May 27, 2018. Hettinger was sentenced Monday in Fayette County District Court to life in prison. Many Portland-area residents who became eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations Monday morning after months of patiently waiting their turns encountered a new frustration: A scheduling website that wouldnt let them book appointments. Leagues of people 16 and older with underlying conditions and frontline workers visited an appointment scheduling website for Portland International Airports drive-thru at 9 a.m. Monday, only to discover that the website repeatedly froze up, displayed computer coding instead of appointment times or offered them appointment times but wouldnt let proceed through the booking process. Some visitors clearly did get through because more than 7,500 available appointments for April 16 and 17 were all taken within 30 minutes. According to Oregon Health & Science University, which operates the scheduling website and the drive-thru at the airport, the website can accommodate 4,800 users at a time and 11,000 users were online trying to book appointments at 9:01 a.m. We typically experience a significant strain on our appointment-booking system the first day a new group is eligible to receive vaccinations, especially as eligibility group sizes get larger and larger, OHSU spokeswoman Franny White said in an email. She continued: We are reviewing our online systems to see if there is anything more we can do, but the demand is very high right now. White said the opportunities for scheduling will continue, with between 4,000 to 6,000 new appointments released each day at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. Some people took to social media to express their exasperation at their experiences Monday. Using the hashtag #wasteoftime, one Twitter wrote OHSU: Why does your website say Im eligible to get a #vaccine and to make an appointment, then lead me to a webpage where I cant make an appointment? Another problem: OHSUs website didnt accurately list all underlying conditions that now allow anyone age 16 or older to book an appointment. In order to schedule an appointment, a person needs to affirm to having one of the underlying conditions that OHSU lists. Its list Monday morning didnt include two very common conditions -- general hypertension not specifically in the lungs or being overweight, defined as a body mass index of 25 or higher. White noted that the state just announced Friday that it had expanded the list of conditions, and OHSU Monday realized it missed some. Its website going forward will include a complete list, White said. Officials at the Oregon Health Authority have said theyre unable to specify the number of Oregonians who are now eligible for vaccinations as part of its latest group, Group 7. But the group clearly numbers in the multiple hundreds of thousands. It includes anyone 16 to 44 with a wide range of underlying conditions, including a compromised immune system or past or current smoking. Also newly eligible are people in multigenerational households, which state officials define as at least three generations such as children, parents and grandparents living together. Officials also define multigenerational households as a relative living with and caring for someone who is not their child, such as a niece, nephew or grandchild. Many frontline workers also have gotten the green light -- and anyone living in their households is now eligible, too. Oregon has adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions definition of frontline workers. It includes people who work in grocery and retail stores, restaurants, vocational and trade schools, universities, community colleges, real estate, hotels, construction including contractors, energy extraction and delivery, gas stations, public transit, the U.S. Postal Service, beverage manufacturing, banking, child protective services, public health, news media, government, members of the Oregon Legislature and court staff as well as judges and attorneys. A full list is available at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/categories-essential-workers.html. In the Portland area that encompasses Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Columbia counties, you have three primary options: Visit www.ohsu.edu/covidvaccines at 9 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays to book appointments at the drive-thru lots at Portland International Airport or Hillsboro Stadium. OHSU says people who dont have internet access can call 833-647-8222 to book an appointment. Register at getvaccinated.oregon.gov , which will enter you into a lottery. The state will send randomly selected names of Portland area residents whove registered to the operators of the indoor mass vaccination site at the Oregon Convention Center. Those on the lists will be sent emails or texts with links that allow them to book appointments. This week, vaccination clinic organizers plan to send invitations to 35,000 people. Because not everyone will take up the offer, organizers expect 18,000 to 22,000 appointments to be filled. Go to vaccinefinder.org , which will provide links to pharmacies with available appointments. Or visit covidvaccine.oregon.gov and click on Vaccine Information by County to learn if you can book appointments in other areas of the state. The state fairgrounds, for one, is vaccinating thousands of Oregonians each week regardless of their counties of residence. If you have questions, call 211 for help. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter -- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee [April 05, 2021] Partners Group Completes Majority-Share Purchase of Wedgewood Pharmacy Leading global private-markets firm Partners Group has, on behalf of its clients, completed its purchase of the majority equity share of Wedgewood Pharmacy, the largest compounding pharmacy in the U.S. devoted to animal health. The signing of an agreement to purchase was announced previously on December 19, 2020. The firm replaces New Harbor Capital as the majority shareholder. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Marcy A. Bliss, CEO of Wedgewood Pharmacy, said: "This partnership begins a new and expanding chapter in our company's long history of improving the lives of animals and the people who love them. We have ambitious plans to continue responding to veterinarians and the needs of their patients." Future investments include: New product development, ensuring access to backordered medications, as well as personalized medicine to treat vulnerable (and finicky) animal patients. Process and technology improvements that make Wedgewood Pharmacy the easiest to do business with. Increased production at the company's FDA-registered 503B Outsourcing Facility, Wedgewood Connect, to ensure adequate availability of medication for office use. Logistics and operational investments that will speed delivery of medication to patients and prescribers. Chris Russell, managing director of Partners Group, added: "Wedgewood Pharmacy's animal-health niche in compounding pharmacy fits well with our thematic focus on healthcare and our portfolio of healthcare-related companies, which includes Blue River Pet Care, one of the leading operators of veterinary hospitals for companion animals. We are looking forward to our collaboration with Wedgewood Pharmacy's excellent management team to implement new transformational value-creation initiatives, further solidifying the company's leadership position." About Wedgewood Pharmacy Wedgewood Pharmacy is the largest compounding pharmacy devoted to animal health in the United States. Compounding is the long-established tradition in pharmacy practice that enables practitioners to prescribe and patients to take medicines that are specially prepared by pharmacists to meet patients' individual needs. A growing number of patients have unique health and compliance needs that off-the-shelf prescription medicines cannot meet. For them, customized, compounded medications prescribed or ordered by licensed physicians or veterinarians and prepared safely by trained, licensed compounding pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are the only way to better health. Compounded medications are created and prepared in state-regulated pharmacies when mass-manufactured drugs are not, according to a prescriber, available or are not appropriate for a patient. Wedgewood Pharmacy's 503B Outsourcing Facility, Wedgewood Connect, compounds medications under FDA's modified cGMP standards. Today's Wedgewood Pharmacy grew from a local community pharmacy to become one of the largest compounding pharmacies in the United States. It is the leading pharmacy brand in animal health, recognized by 99% of veterinarians, and used by 8 in 10 veterinarians within the past year. It also prepares compounded medications for the human-health medical specialties of Addiction Medicine, Urology, and Ophthalmology. The company serves more than 50,000 prescribers and hundreds of thousands of patients throughout the U.S. every year. George (late) and Lucy Malmberg, both pharmacists, purchased Wedgewood Pharmacy in 1981, the year after the pharmacy opened. In June 2016, New Harbor Capital became the majority shareholder of the company. In 2018, the company acquired Diamondback Drugs. In 2020, the company purchased and began production at Wedgewood Connect, an FDA-registered 503B Outsourcing Facility, in San Jose, California. In the same year, the company acquired Wildlife Pharmaceuticals and ZooPharm, in Colorado and Wyoming, respectively. Wedgewood Pharmacy is accredited by the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB) for compliance with PCAB and other nationally recognized compounding standards. PCAB was formed by eight of the nation's leading pharmacy associations and is a service of Accreditation Commission for Health Care. As a third-party accreditation organization, PCAB has developed the highest national standards against which providers are measured to demonstrate their ability to effectively and efficiently deliver quality compounded medications to consumers. Wedgewood Pharmacy employs more than 700 people. About Partners Group Partners Group is a leading global private markets firm. Since 1996, the firm has invested over USD 145 billion in private equity, private real estate, private debt, and private infrastructure on behalf of its clients globally. Partners Group seeks to generate superior returns through capitalizing on thematic growth trends and transforming attractive businesses and assets into market leaders. The firm is a committed, responsible investor and aims to create sustainable returns with lasting, positive impact for all its stakeholders. With over USD 109 billion in assets under management as of 31 December 2020, Partners Group provides an innovative range of bespoke client solutions to institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and private individuals globally. The firm employs more than 1,500 diverse professionals across 20 offices worldwide and has regional headquarters in Baar-Zug, Switzerland; Denver, USA; and Singapore. It has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2006 (symbol: PGHN). For more information, please visit www.partnersgroup.com or follow the company on LinkedIn or Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005041/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Lemond Dixon, Glazebrook vie for Humble ISD Position 5 Humble ISD has set an election for four positions on the board of trustees for May 1. Two candidates, Incumbent Martina Dixon and Andrea Glazebrook are vying for Position 5. The Tribune profiled both candidates. Martina Lemon Dixon Tell me about your background, occupation, etc. I am a third generation Houstonian and have lived in Kingwood for 21 years. I have a BA in communications from Auburn University and a post baccalaureate in construction management and a MA in education from LSU. I have 13 years teaching experience, eight of which were at North Shore High School in Galena Park ISD, where I attended high school. My teaching experience also includes Spring ISD, Houston ISD and Dekalb County schools. Do you have any children that have attended or are currently attending Humble ISD? Did you attend any Humble ISD schools yourself? I have two children currently attending school in Humble ISD, one at Kingwood Park High School and one at Kingwood High School. I also have two children who are proud Humble ISD graduates from the Humble High School international baccalaureate program. I did not attend school in Humble ISD. What motivated you to rerun for this position as the incumbent? Education has always been a priority to me. Everything I have done professionally and personally has been in the realm of education and I have always considered myself a lifelong learner. Prior to school board service, I was extremely involved in serving Humble ISD. I served on the Humble ISD Education Foundation Board as the finance chair and treasurer, on the PTA boards as legislative delegate and PTA president, on the PTA Council executive board, PTA scholarship chair and more. If reelected, my priorities would focus on maintaining equity throughout the district, regarding facilities, quality programming and instruction, and to continue the expansion of support for special needs and 504 students. Why should voters elect you? What makes you the best candidate for this position? Experience and involvement. Prior to school board service, I not only lived in the district for 21 years, but was extensively involved in Humble ISD and in the Humble-Atascocita-Kingwood community. Since being elected to the school board, we have faced many unimaginable challenges and have persevered. In the past four years, we got the district through Hurricane Harvey, Tropical Storm Imelda, three board appointments and now a pandemic. Of course, we do not know what the future brings, but stepping up and doing what is best for our students, teachers, parents and community is the type of hands-on experience that cannot be emulated. Andrea Glazebrook Tell me about your background, occupation, etc. I am a lifelong resident of Humble ISD, where I have resided since 1976. I graduated from Sam Houston State University with a BS in 2000. I have spent my career in education, working a variety of roles, including special education department chair as well as a DA teacher. I began my professional career at Humble ISD and have since worked for a variety of districts, including Houston ISD and currently Cleveland ISD. I have volunteered with a variety of programs within each of the districts that I have served in. Do you have any children that have attended or are currently attending Humble ISD? Did you attend any Humble ISD schools yourself? I have a son, Tristan, 17, who currently attends Humble ISD and my other son graduated from Humble ISD. I attended Humble ISD myself, during a time where the district was developing. Back in the 1970s, the only school nearby was Foster Elementary. What motivated you to run for this position? I have been wanting to serve on the board for some time now, and finally everything lined up for me to run. As both a teacher and parent, I feel I have the working knowledge to accentuate the positives and realize any negatives to help promote the well-being of the district. I love giving back and I have the willingness and energy to pay back to the district. Why should voters elect you? What makes you the best candidate for this position? I think my experience sets me apart. I have a way of knowledge about the district, of which I am a lifelong resident. I watched the district grow from a small one to an enormous one and, through my experiences, I know the needs that this district faces. While working for Humble ISD, I learned the needs of expanding districts; as districts expand, they need to be aware of certain areas to keep in touch with. I believe I am uniquely qualified to face challenges that come out of the districts growth. Furthermore, as a former DA and special Eed teacher, I know what needs certain groups of students face. KYODO NEWS - Apr 5, 2021 - 19:57 | Japan, All, World The Japanese and U.S. governments are arranging to sign a partnership deal on climate change when Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga meets with President Joe Biden later this month, diplomatic sources said Monday. Tackling global warming is expected to be a focus of the April 16 meeting in Washington, along with affirming the strength of the Japan-U.S. alliance and cooperation in efforts to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific amid China's growing assertiveness in the region. "I hope Japan and the United States can take the lead in tackling climate change," Suga told a parliamentary session. The meeting comes as Biden has vowed to make climate change a top priority of his administration, reversing his predecessor Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement and inviting world leaders to a virtual summit on the issue on April 22-23. Suga said he plans to unveil Japan's new target for reducing carbon emissions by 2030 soon, and that he hopes to work with Biden to push China, the world's biggest emitter of CO2, to "do its part as a global power." According to the sources, Suga and Biden are slated to agree to set up working groups to boost cooperation on climate change, COVID-19 measures and cutting-edge technologies. The leaders are also set to discuss the situation in Taiwan, which the Biden administration has accused China of intimidating by military, diplomatic and economic means, the sources said, with the Japanese and U.S. governments considering whether to refer to the issue in a post-meeting joint statement. Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province awaiting unification, by force if necessary, and has continued to send fighter jets and bombers into nearby airspace in recent months. The top diplomats and defense chiefs of Japan and the United States called for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait when they met in Tokyo last month. "It's important that Japan and the United States cooperate to maintain deterrence and create an environment where Taiwan and China can resolve their differences peacefully," Suga said in a TV program on Sunday. According to separate sources, the joint statement is expected to affirm the Senkaku Islands fall under the scope of Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. security treaty, which states Washington will defend territories under Tokyo's administration from armed attack. The uninhabited islands in the East China Sea are controlled by Japan but claimed by China, which calls them Diaoyu, and frequently sends coast guard ships nearby to assert its ownership. The meeting between Suga and Biden was initially set to take place on April 9 but was pushed back by one week as the Biden administration focuses on dealing with COVID-19. Related coverage: Suga to join Biden in leading efforts to tackle climate change Suga-Biden summit pushed back to April 16: Japan spokesman Japan mulls ending support for exporting coal-fired power plants Students from six more epidemiologically safe countries will be able to return to Russia to continue studies at Russian universities, the press service of the Russian ministry of education and science said. "In line with the Russian government resolution No 814-r date March 31, 2021, students, post-graduate students, medical residents, and students of pre-university courses from Venezuela, Germany, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka are allowed to return to Russia to continue training," TASS cited the statement as saying. Welcome in Russia are students only from those countries that are on the Russian sanitary watchdogs list of epidemiologically safe countries amid the coronavirus pandemic. Today, students from 31 world nations, including Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Vietnam, Greece, Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Cuba, the Republic of Maldives, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Seychelles, Serbia, Singapore, Tanzania, Turkey, Finland, Switzerland, Ethiopia, South Korea, South Ossetia, and Japan, can come to Russia to study at Russian universities. Before coming to Russia, students are required to notify their universities by e-mail about the date of crossing the Russian border at least ten days before that. Apart from that, they are to have a Russian-or English-language document on a negative Covid-19 test done not earlier that three days before the arrival. More to it, they will have to undergo another coronavirus test within 72 hours upon arrival and will stay in self-isolation until the test results are ready. During this period, classes will be conducted online. Citizens on Twitter rebuked President Biden's warning to take caution against COVID-19, which continues to affect thousands in the U.S. America has grown tired of wearing masks and following COVID-19 restrictions. So when vaccines began rolling out, they experienced a renewed hope that things will go back to normal. But the President of the United States is warning that the fight against the coronavirus that claimed more than 500,000 lives in the U.S. alone, is not yet over. Citizens took to Twitter to rebuke his warning as many have started living normal lives without masks or precautionary measures. According to Townhall, President Joe Biden on Friday commented on how citizens of the U.S. have let their guard down when it comes to COVID-19. The 46th President noted during the March jobs numbers meeting that the United States is the only country to have been able to put 20 million vaccine shots into people in just seven days. The U.S. is the only country to be able to rapidly inoculate its citizens -largely due to the previous administration's efforts. President Biden said, "We've made significant progress on that front, but the fight is far from over. " "Too many Americans are acting as if this fight is over. It is not," President Biden warned. "I've told people that if my administration did the hard work of getting shots to all Americans in the next few months and if the American people continued to do their part-mask up, practice social distancing-we could have a more normal July 4th." The President also reported that COVID-19 cases are going up rapidly in some states and that people need to hang on for a little longer to be able to "cast off the weight of the pandemic that's holding our economy back." He reiterated safety precautions such as frequent handwashing, safe distancing, and mask wearing. He also encouraged people to get vaccinated "when it's your turn." "I plead with you: Don't give back the progress we've all fought so hard to achieve. We need to finish this job," President Biden said. But Americans hit back at the president for scolding them for living a normal life amid COVID-19. Some reacted, saying that they have been living life as normally as possible even throughout the pandemic. Twitter user John Tobi wrote, "Lived my life as normal for the entire last year. Went to weddings and birthdays, bridal showers. Drank at bars and went out to eat. Only wore a mask when I had to." Another Twitter user by the name of Jason showed a photo of the Cincinnati Reds opening day, which was packed with crowds. He wrote, "We aren't waiting on Biden, Fauci or anyone else to give us the green light to live life." Twitter user Elizabeth Mckellips from North Little rock Arkansas, who describes herself as "an American Patriot who loves freedom over tyranny," shared, "Having family over for Easter lunch, might go to our favorite watering hole and do a little karioke [sic] tonight... We back to normal pretty much in our neck of the woods for months." It appears that after a year of COVID-19 restrictions, U.S. citizens are now finally fighting to get their freedoms back, whether they're vaccinated against the virus or not. Gunfire erupted Sunday night in a Bessemer neighborhood, leaving a boyfriend and girlfriend dead. The shooting happened at 7:16 p.m. in the 80 block of First Avenue North. The victims are the second and third homicides in Bessemer this weekend. Lt. Christian Clemons said the victims were at a large gathering when shots were fired. The male victim was pronounced dead on the scene. The female died a short time later at the hospital. The male and female were both 27 years old. Their names have not yet been released. Police are asking that anyone with information, or video of the incident, to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to call Bessemer police at 425-2411, the Tip Line at 205- 428-3541 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. Confirming the news on Instagram, Rege said: "Its been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to be your Duke. Joining this family - not just on screen, but off screen too. Our incredibly creative and generous cast, crew, outstanding fans - its all been beyond anything I could have imagined. The love is real and will just keep growing " Its a one-season arc, he explained to Variety about how the shows producers pitched the role to him. Its going to have a beginning, middle, end give us a year. Page said he was interested in this setup because it felt like a limited series to him. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on, he said. Although fans will be sad to see him go, he further explained that the audience knows the arc completes. They come in knowing that, so you can tie people in emotional knots because they have that reassurance that were going to come out and were going to have the marriage and the baby. Bridgerton, which is based on a series of romance novels, will focus on Anthony Bridgertons life in Season 2. IRVINE, Calif., April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hooray Agency, a Southern California-based full-service marketing firm today announced three new key promotions, expanding its leadership bench across the agencys creative, account and marketing teams. Eric Stein has been elevated to Chief Creative Officer, Randy Stuck has been named Executive Vice President and Katelyn Raman has taken on the role of Vice President, Marketing. This leadership expansion comes on the heels of growth for Hooray Agency, which was recently named AOR of Balboa Bay Resorts and The Guild Hotel, as well as embarked on a groundbreaking partnership with Resorts World Las Vegas, the most comprehensive and significant luxury integrated resort to open in Las Vegas in over 10 years. In addition, Hooray Agency refreshed its website, bringing a new look to its brand. Our incredible talent is whats allowed Hooray Agency to thrive and grow, despite industry-wide challenges, said Steven Seghers, CEO, Hooray Agency. As we look to our next chapter, Eric, Randy and Katelyn bring an unparalleled set of skills and deep understanding of the hospitality and travel space that will allow us to grow and innovate. With these leaders at the helm, Hooray Agency will be impossible to ignore. Previously Creative Director at Hooray, Stein has stepped into the CCO role where he will oversee all creative work for the agencys roster of clients including Resorts World Las Vegas, Starwood, Hyatt, Montage Hotels & Resorts and Salamander Hotels & Resorts. Prior to Hooray, Stein served as CCO of Neu Citizen and has held positions at DDB Chicago, Big Block Industry and Witness LLC Branding. On the account side, Stuck has been integral to the growth of Hooray Agency. Previous to his EVP role, Stuck led Hooray's account services and marketing efforts for over a decade, having launched its international search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns for Preferred Hotel Group, Historic Hotels Worldwide, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii, Commune Hotels & Resorts, Broughton Hotels & Resorts, Salamander Hotels & Resorts, and Trump International, just to name a few. In his new position, Stuck will implement critical marketing initiatives to drive revenue, build localization efforts, improve local and global search engine optimization (SEO) results, integrated social media strategies, and provide integrated analytics packages to maximize results. Raman is a hospitality marketing expert with over a decade of experience leading strategy for franchise and independent hotels. Raman stepped into the Vice President, Marketing role where she will oversee all of Hoorays marketing efforts, including the social media department for the agency, implementing strategic approaches to underscore the key marketing goals. Raman also consults on marketing strategy across a variety of Hoorays roster of clients. Previously, she was Director of Marketing for the agency and prior to joining Hooray, Raman worked with Starwood Hotels & Resorts and spent time as an independent marketing consultant. About Hooray Agency A Southern California-based full-service marketing firm, Hooray Agency specializes in omni-channel branding campaigns, marketing and advertising. The company's ideas are expressed in myriad forms, via both traditional and emerging platforms including websites, e-commerce systems, digital advertising and branded content, customized programming and a robust presence throughout social media. From its inception more than 25 years ago, Hooray's approach to communications has been and remains global, crafting messaging that transcends international boundaries and resonates with cultures across more than sixty countries. 34 Shot, 8 Murdered in Chicago Over the Weekend Chicago saw a violent weekend, with 30 shootings between Friday evening and Sunday night. Thirty-four people were shot and eight were murdered, according to statistics from the Chicago Police Department. The incidents took place between 6 p.m. on April 2 and 11:59 p.m. on April 4. Two additional shootings took place on Friday afternoon. The violence started at approximately 2:18 p.m., when a 19-year-old man was shot in the 5000 block of West Monroe. He was taken to a hospital and was last reported in good condition. No suspect was in custody. Another shooting occurred less than an hour later in the 4000 block of West Potomac. A male victim of unknown age heard shots and felt pain. He was treated for a gunshot wound to the foot. No suspects were in custody. Two other shootings unfolded on April 2, including a 54-year-old male being struck in the leg and taken to Loyola Hospital in serious condition. Six additional shootings took place on April 3 before 6 a.m. In one case, around 1:20 a.m., a green SUV with an unknown number of occupants began shouting gang slogans before opening fire at a 25-year-old male who was trying to pump gas in the 7700 block of South Kedzie. The victim was struck and rushed to the hospital. Easter Sunday proved especially violent, with 16 shootings and a spate of homicides. The violence started before 1 a.m., when a 38-year-old man driving eastbound on West 37th Street heard gunshots and felt pain. A bullet had gone through his rear window and struck his right arm. The man was taken to Mercy Hospital in good condition. Five more shootings were reported before 7 a.m. In one of the killings, two males were driving northbound on North Humboldt Drive around 8 p.m. when two males approached the vehicle on separate orange dirt bikes and began shooting as they passed the vehicle. A 19-year-old in the car was struck in the neck and pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital. The other man survived but is in critical condition at St. Marys Hospital. Another murder took place just before midnight. A 45-year-old male was found on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to his chest on South Throop Street. The victim was unable to communicate details regarding the incident due to the severity of his injuries, police said in an incident summary. The man was transported to the hospital and declared dead. No suspects are in custody for any of the shootings that took place over the weekend. The previous weekend saw 23 shootings, 30 people shot, and three murders. Most major U.S. cities, including Chicago, saw a spike in the murder rate in 2020. The Biden administration is deepening the efforts begun under Trump to use the COVID-19 pandemic to restructure class relations, including the further dismantling of the public education system. A report published last month by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) titled, California Teachers and COVID-19: How the Pandemic Is Impacting the Teacher Workforce, highlights the acute crisis of K12 public education in California, the most populous state in the US. Parents and students line up to pick up school materials outside the Aurora Elementary School in Los Angeles [Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes] The study examines the deepening shortage of teaching staff, primarily due to difficulties recruiting and retaining teachers in areas of high poverty, as well as the problems of teacher burnout, excess workloads and early retirements, all of which have been severely exacerbated by the pandemic. While the study focuses on California, the crisis is universal and is affecting tens of millions of educators worldwide. State data from Michigan shows that from August 2020 through February 2021 there was a 44 percent increase in midyear retirements compared with the same period in 20192020, while a separate study by Horace Mann Educators Corporation found that 27 percent of US teachers are considering quitting due to the pandemic, with similar figures found in countries throughout the world. In the fall of 2020, LPI interviewed superintendents and human resources administrators of 17 school districts across California, including eight of the 11 largest districts which educate nearly one in six students in the state, as well as nine smaller rural districts. Among the large districts surveyed were Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Elk Grove and San Francisco. The report is limited by the fact that the authors only interviewed administrators and not teachers directly. Nevertheless, the report reflects the horrendous stress teachers are under due to the difficulties of remote learning and tremendous fear over in-person teaching in unsafe classrooms, while many juggle having to care for their own children at home. The report highlights the stresses that teachers have been subject to, as they struggle to adapt to the remote learning systems and having to engage students, who themselves are often under acute stress. With many districts having moved to the unsafe hybrid model, in which teachers simultaneously teach in-person and online, teachers need to implement two lesson plans, thus doubling their workload. They are increasingly compelled to act as untrained counselors to handle the emotional needs of students and provide technical support to students who may have spotty internet under a communications infrastructure that is unprepared to provide a high quality learning experience. One district leader explained how the shift to distance learning impacted veteran teachers, who typically rely on a body of lessons and materials designed for in-person learning amassed over their years of experience, stating, The distance learning platform makes it everyones first year of teaching all over again. Even before the pandemic, the ruling class has sought to pressure veteran teachers to retire. A report in 2015 by Maria D. Fitzpatrick and Michael F. Lovenheim noted: Early retirement incentives (ERI) for teachers, which offer experienced teachers financial incentives to retire before they would be eligible for full pension benefits, have become increasingly prevalent over the past decade as states and school districts seek to reduce expenditures in light of tightening budgets. Commenting on the crisis, John, a middle school teacher in Los Angeles, told the World Socialist Web Site, When we return to school sites in April, we will be on the third schedule in 13 months! This is yet another reason that it is IDIOTIC that we go back for just five or six weeks to end the year. From teachers that I talk to about this, morale is HORRIBLE! And yes, some people are seriously considering retiring early just to avoid what will be yet a fourth different schedule next fall! The LPI report expresses particular concern that voluntary resignations in some districts may be higher than anticipated layoffs, citing a chronic shortage of teachers in the high-need subject areas of math, science, special education and bilingual education. To make up for the shortage, school districts have increasingly been relying on substitute teachers and hiring teachers with substandard credentials. The ruling class, increasingly opposed to funding the pensions of full-time teachers, has pushed for the use of lower paid substitute teachers, who are mostly not eligible for retirement benefits. In May 2019, the average substitute teacher in California made an average of $120 per day. The high cost of living in the state makes this an entirely unlivable wage. The Orange County Register noted in 2019 that entry-level teachers will spend 85 percent of their payfar higher than the industry standard of 30 percenton a median rental in Los Angeles. The reliance on intern and emergency permits has been a longstanding trend that has deepened since the 2008 financial crisis in particular, the result of a deliberate bipartisan policy of underfunding public education. The report notes that in the 201819 school year, the state hired 13,912 under-prepared teachers with substandard credentials, temporary permits and waivers, up nearly 300 percent from 4,724 such hires in 201213. This enormous rise has only increased during the pandemic. Rates of substandard teaching credentials in California, 20122019 [LPI report] A rural district superintendent spoke of the challenges of using a teacher on an emergency permit, saying, She does not have the depth of math knowledge that you have when you have a degree. Shes getting through it. Kids are struggling a little bit, but if I didnt have her, we wouldnt be offering it. I dont know what wed be doing. Every district surveyed hired teachers on substandard credentials and permits this year, with eight out of 14 saying they hired roughly the same number of teachers on substandard credentials and permits this year as in recent years, and four districts said they hired more than in recent years. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed last month provides roughly $125 billion of funding for K12 to spend over two and a half years. This averages to a yearly $50 billion, which is roughly $1,000 per student. Even conservative estimates produced by LPI in July 2020 suggested that states will need between $200 and $300 billion to stabilize their K12 education budgets and meet even a portion of the additional costs over the next year and a half. To put this in a different context, a report from the Watson Institute at Brown University states that through 2020, the country spent or allocated $6.4 trillion on the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, excluding future interest in war borrowing. Statista reports that the government spent $732 billion on the military in 2019, or nearly 15 times the amount allocated to K12 schools in the ARPA. For the first nine months of the pandemic, the government provided next to nothing to help schools, with the CARES Act providing only $13.2 billion for K12 schools, leading to the deliberate sabotage of remote learning. In January, then-Secretary of Education Betsy Devos implemented a $54 billion emergency relief bill as a way to further pressure school districts to prematurely reopen schools before the pandemic was contained. The funding in the ARPA is also explicitly tied to the aggressive and dangerous policy of reopening schools, which has rapidly escalated under Biden. For all that the LPI report speaks of, it is remarkable what it leaves out. Not once does the report note the hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 infections of students and school staff or the hundreds of deaths among educators as a result of school reopenings over the past year. While there still remains no official count of teacher deaths during the pandemic, Education Week reports that as of March 29, at least 913 active and retired K12 educators and personnel have died of COVID-19, of whom 257 were active teachers. From beginning to end, the report takes it as a given that any serious measures to resolve the crisis in public education lie outside what is possible. It appeals to the ruling class to enact sensible policies to avert a disaster in education, when it is precisely the ruling elites policies of malign neglect that have produced the crisis of the pandemic, which has put already strained schools in a highly vulnerable position. Last July, Linda Darling-Hammond, the president and CEO of LPI, noted approvingly the policies of New York and California in their rushed plans to open schools when daily new cases were still around 800. She wrote for Forbes: States like New York and California that are setting community health standards for school re-opening, as well as clear ground rules for how they reopen, are demonstrating a safe and responsible way forward. Darling-Hammond also participated in the Biden administrations National Safe School Reopening Summit, endorsing the reckless campaign to reopen schools. Over the past year, educators across the US and globally have formed rank-and-file committees to oppose the drive to reopen schools that has been orchestrated by both big business parties, the teachers unions and the corporate media. In the coming weeks, the deepening surge of the pandemic will produce further opposition and growing calls for the shutdown of schools and nonessential workplaces. The struggle in defense of lives must be combined with calls to expropriate the trillions hoarded by the financial elite, in order to fully fund public education, vastly expand the teacher workforce, and provide high quality remote learning for all until the pandemic is contained, as part of a broader socialist program advancing all the social rights of the working class. We urge all educators, parents and students interested in joining this fight to sign up today to join and help build the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee in your area. Bijapur : , April 5 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah presided over a key meeting, along with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, with top security officials on Monday and revisited the strategy to eliminate armed Maoists who are orchestrating a series of deadly attacks on troopers in the jungles of the sprawling, tribal-dominated Bastar region. Shah landed in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of restive Bastar division, on Monday morning and then went in huddle with Baghel and top security officials to review the security scenario in Chhattisgarh in wake of a deadly Maoist attack at a remote hilly patch on a 1,000-plus securitymen contingent in Bijapur. The brutal killings of 22 jawans has created a widespread anger in the country and clamour has grown in Chhattisgarh that the Central government must go in for a decisive operation against the Maoists who are attempting to run a de facto government in deep forests of Bastar division since the late 1980s. Sources say that Shah and Baghel were of the view that time has come to set up more paramilitary camps in core areas of Maoists and smoke them out from their forested hideouts from where they have been launching major attacks on forces. "Now, we have decided to set up more camps in their (Maoists) bastions and launch regular search and combing operations, now people will see the results soon... Maoists will be eliminated, their days are numbered," remarked a senior Chhattisgarh Police officer who was in the meeting. He added that the Central and the state government would spend more funds to develop road infrastructure and other facilities in deep jungles of Bastar including Bijapur and Sukma to allow forces to reach to Maoists hideouts easily. Shah visited a CRPF camp at Bijapur's Basaguda with Baghel where he interacted freely with jawans and assured them that the Indian government was determined to put an end to Maoist militancy forever. Security personnel at the camp informed Shah that forces have been regularly combing jungle areas which were early described as "no-go-areas" and Maoists are now carrying out attacks only to save some of their last citadels. Shah also laid wreath on mortal remains of martyred jawans at Jagdalpur police line and later met injured personnel at private hospitals in Raipur with a clear message that India would never tolerate such attacks. A recent report stated that the Google Pixel 6 will feature Googles in-house Whitechapel processor. That news managed to surprise everyone. Well, now, we have a new piece of information that claims Samsung co-developed that Whitechapel SoC that is destined for the Pixel 6. The information comes from XDA Developers. The source claims that Googles first mobile SoC will feature a tri-cluster CPU, a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), and an integrated security chip codenamed Dauntless (like the Titan M). The processor will allegedly also feature two Cortex-A78 CPU cores, two Cortex-A76 CPU cores, and four Cortex-A55 CPU cores. It could also include a 20-core ARM Mali GPU. Advertisement It seems like Samsung co-developed Whitechapel SoC for the Pixel 6 The report also states that this processor has some things in common with Samsungs Exynos processor. Some of those commonalities are software components. It is possible Google removed Samsungs default ISP and NPU components, though. We suspect that more information about this will surface in the near future. For now, this is all we know about Googles Whitechapel processor. It sure is an interesting turn of events, though. Pretty much nobody expected Google will ditch Qualcomm for its own SoC. Now, the Google Pixel 6 is codenamed Slider. The phone is set to arrive in two flavors, Raven and Oriole. Chances are these are the Google Pixel 6 and 6 XL, so well get two size options, which is great. Advertisement This SoC will provide Google with even more control over its smartphones With this new processor, Google will get even more control over its smartphones, and updates. It will be able to do an even better job when it comes to optimization and performance, including camera performance. That is not a guarantee it will, though, but just a possibility, due to the extended control over the SoC. The Google Pixel 6 is expected to arrive at some point in Q3, probably in September. Theres also a chance Google may announce it in early Q4, in October, but well see. More information will probably surface soon. She is enjoying her fourth Screen Actors Guild Award nomination this weekend for her searing performance in Little Fires Everywhere. And Kerry Washington went with an aquatic theme for her fashion statement for the awards event on Sunday, in a custom blue Etro gown with matching Esther Williams-style swim cap. The Bronx, New York-born actress, 44, stunned in the high-slitted patterned garment, as she took a plunge into a swimming pool on Instagram. '#MermaidVibesAlways': Kerry Washington went with an aquatic theme for her fashion statement for the awards event on Sunday, in a custom blue Etro gown Coordinated: She completed the look with a matching Esther Williams-style swim cap Kerrys dress featured a sweetheart neckline and low back, with beautiful circular beaded patterns throughout. Her scalloped swim cap picked up the same pattern. Even her manicure was a perfect match to her dresss motif, with celebrity nail artist Kim Truong revealing she used products from OPI to create a mermaid-inspired look on the actress's tips. She began with the brand's GelColor in Passion and then used Tile Art to Warm Your Heart, to create a blue French manicure, before applying crystals to create a chic design on the nails. Aquatic excellence: The Bronx, New York-born actress, 44, stunned in the high-slitted patterned garment Washington accessorized with gorgeous Bulgari studs in her ears as well as chunky rings. Her makeup, by artist Carola Gonzalez, picked up the blue tones in her outfit thanks to dramatic eyeshadow. The Scandal star is nominated for her lead performance in Hulus Little Fires Everywhere from last year, opposite Reese Witherspoon. Taking the plunge: The acclaimed star took a plunge into a swimming pool on Instagram Luxe: Kerrys dress featured a sweetheart neckline, with beautiful circular beaded patterns throughout along with Bulgari bling The limited series drama explored racial tensions in an affluent neighborhood that eventually leads to arson. The SAG nod is Kerrys first since her performance in 2016s Confirmation, in which she portrayed Clarence Thomas accuser Anita Hill. The Screen Actors Guild Awards will celebrate the best of their craft with a pre-taped ceremony airing on Sunday, April 4th 2021. Intense performance: The Scandal star is nominated for her lead performance in Hulus Little Fires Everywhere from last year, opposite Reese Witherspoon Facing the unique challenges of a pandemic-era awards show, SAG-AFTRA's awards committee decided against a Zoom-heavy affair in lieu of pre-produced pieces and top-secret acceptance speeches shot ahead of time. Instead of entertaining an audience, the 2021 SAGs will honor nominees with a series of docu-series style segments in a nod to their traditional 'I Am An Actor' segments which usually open the show. Viola Davis, Riz Ahmed, Cynthia Erivo, Sterling K. Brown, Dan Levy, Rita Moreno, Common and Daisy Ridley are just some of the stars that are confirmed for the hour-long show, which will take place without a host. Past work: The SAG nod is Kerrys first since her performance in 2016s Confirmation, in which she portrayed Clarence Thomas accuser Anita Hill Central Dauphin School Districts NutriPacks program got a special bonus last week. Bombas, a comfort-focused sock and apparel brand with a mission to help people in need and who provide socks to homeless shelters, agreed to provide the volunteer organization 500 pairs of socks to distribute to the children of the districts families along with the ongoing donation of food. Deb Wire, a NutriPacks advisory board member, said that Bombas provides a comfort-focused product to individuals who may not have the luxury to purchase clothing items that are high quality and feel good to wear. It often takes over a year for Bombas to be able to bring new organizations like NutriPacks on board, said Wire, who was involved in the connection that drew the manufacturer to the school districts program. For that reason, we are especially excited to have them recognize us, knowing that currently there is an even greater need throughout the country. Per the Central Dauphin website, NutriPacks started in 2010 as a direct food distribution program for elementary school students in the district and has since extended that to middle school students, too. The food is supplied by the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and through donations from other individuals and groups. NutriPacks provides weekend food and nutritional information to families who are food insecure when the schools free lunch program is not available to them. The program operates 35 weeks during the school year (October to June), donating to students/ families enrolled in the NutriPacks program from 6 to 10 pounds of food weekly, at no cost. There are approximately 200 volunteers who coordinate and run the program, which is funded entirely through grants, by foundation and community groups, and through fundraisers that the organization holds. The approximate cost per child per distribution per week is $5.24, according to the website. NutriPacks provides services in all 13 elementary schools and four middle schools located in the Central Dauphin School District. There are nine pickup sites. Bombas is a comfort-focused sock and apparel brand with a mission to help people in need. Last week that mission extended to Central Dauphin's NutriPacks program. According to a brochure, one in five children in the district is food insecure. The programs advisory board is directed by Pam Jones. Jones noted that the many volunteers know they are helping to contribute to the physical and emotional wellness of children and their families. Bombas generous donation of socks contributed to our ability to extend beyond providing food for each child. . At the age of 31, Dang Hong Thai has many years of traveling abroad under his belt, and he uses the experience to create a channel for the youth in Vietnam. Thai was one of 30 young people that were included on the annual Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2020. He is CEO and founder of Ybox.vn, the name meaning a box for the young.' He was well known before as a champion of the earth via environmental activities. Happy to give back During his time as a student, Thai paid a lot of attention to social activities. He took part in a club of social entrepreneurs who developed projects dedicated to the community. Thai launched an organization planting trees to raise awareness of the environment for young people in Hanoi. I worked as a social worker then but I always felt that I was cut out to do business, said Thai. I would like to become an entrepreneur." Thai started working for an IT company based in the Philippines after graduating from university seven years ago. Working abroad made it difficult to take part in social projects, so he turned to contribute via the Internet. Thai came up with the idea of setting up a platform that helps Vietnamese students be empowered with useful knowledge and skills, which would, in turn, help them have chances of going abroad like him. Ybox was born from the idea, only one month after Thai went abroad for work. According to Thai, despite about ten-hour working days with considerable pressure at that time, he always felt happy and so energetic in doing something with Ybox after work. He spent 2-3 hours on weekdays and full time on weekends with Ybox. Thai forgot his difficulties while immersing himself in his passion for the project. Starting as a Page on Facebook, Ybox quickly developed into a popular platform thanks to young peoples support. Ybox attracted thousands of users only months after roll-out. Despite working for free, many students studying abroad are willing to share their knowledge, experience, and opportunities with others via the platform Ybox. We were fortunate to receive support from big businesses and multinational groups based in Vietnam," recalled Thai. "They must feel the enormous potential of the Vietnamese youth to decide to cooperate with us in providing them with opportunities for internships and jobs. After seven years, Ybox has amassed more than twenty million users with an average monthly increase of about one million. Offering chances to youth In Thais opinion, Ybox has the aim of helping the young not waste time browsing Facebook and focus on themselves and personal development instead. Ybox has become an open platform providing assorted opportunities for the young. Its users have chances to hone their skills, find jobs, hunt for scholarships, and get knowledge of life and start-ups. Ybox provides young Vietnamese with answers to common questions such as how to learn English, how to develop skills to help with the use of foreign languages, how to apply for a job in a company, and how to write a curriculum vitae. The platform also provides scholarships, especially chances for internships for students. During the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Ybox still held an online job fair to connect businesses and the platforms users. I am growing old, so it would be harder for me to understand young people, confessed Thai. So we must have young leaders who help to develop Ybox. "We are social entrepreneurs, we would not be distracted from our main mission of developing and accelerating the Vietnamese youth!" Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! An early 2021 Easter, combined with declining sales last spring as the pandemic heated up, resulted in a huge gain in unit sales of print books for the week ended March 28, 2021, over the comparable week last year at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Units jumped 60.8% over the week ended March 27, 2020. (Because of technical issues, NPD BookScan data was not available until Saturday last week). Looked at another way, print unit sales increased 6.4% over the previous week in 2021, as customers began buying books for Easter, which was April 4 this year, a week earlier than 2020. Through March 28, 2021, unit sales of print books were up 26.5% over the comparable period in 2020 at outlets that report to BookScan. For the second week in a row, sales of juvenile nonfiction fell, falling 9.1% compared to the similar week in 2020. All other major categories, however, posted healthy gains, with the smallest increase, 47.7%, coming in the young adult nonfiction category. Dav Pilkeys Dog Man: Mothering Heights was the weeks biggest seller, selling nearly 236,000 copies. Marilyn Sadlers Its Not Easy Being a Bunny was in second place on the bestseller list, selling almost 45,000 copies. Nine of the weeks top 10 bestsellers were childrens books, which includes graduation gift favorite Oh, The Places Youll Go! by Dr. Seuss. The only adult title to crack the top 10 was The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy. New releases had a tough time making the overall bestseller for the week ended March 28. Vibrant by Stacie Stephenson was the second highest-selling new release last week, selling just over 17,000 copies, putting it in 21st place on the list. Syracuse, NY An Onondaga County grand jury will consider murder charges this week against a 14-year-old boy accused of stabbing to death 84-year-old Eva Fuld during a robbery at her Grant Village apartment in January. Jahkim Robinson appeared briefly Monday via virtual court with City Court Judge Vanessa Bogan, who also runs the countys Youth Part. She will continue keeping tabs on Jahkims case, even after an indictment sends him to a felony court judge. Prosecutor Joseph Coolican told the judge that a grand jury will hear the case this week. Jahkim was initially arrested on a murder charge that could either apply to the actual accused stabber or to being an accomplice. Jahkim is the only named suspect so far in Fulds death, which was discovered days later. The retired teacher and librarian was found dead in her apartment Jan. 25; authorities believe she was killed Jan. 21. RELATED: 84-year-old woman stabbed to death in Syracuse remembered as kind, quirky French teacher Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick confirmed Monday to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that no evidence has pointed to others being involved. But authorities left the door open to there being additional suspects. For now, Jahkim faces a murder charge that carries up to a life sentence. Because of his age, however, Jahkim would still get a minimum sentence of less than 10 years if convicted of second-degree murder. Eva Fuld was found dead in an apartment at 108 Linwell Terrace just before 12:30 p.m. on Monday Jan. 25, 2021, police said.Jacob Pucci | jpucci@syracuse.com After the alleged murder, Jahkim was arrested with two others in a stolen vehicle after a chase through the northern suburbs. However, authorities have apparently not linked juveniles in that case back to the murder. Fuld was killed about a month before another teacher and librarian, Connie Tuori, 93, was murdered inside her Skyline Apartment unit, also on the citys North Side, authorities have said. The accused killer in Tuoris case, Victoria Afet, 23, remains in custody and her case has not yet been indicted. Jahkim remains in custody at Hillbrook Detention Center in the town of Onondaga. He will face the charges before the same judge as an adult defendant. However, given his age, he will not be brought to court with older defendants and there are extra provisions to make sure his parents and other family are allowed to participate in the proceedings. Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070. Queen Noor, widow of the late King Hussein of Jordan, has insisted allegations of an attempted coup by her son, the former crown prince Hamzah bin Hussein, amount to wicked slander. Jordanian authorities said on Sunday they foiled a "malicious plot" by the royal to destabilise the kingdom with foreign support, contradicting his claims that he was being held under house arrest for speaking out against corruption and incompetence. Jordans military has said that Prince Hamzah, King Abdullahs half-brother, had been told to halt actions used to target the countrys security and stability. Praying that truth and justice will prevail for all the innocent victims of this wicked slander, Noor Al-Hussein tweeted. God bless and keep them safe. The warning to Prince Hamzah was part of a broader, ongoing security investigation in which a former minister, a junior member of the royal family and unnamed others were detained. Prince Hamzah said in a video recording he was under house arrest and had been told to stay at home and not contact anyone. Read more: Speaking in English in the video, passed by his lawyer to the BBC, he said he was not part of any foreign conspiracy and denounced the ruling system as corrupt. On Sunday afternoon, Ayman Safadi, Jordans deputy prime minister, claimed Prince Hamzah had been liaising with foreign parties over a plot to destabilise the country and had been monitored for some time. The authorities intercepted communications between Prince Hamza and foreign parties over the timing of steps to undermine Jordans security, he said at a news conference. Mr Safadi said Jordanian intelligence had intercepted certain communications at what he called the zero hour. Then it was clear they moved from design and planning into action, Mr Safadi said. Between 14 and 16 people are under arrest, he told reporters. Mr Safadi also said that a foreign intelligence agency communicated with the wife of Prince Hamzah at exactly 3.55pm on Saturday and offered to supply them with a plane out of the country. Mr Safadi did not identify the foreign countries allegedly involved in the plot, but he said a longtime senior official, Bassem Awadallah, who has business ties in several Gulf Arab states was involved. He said Mr Awadallah had also been planning on leaving the country. Asked whether anyone in the military had been detained, the deputy prime minister said there is no talk of arresting any members of the armed forces in connection with the plot. Earlier, army chief Yusef Huneity denied reports the prince had been arrested but said he was told to stop activities that are being exploited to target Jordans security and stability. Two sources said security forces had arrived at his small palace and begun an investigation. King Abdullah dismissed Prince Hamzah as heir to the throne in 2004, in a move that consolidated his power. The development prompted expressions of support from Jordans neighbours and allies, including the US State department, whose spokesperson Ned Price said: We are closely following the reports and are in touch with Jordanian officials. King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support. Lebanese prime minister designate Saad al-Hariri said: Jordans security and safety is a fundamental basis for the security and safety of the Arab world. All the solidarity with the Jordanian leadership and King Abdullah in defending the gains of the Jordanian people, protecting their stability, and refusing interference in their affairs. Additional reporting by agencies Sisters dropped by human smugglers over 14-foot border barrier are OK, Border Patrol agent says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Two toddler girls who were dropped over a 14-foot border barrier in New Mexico Tuesday night are "doing well," according to El Paso Border Patrol Sector Chief Gloria Chavez. After two human smugglers dropped the young girls, identified as two Ecuadorian sisters aged 3 and 5, over the U.S. side of a remote desert area in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, the girls were immediately transported to the Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station for medical evaluation after being rescued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, according to the agency. The two sisters are doing fine after being dropped by smugglers over the southern border wall, Chavez told Fox News host Neil Cavuto on Your World Thursday. Chavez said she was really horrified and appalled and worried when she initially saw the footage. After the first girl was dropped to the ground and didn't immediately move, Chavez said she was concerned that she'd hit her head and was unconscious. Then, after the second child was dropped, Santa Teresa agents responded to the remote location to rescue the children. Chavez credited the agents and mobile [surveillance] technology for finding the girls who were dropped in the middle of the desolate and mountainous desert, "miles from the closet residence." She also raised concerns that human smugglers will be dropping off children in remote and rocky areas like the New Mexico desert, which would make it logistically difficult for border agents to reach them. The smugglers also dropped over the barrier a bag containing a phone, phone number and the girls passports. Through this, agents were able to get in touch with the girls mother, who lives in New York. Chavez visited with the girls whom she described as being so loving and so talkative, and asked the names of the agents around them. They were hungry, so Chavez helped them peel a banana and open a juice box. You know, children are just so resilient, and I'm so grateful that they're not severely injured or [have] broken limbs or anything like that, Chavez added. Chavez has worked in border security for over two decades and stressed that human smugglers devalue human life and are in the business only for money. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, noted in a recent interview with Sharyl Attkisson that "... anytime they bring somebody over, they make an average of $6,000. But let's say a hundred thousand that we saw in February at $6,000. What does that add up to? [It's] $600 million in one month ... that's not a bad profit. So the ones who are really winning over this ... suffering of the young people and the migrants, are the drug organizations." Chavez added in her interview with Cavuto: We need to protect [the children]. We need to keep them safe and fed and clean. Thats our number one priority. But when we see images like this, I am telling you, I am appalled. I committed myself to working with law enforcement [on] the south side in Mexico. I want this guy [who smuggled them]. I want us to identify him, and I want us to prosecute him. And we are working very closely with the government of Mexico to do just that. The Mexico border is primarily run by cartels who work independently and with other smuggling operations to traffic people from around the world into the U.S. Human beings are a commodity to these ruthless smugglers, Chavez said. We know their tactics. For them, its just a profit. Smugglers recently threw a 6-month-old baby girl into the Rio Grande along the Texas-Mexico border and she was saved by Texas Rangers in March. The recent surge of immigrants at the southern border has caused border agents to struggle in securing the border and monitoring illegal operations. CBP estimates up to 184,000 unaccompanied minors could cross the U.S. southern border in the fiscal year 2021. Border crossings reached the highest level in 15 years, and over 171,000 migrants were taken into custody along the southern border in March. In February, Customs and Border Control detained 100,441 people, including 71,598 single adults, nearly 9,500 unaccompanied minors, and 19,246 individuals in family units. This marked a 28% increase from January when over 78,000 individuals were detained. In the wake of criticism from congressional Republicans, members of the Biden administration have attempted to send a message to migrants seeking to enter the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stressed that we are saying dont come now, although his plea was preceded by an assertion that we are not saying dont come at all. Weeks later, Mayorkas said on ABCs This Week": The message is quite clear, do not come. The border is closed, the border is secure. We are encouraging children not to come, he added. Now is not the time to come. Do not come. The journey is dangerous. We are building safe, orderly and humane ways to address the needs of vulnerable children. Do not come. On March 6, Texas launched Operation Lone Star to fight the rise in drug smuggling and human trafficking across the border. The crisis at our southern border continues to escalate because of Biden Administration policies that refuse to secure the border and invite illegal immigration, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement at the time. CBP noted that the 100,441 people detained in February and 78,442 detained in January marked a drastic increase from the 36,687 and 36,585 detentions in January and February 2020. The border is wide open its not secure. Drugs are pouring in, and criminal aliens are pouring in right now, former CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan, who served under President Donald Trump, said during a March 30 press conference along the Rio Grande, The Epoch Times reported. Main opposition People Power Party's Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon waves after canvassing near Achasan Station in Seoul's Gwangjin District on April 4. Courtesy of Oh Se-hoon's election camp With only two days to go before the bellwether by-elections, conservative opposition Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon is widely seen as having the upper hand over his rival from the ruling party, but analysts predicted that an ascent of "shy progressive" votes has the potential to swing the final election result. Voters in Seoul and Busan will go cast ballots for the new mayors of the two biggest cities in South Korea on Wednesday in the by-elections, whose results are expected to set the tone for next year's presidential election as well as the final year of President Moon Jae-in's five-year term. Besides the two mayoral seats, two regional administrative posts and 17 seats on regional legislative councils are also up for grabs. The latest opinion polls, disclosed before the imposition of a ban on such polls' release for one week before election day, showed Oh of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) leading Park Young-sun from the Democratic Party (DP) by a formidable margin of about 20 percentage points. The overwhelming opinion poll dominance by Oh signals he will likely have the upper hand over Park in the Seoul mayoral election, opinion poll analysts predicted. But Park may still have potential to flip the election in her favor, largely depending on how strongly she musters "shy progressive" votes in the runup up to election day, analysts also pointed out. "There's little possibility of turning the tables," Kim Mi-hyun, director of RnSearch, told Yonhap News Agency. She cited the fact that the 21.95 percent turnout rate in the Friday-Saturday early voting for the Seoul mayoral poll, although a record high, was not high enough to turn the tide as the grounds for her prediction. If the early voting turnout rate was over 25 percent, it would have indicated a result more favorable to Park, given that more liberal voters, as opposed to conservative voters, tend to vote early, she noted. Lee Kang-yun, director of the Korea Society Opinion Institute, however, estimated that the decisive variable for the final election result may rest on how solidly reticent liberal voters, billed as "shy progressives," stand together to thwart Oh's victory in the runup to election day. He referred to ongoing allegations surrounding former real estate assets of Oh's family in southern Seoul as a potential game changer that could flip the election against the conservative candidate. The ruling Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral candidate Park Young-sun, third from left, greets people as she visited Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul's Jung District for Easter service on April 4. Joint Pres Corp. ADVERTISEMENT The Abia State Government on Monday imposed a curfew in the state capital, Umuahia, and the states commercial city of Aba, hours after hoodlums suspected to be members of the pro-Biafra group, IPOB, and its security arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) launched daring attacks on police and correctional service headquarters in the neighbouring Imo State. Abia and Imo States are in Nigerias South-east region. The South-east and South-south regions have witnessed a spate of deadly and worrisome attacks on police officers and police facilities of late. A statement by the Commissioner for Information in Abia State, John Kalu, said the curfew in the two cities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily and is to begin on Easter Monday, April 5 till further notice. Mr Kalu said the curfew was based on a security report received by the state government and the need to continue to protect innocent citizens and residents of the state. Security agencies in the state have been directed to ensure strict enforcement and compliance with the directive. Only those on essential services with proper identification are exempted from the curfew. We urge traditional rulers, men of the State Homeland Security Team and Community Vigilante Services in the state to monitor movement of persons within their respective domains and take necessary measures to protect the people and their property, the statement said. At least six police officers have been killed by unknown gunmen in Abia in the past one month. The last attack against police in the state occurred on March 22 when some yet-to-be-identified gunmen ambushed a police patrol team in Abiriba, Ohafia Local Government Area, killed three officers, set the patrol vehicle ablaze, and fled with the rifles belonging to the slain officers. Two officers were killed on February 23 and some rifles stolen when gunmen attacked a police station in Aba. Also, some gunmen on February 1 attacked Umuoba Police Station in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of the state and killed a police inspector. IPOB speaks on Imo attack Meanwhile, IPOB has denied any involvement in the latest attack in Imo State. The group, in a statement by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, said, IPOB and Eastern Security Network (ESN) are known groups, not unknown gunmen. ESN is in the bush chasing terrorists and have no business with the said attacks. We were not involved in the attack in Owerri and the recent attack on Onitsha-Owerri road at Ukwuorji junction. It is not our mandate to attack security personnel or prison facilities, the group stated. A 7-year-old in Arkansas learned the power of persuasion after penning a letter to Old Navy. Earlier this year, first grade students at Evening Star Elementary in Bentonville drafted letters to practice their persuasive writing skills, Bentonville Schools said Thursday in a Facebook post. Kamryn Gardner decided to write hers to Old Navy. She was frustrated about a certain design feature on some girls jeans: fake pockets. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. I do not like that front pockets on girls jeans are fake, she wrote. I want front pockets because I want to put my hands in them. I also would like to put things in them. Would you consider making girls jeans with front pockets that are not fake? She then thanked the retailer for reading and signed her name. Some of Old Navys girls jeans feature real pockets, but others have decorative scoop faux pockets on the front, according to product descriptions on the retailers website. Soon after Kamryn sent the letter, she received a handwritten response from Old Navy and a special surprise. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Thank you so much for taking the time to write us about pockets on girls jeans, the card, dated March 14, reads. The Old Navy kids product team appreciate your information. Its great feedback for us as we develop new product. Old Navy also sent Kamryn four pairs of jeans with real pockets. Oh, the power of persuasion especially when youre adorable! the school district wrote on Facebook. Kamryn, you proudly own those pockets! Kudos to Old Navy for making this first graders day and ours! Snowbi Wan Kenobi? Snowplow naming contest in Minnesota brings brilliant suggestions PHOENIX, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) announces how the subsidy expansion under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 will allow the majority of uninsured Arizonans to be eligible for plans with lower or no cost premiums, starting April 1. "This is a big opportunity for individuals, couples and families and we want to be there to help Arizonans navigate what is best for them," said Rachel Winkler, Vice President Individual Segment for BCBSAZ. "This can be complex and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona advisors are standing by to help." Here's what Arizonans should know: You may now qualify for a subsidy even if you didn't during last year's open enrollment period You may be eligible for lower cost or free premium plans Anyone can elect a plan regardless if they have a qualifying event or not, through Aug. 15, 2021 On average, four out of five enrollees will be able to find a plan for $10 or less per month with tax credits, and over 50% will be able to find a Silver plan for $10 or less with tax credits. The new subsidies are effective in 2021 and will continue through 2022. The enhanced subsidy structure falls under the Special Enrollment Period that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced as a result of President Biden's executive order. For more information on BCBSAZ plans and offerings, or to enroll in a plan visit azblue.com/subsidy-expansion-2021 About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) is committed to helping Arizonans get healthier faster and stay healthier longer. With a focus on connecting people with the care they need, BCBSAZ offers health insurance and related services to more than 1.7 million customers. Through advanced clinical programs and community outreach, BCBSAZ is inspiring health in Arizona. BCBSAZ, a not-for-profit company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The company, and its subsidiaries, employ more than 2,500 people in its Phoenix, Chandler, Flagstaff, and Tucson offices. To learn more, visit azblue.com. SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Related Links http://www.azblue.com Sudan is in talks to allow Russia and the United States to both cement their military presence on its coast and build naval bases by the Red Sea, Middle East Eye reports. The sources, who requested anonymity because they are not authorised to talk to the media, said that Sudanese authorities were studying proposals from both countries to build regional maritime partnerships that could help the international fight against terrorism, human trafficking and piracy. Three Russian and US warships docked in the coastal city of Port Sudan in February and March, interpreted as an escalation of the competition between the two international powers to solidify their military presence in Sudanese territorial waters in the Red Sea. Sudan suffers from an economic crisis and tribal clashes in the periphery of the country, which are widely believed to be triggered by supporters of ousted president Omar Al-Bashir. Meanwhile, the country is seeking to warm its ties with the West after years of sanctions. This has led the joint civilian-military transitional government to normalise its ties with Israel, and pay more than $300m to the victims of attacks against US embassies in Africa in the 1990s as proof of goodwill. The army, which entered a power-sharing with the civilian opposition after Bashir was removed from office following mass protests in 2019, seems to be playing a big role in seducing US forces in Africa (AFRICOM) as well as Russia. But the issue is further complicating a continuing dispute between the military and civilian wings of the transitional government, as the latter accuse the army of once again sidelining them in shaping foreign policy. Navy bases and docked ships In November, the Sudanese army struck a deal with Russia allowing Moscow to build a naval base on its coast, a move seen as an expansion of Russian presence not only in Sudan but also in the Red Sea and Africa as a whole. The planned base would include 300 military crew and become a logistical centre for Moscow's maritime presence in Africa. Three months after the naval base deal, the Admiral Grigorovich became the first Russian warship to enter Port Sudan on 28 February, docking there for several days. In January, AFRICOM's deputy commander for civil-military engagement, Ambassador Andrew Young, and Director of Intelligence Rear Admiral Heidi Berg visited Sudan in a significant trip to expand cooperative engagement with the US, after Washington rescinded its designation of Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism in December. "We are at a moment of historic change in the bilateral relationship between the United States and Sudan, made possible by the brave efforts of the Sudanese people to chart a bold new course toward democracy," Young said at the time. "We are committed to strengthening our relationship and exploring opportunities together." During the trip, Young and Berg met with Sudanese Sovereign Council Chairman General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, in order to recognise the efforts of the transitional government. Around the same time as the Russian warship was in the port, US guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S Churchill and transport ship USNS Carson City also arrived in Port Sudan, similarly staying there for a few days each. Conflicts of interest? Employees of the Maritime Security Services Company, Sudan, a private think tank that monitors the Red Sea, believe that the docking of US and Russian warships in Port Sudan around the same time marked a conflict of interest. The organisation's commercial officer, Wail Wail Dagash, told MEE that the US likely intends to limit Russian presence in Sudan. "While the US fully endorses the new civilian government in Sudan, the curbing of Russian influence in the Red Sea requires the blessing of the Sudanese military, which currently leads the new coalition government until 2022, when the civilian revolutionaries will then lead the transition government for another two years until elections," he said. Dagash further believes that Sudan and the broader region would benefit from the presence of naval bases of different nationalities in Khartoum's territorial waters. "Having two or more strong naval bases at Port Sudan means regular sea patrols, which in turn will reduce or maybe eliminate human trafficking, piracy and other types of smuggling," Dagash said. For his part, former diplomat US Cameron Hudson told MEE that Moscow and Washington were approaching Sudan from different perspectives. "On the military front, Russia and the US are trying to secure a foothold on the Red Sea, but more than that, they are vying for influence in a country that has just recently opened itself up to the outside world," he said. "While they both may have a security interest in the country, the US has chosen a strategic approach to Sudan that involves supporting it financially, economically, politically and socially to help bring about a democratic transition in the country and long-term stability for the region," he said. "To the extent that Russia has a strategy, it is merely to promote its own influence and to prevent Sudan from moving into a US orbit. The two approaches are hardly comparable." However, Sudanese academic Abu Bakr Bakhit from Red Sea University believes that the race is heating up between the two international powers over control of Red Sea security. He warned that Sudan has to deal seriously with these international pressures and refrain from participating in diplomatic games that could negatively affect Sudan's sovereignty and interests. "Sudan is still following the same foreign policy as under Bashir's old regime, of playing with the regional and international axes," he said. "That has to change after the revolution. Sudan is supposed to adopt balanced and independent policies." Domestic disputes A Sudanese diplomat told MEE on condition of anonymity that the United States was much closer to getting a military foothold in the Red Sea, based on the recent rapprochement with the US administration since Sudan's removal from the US terror list. "Both civilians and military officials are welcoming Washington's rapprochement with the transitional government," the diplomat said. "Meanwhile, the civilian side has been excluded from the agreement with Russia, which has only been signed with the army generals in the transitional government." A military source confirmed that, while the deal had been cemented with Russia in November, it was considered an extension of a previous agreement between Russia and Bashir. "Sudan's former regime had begun an initial military rapprochement between Sudan and Russia," the source, who also requested anonymity, told MEE. "Bashir even asked Russian President Vladimir Putin in November 2017 to protect Sudan from what he called 'the aggressive acts of the United States' against Sudan." Bakhit said that the tensions over which global power to prioritise closely overlapped with the domestic conflict between the army and civilians in Sudan, including tribal clashes in Eastern Sudan, where Bashir supporters are believed to play a role. "We can clearly notice that the military side is closer to Russia and its alliance to the old regime of Omar Al-Bashir, while the civilians are closer to the West, particularly the US," he said. International race for Sudan's favour Analysts further believe that other international and regional actors may get involved. "Other countries, from the Gulf to Turkey to European Union members, are seeking to gain influence and have good relations with Sudan, as all recognise it as strategically important on the Red Sea, but also because of its land routes across the Horn [of Africa]," Hudson said. Dagash further hypothethised that Sudan could play a role in the regional tensions between Gulf states and Iran, should Khartoum side more decisively with Saudi Arabia and its allies. "Politically, it would mean that Iranian warships would no longer call at Port Sudan, which made both Saudi Arabia and Egypt very nervous in the past," he said. Dagash urged Sudanese decision-makers to look beyond Moscow and Washington. "As Sudan's main trading partner and creditor for the last 30 years, China is watching all these developments in the new Sudan [after Bashir] and the competition between Russia and the US in Port Sudan very closely," he noted. "I would say, don't wait. Be bold, engage the Chinese as well, thank them for their support during our dark years, and offer China a foothold in the Red Sea through a Port Sudan base as well. Port Sudan should be a strategic port for the military superpowers." Dagash saw other countries in the area as a potential example to follow. "Djibouti, for example, is home to the most extensive array of military powers seen anywhere in the world," he said, pointing to the presence there of forces from the United States, China, Japan, France, Italy, Spain and most recently Saudi Arabia. EDWARDSVILLE With help from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the Edwardsville Public Library is doing its part to address racism. The library and the SIUE Community Destination Group have created the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Awareness) Book Club, which will feature a series of group discussions and guest speakers from SIUE. The series, which will include three books, starts in April and continues through July. This is clearly a city initiative to address these issues and to advance racial equity, Edwardsville Public Library Director Jill Schardt said. We were thinking about our role as a public library and I like the term advance racial equity because its a positive term. That includes things like dismantling institutionalized racism, but if you phrase it as advancing racial equity, we hope that people can agree that its important. As a public library, our role is to provide information and lifelong learning opportunities for the community, so we thought we would choose three different types of books to try to appeal to a broader audience. The series kicks off on April 15 and 29 with book discussions for The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein. Dr. Florence Maatita, professor of sociology at SIUE, will be the speaker on May 6. All three meetings will be at the Wildey Theatre. On May 27, there will be a book discussion for The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, with Dr. Howard Rambsy, a professor of literature at SIUE, as the speaker on June 3. The final book in the series is The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. There will be book discussions on July 1 and 15, with Dr. J.T. Snipes, an assistant professor of educational leadership at SIUE, as the speaker on July 22. A location for the meetings for The Nickel Boys and The Warmth of Other Suns will be announced. The Color of Law (a history of the modern American metropolis) is heavy nonfiction with very important topics, Schardt said. The Nickel Boys is fiction and written by Colson Whitehead, who is an important literary figure. Then we end the series with The Warmth of Other Suns (which chronicles the decades-long migration of Black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities). We felt that if someone wasnt interested in all three books, we cover three different areas and have discussions with library staff and other people who have read the book. Each book then has the SIUE speaker as the capstone of the program. For Rambsy, who has taught a wide range of Black literature classes as well as courses on rap music and comic books, the IDEA Book Club provides an opportunity for him and his fellow members to interact with an audience they would not normally reach. Its always good when people do discussions around books, especially regarding diversity and inclusion, but what excites me is the idea that a fiction book is being included, Rambsy said. Colson Whitehead is one of my favorite writers. Most of his books before the last two were on lighter, humorous subjects, but during what we call the era of Black Lives Matter, hes taken a serious tone in his work. As someone who has followed his work for so long, its fascinating to see him shift and address these issues. The Nickel Boys tells the story of Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, Florida. After being unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwoods only salvation is his friendship with fellow delinquent Turner, which deepens despite Turners conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. As life at the Academy becomes ever more perilous, the tension between Elwoods ideals and Turners skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades. The book is based on the real story of a reform school in Florida that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children. People didnt find out about the abuse at that school until 2014, which was also around the same time that Michael Brown was shot and killed (by police in Ferguson, Missouri), Rambsy said. In this book, Colson Whitehead discusses unrest and police brutality, but its also inspired by what was uncovered in Florida at the reform school. After more than a year of holding meetings mostly through Zoom and other virtual outlets, Schardt is looking forward to having the meetings for The Color of Law at the Wildey Theatre. Due to COVID, we are still quarantining all of our materials for three days and our biggest meeting room in the library is full of books, Schardt said. Its also more complicated now because our remodel has started, and half of the library is cleared out. The city was kind enough to offer us the Wildey and were going to be in one of their upper meeting rooms. Were looking to have all the speakers at the Wildey but thats not confirmed yet for the last two books. A second option would be to have it in the reading room of the adult library here, but the city might help us find another location if the Wildey is booked for those days. Schardt is hopeful that the IDEA Book Club, with its guest speakers, will appeal to both readers and nonreaders. She also hopes that people will have an open mind when it comes to discussing racial inequity. Some people dont like to read books, or they dont have time to read, but they are still interested in learning, Schardt said. You can still come and listen to the SIUE guest speaker talk about the book and we have a Q & A session at the end. I want to invite people even if they feel a little uncomfortable about the topic, to read the books and listen to the speakers. In a perfect world, we wouldnt have to be talking about race or having to make things more equitable, but until we all understand how we got to this point about the truth in our history, we cant move past it. The Color of Law is available digitally with no wait through Hoopla (audiobook) and OverDrive/Libby (ebook & audiobook). The Nickel Boys is available through OverDrive/Libby (ebook & audiobook) and CloudLibrary (ebook & audiobook). The Warmth of Other Suns is available through OverDrive/Libby (ebook) and CloudLibrary (ebook). For The Color of Law, we have 20 copies of the book and we have unlimited simultaneous use copies through our app, so everyone can read along with us, Schardt said. Registration for the book club series is required due to COVID restrictions. To register, call the library at 618-692-7556 or visit https://www.edwardsvillelibrary.org/. It is expected that Lavrovs visit will soon be followed by the Russian President. The annual summit between India and Russia was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both countries have a system in place where the prime minister of India and the president of Russia meet once a year to discuss the entire range of relations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will arrive in India, today for a two-day bilateral visit, which will provide a chance to discuss bilateral relations and review arrangements for the upcoming India-Russia annual summit later this year. During his visit, he will be meeting his Indian counterpart EAM S Jaishankar. He is also expected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the visit will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address important aspects of bilateral relations, as well as the arrangements for the next India-Russia annual summit. Perhaps regional and foreign topics of common concern will be discussed as well. The meeting is expected to cover a wide range of topics, including the Afghan peace process and the Quad meet. Following this meeting, the Russian Foreign Minister will soon visit Pakistan to meet with his counterpart, which could be viewed as a larger picture to address Afghanistans issue. Read More: ISRO espionage case: SCs high-level panel submits report on scientist Nambi Narayanans illegal arrest It is expected that Lavrovs visit will soon be followed by the Russian President. The annual summit between India and Russia was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both countries have a system in place where the prime minister of India and the president of Russia meet once a year to discuss the entire range of relations. The heads of the foreign affairs agencies will address the current state of bilateral relations, the preparation of the upcoming high-level meeting this year, including cooperation in the fight against the pandemic, will consider key topics on the regional, global agenda, assess approaches to the relationship between Russia and India on the international stage, the Russian Embassy in India said in a statement. Press Release April 5, 2021 Statement of Senator Risa Hontiveros on the continued presence of Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe Reef Ang titigas ng ulo. The Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe reef should leave immediately. If they are fishing vessels as China claims, then they can't fish in our Exclusive Economic Zone without our consent. Misunderstanding nga ba o sadya na tayong niloloko? The Philippines is not alone. The international community stands beside us in condemning China's continued deceit and aggression. China better pack up and leave. The world is catching on to China's gray zone smokescreen. How long will it keep using "civilian" vessels to pursue military activities in our EEZ? A strategy based on lies and deception does not always make one sublime; sometimes, it also exposes one as lying. May pandemya pa tayong nilalabanan, tapos ang Tsina nanggugulo pa. The Chinese Communist Party wants to be Asia's leader but, instead, it has become Asia's biggest bully. Instead of uniting the region, it has united the region against it. How long can such a regime hold any sort of mandate to lead the region? As I've said in earlier statements, the Philippine government should also already study effective ways of making China pay for her incursion. Beijing has damaged parts of our seas beyond repair and it's only right that it pays for this irreversible destruction. We need to act now. We need to expel these "fishing vessels" from our EEZ and dismantle all illegal structures on the reefs and features we claim. Every delay on our end is an opportunity for China to seize what is justly and rightfully ours. Nacogdoches, TX (75965) Today Cloudy this morning with showers during the afternoon. High 77F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Monday, 05 April 2021 21:08:52 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo The Ecuadorian ministry of labor suspended activities at local steelmaker Aceria Xinlong S.A, SteelOrbis has learned. The ministry made a site inspection on April 1, and found out the mill located in the city of Milagro, in the Guayas province, did not comply with several labor rules, including safety and health regulations. As a result, the ministry opened an administrative proceeding, the Ecuadorian ministry said, which means the mill will be halted for an indefinite period of time. The ministry also found out the steelmaker hired foreign workers with no proper documents and lacked formal work contracts for other employees. A media report by El Comercio noted the steelmaker had already failed to meet labor requirements in the past. The company denied any wrongdoing. On Wednesday, the airline announced that it would stop blocking off middle seats starting in May. The move was made last April to keep passengers farther apart, a policy that Deltas CEO had repeatedly cited as raising trust in the airline. The seats would be reopened as air travel recovers and more people become vaccinated against COVID-19, the airline said. Story Highlights Wellbeing and engagement diverged in 2020 Remote workers experienced higher levels of engagement, stress, and worry Leaders face a crucial junction: sustainability and wellbeing vs. burnout "Unprecedented" may be the most overused word of 2020, but COVID-19 workplace data trends are truly like nothing Gallup has ever seen. Gallup has been continuously tracking the engagement and wellbeing of the U.S. workforce since 2009 and increased frequency to nearly daily at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to better evaluate its impact. Many of our insights punctuate what most Americans are feeling every day, but some of the results may surprise you. Among our most important discoveries is a trend we call the "Wellbeing-Engagement Paradox." Typically, there's a link between employee engagement and wellbeing. Our research has shown that engagement and wellbeing are reciprocal -- each influences the future state of the other. They are also additive -- each makes a unique but complementary contribution to the thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and performance outcomes of employees. When they work together, they are a super-charger for a thriving, productive workplace. For instance, when employees are engaged and thriving at work, burnout decreases and productivity improves. However, in 2020, employee engagement and wellbeing became disconnected from each other and went their own ways. This divergence presents critical implications for workplace leaders in the coming year. Devastating Blows to Stress, Worry and Life Evaluation People across the nation have experienced a significant decline in personal wellbeing due to COVID-19. Negative emotions, like stress and worry, spiked during the early months of the pandemic and sustained high levels continued to drain Americans' emotional fortitude. Even worse, Americans' life evaluations hit their lowest levels since the Great Recession of 2008 with only 46.5% of individuals evaluating their lives as "thriving" in April of 2020 -- a 15% drop from pre-pandemic levels. Common sources of pandemic-induced distress run the gamut from health and job concerns to social disconnectedness, social injustice, childcare strains, and uncertainty about the future. Line graph depicting lowest level of thriving Americans since the Great Recession was reached during COVID-19. Furthermore, stress and worry have been even worse for remote workers than on-site workers amid COVID-19 -- a great concern for employees and employers alike given that 40% to 60% of the U.S. workforce has been working remotely throughout 2020. As employers ponder offering long-term remote work opportunities and contemplate lingering questions about whether remote work affects productivity, the immediate need to support the wellbeing of their current remote workers continues to be a pressing concern. Working from home during COVID-19 is associated with intensified levels of both engagement and negative emotions, like stress and worry. These additional blows to the wellbeing of remote workers may not surprise those of you who are currently parenting, teaching and enduring extended workdays in a single space you have barely left since early 2020. And it's not just parents working from home who are experiencing exhaustion from the pandemic. Unmarried, fully remote workers are particularly susceptible to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Whether you're chasing kids around the house, spending more time with your roommate than you ever expected, or missing the company of others, there are plenty of unique pandemic-related challenges to go around. Two vertically stacked line graphs comparing stress and worry levels between remote workers and on-site workers. In March 2020, both peaked at 67% of remote workers and 60% of on-site workers reporting feelings of stress, and 63% of remote workers and 53% of on-site workers reporting feelings of worry. Remote workers continued to report higher levels of stress and worry through December. Fortunately, measures of wellbeing rebounded significantly since the early days of the pandemic, but life evaluations still trended at levels lower than normal, and stress and worry continued to be volatile through the ups and downs of 2020. Looking forward, threats to wellbeing need to be closely monitored due to the impact they have on both individuals and society. In fact, historic drops in Gallup's life evaluation metric have preceded extreme social unrest and major economic events, such as Brexit, the Arab Uprisings, and the Euromaidan Revolution. It is quite possible that America's dip in thriving citizens may have even contributed to the social divisiveness experienced across the country in 2020. The Resilience of Employee Engagement Many expected employee engagement to plunge as a result of hardships caused by the pandemic. Yet, in contrast to wellbeing, employee engagement maintained a better trajectory overall in 2020. It even reached a new record high multiple times throughout the summer before cooling off the rest of the year, and it closed at one percentage point higher than the 2019 average. Line graph depicting a positive trajectory for U.S. and global employee engagement trends since 2000. In 2020, 36% of U.S. employees were engaged. The fact that, overall, the national employee engagement average did not decline in 2020 really speaks to how the efforts, enthusiasm and commitment of many employees have been steadfast through COVID-19, despite experiencing a new kind of stress and worry each day. Employee engagement has been a life raft of sorts reflecting a range of positive experiences that have arisen from battling through the pandemic. At a time when layoffs and furloughs abounded, employees were thankful to have jobs, experienced the benefits of increased flexibility and autonomy resulting from remote work, benefitted from strong leadership efforts to engage them, and rallied with coworkers to keep everything afloat. In short, employees were inspired by and united under a shared sense of purpose. While the overall picture of engagement was relatively positive, compared with wellbeing, a closer look at the monthly data highlights some unusual short-term volatility during 2020. Typically, engagement is not affected by macro-level social or economic forces. But in 2020, we saw engagement spike to an all-time high in May before it dropped dramatically immediately after the killing of George Floyd and the ensuing social justice protests. Weeks later, June engagement ascended back up to a new record high with 40% of employees engaged in their jobs. This flux in engagement is notable both for the historic events punctuating these trends and because it reflects the truly unprecedented times we're living in. We are navigating a constant state of new challenges while grappling with unknowns about the future. We must also honor that some employees have been affected more adversely than others and the fact that only 36% of Americans were engaged at work in 2020 leaves much room for improvement. Line graph depicting the fluctuations of U.S. employee engagement and disengagement in 2020. Engagement dropped from 38% to 31% after the killing of George Floyd, rose to 40% in early July, and settled back to 36% in October through December. Now to answer the question that many organizations are asking with an eye to the future -- how did the forced experiment of working from home impact employee engagement? In contrast to our wellbeing findings, remote workers have experienced significantly higher engagement than on-site workers for the majority of the pandemic. This indicates that working from home during COVID-19 is associated with intensified levels of both engagement and negative emotions, like stress and worry. This is an important insight for leaders: When managing remote teams during the pandemic, leaders need to capitalize on the advantages of working from home, while actively working to reduce sources of exceptional stress and worry. It is also important for leaders to remember that many employees were forced home with little warning and minimal guidance for how to structure their remote work effectively. Not to mention, many faced social isolation and restriction due to state and local regulations. Being unexpectedly trapped at home during a pandemic is a stark contrast to the flexibility and autonomy of choosing to work from home prior to the pandemic. Line graph depicting the engagement of remote workers in the U.S. has fluctuated between 36% and 41%, while the engagement of on-site workers dipped as low as 25% in Jun (compared to 36% for remote workers). Navigating the Engagement-Wellbeing Paradox The resilience of employee engagement levels in 2020 was surprising given that wellbeing took such a hit and because, typically, there is a reciprocal relationship between the two. This paradox, however, begins to explain the extremely polarizing work-life experiences resulting from the pandemic. So where does that leave us -- after engagement moved in one direction and wellbeing pulled in another direction for most of 2020? Our biggest concern is that many employees have hit or are approaching a breaking point that leads to burnout and suffering with long-term consequences. If organizations fail to engage employees and fend off chronically high levels of stress and worry, the result could adversely affect millions of lives. While we are seeing some early signs of improved wellbeing in 2021, we have a long road ahead to recovery and face new challenges associated with transitioning back to the workplace. How employers and managers respond will make all the difference: Leaders who work to proactively prevent and manage burnout, while capitalizing on the needed flexibility and efficiency that remote work affords, will be building stronger, healthier, more productive workforces into the future. If left untreated, employee burnout has the potential to significantly impact those organizations and the lives of their employees. Advice for Leaders: How to Help Employees Thrive Amid the Chaos In light of our findings, Gallup recommends the following to lead away from burnout and toward a future-ready workplace: Start measuring employee wellbeing, in addition to engagement. Many organizations already have employee engagement surveys. Wellbeing needs to be added to the conversation. It may only require a few questions in a pulse survey, but it can help you highlight areas of concern that you can proactively address. Many organizations already have employee engagement surveys. Wellbeing needs to be added to the conversation. It may only require a few questions in a pulse survey, but it can help you highlight areas of concern that you can proactively address. Train managers to have conversations about wellbeing, above and beyond engagement. High engagement may be hiding red flags, as work-life balance vanishes. Managers must be able to have appropriate but caring conversations about life outside of work if they are going to manage performance effectively. High engagement may be hiding red flags, as work-life balance vanishes. Managers must be able to have appropriate but caring conversations about life outside of work if they are going to manage performance effectively. Capitalize on the benefits of well-managed remote work. People who never worked from home before are enjoying greater flexibility with their jobs, which is beneficial to engagement. However, remote workers are also experiencing burnout more often during the pandemic. Managers need to be in-tune with employees' wellbeing while fostering work schedules that support productivity and work-life integration. People who never worked from home before are enjoying greater flexibility with their jobs, which is beneficial to engagement. However, remote workers are also experiencing burnout more often during the pandemic. Managers need to be in-tune with employees' wellbeing while fostering work schedules that support productivity and work-life integration. Consider the disparate impact the pandemic is having on certain employees. For example, industries and sectors that employ significant numbers of women should be prepared for rising burnout, which undermines health and productivity. "Perks" to attract working mothers or single parents may now be table stakes for talent attraction and retention. Front-line workers may be experiencing steep financial hardships and people from various racial and ethnic backgrounds may be facing intensified diversity, equity and inclusion concerns. Employees need workplace cultures that are accepting and supportive of their heroic juggling act. For example, industries and sectors that employ significant numbers of women should be prepared for rising burnout, which undermines health and productivity. "Perks" to attract working mothers or single parents may now be table stakes for talent attraction and retention. Front-line workers may be experiencing steep financial hardships and people from various racial and ethnic backgrounds may be facing intensified diversity, equity and inclusion concerns. Employees need workplace cultures that are accepting and supportive of their heroic juggling act. Actively scan for signs of potential burnout. A "day off" may not be a sufficient fix in our current situation, when people need more managerial support and social connection rather than less. Managers should engage their teams, but not push them into overdrive. They are ultimately responsible for ensuring employees have realistic expectations, support and manageable workloads. Get more analytics and advice on wellbeing and engagement: Read Working Remotely: Careers, Management and Strategy for details on the changing workplace and the experience of working from home amid the coronavirus. Partner with us to unpack and improve wellbeing and engagement in your organization. Subscribe to the Gallup at Work newsletter to receive more insights on the evolution of life at work. In Louisiana, 86,626 more doses of COVID vaccines have been administered, according to a noon updated from the Louisiana Department of Health. The total number of administered doses is now more than 2 million. Now there are 834,087 people who are fully vaccinated and 1,273,573 people who have received at least one dose of a vaccine. State officials opened vaccine eligibility last week to all adults 16 and older. Most of those shots are part of the two-dose regimen recommended for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which is why the total number of people who have received at least one dose is lower. Out of Louisiana's entire estimated population, 27.4% of people have received at least one dose and 17.94% of people are fully vaccinated. Monday's update from the Louisiana Department of Health is the first since Thursday due to holidays and the weekend. These are another few key statewide statistics as of Monday: 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 Total confirmed cases: 381,272 Total "probable" cases: 65,465 Total confirmed deaths: 9,312 Currently hospitalized: 292 Currently on ventilators: 49 Vaccine series initiated: 1,273,573 (updated twice weekly) Vaccine series completed: 834,087 Note: The Advocate and The Times-Picayune staff calculates daily case count and confirmed death increases based on the difference between today's total and yesterday's total of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths. The Louisiana Department of Health releases a daily case count on its dashboard that includes probable cases as indicated by a positive antigen test. That case count can be different than the one listed here. Can't see chart below? Click here. Can't see chart below? Click here. Louisiana began reopening for Phase 1 on May 15-16 then moved to Phase 2 on June 5. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards extended Louisiana's Phase 2 restrictions twice in August before moving the state to Phase 3 on Sept. 11. The governor then moved the state back to a modified Phase 2 near the end of November before putting Louisiana back in a modified Phase 3 on March 2, 2021. This is a developing story. More details and analysis to come. United States officials caught 171,000 people trying to illegally cross the U.S. border with Mexico last month. That is 178 percent more than in February. Most of the people are trying to escape difficult conditions in Central America and Mexico. The Reuters news agency reports that more people tried to cross the border in March than at any time in the last 20 years. About 99,000 of the total were single adults. The rest included almost 19,000 children traveling alone and about 53,000 family members traveling together. Children who arrive at the U.S. border alone are not sent back immediately. They are housed in processing centers. However, the centers are designed for many fewer people and now are overcrowded. As a result, the U.S. government opened emergency shelters in Dallas, Texas and San Diego, California. But those are also getting full. President Joe Biden has said the vast majority of families who arrive together at the border are being sent back. However, information from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that might not be the case. More than half of the 19,000 people who arrived as part of family groups were not sent back in February. Many were released into the U.S. and were required to appear at an immigration court at a later time. Reuters also looked at documents from three separate days in March that showed fewer than 14 to 16 percent of family members were sent home on those days. Sarah Peck is a spokeswoman from the U.S. Department of Homeland security. She said, one day or week of statistics doesnt reflect the full picture. She added that it is still the governments policy to send families away. However, Mexico, the country from which the migrants entered the U.S., is not always able to receive them. So they are sent to an immigration court. Im Dan Friedell. Ted Hesson wrote this story for Reuters. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. How should the U.S. manage the people coming to the border? Tell us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story vast adj. very great in size, amount, or extent statistics n.(often pl.) a number that provides information about how many, how often or how common something is reflect v. to show (something) : to make (something) known Zimbabwe is prepared to volunteer and expose itself to peer review for continuous improvement of good governance. This was said by acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Professor Amon Murwira at the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) summit which was chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. He said Zimbabwe had nothing to hide following its accession to a specialised agency of the African Union (AU) in February 2020. Zimbabwe is prepared to volunteer and expose itself to peer review for continuous improvement of good governance. This is basically in pursuit of our vision 2030 of becoming an upper middle income economy that is inclusive. At the same time, this then meets the vision 2063 of the Africa we want, because Zimbabwe is part of the African building block, said Minister Murwira. The peer review mechanism was a self-correcting mechanism for Africa in its wish to become a continent characterised by good governance. Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe was very pleased to be part of this mechanism, which showed that Zimbabwe was part of the family of nations. Zimbabwe is engaging and re-engaging, Zimbabwe has nothing to hide, so it is free to engage with the world and we are improving along these lines and basically this is what the African peer review mechanism is all about. Zimbabwe joining this mechanism shows that it is promoting its image as a good citizen of the world, with absolutely no intention to have enemies but to completely develop friendship with the rest of the world starting with Africa, said Minister Murwira. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the APRM mission to promote the African Unions shared values of democratic governance and inclusive development remained a priority. The APRM is a firm statement of the resolve of the African countries to strengthen effective governance and inclusive development, also the rule of law, and social and economic development. It is an important part of our efforts as individual states and as a continent to tackle instability, conflict, corruption and maladministration, he said. President Ramaphosa said the strategic plan for 2020 2024 continued to drive towards accession by all AU member states. Of the 55 member states, more than two thirds have already acceded to the APRM, this is a wonderful achievement, he said. The most recent accessions are those of Zimbabwe, and Seychelles at our summit last year to bring our community to a total of 40. Herald New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday will visit the site in Chhattisgarh where 22 security personnel were killed by Naxals in an ambush, officials said. The minister will also chair a meeting where the security situation arising out of the Saturday incident will be reviewed. Amit Shah During his visit, Shah will meet some of the injured security personnel in a hospital, a home ministry official said. Thirty jawans were injured in the ambush. The home minister along with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is expected to attend a wreath laying ceremony in Raipur and pay tributes to the security personnel killed in the attack, another official said. Photo The security personnel were killed by Naxals when they were out on a combing operation in a forest along the border of the Bijapur and Sukma districts of the state. Shah had said that the government will continue its fight against such enemies of peace and progress. COLORADO SPRINGS, CO / ACCESSWIRE / April 5, 2021 / Fortitude Gold Corp. (OTCQB:FTCO) (the "Company") today announced resource delineation drill results from its Golden Mile property in Mineral County, Nevada. High-grade intercepts included 20.10 meters grading 3.60 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, and 21.21 meters grading 2.77 g/t gold. Engineering and metallurgical test work evaluating and targeting an open-pit heap leach operation are underway. Fortitude Gold is a gold producer, developer, and explorer with operations in Nevada, U.S.A. A confirmation and delineation drill program in December of 2020 was the Company's first drill campaign at Golden Mile. The campaign not only confirmed the historic third-party high-grade drill results, but further delineated the gold mineralization and associated geologic structures. The 4,294 hectares (10,611 acres) Golden Mile property was acquired in June 2020. The property contains two known zones of mineralization, the "Golden Mile" and "Springs" areas. The Golden Mile mineralization is located on five patented claims and includes a database of more than 100 historic third-party exploration drill holes. The Company's initial drill program included nine confirmation and delineation diamond core holes confirming a portion of the historic drill hole database. In addition, four large-diameter "PQ" (6-inch) diamond core holes were drilled for confirmation and metallurgical testing. Golden Mile recent drill highlights include (m=meters, g/t=gram per tonne): Hole# GMDD-002: 20.10 m of 3.60 g/t gold incl. 1.52 m of 17.45 g/t gold incl. 3.05 m of 13.00 g/t gold 9.14 m of 3.99 g/t gold incl. 5.90 m of 5.89 g/t gold Hole# GMDD-003: 18.29 m of 1.03 g/t gold incl. 4.57 m of 2.81 g/t gold Hole# GMDD-005: 13.72 m of 1.68 g/t gold 10.67 m of 1.61 g/t gold Hole# GMDD-007: 10.06 m of 1.73 g/t gold incl. 3.05 m of 3.76 g/t gold Hole# GMDD-011(Metallurgical drill hole): 10.67 m of 1.88 g/t gold incl. 6.10 m of 3.21 g/t gold 9.14 m of 2.82 g/t gold incl. 3.05 m of 7.71 g/t gold Hole# GMDD-012 (Metallurgical drill hole): 21.21 m of 2.77 g/t gold incl. 4.45 m of 8.96 g/t gold "We are very pleased to have confirmed and further delineated the high-grade gold mineralization at Golden Mile," stated Mr. Barry Devlin, Vice President of Exploration for Fortitude Gold. "In addition to validating a portion of the historic drill database, we have obtained sufficient material for column leach testing and that material is now at a third-party metallurgical process services company specializing in heap leaching. We are excited to begin our second drill campaign to further delineate and expand this mineralization. While there is a fault structure controlling the mineral to the southwest, the mineralization is open at depth and along strike. Our next drill program targets expanding and pulling more mineral into the initial resource and open pit shell design." "Drilling over 20 meters of 3.60 grams per tonne gold less than one meter below the surface underscores Golden Mile's potential to become an open-pit mine," stated Mr. Jason Reid, President and CEO of Fortitude Gold. "We are moving the property forward on numerous fronts towards a potential production decision including a second drill campaign to further delineate an initial Golden Mile resource, ongoing engineering of the open pit design, initiation of metallurgical heap leach test work and we are conducting base line and other studies in preparation for project permit submissions. Having already confirmed the cyanide leachability of this material with initial preliminary test work, column leach tests currently underway are expected to define the mineral's heap leachable characteristics to help engineer the correct process needed to recover the gold. The preferred project design under evaluation is an open-pit heap leach operation taking gold to carbon and then transporting loaded carbon to the nearby Isabella Pearl project's ADR plant for final dore production. While several project due diligence items remain, it is exciting to see the developing potential at Golden Mile and at what could become Fortitude Gold's second open-pit heap leach gold mine." The Company owns 100% of over 13 kilometers (8 miles) of prospective ground within the connected Golden Mile and Mina Gold properties. While the Company targets its initial Golden Mile resource in 2021, there are two additional areas of known mineralization along this trend. The Spring and Mina Gold areas of mineralization are both in the initial resource delineation phase and warrant additional drill campaigns. In addition to these three known areas of mineralization, the large district sized land position contains numerous targets from which to potentially discover additional mineralized areas (see map below). The Company recently completed a hydrothermal alteration study that not only demonstrates the Golden Mile mineralization being coincident to hydrothermal alteration signatures, but also identified numerous additional exploration targets for future drill campaigns (see hydrothermal alteration map). Historic third-party high-grade drill intercepts include: About Fortitude Gold Corp.: Fortitude Gold is a U.S. based gold producer targeting projects with low operating costs, high margins, and strong returns on capital. The Company's strategy is to grow organically, remain debt-free and distribute substantial future dividends. The Company's Nevada Mining Unit consists of five high-grade gold properties located in the Walker Lane Mineral Belt, with the Isabella Pearl gold mine in current production. Nevada, U.S.A. is among the world's premier mining friendly jurisdictions. Cautionary Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. If you are risk-averse you should NOT buy shares in Fortitude Gold Corp. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. When used in this press release, the words "plan", "target", "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding the Company's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to the Company on the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, the scope, duration, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mining operations, Company employees, and supply chains as well as the scope, duration and impact of government action aimed at mitigating the pandemic may cause future actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. Also, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate. Contact: Greg Patterson 719-717-9825 greg.patterson@fortitudegold.com www.Fortitudegold.com SOURCE: Fortitude Gold Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/638891/Fortitude-Gold-Intercepts-2010-Meters-of-360-gt-Gold-at-Golden-Mile-Ongoing-Delineation-Engineering KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI Forget Them Not. Its more than just the name of an exhibit taking place this week at the Parchment Community Library but a reminder to remember those missing in action or who were taken prisoners of war in American history. Known as the Missing Man Table, the small display is set up in a secluded area of the library, where it will stand set and empty from April 5-10. Those who visit are welcome to take their time at the table, meditate and reflect, said library ambassador Karen Woodworth. Related: Remains of Michigan airman lost during WWII to be buried in Upper Peninsula Its sobering to think what POW/MIAs and their families have experienced, Woodworth said. This exhibit gives our community a chance to remember all of our countrys POW/MIAs. Each item on the table is symbolic, from the tablecloth a symbol of purity of the soldiers intentions responding to their countrys call to arms to the red rose, signifying the blood they may have shed in sacrifice. The rose also symbolizes the family and friends of the missing comrade who still await their return. A slice of lemon reminds of their bitter fate, sprinkled salt, tears that have been shed, and a glass inverted as they can not toast with us at this time. The chair sits empty for they are not here. The display, Woodworth said, was set up by the Ki-Ka-Ma-Sung Society of the Children of the American Revolution as part of a statewide project to bring attention to and honor American POW/MIAs dating back to Revolutionary War times. Related: World War II POW from Michigan says we all went bonkers when rescued The table will be on display for quiet reflection throughout the week and a box next to the table will be available to submit names of POW/MIA service members from any American conflict, Woodworth said. The library, 401 S. Riverview Dr., is open Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Wednesday-Friday 9 a.m. 5 p.m. and Saturday, April 10 from 9 a.m. 1 .pm. COVID-19 precautions remain in place and a mask covering ones nose and mouth must be worn at all times in the library and social distancing guidelines must be followed, a news release from the library states. Visits must be limited to one hour or less. Also on MLive: Kalamazoo gym owner just trying to get a reaction by saying masks would not be allowed Kalamazoo County will vote on whether to fund YWCA initiative for gender-affirming care, abortion Man faces felonies for 36-hour standoff, prompts pro-gun protest in Ann Arbor An interdisciplinary team led by KU Leuven and Stanford has identified 76 overlapping genetic locations that shape both our face and our brain. What the researchers didn't find is evidence that this genetic overlap also predicts someone's behavioural-cognitive traits or risk of conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. This means that the findings help to debunk several persistent pseudoscientific claims about what our face reveals about us. There were already indications of a genetic link between the shape of our face and that of our brain, says Professor Peter Claes from the Laboratory for Imaging Genetics at KU Leuven, who is the joint senior author of the study with Professor Joanna Wysocka from the Stanford University School of Medicine. "But our knowledge on this link was based on model organism research and clinical knowledge of extremely rare conditions," Claes continues. "We set out to map the genetic link between individuals' face and brain shape much more broadly, and for commonly occurring genetic variation in the larger, non-clinical population." Brain scans and DNA from the UK Biobank To study genetic underpinnings of brain shape, the team applied a methodology that Peter Claes and his colleagues had already used in the past to identify genes that determine the shape of our face. Claes: "In these previous studies, we analysed 3D images of faces and linked several data points on these faces to genetic information to find correlations." This way, the researchers were able to identify various genes that shape our face. For the current study, the team relied on these previously acquired insights as well as the data available in the UK Biobank, a database from which they used the MRI brain scans and genetic information of 20,000 individuals. Claes: "To be able to analyse the MRI scans, we had to measure the brains shown on the scans. Our specific focus was on variations in the folded external surface of the brain - the typical 'walnut shape'. We then went on to link the data from the image analyses to the available genetic information. This way, we identified 472 genomic locations that have an impact on the shape of our brain. 351 of these locations have never been reported before. To our surprise, we found that as many as 76 genomic locations predictive of the brain shape had previously already been found to be linked to the face shape. This makes the genetic link between face and brain shape a convincing one." The team also found evidence that genetic signals that influence both brain and face shape are enriched in the regions of the genome that regulate gene activity during embryogenesis, either in facial progenitor cells or in the developing brain. This makes sense, Wysocka explains, as the development of the brain and the face are coordinated. "But we did not expect that this developmental cross-talk would be so genetically complex and would have such a broad impact on human variation." No genetic link with behaviour or neuropsychiatric disorders At least as important is what the researchers did not find, says Dr Sahin Naqvi from the Stanford University School of Medicine, who is the first author of this study. "We found a clear genetic link between someone's face and their brain shape, but this overlap is almost completely unrelated to that individual's behavioural-cognitive traits." Concretely: even with advanced technologies, it is impossible to predict someone's behaviour based on their facial features. Peter Claes continues: "Our results confirm that there is no genetic evidence for a link between someone's face and that individual's behaviour. Therefore, we explicitly dissociate ourselves from pseudoscientific claims to the contrary. For instance, some people claim that they can detect aggressive tendencies in faces by means of artificial intelligence. Not only are such projects completely unethical, they also lack a scientific foundation." In their study, the authors also briefly address conditions such as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Claes: "As a starting point, we used the results that were previously published by other teams about the genetic basis of such neuropsychiatric disorders. The possible link with the genes that determine the shape of our face had never been examined before. If you compare existing findings with our new ones, you see a relatively large overlap between the genetic variants that contribute to specific neuropsychiatric disorders and those that play a role in the shape of our brain, but not for those that contribute to our face." In other words: our risk of developing a neuropsychiatric disorder is not written on our face either. ### This research is a collaboration between KU Leuven, Stanford University School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania State University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Cardiff University, and George Mason University. The two have joined forces to launch a pilot program that would essentially make it possible for Google Maps users to track the grocery order status, share the ETA with the staff, and then let the store know theyve arrived for a no-contact pick up right from the application.And the whole thing works as straightforward as possible.First of all, youd have to place your order in the store's dedicated app, but thanks to this new update, you can add it to Google Maps for additional functionality.Once its registered in Google Maps, the app will send you a notification to let you know that you can go pick up your order. In addition, Maps will determine the route, calculate the ETA, and then share it with the store, so the staff will know exactly when you arrive.Furthermore, Google says the application will continue to update this information based on the traffic conditions and your location. In theory, the ETA would always be up-to-date, which means the store knows precisely when youre close so that workers can prepare your order.In addition, Google Maps will also let drivers provide the parking number, as the purpose of the whole thing is to provide a no-contact experience thats just right for these awful times.Worth knowing, however, is that this new feature is still in preview for the time being, as its available only for select stores in Portland, Oregon, for now. Google hasnt said when exactly it could expand it to more stores across the States, but the company first wants to see how its working before making a decision in this regard. (Newser) As volcanic eruptions go, the latest one in Iceland has been a relatively tame affair. Gentle lava flows have allowed hikers in Geldinga Valley to get up close and personaland even roast hot dogs, as photos rounded up in the Atlantic show. Things changed Monday, however, when a new fissure forced hundreds of hikers to evacuate, reports the AP. This fissure is about half a mile from the first one, suggesting that the eruptions are shifting. "We now see less lava coming from the two original craters," says geophysicist Magnus Gudmundsson. "This could be the beginning of second stage." story continues below If the idea of a live volcano being a tourist attraction sounds odd, the AP notes that this is fairly typical in Iceland, which is situated above a volcanic hot spot. In fact, a new one flares up every four or five years. One of the more famous recent ones was the Eyjafjallajokull eruption of 2010, which grounded international flights. Tourist officials estimate that 30,000 people have visited the latest eruption, thanks in part to its proximity to the capital, Reykjavik. For the record, Iceland emergency authorities officially frown on the cooking of hot dogs or sausages on lava and remind people that an eruption is an "extremely dangerous phenomenon," per Nerdist. (Read more volcano stories.) Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021. Georgia Republicans on March 25 passed a sweeping law to restrict voting access in the state. Before the vote, the biggest corporations in Georgia declined to weigh in. However, after the legislation was signed into law, Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola reversed course and both expressed their crystal clear opposition to it. Should large corporations stay out of politics? Or, do they have an obligation to speak out on issues important to their values? In the article Delta and Coca-Cola Reverse Course on Georgia Voting Law, Stating Crystal Clear Opposition, David Gelles writes: Companies that remained silent last week as Georgia Republicans rushed to pass a law to restrict voting access reversed course on Wednesday in the face of mounting outrage from activists, customers and a coalition of powerful Black executives. Delta Air Lines, Georgias largest employer, had made only general statements in support of voting rights last week and had declined to take a position on the legislation. That muted response drew fierce criticism, as well as protests at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and calls for a boycott. But on Wednesday, Ed Bastian, Deltas chief executive, made a stark reversal. I need to make it crystal clear that the final bill is unacceptable and does not match Deltas values, he wrote in an internal memo that was reviewed by The New York Times. Coca-Cola, another of Georgias largest companies, which had also declined to take a position on the legislation before it passed, made a similarly worded statement. I want to be crystal clear, said James Quincey, Coca-Colas chief executive. The Coca-Cola Company does not support this legislation, as it makes it harder for people to vote, not easier. Less than a day before the abrupt reversals, a group of prominent Black executives called on companies to publicly oppose a wave of similarly restrictive voting bills that Republicans are advancing in almost every state. But the statements wont change the outcome in Georgia, where the new law introduced stricter voter identification requirements for absentee balloting, limited drop boxes in predominantly Black neighborhoods and expanded the legislatures power over elections. It is regrettable that the sense of urgency came after the legislation was passed and signed into law, said Darren Walker, the president of the Ford Foundation and a board member at Ralph Lauren, Pepsi and Square. Students, read the entire article, then tell us: Ghanaian Highlife legend, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, has called on music industry players to preserve, develop and promote Highlife as a genre that represents the national identity. At the launch of the Highlife Is Alive Fan Club in Accra, on Monday, he bemoaned the missing identity of music in recent times and expressed the belief that the club would help uplift and sustain the Highlife genre. The Club seeks to make highlife a national art form, promote it as an international art and work towards its recognition as a national cultural heritage. Every country has its own music, so why do we have to leave highlife and chase other genres like reggae, and dancehall, among others. It is quite sad that our radios are supporting the promotion of other genres, which is a total deviation, Mr Ambolley said. Highlife is the mother of every dance music in the world. We cannot sit down and let highlife die because the younger ones are now doing songs on borrowed rhythms. The deviation from our original music is becoming very rapid due to the missing links between the older and younger musicians. So we the older ones have to put our minds together and salvage the situation, Mr Ambolley said. Mr George Aryee (Nii Krotia I Noyaa Mantse Ngleshie Alata), Chairman of the Fan Club, said the Club would help create a common platform for highlife lovers, artiste and other industry players. Highlife is a national treasure. It is our heritage. Highlife unites us as people and it is one music that brings everybody to the dance floor. In our history as a people, highlife has served as a medium for commentary on all kinds of social, economic, or political situations, he said. The creation of the music genre that has come to be known as Highlife is just about 100 years old, therefore, it is time that we find ways to ensure the continued development, advancement, promotion, and preservation of this unique national art form. Mr Aryee said it was about time that highlife was recognized and instituted formally as a national art treasure and heritage. Mr Amin Alhassan, the Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, who was the Guest of Honour, emphasized the need to celebrate and promote highlife as the national identity. He said the Fan Club was an important platform to advocate the institutionalization of highlife as a national art form, which most advanced countries had done over the past years. 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 having an affair with his brother Beau's widow, Hallie Biden, Hunter Biden convinced his father Joe in early 2017 to release a statement about approval with his new relationship in order to cover it and it would not 'seem wrong.' At the time, Joe Biden, who had recently left the White House after he served for two terms as the vice president for the Barack Obama administration, was reached by Hunter and told him that if people will find out the relationship without any approval from him, it makes it seem wrong. The approval was mentioned in his book 'Beautiful Things' which will be released on April 6. According to Fox News, Hunter Biden approached his father only after he was cornered in an interview, asking him about the relationship. In a copy of the book obtained by the news outlet, Hunter shared that his father left the vice presidency a month before the approval statement and he said to Joe that he and Hallie were lucky as they both found each other. Moreover, Hunter also mentioned to his father that Joe's grandchildren would be the victims of the public if Joe will not give his approval about the relationship. Hunter also pleaded to his father that kids would have to know that there is nothing wrong with the affair, and that Joe is the only person who can do it. ALSO READ: Biden Emphasizes Vaccination Means Doing Moral Obligation on Easter Message After hearing the request, Joe Biden was reluctant about the approval statement but in the end, he finally agreed and shared to the public that as parents, they were lucky that Hunter and Hallie found each other as they were putting their lives together again after the loss of Beau. Joe Biden also emphasized that together with his wife Jill, they completely support the relationship of Hunter and Hallie and they were happy for them, New York Post reported. In addition, a day after the statement from Joe, Hunter mentioned in his book that it was the beginning of the end. He also clarified that they are not putting their lives back together but rather living it in quiet desperation as they were now in full display for the public. Hunter also noted that he was continuing his long history of substance abuse after backsliding after his rehab. Beautiful Things In his book, Hunter also mentioned that he was madly trying to hold on to a slice of his brother and even Hallie was doing the same. He also shared that neither of them had planned a long-term relationship, but right now, both of them felt that they needed to and they must stick with each other. Also, Hunter wrote that they were not all in, or if they worry, the relationship will be considered as a salacious fling. He added that it is the reason why they are trying to work things out as losing it is not an option. Hunter also mentioned that he will be dealing with things in a different perspective as he was already clean and sober, Daily Mail reported. RELATED ARTICLE: Leaked Emails from Hunter Biden's Ex-Wife Details Affair With Sister-in-Law WATCH: Hunter Biden convinced father to publicly support his relationship with From - Yours News South Carolinas program to send special-needs children to private schools on the public dime was the camels nose under the tent. The original idea was a convoluted plan to subsidize nearly all children whose parents wanted to flee the public schools, without stepping on a state constitutional provision that might prohibit vouchers. Fortunately, lawmakers recognized that the primary beneficiary of such a program would be middlemen who created the scholarship granting organizations that it relied on and fly-by-night private schools it would invite into our state. So after years of failed efforts to sell their plan, supporters scaled back and settled for a much smaller program targeted at special-needs kids and with a limited budget with the stated intention of one day expanding it to their dream program. But after just two years, the Legislature had to shut down the private scholarship-granting organizations, at least one of which was playing fast and loose with the rules, and replace them with one controlled by the state, Exceptional SC. Now less than five years later, the new program has run into financial problems, so its asking the Legislature to loosen the rules under which it operates. Thats a bad idea. Before we explain why, we should explain how the program works. The people who run Exceptional SC call themselves fundraisers, but thats a misnomer. What they run is a 100% legal money laundering operation. They convince people to donate money to the scholarship program in return for 100% tax credits. Not tax deductions, which allow you to recoup say 20% of your spending, but credits: If you donate $10,000 to the program, you can subtract $10,000 from your tax bill. So the effect of the program is to allow people to divert their income tax payments away from public schools and the judicial system and the prisons and DHEC and other general programs that benefit the whole state and instead funnel the money straight into private schools that arent accountable to the public for their results. And as The Post and Couriers David Slade discovered in 2014, people who pay the federal alternative minimum tax dont just break even off the deal. In addition to getting all of their donation back in a state income tax credit, they also get to deduct it from federal taxable income. And since South Carolina uses federal taxable income as a starting point, they reduce their S.C. taxes even more. So they can actually make money by donating to a program that is designed to entice parents to abandon the public schools. 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! That alone is reason enough to dismantle the program, but unfortunately the Legislature never has seen fit to do that. The good news is that fewer people are participating in the program, apparently as a result of Exceptional SC sticking to legal fundraising efforts and the Trump-era income tax cuts that made donations less attractive for all but the richest. Tax diversions are down so much that Exceptional SC exceeded its 2% statutory cap on allowable administrative costs, and had to lay off its director. The bad news is that state lawmakers want to change a situation we ought to be celebrating. The House Ways and Means Committee voted 19-1 last month to liberalize the rules for the tax credits program: letting donors use their tax credits to wipe out 75% of their state income tax liability, up from 60% today, and letting them use their tax credits over four years instead of one. H.3899 also would remove the Department of Revenues oversight of the program, eliminate a requirement that schools provide the Education Oversight Committee with test scores for students receiving scholarships and allow Exceptional SC to more than double, from 2% to 5%, the portion of revenue it can spend on administrative costs rather than scholarships. Even if it made sense to encourage more people to divert their income tax payments away from programs that serve all South Carolinians, we cant find any justification for reducing the already inadequate testing requirements (unlike public schools, which must administer specific state tests, schools receiving scholarship funds get to choose which tests to administer), for eliminating oversight from the state Revenue Department or for allowing the program whose job is simply to hand out scholarships, on a first-come first-served basis to divert even more money from those scholarships to overhead. As Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter told us: There have been so many challenges with this program. I dont know how long were going to continue this experiment. Given the lopsided vote in the Ways and Means Committee, we dont have a lot of hope that the House will decide its time to end the experiment. But we hope senators will at least refuse to go along with reducing what little state oversight we have and making it more enticing for people to direct their taxes away from the public schools that will always have the responsibility for educating the overwhelming majority of South Carolinas children. AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 5, 2021 / Accesswire Announcement -- Turner Valley Oil and Gas, Inc. (the "Company") ("Turner") (OTC:TVOG), now doing business as Turner Venture Group, Inc., is pleased to announce it has engaged the independent auditing firm Briggs & Veselka Co. as its certifying public accountant, effective immediately as per TVOG's SEC Filing Form 8-K yesterday. Briggs & Veselka Co. will audit the Company's financial statements for the past two years, an ongoing basis, and support completion of required SEC filings necessary for uplist to the OTCQB marketplace tier. This seeks completion as a prerequisite with Turner's equity placement agreement with GHS Investments, LLC which requires a Form 10 registration, previously announced for $4,000,000 available to view at the following link: https://backend.otcmarkets.com/otcapi/company/financial-report/215959/content Please refer to most recent website announcements for more information: https://tvoginc.com/industry-news/turner-news/ About Briggs & Veselka Co. Founded in 1973, Briggs & Veselka Co. is Houston's largest independent accounting firm. They are also the third-largest independent CPA firm in Texas. Briggs & Veselka offers audit, consulting, and tax services with experts specializing in a wide range of industries. About Turner Valley Oil and Gas, Inc. Turner (OTC:TVOG) is a Venture Holding Company that acquires equity interests in innovative products and companies within the hemp, health, wellness, sanitation, infrastructure and supply chain technology segments. Turner's cornerstone acquisition of Bloomi Labs, LLC has formulation of a CBD Hand Sanitizer manufactured domestically. Disclosures Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Key Links: OTCMarkets Profile: http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/TVOG/profile Disclaimer: https://TVOGinc.com/contactus/disclaimer/ Corporate Website: http://TVOGInc.com | http://BloomiClean.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/tvoginc | http://twitter.com/BloomiClean Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TVOGinc/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TVOGinc/ CONTACT: James B. Smith, CEO, Chairman Turner Valley Oil And Gas, Inc. Address: 5900 Balcones Drive, Suite 4503, Austin,TX 78731 Phone: 1-830-291-8189 Email: TurnerVentureGroupInc@gmail.com or info@TVOGinc.com SOURCE: Turner Valley Oil and Gas, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/639022/Turner-Venture-Group-Announces-Engagement-of-Auditor 'If anything happened to me, it would be Larry.' That's the chilling warning missing mother-of-three Maya 'May' Millete, 39, allegedly told her family just days before she disappeared in January in Southern California. As the search for Maya stretches into its fourth month, her relatives have become increasingly insistent that police zero in on her husband of 21 years, Larry Millette. Last week reports emerged that Maya had made an appointment with a divorce attorney on the day she was last seen at her home in Chula Vista, January 7. In a new interview with Fox News, Maya's brother-in-law Richard Drouaillet revealed that the couple's marital problems began months earlier, and claimed that Larry repeatedly reached out to his wife's family about their problems. 'He was more of an aggressor, trying to get us involved,' Richard said of Larry. 'He was trying to get us on his side, when we felt like it was a lot of lies that he was telling us.' Maya Millete is pictured with her husband, Larry. Days before she disappeared in January, Maya reportedly warned relatives: 'If anything happened to me, it would be Larry' As the search for Maya stretches into its fourth month, her relatives have become increasingly insistent that police zero in on her husband Larry (above together with their three kids) Richard said the last time he and his wife Maricris, Maya's sister, saw the couple was on a camping trip days before she went missing. It was during that trip that Maya allegedly warned that Larry might do something to her, according to a family member who spoke to Fox News on condition of anonymity. Maricris, told NBC7 that Larry and Maya engaged in 'a lot of arguments' on the trip. 'We felt sometimes uncomfortable about it, too,' Maricris said. 'But you know, we were just praying and hoping they would be able to work it out. We didn't see this coming, you know, after that.' Speaking to Fox News, Richard recalled how Larry had called him asking for advice about his marriage last summer. 'He just sounded desperate, you know, "You gotta listen to me. It's her fault, it's her fault,"' Richard said. He said that Larry began sending increasingly bizarre messages to his in-laws in the months that followed. In September he allegedly sent on of Maya's relatives a photo that showed a picture of the couple covered in what appeared to be drops of blood and four candles. 'He did some extreme s**t,' Richard said. Larry began sending increasingly bizarre messages to his in-laws last year, according to his brother-in-law Richard Drouaillet. In September Larry reportedly sent a relative the photo above of a makeshift altar with a picture of him and Maya splattered with blood Maya and Larry are pictured together with their three children in an undated Facebook photo Maya's relatives told Fox News that they've been cautious about speaking out because they're afraid of Larry. Larry has declined to speak to the media and reportedly stopped cooperating with police in the investigation after retaining his own lawyer. Maya's family sought help in solving the case from Billy Little, an attorney at the Cold Case Foundation. Little spoke to Fox News on Saturday and said that Larry allowed him to walk through the Millettes' home on January 11 - two days after he reported Maya missing. 'The windows were all open, the fans were on full blast, it was a little chilly. It looked like he had been cleaning,' Little said. He said he talked to Larry 'a little bit' before noticing a hole in the door to the couple's bedroom. Larry blamed the hole on Maya, Little said. Maya is described as being 5'2' and 105lbs with brown hair. She has tattoos of musical notes on her clavicle and a tattoo of a hummingbird on her back The Drouaillets spoke to DailyMail.com about Maya's case in February and said that she and Larry's relationship had been 'rocky' for 'a year or two'. 'When we do have a get together they would be there arguing... and then another time, they would be close again. Like oh ok, they worked it out. So it had been like that for the last year,' Maricris said. Relatives said Maya's relationship with Larry had been 'rocky' for at least a year before her disappearance Richard added: 'They argued a lot and it was a little bit uncomfortable. It was weird because Larry was acting different. He wasn't acting like Larry. He was acting different... They were done. The relationship was done. You could just tell.' The Drouaillets expressed frustration with the fact that they hadn't gotten any answers about Maya's whereabouts. 'It doesn't add up. They have camera surveillance from all the neighbors,' Richard said. 'They said they have over 100 hours to review, and three months later, you're still looking at those 100 hours reviewing those videos. Something's got to give.' And in an interview last week Maricris confirmed that Maya had booked an appointment with a lawyer with the intention of starting divorce proceedings before she vanished. She also revealed that Maya had asked her for $10,000 that same week. 'The date, the scheduled date to meet with the divorce lawyer, that was done Thursday afternoon,' Maricris told Fox 5. 'According to the divorce lawyer, she wanted to have the birthday celebration first, her daughter's birthday celebration was on Sunday, so she wanted to wait.' The appointment had been made for the following Tuesday but Maya never made it. Maya's sister, Maricris Drouaillet (pictured), revealed that Maya had made an appointment to see a divorce lawyer the same day that she disappeared Volunteers are seen searching hiking trails in Spring Valley near Maya's home last month Maricris told DailyMail.com that she does not harbor ill feelings towards Larry and his family. 'I don't want to cut ties with them,' she stated. 'I don't want to burn bridges. They are still family.' She previously told NBC7 that she 'can't imagine' Larry harming her sister. Maricris told the news network that she hopes her brother-in-law joins in the search for Maya. 'Show that you do care for my sister. Show that you do love her. That's all I'm asking.' Detectives have said there are currently no persons of interest in the investigation. Maya is described as being 5'2' and 105lbs with brown hair. She has tattoos of musical notes on her clavicle and a tattoo of a hummingbird on her back. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Chula Vista Police Department at 619-691-5151 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-847. Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, say goodbye to law and order Joe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices New York City's top earners may be slugged with a massive tax increase that will see them pay the highest taxes in the country, according to a state budget plan under consideration. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers are close to finalizing a spending plan that will see corporate and income taxes increase by $4.3 billion per year, the Wall Street Journal reported. Under the so-called 'millionaire's tax', income taxes would rise from 8.82 per cent to 9.65 per cent for individuals who make more than $1 million or married couples who make more than $2 million. Anyone earning more than $5 million would have to pay a rate of 10.3 per cent, and those with an annual income of more than $25 million would be taxed at 10.9 per cent - the first time earners in those top brackets have faced additional taxes. When combined with city taxes of 3.88 per cent, it would see New York's wealthiest paying a combined state and local tax of up to 14.8 per cent. Embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says tax increases are still necessary, even after the state received $12.7 billion from the federal stimulus package New York's top earners will pay the highest tax rates in the country if the budget is passed, higher even than California's On top of increases to any individuals earning more than $1 million, new tax rates will apply to anyone earning more than $5 million This would make New York tax rates higher than California, which is currently the state that has the top tax rate in the United States of 13.3 per cent on income over $1 million. Corporate tax rates would increase from 6.5 per cent to 7.25 per cent through to 2023, the Journal reported. State legislators in Albany have been locked in intense negotiations for days on the spending plan, and are expected to resume work on Monday after taking a break Easter Sunday. The budget is already long overdue, and state officials have warned if it isn't passed by Monday, the state's 40,000 employees risk not being paid this week. The Journal reported that the extra tax revenue would be used to pay for schools, help prop up tenants and small businesses behind on their rent, and provide funding for undocumented workers. The New York Post reported schools could see an extra $1.4billion in funding from the state, as well as money for statewide pre-K programs and expanding university tuition. Last month, Congress passed Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief package which saw New York state government receive $12.5 billion and New York City $6.1 billion. The state had been left with an estimated $15 billion budget deficit as a result of the pandemic. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, said he had done everything he could to get his home state a fair deal from the stimulus package, and argued state tax increases were unnecessary. Responding to the Federal stimulus package, Cuomo, who has resisted calls to resign after being accused of sexually harassing seven women, said 'tax increases are on the table'. 'It is the difference between $12.5 and $15 (billion). 'And don't get me wrong, the $12.5 billion is very, very helpful. But as you know, because I've said it a hundred and fifty times, we needed $15 billion in my opinion,' Cuomo said. Prominent New York Democrats have been split over whether the proposed tax increases went far enough. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, said he had done all he could in stimulus package talks to get a fair deal for his home state of New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has previously called on Gov Cuomo to impose a billionaire's tax to fund schools and help alleviate poverty in the city Last year, NYC Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on voters to pressure Cuomo and state lawmakers to approve a 'billionaire's tax'. 'It's time to stop protecting billionaires, and it's time to start working for working families,' she Tweeted last July. The Congresswoman, whose district comprises parts of the Bronx and Queens, said at the time up to $50 billion in tax hikes on the wealthy was needed to avoid deep service cuts to schools and the needy. New York City suffered a near-economic collapse as COVID-19 swept through the city last spring. Around 420,000 of the city's wealthiest residents had left New York by May for second homes. In August, Cuomo begged the rich to return amid tax hike fears saying he would 'buy you drink' and 'cook dinner'. It's estimated that the top 1-2 per cent of wealthy city residents are responsible for half of the state's personal income taxes. Regionalism and nationalism in Canada yet another reassessment (Part Four) By Mark Wegierski There have been throughout Western Canadas history a number of regionalist or outrightly separatist parties that are usually considered as being on the fringe. These have included, among others, the Western Canada Concept, West-Fed, and so forth. The Social Credit Party (based loosely on the ideas of C. H. Douglas) was a right-wing populist party that arose in response to the Great Depression. It held the governments of Alberta and British Columbia at various times. Preston Mannings father, Ernest C. Manning, was the long-time Social Credit Premier of Alberta. The term retread Socreds was one of the labels circulated about Preston Mannings Reform Party. Nevertheless, Manning was in some ways more of a successor to the Progressive Party of the 1920s to 1940s. The remarkable electoral insurgency of the Progressive Party was able at one point to win the second-largest number of seats in the federal Parliament, but they more-or-less squandered their opportunity, and were never able to establish themselves as a permanent presence on the Canadian political scene. What could be seen as an achievement of sorts was the adoption of their name as an adjective to the official name of the erstwhile Conservative Party in 1942. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) the precursor to todays New Democratic Party (NDP) also arose in Western Canada. It has been argued in earlier articles that the CCF, while socialist in economics, was, to a large extent, socially conservative and especially so in Western Canada. The left, especially in the Prairie provinces, was usually considerably more sensible than in Toronto after the 1960s which has tended to become a city filled with a hyper-urban, socially ultra-liberal, left. Despite all the pejorative media comments about Preston Manning and the Reform Party, it should be remembered that their battle-cry was The West wants in! and not The West wants out! Thus, Preston Manning was manifestly willing to work within the federal system, hoping actually to eventually be elected with a majority government in Ottawa. Indeed, the Reform Party formally existed solely at the federal level with Preston Manning severely frowning on any attempts at having provincial branches of the Reform Party that could run candidates in provincial elections. Had he won his hoped-for majority in the federal Parliament, presumably the federal government would then have undertaken considerable decentralization initiatives. However, given the past of various periodic so-called regional revolt movements (such as, especially the Progressives) it would have seemed unlikely even in better circumstances -- that the Reform Party would have been left as the sole centre-right party at the federal level. In 1996, it had looked like the Progressive Conservative party remnants (with their two seats in the federal Parliament) were close to dissolution but the Reform Party clumsily marched directly into an ambush over gay-rights which gave new life to the P.C.s but of course served mainly the interests of the Liberal Party. In the 1997 federal election, the Liberal Party won a considerable majority in Parliament with 38% of vote; while the Reform Party and the Progressive Conservatives each received 19% of the vote, i.e., a total of 38%. The unified Reform Party and Progressive Conservative vote would have probably put such a hypothetical party within striking distance of winning a majority government. It had been suggested around that time that there should have been a coalition between the two parties along the lines of the Reform Party running candidates only in Western Canada, and the Progressive Conservative party running candidates in Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces. Had the P.C.s actually won enough seats to form a majority government in coalition with the Reform Party, the latter would have clearly been the junior partners (thus presumably assuaging many Canadians fears about the possible right-wing extremism of the Reform Party). The political analogy was said to have been the stable coalition between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) in Germany. (The more conservative CSU is based entirely in Bavaria, a more conservative region of the country.) There was in 1998-2000 the United Alternative movement, which eventually led to the creation of the Canadian Alliance (officially called the Canadian Reform-Conservative Alliance). The federal P.C.s really should have folded in 1998, but Joe Clark won the partys leadership in that year. It was only in late 2003, after Joe Clark had resigned from the leadership of the Progressive Conservative party (thus ending his long years as a spoiler of various, possibly more successful centre-right initiatives) and Peter MacKay won the leadership -- that there finally occurred the merger of the two parties into the new Conservative Party. Just the willingness of the party to call itself conservative without the adjective was politically electrifying. The embrace of the term conservative was important, as Preston Manning had undertaken considerable (and almost silly) semantic maneuvers to mostly avoid using that term in Reform Party circles. Ironically, in the 1997 to 2003 period, the federal Progressive Conservative party could easily have been considered a regional party of the Atlantic provinces. However, Joe Clark persisted in his illusions that the unreconstructed federal P.C.s under his leadership could again constitute a country-wide force. The merger into the new Conservative Party convinced many people in Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces that this new centre-right party could be safely voted for. The Liberals endeavoured to put into circulation the notion that the Conservative Party was nothing but the Reform Party Version Three. And the mere mention of the Reform Party was supposed to bring, at least some people in Ontario, into a sense of feared panic about alleged right-wing extremism. Those kinds of persons had never understood and indeed, preferred not to understand what small-c conservatism might actually represent. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home Prisoners including the alleged mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks have been moved from a once-secret unit in Guantanamo Bay to the main part of the camp on the American base in Cuba. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was among those held in Camp 7 - a two storey, maximum-security facility, which cost $17million to build in 2004. The camp, where prisoners were kept in isolation for the majority of the day, has now been closed after falling into disrepair. Tropical rains brought raw sewage sloshing into the cells and power cuts were frequent in the dilapidated building, where some cell doors no longer closed, according to The New York Times. The paper reported that the coronavirus pandemic worsened the situation as it became more difficult to fly over contractors and spare parts for repairs. The US military said in a statement on Sunday that the move, which saw the prisoners transferred to a facility adjacent to where the other detainees on the base are held, was part of an effort to 'increase operational efficiency and effectiveness' at the notorious site. Prisoners including the alleged mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks have been moved from the once-secret Camp 7 in Guantanamo Bay to the main part of the camp on the American base in Cuba. Pictured: A holding area at Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay [File photo] Miami-based US Southern Command, which oversees the detention center on the southeastern edge of Cuba, did not say how many prisoners were moved. However officials have previously stated that about 14 men were held in Camp 7. There are 40 prisoners being held in Guantanamo in total. Southern Command said the Camp 7 prisoners were moved to Camp 5 'safely and without incident,' but did not say when the transfer - which was devised under the Trump administration - occurred. Camp 5, which was largely empty, is next to Camp 6, where the other detainees are held. Camp 7 opened in December 2006 for prisoners previously held in a network of clandestine CIA detention facilities, often referred to as 'black sites', where they were subjected to brutal interrogation techniques. The military ran it under an agreement with the CIA, and Southern Command said intelligence agencies were involved with the transfer. The military long refused to even acknowledge the location of Camp 7 on the base and has never allowed journalists to see inside of the facility. Officials had said that the unit, which was never designed to be permanent, had structural issues and needed to be replaced, but the Pentagon dropped plans to seek money for the construction. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks, was among those held in Camp 7 - a two storey, maximum-security facility, which cost $17million to build in 2004 [File photo] The camp was modelled after a state prison in Bunker Hill, Indiana, according to The New York Times, and included a small health clinic and a psychiatric ward with a padded cell. Prisoners previously kept in Camp 7 were confined to their cells unless being taken by guards to individual showers, outdoor cages for recreation, or to another cell where a single detainee could watch television while shackled, the paper said. In recent years, however, communal meals and praying were permitted under strict supervision. Among those held at Camp 7 were five prisoners charged with war crimes for their alleged roles planning and providing logistical support for the 9/11 attacks. President Joe Biden has said he intends to close Guantanamo, but that would require approval from Congress to move some prisoners to the US for trial or imprisonment. Imperial Valley News Center Man Charged With Robbery In Connection With Series Of Bay Area Commercial Robberies Oakland, California - Nelson Enrike Ramirez was arraigned Wednesday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with robbery affecting interstate commerce, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. The complaint charges Ramirez, 40 years old and from Union City, with a November 6, 2020, robbery of a 7-Eleven convenience store on Washington Boulevard in Fremont. According to the complaint, Ramirez entered the store wearing a black or grey inside-out hooded sweatshirt, a black COVID-19-style mask, and a grey glove. He allegedly told the clerk he needed a soda from the soda machine and as the clerk approached to help, Ramirez pulled what appeared to be a black handgun from his pocket. He ordered the clerk to walk to the cash register, where the clerk gave Ramirez approximately $200 from the register. Ramirez looked in another register and then left the store. The criminal complaint also alleges that between May and November 2020, Ramirez committed 21 commercial robberies and two attempted commercial robberies in the San Francisco Bay Area, with 22 of them taking place in October or November 2020. According to the complaint, Ramirez committed his robberies in Fremont, Newark, Hayward, Union City, Campbell, Milpitas, Mountain View, Los Altos, and Sunnyvale. Ramirez made his initial appearance in federal court today before United States Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen. Ramirez remains in custody and his next scheduled appearance is on Friday, April 2, for status on his detention before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Illman. A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and Ramirez is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Ramirez faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain to the defendant or twice the gross pecuniary loss inflicted on victims, plus 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. Noah Stern is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske and Kathleen Turner. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Fremont Police Department, the Union City Police Department, the Newark Police Department, the Hayward Police Department, the Campbell Police Department, the Milpitas Police Department, the Mountain View Police Department, the Los Altos Police Department, and the Sunnyvale Police Department. CALLS have been made at a Limerick council meeting for an independent meat regulator amid claims farmers are being squeezed by low prices from factories. Fine Gael councillor Liam Galvin, a beef farmer by trade, saw a notice of motion calling on Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue to appoint such a regulator passed unanimously. Its purpose, he said, would be to police and regulate the meat industry, and give clarity and proper vision for Irish farming and beef farming and suckler farming. Factories have access to all the cattle in the country and their ages. So, for example, if there are 5,000 cattle coming over 30 months of age at the beginning of next week they know the majority of that volume of cattle are going to be killed. Therefore, the factories are in a position to lower the prices. Factories should not have that information at their disposal. The only people that should have access to that data in my opinion are the Department of Agriculture. Irish farmers are being highly blackguarded, Cllr Galvin told the meeting, which was held virtually. Eight other local authorities across Ireland have passed similar motions, he pointed out, and Limerick became the ninth. His party colleague, Cllr John Sheahan, also an agricultural professional, seconded the motion, saying: It's absolutely scandalous what the factories are doing to farmers at the moment. They are at their total whim and call. They can drop the price whenever they feel like it. They know from the records which cattle are coming on stream. They just happen to know the right day, the right month, or the right couple of months, and people are feeding cattle for nothing. It's a bit like the turkey industry in the past where people made deal for certain weights and they were held to ransom if they were over it. He said any such regulator should be someone with a bit of teeth, someone with power. There needs to be a team of people supporting farmers, beef producers to stop these price reductions happening overnight when factory owners want it. Cllr Eddie Ryan added: The future of agriculture in this country is hanging by a thread. Some farmers are borderline not able to put food on their table. It's a very serious and timely issue. Agriculture is desperate, it's crying out for help. Many of the urban based councillors also spoke in favour of the motion. One of them, northside member Kieran O'Hanlon said: I'm not as well qualified as the county councillors there but its grossly unfair. We support workers and trade unions. If farmers are getting a blackguarding, that's wrong. They are entitled to get paid for what they do and treated with respect by the people who own these factories and derive massive profits out of them. Mayor Michael Collins endorsed the motion, and Cllr Galvin pointed out that while in opposition, Minister McConalogue sought a meat regulator. Queensland has recorded zero new cases of community transmission and four new COVID-19 cases in hotel quarantine. Queensland has recorded no new cases of locally acquired COVID-19 as desperate tourism operators celebrated a 'bumper' Easter weekend. Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the four new cases are all international arrivals in hotel quarantine. There were no new community transmission cases recored in Queensland but four international travellers in hotel quarantine tested positive 'That means there is no further community transmission which is fantastic news,' Mr Miles said. 'It underlines how it is better to have to lockdown for three days than for three months.' The state recorded four positive infection cases in hotel quarantine from travellers returning from Papua New Guinea, two from Lebanon and one from India. There are currently 75 active cases in the state, with health restrictions to remain in place the next fortnight. They include wearing a mask indoors in public, a 30-person limit on private gatherings and restrictions on visits to hospitals, prisons and aged care and disability facilities. People have been urged to continue checking the Queensland Health COVID-19 website for updates on contact sites, after a historical case was identified as a nurse that contracted the virus from a man who arrived from Europe last month. As there are still 75 active cases health restrictions will remain in place The traveller - who became a patient at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane - has now been labelled the superspreader who sparked the latest Queensland outbreak. Despite outbreak fears, Queensland celebrated an Easter tourism surge, Mr Miles said. 'On a positive note, it has been a bumper weekend for our tourism operators,' he said. 'About 75,000 people flew into Cairns ... largely from ... Sydney and Melbourne, and lots and lots of full flights arrived on Thursday and Friday.' Hotel occupancy surged to a welcome 90 per cent in some areas. 'On the Sunshine and Gold Coast, it was also very busy with Gold Coast Airport having its busiest day for arrivals on Thursday,' Mr Miles said. 'So it's wonderful that Queenslanders and southerners have supported our tourism regions.' is leading the effort, sending jars of water spiked with microplastics and other materials to more than two dozen labs to see if they can distinguish microplastics from other contaminants and accurately count particles. The sample sets that were put together for us were very interesting, said Slifko of the Metropolitan Water District, which is one of the labs. They had rabbit hair in them. There was also cellulose fibers from toilet paper. There was a lot of different red herrings in there. Slifkos researchers filtered the water and then peered at the particles through microscopes. They picked out pieces of plastic with forceps, then put them on a petri dish lined with sticky tape to count them. Each of those samples took at least 120 hours per sample, Slifko said. In drinking water, its essentially looking for a pin in a haystack. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/05/2021 -- According to the new market research report "5G Enterprise Market by Network Type (Hybrid Network, Private Network), Operator Model, Infrastructure, Spectrum, Frequency Band, Organization Size, Application, Vertical, Region - Global Forecast to 2027", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is expected to grow from USD 2.1 billion in 2021 to USD 10.9 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 31.8%. A few major factors driving the growth of this market are the emergence of Industry 4.0 paving the way for mMTC, the development of smart infrastructure, and the delivery of differentiated 5G services using network slicing technique. The critical challenge faced by the market players is the requirement of the high spending capability of carriers to set up a 5G infrastructure. Similarly, the adoption of Wi-Fi communication technology by enterprises and security concerns in the 5G core network are the major factors hindering the market growth. Low latency connectivity with uRLLC and increasing demand for private networks from various enterprises and government organizations for mission-critical applications. Despite the market being in the infancy stage, a lot of research is being conducted in the market. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=128223246 Hybrid network segment is attributed to hold the largest share of the 5G enterprise market Hybrid network is expected to hold a major market share owing to the growing number of users because of the high speed and time-share connectivity offered by 5G technology. Private networks to witness the highest growth in 5G enterprise market in coming years Private enterprises are expected to witness a higher CAGR in the coming years. Adopting technologies such as private 5G networks and small cells by enterprises for business-critical applications is increasing. Since it provides the enterprises with reliability and coverage, enterprises adopt 5G core network technologies by deploying standalone solutions. Access equipment accounted for a larger share of the 5G enterprise market Access equipment accounted for a larger share of the 5G enterprise market owing to the constantly increasing demand for better network connectivity and high-speed data transfer rate, which is fulfilled by 5G enterprise networks. Unlicensed/shared spectrum is expected to gain traction during the forecast period Unlicensed/shared spectrum is expected to gain traction in the coming years as it permits the use of spectrum with approved equipment without a license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Also, users need not have to coordinated among themselves while using the network. 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) and 5 GHz Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII) are the well-known standards through which Wi-Fi typically operates. This spectrum can provide significant capacity boosts for commercial networks without the need for wireless service providers (WSPs) to acquire licenses by themselves. Sub-6 GHz is attributed to hold major share of 5G enterprise market during the forecast period Sub-6 GHz held a larger market share in 2020 as it an amalgamation of coverage and capacity benefits to 5G users. The Sub-6 GHz spectrum is needed for extensive coverage of offers high-speed 5G mobile broadband across urban, suburban, and rural areas, as well as help support IoT services. It is essential that regulators assign as much coherent spectrum as possible in the 3.33.8 GHz range and consider the 4.55 GHz and 3.84.2 GHz ranges for mobile use. Small and medium-sized enterprises are projected to witness highest CAGR for the forecasted period Small and medium-sized enterprises are projected to witness highest CAGR for the forecasted period as they are intended to adopt 5G enterprise networks at a larger scale in coming years to enhance their business functionality by having a unified solution that would allow the management (provisioning, monitoring, and control) of the entire distributed set of networks with limited resources. Browse in-depth TOC on "5G Enterprise Market" 116 Tables 85 Figures 268 Pages Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=128223246 Communication applications held the largest market size in 2020 Communication applications held the largest market size owing to the successful commercialization of 5G networks worldwide and the growing adoption of the 5G network owing to its dynamic features such as high data rates and low latency. Healthcare is expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Healthcare is expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to the surging number of use cases and applications of 5G networks in the telemedicine market. For the healthcare sector, the 5G network infrastructure facilitates HD video calls and images. 5G network works at high speed; in other words, it has low latency time, which is an essential requirement of healthcare institutions, hospitals, and life science research centers for multiple applications and use cases, such as connected health devices, mHealth, and telemedicine, thereby enabling interaction between patients, doctors, medical experts, and scientists that are present at remote locations, as well as share digital images wirelessly from any site. APAC is attributed to hold major share of 5G enterprise market throughout the forecast period APAC is a diversified region with its countries transitioning toward their digital transformation. The region is set to dominate 5G, edge computing, blockchain, and 5G core technologies owing to its size and diversity, as well as due to strategic lead taken by countries, including Singapore, South Korea, China, Australia, and Japan. Japan and China are the largest manufacturing economies that produce automobiles, IT products, and electronic products in APAC. The manufacturing paradigm has changed considerably in APAC, with industries adopting advanced technologies, such as robotics and big data analytics. South Korea, China, and Japan are the prime countries in the region that have started several 5G-related activities. The 5G enterprise market was dominated by Huawei (China), Ericsson (Sweden), Nokia Networks (Finland), Samsung (South Korea), and ZTE (China). Related Reports: 5G Chipset Market with COVID-19 Impact by Type (Modem, RFIC), Frequency (Sub-6 GHz, 24- 39 GHz, Above 39 GHz), End-Use (Telecommunication Infrastructure, Mobile Devices, Non-mobile Devices, Automobile), Process Node & Geography - Global Forecast to 2027 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". 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Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Words matter is a cliche being tossed about these days. But, really, they do matter. By now, the phrase filibuster has conjured up images of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell doubling down and demanding Democrats do not tamper with the rule. And McConnell, being McConnell, went a bit further, threatening a scorched earth policy if Democrats kill the filibuster. It seems no one has told McConnell that the GOP no longer has real power. Filibuster is a simple word with negative historical baggage. The term has roots with the Dutch term flee-booter and notorious historical links to the Spanish filibusteros, those blood-thirsty Jolly Roger pirates who stuffed their knee-high boots with jewels, gold coins and pillaged goods. One famous filibuster who loathed the term was from Tennessee. No, Im not talking about Davy Crockett but another historical Tennessean from the Old Souths dark past: William Walker. Walker ruthlessly invaded Nicaragua with his private militia, declared himself president in 1856 and reintroduced slavery. Historian Brady Harrison describes Walker as a five-foot-five colossus across the isthmus. Walkers attempt at destroying the city of Granada in Nicaragua was an utter failure. In the decades before the Civil War, private militias such as the original Texas Rangers were heavily recruited in the Old South to suppress slave revolts by employing terroristic tactics to dominate and recapture them. Freelance militias, which became known as mercenaries, traveled to South America during the fever of Manifest Destiny to set up independent republics friendly to the slave trade. There were other excursions to neighboring countries, such as the one supported by Mississippi Gov. John Quitman, who raised an expedition to invade Cuba in 1853 and annex new slave territories with no luck. Editorial: Its voter suppression in Texas, not ballot security By the 1900s, the term filibuster had evolved to an egregious term related to paramilitary groups used for obstructing laws and bills unfavorable to the Old South. These filibusters favored the Confederacy, expanding white rule and the empire of Jim Crow. In 1871, Wisconsin Sen. Charles Eldredge, a Democrat, filibustered a bill to suppress the Ku Klux Klan, while Georgia segregationist Richard Russell filibustered anti-lynching laws in the 1930s. But the one closer to its contemporary use is when Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina spoke on the Senate floor for 24 hours against the passage of the 1957 Civil Rights Act. The word filibuster, though, lived on as a synonym for any furtive attempt to defend the slave interest and, after that, white supremacy by subverting legitimate political procedure, John Patrick Leary wrote last month in the New Republic. Unfortunately, filibustering has been embraced and maintained by the GOP. Senate Republicans in Congress threaten to use the filibuster rule to destroy any legislation like the For the People Act, which promotes reasonable and further extensions of the Voting Rights Act. On Thursday, Senate Republicans in the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 7, which legally suppresses voting on the pretense of improving voter security. It is headed to the House. The filibuster rule should be rebuked and eliminated because of its disgraceful past and its legacy of subjugating the people for the sake of profit and power. Alfredo Torres Jr. teaches humanities at Palo Alto College and is an independent historian. Police released the bloody mugshot of an alleged stalker accused of shooting a womans husband and trying to kidnap her from her own home. Justin Arthur-Ray Davis is accused of harassing the unnamed woman in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a month after he resigned from their workplace. She had filed a protective order against him after he had sat outside her home, and left candy and food on her doorstep. The incident occurred when the woman was being escorted to her car by her husband as she left to go to work last week. When the couple spotted Davis near their home, he allegedly got out of his truck and chased them with a shotgun and they ran back into their apartment. Read more: Davis shot through the door hitting the husband in the hand, authorities said. Davis [then] went into the apartment and grabbed the victim dragging her down the stairs, assaulting her along the way. Neighbours then saw Davis choke and punch the victim and drag her towards his truck. The husband then came back down stairs to save her and Davis [pointed] the shotgun at him saying he will kill him if she doesnt get in the truck, said Tulsa Police Department. The suspect then reportedly fired two shots from the shotgun into the air. As police arrived on the scene Davis took off in his truck, later crashing it as he tried to take an off-ramp on I-44. He was treated for a head wound at hospital before being booked into Tulsa County Jail on multiple charges, including eluding police, first degree burglary, kidnapping, and stalking. With many Filipinos continuing to work from home and students still attending their classes online, the demand for laptops, smartphones and other new normal essentials will continue rising. This is according to leading consumer finance company Home Credit, noting that the trend might be seen not just in 2021 but in the foreseeable future. From new normal to just normal One of the most defining buzzwords in 2020'new normalcontinues to be a relevant word as we welcome the new year, remarked Sheila Paul, Home Credit Philippines chief marketing officer. And as millions of employees and students continue to live, work and play from the comfort of their homes, we believe that it is starting to shift from new normal to simply our normal way of life from now on. Ms. Paul explained that the rising demand for these devices has been evident even prior to the pandemic, with Home Creditwhich has a nationwide partner store presence and rapidly growing base of mobile app users from its 7 million customerslisting these gadgets in their top five most-loaned items on a regular basis. Love affair with gadgets Filipinos love affair with smartphones and other gadgets is well-documented, and as these became even more affordable and feature-packed in recent years, the demand for these productsand in turn, Home Credits financing servicesrapidly grew as well, noted Ms. Paul, adding that the companys My Home Credit app has especially grown in recent years with 1.3 million active users at present. And while the pandemic impacted everyone, consumers and businesses alike, we still saw a good amount of demand for these products; in fact, they remained in our top three, with TVs rounding up the list. And this really says a lot about the things that people needed the most especially during lockdown, she added. Smartphones still on top as demand for fintech also rises Data from Home Credit shows that the company financed nearly 900,000 smartphones in 2020, the most-loaned item for the year with TVs and laptops taking 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Among the top smartphone brands purchased via Home Credit include OPPO, Vivo, realme, Samsung, and Huawei, while ACER, Lenovo, and ASUS were determined as the best-selling brands for laptops. As for TVs, popular brands TCL, Sony, and Samsung topped the list. Customers availing loans for phones ranged from employees and students, to entrepreneurs needing new phones for their online businesses, or consumers simply wanting to upgrade to the latest model of their favorite brand through installments. Ms. Paul added that the continuing demand for smartphones is also linked to Filipinos increasing use and adoption of digital tools such as fintech apps that are especially crucial in the new normal. More than ever, we need online digital tools that allow us to do things like borrow and transfer money, pay bills, and make purchases in a safe and convenient way. And apps such as our My Home Credit App do exactly that, with more and more users embracing these platforms. It is important for consumer finance and other financial institutions to continue catering to the needs of Filipinos in the new normal by offering products that are accessible and affordable to them. This is why we remain supportive of BSP and its continuing efforts to drive financial inclusion in Philippines, Ms. Paul shared. Home Credits app gives users the option to apply for gadget and cash loans right inside the app, instead of the usual process of in-store application. It also comes with a slew of new normal-ready features such as enabling Home Credit card users to make payments via QR; making payments to a growing list of billers such as utilities; an in-app Marketplace where users can shop for gadgets and apply for loans all within the app; SMILE that offer a vast lineup of discounts and deals from thousands of partners; and real-time disbursement of cash loan proceeds. By Andrew Bagala Police are yet to identify three men who disguised as National Water Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) workers and attacked a Chinese man and a maid at their residence in Kyambogo, Nakawa Division in Kampala City. The suspects tied their victims; a Chinese chef and a maid, with ropes before robbing more than Shs100m that was kept in the house before they fled the scene on March 31. The Deputy spokesman for Kampala Metropolitan Police Luke Owoyesigyire said the three men were helped by a woman to carry out the robbery. We have obtained CCTV footage at the resident and surrounding area. We shall be able to locate the suspects and also recover the stolen money, Mr Owoyesigyire has said. Incidents in which criminals disguise as utility providers had reduced after a string of arrests two years ago. Criminal gangs have continued attacking foreigners especially those from Asia that carry or keep large sums of money. In the Kyambogo incident, the three men wearing helmets and masks pretended to be workers of NWSC checking on the water system. The unsuspected Chinese cook gave them access to the residence which is home to several Chinese nationals. Mr. Samuel Apedel, the spokesman of NWSC, said they are aware of the unfortunate incident where criminals dressed in overall similar to theirs attacked residents at Kyambogo, and the police are investigating to find the suspects. I want to assure our clients that our workers carry identity cards and their overalls have unique serial numbers. In case, you arent sure of our worker, call our toll free number 0800200977 or0900300977, Mr Apedel said. Thiruvananthapuram, April 5 : On the eve of the crucial assembly election, things are getting hotter in the bastion of the CPI-M after the 'head' of a life size poster of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was cut in his home turf of Kannur. This was discovered at Mamparam on Monday morning leading to the local CPI-M leaders registering a complaint with the police. Kannur district party secretary M.V. Jayarajan said this is the work of the BJP/RSS. "The victory of the Left has made them jittery and they are out to create trouble in the state," said Jayarajan. But then there is another school of thought which says this incident is the outcome of the sudden surfacing of factionalism in the powerful Kannur wing of the party. Of late top Kannur CPI-M leaders like former State party secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan and former legislator and Kannur district secretary P. Jayarajan, who were once considered the top aides of Vijayan have fallen out. While E.P. Jayarajan and P. Jayarajan were expecting to get tickets to contest, but at the eleventh hour both failed to get them. Since then there has been an uneasy calm in the Kannur wing of the party. Balakrishnan is also fuming after he was asked to go on medical leave last year after his younger son Bineesh Kodiyeri was arrested by the Bengaluru wing of the Enforcement Directorate. He continues to be in jail in Karnataka since October 29 last year. And what has further angered these leaders is the frequent usage of the word 'Captain' to describe Vijayan. On Saturday, P. Jayarajan came out with a post in his Facebook page where he said he supports the view of Balakrishnan who had said that in their party everybody is a comrade and the party is the captain. "So a section of the media need not get jittery over the support that the Chief Minister is getting, as it's not the individual, but the party and the Left Democratic Front that's getting the people's support," wrote Jayarajan. Incidentally, on Sunday, Vijayan himself said that if anyone thinks too highly of oneself and it gets into their 'heads', the party will step in and take corrective action. Ever since Vijayan took the lead in dropping 33 sitting legislators, which included two-time Finance Minister Thomas Issac, PWD Minister G. Sudhakaran and many others, there has been unrest in the party. But as a party known for its discipline, nothing came out in the open, but many infer from the 'cutting' of the head that things are not as rosy as seen from the outside. If Vijayan fails to retain power, it could well be a free for all in the 'red party'. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Prime Minister Florin Citu on Monday said he had proposed that students return to school after carrying out non-invasive tests on SARS-CoV-2 infection, stressing that it is up to the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) to include saliva tests in the methodology. "I am the one who proposed the return to school after this test is done. Non-invasive tests were my proposal. I made this proposal after talking to several specialists who told me very clearly that there is no difference, but it's true, the problem in Romania is that they are not yet in the INSP methodology and here I think it is up to INSP to include them in the methodology, they are used as a method pretty much everywhere in the world," explained Citu in a press conference at the Victoria Palace, asked about the use of saliva tests. Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu said that the ministry does not have the legal basis for the purchase of rapid tests for schools, and the Secretary of State in Health Ministry Andreea Moldovan added that saliva tests are not included in the INSP working methodology. The Minister of Education, Sorin Cimpeanu, said that in eight weeks of school, starting on 8 February, less than 2 pct of the total number of rapid antigen tests were made available in schools, which is a "major failure". The parents of a seven-year-old girl who mysteriously died blame hospital staff they claim made her wait for hours in the emergency room. Aishwarya Aswath was rushed to Perth Children's Hospital on Saturday after she came down with a fever the day before and her condition rapidly deteriorated. Her parents said they repeatedly begged staff at the hospital's reception for help as the little girl's eyes clouded over and her hands went cold. Aishwarya's mother Prasitha Sasidharan claimed she was told a doctor 'would come and have a look' but no one came for two hours. Aishwarya Aswath died after being made to wait for two hours for treatment in the Perth Children's Hospital emergency room, her parents claim An urgent review of the emergency department was launched by Western Australia Health after the youngster died within hours of doctors starting treatment. 'I asked them... her eyes are changing, they asked if it's normal and I said "it's not normal, she didn't have it before",' Mrs Sasidharan told 9News. 'We pleaded with them to have a look. They didn't think it was an emergency. 'I went to the reception maybe four or five times. I was literally begging to them 'please help, please help'.' Aswath Sasidharan pictured left with the youngster's mother Prasitha Sasidharan. He broke down as he called on authorities to get to the bottom of his daughter's death Pictured: Aishwarya Aswath. A review has been launched after the youngster died within hours of doctors starting treatment The seven-year-old's father Aswath Chavittupara broke down as he called on authorities to get to the bottom of his daughter's death. 'I loved my daughter. This should never happen to any other child in this country,' he said. The hospital's management offered the family their 'sincere condolences'. 'The loss of a child is unbearable for any family and I am seeking an urgent briefing from the Health Department to understand the circumstances surrounding the seven-year-old's death,' WA Health Minister Roger Cook said. He said he asked the WA Health Department to investigate the cause of Aishwarya's death. Her death is also being investigated by the coroner. WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. employers added 559,000 jobs in May, an improvement from Aprils sluggish gain but still evidence that many companies are struggling to find enough workers as the economy rapidly recovers from the pandemic recession. IL&FS has received Rs 693 crore worth of settlement claims for two road projects from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). With the latest development, NHAI and MoRTH have settled aggregate IL&FS claims of over Rs 1,804 crore across 6 road projects. In a statement, IL&FS said that its subsidiary IL&FS Transportation Networks India Limited (ITNL), on March 31, 2021, duly received settlement amount of Rs 673 crore for Kiratpur Ner Chowk Expressway Limited (KNCEL) and Rs 20 crore towards claims for Chenani Nashri Tunnelway Limited (CNTL) from NHAI. KNCEL project was foreclosed under the MoRTH guidelines of March 2019 for incomplete or stalled projects. CNTL is a completed project which is earning annuities. Earlier, Fagne Songadh Expressway Ltd (FSEL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of ITNL, completed its settlement with NHAI receiving an amount of Rs 707 crore. Other IL&FS projects settled under claims and compensation by NHAI with the new board till date include Jorabat Shillong Expressway (JSEL) (Rs 252 crore), Baleshwar Kharagpur Expressway (Rs 8 crore) and ITNL Road Infrastructure Development Company (Rs 144 crore) that was settled by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). Further, there is a pending settlement of Rs 902 crore for the Khed Sinnar Expressway project and Rs 171 crore for Amravati Chikli Expressway from NHAI. FSEL, KNCEL and IRIDCL have been handed over to the authorities post settlement of claims. BKEL will form part of the InVIT that will include 11 road projects in two phases. Further the settlement of claims in terms of FSEL, KNCEL, IRIDCL, IL&FS would address an aggregate debt of Rs 3,500 crore through NHAI and MoRTH settlements. IL&FS Group, as part of its debt resolution framework approved by NCLAT, is following a multi-pronged strategy for its road assets to address debt. The group has plans to form InvIT for 12 road projects, settle incomplete projects under MoRTH guidelines and monetize balance road assets to the highest bidder. The company has got approval from Justice Jain to sell JSEL, an amber company, to Sekura Roads Limited (backed by Edelweiss Infrastructure Yield Plus) that has put forward a bid of Rs 916 crore for 100 per cent stake addressing Rs 1,600 crore debt. JSEL is a four-lane highway from Jorabat to Shillong on NH-40, which connects Shillong, Mizoram and Tripura with Guwahati. Similarly, Cube Highways & Infrastructure II PTE Limited emerged as the highest bidder, with bid of Rs 3,900 crore for 100 per cent stake in CNTL that would address Rs 4,910 crore of aggregate debt on completion. 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. Pictured from left to right: Murray State University President Dr. Bob Jackson, Director of the Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development Chris Wooldridge, KLC Executive Director/CEO J.D. Chaney, Interim Dean of the Bauernfeind College of Business Dr. David Eaton, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Tim Todd. PHOTO:MSU Public Relations MSU, KY League of Cities Announce Partnership By MSU Public Relations MURRAY - Murray State University and the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) are teaming up to provide Murray State's Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development training and informational services to elected city officials.Additionally, KLC and the center will work together to identify and seek solutions to the challenges and issues facing elected city officials in the areas of community and economic development. This partnership will capitalize on Murray State's regional footprint and will aim to develop opportunities across the Commonwealth. The objectives of the new partnership include the following: To better inform elected leaders of best practices for working alongside economic development professionals within their cities To provide resources to help local officials craft policies and provide appropriate amenities that make their cities more attractive to development To further expand economic development opportunities and grow jobs within local communities, particularly within local business districts Murray State's Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development provides western Kentucky entrepreneurs, small businesses and industries with the management consulting, business training and access to business resources needed to compete in today's challenging global economy. The center also seeks opportunities to connect businesses in the region with students through internships, mentorships, project assistance and other engagements. These engagements can provide experiential learning opportunities for students and provide businesses and industries with needed skill sets as well as potential employee identification. The center serves the 24 counties of west Kentucky. The Kentucky League of Cities is an association of 380 Kentucky cities, made up of elected leaders, city employees and organizations that provide municipal services. KLC provides resources, advocacy, training, community and economic development, legal and other assistance that make cities more livable and help attract businesses. "We are very excited to partner with the Kentucky League of Cities as we advance economic development initiatives throughout the state," said Murray State University President Dr. Bob Jackson. "We have a tremendous responsibility to assist the Commonwealth in promoting high-quality, high-value educational and training programs through our Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development as well as other academic units as we further develop our economy and workforce." Dr. Tim Todd, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs said, "Under President Jackson's vision, establishing the Murray State University Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development allows this unit, in the Bauernfeind College of Business, to serve as a front door for educational opportunities to assist the business community. We are very excited to work directly with the Kentucky League of Cities, and we look forward to a long and prosperous working relationship to enhance the Commonwealth's economy and workforce." Dr. David Eaton, Interim Dean of the Bauernfeind College of Business said, "We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Kentucky League of Cities and look forward to working with local elected officials to help them provide economic growth opportunities to their communities and citizens." "I am excited about the opportunity to partner with the Kentucky League of Cities to assist in supporting economic development efforts across the Commonwealth," said Chris Wooldridge, Director of the Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development. KLC Executive Director/CEO J.D. Chaney praised the partnership, saying, "Murray State University's Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development will be an invaluable resource to Kentucky's locally elected city officials. We believe this partnership will produce long-term economic impacts and provide a model that can be replicated across the Commonwealth." Murray State and Kentucky League of Cities will launch the new initiative at the KLC ACE Conference to be held in Lexington, Kentucky on June 15-17, 2021. Counting On star Jedidiah Duggar, 22, has tied the knot with his fiancee Katey Nakatsu, also 22, in Arkansas just a month and a half after the pair got engaged. Jed a twin and the 10th of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's 19 kids had kept his relationship a secret on social media, but revealed on Saturday that he and Katey have said 'I do.' Jed, who ran a failed campaign for a seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives last year, told fans on Instagram that he and Katey had been dating for a year before the nuptials, adding that he is 'the happiest man in the world' and 'so grateful God brought Katey into my life.' What's the hurry? TLC's Counting On star Jedidiah Duggar, 22, tied the knot with Katey Nakatsu, also 22, in Arkansas this weekend just a month and a half after the pair got engaged 'We have enjoyed quietly developing our relationship over the past year and every moment together has been amazing!' Jed wrote. 'Im so grateful God brought Katey into my life' What pandemic? Though the ceremony took place outside, friends and family celebrated with a large indoor mask-free gathering The Duggars typically make much fanfare about announcing that they are 'courting' and engaged, publicizing their announcements on TLC even if they wait several months to do so. But Jed took a more private route, keeping mum about his relationship on his wedding day. On April 3, he took to share a photo of himself in a blue suit, posing nose-to-nose with his new bride. 'For a long time I have prayed for my future spouse, not knowing who that person would be. God answered my prayers far beyond what I could have ever imagined in Katey!' he wrote. 'We have enjoyed quietly developing our relationship over the past year and every moment together has been amazing! 'Im so grateful God brought Katey into my life and excited to share with you all that today she became my wife! Katey, the thought of sharing the rest of my life with you makes me the happiest man in the world! I love you so much!!' he concluded. Congratulatory comments have poured in from his siblings and in-laws, including Jill, Jessa, Joy Anna, Jason, Josh's wife Anna, and his twin Jeremiah as well as several members of the Bates family of Bringing Up Bates fame. On their official page, Jed's parents wrote: 'We are overjoyed about adding another daughter-in-love to our family!! Jed and Katey have enjoyed a quiet, low-key relationship that has allowed them to prepare for a beautiful life together. They do: Part of the ceremony was broadcast live on YouTube, capturing the moment Katey came down the aisle and the vows that the pair recited to one another Patriarchy: Jed said that the husband is 'the head of the wife' and promised to remain faithful, listen to Katey's needs, and love her whether she is 'healthy or sick, rich or poor, young or old' He's the boss: Katey, meanwhile, quoted Ephesians 5:22, saying, 'Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord' 'Congrats to this wonderful couple on their wedding day! We are excited to see how their story continues to unfold in the future. Jed, we are so pleased with the man youve become, and Katey, we are absolutely delighted that you have joined the family!' Part of the ceremony was broadcast live on YouTube, capturing the moment Katey came down the aisle and the vows that the pair recited to one another. Jed cited the bible, saying that the husband is 'the head of the wife' while promising to remain faithful, listen to Katey's needs, and love her whether she is 'healthy or sick, rich or poor, young or old.' Katey, meanwhile, quoted Ephesians 5:22: 'Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.' She promised to 'submit to your authority as you do to Christ,' 'submit to your leadership, pray for you always, trust you, honor you remain faithful to you, be your greatest encourager.' Though the ceremony took place outside, friends and family celebrated with a large indoor mask-free gathering. Photos from the big day show several family members in attendance, including Jed's big sister Jinger, 27, who flew in from California with her husband Jeremy, 33. Joe, 26, and his wife Kendra, 22, were also there with their three children, including their six-week-old daughter Brooklyn Praise. Made the trip: Photos from the big day show several family members in attendance, including Jed's big sister Jinger, 27, who flew in from California with her husband Jeremy, 33 Out and about: Joe, 26, and his wife Kendra, 22, were also there with their three children, including their six-week-old daughter Brooklyn Praise Celebrating: John David, 31, and his wife Abbie are pictured with their daughter In-laws: Jed's sister Joy Anna, 23, shared a message to her brother on his wedding day Jed's younger brother Justin, 18, also had a large indoor wedding earlier this year, where guests were seen packed into an event hall without masks as well. Even before making it official, Jed and Katey had already received one major gift, according to The Sun: a $365,000 house from Jed's parents. Jed who until recently slept in a twin bed in a shared bedroom in an apartment he rented with his twin brother Jeremiah was reportedly gifted a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom house in Springdale, Arkansas. The 2,180-square-foot one-story home, which sits on 5.78 acres of land, has a two-car garage, central cooling, and a covered patio and is just 4.5 miles away from Jim Bob and Michelle. Built in 1975, relator.com estimates the price at $294,900, though The Sun says that Jim Bob and Michelle bought the property on March 30, 2020 for $365,000. In the past, Jim Bob has allowed his adult children to move into properties that he owns. Late last year, he reportedly sold a mobile home that he'd bought for $35,500 to his son Justin, 18 charging the teen just $1. Jim Bob has bought and sold quite a few properties over the years, and now it seems that Jed is also taking up real estate as a way to provide for his family. The Sun reported that licensed real estate agent Jed launched a real estate company, Ambassador Properties, LLC, in November. So far, he has already bought .33 acres if residential land for $7,000, where he may build a home to sell. Home sweet home! Jed's parents have reportedly gifted them this one-story house, which they purchased on March 30, 2020 for $365,000 Purse strings: Jim Bob and Michelle reportedly gave Jed the Arkansas home, which is just 4.5 miles away from their own house Bros: Jed shared a bedroom with all of his brothers growing up, but he and his twin brother, Jeremiah, got their own place together in 2019 Twin bed Jed: The pair slept in a twin beds in a shared bedroom in an apartment they rented together Everything fell into place pretty quickly for Jed and Katey, who got engaged on Valentine's Day this year. Photos shared by sleuthing fans, including blogger Katie Joy, show the young couple smiling and posing while newly-engaged Katey shows off her diamond ring. Meanwhile, an engagement video uploaded to the Nakatsu family website on March 18 shows Jed bringing Katey into a freezing cold church decorated with votive candles and flower petals. Jed gets down on one knee and proposes to a smiling Katey, who nods her head, pulls her hand out of her winter coat for the ring, and half-embraces him in a chaste side-hug. The Duggars, as many fans know, follow very strict rules governing male-female interactions. In addition to saving their first kiss for their wedding day, Duggars generally refrain from physical contact any more intimate than a short side-hug before marriage. Some engaged couples agree to hold hands. The pair's engagement video also shows them sharing a second side-hug before enjoying dinner for two in an outdoor plastic bubble and s'mores over a fire, which they feed to each other. In a voiceover, Jed and Katey also recited vows they made to each other upon their betrothal. Hush hush! Jed popped the question on Valentine's Day, though the Duggar family has kept the news a secret Biblical: A video of the engagement (pictured: a post-engagement side hug) includes betrothal vows that the pair made to one another 'I will protect you by having no intimate physical contact until that day when God allows, I will come receive you as my wife,' Jed said in a pre-marriage vow 'In the presence of God and our family and friends, I pledge to take you as my future wife,' Jed said. 'Until that time [that we marry], I pledge to ... stay in the sight of others when we are together. I pledge to keep my way pure, and honor you with my eyes, my mind, and my heart. 'I will protect you by having no intimate physical contact until that day when God allows, I will come receive you as my wife,' he concluded. Katey, meanwhile, vowed: 'Jedediah Duggar, I receive your pledge to marry, and when the Lord calls, I will be your wife. 'Just as the church is set apart for Christ, I am now set apart for you. I pledge myself to you, forsaking all others. And just as the Lord calls His bride to the church to make herself ready, I pledge to make myself ready for the day that God shall bring us together as one,' she said. 'Until that day, I promise to redeem the time well by preparing for the high calling of a noble wife, and, if it be the Lord's will, a godly mother someday. I pledge to you, Jed, to guard and strengthen my testimony of Christ, and to be above reproach in my thoughts, words, and actions.' Feeling low? Jed's mounted a failed campaign for political office last year Lost: He ran for a seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives, in the 89th district, later saying he was 'disappointed' he 'came up short' Jed's wedding and his large new house should be balm for the 22-year-old, who mounted a failed campaign for political office last year. Though he won the Republican nomination, he lost in the general election to Democratic incumbent Megan Godfrey (pictured) In November of 2019, Jed announced that he was running for a seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives 20 years after his father Jim Bob Duggar served two terms in the same government body. Jed ran as a Republican to represent Arkansas' 89th district, which includes Springdale, where he previously lived with his parents siblings. Though he won the Republican nomination, he lost in the general election to Democratic incumbent Megan Godfrey. Godfrey, 37, is a married mother of two with a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Arkansas. She previously worked as a teacher, and now serves on a subcommittee on higher education. 'While I am disappointed that we came up short, I am grateful for the opportunity to listen and learn from so many amazing people that make Northwest Arkansas one of the best places to live in the USA,' he said at the time of his loss. Upon announcing his candidacy, Jed unveiled a conservative platform, promising to 'fight for sound economic policies, push for more tax relief for all Arkansans, and advocate for conservative values.' 'I am a Christian and I will stand up for religious liberty, I am pro-life and I will be an advocate for the unborn, and I will always defend our Second Amendment,' he said. Campaigning: Jed espoused conservative values on his website Anti-abortion: He described himself as '100% pro-life' and said he would 'protect the lives of the unborn' Pro-gun: The NRA member said he wanted to protect 'our God-given constitutional rights' 'I have grown up in the Springdale area all my life and as a local small-business owner, I understand the important issues facing the residents and businesses of District 89,' he said in a campaign video. On his website, Jed touted his qualifications, highlighting his role as the owner of Champion Motorcars in Springdale. He also listed Christian mission trips he has taken taken and detailed his participation at church. His political experience includes working as a campaign manager for Senator Bob Ballinger's 2018 State Senate bid, as well as serving as a legislative assistant at the Arkansas State Capitol during the 2017 legislation session. Jed, who is the 10th of 19 children, promised that he is 'pro-business, pro-family, and is committed to putting Springdales conservative values first.' His website also laid out his stances on several issues, which all fall in line with religious conservatism. 'I am a Christian and pro-life conservative who values the fact that life begins at conception,' he said, promising to champion the 'un-born.' Religion: Jed, an evangelical Christian, seemed to be in favor of businesses refusing to make cakes for LGBTQ weddings, and refusing to cover birth control in healthcare plans While Jed and his family don't even partake in alcoholic beverages, he feels strongly about preventing opioid addiction with faith-based programs All about the money: His website said that he would work to lower taxes in Arkansas Accountability? He also wanted to create jobs by pushing back on 'burdensome regulations that hurt out small businesses' 'I believe every human life is created in Gods image, and we must stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves.' On guns, the NRA member said: 'I will defend our right to keep and bear arms and I will take a stand against liberal judges who trample on our God-given constitutional rights.' He promised to work to lower taxes and 'fight to keep government out of the way and push back on burdensome regulations that hurt our small businesses.' Jed, who was raised in an evangelical household, also wrote a lengthy passage about religious liberty. 'People of faith understand that worship is not only confined to the four walls of church, it must be lived out in our daily life. Business owners and employees should never be forced to choose between violating their religious conscience and breaking the law,' he said. Finally, he lamented the opioid crisis and shared his intention to fix it with the help of religious programs. 'We must combat this issue head on by promoting educational initiatives and working with non-profit and faith-based programs that encourage prevention, recovery and rehabilitation.' Flashback: Jed's dad Jim Bob Duggar previously held a seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002 (pictured in May 2002) On the circuit: He and his wife Michelle have been outspoken in supporting Republican candidates and Republican-backed bills Rubbing shoulders: Jim Bob and his oldest son, sex pest Josh, are pictured with Mike Huckabee, who spoke out in support of the family after Josh's sex scandals Molestation's just a mistake! Huckabee has called them his 'friends,' saying of Josh: 'Good people make mistakes and do regrettable and even disgusting things' Jed's bid for office was an attempt to follow in the footsteps of his father Jim Bob, 54, who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002, representing District 6. He was vice chair of the House Corrections and Criminal Law Subcommittee during that time, and also ran on a conservative values platform. In 2002, he decided to leave the House and ran in the Republican primary election for a seat in the United States Senate, but lost in the primary to incumbent Senator Tim Hutchinson, with a vote of 71,576 to 20,546 In 2006, he also lost a race for the Arkansas State Senate and has not returned to politics in an official capacity, though he has supported numerous political campaigns. Jim Bob's oldest son, Josh, 32, was the next to go into politics, though his career was short-lived, getting derailed by a series of sex scandals. He worked as a part-time political consultant in 2007, and in 2008 worked on the Republican presidential primary campaign of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. He also campaigned for presidential candidate Rick Santorum in 2012, telling a crowd: 'Our family is like the epitome of conservative values. People connect to us in that way.' Finally, he took a job as executive director of FRC Action, a conservative political action and lobbying group where he engaged in 'taking the message of faith, family and freedom all across America.' But Josh left his job in 2015 after InTouch revealed that he had molested five little girls including four of his younger sisters when he was a teenager. Soon after, Josh was discovered to have an account on the adultery website Ashley Madison, and he admitted to being unfaithful to his wife and watching pornography. Dreams dashed: Josh aspired to have a career in politics in his 20s (pictured with his wife Anna and former Senator Rick Santorum) Josh (pictured with Jeb Bush in 2015) took a job as executive director of FRC Action, a conservative political action and lobbying group where he engaged in 'taking the message of faith, family and freedom all across America' Whoops: He came out against abortion and in favor of other conservative values before admitting to cheating on his wife in 2015 'I have been the biggest hypocrite ever,' he said in a public statement at the time. 'While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife.' He added: 'The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting against immorality in our country while hiding my own personal failings. Second-oldest son John David, 29, is also an elected official, serving as a Constable. He ran as a Republican. Otherwise, the family's political activism has come down to voting and supporting conservative candidates. In 2015, matriarch Michelle, 52, came under public scrutiny for recording a transphobic robocall in opposition to an anti-discrimination bill in Arkansas. 'Hello, this is Michelle Duggar,' she said in the recording. 'Im calling to inform you of some shocking news that would affect the safety of Northwest Arkansas women and children. 'The Fayetteville City Council is voting on an ordinance this Tuesday night that would allow men yes, I said men to use womens and girls restrooms, locker rooms, showers, sleeping areas and other areas that are designated for females only. 'I dont believe the citizens of Fayetteville would want males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female to have a legal right to enter private areas that are reserved for women and girls. 'I doubt that Fayetteville parents would stand for a law that would endanger their daughters or allow them to be traumatized by a man joining them in their private space. 'Parents, who do you want undressing next to your daughter at the public swimming pools private changing area?' She and Jim Bob also had all of their kids record a campaign video endorsing Rick Santorum in 2012. Egypts first female ship captain has revealed she was blamed by hordes of online trolls for blocking the Suez Canal despite being on a different ship hundreds of kilometres away. Marwa Elselehdar, 29, was working as a first mate in command of a ship in Alexandria when she started seeing online rumours which claimed she was to blame for the huge container ship that became wedged, blocking one of the worlds major shipping routes on March 23. "I was shocked," Ms Elselehdar told the BBC. Captain Marwa Elselehdar (right) was on another boat hundreds of kilometres away from the Ever Given when it became stuck in the Suez Canal. Source: AAP/Instagram It took a congregation of tugboats and dredgers to free the Ever Given after almost a week of being wedged diagonally across the Suez Canal. The massive bungle, which cost many billions a day in delayed global trade as more than 400 ships waited to pass through the vital shipping route between Europe and Asia, continues to be investigated. Rumours about Ms Elselehdars involvement on the Ever Given were largely spurred on by screenshots of a fake news headline shared widely on social media which falsely accused her of being at the helm of the vessel. The screenshot showed a doctored image of Ms Elselehdar taken from a previous article about her being Egypts first female Captain published by Arab News, she told the BBC. "I felt that I might be targeted maybe because I'm a successful female in this field or because I'm Egyptian, but I'm not sure," she said. When the false rumours first began to go viral, Ms Elselehdar was concerned it may have a negative impact on her reputation in the industry. Captain Marwa Elselehdar, who was honoured by a member of senate for her work in the martime field. Source: Instagram The true identity of the ship's captain has not been made public, but Google searches currently surface Ms Elselehdar's name, thanks to coverage of the fake article. "This fake article was in English so it spread in other countries," she told the BBC. Story continues "I tried so hard to negate what was in the article because it was affecting my reputation and all the efforts I exerted to be where I am now." The 29-year-old said she was trolled online due to the wrongful allegation. Source: Instagram Ms Elselehdar is no stranger to challenges in her chosen field, with currently only 2 per cent of the worlds seafarers being female, according to the International Maritime Organisation. In 2015, she served as Captain on the Aida IV when it became the first vessel to navigate the newly-expanded Suez Canal. At the time, she was the youngest and first female Egyptian captain to cross the waterway. In 2017 she was honoured by Egypts President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during Egypt's Women's Day celebrations. The female Captain told BBC she has worked too hard to let a false article bring her down and is instead focusing on the love and support she has received. "The comments on the article were very negative and harsh but there were so many other supportive comments from ordinary people and people I work with," she said. "Also, it is worth mentioning that I became even more famous than before. The Ever Given was costing the canal up to A$19 million a day when it was clogged. Source: Getty Despite already captaining ships, Ms Elselehdar will take her final exam to attain a full Captain rank next month and hopes that she can continue to be a role model for women in her industry. "My message to females who want to be in the maritime field is fight for what you love and not let any negativity to affect you," she said. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. GRATON, Calif., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- When Sonoma County-based Purple Brands launched the Redwood Empire Whiskey label in 2017, the goal was to create a special series of high-class whiskeys with dynamic flavor profiles, elegant nuances, and reverence for nature in each sip. Celebrate Earth Month with a Redwood. California Whiskeys hand-crafted in the Redwood Empire. In 2019, the growth of this hot brand went to new heights with the inaugural release of the "Pipe Dream" Bourbon, "Emerald Giant" Rye, and the "Lost Monarch" Blend of Straight Whiskeys. Hand-crafted, with whiskey selections barrel-aged between 4 to 12 years. Each signature blend is named after one of the iconic coast redwood trees found in the Redwood Empire, a stunning collection of old growth forests stretching from south of San Francisco to the Oregon border. Today, Redwood Empire Whiskey is among the fastest growing craft spirits brands in the country. Sales grew 104% in 2020, powered by award winning whiskey, a powerful visual identity, and an engaging cause marketing program supporting Trees for the Future, a global NGO responsible for planting over 200 million trees worldwide. To celebrate these achievements during Earth Month in April, Redwood Empire Whiskey will mark Earth Day, Arbor Day and the birthday of revered naturalist John Muir: This includes 30 days of social media posts featuring creative cocktail recipes and updates from our distillers. Additionally, consumers can enter a special consumer sweepstakes for a chance to win a memorable weekend trip to Sonoma County, including travel, accommodations, meals and glamping in the redwoods. The sweepstakes is legal in 35 states and can be entered via QR Code in-store, or by visiting the www.RedwoodEmpireWhiskey.com website. Entrants must be over 21 and no purchase is necessary. The Earth Month campaign will be supported by festive in-store displays designed to spread the love of Redwood Empire Whiskey and the environment across the nation. And, as always, for every bottle sold, Redwood Empire will plant a tree through its partnership with Trees for the Future. "More and more consumers are discovering our small-batch whiskeys, and we also want them to discover the beauty of the Redwood Empire," said Jeff Duckhorn, the master distiller of Redwood Empire Whiskey in Graton. In April, you can also follow the new content each day on Facebook and Instagram (@RedwoodEmpireWhiskey). For more information about the creative Earth Month campaign and the handcrafted, sustainable approach to spirits production at the Redwood Empire distillery in Sonoma County, please visit the website at www.RedwoodEmpireWhiskey.com or https://earthmonth.redwoodempirewhiskey.com/ ABOUT PURPLE BRANDS Founded by Derek Benham in 2001, Purple Brands is dedicated to creating extraordinary wine and distilled spirits experiences including nationally branded, custom and private label wines for major U.S. and International retailers and restaurateurs. Purple Brands completed its distillery and began production in 2015. Its Redwood Empire Whiskey label and Benham's Gin are sold nationally. For more information, visit Purplebrands.com, Benhamsspirits.com or redwoodempirewhiskey.com, and follow Benham's Gin and Redwood Empire on Instagram and Facebook using @RedwoodEmpireWhiskey and @BenhamsGin. Contact: Dave Trebilcock, [email protected], (707) 490-7969 Tim McDonald, [email protected], (707) 363-0174 SOURCE Purple Brands Jaipur, April 5 : In the wake of steep rise in Covid-19 cases, the Rajasthan government has announced new guidelines under which gyms, cinema halls, amusement parks and swimming polls would remain closed from April 5-19. The government has also directed to close schools for Class 1 to 9. The decisions were taken on Sunday night during a high level meeting called by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to review the situation following the steep rise in Covid cases. On Saturday, the Chief Minister announced that strict actions will be taken for the next 15 days to check the Covid spread. Also the government has announced closure for all classes running in the colleges except for the final year of Postgraduate and Undergraduate, however practicals will be allowed. Going further, district collectors and police commissioners have been given special rights to announce night curfews where required. The restaurants will have to be closed during the night, however take away and home delivery will be allowed. As per the new guidelines, only 100 people will be allowed to attend wedding ceremonies. Only 75 per cent staff would be allowed to work in the government offices and people have been advised to suspend their travel to places where Covid patients are high in numbers. Over 8,000 covid cases have been reported in Rajasthan in the last one week. In the last 24 hours, 1,729 Covid cases have been reported out of which the highest cases were registered in Jaipur which counted to 258, Ajmer 96, Bhilwara 96, Chittaurgarh 68, Jodhpur 194, Kota 225, Dungarpur 85 and Udaipur has 137 cases. The active cases in the state have touched 12,878, confirmed health officials. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text An Asian-owned convenience store in Charlotte, North Carolina, was trashed by a man who wielded a metal post and yelled racial slurs, according to police and a son of the stores owners. Surveillance footage shows a man pulling a merchandise rack to the floor and swinging a street sign post into the glass of the refrigerators. A man who appears to a friend of the attacker cheers him on. The attack occurred Tuesday at a store called Plaza Sundries that is downtown near Charlottes main transit hub. And it falls in the wake of an attack on a woman of Asian descent in New York City and the fatal shooting of eight people at three Atlanta-area massage businesses. Six of those victims were women of Asian descent. Despite the increase in attention on such attacks, the violence and racially charged language was nothing new, said Mark Sung, whose parents own the store, and his wife Grace Lee Sung. When my husband got the call (about the attack), it was like a routine, Lee Sung said. He was like, Okay, check the mess. See the surveillance. File the (police) report. The pandemic has fueled the tension, the couple said, with some people blaming the coronavirus on the stores owners. They have lived in the U.S. for decades since moving from South Korea. Its like, `Hey, youre different, Lee Sung said, offering a sanitized summary of the insults. You obviously cant be from around here. Go back to your country. But the owners have experienced a different sentiment in the days since the attack: A woman arrived at the store and gave the owners soup. A pizza deliveryman showed up with five pies. A local doctor dropped off a check. More than $30,000 has been raised through GoFundMe to cover the stores damage. My in-laws are more shocked that people actually care than they were about the (attack), Lee Sung said. And it took them a while to process why they were getting so much attention. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said a company thats responsible for security at the transit center arrested Xavier Rashee Woody-Silas, The Charlotte Observer reported. He was arrested for robbery with a dangerous weapon, communicating threats, disorderly conduct, injury to personal property and resisting a public officer, according to public records. Its unclear if hes hired an attorney who could comment on his behalf. Hate crimes nationally against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have increased 150% during the pandemic, according to a study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. The outpouring of support for the stores owners is making them feel heard, Lee Sung said of her in-laws. My mother in law cant stop crying every time someone says, Im so sorry for what youre going through, she said. Its just a reminder that wow, things are not supposed to be this way. But the family is being cautious moving forward. Shes also scared because she is not used to all this attention, Mark Sung said of his mother. So, shes also kind of nervous. Were just trying to be careful. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Due to possible electoral violations in constituency No. 87 in Ivano-Frankivsk region, during the by-election to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the police initiated 17 criminal proceedings. "Interim elections of MP of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine: Ivano-Frankivsk police initiated 17 criminal proceedings. Some 12 of them are related to violations of electoral legislation, another five concern the electoral process. In total, law enforcement officers received 113 reports of probable violations," the National Police said in a statement posted on the website. According to the National Police, in order to ensure law and order during the midterm elections of the MP, Ivano-Frankivsk policemen strenuously maintained order and promptly responded to all reports of possible violations of electoral legislation. According to the statement, some 113 messages were received on line 102 in total. After a thorough check of the information received from citizens, the police drew up 12 administrative protocols, which mainly related to violations of the formation or placement of election campaign materials. "In addition, investigators and inquiry units have launched 17 criminal proceedings. Some 12 of them are directly related to violations of the electoral legislation, five ones are indirectly related to violations of the electoral process," the National Police said. In particular, one criminal proceeding was initiated on the fact of obstruction of the exercise of the right to vote, the work of the election commission (Part 3 of Article 157 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine); five ones on the facts of bribery of voters (Part 4 of Article 160 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), one more on the fact of using forged documents (Part 3 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), four on the facts of knowingly false reports about a threat to the safety of citizens, destruction or damage to property objects (Part 1 of Article 259 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). In addition, in the period from April 2 to April 3, the police initiated six criminal proceedings on the facts of the theft of ballots from six precinct election commissions. "During the pretrial investigation in these criminal proceedings, the scene of the incident was examined in the premises of the constituency election commission, witnesses were questioned, including a representative of a candidate for MPs, three members of constituency election commission No.87, some 64 members of the precinct election commission, including chairmen, deputies and secretaries , eight police officers, three official observers, two journalists and the director of the cultural center where the constituency election commission is located. A number of operational measures and investigative actions are also planned," the police said in the statement. 404 Oil prices went on a rollercoaster ride this week ahead of the April OPEC+ meeting to discuss how production control is going and what their next steps would be over the next few months. According to the latest reports, Saudi Arabia has said it may start relaxing its voluntary 1-million-bpd cuts, starting with 250,000 bpd in May and June each, and then easing further. The cartel as a whole will implement a production cut easing of 350,000 bpd in May and June, and another 400,000 bpd in July, according to sources. The figures naturally sparked increased oil trading activity with benchmarks on the seesaw as new updates emerged. At the time of writing this story, both Brent and West Texas Intermediate were above $60 a barrel, up by 2 percent from Thursdays close. The price rise might have come somewhat as a surprise, but it reflects the fact that now the market knows what OPEC+ plans for the next three months, and clarity means a semblance of certainty in an excessively uncertain world. But how good a measure of anything is this semblance of certainty? Take Saudi Arabia, for example, the de facto leader of the oil cartel. The country has been cutting an additional 1 million bpd in production for a couple of months now, on top of its OPEC+ quota, which has brought its total production to below 10 million bpd. Exports, however, have not changed proportionally. Saudi Arabia has given a stellar performance in terms of quota compliance, unlike other OPEC members. And yet its February oil exports were only down by some 194,000-300,000 bpd against the background of a 1-million-bpd cut in production, according to different data calculations. This insignificant change in exports, however, had no bearing on prices: prices rebounded after Saudi Arabia made the 1-million-bpd commitment because traders assumed this would mean the removal of 1 million bpd of Saudi oil from oversupplied global markets. This assumption carried on even after the export numbers became clear. Related Video: Nuclear fusion: The Unlimited Future But theres more you can do with exports than use oil from storage to keep them relatively unchanged even if production changes dramatically. You can reduce exports to prop up prices, too. This is exactly what Saudi Arabia did soon after it announced its decision to cut an additional 1 million bpd from production. The Kingdom said in January that it would reduce shipments to clients in Europe and Asiaits biggest marketwith some small buyers denied any Saudi crude for February. Production rates, then, important as they may be, are only one of several metrics indicating the balance between supply and demand for a commodity. Exports are another metric, and this metric is arguably the more important one. Production outages and deliberate reductions certainly have a big part to play in price movements, and the effect of news about Libya, for instance, is evidence of that. Yet it is ultimately exports that matter because neither Libya nor its fellow troubled OPEC member Iran are keeping the oil they have been pumping at increasingly higher rates for themselves. News that OPECs total oil production had exceeded self-imposed quotas by as much as 3 million bpd in February, from 2.7 million bpd in January weighed on oil prices earlier this week. Yet it was the news that Iran could this month send as much as 1 million bpd to China that must have worried Irans fellow OPEC members a lot more. News about rising Iranian production has been circulating for a couple of months now after the Biden administration signaled it was open to lifting Iranian sanctions if Iran agreed to return to the nuclear deal. These reports have weighed on prices but not on their own: they were often accompanied by reports about rising Iranian oil exports, mostly to China. Related: Is Natural Gas Still A Safe Bet For Oil Majors? Or take Libya as another example of how much more significant exports ultimately are for price movements. Reports about rising Libyan oil production have been bearish for benchmarks, of course. Still, news about oil export terminal blockades has been strongly bullish. One might argue the export terminal closure reports have had a more bullish effect on prices than the bearish effect of production growth. Be all that as it may, in truth, most traders seem to equate production with exports. This is perfectly understandable, seeing as most OPEC members export most of the oil they produce, so the more they produce, the more they export. But heres a twist we have seen before and could yet see again. Even if OPEC+ agrees to a 350,000-bpd addition to total production, individual members are free to boost their exports by more than that. Theyll just take it from their storage tanks, which are still full after the demand crisis in 2020. So, it doesnt really matter so much how many barrels per day OPEC+ decides to add to its output from May till July. What matters is how many barrels leave their ports every month. This is the actual proof of how strong demand is, not production but exports matter. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: And finally: Broadway is coming back! The Timess Michael Paulson writes: Three hundred and eighty-seven days after Broadway went dark, a faint light started to glimmer Saturday. There were just two performers one at a time on a bare Broadway stage. But together they conjured up decades of theater lore, invoking the songs and shows and stars that once filled the grand houses in and around Times Square. The 36-minute show, before a small crowd scattered across an auditorium with 1,700 seats, was the first such experiment since the coronavirus pandemic forced all 41 Broadway houses to close last March, and industry leaders are hoping it will be a step on what is sure to be a slow and bumpy road to eventual reopening. The dancer Savion Glover and the actor Nathan Lane performed a pair of pieces created for the occasion. The event was the first of a series. The organizers say they anticipate 10 programs in Broadway houses over the next 10 weeks. But most producers expect that full-scale plays and musicals will not return to Broadway until the fall. The performance employed a number of safety protocols that are now common at this first stage of the resumption of live performance: mandatory masks, socially distanced seating, staggered arrival times. The audience just 150 virus-tested mask-wearers spread across St. James Theater was all invited, mostly workers for two theater industry social service organizations. But it was an injection of hope for an art form that has had little. Its the first step home the first of many, said Jordan Roth, the president of Jujamcyn Theaters, which owns and operates the St. James Theater. This is not, Broadways back! This is Broadway is coming back!, he said, and we know it can because of this. The daily new cases of coronavirus have hit a new grim milestone on Sunday after they crossed one lakh mark for the first time this year. Yesterday, the daily cases of COVID-19 in the country surged to 1,03,844, led by a massive spike in Maharashtra which reported 57,074 fresh infections. With this alarming situation, Maharashtra has announced a weekend lockdown in the state from 8 PM on Friday and a shutdown of private offices, except in the banking and insurance sectors, from Monday night. Further, the Maharashtra government has directed that shopping malls, bars, restaurants, small shops will be open only for take-aways and parcels from tonight.According to the union health ministry, Maharashtra has contributed 57 per cent of the total cases and 47 per cent of deaths in the country in the last 14 days. However, the ministry noted that 10 high-burdened states and UTs have contributed 91.4 per cent of the total cases and 90.9 per cent of the total deaths in the country. Punjab has contributed 4.5 per cent of the total cases in the country in the same period but has accounted for 16.3 per cent of the total deaths. Similarly, Chhattisgarh contributed 4.3 per cent of the total cases nationwide in the last 14 days, and its contribution in total deaths has exceeded seven per cent during the same period. Sunday saw the biggest daily rise in cases since September 19, when 93,337 fresh infections were recorded. The death toll climbed to 1,64,623 on Sunday. Registering a steady increase for the 25th straight day, the number of active cases surged to 6,91,597, accounting for 5.54 per cent of the total infections. The recovery rate further dropped to 93.14 per cent, as per the health ministry data. Fortunately, the highly affected states from coronavirus have also ramped up their vaccination drive in order to mitigate the virus threat as early as possible. The health ministry informed that Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal have carried out over 43 per cent of the total vaccinations in the country. Of the total 7,59,79,651 vaccinations carried out till now, 3,33,10,437 were carried out in these five states. Yesterday Prime Minister Narender Modi reviewed the COVID-19 situation and vaccination exercise in the country amid an "alarming rate of growth" in infections and deaths. The prime minister said the five-fold strategy of testing, tracing, treatment, COVID-appropriate behaviour and vaccination, if implemented with utmost seriousness and commitment, would be effective in curbing the pandemic's spread. According to various health experts, the reason for the sharp rise in cases could be mainly attributed to the severe decline in compliance of COVID-appropriate behaviour, especially in the use of masks and social distancing, pandemic fatigue, and lack of effective implementation of containment measures at the field level. Also read: Uddhav Thackeray meets business leaders to discuss COVID-19 mitigation plan Also read: Pvt offices to remain shut in Maharashtra; banking, insurance sectors exempted South Dakota not meeting graduation rates for special education students The Sioux Falls School District isn't meeting graduation rates for special education students, and neither is South Dakota as a whole on average. WSU Names 2021 Brady Distinguished Professors April 2, 2021 OGDEN, Utah Two Weber State University professors, acclaimed for contributions to their disciplines of economics and English, have been named Weber State Universitys 2021 Brady Presidential Distinguished Professors. Economics professor and former WSU provost Michael Vaughan, and English professor Mikel Vause will be honored at this years virtual convocations event, April 29 at 7 p.m. The event will be streamed live at weber.edu/commencement. The honor was established in 2006 to recognize WSU faculty members who have demonstrated the highest quality teaching, scholarship, research and community service. A generous gift from Rodney and Carolyn Mitzi Brady made recognition funding possible. The late Rodney Brady served as WSU president from 1978 to 1985. Michael Vaughan The start of Michael Vaughans long and gratifying career at Weber State was something of an accident. As an economics doctoral student at the University of Nebraska, Vaughan heard about Weber State from a friend, who had applied for a job and praised the schools focus and breathtaking setting. Although his friend didnt receive a job offer, Vaughan was hired as an economics faculty member. He is grateful for that serendipitous turn of events. As a teacher, Vaughan focused on creating impactful learning experiences. For years, he taught the Executive Lectures course where he brought business people, community leaders and authors to campus to meet with students. He led students on trips to corporate annual meetings and established the Wall Street Fellows program where students networked with alumni employed in New Yorks investment-banking industry. In both graduate and undergraduate courses, he donated funds to teams of students and challenged them to give the money to nonprofits where the donations would have the greatest impact. More recently, he collaborated with art professor K Stevenson to allow Honors Program students to explore economics through the visual arts. Vaughan held numerous positions at the university, including Department of Economics chair, associate dean and subsequently dean of the John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics. As dean, and with the assistance of Mr. Goddard, Vaughan spearheaded the creation of WSUs MBA program. From 2004-2015, Vaughan served as provost. Under his leadership, WSU created the Center for Community Engaged Learning, was granted approval and accreditation for the first undergraduate and graduate engineering programs, earned a coveted All-Steinway School designation for the Piano Program and established the LGBT Center. As provost, Vaughan worked to make higher education accessible and affordable. In 2008, he was instrumental in creating the Dream Weber program, which covers tuition and fees for qualifying WSU students with an annual household income of less than $40,000. The program has made the dream of a college education a reality for thousands of students. Retiring this year, Vaughan is grateful for all the ways Weber State University enriched his life. I have learned more at Weber State than any university I attended as a student, Vaughan said. I am grateful to have spent 40 years at an institution that makes learning the No.1 priority. Mikel Vause Former students and colleagues describe English professor Mikel Vause BS 82 as an author, poet, scholar, environmentalist, adventurer, mentor and friend; they call him a master of the mountain and classroom. Vause is the quintessential storyteller. His graduate work culminated in a dual Master of Arts in American literature and American studies, and a Ph.D. in British literature from Bowling Green State University. Vause began teaching at Weber State in 1982. To give undergraduate students an opportunity to present their writing to university peers throughout the country, in 1985, Vause and a colleague organized a conference that quickly became a Weber State showcase. Each year, the National Undergraduate Literature Conference attracts hundreds of student writers and brings some of the worlds most important literary figures to WSU. Vause established The Dead Poets Tour, a popular study abroad trip to England, Scotland and Wales, and as the Honors Program director, he organized a service expedition to Langtang Himal that included his honors students, alumni and community members. His teaching is recognized with numerous honors, including the Crystal Crest Master Teacher Award, the Cortez Outstanding Honors Professor, the George and Beth Lowe Innovative Teaching Award, three Hemingway Awards, the H. Aldous Dixon Award, The Lindquist Creative Arts Award, and is recognized on the Ben Lomond High School Wall of Fame. Vause also received the first Annual Distinguished Literary Arts Advocate Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. Vause is the author of 10 collections of poems and author and editor of six other books. His poem What Said the Thunder was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and his book of poems, The Scent of Juniper for the Boardman-Tasker Mountain Literature Award. He served as the editor for The Journal of the Utah Academy. Vause is also the only non-British judge and chair of judges for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature. Vause has climbed and lectured, and participated in scholarly conferences in various locales some of which are in the U.S., Arctic, Norway, Nepal, Tibet, Canada and extensively in Scotland, England and Wales. He was a member of the 2011 CE British Expedition to the Northside of Mount Everest in search of the body of Andrew Irvine of the 1924 British Everest Expedition. For information regarding commencement, visit weber.edu/commencement. For photos, visit these links: wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2021-Photos/April-2021/i-Q4d2mDX/A wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2021-Photos/April-2021/i-hrmtQZ3/A Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. There is no evidence that suggests a woman who was found dead inside a charity bin was homeless despite rumours circulating on social media, police say. The body, believed to be a female in her 30s, was discovered by a passerby behind Stockland Burleigh Heads Shopping Centre on the Gold Coast at 7am on Monday. She is understood to have died after becoming stuck in one of the charity bins, Gold Coast Bulletin reported. Detectives are hoping a green ute which was parked near the scene will lead them to the woman's family after establishing it likely belonged to her. Detectives have centered their investigation around a green ute near the scene, which they believe belonged to the woman, and hope it will help them in tracking down her family Police inspect a charity bin after the body of a woman was discovered inside by a passerby at Burleigh Heads on Monday Since word spread of the woman's death, there have been unsubstantiated reports on social media suggesting she was homeless and a known 'bin diver'. Police would not comment on allegations she was known to frequent the Gold Coast area and look through bins. But they did clarify there is nothing so far which suggests she was homeless. It is understood the woman was rummaging through the bin when the lid came down on her and trapped her. Emergency services were immediately called to the shopping centre following the discovery Her body was only partially inside the bin, and reports suggest rescue crews needed power tools to cut the bin open and remove her body. The woman who made the grim discovery was herself there to donate clothes, who immediately called emergency services. Paramedics announced the woman was dead on arrival, as police taped off the surrounds and established a crime scene. At this stage, police are not treating her death as suspicious, instead describing it as a case of misadventure. A report will be prepared for the coroner. Several charity bins were set up behind the shopping centre at Burleigh Heads, on the Gold Coast 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. They endured a catfishing scandal in 2015 as Meri Brown was deceived by a female admirer posing as a man online. And six years after the controversy, husband Kody Brown is still finding it hard to get intimate with his first wife. During a confessional on Sunday night's episode of Sister Wives, the 52-year-old television personality detailed his troubled marriage with the 50-year-old. 'Meri and I had problems like this long before [sister wife] Janelle even came into the family,' according to People magazine. 'But the catfishing [scandal] was what really woke us up to the state of our situation.' 'There has to be a spark': During a confessional on Sunday night's episode of Sister Wives, Kody Brown admitted refuses to have a 'sexual relationship' with first wife Meri after 2015 catfishing scandal, as they are seen together in April 2012 She was embroiled in a scandal in 2015 as she was catfished by a female admirer who posed as a man online which effectively strained the marriage. The couple then entered therapy to deal with the fallout of the scandal but Kody ended up revealing that he no longer wanted to have a 'sexual relationship with her.' He said: 'We went a couple of years, a lot of counseling, figuring things out, and as we went through this process, Im looking for a spark something to initiate some form of desire for a relationship with each other," said Brown "And in this time, it has never manifest.' Kody told his first wife that he didn't think that they had missed each other as their families have lived apart in four separate homes in Arizona amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Meri vehemently disagreed as she said: 'Speak for yourself. I do have a strong draw to you, but I do not act on that because I know how you feel. I cant make you care for me. I cant change that.' Cody said: 'We went a couple of years, a lot of counseling, figuring things out, and as we went through this process, Im looking for a spark something to initiate some form of desire for a relationship with each other," said Brown "And in this time, it has never manifest' She went on to say in her confessional that she has tried initiating physical romance with Kody but it had not been reciprocated. Meri said: 'He has said to me, "You just need to make it known. You need to flirt with me." And so I try those things and he backs off more, so I back off more. I was like, "Oh, that didnt work. That was uncomfortable." You know? 'But at the same time, like, I want to keep putting myself out there because this is what I want. Im not giving up. Im not walking away.' Kody said that he didn't feel like Meri was 'courting' him before backtracking and saying that he wasn't suggesting that he wanted to be chased. He explained: 'In fact, that could be off-putting. But there has to be more magic in this than what we have. Shes not making any effort. Im not making any effort. Where do you think that puts us? 'But the catfishing [scandal] was what really woke us up to the state of our situation': Meri was embroiled in a scandal in 2015 as she was catfished by a female admirer who posed as a man online which effectively strained the marriage, as they are seen together in April 2012 She was to be loved romantically then there has to be a spark for that. And then shell get from that, she will receive romance, love and a full marriage and sexual relationship.' Meri maintained that she has been trying to mend the relationship but Kody has been disinterested. Regardless of the hard feelings on each side, divorce is not on the table as Kody said 'there's always a chance' they could come back in the future. He explained: 'My discussion with Meri right now isn't about me telling Meri that she has to have a divorce with me, that she has to leave. I'm not doing that I will never do that. 'My faith doesn't allow me to, my conscience doesn't allow me to. And because I haven't done that, there's always a chance that we might actually get back together into full fellowship.' The two met later on as Meri attempted to flirt with Kody on their anniversary but it was not reciprocated. Fantastic four: Kody's four wives are seen together (pictured from left to right): Meri Brown, Christine Brown, Janelle Brown, Robyn Brown Kody said in a confessional: 'Meri and I are in a marriage, but we don't want to be part of a hookup culture, okay? Romance and sex are saved in my world for people who are in love.' They continued to talk about their relationship including Kody opening up about his struggles in his maintaining his four marriages before Meri said she was 'so tempted to kiss' her husband just to see how he would 'react.' The two exchanged a playful back and forth, however, the anniversary outing together ended without a kiss and just exchanged 'happy anniversary' declarations instead. There has been plenty of drama between the two as in a recent episode Kody revealed that he only sees Meri 'once in a blue moon,' while she insisted that she is not giving up. Sunday night's episode of TLC's hit reality show revealed Kody had been primarily spending his time at the homes of his other three wives - Christine, Janelle and Robyn, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The 50-year-old Meri acknowledged to People that their relationship is not in the best place, but she's still not ready to call it quits. Kody: On a recent episode of TLC's hit reality show, Kody revealed he had been primarily spending his time at the homes of his other three wives - Christine, Janelle and Robyn, amid the COVID-19 pandemic 'I think that all relationships, you know, have issues that they have to work through. And I think that's just kind of where we're at right now,' Meri said. 'For me personally, I'm not one that's going to give up. I'm just going to keep at it, you know? Ebb and flows in the relationship ... I think that's just kind of normal,' she added. She added that the couple, who were married back in 1990, are, 'in a place where we're just figuring out where we are and, you know, what is happening.' Issues: 'I think that all relationships, you know, have issues that they have to work through. And I think that's just kind of where we're at right now,' Meri said Meri also added that the sister wives were staying at their respective homes in Flagstaff, Arizona, while Kody was the only one moving between all four homes. 'He basically is just going to be going between Janelle and Christine and Robyn, that's typically what he does. Just calling it like it is,' she said. Meri was the first of the four wives, tying the knot in 1990, before they welcomed Janelle in 1993, Christine in 1994 and Robyn in 2010. Homes: Meri also added that the sister wives were staying at their respective homes in Flagstaff, Arizona, while Kody was the only one moving between all four homes Kody and Meri were legally divorced in 2014, so Kodi could marry Robyn and give her three children from a previous marriage access to his insurance and other benefits Kody's 18 other children have with all four of his wives. While Kody and Robyn's marriage is the only one considered to be a 'legal' union, Kody has said he still considers himself 'spiritually' married to the other three. The relationship has been strained for years though, particularly after Meri was ensnared in a catfishing scandal in 2015. Kids: Kody and Meri were legally divorced in 2014, so Kodi could marry Robyn and give her three children from a previous marriage access to his insurance and other benefits Kody's 18 other children have with all four of his wives Meri went to therapy to deal with the fallout of that scandal, with Kody later admitting he doesn't wish to be intimate with her anymore. 'My relationship with Meri is at best just distant and amicable. You know, I could buck up be tough about it, but I'm not interested in it,' he said. Sister Wives airs Sunday nights at 10 PM ET on TLC. Therapy: Meri went to therapy to deal with the fallout of that scandal, with Kody later admitting he doesn't wish to be intimate with her anymore New Delhi, April 5 : With the Bombay High Court on Monday paving way for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary enquiry into allegations of corruption levelled against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh by former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh, a agency team will visit Mumbai on Tuesday. A CBI source related to development told IANS that "a half-dozen member team of CBI will visit Mumbai to initiate the probe". The source said that the team of CBI officers will record the statement of several officers of Mumbai Police including Singh, who made serious allegations against Deshmukh, who resigned earlier in the day. Singh had sought a thorough probe by the CBI into his allegations that Deshmukh had asked arrested Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze "to collect" Rs 100 crore per month and also challenged his own (Singh) transfer to Commandant General, Home Guards. The state had strongly objected to the plea on grounds that Singh made the allegations only because he was shunted out of his post as Mumbai Police chief. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Among cities of a population of at least 100,000 in the United States, only residents of Buffalo shoveled more snow than those living in Worcester this winter. In all likelihood, Worcester will finish the 2020-21 winter season as the second snowiest city in the country. According to the National Weather Service, Worcester received 70.9 inches. Buffalo inched out Worcester with 72.2 inches. Of course, its not unheard of for snow to fall in April, however the National Weather Service doesnt have temperatures dipping below 38 for the rest of the week. Its likely Buffalo will take the title. According to Golden Snow Globe, which tracks snowfall in cities with a population of at least 100,000 people, Worcester was in the top 10 for most of the winter and sat as the fourth snowiest city with 31.9 inches as of Jan. 5. A snowy February with multiple noreasters shot Worcester to the top of the rankings. By Feb. 13, Worcester had received 63.9 inches of snow, the most in any U.S. city and about 5.5 inches more than Buffalo. A week later, Buffalo trailed by about 1.5 inches and eventually passed Worcester in the beginning of March. Binghamton, New York, which is designated as a city but only has population of less than 50,000, and Caribou, Maine, with a population of less than 10,000, each finished the year with more snow than Buffalo and Worcester, according to the National Weather Service. Binghamton received 103.2 inches and Caribou saw 99 inches. In 2015, Worcester was named the snowiest city in the U.S. by Golden Snow Globe. New Englands second largest city received 90.1 inches of snow, edging out Erie, Pennsylvania, which saw 85.2 inches. The snow totals received in Buffalo and Worcester this year wouldnt have cracked the top 5 in 2015, which saw Boston finish as the 5th snowiest city with 73.9 inches. This year, no other Massachusetts city in the top 25. Manchester, New Hampshire, was the only other city within the rankings. It finished 22nd with 47.7 inches of snow this year. Related Content: Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson turned down a second request to testify before the state Senate Oversight Committee, citing concerns that ongoing hearings and a recent package of Republican-backed election bills could undermine faith in the states election system. In a letter sent to Benson this week, Oversight Committee Chair Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, said hed like to hear from Benson directly about the states handling of the 2020 election in addition to Elections Director Jonathan Brader, whom the department offered up in Bensons stead in his initial request. Calling her previous decision not to testify disappointing and perplexing, especially in light of Bensons recent testimony to a Congressional committee, McBroom wrote that her presence before the committee would help members complete its ongoing inquiry into the states election system in the aftermath of the 2020 election. While the committee will benefit from having Director Brader there to provide details on certain aspects of managing election-related actions taken by the department, I believe it is imperative that the States chief election officer, ultimately elected to and charged with making the final decisions, be present as well, his letter reads. Related: Election hearings are back as lawmakers look to clear up confusion, initiate reform Benson countered in a Monday response that while Brater is available to discuss the process and findings from a statewide audit of the votes cast in the 2020 presidential election, she is declining to participate because shes concerned the hearing could further the lies about the election that continue to undermine Michigan voters faith in the outcome and are now the rationale to legislatively restrict their voting rights. During previous oversight hearings on elections last year, dozens of supporters of former President Donald Trump spoke before lawmakers to repeat claims of election fraud and irregularities that had either been debunked by election officials or rejected by state and federal courts. A Dec. 1 Senate hearing featured seven hours of testimony from disaffected Republicans claiming fraud. And a Dec. 3 House hearing where Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani was allowed to question his own witnesses and make a number of unfounded claims with little time for lawmakers to ask their own questions gained national attention and drew criticism from many observers for the way it was handled. Citing those past hearings and a new suite of bills aimed at overhauling the states election process, Benson spokesperson Jake Rollow said in a statement she cannot in good conscience participate in such a charade. Related: Michigan Senate GOP debuts election reforms critical of Secretary of States handling of November election Related: Democrats challenge easier to vote pitch in Senate GOP election package Senate Republicans recently unveiled a 39-bill package aimed at changing the states election process led by McBroom and former Secretary of State Sen. Ruth Johnson, R-Holly. Some of the bills, including proposals to require voters to submit photo identification and restrict the hours when people could drop off their absentee ballots, mirror legislation introduced in states around the country according to the Brennan Center for Justice, lawmakers have introduced election-related bills with restrictive provisions in 47 states. Several bills in the package are a direct rebuke of actions Benson took during the 2020 elections, including barring the Secretary of State from mailing unsolicited absentee ballot applications to voters. Another bill would prevent government agencies from pre-paying postage costs on ballot envelopes, which some local clerks did during the last election cycle. Other proposed measures include pre-registering teens to vote, providing additional training for election workers, challengers and observers and giving clerks an extra day to pre-process ballots. When the bills were announced, McBroom said the bills should not be seen as challenging the validity of the November election, but as ways to tighten safeguards from real vulnerabilities. But many Democrats and voting rights advocates were critical of provisions in the package they said would make it harder for many people to vote, particularly voters of color. Related coverage: Michigan Secretary of State testifies at U.S. Senate hearing on voter reform bill One big winner in Michigans 2020 election cycle: No-reason absentee voting Whitmer, Gilchrist & liberal activists prepping to fight Republican voting bills, potential petitions Giulianis pitch to upend electoral process isnt convincing Michigan legislative Republicans Two toddler girls who were dropped over a 14-foot border barrier in New Mexico Tuesday night are "doing well," according to El Paso Border Patrol Sector Chief Gloria Chavez. After two human smugglers dropped the young girls, identified as two Ecuadorian sisters aged 3 and 5, over the U.S. side of a remote desert area in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, the girls were immediately transported to the Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station for medical evaluation after being rescued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, according to the agency. The two sisters are doing fine after being dropped by smugglers over the southern border wall, Chavez told Fox News host Neil Cavuto on Your World Thursday. Chavez said she was really horrified and appalled and worried when she initially saw the footage. After the first girl was dropped to the ground and didn't immediately move, Chavez said she was concerned that she'd hit her head and was unconscious. Then, after the second child was dropped, Santa Teresa agents responded to the remote location to rescue the children. Source:The Christian Post The global drive to encourage digital payment continues this time with an announcement from Sri Lankan operator SLT-Mobitel that its mobile money arm mCash has partnered with payments solution giant Visa. The partnership, says Mobitel, will enable mCash merchants across Sri Lanka to conveniently use the Visa solution to process Visa payments via the LankaQR platform. Visas QR payment solution is a mobile push-payment platform that allows customers to send merchants payments directly from their Visa prepaid, debit or credit card accounts by scanning a QR code with their mobile phone and following the applicable Visa process for QR payments. The mCash LankaQR system, recently introduced alongside Commercial Bank, enables existing mCash merchants, from small businesses to large-scale enterprises, to conveniently accept payments from any customer who uses an app that is LankaQR certified, including the Visa QR solution. LankaQR codes issued by mCash merchants can accept payments sent through the Visa network using cards issued locally and internationally. LankaQR was first launched through an initiative by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Its aim was to ensure that all QR codes and QR-based transactions in Sri Lanka occur in a regulated and interoperative manner. LankaQRs island-wide activation also supports the Central Banks Cash Wade campaign, which aims to increase the adoption of digital transactions in Sri Lanka. A special symposium coinciding the beginning of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development will open each morning of the virtual 2021 University of Guam Conference on Island Sustainability this week. The symposium will be held from 8:30 to 10 a.m. (ChST) on April 6, and will continue from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. each day from April 7 to 9. The Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which the United Nations proclaimed four years ago to be 2021 to 2030, will provide a common framework to support countries actions to manage the ocean and achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The UOG symposium will emphasize the urgency of this critical period as the ocean suffers from climate change, overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction. Delivering keynote speeches on the first day of the symposium will be: Nicole Yamase, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Hawaii who last month became the first Pacific Islander to dive the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, and Craig McLean, acting chief scientist and assistant administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The ocean is significant to me because it embodies everything I value: my family, passion, community, culture, and ancestry, Yamase said. The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development is important because its an opportunity for Pacific Islanders to show how connected we are to the ocean through our culture and through science. Just like our ancestors, it is our duty to take care of the ocean to secure the future for generations to come. During the subsequent days of the morning symposium, the Sea Grant, National Science Foundation INCLUDES, and EPSCoR programs will feature islanders from Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands working in marine and environmental sciences. The 12th annual University of Guam Conference on Island Sustainability will take place as a virtual event from April 6 to April 9 with Islands Are Rising as its theme. General conference registration is available for $20 and $10 for students. Learn more about the UOG Virtual Conference Series on Island Sustainability at www.uog.edu/cis2021/. We have all made that same proclamation; This year, I will read the whole Bible cover to cover!. And we have all failed miserably at it. For a while, it cooks. We are swept up in that epic story of Creation and read fervently through Babel and the Flood. We pull out as much depth as we can and sometimes, we manage to get to the Abrahamic tales, and even to Moses. But there are few who will brave Leviticus. Dig deep It is quite easy to simply ignore this book. Who wants to spend their time looking through a list of rules and regulations which can be quite easily written off as contextual? I have certainly been guilty of this. In my current endeavour to read the Bible cover to cover, I have been engaging with Professor Robert Alters translation and commentary. This has led me to a host of new insights on things I had previously written off as meaningless or had simply read completely differently. See, Alter is a professor of Hebrew and does not necessarily accept the New Testament the way Christians do. While one might hear this and declare this an unfit way to engage with Christianity, it has led me to understand just how much of the way I was reading the Bible may be missing the mark. A fresh perspective It didnt occur to me that the way people read the Hebrew Bible was not in context to the events of the New Testament; the Old Testament was the ONLY testament. Often this would lead me to eisegesis, which can be accurately described as the reading into text an interpretation or bias that the text does not contain. This might look like seeing Davids conquering of Goliath as the foreshadowing of Christ conquering death. This, however, is quite clearly not the intent; Goliath is most likely a fictional characterisation/abstraction of the battle between David and the Philistines. Reading the Old Testament after the New is comparable to putting on lenses that only highlight things that could reflect Christ. That is not to say one should not be seeking Christ in the Old Testament; repeatedly he points out prophecies and laws written to be fulfilled through him (John 5:39, Luke 22:37, etc). However, this can often lead to us trying to read Christ into everything, twisting and turning stories until every single aspect of it vaguely imitates some aspect of Christ. And once we have morphed whatever story we happen to be looking at to fit into the Christ-sized hole in the ground (see square peg analogy), we move on as if the point has been made. This, however, can lead to the loss of powerful significance in those stories themselves, which was the go-to interpretation of the readers at the time. No one assumed that the angel of death passing over the Israelites had anything to do with Christs own death and resurrection, they took it as a part of the story that had its own significance. This significance being something like when we follow Gods word, He watches over us as well as simultaneously proving the point that God has divine ways (characterised by otherworldly angels of death) and sticking it to the Egyptians by proving just how powerless they are against the almighty God when they would dare contain His people. This significance is often lost in a Bible study which says this is an echo of Jesus and the way he dies for us. The meaning holds much more complexity and should not be moved past at one interpretation. New appreciation The Old Testament does not intentionally put things in just for the sake of the New Testament retroactively giving it meaning, the Old Testament creates its own meanings and stories which the New Testament intentionally refers to knowing it is on (or should be on) the audiences mind. God did not (most likely) provide bread in the desert to foreshadow the bread Christ said his body would be, Christ USED the bread to bring forth Gods original intent into Jewish peoples minds and make a point based on that (see Intertextuality). Reading the Bible (at least the Hebrew Bible) as translated by someone who is without the Messianic figure of Christ (oversimplification, but you get my point) has revealed to me that a smattering of meanings I believed the Old Testament had were/are not accurate. That I am reading into the Old Testament instead of letting the book teach me. That I am putting my own agenda ahead of a terrific book of wisdom and insight on the human condition and the nature of God which, with more active engagement, has led me to more closeness in my relationship to Him than I have had before. To sum up my thoughts, it would be something like Try reading the Old Testament with no baggage and look past the obvious Christological connections. Perhaps it will lead to something deeper, something fresh and ultimately a new appreciation for the stories and laws. None of this is to downplay the importance of Christ and his manifestation through all of the scriptures, but to highlight that there is more there under the surface which may be missed, and most likely leads to a greater glorification of God. Sam Armytage has revealed she hasn't spoken to her former Sunrise colleagues since quitting the Channel Seven breakfast show last month. The journalist, 44, told The Daily Telegraph she hadn't reached out because she was simply enjoying some 'quiet time' with her husband, Richard Lavender. 'It's only been a few weeks so I've had a quiet time and haven't spoken to anyone [from Sunrise],' she said. Keeping to herself: Sam Armytage (pictured) has revealed she hasn't spoken to her former Sunrise colleagues since quitting the Channel Seven breakfast show last month Sam and Richard are living together at his property in the Southern Highlands. Sam's father, Mac, has also been staying with them following his stroke in November. Sam added: 'Life is good, life is great.' The presenter, who joined Sunrise in 2013, resigned last month in order to spend more time with her family. Retirement: 'It's only been a few weeks so I've had a quiet time and haven't spoken to anyone,' Sam told The Daily Telegraph. Pictured (left to right): Natalie Barr, Sam Armytage, David Koch and Mark Beretta New life: Sam and her husband, Richard Lavender, are living together at his property in the Southern Highlands. Her father, Mac, is also staying with them after his stroke in November Her last day on air was Thursday, March 11. Last month, Kochie and Natalie revealed they hadn't been invited to Sam's farewell lunch, which was held at Catalina restaurant in Sydney's Rose Bay. The duo told The Kyle and Jackie O Show they hadn't even been told about the event, despite the likes of The Morning Show host Kylie Gillies attending. Throwing in the towel: Sam, who joined Sunrise in 2013, resigned last month in order to spend more time with her family Not on the guest list: Last month, Kochie and Natalie revealed they hadn't been invited to Sam's farewell lunch, which was held at Catalina restaurant in Sydney's Rose Bay 'Why didn't you two go to Sam's farewell party?' radio host Kyle Sandilands asked. 'All the photographers were there, but I didn't see you there.' Kochie then let slip they hadn't been invited. 'We didn't know about it and we had a postponed Christmas party the next day,' he said. Natalie added: 'And we had been having champagne in the office for a while.' Awkward: The duo told The Kyle and Jackie O Show they hadn't even been told about the event, despite the likes of The Morning Show host Kylie Gillies (right) attending The pair also strongly denied rumours Sam had been forced to leave Seven's top-rating breakfast show. Kochie denied Sam had been pushed out, saying she 'just wanted a change of life' after marrying Bowral businessman Richard Lavender. 'No, no, Sam just wanted a change of life, she got married,' he said. Before leaving the show, Sam made headlines when she spoke about the toxic environment of the TV industry in an article for Stellar magazine. 'There's a lot about television that's all about you and that's an awful way to live your life. TV isn't a place that's necessarily very healthy,' she said. 'It's full of sociopaths and narcissists. It can be a dangerous environment, let me tell you.' She also said unmarried, childless women in television were treated differently and given more work compared to their married counterparts. Her remarks upset her colleagues and executives at Seven, and were described by some insiders as tantamount to 'career suicide'. Twenty-two pharaoh mummies walked the streets of Cairo on Saturday evening in a stunning royal procession from the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square to the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Fustat. The event marked the official launch of NMEC. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210403005008/en/ Egypt Captivates World with Golden Pharaoh Parade (Photo: AETOSWire) Against the backdrop of fireworks, the mummies 18 kings and four queens travelled in order of age on purpose-built gold-colored pharaonic chariots, equipped with an air ride suspension system to absorb vibrations, and bearing the name of their occupants in Arabic, English, and hieroglyphics. Seqenenre Tao II, who reigned over Upper Egypt around 1,600 BCE, led the parade, while Ramses IX, who ruled in the 12th century BCE, brought up the rear. In line with strict international standards for the transport of artifacts, the royal remains were placed in state-of-the-art sterile display cases to guarantee their immaculate preservation. Accompanying the mummies were 60 motorcycles, 150 horses, and a pharaonic music ensemble conducted by renowned Egyptian maestro Nader Abbassi. The procession commenced with a 21-gun salute, circled the obelisk at the nearby Tahrir Square, and then proceeded along the Nile to NMEC, where Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi personally welcomed the mummies to their new permanent home in Fustat, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The 40-minute parade drew participation of 12 Egyptian celebrities, being broadcast by 200+ global TV channels. The priceless artifacts will spend the next two weeks in NMECs laboratory, where they will be prepared for installation inside the Royal Mummies Hall, modeled on the Valley of the Kings. The Royal Mummies Hall will open to visitors on April 18, coinciding with World Heritage Day. To promote its launch, NMEC offers a 50 percent discount on entry ticket prices to the Central Exhibition Hall for all visitors from April 4 to 17. In addition, representatives of local and international media have the opportunity to photograph and film the artifacts inside the Central Exhibition Hall for free on April 4 and 5. Overlooking Ain Al Sira in the heart of the historical city of Fustat near the Babylon Fortress, NMEC is one of the largest and most important archeology museums in the world, and the first to span the entirety of the Egyptian civilization. *Source: AETOSWire View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210403005008/en/ Kolkata, April 5 : Congratulating Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for making Bengal one of the best states and assuring to stand beside her in her lonely fight against the BJP, veteran actor and Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan subtly hit back at the BJP, saying that no one has been successful in intimidating and threatening the Bengalis. Subtly hinting at the outsider jibe of Trinamool against BJP campaigners from outside states, Bachchan, referring to her Bengali roots, introduced herself as a 'Bengali'. "I am Jaya Bachchan. Before that I was Jaya Bhaduri. My father was Tarun Kumar Bhaduri and we are non-resident Bengali but we are Bengali," she said. "I am thankful to Akhilesh Jadav ji for giving me a chance to come to Bengal and campaign for Trinamool congress and Mamata Banerjee in particular," she added. Bachchan, who is on a four-day election campaign in the state, will conduct rallies and roadshows and is likely to share the dais with chief minister Mamata Banerjee to garner support for the party in this crucial election. Speaking at a press conference at Trainmool Bhawan - the party office in Kolkata, she said, "I have lots of love and respect for Mamataji, who is one single woman fighting against all atrocities. Head broken, leg broken but they have not been able to break her heart and brain and determination to move ahead and make Bengal one of the best places in the world. She will accomplish what she wants. Bengal will witness further development under her leadership". It is to be mentioned that besides SP, other prominent opposition parties such as the NCP, Shiv Sena, RJD and JMM, have extended support to the Trinamool Congress in the ongoing West Bengal assembly elections, notwithstanding the fact that the Congress and the Left Front have forged another alliance against the BJP. "She is fighting for the rights and respect of the people of Bengal. This is the safest state for women. Those who are criticising her by using offensive words, I would only say, shame! shame!" she said hinting at the Trinamool congress allegation that the Prime Minster was trying to insult Mamata Banerjee by taunting her as 'Didi' in his political rallies. Cautioning everybody against any attempt to throttle the democratic rights of the people, the wife of Amitabh Bachchan said, "Do not hijack my religion from me, do not hijack my democracy and democratic rights from me. And when I tell 'me', I represent all people." Apparently referring to the charge that the BJP is out to divide Bengal by creating fissures on religious lines, Bachchan said, "Let us remember the lines penned by Rabindranath Tagore- Bangalir pran Bangalir mon Bangalir ghare joto bhai bon ek hok ek hok hain Bhagavan (Mind and soul of Bengal can never be broken, the bonding among brothers and sisters in every Bengali household will never be broken). The BJP was quick to respond. "Who knows her (Jaya Bachchan)? Do the young generation have any connection with her," BJP state President Dilip Ghosh said. Later in the day, she attended a roadshow from Tollygunje to Garia - a nearly four-kilometre stretch in South Kolkata in support of Arup Biswas who is contesting as a Trinamool congress from Tollygunge. With a Mandarin-language movie nominated for best international feature and a Chinese-born woman the front-runner for best director, this years Oscars should have been an opportunity for China to take a victory lap. Instead, the annual ceremony is becoming something else in one of the worlds largest film markets: a thorn in its side. The developments are turning a potential moment of easy Hollywood harmony into a political flash point and underlining the growing complexity of the industrys relationship with China. The Beijing-backed Hong Kong broadcaster TVB said this week that it will not air the April 25 Academy Awards telecast in the city, marking the first time in more than 50 years it will not do so. It follows Chinese media regulators decision earlier in March not to air the Oscars live on its streaming platforms; a censored version probably will air later. Oscar-nominated documentary short Do Not Split covers the face-off with police at Hong Kongs Chinese University in 2019. Credit:AP The reason appears to be Do Not Split, a 35-minute film made at the front lines of the 2019 Hong Kong democracy protests that has been nominated in the documentary short category. Directed by Norwegian filmmaker Anders Hammer and focusing on such protesters as Joey Siu, a North Carolina-born and Hong Kong-raised activist, the film covers the siege of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured an amazing new photo of the face-on spiral galaxy Messier 61. Messier 61 is a barred spiral galaxy located 52.5 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. Otherwise known as M61, NGC 4303, LEDA 40001 and IRAS 12194+0444, this galaxy was discovered on May 5, 1779 by the Italian astronomer Barnaba Oriani. French astronomer Charles Messier noticed it on the same night as Oriani, but he mistook the galaxy for a passing comet. Messier 61 has an apparent magnitude of 10.2, is most easily spotted during the month of May and can be observed using a small telescope. The galaxy is roughly the size of the Milky Way Galaxy, with a diameter of around 100,000 light-years. It is one of the largest members of a massive group of galaxies called the Virgo Cluster. The luminous heart of Messier 61 dominates the new image, framed by its winding spiral arms threaded with dark tendrils of dust, Hubble astronomers said. As well as the usual bright bands of stars, the spiral arms of Messier 61 are studded with ruby-red patches of light. Tell-tale signs of recent star formation, these glowing regions lead to Messier 61s classification as a starburst galaxy. Though the gleaming spiral of this galaxy makes for a spectacular sight, one of the most interesting features of Messier 61 lurks unseen at the centre of this image, they noted. As well as widespread pockets of star formation, Messier 61 hosts a supermassive black hole more than 5 million times as massive as the Sun. Red Bull Racing have shown great promise in their preparations for the new season. During the first Grand Prix in Bahrain they showed no evidence of this, because Max Verstappen was able to compete with Mercedes until the last lap. Toto Wolff, team boss of Mercedes, expects a lot from their competitor this season. Verstappen started the race in P1 at the end of March, but lost out due to an undercut by Mercedes. A few laps from the end, he did overtake Lewis Hamilton, but gave back the lead as he passed the Englishman outside the track at turn four. However, the action showed how close the Red Bull and Mercedes cars are. "Honda did a great job, they delivered an extremely competitive powerplant," Wolff explained to Formule1.nl. "Just look at where Alpha Tauri was on Saturday with a fifth starting spot for Pierre Gasly. We have to take this one on the chin, that's how it stands for now. Then you have to admit that they have got it right this year. Period." Honda proud company Red Bull drove a Renault engine until 2019, but the team experienced many problems with it. Therefore, the Formula 1 team made the decision to switch to Honda at the end of 2018. Where in the first season there were still some hiccups, the engine is promising this season. Wolff: "Honda is a proud company and I was convinced that they would do everything they could to deliver one more powerful engine for the final year. It's a good motivation for us, I'm happy for them." Queenslands Deputy Premier has accused the federal government of starting a fight with the states over its vaccination rollout to distract people from its issues around the treatment of women in Canberra. Asked at a media conference on Monday whether Queensland had any issues to raise at the national cabinet meeting this Friday, Mr Miles said there had been a lot of issues since the last meeting. Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles has accused the Commonwealth of picking fights over the vaccine as a distraction from other issues. Credit:Matt Dennien No doubt the Prime Minister will continue to use the vaccine rollout and COVID more generally to distract from the governments other problems, Mr Miles said. Thats been a very orchestrated campaign over the last few days to try to stop you all talking about Brittany Higgins and rapes and sexual harassment and all of the things that have happened in Canberra. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. LG on Monday announced that it was shutting down its mobile business unit. The decision to exit the mobile phone business will allow the company to focus on areas such as electric vehicle components, artificial intelligence, connected devices, smart homes, business-to-business solutions, LG said. LG added it would continue to sell phones to clear its inventory. The company will also provide service support and software updates for customers for a certain period. According to LG, the mobile phone business wind-down is likely to be completed by July 31. It added that the inventory of some of its existing models may still be available after that date. ALSO READ: LG to invest $4.5 billion in its US battery business LG never shied form experimenting and adding new features Smartphone OEM's will have opportunity NAM sub 250$ smartphone market LATAM is other region where there is a gap due to LG & Huawei, big opportunity for Chinese OEM's Parv sharma (@Parv_S) April 5, 2021 The formal announcement ends speculations around the fate of the companys mobile phone business. According to reports, LG had already begun shifting some employees from the phone division to the business unit. ALSO READ: LG shares a timeline for commercial 6G deployment Earlier this year, LG had said it would evaluate its smartphone business. The company also contemplated several options, including selling the unit. Google, Facebook, Volkswagen and Vietnams Bean Group were all companies LG Electronics was in talks, but evidently, none of them worked out. LGs exit is also not surprising as its smartphone business suffered losses since the second quarter of 2015 and has continued to do so for 23 consecutive quarters. It had accumulated up to 5 trillion won ($4.4 billion) as of the fourth quarter last year. According to a Counterpoint Research report, LGs smartphone shipments were only 6.5 million units, and its global share stood at only 2% in Q3 2020. The historic First City Building in downtown Beaumont now has a new owner after its March 31 auction. The 125,000-square-foot building at 505 Orleans St. has been sold at an undisclosed price to a new owner. The sale reached above the reserve price, according to representatives with Williams and Williams Real Estate Auctions. The disclosed lowest accepted bid was set at $800,000, but the building was last appraised at $1.5 million in 2020 by the Jefferson County Appraisal District. Fontana Fitzwilson, executive vice president of sales with Williams and Williams, said the property is in the closing phase currently, meaning information about the new owner and the transaction have to be withheld for the next 30 days. About 85% of the 77,500 square feet of rentable space in the building was occupied at the time of the sale. Tenants include the civil engineering firm Chica and Associates, Dexter ATC Field Services and Beaumont Main Street, the nonprofit organization tasked with promoting downtown Beaumont. Beaumont Main Street has three more years on its lease and intends to renew, director of development Lauren Philp told the Enterprise. Tom Bell, director of Beaumont Main Street, described the sale as low-key with several people attending in person. Bell said the organization is also abiding by the 30-day closing time frame but said that he felt the sale was positive for both the building and the future of downtown Beaumont. The specifics will be known soon enough, but I think the bottom line is this building is still here for the long haul and its good for Beaumont, he said. Beaumont Main Street has called the First City Building a welcome mat for downtown Beaumont. Opened in 1962 as the First Security National Bank, the six-story building was one of the last major projects by renowned Beaumont architect Llewellyn William Pitts. He died in 1967. He is now honored as the namesake of the lifetime achievement award for the Texas Society of Architects. Its modernist style is highlighted by a unique facade sculpted by Matchett Herring Coe, a sculptor from what is now part of Lumberton whose work is featured in museums across the country, as well as the Jefferson County Courthouse, Houston City Hall and the Houston Zoo. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jd_journalism The Trump administration scored notable foreign policy successes in the Middle East. Abandoning decades-long, futile attempts to secure a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Trump came down foursquare on the side of our ally Israel. Among other things, the Trump administration helped to broker peace agreements between Israel and the Emirates and Bahrain. Predictably, the Biden administration is committed to returning to a peace policy that consists mostly of trying to force Israel to make ever-greater concessions to the Palestinians in hopes of getting Mahmoud Abbass signature on a document. As part of this policy reversal, the administration has resumed aid to the Palestinians: The Biden administration is quietly ramping up assistance to the Palestinians after former President Donald Trump cut off nearly all aid. Since taking office with a pledge to reverse many of Trumps Israeli-Palestinian decisions, the administration has allocated nearly $100 million for the Palestinians, only a small portion of which has been publicized. One of many Biden administration policies that the administration would just as soon voters not know about. The administration announced last Thursday that it was giving $15 million to vulnerable Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. A day later, with no public announcement, it notified Congress that it will give the Palestinians $75 million for economic support, to be used in part to regain their trust and goodwill after the Trump-era cuts. How, exactly, will we benefit from such trust and goodwill? The new assistance appears aimed at encouraging the Palestinians to return to negotiations with Israel, though there is no indication it will have that effect and Israels response has yet to be gauged. In other words, the same old failed policy. But what about the fact that the Palestinian Authority continues to support terrorism? Under U.S. law, the United States may not provide aid to the Palestinian Authority or fund projects it would benefit from as long as the authority pays stipends to the perpetrators and families of those convicted of anti-Israel or U.S. attacks. Such payments were one reason the Trump administration cut off aid. Although none of the assistance is to be provided to the Palestinian Authority, pro-Israel lawmakers, many of them Republicans, are likely to raise objections. Paris, April 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Apr, 2021 ) :Paris prosecutors said on Monday they have opened an investigation into gang robbery after former French minister and scandal-ridden tycoon Bernard Tapie, once the owner of Adidas, was attacked alongwith his wife during a midnight burglary of their home. The couple were asleep when four men broke into the house in Combs-la-Ville near Paris overnight Saturday to Sunday, beat them and tied them up with electrical cords. In a sign of the seriousness of the case, the probe has been taken over by prosecutors in Paris from the local prosecutors in the town of Melun outside the capital. Paris prosecutors said they have opened an investigation into "organised gang robbery, holding someone against their will to commit a crime and belonging to a criminal group. " His wife Dominique Tapie managed to free herself and made her way to a neighbour's home, from where she called the police. Slightly injured from several blows to the face, she was taken to hospital for a check-up. Tapie himself, who is 78 and his fighting cancer, received a blow to the head with a club but declined to be taken to hospital. The burglars made off with two watches, including a Rolex, earrings, bracelets and a ring, according to a source close to the investigation. Tapie was a Socialist minister who rose from humble beginnings to build a sporting and media empire, but later ran into a string of legal problems. Last autumn, Tapie's fraud trial was postponed for reasons of ill health. It is due to resume in May, with Tapie "determined" to be present, according to his lawyer. Senators in Arkansas have passed a bill forbidding the government to implement mask mandates in the future. The Arkansas Senate on March 31 passed a new legislation sponsored by Republican Senator Trent Garner. Named SB 590, the new bill "to end mandatory face covering requirements in the state of Arkansas and to declare an emergency" was made to prevent the governor or executive departments from declaring mask mandates in the future. The legislation passed the Senate with a 20-9 vote, with three Republican senators voting against it. The Senate also voted 27-7 to declare SB 590 an emergency, which requires that this bill be effective immediately as soon as it is signed into law. The Blaze reported that the bill is now on its way to the House Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committee, which is led by Republican Rep. Jack Ladyman. The report adds that the legislature sessions have been extended this year in the midst of a national crisis as Americans' rights are being "smoldering in the ash of executive tyranny" and being smothered by "false legalities and science undergirding COVID fascism." The bill permanently banning mask mandates hopes to set an example for the rest of the country that is now being inoculated. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson took to Twitter to report that there are as little as 84 new cases of COVID-19 in the state, numbers that he called "promising." Among the counties with the most vaccination rates are Franklin County and Cleveland County with 19.8% each, Woodruff County with 18.6%, Clay County with 18.5%, Desha County with 18.3%, as per Arkansas Online. With inoculation in full swing and rates of COVID-19 infection going down, more and more people are getting ready to take off their masks. Critics of the current administration are arguing that these masks were terribly ineffective in preventing the spread of COVID-19 anyway. In fact, Arkansas had the same epidemiological curve as three of its neighboring states that did not have statewide mask mandates, namely Missouri, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. Moreover, Louisiana, which had a mask mandate that was implemented for a longer period of time, had even more deaths per capita than Arkansas. Now, people in Arkansas are celebrating the bill permanently banning mask mandates from the state. In Fort Smith, they've taken to the streets and show a symbolic gesture to the end of the mask mandates. After Arkansas lifted the statewide mask mandate and handed over such regulations to local businesses, one local company hosted a "mask burning" event to celebrate, WRAL reported. Arkansas locals gathered at the Fort Smith Brewing Company to throw their face coverings into a bonfire. The owner of the brewing company Quentin Willard said that while the pandemic should not be discounted, people should have the right to decide whether they want to wear a mask. "Any time you let each individual make choices for themselves they can more adequately address the problems that are facing them and can make the right choices and positively create the environment that they're trying to make for their customers," Willard explained. Leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction David Arakhamiya discussed the possibility of expanding U.S. military support for Ukraine with U.S. Congressman Adam Smith (Democratic Party). As the press service of the Servant of the People party informs, the interlocutors discussed political and military cooperation, including the possibility of expanding U.S. military support for Ukraine, attracting financial and technical assistance to reform the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "This will help improve the technical base, armaments, as well as upgrade outdated military equipment," Arakhamiya said. At the same time, Adam Smith, who chairs the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, assured of bipartisan support for Ukraine in the military sphere. According to him, this is one of the elements of U.S. assistance in Ukraine's opposition to Russian aggression. The Congressman stressed the importance of reforms in the defense and law enforcement spheres and welcomed the efforts of the President of Ukraine in the field of combating corruption. The parties also discussed the potential danger associated with the construction of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Arakhamiya stressed that both countries considered this project a threat not only to Ukraine but to Europe as a whole. "We need to identify possible mechanisms that will prevent Russia from completing the project. U.S. sanctions should be strengthened and a wider range of partners should be involved," he said. As reported, the construction of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline running from Russia to Germany was suspended by U.S. sanctions in 2020, but the Russian side resumed works with the consent of the German side. According to Nord Stream 2 AG data, the pipeline is 95% ready. Ukraine, the United States, Poland and the Baltic states oppose the construction of the pipeline. ol .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Being a smart investor is not easy. It requires discipline and rational thinking. Being focused on a long-term goal and being able to ignore the noise of the stock market, the media, politics and your neighbors free advice are all helpful. Surprisingly, a good investor also must defy human nature. In todays article we will review two facets of human nature that impact investors: The neuroscience involved in making a financial decision (in essence, the way our brains are wired) and the tendency to follow the herd. Neuroscience Two primary parts of our brain are involved in making financial decisions. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ First, is the amygdala. It lies within the limbic system, and is often called the reflexive brain, the reptilian brain, or the lizard brain. It is located in the core of the brain, and it processes information rapidly and often subconsciously. The amygdala is where our intuition, emotions, perception of risk or reward, and first impressions originate. The amygdala causes us to seek rewards such as money, sex, alcohol and drugs. Impulsive behavior originates in the amygdala, along with anger, fear and greed. The second component of the brain involved in financial decisions is the prefrontal cortex, which lies directly behind the forehead, and is often called the reflective brain. This is where analysis, weighing the pros and cons of an idea, and formulating a plan originate. The human brain has evolved with a larger prefrontal cortex than animals, which is what allows humans to think rationally. Perhaps you find these two parts of the brain somewhat interesting, but you do not see how this relates to the financial decisions we make. They have a huge impact! The amygdala is what causes you to panic if the S&P 500 drops 30% tomorrow. If you are likely to be impulsive and fearful, you may sell your investments without thinking through the situation logically. This is a classic example of believing the sky is falling, and expecting the stock market to drop another 30% (or more) the next day. Wise investors do not make impulsive decisions based on fear and greed. When the prefrontal cortex is activated after the S&P 500 falls 30%, logic prevails and the investor can think rationally. Once you become aware of how these two parts of the brain can conflict with each other, you can begin to understand how they can impact your decisions. When the stock market plummets, you may initially feel a tinge of fear, because you are fearful of the uncertainty of the stock market, and how a sharp downturn may impact your financial future. You can then deliberately turn off the fear, and look at the situation logically so you will not overreact. For a more detailed explanation of the dynamic between different parts of the brain, see Daniel Kahnemans book Thinking, Fast and Slow. Dr. Kahneman is a Nobel Laureate who spent much of his career showing that our decisions are not rational. His book is fascinating. Following the herd This dynamic has a major impact on financial decisions, and it has been labeled FOMO (fear of missing out). FOMO is what causes people to invest their money when the market is overpriced, and to sell after the market has plummeted. In my opinion, much of the financial media encourages us to follow the herd, and deliberate action must be taken to not be sucked into the pressure. Following the herd is encouraged by impulsivity and greed coming from the amygdala, and it can be avoided by using logical thinking from the prefrontal cortex. Warren Buffet advised against following the herd when he said Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. In a recent example of irrational investing behavior, we saw GameStop stock skyrocket from $19.95 a share on Jan. 12 to $347 a share just 15 days later, when there was no fundamental reason for the increase. Amateur traders bet against hedge funds on Wall Street after the hedge funds shorted the shares of GameStop (they were betting that the share price would decline). The amateurs saw this as a game, and their investments forced the share price to increase drastically. Many of the amateur traders trade on an app named Robinhood, which targets young investors and allows them to trade on margin (betting far more than their original investment), which can easily lead to huge losses. Tragically, a 20-year-old man committed suicide in June of 2020 after believing he had a $730,000 negative cash balance in his Robinhood account. He was a college student, living with his parents in Illinois during the pandemic. His suicide note stated he had no clue what he was doing. In my view, what I have seen happening on Robinhood and at certain other robo sites cannot end well. I consider investing to be a valuable skill. It should not include winning big or losing big. Investors should be educated to be logical and disciplined. Recognizing that human nature (and the financial media) can encourage us to not be logical investors is a first step. Donna Skeels Cygan, CFP, MBA, is the author of The Joy of Financial Security. She has been a fee-only financial planner in Albuquerque for over 20 years, and is the branch manager for the Mercer Advisors office in New Mexico. Contact her at dscygan@sagefuture.com. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appeared in court for the resumption of his corruption trial. The evidentiary phase of the trial was beginning as Israels political parties were meeting the countrys president to weigh in on whether Netanyahu should form the next government after a closely divided election or step down to focus on his legal woes. Between witness testimony in a Jerusalem courtroom and the consultations at the presidents office across town, it promised to be a day of extraordinary political drama, bringing into sharp focus Netanyahus efforts to stay in power. He is Israels longest-serving prime minister and has clung to power through four hard-fought elections in less than two years, even as he has faced allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The March 23 election was largely a referendum on his leadership but produced no clear verdict. Expand Close Benjamin Netanyahu at the court hearing (Abir Sultan/via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Benjamin Netanyahu at the court hearing (Abir Sultan/via AP) Israels political parties began meeting President Reuven Rivlin to recommend which candidate should be tasked with forming the next government. After each election, Israels president is responsible for designating a party leader to try to put together a governing majority. That decision is usually clear cut, but Mr Rivlin faces a difficult choice given the fragmented election results that left the Knesset, Israels parliament, divided between 13 parties with broad ideological differences. Neither Netanyahus allies nor his foes secured a governing majority in the Knesset, Israels parliament. So his fate could come down to Naftali Bennett, a right-wing former ally with whom he has strained ties, and Mansour Abbas, the leader of a small Arab Islamist party who also has yet to commit to either the pro or anti-Netanyahu blocs. Later on Monday, Mr Bennett recommended himself as the next prime minister, deepening Israels political deadlock. His right-wing Yamina party had been in a position to serve as a kingmaker but it declined to take sides. Expand Close Israeli President Reuven Rivlin speaks during consultations with party representatives (Amir Cohen/via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Israeli President Reuven Rivlin speaks during consultations with party representatives (Amir Cohen/via AP) Yamina has just seven seats in parliament, making it a long shot to be able to form a governing coalition. Mr Bennett is hoping he can become a consensus candidate who can bridge the deep divides between the rival factions. Mr Rivlin was earlier quoted by Israeli media as saying he did not see how any ruling coalition could be formed and expressing concern Israel would go into a fifth round of elections. At the Jerusalem District Court, Netanyahu sat with his lawyers as lead prosecutor Liat Ben-Ari read out the charges against him. The relationship between Netanyahu and the defendants became currency, something that could be traded, she said. The currency could distort a public servants judgment. Netanyahus lawyers sought to make a rebuttal but were cut off by Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman, who said they had already responded to the charges earlier in the trial. The judge then ordered a brief recess, during which Netanyahu left the courthouse. Expand Close Israeli businessman Shaul Elovitch (Abir Sultan/via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Israeli businessman Shaul Elovitch (Abir Sultan/via AP) Outside the courtroom, dozens of supporters and opponents of the prime minister gathered to protest on opposite sides of the building amid a heavy police presence, highlighting Israels deep divisions. Anti-Netanyahu protesters have held weekly demonstrations for months, calling on him to resign. Just a few miles away, a delegation from Netanyahus right-wing Likud party formally recommended him as prime minister in a meeting with Mr Rivlin. Netanyahu is charged with accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust in three cases. The first involves him allegedly receiving gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from wealthy friends, including Hollywood film producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. In the second case, he is accused of trying to orchestrate positive coverage in a major Israeli paper in exchange for curbing distribution of a free pro-Netanyahu tabloid. The third, dubbed Case 4000, which will be the focus of Mondays first witness testimony, alleges that he backed legislation worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the owner of Israeli telecom giant Bezeq in return for positive coverage on its news site Walla. Expand Close Benjamin Netanyahu leaves the courtroom (Abir Sultan/via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Benjamin Netanyahu leaves the courtroom (Abir Sultan/via AP) Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the charges against him as part of a media and law enforcement witch hunt to unseat him. His trial began last year and could last for another two years. In January, prosecutors alleged 315 instances of Walla being requested to amend its coverage so it was more favourable to Netanyahu and his family. They said 150 of them involved Netanyahu himself. According to the charges, Shaul Elovitch, CEO of Bezeq, exerted heavy and continuous pressure on Ilan Yeshua, the former chief editor of Walla, to change articles on the website to meet the demands of Netanyahu and his family. Mr Yeshua, who took the stand after Netanyahu left, said he regularly received requests from Mr Elovitch and aides to the prime minister, asking him to smear the prime ministers political opponents, including Mr Bennett. He said he then passed along the requests to the sites top editors. Mr Bennett, who could play a major role in the formation of the next government, was referred to as the naughty religious one in the internal messages, Mr Yeshua said. Israeli law does not require prime ministers to resign while under indictment, and Netanyahu has refused to do so. That has left the country deeply divided. Am emergency unity government formed last year to address the coronavirus crisis was mired in political bickering and fell apart in less than a year over its inability to approve a budget. Plus, a Chula Vista man joins the blood donation hundred club, and what grocery shoppers can do to fight child abuse New Delhi, April : Days after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) pointed to depleting groundwater levels in the national capital and directed the authorities to stop using groundwater for maintaining parks, the civic authorities and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) are at loggerheads. While the development and maintenance of parks in the city comes under the MCD which has over 15,000 parks across the city, the DJB, which comes under the Delhi Government, has sealed around 150 bore-wells located in municipal parks. The conflict emerged also because civic authorities are ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while the DJB comes under the AAP government. As per the information, Delhi's three civic bodies have over 15,000 parks and are maintaining around 4000 bore-wells to provide water for maintenance of parks. The DJB, following the NGT norms, started sealing bore-wells in parks which did not go down well with the BJP-ruled civic authorities. The authorities have accused the DJB of failing to provide water for parks from its Sewerage Treatment Plants (STP). The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which has around 6,872 parks and 1,398 tubewells, has asked the DJB to provide water for maintenance of parks else many parks will lost their greenery with the mercury soaring. Nerender Chawla, chairman of standing committee in SDMC, said, "The DJB has sealed bore-wells due to which several plants are dying without water. DJB should have first provided an alternative for water in the parks before sealing bore-wells." Added Yogesh Verma, chairman of standing committee in North DMC, "We have asked the DJB to provide water for parks immediately. We have also asked the DJB to file a review petition before the NGT to seek its permission to continue use of bore-wells until the DJB provides an alternate source of water for park maintenance." Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on Monday vetoed a bill that criminalizes gender-affirming care for transgender kids, saying the bill is "a product of the cultural war in America" and a "vast" government overreach and "extreme." Why it matters: LGBTQ advocates consider the veto a win, although Hutchinson called on lawmakers to "think through the issue again" and take another approach. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free The big picture: Over 20 bills have been introduced this year to criminalize gender-affirming care for trans kids. Many would make puberty blockers and surgery a misdemeanor offense for doctors, while some states, like Alabama, would make it a felony offense. What they're saying: Hutchinson said if the bill becomes law, "then we are creating new standards of legislative interference with physicians and parents as they deal with some of the most complex and sensitive matters involving young people." "It is undisputed that the population of minors who struggle with gender incongruity or gender dysphoria is an extreme minority. But while they are a minority, they deserve the guiding hand of their parents and of the health care professionals that their family has chosen." "House Bill 1570 is opposed by the leading Arkansas medical associations and the concerned expressed is that denying best medical care to transgender youth can lead to significant harm to the young person, from suicidal tendencies and social isolation to increased drug use," he said. "I think people underrated how extreme this bill is," Gillian Branstetter, a spokesperson for the National Women's Law Center, said, adding that the veto is a win for LGBTQ and trans advocates. "If you cannot get health care in the state where you live, you cannot live in that state. This would amount to effectively banning trans kids from the state of Arkansas," she said. On the possibility of the bill moving forward or being reintroduced, Branstetter said, "I would desperately urge lawmakers in Arkansas, including Gov. Hutchinson, to learn from this experience, learn from the outpouring of concern for these kids." What's next: Hutchinson said it's likely the state's General Assembly will override his veto, noting its overwhelming support from lawmakers. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free Among numerous K-pop artists, IU, BTS, TWICE, BLACKPINK, and more proved their stellar careers as they dominated "Top Artists" Rankings in YouTube Korea! On the latest update of YouTube Charts, which provides the trends of the top songs, top MVs, top artists, and more, IU defeated Brave Girls as well as BTS and became the top artists in Korea for the 13th week of 2021, based on its data gathered from March 26 to April 1. Along with these artists who were referred to as "digital monsters" both domestically and internationally, prominent K-pop artists including IZ*ONE, BLACKPINK, TWICE, SHINee, and more also reigned in the rankings. IU Ranks Above in YouTube Korea "Top Artists" and "Top Music Video" Based on the rankings, IU is the biggest artist in YouTube Korea for the 13th week of 2021! The "Nation's Sweetheart" accumulated 22.2 million views in the country from her YouTube videos, wherein 4.12 million views from this were generated through her latest comeback title track, "LILAC" MV. In the "Top 100 Music Videos," IU's other MVs proved their supremacy as well, including "Celebrity" at No. 4, "Coin" (No.6), "Blueming" (No. 26), and more. IU, who was hailed as the "Top Artist" with "Top Music Video" in YouTube Korea, released her fifth full-length album, "LILAC," on March 25. This album is IU's first full-length album in four years since her fourth full-length album, "Palette," released in 2017. A total of 10 songs were included in the album, and IU participated in producing, composing, and writing all the songs this time as well. In particular, this album drew much attention as it collaborated with various domestic and international high-end artists such as NAUL. BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE: Here are the "Top Artists" in YouTube Korea for the 13th Week of 2021 Trailing behind IU is the "biggest boy group in the world" BTS, which has been consistently ranking in the Top 100 for 237 weeks. In Korea, they gained 9.4 million views, and it is expected to skyrocket once they finally return to the music scene with another bop in May. Brave Girls then ranked in third place, with 7.27 million views. The "reverse-driving" queens also hinted at their summer comeback; drawing attention. Following the current four-member group is the quartet BLACKPINK. Without any release since October 2020, the "World's biggest girl group" maintained their "YouTube Queen" status, particularly in Korea with 5.1 million views. Justin Bieber, Lim Young Woong, IZ*ONE, M.C.The Max followed at fifth to eighth place in order. Meanwhile, TWICE and SHINee completed the Top 10, ranking consecutively. The "Asia's No. 1 Girl Group" is set to come back on May 12 with their Japanese single, "Kura Kura," while the "Princes of K-pop" SHINee is heralding for a repackage album, "Atlantis," which will kick off this April 12. In the top 11, significant K-pop representatives, including Rose (No.11), Baekhyun (No.18), and OH MY GIRL (No. 21), also entered the rankings. Red Velvet, Taeyeon, ITZY, AKMU, Yang Yoseop, Chung Ha, Sunmi, and (G)-IDLE then completed the top 30. For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dawson Amman, April 5 : Jordan's former Crown Prince Hamzah said in a voice recording that he won't obey orders by the army not to leave the house or communicate with anyone. Jordan on Sunday said it foiled a "destabilising plot" involving Hamzah, King Abdullah II's half-brother, over the weekend, which has led to the arrest of several high-profile figures, dpa news agency reported. The army said Hamzah was asked to refrain from activities that could be damaging to the Kingdom's stability. Hamzah said in videos that he was told not to leave the house. Hamzah's voice recording seems to have been sent to one of his acquaintances and has been shared by Jordanians on social media since Sunday night. The former Crown prince said he will not make any immediate moves because he does not want to "escalate" the situation, but he also does not plan to follow instructions limiting his freedoms. "But I will not abide by what they say, you cannot go out, you cannot tweet, you cannot communicate with people and you are only allowed to see family,"he said in the recording. Investigations led to the arrest of Bassem Ibrahim Awadallah, a former chief of the royal court, and Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal family, authorities said. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi said investigations showed there were movements by Hamzah, Awadallah and Bin Zaid targeting the Kingdom's stability and security, and that they were in contact with "foreign parties." Hamzah, 41, was Jordan's Crown Prince between 1999 and 2004, when Abdullah removed him and appointed his own son. At the time, he said he will remain a devout support to Abdullah in official letter published by state media. Support from Arab neighbours poured in to King Abdullah. Saudi Arabia expressed its full support to "any decisions or measures" taken by King Abdullah and Crown Prince al-Hussein to maintain the security and stability of the kingdom. Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt and the Gulf Cooperation Council have issued similar statements. Satellite images appearing to show Russia beefing up its military presence in the Arctic have emerged just days after three of Moscow's nuclear ballistic missile submarines smashed through the polar region in a show of strength. The images show the Russian military has been rebuilding and expanding numerous facilities across the Arctic in recent years. From revamping runways to deploying additional surveillance and air defence assets, the satellite images reveal a continuous effort to expand Moscow's capabilities in the polar region. Underground storage facilities have also been pictured and experts fear they will be used for the Poseidon 2M39 torpedo - a nuclear-powered underwater drone that can be launched from a submarine and carry nuclear warheads. Satellite images appearing to show Russia beefing up its military presence in the Arctic have emerged. Pictured: One of many 'trefoil bases' with a three-pronged building on an airfield in Nagurskoy, Alexandra Land in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia The images show the Russian military has been rebuilding and expanding numerous facilities across the Arctic in recent years. Pictured: The Nagurskoye Air Base From revamping runways to deploying additional surveillance and air defence assets, the satellite images reveal a continuous effort to expand Moscow's capabilities in the polar region. Pictured: The runway lies to the west of the base Satellite images provided to CNN by space technology firm Maxar also reveal military jets and bombers as well as new radar systems near Alaska. It comes just days after three of the Russian Navy's nuclear ballistic missile submarines smashing through the Arctic ice within feet of each other in a clear show of strength. Navy chief Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin the exercise featured three nuclear submarines simultaneously breaking through Arctic ice and warplanes flying over the North Pole. The drills were conducted around Alexandra Land, an island that is part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago where the military has recently built a base. A Russian nuclear submarine breaks through the Arctic ice during military drills. Russia, the US, Canada, Denmark and Norway have all been trying to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic Vladimir Putin hailed the military's performance during recent Arctic drills, part of Moscow's efforts to expand its presence in the polar region Moscow has prioritised beefing up its military presence in the Arctic region, which is believed to hold up to a quarter of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas. Mr Putin has in the past cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at 22trillion. Russia, the US, Canada, Denmark and Norway have all been trying to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic, as shrinking polar ice opens new opportunities for tapping resources and opening new shipping lanes. The new satellite images reveal Russia has been making improvements to their old Cold War bases as well as building new facilities on the Kola Peninsular near the city of Murmansk. Russia has been improving aircraft runways and their bases across the Arctic - such as at the Nagurskoye Air Base (pictured) Russian troops on exercise on Kotelny Island in the Arctic 'There's clearly a military challenge from the Russians in the Arctic,' a senior US State Department official told CNN. 'That has implications for the United States and its allies, not least because it creates the capacity to project power up to the North Atlantic.' The images also reveal the strengthening of airfields at several bases across Russia's arctic coast over the past few years. US officials fear that while these efforts are within Russian territory, Moscow could use the bases to establish control over other areas of the Arctic. This is increasingly possible as the ice melts in the region due to climate change, experts warn. 'The melt is moving faster than scientists predicted or thought possible several years ago,' the senior State Department official said. 'It's going to be a dramatic transformation in the decades ahead in terms of physical access.' Russia launches a missile from their Severny Klever base on Kotelny island during an exercise Mr Putin said the exercise with nuclear ballistic missile submarines smashing through ice was unprecedented for the military 'Russia is refurbishing Soviet-era airfields and radar installations, constructing new ports and search-and-rescue centres, and building up its fleet of nuclear- and conventionally-powered icebreakers,' Lt. Col. Thomas Campbell, a Pentagon spokesman, said. 'It is also expanding its network of air and coastal defense missile systems, thus strengthening its anti-access and area-denial capabilities over key portions of the Arctic," he added. Indeed, the three nuclear ballistic missile submarines smashing through ice last week shows Russia is building up its fleet of icebreakers. Moscow has prioritised beefing up its military presence in the Arctic region, which is believed to hold up to a quarter of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas A MiG-31 fighter of the Russian air force is refueled by an Il-78 tanker plane during Russian military maneuvers in the Arctic during military drills at an unspecified location As part of that exercise, a pair of MiG-31 fighter jets flew over the North Pole, Admiral Yevmenov said. A Defence Ministry video featured them being refuelled by a tanker plane. Yevmenov said the sophisticated manoeuvre was carried out by submarines 'for the first time in the history of the Russian Navy.' Mr Putin said the exercise was unprecedented for the military and praised its skills. He added that the manoeuvres have also proven the reliability of Russian weapons in polar conditions. 'I order to continue Arctic expeditions and research in the Far North to help ensure Russia's security,' the president told the navy chief. The Russian military has expanded the number and the scope of its war games amid bitter tensions in ties with the West, which have sunk to post-Cold War lows after Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. Putin said: 'The Arctic expedition... has no analogs in the Soviet and the modern history of Russia.' It comes after a British spy plane monitored Russian war games in the Arctic where Moscow says it has completed initial tests on a new hypersonic missile, local media says. Russian base launches a Onyx missile from its base on Alexandra Island in the Arctic An RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance jet flown by the RAF is said to have circled the skies near where the Kremlin's Admiral Gorshkov frigate sailed off Russia's northern coast this week. The Gorskhov has carried out at least four test launches of the new 6,100mph Zircon missile, which is expected to go into service next year and which defence chiefs boasted had 'hit the bullseye' in testing. Vladimir Putin sees the Mach 8 Zircon - or Tsirkon - as his missile of choice to target US cities in the event of a nuclear conflict, it is claimed. Russia have also been launching Onyx missiles - a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile - from various bases on Alexandra Island and the Bastion complex on Kotelny island off the north coast of Siberia. The military exercise involved an attack on supposed enemy ships in the pristine Arctic. Russian defence ministry TV channel Zvezda said that the plan had been successfully implemented. It looks like everyone is tackling the chip shortage. According to PhoneArena (via Wall Street Journal), TSMC will invest $100 billion over the next three years. The goal of this investment is to increase the capacity of its production facilities. The Wall Street Journal is saying that it is not only a company record but an industry record as well. TSMC is the largest chip supplier in the world, and they supply designed chips to companies like Apple, MediaTek, Intel, AMD, and others. As the chip shortage continues and demand for the 5G chips continues, TSMC is struggling to produce enough to provide its customers. CEO C.C. Wei sent a letter to the companys clients that was read the journal. Advertisement Wei writes that even with utilizing its fabs at a rate over 100%, TSMC has been unable to keep up with its clients demands. In addition, in the letter, Wei mentions that the company is hiring thousands of new employees. The company also has plans on expanding its production facilities by building new fabs. According to New Street Research analyst Pierre Ferragu, the $100 billion TSMC will invest is double what the company spent the prior three years. TSMC says that it is working closely with our customers to address their needs in a sustainable manner. TSMC is focusing on producing and shipping 3nm chips after producing 5nm chips like the A14 Bionic for Apple last year. In order to build these new 3nm chips, TSMC must build new lines to do so. That is an expensive investment. Advertisement TSMC will invest $100 billion to increase its productivity The company even finished its plant structure for 3nm fab at its Southern Taiwan Science Park last year. TSMC is not the only company investing money to expand. Intel is looking to spend $20 billion to build two new chip factories in the U.S. The new factories will start being built-in 2024. But the company cant start soon enough. Intel used to boast that it had a three-year head start over its competition. However, that lead has been cut into by TSMC and Samsung to where Intel is now behind them. Samsung is already planning on investing $116 million dollars by 2030 to expand its production of chips. TSMC is also going to build a chip factory here in the United States. The company will spend $12 billion dollars to build a factory in Arizona. Advertisement By 2024 is when the Arizona factory should be operational and will be able to produce 20,000 12-inch wafers per month. 5nm chips will be the focus of the Arizona factory which can be awkward. By 2024 3m will be the new cutting edge technology, so if that is true the Arizona factory will be producing out-of-date tech. Of course, TSMC may change the focus of the Arizona plant to fit what is needed. Ironically Intel will also be building two U.S. factories in Arizona as well. President Joe Bidens $2.3 trillion dollar infrastructure plan will set aside $50 billion for the semiconductor industry. Doing so should continue the U.S. to reduce its reliance on Asian chip manufacturers. The global chip shortage is causing problems across many industries. Recently the news of the White House hosting a meeting featuring chipmakers and auto manufacturers came out. The point of that meeting is to also help solve the global chip shortage. BATON ROUGE, La. (March 2021) - Without restoration efforts in coastal Louisiana, marshes in the state could lose half of their current ability to store carbon in the soil over a period of 50 years, according to a new paper published in American Geophysical Union Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences. "This reduction in capacity could significantly alter the global carbon budget, given that Louisiana's marsh soils account for between 5 and 21 percent of the global soil carbon storage in tidally influenced wetlands," said Melissa Baustian, lead author and coastal ecologist at The Water Institute of the Gulf. The article, "Long-term carbon sinks in marsh soils of coastal Louisiana are at risk to wetland loss" examined 24 south Louisiana sites located within four marsh habitats defined by the amount of saltwater influence - fresh, intermediate, brackish, and saline. Carbon sink is a reservoir that stores more carbon than it releases. By working with colleagues from U.S. Geological Survey, Vernadero Group, Abt Associates, and Tulane University the team used marsh habitat maps from 1949 to 2013, deep soil cores, soil carbon accumulation rates, and maps of future marsh area, to confirm the importance of considering historical habitats when evaluating a coastal areas' long-term ability to store carbon in the soil. Due to the evolving nature of coastal wetland habitats, simply looking at current conditions might not reflect how much carbon was buried historically or how much carbon can be buried in the future, especially in Louisiana where land loss is a continuing concern. "Protection and restoration of these marshes is vital to help protect the pool of buried carbon in the soils, and to prevent release of carbon to the atmosphere from soil oxidation," Baustian said. As Louisiana continues to build projects contained with its 50-year Coastal Master Plan, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced in August that the Institute, led by Baustian, will be working with the state to quantify the carbon sink potential of coastal Louisiana with and without restoration projects in the state's 2017 Coastal Master Plan to examine how these potential coastal carbon sinks could help reach the Governor's greenhouse gas emissions goals of 2025, 2030, and 2050. ### The High Court has made orders allowing two women who refused to enter mandatory hotel quarantine after arriving at Dublin Airport from Dubai to leave Mountjoy woman's prison. On Sunday Mr Justice Paul Burns amended bail conditions imposed on friends Niamh Mulreany and Kirstie McGrath, which will see them leave prison and continue to quarantine at a designated hotel. The judge also declined the mothers application to be allowed quarantine at their respective homes instead of the hotel so they could be re-united with their children. The judge said that in light of the public health situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the measures put in place to reduce new variations of the virus, they must quarantine at the hotel. Both women were arrested and charged with breaching Section 38 of the Health (Amendment) Act 2021 by refusing to be detained in quarantine following their alleged refusal to go to the designated hotel last Friday. They were granted bail by the district court on Saturday, but were unable to satisfy the financial conditions imposed on them, resulting in their incarceration at Mountjoy women's prison. Following an application by their lawyers on this morning, the judge directed an inquiry, under Article 40.4.2 of the Constitution, into the legality of their detention of at Mountjoy woman's prison. However following discussions between lawyers for the parties that action has now been converted into a constitutional challenge against laws requiring persons to enter mandatory quarantine on their arrival into Ireland from certain countries. Lawyers for the Director of Public Prosecutions and the prison's governor opposed the application and had argued their detention was valid. They also argued that while they were not unsympathetic to the situation that the two women found themselves, the mandatory quarantine was introduced in the interest of the greater public good to help counter Covid-19. Mandatory quarantine was introduced by the State following advice from experts, the court heard. The two women attended the hearing via video link from the prison. The court heard they had travelled to the United Arab Emirates, where they were due to but ultimately did not undergo cosmetic procedures. The court also heard that the trips and procedures were birthday presents funded by the women's respective families and friends. The pair were granted bail by the District Court on Saturday, on terms including that they remain in the hotel, and that they provide their own bond of 800, of which 500 must be lodged. They also had to provide an independent surety of 2,000, of which 1,800 must be lodged. They were also to reside at the designated hotel, surrender their passports and not leave the jurisdiction. However, the High Court heard that neither woman was able to take up bail resulting in their detention at the prison. Following talks between the sides the state parties, represented by Kate Egan BL and John Gallagher BL, agreed that the financial conditions of their bail could be relaxed. All that was at issue was if the two could quarantine at their homes or at the designated hotel. In his decision Mr Justice Burns agreed with the State that the two must quarantine at the hotel. He granted the two bail on condition that they be of good behaviour and that there be a cash bond of 100, with no lodgment required. He added that the two may not have to spend the 14 days at the hotel, given that there was an appeal mechanism included as part of the 2021 Act which they can avail of. The judge also noted that there was a waiver scheme in the Act for people who cannot afford to pay the costs of quarantining in the hotel. He warned them that any breach of the quarantine could see them back in the same position that they had found themselves in. In their action counsel John Fitzgerald SC for the two women claimed that their detention was not lawful. Counsel said the bail conditions imposed by the district court, given the circumstances were "draconian and disproportionate". The women have no previous convictions and had tested negative for Covid-19 following three recent tests, he added. Their mandatory quarantine, which his clients were not aware of before they left for Dubai, amounted to a form of preventative detention which there is no lawful basis. Counsel said Ms McGrath, of St Anthony's Road, Rialto Dublin 7, is the mother of children aged 10 and eight years, and is the recipient of lone parents' allowance. Her trip to Dubai was a 30th birthday present funded by family and friends. She was due to undergo a cosmetic medical procedure, which she believed would assist her in addressing some personal matters. Counsel said that Ms McGrath's mother, who has taken leave from her job, has been looking after her two children. However, her mother must return to work in the coming days. Mother-of-one Niamh Mulreany, who also celebrated her 25th birthday in March, also had her trip funded by a family member as a gift. Ms Mulreany of Scarlett Row, Essex Street West, Dublin 2, who previously had breast enhancement surgery, had travelled with the intention of undergoing a corrective procedure in Dubai. She too did not go ahead with the procedure. She is also in receipt of the lone parent allowance. When they attempted to return to Ireland from Dubai on March 31 last, they were informed that they must pay 1,850 in order to quarantine at a hotel upon arrival in Dublin. They were not able to pay that sum, and were told in Dubai that if they did not pre-book the hotel and pay, they would be denied passage to Dublin. They were not allowed board flights to Dublin for two days. Following representations from a public representative and the Irish consulate they agreed to make deferred payments for the hotel. They had also believed that their children could stay with them in the hotel. However, when they returned to Ireland, they were told they would have to pay the fee and that their children could not stay with them. Arising out of that, they allegedly refused to go to the designated hotel because they could not afford the fee, and over concerns for their children. In reply Mr Gallagher for the Governor said information about the mandatory quarantine was put in the public domain the day before the women travelled to Dubai on March 24. In all the circumstances counsel said that both women were validly detained. The matter will return before the court later this month. It's been nearly five years since former "Great Day SA" host Bridget Smith left San Antonio, but she's been doing big things since then. Smith has set her eyes on the prize: Hollywood. Today, the Los Angeles-based reporter works as an entertainment host interviewing celebrities during major red carpet events like the Grammys, Oscars, MTV Video Music Awards, and movie premieres. If you lived in San Antonio during her decade-long stint on "Great Day," you probably knew of Smith, even if you didn't watch her on TV. It wasn't just because she was a "local TV celebrity," but her charisma that made her a household name. She brought that famous charisma to our interview, where just minutes after we began our phone chat, I felt like I was talking to a dear friend. Smith makes those around her feel comfortable, and it's a trait that's captured the attention of major television executives. READ ALSO: Roma Villavicencio named as permanent host of 'Great Day SA' In November 2019, a group of execs wanted to meet with Smith regarding an idea they were floating around that they thought would be perfect for her. "I agreed to shoot a pilot called 'Bridget,' which would be a one-on-one interview series with celebrities in front of a live studio audience," she said. The show would mimic the format of "Inside the Actors Studio," and early last year, Smith was scheduled to tape the show's first live broadcast with a full audience. But as the world stopped due to coronavirus, so did production on "Bridget." "We worked on development the next two months, then in March got word from the production company that [Los Angeles] County was shutting down and the pilot was on hold," she told MySA. But that didn't stop Smith from delivering a product. "By the end of March [2020], a team of producers and I began working from home and shifted content we were working on," she said. "When COVID peaked, it didn't make sense to do a sit down with Jamie Foxx and talk about [a] movie when we are in the middle of a pandemic." Instead, Smith spent 2020 interviewing more than 30 people on the front lines of the pandemic, including healthcare workers and teachers trying to get back in the classroom. Producers would then send out those stories to TV affiliates, including here in Texas. This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 5) The Philippines on Monday warned it will fire off diplomatic protests for each day Chinese vessels suspected to be maritime militia refuse to leave Philippine waters. The Department of Foreign Affairs reiterated the demand of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana for China to immediately withdraw its vessels that are in the vicinity of Julian Felipe Reef and in the Philippines' maritime zones. For every day of delay, the Republic of the Philippines will lodge a diplomatic protest," the agency said in a strongly-worded statement. The DFA in March 21 filed the first diplomatic protest against China over the presence of over 200 Chinese vessels at the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea. It demanded that China promptly withdraw its ships, however, about 44 Chinese vessels are still moored at the reef almost two weeks after the Philippines' demand. Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago "Chito" Sta. Romana said last week Beijing gave its assurance that its vessels are only temporarily staying at Julian Felipe Reef. Also known as Whitsun Reef, Julian Felipe is a shallow coral reef 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza town in Palawan, well within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. Aside from China's presence in the Julian Felipe Reef, over 200 of its vessels are in different reefs in the Kalayaan Island Group, which the Philippines considers part of Palawan province. Heated exchange A word war erupted between Manila and Beijing officials over the weekend. Lorenzana on April 3 said he was "no fool" to buy China's excuse that bad weather is preventing the vessels from leaving Julian Felipe Reef. In response, the Chinese Embassy in Manila called the Cabinet secretary's statement "perplexing" and "unprofessional." It reiterated its claim that the reef is part of China's Nansha Islands. The Embassy added it was "completely normal" for Chinese fishing vessels to fish near the reef. This was shunned by DFA in its statement. "Tradition yields to law whether or not it is regarded as traditional fishing. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the final and binding 2016 Award in the South China Sea Arbitratiion are clearly the only norm applicable to this situation," the department said. An arbitral tribunal in 2016 invalidated Beijing's sweeping claims in the South China Sea based on "historic rights" and recognized the Philippines' sovereign rights to parts of its EEZ, which the East Asian giant contests. It also ruled that China's island-building activities on several reefs in the Kalayaan Island Group constitute violations UNCLOS and "have caused devastating and long-lasting damage to the marine environment." China refuses to recognize the landmark ruling. DFA also said the Chinese Embassy's remark contained other "blatant falsehoods," such as fallacious claims of bad weather, denial of existence of maritime militia in the area, and its attempt to promote China's claims in the West Philippine Sea which DFA said is a clear false narrative from the side of Beijing. It also denounced the attempt of the Chinese Embassy to "impugn" Lorenzana by calling his statements unprofessional. "Chinese Embassy officials are reminded that they are guests of the Philippine government," it said. Fairfield, NJ, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StayinFront, a leading global provider of mobile, cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for life sciences and consumer goods organizations, announced today a multi-year agreement with Nobelpharma America, LLC, a pharmaceutical company developing critical, but neglected, pharmaceuticals and medical devices for unmet needs, to deploy its Touch Platform suite of products. StayinFront will provide its mobile solution, StayinFront TouchRx, to Nobelpharmas field representatives to access critical CRM information. The solution will allow Nobelpharma representatives to use advanced targeting tools to create schedules with key healthcare providers (HCPs), use integrated Closed Loop Marketing (CLM) presentations for product details, and show responsive follow up using StayinFront Briefcase, delivering one-on-one approved messaging with interactive surveys, videos and digital brochures. StayinFront Mobile KPIs will provide field teams, managers, and home office with the ability to track performance against key metrics such as product usage and call activity. We are focused on a critical segment of the healthcare provider population. StayinFronts suite of products is unique in that it seamlessly allows Nobelpharma to target the right message to the proper audience and track activity and the important interactions, stated Douglas Loock, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Nobelpharma. As a company, StayinFront has a long history of providing cost-effective, relevant solutions to the Life Sciences industry. Our StayinFront Touch platform is designed to deliver flexible, cost-effective and easy-to-maintain mobile cloud products and services. We envision rapid deployment to support their growing business, commented Ken Arbadji, Vice President Sales, North America at StayinFront. About Nobelpharma America, LLCNobelpharma America, LLC is the first global subsidiary of Nobelpharma Co. Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Nobelpharma was founded in 2003 in Tokyo, Japan and received its first drug approval in Japan in 2008. Since then, Nobelpharma has received approvals for over 15 drugs and devices in Japan across a wide range of indications, bringing life-changing treatments to patients, caregivers, and health care providers. Nobelpharma is committed to meeting essential patient needs by developing treatments for diseases that often go overlooked because of the small number of patients affected. Nobelpharma has a societal obligation to develop therapies and devices that help improve the lives of people living with diseases with little or no other treatment options. About StayinFrontStayinFront is a leading global provider of mobile, cloud-based field force effectiveness and customer relationship management solutions for life sciences and consumer goods organizations. Companies of all sizes, in over 50 countries use StayinFront software to streamline sales operations and reduce the complexity, time and expense associated with field efforts. StayinFront products are seamlessly integrated to provide companies with timely, accurate field data and actionable insights, enabling field reps and management to Know More, Do More and Sell More. Headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, StayinFront has offices in Chicago, Canada, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Ireland, Poland, India, Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand. For more details about StayinFront products and solutions, visit www.stayinfront.com. StayinFront Contact Ken Arbadji Vice President of Sales, North America +1 (973) 461-4800 x3247 karbadji@stayinfront.com StayinFront Media Contact Crystal Ozsoy Senior Marketing Manager +1 (973) 461-4800 x3390 pr@stayinfront.com Source: Stayinfront The National Police in Marbella have arrested two youths, aged 18 and 19, one Spanish and the other Dominican, on suspicion of stealing goods from a home and then demanding money from the owners to return the items. The pair allegedly entered the house with a false key while the residents were not at home. But when the owners returned, from the outside they spotted the lights were on and saw people moving around inside. The owners called the police and when officers arrived they entered the property with the owners but found no sign of the thieves. The residents confirmed that several electronic devices were missing and the police left after informing them how to file a complaint. However, a few hours later, the theft victims called the police again when the two youths showed up at the house demanding money in exchange for the stolen items. When the police arrived one was still inside the house, while the second fled over adjoining rooftops but the police detained him in a neighbouring street. When he was arrested he was carrying one of the stolen electronic devices. The pair have been charged with robbery with force offences. NEWTOWN - The U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal by extremist Alex Jones to revisit sanctions the Infowars host received in Connecticut trial court, where he is being sued for defamation by an FBI agent and six families who lost loved ones in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre. Obviously, this is a disappointment, said Jones lawyer, Norm Pattis, who argued that sanctions Jones received in 2019 after his blood on the streets rant against an attorney representing the litigants was a breach of Jones free speech rights. Mr. Jones never threatened anyone; had he done so, he would have been charged with a crime, Pattis said in a prepared statement. We are inching our way case-by-case toward a toothless, politically correct, First Amendment. The Supreme Courts refusal to hear Jones appeal means the case goes back to trial court, where Jones is accused of calling the worst crime in Connecticut history staged, synthetic, manufactured, a giant hoax, and completely fake with actors. Jones has said in court that he no longer denies that the shooting happened. Its the latest development in a handful of defamation lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas filed by families who lost loved ones in 2012, when a gunman shot his way into a locked Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 first-graders and educators. Jones was last in the headlines in January after the highest court in Texas rejected appeals by Jones to dismiss lawsuits brought by two fathers of children killed in the school shooting. The U.S. Supreme Court issued no statement about Jones appeal, other than it was denied. The families attorneys in Connecticut said they were pleased with the decision, allowing the well-deserved sanctions against Mr. Jones to stand. The families are eager to resume their case and to hold Mr. Jones and his financial network accountable for their actions, Josh Koskoff said. From the beginning, our goal has been to prevent future victims of mass shootings from being preyed on by opportunists. Pattis faulted both Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis, who hit Jones with the sanctions, and Connecticut Supreme Court, which upheld the sanctions. Judge Bellis, and the Connecticut Supreme Court asserted frightening and standardless power over the extrajudicial statements of litigants, Pattis said. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 Shah will later chair a high-level meeting at the Police Coordination Centre here on the Left Wing Extremism situation Jagdalpur: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Chhattisgarh on Monday to chair a high-level meeting in connection with the Naxal attack in the state's Bastar region that claimed the lives of 22 security personnel, a senior official said. Shah will reach the Jagdalpur airport (in Bastar district) at around 10.35 am, following which he will attend the wreath-laying ceremony to pay respect to the martyred personnel at the Police Lines here, he said. It will be Shah's first visit to the Bastar region after assuming the charge of Union home minister, he said. In Jagdalpur, the wreath would be laid on the mortal remains of 14 security personnel, while tributes would be paid to the other deceased jawans at the Bijapur district headquarters, the official said. Shah will later chair a high-level meeting at the Police Coordination Centre here on the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) situation. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, senior officials of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will attend the meeting, he said. Shah will then leave for the Basaguda camp of the CRPF in Bijapur in a chopper and will have an interaction and lunch with the CRPF and state police personnel there, he said. He will later go to Raipur and visit three hospitals where the injured personnel are admitted. Shah will leave for Delhi at 5.30 pm on Monday. Twenty two security personnel were killed and 31 others injured in the gunfight with Naxals between Jonaguda and Tekalguda villages along the border of Sukma and Bijapur districts on Saturday. Out of the total 22 fatalities, the CRPF lost eight men, including seven commandos of the CoBRA (CRPF's elite unit) and one jawan of the Bastariya battalion, eight of the other deceased were from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and six from the Special Task Force (STF). One jawan is still missing, officials said. Harvey Weinstein is appealing convictions to the New York Criminal Court. Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson. Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has asked a New York state appeals court to throw out his conviction for sexual assault and rape and grant a new trial, saying the trial judge made several errors that denied him an impartial jury. Weinstein (69) was sentenced in March 2020 by Justice James Burke of Manhattan criminal court to 23 years in prison for assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping former aspiring actress Jessica Mann. Weinstein has denied any nonconsensual sexual encounters. His conviction was seen as a watershed moment in the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse and harassment. Weinstein makes seven arguments in his bid to overturn his conviction, from seating a juror that Weinstein's lawyers accused of being grossly unqualified to an unduly harsh sentence. His lawyers also argue he was denied a presumption of innocence when Burke allowed the jury to hear testimony from three women who alleged Weinstein assaulted them even though their accusations did not result in a criminal charge. The three women described for the jury what prosecutors characterized as Weinstein's signature pattern of behavior: luring women to hotel rooms or his apartment to discuss film roles, then attacking them. Weinstein's lawyers had asked Burke during the trial to bar two of the three from testifying. Jurors were instructed that the three women's testimony could only be used as evidence of Weinstein's intent, not propensity to commit sexual assault. Weinstein said the third-degree rape charge should be dismissed because the alleged misconduct occurred too long ago, and a new trial should concern a single count of first-degree criminal sexual act. Even if his conviction were overturned, Weinstein still faces charges including forcible rape in Los Angeles involving five alleged victims from 2004 to 2013. Weinstein faces up to 140 years in prison if convicted in that case. TORONTO (CTV Network) -- Parents speaking with children about anti-Asian racism should teach them cultural pride, warn them about racism before it happens, and embolden them to call it out, experts recommend. The University of Toronto recently found reported anti-Asian racist incidents in Canada have more than tripled in the last year, and because of the speed at which some of the incidents spread online, experts warn Asian parents to prepare their children for it. What we tell parents is to control what theyre watching [on] social media. [Children] are more savvy, theyll see it before we will, Catherine Vuky, an assistant clinical psychology professor at William James College and director of the Massachusetts colleges Asian Mental Health program, said during an expert panel discussion on CTV News Channel. She told CTV News Channel that now more than ever parents should be speaking with their children about racism and discrimination, and create a safe space for them to speak about what they may have experienced. Oftentimes, we find that our Asian parents tend not to have these types of conversations but what I hear from the kids is, theyre scared. And they want to talk about it. Anti-Asian hate attacks have skyrocketed across the U.S. and Canada. In 2020, reported attacks spiked across the country, including in Montreal, Vancouver, and Ottawa. A June Angus Reid poll of more than 500 Chinese-Canadians found half were called names or insulted because of the outbreak, while 43 percent said they've been threatened or intimidated. Vuky, who helped develop a multilingual guide for parents, said to encourage younger children to write down or draw what theyre feeling because they might not be able to articulate their thoughts with words. Last year, a group of professors from the University of Victoria helped create an online resource for Asian youth to help them navigate through the complexities of systemic oppression in Canada and their own racial identities. Meanwhile, in Toronto, educators have been offering guides for teachers to have tough but needed conversations. Vuky noted that these conversations shouldnt only be done in reaction to racist incidents or news reports. She said, especially when it comes to younger children, parents needed to get out ahead of racist incidents by building up pride in their cultural background. I think if we have natural conversations in our everyday lives, we can instill that resilience and the confidence in our kids. She noted the new wave of books discussing racism and even cultural identity can be used to talk about what its like to be different or to look differently and celebrate the differences -- celebrate our own culture versus looking at all the negatives. Jan Wong, the co-founder of the Asian Canadian Women's Alliance, agreed wholeheartedly and said that its important to facilitate these conversations so children arent blindsided. She told CTV News Channel when her now-adult sons were young children she didnt have that talk initially because I thought Canada was this wonderful, harmonious, multi-cultural place. But that changed after Wongs then-four-year-old son was bullied by several other children at a park because of his race. He couldnt talk. He was so upset, she said, noting that she wished she couldve prepared him for less of a shock. Looking back, Wong said she wouldve encouraged her child that you dont have to take it passively and to talk back to the other children, conveying that it wasnt right. She likened having early preemptive talks about racism to how parents and teachers preemptively speak to children about consent when it comes to hugging or inappropriate touching, and how to tell other adults or teachers if something is making them feel uncomfortable. You have to inoculate your kids before it happens. Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. ctvnews.caproducers@bellmedia.ca Warnock deletes tweet claiming people can save themselves, Easter transcends Jesus' resurrection Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Democratic U.S. senator from Georgia and pastor of Atlantas Ebenezer Baptist Church, has removed a controversial Easter tweet stating that even non-Christians can save themselves by doing good. The meaning of Easter is more transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Warnock wrote on Twitter Easter Sunday. Whether you are Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves. After backlash, the tweet was removed from Warnocks social media page. The tweet caused some to accuse the 51-year-old reverend who won a Senate runoff election in January and propel Democrats to the Senate majority of heresy. Warnock deleted his heretical tweet, President Donald Trumps former lawyer Jenna Ellis responded by tweeting. He should delete Reverend in front of his name too. In an earlier tweet, Ellis said that Warnocks tweet was false gospel and heresy. We cannot save ourselves, she wrote. The absolute truth and only meaning of Easter that matters is the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we must accept Him as Lord and Savior. Ellis challenged Warnock to read Romans. MSNBC host Joy Reid came to Warnock's defense in response to Ellis tweets. This lady is literally calling the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church -- The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s church -- a heretic, Reid wrote. This actually happened today. Madame, I'm gonna take @ReverendWarnock's take, as a pastor and a scholar on the Word over yours, if you don't mind. The College Republicans at Georgia State University quoted Ephesians 2:8-10 in a tweet. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast, the organization tweeted. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Conservative podcast host Allie Beth Stuckey argued that There is nothing more transcendent than the resurrection of the God-man, Jesus. Literally: his resurrection transcends our finite conceptions of science & rationality, Stuckey wrote in a tweet. That the Word became flesh, dwelt among us, then was slain for our sins only to conquer death 3 days later? This is not the first time Warnock, a longtime civil rights activist and Georgias first black senator, has faced criticism for controversial comments. Laurie Cardoza-Moore, the founder of Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, responded in an op-ed for The Christian Post to comments Warnock made in the past referring to Jesus as a poor Palestinian prophet. The word Palestine does not appear one time throughout the New Testament and the Philistines referenced in the Old Testament became extinct during Biblical times, wrote Cardoza-Moore, who leads an evangelical Christian organization that encourages Christians to stand with Israel and the Jewish People against the rise of global anti-Semitism It appears that Warnock is more interested in pushing a subversive political agenda than teaching Gods word, she remarked. Warnocks teachings are a fusion of two anti-Semitic doctrines that have led to the murder of countless Jews throughout history: Replacement Theology and Liberation Theology. She added, The fact that Warnock pushes the Palestinian Jesus narrative is indicative of his broader perspective. His spin doctors are working around the clock to cover his past and paint him as an heir of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, a Zionist and staunch ally of Israel, when he is actually cut from the same cloth as his teacher Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Cardoza-Moore stated. Wright, a pastor emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and former pastor of President Barack Obama, has made his own controversial remarks, including that blacks should not sing God Bless America but God damn America. Investors will get a chance to subscribe to at least six initial public offers (IPOs) in April. The IPO market saw several public issues last month as market saw an improvement in investor sentiment with economic parameters too indicating a revival in GDP growth. March saw nine companies making their market debut and charting a path of recovery in the IPO market. Shares of Laxmi Organic Industries, MTAR Technologies, Nazara Technologies, Easy Trip Planners, Heranba Industries, Craftsman Automation, Suryoday Small Finance Bank, Anupam Rasayan India and Kalyan Jewellers India were listed on BSE and NSE last month. Here's a look at the upcoming IPOs in April which are likely to attract investor interest. Macrotech Developers: The real estate firm earlier known as Lodha Developers plans to launch Rs 2,500-crore initial public offering (IPO) on April 7. The three-day share sale will end on April 9. Shares of the IPO are likely to be allotted on April 16, 2021 and the stock is expected to make its market debut on April 22. Lot size of the IPO will be 30 shares for which one will have to spend Rs 14,580. Price band of the IPO is Rs 483 to Rs 486 per equity share. KIMS Hospitals:Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences Ltd plans to raise Rs 700 crore through the share sale. The offer will consist of a fresh issue of shares aggregating up to Rs 200 crore and an offer for sale of up to 21,340,931 equity shares from promoters and existing shareholders. Aadhar Housing Finance: The firm engaged in the business of home loans plans to launch Rs 7,300 crore through the IPO. The company will issue fresh shares costing Rs 1,500 crore. Private equity firm Blackstone will sell existing stake worth Rs 5,800 crore through the IPO. Sona BLW Precision Forgings (Sona Comstar): The producer of fabricated metal products plans to raise Rs 6,000 crore in the share sale which will consist of a fund-raiser through fresh issue amounting to Rs 300 crore and an offer for sale aggregating up to Rs 5,700 crore. Seven Islands Shipping: The Mumbai-based liquid seaborne logistics company plans to raise Rs 600 crore through the share sale. The firm is eyeing Rs 400 crore from fresh issue of shares and an offer for sale aggregating up to Rs 200 crore. Dodla Dairy: The firm's share sale will involve a fresh issue of up to Rs 50 crore and an offer for sale of up to 10.09 million equity shares by the promoters and an investor. The company plans to raise around Rs 800 crore through the IPO. Edited by Aseem Thapliyal Mumbai, April 5 : Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has resigned from his post, hours after the Bombay High Court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the corruption allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh, a top Nationalist Congress Party leader said here on Monday. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has appointed senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, ex-Speaker and Labour Minister Dilip Walse-Patil as the new Home Minister. The CM also tweaked his cabinet by handing over the Labour department to Minister Hasan Mushrif, and State Excise portfolio to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Among the seniormost leaders in the state, Walse-Patil, 65, has been a 6-time MLA from Ambegaon in Pune district, has been a Minister with experience in handling diverse departments, and served as the Speaker of Maharashtra Legisltive Assembly from 2009-2014. Earlier, the high court verdict triggered off a high-level political dramas in the state culminating in Deshmukh's resignation. "Soon after the high court directives, Deshmukh met NCP President Sharad Pawar and offered to resign to ensure an impartial probe. After the nod, Deshmukh has gone to meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to submit his resignation," NCP National Spokesperson and Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik told mediapersons. In his resignation letter to the CM, Deshmukh said: "In the wake of the HC ruling, I feel it would be improper for me to continue in the post on ethical grounds. Hence, I have decided to voluntarily keep away from the post. Kindly relieve me from this responsibility." The fast-paced development came shortly after a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G. S. Kulkarni directed the CBI to conduct a 'preliminary probe' within 15 days into Singh's allegations against Deshmukh. On March 30, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had appointed a high-level committee by a retired Bombay HC judge, Justice K. U. Chandiwal to probe the matter. Meanwhile, Deshmukh rushed to New Delhi late this evening amid speculation that he would challenge the Bombay HC verdict in the Supreme Court. Several BJP bigwigs including State party chief Chandrakant Patil, Leaders of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis (Council) and Pravin Darekar, Sudhir Mungantiwar and others welcomed Deshmukh's move to resign from his post to ensure an impartial probe. This is the second major setback for the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the past three months with a minister compelled to quit the cabinet. On February 28, the Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod had quit amid a huge row following the death of a Tik-Tok star Pooja Chavan (22) in Pune on February 7. After the incident, the BJP threatened to withdraw its members from a joint panel of the Shakti Bill and disrupt the legislature proceedings during the Budget Session in March if Rathod continued in in the ministry. OAK BROOK, Ill., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TreeHouse Foods, Inc. (NYSE: THS) will host an audio webcast of its first quarter earnings results conference call on Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Steve Oakland, Chief Executive Officer and President, and Bill Kelley, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will discuss the results for the first quarter and the outlook for 2021. An earnings release will be issued before the market opens on the same date, and the accompanying slides will be posted to the "Investors" section of the website at approximately 8:15 a.m. ET. The webcast will be accessible by visiting http://www.treehousefoods.com and by clicking on "Investors", "Events & Presentations". In order to listen to the webcast, users will need to have installed either Real Player or Windows Media Player software, which can be detected and downloaded by visiting the site. A webcast replay will be available for 180 days following the event within the "Investors", "Events & Presentations", "Archived Events & Presentations" section of the Company's website. ABOUT TREEHOUSE FOODS TreeHouse Foods, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of private label packaged foods and beverages in North America. We have approximately 40 production facilities across North America and Italy, and our vision is to be the undisputed solutions leader for custom brands for our customers. Our extensive product portfolio includes snacking, beverages and meal preparation products, available in shelf stable, refrigerated, frozen and fresh formats. We have a comprehensive offering of packaging formats and flavor profiles, and we also offer clean label, organic and preservative-free ingredients across almost our entire portfolio. Our purpose is to make high quality food and beverages affordable to all. Additional information, including TreeHouse's most recent statements on Forms 10-Q and 10-K, may be found at TreeHouse's website, http://www.treehousefoods.com. RELATED LINKS http://www.treehousefoods.com SOURCE TreeHouse Foods, Inc. Related Links http://www.treehousefoods.com Israeli-Jordanian relations deteriorated into a crisis this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus election campaign helping to bring tensions to the brink of an explosion. Driving the news: The crisis erupted on March 10 ahead of a visit by the Jordanian crown prince to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The unusual visit was intended to highlight Jordanian custodianship over the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. Because of bad coordination between Israel and Jordan, several members of the crown princes security detail were not allowed to enter Israel. The Jordanians saw that as a violation of the understandings between the parties and canceled the visit. A day later, Netanyahu intended to travel to Jordan to board a flight from Amman to Abu Dhabi for a historic first official visit to the UAE. But the Jordanians didnt give the Emirati plane a departure permit, thus delaying a trip that was to be a cornerstone of Netanyahu's election campaign. Netanyahu retaliated by giving the Israeli civil aviation authority an unprecedented order to close Israeli airspace to flights to and from Jordan. Netanyahu made the decision unilaterally without consulting his Security Cabinet or defense and foreign ministers. Civil aviation authority officials were stunned by the order and tried to convince the prime ministers office to cancel it. They stressed that such a step would be a violation of Israel's peace treaty with Jordan and could have grave consequences. Civil aviation officials played for time, holding off on notifying the Jordanians and hoping Netanyahu would cool down. Two hours after the order was given, it was overturned. Senior Israeli officials tell me that if the decision had been communicated to the Jordanians, it would have dramatically escalated the crisis. What they're saying: Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on CNN: You renege on an agreement with Jordan, you disrupt a religious visit and then you expect to come to Jordan and fly out of Jordan? Let's be serious, is this something that can be expected?" Netanyahu indirectly confirmed the incident in a series of interviews and used it to boost his campaign. He also downplayed the importance of the relationship with Jordan, saying, I will be diplomatic and say that Jordan needs the peace agreement with Israel no less than Israel needs it. The big picture: The Israel-Jordan peace treaty was signed in 1994 under the auspices of then-President Bill Clinton. Every administration since has been deeply involved in cooling down tensions between the parties. The Biden administration has not intervened so far in the current crisis. Israeli officials say the lack of attention from the Biden administration to the region and to this issue in particular has contributed to the latest escalation. The backstory: Relations between Netanyahu and King Abdullah, already bad, became even worse during the Trump presidency. Things were slowly improving over the last six months after Netanyahu backed away from his West Bank annexation plans. Minister of Defense Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi have also worked to improve relations and foster dialogue. Both Gantz and Ashkenazi are former Israel Defense Forces chiefs of staff and see Jordanian stability as a strategic pillar in Israels national security. Whats next: Senior Israeli officials are concerned that Jordan will take more retaliatory measures in its bilateral relationship with Israel and say urgent efforts are needed to cool down the situation. The countdown to the assembly elections in Puducherry has begun. The 15the legislative polls in the UT will decide the fate of 324 candidates across the 30 constituencies on Tuesday, April 6, 2021. A total of 10,04,507 electors will exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 324 candidates on Tuesday. The counting of votes will take place on May 2, Sunday. When is Puducherry assembly Election 2021? The 15th legislative assembly election of Puducherry is scheduled to be held on April 6, 2021. Puducherry Election 2021 voting timings In the Puducherry assembly polls, voting will start at 8 AM and end at 6 PM. Puducherry election results in 2021: Date and counting of votes timings The date of counting votes of the Puducherry legislative election is May 2. The counting of votes will begin in the early morning around 8 am on the same day. The final results will be declared by evening on May 2. How many constituencies are there in Puducherry? The union territory consists of a total of 30 constituencies. Puducherry Assembly Election 2021: Full list of constituencies: Mannadipet Embalam (SC) Lawspet Thirubhuvanai (SC) Kalapet Nettapakkam (SC)Ossudu (SC) Muthialpet Bahour Mangalam Raj Bhavan Nedungadu (SC) Villianur Oupalam Thirunallar Ozhukarai Orleampeth Karaikal North Kadirkamam Nellithope Karaikal South Indira Nagar Mudaliarpet Neravy-T.R. Pattinam Thattanchavady Ariankuppam Mahe Kamaraj Nagar Manavely Yanam How many districts are there in Puducherry?It comprises four districts: Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. Which are the popular parties in Puducherry? Elections in Puducherry, which is currently under the President's rule, is mainly between the Congress-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) alliance and the National democratic Alliance (NDA) comprising the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India NR Congress. The Congress, which heads the Secular Democratic Alliance in the union territory, was allotted 15 of the 30 assembly seats and its ally DMK has been allocated 13 seats. VCK and CPI, the other constituents of the alliance, have been given one seat each. The All-India NR Congress is contesting 16 seats, BJP 9 seats, and the remaining 5 seats by AIADMK. In the previous assembly elections in 2016, Congress emerged as Single Largest Party in Puducherry winning 15 seats. However, in February this year, President's rule was imposed in the union territory after several MLAs resigned from the ruling-Congress party in the UT. Former Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy-led Congress government lost a majority in the 33-member House following the resignations of five Congress and one DMK legislators. Puducherry Election 2021: Key candidates and constituencies: Congress party's P Selvanadane will contest from Kadirkamam assembly seat, M Kannan from India Nagar, Karthikeyan from Oussudu and Ramesh Preambath from Mahe. From the NDA's camp, AINRC chief N Rangasamy will be contesting from Thattanchavady and from Yanam. BJP's Puducherry president V Swaminathan will be contesting from the Lawspet constituency. Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam party will also contest from some of the seats. How many MP seats are there in Puducherry? Puducherry represents the same constituency in the Lok Sabha. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Congress Party's Ve Vaithilingam bagged the MP seat from Puducherry. Puducherry Election 2021 dates Date of Poll - April 6, 2021 (Tuesday)Date of Counting- May 2, 2021 (Sunday) Date of completion - May 4, 2021 (Tuesday) Also read: Tamil Nadu Election 2021: Voting dates, poll schedule, timings, election results, all FAQs Also read: West Bengal Election 2021: Voting dates, poll full schedule, timings, election results, all FAQs Also read: Assam Election 2021: Voting dates, full poll schedule, timings, election results, FAQs Also read: Kerala Election 2021: Voting dates, poll schedule, timings, election results, all FAQs Touch is also a family affair for Kearney: His wife Anne and daughters Simone and Sarah provided illustrations for the book, and he cites the role of touch in the work of his brothers, Michael, a palliative care specialist, and Peter, a cardiac surgeon. Kearneys thoughts on touch go beyond human to human contact. He writes about the therapeutic powers of touching animals, such as dogs, horses, and dolphins. He also extends the notion of touch to planet Earth itself, whether it is the benefits of gardening or the need for humans to be better in touch with nature. The pandemic, along with the ecological crisis of climate change, is a double wake-up call for the need for touch, he said. In his conclusion, Kearney calls for mutually enhancing symbiosis, an interconnectedness of the digital and the tactile that calls for striking the right balance between the two, not choosing one over the other. Ultimately, it is a matter of both/and [not either/or]. It is clear that to live fully in tomorrows world we will need both virtual imagination and incarnate action. The primacy of touch is also a key component to hospitality or opening oneself up to anotherthe subject of a second new book from Kearney. Radical Hospitality: From Thought to Action is co-authored by Kearney and Melissa Fitzpatrick, who received a Ph.D. in philosophy from BC in 2019 and now serves as an assistant professor of the practice in the Carroll School of Management Portico program. In their book, Kearney and Fitzpatrick show how radical hospitality happens by crossing borders, literal or figurative, and opening oneself in narrative exchange to someone else, a stranger or perhaps even an enemy. According to the authors, amidst the fears, dogmas, and demands for certainty and security that push us toward hostility, we also desire to wager with the unknown, leap into the unanticipated, and celebrate the new. In an era of border anxiety and increased refugees and migrants, Radical Hospitality seeks to cultivate a willingness to be open and welcoming to new voices and new understandings. In the first part of the book, Kearney explores the four faces of hospitality: linguistic, narrative, confessional, and carnal. In the second part of the book, Fitzpatrick examines the line between theory and practice and the relationship between hospitality and moral psychology. In particular, she considers the philosophies of Kant, Levinas, and Arendt, and draws upon her own experiences in the Mississippi Delta and on the U.S.-Mexico border. Radical Hospitality is a product of the Guestbook Project that Kearney launched at Boston College in 2009: an international initiative that uses digital storytelling and narrative exchanges as ways to heal divisions and build peace and reconciliation. Kearney believes that when people from opposing sides exchange stories it can lead to empathy, unity, and mutual understanding. Kearney, who teaches a summer course called BC in Croatia: Peace and Hospitality at the Borders of Europe, has been involved in peace initiatives in Northern Ireland. His model of narrative exchanges as a means to bring about peace has been championed by leaders, most notably President of Ireland Michael Higgins, who cited Kearney and his hospitality of narratives in a recent op-ed in The Guardian and in a national address late last year. Radical Hospitality will be formally launched at the Guestbook Projects April 24 symposium on Digital Peace Pedagogy: The Risk of Narrative Exchange. Yet another recent Kearney-related publication is Imagination Now: A Richard Kearney Reader, a compendium of his most seminal works over the past three decades. Edited by M.E. Littlejohn, Imagination Now offers a selection of Kearneys writing on philosophy of the imagination, hermeneutics, philosophy of religion, ethics, psychology, practical philosophy, and politics. The volume concludes with a dialogue with Kearney, who reflects on his journey and brings his thinking to bear on pressing concerns of the current day. Kathleen Sullivan | University Communications | March 2021 A plane crash survivor who resorted to cannibalism to avoid starvation recalled the mental turmoil he faced while trying to eat the bodies of his friends. Jose Luis 'Coche' Inciarte was one of 16 men who escaped death when their chartered aircraft smashed into the Andes between Chile and Argentina on October 13, 1972. They were rescued 72 days later after survivors Dr Roberto Canessa, Nando Parrado and Antonio Vizint trekked for 10 days to get help, but some who had stayed at the site of the crash were forced eat the corpses of their dead friends to survive. Appearing on This Morning today, Coche explained he had to 'make a great effort of energy and mind' to be able to eat the flesh of his friends, but insisted his anguish doesn't 'live with him'. Jose Luis 'Coche' Inciarte (rear, second from right) was one of 16 men who escaped death when their chartered aircraft smashed into the Andes mountains between Chile and Argentina on October 13, 1972 After being asked whether he had come to terms with his memories, he said: 'No, the story doesnt live with me. 'I live my life as I imagined in those days and when I am having problems I think about the Andes and the problem seems to be very little against the others, so it helps me, but its not part of my life.' Coche was one of 45 passengers aboard the Uruguayan Air Force flight 571 when it hit a mountain range shrouded in mist during a flight from Santiago to Montevideo. Twelve men died on impact, another five within hours and one more a week later. Tragedy struck again on the 17th day of their ordeal when an avalanche killed eight more of the passengers. Appearing on This Morning today, Coche spoke of the difficulty he had to 'make a great effort of energy and mind' to be able to eat the flesh of his friends He told hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford that his anguish doesn't 'live with him' today The survivors had little food and no source of heat in the harsh conditions at over 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) altitude. Faced with starvation and radio news reports that the search for them had been abandoned, those who lived fed on the dead passengers who had been preserved in the snow. 'There was no other option if you wanted to stay alive,' said Coche. 'We made a meeting between all and we argued whether to do it or not to do it, not to do it seemed to mean to die, everybody decided to eat. 'When you went to take a piece of flesh, the body of your friend, their frozen body, the hand doesnt obey and you have to make a great effort of energy and mind to make your arm obey, and then it obeys, not immediately. The group of survivors was rescued 72 days later after survivors Dr Roberto Canessa, Nando Parrado and Antonio Vizint trekked for 10 days to get help 'It was the same with opening mouth to put it inside the mouth and swallow.' The group was saved when Canessa, Parrado and Vizint stumbled across Chilean herdsman Sergio Catalan, who gave them food and then alerted authorities. When asked whether he thought he would make it out alive, Coche said: 'Most days I thought I was going to go out from there I had a great confidence with them to reach some place and they did it. 'But other days, in those terrible days that we were waiting for them, I [thought] that they were not going to reach any place, so I put my date of dying on December 24th'. Coche's harrowing story was told in the 1993 film Alive, and the survivor told spoke of how accurate the film is. 'Some things are invented, and others are true', he said. 'The film is very well done with all the effects, but we never fell into a hole in the snow and the other is really for me, my actor had a guitar, Ive never played in my whole life. ' UCI-led team reports that an increase in lightning will drive both wildfires and warming above Arctic Circle Irvine, Calif. -- In 2019, the National Weather Service in Alaska reported spotting the first-known lightning strikes within 300 miles of the North Pole. Lightning strikes are almost unheard of above the Arctic Circle, but scientists led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine have published new research in the journal Nature Climate Change detailing how Arctic lightning strikes stand to increase by about 100 percent over northern lands by the end of the century as the climate continues warming. "We projected how lightning in high-latitude boreal forests and Arctic tundra regions will change across North America and Eurasia," said Yang Chen, a research scientist in the UCI Department of Earth System Science who led the new work. "The size of the lightning response surprised us because expected changes at mid-latitudes are much smaller." The finding offers a glimpse into the changes that're in store for the Arctic as the planet continues warming; it suggests Arctic weather reports during summertime will be closer to those seen today far to the south, where lightning storms are more common. James Randerson, a professor in UCI's Department of Earth System Science who co-authored the study, was part of a NASA-led field campaign that studied wildfire occurrence in Alaska during 2015, which was a extreme year for wildfires in the state. "2015 was an exceptional fire year because of a record number of fire starts," Randerson said. "One thing that got us thinking was that lightning was responsible for the record-breaking number of fires." This led Chen to look at over-twenty-year-old NASA satellite data on lighting strikes in northern regions, and construct a relationship between the flash rate and climatic factors. By using future climate projections from multiple models used by the United Nations, the team estimated a significant increase in lightning strikes as a result of increases in atmospheric convection and more intense thunderstorms. A lightning strike bump could open a Pandora's box of related troubles. Fires, Randerson explained, burn away short grasses, mosses, and shrubs that are important components of Arctic tundra ecosystems. Such plants cover much of the landscape, and one thing they do is keep the seeds of trees from taking root in the soil. After a fire burns away low-lying plants, however, seeds from trees can more easily grow on bare soil, allowing forests stands to expand north. Evergreen forests will replace what's typically a snow-covered landscape; snow's white hue reflects sunlight back out into space, but darker forests absorb solar energy, helping warm the region even further. And there's more trouble: more fires mean more permafrost -- perennially frozen soil that defines much of the Arctic landscape -- will melt as the fires strip away protective insulative layers of moss and dead organic matter that keep soils cool. Permafrost stores a lot of organic carbon that, if melted out of the ice, will convert to greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane, which, when released, will drive even more warming. The lighting finding comes of the heels of another study that, led by Randerson, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research on Monday, April 5 describes how amplified Arctic warming and the melting of the Greenland ice sheet will scramble food webs in the surrounding oceans. Now, Chen and Randerson say, scientists need to start paying more attention to the frequency of Arctic lightning strikes so they can gauge how the story unfolds in the coming decades. "This phenomenon is very sporadic, and it's very difficult to measure accurately over long time periods," said Randerson. "It's so rare to have lightning above the Arctic Circle." Their results, he hopes, will galvanize calls for new satellite missions that can monitor Arctic and boreal latitudes for lightning strikes and the fires they might ignite. Back in 2019, the National Weather Service in Alaska released a special announcement about the North Pole lightning strikes. Such announcements, however, may struggle to make headlines by the end of the century. ### This work, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, NASA's Interdisciplinary Science and Carbon Monitoring System programs, and DOE's Next Generation Ecosystem Experiment Arctic project, includes researchers from the University of California, Berkeley; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Harvard University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www. uci. edu . Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists. IDA Ireland has clawed back almost 55m in grants from multinational companies over a 10-year period. That is according to figures provided by Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar. In a written Dail reply to the co-leader of the Social Democrats, Catherine Murphy TD, Mr Varadkar confirmed that the largest annual claw-back of the grants took place in 2011 when the IDA clawed back 18.7m from 11 companies. This followed the IDA clawing back 12.88m in 2010 from 16 companies as unemployment rates soared. However, the second lowest annual total occurred in 2019 when a comparatively low 1.68m was clawed back from five companies in 2019 as the economy continued to strengthen. This followed IDA Ireland seeking a revoking of grants totalling 5.7m in 2018 and 5m in 2017. One recent example where a company repaid State grants involves United States firm Molex Ireland which shut down operations here in 2019 and 2020 with the loss of over 450 jobs. Recently filed accounts for Molex Ireland Ltd show repaid Government grants totalling 2.87m as a result of the closure of the Shannon plant. The Tanaiste said that in all instances where financial assistance is approved by IDA Ireland for a company, the IDA and the client enter into a legal and binding contract, a grant agreement. He stated that the contract, which is confidential, includes conditions and milestones that are required to be achieved before any financial assistance is paid. The Tanaiste stated that a company signs the grant agreement in full knowledge that the penalty for non-performance is the pro-rata repayment of the grant. Mr Varadkar stated that IDA Ireland follows up the claw-back where the agreed performance targets have not been met or, if appropriate, in the event of a company closure. In the reply, where the Tanaiste revealed the 54.8m claw-back between 2010 and 2019, he stated that the 2020 figure is not yet available for publication. Mr Varadkar did not provide the identity of the companies concerned after stating that IDA Ireland is of the view that such information is confidential and commercially sensitive as they are in ongoing relationships with many of the companies on existing and potentially new investments, and the companies continue to provide significant employment in Ireland. The Tanaiste revealed that during the same period, Enterprise Ireland, which fosters the growth of Irish-owned businesses in global markets, reclaimed approved grants totalling 9.26m from 134 companies. The figures show that Enterprise Ireland reclaimed 914,675 in grants from 10 companies in 2019. The highest annual total for Enterprise Ireland reclaiming grants took place in 2014 when 3.11m was reclaimed from 23 companies. IDA Ireland, formerly knowns as the Industrial Development Authority, was founded in 1949 to promote foreign direct investment. The current CEO is Martin Shanahan, who has held the role since 2014. Vietnams legislature voted for Pham Minh Chinh, a career security official, as the countrys new prime minister Monday. Chinh succeeded Nguyen Xuan Phuc who was named president. The votes of the 500-member National Assembly followed decisions made in January by the Communist Partys national congress. Chinh is 62 years old. Most recently, he was head of the partys Central Organization Commission. Chinh was also a member of the office charged with corruption prevention. In 2010, he served as deputy minister of the Ministry of Public Security. The ministry is responsible for policing, watching dissidents and activists as well as spying in other countries. A year later, he became party chief of Quang Ninh province where he was credited with helping with economic development through administrative reform. Nguyen Khac Giang is a Vietnam expert at New Zealands Victoria University. He said the party picked Chinh as prime minister to continue growing the countrys economy. During Phucs time as prime minister, Vietnams economy has expanded 6 percent over the past five years. Unlike other countries during the pandemic, its economy continued to grow at 2.9 percent in 2020. With strong measures including a nationwide lockdown, Vietnam has limited the spread of the virus and quickly reopened its economy and manufacturing. At the age of 66, Phuc passed the age limit to serve as prime minister. As president, Phuc will have a mostly ceremonial job. Ha Hoang Hop is with the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. He said, as prime minister, Chinh would have to deal with Chinas aggression in the South China Sea and other issues including economic development and political stability. Vietnam has four main leadership positions. In addition to prime minister and president, the others are General Secretary of the Communist Party and leader of the National Assembly Last week, Vuong Dinh Hue became head of the National Assembly. Earlier this year, Nguyen Phu Trong was elected to a third term as General Secretary of the Communist Party, the most powerful position in the country. Im Mario Ritter Jr. Hau Dinh reported this story for the Associated Press and James Pearson reported this story for Reuters. Dan Novak adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story province- n. any one of the large parts that some countries are divided into lockdown- n. a state of restricted access established as security measure stability- n. the state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change ceremonial- n. without real power or influence stability- n. the state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change ceremonial- n. without real power or influence Prime Minister on Monday announced that his annual interaction with students, "Pariksha Pe Charcha", will be held on April 7 in a new virtual format. "A new format, several interesting questions on a wide range of subjects and a memorable discussion with our brave #ExamWarriors, parents and teachers. Watch 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' at 7 pm on 7th April," the prime minister tweeted. Along with his tweet, he also tagged a video on the event in which the highlights of this year's 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' were detailed. "We have been living under the shadow of coronavirus for the last one year and because of that I have to forego the charm of meeting you in person and have to be with you in a new format -- the first virtual edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha'," Modi said in the video. He also urged students to look upon exams as an opportunity and not as an end of life's dreams. A voice-over in the video said that the prime minister would speak with children as a friend and also interact with teachers and parents during the virtual event. Modi also talked about the pressure of what would people and parents say which sometimes became a burden. In the video, the prime minister also said that this was 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' but was not confined to just a discussion on 'Pariksha' or exams. In February, it was announced that Modi's annual interaction with students would be held online this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first edition of the prime minister's interaction programme with school and college students "Pariksha Pe Charcha 1.0" was held at the Talkatora Stadium on February 16, 2018. An online creative writing competition was conducted on various topics from February 17 to March 14, for children studying in classes of 9 to 12, teachers and parents. Almost 14 lakh participants have registered themselves in the contest for the fourth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha. As many as 10.5 lakh students, 2.6 lakh teachers and 92,000 parents participated in the creative writing contest. "More than 60 per cent of the students who participated are from classes 9 and 10. For the first time students from 81 foreign countries have participated in the pre-PPC creative writing contest," a senior official of the Ministry of Education 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.) Thai authorities are allowing local civic groups to send basic food and supplies to displaced Karen villagers fleeing Myanmar army attacks along the border with Thailand. Five boats filled with rice, water, dry food and basic medicine left a small Thai border town of Mae Sam Laep Monday morning, travelling upstream across the Salween river to deliver the supplies to villagers hiding along the riverbank. Thaweewit Dibuehar from Karen Network Mae Hong Son, a local ethnic Karen community group who helps provide the aid supplies, said after days of negotiations, Thai officials finally allowed them to send supplies to villagers on the Myanmar side. The military had launched several airstrikes in eastern Myanmar since March 27, killing a dozen civilians and displacing more than 20,000. Several thousand fled to Thailand, but Thai authorities said the group has returned of their own accord. Thaweewit believes thousands remain hiding along the Salween river, too afraid to head back to their villages or return to Ei Tu Hta camp for internally displaced people along on the border. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue takes the oath of office. (Photo: VNA) In his letter, the Cambodian leader expressed his belief that under the sound leadership of Hue in his capacity as head of the Vietnamese legislative body, the long-standing good neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between the two legislatures and nations will continue developing fruitfully in the coming times for the benefits of both fraternal peoples. He took the occasion to thank Vietnam for presenting Cambodia with 390,000 face masks to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic./. THERE were no deaths related to Covid-19 notified to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) this Easter Monday There has been a total of 4,718 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight, Sunday, April 4, the HPSC has been notified of 320 confirmed cases of Covid-19. There is now a total of 238,466 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. As it is a Bank Holiday weekend, a county-by-county breakdown has not been published. Nor has a detailed analysis of the latest cases. This means that the Limerick Leader are unable to confirm the exact numbers of cases in Limerick. As of April 2, 923,878 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland: 655,292 people have received their first dose; 268,586 people have received their second dose. The Covid-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of Covid-19 in the community including daily data on Irelands Covid-19 Vaccination Programme. New Delhi: The tension between North Korea and the United States has escalated to a new high on Monday with former alleging the latter of declaring a war against Pyongyang. North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho told reporters in New York that US President Donald Trump has declared a war against DPRK. He said North Korea reserves the right to respond to US threat and will shoot down its bombers even when they are not in Pyongyangs airspace. Yong-ho stressed the world should clearly remember that it was the United States and not North Korea who first declared war. "In light of the declaration of war by Trump, all options will be on the operations table of the supreme leadership of the DPRK [North Korea]," he said while leaving the New York. The US and North Korea have been engaged in an angry war of words with both countries threatening to destroy each other. Also Read: Donald Trump warns North Korea, says they won't be around much longer The North Korean Foreign Minister had addressed the UNGA session on Saturday. In response to his UN address, US President Donald Trump calling the North Koreas supreme leader Kim Jong-un a Little Rocket Man said he wont be around much longer. Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!, Trump tweeted. Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017 UN has approved new sanctions against North Korea after the latter continued to carry out nuclear and ballistic missile tests. In its defence, North Korea says the nuclear capabilities are only the deterrents against outside threats. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Julie Zordani, 52, of Clarendon Hills, got her first dose in late February at a Walgreens store about 2 hours from her home. She was scheduled for a second dose four weeks later, but instead found a second dose, three weeks after the first, at a CVS Health store. It was more convenient for her and allowed her to be fully vaccinated before an important trip, she said. Several states and union territories, including Maharashtra, Punjab and Delhi, have announced closure of schools or suspended classes briefly till the COVID-19 situation is further reviewed in the wake of rising cases across the country. cases in India hit a record daily high since the outbreak of the pandemic with over one lakh new infections pushing the nationwide tally to 1,25,89,067, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. While a few states and union territories like Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu have announced closure of schools for an indefinite period, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab, among others, have suspended classes for a brief period. Schools have been directed to impart education through online classes in view of the situation. In a presentation made by the ministry during the last review meeting of the cabinet secretary with states and union territories, it said Maharashtra and Punjab are the two worst-hit states in terms of their share in the total number of new cases and fatalities in the country in the last two weeks as on March 31. The Delhi government had last week announced that no student will be called to school in the new academic session till further orders. On Sunday, the national capital had recorded 4,033 cases, the highest daily count this year, while the positivity rate rose to 4.64 per cent from 4.48 per cent a day ago, according to the Delhi health department. The administration of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has announced that all schools for students up to class 9 will remain closed for two weeks from April 5. The Uttar Pradesh government has extended to April 11 the closure of schools for students up to class 8. Earlier, the state government had shut schools for students up to class 8 till March 31. In Maharashtra, which recorded 57,074 cases, only students of classes 10 and 12, and candidates preparing for the MPSC exam will be allowed to carry out their regular academic activities. The Punjab government has ordered that schools in the state will remain shut till April 10. Earlier, it had ordered that schools and colleges be closed till March 31. While in Gujarat, school for students of classes 1 to 9 have been shut for an indefinite period, the Rajasthan government has also suspended school for the same classes from April 5 to 19. The Bihar government has deferred reopening of schools and colleges from April 5 to April 11. The Karnataka government, has taken a slew of decisions including shutting down boarding and residential hostels for primary and secondary schools and optional attendance for students of classes 10, 11 and 12. In Madhya Pradesh, the government has decided to close all schools in the state up to class 8 till April 15, while in Tamil Nadu, schools in the state have been shut for classes 9, 10 and 11 from March 2 until further notice. Schools and colleges in Chhattisgarh were ordered to be closed by the state government on March 22 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. The government has not communicated any date for the reopening of educational institutes yet. The union territory of Puducherry had asked all schools to close from March 22. The schools have only been closed for students of classes 1 to 8 while the lessons for higher classes are being conducted. Schools across the country closed in March last year ahead of a nationwide to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The schools remained closed for months and teaching and learning continued online. Several states started reopening schools partially in October last year. Class 10 and 12 board exams which usually happen in February-March are scheduled to be conducted in May-June this year. (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.) It happened this past weekend when the pilot of the 18-year-old cargo plane, who was originally expected to land at the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Airport, ended up putting the Boeing on the ground at the Copperbelt International Airport.But theres a big difference between the two. The Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Airport is an international airport currently being used by most airlines in Ndola, whereas Copperbelt is still under construction, and its not currently in use.Yes, the Boeing 737-800 landed at an airport still under construction. A video shared on Facebook (and also embedded below) showed the workers close to the runway recording the whole thing with their phones because, seriously now, how often it happens for a plane to show up next to you out of nowhere?As it turns out, quite often, because only a few minutes later, a second Boeing 737-800 was super-close to landing at the same airport too. However, this time, the pilot flying the plane managed to do a go-around at the very last minute, eventually landing at the correct airplane.According to reports , the new airport tricks pilots into believing it is the place to land because of the runways oriented in the same directions as on the old one. But of course, the communications with the airport traffic control tower should have made it clear for the pilots to know exactly where to touch the ground, so itll be interesting to see how Ethiopian Airlines explains what happened here.In the meantime, work on the new airport advances at a fast pace, especially because the original completion date has already been pushed back due to the global health issue. The airport was originally supposed to be ready in mid-2020. UW in the News State, national and international media frequently feature the University of Wyoming and members of its community in stories. Here is a summary of some of the recent coverage: Lawmakers last week restored $8 million in appropriations to both UW and the states community colleges, along with an additional $15.5 million for UW to buy a student housing complex. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle and The Casper Star-Tribune (CS-T) reported that Gov. Mark Gordon signed the overall supplemental budget. Yahoo! News, County 10 and The Rocket Miner published similar articles. College Consensus ranked UW as the 23rd Best Value Colleges and Universities for 2021. Tuition costs were the main focus of the annual Top 100 Most Affordable Consensus Ranked Schools 2021 list by the educational resource website. UW and Casper College nursing students will help administer COVID-19 vaccines to Natrona County residents in a space provided by Casper mall officials, according to The CS-T. The Cody Enterprise interviewed UW education Professor Allen Trent about the ramifications of Park County School District 6 eliminating full-time elementary art teachers in Cody. Trent has studied extensively on the benefits of how art education can be used in schools overall curriculum. UW law Professor Michael Duff was interviewed for a Reuters article on Virginia passing a law making it easier for some health care workers who become ill with COVID-19 to collect medical expenses or lost wages. The law excludes health care workers who are offered a vaccine at work and refuse it. Duff also commented in a Law 360 article focusing on workers at an Alabama Amazon warehouse who voted last week to unionize. Both sides are expected to appeal the outcome. SweetwaterNOW and WyoToday.com were among media outlets that published UWs release announcing that all members of the universitys community are now eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19, another major step toward a return to a traditional fall 2021 semester. All students are now eligible, reported Sheridan Media. UW Associate Professor Ellen Currano was among scientists quoted in a New Scientist article that focused on the discovery that the asteroid that killed dinosaurs gave way to the development of the Amazon rainforest. Mining.com reported that UW researchers are developing safe and secure geologic carbon dioxide storage in Campbell County. The process should eventually lead to the commercialization of large-scale subsurface storage near the Dry Fork Station. Gabe Rozman, a UW senior research scientist, was among personnel from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department who recently collared deer in southwest Wyoming as part of a program to study the animals movements, according to The Uinta County Herald. Denver Westword magazine cited the masters thesis research of UW student Christian Lackner in an article about snowmaking. Lackner developed models analyzing potential impacts of climate change on the Rocky Mountain ski industry over the next 30 years. The Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology published Lackners study, conducted with UW Professor Bart Geerts and Yonggang Wang, a Texas Tech University assistant professor. Yahoo! News published a similar article quoting Geerts on cloud seeding. UWs Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources recently launched an innovative, noncredit online course for aspiring outdoor guides or enrichment for early-career guides. WyoToday.com published UWs release. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published UWs release noting that researchers will study soil health and factors that limit yield in high-elevation irrigated hay meadows in Wyoming and Colorado as part of a $500,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant. A study from Christelle Khalaf, the associate director of UWs Center for Business and Economic Analysis, and her colleague was cited in Energy News Network for an article, titled Solar energy chasing nuclear capacity in Ohio, but lawmakers could slow its gains. EIN Presswire reported that Wyoming Game and Fish Department and UW researchers recently expanded their statewide ongoing research on bighorn sheep by capturing and collaring 14 animals from the Whiskey Mountain herd north of Pinedale. County 10 published a similar article. A new pilot program, titled Speak No Evil that addresses race/racism, privilege and the current social atmosphere, was launched last weekend, The Laramie Boomerang reported. Fredrick Douglass Dixon, director of the UW Black Studies Center, and Ben Herdt, manager of academic advising for UWs Advising, Career and Exploratory Studies, facilitate the program. Readers Digest interviewed UW history Professor Renee Laegreid, who discussed why women were allowed to vote in Wyoming 50 years before the 19th Amendment. A second computer science endorsement cohort at Northwest College is now open to local K-12 educators wishing to integrate computer science into their curricula, according to The Powell Tribune. It follows the governors Wyoming Innovation Network initiative, which calls for closer collaboration between UW and the states community colleges. The Rocket Miner and Wyoming News Now published UWs release noting that UW Extension is offering a five-day camp to teach about the challenges ranchers face during the Wyoming Ranch Camp next month near Evanston. The camp is open to recent high school graduates and college students. Two The World Needs More Cowboys marketing campaign events are scheduled in Lovell and Worland later this month. Laramie Live published UWs release on the announcement. Wyoming Public Radio interviewed Don Jones, a UW assistant research scientist at the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, for a segment on the various songs of migrating birds in the area. Minneapolis's first black police chief who fired Derek Chauvin and accused him of 'murder' is set to give evidence at the trial into George Floyd's death. Police Chief Medaria Arradondo 'will not mince any words' when he testifies during the trial's second week, prosecutor Jerry Blackwell told the jury. Mr Arradondo fired Chauvin and three other officers the day after Mr Floyd's death on May 25 last year. He said at the time: 'Mr. George Floyd's tragic death was not due to a lack of training - the training was there. Chauvin knew what he was doing.' Experts said it is unprecedented to see a police chief testify against one of their officers. Minneapolis's first black police chief Medaria Arradondo (pictured) who fired Derek Chauvin and accused him of 'murder' is set to give evidence at the trial into George Floyd's death Dr Cedric Alexander, the former police chief and public safety director of DeKalb county, Georgia, told The Guardian: 'It's a pretty remarkable move on the part of the prosecution. 'It's very rare that you're going to see a chief either appear for the defense or the prosecution. But each one of these kinds of events brings its own set of circumstances. And in this particular case, where you have a knee to the neck and it's being questioned "was that trained technique?" 'To be able to have the chief of police to under oath testify is clearly going to be of importance.' Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter after being accused of pinning his knee down on Mr Floyd's neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds. Chauvin (right) 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter after being accused of pinning his knee down on Mr Floyd's neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds Mr Arradondo fired Chauvin and three other officers the day after Mr Floyd's death on May 25 last year Prosecutor Blackwell told the jury last week about Mr Arradondo's testimony: 'He is going to tell you that Mr Chauvins conduct was not consistent with Minneapolis police department training. 'He will not mince any words. He's very clear. He will be very decisive, that this was excessive force.' Video of the death plus officers' body-camera video and previously unseen bystander footage, was a heavy component of the first week of the trial, reawakening traumatic memories for viewers of the livestreamed trial. The city moved soon after Floyd's death to ban police chokeholds and neck restraints. Arradondo and Mayor Jacob Frey have also made several policy changes, including expanding requirements for reporting use-of-force incidents and documenting their attempts to de-escalate situations even when force isn't used. Genevieve Hansen (pictured), an off-duty firefighter who came on the scene as she was out for a walk, said she immediately recognized Floyd was in trouble Prosecutors have already called supervisory officers to build the case that Chauvin improperly restrained Floyd. A duty sergeant and a lieutenant who leads the homicide division both questioned Chauvin's actions in pinning Floyd after officers responded to a report that Floyd had passed a counterfeit $20 bill. 'Totally unnecessary,' Lt. Richard Zimmerman, the longest-tenured officer on the force, testified Friday. He said once Floyd was handcuffed, he saw 'no reason for why the officers felt they were in danger, if thats what they felt, and thats what they would have to feel to be able to use that kind of force.' Zimmerman, who joined the department in 1985, said he has never been trained to kneel on someone's neck if their hands are cuffed behind their back and they are in the prone position. Officers are supposed to get a person out of the position as soon as possible because it restricts their breathing, he said. Instead, officers continued to restrain Floyd until an ambulance arrived - even after he became unresponsive. Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson peppered Zimmerman with questions about the threat a handcuffed suspect might still pose, as well as whether handcuffs might fail. Nelson has also suggested that bystanders shouting at police might have distracted them from Floyd and made them feel threatened. Jurors heard several days of testimony from those bystanders, several choking up as they recalled feeling powerless to help Floyd and guilt over his death. Genevieve Hansen, an off-duty firefighter who came on the scene as she was out for a walk, said she immediately recognized Floyd was in trouble and tried to offer help. Instead, Officer Tou Thao ordered her to stay on the sidewalk. Hansen, who was mostly stoic while testifying, was overcome as she recalled her frustration. 'There was a man being killed,' she said. 'I would have been able to provide medical attention to the best of my abilities. And this human was denied that right.' Several states and union territories, including Maharashtra, Punjab and Delhi, have announced closure of schools or suspended classes briefly till the COVID-19 situation is further reviewed in the wake of rising cases across the country. Coronavirus cases in India hit a record daily high since the outbreak of the pandemic with over one lakh new infections pushing the nationwide tally to 1,25,89,067, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. While a few states and union territories like Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu have announced closure of schools for an indefinite period, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab, among others, have suspended classes for a brief period. Schools have been directed to impart education through online classes in view of the situation. Also read: COVID-19 update: Maharashtra records highest single-day rise of 57,074 cases In a presentation made by the ministry during the last review meeting of the cabinet secretary with states and union territories, it said Maharashtra and Punjab are the two worst-hit states in terms of their share in the total number of new cases and fatalities in the country in the last two weeks as on March 31. The Delhi government had last week announced that no student will be called to school in the new academic session till further orders. On Sunday, the national capital had recorded 4,033 coronavirus cases, the highest daily count this year, while the positivity rate rose to 4.64 per cent from 4.48 per cent a day ago, according to the Delhi health department. The administration of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has announced that all schools for students up to class 9 will remain closed for two weeks from April 5. Also read: Delhi reports 4,033 COVID-19 cases, 21 deaths in last 24 hours The Uttar Pradesh government has extended to April 11 the closure of schools for students up to class 8. Earlier, the state government had shut schools for students up to class 8 till March 31. In Maharashtra, which recorded 57,074 coronavirus cases, only students of classes 10 and 12, and candidates preparing for the MPSC exam will be allowed to carry out their regular academic activities. The Punjab government has ordered that schools in the state will remain shut till April 10. Earlier, it had ordered that schools and colleges be closed till March 31. While in Gujarat, school for students of classes 1 to 9 have been shut for an indefinite period, the Rajasthan government has also suspended school for the same classes from April 5 to 19. Also read: DU's St Stephen's College goes into lockdown as 15, including staff members test COVID-19 positive The Bihar government has deferred reopening of schools and colleges from April 5 to April 11. The Karnataka government, has taken a slew of decisions including shutting down boarding and residential hostels for primary and secondary schools and optional attendance for students of classes 10, 11 and 12. In Madhya Pradesh, the government has decided to close all schools in the state up to class 8 till April 15, while in Tamil Nadu, schools in the state have been shut for classes 9, 10 and 11 from March 2 until further notice. Schools and colleges in Chhattisgarh were ordered to be closed by the state government on March 22 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. The government has not communicated any date for the reopening of educational institutes yet. Also read: India records 93,249 new coronavirus cases in last 24 hrs; highest since Sept 19 The union territory of Puducherry had asked all schools to close from March 22. The schools have only been closed for students of classes 1 to 8 while the lessons for higher classes are being conducted. Schools across the country closed in March last year ahead of a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The schools remained closed for months and teaching and learning continued online. Several states started reopening schools partially in October last year. Class 10 and 12 board exams which usually happen in February-March are scheduled to be conducted in May-June this year. A new study, out this week, could pave the way to revolutionary, transparent electronics. Such see-through devices could potentially be integrated in glass, in flexible displays and in smart contact lenses, bringing to life futuristic devices that seem like the product of science fiction. For several decades, researchers have sought a new class of electronics based on semiconducting oxides, whose optical transparency could enable these fully-transparent electronics. Oxide-based devices could also find use in power electronics and communication technology, reducing the carbon footprint of our utility networks. A RMIT-led team has now introduced ultrathin beta-tellurite to the two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting material family, providing an answer to this decades-long search for a high mobility p-type oxide. "This new, high-mobility p-type oxide fills a crucial gap in the materials spectrum to enable fast, transparent circuits," says team leader Dr Torben Daeneke, who led the collaboration across three FLEET nodes. Other key advantages of the long-sought-after oxide-based semiconductors are their stability in air, less-stringent purity requirements, low costs and easy deposition. "In our advance, the missing link was finding the right, 'positive' approach," says Torben. Positivity has been lacking There are two types of semiconducting materials. 'N-type' materials have abundant negatively-charged electrons, while 'p-type' semiconductors possess plenty of positively-charged holes. It's the stacking together of complementary n-type and p-type materials that allows electronic devices such as diodes, rectifiers and logic circuits. Modern life is critically reliant on these materials since they are the building blocks of every computer and smartphone. A barrier to oxide devices has been that while many high-performance n-type oxides are known, there is a significant lack of high-quality p-type oxides. Theory prompts action However in 2018 a computational study revealed that beta-tellurite (-TeO2) could be an attractive p-type oxide candidate, with tellurium's peculiar place in the periodic table meaning it can behave as both a metal and a non-metal, providing its oxide with uniquely useful properties. "This prediction encouraged our group at RMIT University to explore its properties and applications," says Dr Torben Daeneke, who is a FLEET associate investigator. Liquid metal - pathway to explore 2D materials Dr Daeneke's team demonstrated the isolation of beta-tellurite with a specifically developed synthesis technique that relies on liquid metal chemistry. "A molten mixture of tellurium (Te) and selenium (Se) is prepared and allowed to roll over a surface," explains co-first author Patjaree Aukarasereenont. "Thanks to the oxygen in ambient air, the molten droplet naturally forms a thin surface oxide layer of beta-tellurite. As the liquid droplet is rolled over the surface, this oxide layer sticks to it, depositing atomically thin oxide sheets in its way." "The process is similar to drawing: you use a glass rod as a pen and the liquid metal is your ink," explains Ms Aukarasereenont, who is a FLEET PhD student at RMIT. While the desirable -phase of tellurite grows below 300 C, pure tellurium has a high melting point, above 500 C. Therefore, selenium was added to design an alloy that has a lower melting point, making the synthesis possible. "The ultrathin sheets we obtained are just 1.5 nanometres thick - corresponding to only few atoms. The material was highly transparent across the visible spectrum, having a bandgap of 3.7 eV which means that they are essentially invisible to the human eye" explains co-author Dr Ali Zavabeti. Assessing beta-tellurite: up to 100 times faster To assess the electronic properties of the developed materials, field-effect transistors (FETs) were fabricated. "These devices showed characteristic p-type switching as well as a high hole mobility (roughly 140 cm2V-1s-1), showing that beta-tellurite is ten to one hundred times faster than existing p-type oxide semiconductors. The excellent on/off ratio (over 106) also attests the material is suitable for power efficient, fast devices" Ms Patjaree Aukarasereenont said. "The findings close a crucial gap in the electronic material library," Dr Ali Zavabeti said. "Having a fast, transparent p-type semiconductor at our disposal has the potential to revolutionise transparent electronics, while also enabling better displays and improved energy-efficient devices." The team plans to further explore the potential of this novel semiconductor. "Our further investigations of this exciting material will explore integration in existing and next-generation consumer electronics," says Dr Torben Daeneke. ### The study The paper High mobility p-type semiconducting two-dimensional -TeO2 was published in Nature Electronics in April 2021. (DOI: 10.1038/s41928-021-00561-5) FLEET researchers from RMIT, ANU and UNSW collaborated with colleagues from Deakin University and the University of Melbourne. FLEET's Matthias Wurdack (ANU) performed 2D nanosheet transfer experiments while Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh (UNSW) assisted with analysis of material and device characteristics. This project was supported by the Australian Research Council (Centre of Excellence and DECRA programs), the authors also acknowledge support from RMIT University's Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility (RMMF), the RMIT University's MicroNano Research Facility (MNRF) and funding received via the McKenzie postdoctoral fellowship program from the University of Melbourne. The US Supreme Court has come down on the side of Google in its long-running battle against Oracle, ruling on Monday that the copying of code from the Java API was a fair use of that material. "Googles copying of the Java SE API, which included only those lines of code that were needed to allow programmers to put their accrued talents to work in a new and transformative program, was a fair use of that material as a matter of law," Judge Stephen Breyer wrote in a 62-page judgment. However, the court made no decision on Google's claim that APIs are not copyrightable. "To decide no more than is necessary to resolve this case, the Court assumes for arguments sake that the copied lines can be copyrighted, and focuses on whether Googles use of those lines was a 'fair use', Justice Breyer said. "To allow the millions of programmers familiar with the Java programming language to work with its new Android platform, Google copied roughly 11,500 lines of code from the Java SE program. The copied lines are part of a tool called an Application Programming Interface. An API allows programmers to call upon pre-written computing tasks for use in their own programs," he said. "Over the course of protracted litigation, the lower courts have considered (1) whether Java SEs owner could copyright the copied lines from the API, and (2) if so, whether Googles copying constituted a permissible 'fair use' of that material freeing Google from copyright liability. "In the proceedings below, the Federal Circuit held that the copied lines are copyrightable. After a jury then found for Google on fair use, the Federal Circuit reversed, concluding that Googles copying was not a fair use as a matter of law. "Prior to remand for a trial on damages, the Court agreed to review the Federal Circuits determinations as to both copyrightability and fair use." Chief Justice John Roberts and Judges Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh supported the verdict while Judges Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. Judge Amy Coney Barrett did not take part as she was confirmed only after the case was heard last October. The highest court in the US agreed to hear the case in November 2019 in order to decide whether Oracle should get damages from Google for copyright infringement. Hearings were scheduled for March 2020 but were put off due to the coronavirus pandemic. Google's senior vice-president for Global Affairs, Kent Walker, was understandably jubilant. "Todays Supreme Court decision in Google v Oracle is a big win for innovation, inter-operability and computing. Thanks to the countrys leading innovators, software engineers and copyright scholars for their support," he tweeted. Oracle's executive vice-president and general counsel, Dorian Daley, said in a statement: The Google platform just got bigger and market power greater the barriers to entry higher and the ability to compete lower. "They stole Java and spent a decade litigating as only a monopolist can. This behaviour is exactly why regulatory authorities around the world and in the US are examining Googles business practices." The case has been around since 2010 when Oracle sued Google shortly after it purchased Sun Microsystems and became the owner of Java, claiming that Google had violated its copyright and patents. Google was accused of taking more than 11,000 lines of code from Java APIs and using it in Android without any commercial agreement. That case ended in 2012 with Google being largely the victor. The presiding judge, Justice William Alsup, ruled that APIs could not be copyrighted. But an appeal gave Oracle what it wanted: a ruling that APIs could be copyrighted. In a second trial that ended in May 2016, a jury found that Google's use of the Java APIs in Android was covered under fair use. As expected, Oracle was not happy with the verdict. Oracle initiated an appeal in February 2017 having indicated after the May 2016 verdict that it would not take a backward step. In August 2016, It tried to get the verdict set aside, but was this was refused by Justice Alsup. Later the same year, the database giant filed the necessary papers to prolong the battle. Finally, on 28 March, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit came to the conclusion that Google's use of the Java APIs was "not fair as a matter of law". In August 2018, the US Federal Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Google's bid to have the case reheard. This meant that the decision that Google's use of the Java APIs was "not fair as a matter of law" would stand, and the search giant would have to fork out US$8.8 to billion to Oracle or else try to take the case to the Supreme Court as it did. Google then went to the Supreme Court in 2019, seeking to have it again rule on the dispute. Reacting to the verdict, a spokesperson for open source vendor Red Hat said: "Todays 6-2 Supreme Court decision is a win for developers and the software industry; it recognises the critical role of software interfaces to promote innovation, inter-operability, and new technologies. "Last year, Red Hat and IBM filed a joint amicus brief in this case urging the Supreme Court to overturn the lower court decision. The issues in this case were complex and the Supreme Court is to be commended for wrestling with its decades-long history." Thanks to CNET for links to the judgment and the reactions from both companies. An inmate died days after she was locked up in a South Carolina jail on an attempted murder charge, officials said. On Sunday, Tara Tharpe Godfreys body was found in the bed of her jail cell at the Greenwood County Detention Center, Coroner Sonny Cox said in a news release. The jail is about 75 miles west of Columbia. The 45-year-old Greenwood residents cause of death has not been determined, and an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, according to the release. Godfreys death is being investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the coroners office. She was arrested March 31 on multiple charges including DUI, and open container of beer or wine in a motor vehicle according to Greenwood County court records. Godfrey was also charged with attempted murder, failure to stop for blue lights, and resisting arrest with assault on an officer following a confrontation with law enforcement that spilled out of the sheriffs office to the parking lot and a car chase, according to the sheriffs office. Godfrey argued with a county records clerk before storming out while yelling and cursing as she repeatedly slammed her cars door into another vehicle, according to an incident report. Godfrey then sped off, nearly hitting an officer before stopping and putting her car in reverse and barely missed crashing into a patrol vehicle, the report said. Godfrey then pulled forward into another patrol vehicle and was pulled from her car when she fought with officers before she was taken to an area hospital and ultimately jail, the incident report said. In the past 20 years, Godfrey has been arrested on multiple occasions and has served time behind bars, court records show. In September 2019, a former beauty queen who was once named Miss Greenwood died while she was an inmate at the Greenwood County Detention Center. Tracy Lee Livingston Sims, 56, died after being taken to Self Regional Healthcare, Cox said at the time. Controversial shooting of kangaroos on the Mornington Peninsula has sparked a local backlash amid fears the culls may lead to the animals being eradicated from the region. Some Victorian landowners regard kangaroos as pests that damage agricultural land but many environmentalists argue the animal on Australias national emblem should be protected, not hunted. Rye resident and wildlife protection activist Craig Thomson wants kangaroos protected from shooting on the Mornington Peninsula. Credit:Joe Armao The state government insists its control of kangaroo numbers is humane and ecologically sustainable, saying their numbers have risen significantly since 2018. But now there is a growing push for Mornington Peninsula kangaroos to be reclassified as part of Melbourne rather than Gippsland so they cannot be harvested. Unionists hit out last night over an Easter Sunday social media post by Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly. The North Belfast MLA, who is a member of the Policing Board, tweeted to his 47,000 followers: "Easter 1916 - The beginning of the end for the British Empire. "Easter 2021 - The End Game." UUP MLA Doug Beattie said Mr Kelly was simply trying to "goad" unionists at a politically sensitive moment. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph last night, Mr Beattie said: "It is every republican's right to remember Easter 1916, and I have no issue with that. "But Gerry Kelly's tweet was not about remembering or commemorating that day, "It was about goading unionists because of what's been happening over the last number of days. "Republicans need to remember that they are not innocent parties in any of this. "The rhetoric which has come out of them in regards to the police has been nothing more than an utter disgrace, and they need to own up to that. "So, at this really pivotal time, the likes of Gerry Kelly, the likes of myself and the likes of others really do need to think about the language we are using." DUP MLA Christopher Stalford said: "This is Easter Rising rhetorical fodder for the republican base. "Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness said the same 20 years ago, but Northern Ireland remains within the Union. "Gerry Kelly knows he's talking nonsense but is using this to try to distract from the shambles Sinn Fein has made of Covid regulations and law and order." The TUV also slammed the tweet. "Not that long ago Sinn Fein were promising their supporters a united Ireland by 2016, so I don't think anyone will be unduly concerned by Kelly's predictions," a party spokesman said last night. "Indeed, every time Kelly or those of similar unrepentant terrorist pedigree seek to play to the gallery with such comments, they only serve to remind us all of the nature of the wooing tactics they employed for 30 years in trying to deliver their 'new Ireland'." Responding to the row, Sinn Fein said: "The conversation on Irish Unity is under way, it is inclusive and it is thriving across the island. "It would fit Doug Beattie, the UUP and political unionism better to show leadership and stop whipping up tensions, which has already led to days of rioting and attacks on police." A former Southwest Airlines pilot has been charged in Maryland federal court with indecent exposure for allegedly committing a 'lewd act' with his genital during a flight last year. Michael Haak was the pilot in command of the plane during a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando, Florida, according to a one-page filing in federal district court in Maryland. According to the document obtained by DailyMail.com, which was dated Friday, Haak exposed his genitals in unspecified acts that began, continued and ended while flight 6607 on August 10 was in the air over multiple federal districts, including Maryland. Southwest Airline pilot Michael Haak has been charged in federal court with lewd, indecent or obscene act for allegedly exposing his genitals during a flight The document did not reveal the circumstances and who might have witnessed the incident. A spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland on Monday declined to divulge additional details concerning Haak's case. He was charged with lewd, indecent or obscene act, which is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in prison and a $500 fine. A Southwest spokeswoman said Haak left the airline before the company became aware of the incident. Since learning of it, she said, Southwest cooperated with investigators. The incident took place on Flight 6607 from Philadelphia to Orlando International Airport (pictured) in August 2020 'Southwest Airlines takes all matters related to workplace conduct very seriously, with a well-defined policy and reporting process for harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation claims,' the airline spokesperson said in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'Our corporate Culture is built upon treating others with mutual respect and dignity, and the events alleged in this situation are inconsistent with the behavior that we require of our Employees.' According to a LinkedIn account associated with Haak, he served as a captain at Southwest Airlines. ANZ Bank has declined to sign a letter condemning the violence in Myanmar, despite calls from local and international activist organisations for global companies to publicly align themselves with pro-democracy protesters. At least 550 protesters have been killed and 2700 arrested since Myanmars military seized control of the country in February, declaring the November election results invalid and detaining political figures, including deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business launched a letter almost three weeks after the coup, calling for a swift resolution to the violence in accordance with the will and interests of the people of Myanmar. ANZs institutional bank boss Mark Whelan said the safety of his staff in Myanmar was the number one priority. Credit:Louise Kennerley The letter has been signed by more than 65 multinationals with operations in Myanmar, including global giants such as Facebook, Nestle and Unilever and Australian oil and gas producer Woodside. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Sri Lanka is holding an online lecture and meeting to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of German-Polish revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg. The lecture will be based on the March 4 World Socialist Web Site perspective written by Peter Schwartz, secretary of the International Committee of the Fourth International. It will be held on Friday, April 9, at 7.00 p.m. and conducted in Sinhala and Tamil. Rosa Luxembourg was the founder of the socialist movement in Poland and a leading member of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), the largest and dominant party in the Second International. She fought uncompromisingly against Eduard Bernsteins revisionist attacks on Marxism and the political centrism of Karl Kautsky, manifestations of the later degeneration of the SPD and the Second Internationals adaptation to imperialism. When the SPD voted to support German war credits following the outbreak of the 191418 imperialist war, Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht formed the Spartacus League, a revolutionary tendency within the SPD to reassert the revolutionary principles of working-class internationalism within the party and the working class. In late 1918, amid the eruption of the German Revolution, Luxemburg and Liebknecht founded the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) to lead the eruption of revolutionary struggles of the German proletariat. German imperialism, having learnt the lessons of Russian Revolution, handed power to the SPD leader Friedrich Ebert, who plotted an alliance with the military high command, to bloodily suppress the working class. On January 15, 1919, Luxemburg and Liebknecht were brutally murdered by Freikorps soldiers. The IYSSE meeting will discuss Luxemburgs revolutionary legacy, the contemporary attempts to falsify the Marxist and internationalist foundations of her work, and the lessons for the class struggle today. The lecture will be given by SEP Central Committee member Prageeth Aravinda and the meeting chaired by IYSSE national convener Kapila Fernando. Date: April 9 Time: 7.00 p.m. Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5585842739545125904 An iPhone user ended up losing all his savings worth $600,000 after downloading a fake Bitcoin app from the Apple App Store, as reported by The Washington Post. In the month of February, the victim and cryptocurrency holder, Phillipe Christodoulou wanted to check his Bitcoin balance. Thats when he decided to download the Trezor app (a company thats known for its hardware wallets) from the iOS App Store in hopes of finding a companion app for his iPhone. The Trezor app looked like a legitimate app with the Trezor padlock logo and green background. Once Christodoulou entered his credentials, he lost 17.1 Bitcoins (which was valued at $600,000 at the time) to the cryptocurrency scam app. He discovered that the app was fake and not associated with Trezor. Christodoulou has blamed Apple for allowing a fake application to steal all his Bitcoin. He feels they should reimburse him for the money lost, as Apple markets the App Store as a safe and trusted place. The company betrayed the trust that I had in them. Apple doesnt deserve to get away with this, he told The Washington Post. Not only Christodoulou, but it is also reported that at least 4 more people too lost their cryptocurrency to the fake app amounting the total damage to $1.6 million. The Cupertino-based company defended itself and said that the developer of the Trezor app was able to bypass the App Stores security through a bait-and-switch technique. The developer provided a safe version of the app for safe storage of data for verification and later changed it to a cryptocurrency wallet after it was published on the App Store, which Apple was not able to detect. Apple said that the Trezor fooled the App Store claiming that it is not involved in any cryptocurrency, which made it appear on the Store from January 22nd until the day of the incident. User trust is at the foundation of why we created the App Store, and we have only deepened that commitment in the years since, said Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz told The Washington Post. Study after study has shown that the App Store is the most secure app marketplace in the world, and we are constantly at work to maintain that standard and to further strengthen the App Stores protections. In the limited instances when criminals defraud our users, we take swift action against these actors as well as to prevent similar violations in the future. It is worth mentioning that Trezor does not offer a cryptocurrency app for Android or iOS devices. The Czech-based company told The Washington Post that it had been notifying Apple about the fake Trezor apps in the App Store for years. Last year, a similar fraudulent Trezor app was created for Android devices. Back then, Trezor issued a notice to Google as well as warned users against installing fake mobile apps, as they did not have one. Google quickly reacted to the notice and removed the fake Trezor wallet from its Play Store last December. Number 1: Practise Medicine - Yes, WORK Looking for Opportunities Abroad Every country has its own requirements to be eligible to work and specific registration process to practice medicine. Fees: This three-step licensing examination comes with a heavy price-tag, costing a minimum of US $1000 and more for each step of the examination. This three-step licensing examination comes with a heavy price-tag, costing a minimum of US $1000 and more for each step of the examination. Preparation: It requires a meticulous work ethics, sound medical intelligence, and perseverant personage to get into a residency program in the US. The study period is a minimum of 2-3 years. It is noteworthy to mention that several countries accept USMLE scores, such as New Zealand, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Dubai Health City, and India as well. Fees: The exams are expensive and they cost around GBP 1100 (GBP-British Pound Sterling) overall. The exams are expensive and they cost around GBP 1100 (GBP-British Pound Sterling) overall. English Proficiency: To qualify for the said examination, one must present to the council standardized English test scores like IELTS or OET with a high score of 7.0 in all four bands plus a 7.5 overall. This is in addition to the PLAB-1 and 2 examinations. To qualify for the said examination, one must present to the council standardized English test scores like IELTS or OET with a high score of 7.0 in all four bands plus a 7.5 overall. This is in addition to the PLAB-1 and 2 examinations. Preparation: The overall dedicated study period is about 1-2 years and demands strong medical knowledge with an unwavering attitude. Fees: Both the above exams costs around CAD $4200 (CAD-Canadian Dollars). Fees: AUD $6250 (AUD-Australian Dollars). Fees: This exam would cost you NZD $767 (New Zealand Dollars). This exam would cost you NZD $767 (New Zealand Dollars). Preparation: One needs to bear in mind that this is an OSCE Examination which is deemed quite-difficult and needs arduous clinical preparation. Number 2: Post-Graduate Options - India and Abroad How does one choose? What does this mean? With all that being said what paths can get you there? Number 3: The Pandoras Box So what are these domains? Masters in Public Health-Community Medicine: With the advent of the pandemic, this particular sector has received the recognition it deserves. Opportunities are endless abroad and a shift in transition for its importance in India is seen, thanks to COVID-19. With the advent of the pandemic, this particular sector has received the recognition it deserves. Opportunities are endless abroad and a shift in transition for its importance in India is seen, thanks to COVID-19. Masters in Hospital Administration & Management, Advanced Leadership program in Healthcare Management: These are areas of booming career opportunities. It is reserved for those who can take up and run an administrative set-up in this cutting-edge industry. These are areas of booming career opportunities. It is reserved for those who can take up and run an administrative set-up in this cutting-edge industry. Aspirants can also enter areas of technology and research in Medicine (M. Tech in Bio-Medicine): This deals with bioinformatics, medical biotechnology and imaging, machines that are re-inventing medical diagnostics, per the minute. This deals with bioinformatics, medical biotechnology and imaging, machines that are re-inventing medical diagnostics, per the minute. Taking UPSC Exam and joining Indian Administrative Services (IAS): One occasionally finds doctors taking up IAS. At some stage you can aspire to lead the health policy of a state or the country if you are successful. One occasionally finds doctors taking up IAS. At some stage you can aspire to lead the health policy of a state or the country if you are successful. The Pharmaceutical Industry: This is not only a logical option for physicians, but one with a very broad range of potential positions and career paths. One can fit anywhere from early-stage research to post-marketing surveillance. Message to an overwhelmed aspirant: Notes from the author: Explore from within and choose what you want and remember, there are several ways to attain the career satisfaction that you crave Graduating from medical school after years of hard-core training, battling books from various authors and publications for all the different subjects, is an exhilarating moment of pride and joy and might personally provides us with a sigh of relief and peace.Unfortunately, stemming from personal experience, these positive emotions are short-lived before they get drowned by the succeeding question of WHAT'S NEXT!So here are some career-options for those suffering from that very Question.The most popular option after graduating with a primary medical degree is to start as a DMO (Duty Medical Officer) or a Junior Resident. This provides time to think of a career path and gives a short respite from preparing for examinations. The transition is almost quite seamless from a house-surgeon to a DMO and comes with a decent pay.Depending on your location, a satisfactory sum from 30 to 40K can be expected with about 8-12 hours of shifts and night duties as well.To be flexible and efficient in a fast-paced environment and must possess strong decision-making skills along with a sense of sympathy, empathy, and readiness to offer service to your patients.However, this is the time to explore various specialities and introspect to know what you enjoy doing the most. Primary decision should be to choose a career between a surgical or medicine related field.For those who strive for a life overseas, a promising life does await. But the path doesnt come easy and it isnt for everyone. Popular destinations include the US, UK, Australia, and the Gulf countries.The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is the one-path medical licensure program created for physicians in the US and abroad.The General Medical Council (GMC) of the UK has the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test (the PLAB tests - Part 1 and Part 2), as the standardized licensing examination, to obtain either a provisional or a full registration to practice in the UK.The Medical Council of Canada grants a qualification in medicine known as the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) to physicians who have met its requirements of passing two examinations namely MCCQE Part 1 & 2 (The Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination). Part 1 exam has two sections with 210 multiple choice questions (MCQ) and 38 short answer questions. Part 2 exam is a series of clinical stations.To obtain a registration in the Australian Medical Council (AMC), one must start with the ECFMG-EPIC Verification (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates-Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials) to assess their primary medical degree, after creating an AMC portfolio. Once that is completed, candidates can undertake a pathway of their choice, the most followed being The Standard Pathway - where candidates need to pass an MCQ plus a Clinical Examination.The Medical Council of New Zealand recommends to use the registration self-assessment tool to determine which pathway one might be eligible for. Needless to say, one must pass NZREX Clinical Examination (New Zealand Registration Exam), along with satisfactory English Proficiency Scores and an EPIC-Verified Medical degree.Message for an overseas-aspirant: Choosing to practise medicine abroad is an excellent decision but has its own pros and cons. One needs to evaluate a country of choice, decide on the path to embark and requires thorough research. It is always advisable to connect with a peer or a colleague in the said country to help one with the entire process.The question that is on every medicos mind; the one that can cause sleepless nights and the one that crumples the mind -ergoChoosing ais one of the most significant decisions a medico will make in his/her life.Identifying the said influencing factors is quite crucial in planning the road ahead.One needs to make peace with the fact that there is no magic formula in figuring what specialty to choose from; finding a good fit in simple terms means, exploring who you are, what you want from life, and pinning down options that will support those goals. It is notable to bear in mind that sometimes more often than always, multiple career options can provide you,Factors that one needs to keep in mind to aim for a specialty program entails:(a) Personality fit(b) Specialty content(c) Role model influence(d) Work/life balance(e) Future family plans(f) Length and competitiveness of specialty(g) Education debtAs far as India is concerned, our great nation is moving towards a one-path medical licensure program proposed by the National Medical Commission called theIt is speculated to be implemented in the early months of 2022/2023.MBBS aspirants currently have to go through NEET-PG, a highly competitive exam testing the candidates in 19 subjects with 300 MCQs to be finished in 3.5 hours. The candidates this year (2021) were in a plethora of shock when the questions were reduced from 300 to 200 but the duration remained the same, asserting the fact that India is also adapting a more clinical-oriented question pattern that is similar in nature to other competitive universal medical exams.Aspirants can also go for the central institute exam known as INI-CET, to attain a post-graduate degree of choice.One can also choose overseas options like MRCP or MRCS that hold exams in India held from time to time at some centers. However, this too requires planning and working in the field to gain enough clinical experience.Alternative to an MD or a clinical specialty is pursuing the path less travelled. I call this opening the Pandoras Box, as this unfolds paths of endless, immense opportunities but brings with it several bouts of hesitancy and indecision among medical graduates.The hesitancy, uncertainty is merely an incorrect perception and repeatedly, they have proven to be domains of excellence.The above are merely scratching the surface of the non-clinical routes and it invites an intense discussion on its own.The above said words, where the one that put an overwhelmed aspirant like me to ease, that sometimes hittingoncould be a good thing. This might just give you the edge you need!Do as much research as you can; reach out to your peers and mentors for advice and mentorship-until you find something that clicks.It is understandable that the hard work and countless hours that one needs to invest in Medicine is indeed an arduous task, but the satisfaction and potential to impact human life, as a result, is an unparalleled emotion with no bounds, that is well-worth the effort. China has filled the disputed South China Sea with more than 200 boats lashed together in rows in an act of aggression designed to 'squeeze out' other countries in Asia, experts warn. Beijing have claimed the Chinese vessels, first spotted earlier this month off the coast of the Philippines, are merely fishing boats sheltering from bad weather which are allowed to be there. But satellite images show hundreds of ships - believed to be manned by Chinese militia personnel - lined closely together whilst anchored at Whitsun Reef, 350 kilmotres west of Palawan Island in the contested South China Sea. Some of the vessels have since scattered across the Spratly Islands, but last week dozens of the Chinese-flagged boats were still anchored at the boomerang-shaped reef, according to Philippine military patrols. This is despite the Philippines calling on Beijing to withdraw the 'maritime militia' vessels for weeks, saying their incursion into their exclusive economic zone is unlawful. China has filled the disputed South China Sea with more than 200 boats lashed together in rows in an act of aggression designed to 'squeeze out' other countries in Asia, experts warn Satellite images show hundreds of ships - believed to be manned by Chinese militia personnel - lined closely together whilst anchored at Whitsun Reef, 350 kilmotres west of Palawan Island in the contested South China Sea 'Beijing pretty clearly thinks that if it uses enough coercion and pressure over a long enough period of time, it will squeeze the Southeast Asians out,' Greg Poling, the director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in the US told The New York Times. 'It's insidious.' The Philippine government's National Task Force-West Philippines Sea said they counted 254 ships as well as four Chinese warships in the Spratly Islands on March 29. They claimed the ships were not fishing vessels as China had claimed - but instead part of China's maritime militia, an group of sometimes armed civilians in the sea. China, which claims almost the entirety of the resource-rich China sea, has so far refused to move the boats from the area - where both the Philippines and Vietnams have claims. Some of the vessels have since scattered across the Spratly Islands, but last week dozens of the Chinese-flagged boats were still anchored at the boomerang-shaped reef, according to Philippine military patrols Some of the more than 220 Chinese vessels reported by the Philippine Coast Guard The presence of such a large fleet of Chinese ships is meant to intimidate, Mr Poling argues. 'By having them there, and spreading them out across these expanses of water around the reefs the others occupy, or around oil and gas fields or fishing grounds, you are steadily pushing the Filipinos and the Vietnamese out,' he said. 'If you're a Filipino fisherman, you're always getting harassed by these guys. 'They're always maneuvering a little too close, blowing horns at you. At some point you just give up and stop fishing there.' A satellite image shows a Chinese vessel anchored at the Whitsun reef on March 23 The presence of the vessels could ignite 'unwanted hostilities', a top aide to the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned today, intensifying the diplomatic spat over the ships. Duterte's top legal counsel Salvador Panelo warned China's 'present territorial incursions is producing an unwelcome stain in their bond and may trigger unwanted hostilities that both countries would rather not pursue.' 'The matter of territorial dispute has to be resolved in the diplomatic negotiating table or by the dictates of international law,' Panelo said in a statement. It comes a day after outspoken Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana accused Beijing of planning to occupy more 'features' in the waters - where Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have rival claims. The presence of the vessels could ignite 'unwanted hostilities', a top aide to the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (pictured with China's Prsident Xi Jinping in 2018) warned today, intensifying the diplomatic spat over the ships 'The Chinese ambassador has a lot of explaining to do,' Lorenzana said in a statement on Saturday. Meanwhile, Vietnam's foreign ministry had accused China of violating their sovereignty and demanded the ships leave. China responded to the complaints with foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying saying that Chinese fishermen 'have been fishing in the waters near the reef all along' - something that Philippine officials say there is no evidence of. Beijing often invokes the so-called nine-dash line to justify its apparent historic rights over most of the South China Sea, and has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that declared this assertion as without basis. The Philippine foreign ministry, which has already lodged a diplomatic protest over the ships, vowed Monday to send a complaint 'for every day' Beijing delays pulling out the vessels. In an apparent reference to China's donation of Covid-19 vaccines, Panelo said the Philippines appreciated the 'humanitarian gesture'. But he added: 'We will not be blinded however by any act done by it in violation of international law and in derogation of our sovereign rights.' SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said on Sunday that China will donate 150,000 Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Central American nation, on top of the 2 million Sinovac jabs his government already purchased. "I received a letter from President Xi Jinping, where he informs me that he will donate 150,000 vaccines against COVID-19 to our country," Bukele wrote on Twitter. The donation will help El Salvador, a country of around 6.5 million people, which began its immunization campaign with the AstraZeneca vaccine in February. El Salvador has reported 64,431 cases of coronavirus and 2,025 deaths from the virus. (Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Kim Coghill) News: After BJPs Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi, in an article, advocated asylum for Rohingya Muslims escaping violence in Myanmar a view contradicting his own partys stand on deporting the refugee was slammed by a senior minister from the Narendra Modi cabinet, stating "the statement is against national interest." The lawmaker in his column for Navbharat Times had asked the government to consider granting refugee status to the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Hansraj Ahir, Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Hansraj commenting on Varuns article said, No nationalist would ever give such a statement. He said, Rohingyas have created trouble for Myanmar and worked against the government. If Myanmar has rejected them, why should we accept them?" Also read: Private bill in Lok Sabha to recall MPs, MLAs for non-performance Ahir added that the Modi government is using full force to stop the Rohingya from settling in India since they are a security threat. Gandhi in his opinion piece published in Navbharat Times had said that India has rich tradition of helping refugees. He also suggested the the government to form a national refugee policy, which differentiated between people fleeing a country following persecution as opposed to those fleeing poverty. Gandhis column asking the government to consider granting refugee status to the Rohingya refugee has not gone down well with the ruling BJP government. According to government figures around 40,000 Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in India. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A) A large amount of Iju tree pollen found in the dried excrement of an Amami fishfly. B) & C) Amami fishflies collecting pollen from Iju flowers. Credit: Associate Professor Naoto Sugiura Researchers from Kumamoto University (Japan) have found that adult nocturnal fishflies (Neochauliodes amamioshimanus), which are typically aquatic insects, feed on pollen at night. They also present circumstantial evidence suggesting that this species not only forages in flowers, but is also a supplementary pollinator. Their work sheds light on the terrestrial life of adult fishflies, which has been a mystery until now. Megaloptera is a small taxon (about 400 species worldwide) consisting of the families Sialidae (alderflies) and Corydalidae (dobsonflies and fishflies), and is considered to be one of the oldest groups of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis. The biology of the fishfly's aquatic larvae, which were sometimes used as folk remedies in Japan, is relatively well understood. On the other hand, the terrestrial adults are nocturnal, and their behavior in the wild is still a mystery, including what they eat. To date, there have only been brief reports of ingestion of small insects and tree sap. In an effort to learn more about these insects, researchers at Kumamoto University conducted a three-year field study of adult fishflies, which are endemic to Amami Oshima Island in southern Japan. Dusted yellow In July 2018, researchers noticed a fine yellow powder covering the front (including the head, pronotum, and legs) of an adult fishfly that flew into a light. A closer examination using scanning electron microscopy revealed that it was pollen from the Iju tree (Schima wallichii ssp. noronhae), a tall tree in the Camelliaceae family. Of the 18 adults (4 male and 14 female) surveyed between July 2018 and July 2019, 14 (1 male, 13 female) had pollen on them. These included all individuals (1 male, 6 female) found resting on the underside of leaves and walls during the day. The researchers believe that this is because the adults of the species do not use their legs to groom their body surface. Not just smelling the flowers In June and July of 2020, researchers collected and examined excrement from 46 adults (17 male, 29 female). Samples from 36 insects (12 male, 24 female) contained Iju pollen, with 7 (3 male, 4 female) having particularly large amounts. This indicates that fishfly adults ingest pollen when visiting flowers. Since captive adults of several fishfly species have been reported to consume liquid nourishment (e.g., sugar water), the researchers speculated that they likely consume the nectar near the base of flower stamens. A) Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of pollen grain collected from the body surface of an Amami fishfly. B) SEM images of pollen grains collected from the flower of an Iju tree. C) An Amami fishfly resting on a branch during the daytime with Iju tree pollen on its body. D) An Amami fishfly at night covered in a large amount of Iju tree pollen. Credit: Associate Professor Naoto Sugiura Smorgasbord A total of 27 adults were found in the vicinity of flowering Iju trees on seven nights in June and July 2020, and individual flower visits were confirmed seven times. The insects would stick their heads into the center of the flower, where numerous stamens are densely arranged in a ring, then change positions and do it again resulting in a long stay per flower. One individual spent about 3 minutes on one flower and another spent a total of 11 minutes on two adjacent flowers. The researchers thus concluded that both sexes of the adult Amami fishflynamed after the island where the study was conductedhave a habit of visiting flowers and feeding on pollen (and nectar). It has long been suggested that some species of diurnal Sialidae visit flowers to forage, but this has never been demonstrated, and no such species is known in the Corydalidae family. This study is the first demonstration in nature that some Megaloptera species are pollen-eaters and have flower-visiting habits. The fishfly genus, Neochauliodes, consists of 46 species, including the Amami fishfly, and are found in the tropical and temperate zones of Asia. In addition, about 20 species of Iju trees (Schima spp) grow over a large area that overlaps the fishfly habitats. Considering this, it is likely that the pollen feeding behavior is not unique to the Amami fishfly, and may be found in other species of the same genus in other regions. The researchers hope that this work will lead to a gradual elucidation of the terrestrial life of adult fishflies, especially their relationship with plants. Amami Oshima Island, along with several other islands in the Nansei (Ryukyu) Island chain, is currently a World Natural Heritage Candidate Site recommended by the Japanese government. "Although the relationship between the fishfly and flowering plants revealed in this study is only a small part of the symbiotic network between the plant and animal species on Amami Oshima Island, it is a case that reminds us, once again, of the great inherent value of biodiversity," said Associate Professor Naoto Sugiura of Kumamoto University, who led this study. "There are few reports of adult aquatic insects functioning as pollinators, and it would be meaningful to clarify whether this species is indeed a pollinator of the Iju tree in the future. If this can be demonstrated, it will be an interesting case study of the clear symbiotic relationship between both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems." Explore further Tiny treetop flowers foster incredible beetle biodiversity More information: Naoto Sugiura et al, Discovery of flowervisiting fishflies: Adult Neochauliodes amamioshimanus ( Megaloptera: Corydalidae ) nocturnally forages on Schima wallichii ssp. noronhae trees, Entomological Science (2021). Naoto Sugiura et al, Discovery of flowervisiting fishflies: Adult Neochauliodes amamioshimanus ( Megaloptera: Corydalidae ) nocturnally forages on Schima wallichii ssp. noronhae trees,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/ens.12463 /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES./ TORONTO, April 5, 2021 /CNW/ - Arizona Metals Corp. (TSXV: AMC) (OTCQX: AZMCF) (the "Company" or "Arizona Metals") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an amended agreement with Stifel GMP and Clarus Securities Inc. (the "Lead Underwriters"), on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters including Cormark Securities Inc., Beacon Securities Limited and Agentis Capital (together with the Lead Underwriters, the "Underwriters"), to increase the size of the previously-announced offering (the "Offering"). Pursuant to the amended terms of the Offering, the Lead Underwriters have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal private placement basis, 8,600,000 special warrants of the Company (the "Special Warrants") at a price of C$2.10 per Special Warrant (the "Offering Price") for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of C$18,060,000 (the "Offering"). The Company has agreed to grant the Underwriters an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 1,400,000 Special Warrants at the Issue Price exercisable in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time on or prior to the date that is 48 hours prior to the Closing Date (as defined below). Each Special Warrant shall be issued under a special warrant indenture and shall entitle the holder thereof to receive, without payment of additional consideration, one (1) unit of the Company (each a "Unit"). Each Unit shall consist of one (1) common share of the Company and one-half (0.5) of one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $3.00 for a period of 12 months following the closing date of the Offering (the "Closing Date"). Story continues The Special Warrants shall be deemed exercised on behalf of, and without any required action on the part of, the holders (and for no additional consideration) on the earlier of: (i) the second business day following the date on which a final receipt is obtained from the Ontario Securities Commission, as principal regulator on behalf of the securities regulatory authorities in each of the Qualifying Jurisdictions (as defined herein), for a (final) short form prospectus qualifying for distribution the Units underlying the Special Warrants (the "Qualification Date"); and (ii) 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the date which is four months and a day following the Closing Date. In the event the Qualification Date has not occurred on or before the date that is ten (10) weeks following the Closing Date, each Special Warrant shall thereafter entitle the holder to receive, upon the exercise or deemed exercise of each Special Warrant, for no additional consideration, 1.1 Units. The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the Offering to fund exploration and development work at the Kay Mine Copper-Gold VMS Project in Arizona, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Special Warrants will be offered on a private placement basis in all provinces of Canada, except Quebec (the "Qualifying Jurisdictions"). The Special Warrants will also be offered in the United States on a private placement basis pursuant to available exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and in such other jurisdictions outside of Canada and the United States, as mutually agreed by the Company and the Underwriters, in each case in accordance with all applicable laws. The Offering is scheduled to close on or about April 22, 2021 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and the securities regulatory authorities. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the 1933 Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act, as amended, and application state securities laws. About Arizona Metals Corp Arizona Metals Corp owns 100% of the Kay Mine Property in Yavapai County, which is located on a combination of patented and BLM claims totaling 1,300 acres that are not subject to any royalties. An historic estimate by Exxon Minerals in 1982 reported a "proven and probable reserve of 6.4 million short tons at a grade of 2.2% copper, 2.8 g/t gold, 3.03% zinc, and 55 g/t silver." The historic estimate at the Kay Mine was reported by Exxon Minerals in 1982. (Fellows, M.L., 1982, Kay Mine massive sulphide deposit: Internal report prepared for Exxon Minerals Company) The Kay Mine historic estimate has not been verified as a current mineral resource. None of the key assumptions, parameters, and methods used to prepare the historic estimate were reported, and no resource categories were used. Significant data compilation, re-drilling and data verification may be required by a Qualified Person before the historic estimate can be verified and upgraded to be a current mineral resource. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify it as a current mineral resource, and Arizona Metals is not treating the historic estimate as a current mineral resource. The Kay Mine is a steeply dipping VMS deposit that has been defined from a depth of 60 m to at least 900 m. It is open for expansion on strike and at depth. The Company also owns 100% of the Sugarloaf Peak Property, in La Paz County, which is located on 4,400 acres of BLM claims. Sugarloaf is a heap-leach, open-pit target and has a historic estimate of "100 million tons containing 1.5 million ounces gold" at a grade of 0.5 g/t (Dausinger, N.E., 1983, Phase 1 Drill Program and Evaluation of Gold-Silver Potential, Sugarloaf Peak Project, Quartzsite, Arizona: Report for Westworld Inc.) The historic estimate at the Sugarloaf Peak Property was reported by Westworld Resources in 1983. The historic estimate has not been verified as a current mineral resource. None of the key assumptions, parameters, and methods used to prepare the historic estimate were reported, and no resource categories were used. Significant data compilation, re-drilling and data verification may be required by a Qualified Person before the historic estimate can be verified and upgraded to a current mineral resource. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify it as a current mineral resource, and Arizona Metals is not treating the historic estimate as a current mineral resource. The Qualified Person who reviewed and approved the technical disclosure in this release is David Smith, CPG. This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation, Forward-looking statements contained in this press release, include, without limitation, statements regarding the completion of the Company's previously-announced acquisition, use of proceeds from the Offering, and drilling and exploration activity at the Company's properties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the acquisition of the Property, including completion of due diligence and the satisfaction of the Company's payment obligations under the Purchase Agreement, and the completion of the Offering. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: availability of financing; delay or failure to receive required permits or regulatory approvals; and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward- looking statements or otherwise. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE (NOR ITS REGULATORY SERVICE PROVIDER) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE SOURCE Arizona Metals Corp. Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2021/05/c3457.html DUBLIN city had the highest crime rates in Ireland last year, with gardai in Louth and Waterford also investigating more offences than the national average per 100,000 of population. Figures show that the Dublin City Council (DCC) area was highest for five common crimes: drugs, thefts, assaults, public order, and possession of weapons. Outside of the capital, instances of these crime groups were high in Waterford, Cork and Louth, where gardai have had significant successes in targeting two feuding criminal gangs in Drogheda. While most serious crime categories have decreased as a result of restrictions introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, some offences increased in 2020. Read More In particular, drugs and weapons crimes have risen and, while assaults have dropped overall, attacks on women have not dropped as sharply compared with assaults on men. Data shows that DCC, which covers a densely populated area from Ballymun to Donnybrook, had the highest crime rates in the country last year. The local authority area includes the city centre and has a population of around 544,544. For public order offences, there were 1,424 reported per 100,000 in the city last year, almost double that of the second highest rate in Galway, which saw 838 per 100,000. Co Cork was the third highest with 766 per 100,000, with similar figures recorded in Waterford (758) and Louth (733) which were fourth and fifth for public order crimes. The county with the lowest crime rate per 100,000 for this category was Meath at 291. DCC also saw the most drug offences reported in 2020, at 928 per 100,000, with the South Dublin County Council (SDCC) area second at 843. Drug crimes, which have increased across Ireland, were also high in Louth (717), due in part to the success of Operation Stratus introduced to target crime gangs in Drogheda. Waterford had 665 drugs offences per 100,000, followed by Cork (615). Galway had the lowest reported drug crimes with 246 per 100,000. The DCC area reported 619 assaults per 100,000 last year, with Waterford (539) and Louth (544) also having higher than average assaults. The Cavan/Monaghan Garda division reported 464 assaults and related offences per 100,000 people living there, while Cork saw 464. The areas with the lowest rate of reported assaults, 215 per 100,000, were Kilkenny and Carlow, which are policed by the same Garda division. Weapons and firearms offences, a crime category which rose by 14.9pc countrywide last year, was among the highest in two Dublin areas. DCC saw 151 offences per 100,000, followed by SDCC, an area which includes Clondalkin, Lucan and Tallaght, with 76 incidents. Outside of the capital the highest weapons offence rates were reported in Louth (99), Waterford (95) and Cork (79). Gardai in Mayo dealt with the lowest number of firearms offences in 2020, with 26 per 100,000 of the population. Read More When Americans call Afghanistan an endless war, they are generally referring to the conflict that began with the U.S.-led invasion of the country in 2001an event many of the U.S. troops now there may barely remember, if they were even alive for it. In fact, this understates things. Afghanistan has been in a state of ever-mutating war for more than 40 years, with various levels of American involvement throughout. Last year, the Trump administration attempted to bring an end to the 20-year portion of the war by striking an agreement with the Taliban for the withdrawal of the last U.S. troops from the country by May 1, 2021. Technically speaking, that deadline is still in place. But at his first press conference as president last week, Joe Biden all but confirmed whats been obvious for some time: U.S. troops will still be in the country in May. Its going to be hard to meet the May 1 deadline, he said. Just in terms of tactical reasons, its hard to get those troops out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its true that such a withdrawal would take months to carry out, but this answer was also somewhat misleading, given that the administration has been in office for more than two months and could have ordered withdrawal preparations immediately had it wanted to. Biden is a longtime skeptic of the U.S. mission in Afghanistanalmost alone among Barack Obamas senior officials, he opposed the 2009 troop surgebut he also doesnt particularly relish watching the country collapse, or the Taliban take power, after the U.S. leaves. This has led to a last-ditch effort to forge a peace agreement between the Taliban and the U.S.-backed Afghan government. However, Biden also said that he cant picture U.S. troops being in Afghanistan next year, which gives diplomats just a matter of months to end the 40-year war. Its a tall order. Advertisement Again we are in this same pattern where its U.S. thinking and U.S. timetables that are determining whats happening in Afghanistan, says Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network. Its a bit like the U.S. government shedding responsibility for the china shop they have broken. Advertisement In fairness, the Biden team was left in an agonizing position by its predecessor. In February 2020, the Trump administrations negotiators reached what was optimistically called the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan with representatives of the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. Under the deal, the U.S. committed to a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, and until now it has been following that timetable. Around 2,500 American troops remain in the country, and under the deal, they are to be out on May 1. (There are also about 6,500 troops from other NATO countries, who would likely follow the Americans to the exit.) In return, the Taliban pledged to refrain from attacking U.S. troops and to send a clear message that it was cutting ties with terrorist groups like al-Qaida. It has mostly stuck to the first part of the dealno Americans have been killed in combat in Afghanistan in the past yearbut not the second. Theres been no public disavowal of al-Qaida, and Afghan forces killed one of the groups senior commanders, who was allegedly being sheltered by the Taliban, in October. Advertisement The Taliban also made vague commitments in Doha toward a reduction of violence, which has definitely not happened: The number of attacks by the group increased significantly late last year, and theyve been much deadlier. The deal called for peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government to begin in March of 2020, but because of various disagreements, they didnt start until September, by which time both sides had one eye on the U.S. presidential election and little incentive to give ground. Now, the clock is ticking. Advertisement Afghan officials claim the countrys military can hold its own without U.S. support, but its barely doing that now. According to Long War Journals map based on open-source reporting, the Taliban now fully control 75 of the countrys 398 districts and partially control 187 of them. The government controls most of the urban centers, though the Taliban have been making inroads, even in Kabul. The fear is that if the government falls, it could hasten a return to either the Talibans harsh theocratic rule or the kind of all-consuming civil war that wracked the country in the 1990s. Two decades of gains for Afghan women could be lost, ethnic and religious minorities could face persecution, a new refugee crisis could begin, terrorist groups like al-Qaida and ISIS would exploit the chaos for their own gain. Biden is no doubt thinking about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011, and their return three years later after the rise of ISIS. Another precedent could be the collapse of the Soviet-backed Afghan government a few years after Russian troops left in 1989. Advertisement The current U.S. troop commitment might seem like a small price to prevent such a scenario, given the lack of casualties in recent months. Until recently, more U.S. troops were deployed in D.C. to maintain order in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The U.S. has far larger troop presences in Japan, South Korea, and Germany, decades after fighting ended in those countries. The difference in Afghanistan is that if the deadline passes and American troops are still in the country, they could once again come under attack. Come May 1st, if we are still here, I think its game on for the Taliban, one U.S. officer recently told the New Yorkers Dexter Filkins. The administration is coming under increasing lobbying pressure from members of Congress and some veterans groups to bring the rest of the troops home, if not by May 1, then as soon as possible. Advertisement Advertisement This has led to hopes that the U.S. can help turn the tide at the negotiating table rather than on the battlefield. Zalmay Khalilzad, the special representative for Afghanistan who stayed on from the Trump administration and has been involved in Afghanistan policy in various capacities since the 1980s, has been shuttling between both sides as well as regional powers ahead of a planned peace conference in Istanbul sometime later this month. (Khalilzads attendance at a Russian governmenthosted peace conference in Moscow last month was widely seen as a sign that the Biden administration is open to cooperating on Afghanistan with regional powers its otherwise at odds with.) Presumably, priority No. 1 is getting the Taliban to agree to at least some extension of the troop withdrawal date. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also tried to dial up the pressure on the Afghan government with a letter to President Ashraf Ghaniwhich was quickly leakedurging him to rapidly move to negotiations with the Taliban on governance, power-sharing, and essential supporting principles. The letter warned that the U.S. has not ruled out any option including a full troop withdrawal on May 1. Advertisement In Afghanistan, many saw this as handing a diplomatic victory to the Taliban by bullying the Afghan government into making concessions based on an American timetable. The Trump administration very effectively disincentivized the Taliban from making any good-faith effort, and the Biden administration unfortunately, due to its apparent haste, is compounding this, says Muska Dastageer, a professor of gender, peace, and security at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul. Any sort of time-bound commitment that divorces the matter of U.S. troop withdrawal from progress in negotiations will fail. Advertisement Advertisement Also leaked last month was a draft U.S. proposal for a peace agreement, including a structure for a new power-sharing interim government, which would replace the current government. Given the situation on the ground, its now generally accepted that Afghanistans future political order will have to include the Taliban. But some experts worry it will be hard to forge an agreement thats both sustainable and inclusive with the threat of troop withdrawals hanging over the process. Advertisement The administrations proposal would have had a greater likelihood of success than now if it had been introduced in October, says Madiha Afzal, an analyst at the Brookings Institution. The problem is its asking so much, so fast, that its unlikely to be effective. Since the current American power-sharing plan would necessarily require Ghani to step down, hes unsurprisingly unhappy with the proposal and has put forward an alternative: The Taliban agree to a cease-fire, and hell call for early elections under the current constitutional system. The Taliban have also expressed skepticism about the idea, with a spokesman telling Al Jazeera that the country has had American-brokered transitional governments before that have not solved the countrys problems and that whats needed is an Islamic system that is strong and independent. Advertisement Advertisement Its a little unclear what sort of government the Taliban want for Afghanistan. When they previously controlled the country, from 19962001, there was no written constitution and they have been vague about their goals beyond the removal of U.S. troops. While the movements leaders continue to say reestablishing this emirate is their goal, its also widely thought that they accept that this time around they will have to accept some level of pluralism and engage with other political forces in the country. The U.S. proposal tries to bridge the gap between the two sides by including both elected leadership and rights guarantees for women and minorities as well as a new High Council for Islamic Jurisprudence to provide Islamic guidance on social, cultural, and other contemporary issues. In an ironic twist, the American government is looking to set up something that looks an awful lot like the government of its regional foe, Iran. Advertisement Its far from clear if the Taliban would agree even to this limited form of democracy. I dont believe anybody knows the answer to that question, and that may be partly because the Taliban dont fully know the answer to that question, says Alex Thier, a former USAID Afghanistan specialist and expert on the countrys constitution. They are not a monolith. They have been a violent revolutionary movement for much of their history. Embracing bureaucracy, the constitution, the rule of law, and certainly equal rights for women and minorities and the right to votethats not something theyve ever shown the capability of doing. It doesnt mean they cant. It does mean that its uncertain. Advertisement Advertisement Dastageer says: The ambiguity is not reassuring to a population which still lives with the trauma of what the Taliban did, especially to girls, women, and minorities, when it held power. That record is one we all know and it is a harrowing one. While it may often seem as if nothing ever changes in Afghanistan, the Biden team is, to its credit, trying something different from its predecessors. After the initial invasion, the Bush administration, anxious to move on to the project it was actually excited about in Iraq, neglected the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and undermined the Afghan government by funneling money to local warlords to fight terroristsor at least whoever the warlords said were terroristson its behalf. The Obama administration tried to gain military leverage over the Taliban with a troop surge before starting negotiations, but as Biden correctly predicted, that leverage didnt last. Trump cut the government of Afghanistan out of the equation entirely, negotiating directly with the Taliban. Advertisement Betting on Afghan peace is always a risky proposition, says Thier But I do think there is a moment of opportunity. What is new is that because of the sense of a withdrawal deadline, because of the new administration, and because of some strong signals from the region that there is interest in a more stable Afghanistan, theres an opportunity that hasnt existed for a while. Advertisement American officials often portray Afghanistan as simply ungovernable, and its government as hopelessly corrupt and unable to gain popular legitimacy. Theres some truth to this, but Americans have also played a role in making the country ungovernable. In the 1980s, U.S. funded the Mujahedeen rebels that went on to overthrow the countrys government. Then it invaded to overthrow the Taliban government that eventually replaced it. Then, more often than not, it sidestepped the Afghan government it had helped install. While theres an argument to be made that the U.S. has a responsibility to help build a more sustainable political order this time around, the question is whether its simply too late. Advertisement The hope is that the two sides can find at least enough common ground to agree to a permanent cease-fire that would stop the bloodshed and allow for negotiations and, perhaps, for international troops to withdraw. There are precedents for such agreements. Former insurgent groups including Nepals Maoists and Colombias FARC have (mostly) reconstituted themselves as legal political parties after signing peace deals bringing an end to long civil wars. But agreements like these take years to forge. Its possible that the diplomatic approach might eventually bear fruit, but its hard to imagine it happening in time for the U.S. to make a clean withdrawal before the end of 2021. If you really want to address the internal problems in Afghanistan, you really need to sit down and have negotiations about the details, says Ruttig. Its better than having a quick fix where we go home and everything starts anew and we have to deal with Afghanistan again in 10 years. Its often been written in recent weeks that Biden has no good options in Afghanistan. He seems, for now at least, to have ruled out both sending more troops into Afghanistan or immediately withdrawing them, hoping the diplomats can deliver a middle ground solution. But if the fledgling peace talks fail, attacks on U.S. troops resume, and the Taliban start to gain ground more rapidly, the choices are only going to get worse. Hundreds of boy racers ignored Covid restrictions last night to gather for a car meet near Nottingham, while Essex police shut down a rally with 450 motors. Photos show hundreds of car enthusiasts lining the streets under a bridge of the A453 near Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station and East Midlands Parkway station, in Nottingham, on Sunday evening. Modified cars paraded up and down the blocked streets during the illegal event which had reportedly been advertised via the social media group UK Car Scene. The event was originally supposed to take place in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, but was quickly shut down by police. Revellers then moved to an industrial estate in Bulwell, near Nottingham, where police reportedly watched on as hundreds gathered outside of their cars. A mass exodus to East Midlands Parkway followed, with queues blocking roads and roundabouts. Police then closed the entrance to East Midlands Parkway Station. Nottinghamshire County Councillor Cllr Andrew Brown, Leake & Ruddington Division told West Bridgford Wire: 'Why was this allowed to happen, it's absolutely disgusting behaviour. As well as Covid rules broken, how many traffic regulations as well?. Hundreds of car enthusiasts descend upon car meet despite the rule of six only allowing a meeting with one other household or six people Modified cars paraded and celebrated during the illegal event which had reportedly been organised via social media group UK Car Scene. A mass exodus to East Midlands parkway followed, with queues blocking roads and roundabouts. Police then closed the entrance to East Midlands Parkway Station 'Apparently it was attended by people from across the country and was organised by a car event website.' Nottinghamshire Police have warned people who meet for regular car cruising near the M1 that they are being watched and will be prosecuted if they drive dangerously or aggressively. The force said in a statement: 'Officers are concerned following a report of a large gathering, where a large number of cars eventually parked up at the East Midlands Parkway train station. 'Some drivers were seen to be driving dangerously and at high speeds through nearby roads and on the motorway itself. Officers attended to engage with the people there and took footage so that the incident can be investigated and appropriate action taken. 'The force received local intelligence that there was to be a large gathering of car enthusiasts meeting close to the county border. Car enthusiasts are seen gathering in Bulwell early evening on Sunday before being moved along by police Revellers moved to an industrial estate in Bulwell, near Nottingham, where police reportedly watched on as hundreds gathered outside of their cars 'Local Reacher and operational support officers went to Portland Retail Park in Mansfield at around 5pm on Sunday (4 April 2021) as vehicles arrived, whilst other cars met in Bulwell and Mansfield. 'The group then travelled along the M1 and tried to congregate on the East Midlands Parkway close to Redhill Marina. 'There was significant traffic disruption on the A453 due to the large number of vehicles in attendance. Officers managed to disrupt the event and the group dispersed safely around 9.45pm.' PC Phil Broughton from the force's road policing unit said: 'These meet-ups become a problem for us when people drive those vehicles in a way that puts other road users, and themselves, at risk of serious injury or death. 'We will be putting more officers and resources into dealing with such events in the coming weeks and months to target people who break the law. Nottinghamshire County Councillor Cllr Andrew Brown, Leake & Ruddington Division told West Bridgford Wire: 'Why was this allowed to happen, it's absolutely disgusting behaviour' Police are seen at the car meet where hundreds of car enthusiasts are gathered outside their cars without masks A group of young car enthusiasts are seen lining up to watch the modified cars 'Our investigation into this incident is underway, including working through the footage taken by officers to identify anyone who was acting illegally. 'Anyone we do identify can expect a visit from us in due course. 'We know this is an issue which matters to our community and we have done a lot of proactive work around it in response to that feedback. 'I completely understand how frustrating it can be to be bothered by noise or other issues related to this type of antisocial behaviour. 'That is why we have an ongoing operation to tackle such issues across Nottinghamshire, which sees officers regularly patrolling known hotspot areas, engaging with drivers and where necessary taking enforcement action. 'We have issued tickets on various occasions in the past and we will continue to do so where appropriate. As night fell the group gathered under a bridge of the A453 near Ratcliffe Power and East Midlands Parkway station, in Nottingham 'On this occasion this was a last minute car meet event and no fines were issued. 'Officers were able to engage with the organisers and deal with any individual driving issues. 'On the whole, the group were generally well behaved and officers kept a close eye on the large numbers throughout, however we will be pursuing anyone who drove dangerously on our Nottinghamshire roads. 'I would like to reassure the community that we understand of the impact of these issues and we will continue to work with our partners to do everything within our power to tackle them.' Meanwhile in Essex police put the brakes on a huge car rally after more than 450 motors arrived for an illegal meet last night. Tipped off that hundreds of cruising enthusiasts would be on a 25-mile drive from Chelmsford to Thurrock in Essex officers moved in to make one arrest and handed out fines to 22 others. Police are seen managing traffing in Nottinghamshire after the car meet caused chaos A second bid later to regroup was also disrupted and fines issued for offences including speeding and careless driving. Some were given formal warnings that if they tried to do the same thing again, their cars would be seized. Chief Inspector Richard Melton, District Commander for Thurrock, said: 'We acted quickly to deal with this challenging situation which involved a meet consisting of a very large number of vehicles. 'These events do pose a danger to the public as there is often an element who will be driving anti-socially and dangerously. 'Only a few years ago a young woman had to have part of her leg amputated after being hit by a motorbike and an illegal meet. 'Our roads policing teams continue to work to tackle street racing, dangerous driving, and anti-social driving because we know the risk it poses and the harm it can cause. An individual sits on a wall under the A453 near Ratcliffe Power and East Midlands Parkway station, in Nottingham 'The sheer number of vehicles involved posted a challenge to our officers but we had additional resources available to deal with it and were able to do so without anyone being injured. 'An organised meet like this is also a clear and blatant breach of the Government's Covid-19 regulations. Chief Insp Melton said police would continue to work with partners to make this kind of activity more difficult to carry out. He said: 'On this occasion Thurrock Council put additional measures in place, such as a public space protection order which gave us increased powers to deal and disperse these events. 'We will continue to work with them to keep our roads and our communities safe.' The enthusiasts often in modified hatchbacks are known to spend thousands of pounds on customising their cars with special paint jobs and highly-tuned engines. There are legal organised car shows but many young drivers like to show-off by potentially-dangerous stunt driving. They often choose places like industrial estates which are empty at weekends and at night to stage dangerous stunts and races or compete against the clock. Social media is increasingly used to alert car owners of up-coming organised events but police also monitor websites known to encourage enthusiasts to meet up for a 'run'. Earlier this year police shut down another illegal car meet on the Essex-London border and handed out 50 fines for breaching lock-down rules. In January Met police officers broke up a meeting in Ferry Lane, Romford. They had been called just before midnight and discovered the group speeding around a roundabout - carrying out 'drifting' in which a car is flicked sideways in a controlled skid. Chief Superintendent Stephen Clayman said: 'It is unacceptable that people are still breaking the rules at a time when there is so much pressure on the NHS. It is more important than ever before that people follow the regulations. 'The restrictions are clear enough and there is no excuse for this sort of selfish behaviour that puts lives at risk and causes a nuisance for nearby residents who are doing the right thing by staying at home. 'We understand that this is a very difficult time for everyone but our top priority as police officers is keeping people safe. If that means moving quicker to enforcement action for more wilful breaches, then we will do.' A UN tribunal in Tanzania has denied a request for early release by a man considered the mastermind of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda that left some 800,000 dead. Theoneste Bagosora, 79, was in 2008 sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by the former International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). However his sentence was reduced to 35 years on appeal in 2011. Bagosora, who is imprisoned in Mali, made the request for early release in March 2019, which several genocide convicts have been granted after serving two thirds of their sentence. Bagosora was first arrested in 1996, and his trial began in 2002. Maltese judge Carmel Agius, president of the Arusha-based Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), the body charged with completing the work of the ICTR after it wound up, rejected the request in a ruling dated April 1, provided to AFP Monday. I hereby deny the application, wrote Agius, explaining that the extremely high gravity of Bagosoras crimes weighs very heavily against his early release. I also consider his failure to sufficiently demonstrate rehabilitation as militating against granting the application. A church choirboy who rose to become a key officer in the Rwandan army, Bagosora was described during his initial trial as the kingpin behind the genocide. The genocide saw extremist Hutu militia slaughter minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus over 100 days from April 7 to July 15. The appeals chamber argued that Bagosora did not order the killings, rapes and assassination of politicians, but as a top defence ministry official he knew the crimes were going to be committed and did nothing to stop them despite having the powers to do so. It also upheld a lower court ruling that Bagosora was Rwandas most senior military official between April 6 and 9, 1994. 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! Until recently, Shade Ajayi had never gone to school. Now 50, the businesswoman is learning to read and write alongside students nearly 40 years younger than she is. Ajayi attends a school in Ilorin, in Nigerias western Kwara state. She wears the same uniform, or school clothing, as hundreds of girls at the school: a pink dress and head covering. Im not ashamed that I wear a uniform, she said. As a child, Ajayi worked in her aunts shop instead of attending school. She now runs her own business making and selling purses and bags. But she believes her inability to read or write is holding her back. Ajayi signed up to attend school last year, but the school closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Schools reopened in January and Ajayi finally got her chance. She sits in a class with students aged 11 to 13 and raises her hand to answer questions. Ajayis teacher, Nasrat Busari, said she did not appear worried about the age difference with other students. She has been coping well with them: playing together, talking together and discussing things together, he said. Ajayis daughter, Shola Adeboye, said at first, she was embarrassed that her mother attended school alongside children. But later, she supported her mothers efforts. She has always wanted to be educated but she couldnt (until now), Adeboye said. Ajayi still makes bags and purses after finishing classes. A helper serves her customers during school hours. She plans to continue her education for four more years, saying it will help her business. People around me can read and write and they are succeeding in their businesses, said Ajayi. And she does not seem to care what others may say about her. Ajayi said, Its my duty not to pay attention to what theyre saying. Im Jonathan Evans. Seun Sanni reported on this story for the Reuters news service. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story ashamed adj. feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace coping v. dealing with and trying to find solutions for problems embarrassed adj. feeling or showing a state of self-conscious confusion and distress purse n. a usually leather or cloth bag used by women for carrying money and personal things A dangerous rapist branded "callous" by a judge is planning a new life outside Northern Ireland when he is released from jail. Ex-soldier Gerry 'Vermin' Verner has told inmates at Maghaberry Prison he will be moving to Scotland when his 10-year sentence expires later this year. The 32-year-old predator had been released on licence in 2018 but was thrown back inside a short time after when Sunday Life revealed his links to East Belfast UVF figures and fellow rapists Michael Gilbert and Joe 'The Mexican' McCabe. Expand Close Rapist Michael Gilbert / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rapist Michael Gilbert Expand Close Joe McCabe / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joe McCabe Verner also had a secret girlfriend who had been staying over at his Inverary Avenue apartment - a direct breach of licence conditions which instruct him to inform probation officers of any new relationship. Now virtually friendless, the rapist is reportedly planning a move to Ayrshire to start a new life in a community that knows nothing of his past. "Verner has told inmates at Maghaberry he has had enough and will be moving to stay with a mate in Scotland," said a jail source. "When he was out the last time, he had the protection of the East Belfast UVF, but now they want nothing to do with him. He's had word delivered that if he steps foot in east Belfast again, he will be shot." Verner, who is originally from the Shankill Road, was convicted of raping, falsely imprisoning, assaulting and threatening to kill a 19-year-old woman in 2011. He forced his terrified victim to go to his house, where he subjected her to 10 minutes of an 'honesty' interrogation during which he threatened to cut off a finger for every lie she told. This was the fourth female who Verner had physically and violently assaulted. As well as being jailed for seven years, with an added three on licence, the thug was handed a lifetime court order which bans him from having a relationship with a female without first informing the authorities and telling her about his past. Prison insiders say that Verner's worrying associations extend to more than just the East Belfast UVF. "When he was inside the first time round, Verner was best mates with rapists Michael Gilbert and Joe McCabe," added our source. Glue-sniffing Gilbert (31), who lives in north Belfast, served just half a seven-year sentence for raping a woman three times while her young son slept in an adjoining bedroom. He bound and gagged his victim, battered her with a hammer and slashed her with a Stanley blade during an hour-long torture ordeal. McCabe (36) was caged for seven years for raping a 64-year-old woman but is now back behind bars after being caught shop-lifting. Our source said: "Verner's other big friend in jail is the baby killer Ryan Leslie, who murdered his 14-week-old son. Expand Close Baby killer Ryan Leslie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Baby killer Ryan Leslie "When he was up in Magilligan Prison, he (Verner) was bullying the inmates, taking their prescription drugs and selling them on. "But Verner can't get on like that in Maghaberry because the prisoners there aren't as vulnerable. He also doesn't have the protection of the UVF, which is why he's telling people he is moving to Scotland when he gets out." Before he was jailed for rape, Verner had served with the British Army in Afghanistan, but was medically discharged having been deafened in one ear during a no-warning Taliban bomb. After the court case ended, the father of the teenager he sexually assaulted revealed how she had been forced to drop out of university and give up her job. He said: "It has been a terrible, terrible time for her. She was a first year at university but dropped out and left her part-time job. She's still getting counselling. Some days she finds it hard to go out. She cries constantly but now all this is over we hope it gives her that wee bit of closure and she can try to look forward." cbarnes@sundaylife.co.uk Multiple factors, ranging from fear of deportation to food insecurity, create a negative domino effect for the health of the MENA community Within southeast Michigan's Middle Eastern and North African community, those who worry about deportation or believe they've been treated unfairly are likely to face more adverse conditions associated with poor health, including food insecurity and financial distress. The MENA people who face several of these barriers are also more likely to report chronic illness and mental health issues as well as worse overall health. That's according to a new study by the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services. "There are numerous health disparities for the MENA community that are not that different from other racial and ethnic groups where we're trying to close the gap," says Minal R. Patel, Ph.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of health behavior and health education at the U-M School of Public Health and a member of the Rogel Cancer Center. "The data show us that this is an important population where we should be focusing our efforts to address health needs." This is the latest in a series of papers based on data from an extensive survey designed to better understand the population within one of the geographic areas the Rogel Cancer Center aims to serve. The researchers paid special attention to MENA people because metro Detroit is home to one of the United States' largest MENA communities, with about 210,000 residents hailing from Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and other Arab countries. Previous state surveys had revealed significant health disparities for the MENA population, similar to what Michigan's African-American and Hispanic groups experience. However, Patel and her research team knew more specific data was needed to determine MENA people's unmet health needs as well as the impact that discrimination has on their health. Through questionnaires distributed in community venues -- including grocery stores, mosques, and health care clinics -- to about 400 people who identified as MENA, researchers found that almost 60% of respondents felt they had experienced discrimination. Close to half did not believe the government was trying to improve life for Arab-Americans. Although fewer people worried about deportation or thought they had been treated unfairly, those who did often faced more adverse conditions associated with poor health, such as food insecurity. More unmet health needs were also found among people who were not born in the United States (58% of the study's sample); who had lived in America for fewer years; who spoke Arabic at home; and who were from Egypt, Syria, or Yemen -- countries with unstable political environments and high poverty rates. Public health researchers and media outlets alike have previously called attention to the physical and mental toll of immigration-related concerns on Latino immigrants. Patel says this data illustrates how the MENA people fit into that discussion. "We were able to highlight that even though we don't share a border with a Middle Eastern country, we still have a sizeable population right next door to us that have concerns about immigration," Patel says. "This is another community where we can bring in that national conversation and think about how it is specifically impacting health." Among risk factors that limit optimal health in the MENA population, transportation issues for health care visits, food insecurity, and financial strain were the most common, followed by unemployment and unstable housing. Patel said she was surprised at the prevalence of food insecurity in particular given the number of grocery stores and restaurants in areas with large concentrations of the MENA population. "When you drive through Dearborn, where much of the survey took place, it doesn't look like the makeup of your typical food desert," Patel says. "So we need to unpack that. Food insecurity is multidimensional, and the availability of food is only one component." Overall, experiencing more risk factors for poor health, e.g., food insecurity and unemployment and unstable housing, was linked with more chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and heart conditions. In addition, mental health and general health were poorer for the people who faced multiple societal conditions that limit optimal health. This survey was conducted in 2019, and Patel says all the issues discussed have likely worsened for the MENA community since then due to the increased stressors of the pandemic. ### LG announced today that the company is quitting the smartphone business due to high losses in the mobile division. The company said in a statement that it will shut down the division to focus resources in growth areas. LG will now be focusing on electric vehicle parts, smartphone home products, robotics, artificial intelligence and B2B solutions. LG LG will keep selling current smartphone models such as the Q-series, W-series, K-series, Wing and other models until the inventory lasts. The South Korean company will also provide service support and software updates for existing customers that will depend on the location of the customer. It is unclear which regions will continue to receive software updates at the moment and for which models. The company also said that it will work collaboratively with business partners and suppliers through this period of closure of the mobile division. The company will shut down the entire division by July 31st, however it will continue to sell smartphones until inventory lasts. At the moment, current LG owners do not have much to worry about as the company will continue to support smartphones that are already out there for now. The company will also provide repair services for these particular models after the deadline as well. unsplash LG has been looking to sell its mobile phone business due to the division consistently making losses. The company tried to talk to potential buyers, however it did not pan out for the company. The South Korean giant was talking to at least two companies for the sale, however nothing materialised. LG faced fierce competition from Samsung and Chinese rivals that caused the company to suffer massive losses for the past six years. Even though LG showed off its rollable phone earlier this year at CES 2021, the company will now be focusing on the B2B aspect for other smartphone OEMs like Samsung and Motorola. Now that the company is shutting down the business, a rollable phone by the smartphone maker looks quite unlikely. The Senator representing Cross River North, Stephen Odey, has said the recent judgement by the Supreme Court on the Cross River North senatorial seat did not sack him as a senator. He also said that he will not vacate his seat because the Supreme Court didnt declare it vacant. He insisted that he remained the duly elected candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the December 5 bye-election to replace Rose Oko, who died in March, 2020. Mr Odey, who addressed journalists in Abuja, also faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which he said, erred by issuing a certificate of return to Jarigbe Agom, relying solely on the verdict of the Supreme Court. Messrs Odey and Agom are of the same political party, PDP. Both men claim they are the elected senator representing Cross River North senatorial district. However, official documents from INEC and its website show that Mr Odey was the PDP candidate of the December 5 bye-election as well as winner of the election. He was issued a certificate of return on December 7 and sworn in by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on December 16, 2020. Mr Agom had filed suits in Port Harcourt and FCT High Courts seeking revocation of his nomination as the PDP candidate and restraining the senate president from swearing in Mr Odey respectively. Conflicting judgements Two conflicting judgements from the FCT and Cross River High Courts initially upheld Messrs Jarigbe and Odey respectively as the winner of the bye election. The FCT Court of Appeal also upheld the High Court ruling that he should (Mr Jarigbe) be accorded the rights of the PDP candidate. Sequel to this ruling, the electoral umpire issued Mr Agom certificate of return on December 18 an act which Mr Odey has faulted. Both men currently hold separate Certificates of Return issued by INEC and are awaiting the decision of the senate president. INEC erred, I was not sacked In his interaction with journalists, Mr Odey said not only did INEC err in issuing a certificate of return to Mr Agom, but that the recent judgement by the Supreme Court is being misinterpreted by many. Part of the ruling in the judgement seen by PREMIUM TIMES read that the preliminary objection on the competence of the service of the notice of appeal succeed. That the need to consider the issues raised in the appeal would therefore automatically abate that means they were not ready to listen to anything that I wanted to talk about That the improper and ineffective service complained of, strike out. The lawmaker maintained that the ruling did not declare his seat vacant or asked that he be sacked. The supreme court struck out my appeal. I walked away. The order is clear. Did you see where they said sack senator Odey here? Did you see where they said they invalidated his certificate here? He even wrote a letter to the Clerk, saying the Supreme Court judgement is in his favour, how? ADVERTISEMENT All court orders must be expressed. You dont read intention into a court order. If a court does not say this, you cant force the court to say it. He further said the stage where the rightful candidate was determined was resolved in two separate rulings by the Court of Appeal in Calabar. When asked the current situation, Mr Odey said There is no situation. I am comfortably seated as the senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He can be going about with his certificate. He added that the PDP played its role well by issuing a letter to INEC saying this is my candidate. The party, he said, also appealed to the Supreme Court saying that Mr Jarigbe was not their candidate. Reacting to Mr Odeys claim, INEC spokesperson, Festus Okoye, said the matter is completely out of the hand of the commission. As at the day of the election, the commission issued a certificate of return to Odey based on the election and law. Thereafter, there was a court judgement and the commission issued a certificate of return to Jarigbe based on order. This is not the first time the commission is doing this. We have in the past issued a certificate of return and then a judgement will come and we will issue another and another judgment will come and we will issue and so on, Mr Okoye told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday. As far as the commission is concerned, we have done our own part based on its understanding of the law. It is now left for the leadership of the National Assembly, the Senate President to make the decision. COVID-19 infection rates are once again rising dramatically across Canada driven by new, more contagious and lethal variants. Yet all levels of government are prioritizing corporate profits over human lives and adamantly refusing to take the urgent public health measures needed to prevent a catastrophic third wave of the pandemic and mass death. Last Thursday, Ontario Conservative Premier Doug Ford ordered a totally ineffectual 28-day shutdown that has been denounced by health experts and even sections of the corporate media as too little, too late. Similar shutdowns were announced last week in British Columbia, Quebec and in the Atlantic provinces, while doctors in Alberta have unsuccessfully implored Premier Jason Kenney and his United Conservative Party government to apply an emergency brake to its reckless re-opening policies. What all of the new shutdown announcements have in common is that they are designed to keep industrial workplaces and in-school instructionthat is the main, or at the very least two of the principal, vectors of the current upsurge in COVID-19 infectionsfully operational. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has adamantly opposed shutting down schools and non-essential workplaces. (Photo credit: Ontario government) Unlike the two previous waves of the pandemic, in spring 2020 and last December-January, which saw intensive care referrals and deaths heavily weighted towards the elderly and less healthy, hospital staff in Ontario have reported a significant increase in younger, healthier patients from working class neighbourhoods and occupations. Canada officially surpassed one million COVID-19 cases Saturday. The total case count has risen more than seven-fold since last September, when the campaign to reopen the economy went into high-gear with the reopening of schools for in-class teaching. Ontarios hospitals are already treating 50 percent more patients under the age of 60 than they were at the peak of the second wave. The B.1.1.7 variant, which is at least 75 percent more transmissible, is rapidly becoming the most common version of the virus in Ontario. The variant has been spreading as Ford has reopened the schools and continued with the designation of virtually every industrial and logistics enterprise as essential. In the factory belt in Peel Region immediately to the west of Toronto, public health authorities have recorded over 300 outbreaks at industrial sites. Variants are also running rampant in British Columbia and Alberta, including the potentially even more hazardous P1 Brazilian variant. A review of the workplace outbreaks added to Torontos official list on just one day last week illustrates the brutal policy of mass infection that all levels of government and every establishment political party are supporting. On April 1, 28 separate workplace outbreaks were added to the citys list, including 16 infections at an Amazon fulfillment centre, and eight at a Hudsons Bay warehouse. Four cases at Maple Leaf Foods and 11 among City of Toronto employees were also recorded. Five people were infected at a Tim Hortons coffee shop, and seven each at a Metro store and a Real Canadian Superstore outlet. This follows the recent mass infection of over 900 workers at a Brampton, Ontario Amazon warehouse, 300 infections (not properly reported) at a Canada Post sorting plant in nearby Mississauga, and outbreaks at 225 schools in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton industrial corridor. As the intensive care units begin to reach capacity, the rollout of vaccines in Ontario, as across the country, continues to lag far behind the rates achieved in many other countries, because of vaccine shortages, supply bottlenecks and insufficient distribution networks. To date, vaccine distribution has targeted older age groups and people with serious health conditions. Workers in high-risk virus hotspots such as factories, warehouses and schools, and those living in high-density public housing, are not being prioritized. The severity of the crisis is not the consequence of the unexpected nature of the pandemic, which was both foreseeable and foreseen, but of the disastrous response of government authorities. They have refused to funnel the requisite resources into a health care system that was already ravaged by decades of budget cuts, thus ensuring its inability to carry out systematic mass testing, contact tracing and vaccine rollout. Added into this rotten bargain has been the criminal disregard for human life exhibited by the provincial governments in concert with the major corporations and trade unions. With the full blessing of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his federal Liberal government, they have all connived since last April to convince the population that reopening nonessential businesses, factories and schools is desirable, even as the virus continues to run rampant. Two incidents over the past week show how the mantra of profit over people is being implemented by the institutions of the ruling class. At Toyota auto assembly plants in Cambridge and Woodstock, Ontario workers were sent letters from the Southwestern Public Health Unit saying there is a high probability that they have been exposed to COVID-19 and should self-isolate from March 25 to April 8. At one of the plants, an employee told the press that at least 150 workers could have been exposed to the virus. Nonetheless, despite being identified by public health as high risk close contacts of infected employees, workers were advised to continue to clock in to the job. During your self-isolation, you may continue to go to work but you must go directly to work and home again. While you are at work it is important you maintain your isolation, meaning you avoid any close contact (within 6 feet) of any co-workers until your isolation period is over, stated the letter. The public health officials continue to work closely with Toyota management to continue production at the two plants. Cynically invoking privacy issues, they refused to release the number of infected workers and details about where they were infected. Also last week, CBC reported on hundreds of pages of documents and an audio recording detailing the Alberta governments ruinous response to a massive outbreak last spring at a Cargill meat processing plant in High River. They showed that at a town hall meeting with workers meant to discuss safety at the facility, provincial Labour Minister Jason Copping, Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshan and public health officials, including Chief Medical Officer Deena Hinshaw, deliberately concealed from the assembled workers the ongoing danger. If you look at this evidence in its totality, it is clear that keeping the plant open is more important than worker safety, stated University of Regina professor of occupational health and safety, Sean Tucker. I think there is enough evidence to show that there was a regulatory breakdown in the case of Cargills High River, Alberta plant, that people knew about problems but were not empowered to share them with workers. The April 2020 Cargill outbreak was the largest single localized COVID-19 outbreak in North America at the time. Almost 1,000 of the plants 2,000 workers were infected. Over six hundred close contacts of the meatpackers also tested positive. Three workers died. Infections continue throughout the Canadian meatpacking industry. In February, an outbreak at Olymels pork processing plant in Red Deer, Alberta infected 515 workers and killed three. The release of the damning documents served as the occasion for trade union bureaucrats to denounce the provincial government in sharp terms. United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401 president Thomas Hesse described the governments handling of the outbreak as not just negligence, it is worse than negligence. This is no doubt true, but the fact is that these same unions have been telling workers for over a year to rely on the very same negligent government to protect their health and safety. During the Cargill outbreak, the UFCW repeatedly insisted that the pro-employer labour and health and safety boards of Alberta, overseen by the pro-big business, hard-right United Conservative Party government, would protect workers health and well-being on the job. Hesse summed this up last spring, when he categorically ruled out any job action by workers, who were opposed to a precipitous return to the plant due to the deaths of their colleagues. We are looking at legal options, Hesse asserted at the time. We are not asking for a work stoppage. A work stoppage would not be legal. Hesses statement exemplifies the outlook and role of the unions across Canada and internationally. They prioritize the upholding of the pro-corporate collective bargaining and labour relations legal framework, which exists to protect the interests of the bosses at the expense of workers. The unions are bitterly opposed to challenging it because it is this system that underpins their perks and privileges, including six-figure salaries for top officials and prestigious positions on various tripartite corporate-government-union committees. The argument that workers must abide by legality has been used by the unions in every province to sabotage worker opposition to the reopening of schools and workplaces, and their continued operation even as infections skyrocket. When the blatant indifference of the ruling elite and its state structures towards the lives of workers has been spelled out in flesh and blood, as in the case of Cargill, bureaucrats like Hesse seek to cover their tracks with radical bluster and feigned shock at government negligence. But they continue to corral workers into unsafe workplaces, risking their health and lives. As the World Socialist Web Site has long insisted, until the pandemic is over, Schools must be closed, and millions invested in e-learning. All non-essential economic activity must be shut down. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) must be made available to all those workers who must stay on the job for essential production and services. And full financial compensation must be provided to all workers and small businesses affected by lockdown measures. The resources to finance such measures exist in abundance, but they are monopolized by the billionaires and multimillionaires, whose grip on society can only be broken by the independent political mobilization of the working class. To fight for these demands, workers must build rank-and-file safety committees, independent of the pro-capitalist trade unions. This must be combined with a broader political struggle on a socialist perspective, for the bringing to power of a workers government and the reorganization of economic life to meet the social needs of all, not the profit interests of a tiny minority. "...Tom has excelled in the collaborative development and communication of HCA-NHs objectives, expectations, and internal strategy, while establishing great relationships with many of our customers. - Lynne Humenik, President and CEO Hitachi Cable America Hitachi Cable America Inc. (HCA), a leading manufacturer of Premise, Fiber Optic, and Specialty cables is pleased to announce the promotion of Tom Artinian as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Performance Cable Systems and Materials Division of HCA effective April 1, 2021. Tom joined HCA as Executive Vice President in 2020 during an unprecedented year of challenges caused by COVID-19. During his first year with the company, Tom has been a key contributor to the HCA Executive team and a transformational leader for HCA-NH. His steadfast commitment to driving both revenue and employee engagement has produced many positive organizational and business changes, positioning HCA-NH for sustainable growth and success. Tom has excelled in the collaborative development and communication of HCA-NHs objectives, expectations, and internal strategy, while establishing great relationships with many of our customers. - Lynne Humenik, President and CEO Hitachi Cable America Please join us in congratulating Tom Artinian on his new role within Hitachi Cable America. About HCA Manchester: The Manchester facility of the Performance Cable Systems & Materials Division of Hitachi Cable America Inc. is located in Manchester, New Hampshire. The facility manufactures a complete line of high-performance copper and fiber optic cables for the communication industry and related markets. Products include category copper communication cables, fiber optic cables, industrial Ethernet cables, wireless cables, aerospace cables as well as round and flat electronic cables. To learn more about Hitachi Cable America, Inc. and the Performance Cables Systems & Materials Division, please visit our website at http://www.hca.hitachi-cable.com. Hitachi Cable America, Inc. is a unit of Hitachi Metals, Ltd. About Hitachi, Ltd.: Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a multinational conglomerate offering highly diverse products, technologies and services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com. Two men have died after being pulled from the water while surfing in separate incidents in northern NSW on Easter Sunday. Other surfers and people on Killick Beach at Hat Head, on the Mid North Coast, began CPR on a 64-year-old man after he was found unresponsive just after 4pm. NSW Police said he could not be revived and died at the scene. Acting Inspector Chris Hardwick, from the Mid North Coast police district, said three surfers assisted the man. The 64-year-old has family in the area and one relative was at the scene on Sunday, he said. A founding member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan says recent happenings in his party is likely to affect their chances of winning the next election if not solved amicably. He was discussing the Member of Parliament for North Tongus resignation from Parliaments Appointments Committee in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, announced his resignation from the Appointments Committee of Parliament. He indicated in his resignation that the decision was after days of careful thought. He added that I shall like to state that the reasons for this difficult decision are both personal and on principle. But, Yaw Boateng Gyan sees Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwas resignation as unfortunate adding that his expertise is much needed on the committee. The former NDCs National Organizer, however, bemoaned Mr Ablakwas thoughtless decision to resign from the committee without any consultation with the party leadership. This should have been discussed within the party. There are elders in the party and he [Ablakwa] should have consulted some of us for advice, he said. Adding that What he did was disrespectful. They belong to a party and must bring such issues to the party leaders to solve this issue. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/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 Tech company LG announced its plan to leave the competitive market of smartphones, whilst refocusing on smart home products. The South Korean company said that they will close their mobile business by the end of July, according to a Cnet report. The existing phone will remain in the market. However, it will only be available for some time and vary by region, according to The Verge. The move has been rumored for several months following the division's huge losses over five years. READ NEXT: What's Next for AI in 2021? Here's What Experts Think LG Exits Smartphone Industry "LG's strategic decision to exit the incredibly competitive mobile phone sector will enable the company to focus resources in growth areas," said LG in a statement. LG has designed a variety of phone models in recent years in response to the competitive market of the mobile phone industry. LG wing was one of their notable mobile phones with a rotating main display that will reveal a smaller secondary screen beneath it. LG also has planned to release LG rollable, a tablet-like phone with extending the display to create a larger screen. However, the announcement of the company's exit in the mobile industry also marked the death of the LG rollable. Design and other features were also not helpful enough for the company to turn their phones into mainstream hits. Meanwhile, the company's more traditional handsets fell behind their rivals in aspects like camera performance. LG highlighted that they will work with their business partner and suppliers while the exit to the smartphone market is ongoing. The company was once a rival of Samsung. However, LG's phones have struggled to be at par with Samsung's roster of smartphones. Meanwhile, LG's cheaper handsets have rivals from Chinese brands. LG was not able to rank in the top 5 companies when it tried to dominate the smartphone industry. Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Oppo are the top 4 among the companies present in the smartphone market. LG on Smart Home and Other Areas The growth areas that LG mentioned they will focus on are smart homes, connected devices, vehicle components, artificial intelligence, robotics, and business-to-business solutions. The company also pointed out that the movement will make them focus on platforms and services. Smart Home technology is any device or home appliance that can be connected to a network to be controlled. The said devices inside a smart home can be remotely or independently controlled. The technology also allows tapping into a high-tech functionality that is not possible in the previous years. LG pointed out that they will continue to develop "mobility-related technologies, adding that they will work on 6G to reinforce their competitiveness in other business areas. LG's refocusing on the Smart Home and other business areas adds the company to the list of device makers that gave up on the smartphone industry over the years. Nokia and Blackberry are among the companies also to be on the list. READ MORE: These 19 Smartphones Will No Longer be Connected to T-Mobile's Network in 2021 WATCH: LG Considers Leaving the Smartphone Business - from LaterClips President Mohamed Bazoum invited the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs to join him in Niamey on 1 and 2 April. Minister Asselborn conducted the visit together with his French counterpart Jean-Yves le Drian, both having been invited to the official inauguration of the newly-elected president. It marks the first peaceful and democratic transition of power since the African nation first gained independence in 1960. Asselborn and President Bazoum have been colleagues and friends for several years. Niger and Luxembourg have entertained a cooperative relationship for over 30 years. The Grand Duchy provides support for the Sahel region, which is considered to be one of the most important aspects of the country's foreign affair policies. Minister Asselborn was able to talk both to outgoing president Mahamdou Issoufou and Niger's newly-elected head of state. He congratulated all of them for the success of the peaceful elections. President Bazoum in return thanked the Luxembourgish diplomat for the continuous support in recent years. The Grand Duchy has helped launch several projects in Niger, most notably in the domains of education, women's independence, and access to potable water. The country further supports the African nation in developing its own local leadership. While in Niamey, Minister Asselborn also visited the Luxembourgish embassy and talked to employees about the challenges of their work. He further paid a visit to the Red Cross, which has helped set up camps following major floods in the area in 2020. London, April 5 : UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to unveil a new traffic light system for international travel amid the Covid-19 pandemic after May 17. Johnson, who is expected to speak on Monday evening, will announce a red, amber and green system for residents in England who want to go on holiday abroad, reports dpa news agency. Each country will be given a rating which determines whether or not travellers will need to go into quarantine on their return, a statement from Johnson's office said. "Green" countries mean residents will have to take coronavirus tests before and after departure but will not have to quarantine upon returning to England. "Amber" or "red" countries mean citizens would have to take tests and go into quarantine upon their return. The system will be based on how many people have been vaccinated in each country, the rate of infection, emerging variants of the coronavirus and the country's access to "reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing". "It is too early to predict which countries will be on which list over the summer," a spokesperson said. "Our decisions will be driven by the evidence available at the time, as such, we continue to advise people not to book summer holidays abroad." It is not clear how vaccines will be taken into consideration for the system but Johnson is expected to confirm this later on Monday. While the traffic light system is just for England, the British government is said to be in talks with the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 10 Foreign Investment Traps in China Commentary International companies often encounter various traps when investing in China, and many have suffered from a total loss of personnel and money. Yu Youjun, the former executive vice-governor of Hunan Province, described the phenomenon of Chinese officials attracting foreign investors into China. Yu was quoted as saying, You are the boss, hell do whatever you say like a subordinate before you invest in China. He is your true companion when you need a friend while you visit China. He is your worst nightmare after your money is in China. Yus quote accurately reflects the true state of foreign investment in the communist regime. My years of experience and observation of the Chinese market and its atmosphere have taught me a few things. The following are the 10 traps the regime uses to encircle foreign investors. Setting Up Communist Party Branches in Private Entities In November 2018, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rolled out regulations for setting up Party branches in private enterprises. The document, Trial Regulations on the Work of Party Branches, listed the basic work and key tasks of Party branches in grassroots organizations, private enterprises, foreign enterprises, social organizations, communities, schools, scientific research institutes, and the military. In August 1993, the Central Organization Department of the CCP issued a report on further strengthening Party work in foreign firms. Beijing proposed that all foreign ventures with more than three full Party members should establish Party organizations in accordance with the provisions of the Party constitution. According to a report published on October 2020 by Beijings mouthpiece Peoples Daily, the purpose of Party branches within the private industry is to inject the red gene and integrate the communist building work into the entire development process of the entity. In fact, with the setup of the Party branch and the stationing of communist officials inside the entity as party secretary, company board advisers, and other positions, the company will be controlled and eventually engulfed by the CCP. The Consequences of Transitioning Officials Under the CCPs system, new officials often ignore and negate decisions made by their predecessors, which can have dire consequences for investors. In 2013 when a large number of online companies emerged in China under the promotion of the CCP, a U.S. listed company cooperated with a local government in Henan Province to build the headquarters of a home furnishing business. After the company invested nearly 300 million yuan ($45.68 million), a new municipal party committee secretary took office and determined that the former secretarys decision was wrong. As a result, the Chinese official immediately abolished the cooperation agreement with the company, leading to the direct bankruptcy of the project. After the incident, all losses were absorbed by the company. Cases such as this are not uncommon in China. Forced Land Acquisition and Demolition There are many cases of land grabs and forced demolitions carried out by local governments in China. In 2015, a Chinese Canadian bought thousands of acres of industrial land in Tianjin to build a logistics park. After starting the construction, a local real estate developer became interested in the property. In order to sell the land at a good price (commercial land is at least 10 times more expensive than industrial land), the local government forcibly suspended the construction of the logistics park project. After the incident, the local government only refunded the original price of the land to the investor and ignored all other losses. The investor lost more than 50 million yuan ($7.6 million). In addition, the local court would not even accept the investors lawsuit for a breach of contract by the government. Data Fabrication Its an open secret that Chinas GDP figures are falsified. In order to accomplish the projected annual growth rate, local governments often require businesses to report fake data. For example, if a companys actual sales volume was 100 million yuan that year, the government may demand the company report 200 million yuan or 300 million yuan, or even more, in filing industrial output value declaration forms with signatures and company stamps. This obviously imposes legal risks when it comes to filing taxes. The declaration forms become the strongest evidence for tax evasion in the event the company is placed under investigation by authorities. Coercive Diplomacy In the CCP, coercion happens all too often. For example, in March 2017, South Korea angered the Chinese regime when it agreed to install the U.S. THAAD anti-missile system. In retaliation, the CCPs media incited the public to boycott South Korean conglomerate Lotte Corporation. Lotte became the target of law enforcement agencies and its stores were fined by local governments. Its official Chinese website was also hacked and paralyzed. All 112 Lotte Marts stores in China were closed, and they were later forced to withdraw from China. People walk past a closed Lotte Mart store in Beijing on Sept. 15, 2017. The South Korean conglomerate has recently completely withdrawn from the Chinese market. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images) The latest example is the H&M boycott. The company issued a statement of due diligence in October 2020 to ban cotton sourced from Xinjiang due to forced labor in regional camps and factories, following the practice of the cotton trade body, Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). Theres no doubt that foreign entities are often the victims of the CCPs coercion diplomacya risk the investors have to face alone. United Front Work Departments The United Front Work Department (UFWD) is charged with overseeing the CCPs foreign influence operations. It coordinates and supports thousands of overseas organizations to spread propaganda, influence local elites, and suppress dissident groups. In September 2020, the General Office of the CCPs Central Committee issued the Opinion on Strengthening the United Front Work of the Private Economy in the New Era. It called on the UFWDs to increase the CCPs ideological work and influence in the private sector by targeting certain individuals such as business leaders, the major shareholders of private enterprises, the main leaders of social organizations in the industrial and commercial fields, and investors from Hong Kong and Macau. If foreign investors comply with the regimes united front work, they are enabling the CCP to harm the world. Corrupt Officials In the communist world, business owners seek support and protection from powerful officialsthey are referred to as kao shan in Chinese, which means a mountain that can be relied on. The bigger the business, the bigger the mountain. However, shady business dealings could get both parties into trouble. For instance, if the official is placed under investigation for corruption such as bribery, a large number of investors who paid bribes would also be implicated. Such cases are very common in China. State Security Law Chinas State Security Law went into effect on Feb. 22, 1993, which authorizes the CCPs state security organs to exercise power in investigations, detentions, and arrests. In carrying out an investigation, security organs have the right to enter restricted areas and sites and to inspect the electronic communication instruments belonging to any organization or individual. Since the law was implemented, investors from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other foreign countries are under surveillanceemails, social media accounts, and overseas communication apps are monitored. There is no security for foreign investors as their personal and business secrets will be exposed to the CCP. Military-Civil Fusion On Nov. 23, 2017, the CCPs State Council rolled out regulations on integrating the Chinese military with science, technology, and private enterprises, which the regime called military-civil fusion. The goal is to strengthen Chinas military by developing advanced technology and recruiting scientific talent. Private enterprises that refuse to support the Chinese military encounter endless troubles. Chinese soldiers from the Peoples Liberation Army wear masks as they march after a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Chinas entry into the Korean War, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Oct. 23, 2020. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Forced Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property Theft Forced technology transfer was one of the major factors in triggering a trade war between the United States and China. Of the $500 billion or more in global imports of counterfeit and pirated goods in 2016, half came from China, according to estimates in the March report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The Trump administration urged China to stop stealing intellectual property and forcing American companies to share their technology with Chinese firms. In short, the biggest risk of investing in China does not come from normal market competition, but from the CCP. The laws only protect the CCPs autocratic rule, not the foreign investors. Gu Feng is a former media veteran from mainland China who spent many years reporting on the countrys political, economic, and social issues. He is now living in the United States. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. 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Whilst we do our utmost to try to ensure all companies advertised on our site are trustworthy and hold the requisite licences for their offerings, the rankings or prominence of any banner/advertisement do not necessarily imply endorsement of the companies or their products by iBus Media Limited trading as PokerNews. Except as expressly set out in our Terms & Conditions, all representations and warranties regarding the information presented on this site are disclaimed. The information which appears on this site is subject to change at any time. A Utah man killed his ex-girlfriend and had a long standoff with the police on Saturday before shooting himself. He was critically wounded during the incident. Police have not yet released the identities of the victim and the killer, as their families are still waiting for notification from the authorities. Ogden Police Lt. Tyler Ziegler said the suspect was taken to the hospital and remained in a critical condition on Saturday evening, according to an East Idaho News report. The victim was said to be shot once in the head. The Incident The incident started at about 1:15 p.m. when officers responded to reports of shots fired outside one Smith's grocery store. Ziegler said that the suspect confronted his ex-girlfriend in the parking lot outside the store. Aside from the casualty between the victim and suspect, a 41-year-old woman was also shot and killed in the area, according to a Crime Online report. The suspect was reported to have fled the scene in a vehicle but was quickly located in the frontyard of a home, where he held police at bay. He was armed with a semi-automatic handgun. The suspect then shot himself after hours of negotiation with the police. A SWAT team was also present at the site. Meanwhile, nearby residents were evacuated from their homes, according to a Fox13 Now report. Ogden authorities are still probing to identify what led to the shooting. The officials have not filed any charges against the suspect as of writing. One man on the scene who identified himself as the victim's current boyfriend showed an alleged message from the suspect. "You took her from me, now I'm taking her from you," the message read. A witness at the standoff said that she thought the suspect was trying to get away from the police. "The car comes whipping around the corner and slid to a stop and a bunch of cops comes up, and then a guy just took off up the road and a bunch of cops surrounded him and then he just sat down in a driveway," Jackie Martin was quoted in a report. Another witness named Don Johnson said he saw police tossing water at the man. Johnson added that the suspect was smoking cigarettes and was holding the gun to his head almost the whole time of the standoff with the police. Murder-Suicide Around 11 incidents of murder-suicides take place weekly in the United States, according to a Violence Policy Center report. The VPC research has also discovered that over 1,200 Americans die in murder-suicides each year, with nine out of 10 murder suicides involving a gun. In July 2020 VPC report, sixty percent of murder-suicides involve a male murderer and more victims were perpetrated by family annihilators. In addition, 65 percent of all murder-suicides involved an intimate partner. With that said, 95 percent were females killed by their intimate partners. All of those mentioned cases above involved a gun. There were around 1,240 murder-suicide deaths in 2019. READ NEXT: Father Stabs 9-Year-Old Daughter To Death Before Killing Self in Murder-Suicide in Illinois WATCH: Man shoots ex-girlfriend, then self after hours-long negotiation in Ogden - from FOX 13 News Utah The PSNI on North Road in Carrickfergus near Belfast following sporadic outbursts of disorder. Picture date: Sunday April 4, 2021. Police have come under attack as violence flared during another night of sporadic disorder in parts of Northern Ireland. Petrol bombs and bricks were thrown at officers in loyalist areas in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus on Sunday night. It was the second night in a row that trouble broke out at the Cloughfern roundabout in Newtownabbey on the outskirts of Belfast, although the violence was not as prolonged as on Saturday night. There was also disorder in the North Road area of nearby Carrickfergus on Sunday night. On Saturday, 30 petrol bombs were thrown at officers in Newtownabbey in what police described as an orchestrated attack. On Friday, there were violent scenes in the Sandy Row area of Belfast as well. While in Londonderry, police have been subjected to sustained attacks across several nights in the last week in loyalist areas of the Waterside part of the city. Some 27 police officers were injured on Friday night across Belfast and Derry. Tensions have soared within the loyalist community in recent months over post-Brexit trading arrangements which have been claimed to have created barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Anger ramped up further last week following a controversial decision not to prosecute 24 Sinn Fein politicians for attending a large-scale republican funeral during Covid-19 restrictions. Expand Close A burning car that was hijacked by loyalists at the Cloughfern roundabout in Newtownabbey on Saturday night (Peter Morrison/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A burning car that was hijacked by loyalists at the Cloughfern roundabout in Newtownabbey on Saturday night (Peter Morrison/PA) All the main unionist parties have demanded the resignation of PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne, claiming he has lost the confidence of their community. Meanwhile in Co Antrim, a recent series of drug seizures against the South East Antrim UDA a renegade faction of the main grouping have caused particular ill-feeling towards police. The faction is believed to have been behind some of the weekend disturbances. Earlier on Sunday, the PSNIs North Area Commander Chief Superintendent Davy Beck said 30 petrol bombs were thrown at officers and three cars set alight in Newtownabbey on Saturday. Mr Beck said it was an orchestrated attack on police. We are living in unprecedented times, dealing with a global pandemic, no-one needs the added pressure of disorder in their community, he said. I would appeal to those who are taking to the streets to stop immediately, their actions are causing nothing but harm and distress to the very communities they claim they are representing. Expand Close A man walks past a burning car that was hijacked by loyalists at the Cloughfern roundabout in Newtownabbey on Saturday (Peter Morrison/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A man walks past a burning car that was hijacked by loyalists at the Cloughfern roundabout in Newtownabbey on Saturday (Peter Morrison/PA) On Sunday evening the PSNI announced that a 47-year-old man has been charged in connection with rioting, and throwing a petrol bomb in Newtownabbey on Saturday. He is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on Monday April 26. Seven people had already been charged after the disturbances in the Sandy Row area, with four adults three men aged 25, 21 and 18 years old, and a woman aged 19 have been charged with riot. All four are due to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on April 30. Three teenagers, aged 17, 14 and 13, have also been charged with riot and are due to appear at Belfast Youth Court on April 30. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 5) The government will begin relocating from hospitals admitted COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic or only experiencing mild symptoms in a bid to decongest overwhelmed health facilities, the Health Department said on Monday. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said these patients will be moved to quarantine facilities, such as hotels or isolation centers. Even healthcare workers infected by the virus who are showing mild to no symptoms will be taken out. Patients cannot choose where they will be transferred, but the official assured the spaces will be comfortable. She said roughly 400 patients who don't need critical care are currently using up COVID-19 hospital beds, which have become scarce amid the ongoing spike in cases in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. She added this move will free up at least 40% of beds allocated for COVID-19 patients. "Kapag tinignan ang census natin sa ospital, kapag matanggal ang mild at asymptomatic, luluwag ang ating mga ospital at magkakaroon ng enough space for patients who really need hospitals the most," she said in a virtual media briefing. [Translation: If you look at the census in hospitals, removing mild and asymptomatic patients will free up space for patients who need hospitals the most.] The extraction of these COVID-19 patients is just one of the many new plans executed by the government as hospitals continue to be filled to the brim with patients. This week, the national government is implementing triaging in all Metro Manila cities and municipality; this aims to prevent all those experiencing flu-like symptoms from rushing to hospitals. It will serve as the "midway" point where local health officials can assess if a person needs to go to a quarantine center or be brought to the hospital. Additional tents will also be placed in some hospitals to serve as an extension to accommodate more patients. Jordan's Prince Hamzah has said he will refuse to obey orders while being held under house arrest following accusations he plotted a coup against King Abdullah II - his half-brother - by the country's deputy prime minister. 'I am going to escalate and won't obey when they tell you you cannot go out or tweet or reach out to people and are only allowed to see the family,' he said in the recording he circulated to friends and contacts on Sunday. On Saturday the military warned the prince over actions it said were undermining 'security and stability' in Jordan, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. Prince Hamza later said he was under house arrest, and several high-profile figures were also detained. The message came after Princess Firyal of Jordan - the prince's aunt and the former sister in-law of Jordan's Queen Noor Al Hussein, who is Prince Hamzah's mother - publicly waded into the on-going fallout surrounding the accusations. Princess Firyal, who was married to Queen Noor's brother-in-law until their divorce in 1978, accused Queen Noor of 'blind ambition' and her son of having a 'sense of entitlement' in a tweet on Sunday morning, that she has since deleted. 'The seemingly blind ambition of Queen Noor & her sons is delusional, futile, unmerited, false sense of entitlement. The all should know better,' Firyal wrote. Princess Firyal, (left) was married to Queen Noor's brother-in-law until their divorce in 1978. She has accused Queen Noor of 'blind ambition' and her son Prince Hamzah bin Hussein (right) of having a 'sense of entitlement' in a tweet on Sunday morning, that she has since deleted Pictured: The Jordanian family tree, showing how Prince Hamzah is related to Princess to Princess Firyal, who called on him to 'grow up' on Twitter O'Such as the constitutional succession act, father to eldest son, experienced with uninterrupted service record. Grow up boys,' she added. Officials announced on Sunday that Prince Hamza had liaised with people who had contacts with foreign parties in a plot to destabilise the country and he had been under investigation for some time. It is unclear why the kingdom decided to crack down on Prince Hamza now, but he put himself at risk by making frequent visits to tribal gatherings where some people criticised the king. Officials said efforts were underway to resolve the crisis within the royal family, in the first such open rift in many years, but Prince Hamza was not cooperative. King Abdullah removed Prince Hamza from his position as heir to the throne in 2004, in a move that consolidated his power. The pair share former king Hussein bin Talal of Jordan as a father. He died in 1999, but were born to different mothers. Hussein bin Talal had four wives, and was succeeded by now-king Abdullah in the year of his death. 'The seemingly blind ambition of Queen Noor & her sons is delusional, futile, unmerited, false sense of entitlement. The all should know better,' Firyal wrote on twitter. 'Such as the constitutional succession act, father to eldest son, experienced with uninterrupted service record. Grow up boys.' Also on Sunday, Queen Noor slammed the claims that her son plotted a coup as 'wicked slander'. The American-born Jordanian royal, 69, said she hoped 'praying that truth and justice will prevail' following the reported detainment of her son Prince Hamzah bin Hussein. Prince Hamzah is the son of the late King Hussein of Jordan and fourth wife Queen Noor. He is the half-brother of the reigning King Abdullah II and was previously the Crown Prince of the middle eastern country - a key ally of the US - before being unexpectedly replaced by one of King Abdullah's sons. Jordan's deputy Prime Minister accused the former crown prince of conspiring with foreign powers in a 'malicious plot' that he claimed had threatened national security. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters that the alleged 'destabilisation' plot had been foiled at the 'zero hour'. Mr Safadi did not mention which foreign powers were alleged to be involved It comes after 20 people were arrested over the alleged plot, including the country's former finance minister Bassem Awadallah - an adviser to to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. On Sunday, Saudi Arabia, a long-term ally of Jordan, shared their support following claims of a coup. And of the Saudi crown prince's aides Sunday appeared to brush off rumours the kingdom, and one of the Persian gulf states, was involved in the alleged plot. In a tweet, which included four pictures of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, with Jordan's King Abdullah. Royal adviser, Turki Alalshikh, said: 'No comment... the pictures speak.' Jordan's Queen Noor Al Hussein (pictured left) Sunday slammed claims her son Prince Hamzah bin Hussein (pictured right) plotted a coup as 'wicked slander' amid reports he has been placed under house arrest Prince Hamzah is the half-brother of King Abdullah (pictured here with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) and one-time Crown Prince of the middle eastern country - a key ally of the US What have other countries said about the alleged coup? UNITED STATES 'We are closely following the reports and in touch with Jordanian officials. King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support,' U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in an email. BRITAIN 'We are following closely the events in Jordan....Jordan is a greatly valued partner for the UK. King Abdullah has our full support,' James Cleverly, a junior Foreign Office minister, on Twitter. SAUDI ARABIA 'The kingdom affirms its full support, with all its capabilities, to all decisions and measures taken by King Abdullah and His Highness Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, the Crown Prince, to maintain security and stability,' the Saudi royal court said in a statement. In a separate statement, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said Jordan's stability and prosperity was the 'basis for the stability and prosperity of the whole region' and vowed 'firm and lasting' support for it. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES The Ministry of Presidential Affairs stressed the UAE's full support for all decisions and measures taken by King Abdullah and his crown prince to maintain Jordan's security and stability and 'to defuse any attempt to impact them'. Senior Emirati official Anwar Gargash said on Twitter Jordan's 'wise policy to build bridges in a turbulent region was not an easy choice but was, and remains, the necessary direction'. EGYPT Egypt voiced support for King Abdullah and his efforts 'to maintain the security and stability of the kingdom against any attempts to undermine it', its presidency spokesman wrote on Facebook. ISRAEL 'This is an internal Jordanian matter. Jordan is a neighbour with which we are at peace, and a strategic ally of ours, and we should do everything to preserve this alliance,' Defence Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement. 'A prosperous and strong Jordan is in our national-security and economic interest. TURKEY Turkey's Foreign Ministry voiced support for King Abdullah and the government of Jordan, and said that it was watching developments with concern. 'We do not see the stability and calm of Jordan, a country that is key to peace in the Middle East, as separate from Turkey's stability and calm,' the ministry said in a statement. Advertisement Sunday saw Foreign Minister Mr Safadi tell reporters that more than a dozen people had been arrested in connection with the alleged plot. He said: 'Then it was clear they moved from design and planning into action.' Mr Safadi spoke a day after Prince Hamzah was placed under house arrest, in a rare public clash between top members of the long-ruling family. The unprecedented incident has raised concerns about stability in a country seen as a key Western ally. In a videotaped statement sent to the BBC from house arrest, Hamzah accused the country's leadership of corruption and incompetence. Safadi, who also holds the title of deputy prime minister, said intelligence agents had been observing the plotters for some time and raised their concerns with the king. He said Hamzah was asked to 'stop all these activities and movements that threaten Jordan and its stability,' but he refused. The US also offered its support to King Abdullah on Sunday. US State Department spokesman Ned Price said, 'King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support.' Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates similarly issued statements supporting Abdullah. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz called Jordan a 'strategic ally' and dismissed the turmoil as an 'internal Jordanian matter.' Yesterday Prince Hamzah released a five-minute video accusing the country's leaders of corruption, incompetence and harassment. In what Prince Hamzah described as his last available form of communication before his satellite internet was cut off, he said the chief of general staff visited him early Saturday morning. In the five-minute video from his palace in Amman, shared by his lawyer with the BBC, he said: 'I had a visit from chief of general staff of the Jordanian armed forces this morning in which he informed me that I was not allowed to go out, to communicate with people or to meet with them because in the meetings that I had been present in - or on social media relating to visits that I had made - there had been criticism of the government or the king.' It reportedly comes after the prince made a visit to tribal leaders where he is said to have garnered support. Prince Hamza denied any wrongdoing. General Yousef Huneiti, the army chief of staff, denied reports that Prince Hamzah was arrested but said he was asked to 'stop some movements and activities that are being used to target Jordan's security and stability'. He said an investigation is still ongoing and its results will be made public 'in a transparent and clear form'. 'No-one is above the law and Jordan's security and stability are above all,' he told the official Petra news agency. Prince Hamzah, whose title of crown prince was rescinded by the king in 2004, went on to say: 'I am not the person responsible for the breakdown in governance, the corruption and for the incompetence that has been prevalent in our governing structure for the last 15 to 20 years and has been getting worse... And I am not responsible for the lack of faith people have in their institutions. 'It has reached a point where no one is able to speak or express opinion on anything without being bullied, arrested, harassed and threatened.' He said he had been isolated inside his home with his Canadian wife Princess Basmah Bani Ahmad and their five young children. He said he had been isolated inside his home with his Canadian wife Princess Basmah Bani Ahmad and their five young children. Pictured on their wedding day in 2012 General Yousef Huneiti, the army chief of staff, denied reports that Prince Hamzah was arrested but said he was asked to 'stop some movements and activities that are being used to target Jordan's security and stability'. Pictured, Jordan's King Abdullah II in December 2020 Petra had earlier reported that at least two senior officials who formerly worked for the palace 'and others' were arrested for 'security reasons', without providing further details. What is Prince Hamzah's position in the Jordanian Royal family? Prince Hamzah is the elder son of the late King Hussein of Jordan and his American-born wife Queen Noor. When King Hussein died in 1999, his eldest son Prince Abdullah bin Hussein, from his first marriage, acceded to the throne of Jordan. However, before his death, his father wished that Prince Hamzah succeed Prince Abdullah - rather than one of his own sons. Prince Abdullah made the decree upon his father's death and Prince Hamzah was made Crown Prince. But in 2004, King Abdullah removed Hamzah from the position. In 2009, King Abdullah was named as the new Crown Prince of Jordan, meaning he will succeed his father after his death. Advertisement The Petra report said Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, the former royal envoy to Saudi Arabia, and Bassem Ibrahim Awadallah, the former head of the royal court, were detained. Awadallah also previously served as planning minister and finance minister. The agency did not provide further details or name the others who were arrested. Jordan has long been a key Western ally and an island of stability in a turbulent region. It borders Israel, the Palestinian territories, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Abdullah has ruled Jordan since the 1999 death of of his father, King Hussein, who ruled the country for close to half a century. Abdullah has cultivated close relations with US and other Western leaders over the years, and Jordan was a key ally in the war against the Islamic State group. The country's economy has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. Jordan, with a population of around 10 million, also hosts more than 600,000 Syrian refugees. Jordan made peace with Israel in 1994, but relations have been tense in recent years, largely due to differences linked to Israel's conflict with the Palestinians. Jordan is home to more than two million Palestinian refugees, most of whom have Jordanian citizenship. Abdullah stripped his half-brother Hamzah of his title as crown prince in 2004, saying he had decided to 'free' him 'from the constraints of the position of crown prince'. He said the move was 'in order to give you the freedom to work and undertake any mission or responsibility I entrust you with.' The current crown prince is Abdullah's oldest son, Hussein, aged 26. Abdullah (pictured centre right) stripped his half-brother Hamzah of his title as crown prince in 2004, saying he had decided to 'free' him 'from the constraints of the position of crown prince'. The current crown prince is Abdullah's oldest son, Hussein (pictured right), aged 26 Abdullah (pictured centre next to King Abdullah) has ruled Jordan since the 1999 death of of his father, King Hussein, who ruled the country for close to half a century Abdullah had originally chosen Hamzah as his crown prince hours after their father died of cancer in February 1999. The designation was out of respect for Hussein, who is known to have favoured Hamzah the most among his 11 children. The children were from four different marriages - the last of which was to Queen Noor of Jordan. American-born Queen Noor, the mother of Hamzah, was married to the King from 1978 until his death in 1999. Abdullah and Hamzah have not displayed any open rivalry over the years. ICC and TradeFlow Capital Management will introduce a partnership to mobilize capital and improve trade finance access for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). PARIS, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO announced an ambitious partnership with TradeFlow Capital Management (TradeFlow) during the World Trade Organization's 2021 Global Trade & Blockchain Forum, as part of ICC's growing effort to enable SME access to short-term liquidity to survive the ongoing economic crisis and thrive in the post-pandemic future. Leveraging TradeFlow Capital Management's innovative non-lending and non-credit based instruments and ICC's global network of over 45 million chambers of commerce and businesses, the partnership will enable the creation of an ICC SME Fund to provide small businesses with the right level of financial support to execute import/export trades in bulk commodities. ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO said: "Small businesses around the world continue to suffer from uncertain economic conditions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. While governments and financial institutions have taken steps to support SMEs, more needs to be done to ensure their survival. "ICC is delighted to launch this partnership with TradeFlow Capital to unlock liquidity for SMEs and keep the global economy moving forward. We are confident that our partnership with Tradeflow Capital and other initiatives under our ICC TradeNow campaign will create new, tangible opportunities for SMEs everywhere." ICC TradeFlow Capital will be one of a diverse range of solutions offered through ICC TradeNow, a global ICC campaign to accelerate the provision of trade finance to SMEs. Tom James, CEO and CIO, TradeFlow Capital Management said: "TradeFlow is proud to partner with ICC on this ambitious and much needed fund for small businesses. By leveraging the combined strengths of ICC and TradeFlow, ICC Tradeflow Capital has the potential to enable many billions of dollars of SME commodity transactions each year. "TradeFlow applauds ICC's continued support for businesses worldwide - especially in the face of the consequences associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported by ICC TradeNow, we are confident that this partnership will reduce risk, improve trade opportunities for SMEs, and alleviate poverty." ICC will host a series of workshops for chamber of commerce leaders in Asia and Europe to share insights on potential partners who could help finding the liquidity needed to bridge the trade finance gap. PRESS CONTACTS For ICC: Timothy Conley| Global Communications Officer Email: timothy.conley@iccwbo.org | Website: www.iccwbo.org For TradeFlow: Daniel Chua | Vice-President, Communications Email: daniel.chua@tradeflow.capital | Website: www.tradeflow.capital About the International Chamber of Commerce The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is the institutional representative of more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries. ICC's core mission is to make business work for everyone, every day, everywhere. Through a unique mix of advocacy, solutions and standard setting, we promote international trade, responsible business conduct and a global approach to regulation, in addition to providing market-leading dispute resolution services. Our members include many of the world's leading companies, SMEs, business associations and local chambers of commerce. About TradeFlow Capital Management TradeFlow Capital Management (TradeFlow) is the world's first FinTech-powered commodities trade enabler focused on SMEs. TradeFlow consists of a diverse team of experts with the focused mission of addressing the increasing trade finance gap faced by global SMEs operating as producers/traders/end-users in the bulk commodity trading space. By performing an enabling role in international trade and globalization, TradeFlow creates growth opportunities for businesses and economies. To date, TradeFlow has successfully invested in more than US$500mn of physical commodity trade through 700+ transactions across 15+ countries and 25+ commodity types, with more than 800 SME counterpart entities KYC reviewed. The TradeFlow Funds*, advised by TradeFlow, were conceived in 2016 and launched in 2018. Headquartered in the Asian financial hub Singapore, TradeFlow is a FinTech Certified Company (SFA), a Corporate Member of the Singapore FinTech Association (SFA), and a Member of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA). * No.1 SME-focused trade finance fund in annual net returns to investors in 2020, as reported by Preqin Alternative Investment Database records www.tradeflow.capital Please bookmark our media: TradeFlow TV | Twitter | LinkedIN Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1479506/TradeFlow_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1479507/ICC_Logo.jpg According to statistics, SHE teams of Cyberabad received the highest number of petitions regarding phone harassment (70) followed by blackmailing and harassment (17) and stalking (15). (Representational Image/AFP) HYDERABAD: The SHE teams of Cyberabad have received as many as 154 complaints last month. Almost half of them were about harassment by phone. Of the 154 cases, 68 were registered, including 15 criminal cases and 53 petty ones. According to statistics, SHE teams of Cyberabad received the highest number of petitions regarding phone harassment (70) followed by blackmailing and harassment (17) and stalking (15). The other complaints were related to misbehaving, cheating and passing lewd comments. In addition to that SHE teams conducted 591 decoy operations at various public places like bus stops, shopping malls, railway stations, tutorials and colleges. Around 66 persons were caught red-handed at public places. In night time decoy operations, they caught seven. All the miscreants were counseled, subsequently. Some of the important cases include a decoy operation at Balajinagar bus stop, Kukatpally, where SHE teams nabbed a 60-year-old Venkateswar Rao while making indecent gestures to young girls and asking to come with him for a movie and dinner. A case was registered against him. In another case when SHE teams were conducting an awareness programme in a school at Balanagar, a ninth standard girl opened up about the harassment she was facing from a relative. During lockdown when she went to her native place the accused took personal pictures and recently he came to the city and started harassing her while she was on her way to school. The SHE team Balanagar conducted decoy operation near her school, apprehended him and registered a case at Dundigal police station. Cyberabad SHE Teams appealed to all women suffering from teasing, stalking or the likes to approach them by sending WhatsApp messages to 94906-17444. Bill specifying number of presidential terms becomes law in Russia 17:25 05/04/2021 MOSCOW, April 5 (RAPSI) A bill specifying the number of presidential terms became law in Russia. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin signed a corresponding document on Monday. The document brings Russias legislation on elections and referendums into line with the amended Constitution. According to the law, the actual Head of the State may again apply for the presidential post and allows taking it up for another two back-to-back terms. Moreover, the approved law as earlier allows taking the post of the President not more than two consecutive terms but these restrictions do not apply to those who held the office until the Constitution was amended. The law also sets new requirements to the presidential candidates. They must be older than 35 years old, live in Russia at least 25 years and they must not have a foreign citizenship or residential permit. The governments community mining programme instituted in the Akyem area and other places of the country faces a threat as the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council serves notice of resistance to it. According to the traditional council, what was meant to be a program that will regulate the activities of illegal small-scale mining across the country is rather furthering the degradation of the lands and polluting water bodies in the Abuakwa area, reports citinewsroom.com. Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the overlord of Akyem Abuakwa, made this known while addressing the Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Acheampong, during a courtesy call on him. He added that should it not be checked, he will personally lead a campaign against the program since it has become worse than the illegal small-scale mining it was seeking to address. We understand all documents and license needed for one to undertake mining rest in the bosom of the President in Accra, so if one obtains the license then he will then bring it to the DCE at the local level where normally durbars are held to inform the people, but the chiefs do not have any say in it. When all is said, these guys will then approach the chiefs informing them about their acquired license to mine in the community and will just present something small for the chiefs, but the chiefs will then be blamed after lands and water bodies are destroyed in the process. Just recently I was here when the sector minister came talking about community mining and I told him point-blank not to come and deceive the chiefs because there is nothing better in community mining because it is similar to galamsey. They use the same method to cause destruction to the land but just that this has been described as a policy from government. We are coming to rise up against that policy, and we will not agree to the community mining initiative because if the Birim becomes polluted, the blame is not brought to the doorstep of the MCE but the chiefs and the President. So, we have advised ourselves because we have talked about this severally and nothing has been done about it. No one can issue a mining license to someone without letting traditional authorities who are custodians of the land know about that arrangement, he explained. The Okyenhene also raised concerns about the menace of uncovered pits, calling on the government to, as a matter of urgency, engage the traditional council on a policy towards reclamation. There are a lot of uncovered pits and lands that have not been reclaimed across the communities are dangerous to human lives especially our children. We want to have a meeting with you for us to get a reclamation policy. John Peter Amewu and the Minister of Lands came to launch a reclamation program which we have not heard anything about again. It is not under the leadership of the president and the NPP that lands and water bodies will be destroyed, so we need to put a stop to it. People come all the way from Niger and Burkina Faso to engage in illegal mining. They come here in track fully loaded with them, and they engage in all negatives and if the MCE and Government cant resolve it then we have a challenge, he said. 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 Last November, despite a global pandemic, voter intimidation, and an unprecedented disinformation campaign, a record number of Americans cast a ballot in the election. Expanded voting by mail, no-excuse absentee voting, curbside voting, and early voting made the ballot box more accessible. But now, Republican lawmakers in 43 states are introducing hundreds of restrictive voting rights bills to roll back these measures. In my home state of Georgia, Republicans have introduced a package of restrictive bills to increase red tape, roll back voting rights, and silence the voices of millions of voters. These attacks are unmistakably in response to the states record voter turnout to elect President Joe Biden and senators Rafael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. The 11 bills in Georgia are grounded in baseless and racist claims of election irregularities. They aim to silence the voices of voters of color, young people, and older voters by directly repealing the measures that made last election cycle the most inclusive ever. Experts put it bluntly: Georgias current efforts to restrict voting access are the most sustained effort to silence voters since the Jim Crow era. Just like during Jim Crow, Georgia is taking special aim at Black voters, who overcame decades of draconian voting measures to demonstrate their power at the ballot box last November. GOP lawmakers have proposed a ban on Sunday early voting, for example a direct attack on souls to the polls events, which usher congregations of primarily Black churches to polling places after services. Theyre even trying to prohibit giving food and water to people waiting in line to vote, even after many Black voters were forced to wait in 10 or 11 hour lines in the last election. Even if you dont live in Georgia, these unprecedented assaults on voting rights are most likely happening in your state, too. As of March, the Brennan Center calculated that GOP lawmakers had introduced 253 such bills in 43 states. Many of these bills resemble Georgias proposals enacting even stricter voter ID requirements, slashing voter registration opportunities, and limiting vote by mail. Others go even further by enabling aggressive voter roll purging or even overturning election results altogether. No matter who they voted for, an overwhelming majority of Americans support pro-voter policies including expanding early voting, enacting online and automatic voter registration, allowing universal absentee voting, and including a pre-paid postage stamp on mail-in ballots. The majority of us agree that we need to improve our elections to ensure secure, accurate voting for every eligible resident in every state. Throughout our nations history, weve fought to expand voting access to all eligible residents, but a handful of politicians want to erase this legacy. To move forward together, we must ensure that every eligible American has the freedom to cast a ballot and have it counted accurately so that the outcomes of our elections reflect the will of the people. To start, we must reject state-level anti-voter policies and pass common sense federal legislation like the For the People Act (HR1) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (HR4), which will not only restore the voter protections laid out in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 but strengthen those protections and and our democracy. By expanding access to voting, we can ensure that our elected officials are accountable for delivering real solutions to the people. Tell your senators: Fix our broken democracy and pass the For The People Act. Phyllis Richardson is a volunteer leader of the Sierra Club Georgia chapter and the governmental affairs director at Georgia WAND, a woman of color-led organization for social justice. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org. Travelers wearing protective face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease reclaim their luggage at the airport in Denver, Colorado on Nov. 24, 2020. REUTERS Turkey detains ex-admirals over statement on straits treaty View Photo ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkish authorities on Monday detained 10 retired admirals after a group of more than 100 former top navy officers declared their commitment to an international shipping treaty, a statement that government officials tied to Turkeys history of military coups. The retired admirals were held as part of an investigation into whether they had reached an agreement with the aim of committing a crime against the security of the state and the constitutional order, Turkeys state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The chief prosecutor in Ankara launched the investigation on Sunday. Four other former navy officers were asked to report to authorities within three days but not detained because of their advanced ages, Anadolu reported. Authorities also stripped the suspects of their rights to government housing and bodyguards, the news agency said. In his first comments on the declaration issued late Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the admirals of having ulterior motives, dismissing arguments that the former officers merely expressed an opinion. This act, which took place at midnight, is definitely an ill-intended attempt in its tone, its method and according to the debates it would clearly lead to, Erdogan said. He spoke after summoning a meeting with the head of the intelligence agency, the chief of military staff and some members of his Cabinet to discuss the admirals statement. It is under no circumstances acceptable forretired admirals to make such an attempt in the middle of the night in a country whose history is full of coups and memoranda, Erdogan said. The 10 retired admirals were detained at their homes in Ankara, Istanbul and Kocaeli, and undergoing questioning by the chief prosecutors office in the capital. Anadolu reported that they included Cem Gurdeniz, the name behind Turkeys controversial Blue Homeland doctrine, which claims vast sections of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas and its undersea energy deposits. The concept is at odds with Greece and Cyprus claims in the region. A total of 103 retired admirals signed the statement declaring their commitment to an international treaty that regulates shipping through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, which link the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea. The 14 suspects are believed to have organized the declaration. The statement was issued amid a debate over whether Erdogan, who withdrew Turkey from a international convention to protect women last month, could also pull the country out of the 1936 Montreux Convention, which regulates the passage through the straits, and other international treaties. Erdogans plan to build an alternative waterway to the north of Istanbul that would bypass the Bosporus also sparked a debate over the Montreux treaty. The fact that withdrawing from the Montreux Convention was opened to debate as part of talks on Canal Istanbul and the authority to exit from international treaties was met with concern, the retired admirals said in their declaration. The statement triggered strong condemnation by ruling party and government officials who drew a parallel with statements that accompanied past military takeovers in Turkey. Erdogan voiced a commitment to the shipping treaty but did not rule out its revision in the future. We neither have any current plans nor any intention with regard to leaving the Montreux Convention. But if the need arises in the future, we will not hesitate to review any convention to ensure that our country gets a better deal, he said. Earlier, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, a former chief of military staff, said the declaration served no purpose other than to harm Turkeys democracy, break the Turkish Armed Forces personnels morale, and please our enemies. Turkey experienced coups in 1960, 1971 and 1980, and a 1997 military intervention caused the resignation of an Islamist-led coalition government. In 2016, a failed coup led to more than 250 deaths. By SUZAN FRASER Associated Press The article investigates the ongoing tussle between the central government and the Government of Kerala regarding the leasing of the Thiruvananthapuram airport to the private sector. It traces the genesis of the problem and the rationale of the state government demand for a role in the management of the airport. Despite the central governments auctioning away of the countrys major airports and Adani Enterprises cornering most of them, Kerala has refused to roll out the red carpet for the corporate giant that secured the lease for the Thiruvananthapuram airport. More than that, as Adani Enterprises is heading towards taking control of the Thiruvananthapuram airport along with five other airports in the country (Mangaluru, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Guwahati), the Government of Kerala (GoK), in alliance with the opposition political parties, has challenged the claims made by the supporters of privatisation and the central government on the grounds of violation of social, economic, business, and judicial wisdom. It was in February 2019 that the union cabinet approved the proposal for leasing out three airports, namely Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuramall these fully owned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and making profits. Thiruvananthapuram airport, for instance, has been consistently scaling up its profits which was `169.32 crore in 201718 and `179.63 crore in 201819. The Adani group entered into a concession agreement in August 2020 on all three of these airports to operate, manage and develop them for a period of 50 years. The lease would become effective from the date of commercial operations. With its fast growing and now the third largest domestic civil aviation industry in the world, India had initiated the publicprivate partnership (PPP) models in the 1990s not only to boost private sector investments in airports but also to reduce the fiscal stress on the federal government. In terms of ownership and control, the Indian airports may be classified into three: AAI-owned (more than 100 airports) and two types of PPP; state-driven with the state having a significant stake in ownership as in the case of Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) and the Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) and private-driven as in the case of Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) with minimum shares owned by the AAI; a few more are being auctioned off to the private sector. While evidence suggests that the initial enthusiasm of the private-run PPP model has faded away as is the case of MIAL and DIAL mainly due to litigation in connection with finance and land dealings, the state-driven, in contrast, has so far not only been a success but also been a model for the rest of the industry. The primary question to be asked, in the context of PPP models in the aviation sector, is to what extent it has been a success in balancing the benefits for the state, passengers and private shareholders. Further, how seriously does the PPP model take environmental social responsibility as one of its critical agenda as in the case of state-driven airports in Kerala. 25 years ago: Fighting breaks out in Monrovia Marine helicopter in Liberia On April 6, 1996, fighting broke out between rival militias in Liberia. Some 20,000 civilians took refuge at the United States embassy to escape the bloody battles, and in the following weeks hundreds of civilians were killed and much of downtown Monrovia was destroyed. The fighting began when the Council of Statea temporary governing body implemented in the run-up to elections, including Charles Taylor and Alhaji Kromahordered its forces to arrest General Roosevelt Johnson of the United Liberation Movement (ULIMO-J) on charges of murder. Reports had been circulating since January claiming that his forces were responsible for the massacre of 50 civilians. Johnson was not given a seat on the Council of State and staged an occupation of the Barclay Training Center, which erupted in street fighting. Approximately 3,000 US Marines were deployed aboard ships in waters off the Liberian coast, and 276 heavily armed troops were deployed on the ground to the US embassy. By the end of the month, the US forces would go into action in the country. The renewed outbreak of civil war marked the collapse of the previous US strategy of relying on a West African peace-keeping force, comprised mainly of Nigerian troops, to stabilize Liberia. Press reports said that the peace-keeping troops were poorly fed and largely demoralized, with many soldiers joining teenage Liberian militia fighters in a campaign of looting. In place of the West African force, the Clinton administration prepared to use American troops. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State William Twadell arrived in Liberia at the end of April as a virtual US pro-consul, meeting with militia leaders Taylor and Kromah and threatening destruction for anyone who violated the terms decreed by Washington. Should anyone seize power by force, he warned, my government will seek to ostracize and isolate that leader and any illegal government that might ensue. Twadell announced that the Clinton administration would provide up to $30 million to finance the West African force, which maintained nearly 10,000 troops in Liberia. 50 years ago: Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna launches uprising in Ceylon JVP On April 5, 1971, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) launched an uprising against the government of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The uprising was focused in the rural areas where the JVP maintained most of its support and lasted until June. The response of the Ceylonese united front government was a brutal crackdown against not just the JVP but all left-wing political parties. The JVP formed in 1965 out of a split in the Maoist wing of the Ceylon Communist Party. Dubbing itself the Che Guevara movement, the JVP hoped to emulate Latin American petty-bourgeois radicals by engaging in a series of bombings and kidnappings as a substitute for mobilizing the working class. After years of the coalition government of Prime Minister Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the JVP had expanded its membership, particularly in the rural regions of Ceylon among peasants. After 1964,vwhen the ex-Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) entered into the cabinet of the bourgeoisie and Stalinist coalition, the official left parties lost immense support among huge sections of the population. In that context, the JVP recruited heavily among layers of the disoriented peasantry and students. The 1971 insurrection attempt was poorly coordinated with a strategy that heavily rested on a spontaneous rallying of the population to the JVP. However, the coalition government was initially caught unprepared. The JVP set off bombs at a number of police stations, seized one major armory, and captured large areas that had not been defended by the government. Once it had collected itself, the Bandaranaike government declared a state of emergency and appealed for imperialist intervention to help suppress the uprising. Notably, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, India, and Pakistan all sent military aid to Bandaranaike. By June the rebellion had been crushed. What followed was a sweeping repression in Ceylon targeting all the remaining left-wing parties regardless of their involvement in the uprising. Around 15,000, mainly youth, were killed by the government initially, with anyone who was suspected of being a socialist becoming a target for arrest. The Trotskyist movement in Ceylon, the Revolutionary Communist League, was heavily targeted and forced to go underground after 1971. The party opposed the mass repression and the slaughter of JVP youth, despite profound political differences. It was declared illegal by Bandaranaike, its headquarters were raided, and many members were arrested and killed by the police. 75 years ago: Japanese soldiers convicted of war crimes against Australian POWs Hoshijima On April 6, 1946, an Australian tribunal found army captain Susumi Hoshijima guilty of overseeing war crimes committed against detainees at Japans Sandakan prisoner-of-war camp in the Malaysian state of Sabah. On the same day, Captain Takakuwa Takuo was executed after having been previously convicted of presiding over death marches of prisoners from Sandakan to Ranau in the final stages of World War II. The widely-reported hearings that resulted in their convictions were among a series of trials conducted by Australian military authorities in Labuan, near where the Sandakan camp had been located. In the space of several months, 128 Japanese military officials and soldiers were found guilty of violations of international law. In July 1942, Japan brought some 1,500 Australian POWs, most captured from Singapore, to the Sandakan camp. They were set to build a military airfield on Sabah, which was viewed as strategically crucial for Japans efforts to dominate the Pacific. More Australian troops would be transferred to the camp, as well as over 700 British soldiers, bringing its population to a height of 2,500. Soldiers testified at the Labuan hearing that Hoshijima, who had been in charge of Sandakan, presided over torture, including the use of electric shocks and waterboarding. Prisoners accused of infractions were frequently placed in small cages. The conditions worsened as positions conquered by the Japanese, including in Malaysia, were threatened by the US and its allies. By 1944, hunger was endemic in the camp, combining with malaria and other tropical diseases to result in the deaths of hundreds. Australian prosecutors alleged that Hoshijima deliberately withheld food from detainees, and that the shortages were a result of deliberate policy, a contention that continues to be debated. In January 1945, as the Allied bombardment made further construction of the airfield impossible, 455 prisoners were sent on a forced march hundreds of kilometres towards Ranau. Another 536 were dispatched in May followed by 75 in June. Without adequate supplies, most perished, while others were reportedly shot dead by Japanese soldiers. While the majority of those sent on the marches were Australian soldiers, only six of them survived. 100 years ago: British imperialism creates Emirate of Transjordan King Abdullah I On April 11, 1921, the British created the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate ruled by Abdullah bin Hussein, which included parts of todays Jordan and Syria. The creation of Transjordan was a part of the imperialist division of the former Ottoman territories with the French. Abdullah had been one of the leaders of the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I and an ally of the British. The French had defeated the nationalist Arab Kingdom of Syria in July 1920 and the British had quelled the Iraqi Revolt that year, laying the basis of the modern nation-state system of the Middle East. Under the leadership of the Winston Churchill, the colonial secretary, Britain arranged the administration of their territories in the secret Cairo Conference of March 1921. In addition to making Abdullah emir of Transjordan, the British bestowed the Kingdom of Iraq on his brother Faisal and allowed Jewish immigration to Palestine to continue. The British also agreed to sanction the French control of Lebanon and Syria. The Cairo Conference, in essence, confirmed the secret Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916 between the two imperialist powers. On March 28, 1921, Churchill had met with Abdullah to assure him that Jewish immigration to Palestine would not displace the Arab population and have no impact on Transjordan. In return, the British asked Abdullah to restrain anti-French Arab nationalists. The British granted Abdullah a subsidy of 5,000 pounds a month. Key benchmark indices are trading lower in early trade on selling pressure in index pivotals as trading resumed after long weekend. At 9:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 390.27 points or 0.78% at 49,639.56. The Nifty 50 index was down 99.40 points or 0.67% at 14,767.95. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was down 0.47%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was down 0.53%. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, is negative. On the BSE, 882 shares rose and 1158 shares fell. A total of 142 shares were unchanged. Meanwhile, in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray-led state government on April 4 imposed new curbs to control the transmission rate of the contagion. Maharashtra will be put under night curfew from 8 pm to 7 am from April 5. Stocks in news: Maruti Suzuki India fell 0.82%. Maruti Suzuki India said that Suzuki Motor Gujarat Private Limited (SMG), a 100% subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation for the production of automobiles in India, has completed construction of the Plant C, and started production from April 2021. With production starting at the Plant C, which has an annual production ability of 250,000 units, together with Plant A and Plant B, the total ability of SMG will be 750,000 units. Together with Maruti Suzuki's production ability of 1.5 million units, Suzuki's production ability of automobiles in India will be 2.25 million units. All automobiles that will be produced in SMG will be supplied to Maruti Suzuki. Hero MotoCorp slipped 0.21%. Hero MotoCorp sold 576,957 units of motorcycles and scooters in March 2021, registering a growth of 72% over the corresponding month in the previous year. The company had sold 334,647 units in March 2020. Tata Motors rose 0.29%. Tata Motors has completed the transfer of its Defense business with effect from 1 April 2021 to Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) for an upfront consideration of Rs 227.7 crore (which is subject to closing balance sheet adjustments). The transfer has been completed through a slump sale as per Scheme of Arrangement approved by National Company Law Tribunal at Mumbai and Hyderabad. TVS Motor Company rose 0.45%. TVS Motor Company registered sales of 322,683 units in March 2021 as against 144,739 units in March 2020. Eicher Motors fell 1.19%. Eicher Motors registered total sales of 66,058 units in March 2021 as against 35,814 units in March 2020. NTPC lost 1.34%. NTPC informed that based on achievement of approved norms, Unit-2 of 660 MW capacity of Nabinagar Super Thermal Power Project (3 x 660 MW) of Nabinagar Power Generating Co. Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited) has successfully completed trial operation and consequently included in the installed capacity of NTPC Group with effect from 31 March 2021. Wipro gained 1.69%. Wipro has completed the take over of METRO-NOM GMBH and METRO Systems Romania S.R.L. for a purchase consideration of EUR 52.04 million based on the financials at the time of completion of the transaction. Britannia Industries rose 0.97%. The Board of Directors of Britannia Industries declared Interim Dividend of Rs. 62 per equity share for the Financial Year 2020-21. The record date for determining the eligibility of shareholders for payment of interim dividend has been fixed as April 10. Adani Enterprises advanced 2.77%. Adani Enterprises alongwith its Wholly Owned Subsidiary company, Gare Palma II Collieries Private Limited ("GPIICPL") has signed Coal Mining Agreement ("CMA") with Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited ("MAHAGENCO") for development and operation of Gare Palma Sector II Coal Mine. Global Markets: Overseas, shares in Japan nudged higher on Monday as investors cheered a strong bounce in U.S. job growth last month amid accelerating vaccine rollout. Markets in Australia, mainland China and Hong Kong are closed today for holidays. In US, the S&P 500 surged on Thursday to its first-ever close above the 4,000 mark, lifted by gains in Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet, as well as optimism about a recovering U.S. economy. The Labor Department reported Friday that nonfarm payrolls increased by 916,000 in March, the highest since August 2020, while the unemployment rate fell to 6%. Back home, the markets remained shut on Friday, 2 April 2021 on account of Good Friday. The domestic equity indices ended near the day's high on Thursday, led by strength in banks and auto stocks. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, jumped 520.68 points or 1.05% to 50,029.83. The Nifty 50 index advanced 176.65 points or 1.20% to 14,867.35. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 149.41 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net sellers to the tune of Rs 296.84 crore in the Indian equity market on 1 April 2021, provisional data showed. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Donnalakshmi Selvaraj is a former secretary, analyst, manager, and consultant and has obtained a Masters degree from California State University, Sacramento (CSUS), with over forty years of a combination of HR EEO/AA corporate, state government, educational, community service and faith-based experience. Indira Selvaraj is also a graduate of CSUS who has been in the work force for more than twenty years in a variety of positions, including clerical office worker, medical office supervisor, and consultant. These two American women of color have published their new book The Hate In Their Heart Should Not Be Part Of Your American Management Journey: a thought-provoking work providing readers and leaders an opportunity to privately self-assess their management-decision making style to achieve greater success in their professional lives. Essentially, they have created a platform to be able to discuss hate in the workplace in a professional manner. The authors start The Hate In Their Heart Should Not Be Part Of Your American Management Journey with references by American politicians encouraging ALL to listen to our better angels. This is an excellent book with which to take a journey through the development of American management theories and practices and to identify Hate-Based (i.e. to dislike, detest, abhor, loathe, despise someone) versus Management-Based (i.e. referring to laws, company policy, strategic intent, data, analysis of information) decision-making. This is a book about management from an employees perspective and also includes a workbook for management to privately self-assess their Management-Based decision-making at the end of each chapter. This book is a follow-up book to the employee resource book titled, How To Work In Hell Successfully And Not Get Burned By The Flames. Both books have been written as a resource for employees and managers in the post-2008 Great Recession workplace where economies have been shaken worldwide and getting and/or keeping a job has become more and more challenging due to Hate-Based decisions by Managers. These authors take you on an informational, entertaining, and humorous journey of the history of American management and American startups while highlighting ones ability to make hate-based versus management-based decisions, which it was thought was covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect employees against discriminatory and retaliatory practices based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This book is also a very timely release due to the Hate-Based and racially motivated decision making used by police, causing violence in America, sparking protests and demonstrations that have quickly spread throughout America and worldwide in 2020. Hate and unethical practices by the police, including murder, have stirred the hearts of people in America and worldwide to demand fairness and justice from police personnel when they perform their job duties. This is the SAME fairness and justice people expect at work when they perform their job duties; however, often times they do not receive this fairness based upon perceived racial and gender injustice, which is the subtle form of Hate-Based decision making that Managers so often explain away to justify and hide the hate in their heart and their Hate-Based decision making. The authors gently challenge your heart to privately self-assess your decision-making process to encourage you to make Management-Based decisions versus Hate-Based decisions to allow you and/or the organization you work for to move to your next level of well-being and prosperity, whereby a Management model for surviving to thriving is also included. The authors hope you will enjoy this American management journey and that this becomes an American classic because they bring to light an age-old and timeless issue of HATE and how hate can enter into ones heart, which can adversely affect ones ability to thrive, verses just survive, at work or in life - Amen. Published by Page Publishing, Donnalakshmi Selvaraj and Indira Selvarajs engrossing book is an insightful resource for anyone in a management-level or leadership position. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase The Hate In Their Heart Should Not Be Part Of Your American Management Journey at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Work is to get underway on a new strategy to boost the use of technology in schools that will take account of the impact of remote learning during Covid. Education Minister Norma Foley has announced a consultation process for a new Digital Strategy for Schools to replace the existing strategy, which runs out in the current school year. She encourages everyone with an interest in this area to engage with this process and have your say. The Governments Project Ireland 2040 plan includes a further investment of 200m on the Digital Strategy in Schools up to 2027. Read More The minister made the announcement ahead of the annual teacher union conferences where much attention will be paid to the digital gaps that came to prominence after the sudden move to online teaching last year. Ms Foley said significant progress had been made in the lifetime of the existing strategy in embedding of digital technologies, to support teaching and learning. Referring to school closures over the past year, Ms Foley said many schools had used funding available under the strategy to purchase devices for use by students and to support laptop or tablet loan scheme. This, combined with other improvements to schools digital infrastructure supported remote learning, she said. However, the switch to online teaching exposed some serious deficiencies in the system and a digital divide that hit students in disadvantaged communities particularly hard. Ms Foley said lessons learnt from the current strategy and the experience of teachers, school leaders, students and parents with the embedding of digital technologies as well the impact of remote learning during Covid would inform the development of the new strategy. She said it would build on the success of the implementation to date but also consider the challenges that have arisen in terms of any gaps that have come to light. decacorn Byjus has closed the deal to acquire exam preparation firm Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) for nearly $1 billion. The stock-and-cash deal is the biggest in the education space, said sources. Byjus said the deal is a strategic partnership with AESL, a leader in test-prep services. I am happy to have Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), a market leader and the most trusted name in the test-prep services, on board with us, said Byju Raveendran, Founder, and CEO, Byjus. Our complementary strengths will enable us to build capabilities, create engaging and personalised learning programmes. The future of learning is hybrid and this union will bring together the best of offline and online learning, as we combine our expertise to create impactful experiences for students. Raveendran said the pandemic has brought the importance of the blended format of learning to the forefront. As we unite our forces to bring together decades of expertise and experience, this partnership will further accelerate Aakashs growth and success. ALSO READ: Byju's in talks to acquire US-based reading platform Epic: Report This partnership brings together two of the largest and most-trusted education brands in India -combining Aakashs pedagogy expertise in the test-prep segment with Byjus content and tech capabilities. After the integration, Byjus will make further investments to accelerate Aakashs growth. With over 33 years of experience, Aakash said it has built a highly effective learning ecosystem that has helped millions of young aspirants get into the countrys best institutions. In 2019, AESL partnered with private equity firm Blackstone to create Indias largest digitally enabled, omnichannel test preparation company. Under the leadership of Founder JC Chaudhry and Aakash Chaudhry, it will continue to function independently. At Aakash, we are looking to transform student experiences by steering innovative and digitally-enabled learning solutions. Together with Byjus, we will work towards building an omnichannel learning offering that will accelerate test-prep experience to the next level, said Aakash Chaudhry, managing director, AESL. While this partnership will enhance our operational verticals, Aakash will continue to operate as a separate entity with the same passion and commitment with which its founder and chairman J C Chaudhry incepted it. We are excited to partner with Byjus, and will strive to deliver long-term value to our students, employees, investors, and other stakeholders. The addition of Aakash is a significant step towards strengthening Byjus product offering. It reiterates Byjus focus on creating impactful learning products for students by adding more verticals, subjects, and languages to the same platform. ALSO READ: Byju's raises $460 mn in ongoing Series F round led by MC Global Edtech Amit Dixit, co-head of Asia Acquisitions and head of India Private Equity at Blackstone, said that the company invested in AESL as it is one of the leading education brands in India with a professional management team, best-in-class corporate governance and a 33-year track-record of exceptional results. We have always believed omnichannel will be the winning model in test prep and tutoring, and we look forward to being a part of the partnership between the two foremost in Indian supplementary education Aakash and Byjus, said Dixit. The combination of Aakash and Byjus is highly synergistic and we are excited to help build Indias largest education company. EY was the exclusive financial advisor for Byjus on this transaction. Phoenix Advisors was the exclusive advisor for the AESL. With over 215 centres, Aakash provides test preparatory services to students preparing for medical and engineering entrance exams, school/board exams, KVPY, NTSE, Olympiads, and other Foundation level exams. Known for its integrated teaching methodology and focused learning environment. Launched in 2015, Byjus is the leader in offering personalised learning programs for school students in India. With over 80 million students cumulatively learning from the app, 5.5 million annual paid subscriptions, and an annual renewal rate of 86 per cent, the app creates personalized learning programs for individual students based on their proficiency levels and capabilities which help them learn at their own pace and style. In just 6 months during the lockdown, Byjus has added 45 million new students to its platform. Singapore workers to return to work with staggered work hours, 75 pc capacity Staggered hours have been the norm at some firms in Singapore, as companies prepare for employees who are currently working from home to return to the workplace from today, as workplaces shift from working from home as the default to a more flexible way of working, announced on Wednesday (March 24). Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said that more spread out commuter traffic throughout the day will better utilise the public transport network. Photo: Connected to India Up to 75 per cent of staff can return to the workplace at any one time, up from the current 50 per cent, Education Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, had announced at a virtual press conference. Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said that more spread out commuter traffic throughout the day will better utilise the public transport network. Here are some of the measures announced for returning to workplaces safely. No more than 75 per cent of employees who are able to work from home should be at the workplace at any point. Employers to support as many employees to work from home as possible. Meetings to be conducted virtually as far as possible. Stagger start work times such that at least half of the employees arrive at or after 10am. No employee should work at more than one work site, except for firms or industries where this is critical for operations. All social and recreational gatherings such as lunches and team-bonding activities within or outside the workplace must adhere to the limit of eight people. The task force also announced that larger business-to-business (B2B) events in the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry are set to return to Singapore with up to 750 attendees with effect from April 24. This is an increase from the current limit of 250 attendees and is in line with the safe and progressive resumption of economic activities in Singapore. In March of 1991, a single queen palm tree was planted at 22nd and Guerrero, and a cozy neighborhood bar was given its name: Lone Palm. Thirty years later, the bar's namesake reached the end of its natural life: this weekend, the tree was cut down. Photos of the chopped down palm began to circulate on Twitter, and Lone Palm fans reacted with shock and horror. But as it turns out, there was a good reason behind the tree's removal. "Right when COVID struck, literally March of last year, I was told that [the tree] was so full of fungus that it had to go. And my first reaction was just like, oh my God, that too?" said Lone Palm owner Jane Seabrook. She kept the tree looking decent over the past year with frequent trims of hanging fronds something that used to only be necessary every 10 months or so now became an every two or three month-affair. "I was trying to buy time on the palm tree because I didn't think emotionally I could handle it," said Seabrook. "I mean, literally I was like, this is just not a good sign." Camille Cohen/Special to SFGATE However, with each tree haircut costing upwards of $300, Seabrook slowly realized this expensive upkeep wasn't sustainable for her already struggling business. And then, there was the question of safety. "It becomes dangerous because ... the fronds are very heavy and when you have it so diseased, it couldn't hold them," said Seabrook. "And so it was really a threat that it was going to fall and hurt somebody." The property manager also was concerned that the tree might fall down on a building, she added, and she was particularly worried about Lone Palm patrons dining on the sidewalk beneath the dying palm. It was time to say goodbye, but it wasn't going to be easy Lone Palm's identity and Seabrook's own family history is wrapped up in this tree. "My daughter's first walk was on Easter Sunday of 1999, and we took her from our Mission home to the Lone Palm," she recalled. "She cried her eyes out and said, 'That tree's been part of my whole life!'" Seabrook says she's been crying her eyes out, too, but that she's starting to view the tree's removal and soon-to-be replacement as a "Phoenix rising." "This is a heartbreaking thing that we've had to go through," she said. "But the good side is that, if I can afford it, we're going to end up with a beautiful six foot tree as we started with 30 years ago. And it is sort of a rebirth to all of us anyway, and this tree is not going to threaten anybody and we're going to keep it beautiful." Camille Cohen/Special to SFGATE The other bright side to this is that a new, shorter tree will actually frame the front of the bar, as the old tree used to before it became so huge that it rose far above the "Lone Palm" sign. However, new palm trees are expensive ("a couple thousand dollars," estimated Seabrook), so Seabrook is asking for contributions on the Lone Palm's GoFundMe to support the purchase of a new namesake for the bar. "Sometimes progress looks like destruction," said Seabrook. "Ultimately, we hope to all gather around the new palm tree, and we'll always keep the other palm tree in our hearts." The Collected Group is the latest apparel and lifestyle company to file for Chapter 11. The company behind the brands Joie, Current/Elliott and Equipment has closed stores since even before the pandemic, and plans to focus on e-commerce and wholesale, according to the companys filings Monday in Delaware bankruptcy court. The company once had some 33 stores, but since the COVID-19 pandemic and the initial store closures, it began to scale back its physical presence, its chief restructuring officer Evan Hengel, managing director of Berkeley Research Group, wrote in a filing. More from WWD Collected Group, like many other apparel retail companies that have contended with reduced store traffic during the pandemic, had sought to renegotiate leases with its landlords. The Chapter 11 process allows companies to exit leases and pay capped damages for doing so, which makes it financially feasible to close stores. The company plans to use the bankruptcy proceedings to facilitate those store closures and cut more than 80 percent of its debt, it said in a statement Monday. Its chief executive officer since 2017, James Miller, will step down from his role and take on an adviser title and be on the companys board. Collecteds next CEO will be Silvia Mazzucchelli, a board member who was also the former CEO of Modcloth. The company will continue to sharpen its focus on direct-to-consumer e-commerce, domestic and international wholesale, with the restructuring enabling the company to compete in these channels from a position of greater financial strength, Collected said in its statement. The company, founded in 2001 and owned by private equity firm KKR, listed assets of between $50 million and $100 million and liabilities between $100 million and $500 million, according to its Chapter 11 petition. Among its top creditors, the company listed mall venues and landlords including Century City Mall LLC and Tysons Galleria and a number of clothing vendors. Story continues KKR is expected to retain ownership of the business after the bankruptcy, which, in this case, is essentially aimed at facilitating a balance sheet restructuring. The company has some $185.3 million in funded debt obligations and about $35.5 million in unsecured debt, which includes unpaid debt and damages for rejecting leases, according to Hengels filing. The retailer has some 125 employees, including in its distribution facility, according to filings. I am incredibly proud of what has been accomplished over the last four years at The Collected Group, said Miller, the outgoing CEO. The unique opportunity to serve as both CEO and CCO [chief creative officer] allowed me to ensure that business objectives and brand vision were always aligned, and I step away from day-to-day leadership of the company confident that it is well-positioned for the future. (TNS) - Manatee County remained under a state of emergency Sunday as federal, state and local leaders worked to contain a leak at a former phosphate processing plant that threatens to contaminate the area with millions of gallons of polluted water.A worst-case scenario could send 20 feet of contaminated water flooding from the site, Acting Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said Sunday during a news briefing with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. A total breach that spurts out uncontrolled water could also destabilize gypsum stacks that contain radioactive material.But by Sunday afternoon, officials appeared more confident that the risk of a major disaster could be dramatically lower by Tuesday with the help of additional resources from the state to drain the leaking pond.Crews on Friday found a breach in the sites largest pond, which originally contained about 480 million gallons of water. Because of potential flooding, an emergency evacuation order was ordered in the area, and it has been expanded to more than 300 homes. U.S. 41 remains closed to traffic to Moccasin Wallow Road.The models for less than an hour could be a 20-foot wall of water, Hopes said. If youre in an evacuation area and you have not heeded that, you need to think twice.Hopes also said that current models show 1 to 5 feet of flooding as more likely. And officials say they remain optimistic that an increase in a controlled water release from the site, strategically pumped into Tampa Bay, can prevent disaster.A controlled release of untreated water from the site and into Tampa Bay continues at a rate of 33-35 million gallons a day, and additional pumps were set to nearly double the capacity of water leaving the site by Monday morning. The Florida National Guard said two of its helicopters placed two pumps at a berm to help lower the pond water level.Water is also escaping the pond through an uncontrolled discharge that is draining north into Piney Point Creek, which connects through Cockroach Bay to Tampa Bay. As of Friday, that leak had a rate of about 40-50 gallons a minute, according to a pollution notice site owner HRK Holdings, LLC submitted to FDEP.Looking at the volume of the water that has been removed and the current stability of the current breach, I think the team is much more comfortable than we were yesterday, Hopes said Sunday. With the addition of the pumps ..., I think were going to be in an even better position. We are not out of the critical area yet.The complete collapse and full breach of the system are still possible, officials said. In that event, the leak would also spill some of the radioactive gypsum material sitting below the pond.As we have reported earlier, if there were to be a full breach, a section of the gypsum stack would be part of that breach, Hopes confirmed. The current expectation is that, should there be a full breach, it would be in the eastern or southeastern wall.Even if a full breach does occur, Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh assured residents that public drinking water would not be affected. Private wells in and around the evacuation are also thought to be safe.Well water is unaffected so long as the outfall continues to flow safely into Piney Creek, Baugh said. If a breach occurs, we believe that the surface layers of dirt and earth will safely filter any harmful nutrients near the surface. In addition, if an uncontrolled breach occurs, the Department of Health will issue any necessary advisories regarding the safety of the well water.DeSantis, who declared an emergency order for nearby counties Saturday, took an aerial tour of the site Sunday morning.Public health and safety is the top priority, DeSantis said. The goal is to ensure the integrity of the stack system as quickly as possible.The governor said the water leaking from the site is not radioactive.It is primarily saltwater from the Port Manatee dredge project mixed with legacy process water and stormwater runoff. The water was tested prior to discharge. The water meets water quality standards for marine waters with exception primarily of the phosphorous and the nitrogen.However, environmentalists have expressed some concern that the nutrient-rich water would contribute to a harmful algae bloom. Algae, which is a naturally occurring organism, feeds on nitrogen and can create large blooms that can harm marine life, human health and local tourism.Engineers are using drones to monitor the breach. Public Safety Director Jacob Saur explained that the drones are also capable of detecting structural integrity problems.There were no major changes at the site overnight, Saturday into Sunday, Saur said.It looks like it got a little larger, he said of the leak.Less than 300 million gallons remained in the leaking pond on Sunday afternoon.It looks like it got a little larger, he said of the leak.In addition to homes and warehouses, the Manatee County Jail is in the evacuation zone. Rather than evacuating, the Manatee County Sheriffs Office has placed sandbags at entrances and plans to move inmates to upper levels in case of a flood. The jails medical unit and all personnel had been moved to the second floor as of Sunday morning.Florida Department of Environmental Protection secretary Noah Valenstein called the disaster the last chapter for the site.Piney Point has a long story with many chapters to it, Valenstein told the Bradenton Herald in an interview. After this incident, and looking into the future, we will stay mobilized until this site is closed. Its our commitment to make sure this is the last chapter and last story about this site.The site, across from Manatees port, opened in 1966 to process phosphate, a key ingredient in fertilizer. It became inactive in 2001, but the site as been an environmental headache for decades. HRK Holdings acquired the Piney Point site in 2006.For years, officials have pointed to the amount of process water held on the site. That water is a chemical byproduct of phosphate mining, and it is filled with nitrogen, phosphorous and ammonia. Those nutrients can affect local water quality.But the leak discovered last month and the partial breach that followed has been the most serious problem at the site.On Sunday, Hopes said that once the crisis has been resolved, the ponds will likely be drained, filled and capped.The next update on Piney Point is expected to come during a news briefing with U.S. Rep Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, at 12:30 p.m. Monday.___2021 The Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Fla.) Visit bradenton.com. Distributed Bihar BSEB class 10th matric result 2021: Bihar School Examination Board, BSEB is all set to release the class 10th Bihar Board result 2021 at 3.30 pm on Monday, April 5. The BSEB will release the class 10th matric result 2021 on its official website, which is - biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in, biharboardonline.com. According to reports, Bihar Education Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary will announce the Bihar Board 10th Result 2021 at 3:30 pm today. Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary of Education Department will also be present at the event where the matric exam result will be announced. According to reports, at least 16.84 lakh students appeared for the Class 10 Bihar Board examination, which were conducted from January 20 to February 24 this year, across the state. The exams were conducted at 1525 exam centers in 38 different districts of the state. Of the total registered students, 8,37,803 were girls and 8,46,663 were boys. The board made the announcement regarding the same on its official Twitter handle on Sunday. Earlier last year, Bihar board matric results were announced in May. Once declared, students can check their results on the official site of BSEB: biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in biharboardonline.com In 2020, the class 10th matric result of BSEB was declared on May 26 amid the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 12 lakh candidates appeared for the examination and the overall pass percentage was 80.59 percent. The examinations were conducted from February 17 to 24, 2020. Launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy aims to double the creative industries GDP contribution to 5% of Dubais economy by 2025, from 2.6% at the end of 2020. The new strategy seeks to more than double the number of creative companies based in Dubai from 8,300 to 15,000 within the next five years, and more than double the number of creators based in the emirate, from 70,000 to 140,000, reported state news agency WAM. To achieve its goals, the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy includes upgrading the legal and investment environment needed to spur the growth and prosperity of creative industries in Dubai, to enhance the emirates attractiveness to creators, investors and entrepreneurs as well as local, and global investments in creative industries. This will contribute to transforming Dubai into a global capital for the creative economy, a direct translation of the forward-looking vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and an implementation of Dubai Plan 2021 which aspires to elevate Dubais leading role as a global hub in a variety of economic, financial, and business sectors. Dubai Plan 2021 provides a roadmap for the future of the emirate through a comprehensive perspective to ensure the creation of a happy society that fulfils the aspirations and dreams of its citizens and residents. The concept of a creative economy covers broad and varied fields including publishing, writing, audio-visual and print media such as cinema, music and video, as well as artistic and cultural industries, cultural heritage museums, historical sites, archives, major cultural events, libraries, and the software and videogame industry. It also includes design in all of its many variations, whether related to fashion, gaming, software, or architecture those industries where creative minds can produce new and exciting concepts. A Capital for the Creative Economy Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, in tweets posted on his Twitter account: "Today, we launch the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy with the aim of transforming the emirate into a preferred destination for creativity from across the world and a capital of the creative economy by 2025, in order to achieve our vision for a future economy based on knowledge and innovation." Sheikh Mohammed said that the rapid evolution of Dubai has been predicated on bold and creative ideas, adding: "We always welcome creative individuals and companies from all over the world, and we seek to provide a suitable environment for them to transform their dreams, aspirations and creativity into an added value and a sustainable economic resource." "The UAE is a global economic capital, and creativity is part of our economy and of our quality of life, and a major engine for the future of our country. He added that the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy is an integrated initiative that aims to develop the creative industries sustainably by rolling-out the requisite legislative, investment and technical frameworks to support and catalyse the vast and expanding creative community in Dubai. To ensure this, a number of flexible packages, incentives and advanced creative incubators will be provided to maintain pace with the rapid technological developments shaping the world. By harnessing the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), Dubai can enrich the creative industries ability to enhance its competitiveness in local and global markets. Support and Partnership The Dubai Creative Economy Strategy is being implemented under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), and supervised by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority in cooperation with a number of strategic partners, notably, the Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Municipality, Dubai Economy, and Wasl Asset Management Group, with the aim of achieving galvanising new levels of productivity from Dubais creative economy. A Stimulating Climate for Creativity The Dubai Creative Economy Strategy focuses on providing a suitable and stimulating climate for creatives to generate added economic value to their creativity, by integrating creativity with capital investment opportunities with distinguished returns, thus enhancing Dubais position as a global destination for culture and creativity, while also fortifying its role as a global engine of the worlds creative economy. It will also contribute significantly to diversifying and accelerating an economy based on knowledge, innovation and creativity. Strategic Objectives In addition to doubling the contribution of the creative industries to Dubais GDP, the main objectives of the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy include more than doubling the number of creative and culture companies and institutions operating in the field of creative industries from 8,300 currently to 15,000 companies and institutions by 2025. It is expected that this will lead to a doubling in the number of jobs provided by creative industries from 70,000 jobs currently to 140,000 jobs in the coming period. The driving philosophy of the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy stems from the emirates big goals and objectives of enhancing creative economic output and improving social cohesion by highlighting the unique national identity of the UAE by leveraging the innate cultural diversity of Emirati society which has always welcomed and fostered creative talents from all over the world. To further drive this philosophy, the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy will see the launch of an integrated zone for creative individuals in Dubai that provides the requisite components for developing a world-class creative sector in the emirate which enables and empowers talents to compete on the global stage. Additionally, it will include the launch of the Creative Economy Classification and Measurement Framework, a dynamic new tool that will allow Dubai to measure the scale and impact of its creative economy beyond GDP contribution. It will enable Dubai to take its "creative pulse". Early Awareness of the Importance of Creativity Though Dubai has long-realised the importance of the creative economy and its positive impact on the overall economy, the emirate has successfully formulated a new concept for creative entrepreneurship and has invested in establishing creative clusters to attract a multitude of companies and thousands of creatives from across the world, which has resulted in an increase in the sectors contribution to GPD. It has effectively unleashed the massive and promising potential they offer and enabled them to play a pivotal role in meeting the sustainable development goals (SGDs) outlined by the United Nations. Dubai began the process of the creative economy decades ago with the establishment of expansive and sophisticated creative complexes in various sectors such as Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Studio City and Dubai Design District, which saw the creative economy contribute 2.6% to Dubais GDP by the end of 2020. Unprecedented Transformations Globally, the creative economy is witnessing an unprecedented boom. Global revenues have reached a total of $2.25 trillion - representing 10% of global GDP in addition to creating 30 million jobs. There is enormous potential of this sector for the years ahead, and its at the epicentre of Dubais plans for building a resilient, agile and sustainable economy. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Supporters of boosting Indianas cigarette tax expressed frustration Friday with a decision by state Senate Republicans to drop any increase from their state budget proposal being released next week. The removal of the 50 cents-per-pack increase that was included in the House budget bill is the latest rejection of a cigarette tax hike by Republicans who dominate the Senate. For several years, they have blocked any increase of the current 99.5 cents-per-pack rate that was last raised in 2007. A coalition of health and business groups has pushed for a $2-per-pack increase, calling it a needed step toward driving down Indianas 21.1% smoking rate for adults, which was the fourth highest in the country for 2018, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Indiana Chamber of Commerce President Kevin Brinegar argued it boils down to the decision makers in the Senate majority caucus just are not looking at this from the right perspective. Brinegar said senators were weighing the tax increase on whether it was needed for the budget rather than using it to reduce smoking. The reason were advocating for this is to reduce our smoking rate because it has been demonstrated through study after study that raising the tax on tobacco products is the best way to reduce smoking rate, Brinegar said. Republican Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said Thursday that the cigarette tax increase was being stripped from the budget plan as it didnt have enough support among GOP senators. If we go with a tax like that and we very well may do that someday then we want to make sure that its going to really move the needle on some of the health parameters that we really need to move as far as the health of Hoosiers go, Bray said. And I guess I felt like, and a number of our caucus members felt like, that we probably werent quite there yet to do that. Bray said Senate Republicans support a new state tax on vaping liquids. Bray said it should be similar to taxes now charged on cigarettes but didnt give specifics. The 50 cents-per-pack increase was projected to raise about $150 million in tax revenue, while the House proposal of a 10% retail tax on electronic cigarette liquids was expected to raise about $5 million a year. That proposed cigarette tax increase had already been scaled back from the $1-per-pack hike endorsed by the House health committee. Bryan Hannon, an American Cancer Society lobbyist, said anti-smoking groups would continue to push for the cigarette tax increase even if it fails again this year. As weve said for many years, the cigarette tax is much more than a fiscal policy its the best, most impactful health policy lawmakers can support in the short term, Hannon said. A proposed tax on vaping products failed in the last days of the 2019 legislative session and Brinegar said the health and business groups may oppose the tax this year if it was too low. We may end up supporting that as a small step in the right direction, or if its not significant enough that we may end up spending our last three weeks fighting to oppose that, too, Brinegar said. The state chamber estimates that smoking costs Indiana employers $6.2 billion dollars a year in higher health care costs, absenteeism and lost productivity. Thats $6.2 billion a year that is just flushed down the toilet, Brinegar said. Its not there for wages, benefits, to pay for training to keep our workforce competitive, or for plant and machinery equipment upgrades that also keep our businesses competitive. SPRINGFIELD, Ore --- While many residents of the Patrician Mobile Home Park want to save the neighborhood by purchasing it themselves, some residents think it's a bad idea. RELATED: PATRICIAN SAVED? SPRINGFIELD RESIDENTS RAISE MONEY FOR MOBILE HOME PARK One concerned resident who asked to remain anonymous said when the neighborhood was rezoned in 2019, those who live there were told they would receive a year's notice if they would have to move. She also claims those who live in the neighborhood were promised a lump sum to assist with relocation fees. But now she's concerned that those who can't afford the increase in rent will get nothing. "We have been told our rent will increase at least $200. We're currently paying $750 space rent," one resident said. "There's people here that when that rent increases $200 will not be able to live here any longer, so not enough is being done to help those folks." Residents were granted an opportunity to join the cooperative leading the movement, but that agreement states they will be required to pay a membership fee by the end of June 2023. The agreement does not specify how much that membership fee will cost. Prison visits halted nationwide after COVID cluster found THAILAND: Prison visits have been banned nationwide for one month from today (Apr 5) to May 5 after 112 officials and inmates at the Narathiwat prison were reported to have been infected with COVID-19, Corrections Department director-general Aryut Sinthoppan said yesterday. CoronavirusCOVID-19healthSafety By Bangkok Post Monday 5 April 2021, 08:32AM The provincial prison in Narathiwat. Photo: Waedao Harai. Despite the one-month ban on visits, relatives can still seek permission to communicate with inmates via the LINE app, to buy goods and to deposit money for them. During this period, no inmates will be taken outside prisons for work, no inmates will be transferred between prisons and no outsiders will be allowed inside prison grounds. New inmates will be quarantined for 14-21 days. Hospitals contracted with the Corrections Department will send staff to test new inmates for COVID-19 at least twice before they leave quarantine. Six COVID cases reported in Surat Thani on Saturday were linked to the Narathiwat outbreak. Five inmates and a warder from Narathiwat had travelled to Surat Thani to attend an anti-drug event at a hotel in Muang district. When they fell ill on Friday, they were tested at a local hospital and the results were positive. All 143 prisons and correctional facilities throughout the country must strictly comply with this order, except in some cases which may require special approval, Mr Aryut said. As for the Narathiwat prison, Mr Aryut said he had issued an order to prohibit outsiders from entering and insiders from leaving the prison. Those who had been in close contact with people deemed high-risk had been quarantined. He said a field hospital had been set up at an old prison for those patients whose infections were asymtomatic or whose symptoms were not serious to isolate them. Additional swab testing for COVID-19 was being conducted on all those deemed at risk, said Mr Aryut. Attacking the BJP-led Centre over farm laws and other issues, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Monday accused it of "jeopardising" the basic structure of democracy by allegedly "encroaching upon" the rights of states. He castigated the Central government over its "one-sided decision" to impose the farm laws and the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) on the state's farming community. In the name of "so-called reforms", he alleged, the Centre was trying to destroy the existing relations and systems that had worked well for over 100 years. Punjab's farmers and arhtiyas (commission agents) have enjoyed age-old cordial ties among them, which the Centre was hell-bent on damaging", he alleged, terming the government's "tough posturing and ill-conceived" decisions on farm laws as being against the basic spirit of federalism. He said that during his earlier tenure, he enjoyed full confidence and support of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and subsequently of Manmohan Singh, in all major policy decisions/development issues related to Punjab, according to a government statement. He was speaking during the virtual launch of a two-day Kisan Mela organised by the Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. The chief minister expressed solidarity with the farmers against the "black" farm laws imposed by the Centre "in violation" of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution which clearly states that Agriculture is a state subject. "The Centre has deliberately impinged upon the state's power, thus jeopardizing the basic structure of democracy," he alleged. Singh stressed that the Centre should have taken the farmers into confidence before enactment of these legislations. "Had the Centre been sincere about finding a workable solution to this problem, it would have either consulted the government or the state's farmers as Punjab alone contributes over 40 per cent of foodgrain to the pool," he asserted. The CM said that Punjab initially not even a part of the deliberations on the agricultural reforms, and was rather included in the high-powered committee only after he wrote to the Centre. Resultantly, he added, the state's Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and the then Secretary Agriculture KS Pannu attended two meetings, but there was no mention of these controversial farm laws there, he added. Claiming that 144 farmers have died so far during their agitation, he said his government was giving Rs 5 lakh and a job to a kin of the deceased farmers, while the Centre continued to be "insensitive to their pain". Pointing to the growing problem of scarcity of surface as well as underground water, the CM urged the farmers to go for drip irrigation in a big way to save the state from becoming a "desert" in the near future. The fast-depleting water table is a major challenge for the state and the only solution is to get out of the paddy-wheat cycle to save this precious resource, he said. Talking about the COVID-19 situation, he asked people not to be complacent but to take all necessary precautions like wearing masks, regularly washing hands and maintaining social distancing, besides getting vaccinated if they are eligible. Though the situation in the state was alarming, he would "not allow it to become another Mumbai", he asserted. (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.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 5) A group of physicians on Monday said it has received reports that the supply of personal protective equipment for hospital staff treating COVID-19 patients is dwindling amid the surge in COVID-19 cases. Philippine College of Physicians Vice President Dr. Maricar Limpin, who works at government hospital Philippine Heart Center and private facility Mary Johnston Hospital, said they are concerned about the decreasing number of protective gear and the quality of some PPE that are available. "Meron pang available PPE, but of course, para sa amin nakikita namin na ang ibang PPE siguro sabihin na natin na hindi kami comfortable in really using kasi baka pati kami magkaroon ng infection," she told CNN Philippines. "Sa iba, I heard, na nauubusan na rin sila sa ibang hospitals. I hope mabigyan ng pansin ang PPE na ito." [Translation: There are still available PPE, but with some of them, we are not comfortable in using them because we may contract the infection. I also heard from others that they are running short of supply. I hope this issue can be given attention.] National Task Force Deputy Chief Implementer Secretary Vince Dizon has assured the national government will provide public hospitals with necessary supplies, including PPE. The shortage of PPE was a problem in the Philippines in the first few months of the pandemic back in 2020. Some hospital staff opted to wear garbage bags as improvised protective gear. Back then, hospitals relied on donations from private groups and individuals. RELATED: Medical group cites protective equipment lack for death of doctors DOH said there is enough supply of PPE. Samuel Johnson has revealed the heartbreaking words he would tell his late mother Merrill if she were still alive. The 43-year-old actor expressed the simple sentence he'd say to Merrill, who tragically took her own life when he was just three years old. '[I would say] I love you,' he told Woman's Day on Monday. Emotional: Former actor Samuel Johnson (pictured) has revealed the heartbreaking final words he'd tell his late mother 'I'd just give her a big hug and I'd have a million questions,' he added. It comes after the Gold Logie winner revealed the heartbreaking inspiration behind his new book, Dear Mum. Appearing on Wednesday's The Morning Show, the actor described the inspiration behind his book, which features a collection of letters from Australian celebrities to their own mothers. Heartbreaking: The 43-year-old former actor revealed he'd tell his late mum Merrill: 'I love you. I'd just give her a big hug and I'd have a million questions' 'It's a celebration of mums. As co-founder of [cancer charity] Love Your Sister, I represent about seven hundred thousands of mums in the breast-cancer space,' he told hosts Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur. 'I'm very passionate about repping our mums and I wanted to put together a fitting tribute, a homage, a celebration to all things mums,' explained Samuel. 'So I asked over 90 Australian notables to contribute letters to their mums for publication so I could use the proceeds to fund cancer research.' 'I wanted to put together a fitting tribute': It comes after the Gold Logie winner revealed the heartbreaking inspiration behind his new book, Dear Mum Samuel warned that Dear Mum isn't filled with 'fluffy Hallmark' tributes, but rather explores the complex relationships many people share with their mothers. The celebrity authors featured in Dear Mum include Patti Newton, Guy Pearce, Amanda Keller, Rebecca Gibney, Peter Helliar, Shane Jacobson and even The Morning Show's Larry Emdur. It also contains a poem written to Samuel by his late mother. She's the star who grabbed viewers attention in Netflix bodice-ripper Bridgerton. And now Sabrina Bartlett is stepping into the shoes of another small-screen favourite. She will play Mariette Larkin, the role that catapulted Catherine Zeta-Jones to stardom in The Darling Buds Of May. The beloved show is returning to our screens 28 years after the last episode was shown. Sabrina Bartlett (right) has been cast as Mariette in ITV's remake of The Darling Buds of May called The Larkins - the same role which catapulted Catherine Zeta Jones to stardom (left) The beloved show is returning to our screens 28 years after the last episode was shown and Sabrina (pictured right) is already showing similarities to Catherine Zeta-Jones (pictured left) Sabrina was born in 1991 the year the original TV adaptation of H.E Batess Darling Buds was first transmitted. Pictured: Catherine in 1001 Arabian Nights (left) and Sabrina Bartlett (right) Filming has just started on The Larkins, a new series for ITV starring Bradley Walsh as Pop Larkin and Joanna Scanlan as Ma. Sabrina, 29, must be wondering whether the role of daughter Mariette will boost her career as much as it did for Welsh actress Catherine, 51, who headed off to Hollywood, joined the A-list and is now an Oscar- and Tony-winning grande dame. She certainly matches her famous predecessor in the glamour stakes, as these pictures show. But it turns out that Sabrina shares much else in common with Zeta-Jones, from her dance background to her Welsh roots. Sabrina was born in 1991 the year that the original TV adaptation of H.E Batess Darling Buds was first transmitted. Her parents, Stephen and Sharon, are both artists and they and her older sister lived in Fulham, South-West London, before relocating to Hastings, East Sussex. Catherine (left) and Sabrina (right) both came into acting profession via a passion for dance Catherine Zeta-Jones (left) was born in Swansea and raised in a modest home while Sabrina Bartlett (right) lived in Fulham before her artist parents relocated to Hastings in East Sussex Darling Buds of May was (left) Catherine's first TV role while Sabrina (right) has had appearances on Poldark, Dr Who, Da Vincis Demons, Game Of Thrones and Knightfall On her fathers side, she has Welsh roots. There was also family scandal when an ancestor, Flora Wenyon, left her husband and children in the Orkneys and went to Calcutta, India, and then Australia with the local minister, the Rev Alex Morrison. Sabrina and Catherine both came into acting via a passion for dance. Sabrina says: My initial dream was actually to become a ballet dancer. It was through the story-telling aspect of dance that I discovered my love of acting. She went to renowned Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, where boarding fees reach 12,300 a term, later attending the Guildford School of Acting in Surrey. Catherine was born in Swansea and raised in a modest home. She started ballet when she attended an after-school dance academy from the age of four. By nine, she was playing in a West End production of Annie. She also went on to be a teen national tap-dancing champion before attending the Arts Educational Schools in London studying musical theatre. Aged 15, she joined a touring production of The Pajama Game. In 1996, Catherine (pictured left) moved to LA after meeting Michael Douglas. The couple married in 2000. Sabrina (pictured right) is now in a relationship with actor Tom Greaves Sabrina (pictured right) must be hoping her star shines just as brightly as Catherines (left) Sabrina was cast in Holby City and Midsomer Murders straight out of drama school, and then landed roles in World War I drama The Passing Bells and in Poldark. Roles in Dr Who, Da Vincis Demons, Game Of Thrones and Knightfall followed. Catherines big break came via a slightly less conventional route, when she was appointed the second understudy for the lead role in 42nd Street at the age of just 17. Both the star and first understudy were sick and a star was born. The Darling Buds Of May was her first TV role. David Jason, who played Pop Larkin, took her under his wing and advised her to work at keeping her eyes still in close-ups. She met then Blue Peter presenter John Leslie in 1991 at a party. They were together for 18 months. In 1996, she moved to LA after meeting Hollywood star Michael Douglas at a film festival and has never looked back. They married in 2000 and have a son, Dylan, 20, and daughter, Carys, 17. Sabrina, who is now in a relationship with actor Tom Greaves, must be hoping her star shines just as brightly as Catherines. We had recently reported that LG Electronics Inc. is considering shutting down its loss-making smartphone division around the world. Now, the South Korean manufacturer has officially confirmed that it is closing its mobile business unit after the decision was approved by its board of directors earlier today. According to LG, its strategic decision to exit the incredibly competitive mobile phone sector will allow the company to focus resources in growth areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, artificial intelligence and business-to-business solutions, as well as platforms and services. For those unaware, the news of LG quitting the smartphone market had started doing the rounds since January 2021. Back then, a company official had confirmed the news, saying how LG needed to make a cold judgment and the best choice, adding: The company is considering all possible measures including sale, withdrawal and downsizing of the smartphone business. LG mobile division has been suffering heavy losses ever since its launch in 2015. It has incurred losses of $4.5 billion over the past five to six years despite its strong presence in the phone industry. Also, the companys reported negotiation talks with Vietnams Vingroup and other various interested buyers about purchasing LGs smartphone business did not materialize into an agreement. LG will provide service support and software updates for customers of existing mobile products for a period of time which will vary by region. LG will work collaboratively with suppliers and business partners throughout the closure of the mobile phone business. Details related to employment will be determined at the local level, the company said in an official statement. Moving forward, LG will continue to leverage its mobile expertise and develop mobility-related technologies such as 6G to help further strengthen competitiveness in other business areas. Further, core technologies developed during the two decades of LGs mobile business operations will also be retained and applied to existing and future products. LG brands departure from the mobile space may be disappointing to some but were in an industry where pivoting and doing whats in the best interest of employees and shareholders is also critically important, LG head of global corporate communications Ken Hong told Engadget. As other beloved phone brands have demonstrated before us, its a numbers game, not a popularity contest. LG said that the process of phasing out its mobile phone business will be completed by July 31, 2021, although the inventory of some existing models may still be available after that. State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc takes the oath of office on April 5 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi Vietnam will continue to make new miracles on the foundation of the nations glorious tradition, turning the country into a prosperous and strong one, stated newly-elected State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc while taking the oath of office on April 5. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Politburo member in the 13th tenure and a deputy of the 14th legislature, was elected by the 14th National Assembly as State President for the 2016-2021 term on April 5 morning. Declaring his absolute loyalty to the Fatherland, the people and the Constitution, the new President pledged that he will do his best to fulfill his duties while coordinating closely with relevant agencies, and listening to peoples aspirations. He asserted that in the time to come, Vietnam will face opportunities and challenges at the same time, but he believes that under the leadership of the Party and with the mettle and brainpower of Vietnamese people as well as the strength of the national great unity bloc and support from international friends, Vietnam will overcome all difficulties and successfully fulfil targets set by the 13th National Party Congress. The President expressed warm sentiments and respect to soldiers and public security officers who are safeguarding peace for the people, and the border and islands of the country. He also thanked Governments, people and friends around the globe, underlining that we are always a good friend and trustworthy partner of all of you. Portland School Delays Vote on Changing Mascot to Tree Over Racism Concerns The adoption of a new mascot for a Portland, Oregon, high school has been delayed because officials believe using a tree could be connected to the history of lynching in the United States. Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School, which was recently renamed from Woodrow Wilson High School, is also in the process of changing its mascot to an Evergreen from a Trojan. Evergreens are characterized by the life-giving force of their foliage, the strength of their massive trunk, and the depth of their rootsin an individual tree and as a forest of trees, Ellen Whatmore, a teacher and mascot committee member at the school, read from a resolution during a March 30 meeting. They provide shelter and sustenance. They have histories that preclude us and will continue in perpetuity after we are no more. This symbolic choice is grounded in the spirit of Portland, and is representative of Ida B. Wells Barnetts legacy. There was loud and clear support across the school for the new choice, she said. The vote on the resolution was delayed, though, because Portland Public Schools Board of Education Director Michelle DePass was worried about trees being used for lynchings in the past. Ive heard from a couple of community members now about the idea of using a treewhich, of course, I mean, personally, I love evergreens, Im from Oregonbut using a tree thats used to lynch people in our mascot, if there was any consideration as to the imagery there, that weve all seen from people hanging from trees and using this mascot, she told the meeting. Because I think that, you know, everyone comes with blind spots. And I think that might have been a really, really big blind spot. That just wasnt considered, she added. Filip Hristic, the principal of the school, told board members that Wells-Barnetts family has been supportive of promoting the legacy of Wells, although he hadnt spoken to them about the mascot issue. Ida Wells has a very particular connection to Woodrow Wilson, which we thought was a wonderful counterpoint to the history that we were trying to both surface and move away from. And it was somebody who stood strong and stood proud against what Woodrow Wilson and many others, like him have promoted, he said. And so we felt like she was a very appropriate choice for us in response to his legacy. And in choosing the mascot, as we looked around our community to see what is most prominent, what is most reflective of where we are, evergreen seemed like an obvious choice. Hristic added that the last thing I would want is to inadvertently cause harm, or to in any way be associated with what she devoted her life to fight against, telling DePass that she was raising, clearly, an important question. Martin Osborne, another board member, responded by saying: The idea of symbolism and imagery in the United States history is fraught with different ways that it can be taken. So our choice of the evergreen had nothing to do with the horrible history of lynching in the United States. Lynching trees typically are not evergreens. We were looking at the symbolism more as a tree of life than a tree of death. And you could certainly take it either way, depending upon your position. DePass said she wanted the board to do our due diligence and implored her white colleagues to side with her in disrupting situations, practices that are racist. The vote on the resolution to adopt the evergreen as a mascot was ultimately delayed after members said they wanted to consult Wellss family members about the decision. Ida B. Wells Barnett devoted her life to stopping lynching as she described it as our national crime. And so it seems prudent, just to before we make this sort of long term, lasting decision, to just check in, since it wasnt considered as part of the earlier discussions. Thats what Id be most comfortable with, board member Julia Brim-Edwards said. 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. Katharine McPhee Foster made her triumphant return to American Idol on Sunday night to perform a moving duet with season 19 semifinalist Willie Spence. The 37-year-old season five runner-up and the 21-year-old caretaker teamed up to sing Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli's 1999 ballad The Prayer. It gave Katharine a chance to put her powerful soprano pipes to good use and showcase her slim 5ft8in figure six weeks after welcoming her first child. Back on Idol! Katharine McPhee Foster (L) made her triumphant return to American Idol on Sunday night to perform a moving duet with season 19 semifinalist Willie Spence (R) Soaring song: The 37-year-old season five runner-up (L) and the 21-year-old caretaker (R) teamed up to sing Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli's 1999 ballad The Prayer McPhee dedicated her performance to her TV producer father Daniel, who passed away in July 2018. And Spence dedicated his performance to his grandfather, who recently passed away due to the coronavirus. 'He loved [The Prayer]. I grew up listening to my mom sing the song,' Willie - who shed 180lbs off his 600lb frame prior to his audition - explained. 'I would've never though that I would lose my grandfather. This has really been one of the hardest times of my life. I'm going to always remember what you told me, "Never give up." And I will never give up. My grandfather still is my hero to this day, and I just know he's watching and smiling down.' In the spotlight: It gave Katharine a chance to put her powerful soprano pipes to good use and showcase her slim 5ft8in figure six weeks after welcoming her first child RIP: McPhee dedicated her performance to her TV producer father Daniel, who passed away in July 2018 'He loved [The Prayer]': And Spence dedicated his performance to his grandfather (R), who recently passed away due to the coronavirus Willie - who shed 180lbs off his 600lb frame prior to his audition - explained: 'My grandfather still is my hero to this day, and I just know he's watching and smiling down' The Florida-born, Georgia-raised crooner also belted Bette Midler's 1988 hit Wind Beneath My Wings, and revealed his goal to win a Grammy in the next five years. Judge Lionel Richie gushed that it was 'mesmerizing to watch' Spence and judge Luke Bryan said he could 'do no wrong in my eyes.' 'It was goosebumps central, everywhere. It really showcased your voice, and different levels... that you have within you,' judge Katy Perry said. Solo number: The Florida-born, Georgia-raised crooner also belted Bette Midler's 1988 hit Wind Beneath My Wings, and revealed his goal to win a Grammy in the next five years Besotted: Judge Lionel Richie (L) gushed that it was 'mesmerizing to watch' Spence and judge Luke Bryan (R) said he could 'do no wrong in my eyes' Judge Katy Perry said: 'It was goosebumps central, everywhere. It really showcased your voice, and different levels... that you have within you' 'I think, to win this, it's about song choice, and it's about those amazing classic songs that other powerhouses sing, and that show that you are also a powerhouse.' It was a full circle moment for the Country Comfort actress, who met Bocelli when he served as guest mentor alongside her future husband David Foster on the formerly Fox singing competition in 2006. 15 years later, Katharine and the Canadian 71-year-old are now proud parents of son Rennie David and they'll celebrate their second wedding anniversary on June 28. Taylor Hicks won that year: It was a full circle moment for the Country Comfort actress (3-L), who met Bocelli (2-L) when he served as guest mentor alongside her future husband David Foster (L) on the formerly Fox singing competition in 2006 The Russian special services use the term "Donbas" as an instrument of information warfare to artificially single out a region of Ukraine as a territory that seems to have special rights and status, which then gives grounds to justify the creation and existence of state pseudo-entities, according to Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov. "The term 'Donbas' has been purposefully used by the special services of the Russian Federation since 2000 and especially actively in the period of Russian aggression against Ukraine from 2014 to the present, as a tool of information warfare. The goal is to oppose and artificially single out a certain region of Ukraine as a territory that seems to have special rights and status, which gives grounds in the future to justify the creation and existence of state pseudo-entities," Danilov wrote on Facebook. According to him, even superficial monitoring of any Russian state news sites will give a complete picture and evidence of the place of "Donbas" in the Russian information agenda: "choice of Donbas," "violation of the rights of the people of Donbas," "conversation with Donbas," "people of Donbas," "Donbas militia," "Donbas authorities." "Therefore, using the term 'Donbas' today is constantly feeding Russian anti-Ukrainian narratives and playing to Russian propaganda," Danilov said, adding that geographical names have changed over the years, so the concept of "Donbas" cannot be considered "historically established" now. "In the case of the name 'Donbas,' we are dealing with a relatively new definition, which historically covered the territory of the Luhansk, Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as the regions of modern Russia, in particular, the Rostov region. Therefore, even taking into account this circumstance, applying the name 'Donbas' to part of the territory of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation is not correct," Danilov said. Danilov said on March 24 that it was necessary to avoid such a concept as "Donbas," which became a narrative imposed by the aggressor country. He stressed that the word "Donbas" cannot be found in any legal document of Ukraine. "This is a definition being imposed on us by the Russian Federation 'the people of Donbas,' 'the choice of Donbas', 'Donbas will not be brought to its knees.' We need to strictly adhere to our legal documents. [] There are clear names of the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. There is no Donbas. It is very dangerous when we start saying such things," Danilov said. op 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 A West L.A. photographer is among the winners of the prestigious Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest, for the photos he took documenting the Black Lives Matter protests across L.A. in the wake of George Floyd's murder. Matt Stasi said he could feel the urgency of the community coming through the lens as he captured the images on the streets last summer. "Everyone wanted justice for what was going on, what is going on," he said. "It was just powerful to see everyone coming together -- that was the one thing that really really stood out." Stasi recently won recognition for a black-and-white photo he captured of a Hollywood protester named Guy Peel, wearing a mask bearing the words, I can't breathe. "It was a raw nerve, so I was capturing a lot of anger, a lot of pain after hundreds of years of people being marginalized, and that's an understatement," Stasi said. A Black Lives Matter protest. (Matt Stasi) A Black Lives Matter protest. (Matt Stasi) A Black Lives Matter protest. (Matt Stasi) A Black Lives Matter protest. (Matt Stasi) Haiti - Social : Pope Francis prays for Haiti For the second time because of the pandemic, Pope Francis celebrated Easter Sunday in front of a symbolic audience who kept a safe distance. He called on the international community to establish a "common commitment" to overcome distribution delays and promote equitable distribution of these drugs, so that they also reach the poorest countries. He recalled that "at the present time, vaccines are an essential tool in this fight." Pope Francis prayed for Haiti during the Urbi et Orbi blessing after Easter Mass. He lamented the plight of those affected by war and other conflicts, citing Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world and which has been rocked by violent protests and political conflicts, including an alleged coup. Pope Francis urged Haitians "not to be overwhelmed by difficulties, but to look to the future with confidence and hope." "It is necessary that the poor of all kinds regain hope", declared Saint John Paul II during his trip to Haiti, reminded Francois. S/ HaitiLibre If youre thinking about signing up with Lexington Law to help repair your credit, youve come to the right place. The Lexington Law credit repair firm is one of the most well-known credit repair companies and has been serving clients since 2004. They boast over 56 million removals from their clients credit reports, which is more than any other credit repair firm can say. But is Lexington Law one of the best credit repair companies, or are there better options available? In this Lexington Law review, were going to share everything you need to know about this company to help you decide whether its the right fit for you. Company Background In 2004, the Lexington Law firm opened its practice, led by directing attorney-at-law John C. Heath. Based in North Salt Lake, Utah, with an additional office in Tucson, Ariz., Lexington Law now serves people from New Mexico to New Jersey and beyond. They do not currently serve Oregon and North Carolina. While Lexington Law offers credit repair services, the firm also provides related services such as identity protection and personal finance tools. How Does Lexington Law Work? The credit repair process at Lexington Law involves working with credit bureaus on your behalf to challenge inaccurate items on your credit report. Because the Fair Credit Reporting Act states that credit bureaus must record only verifiable and accurate information, the bureaus will need to remove any items that dont meet these criteria. After verifying all your credit report information, Lexington Law will work with your creditors to address simple fixes, mistakes, and incomplete information. While you could complete this process on your own, youll benefit from Lexington Laws working relationship with all three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Dont underestimate the value of having an ally who speaks their language. And lets be honest: Cease-and-desist letters definitely command more authority when a law firm sends them. Once those erroneous or misleading entries are removed from your credit report, your credit score should improve. As you can see, Lexington Law follows a legitimate process. It isnt a magic eraser for your debts. Ideally, youll come out of this experience equipped with the skills youll need to monitor your credit history and maintain a good credit score going forwardthat kind of financial literacy is invaluable. Click Here to Get a Free Credit Repair Consultation With Lexington Law What Type of Negative Items Can Lexington Law Help with? According to numbers on the Lexington Law website, the firm's clients saw over 1.5 million removals from their credit reports in 2019 alone. These items included inaccurate or misleading: Collections Late payments Charge-offs Judgments Bankruptcies Repossessions Foreclosures What Does Lexington Law NOT Provide? A negative item does not mean simply any item that contributes to bad credit. If you have actual credit card debt, legitimate inquiries, a pattern of late payments, or a series of charge-offs, no credit repair company will be able to get these items removed. Repairing a genuinely bad credit score requires changes to your financial habits and a lot of patience. If you maintain those new habits, the negative items will eventually age off your report. Lexington Law can only help ensure that your credit history is reported accurately and fairly. That said, the firm cant guarantee definitive results because everyones credit situation is different. If any items reappear on your report after Lexington Law has requested their accuracy be verified, that means your creditors determined them to be legitimate. How Much Does Lexington Law Cost? Lexington Law offers three service levels at different price points: Concord Standard For a monthly fee of $89.85, Lexington Law's basic plan provides all the credit repair services most people need. With the Concord Standard plan, Lexington Law will file bureau challenges and creditor interventions on your behalf. Concord Premier If you need more intensive credit assistance, the Concord Premier plan includes monthly analyses and ongoing credit monitoring for $109.95 per month. In addition to the credit repair services in Concord Standard, Concord Premier clients will receive: InquiryAssist Credit Score Analysis ReportWatch TransUnion Alerts Premier Plus At $129.95 per month, the most complete plan at Lexington Law provides all the tools you could need for credit repair and then some. If you want extra help planning your finances, Premier Plus could be the service level for you. Youll receive all the services that Concord Premier provides, as well as: Cease-and-Desist Letters Identity Theft Protection Services FICO Score Tracker Personal Finance Tools No matter which plan you choose, keep in mind that you wont pay anything until after the first stage of work has been completed. And if youre on a shoestring budget, you can take advantage of Lexington Laws family discount. When you sign up a household member within 72 hours of your original signup, each of you will receive 50 percent off the first work fee. Click Here to Get a Free Credit Repair Consultation With Lexington Law Pros Lexington Law has set the bar high for other credit repair firms in several ways, including: Experienced Legal Team Because the best credit pros are familiar with the law, Lexington Law is the firm you can trust. Unlike some credit repair organizations, Lexington Law's credit repair team actually consists of real attorneys and paralegals. With knowledgeable professionals at the helm, you can rest assured that they'll use the correct legal channels to help you work to repair your credit. Personalized Counseling Lexington Law assigns every client an account rep, usually a paralegal. Because the intimate details of your negative credit history are such a private matter, it's comforting to discuss your case with a familiar voice every time. Exceptional Customer Service While not quite a 24/7 helpline, Lexington Law offers a wide range of customer service availability, with time slots before and after regular business hours as well as on the weekends to accommodate your busy schedule. You can get in touch with an adviser via phone, email, or online chat. Extensive Educational Resources Lexington Law could simply perform its services without explanation, but instead, this savvy credit repair firm makes an effort to inform people about how credit works and how to repair it. Under the Credit Help tab on Lexington Laws website, youll find free, in-depth articles covering four main topics: Fixing Credit Improving Credit Building Credit Understanding Credit Armed with all of this knowledge, you can go into your free credit report consultation feeling more confident. Cons Although Lexington Law has earned its reputation as an effective credit repair firm, there is still room for improvement in some areas, detailed below. An Extra Credit Report Costs More If you want a monthly credit report, Lexington Law charges an extra $14.95 for each one when you choose the Concord Standard plan. That's a steep fee for a common aspect of the repair processespecially because the three credit bureaus provide free annual reports, and apps like Credit Karma will even show you your credit for free. Still, sticking with the basic plan will save you a few bucks every month even if you get a credit report each time. Better Business Bureau Rating Needs Improvement Surprisingly, Lexington Law is not accredited by the BBB and has a C rating. Most of the complaints involve people who thought the company guaranteed results, which the firmlike any legitimate law firmdoesn't promise because each credit situation is unique. To its credit, Lexington Law regularly responds to clients' posts on their BBB profile and other open forums, showing a willingness to address its customers' concerns. Lexington Laws credit repair services are also rated highly on Observer.com Besides, Lexington Law has garnered loads of positive reviews on other websites, including a score of 8.9 on BestCompany.com. So while it's helpful to learn what past and current customers have to say about a credit repair firm, you might want to take some of the more outrageous Lexington Law reviews with a grain of salt. Alternatives to Lexington Law Credit Saint Like Lexington Law, Credit Saint dates back to 2004. This New Jersey-based firm provides its credit repair service to residents of all states except Georgia, Kansas, and South Carolina. Credit Saint is known for its variety of affordable plans. For example, the bare-bones Polish plan would be a great fit for a client with only a few negative items. However, Credit Saint's first-work fees start at $99, which is a little higher than the industry standard. If you don't see any negative items removed from your credit history after two 45-day cycles, you can get a full refund. Plus, you can cancel your plan at any time at no extra cost. Click Here to Learn More About Credit Saint Sky Blue Credit Repair Sky Blue Credit Repair, in Boca Raton, Fla., operates in all 50 states. This firm provides services similar to those of Lexington Law. In addition, it offers goodwill letters, debt validation, and assistance negotiating with the credit bureaus. The credit professionals at Sky Blue claim to work at an exceptionally fast pace: an average of 15 inquiries every 35 days. Perhaps the most budget-friendly option in this list, Sky Blue offers low setup and monthly fees with no extra service charges. Furthermore, the company offers a free consultation, second-member and couples discounts, and a 90-day money-back guarantee. Click Here to Learn More About Sky Blue Credit Repair What to Expect After Signing up with Lexington Law Lets walk through the credit repair process at Lexington Law: 1. Within 24 to 48 hours of signing up, a credit consultant will contact you and introduce themselves as your personal representative. 2. Your credit consultant will ask for your details, which they need to analyze your reports and determine the best course of action. 3. After analyzing the credit reports, your representative will contact you to identify and explain each item they would like to challenge. 4. At this point, the consultant will send the appropriate correspondence to the creditors and reporting bureaus to start the process of removing inaccurate or misleading items from your credit report. The wait time will vary depending on your situation. 5. If you've purchased one of the Premier plans, you'll receive a credit score analysis once the challenges have been resolved. 6. Your representative will continue to follow up and escalate any remaining issues until a satisfactory conclusion is reached. If, for some reason, you aren't happy with your results from Lexington Law, you can cancel your case at any time: on the website, over the phone, or through email. Final Thoughts Is Lexington Law Legit? If you've set rebuilding your credit score as a priority for 2021, Lexington Law can definitely be a tool to consider to help you achieve your goal. As you've learned from our Lexington Law review, this is a legitimate law firm whose attorneys have the industry knowledge needed to help you sort out a tangled mess of a credit situation. Of course, no credit repair company can guarantee results, and Lexington Law certainly isn't an overnight solution. A repair program can take months to show progressif not longeralthough some people may start seeing cleaner credit reports much sooner. Just sit tight and remember that what you're doing is a step in the right direction. Repair your credit with the help of Lexington Law. Call: 844-838-3763 or visit the Lexington Law website to schedule your free consultation today! New Delhi : Reliance Industries ltd has jumped five places to rank as the world's third-biggest energy company behind Russian gas firm Gazrpom and German utility E.ON, according to Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings. State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) broke into the top 10 club, climbing to 7th position in the 2017 ranking, up from 14th rank in 2016. IOC has been steadily climbing the rankings -- it was placed at No. 66 in 2015. Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) was placed at 11th position in 2017 as against 20th in 2016. "While 14 Indian energy companies made it to the S&P Global Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings, they were one short of the tally held last year," Platts said in a statement. Reliance, the owner of world's biggest refinery complex, was ranked at 7th position in last year. Coal India Ltd, the world's largest coal producer, was the only Indian firm to have slipped in the ranking - 45 in 2017, down from 38 in last year. The other Indian firms in the ranking included Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (39), Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (48), Power Grid Corp (81) and GAIL India Ltd (106). Russia's Gazprom snagged the number 1 spot, ending US oil and gas giant ExxonMobil's 12-year reign at the top of thelist (ExxonMobil holding within the lead ten at 9th place). Among this year's biggest movers is E.ON, which climbed 112 places to 2nd place from 114th. South Korea's Korea Electric Power is ranked 4th, followed by China Petroleum & Chemical and Russia's PJSCLukoil. The annual Top 250, published by S&P Global Platts, ranks companies based on financial performance using four keymetrics: asset worth, revenues, profits, and return on invested capital. All companies on the list have assetsgreater than USD 5.5 billion. "Coal's troubles were especially acute in Asia, with China's production falling by 7.9 per cent or 140 million tons of oil-equivalent (mtoe), a record decline. Those headwinds translated into swings in this year's Platts rankings for coal interests," the statement said reasoning Coal Indias slip. Overall, thanks to the new entrants buoyed by utilities and pipelines, revenues of the Top 10 global energy companiessurged more than 30 per cent to USD 1.1 trillion from USD 830.2 billion in the 2016 rankings. Collectively, the world's top 10 companies posted combined profits of USD 63.7 billion last year, 14 per cent lower than the USD 74.3 billion posted the year before, it said. The Top 250 profit figures are adjusted for preferred dividends and exclude discontinued operations andextraordinary operations. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. BALTIMORE, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) announced today that San Francisco-based zero emission self-driving company Cruise will sponsor racecar driver Dan Parker in his Fall 2021 attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the "Fastest Speed for a Car Driven Blindfolded" as part of the Blind Driver Challenge. Parker, who lost his sight in March 2012, is aiming to reach speeds over 200.5 miles per hour, which is the current record held by Mike Newton of the United Kingdom. The collaboration is part of the acceleration of the NFB's Blind Driver Challenge an initiative that aims to call attention to the importance of breaking barriers in mobility and to demonstrate the incredible achievements of blind people. This year's Blind Driver Challenge builds on the inaugural event that launched ten years ago when Mark Riccobono, now President of the National Federation of the Blind, independently operated a modified Ford Escape hybrid on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Mr. Riccobono navigated the course's turns and steered the car around dynamic obstacles by following haptic prompts generated by input from the vehicle's GPS, cameras, and LIDAR sensors. Today, as autonomous vehicles offer the potential to unlock independence for millions of blind people, the Blind Driver Challenge showcases the opportunity to push the boundaries of what's possible by making history and by transforming everyday reality. "Our Daytona Blind Driver Challenge demonstration changed the perceptions of blindness held by society, including the perceptions that we ourselves held as blind people," said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. "It further demonstrated to the world that the expertise of the blind is critical to the development of nonvisual interfaces. We are now accelerating the challenge because the need for urgency in the development and implementation of accessibility in emerging technology is even greater. Dan Parker will take the demonstration of the capacity of blind drivers to a new level by driving faster than any blind person ever. We thank Cruise for its support of this demonstration and look forward to working with this innovative company and others on new technology that will ultimately transform the dreams of the blind for complete freedom of mobility into reality." "I am proud and honored to collaborate with the National Federation of the Blind and Cruise to bring the Guinness Book World record for fastest car driven 'blindfolded' home to America. Of course, for me the blindfold will not be necessary! My 2008 Corvette is a purpose built racecar and I designed every aspect of it. With the work of the Blind Driver Challenge, we will not only demonstrate that a blind person can drive a vehicle safely, but that we can do it at over 200 mph. Together we hope to inspire blind people and to demonstrate our capacity, make history by setting a new world record, and show the potential of new technology like self-driving cars to help blind people break barriers in everyday mobility." "The future of autonomous vehicles is making the world more accessible for blind drivers like Dan, who want to be able to get around in the world on their own terms," said Rob Grant, Cruise's Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Social Impact. "Transportation remains one of the areas where blind Americans face the greatest obstacles to participation, and Cruise's mission is to transform the problems in our current transportation system that aren't accessible or inclusive by creating new opportunities for all. We're excited to continue our important work with the National Federation of the Blind and support Dan Parker in this incredible feat to push the boundaries of what's possible." About the National Federation of the Blind The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the premier membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org. About Cruise: Founded and headquartered in San Francisco, Cruise's goal is to drive change by building the world's most advanced self-driving, all-electric, shared vehicles that safely connect people to the places, things, and experiences they care about. Cruise has partnered with NFB to conduct important research to inform our self-driving technology. CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) [email protected] SOURCE National Federation of the Blind Related Links http://www.nfb.org US President Biden this month has the opportunity to use honest and accurate terminology when describing the murder of over 1 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, the editorial of LA Times reported. "When the anniversary of the start of the massacre arrives, he can and should call it a genocide, a term that only one president Ronald Reagan has previously used in that context. And even then, Reagan made the reference as an aside in a proclamation about another atrocity, the Holocaust," LA Times noted. According to it, it is 'dumbfounding' that the definition of "genocide" in the context of what happened to the Armenians is becoming a subject of debate. "And it was bad, a crime against humanity whose pain resonates all the more through history because global governments have been slow to recognize it and some factions have intransigently refused to acknowledge the truth," they noted. According to the LA Times, the day of remembrance of the victims of the Armenian Genocide is celebrated annually on April 24. On this day in 1915, the authorities of the Ottoman Empire gathered hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in what is now Istanbul. Many were hanged in the street. Although the Armenians had faced severe oppression in the Ottoman Empire before, this execution marked the beginning of a campaign of much broader and more serious attacks and forced deportations. When it was over, the number of Armenians living in Turkey dropped from 2.1 million to 389,000. The deniers of the Armenian genocide, led by the Turkish government, argue that although Armenians, mostly Christians, did die in Turkey from violence and hunger before, during and after World War I, the same happened to Jews and Muslims. But this false equivalence revolves around the question of why they were killed. Victims of indiscriminate war are different from people persecuted on the basis of ethnicity. "Its factually correct that Armenians werent the only ones who perished in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, but that argument denies the truth. Its like countering the grotesque reality of the Nazis systematic effort to eradicate Jews the unforgivable crime against humanity that first earned the term genocide by arguing that it wasnt so bad because other people died, too. Thats offensively absurd. So why is whether to call the massacre of Armenians a genocide even an issue? Because the Turkish government has steadfastly refused to accept that its forebears in the Ottoman Empire committed genocide, a position unmoored from the factsand the overwhelming consensus of serious historians. The Turkish government may cling to this delusion, but the rest of the world does not, and should not, have to indulge it. And, in fact, many governments dont. More than two dozen have taken formal stances declaring the Armenian genocide. The issue has proved to be particularly thorny for the United States. Turkey has long been a military ally (its a fellow member of NATO), and the U.S. maintains a significant military presence at the Incirlik Air Base. But relations have frayed in recent years, propelled by Turkeys move toward better relations with Russia (which has been selling Turkey military equipment) and its attack on U.S.-backed forces in northern Syria. That broke the dam in Congress, which voted in 2019 to recognize the Armenian genocide. But Congress is not the White House, which determines U.S. foreign policy. President Obama had a golden opportunity to fulfill a campaign promise and drop the pretense in 2015, the centenary of the start of the Armenian genocide, but stopped short despite using the Armenian term for it, meds yeghern, and stating that beginning in 1915, the Armenian people of the Ottoman Empire were deported, massacred and marched to their deaths. Their culture and heritage in their ancient homeland were erased. Amid horrific violence that saw suffering on all sides, one and a half million Armenians perished. The Trump administration stuck with that position, too. That brings us to Biden, who arguably entered the Oval Office with the deepest and broadest understanding of U.S. foreign policy of any newly inaugurated president since George H.W. Bush. But he also has historically positioned himself as a moderate pragmatist. To be sure, foreign policy can be a multidimensional chess match in which the idea isnt necessarily to win, but to make sure your opponents lose. But here, whats important is the truth and an honest recognition of history. Biden needs to call the Armenian genocide by its name." Tel Aviv, April 5 : The Israeli Defence Ministry said the country's Air Force has received on a new intelligence aircraft that will provide the military with "unprecedented" reconnaissance capabilities. The so-called "Oron" airplane landed on Sunday in the Nevatim airbase after more than nine years of developments by the Defence Ministry, Air Force, Intelligence Directorate, Navy, and the Israel Aerospace Industries, Xinhua news agency quoted an official statement as saying. The "Oron" is based on the Gulfstream G550, a business jet manufactured by the US-based General Dynamics company. It is equipped with an advanced radar system and data processing algorithms based on advanced data science and artificial intelligence capabilities. These systems would enable the military to generate "an unprecedented depth and scope of intelligence in real-time, in any weather or visibility conditions, during routine operations and conflict", the statement read. Air Force Commander Amikam Norkin said in the statement that the aircraft will enable the air force "to further enhance its operational and intelligence superiority in the face of emerging threats and security challenges". According to Gen. Yaniv Rotem, head of the military research and development unit in the Defence Ministry, Onboard radar and other systems would stream real-time data to the intelligence units. Additionally, artificial intelligence technology would enable automated and efficient data processing. It "will produce actionable intelligence in real-time, enhancing the effectiveness of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) operational activities", he said. Church accuses London police of brutally exceeding their powers after shutting down service Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Police in Britain shut down a Good Friday service at a Roman Catholic church in London, claiming violation of COVID-19 rules, and threatened to impose a fine of $280 on each person sitting on the pews, according to media reports. Calling the gathering unlawful, police disrupted a Liturgy of the Lords Passion service at Christ the King Polish church in Balham, south London, on Friday evening, according to Sky News, which reported that one of the police officers can be seen in footage telling the congregation that such a gathering was unfortunately unlawful under the coronavirus regulations. You are not allowed to meet inside with this many people under law, the officer continued. At this moment in time, you need to go home. Failure to comply with this direction to leave and go to your home address ultimately could lead you to be fined 200 or, if you fail to give your details, to you being arrested. Its Good Friday, and I appreciate you would like to worship, but it is unlawful. Churches are allowed to hold services without any limit on the number of congregants during Englands lockdown, provided the congregation follows social distancing and wear masks, according to the U.K.s Independent newspaper. The newspaper quoted a spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police as saying, Officers attended and found a large number of people inside the church. Some people were not wearing masks and those present were clearly not socially distanced. We are particularly concerned about the risk of transmission of the Covid-19 virus as a result of large indoor gatherings at which people are not socially distanced and some are not wearing masks. As such, officers made the decision that it was not safe for that particular service to continue. Understanding the sensitivity of the situation, officers engaged with the priest outside the church and were invited inside to address the congregation. No fixed penalty notices were issued. However, the church refuted the police departments claims, saying in a statement that the faithful obeyed ... without objection when police ordered them to leave. We believe, however, that the police brutally exceeded their powers by issuing their warrant for no good reason, as all government requirements were met, the church said. The latest government guidelines of March 26, 2021, and the Episcopal Conference of England and Wales on the experience of Holy Week, clearly allow with all sanitary rules to be celebrated in places of worship with the participation of the faithful. We ask everyone to observe the current sanitary requirements in the Church and the space of social life, and to pray that such situations will not be repeated. Labour MP Rosena Allin-Khan called the incident distressing. Being of Polish heritage, I understand the sanctity of this day. No doubt this was deeply distressing, she was quoted as saying. I have spoken with the Metropolitan Police and am assured the police are working with the priest and the wider community on this matter, with church sessions having resumed today. State Dept. launches new Commission on Unalienable Rights; liberals voice opposition Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced this week the formation of a controversial State Department Commission on Unalienable Rights, which will help him define human rights as the definition has drifted through the years to accommodate abortion and LGBT rights. During a press conference Monday, Pompeo argued that the commissions creation comes at a time in which there is much confusion among nation-states and international institutions about their respective responsibilities concerning human rights. He said the new advisory committee, chaired by conservative Harvard Law School professor Mary Ann Glendon, will provide him with recommendations grounded in our nations founding principles and the principles of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its a sad commentary on our times that more than 70 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, gross violations continue throughout the world, sometimes even in the name of human rights, Pompeo said. International institutions designed and built to protect human rights have drifted from their original mission. As human rights claims have proliferated, some claims have come into tension with one another, provoking questions and clashes about which rights are entitled to gain respect. The State Department announced its intent to form the advisory committee in the Federal Register in May. The Federal Register post explained that the committees goal is to provide the secretary of state with fresh thinking about human rights discourse where such discourse has departed from our nation's founding principles of natural law and natural rights. I hope that the commission will revisit the most basic of questions: What does it mean to say or claim that something is, in fact, a human right? How do we know or how do we determine whether that claim that this or that is a human right, is it true, and therefore, ought it to be honored? Pompeo said. How can there be human rights, rights we possess not as privileges we are granted or even earn, but simply by virtue of our humanity belong to us? Is it, in fact, true, as our Declaration of Independence asserts, that as human beings, we all of us, every member of our human family are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights? Along with Glendon, the commission will have nine other members, including Islamic scholar Hamza Yusuf and former chair of the bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Katrina Lantos Swett. The formation of the commission was praised by USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin, the husband of Democrat West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin. She said in a statement that the new commission will lead to higher impact negotiations on behalf of the more than 70 percent of the worlds population that is currently suffering persecution or abuse. The new commission, however, does not come without criticism from those who fear it is an attempt to pull abortion and LGBT rights out from the international human rights umbrella. Amnesty International, a pro-abortion international human rights watchdog, railed against the commissions formation. The Trump Administration is trying to redefine human rights in what appears to be a shameful attempt to further hateful policies, the organization tweeted. Women's rights are human rights. LGBTQ rights are human rights. No Commission on Unalienable Rights will change that. Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Human Rights Program, called the commission an affront to universal human rights. It will no doubt be welcomed by social conservatives who for decades fought against LGBTQ rights, womens rights, affirmative action and economic justice, he wrote in a tweet. Democrat New York Rep. Elliott Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, voiced his concern with the commission. This commission risks undermining many international human-rights norms that the United States helped establish, including LGBTQI rights and other critical human-rights protections around the world, Engel said in a statement. Decades ago, Congress created an entire bureau in the State Department dedicated to defending and reporting on human rights and advising the Secretary and senior diplomats on human rights and democratic development. Now the Secretary wants to make an end run around established structures, expertise, and the law to give preference to discriminatory ideologies that would narrow protections for women, including on reproductive rights; for members of the LGBTQI community; and for other minority groups. Engel also explained that Pompeo and his staff provided little information on the commission despite repeated requests. Engel said the agency responded vaguely only at the 11th hour. Thats why I cosponsored a measure that recently passed the House to prohibit funding for this bizarre effort, Engel stated. Meanwhile, USCIRF Chairman Tony Perkins, a well-known Christian conservative activist and head of the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group Family Research Council, called the commissions formation a meaningful step in advancing human rights around the world. In his statement shared through FRC, Perkins argued that the international consensus on human rights has been eroded for decades as human rights abusers like China, Iran and Cuba have wormed their way onto 'human rights commissions' in their search for international legitimacy. The world's worst actors have used international platforms to shape policy on an issue of dignity that they neither value nor practice, Perkins contended. Other special interest groups have sought to expand the definition of a 'human right' to include virtually anything. If everything is a human right then the term begins to have little meaning. Perkins stressed that the commission will help further the protection of religious freedom, which he said is the foundation for all other human rights. Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, has published a proposed National Data and Cloud Policy, setting out governments plan to consolidate its disparate network assets and cloud computing capabilities. The Data and Cloud Policy seeks to strengthen the capacity of the State to deliver services to its citizens, ensure informed policy development based on data analytics, as well as promote South Africas data sovereignty and the security thereof, the draft policy states. The envisaged overall policy framework on data and cloud must be biased towards open standards and open systems, including open source frameworks rather than closed and exclusive systems. High on the agenda is a strategy to merge the existing networks of state-owned enterprises such as Sentech and Broadband Infraco to form a State Digital Infrastructure Company (SDIC). The SDIC will form the foundation of network connectivity for governments cloud computing and data sovereignty ambitions. The SDIC will have access to the excess capacity of government-funded ICT infrastructure, says the proposed policy. This includes the telecommunications networks of Eskom, SANRAL, Transnet, PRASA, and SANREN. Cloud computing, high performance computing The policy proposal also states that a High-Performance Computing and Data Processing Centre (HPCDPC) should be established, which will include cloud computing capacity. This HPCDPC will consolidate existing public funded data centres. The HPCDPC will leverage the existing computing capacity and technical capabilities of the CSIR and SITA, and will operate in conformance with international best practice, the draft policy states. The HPCDPC shall have access to the excess capacity of public funded data centres of entities such as Sentech and Broadband Infraco, Eskom and Transnet. According to the policy, the HPCDPC will provide cloud services for state entities, national departments, provinces, municipalities, metros, SOEs, universities, research centres, civil society organisations, and businesses registered in South Africa. The connectivity and interconnection of the HPCDPC to all other public data centres will be provided by the SDIC. The HPCDPC shall be replicated with two similar centres to ensure the availability of backup and business continuity in instances where the main centre comes under cyberattack, the policy proposal states. The draft policy also makes the following additional proposals: SITA will drive the adoption of digital government services. Digital/ICT Special Economic Zones will be established to support local and foreign investment in data and cloud infrastructure and services. Multinational firms investing in data centres will be required to make provision for skills and digital technology transfer to ensure benefits and gains from foreign direct investment. Data centres may make provision for self-generation energy capabilities to ensure uninterrupted and sustainable operations while reducing total dependence on the strained national electricity grid. SITA must adopt strategies and interventions such as digital hubs and digital transformation centres, supported by open compute and open software to support small, medium, and micro enterprises and the digital economy through enabling locally developed applications. Investment in data centres and cloud services shall comply with the provisions of broad-based black economic empowerment. Talk of merging Sentech and Broadband Infraco dates back ten years and plans to consolidate the two state-owned enterprises resurface every few years. Those interested in commenting on governments proposed National Data and Cloud Policy have 30 working days from 1 April to do so. She was recently locked in a war of words with Clelia Theodorou during Sunday's dramatic episode of The One Way Is Essex. And Amber Turner was putting the recent tension behind her as she posed for a series of sizzling snaps on Monday. The reality star, 27, displayed her jaw-dropping figure as she donned a blue and white patterned bikini top and a matching long-sleeved sheer mini dress. Wow: Amber Turner looked nothing short of sensational as she posed for a series of sizzling snaps on Monday The skintight garment highlighted Amber's toned midriff while she styled her blonde locks into loose waves for the snap. Showing off her sun-kissed tan, the TOWIE star completed her look with a gold necklace. Amber captioned the post: 'People will always talk, so give them something to talk about..'. It comes after Clelia labelled Amber a 'rude b****h' in a heated argument during Sunday night's installment of The Only Way Is Essex. Pose: The reality star, 27, displayed her jaw-dropping figure as she donned a blue and white patterned bikini top and a matching long-sleeved sheer mini dress The pair came to blows in front of their co-stars when they started shouting at each other during the Easter egg hunt party before Clelia stormed off. Clelia had went to get drinks for herself, Chloe Meadows and Courtney Green and was disappointed to see Amber had arrived to the bash when she returned. The pair have never seen eye to eye ever since Amber's boyfriend Dan dated Clelia while he and Amber were briefly separated. Drama: Clelia Theodorou labelled Amber a 'rude b****h' in a heated argument during Sunday night's installment of The Only Way Is Essex They most recently had a screaming match in the middle of the street with Nicole Bass after Nicole accused Amber of being 'horrible' to Yazmin Oukhellou and making her cry during their trip to Marbella. Speaking to Chloe and Courtney, Clelia said: 'I said to you girls before you had good intentions. I don't want to be civil with Amber.' Turning to Amber, she added: 'The last time I saw you you had the cheek to put your hand in my face, pretending you couldn't remember my name. What have I ever done to you?' War of words: The pair came to blows in front of their co-stars when they started shouting at each other during the Easter egg hunt party before Clelia stormed off Amber replied: 'When you moved to Essex, you didn't have any friends.' Unimpressed, Clelia said: 'Excuse me?' 'You didn't have anyone in the group,' Amber said. 'Well I had friends but I didn't need to be in your group,' Clelia replied. Amber explained: 'My friends were really nice to you. You had the cheek to go away with another one of your friends and be really nasty, being really b****y. Clelia told Amber: 'The last time I saw you you had the cheek to put your hand in my face, pretending you couldn't remember my name. What have I ever done to you?' Confused, Clelia asked: 'What are you talking about?' Amber said: 'Marbella, right or wrong? I know that was a long time ago but I saw a side of you I didn't like. 'You then got involved in the whole Nicole thing which wasn't anything to do with you. Standing in the middle of the street, screaming and shouting at me.' Defiant, Clelia shot back: 'Screaming at you? Are you joking Amber? I wasn't screaming at you.' 'We're never going to be friends,' Amber said. Amber said: 'My friends were really nice to you. You had the cheek to go away with another one of your friends and be really nasty, being really b****y' Becoming angrier by the minute, Clelia fumed: 'We're never going to be friends because you're a nasty rude girl. You talk to people like they're a piece of s**t on your shoe.' Amber replied: 'I can do what I want because I'm Amber Turner,' to which Clelia started laughing. She said: 'You're a rude bitch Amber, that's what you are.' Amber replied: 'You look silly being like this right now, you look really silly. Clelia said: 'You are the reason there's a divide in the group,' before she stormed off. Clelia fumed: 'We're never going to be friends because you're a nasty rude girl. You talk to people like they're a piece of s**t on your shoe' The argument divided viewers of the series, with some siding with Clelia while others felt Amber was justified in what she said. One user wrote: '"Because I'm Amber Turner"... I'm embarrassed on her behalf.' Another said: 'Amber is 100 per cent right, Clelia needs to pipe down.' Another user added: 'I love the energy from Amber,' while one viewer disagreed, saying: 'I am so happy Clelia just laughed in Amber's face for that.' During the previous argument in the street, Nicole had told Amber she is 'boring' which is why her boyfriend Dan Edgar, 30, has previously been drawn to co-stars Chloe Sims and Clelia. Reaction: The argument divided viewers of the series, with some siding with Clelia while others felt Amber was justified in what she said Amber was quick to hit back at Nicole and Clelia, who was also present during the dramatic row, as she told them: 'You two have no personality combined, a plank of wood is more exciting!' Referring to their awkward evening at the spa, Chloe Meadows said: 'You were rude to us, we would have been fine with you. And now you've put Yaz in a really horrible position.' However Clelia hit back: 'She hasn't put her in a horrible position, Yazmin put her in one! She calls her and complains about you guys all the time.' Chloe jumped in and questioned: 'As her friend why are you bringing that up and using it against her?' Keen to address a wider issue, Amber said: 'For me there's underlying problems, I don't know if you're jealous that me and Yaz are friends because me Dan, Yaz and Lockie do a lot together. So I can understand why you'd get a bit p****d off about that?' Boiling point: Amber and Clelia previously a screaming match in the middle of the street with Nicole Bass after Nicole accused Amber of being 'horrible' to Yazmin Oukhellou Unimpressed, Clelia said: 'Drop pulling the jealously thing Amber thing please! Don't say that. Amber, who do you think you are right now? F***ing unbelievable this girl.' Nicole insisted: 'I have absolutely no reason to be jealous of you!' However Amber seemed unsure and said: 'You seem to be, that's the only thing that's come across. We were never friends.' Reaching boiling point, Nicole said: 'Yeah but you're horrible to Yazmin all the time! You s**g her off and then go on holiday and then make the f**king girl cry. So she's ringing me up!' Amber appeared confused and questioned: 'Cry!?' Savage: Amber was quick to hit back at Nicole and Clelia as she told them: 'You two have no personality combined, a plank of wood is more exciting!' Nicole exclaimed: 'Mate you don't have a clue about anything.' Amber replied: 'Nothing is ever going to change, we're never going to be friends, we never have been. You sit there with your mates talking about me.' Nicole snapped: 'You talk about everybody!' While Amber said: 'You have the cheek to talk about my personality, you two have no personality combined, a plank of wood is more exciting.' A shocked Clelia jumped in and said: 'Are you talking about me! Bye. Have fun. Be a b***h to everyone like you always are.' During time apart from Amber, Dan dated Clelia in 2018 during the same time she joined the ITVBe reality show. Dan also enjoyed a romance with their co-star Chloe Sims in 2019 during a cast trip to Thailand before rekindling with Amber. The Only Way Is Essex airs on ITVBe on Sundays at 9pm. New Delhi: A few minutes are left for the Bihar Board 10th Class Result to come out as the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) is going to release the results shortly. The results will be released for the Class 10 examination that was held between February 17 and March 10 where over 16.8 lakh people took the exam. The result will be released on BSEB's official website biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in. Know how to check BSEB Bihar Board 10th Result 2021: 1. Visit the official websites of Bihar Board - biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in, bsebonline.in or biharboardonline.com 2. Go to the result sections on the homepage 3. Click on the Bihar Board 10th Result 2021 link 4. Enter the credentials required to log in 5. Check and download Bihar Board 10th Result 2021 6. Save it for future reference Marcel Mihulka and his family chose to live near Shell House the skyscraper on the corner of Flinders and Spring streets in part because of the heritage listing stopping redevelopment of one of Melbournes most decorated pieces of architecture. But the heritage listing for the 28-level tower, designed by world-renowned architect Harry Seidler, will be set aside if an application before authorities is successful. Marcel Mihulka on the plaza where Shell Houses owners want to build a second skyscraper. Credit:Jason South The towers owners, the Besen and Roth families, want to dig up its rear plaza in Flinders Lane and build a 33-storey tower, standing apart from Shell House but linked via a sky bridge at the 15th level. If they can do that to this building, whats next? Why have heritage laws if they can just plonk this tower here? said Mr Mihulka, whose property is not overly affected by the plan but who is angered by what he sees as its brazen nature. New Delhi: Anamika Rathore is set to go on a spiritual path of renunciation, two days after her husband Sumit Rathore became a Jain monk, renouncing property worth Rs 100 crore and their three-year-old daughter, Ibhya. Sumit, a businessman who had returned to Neemuch to manage the family business after completing a diploma in import-export management from a college in London announced his decision to adopt monkhood on August 22, and Anamika who will now be known as Sadhvi Anakaar followed suit. Akhil Bharatiya Sadhumargi Jain Shravak Sangh Neemuch district in-charge Sandeep Khabia said the function was held in Surat under Acharya Ramlal Ji Maharaj, the same guru who had initiated her husband to monkhood. Read more: Honeypreet Insan moves Delhi High Court seeking anticipatory bail The pair, who is likely one of the youngest to renounce worldly life and take up sanyas, faced major opposition from various quarters mainly becuase of their daughter. Anamikas father, Ashok Chandaliya, former Neemuch district president of the BJP, has come forward to take care of his granddaughter, as he made peace with the decision of his daughter and son-in-law. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. President Joe Biden's administration is ramping efforts to address food insecurity and hunger. They authorized the largest children's summer feeding program in history, The New York Times said. The administration also expanded SNAP benefits and resources for children. See more stories on Insider's business page. President Joe Biden's administration is rapidly increasing aid to ramp up their efforts to address the hunger crisis in America, The New York Times reported. In January, Biden signed executive orders to help families get the food that they need. He asked the Department of Agriculture and Congress to consider expanding and extending federal nutrition assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer which help children get meals they missed by being out of school. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 22 million adults - 11 percent of all adults in the country - struggled to obtain the food they needed in the past week, including one in six households with children. The Times reported that the administration has so far authorized the largest children's summer feeding program in history, giving over $1 billion a month in increased food stamps and needy kids $1 a day for snacks. It also expanded a produce allowance for pregnant women and children. "We haven't seen an expansion of food assistance of this magnitude since the founding of the modern food stamp program in 1977," James P. Ziliak, an economist at the University of Kentucky who studies nutrition programs, told the Times. "It's a profound change." The pandemic has financially impacted millions of families, with many needing to rely on food banks with long lines and demands they were unable to always meet. Dakota Kirby, 29, a single mother of two kids who lost her job at the start of the pandemic, told The Times she was struggling to make her $509 a month in food stamps last past three weeks and would have to ration her food to ensure her kids are fed. Story continues The new measures have since given her family $930 a month from three support programs, or $10 a day for each person. "That's a big old jump!" she said, surprised at the news. "It will help tremendously." Have a news tip? Contact this reporter at salarshani@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider Jordanian authorities said Sunday they foiled a malicious plot by a former crown prince to destabilise the kingdom with foreign support, contradicting the senior royal's claims that he was being punished for speaking out against corruption and incompetence. Faced with rival narratives, the United States and Arab governments quickly sided with Jordan's King Abdullah II, reflecting the country's strategic importance in a turbulent region. Domestically, Prince Hamzah's unprecedented criticism of the ruling class without naming the king could lend support to growing complaints about poor governance and human rights abuses in At the same time, the king's tough reaction -- placing his popular half-brother under house arrest and accusing him of serious crimes -- illustrated the limits on public dissent he is willing to tolerate. The kingdom's stability and security transcend everything, said Ayman Safadi, Jordan's foreign minister and deputy prime minister, as he accused Hamzah and two senior Jordanian officials of conspiring with foreign elements to destabilise the kingdom. The plot is totally contained. Yet Safadi's news conference Sunday did little to address questions surrounding the weekend's dramatic events. In the night from Saturday to Sunday, Hamzah had announced in a secretly recorded video leaked to the media that he had been placed under house arrest. Hamzah's mother, Noor, weighed in on Twitter, writing Sunday: Praying that truth and justice will prevail for all the innocent victims of this wicked slander. God bless and keep them safe." Abdullah and Hamzah are both sons of the late King Hussein, who remains a beloved figure two decades after his death. Upon ascending to the throne in 1999, Abdullah named Hamzah as crown prince, only to revoke the title five years later. While the two are said to have generally good relations, Hamzah has at times spoken out against government policies, and more recently had forged ties with powerful tribal leaders in a move seen as a threat to the king. In his video, Hamzah, 41, accused Jordan's ruling class of corruption and stifling freedom of expression. I'm not part of any conspiracy or nefarious organization or foreign-backed group, as is always the claim here for anyone who speaks out, he said. He said his love for the country is seen as a crime worthy of isolation, threats and now being cut off. Hamzah is a popular figure in Jordan, widely seen as pious and modest. But in his televised address, Safadi painted a far different picture, accusing the prince of engaging in a secret plot that would have harmed national security had it not been foiled at the last minute. When they (security services) intercepted certain communications speaking about a zero hour, then it was clear that they (the alleged plotters) moved from designs and planning to action, Safadi said. As a result, it was necessary for the security and intelligence apparatuses to move to throttle at birth this malicious plot. Safadi did not provide specifics on the alleged plot or say what other countries were purported to have been involved. But he said that some 14 to 16 associates of Hamzah had been arrested, in addition to two former senior officials, Bassem Awadallah and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal family. Awadallah is a former Cabinet minister and one-time head of the royal court. Safadi said Hamzah was warned Saturday by the country's military chief to halt his activities but rejected the request. He claimed the prince recorded the conversations, passed them to foreign sources and issued his video message in an attempt to distort facts and to gain sympathy domestically and internationally. He said the prince's activities amounted to incitement and efforts to mobilize citizens against the state. Safadi accused Awadallah, now a prominent businessman in the Gulf, of handling the contacts with foreigners. He also claimed an individual with links to foreign intelligence services had offered services to Hamzah's wife on Saturday afternoon to try to get her out of the country. The Jordanian news site Amoon identified the individual as an Israeli named Roy Shaposhnik. In a statement to the AP, Shaposhnik identified himself as a former Israeli businessman living in Europe, and a close friend of Hamzah's, but denied ever being an intelligence agent. He said he offered to host Hamzah's wife and children after hearing about the prince's predicament. The offer, he said, was based on the strong personal friendship between their families. Safadi declined to say whether the prince would be charged with a crime, saying only there were attempts to resolve the matter amicably. Such public clashes between the highest ranks of the long-ruling family are unheard of, and any signs of instability in could raise concerns throughout the region. The United States swiftly announced its full support for Abdullah. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait all expressed solidarity with the king. Labib Kamhawi, a Jordanian political analyst, said the strong support for Abdullah reflected his generally good relations across the region as well as a concern that similar troubles could strike other countries. None of the leaders in the region would like to see havoc hitting any regime, Kamhawi said. It could be contagious. (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.) Shares of Reliance Industries fell 1.5 per cent in opening trade on Monday, in line with BSE Sensex which was down 1 per cent. Reliance Industries shares were under stress after the oil-to-chemical major announced that it had received nod for the demerger of its oil-to-chemicals (O2C) business into a wholly-owned subsidiary. Reliance Industries share price declined as much as 1.53 per cent lower at Rs 1990.70 apiece in early deals on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday. The stock opened marginally higher at Rs 2,025 against previous closing price of Rs 2,021.70 on the BSE. In a similar trend, RIL shares were quoting at Rs 2,007.05, down 0.73 per cent, against previous close price of Rs 2,021.85. The country's most valued stock hit a high and low of Rs 2,025 and Rs 2,000.05, respectively. The Mukesh Ambani-led company in an exchange filing on Friday said it has received approval of its shareholders and creditors for O2C business spin-off in the meeting of the equity shareholders, lenders and unsecured creditors of the company, which was done as per the order of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Mumbai. The company said that 99.99 per cent of shareholders, who participated in the meeting held through video conferencing, voted in favour of the resolution. While 100 per cent of the secured creditors voted in favour of the resolution, 99.99 per cent of unsecured creditors cast their vote in favour of the resolution. "Scheme of Arrangement between Reliance Industries Limited (Transferor Company) and its shareholders and creditors and Reliance O2C Limited (Transferee Company) and its shareholders and creditors was placed before" equity shareholders, secured and unsecured creditors for consideration and approval, RIL said in the regulatory filing. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was trading at 49,616.51, down by 413.32 points or by 0.83 per cent, and the NSE Nifty was quoting at 14,760.95, down by 106.4 points or by 0.72 per cent. Share Market LIVE Updates: Sensex down 400 pts, Nifty below 14,800; Bajaj twins, IndusInd Bank top losers Reliance gets shareholders, creditors approval to hive off O2C biz into separate unit ROME - In one Italian diocese, three priests contracted the coronavirus in the days leading up to Easter, forcing another 10 clerics to isolate. In another diocese, an infection has pushed 15 priests into isolation. At a parish 20 miles southeast of Rome, both of the priests got sick, forcing the cancellation of days of proceedings, including Easter Mass. "There will be no celebration," one parishioner said, in an audio message sent to the community. This was supposed to be the point when Europe had beaten back the virus, allowing a return to semi-normalcy for Catholicism's holiest week. But Italy, like much of Europe, is still besieged by infections, and the Easter mood this year feels nowhere near celebratory. Whether through lockdowns, sickness or canceled church ceremonies, the pandemic is still finding ways to interfere. "There is a psychological sense of tiredness," said Bishop Domenico Pompili, who needed to scramble to reorganize Masses because of infected clerics. "We never could have imagined such a perennial state of uncertainty." For Catholics across the world, this is the second Easter taking place amid the pandemic. And while the endpoint is emerging in a few countries, like the United States, that have raced ahead with vaccinations, the picture is different in Europe, where the rollout has been dismally slow, and half the continent's nations are in some form of lockdown. That has made this strange Easter perhaps even harder to stomach than the last one. While the collective sense of fear has diminished, people are contending instead with disillusionment, economic pain and continued isolation. Restrictions aren't nearly as strict as those a year ago - in part because people know more about what behaviors are riskiest - but holidays still come with a laundry list of confusing rules. In Italy, two adults can visit family or friends; three cannot. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel, noting the surge in infections, said Easter this year should be "quiet." In Paris, thousands of officers were deployed to enforce new restrictions, including a ban on movement of more than six miles from home. "People are so tired," Beatrice Paparo, 28, said on the streets of Rome, where people this weekend were lining up for rapid tests in preparation to see relatives - provided they live in the same region. But Paparo's parents live in another region, and domestic border-crossing is still banned. "So we'll be alone," said Paparo, who was planning a meal with her boyfriend. "For a second year." "This year, at least we can walk around" the city, her boyfriend, Lorenzo Piscitelli, 29, said. "But we'll still be separated." At the Vatican, where Pope Francis normally delivers his Easter address to a teeming crowd of pilgrims, the pontiff instead spoke inside St. Peter's Basilica, to a much smaller, socially distanced crowd. "The Easter message does not offer us a mirage or reveal a magic formula," the pope said. "It does not point to an escape from the difficult situation we are experiencing. The pandemic is still spreading, while the social and economic crisis remains severe." He called vaccines "an essential tool in this fight," and urged nations "to commit to overcoming delays in the distribution of vaccines and to facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries." Churches across Italy were open for Easter Sunday - one difference from last year - but now that a deadlier and more transmissible variant has gained dominance across the continent, risks remain high. The European Union's death rate is now more than twice as high as that of the United States. In Italy, the number of patients in intensive care beds is higher than when the country began its vaccine rollout three months ago. And the toll has taken many forms. In Saturday's La Repubblica newspaper, a front-page headline mentioned that Easter-related consumption was down 40 percent, compared to 2019. Another major newspaper, La Stampa, showed video of food bank lines, winding down the block in Milan. "We all have experienced frailty. This is a fact," said Father Gabriele Cimarelli, a missionary priest in the city of Parma. The community of Xaverian missionaries where Cimarelli lives was particularly devastated. Last year, during the initial wave, 18 members - some one-third of the religious community - was killed. Cimarelli got sick and survived, but only after experiencing oxygen deprivation and delirium. This year, shortly before Easter, Cimarelli said, the surviving missionaries held a memorial Mass. Their intention had been to invite family members of the dead, but coronavirus restrictions made it impossible. "It's not allowed for people from other regions and towns to come here," Cimarelli said. "So, it was a partial commemoration." He said Easter, with its message of renewal, made him feel a little hope. He'd been vaccinated - as had the other survivors. "We need to look to the future," Cimarelli said. "But we won't be as we used to." CBS asked a lot of softball questions of Joe Biden's ne'er-do-well son, Hunter, who was shilling a book for which he got a $2-million advance, and Hunter himself whitewashed all the important matters around the hard questions of his alleged tax evasion, multimillion-dollar no-show jobs with the Chinese and Ukrainian oligarchs, and cashy relationship with "the Big Guy." But one thing came out in his skeezy memoirs and the information since was that he's a chip off the old block. Like old Pop, Hunter was reportedly "doing" his brother's wife, an accusation made today by the wife he shucked. According to MEAWW, citing the Daily Mail: President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, has time and again stressed the fact that he had a brief affair with his brother Beau's widow, Hallie, after her husband died. However, emails sent by Hunter's ex-wife, Kathleen Biden, appear to prove that the timeline mentioned by him might not have been entirely accurate after all. After Hunter's new memoir, 'Beautiful Things,' which comes out on April 6, revealed that Kathleen found the tell-tale texts on Hunter's old iPad, which sparked their final split, the Daily Mail obtained a number of emails sent by Kathleen Biden in July 2016 showing the aftermath of her reported discovery of romantic texts between her husband and Hallie. She lashes out at Hunter, accusing her then-husband of cheating and buying gifts for his mistress. Funny: That's just like Joe, who was accused by his current wife's ex of having an affair with her well before the first wife was in the grave due to an automobile accident. Biden puts out a story of grief and victimhood and redemption, but actually, there was an affair going on under the surface all along. Like father, like son. Call it Biden family values. But as White House spokesweasel Jen Psaki assures us, Joe is a "devout Catholic." Catholic family values, Joe? Not in the church I go to. It demonstrates what an amazing show Joe has put on for the public about his upright steadiness, because all the signs point to an interior life of selfish, egotistic, mendacious chaos. One picture for the public, the other picture in private. Seriously, who has these kinds of affairs? It's as if Joe adopted the early-'70s values of swingers and wife-swappers, and Hunter followed him wherever he went. All this, plus the handsiness and a side of sex assault, from the statements of Tara Reade, which never got out of Dodge in the press. Does this House of Biden ever control itself? What really went on in that Biden household? Why was it so different from what it billed itself as? Joe just got done with an Easter family gathering, the White House said, due to all those family values, you see, forgetting that he told the rest of us that maybe, just maybe, if we behave ourselves, we might be able to gather in small groups for the Fourth of July. One set of rules for fakey-fake us. Another set for all you peons out there with the pandemic. Whatever their values are, that's some pattern to spread to the offspring. It would explain Hunter's corrupt behavior on the money front. It would explain Hunter's behavior on the love front. And who knows what else is out there? Joe still hasn't even come clean about the naked swims that annoyed the Secret Service, or the tail-pulling incident with Joe coming out of the shower on one of his dogs, which led to his broken foot. Is there a such thing as selflessness to one's betrothed or loyalty to one's spouse in the Biden household, or does everyone just do what feels good at the time? Sleep with the wife of the campaign worker, use the real wife's death as a convenient pretext to remarry without breaking Church law, sleep with the bro's wife, then claim it was all about bonding after the brother's death? It's quite a pattern. Anyone want to ask Joe or Hunter how this comports with those advertised "devout Catholic" values? I doubt anyone in the fawning media and Thomas Lifson, in his piece on media behavior around the Bidens, signals that it has been very fawning, indeed is going to ask. But rest assured: it doesn't escape people. Image: Acaben via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. To ensure we have a habitable planet for future generations, the U.S. needs to transition quickly to renewable energy sources. But the United States is not an energy monolith. Companies like Green Development LLC lead the way in solar and wind energy projects. But some states are more advanced than others when it comes to clean energy production. Many states have made bold green energy goals through state-level policies. However, geography and economics are also drivers of the renewable energy market. For instance, renewable forms of power for electricity are now cheaper than non-renewable options. This economic advantage means that green alternatives are projected to be the future of the energy industry. Luckily, increases in renewable energy production can also help us avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis. Closing Coal Plants In many states in which coal has traditionally been profitable, the non-renewable energy industries are faltering. The cost of maintaining an existing coal plant is now more than what it would take to create a new clean energy facility. A nationwide shift away from coal is a benefit in the fight against climate change. Coal-fired plants emit a wide range of pollutants that are harmful to public health, in addition to endangering the planet. Some of the largest recent decreases in coal emissions have come from states with long histories of coal use. Texas, Indiana, and Ohio accounted for 25% of coal plant reductions in 2019. The Leading States for Solar and Wind Energy Many states are setting bold green energy goals, and one of the key factors among states that do well with solar and wind energy is strong climate policy. For example, some states have put education incentives into place to drive green job training. These colleges offering clean energy programs can also be a boon to local and state economies. But the shift toward renewables is about more than just government policies and aggressive state renewable energy goals. Geography also plays a significant role in green energy production. For example, states in the middle of the country are particularly well-suited for wind energy production, while states in the southwest have untapped potential for solar energy production. Some of the states that currently lead in renewable energy include: California As of 2018, a third of California's electricity was generated through renewable sources. In addition to this, the state has set the goal to use 50% clean energy by 2030 and 100% by 2050. Iowa You may not think of Iowa when you think of clean energy. But Iowa boasts a higher percentage of renewable energy production than California (compared to its usage). In part, Iowa's flat landscape and small population make it an excellent location for wind farms. Texas The Lone Star State boasts the highest wind turbine capacity of any state. As of August 2020, Texas had a wind power capacity of 29.1 gigawatts. North Carolina While California is the state with the highest-ranking solar capacity, North Carolina comes in second place. This state's strong solar market is driven, in part, by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard. This piece of regulation supports and promotes clean energy production. The growing demand for renewable energy is expected to continue. The climate crisis and market forces are both driving investments into solar and wind energy production. While California might be the obvious leader, many states are investing in the future of energy production. About Green Development LLC Since 2009, Green Development LLC has been instrumental in transforming the energy mix in Rhode Island to clean, reliable energy. The company has developed more than 70 MW in solar and wind capacity, with plans to add 111 MW in 2021. Green Development is devoted to preserving farmland, reducing water and air pollution, increasing energy security, and creating local jobs. Current wind and solar sites reduce carbon emissions equivalent to using 8,091,141 gallons of gas each year. For providing banking services in Uttar Pradesh Vakrangee has entered into a partnership arrangement with Bank of Baroda for appointing Women Busincess Correspondents (BC) Sakhis and providing Banking services in Uttar Pradesh. Vakrangee will be working with Bank of Baroda for the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM) to appoint and on-board 1554 BC Sakhis in the Raebareli and Lucknow districts of Uttar Pradesh. The project, being implemented, is part of UPSRLM's mission to on-board and prioritises Women as BC (Business Correspondent) Sakhis or Banking Agents across all the districts of the state. Vakrangee is one of the partners and facilitators engaged for the project to on-board and provide training and handholding to these BC Sakhis. The project is aimed at improving banking access in rural UP and enhancing the household income of women members. This will further help in extending the financial inclusion in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Business Correspondents have played a vital role in the current ongoing pandemic acting as a Direct Benefit Transfer collection point and ensuring that the continuous Banking services being available to citizens. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Electronics that was once the world's third-largest handset maker and saw its feature phone business peaked some 10 years back, was never a serious contender in the fastest-growing India market, industry watchers reiterated on Monday. that has shut down its mobile business, has been striving to make a turnaround in its mobile business in recent years, including launching the niche foldable smartphone called 'Wing' -- a dual-screen device with a rotating form factor but its sales were apparently disappointing. According to Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, had 0.15 per cent market share in 2019 and 0.30 per cent in 2020. "This increased share was one-time festive season sale in 2020 but otherwise, the company's share has been stagnant at 0.15 per cent (YoY). Their success at larger consumer appliances couldn't lift the sale of mobile devices," Pathak told IANS. LG was sandwiched between competitive entry to mid-tier offerings from Chinese brands on the one hand and Apple, Samsung, OnePlus in the premium segment on the other in the fierce India market. "Being vertically integrated, it had access to some great technology and products, but go-to-market strategy and right portfolio is what seemed missing. LG's market share never recovered in India," Pathak stressed. This year, LG was scheduled to launch a smartphone with a rollable OLED display after it teased the product at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021. However, the company scrapped the plan. "For LG, the challenge, over a period of time, has been its inability to measure up to the competition, especially in terms of matching up to their value for money propositions, and strong messaging and marketing prowess," said Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR. In addition, LG has lacked the stable chip supplies for its smartphone business. "Yet, LG's R&D and innovation capabilities in should be applauded, especially for its thinking beyond-the-box in reinventing the rectangular slab. Unfortunately, LG's innovation prowess could not be supported with enduring market wins," Ram told IANS. According to industry experts, from a strategic perspective, LG is positioned for long-term success in its core business areas, including consumer electronics, as well as in moonshots, such as affordable EVs, and in emerging opportunities in connected homes. "LG's intellectual property (IP) and recent innovation capabilities could be a strong arsenal for other players in the ecosystem," Ram noted. According to market researcher Counterpoint Research, LG was the world's ninth-largest smartphone vendor after shipping 24.7 million last year, down 13 per cent from a year earlier. --IANS na/ksk/ (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 vice president and Navy secretary now have new desks built out of materials from some of the most storied ships in U.S. history. Navy Seabees built a desk for Vice President Kamala Harris made from wood, copper and nails taken off the USS Constitution, one of the country's first frigates. The Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat. The desk, which was delivered to Harris in February, features carvings of an eagle and stars reminiscent of the Constitution's stern decorations, said Paul Taylor, a spokesman for Naval History and Heritage Command, which oversaw the project. The project was approved while President Donald Trump was still in office, and Seabees began construction Jan. 4. Read Next: Deepest-Ever Shipwreck Dive Locates Navy Destroyer That Sank During Epic WWII Battle Harris' new workspace is one of two "heritage desks" Seabees constructed this year. Sailors also built a desk for the Navy secretary that not only includes materials from the Constitution, but from the frigate Chesapeake; battleships Texas, New Jersey and Arizona; and sloop of war Constellation as well. That project began under former Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite, who had the idea for the desk. It was completed after he left the position, so the desk was received by acting Navy Secretary Thomas Harker. Braithwaite was able to see the completed desk before it went to the Pentagon during a visit to the Washington Navy Yard, where it was constructed, according to the Heritage Command. Credit: Defense Media Activity-Navy Production. Navy Builder 1st Class Hilary Lemelin, who's assigned to the Constitution, said it was amazing to create a desk for those making big decisions for the Navy and country. "The importance of their job can affect everything we do," Lemelin said in a statement about the project. "It's a piece of history now." The wood from the Constitution was removed during two restorations that ran between 2007 and 2017, Taylor said. A drawer on the Navy secretary's desk features pen trays with a piece of the Arizona, which sank in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The steel remnants from the Arizona were donated to the Navy through Chief Fire Controlman Lauren F. Bruner, the second-to-last sailor to leave the Arizona on Dec. 7, 1941, and the last survivor to return to the ship on Dec. 7, 2019, Taylor said. That desk also features copper inlay from the Constitution that replicates the anchor and stars on the Navy secretary's official flag. "Each of these historic warships, like so many other vessels throughout the history of the Navy, embody the honor, courage, and commitment of those who served in them," Taylor said. "More importantly, the desks will be lasting reminders to our civilian leaders that today's Navy and our diverse sailors and Marines are deployed forward -- alongside our allies and partners -- to deter aggression and preserve freedom of the seas." Wood, steel plating, copper, nails, beams and deck bolts from the other ships used to build the Navy secretary's desk were donated by museum managers, foundations and ship owners. The desks were constructed in a workshop at the Navy Yards National Museum of the U.S. Navy by Lemelin; Steelworker 2nd Class Elijohana Cole and Builder 2nd Class Donald Morse IV with Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command; and Senior Chief Constructionman Noah Zeigler with Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Atlantic. Taylor said there are no plans to build more heritage desks right now, but didn't rule out the possibility of future projects. "When the wooden-hulled mine countermeasures ship USS Chief ... is eventually decommissioned, how cool would it be to construct an executive desk from her timbers for the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy?" he said. The service has built two other heritage desks in the past: one made from flight-deck planking from the aircraft carrier Essex that's now in the office of the chief of naval operations, along with a draftsman-style desk made from deck planking of the submarine Nautilus in the office of naval reactors. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Related: The Navy Is Naming its Next New Frigate USS Congress India and three other Quad member nations on Monday joined in kick-starting a three-day naval wargame in the eastern in reflection of their growing maritime cooperation amid China's growing efforts to expand influence in the region. Officials said the Indian naval ships Satpura and Kiltan along with P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft are participating in the French Navy-led 'La Perouse' exercise. Besides India, other Quad member nations participating in the first such exercise are the US, Japan and Australia, they said. The Indian Ocean, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy, is critical for India's strategic interests. China has been making concerted efforts to increase its presence in the region. Indian Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said the exercise will witness complex and advanced naval operations including surface warfare, anti-air warfare and air defence exercises. He said it will also feature weapon firing exercises, cross deck flying operations and tactical manoeuvres among others. "The exercise will showcase high levels of synergy, coordination and interoperability between the friendly navies," he said. "Participation by the Indian Navy in the exercise demonstrates the shared values with friendly navies ensuring freedom of seas and commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order," Madhwal said. The French Navy has deployed its amphibious assault helicopter carrier Tonnerre and frigate Surcouf while the US Navy is being represented by amphibious transport dock ship Somerset, officials said. The Royal Australian Navy has deployed Anzac, a frigate, and tanker Sirius while Japanese Navy is being represented by the destroyer Akebono, they said. India has been expanding cooperation with navies of the US, Japan, Australia and in the last few years. On March 28 and 29, India and the US navies carried out a two-day in the eastern Region. The Indian Navy deployed its warship Shivalik and long-range maritime patrol aircraft P8I in the 'PASSEX' exercise while the US Navy was represented by USS Theodore Rosevelt carrier strike group. A carrier battle group or carrier strike group is a mega naval fleet comprising an aircraft carrier, accompanied by a large number of destroyers, frigates and other ships. The PASSEX exercise came over a week after US Defence Secretary Austin flew into India as part of his three-nation first overseas tour that signalled the Biden administration's strong commitment to its relations with its close allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. (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.) Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 15:23:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Nanchangtan Village, with a history of over 1,200 years, shook off poverty thanks to great efforts in developing rural tourism. Each spring, pear tree blossoms on the bank of the Yellow River, China's second-longest river, draws visitors to the village. STAMFORD - Investigators were looking for leads in the homicide of a Stamford woman, who police say was stabbed multiple times and died in her South End apartment. Denise McLaughlin, 50, was found dead from multiple stab wounds at her apartment on Manor Street late Friday night, according to police. Police said Monday that McLaughlin may have been dead for several days before she was found on Friday. Her body was found in the first-floor apartment on Manor Street in a small neighborhood of multifamily homes that sit in the shadow of the Harbor Point apartment buildings. McLaughlin was discovered by officers after friends reported that they hadnt been able to contact her over the course of several days, police said. Sgt. Paul Guzda, the sergeant overseeing the unit that is investigating the homicide, said McLaughlin owned an apartment building in New York, where she spent a lot of time managing the buildings upkeep. But when McLaughlin stopped showing up at the apartment building last week, her friends in the city grew concerned and tried reaching out to her, he said. Phone calls went unanswered, texts went unanswered. And thats when they came up to Stamford and asked us to do a welfare check, Guzda said. Police would not release much information regarding the homicide due to the unfolding nature of the investigation, he said. What I can say is this thing is very, very active, Guzda said. McLaughlins killing marks the citys first homicide of the year. The most recent in Stamford was the death of Welton Harris, 50, who was stabbed to death by his girlfriend on the day after Christmas. Anissa Maples, 48, was arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter in connection with the death, police said. McLaughlins death is under investigation by the major crime squad of the Stamford Police Department (Squad A), along with the Stamford states attorneys office and the office of the chief medical examiner. The Stamford Police Department is asking anyone with information on the case to call its Major Crime Squad at 203-977-4417 or dispatch at 203-977-4444. Chennai, April 5 : The dawn of Tuesday will see about 6.26 crore one day 'sultans' in Tamil Nadu exercising their democratic rights to vote their ruler from Fort St. George here for the next five years. Apart from the Assembly elections, there will also be the bypoll for the Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha seat in the state. The high voltage electioneering for the 234 Assembly seats and the sole Lok Sabha seat came to an end in the state on Sunday evening. There will be a six cornered contest for occupying Fort St.George though the main contest will be between the ruling AIADMK-led alliance and the DMK-led front. The others in the fray are actor-turned-politicians Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) alliance, Vijayakant promoted DMDK, the alliance led by Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) floated by T.T.V.Dhinakaran and movie director Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK). This election is a waveless poll with AIADMK-led by Chief Minister K.Palaniswami seeking a third term for the party while the DMK-led by its President M.K.Stalin will be seeking to break the decade long power drought. The ruling AIADMK is fighting the poll in 179 seats and six other small parties each contesting in one seat under the former's Two Leaves symbol. The others in the AIADMK alliance are the BJP (contesting in 20 seats) and PMK (23), TMC (6). On the other hand, the DMK will be fighting in 173 seats while alliance parties Congress (25), CPI, CPI-M, MDMK and VCK in six seats each, IUML, KMDK (3 each), MMK (2), All India Forward Bloc, Makkal Viduthalai Katchi, Athi Thamizhar Peravai and Tamizhaga Vazhuvurimai Katchi each contesting in one seat. A total of 187 candidates -- DMK's own and that of alliance parties -- will be contesting under the former's Rising Sun symbol. The MNM is allied with actor Sarathkumar's AISMK and IJK while Dhinakaran's AMMK has allied with the DMDK, AIMIM and others. The Seeman-led NTK is going it alone contesting in all the 234 constituencies. The other parties in the fray on their own are the Bahujan Samaj Party (contesting in 160 seats), Puthiya Tamizhagam (60 seats) and Republican Party of India (16 seats). The electioneering was virulent and many a times the DMK attacked Palaniswami personally. Stalin had termed Palaniswami as more venomous than a poisonous snake. Former Union Minister and DMK Deputy General Secretary A. Raja made a derogatory remark about Palaniswami's late mother by alleging the Chief Minister as an 'illegitimate child'. Raja had also said Palaniswami is worth less than Stalin's chappal. The Election Commission later imposed a 48-hour campaigning ban on Raja. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President J.P. Nadda and others took advantage of Raja's comment and termed the DMK as anti-women. The AIADMK and DMK announced several freebies in their manifestos. While DMK was silent on liquor prohibition -- the party's major plank in 2016 polls- the AIADMK had said the liquor shops would be closed in a phased manner. Notable candidates in the polls and the constituencies are: Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam (Bodinayakkanur), Stalin (Kolathur), his son Udhayanidhi Stalin (Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni), DMDK Treasurer and Vijayakant's wife Premalatha (Vridhachalam) MNM founder Kamal Haasan (Coimbatore South), TN BJP President L. Murugan (Dharapuram), actor Khushbu Sundar (Thousand Lights), TN BJP Vice President K.Annamalai, PMK's G.K.Mani (Pennagaram) and Seeman (Tiruvottriyur). In the bypoll for the Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha seat, the fight is between former Union Minister and BJP's Pon Radhakrishnan and Congress party's Vijay Vasanth. In the neighbouring Puducherry, Union Territory having just over 10 lakh voters the fight for the 30-member Assembly is majorly between the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) consisting of Congress, DMK, CPI, VCK and an Independent and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comprising of All India N.R. Congress, BJP and AIADMK. By Robert D. Atkinson One reason for Korea's phenomenal economic and technological rise over the last 60 years was that its industrial policies focused initially on spurring the growth of manufactured product exports and more recently on supporting advanced technology production. The developmental states of other "Asian tigers" such as Taiwan and Singapore actively pursued industrial policies in similar ways, achieving similar levels of success. Yet during much of this period, the lack of an American industrial policy made it easier for Korea and other nations to close the gap with America, and to surpass the U.S. in certain areas. But that may be finally beginning to change. After being a term of disparagement for at least four decades, the U.S. appears to be on the brink of adopting an industrial policy to boost U.S. leadership and export performance in a wide range of advanced technologies, including AI, robotics and clean energy. If the U.S. Congress can do this, it will change the global landscape of competition. From WWII to the early 1980s, the U.S. had the world's best national innovation policy, largely designed to contain Soviet expansionism. Indeed, in the early 1960s, the U.S. government invested more in research and development than every other government in the world and all foreign companies. Given our faith in the "free market" in the U.S., we couldn't call it an industrial policy, and we operated it through mission-focused agencies like the Defense Department, the Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), but it played a key role in propelling U.S. technology leadership. Some have termed this role of government, "the hidden developmental state." But with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, coupled with the rise of the U.S. information technology industry and Silicon Valley in the 1990s, America was riding high, with most economists, pundits and politicians eschewing the idea of the need for a national industrial or advanced technology strategy either explicit or hidden. China's rise changes everything. With the increasing economic, military and foreign policy power of China, U.S. policymakers on both sides of the political aisle are waking up to the imperative of doing something. As they look from afar at China's efforts, like "Made in China, 2025," and China's new five-year plan which doubles down on technology industries, policymakers are realizing that without our own national industrial policy, it will be difficult to compete with an economy that tightly links the state and business. As a result, both Democrats and Republicans are rejecting the dead-end, intellectual straitjacket of conventional economics that holds that industrial policy is a sin. Late last year, Republicans in the House of Representatives released a China taskforce report that calls for a national industrial strategy, including doubling federal funding for basic science, expanding industry-university-federal lab partnerships, expanding funding to help spur innovation in lagging regions and increasing tax incentives for research and development. Leading Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate have co-sponsored key competitiveness legislation, including the "Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors" (CHIPs) Act to provide incentives for companies to build semiconductor fabrication facilities in America. Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is reintroducing his Endless Frontier Act, which invests over $200 billion in 10 key advanced technologies, supports manufacturing programs and strengthens domestic supply chains. Likewise, President Joe Biden's Build Back Better Plan proposes $300 billion for industrial policy investments, while his "Buy America" executive order will significantly strengthen existing programs to make sure that the federal government and federal contractors buy from firms producing in the U.S. Because Biden has a Democratic majority in both the House and the Senate (albeit a one-vote majority in that body that Vice President Kamala Harris can decide with her vote), that will make it easier for him to get his agenda passed into law. These efforts can still, of course, go off the rails, especially in the dysfunctional political climate that is Washington, D.C. Many although a declining share of Republican members of Congress still hold onto the free-market ideology that sees the role of government as one of largely just getting out of the way. Some progressives in the Democratic Party are less concerned with international competition and helping U.S. companies. They would rather allocate funds to social programs, such as healthcare, education and government retirement programs. But still, it feels as if something has changed, and that industrial policy may be back. We should know before the end of this summer. Robert D. Atkinson (@RobAtkinsonITIF) is president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a leading think tank for science and technology policy based in Washington, D.C. Download Free sample report in MINUTES Impact of COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the growth of various industries, however, the immediate impact of the outbreak is varied. While a few industries will register a drop in demand, numerous others will continue to remain unscathed and show promising growth opportunities. COVID-19 will have a high impact on the food safety testing market. Frequently Asked Questions: What are the major trends in the market? Increasing applications of microorganisms is a major trend driving the growth of the market. Increasing applications of microorganisms is a major trend driving the growth of the market. At what rate is the market projected to grow? The market will accelerate at a CAGR of almost 8% and the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be $ 6.62 bn. The market will accelerate at a CAGR of almost 8% and the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be $ 6.62 bn. Who are the top players in the market? ALS Ltd., AsureQuality, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Bureau Veritas, Charles River Laboratories International Inc., Eurofins Scientific Group, Intertek Group Plc, NEOGEN Corp., QIAGEN NV, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, are some of the major market participants. ALS Ltd., AsureQuality, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Bureau Veritas, Charles River Laboratories International Inc., Eurofins Scientific Group, Intertek Group Plc, NEOGEN Corp., QIAGEN NV, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, are some of the major market participants. What is the key market driver? The growing importance of food safety standards is one of the major factors driving the market. The growing importance of food safety standards is one of the major factors driving the market. How big is the North America market? The North America region will contribute to 39% of the market share. Related Reports on Health Care Include: Endoscopic Closure Devices Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025- The endoscopic closure devices market size has the potential to grow by USD 579.00 million during 2021-2025, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 6.88% . Download FREE sample report in minutes The endoscopic closure devices market size has the potential to grow by during 2021-2025, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 6.88% Marine Pharmaceuticals Market by Product, Source, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025- The marine pharmaceuticals market size has the potential to grow by USD 1.43 billion during 2021-2025, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 7.60%. Download FREE sample report in minutes The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. ALS Ltd., AsureQuality, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Bureau Veritas, Charles River Laboratories International Inc., Eurofins Scientific Group, Intertek Group Plc, NEOGEN Corp., QIAGEN NV, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. are some of the major market participants. The growing importance of food safety standards will offer immense growth opportunities. In a bid to help players strengthen their market foothold, this food safety testing market forecast report provides a detailed analysis of the leading market vendors. The report also empowers industry honchos with information on the competitive landscape and insights into the different product offerings offered by various companies. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. Download Free sample report in MINUTES Food Safety Testing Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Food Safety Testing Market is segmented as below: Application Meat And Poultry Fruits And Vegetables Processed Foods Dairy Other Applications Geography Asia Europe North America ROW Food Safety Testing Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The food safety testing market report covers the following areas: Food Safety Testing Market Size Food Safety Testing Market Trends Food Safety Testing Market Industry Analysis This study identifies increasing applications of microorganisms as one of the prime reasons driving the food safety testing market growth during the next few years. Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Get Free sample report in MINUTES Food Safety Testing Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist food safety testing market growth during the next five years Estimation of the food safety testing market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the food safety testing market across Asia , Europe , North America , and ROW , , , and ROW Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of food safety testing market vendors Table of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis Value Chain Analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2019 Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market Outlook PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Market segmentation by application Comparison by application Meat and poultry - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Fruits and vegetables - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Processed foods - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Dairy - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Other applications - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by application PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Asia - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ROW - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Strategic collaborations and M&A Adoption of advanced robotics for automation of food safety testing Increasing applications of microorganisms PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors ALS Ltd. AsureQuality Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. Bureau Veritas Charles River Laboratories International Inc. Eurofins Scientific Group Intertek Group Plc NEOGEN Corp. QIAGEN NV Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ More Details: Download FREE PDF brochure before buying SOURCE Technavio Related Links http://www.technavio.com/ LINCOLN, Neb., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nelnet Renewable Energy, a leading solar tax equity investor and fund manager, today announced the completion of a $9.9 million solar tax equity investment into a portfolio of projects in the Northeast with three co-investors. The investment received an E1 rating on its Green Transaction Evaluation from S&P Global Ratings for its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) impact. The portfolio of projects financed by the co-investment is expected to generate over 19,900 megawatt hours (MWhs) of solar energy per year for a portfolio of community solar subscribers renters, homeowners, and businesses in the state of New York. Over their 35-year lifecycle, the solar projects are expected to offset 332,000 tons of carbon in New York and New Jersey, which is the equivalent of burning 332 million pounds of coal. A Nelnet (NYSE: NNI) company, Nelnet Renewable Energy will serve as the lead investor and fund manager over the duration of the investment. Nelnet's co-investors include Adams Bank & Trust and West Gate Bank, both of Nebraska. Helping investors realize the benefits of tax equity co-investing furthers Nelnet Renewable Energy's mission of bringing clean, cost-effective solar power to more states and communities nationwide. "Supporting this portfolio moves Nelnet Renewable Energy closer to its 2025 vision of powering the creation, storage, and utilization of clean energy to more than 500,000 homes," said Scott Gubbels, executive director of tax and renewable energy at Nelnet. "West Gate Bank is pleased to be able to partner with Nelnet in making solar tax credit investments into green energy projects around the country. We look forward to continuing our partnership in 2021," said Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer Carl Sjulin. Nelnet continues to secure an additional $80 million in 2021 solar tax credits for its co-investor platform. The S&P Green Transaction Evaluation is an asset-level environmental credential that builds upon current frameworks of governance and transparency and considers approaches for climate resilience and environmental impact. These analyses aim to provide investors with a comprehensive picture of the green impact and climate risk attributes of their portfolios and can be applied to any type of financing, in part or in full. E1 is the highest score on the scale; E4 is the lowest. The full Green Transaction Evaluation report is available here. About Nelnet and Nelnet Renewable Energy: Nelnet (NYSE: NNI) is a diversified financial services and technology company focused on offering educational services, technology solutions, professional services, telecommunications, and asset management. Nelnet is a leading tax equity investor into federal solar investment tax credits, having invested over $145 million of its own tax liability into 83 low-risk solar energy projects nationwide. This experience, coupled with their proven asset management capabilities, allows them to offer a unique tax equity co-investment platform to other investors that is based on value creation and awarding-winning customer service. For more information, visit NelnetInc.com/coinvesting. SOURCE Nelnet Renewable Energy Madurai: A 45-year-old female professor was allegedly stabbed by a guest lecturer on the campus of Madurai Kamaraj University here today, police said. They said the guest lecturer was apparently upset over non-renewal of his service contract. Jeniffa, a professor at the varsity's journalism department, suffered multiple stab injuries and was admitted to a government hospital here in serious condition. Students who rushed to her rescue on hearing her screams overpowered the guest lecturer, Jothimurugan, and handed him over to police. Jothimurugan, a former student of the university, was upset about Jeniffa's refusal to recommend for extension of his service as guest lecturer for this year, police said. The professor was walking towards the university main office when Jothimurugan intercepted her and picked up an argument before stabbing her with a knife at around 10.30 am, they said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Film Review: Boss Level: A No Pain, No Gain Time-Looper Movie TV-MA | 1h 34min | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi | 5 March 2021 (USA) Remember when the 1960s zombies used to stagger around, real slow-like? And 2000s 28 Days gave us 100-yard-dash zombiesthat was very scary. When an idea makes money in Hollywood, every last permutation and combination of that new genre gets mined for more ducats. Now time-loop movies abound; its rapidly approaching the oversaturation point. Kicked off by 1993s now-legendary Groundhog Day, we just reviewed the teen rom-com time looper The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, and now here comes a sci-fi action thriller version already, Boss Level, for the demographic of boys-who-love-video-games. Frank Grillo plays ex-Army Delta Force operator Roy Pulver in Boss Level. (Quantrell D. Colbert/Hulu) Why Grillo? Frank Grillos fun. Whats Grillo got? Amazing pompadourd hair. If ever there was an actor who could make that ubiquitous male actor statement about a given role: Ive got the hair for itits him. Hes also got a Wolverine-type ripped torso, a commanding screen presence, and hes action-hero quippy, with a New York-accented, Italian flair. Hes best known for playing the Marvel villain Brock Rumlow. Ex-Army Delta Force operator Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo, L) and Mr. Good Morning (Buster Reeves), in Boss Level. (Quantrell D. Colbert/Hulu) Boss Level is similar to The Map of Tiny Perfect Things in that Roy Pulver (Grillo) doesnt have the buildup to the time loop in Groundhog Day; hes already waking up with his repeating days choreographed moves already in full swing. But whereas the male lead in The Map of keeps waking up just as his mom is pulling away in a car, former Delta Force operative (what else?) Roys first move after opening his eyes in bed is ducking a machete whack to the head delivered by an assassin. While dispatching said assassin using a variety of hand-to-hand options, one of which includes the scalding-coffee-to-the-face splash, a helicopter pulls up outside Roys window, the door gunner of which opens up on him with a 50-caliber lead shower. The gunner looks familiar. No, it cant be! It is. Its none other than Super Bowl LV winner, Buccaneer wide receiver Rob Gronkowski being an actor. Awesome. And then a motley crew of assassins chase Roy around all day, two of whom are an unlikely pair of hulking black men speaking German. They look familiar No! It cant be! It is. They are UFC cage-fighting legends Quinton Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans being actors. Awesome. (LR) Quinton Rampage Jackson, Selina Lo, Michael Tourek, Aaron Beelner, Meadow Williams, Eric Etebari, and Rashad Evans in Boss Level. (Quantrell D. Colbert/Hulu) Heres the thing what thing? You know the thing. We hold these truths to be self-evident that, per the time-loop law, no matter what Roy does, hell be killed exactly at 12:47 p.m. daily. And then hell wake up in bed having to duck that machete whack, ad infinitum. Roy meets his Maker many different ways; theres not a lot of margin for error in his day. If his timing is off by a split second, he gets whacked. Ex-Army Delta Force operator Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) and Guan Yin (Selina Lo), in Boss Level. (Quantrell D. Colbert/Hulu) Hes beheaded several times by the katana-wielding assassin Guan Yin (Selina Lo), who, with the vigorous compulsiveness of a kitty-litter-scratching cat, proclaims, I am Guan Yin, and Guan Yin has done this. When katana-loving Quentin Tarantino sees Boss Level, hell likely spit his beer through his nose, brush Dorito crumbs off his T-shirt, and do a raise-the-roof toast to director and co-writer Carnahan, wishing hed coined the Guan Yin line for Lucy Liu in Kill Bill. Howd Roy Get Here Anyway? Without spoiling it, lets just say that Roys being used as lab rat in a scientific experiment run by his ex-wife, Dr. Jemma Wells (Naomi Watts), all of which starts to come to light when Roy runs into his estranged son Joe (played by Grillos real-life young son Rio) competing in a 1980s-style arcade game tournament. Which suddenly explains the movie title. Boss Level means a time loop is like a video game! And you rise in levels until you get so good at it, you reach Boss level! Joe Pulver (Rio Grillo), in Boss Level. (Quantrell D. Colbert/Hulu) His wife is working on a top-secret military project, and her boss, Col. Clive Ventor (Mel Gibson), decapitates the relentless, pesky Roy a few times himself. This would be where Boss Level marries up with military-tinged time-loop movies Source Code and Edge of Tomorrow. Former Delta Force operator Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo, L) and Colonel Ventor (Mel Gibson), in Boss Level. (Quantrell D. Colbert/Hulu) Its a stellar cast for such a silly movie, most of whom are understandably underused: Naomi Watts blathering time-space continuum jargon is a waste of talent. What You Get The thing thats fun about time-loop movies is that theyre metaphors for human reincarnation, with each repeating day standing in as an accelerated version of a lifetime. And we enjoy seeing the characters work toward a specific goal by using the practice-makes-perfect opportunity of day do-overs. Roys do-overs are seriously painful. But funny, too. Ex-Army guy Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo, L) and a man whose car he steals (Joe Knezevich), in Boss Level. (Quantrell D. Colbert/Hulu) The thing that time-loop movies get wrong, when compared to actual writings by various sages on the topic of reincarnation, is that the characters always remember what they learned the previous day. According to reincarnation literature, however, when humans reincarnate, our memories are always erasedvery few people can remember past lives. And the human quest would appear to always be about spiritual enlightenment. Roys time-loop quest is that he wants to get his son and wife back. But the ultimate human quest throughout repeating incarnations is to jettison all karma and ascend to a heavenly paradise, and finally get some peace and quiet. Which is where the phrase If not now, when? comes from, because we might not remember what earthly existence is meant for the next incarnation. It might take us a thousand lifetimes to figure out that human life is not for making money and buying stuff, but about exiting the reincarnation cycle with alacrity. And because our memories are automatically erased each time, another enlightenment quote says: A man who seeks enlightenment should seek it like a man whose hair is on fire seeks a pond. Because it could take forever before we figure it out again. Im waiting for the time-loop movie where the lead character cant remember what happened the day before. Its potentially a long movie. But they could solve that by using those screen updates, like, 7,428,563 lifetimes later Dai Feng (Michelle Yeoh), a sword-fighting instructor, and ex-Army Delta Force operator Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo), in Boss Level. (Quantrell D. Colbert/Hulu) Boss Level Director: Joe Carnahan Starring: Frank Grillo, Naomi Watts, Mel Gibson, Michelle Yeoh, Selina Lo, Rio Grillo Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes Rating: TV-MA Release Date: March 5, 2021, streaming on Hulu Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Mark Jackson is the senior film critic for The Epoch Times. Mark has 20 years experience as a professional New York actor, a classical theater training, a BA in philosophy, and recently narrated the Epoch Times audiobook, How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World: https://www.thespecterofcommunism.com/en/audiobook/ Rotten Tomatoes page: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critic/mark-jackson/movies Mirren "shooed" away a bear from her home in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Ian Gavan/Getty Images/Helen Mirren/Instagram Helen Mirren says she "shooed" a bear away from her home in Nevada. Mirren described the animal as "young" and "smaller." She opened up about the incident during a segment of Sunday's prerecorded 2021 SAG Awards. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren lives in Nevada now and keeps having run-ins with "naughty bears" near her home. Mirren opened up having "a bit of a meeting with a bear" while quarantining with her husband at their Nevada home in a segment called "Helen Mirren Talks About Animals" during Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards. The actress made an appearance on the prerecorded show as a presenter. "I shooed the bear away," Mirren said. "I told him he was a naughty bear." "He was a young bear, so I just said, 'no, naughty bear, go on, go, off you go,'" she added. "You're supposed to make yourself as big as possible and say, 'Bad bear,'" she continued. "'Cause it was not a big bear, it was a smaller bear, so I just said, 'you naughty bear. Go on, go away.'" This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. But this isn't Mirren's first chance encounter with a bear near her home. Mirren talked about facing off with a far larger black bear during a podcast interview with comedian Marc Maron last July, according to The Independent. "He took one look at me and lumbered off," she said in July. "He was a big black bear." Mirren also shared an Instagram video of a black bear, who she called "Betty" in the caption, in January. (It's unclear whether Betty is the same bear Mirren mentioned in the podcast interview last July or the bear she mentioned at Sunday's SAG Awards or yet another bear entirely). In the video, Mirren and her husband can be heard discussing what to do about the animal from behind a glass wall before one of them taps the glass loudly, scaring the bear away. Story continues Mirren talked about her interest in nature and working with a camel on Sunday Mirren shared on Sunday that she's taken an active interest in nature since moving to the Sierra Nevada region, which is located along the eastern border of California, with her husband. "I've got my bird feeder right here, actually. They're probably all chirping around," Mirren said, pointing at the setup located off-screen. Mirren also said that one of her "oddest acting jobs" involved doing improv on a camel. "I think that must have been the most challenging acting exercise I've ever had in my life," she said. Read the original article on Insider The area where Phan Thiet airport will be built in Thien Nghiep Commune of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan Province, March 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Viet Quoc. Construction began Monday on the military part of Phan Thiet Airport in the south central province of Binh Thuan. The work is set to be completed next year. Located more than four hours east of Ho Chi Minh City, the 543-hectare airport in the beach town Phan Thiet will be used for both military and civilian purposes. Speaking at the airports ground breaking ceremony, Senior Lieutenant-General Tran Don, Deputy Minister of National Defense, urged the Air Defense-Air Force, investor of the military part of the airport, to quickly clear any UXOs in the area and continue working with local authorities to speed up site clearance, the People's Military Newspaper reported. The Hanoi-based Rang Dong Joint-stock Company has been appointed investor of the civilian part of the airport. However, no information has been released on when work will begin on this part. The government approved a plan to build the Phan Thiet airport in 2009. Work on the project was previously scheduled to start in 2015 and be completed in 2018. However, a lack of investment funds had delayed it. At a meeting with provincial authorities last month, Don said the investment capital problem had been solved after former Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved building the airport with state budget funds. The cost for the airport will stay at around VND10 trillion ($434 million). The country currently has 22 civilian airports, including 10 international ones. The Tan Son Nhat in HCMC and Noi Bai in Hanoi are the countrys two biggest airports. Under a master plan approved by the government, the country will have 28 airports by 2030. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Nanping, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 2, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua] In less than a week, foreign ministers from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea touched down in Beijing and held talks with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on issues of mutual concern. Earlier last month, Wang visited six Middle East countries following his meeting with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on March 22 and 23 in Beijing. And Defense Minister Wei Fenghe concluded visits to four European countries on Wednesday. Such intensive diplomacy has been widely perceived by the outside world as being diplomatic efforts to break the US' encirclement of China. While Beijing will not be daunted by Washington's efforts to enlist support from its allies in its encirclement game, the truth is that more and more countries in Asia and other parts of the world have demonstrated a growing unwillingness to line up with the US in opposing China. Despite the maritime disputes between China and a few members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Southeast Asian countries increasingly look upon China as a reliable and trustworthy partner for regional stability and cooperation. The need to jointly fight the COVID-19 pandemic and cope with its aftermath has drawn China and the ASEAN countries even closer together. The unselfish support China has extended to countries in the region amid the pandemic and its consistent backing of regional economic integration have further consolidated its role as a stabilizer and promoter of regional peace and development. As close neighbors, China and Southeast Asian countries, together with the Republic of Korea, have everything to gain from jointly fighting the pandemic, boosting economic recovery and advancing the Belt and Road Initiative. They should stand together to overcome the difficulties, rather than allowing themselves to be divided by the United States. China and the ROK, together with the 10 ASEAN members and three other countries in the region, signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement last year, with the aim of creating the world's largest free trade zone. Under the agreement, economic ties and common interests among the participating countries will be deepened and expanded. As to China's overall relations with the ROK, they have witnessed a strong growth momentum in various fields including economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges in recent years. The two sides also share a common goal in denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as well as building peace and stability on the peninsula. As such, the recent diplomatic efforts highlight China's concept of building a community with a shared future for humankind. Win-win cooperation and multilateralism, not confrontation and divisiveness, are crucial for the world to emerge from the shadow of the pandemic and rise to the other formidable challenges ahead. First high-end playground of Hanoi on road to expansion This past year was not fortunate for indoor playgrounds, and those just starting up business were facing glum prospects due to lockdowns, social distancing, and a general aversion to crowds. Thus, the success of Smart Kids Playground in its first year of operations in this setting is indicative of tremendous demand for high-end playgrounds among high-earning Vietnamese and expatriates raising families in Hanoi. Smart Kids Playground was set up in October 2019 to meet the unmet demand of wealthy urbanites for a safe play area that is less overpowering for the senses than most locally-run playhouses and found warm welcome from the residential community of the Hapulico complex in Thanh Xuan district. In fact, its business model, showcased by relatively high resiliency to the pandemic via steady customer footfall, has drawn the interest of investors looking to spread the model to other cities by franchising. Founder and CEO Nguyen Van Anh said, After such a turbulent year, we were not actively looking to expand just yet especially not under a franchise model. However, we received several requests and are currently discussing new locations in differents cities. She added that negotiations regarding the new playground in Ho Chi Minh City and Bac Ninh are close to wrapping up while the talks in Danang, Nghe An, and Haiphong are still very fluid. Hanoi may be a wonderland for some, but space comes at a premium. Families with young children know the struggle of finding enough room for their young ones to really let rip and run to their hearts content. The lack of suitable green spaces within the city has turned parents, local and foreign alike, to indoor playgrounds. Local facilities, however, do not meet the requirements for all and are a particular culture shock to many foreigners. It is a chest-high version of the sensual overload encapsulated by Hanois night market, with all its colours, the tinny blaring of Vietnamese and Chinese childrens songs from age-old carnival games, and a constant throng of young children pressing in from all sides. Much like the night market, playgrounds often remain a one-time spectacle in which foreign families visit once and never go back. When we returned to Vietnam with our children, we wanted to find them a place to play that is clean, high-end, and above all, safe, Van Anh explained, adding that the only real option turned out to be opening a playground of their own where they can make sure everything is up to standard. We have created a space where both children and parents can enjoy themselves in peace while getting plenty of physical activity and mental practice, Van Anh added. Smart Kids Playground has been designed to welcome families for a whole day of wholesome fun with plenty of places to climb, run, and enjoy physical activities as well as the largest, best-appointed childrens library in the market. The overall ambience at the playground differs a great deal from others. As opposed to the loud colours akin to fast food restaurants designed to encourage swift customer turnaround the high-end establishment features a muted, light colour palette that is calming and radiates cleanliness. Paired with low music, the playground is far easier on both children and parents sensibilities. The toys and games are also designed to stimulate childrens sense of wonder, according to Van Anh, with a mock city built with a restaurant, police station, and fire station complete with a firetruck, as well as an interactive wall where children can learn about the world through animated projections activated by touch. We take special care to keep the place and toys in good order, maintaining absolute cleanliness and hygiene by sterilising the space with a room disinfection system each week, she added. With no real established industry standards to point to when it comes to hygiene at playgrounds in Vietnam, it is deemed especially important to find the right level of commitment and ensure that potential franchise partners have the same standards in mind. Van Anh is also running several courses for children, importing curricula designed to awaken the natural curiosity of children while endowing them with crucial life and technical skills such as STEM, and creative skills like arts and crafts, and dancing. The same goes for food, she added. We import most ingredients from Germany and Hungary, to make sure they are free of GMO or unhealthy artificial additives. Smart Kids Playground charges probably the steepest entry fees among playgrounds in Hanoi, with tickets going from VND190,000 ($8), including free participation at ongoing classes and activities when booked in advance. A 6-month pass costs VND4 million ($170). SEN. NANCY BINAY'S STATEMENT OF SUPPORT TO THE PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS' CALL FOR TEMPORARY HOSPITAL FACILITIES I fully support the recommendation of the Philippine College of Physicians to convert select hotels into temporary hospital facilities for mild to moderate Covid-positive patients. The projected increases and the recent surge in COVID-19 cases have already weakened the entire healthcare system, causing many hospitals in Metro Manila to reach full capacity. Our health workers already feel overwhelmed and many facilities are already overly packed with people seeking immediate medical care. The move to tap hotels will help lessen the burden on health workers, and hospitals that are currently admitting severe cases. This would require sacrifice on the part of the private sector, but I believe the hotel industry is very much willing to help and is well-equipped to respond to the challenge. They are in a unique position to help and complement our hospitals and local quarantine centers to support our healthcare system. They have the backbone in providing viable solutions to quarantine challenges at this very critical time. I am one with the PCP in urging the IATF to study this proposal at the soonest. Vietnam's stock market recorded a week-long rally with the benchmark breaking through 1,200 points and continuously hitting new highs. Experts from securities firms expected that last week's movements described the market's strength and it might still be in an upward trend. The VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) started edging higher since last Monday. The rally extended through the week, supporting the index cross the 1,200 point-level again on Thursday. At the last trading session, the index closed the week at 1,224.45 points. For the week, it rose nearly 5.4 per cent. With positive sentiment, local investors kept pouring cash into the market and foreign investors returned to net buying after a long time of selling off. Analysts from Viet Dragon Securities Corporation (VDS) said that in the last session, the market received a main drive from large-cap stocks as many of them still posted big gains. In addition, some stocks haven't joined the trend and still have been in an accumulative process. The key reason supporting the stocks' gains is that some listed companies may release positive results from production activities. Hence, investors should notice the first-quarter financial reports to navigate investments in a more efficient way, VDS added. According to MB Securities JSC (MBS), thanks to positive support from the global market, the local market continued its rally in the last session, rising for the fifth session. Despite corrections in early sessions, the market quickly reversed course on strong cash inflows which also showed signs of the market's strength. On the technical front, after surging, the VN-Index's rally was temporarily slowed and might face resistance territory of 1,230 points. On HoSE, the liquidity in the last session remained at a high level with a value of over VND14.3 trillion. Foreign investors continued to return to the market as they net bought a value of VND715.39 billion on the southern bourse. However, the securities firm recommended that investors also need to prepare for the corrective scenario as the index might fall to test the new support territory of 1,200 points in the near future. Meanwhile, Saigon - Hanoi Securities JSC (SHS) said that after four weeks of challenging the resistance territory of 1,200 points, the VN-Index broke over this importance level, hitting the highest point since April 2018. The movements supported investors' sentiment and huge demands helped the benchmark record new highs. Based on Elliott Wave theory, SHS expected that the market is still in the fifth wave, which is also called the impulse wave, with a target of hovering around 1,250 points. The VN-Index is expected to reach the above level in the first half of April, so there is still room for gaining points in about two weeks, SHS said. On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index finished last week at 294.89 points, up 0.85 per cent. For the week, the index climbed nearly 10.4 per cent. Data collected from SHS showed that bank stocks posted the biggest gain of 7.2 per cent in market capitalisation, boosting the market to break the record level. Some outstanding stocks from the sector were Vietcombank (VCB), Techcombank (TCB), Vietinbank (CTG), VPBank (VPB), JSC Bank For Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BID), MBBank (MBB) and Saigon Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB), up 3.1 - 38.5 per cent. Followed by finance, consumer goods and materials stocks with an increase of 6 per cent, 5.1 per cent and 4.9 per cent in market capitalisation, respectively. Other sectors also reported positive results such as pharmaceutical and healthcare, oil and gas, utilities, industry, services and information technology stocks rose 2 - 4.3 per cent. VNS 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 Amaravati, April 5 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy hailed the legacy of Babu Jagjivan Ram on Monday, which is his 113th birth anniversary. "Tributes to Babu Jagjivan Ram, a freedom fighter and reformist on his 113th birth anniversary. We cannot forget his efforts to bring financial equality to the poor and downtrodden," said Reddy. Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan said Ram's contribution to the nation's politics and development will always be remembered. "I offer my humble tributes to Babu Jagjivan Ram on his birth anniversary. Babu Jagjivan Ram was an illustrious freedom fighter and a visionary leader," said Harichandan. According to the Governor, Ram was an able administrator who rendered impeccable services to the country. Calling him a true democrat, Harichandan said he fought to uplift the poor, downtrodden and weaker sections of the society. He said Ram served the country as a cabinet minister for 35 years, holding several key portfolios and noted that Ram introduced path breaking reforms such as the green revolution in the country. Similarly, at Sareen Nagar Park in Kurnool town, local leaders garlanded Ram's statue and paid tributes. Kurnool collector Veerpandian cut a cake as part of Ram's memorial. Myanmar: Myanmar militarys severe crackdown on anti-coup protests continued as four more people died when security forces opened fire in Monywa township and other areas. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), the main strike occurred in Monywa township where three civilians including a man serving in the Peoples Defense Team were killed. As of Saturday (April 3), a total of 557 people have been killed since the February 1 coup, while 2,658 people have been arrested. In a brutal crackdown on a strike in Mon State, a man injured in his chest was forcibly dragged to the military vehicle and a woman injured in her stomach was reportedly snatched by the military while being taken to the hospital by the people. "The terrorist junta group use live ammunition during the day and night, they capture and violently assault. Community guards in quarters, especially youths from strikes defence teams have been captured," the AAPP said. The non-profit reported that the junta is intimidating whistleblowers who are revealing mass atrocities to the international community. On February 1, Myanmar`s military seized power in the country, announcing a one-year state of emergency and vowing to take action against alleged voter fraud during the November 8 general election. At least 114 protesters were killed by the junta in the deadliest attack last week, including a 13-year-old who was shot in her house after the armed forces opened fire in residential areas of Meikhtila. Since the coup, the terrorist group has committed mass atrocities and war crimes. They daily arrest, disrespect human dignity, prohibit the right to medical treatment of the injured person, drag away dead bodies, torture, arbitrarily interrogate and open fire on ambulance and charity vehicles, raid hospitals and clinics, said AAPP. The US and the UK have imposed sanctions against multiple individuals and entities affiliated with Myanmars military, as well as some of Myanmars conglomerates. The international community has broadly condemned the violence in Myanmar. Live TV New Jersey is changing its travel and quarantine guidelines to reflect new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Gov. Phil Murphy said at his Monday coronavirus briefing. New Jersey is no longer advising fully vaccinated individuals who travel domestically to self-quarantine after their trip or to get tested before or after travel, Murphy said. The federal requirement for testing upon return to the United States following international air travel stands. All travelers still need to take COVID-19 precautions including wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, physically distancing and washing their hands while they are traveling, Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said. She said guidance for unvaccinated travelers has not changed. They should should defer travel until fully vaccinated. If they must travel, they should take a viral test one to three days before the trip and get tested three to five days after they travel. It is recommended that they stay home and self-quarantine for a full seven days after travel, even if the post-travel test is negative, she said. If they are not tested after travel, they should stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel. Persichilli said international travel poses additional risks. Even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading the new COVID-19 variants, she said. Fully vaccinated people traveling internationally dont need to get tested upon departure unless its required by their destination country, she said. But coming back to the United States is different, she said. The federal government requires fully vaccinated air travelers coming to the U.S. from abroad to have a negative COVID-19 viral test within three days of travel, or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past three months before they board a flight to the U.S., Persichilli said. Travelers should be tested again for COVID-19 three to five days after travel, she said. Fully vaccinated travelers do not need to self-quarantine following international travel, she said. Unvaccinated international travelers must follow the same testing guidance, but they also must self-quarantine for seven days, even if the test is negative, the CDC said. Before the loosening of the restrictions. New Jerseyans returning from travel to any U.S. state or territory beyond the immediate region, which included New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, were required to self-quarantine at their home or hotel. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Garmin Malaysia has announced that the Garmin Enduro is now available in the local market, and its available at the price of RM3699. The watch will be available for purchase from platforms such as Lazada, Shopee, AECO e-Store, as well as any authorized retailers available nationwide. The Garmin Enduro comes equipped with solar charging capabilities, allowing it to be used up to 80 hours before needing to recharge. Other than that, the watch also comes with various sensors to keep track of VO2 Max, ClimbPro, Rest Timer, Mountain Biking, Recovery, and more. But thats not all, it also comes with GPS navigation capabilities which helps you navigate around even without an internet connection. With all that said, would you be interested in getting the Garmin Enduro watch? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned Police have named the man who died following a crash between a car and a motorcycle on State Highway 38, near Rerewhakaaitu, on Saturday. The motorcyclist died at the scene, he was Tony Lars Hansen, 52, of Rotorua. Police extend their sympathies to his family and friends, says a statement from police. "An investigation into the circumstances of the incident is ongoing." Seven people have died so far this Easter long weekend - with less than 12 hours still to go in the reporting period. That's more than the total for the entire Easter holiday period every year - bar one - for the past decade. Yesterday a motorcyclist died in a crash with a car in the far north, while there was another fatal crash involving a motorbike on Saturday at Waimangu in Bay of Plenty. On Saturday night a person in Otaki died after crashing into a powerpole, and a man was struck and killed by a bus in downtown Wellington. On Friday a woman died in a crash at an intersection at Whakamaru in Waikato, and a person died after a truck and car collided in Hauraki on Thursday. The Easter holiday period began on Thursday afternoon and runs until 6am tomorrow. There were no deaths recorded over Easter last year - for the first time since 2012. Easter also coincided with the alert level 4 lockdown. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... DENVER A man was shot and killed in a confrontation with sheriffs deputies near Interstate 25 south of Denver, authorities said. Douglas County Sheriffs Office deputies responded at about 6:15 p.m. Saturday to a report of a man with a gun near an on ramp for the interstate along Happy Valley Road, the sheriffs office said. Officials said Samuel Yeager, 23, died in the shooting but did not specify who shot him. It was unknown if Yeager fired at deputies. No other injuries were reported. A hometown for Yeager was not provided. The shooting occurred about 25 miles south of downtown Denver in an area with numerous rural subdivisions. Entrances to the interstate along Happy Valley Road were closed as investigators worked the scene. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Columnist Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich). TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) The owner of a construction truck that caused Taiwans worst rail accident in decades, killing 48 people, apologized in tears while being led away from his home by police on Sunday. The unmanned trucks emergency brake was not properly engaged, according to the governments disaster relief center. An investigation is underway as to how exactly Lee Yi-Hsiangs vehicle slid down onto the tracks Friday from a nearby construction site on the mountainous coast of eastern Hualien county. The truck was hit by a passenger train carrying 494 people, which derailed just before entering a tunnel, crushing many passengers inside the mangled train carriages. The death toll was revised down to 48 on Sunday, after rescuers initially said 51, then 50 people were killed. The changes came after some body parts were found to belong to one individual, a spokesperson for the Central Emergency Operation Center said. At least 198 people were injured. I have caused a serious accident on the Taiwan Railway Administrations Taroko train number 480 during this years Tomb Sweeping Holidays, causing deaths and injuries, to this I express my remorse and my sincerest apologies, said Lee, who is also the construction sites manager, his words muffled by a face mask and by emotion. I will cooperate with the authorities investigation fully, and take responsibility. Prosecutors in Hualien county previously said they were seeking an arrest warrant for the trucks owner, who was questioned along with several others. The Hualien district court initially allowed Lee to post bail of 500,000 new Taiwan dollars (US$17,516), but that decision was reversed Sunday when a higher court in Hualien rescinded the lower courts decision to allow bail, Taiwans Central News Agency reported. President Tsai Ing-wen visited hospitals near the crash instead of the site itself so as not to interfere with rescue work, her spokesperson said. This heartbreaking accident caused many injuries and deaths. I came to Hualien today to visit the injured and express my condolences to the deceased passengers families, Tsai said. We will surely help them in the aftermath. Tsai told reporters Friday that she asked the Transportation Safety Committee to conduct a strict investigation. Transportation Minister Lin Chia-lung said repairs will be accelerated. When such a thing happens, I feel very sorry and I will take full responsibility, Lin said after touring the site. Workers removed the two rearmost cars from the tracks Saturday morning. However, a third could not be moved before the tracks are repaired while the other five cars were still wedged into the tunnel. Two large construction cranes could be seen drawn up next to the train in a remote area on the islands east coast. The operation should be done within a week, said Weng Hui-ping, head of the railway administrations news group. During the repairs, all east coast trains will run on a track parallel to the one damaged in the accident, causing delays of 15 to 20 minutes, he said. The National Fire Service said the dead included the trains young, newly married driver and the assistant driver. The governments disaster response center said it was the worst rail disaster since a train caught fire in 1948 in suburban Taipei, killing 64 people. Train travel is popular during Taiwans four-day Tomb Sweeping holiday, when families often return to their home towns to pay respects at the gravesites of their elders. Its also an opportunity to take a vacation. Taiwan is a mountainous island, and most of its 24 million people live in the flatlands along the northern and western coasts that are home to most of the islands farmland, biggest cities and high-tech industries. The lightly populated east where the crash happened is popular as a tourist destination, and the railway line is known for its beautiful natural scenery. About the photo: Rescue workers remove a part of the derailed train near Taroko Gorge in Hualien, Taiwan on Saturday, April 3, 2021. The train partially derailed in eastern Taiwan on Friday after colliding with an unmanned vehicle that had rolled down a hill, killing and injuring dozens. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Carole Baskin has discussed some of the horrendous death threats she has received since appearing on Netflix phenomenon, Tiger King, last year. The big cat activist, 59, explained that she has received hundreds of terrifying threats from Joe Exotic's fans, who is currently serving a prison for sentence for hiring someone to try and kill Carole. During a new interview ahead of her Louis Theroux documentary, Carole revealed some of the abuse she has to deal with on a daily basis following backlash from the documentary which focuses on the big cat community in America. Horrific: Carole Baskin has discussed some of the horrendous death threats she has received since appearing on Netflix phenomenon, Tiger King, last year Revealing some of the messages she has received, Carole told the Sun one person had left her a voicemail which said: 'You deserve to die, b****' While another person said: 'You murdered your husband and I'm going to come to your house and murder you,' spits one female caller. The show followed Joe's life at his big cat attraction and his ongoing feud with Carole, who made several attempts to shut his operation down. Carole told the publication: 'The show unleashed a tidal wave of hatefulness. The phone started ringing every two minutes. These people thought I had killed my husband and they were saying they wanted to kill me, my family and the cats.' Real life events: The big cat activist, 59, explained that she has received hundreds of terrifying threats from Joe Exotic's (pictured) fans, who is currently serving a prison for sentence for hiring someone to try and kill Carole The American star said she felt 'millions' of people were deceived by the narrative that the documentary portrayed of the situation. However Carole's husband Howard appeared more forgiving of Joe in an interview with the Mirror, as he revealed he would urge for a reduced sentence if Joe apologised. He said: 'If Joe were to come out and say, 'I now know what I did was wrong and I want to help. I would like to support passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act and stop this breeding.' 'If he were to do that, it might position him in a positive way for a pardon. And frankly, I might be willing to go and urge at least a reduction in his sentence.' Last week, Carole first told how she was inundated with abusive messages and death threats in the months after Netflix's Tiger King aired last year. In the series, which she has since spoken out against, Carole was seen locking horns with larger-than-life Joe Exotic, 58. And during an appearance on ITV's This Morning alongside her husband Howard on Friday, big cat lover Carole admitted that members of the public directly expressed wishes to do her harm after watching the hit series. Death threats: During a new interview ahead of her Louis Theroux documentary, Carole revealed some of the abuse she has to deal with on a daily basis. Pictured with husband Howard She said: 'My husband and I binge watched it just like everybody else did, because the teasers for it didn't sound like anything we thought we were working on. 'We thought we were working on the Blackfish for big cats and the teasers looked like some kind of freak show. So we sat through the entire thing and thought, 'At some point they'll get to the important stuff,' and they just never did.' She added: 'We just looked at each other gobsmacked and said, 'That was a missed opportunity. And then my phone started ringing and it rang every two minutes for three months with people screaming obscenities at me, saying they want to kill me. 'They wanted to kill my family, they wanted to kill the cats, they wanted to burn the place to the ground. I was asking them,'Why do you want to kill the cats?' Loggerheads: In the series, Carole was seen locking horns with larger-than-life Joe Exotic, 58 who is jailed for animal abuse and an attempted murder-for-hire plot on Carole 'And they said, 'Because they don't belong in cages,' and we'd tell them, 'That's our entire mission - that we save them in the wild.' Howard added: 'A tidal wave comes in really quickly and recedes really slowly, so that's what happened. 'For three months, we had a nightmare, a constant barrage and then it subsided and now what we're seeing is the pendulum swing the other way.' However, Carole shockingly went on to reveal that the vile threats to her life were all but business as usual for her, as her campaigning against keeping big cats caged has earned her enemies. She said: 'Actually, my life has been threatened for the past 20 years since we have been working on the bills to end the captivity of big cats and what you guys saw in Tiger King was just one person and a couple of threats. Big interview: The couple were interviewed by co-hosts Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond 'Over the past 20 years, I've had to hire bodyguards to go with me when I'd speak in public I've been physically attacked by people, so I'm very happy this one person [Joe Exotic] is in prison. 'I think it had a chilling effect on these people that have been threatening me so much, but it's not any different to how it was before Tiger King because I've always had to be on high alert because of people who abuse big cats. They have no respect of life of any kind.' Talking about starring in an upcoming Louis Theroux documentary, Carole told This Morning co-hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary that her aim has always been to save big cats. She said: 'The aim for us is always the end game, which is ending the captivity of big cats and saving them in the wild. That's where we want to focus our attention. It's not such a personal thing as it is to get people talking about saving big cats.' Enemies: Carole went on to reveal that the vile threats to her life were all but business as usual for her, as her campaigning against keeping big cats caged has earned her enemies Dermot asked Carole about meeting Joe Exotic and Carole said: 'I've never spoken to him. I've seen him four or five times, but all of those have been in a court room setting.' Howard added: 'I've spoken with him and I had a 12-hour mediation. My approach has always been to be professional, shake his hand. And even Joe said, 'Howard always treats me with courtesy.' 'There was one somewhat humorous incident - our attorney was showing him page after page of these horribly sexually orientated posts he made about Carole and Joe was sheepishly saying, 'Yes, I posted that.' 'We took a break and we ended up going to get a bottle of water at the same time and Joe says, 'Nothing personal.' Wow.' Episode: Carole and Howard appear with Louis Theroux in Louis Theroux: Shooting Joe Exotic Alison then asked Carole what the one question people ask her when they see her and she replied: 'Can I get a selfie?' She added: 'I ask everybody to keep a distance, because if someone were out to kill me, that would be the easiest way to get to close me. 'There's been cases where they've scared me half to death. I ride my bike to work and just a couple of weeks ago, a big dark SUV ran me off the road. 'Everybody jumps out and starts running towards me. I thought I was being kidnapped, but it was just people with their phones, running towards me, asking me for a selfie.' Fear: Carole has previously admitted she remains fearful that 58-year-old Joe Exotic who is jailed for an attempted murder-for-hire plot on Carole will 'finish what he set out to do' Police investigating the death of a Fraser Coast man are calling for anyone who might have seen a couple driving a 2011 Hyundai Accent sedan. Officers believe that just after midday on Saturday, a man and a woman went to a Pacific Haven Drive address, west of Hervey Bay, where a fight broke out with a 58-year-old man. Queensland police are appealing for people who might have spotted a man and a woman driving a 2011 Hyundai Accent sedan between 10pm on April 2 and midday on April 3 in the Burrum area. Credit:Queensland Police Service The 58-year-old suffered a severe wound and died at the scene, while the woman and the other man, who were also injured, were taken to hospital. Police are appealing to anyone who might have seen the pair driving the light blue Hyundai between 10pm on Friday and noon on Saturday in the Howard, Burrum and Pacific Haven area to come forward. Chloe Johnson covers the coastal environment and climate change for the Post and Courier. She's always looking for a good excuse to hop on a boat. Fifty-five of the nation's largest corporations paid no federal income tax on more than $40 billion in profits last year, according to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a progressive think tank. In fact, they received a combined federal rebate of more than $3 billion, for an effective tax rate of approximately negative 9%. "Their total corporate tax breaks for 2020, including $8.5 billion in tax avoidance and $3.5 billion in rebates, comes to $12 billion," according to the study's authors, Matthew Gardner and Steve Wamhoff. The findings also underscore the favorable tax environment for big businesses in the wake of the 2017 Trump tax cuts. Twenty-six corporations have paid no federal income taxes since 2017, according to the report, including such household names as Nike, FedEx and Dish Network. Combined, the 26 companies have booked more than $77 billion in profits since 2018, while receiving nearly $5 billion in rebates, for an effective three-year tax rate of negative 6%. A FedEx spokesman shared a statement from the company noting that "FedEx pays all of its taxes owed to local, state, federal, and foreign governments," and that "through the third quarter of fiscal year 2021, FedEx has paid nearly $2 billion in U.S. federal income tax in the last 10 years." Representatives from Dish Network declined to comment, while Nike did not respond to a request for comment. "By all appearances, the companies described in this report appear to be using entirely legal means to reduce their tax bills," lead author Matthew Gardner said via email. But that doesn't mean the companies are "blameless," he added. "Many of the tax provisions these companies are using exist because they themselves have lobbied heavily for their creation." Those provisions include tax breaks for stock options given to chief executives as part of their pay packages, credits for research and experimentation, and write-offs for renewable energy and capital investments. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's dramatic cut to the corporate income tax rate, from 35% to 21%, also plays a role in the limited tax liabilities facing many major corporations. But Gardner says the generous carve-outs, not the baseline rate itself, are driving much of the phenomenon. "We all want to see businesses investing more in the U.S., whether it's creating productive capacity or just creating jobs," he said. "Similarly, all Americans want to see businesses engaging in more research and development, and the R&D tax credit is another prominent factor driving the tax avoidance we see here." But there's little evidence demonstrating that these provisions actually boost investment or R&D, Gardner says. Following the Trump tax cuts, for instance, many businesses opted to send cash to their shareholders and lay off employees rather than make long-term investments. Speaking last month before the Senate Finance Committee, Kimberly A. Clausing, a deputy assistant secretary for tax analysis at the U.S. Treasury, said the Trump tax cuts roughly halved corporate tax revenue as a share of gross domestic product. While other wealthy nations typically raise roughly 3% of GDP through corporate taxes, in the United States that share fell to just 1% following the 2017 changes to the tax code. She also noted that before the pandemic, corporate profits as a share to GDP were running roughly twice as high as in the period from 1980 to 2000. Nearly 7 in 10 Americans say corporations are paying too little in taxes, according to Gallup polling. President Joe Biden has called for a higher corporate tax rate to fund his package of infrastructure investments, as well as a higher minimum tax on income earned by American companies overseas. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Biden said "we are asking corporate America to pay their fair share." His proposal "wouldn't directly repeal any tax breaks," Gardner said, "but would reduce the cost of many existing breaks. If this is what's politically doable, it's certainly better than doing nothing at all." Biden's proposal is already generating opposition among business groups. "By significantly increasing taxes on corporations, the proposal would be counterproductive to the goal of increasing economic growth and job creation," said Business Roundtable chief executive Joshua Bolten in a statement. However, progressive groups have been supportive of the plan. In a statement, a group of left-leaning think tanks wrote that "robust taxation of corporations and the wealthy can directly counter damaging inequality, rebalance power in our economy, and increase the competitiveness of American workers." Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 04:50:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People wearing face masks walk on the Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium, on March 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) New wave of COVID-19 pandemic, fatigue, and doubts over AstraZeneca vaccine ... countries in Europe are finding themselves caught between a rock and a hard place as they plan to reopen after the Easter holidays. BRUSSELS, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Countries in Europe are finding themselves caught between a rock and a hard place as they plan to reopen after the Easter holidays. While many countries enforced stricter rules over Easter to prevent a surge in COVID-19 infections during the celebrations, a prevailing fatigue among the general public about months of restrictions has made it increasingly difficult for compliance, especially as the weather warms up. People enjoy the warm weather in London's Primrose Hill, in Britain, March 29, 2021.(Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua) PANDEMIC FATIGUE In Brussels, the capital of Belgium, some 2,000 party-goers turned up on Thursday in the Bois de la Cambre, one of the city's biggest public parks, after a fake April Fool's Day festival event was advertised on social media. Police tried to disperse the crowds with water cannons and clashed with the revelers attending the unauthorized event despite COVID-19 restrictions. Belgium, with a population of about 11 million, has recorded some 888,000 COVID-19 cases and over 23,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Latest statistics from the health authorities showed that the COVID-19 incidence of the last 14 days was 561.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Right now schools, cafes and restaurants are closed, a night-time curfew is in place and non-essential trips in and out of Belgium are prohibited. "Outdoor bubbles" are reduced to four people, not counting children under the age of 12. Ironically, a Brussels court ruled on Wednesday that the Belgian state must lift "all coronavirus measures" within 30 days, as there is insufficient legal basis for them. The State is given 30 days to provide a sound legal basis, or face a penalty of 5,000 euros per day when the period expires, the Brussels Times reported. In the UK, where close to half of its 67 million population have been given the first jab of a COVID-19 vaccine, with steadily falling numbers of new cases and deaths, the rallies on Saturday across the country against the government's new crime bill have become a cause for concern over rising infections thereafter. "While we welcome the limited relaxation of rules, we don't want to become complacent ... After a long and difficult few months, let's not undo all of that hard work now," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors, who is leading the Metropolitan Police's strategic response to COVID-19, said in a statement. People wait in a COVID-19 vaccination center at the National Velodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, on March 24, 2021. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua) DOUBTS ABOUT ASTRAZENECA VACCINE But nothing is more frustrating than renewed reports on blood clot cases among AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine recipients, especially when Europe is scrambling to ramp up its vaccination campaign, albeit with some delay. Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Thursday it had received 30 reports of blood clots out of a total of 18.1 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine given by March 24. The cases include 22 reports of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and eight reports of other thrombosis events with low platelets. Seven people have died from unusual blood clots after getting the AstraZeneca vaccine in Britain, the BBC reported on Saturday, quoting the country's medicines regulator. On the basis of its ongoing review into these reports, the MHRA said the benefits of the vaccines against COVID-19 continue to outweigh any risks and people should continue to get their vaccine when invited to do so. The Netherlands also temporarily halted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people under the age of 60 after the Lareb side effects center said Friday that five reports had been received concerning women aged 25-65 who developed thrombosis in combination with a reduced platelet count, out of some 400,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine administered. One of these five women died after developing an extensive pulmonary embolism within ten days of the vaccination. On Tuesday evening, Germany decided to stop inoculating people under 60 with the AstraZeneca vaccine due to reports of 31 cases of cerebral vein thrombosis in connection with immunization. European Medicines Agency, the drug regulator of the European Union (EU), said that based on currently available data, its safety committee PRAC is expected to issue an updated recommendation next week about the AstraZeneca vaccine. People walk on a street in downtown Vienna, Austria, on April 1, 2021. (Photo by Georges Schneider/Xinhua) "GREEN PASS" AND REOPENING The third wave of the pandemic in Europe is alarmingly visible in many countries. In France, one of the worst-hit countries in the region, a total of 46,677 COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday. Thursday and Wednesday even witnessed over 50,000 daily cases. Since March, daily cases have spiraled, with an average of about 30,000. "The third wave is here, and it's hitting us hard. ... The epidemic spreads quickly and everywhere. This acceleration is due to the virus variant detected in Britain by the end of last year," said Prime Minister Jean Castex after the country's third national lockdown announced. Germany registered 24,300 new cases on Thursday, some 1,600 more than one week ago, according to the Robert Koch Institute, the federal government agency for disease control and prevention. Calling it a "really difficult phase of the pandemic," Chancellor Angela Merkel said: "With our behavior, we can again slow down, stop and then reverse the strong growth in the number of infections." Indeed, the anxiety about a return to normalcy could be felt everywhere. Austria declared last week it would be a pioneer in the EU in introducing a digital "green pass" to enable safe travel during the pandemic. Health Minister Rudolf Anschober confirmed to journalists that two-thirds of Austrians should have received at least the first COVID-19 vaccine shot by the beginning of July. The "green pass" would cover test results and the status of recovery from COVID-19 by the end of April, and the data from the electronic vaccination certificate should then be added in June, he said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said that the government is considering COVID-19 vaccine certification but suggested it might only be implemented once all adults in Britain have been offered a vaccine by the end of July. The European Commission proposed last month a Digital Green Certificate covering COVID-19 vaccination, testing and recovery, in a bid to reopen the bloc "in a safe, sustainable and predictable way." Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton, who is now responsible for the bloc's new vaccine production task force, revealed to RTL radio last Sunday that the certificate will be issued to EU citizens somewhere in mid-June ideally. "By mid-July, we will be in capacity to deliver to Member States enough doses to reach collective immunity (around 70 percent of the adult population) -- provided of course the doses are injected," he tweeted on Wednesday. It dawned on me somewhere between the mussels steeped in potlikker at Boucherie and the silky-smooth mirliton soup poured over crisp fried oysters across town at Bywater American Bistro. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, yes, and I was glad to get back to these restaurants. But something else was elevating the visits, and Ive been feeling it at many other places too. Simply put, this is a glorious time to be dining out again in New Orleans. This goes beyond the food, but you came to eat, so lets start with whats on the plate. I felt it when I first rolled back into Dunbars Creole Cuisine, where a familys next generation is working to bring a long food legacy forward with fried fish over smoky butter beans and a gumbo for the ages. The same feeling set the table at Peche Seafood Grill as the crudo and snapper collars arrived. It was evident as our outdoor table at Costera rapidly filled with tapas that four buddies were finally comfortable sharing again. And I felt it in the glittering main dining room at Arnauds, where we busted out the dress-up clothes at long last and started with French 75 cocktails and smoked pompano. Local restaurants are doing some of their best cooking, and they have been for months now, despite the hardships and in some cases maybe because of them. Restaurants have had to fight to reopen and stay open. That fight has brought focus. Old pros are doubling down, and rising talent is asserting itself. The knives have a sharper edge. The brass tacks of the business are shining; the sense of purpose is galvanized. New Orleans restaurants have also been cooking for their best customers, the locals, the ones who have supported them through a year-plus span of tumult, and the ones they rely on now to make it to the next phase. +11 After a wrenching year, heres why New Orleans restaurants see better times ahead In March, Marna and Frank Brigtsen renewed the lease on the Riverbend cottage that their Brigtsens Restaurant calls home. It was an affirmati These same New Orleans people are bringing something to the equation thats just as vital as the tightened culinary chops, and you can feel that too. Between the cheers and the welcome-back greetings, restaurants are framing our joy of each other and our yearning for togetherness. Places we once turned to for everyday pleasures are now scenes of outright jubilation. Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up +7 As vaccinations rise, older customers head back to New Orleans restaurants to celebrate Once she got her second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Debbie Coyle breathed a sigh of relief. Two weeks later, after completing the waiting period These returns and reunions have been happening slowly, gradually throughout the time that restaurants have been inching back from the brink. It has clearly now reached a different pace and volume. More travelers are making their way back to New Orleans, but this is still a dynamic shaped by the locals. And heres the gigantic caveat to it all. The crisis is not even remotely over, and in some parts of the country, the virus spread is rising again. Weve already learned how quickly things can change, and how turning points can turn back on us. Thats one reason city officials say they are maintaining restrictions on restaurants and other hospitality businesses, even after the state lifted most its own limits. But there is more than just hope at play now. Local vaccination rates are rising, case levels have been low and people and businesses have better tools to combat virus spread provided they use them, provided they do their bit to stymie another surge. Right now though, the sense of change and optimism is unmistakable in restaurants. I hope people remember how it feels, that moment of returning to favorite restaurants we once feared wed lose, the excitement of rejoining a beloved pursuit that for a time was gone. As more pieces of New Orleans life build back, we are seeing anew why it all matters, why weve fought to keep each other safe and keep each other whole through the crisis and what we can do on the other side. +7 Cafe Sbisa brings back a French Quarter classic with Creole flavor and Black leadership The setting at Cafe Sbisa seems to conjure stories all on its own, between the paintings over the bar, the patina on the walls and the contour +4 Ian McNulty: At the new Morning Call, beignets carry something more than powdered sugar Of course, I was wearing dark clothing when I bit into that first beignet at the new home of Morning Call Coffee Stand. And of course, some of ALGONA, Iowa A man wanted for murder in Mason City was captured Monday in Algona. The Mason City Police Department says Benjamin Gonzalez, 37, is charged with first-degree murder for the March 31 death of Michael Creviston, 36, of Mason City. Gonzalez was apprehended in Algona around 4 pm. He is being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on $1 million bond. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Algona Police Department, the Kossuth County Sheriffs Office, the Kossuth County Attorneys Office, the Clear Lake Police Department, the Cerro Gordo County Sheriffs Office, and the Iowa State Patrol assisted with the search for and arrest of Gonzalez. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Mason City Police Department at 641-421-3636. Related: Friend of homicide victim speaks out. The Algona Police Department posted the following on its social media account earlier Monday: *****CLEAR****Until further officers area requesting everyone please stay out of the area west of Hall St. and north of State street. This is for your safety. Will advise when it is safe again. Posted by Algona Police Department on Monday, April 5, 2021 Mason City officers responded to a call of a shooting at 10:26 p.m. Wednesday in the area of 3rd St. NW and N. Jefferson Ave. There, authorities confirmed one person was shot. He was taken to MercyOne North Iowa where he later died from his injuries. This is a breaking news story and we will have more information as it is released. Press Release April 5, 2021 Holistic approach to expand health facilities needed to cope with rapidly rising number of COVID-19 cases, says Bong Go Senator Christopher "Bong" Go urged the government to implement a more holistic approach to expand the capacities and capabilities of available health facilities to cope with the rapidly rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country, particularly in NCR Plus areas. "Habang mas lalo nating pinapaigting ang mga hakbang upang maiwasan ang pagdami ng bilang ng kaso ng COVID-19, siguraduhin din natin na sapat ang kapasidad at kapabilidad ng ating healthcare system sa bansa upang gamutin at mailigtas ang buhay ng mga nagkakasakit, lalo na ang mga severe COVID-19 cases," Go said. Go, who is the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, appealed to concerned agencies, with the help of the private sector, to expedite the construction and expansion of more modular facilities and tents equipped with COVID-19 isolation areas and ICU beds to cater particularly to those with severe conditions. "I laud the continuing efforts of the government to provide more isolation facilities for people with mild and moderate COVID-19 cases; however, the need for more facilities that can handle severe and critical conditions must also be considered," Go said. The Senator also urged the government to identify locations where modular facilities and tents equipped with ICU beds may be installed or existing structures that can be transformed into temporary health facilities to accommodate severe COVID-19 cases. Based on a recent discussion with key executive officials, Go shared that donations of ICU tents and medical equipment are already being facilitated through the Department of Health. Hotels located near hospitals are also being considered as possible temporary health facilities. Go also called on the government to double its efforts, through the One Hospital Command Center, in order to reduce further the waiting time for patients needing urgent treatment or admission, provide faster medical transport and patient pick-up, and facilitate much improved use of critical care services in health facilities. "Nakakaawa po 'yung mga kababayan nating naghihingalo na tapos wala pang mahanap na ospital. Buhay po ang nakasalalay sa bawat minutong pag-aantay makakuha lang ng ospital, kama, at doktor para maalagaan sila," he lamented. "Huwag nating hintayin na nag-aagaw buhay na sa labas ng mga ospital ang ating mga kababayang may sakit. Gawin natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya para sagipin at gamutin sila," he added. Go also proposed additional measures to reinforce further the government's pandemic response in a bid to contain the rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. The Senator specifically called for an enhanced implementation and monitoring of the Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat and Rehabilitate (PDITR) actions, particularly in the local level. Go emphasized that the government must also improve its testing capacity by maximizing the use of cheaper but accurate rapid antigen tests authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. "Local government units must also strengthen their border control to regulate the flow of people in order to prevent the overspill of high cases of COVID-19 infections into less critical areas in the country," Go further suggested. Meanwhile, Go called on the government to address the need to augment the availability of medical frontliners, particularly in critical areas where a significant number of them have been overburdened or infected with COVID-19. "I laud the bayanihan efforts of nurses in the Visayas who expressed willingness to be deployed in 'NCR Plus' areas. Patunay lamang po ito na sa kabila ng pandemya, malakas pa rin ang diwa ng bayanihan sa bansa," said Go. He also appealed to health workers in other parts of the country with lower COVID-19 cases to also be ready to extend help in critical areas. "In these trying times, we need a holistic whole-of-nation approach to fully overcome this pandemic," he said. The Senator further appealed to DOH to provide sufficient guidelines for primary care providers and community health workers who are treating mild cases of COVID-19 isolating at home to make sure the latter receive the necessary care and assistance they need to recover. Go also noted the need to improve existing data collection and management systems so authorities can develop more effective strategies and prevent another wave of widespread COVID-19 transmissions. Go called on the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to conduct more open dialogues with medical experts, scientists and other health advocates to promote a constructive exchange of ideas and come up with science-based recommendations in overcoming the pandemic. "Marami pong mahuhusay na mga scientists at doktor sa bansa. Bigyan natin sila ng oportunidad na makatulong. May boses sila sa gobyernong ito. Kahit ang Pangulo, sinisigurado palagi na base sa siyensya at tamang pag-aaral ang mga desisyon na dapat ipatupad," Go stressed. Go further reminded government officials of the Duterte Administration's whole-of-nation approach in dealing with the ongoing crisis. "To our officials, let us be more inclusive and open to suggestions from various stakeholders. We cannot overcome this alone. Kaya nga po bayanihan ang isinisigaw natin noong simula palang. Bigyan natin ng oportunidad ang lahat na tumulong para mas mabilis natin malampasan ang krisis na ito," he said. Meanwhile, Go enjoined everyone to contribute to the ongoing bayanihan efforts, emphasizing that the cooperation of all sectors is necessary to secure the welfare, well-being and way of life of Filipinos amid the unprecedented global crisis. "Bawat isa sa atin ay may tungkulin sa kapwa, sa ating komunidad, at sa ating bayan. Lahat tayo ay dapat maging bahagi ng solusyon," he said. "Laging tandaan na ang ating kooperasyon, bayanihan, at malasakit sa kapwa ay makapagliligtas ng buhay ng kapwa nating Pilipino!" he concluded. Two Australian friends have curated an innovative chin-lifting face mask to help women define their jawline without needing expensive surgeries or fillers. Despite having no previous business experience, founders Elita Gluscevic, 31, and Stephanie Turzi, 28, launched Dfine World on November 3, 2020. The product idea sparked after the pair had a conversation about wanting a natural alternative solution to a defined jawline and stumbled across a popular Korean technique. 'A lot of beauty trends start in Korea and face-slimming masks were one of these trends taking Seoul by storm. They promised a sharper, firmer jawline with no surgery needed - so naturally we had to investigate,' the pair told FEMAIL. Within a month of launching the online business, the brand made $19,000 and received support from shoppers around Australia. The chin-lifting mask is designed to give women a more lifted, tightened, defined and smoother jawline in only 30 minutes Within the first month of launching the online business, the brand made $19,000 and received support from shoppers around Australia Despite having no previous business experience, founders Elita Gluscevic, 31, and Stephanie Turzi, 28, launched Dfine World on November 3, 2020 The product is designed to give women a more lifted, tightened, defined and smoother jawline in only 30 minutes. The thin mask uses active ingredients to penetrate the skin - similarly to a sheet mask - and combines the elasticity of the non-woven fabric to help give the added tightening, but the results aren't permanent. It also stimulates blood flow to the area and the combination helps tighten, life and define the jaw and chin. Some of the key ingredients used include glycerine for hydration, hydrolyzed collagen to help add elasticity, vitamin E to moisturise the skin and tartaric acid to improve the texture and reduce signs of aging. 'It is extremely safe to use, and our ingredients cater to sensitive skin types (both of us have very sensitive skin so this was a must),' the duo said. The mask is safe for pregnant women to use, but only for half the recommended time. Online a packet of three masks is priced at $39.99 and the matching beauty headband costs $18. Happy customers have shared before and after images online to demonstrate how the natural product works to lift and tighten the jawline What are the key ingredients used? GLYCERIN: The master of hydration, it's one of the many substances in skin that helps maintain a healthy look and feel, defending against dryness and working to maintain the skin's moisture level. PROPYLENE GLYCOL: Attracts water and locks it into the skin. Assists in hydration and smoothness by helping the active ingredients penetrate the skin. HYDROLYZED COLLAGEN: Helps skin hydration and elasticity while boosting collagen density. An ingredient that also helps deter the signs of skin aging. VITAMIN E: Plays an important role in neutralising free radicals, moisturising skin, and improving the appearance of visible skin aging. TARTARIC ACID: Improve skin texture and reduce the signs of aging by promoting cell shedding in the outer layers of the epidermis and by restoring hydration. Advertisement 'It's an affordable, alternate solution for those wanting a more natural approach to their beauty with the added benefit of great results!' they said Both Elita and Stephanie agreed that the mask isn't a 'miracle product' and isn't designed to provide surgery-level results. 'It's an affordable, alternate solution for those wanting a more natural approach to their beauty with the added benefit of great results,' they said. 'One use result can last up to two weeks, however important to note results may vary. Depending on your needs you can wear it once a day or just before a big event.' Dfine World also has no direct competitors and is believed to be the first brand to bring this technique to the Australian market. Since launching the brand, Elita had been working as the Head of Marketing in the professional services industry and Stephanie was working as an E-commerce & Marketing Coordinator for an e-commerce company. Online a packet of three masks is priced at $39.99 and the matching beauty headband costs $18 Both Elita and Stephanie agreed that the mask isn't a 'miracle product' and isn't designed to provide surgery-level results The duo are also currently developing another product to launch in future and say they want to offer affordable beauty solutions that cater to all types of women Over the past five months the brand has made a $55,000 return and the business duo aim to grow the brand further. 'It's a pretty phenomenal feeling. So much love and hard work went into launching the brand and to see such positive responses to an unfamiliar and quite strange product was so surreal,' the founders said. 'Australians are extremely savvy consumers so naturally this type of product can seem gimmicky, but we did our best to be transparent about the product and its results.' But developing the product and navigating the business has been a challenge in itself, which Elita and Stephanie described to be a 'like a roller coaster'. The duo are also currently developing another product to launch in future and say they want to offer affordable beauty solutions that cater to all types of women. Jakarta, April 5 : More than 100 people were killed and dozens are missing after floods and landslides hit East Nusa Tenggara province in Indonesia, officials and media reports said on Monday. Volcanic debris from Mount Lewotolo engulfed homes on Sunday following heavy rain, killing 20 people and leaving more than 60 missing, Thomas Ola, the head of Lembata district, told dpa news agency. "Fourteen villages are still totally isolated, with roads inaccessible," he said. The death toll is likely to increase as information was still being gathered from the villages, he said. Mount Lewatolo has erupted intermittently since December. In another part of the province, the death toll after flash floods and landslides hit villages on Adonara island on Sunday rose to 73, Metro TV news channel reported. Access to the island had been difficult because of high seas, said Raditya Jati, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency. "The only way to get there is by sea and strong winds and storms mean that we can't sail," he said. Furthermore, interruptions to internet access mean limited information is available and the death toll could be higher. Meanwhile, on nearby Alor island, similar disasters killed at least 11 people, according to the disaster agency. It said more than 100 homes damaged and five bridges collapsed. The climatology and meteorological agency predicted that some parts of Indonesia could face extreme weather, with heavy and torrential rain, strong winds and large waves during the week ahead. The tropical cyclone Seroja may intensify over the coming day and is expected to move south-west away from Indonesia, it said. President Joko Widodo said he was deeply saddened by the disasters. "I understand the plight of our fellow citizens affected by the disasters," he said. "I'm calling for immediate provision of health care, food and other basic needs to the affected people and restoration of infrastructure." Indonesia has recorded nearly 1,000 disasters since January, mostly hydro-meteorological hazards, including flooding and landslides, according to the disaster management agency. At least 337 people have been killed, 55 are missing and 4.3 million have been affected, with many displaced, it said. Unlike many Christians who celebrated Easter with their loved ones in their homes, Peter Onyiuke marked his in the custody of the police at Wuse Zone 2 in Abuja, following his arrest a week ago allegedly on the instruction of the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar. Mr Onyiuke is a phone repairer with an outlet at the Banex Plaza in Wuse, Abuja, where Mr Umar assaulted a security guard, Clement Sargwak, on March 29. It was gathered that Mr Onyiuke became a target of arrest following a separate quarrel Mr Umar had with him in the middle of the pandemonium resulting from the assault on the plazas security guard the same day. The squabble was said to have ensued while Mr Onyiuke was trying to return Mr Umars phone which he helped the CCT chairman to pick after it fell to the ground without him knowing. Many hours later that day, that act of kindness was said to have been rewarded with a beating by security agents on the order of Mr Umar, whom eyewitnesses said accused Mr Onyiuke of being rude in his manner of returning the phone. Eyewitnesses told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Onyiuke was harassed, manhandled, and beaten by the security officials before they took him away in what appeared to be a vengeful move orchestrated by Mr Umar long after he unleashed the now-widely condemned attack on the plazas security guard. Our reporter confirmed that Mr Onyiuke who was arrested for a yet-to-be-ascertained offence, was still being held by the police without bail or trial as of Monday morning. This newspaper had reported how Mr Umar was caught on camera assaulting Mr Sargwak, a security guard deployed to the plaza by its employer, Jul Reliable Guards Services Limited. In the five-minute video footage that went viral, the tribunal chairman was seen slapping and kicking the 22-year-old after an altercation ensued between them over the space where Mr Umar parked his car. Mr Sargwak later told PREMIUM TIMES that he was beaten and detained at Maitama Police Station because he opposed Mr Umars wrong parking on the premises of the plaza. Despite video evidence, the CCT chairman denied the assault allegation in an error-filled statement issued by the tribunals press and media unit, on March 30. The CCT chairman, who also accused Mr Sargwak of being rude in their parking space squabble, insisted in the statement that it was him who was assaulted by a mob of Biafran boys, a characterisation that was widely condemned as a slur on a particular ethnic group. In separate statements on Sunday, while Mr Umar appeared to double-down on his objectionable claim, by saying his assaulters chanted secessionist and sectional slogans, the head of CCTs press and media unit, Ibraheem Al-hassan, apologised for the embarrassment caused by what he described as his unedited draft. Mr Sargwak was released the same day of the incident, following the intervention of the plazas lawyer, but Mr Onyiuke has remained in detention since then. How Onyiuke was manhandled, arrested Mr Sargwak, in his interview with PREMIUM TIMES, said security officials suspected to be operatives of State Security Service (SSS), in company with Mr Umar, returned to the plaza after they were done at Maitama Police Station on March 29, to arrest Mr Onyiuke. As we returned to the Banex Plaza in the evening at about 7 p.m. I saw him (Mr Umar) with my two eyes open. They came to arrest a man, Peter Onyiuke, who had helped him pick up his phone and immediately returned; because his phone had dropped on the floor when he was beating me, Mr Sargwak had told our reporter. From the accounts of eyewitnesses who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES, it turned out to be that while Mr Umar was locked in fight with Sargwak, the CCT chairman was also having a quarrel with Mr Onyiuke. An eyewitness, Joshua Luke, said Mr Umar was probably angered by the tone of Mr Onyuikes conversation while trying to return his fallen phone to him. ADVERTISEMENT Onyiuke stood from a distance and looked him in the eye, boldly, and said Oga come get your phone, the man (Mr Umar) who seemed angry, in response to Onyiuke, said are you talking to me, are you alright? Onyiuke replied, yes, I said come and take your phone if you dont want to take it, leave it, Mr Luke said in his recollection of the events preceding Mr Onyiukes arrest. He added, Onyiuke then handed the phone over to a Banex police officer who then gave it to the man (Mr Umar). After the phone was handed over to him, Onyiuke asked him why he did not have the courtesy to thank him. The man asked why he would say thank you. Mr Luke said, the CCT chairman, who had presided over the trials of high-profile public officers, including a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and a former Senate President, who were accused of breach of code of conduct for public officers, began to brag about his position in the country and how he had dealt with notable persons in the past. He added, The man later started saying many things like he would jail Oyunike for 25 years without trial. It was at that point, Onyiuke called his bluff and told him to do his worst as he was not God. The man ordered one of the Banex police officers to arrest Onyiuke, but they were reluctant to carry out the arrest due to the familiarity the police officers had had with people at the plaza. The police officer just held him (Mr Onyuike) gently by his trousers and kept warning him to keep quiet. He said when police officers attached to Mr Umar arrived at the plaza, the CCT chairman ordered them to arrest Mr Onyiuke, who immediately fled the scene. Onyiuke did not touch the man. The only thing between them was just the way he spoke to him to come to collect his phone. It was the same phone the man used to call his security details at his home to come to pick up the security guard (Mr Sargwak), he said. In what came as a corroboration of the account earlier given to PREMIUM TIMES by Mr Sargwak, Mr Luke said it was near closing time at the plaza when the earlier incident had been long forgotten that some gunshots were heard on the premises. I heard gunshots and I went outside the plaza premises only to find Onyiuke struggling with officers of the SSS; his clothes were torn to his boxers, he said. Asked if any of Onyiukes family members had been contacted, Mr Luke said the detainee was living alone at Jikwe, New Nyanya, a border town between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State. On Banex plaza managements efforts to secure his release, he said, They are currently dealing with the case of their security guard. I heard they said they want to go to court. But for Onyiuke, we have tried to bail him. The police had called us to come for his bail, but they changed their position again. The matter is confusing. Another eyewitness, Paul Emmanuel, who is also a phone repairer and friend to Mr Onyiuke, said he and some of his colleagues had been taking food to him at the Wuse Zone 2 Police Station, morning and evening. According to Mr Emmanuel, SSS operatives handed over Mr Onyiuke to the police on Wednesday after he had spent about two nights in custody of the secret police. Our reporter asked the eyewitnesses how they arrived at their conclusion that it was SSS operatives that came to the plaza to pick up Onyiuke, and they said the operatives that carried out the arrest wore camouflage with DSS inscription, which is the acronym of Department of State Service, a self-adopted name of the agency different from its statutory name. We knew it was them from their black camouflage uniforms with DSS inscription on their back and their guns, he said. But when contacted by our reporter for his comment on the involvement of SSS operatives in the arrest of Mr Onyiuke, the agencys spokesperson, Peter Afunaya, denied it in a text message. Not true, no SSS operative did that, he stated in the text message sent to our reporter. Onyiukes case being handled Samuel Ihensekhien, a lawyer to the owners of the plaza, told this newspaper in a phone interview that the plaza management was on Mr Onyiukes case. The guy is still in custody, but I am going there to visit him tomorrow (Monday), he said. Asked if the plaza had taken steps to ensure his release on bail, Mr Ihensekhien, said, Its either they charge him to a court or they release him on bail. They must release him as they (police) have breached the constitutional provision of 48hrours limit of detention of suspects. Onyiuke speaks In a bid to speak with the detainee, our reporter joined his friends on a visit to the Police Station on Friday. Our reporter, along with a lawyer who was contacted by friends and colleagues of Mr Onyiuke, and three others, arrived at the Wuse Zone 2 Police Station at about 6.p.m. Omo I don dey here since Wednesday, you see my buttocks, Mr Onyiuke said in Pidgin English, as he pulled down his oversized stone blue trousers to show his friends an injury on his buttocks. I was badly injured in the hands of the SSS agents since Monday I was taken out from the Plaza in custody. No one can tell reason for Onyiukes arrest Neither the two lawyers who have been acting for Mr Onyiuke nor any of his friends could tell the offence for which he was arrested. Mr Onyiuke too said he had not told the reason for his arrest but has been told he would not be released without Mr Umars instruction. He added, I dont know what I did wrong. Am I being punished for giving a man his phone back? What was my offence for helping him to pick up his phone which I returned? I was even told I would not be released until they (Police) get approval from him (Mr Umar). This claim was corroborated by a police officer who attended to Mr Onyiukes visitors. The police officer, whose identity PREMIUM TIMES would not want to disclose to shield him from possible victimisation, said, If it was left to me, I would release him for you guys, but its out of my power; even if you meet my oga here (the Divisional Police Officer) he would tell you same. I dont like what happened to him, its not fair, I must confess. Bolaji Samson, the lawyer who was contacted by Mr Onyiukes friends, assured that he would be released after the Easter holidays. Since its a festive period its obvious we cannot do much, but we would try to get him bail after the holidays, he said. Mr Al-hassan, the CCTs head of press and media unit, declined to speak when asked on Monday to comment on the allegation that Mr Onyiuke had been held for a week on the tribunal chairmans order. When contacted for her comment on why Mr Onyiuke was being held, spokesperson for the FCT police command, Mariam Yusuf, told our reporter over the phone to send her the enquiry in a text message. But over 12 hours after the text message was sent to her, she has yet to respond. She has also not answered our correspondents numerous calls since receiving the text message enquiry and the reminder sent to her on Monday. More than $10 million has been raised for a super PAC supporting Hillbilly Elegy author and venture capitalist, JD Vance, for a possible Senate campaign in Ohio. Vance, 36, who lives in Cincinnati with his wife and children, has not officially announced a run for the US Senate but the PAC is pushing heavily to recruit him. Vance's background growing up in a poor family is generating excitement in Republican circles in the aftermath of the Trump presidency as the party attempts to rebrand itself from being 'the party of the country clubs' to the party of the working class. Vance, who is a millionaire and best-selling author, can actually claim to have authentic working class roots. He rose to prominence with his 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy about poverty in the US Midwest and his roots in Appalachian Kentucky. JD Vance is eyeing a potential Senate campaign in Ohio. Vance, who lives in Cincinnati with his wife and children, has not officially announced a run for the US Senate Vance rose to prominence with his 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy about poverty in the Midwest and his roots in Appalachian Kentucky His memoir was turned into a Netflix film produced by Ron Howard late last year starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams. Close received an Oscar nomination for supporting actress for her role in the film. 'We're a network of grassroots conservatives committed to electing a Senator who will stand for and defend Ohio's values in Washington, DC,' PAC advisor Bryan Lanza said. 'We believe JD Vance is the right man for the job and we are signing up supporters and raising funds to demonstrate a groundswell of support in the Buckeye State.' The state's 2022 Senate race is already heating up after current GOP Sen. Rob Portman announced earlier this year that he is retiring. A number of high-profile Republican names are already in the mix for the seat, including former state Treasurer Josh Mandel and former Ohio GOP chair Jane Timken. Vance considered running against Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown back in 2018 but ultimately declined. PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel made a $10 million donation to Protect Ohio Values, which is a PAC formed last month to back JD Vance's possible Senate campaign in Ohio At the time, Vance said he was busy with investment work, a nonprofit he started to help address Ohio's opioid crisis and a young family. 'Count me out of politics for now,' Vance said back then, but things look different this time around. Billionaire PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel has donated $10 million to Protect Ohio Values, which is a PAC formed last month to back Vance's potential run for Senate. Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and was an early Facebook investor, has previously backed Vance's Narya Capital venture firm, which he runs out of Cincinnati. Thiel was also was one of the few prominent Silicon Valley tech moguls to publicly back President Trump. Republican's believe JD Vance's authentic working class roots could be used to their advantage In addition to Theil's $10 million donation Lanza said that hedge fund manager Robert Mercer's family had also made a 'significant' contribution. His memoir was turned into a Netflix film starring Glen Close, who received an Oscar nomination for her role The donations could result in Vance being a front-runner in the potentially crowded GOP primary. Vance's memoir, released in 2016, became an election-year explainer to liberal America about the white underclass that fueled President Trump's rise. It quickly made the New York Times' best sellers list later that year. His memoir details his roots in Appalachian Kentucky and how they related to growing up in Middletown, Ohio. His family were originally hillbillies from the poor and remote Appalachian Mountains that run from Pennsylvania to Alabama. He details in his memoir growing up with violent, alcoholic grandparents, a heroin addicted mother and an absent father. Vance now has an estimated net worth of $7million. A former Marine who served in Iraq and studied at Yale Law School, Vance worked as a principal at a venture capital firm owned by Theil called Mithril Capital Management. In 2020, Vance raised $93 million for Narya Capital in Ohio. Vance quickly became a popular talk show guest for his insights into Trump's white working-class support although he showed no interest in backing the then candidate himself. 'I think that I'm going to vote third party because I can't stomach Trump,' Vance told NPR on book tour in 2016. 'I think that he's noxious and is leading the white working class to a very dark place.' Political strategists believe the Republican party needs to shift its demographic away from its supporters who are disproportionately white. President Trump managed to made some progress among Latinos and a small percentage of African American men in 2020. Vance, who is a former US Marine who served in Iraq and studied at Yale Law School, quickly became a popular talk show guest for his insights into Trump's white working-class support An internal Republican memo seen by Axios last week suggested 'House Republicans can broaden our electorate, increase voter turnout, and take back the House by enthusiastically rebranding and reorienting as the Party of the Working Class.' Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley are attempting to spread that message. 'The Republican party is not the party of the country clubs, it's the party of hardworking, blue-collar men and women,' Cruz stated in February, in a speech to CPAC. 'We are a working-class party now,' Hawley after the November election. 'That's the future.' A reservoir near the old Piney Point phosphate mine, in Bradenton, Fla., on April 3, 2021. (Tiffany Tompkins/The Bradenton Herald via AP) Florida Jail Evacuated Over Concerns of Catastrophic Flooding A Florida jail was evacuated over the weekend amid concerns of potentially catastrophic flooding after a reservoir leak was discovered near a containment area in Manatee County. Manatee County Jail public information officer Randy Warren told news outlets that 345 inmates will be taken to an undisclosed secure location in order to free up bed space for the remaining 721 inmates on the upper level of the Manatee Jail. Details about where they will be housed werent provided due to security concerns. [Manatee Sheriff Rick] Wells and staff are still in constant communication with officials on the situation. We arent expecting more than a foot of water on jail property, in the worst-case scenario, Warren told NewsChannel8. Meanwhile, Acting Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes told reporters at an April 4 news conference that officials moved the medical unit and all personnel to the second floor, which puts them well over 10 feet above the base level. But those plans were scrapped and Wells ordered the inmates be bused to another location, Warren told the Bradenton Herald. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on April 4 declared a state of emergency as county officials evacuated residents near a phosphate processing plant over the weekend. Officials warned that a pond filled with toxic wastewater could collapse at any time. A portion of the containment wall at the leak site shifted laterally, Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur told WSTP after a significant leak was discovered at the Piney Point processing plant. Saur further cautioned that structural collapse could occur at any time. The sheriffs office expects up to one foot of floodwater in the vicinity of the jail should the Piney Point site be breached. The reasoning for that is just to create better security for us within the facility on the upper level and to give us enough bed space for the remaining 721 inmates, Warren told the Herald. The main concern regarding Piney Point is the amount of phosphogypsum, which is radioactive waste in the pond from processing phosphate into a state that it can be used for commercial fertilizer, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. The water being pumped out of the site is a mix of seawater, rain runoff, and stormwater, state and county officials said. The water meets water quality standards for marine waters with the exception of pH, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and total ammonia nitrogen, the state said in a statement. It is slightly acidic, but not at a level that is expected to be a concern, nor is it expected to be toxic. Chocolatiers cut into a giant chocolate egg (black and white photo) No elaborate jewel-filled chocolate eggs this Easter Easter means two things: celebrating a guy who escaped from a tomb and eating tons of chocolate. That seems like a recipe for success for chocolate magnates, but British chocolatiers had a hellish Easter season this yearand its all because of Brexit. The New York Times explains the debacle thusly: Britain struck a trade deal with the European Union last year, which spared the Brits from a significant number of otherwise paralyzing tariffs. But British chocolate exporters are still stuck in a bureaucratic mess involving never-ending paperwork, chocolate accidentally delivered to the wrong countries, and steep customs duties. This is bad news, especially since chocolate is the UKs second-largest food and drink export, the Times reports. Read more Whos this affecting? When you think of British chocolate, you might think of Cadburybut Britain is also the home to a variety of artisanal bean-to-bar chocolate makers whove suffered under Brexit. The Times cites chocolatier Alastair Gower, whos successfully sent just one batch of product to Europe since Brexit. The Times writes: The shipment of about $8,000 worth of chocolate sat in limbo for weeks on its way to Holland. Once it finally arrived, his customer was asked to pay the equivalent of about $5,000 in duties because Mr. Gower had not filled out the import statement correctly. Other small British chocolate markers are struggling to import raw ingredients from Europe. Its to the point where Im thinking of borrowing a Renault van and just driving to the Netherlands myself, one struggling chocolatier told the Times, citing issues importing from his preferred cacao supplier. Its a 10-hour drive each way. But Im not sure I have another choice. Chocolate road trip. Id watch that movie. Burma Bago Bombs Target Myanmar Military-Linked Sites The Mytel office in Bago. / CJ. Bago Bombs were reportedly used against military-linked sites in Bago on Sunday. There were attacks on the office of Mytel, a telecoms operator owned by Myanmars military, and on security forces at Shwemadaw Pagodas southern gate on Sunday. The attacks were carried out by unidentified bike riders, according to Bago residents. They attacked the Mytel office and sentries near the pagodas gate. But there was no explosion at the Mytel office, said a Bago resident. An employee at the Mytel office told The Irrawaddy that two bike riders attacked the office with a homemade bomb but it did not ignite. The militarys mouthpiece Myawady TV, however, reported on Sunday that the Mytel office was attacked with a bomb and windows were broken. The Shwemadaw blast did no serious damage. Myawady TV reported a bomb attack on a guardhouse. Afterwards, the security forces stopped pedestrians and motorbikes to look for evidence and to examine phones, according to a resident. There was an explosion at the Bago district police station on March 30. The military said the attackers used an electrically propelled rocket. The Irrawaddy was told a police officer suffered a leg injury in the explosion. The military fired at random outside the Bogyoke Monastery after the explosion. A bank employee was shot dead and a woman was injured, according to residents. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Spokesman: Daw Aung San Suu Kyis Father Would Think Her Stupid Four Myanmar Soldiers Killed in Grenade Attack in Sagaing Region Chinas Policy on Myanmar Junta Endangers its Interests: Analyst Advertisement Litter-pickers headed out again this morning to clear up the empty beer cans, food cartons and laughing gas canisters left at beauty spots by Easter Sunday revellers. Primrose Hill - known for its awe-inspiring view across central London - was one of the green spaces to fall victim to the scourge despite repeated calls for people to take home their mess. It came as Britons packed beaches and parks all over the country to bask in warm temperatures of 18C (64.4F) and enjoy the easing of lockdown. It is unlikely similar scenes will be repeated today, with Arctic winds battering Britain overnight and thousands waking up to heavy snow, fierce winds and temperatures below freezing. Primrose Hill - known for its awe-inspiring view across central London - was one of the green spaces to fall victim to the scourge of litter this morning despite repeated calls for people to take home their mess Empty beer cans, plastic bags, food cartons and laughing gas canisters were among the detritus piled up against the curb at Primrose Hill today The spot in north London is popular with drinkers thanks to its awe-inspiring views across the centre of the capital A litter picker removes bags of rubbish from an overflowing bin at Primrose Hill amid a major clean up operation this morning Do you have photos of litter today? Email rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement Monday morning temperatures were far lower as cold northern winds moved over the country with the mercury at -1C up north and barely above freezing in the south. Duffield in Derbyshire was the most southerly place in the UK to see snow this morning. The Met Office has issued three snow and wind warnings - in what is predicted to be a three-day cold snap bringing 'heavy snow showers'. Met Office forecaster Sarah Kent said: 'We will see this plunge of much colder conditions coming in. It's Arctic maritime air, which does mean it's coming from the Arctic. 'So it's going to be cold for everybody, but also windy too. The wind chill is going to be significant.' The Met Office's yellow warnings are in place from 4pm on Sunday until 10am on Tuesday for Scotland, with winds of up to 70mph forecast. Coastal areas of eastern England, parts of Wales and Northern Ireland could also see snow showers on Easter Monday. Southern England can expect to see some sunshine and highs of 7C later in the day, but gusts of up to 30mph will make the temperature 'feel like' -1C, Ms Kent said. It comes after the Met Office said highs of 17.9C (64.2F) were recorded in Pershore, Worcestershire, on Easter Sunday. The town is expected to see temperatures of 7C (44.6F) on Monday, an 11C fall. Slide me LONDON: People enjoy the sunshine on Primrose Hill in London left on Easter Sunday. The same spot is practically deserted today Slide me Primrose Hill - known for its awe-inspiring view across central London - was one of the green spaces most popular with sun-lovers yesterday A packed Primrose Hill on a sunny Easter Sunday evening under the eased lockdown which has seen the reintroduction of the rule of six TODAY: It is unlikely revellers will be going out today thanks to Arctic winds that swept in overnight. Pictured is traffic on the A832 near Muir of Ord this morning as snow sweeps in across the Highlands on what is expected to be a bitterly cold day TODAY: A motorist clears snow from a vehicle in Sunniside, Gateshead on Easter Monday following overnight snow YESTERDAY: People enjoy the warm weather on Southsea beach in Hampshire on Easter Sunday following a warm bank holiday weekend Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: 'There'll be a drop of 11 degrees between one day and the next, so you will definitely notice it!' Mr Partridge explained that a change of wind direction would bring a change in the atmosphere, leading to chilly weather. He said: 'The air we had on Sunday came in from the south so it's pretty mild having come off the continent. 'Overnight we'll see a cold front moving southward across the country, it's already across northern Scotland, and it'll push its way southward overnight. 'That will introduce much, much colder air across the whole country.' Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Mark Sidaway, said: 'After a settled, warm spell with plenty of sunshine particularly across England and Wales our weather will take a notable change in direction later in the weekend. 'Very cold Arctic air will move in from the north west through Sunday, bringing snow showers and freezing overnight temperatures. 'The snow showers will predominantly affect the north and west of the UK. The south and east will likely remain drier but still cold with a lower chance of wintry showers.' The Met Office's yellow warnings are in place from 4pm on Sunday until 10am on Tuesday for Scotland, with winds of up to 70mph forecast. Coastal areas of eastern England, parts of Wales and Northern Ireland could also see snow showers on Easter Monday Addressing the diversity gap in New Zealand tech sector In recent years the New Zealand tech sector has been upfront in acknowledging it can do better when it comes to diversity and inclusion. An area of particular focus is Maori and Pacific peoples participation, who according to a recent digital skills report represent just 4% and 2.8% ,respectively, of the IT workforce. The Hi-Tech Trust is working with Perpetual Guardian, New Zealands largest statutory trust company, to address this issue through the Hi-Tech Foundation. It has awarded six scholarships as part of He Whetu Marama Nga Karahipi (Leading Light Scholarship) programme. [ Keep up on the latest thought leadership, insights, how-to, and analysis on IT through Computerworlds newsletters. ] From an 18-year-old with 11 siblings to a solo mother retraining after two decades in a different field, the winners are receiving a total of $30,000 in financial assistance to support their journeys into tech, consistent with Hi-Tech Foundations mission to reduce barriers and inequities within the tech sector, notes the foundation. Ka pai. Better IT for Pacific auditors Often its not the worker but the tools that need fixing. This appears to be the case for the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions (PASAI), the official organisation for the supreme audit institutions in 27 countries across the Pacific, of which 20 are developing nations. Its purpose is to promote transparent, accountable, effective, and efficient use of public sector resources in the Pacificand it needs help with its IT. PASAI has previously focused on providing training to [supreme audit institutions] staff to improve their auditing skills. Increasingly PASAI and supporting development partners are recognising that underlying weaknesses in IT infrastructure impacts the [institutions] ability to succeed in many areas, says tender documents for a consultant to assess the state of IT in the Pacific states. The successful provider will be expected to investigate everything from technology and procurement policies to connectivity and user devices, as well as information security. The assessment will proceed at pace, with the chosen provider expected to start the project in May 2021 and end it in July. The New Zealand auditor general acts as the secretary general for PASAI, so the Office of the Auditor General is running the tender, which will cover the 20 members considered developing nations (some of which are US territories): American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (including its national office and the offices for Chuuk State, Kosrae State, Pohnpei State, and Yap State), Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. $13m TAIAO data science platform looks at its projects Acronyms proliferate in tech, but they come in handy when the full name stretches to 11 words. So lets all embrace TAIAO; otherwise, wed have to say Time-Evolving Data Science/Artificial Intelligence for Advanced Open Environmental Science. TAIAO is Maori for the natural world. But enough about its namewhat does TAIAO do? It is software platform that brings together massive amounts of environmental data. Launched in March 2020, it is part of a $13 million programme funded by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, and is a collaboration of the Waikato, Auckland, and Canterbury universities, MetService, and Beca. A year on from its inception, Waikato University has hosted a workshop to discuss TAIAO projects, which include using big data and machine learning to address predator management, map Kahikatea stands using aerial images, predict flooding hazards on Coromandel rivers, and detect cyanobacterial blooms on Lake Waikare. I think we are on the brink of something really transformational, says Karin Bryan, director of the University of Waikato Environmental Research Institute. This project will allow us new ways of analysing the environmental data and sharing knowledge through a platform that allows researchers and scientists to work collaboratively with all available data sets we have, far more efficiently. TAIAO is built on an open source framework, and New Zealand AI developers wont be surprised to see that software on the site includes WEKA (Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis), an open source machine learning software in Java, and its relation MOA, Machine Learning for Data Streams, which is also written in Java. American congressmen, lobbying for the interests of Armenia, dumbfounded American taxpayers with another initiative coming from the Armenian lobby. The bill presented by Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jackie Speyer and Adam Schiff contains a proposal to allocate more than $ 100 million to Armenia for reforms in the economy and security, as well as for the reconstruction of the "NKR" which ceased to exist after the Second Karabakh war. The lobbyists propose to "unfasten" the money through the State Department and the US Agency for International Development, the highest federal agency in the field of foreign aid. This is not the first "request" of this kind for Armenia's assistance. Over the past decades, money entered the country through various channels, and it was planned to spend it on good goals, but the "good goals" were not achieved. Funds from abroad were allegedly attracted to maintain a dignified life for the Armenian people both in Armenia itself and in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, which for decades remained a gray zone where drug trafficking, arms smuggling and other illegal activities flourished. Vestnik Kavkaza has already written about the misappropriation of the funds of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund (See Where did the money of the Armenian diaspora go "). Clannishness, corruption, nepotism that reigned in Armenia made it possible to build a scheme in which the financial assistance of the diaspora, intended for the people," You don't have to go far to find evidence: during the Second Karabakh war, photographs and video frames were constantly coming from the conflict zone, demonstrating how poor people lived there. Meanwhile, on the net you can find many photographs of mansions and palaces, a large part of which was just built with "sawn" money. In fact, the attracted funds go in two directions: to ensure a comfortable life for the top of the Armenian diaspora and those in power in Yerevan, as well as the process of lobbying the interests of these people, which, as you know, is not cheap. Lobbyists do not work for the idea, especially since they have to work a lot. The above bill of American congressmen, as mentioned above, is far from the first. Last year, after the July provocation of Armenia on the border in Azerbaijan, the same three senators and Tej Cox and Brad Sherman, who joined them, came up with a draft amendment to the law "On State Defense" for the 2021 fiscal year, which would limit military aid to Azerbaijan, and immediately after the end of the Second Karabakh War, Schiff, Pellon, Speyer sent a letter to Joe Biden with an appeal after the inauguration to "reorient" the country's policy on Nagorno-Karabakh. Help from the Western states is extremely necessary today for those who are at this trough, because the Hayastan Foundation manages to collect less and less money during its telethons. Donations are declining year after year, but the five senators listed above have remained "supporters of the foundation" and guests of the telethon for many years. Be that as it may, the leaders of the Armenian diaspora do not cease on behalf of ordinary citizens of Armenia to beg from the United States and other countries for money for territories belonging to another state. Against the background of the impoverishment and emigration of the population from Armenia itself, the question of where and to whom exactly the millions already received from Western sponsors during the 28 years of the occupation of Karabakh went, remains open. The two women were among dozens of Amazon workers who in the last year told the labor board about company retaliations, but in most other cases the workers had complained about pandemic safety. We support every employees right to criticize their employers working conditions, but that does not come with blanket immunity against our internal policies, all of which are lawful, said Jaci Anderson, an Amazon spokeswoman. We terminated these employees not for talking publicly about working conditions, safety or sustainability but, rather, for repeatedly violating internal policies. Claims of unfair labor practices at Amazon have been common enough that the labor agency may turn them into a national investigation, the agency told NBC News. The agency typically handles investigations in its regional offices. While Amazons starting wage of $15 an hour is twice the federal minimum, its labor practices face heightened scrutiny in Washington and elsewhere. The focus has escalated in the past year, as online orders surged during the pandemic and Amazon expanded its U.S. work force to almost one million people. Amazons warehouse employees are deemed essential workers and could not work from home. This week, the national labor board is counting thousands of ballots that will determine whether almost 6,000 workers will form a union at an Amazon warehouse outside Birmingham, Ala., in the largest and most viable labor threat in the companys history. The union has said the workers face excessive pressure to produce and are intensely monitored by the company to make sure quotas are met. One case of a new virus first detected in India was identified in the San Francisco Bay Area last week and seven other cases are expected. The Clinic Virology Lab at Stanford Health Care detected the variant and believes it is the first instance identified in the United States, according to KRON. The variant found in India features a combination of two mutations in the spiky protein that have been identified in other variants: the L452R mutation first detected in California that is believed to be 20% more transmissible, and the E484Q that's dominant in Brazil. The virus has been mutating throughout the pandemic. Most mutations are trivial, but scientists have been investigating which ones might make the virus spread more easily or make people sicker. Variants first detected in South Africa, Britain, Brazil and California have been designated variants of concern by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All of these variants have been detected in the Bay Area. Early research suggests the vaccines offers protection against the new variants, although they may be slightly less effective and further investigation is needed. The variant from India has mainly been detected in the country's Maharashtra state and the Health Ministry said in a statement that it was found in 15% to 20% of the samples sequenced in that region. There hasn't been any definitive evidence that it's more transmissible, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, told KCBS Monday morning. "My gut sense is the vaccines will work against this Indian variant," Chin-Hong said. "Last week we got data Pfizer works against the South African variant. This being somewhat similar I hope it works as well." Stanford researchers screened hundreds of viral samples collected from people across the Bay Area and are sequencing whole viral genomes to identify new mutations as they arise in key viral proteins. In most cases it is too early to say whether or how these variants will influence the course of the pandemic, but it is important to monitor their evolution and spread, Dr. Benjamin Pinsky, associate professor of pathology and of infectious diseases at the School of Medicine, said in a statement. Our surveillance testing is specifically designed to allow large-scale screening of viral samples to identify specific strains circulating in the Bay Area and throughout California. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Loading the player... COVID-19 crisis: China reports 32 cases on April 4, highest since Jan 31 China reported its biggest daily jump in new Covid-19 cases in more than two months, as a city on the border with Myanmar in southwestern Yunnan province accounted for all new local cases. Ruili's local government put residents in its urban area under home quarantine, launched a massive testing drive and began restricting people from leaving and entering the city from last week after reporting Covid-19 patients. Domestic car industry ends FY21 with a bang; March sales double over last year The domestic passenger vehicle industry ended fiscal 2021 with a strong rebound in March with the highest ever monthly sales tally of over 320,000 units. These are more than double of the tally in March last year when the base was low due to the shift from BS IV to BS VI emission norms. Sales last year were also impacted by the pandemic as the lockdown had kicked in from the 25th. Uddhav Thackeray meets business leaders to discuss COVID-19 mitigation plan Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday met a group of business leaders from the state to discuss the way forward to restrict the rise in COVID-19 cases. The virtual meeting, held early in the afternoon between the CM and the industrialists, was led by banker Uday Kotak, who is the national president of industry lobby CII, officials said. Pvt offices to remain shut in Maharashtra; banking, insurance sectors exempted Private offices, except in the banking and insurance sectors, will remain shut in Maharashtra from Monday night when strict restrictions come into force, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Sunday. He said employees of other private offices will be allowed to work from home. Government offices will function at 50 per cent of their capacity and the rest of the employees will work from home, except the staffers of the essential services related to the pandemic management Facebook's new feed filter bar will give users more control over their news feed Following in the footsteps of Twitter and TikTok which allow their users and brands to limit comments, Facebook has also launched a new filter bar which allows the users, creators, and brands to limit the comments of the public on their posts, in a bid to help users to control the unwanted interactions on this platform. Boris Johnson to launch 'COVID passport' trials to resume mass events UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to unveil a series of measures including so-called "Covid passports" to allow mass events such as sports matches and night clubs to resume safely as England's lockdown is eased in phases. Johnson is expected to lay out details of trial events in the coming months that will explore how ventilation and testing before and after events could help audiences back into arenas and auditoriums Advertisement Everyone loves to chat about the weather - and there will be even more to chat about this month following the release of a book brimming with jaw-dropping weather photographs. Weather, by Robert J Ford (www.amberbooks.co.uk) features a dramatic collection of more than 160 images that demonstrate how 'the weather affects us all'. The book features snaps of everything from violent tornadoes and moody mists and fogs to powerful lightning storms and fierce blizzards. The photographs in the tome have been taken from as far and wide as Antarctica and Greenland and Namibia and Qatar. Ford writes: 'Wherever you are, you can affect the weather and it affects you, too. The weather determines if crops grow, fail, or are washed away, and so whether we have enough to eat. There is now evidence of a human contribution to weather and, ultimately, climate, with changes in extreme temperatures, heavy rainfall events and increases in sea levels. This is why it matters, and is what this book is about.' Scroll down to see MailOnline Travel's pick of the book's images. TORNADO, WRAY, COLORADO, USA: 'A tornado is a funnel-shaped vortex of air extending from the base of a supercell storms cumulonimbus cloud to the ground,' explains Ford. 'A centre of low pressure surrounds this violently rotating column of air and dust that wrecks everything in its way. Travelling across the landscape at an average of 50km/h (30mph), some of the strongest tornadoes have winds of up to 512km/h (318mph)' LEFT - MAMMATUS CLOUD, NEBRASKA, USA: According to Ford a mammatus cloud is a cellular pattern of pouches that hangs at the base of a larger cloud, usually the most unstable cumulonimbus stormclouds. Ford says: 'It is formed by cold air sinking down to create the pockets. The name "mammatus" derives from the Latin mamma, meaning "breast" or "udder", because of the resemblance to the hanging pouches.' RIGHT - CHURCH OF ST THOMAS, SVETI TOMAZ, SLOVENIA: 'Fog contains up to around 0.5ml (0.03tbsp) of water for every cubic metre,' Ford reveals. 'If an Olympic-sized swimming pool was filled with fog and then you were able to condense it, you would be left with around 1.25 litres of water (2.2pts)' RAIN SHOWER, GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA, USA: 'In summer, as moist air passes over Arizona, it rises over the highlands just south of the Grand Canyon where it arrives cool and condensed,' Ford explains. 'Air heated by the morning sun ascends from the inner Canyon and collides with the cool, moist air above. This creates short-lived afternoon thunderstorms. From mid-June to mid-September, these can bring torrential downpours of as much as 58cm (23in) of water, sometimes causing flash flooding. Contrast this with other parts of Arizona, such as Phoenix, which might receive only 25cm (10in) of rain a year. Such storms die out because the downdrafts caused by falling rain remove the water sustaining the clouds and halt the updrafts of air feeding the storm, effectively reversing cloud formation' LIGHTNING STORM, HA LONG BAY, VIETNAM: Ford explains that lightning occurs when electricity travels between two areas of oppositely charged particles. He continues: 'The earths surface is usually negatively charged, but a thunderstorm with a negative charge at its base will cause a positive charge to build up on the ground below. When the accumulation of opposite charges becomes too great, a "stepped leader" of negatively charged electrons is emitted from the cloud. When it approaches the ground, it attracts a positively charged "streamer" up through a high point, such as a tall building or a tree. As the leader and the streamer meet, a powerful electrical current of up to 100million volts flows as a return stroke, travelling up towards the cloud' THE HUMIDITY OF FOG, PEARL-QATAR ISLAND, DOHA, QATAR: Ford writes: 'We typically get fog at a relative humidity near 100 per cent, and at least 95 per cent. At 100 per cent, the air cannot hold any more moisture and so will release it in the form of precipitation. In desert areas where there is very little rainfall, fog can be a useful source of water because it can be harvested from the air, a practice performed successfully in South America. With falling freshwater resources and water harvesting being viable at humidities of more than 69 per cent, this could prove to be one of a number of useful methods of water reclamation for such dry places as Doha in Qatar, the citys winter often bringing with it the necessary level of humidity' LENTICULAR CLOUDS, EASTERN PYRENEES, SPAIN: No, these aren't UFOs. These are lenticular clouds and according to Ford can cause very strong gusts of wind in one place, yet with still air only a few hundred metres or yards away. He writes: 'Pilots usually avoid flying near these types of cloud because of the turbulence associated with their formation. Skilled glider pilots, however, make the most of them because the shape of the clouds signifies where the air will be rising' BUSH FIRES, AUSTRALIA: 'The gradual drying of Australia over the last few million years has led to it becoming one of the regions most prone to wildfires anywhere in the world,' writes Ford. 'Its summers regularly see high temperatures, low humidity and high winds, creating the ideal environment for the starting and spread of fire' LENTICULAR CLOUD, LAKE ISABELLA, CALIFORNIA, USA: According to Ford, these unusual-looking clouds typically form downwind of hills or mountains. He explains: 'This happens when the flow of a stable layer of moist air is disrupted by its passage up and over the top of a mountain and down the other side, which creates undulating waves of sinking and rising air. Clouds form when the temperature of rising moist air downwind drops low enough for the water to condense, forming the unique appearance of lenticular clouds' ADVECTION FOG, GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, SAN FRANCISCO, USA: Advection fog is often seen under the Golden Gate Bridge. According to Ford, it occurs when warm, damp air is blown over colder surfaces. He explains: 'The lower-lying air rapidly cools, condenses, and makes fog. Valley fog, on the other hand, forms when warm air passes over a valley, usually in winter. The mountains trap the cold, dense air, which settles into the lower parts of the valley and condenses' THICK FOG, MOTHERLAND MONUMENT, KIEV, UKRAINE: 'There are a number of ways that the water vapour that forms fog can be added to the air,' Ford writes. 'These include precipitation falling from the clouds; water evaporating from the surface of bodies of water or wet land during the heat of the day; winds converging into updrafts; cool or dry air moving over warmer water; air that hits and then rises over mountains; and transpiration from plants' TOKAJ, BORSOD-ABAUJ-ZEMPLEN, HUNGARY: According to Ford, fog and mist form at night because the air temperature cools enough for water to condense, but will evaporate with the suns heat. He writes: 'Mist is usually swifter to dissipate than fog and can quickly disappear with even slight winds' MISTY LAKE GEROLDSEE, BAVARIA, GERMANY: 'While mist and fog are technically low-lying clouds,' writes Ford. 'One difference between them and a normal cloud is the fact that mist and fog are formed from a number of local sources, such as lakes, marshes or the sea' ST JOSEPH NORTH PIER LIGHTHOUSE, LAKE MICHIGAN, USA: Ford explains: 'Spray from the waves is whipped on to the subfreezing structure, where it freezes almost instantly' EAST MITTEN BUTTE, MONUMENT VALLEY, ARIZONA, USA: 'With its desert climate, Monument Valley sees very little precipitation for most of the year,' writes Ford. 'On rare occasions in winter, though, two worlds collide as a beautiful white coating of snow covers the reds and oranges of an iconic landscape that we only ever see as in permanent summer. One has to be quick to view these rare sights, as the snowfall usually melts within a day or two' BREAKING THE ICE, RUSSIAN ARCTIC OCEAN: An icebreaker ship forms an ice canal as it passes through the sea ice. Ford explains: 'Sea ice is frozen seawater that floats on the surface, and grows and shrinks with the changing seasons. Over the last 40 years in the Arctic, the area of the ocean covered by ice has decreased by almost 13 per cent per decade. Shrinking sea ice causes global climatic problems because the ice reflects up to 80 per cent of the sunlight it receives back into space. With less ice to deflect this heat, the dark surface of the ocean absorbs a lot more, leading to further warming of the seas and the atmosphere, more melting of ice, and thus further warming. Retreating ice also affects the ocean currents, wildlife that hunt and travel on the sea ice, and can increase coastal erosion' ICE SLEDGING, KHATGAL, LAKE KHOVSGOL, MONGOLIA: 'Two million years old and holding 0.5 per cent of the worlds fresh water, Lake Khovsgol freezes in winter temperatures of up to -50C,' writes Ford. 'The ice is strong enough to carry heavy trucks, although earlier transport routes installed on its surface are now forbidden to prevent pollution, with about 40 trucks having fallen through the ice. Happily, sledging and other activities are still enjoyed' BLIZZARD, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, USA: New Yorkers struggle through the swirling snows of a blizzard. Ford writes: 'A blizzard is defined as a severe snowstorm with winds that reach 56km/h (35mph) or more, coupled with blowing snow that reduces visibility to less than 0.4km (0.25 miles) for at least three hours' DRYING FOREST, VILLAVIEJA, HUILA, TATACOA DESERT, COLOMBIA: 'Misleadingly named, Tatacoa Desert is not a desert at all,' Ford writes, 'but a semi-arid tropical forest. Millions of years ago, it was a lush place home to trees and animals but has since dried out to leave the dusty, eroded red canyons we see today' DUNE 45, SOSSUSVLEI, NAMIB-NAUKLUFT NATIONAL PARK, NAMIBIA: 'Rising to 170m (558ft) high, this type of dune is what is known as a "star" dune,' explains Ford. 'Having received its five-million-year-old sand from all directions from the Atlantic coast, the Orange River and the Kalahari desert to form a shape with several arms. Its impressive red colour indicates its iron oxide content and is a great part of the dunes allure, with many people visiting to photograph it each year. The dunes here are part of the Namib Desert, possibly the worlds most ancient desert at 55 million years old, as well as one of the driest' Sixty UAE nationals who have been empowered with vital knowledge to manage their finances have become the first graduates of the Ghaya financial literacy programme, launched by the Authority of Social Contribution Maan. In a virtual ceremony, Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State (UAE) and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) shared an inspiring message, whilst and Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development Abu Dhabi and Khalifa Alsuwaidi, Vice Chairman of UAE Banks Federation and Executive Director of the Global Special Situations Department Abu Dhabi, and Salama Al Ameemi, Director General of Maan, were among the attendees to congratulate the graduates for their efforts and commitment following the completion of the pioneering three-month initiative. In partnership with Abu Dhabi Global Market Academy and The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF), which helped develop the content, the Ghaya programme was launched by Maan last year to help improve the financial understanding within local communities. It is a social priority that has been identified by the Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development. 50 of the 60 participants that took part were from the Social Support Authority while the remaining were selected after registering for the programme. With the support of 10 specialised volunteer trainers, who were recruited in partnership with the UAE Banks Federation, the hands-on programme saw the participants study six modules, giving them an insight on different areas of finance. The volunteers were trained to guide and assist the participants through the learning journey to become financially independent. During the graduation ceremony, the specialised volunteers were awarded a Ghaya Volunteer Trainer digital badge by LIBF in recognition for their resounding efforts over the 12 weeks. They were also praised for being pioneers in the field by leading by example and were told how they are playing a vital role in bringing the community together and supporting each other. The modules included personal life cycles and financial needs, understanding financial products, making crucial financial decisions, dealing with money and debt mismanagement. As well as exploring different banking and investment options that are available, it also focused on how the participants should save and live within their means. The graduates will now put their skills and knowledge into daily use, applying the key learnings to their own finances while also having a responsibility to encourage and inform their families and members of the community on the importance of finance management. They will also have an opportunity to be a volunteer on future Ghaya programmes with volunteers serving as ambassadors in their local communities and assisting those that could benefit from useful financial advice. By raising awareness of financial literacy among communities, the Ghaya LIBF accredited programme aims to contribute to the growth of Abu Dhabis economy as well as improving the wellbeing of Abu Dhabi residents and citizens. The Ghaya programme also fosters community engagement a key pillar of Maans work, which is helping create volunteering opportunities for those who are delivering the curriculums content to the participants. It is part of Maans on-going efforts to find innovative and sustainable solutions to a range of social challenges as well as create and foster more collaborative communities. Al Sayegh said: It gives me great pride to see promising Emirati talents enhancing their skills in the financial sector, given the importance of enhancing financial knowledge and promoting sound financial planning across our society. This serves as a means of ensuring a brighter and more stable financial future for our youth and our communities and will ultimately reflect positively on their professional and social lives. This day is further testament to our firm commitment to continue the path charted by our founding father, Sheikh Zayed, by developing the skills and abilities of the nations people to foster an empowered generation that is knowledgeable of lifes essentials and is able to keep abreast with its developments, especially in light of the increasing global changes and challenges that accompany digital advancements. We at Abu Dhabi Global Market value the role that specialised skills play in supporting Emirati youth. The Ghaya programme is an addition to our ongoing efforts through the ADGM Academy to foster the exchange of knowledge and promote comprehensive development in Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE in line with the governments national agenda. On this occasion, Al Khaili stated that the Ghaya programme is one of the outputs of harvesting the results of the quality of life questionnaire that the department worked on, as the results and analysis showed that 56% of citizens and residents in the emirate of Abu Dhabi face difficulties in covering expenditures for (housing, education, debt obligations, leisure and vacation expenses), and compared to the other side, 21% of individuals living in European countries do suffer face difficulties in covering expenses as well. He added, that this programme will directly contribute to consolidating the foundations of knowledge of financial management among UAE citizens and residents in Abu Dhabi, in addition to providing them with the necessary expertise to efficiently and effectively manage their financial affairs by providing them with all the necessary methods to enhance the level of knowledge and enable them to take appropriate decisions to manage their financial affairs intelligently. He affirmed: We will work continuously to measure the social impact of the program and the extent of its success in enhancing the knowledge of financial management among the targeted segments by analysing the consumption patterns among the community members through conducting research and surveys by the department, to develop sustainable solutions with you to solve this social challenge. Al Khaili extended thanks to the Abu Dhabi Global Market Academy, the London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF), and the UAE Banks Federation for collaborating with Maan in developing and delivering the program, which provided participants with the necessary knowledge to manage their financial affairs. With a focus on various topics including learning different approaches to saving and investing money effectively, and building financial balance between income and expenses. Al Ameemi said: Today marks an important chapter in Maans journey as we celebrate the completion of our first Ghaya financial literacy programme and I would like to congratulate all the graduates who took part in the first edition of this pioneering programme. Financial literacy can contribute to societys economic development but there are certain skills gaps that need to be bridged. Thanks to our partners and our team of volunteers, who are experts in this field, we have delivered a tailored solution that will empower the participants with important knowledge that is easy to understand, allowing them to be more resilient and able to support their families and communities further. The learnings they will take from the Ghaya programme will be instrumental in their everyday lives not just for today but also for the future and we hope they can pass on their knowledge to their friends and family as this will help drive a more stable and financially responsible society in Abu Dhabi. This is only the start of the Ghaya programme and we have big plans to take this initiative to a wider audience as we continue on our journey of creating positive, measurable and sustainable social impact across many facets of life for many communities in Abu Dhabi. Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei, COO of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and Managing Director of ADGM Academy, said: As a leading provider of financial research, training, education and literacy for Abu Dhabi and the Mena region, we are pleased to have been involved in developing a comprehensive curriculum guide for the first Ghaya programme. Working alongside established, like-minded institutions, such as Maan and LIBF, towards a shared commitment continues to be a primary goal for both ADGM and the ADGMA. We are confident that this programme will ignite a generation of financially savvy and capable Emirati nationals, further contributing to Abu Dhabis wider efforts in establishing a knowledge-based economy. Abdulla Al Ameri - Acting Director General of Social Support Authority said: We are pleased to have been part of the first Ghaya programme "by recruiting 50 of our beneficiaries to participate". The ultimate goal for Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority and Maan in this program, is to raise awareness of financial literacy and improve the financial knowledge for Emiratis in Abu Dhabi, Ghaya programme has covered all the key areas of finance that will significantly help them in different stages of their lives and allow them be more independent as well as ensuring they can live a decent life. Al Ameri added : The Social Support Authoritys goal is to increase the financial independence of Abu Dhabis low income families through economic activation and improved financial management. To achieve this goal, SSA have collaborated with Maan in this innovative Ghaya program which connects Abu Dhabi residents with a network of volunteer financial experts. Ghaya program have has helped 50 families SSA beneficiary members to complete a structured training program, enabling them to better manage their family finances in areas from managing debt to investment. SSA looks forward to helping more low income families access this new program and contribute positively in securing a better quality of life. Jamal Saleh, Director General of UAE Banks Federation, said: We, at UAE Banks Federation are proud to participate in the Ghaya Financial Literacy Programme by scouting for 49 specialised volunteers and seconded staff members of UBFs member banks including: First Abu Dhabi Bank, CITI Bank, National Bank of Fujairah, Emirates NBD, Sharjah Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank, HSBC, United Arab Bank, BNP Paribas, and United Bank Limited. 10 of the specialised volunteers participated in Cohort 1 by sharing their knowledge with others and giving back to the UAE community to create a positive and healthy behavioural change towards financial responsibility, they are also helping enhance the level of financial awareness of those families who are also benefiting from this programme. We congratulate the graduates in the first edition of "Ghaya", and we re-affirm our happiness as well as willingness to further support and be part of this significant social project in its upcoming editions. Alex Fraser, Chief Executive of The London Institute of Banking & Finance said: Financial literacy and community wellbeing are the heart of our organisations pillars. Therefore, it is our honor to able to implement financial behavioral change in Abu Dhabi by contributing to Ghaya and providing financial tools to enable the community to become financially independent. Wajd Al Hashmi, a volunteer, praised the Ghaya programme. Wajd said: I believe that this programme is important to anyone who wants to improve their financial wellbeing at an entry level. The programme has given me an opportunity to deliver knowledge that helped the beneficiaries develop their skills with personal finances." -- Tradearabia News Service A new television series What Does YOLO Mean To Me has officially been outdoored to ascertain the impact of the award-winning series on the youth in Ghana. The television drama YOLO -You Only Live Once produced by Farmhouse Productions has over the years addressed challenges and opportunities confronting youth in Ghana. The project is funded by the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ghana Education Service (GES), National Population Council, National Youth Authority and Breakthrough Action. The What Does YOLO Mean To Me 13-episode documentary features interactive discourses which cover topics ranging from sexual harassment, rape, menstruation, cyberbullying, teacher-student relationships, drugs, alcohol, among others. Madam Stephanie Sullivian, the United States Ambassador to Ghana in her remarks via video at the launch indicated that they were drawn to the YOLO series due to its portrayal of life experiences for youth across Ghana and the world at large, evoking the promise of a brighter and healthy future. The active participation and leadership of youth in society are vital to a countrys development. We know the challenges such as youth unemployment and teenage pregnancy that impede the need for participation of young people. YOLO tackles these important issues in real, frank, and open discussion, she said. Madam Sullivian said the United States was committed to engaging youth in Ghanas development especially during these difficult moments of COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Kofi Issah, Director of the Family Health Division at the GHS, delivering his keynote address highlighted the need for investment in the youth because they represent the fulcrum around which the society evolves. Mr. Issah said the new serial would reinforce the messages of reproductive health in previous seasons and would explore various options to getting the series to the hinterlands were cases of teenage pregnancy is more prevalent. The series would start airing on Friday, April 2, 2021, at 3pm via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@Yolotvseries and Farmhouse Productions). 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 Dublin, April 6 : Over 900,000 people in Ireland, or 18.5 per cent of the country's total population, have been partially or fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the statistics released by the Irish Department of Health on Monday. The department said in a statement that as of April 2, a total of 923,878 doses of Covid-19 vaccine had been administered in Ireland, the Xinhua news agency reported. Of those who had been vaccinated, 655,292 people had received their first dose, while 268,586 people had received their second dose, it said. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said late last month that the government plans to have close to 3 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered in the country by the end of May and 6 million doses by the end of July. The progress of the Irish government's vaccination program was repeatedly delayed in the first quarter of this year due to the supply shortage of the vaccines. Currently three vaccines, namely Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna, are being used in Ireland with Johnson & Johnson's single-shot vaccine to be available here soon. To date, a total of 238,466 people in Ireland have been infected with Covid-19 and 4,718 of them have died from the virus, according to the Irish Department of Health. As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in an increasing number of countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines. Meanwhile, 269 candidate vaccines are still being developed -- 85 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the US, according to information released by the World Health Organization on April 2. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The BJP on Tuesday cancelled both the rallies of party president J P Nadda in Hooghly district after he had to rush back to New Delhi for an "urgent meeting". The BJP party chief's meeting at Sreerampur in the morning was cancelled due to unknown reasons. Nadda, however, participated in a roadshow in the afternoon to canvass for Union minister Babul Supriyo and actress Payal Sarkar, a poll debutant, who are contesting from Tollygunge and Behala Purba assembly constituencies respectively. The roadshow in the Tollygunge area of the city covered a little more than 4 km from Toyllygunge's tram depot to Garia More. His rally later in the evening at Chunchura also in Hooghly district, was also cancelled. The state BJP said his rallies were cancelled as he had to rush back to Delhi to attend an "urgent meeting" without giving any details of the meeting. The TMC, however, said Nadda did not attend rallies as attendance at these meets were thin. (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.) Man found hanged at Chalong home PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of a man found hanged at a home in Chalong yesterday afternoon (Apr 4). deathsuicidepolice By Eakkapop Thongtub Monday 5 April 2021, 10:16AM Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Capt Somkiat Sarasit Deputy of the Chalong Police was called to the home, a single-level house in Soi Klumyang, at 5pm. At the scene police found Phicht Burakhon, 33, originally from Sadao District in Songkhla province, hanged by a sarong tied to a beam over the doorway leading to the rooftop terrace. A small stepladder was found nearby. Police estimated that he had died about two hours before his body was found. Mr Phichet was last seen buying tobacco from a shop in front of the house yesterday morning. The shop owner, Ms Miad, said Mr Phichet was a regular customer and that he was usually quiet, choosing not to engage in conversation with anyone. I asked him if he had eaten yet. He just said, No, she said. A friend, who asked to be named only as Ms Phrae, said that Mr Phichet had lived in the house with relatives since before the pandemic. There were usually four to five people in the house, she said. He was a quiet person, he rarely spoke to anyone, Ms Phrae said. The relatives staying in the house left for another province early yesterday morning to pay respects to their ancestors as part of the Qingming festival. In the morning we went to pay homage to our ancestors for Ching Meng, but Phichet stayed home alone, Ms Phrae said. She said she had no idea why Mr Phichet would hang himself. Mr Phichets body was taken to Vachira Hospital Phuket for examination while police continue their investigation. If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand at their 24-hour hotline 02-713-6791 (English), 02713-6793 (Thai) or Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Tirupati, April 5 : In the run-up to the Tirupati Lok Sabha by-poll, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national secretary and Andhra Pradesh co - incharge, Sunil Deodhar, on Monday questioned Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as to where the culprits involved in the alleged temple attacks were. "Mr. Reddy, where are the culprits of Ramateertham who beheaded (a) 400-year-old Ram idol? What about Antarvedi chariot destroyers and other temple attackers?" asked Deodhar. Without furnishing any evidence, Deodhar claimed that all the people involved in those temple attacks were non-Hindus. "All were non-Hindus. Who patronised them? Your CBI demand proved your incapabilities. A big lesson awaits you all in Tirupati by-poll," he claimed. The BJP leader issued a warning to the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) to stop the alleged religious conversions. "I warn (the) ruling YSRCP government to stop sponsoring religious conversions in AP. Otherwise, they will face dire consequences. This time, people will show their strong discontent by voting against them in Tirupati by-poll. BJP - JSP (Janasena) is the only alternative," he claimed. Deodhar claimed that saffron surge in the southern state is inevitable. Earlier, he met the local Rajasthani community in Tirupati and appealed to them to vote for the BJP in the Tirupati by-poll. He also met leaders and supporters of the Kapu Sankshema Sena in Tirupati. In the recent BJP - Janasena public meeting in Tirupati addressed by actor - politician Pawan Kalyan, the political platform came in handy for the promotion of Kalyan's forthcoming movie. Deodhar called out the name of the movie during his political speech. Similarly, the two parties Tirupati by-poll candidate Ratna Prabha claimed that she watched the trailer of the actor's movie. The highly anticipated trans-Tasman bubble is expected to reopen as early as Friday after Air New Zealand ramped up its flight offerings to Australia. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is scheduled to announce the start date of the bubble tomorrow that will allow Australians and New Zealanders to travel without having to undergo hotel quarantine at either end. Air New Zealand is already offering daily flights between Auckland and Sydney, as well as Melbourne from Friday April 9 - hinting at the potential start date. The airline is also planning to launch a new route between Auckland and Hobart when the travel bubble reopens. The trans-Tasman bubble is expected to reopen between New Zealand and Australian as early as Friday (pictured: passengers arriving in Sydney from Auckland) Air New Zealand (pictured) are already offering flights between Auckland and Sydney as well as Melbourne from Friday, April 9 Australian airlines Qantas and Jetstar are preparing to ramp up flights in time for the travel corridors opening. Ms Ardern has said there will be no vaccine requirement when travelling in the trans-Tasman bubble. While travellers from New Zealand could enter some Australian states without undergoing hotel quarantine, once they returned to New Zealand, they had to complete and pay for 14 days of quarantine. When the trans-Tasman bubble reopens, this will no longer be a mandatory requirement. Ms Ardern said New Zealand will be taking a state-by-state approach, with only some Australian states to be included in the bubble. The travel bubble will allow travellers from Australia and New Zealand to travel between the two countries without quarantine (pictured: passengers at Sydney International airport) New Zealanders can currently enter New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory without having to quarantine, but not Western Australia. The decision comes after months of deliberation and pressure from her political opponents, with Ms Ardern pledging to give a new start date on April 6. Ms Ardern has walked away from two previous deadlines to create the bubble. Government officials have been tinkering with plans, including regulations for airports, airlines, how to contact trace Kiwis while overseas, and response protocols to Australian outbreaks. Most Australian states have allowed Kiwis to visit without the need for a fortnight of hotel quarantine for months (passenger at Sydney Domestic Airport) Air New Zealand (pictured) is planning on adding additional quarantine-free flights from Auckland to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane from next week One of the conditions of the plan is a separation of airports into 'green zones' for quarantine-free flights and 'red zones' for flights carrying passengers from countries with Covid in the community. Airport executives say they will be ready from mid-April, and health officials are due to inspect Auckland Airport this week with a view to clearing the country's biggest airport for takeoff. The national carrier hopes to fly from NZ's three other international airports, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, when the bubble is announced. Ms Ardern's government built enormous credibility with Kiwis in 2020 by putting a premium on public safety during the pandemic. More than a year after the arrival of coronavirus' arrival to Aotearoa, New Zealanders remain fearful of the return of the deadly virus. Many do not want a bubble, even if Australia's hotspot model has proven effective at containing outbreaks within local environments. NZ first agreed the bubble in May after Ms Ardern attended National Cabinet, with Australian counterpart Scott Morrison and state and territory leaders. Ms Ardern pledged to restore regular travel by September, before Melbourne's major outbreak quashed those hopes. In her final press conference of 2020, she declared the government's new deadline was the end of March - only to see that timeframe sail past again. NZ has managed to restore pre-Covid travel for one country - the Cook Islanders - but only for residents of the closely aligned Pacific nation Negan goes down memory lane on Sunday's "The Walking Dead" to see how he got to such a point where he would be put into exile. Josh Stringer/AMC Warning: There are spoilers ahead for season 10, episode 22 of "The Walking Dead," "Here's Negan." Showrunner Angela Kang tells Insider this is an episode they considered doing for years. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Sunday's final bonus episode of "The Walking Dead's" 10th season, "Here's Negan," has been years in the making. Based on Robert Kirkman's graphic novel of the same name, the "TWD" one-off, gives fans a backstory to the show's love-him-or-hate-him former antagonist, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). One of six episodes shot during the pandemic, the series brought on Morgan's real-life wife, Hilarie Burton, to play the role of Negan's spouse, Lucille. The result is fireworks. What we get is one of the best episodes of the series we've seen in a long time. It turns out Negan was always kind of a jerk of sorts, cheating on his wife with her friend and trash-talking kids while playing video games with them. Funny enough, it took the zombie apocalypse to actually make Negan into a somewhat better man - for a while anyway - until he lost Lucille to cancer. Negan then reverted into an even darker version of his pre-apocalypse self to become the cocky, bat-wielding chatterbox who turned Rick's life upside down. The "old Negan" taunts season 10 Negan on Sunday's episode of "TWD." Josh Stringer/AMC Showrunner Angela Kang told Insider they've been interested in bringing the "Here's Negan" story to life since its release, but could never find the right place to fit it into the narrative. That's a shame because delivering Negan's backstory a little earlier may have helped show-only fans better understand the very complex and flawed character during a time when many fans felt like "TWD" was becoming, more or less, the Negan show. Insider caught up with Kang to discuss bringing the graphic novel to life, casting Burton to play Lucille, and what the show's departure from the "Walking Dead" comic means for Negan's future on the show and his rocky relationship with Maggie (Lauren Cohan). Story continues They were thinking about adapting "Here's Negan" since it came out in 2017 We learn that Lucille gifted Negan with his leather coat in "Here's Negan." Josh Stringer/AMC Kirsten Acuna: This is a great episode. Easily the best of the six. I'd go as far to say that I enjoyed this episode more than the actual "Here's Negan" story. And I really liked that. How long have you been considering adapting the 2017 graphic novel? Did you speak with ["TWD" creator Robert] Kirkman about adapting this at all and making changes to the story? Kang: We've been wanting to do a version of "Here's Negan" on the show for years, but we've never found an organic place to slot it until now. If you're going into the past on our show, there's a reason why. It has to tie to the present or the future, or at least, that's kind of my rule for trying to do it. So it felt like it worked in terms of, he's reflecting on who he was because he's at a crossroads in terms of his current place in the society. Who does he want to be? And what does it mean that Maggie's back? There's that task to grapple with. So, it's definitely been something that we've thought about, but we never knew exactly what form it was going to take or where it would land, until now. I didn't really talk directly to Kirkman about it. He always gives us very wide latitude, but will tell us if he reads something and goes, "Ah, I'm not sure about this." But, he's so cool as a creator. I felt like we were being very true to the spirit of the graphic novel even though we made changes. A lot of the changes came about because we had done so many pieces of the story from a comic book, in dialogue at various points. We're like, "OK. Well, what is there that's new to show and say?" That's why we kind of focused on the actual relationship with Lucille and really making a change to the timeline of when that happened so that there were just these incredible stakes for him going forward. JDM and Hilarie Burton's real-life chemistry comes across effortlessly on season 10, episode 22. Josh Stringer/AMC Acuna: When you say you've been thinking about this for years, do you mean maybe season eight? When I watched this episode, I wished we had an episode like this earlier. Kang: I can't remember if we talked about it in season eight. That was when Scott [Gimple] was running the show. We had been talking about "Here's Negan" since the comic came out. We're like, well, we got to figure out how to work this in. But, once you're kind of in the forward moving plot, it became hard to find the right spot for it. But, I hear what you're saying. Sometimes it's nice to know a bit more about the character, but I think we were so much in our people's point of view that year that it was hard. Casting Hilarie Burton as Lucille was something discussed before the pandemic Hilarie Burton is one of the show's best guest stars in a long time. Josh Stringer/AMC Acuna: I love the casting of Hilarie Burton as Lucille. We don't really see her in the comic at all, other than in her final moments. Were you always considering Jeffrey Dean Morgan's real life partner for the role or did that really come about because of the pandemic? Kang: Scott Gimple and I had talked about it for a while, definitely pre COVID. There's obviously some advantages to being able to have both of them be very comfortable with the intimate moments during COVID. But that was something we had kind of brewing as a possibility for a long time. It just felt like they would have the perfect dynamic together. And I think she was wonderful. 'TWD' brought Negan out of exile, changing a major plot point in the comics, to continue his 'unresolved tension' with Maggie Negan returns to Alexandria at the end of season 10, episode 22, instead of staying in exile like a good little Negan. Josh Stringer/AMC Acuna: At the end of the episode, Negan returns to Alexandria. In the comics, Negan stays an exile for about the final 20 issues of "The Walking Dead" comic. I think I always felt a little robbed of some story there. What went into bringing him back out of exile? I have to imagine it's because you have this unresolved tension with Maggie. Kang: Yeah. I think that there is an unresolved tension with Maggie and having them in story together, I think is going to be really interesting. It's important to kind of work that out. For Negan, I think he's at a place where he feels like, "Haven't I earned a spot?" and I think that that's kind of part of what his reflecting on his life is telling him like, "Oh man, it's been easier for me at times to avoid the hard things." For me, it'd be easy to be out here in exile. It's harder to kind of go back and face the wife of the person that I beat down and to figure out how to move forward with my life. You know? So I think that that's just an important part of the development for both of those characters, for Negan on his side, and for Maggie, who has to decide whether forgiveness is truly possible for her, with him. Where this leaves Maggie and Negan going into season 11: It's not great right now Maggie and Negan are either going to have some sort of fallout or will come to some sort of understanding on season 11. Josh Stringer/AMC, composite by Kirsten Acuna/Insider Acuna: I was a little surprised we didn't get some sort of interaction or conversation between Maggie and Negan. We see the looks, but I thought by the end of the episode, he was maybe ready to go up to Maggie and say, "Hey, if we're both going to be here, we should have a conversation." But, I guess nothing is ever that simple with Negan. Where does that leave us with the two of them heading into season 11? Where is Negan's headspace? Is he going to try and patch things up and be the man who Lucille said she knew he could be? Kang: So, it means that at the start of season 11, things are really tense, but they're still going to have to be in story together and work together. The funny thing is we originally scripted a conversation for them in [season 10, episode 17] "Home Sweet Home." But when we got [the episode] back, the editor was like, "Take a look at this without any of the words." We wound up with him just talking to her and her just looking at him and actually it just was even that much more powerful. We just felt like, Maggie is not yet at a point where she was going to initiate something with him. And I think he realizes, Carol has just said, "Well, she's going to kill you." So he's like, "All right, all in due time" is where he's left things at the end of this little block of episodes. "The Walking Dead" will return to AMC for its final 11th season with eight new episodes starting on Sunday, August 22. You can follow along with our "TWD" coverage here. Read the original article on Insider FDA acknowledged that the preclinical safety data are acceptable to file an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) aimed at treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients at risk of developing ARDS OTTAWA, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 5, 2021 / Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Company") (TSX:TBP)(OTCQB:TBPMF)(FRA:JAM1), a biopharmaceutical pioneer in immunomodulator drug discovery and development is pleased to announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has favorably reviewed the preclinical data package and clinical development plan of ARDS-003 to treat COVID-19 patients. The review was conducted within the framework of the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP), the FDA's expedited process for investigational therapies to treat COVID-19 patients. Overall, the FDA agreed with the animal toxicology and safety data to ensure that ARDS-003 is safe for human use, and approved the sample size, safety procedures and duration of treatment in severe COVID-19 patients. As a result of this feedback, the Company looks forward to filing an Investigational New Drug Application to initiate the clinical trial. The proposed patient study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of ascending doses of ARDS-003 in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with pneumonia and at risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome. Seeking guidance on clinical study protocol to be conducted in patients with COVID-19 is a pre-requisite of the FDA regulatory process for COVID-related trials, as it is for Health Canada. Dr. Guy Chamberland, CEO and CRO commented, "I'm very pleased with the FDA feedback on our data package and clinical strategy. Such feedback gives us a great insight on the authority's positive perception of our product and will facilitate the IND review process. I'm confident that we are now aligned with the authorities for the development plan of ARDS003". ARDS-003 is a new patent protected therapeutic developed to treat hyperinflammatory conditions, such as those seen in patients suffering from COVID-19 viral infections. The investigational drug is designed to dampen the cytokine release syndrome and will be administered in combination with dexamethasone. The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its product has the ability to eliminate, cure and/or contain the COVID-19 virus at this time. Severe COVID-19-induced hyperinflammatory syndrome ARDS is the leading cause of mortality in COVID-19 patients and develops in 20-67% of critically ill patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (Yang et al. 2020; Vittori et al. 2020) and 76% of patients requiring ICU care (Tan et al. 2020). Studies report that of those COVID-19 patients who are critically ill, profound acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to ARDS represents the leading finding, and that 30-100% of these patients require mechanical ventilation (Anesi 2020). Further, additional organ systems including the cardiovascular system are profoundly impacted by the hyperinflammation in COVID-19 patients (Capone et al. 2020; Hendren et al. 2020). Presently, no standard, approved treatment for hyperinflammation and associated ARDS or multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS; a common cause of death) exists for these patients, rendering the indication a significant unmet medical need. Targeting hyperinflammation via immunosuppressive or anti-inflammatory agents is likely to be beneficial in COVID-19-associated CRS. The use of low-dose dexamethasone is part of standard of care for COVID-19 and has been correlated with decreased COVID-19 mortality and reduction in need for mechanical ventilation (Sterne et al. 2020; Siemieniuk et al. 2020). Given that the anti-inflammatory effect of ARDS-003 is broader than the anti-inflammatory effect of dexamethasone and presents a safer safety profile, it is believed that the addition of ARDS-003 to dexamethasone standard of care treatment will result in additional benefit for the patients. About Tetra Bio-Pharma Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX:TBP)(OTCQB:TBPMF)(FRA:JAM1) is a biopharmaceutical pioneer in immunomodulator drug discovery and development with a FDA and a Health Canada cleared clinical program aimed at bringing novel prescription drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers. Our evidence-based scientific approach has enabled us to develop a pipeline of cannabinoid-based drug products for a range of medical conditions, including pain, inflammation, and oncology. With patients at the core of what we do, Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on providing rigorous scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing biopharma industry by regulators, physicians and insurance companies. For more information visit: www.tetrabiopharma.com. Neither the TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Company's research and development strategies, including the success of this product or any other product, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation. For further information, please contact Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.: Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. Ms. Natalie Leroux Phone: + 1 (833) 977-7575 Email: investors@tetrabiopharma.com media@tetrabiopharma.com SOURCE: Tetra Bio-Pharma View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/638898/FDA-Provides-Positive-Feedback-on-Tetra-Bio-Pharmas-Application-for-ARDS-003-Clinical-Development-in-COVID-19-Patients A horrific crash that killed an elderly couple over the long weekend is now being treated as a murder-suicide after police found a note inside the car. A 70-year-old man was driving a white Nissan Qashqai SUV when it crashed head-on into a tree at Pacific Paradise on the Sunshine Coast at 7am on Easter Sunday. Witnesses and firefighters managed to cut the driver and his wife, 69, from the car. A 70-year-old man was driving a white Nissan Qashqai SUV when it crashed head-on into a tree at Pacific Paradise on the Sunshine Coast at 7am on Easter Sunday The couple were rushed to Sunshine Coast University Hospital but the man died a short time later. The woman succumbed to her injuries and died at 10pm that night. Sunshine Coast CIB officer-in-charge Daren Edwards said officers found a suicide note in the car. The same letter was also discovered at a home which 'indicated' the crash could have been a murder suicide, the Courier Mail reports. Senior Sergeant Edwards said the man ran a 'well-known' building company. Anyone with dashcam footage of the crash or the moments before have been urged to contact police. Lifeline 13 11 14 headspace 1800 650 890 beyondblue 1300 224 636 1776 was a time of revolution in America. But it wasn't just a time for political revolution. It was a time of changes of other kinds too, as you're about to find in today's strange story from history that we've dug up for you. 6 Our Story Begins With Our Hero's Death When you were in school, maybe they taught you something about Pilgrims coming to Massachusetts in 1620 because they, unlike those evil people back in England, believed in religious freedom. It's a nice story that falls apart a little when you hear the settlers soon turned to expelling and even killing people for their religion. Within a few decades of landing at Plymouth, the settlers passed a law banning all Quakers. When some of these banished Quakers insisted on lingering, the Bostonians whipped them, cut off a few ears, and finally Continue Reading Below Advertisement executed three via hanging. Brooklyn Museum Mary Dyer, the first woman in America to be executed. A trailblazer! Many Quakers moved to Rhode Island, where they responded to their past persecution by setting up their own restrictive society, as is tradition. A century later, when the colonies were getting swept up in the spirit of 1776, the Quakers didn't care all that much about national identity and wanted no part in the Revolution. But they did care a lot about religious identity. That brings us to the family of Quakers we're looking at today, the Wilkinsons. Amy and Jeremiah Wilkinson had 12 kids. They named child number eight Jemima, after a daughter God gave Job after killing his other kids to win a bet, which is the sort of thing that might set a kid up for a religious life. In October 1776, while founders were passing around and signing a declaration of independence, 23-year-old Jemima caught a serious disease, possibly typhus. This disease proved fatal. Shark attacks are on the rise, but the numbers don't tell the whole story. The 35-year-old was paddling out one morning in August 2020 while surfing off the coast of Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia, when she was struck by a 2.5-meter juvenile great white shark. It knocked her off her board and clamped down on her leg three times, readjusting its hold. She felt a piercing pain and then extreme pain, as though she had been "bitten by a puppy." The shark seemed to be "gnawing" on her like a dog with a treat, and it only gave up when her partner, Mark Rapley, rained down blows on its head. He later described the sensation as "punching a ball of muscle." Rapley and others pulled Doyle up the sand, using her surfboard as a stretcher and the leash as a tourniquet, despite her blood making it slick. Related Article: Australia: Sharks Swim With Beachgoers at Surfers Paradise and Manly Beach One of the Many Cases Six months later, Doyle, an environmental scientist, raises her leg and points to the spot on her knee and calf where the shark bit her, leaving an outstanding teeth-shaped scar. She now has no sensation below the leg, but she survived, and not everyone who was bitten by a shark in 2020 did. Last year, Australia experienced the highest annual death toll in 90 years, with eight deadly attacks. Teenage surfers, spear hunters, and veteran divers were among the casualties. The overall annual death toll has been one for the past half-century. What really is going on? Are sharks now swarming the waters off the coast of Australia? Have the ocean's apex predators been more dangerous in any way? Rising Cases of Shark Attacks According to Culum Brown, a fish behavior professor at Sydney's Macquarie University, the main figure is that the cumulative number of shark bites in 2020 - non-fatal and fatal - was 26, which is around average for recent years. (There have been six so far in 2021.) "It's not the number of encounters that's odd, nor the number of people that died. And deaths are largely determined by when you are bitten and how close you are to receiving assistance." Unlike crocodiles, sharks seldom consume the humans they kill; death is nearly caused by blood loss. In the ocean today, there are more swimmers, fishermen, surfers, and spearfishers than ever before. More Australians live by the ocean, and beaches are more available. People are venturing further into the ocean or to more secluded locations, increasing their chances of meeting sharks. And if you're bitten on the chest or upper thigh in a remote area, the odds of survival tend to look bleak. Related Article: Ocean's Extremely Hot Causing Great White Sharks to Find Other Habitat Monitoring Sharks Mitigation strategies, even though they are not the most productive use of energy, may be useful. Brown believes that "hybrid drones" - a cross between a mini-helicopter and a blimp - hovering over beaches, identifying sharks, and alerting beachgoers are the safest choice. Non-lethal drum lines in New South Wales and Western Australia help track animals and learn about their behavior. Personal deterrents, which are cables attached to devices worn around the ankle or hip, are available. While most are unreliable, those that employ an electric current will discourage an approaching shark 60% of the time. There's also a new kind of neoprene that's even tougher than traditional wetsuit fabric. It lessens the severity of a bite, which means it can help prevent blood loss. When officials use more drones, Brown expects that "sharks are swimming past surfers and swimmers on just about every beach, all over Australia." We'll remember sharks are still there. Now, I believe it would briefly frighten people, but they will ultimately realize that nothing happens the vast majority of the time." A Warning Sign It's definitely a wake-up call. For others, though, it might not be enough. In the case, that lightning - or, rather, a series of strong jaws and needle-sharp teeth - attacks, shark shields, and new-fangled neoprene will have to suffice for the time being. Even if the high fatality rate may be attributed to poor luck by being trapped too far from help, there is one worrying long-term fact to consider: the total number of shark bites in Australia is on the rise. Compared to previous decades, the overall number of bites - both fatal and non-fatal - has increased. According to the Australian Shark Attack File, 82 confirmed shark attacks in Australia during the 1990s. 161 in the 2000s. In the 2010s, that was 220. While reporting has increased, this still accounts for a portion of the increase. Also Read: Shark Population Down by 71%, Leading to a Possible Extinction Scared of Shark Attack? Here's How to Survive It! For more news update about the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Two teenagers have been charged after a man was stabbed in front of horrified onlookers at Sydney's second largest Easter fair. Officers were called to the Fairfield Easter Show in Sydney's west about 5.30pm on Saturday amid reports a man had been stabbed. The victim, a 20-year-old man, was found with multiple stab wounds. He was taken to Liverpool Hospital where he remains in a stable condition. Two teenagers have been charged after a man was stabbed in front of horrified onlookers at Sydney's second largest Easter fair Officers were called to the Fairfield Easter Show in Sydney's west about 5.30pm on Saturday amid reports a man had been stabbed Police will allege two 17-year-old boys spoke with the man at the fair before punching and stabbing him, then fleeing the scene. One of the teens was arrested at Cabramatta Police Station about 8.45pm on Sunday, April 4, while a second teenager was arrested at a home in St Johns Park a short time later. Each of the boys were charged with one count of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The incident occurred at Sydney's second largest Easter fair in Fairfield The victim, a 20-year-old man, was found with multiple stab wounds. He was taken to Liverpool Hospital where he remains in a stable condition They were refused bail and are expected to appear before a children's court on Monday, April 5. The Fairfield Easter Show is Sydney's largest Easter celebration outside of the official Royal Easter Show, and runs from April 1 to April 5. The fair featured amusement park rides, reptile shows, an animal farm, show bags and a variety of food stalls. Pictures taken at the event after the incident show emergency services and police cars parked as festivalgoers milled around nearby. The fair featured amusement park rides, reptile shows, an animal farm, show bags and a variety of food stalls Raipur: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accompanied by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday (April 5) paid last respects to the security personnel martyred in the gunfight with Naxals between Jonaguda and Tekalguda villages along the border of Sukma and Bijapur districts. On behalf of the Prime Minister, Central government and the country, I pay tributes to the security personnel who lost their lives in the Naxal attack. The country will always remember their sacrifice for taking the fight against Naxals to a decisive turn, said Amit Shah. Union Home Minister also chaired a high-level meeting at the Police Coordination Centre with top officials in Jagdalpur. I held a review meeting with Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and officers of security forces. The officers said that this fight should not weaken, which shows that the morale of our jawans is intact, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Jagdalpur. The Union Home Minister while addressing the media also pointed out that, in the past few years, the fight against Naxalism has reached a decisive turn and this unfortunate incident has taken this fight two steps forward. Amit Shah while assuring the people of the country that the government is taking necessary steps to handle the naxal situation in the state. He said, both Central and state governments are working in tandem on two fronts, intensify development works in tribal areas and fight against armed groups. I want to assure people of Chhattisgarh and the country that fight against Naxals will be intensified after this incident. As per the sources, Shah will also visit the Basaguda camp of the CRPF in Bijapur in a chopper and will have interaction and lunch with the CRPF and state police personnel there. Live TV FOR Deo Persad, who knew nothing but family, work, and church, life was complete. That was evident in the trademark grin on his resting face, hence his nickname Smiley Boboy. Then one day, his heart-warming and comforting smile, even when he was angry, was lost, and the man who never took a vacation day in his life walked out of his familys home on August 6, 2020, leaving confusion, hurt and grief at their doorstep. On Deos 53rd birthday on December 14 last year there was nothing but hope that he would walk back into their lives. NEWS PROVIDED BY Catholic League April 5, 2021 NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /Standard Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue (photo) comments on the latest attempt to invent Christian Nationalism: Scholars rightly take umbrage when pundits and activists exploit their work for political purposes. The latest example, at least in religious circles, is the way in which a new book, Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics, is being received by militant secularists. The authors, David Campbell, Geoffrey Layman and John C. Green--all of whom have distinguished records--maintain that the number of Americans who no longer claim a religious affiliation is growing quickly, accounting for a secular surge. The data support their thesis. Their volume becomes somewhat more controversial when they attribute some of the exit from religious institutions to the more conservative members of the Republican Party. The authors say that many Americans have an "allergic reaction" to mixing religion and conservative politics. They further note that "a secular-religious divide" may lead each side to view the other "with suspicion and perhaps even hostility." As I have recounted in reviewing their work in the past, these authors are well aware of the fact that the secularization of American society has been going on for decades. Layman previously cited 1972 as the pivotal year when secularists took over the Democratic Party. Twenty years later he wrote that "The Democratic Party now appears to be a party whose core of support comes from secularists, Jews, and the less committed members of the major religious traditions." In 2004, Green directed a survey by the Bliss Institute at the University of Akron on this subject and found similar results. Campbell's work in this area is consistent with these findings. Unfortunately, those who are more interested in propaganda than scholarship are using their work to advance their own agenda. The latest to do so is Adam Gabbatt, a reporter for The Guardian; it is being flagged by Yahoo. In his news story of April 5, Gabbatt offers a fair presentation of Secular Surge, but then descends to politics when he says that "Christian nationalists" are "thrust[ing] their version of religion into American life." He finds support for this view by citing Alison Gill, vice president for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. She cites a report by the organization, "2020 State of the Secular States," that claims Christian nationalists are at the forefront of this movement. To begin with, Layman, Campbell and Green never use the term "Christian nationalists" in their book. More important, although this label is mentioned 12 times in the report by American Atheists, never once is it defined. It's just bandied about, the way it always is. "Christian nationalists," according to the report, are those who believe in such things as religious exemptions, pro-life legislation, school vouchers, homeschooling, and our national motto, "In God We Trust." Fairly common stuff. In other words, American Atheists thinks that a very large swath of the American public qualify as "Christian nationalists." To be sure, there are Christian extremists, but I hasten to add that they are far less influential than their secular counterparts. A militant brand of secularism has gripped the country, and this includes many of those in elite positions of power. We don't have to worry about "Christian nationalists"--we have to worry about those who are promoting this fiction as a weapon to assault our Judeo-Christian heritage. On Wednesday, two days after the 13-year-olds death, police contacted his mother at about 1 p.m. and told her a description of her son matched that of an unidentified person at the Cook Cook County medical examiners office, Brown said. His mother at that point said she had not seen her son for several days, and she identified him at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the medical examiners office. A chef, who was like a "loaded gun" while shoplifting in Dublin knowing he had tested positive for coronavirus, has been jailed for four months. Wesley Geraghty (43), with a hostel address at Mary's Abbey, Dublin 7, was also given a 200 fine after he pleaded guilty to theft and leaving his residence in breach of the Health Act. Garda Sergeant William Quirke told Judge Miriam Walsh that Geraghty, who had 97 previous criminal convictions, was arrested at Marks and Spencer on Grafton Street where a security guard stopped him taking 450 worth of cosmetics on Friday. He admitted to gardai he had Covid-19 and was directed to return to his isolation hostel and told he would be dealt with at a later stage. However, he went to Boots on Grafton Street that day and tried to steal 320 worth of cosmetics but was caught again. The store had to shut down for "deep cleaning" after it was established he had coronavirus. Gardai carried out enquiries with the HSE and Geraghty's accommodation and he should have stayed in his hostel, the sergeant told the court. He had been tested positive on Thursday evening. The sergeant said Geraghty appeared to go out the following morning "and his sole purpose, knowing he was Covid positive, was to commit thefts". It was accepted that he was easy to deal with on arrest. The Health Act charge carried a possible six-month sentence and a 2,500 fine. Pleading for leniency, the defence said Geraghty was a qualified chef who fell into drug addiction. He was remorseful and realised he was facing jail. Sentencing, Judge Walsh said Geraghty was wandering around the streets when he was supposed to be in quarantine. He was a "loaded gun basically in relation to the Health Act", she remarked. The case was transferred from Dublin District Court in the Criminal Courts of Justice to a special weekend sitting of Tallaght District Court. It takes cases that require extra precautions for defendants with Covid-19, or who have been exposed to the virus, or have symptoms. NEW YORK, April 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sulfuric Acid market will register an incremental spend of about USD 1.96 Billion, growing at a CAGR of 3.25% during the five-year forecast period. A targeted strategic approach to Sulfuric Acid sourcing can unlock several opportunities for buyers. This report also offers market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Download free sample report Key Highlights Offered in the Report: Sulfuric Acid Market Procurement Research Report Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices. Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation on pros and cons of prevalent pricing models. Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers. Get a free sample report for more information Insights into buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers: Several strategic and tactical negotiation levers are explained in the report to help buyers achieve the best prices for the Sulfuric Acid market. The report also aids buyers with relevant Sulfuric Acid pricing levels, pros, and cons of prevalent pricing models such as volume-based pricing, spot pricing, and cost-plus pricing and category management strategies and best practices to fulfill their category objectives. For more insights on buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers, Click here. Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth: The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers. Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 1.00%-3.00%. Identify favorable opportunities in Sulfuric Acid TCO (total cost of ownership). Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes. Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities. Some of the top Sulfuric Acid suppliers listed in this report: This Sulfuric Acid procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies. BASF Group Akzo Nobel N.V. Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. China Petrochemical Corp. (SINOPEC) INEOS Group Holdings SA Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.) Inc. HALDOR TAPSOE Pan Pacific Copper Co. Ltd. Chemtrade Logistics Inc. Valero Energy Corp. To get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment, Subscribe Now for Free. Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope Appendix Get access to regular sourcing and procurement insights to our digital procurement platform- Contact Us. About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more: https://www.spendedge.com/request-for-demo Contacts SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge COVID-19 daily cases are surging in the Philippines as hospitals declare themselves overwhelmed. On April 2, the seven-day moving average daily case rate hit 9,021, more than twice the peak of 4,421 cases reached last year. Active cases are at a new record of 153,809 and the death toll is now 13,297. The numbers continue to rise. The Department of Health reported 11,028 new cases on Sunday. Figure 1: Graph from Philippine Department of Health, April 03, 2021 So far, Metro Manila, the national capital region (NCR) and four surrounding provinces have borne the brunt of the surge with 70 percent of active cases or 109,496. According to the Philippine health department, the COVID-19 allotted beds in 26 out of 150 hospitals in the NCR were already fully occupied. Twenty-four hospitals were at over 85 percent occupancy. Of the 804 intensive care beds for COVID-19 patients, over 78.61 percent or 631 were in use. In addition, 69 percent or 3,143 isolation beds and 61 percent or 2180 ward beds were also occupied. Around the world, COVID-19 cases are surging as capitalist governments herd students and workers back into unsafe schools and workplaces in a drive to restore the full production of profits even as the pandemic continues and vaccination programs are stalled by vaccine nationalism and outright hoarding by richer countries. In New York City, 76,471 more cases and 7,763 deaths were recorded in March alone as Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered 80,000 city workers back to offices. The fascistic Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has continued to oppose even the minimal social distancing measures implemented by state and municipal governments as the 7-day moving average daily case rate is now a horrendous 73,993 cases. Similarly, the government of President Rodrigo Duterte and the Philippine ruling elite have matched their international counterparts in cynicism, callousness and malign neglect in ensuring capitalist profits take precedence over the health and lives of the working masses. Customers line up outside a grocery store while social distancing [Image License: @junpinzon/Shutterstock.com] From the outset, the government response to the COVID-19 pandemic was essentially a militarized police operation aimed, not at halting viral transmission and eradicating the virus, but rather at suppressing social opposition. The government channelled desperately needed public funds, amounting to over $US19 billion, to paying off the public debt and to quantitative easing measures instead of implementing mass testing, organizing effective contact tracing, providing financial assistance and paid leave to allow the working class to shelter in place, and beefing up public hospitals. As a result, mass testing remained inadequate with positivity rates above 5 percent, indicating that the real extent of the transmission was never tracked. Contact tracing efforts were hobbled. International health organizations recommended that for every confirmed case a ratio of 30 contacts be traced but the Philippines attained, at best, a 1:7 ratio. An estimated 40 percent of asymptomatic cases are therefore thought not to have been counted and the real number of COVID-19 infected cases may actually be over 1 million instead of the official count of 756,000. COVID-19 related deaths are likely severely undercounted. Even numbers reported by the government vary wildly. According to the Philippine Statistical Authority, registered deaths due to COVID-19 accounted for a total of 27,967 deaths or 4.9 percent of the total registered deaths in 2020. This is more than twice the 13,320 deaths with confirmed test results officially reported by the health department as having resulted from the virus. The Philippines has been widely reported as having implemented the longest running lockdown in the world in response to Covid-19, but this is essentially fraudulent. Workers in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industries, export processing zones, banking, financing, and mining have all been exempted from the lockdowns and kept at work throughout the pandemic. It has largely been business as usual as demonstrated by Google Mobility data for the Philippines, tracking mobile phone users in workplaces. It showed a drop of only 9 percent from January-February 2020. In the industrial area of Region 4 CALABARZON, the data revealed a mere 4 percent drop in work place traffic. The present surge itself followed shortly after the government began to allow non-essential businesses to open up to 30 percent of their capacity in mid-February. Soon after, the count of daily cases began to increase from a 7-day average daily case rate of 1,675 to over 2,200 by the first week of March. Nevertheless, the government economic managers doubled down on further opening the economy, in particular, the consumption side, insisting that the country or, to be more precise the ruling elites, could no longer afford lockdowns. The Joint Statement of the Duterte Administrations Economic Managers published on January 28 underlined this point. On the demand side, private consumption, which comprises some 70 percent of GDP, remained weak with a -7.2 percent growth Economic growth will be hard pressed to make a stronger recovery if children and families are restricted from participating in the economy, as up to 50 percent of non-essential retail sales are driven by family spending. Consequently, our quarantine restrictions reduced household spending by 801 billion pesos in 2020 or an average of around 2.2 billion pesos per day. The fall in consumption translates into a total income loss of around 1.04 trillion pesos in 2020 or an average of around 2.8 billion pesos per day. In other words, if children and their parents need to be sacrificed for profits, so be it. Confronted, however, with the sharply rising infection numbers and fearful of social anger in the working class, the government, on March 29, 2021, placed Metro Manila and four surrounding provinces back under its strictest militarized lockdowns. It imposed curfews and checkpoints on working-class and poor neighbourhoods and forbade mass gatherings while, like previous lockdowns, keeping workers at work in BPO industries, export processing zones, banking, factories and offices. The Philippine health care system is dominated by private hospitals. Geared towards medical tourism, in particular, and profits in general, the private hospitals have avoided pouring all available social resources into the fight against the pandemic. Only 20 percent of their bed capacity, the minimum mandated by the government, have been allocated for COVID-19 patients. As Dr. Jaime Almora, the head of the Philippine Hospital Association, explained in an interview with GMA News, the hospitals are overwhelmed not for the lack of bed capacity but the lack of nurses because of the phasing out of non-performing nursing schools, the K-12 program that resulted in no nursing graduates for a year, and the migration of nurses from private hospitals to the government due to bigger salaries. An estimated 30,000 nursing graduates have eschewed employment in the private hospitals, which underpay and overwork their staff, and have instead found work in the BPO industry where they are paid higher salaries. With the fall of non-COVID-19 patients, the private hospitals have cut staff, citing delays in the government insurance reimbursement of their COVID-19 patient claims and, now with the surge, have demanded government-employed nurses be deployed to the private hospitals on a voluntary basis, that is, without additional pay from the private hospitals. New Delhi: The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) will announce the result of the matric or class 10 exam on Monday (April 5) at 3.30 pm. The candidates who appeared for Class 10 boards can check their results on the official website- biharboardonline.com. The matric exam result will also be available at other websites including biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in, onlinebseb.in, bsebresult.online, bsebonline.org, biharboard.online. Meanwhile, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, schools will not release any offline results list. The results will be available at the official websites only. Here is a step by step process to check your BSEB Class 10 scores: STEP 1: Visit the official website of the board - biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in, bsebonline.in or biharboardonline.com Step 2: Go to result sections on the homepage STEP 3: Click on the Bihar Board 10th Result 2021 link STEP 4: Fill the required credentials like roll number, etc required and log in STEP 5: Check and download Bihar Board 10th Result 2021 Take a printout of the results for future reference. This year, over 16.84 lakh students, which includes 837803 girls and 846663 boys appeared for Class 10th Bihar board exams. As per reports, the BSEB 10th result 2021 will be announced by Bihar Education Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary. Live TV New Delhi: Amid recent spike in COVID-19 cases, the Rajasthan government has reportedly imposed night curfew from Monday (April 5) and ordered the closure of multiplexes and gymnasiums. The night curfew will remain in force from 8 pm to 6 am, in which food delivery will be allowed while dining at restaurants and hotels has been prohibited, PTI reported. As per the guidelines issued by Principal Secretary (Home) Abhay Kumar, classes 1 to 9 have been suspended at schools from April 5 to 19. For colleges students, except those studying in final-year, classes will remain suspended for the above period. However, students will be permitted to take their practical exams with prior permission. Nursing and medical colleges will remain open. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) implemented also put a cap on the number of people present at social gatherings which has been restricted to 100. Meanwhile, Rajasthan has also mandated a negative RT-PCR test, not old than 72 hours, for people entering the state and those travelling outside. The government has also urged people not to undertake inter-state travel in view of the rising coronavirus cases. With 1,729 new coronavirus cases in Rajasthan, the infection count rose to 3,39,325 on Sunday. Two deaths were reported taking the death toll to 2,829 in the state. Live TV "Soon after the high court directives, Anil Deshmukh met NCP President Sharad Pawar and offered to resign to ensure an impartial probe. After the nod, Deshmukh has gone to meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to submit his resignation," NCP National Spokesperson and Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik told mediapersons. In a terse resignation letter addressed to the CM, Anil Deshmukh said: "In the wake of the HC ruling, I feel it would be improper for me to continue in the post on ethical grounds. Hence I have decided to voluntarily keep away from the post. Kindly relieve me from this responsibility." The fast-paced development came shortly after a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G. S. Kulkarni directed the CBI to conduct a 'preliminary probe' within 15 days into Singh's allegations against Anil Deshmukh. However, the court said that the CBI need not register a First Information Report (FIR) immediately as the Maharashtra government has already set up a 'high-level committee' to probe the matter. "The Government Resolution by the state government for a high-level committee leads us to believe that there is no interference required," said Chief Justice Datta. Following the high court ruling, a high-level NCP emergency meeting was convened by Pawar in which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and other senior leaders were present to discuss the ramifications even as the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party clamoured for Deshmukh's scalp. Several BJP bigwigs including State party chief Chandrakant Patil, Leaders of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis (Council) and Pravin Darekar, Sudhir Mungantiwar and others welcomed Deshmukh's move to keep off the post to ensure an impartial probe. This is the second major setback for the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the past three months with a minister compelled to quit the cabinet. On Feb. 28, Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod had quit amid a cloud over the death of a Tik-Tok star Pooja Chavan (22) in Pune on Feb. 7 after the BJP threatened to withdraw its members from a joint panel of the Shakti Bill and disrupt the legislature proceedings during the Budget Session in March. Read what is in the news today: Politics -- The inauguration ceremony of Vietnams newly-elected State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc is scheduled to take place on Monday morning. Society -- Vietnam logged two new imported cases of COVID-19 in southern Tay Ninh Province on Sunday afternoon, bringing the national tally to 2,631 patients, with 2,383 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths, according to the Ministry of Healths data. -- Authorities in south-central Khanh Hoa Province have approved nine flights to carry overseas Vietnamese people home, with quarantine costs covered by private enterprises, until April 20. -- Dead fish and trash floated all over the water along the section of Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Canal in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday. According to a staff member of the garbage collection team at the canal, the unseasonal heavy rains on Saturday and Sunday after a streak of hot weather caused the fishs habitat to change dramatically, resulting in the mass death. -- A rain on Sunday afternoon inundated Nguyen Huu Canh Street in Ho Chi Minh City, which is infamous for its vulnerability to rainwater and high tides. -- Authorities in Dong Da District, Hanoi have preliminarily determined that a short circuit was the cause of the deadly fire that killed four members of a family at a baby store early on Sunday morning. -- Police in Chau Thanh District, located in southern Tra Vinh Province, on Sunday filed the urgent arrest warrant for a 22-year-old local man who had often blocked female students way to show off his genitals and touch the students private parts. Business -- The Vietnam Standards and Consumer Rights Protection Association petitioned related competent departments and agencies in Vietnam to require H&M to recall its products that contain images and contents infringing on Vietnams sovereignty in the domestic as well as international markets, following the Swedish retailers agreement to re-publish an online map with the illegal U-shaped nine-dash line in the East Vietnam Sea at Chinese authorities request, according to Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper. World news -- Turkey recorded 41,998 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed on Sunday, slightly less than a record high it touched a day earlier as the country battles a huge surge in infections, Reuters reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Victoria and Jared Erfle Going through years of memories to packing boxes to resettling to cleaning out the previous home is an emotional process. By allowing us to take over the ins-and-outs of the transition itself, we can eliminate a lot of the stress seniors and their families face. - Jared Erfle After careers helping students in education and helping families in real estate, Jared and Victoria Erfle are pleased to announce that they are launching a new business to help seniors and their loved ones with transitions and relocations Caring Transitions of Santa Clarita. Caring Transitions is the professional and compassionate choice for senior moves, downsizing, resettling and estate sales. Caring Transitions specially-trained professionals handle every detail of their clients transition including decluttering, cleanouts, packing, move management, unpacking, resettling and estate sales. Caring Transitions of Santa Clarita will serve Santa Clarita, Valencia, Newhall, Saugus, Stevenson Ranch, Canyon County and the surrounding areas. Caring Transitions isnt a moving company or an estate sale company we are a full-service transition-management company. We know transitions can be overwhelming for everyone involved. Going through years of memories to packing boxes to resettling to cleaning out the previous home is an emotional process. By allowing us to take over the ins-and-outs of the transition itself, we can eliminate a lot of the stress seniors and their families face. We are looking forward to making a difference for people by allowing them to focus on each other rather than the stuff we accumulate throughout lives, Jared said. Caring Transitions services are perfect for managing the many aspects of a senior move, including assisting with the process of downsizing to provide a safer living situation, as well as for busy families and people clearing out the home of a loved one who has moved into assisted care or passed away. All of Caring Transitions services are customizable, so clients choose the solution that best fits their needs. Jared started his career as a high school teacher before moving into real estate. In 2008, he and Victoria started their own real estate brokerage at the height of the financial crisis. Over the past two decades, they have served corporate, government and traditional real estate clients. The Erfles journey to Caring Transitions started last year. I sold a home to a gentleman in 2007 and, last year, he called me back to sell that same home again. The house sold in one day, but moving was a seven-month process. We included a lot of larger furniture items in the sale, but he was selling most of his smaller items himself on eBay. When I came across Caring Transitions and they took over the process, it became a seamless operation. That experience truly taught me the value of what Caring Transitions can do and, having helped many families through challenges as a real estate broker, Victoria and I saw an opportunity to serve my community in a new way, Jared said. Caring Transitions of Santa Clarita is bonded and insured and all employees are background checked. For additional information, call 661-336-2345, email JErfle@CaringTransitions.com or visit http://www.CaringTransitionsSCV.com. Meet Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor, seen here in an eight-inch miniature, surrounded by calligraphy and flowers of gold. His regnal name translates as King of the World, and he was exaggerating only slightly. This masterpiece belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which dates it to 1627 or 1628. Its tiny size belies its profound cosmopolitanism and spellbinding beauty. Heres a closer look. ARTS AND IDEAS Vaccine-ready but first, let me take a selfie The vaccine selfie has gone viral, writes Vanessa Friedman, The Timess chief fashion critic. This is an edited excerpt. Log in to any social platform, and the picture a smiling individual, one sleeve rolled up practically to the collarbone, with a medical worker poised to jab a needle into their upper arm is almost impossible to miss. I started seeing vaccine selfies almost as soon as the vaccines were available, said David Broniatowski, an associate professor at George Washington University. It was an almost immediate meme. And rather than petering out, it seems only to be picking up steam. The vaccine selfie is both a new phenomenon and a very, very old one, said Jeanine Guidry, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University focusing on public health and health communications. Before there was the vaccine selfie, there was the vaccine photo op. And before that, the vaccine engraving: For as long as there have been inoculations, there have been conscious efforts by public health authorities to promote them. Paris, TX (75460) Today Sunshine early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Its been a bad year for the Queen. But her favourite dogs, Pembroke Welsh corgis, have done absolutely brilliantly thanks ever so much for asking despite the sweltering heat in the colonies at the Sydney Royal Easter Show on Monday. Its not called Sydney Royal Dog Show for nothing. The dog shows organisers toast her majesty at every planning meeting, said John Bryson, the chairman of domestic animals with the Royal Agriculture Society of NSW. The Pembroke Welsh corgi competition at the Sydney Royal Dog Show. Credit:Brook Mitchell Popularised by Queen Elizabeth, the Pembroke Welsh corgis, with their perky fox-like ears and russet colouring, competed for best in breed in the working dog class at Sydneys show on Monday. The winners, including the best of the Pembroke corgis, Vanharon Viscount Monty at Bojojamile, will progress to vie for best in show on Sunday. Florence Police have arrested a woman and charged her with stabbing her ex-girlfriend. Datamera Barnett has a $30,000 bond on the assault charge. Police were contacted about 10:21 a.m. Saturday about a female who had been stabbed receiving treatment at the North Alabama Medical Center. The victim told police she was stabbed by Barnett, her ex-girlfriend, said Sgt. Cliff Billingsley. The victims injuries were non-life-threatening, police said. American culture is a grand mix of the old and the not so old, as we all know. As is true in other cultures, including the island culture here Read more [April 05, 2021] Wayfair Commits $30 Million to Social Impact Investing, Including $20 Million in LISC's Black Economic Development Fund Wayfair Inc. (NYSE:W), one of the world's largest online destinations for the home, today announced that it has committed $30 million to social impact investing, including a $20 million investment in the Black Economic Development Fund (BEDF). The BEDF invests in Black-led financial institutions, anchor institutions and businesses to improve access to capital and expand economic opportunity for Black communities. The BEDF was launched and is managed by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), one of the nation's oldest and largest community development financial institutions. "Our investment in the Black Economic Development Fund is part of our broader commitment to stand against racism in every form and to continuously work to foster diversity, equity and inclusion both at Wayfair and in our communities," noted Niraj Shah, CEO, co-founder and co-chairman, Wayfair. "We are proud to join forces with LISC and other like-minded corporate investors in this fund to help close the racial wealth gap by improving economic equality and driving social mobility so that underserved businesses, families and communities can thrive." "This investment from Wayfair will help us tackle the economic underpinnings of racial injustice," said Lisa Glover, interim president & CEO of LISC. "By aligning their treasury strategies with their corporate values, Wayfair is helping deliver capital to underserved markets, strengthen the American consumer base and grow the diversity of our economy. We are very excited to be the stewards of their commitment to the cause of racial equity." Wayfair intends to devote $30 million to social impact investing with an initial $20 million allocated to the Black Economic Development Fund. The remaining $10 million will be reserved for future investment to be announced at a later date. This investment is part of Wayfair's ongoing focus on enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion at Wayfair and beyond. Most recently, Niraj Shah joined hundreds of CEOs in signing the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge. Wayfair has also partnered with organizations such as Boston While Black and The Partnership, Inc. as well as Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Valence to connect and engage with Black talent while providing resources to its Black employees. About Wayfair Wayfair believes everyone should live in a home they love. Through technology and innovation, Wayfair makes it possible for shoppers to quickly and easily find exactly what they want from a selection of more than 22 million items across home furnishings, decor, home improvement, housewares and more. Committed to delighting its customers every step of the way, Wayfair is reinventing the way people shop for their homes - from product discovery to final delivery. The Wayfair family of sites includes: ? Wayfair - Everything home for every budget. ? Joss & Main - Stylish designs to discover daily. ? AllModern - The best of modern, priced for real life. ? Birch Lane - Classic home. Comfortable cost. ? Perigold - The widest-ever selection of luxury home furnishings. Wayfair generated $14.1 billion in net revenue for full year 2020. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with operations throughout North America and Europe, Wayfair employs more than 16,000 people. About LISC Together with residents and partners, LISC help forge resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America - great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. Since 1979, LISC has invested more than $22 billion to build or rehab more than 419,000 affordable homes and apartments and develop 70.3 million square feet of retail, community and educational space. LISC Fund Management, LLC, a LISC affiliate, creates and manages mission-driven investment vehicles on behalf of investors and funders to drive equitable growth across the US. For more information about LISC, please visit www.lisc.org. For more information about LISC Fund Management, LLC please visit liscstrategicinvestments.org/fund-management. About the Black Economic Development Fund The Black Economic Development Fund (BEDF) is an impact investment fund built to address economic challenges in Black communities and to help close the racial wealth gap. The fund targets Black-led financial institutions, businesses and anchor institutions with the goal of growing these organizations and strengthening their contributions to Black communities. The fund deploys capital across a diverse set of industries, borrowers and geographies in the US. The BEDF is managed by the LISC Strategic Investments team and the LISC Fund Management, LLC, a LISC affiliate. For more information on the BEDF, please visit https://www.liscstrategicinvestments.org/BEDF View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210405005139/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Handmade: Eggs are painted with slogans from the protests against the military coup, in Mandalay. Photo: Reuters Opponents of military rule in Myanmar wrote messages of protest on Easter eggs yesterday while thousands of others flooded back onto the streets, denouncing the February 1 coup. In the latest in a series of impromptu shows of defiance, messages including Spring Revolution, We must win and Get out MAH referring to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing were seen on eggs in photographs on social media. Easter is all about the future and the people of Myanmar have a great future in a federal democracy, said Dr Sasa, an international envoy for the ousted civilian government. Sasa, who uses only one name, is a member of a largely Christian ethnic minority in the predominantly Buddhist country. The campaign against the ouster of the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has included protests, a civil disobedience campaign of strikes and quirky acts of rebellion that spread on social media. Young people in the main city Yangon handed out eggs bearing the messages of protest, pictures in posts showed. Crowds have come onto the streets day and night, despite a bloody crackdown and round-ups of activist leaders, to reject the return of military rule after a decade of tentative steps towards democracy. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an activist group monitoring casualties and arrests, said the toll of dead had risen to 557, as of late Saturday. In the capital, Naypyitaw, two men were killed when police fired on protesters on motorbikes, the Irrawaddy news site reported. One man was killed earlier in the northern town of Bhamo, the Myanmar Now news outlet said. Several thousand marched in the second city Mandalay and in other towns in the north and the south. A huge crowd streamed through the central town of Taze chanting slogans. Sole trader: Niamh D'Arcy, co-owner of Dress Circle and Scarlet Slippers, two boutiques side by side in Terenure in Dublin, is promoting new stock via Facebook and Instagram. Photo: Steve Humphreys Fashion retailers are pleading for browsing by appointment to help them get back to business in a safe way. Retail Excellence has warned that the Governments decision to delay the reintroduction of click and collect services will have a lasting negative impact. Minister of State for Retail Damien English has been urged to consider a bridge back to a full reopening of shops. Retail Excellence CEO Duncan Graham added: Click and collect is safe and is largely conducted locally, and retailers are even more frustrated that the Governments inability to offer this concession comes at the same time as local travel restrictions are being eased. We have significant concerns now about the viability of hundreds of retailers who have been left in limbo by this regressive move. Gwen Culligan, co-owner of County Boutique in Ennis, Co Clare says in many parts of Europe, and particularly in Holland, the concept of browsing by appointment has been in play for some time during this pandemic. I believe a version of it could work really well here in Ireland and could help save independent fashion retailers. Allowing for time between appointments to sanitise and ventilate we could comfortably and safely accommodate eight browsers per day. The money generated through sales would help many businesses secure their future, says Gwen, who runs the boutique with her sister, Maeve. Niamh DArcy who, with her sister Deirdre OConnor, owns the Dress Circle boutique and Scarlet Slippers shop in Terenure, has been posting videos on Instagram about new spring and summer stock. They dont have a website so the videos have been key, says Niamh, adding they are very fortunate that we have loyal customers who we know on a first-name basis. Catherine Keighery of Redlane boutique in Tramore, Co Waterford says the rulebook on retail has been completely rewritten due to the elimination of the joy of experiential shopping for the customer. Her comments came as she announced she was closing her shop to trade exclusively online. The first independent fashion retailer to launch an e-commerce website in 2008, Catherine encouraged people shopping online to try and support Irish businesses and retailers. The more money that stays in the country, the sooner we can get out of this mess, said Catherine. Rockets Fall Near Iraqi Base Hosting US Contractors TIKRIT, IraqTwo rockets fell on Sunday in a rural area close to an Iraqi military air base hosting some U.S. contractors, but there were no casualties, Iraqi security officials said. The rockets landed on the outside fence of the base, the Iraqi military said. Initial investigations showed attack aimed to strike Balad air base, north of Baghdad, but the rockets fell short and hit the village of al-Bu Asi just to the southeast, the security officials said. The last attack on Balad air base was on March 15 when at least five rockets hit the base. No group immediately claimed the attack, but armed groups that some Iraqi officials have said are backed by Iran have claimed similar incidents in the past. U.S. officials blame Iran-backed militias for regular rocket attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq, including near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Iran-aligned paramilitary groups have demanded that all foreign troops, including U.S. forces who number around 2,500 in Iraq, leave the country, calling their presence an occupation. A U.S.-led coalition, whose mission is to fight ISIS terrorists, is still stationed in Iraq, as well as a NATO-led mission that trains Iraqi security forces. The owner of a Slidell construction firm caught up in a federal grand jury investigation into First NBC Bank founder Ashton Ryan Jr. was charged in federal court Monday with conspiracy to defraud the failed New Orleans bank. Jeffrey Dunlap, 44, of Slidell, faces one felony count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and intends to plead guilty, according to his lawyer. He's likely the first domino to fall in a broad probe. Federal prosecutors have been investigating potential criminal charges related to First NBC's stunning collapse in April 2017. Many of the latest allegations were first aired in a civil lawsuit filed by Dunlap in November in 22nd Judicial District Court in St. Tammany Parish. Prosecutors now allege that Ryan encouraged Dunlap to file phony or misleading loan documents with First NBC to support ill-advised loans that Ryan signed off on even as Ryan, in a separate business venture, ran up a multimillion-dollar debt to Dunlap's firm. Mr. Dunlap accepts responsibility for his actions and is working toward a resolution with the government," his lawyer, Walter Becker, said Tuesday. Federal prosecutors allege that over an eight-year period beginning in March 2009, Dunlap and his firm, Phoenix Civil Contractors, fraudulently obtained a roughly $22 million line of credit from First NBC based on "false financial statements and inflated accounts receivable" that were submitted at the urging of Bank President A. While the bill of information does not identify Ryan by name, the allegations related to Bank President A match details of his career and the claims lodged against him in the pending civil suit filed by Dunlap and Phoenix. Justice Department guidelines frown on accusing people of crimes by name in court documents when they have yet to be charged. Dunlap is scheduled to be arraigned at 2 p.m. Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Wilkinson Jr. The Advocate reported in March that a federal grand jury investigating the banks stunning $1 billion collapse was probing the arrangement between Ryan and Phoenix, which involved Ryans ongoing efforts to develop a 161-acre tract of land in Mandeville, in order to determine whether state and federal banking regulations were violated. That federal prosecutors convened a grand jury to investigate First NBC's failure was hardly a surprise, given the size of the bank's losses. The collapse was the costliest failure of an American bank since 2010. While Ryans alleged recklessness in making loans has always seemed to be at the forefront of the federal investigation, it was unclear until recently what potential crimes prosecutors were focusing on. Earlier internal and external reviews of First NBC concluded that Ryan who founded the bank in 2006 had an unusual appetite for risk and exerted a dominant influence over the bank's operations. The allegations pointed to a larger pattern of aggressive and risky loan-making by Ryan, who issued or renewed loans to distressed clients even after their long-term prospects were exposed as questionable in some cases for larger amounts and easier terms than other banks would have granted, according to an analysis prepared last year by the inspector general of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. By the end of 2016, Ryan had been ousted as CEO of First NBC but remained as president of the bank and its parent company. He resigned altogether in April 2017, weeks before First NBC failed and had its assets seized. Ryan, who has not been charged with a crime, "denies any allegations of fraud," according to his attorney, Eddie Castaing. Its apparent that Jeffrey Dunlap committed fraud against the bank, and so he ought to plead guilty, Castaing said Tuesday. He also committed fraud against Ashton Ryan by providing false information to Mr. Ryan and the bank, upon which Mr. Ryan relied. 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 Castaing had sought a stay in the civil case involving Phoenix, citing the grand jury's investigation. His motion warned that if the civil case proceeded simultaneously, Ryan's "risk of self-incrimination is real and immediate." A judge agreed to put the bulk of the civil proceedings on hold, which is common when civil proceedings are overtaken by criminal investigations. Castaing's motion suggested that federal prosecutors were evaluating whether Ryan or other bank executives and directors were negligent, failed in their fiduciary duty to oversee the business, or benefited personally from a business relationship, like extending the line of credit. Those are critical questions for prosecutors as they consider bringing charges. Bank directors are typically given considerable latitude to use their best business judgment, experts say. If they can plausibly argue they were acting in good faith on an informed basis, their exposure tends to be limited. According to the bill of information against Dunlap, "Bank President A" served as Phoenix's loan officer. He reviewed and approved new loans, lines of credit and incremental increases, prosecutors allege. By the time the bank failed, First NBC had advanced Phoenix roughly $22 million on the credit line based on "false statements," the bill states. The arrangement was crafted so Bank President A and Owner B would be able to continue using Phoenix to do work at the Mandeville site without having to use their own money to pay for the work, the bill of information says. The civil lawsuit that Phoenix filed against Ryan in November further spells out the arrangement. According to the suit, alleging breach of contract, Ryan had stiffed Phoenix out of nearly $5.5 million that a limited-liability company he co-owns had owed the firm. Ryan's partner in that company is Metairie developer Warren Treme, who matches the description of "Owner B" in the bill of information. Reached by phone, Treme declined comment Tuesday. Treme also is named as a defendant in the civil suit, which alleges that Ryan tried to stall on paying his debt by setting up a loan and credit line for Phoenix through First NBC. Phoenix's work on the Mandeville project, called Wadsworth Estates, spanned seven years beginning in 2009, and included utility work as well as installing drainage, roadways and other infrastructure to develop the property, located on La. 1088. Plans called for a high-end business park and commercial development. Each time Phoenix's loan from the bank became due, Ryan referenced his own debt to the firm as incoming revenue to justify the loan's creditworthiness and extend it, according to the lawsuit, which alleges fraud, unjust enrichment and unfair trade practices. Mondays bill of information echoes that complaint, alleging that Dunlap schemed with Ryan so both men could unjustly enrich themselves, disguise the true financial status of (Phoenix), and conceal the accurate performance of the firms credit line. Prosecutors allege that Ryan told Dunlap that Phoenix would be paid back once Wadsworth completed and sold the subdivision, the document states. Dunlaps false and fraudulent financial statements, accounts receivable, and other documents disguised (Phoenix's) true financial condition from First NBC Bank, bank regulators, investors and others," the bill of information alleges. Dunlap could face up to 30 years in jail and a fine of more than $1 million. Seoul, April 5 : Leaving its ill-fated mobile business behind, LG Electronics will zero in on bolstering promising sectors, like vehicle components, connected devices and artificial intelligence (AI), industry observers said on Monday, hoping that the segments will fill the hole left by its money-losing unit. LG decided to pull out from the mobile phone business after years of dismal performance. The company's mobile communications (MC) division has been in the red since the second quarter of 2015, and its accumulated operating losses reached 5 trillion won ($4.4 billion) last year. Indeed, LG Electronics, which started in 1995, had been one of the top players in the global mobile phone sector, once becoming the world's third-largest handset maker. Analysts pointed out LG's late entry to the smartphone market and its audacious approach led to the demise of its mobile business, reports Yonhap news agency. LG first entered the smartphone market in 2010 with Optimus after Apple paved the way with the iPhone in 2007. "The market share of LG smartphones has continued to decline after reaching about 4 percent in the second quarter of 2017," Lim Su-jeong, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, said. "It has been below 2 per cent since the third quarter of 2019." Sandwiched by Apple and Samsung in the premium segment, and Chinese players in the budget phone sector, LG has been striving to make a turnaround in its mobile business in recent years. To reduce costs, the company shifted its smartphone production base to Vietnam while expanding outsourcing deals. LG also placed its bet last year on the Explorer Project, its new mobile category highlighted by a different form factor, and released the Wing, a rotating dual-screen smartphone. However, such efforts were not enough for the company to break away from its extended slump. Although its smartphone business came to a bitter end, LG Electronics aims to use its assets and know-how from the mobile business for the growth of the company's other businesses. LG has previously said it is looking for ways to "internalize" and use its core mobile technologies to create synergy with its other businesses, such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics and AI. Though there will be no production of handsets after end-May, LG said research and development (R&D) activities in the mobile sector will continue. The company, which boasts around 24,000 patents regarding 4G and 5G technologies, is now setting its sights on securing 6G telecommunications solutions that are critical to the era of Ambient Internet of Everything (AIoE) where everything is virtually connected. LG's vehicle components solutions (VS) division, created in 2013, has been in the red for the past five years, but the company expects to make a turnaround this year and predicts the unit's sales will expand through 2024 with average annual growth of 15 percent. For its main home appliance and TV businesses, LG is expected to utilize mobile unit workforces to provide better Internet of Things (IoT) and customer-care platforms as well as smart home services. The company has also been trying to expand the ecosystem of its LG ThinQ IoT platform via partnerships with other tech firms and even food companies. [April 05, 2021] TSRI Achieves AWS Mainframe Migration Competency Status KIRKLAND, Wash., April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Software Revolution Inc. (TSRI) announced today that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Mainframe Migration Competency status. This designation recognizes that TSRI has proven solutions, practices, and customer success in migrating both mainframe applications and data to AWS. Recognizing the complexity of a mainframe migration, AWS customers seek proven methodologies, tools, and best practices to empower successful migrations. The AWS Partner Network (APN) plays a critical role in these efforts by providing access to mature technology products and services for customers mainframe migrations from AWS Partners with proven solutions and expertise. AWS launched the AWS Mainframe Migration Competency to help customers confidently identify and engage AWS Partners who specialize in mainframe migration. These AWS Partners are vetted, validated, and verified against a high bar to achieve the AWS Mainframe Migration Competency. The high bar validates and verifies that AWS Partners with AWS Mainframe Migration Competency status offer mature solutions and practices and repeatable mainframe migration success. Achieving the AWS Mainframe Migration Competency status differentiates TSRI as an AWS Partner with a track record of success and deep domain expertise in mainframe workloads migration. With this announcement, AWS puts a stake in the ground that modernization is vital to the health and security of governments and companies worldwide. The AWS Competency program encourages higher standards and better access for organizations looking to usefully leverage cloud technologies for their clients, said Nicolas Newcomb, President of TSRI. TSRI is honored to achieve AWS Mainframe Migration Competency status. We look forward to supporting successful modernization journeys for more organizations than ever before. TSRI enables technology readiness for the cloud and other modern architecture environments quickly, accurately, and efficiently with low risk and minimal business disruption. Their model-driven methods use 999X% automation to modernize and migrate mainframe applications, databases, and user interfaces into multi-tier, cloud-enabled architectures. TSRIs iterative refactoring process repairs dead code and eliminates dead ends while their automated documentation engine enables todays developers to more completely understand their system architectures. TSRI differentiates itself through experience and the speed and accuracy with which they transform legacy code, said Sumeet Shrivastava, CEO of TSRIs integration partner Array Information Technology. Having a reliable partner like TSRI allows the Array team to do what we do best develop upon the foundation of the transformed code toward wider reaching client objectives. Systems integrator NTT DATA partnered with TSRI to modernize a 50-year-old logistics system for the U.S. Air Force. The United States Air Force required system modernization with no loss in functionality, no loss of performance, and adherence to price and schedule, said Paul Saladna, Associate Director and Enterprise Architect at NTT DATA. Throughout the project, TSRI proved to be an optimal partner who delivered on-time, on-budget, and to spec. They made the modernization process easy from start to finish. View the case study to learn more about how the U.S. Air Force modernized their technology with TSRI for AWS deployment. Now more than ever, businesses are looking to migrate and modernize their mainframes with AWS. To help customers make the right choices when finding the most qualified AWS Partner for the job, weve created the new AWS Mainframe Migration Competency for customers to easily identify expert AWS Partners with repeatable mainframe migration success, said Bill Platt, General Manager, Migration Services, AWS. These AWS Partners are vetted by AWS for their mature solutions with proven customer migration success, and we are excited to include TSRI in the launch of the new AWS Mainframe Migration Competency. We look forward to helping more customers modernize mainframes together and continuing to offer cost-effective, agile, and innovative solutions. Learn more about TSRIs approach to modernizing mainframe technology for AWS. AWS is enabling scalable flexible and cost-effective solutions from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, AWS established the AWS Competency Program to help customers identify AWS Partners with deep industry experience and expertise. For more information about TSRIs technologies and the benefits of cloud migration, or to begin your organizations modernization journey, visit www.tsri.com. About TSRI TSRI Software Modernization Assured As a leading provider of fully automated software modernization services, TSRI enables technology readiness for the cloud and other modern architecture environments. We bring software applications into the future quickly, accurately, and efficiently with low risk and minimal business disruption, accomplishing in months what would otherwise take years. View TSRIs software transformation case studies, or contact us to start your modernization journey today. Contact: Greg Tadlock info@tsri.com +1 (425) 284-2782 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aadb05d7-ecd8-4d3a-bd85-09371d03ae02 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Some Americans who work for the world's richest man, Jeff Bezos, the owner of retail giant Amazon, are forced to pee in bottles because they do not have time to take a toilet break given the work targets they are set. The company admitted in a statement on 2 April that it was wrong to have told US politician Mark Pocan that his claim about employees being forced to do this were untrue. Paying workers $15/hr doesn't make you a "progressive workplace" when you union-bust & make workers urinate in water bottles. https://t.co/CnFTtTKA9q Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) March 25, 2021 Pocan, a Democrat in the House of Representatives who has been representing Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district since 2013, said in a tweet on 25 March that paying workers US$15 an hour did not make Amazon a progressive organisation when it was indulging in union-busting activities and making its workers urinate in bottles. Amazon responded with a tweet from its @amazonnews Twitter account, saying: "You dont really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us. The truth is that we have over a million incredible employees around the world who are proud of what they do, and have great wages and health care from day one." Sigh. This is not about me, this is about your workerswho you don't treat with enough respect or dignity. Start by acknowledging the inadequate working conditions you've created for ALL your workers, then fix that for everyone & finally, let them unionize without interference. https://t.co/tdIns0AR66 Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) April 3, 2021 But the company was forced to eat humble pie. "This was an own-goal, were unhappy about it, and we owe an apology to Representative Pocan," it said. Despite having to back down, Amazon tried to spin the issue to some extent. "First, the tweet was incorrect. It did not contemplate our large driver population and instead wrongly focused only on our fulfillment centres. A typical Amazon fulfillment centre has dozens of restrooms, and employees are able to step away from their work station at any time. If any employee in a fulfillment centre has a different experience, we encourage them to speak to their manager and we'll work to fix it," the statement said. 1/2 You dont really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us. The truth is that we have over a million incredible employees around the world who are proud of what they do, and have great wages and health care from day one. Amazon News (@amazonnews) March 25, 2021 "Second, our process was flawed. The tweet did not receive proper scrutiny. We need to hold ourselves to an extremely high accuracy bar at all times, and that is especially so when we are criticising the comments of others. "Third, we know that drivers can and do have trouble finding restrooms because of traffic or sometimes rural routes, and this has been especially the case during Covid when many public restrooms have been closed." But the claim that only drivers had to resort to this humiliating practice, was countered by another writer named Kim Kelly. I have a feeling we wont be seeing a shiny PR apology to workers like Linda, Jacqueline, and the thousands of other Amazon warehouse workers who cant even use the restroom at work without fear of reprisal: https://t.co/wgdEcqUztB Kim Kelly (@GrimKim) April 3, 2021 The backflip occurred as workers at an Alabama warehouse await a vote count that could lead to the company's first unionised facility in the US. Amazon has always tried to prevent its more than 800,000 US employees to form unions. Many workers have complained about inhuman conditions at work and as a result the American labour movement has made the creation of unions at the company's centres a goal. The National Assembly has passed a resolution appointing Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc as the country's next president. Phuc, 67, received more than 97 percent of the votes at a plenary session on Monday morning to become the 11th president since 1945, when President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence to establish the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The state president is the country's top representative in both internal and external affairs; and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. His predecessor, Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, stepped down last Friday after holding the office for more than two years since Tran Dai Quang died of illness in 2018. Phuc was born in the central province of Quang Nam. Between 1997 and 2006 he was chairman of the province, deputy inspector-general of the Government Inspectorate and chairman of the Government Office. He became deputy prime minister in 2011 and prime minister in 2016. He is a member of the Party Central Committee and Politburo. Phuc was among the "special cases" -- who exceeded the stipulated age limit -- recommended by the Party Central Committee for reelection into the 13th Party Central Committee last January. The Central Committee in January elected Nguyen Phu Trong as general secretary for a third term. Also on Monday Phuc's successor as prime minister is expected to take the oath. Pham Minh Chinh, 63, head of the Central Organizing Commission, has been nominated for the position. Vuong Dinh Hue, 64, former minister of finance and ex-deputy prime minister, was appointed chairman of the National Assembly last week. Vietnam has a "four pillar" leadership structure made up of general secretary, prime minister, president and NA chair. 8-Year-Old Boy Finds Message in a Bottle From 25 Years Ago and Tracks Down Its Sender A handwritten message in a bottle, tossed to sea by a 14-year-old Quebec girl, took a quarter century to travel nearly 60 miles to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. There, it was found by an 8-year-old boy who was delighted by the earnest message. He wrote back. Eight-year-old Nyima Mitchell found the glass bottle under a pine tree in his Cheticamp back yard while playing with friends and his brother, Mila, in October 2020. (Courtesy of Kelly Mitchell) Nyima thought it was garbage and he picked it up to clean up our land, the boys father, Kelly Mitchell, told The Epoch Times. They usually play Tom and Huck, which would have been great for a message in a bottle find, but [they] had friends over that day and were just climbing trees. The boys mother, Britta Mitchell, suspects the bottle washed into the nearby Petit Etang, a body of water connecting to the Atlantic Ocean, during a hurricane some years ago. I tried to open it up straight away but I couldnt because the lid was on tight, so I asked my mom to try to open it, but she couldnt either, Nyima told Newsweek. We had to use our can opener and pliers on our Swiss Army pocket knives to get the lid off. (Courtesy of Kelly Mitchell) Twenty minutes later, the boy drew forth a wrinkled letter from inside the glass bottle. It was dated August 12, 1995. Dear friend, me and my friends have decided to write someone I have sent my bottle in the Magdalen Islands, the letter read in both French and English. It was signed by Nellie Nadeau, who shared her ambition to find a pen pal who would respond. The Mitchells went online and found Nellies name on a hospital website. On her profile, Nellie, now a family doctor, recounted growing up by the water in Eastern Canada. The Mitchells believed theyd found their letter-writer. Nyima decided to write back to Nelliewho was no longer a teen but a 39-year-old wife and mom living in Wasilla, Alaska. That letter almost didnt make it, though, for Nellie had changed jobs and home addresses since the Mitchells learned her identity. (Courtesy of Kelly Mitchell) You sort of hope when you launch it [that someone will receive it], but afterward realize that the probability of it ever making it intact to someone is really low, Nellie told CBC. If it did, that person might not even be interested in writing you back. When a handwritten letter finally landed on her doormat in November, the memories came flooding back. It gave me chills for several days, Nellie said. She and a friend had tossed two bottles into the sea at Havre-Aubert while on vacation as teens, one of which made its way across the Gulf of St. Lawrence to land in a little boys back yard. Delighted, Nellie replied to Nyima, but sadly her letter was returned to sender. (Courtesy of Kelly Mitchell) Meanwhile, the Mitchells were losing hope of making a connection. Fortunately, Nellie didnt give up and turned to social media. At that point, the community got involved, Kelly explained. We are not on Facebook It turned out that Nellie had addressed it correctly, so we dont know why it was returned. When a local reporter caught wind of the amazing correspondence, 25 years in the making, Nyima and Nellies story made headlines. Nellie now plans to visit with the Mitchells on her next visit to Nova Scotia. (Courtesy of Kelly Mitchell) I would like to meet up with Nellie, Nyima told Newsweek. We have a canoe and Nellie and I both like canoeing, so we might go canoeing. In the spirit of their epic communique, Nellie plans to correspond with Nyima the old-fashioned way. Were keeping the whole thing in the non-electronic domain to maintain the spirit of the original letter, said Kelly, hoping Nellies promised letter is on the way, and hasnt been returned! Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Eric Bonetti, the first person married to a same-sex partner at Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria VA, is suing his former priest in the Federal District court for the Eastern District of Virginia, case number 1:21-cv-00190. The pleadings allege that the Rev. Robert Hiller Malm, while acting as rector of the church, committed perjury in a previous lawsuit against the plaintiff, engaged in witness tampering, concealed evidence, and falsely accused Bonetti of threatening Malm and the church. Further, the complaint alleges that Malm and the other defendants colluded to infringe Bonettis First Amendment rights, including to criticize the church and its clergy. The complaint specifically alleges that Malm, acting on behalf of the church, falsely claimed that Bonettis late mother, then dying of COPD and bedridden for several years, or someone claiming to be her, contacted Malm repeatedly to schedule appointments, only to no-show. The pleadings further allege that the City of Alexandria engaged in discriminatory, biased policing by assisting Malm and the church in their previous lawsuit, while ignoring the Plaintiffs allegations of criminal activity by Malm. The lawsuit further alleges that the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia has known for some time of Malms alleged perjury but declined to do anything on the basis that criminal charges have not been filed. In motions recently filed with the court, Bonetti has asked for permission to add additional defendants to the case, including the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and St. Gabriels parish in Marion Massachusetts. The City of Alexandria and other defendants have filed motions to dismiss. A preliminary hearing in the matter is set for late May. Bonetti is a former attorney, now retired. The Central Regional Police Command has intensified patrols on beaches in the Cape Coast Metropolis as directed by the President to ensure adherence to the COVID-19 measures to curtail the spread. The annual ritual of celebrating Easter at the beaches had been suspended due to the pandemic. The President's Directive also bans large funerals and other social activities, which were breading grounds for the virus. The Ghana News Agency, during a visit to some beaches in the Metropolis, observed a heavy police presence ensuring that no one flouted the rules. An officer, who pleaded anonymity, told the GNA that they reported around 0500 hours each day to prevent people from accessing the beach. A staff at a popular spot at OLA Beach, who only gave his name as Mensah, said some people came to buy drinks and food in takeaway packs but patronage was low. 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 Services will be Thursday for the Phillipsburg police officer who died Saturday in an off-duty motorcycle crash. Dominic Belcastro was 38 years old when he died in the crash on Memorial Parkway in Phillipsburg. Warren County Prosecutor James Pfeiffer said the Stewartsville resident had the right of way in the crash. Belcastro was a Phillipsburg native who leaves behind a wife and two daughters. A viewing will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Noto-Wynkoop Funeral Home, 289 South Main Street, Phillipsburg. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Walters Park, 1 Meyner Road, Phillipsburg. Donations to benefit his family can be made payable to PBA Local 56, and may be delivered to the funeral home or mailed to PBA Local 56, PO Box 67, Phillipsburg, N.J. 08865. The Phillipsburg Police Department is mourning the loss of one of our own. Officer Dominic Belcastro was tragically... Posted by Phillipsburg Police Department, NJ on Sunday, April 4, 2021 A online fundraiser in his memory was set up by a fellow officer. Belcastro graduated Phillipsburg High School in 2000, then joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Hawaii from 2000 through 2003, his obituary says. He joined the Phillipsburg Police Department in 2012 and graduated from the Mercer County Police Academy In 2013, the obituary says. His wife, Kristen Belcastro, told lehighvalleylive.com he had all but given up landing a job with a police force until he got the call from Phillipsburg. He always wanted to be a police officer, she said. He was a founding member of the Phillipsburg Honor Guard in 2018 and a member of the Warren County Tactical Response Team, his obituary says. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Lehighvalleylive.com. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. More of Pennsylvanias counties are now showing substantial spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Tom Wolfs office said Monday. Across Pennsylvania, 45 of the states 67 counties have demonstrated substantial transmission of COVID-19, Wolfs office said. Last week, the Wolf administration said 35 counties were showing substantial transmission of the coronavirus, so 10 more counties have joined that list. The Wolf administration uses three categories to gauge the transmission of COVID-19: low, moderate and substantial. Each week, the Wolf administration offers a report on the number of counties with substantial spread of COVID-19. In February and March, the number of counties with high transmission of the coronavirus had been dropping. In mid-March, only 21 counties were designated as having substantial transmission. But since then, that number has more than doubled and now two-thirds of Pennsylvanias counties are considered to have substantial spread of COVID-19. The positive test rate for the coronavirus rose to 9.4% for the week of March 26 through April 1, up from 7.6% during the previous week. Its the third straight week the positive rate has risen in Pennsylvania. At one point, the rate had dropped for 12 straight weeks. For context, the rate of positive coronavirus tests remains well below the peak of 16.2% in December, but health officials have said a positive test rate higher than 5% is a source of concern. The rate had been 5.7% just three weeks ago. More than 2,200 people are being treated in hospitals for COVID-19, an increase of more than 800 since mid-March, according to data from the Pennsylvania Health Department. Hospitalizations remain well below the peak of about 6,300 in December, but the states hospitals are admitting more people for COVID-19 treatment. The rising number of counties with substantial spread and the uptick in hospitalizations comes as the state is easing restrictions on restaurants and other businesses. Under the new rules, restaurants can move up to 75% of indoor occupancy, resume bar service and serve alcohol up until 2 a.m. New guidance for schools State officials have urged school districts to evaluate the spread of COVID-19 in determining whether students should be in school, educated remotely or with a mix of distance learning and face-to-face instruction. Most school districts are offering at least some in-person instruction but some of Pennsylvanias schools continue to operate remotely. On Monday, the Wolf administration offered some revised guidance for schools. Even in counties with substantial spread of COVID-19, schools are advised they can continue offering at least a blended learning model mixing remote instruction with in-person classes, Wolfs office said. Previously, the state advised middle and high schools to consider shifting toward remote instruction in counties with substantial transmission. In counties with moderate transmission, the states new guidance says schools can continue with face-to-face instruction full-time, or schools can opt for a hybrid approach. We remain committed to doing everything we can to create the conditions for a return to in-person instruction as soon as safely possible, Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega said in a statement. Our updated instructional model recommendations create additional flexibilities for school leaders to make decisions at the local level consistent with best practices and with public health and safety at the forefront. The Wolf administration stresses the guidance for schools is not a mandate. Only five counties are showing low transmission of COVID-19, while 17 counties have moderate spread of the virus, the Wolf administration said. All of the counties in the Harrisburg area are now showing substantial transmission. Heres the full breakdown of COVID-19 transmission levels in each county. Low: Cameron, Forest, Fulton, Potter and Sullivan Moderate: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Indiana, Jefferson, McKean, Mercer, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango and Warren Substantial: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Berks, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Franklin, Greene, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York Vaccine rollout The state is also expanding its COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Beginning Monday, all residents in Phase 1B are now eligible for the vaccines and can begin scheduling appointments. This phase includes mass transit employees, manufacturing workers, postal employees and clergy. They join key front-line workers who became eligible for the vaccine last week, including law enforcement, firefighters, grocery store employees and food and agriculture workers. Starting April 12, all residents in Phase 1C can start scheduling appointments. Phase 1C covers more critical workers including those in the energy sector, legal services, housing construction, federal, state and local government workers, financial services, bank tellers and information technology workers. On April 19, everyone will be eligible for the vaccines, Gov. Wolf said last week. More than 3.7 million Pennsylvanians have received at least one shot and more than 2 million have been fully vaccinated, according to the Pennsylvania Health Department. The state data doesnt include the city of Philadelphia, which is handling its own rollout. In Philadelphia, more than 530,000 people have been given at least one dose and more than 278,000 are fully vaccinated, according to city health department data through April 1. Combining the city and state data, heres the vaccination picture in Pennsylvania: More than 4.2 million have had at least one shot and nearly 2.3 million are fully vaccinated. More than 1 million people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in Pennsylvania and more than 25,000 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, according to the Pennsylvania Health Department. Most of those who are infected suffer relatively mild symptoms and many dont even get sick, health officials say. But doctors say the virus poses serious risks to everyone, particularly for seniors and those with chronic medical conditions. More from PennLive Pa. universities recommend COVID-19 vaccinations for students but not ready to require them, yet New Delhi: A state-run Chinese daily on Monday termed External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as arrogant for her scathing attack on Islamabad at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). However, the daily admitted that there is indeed terrorism in Pakistan as mentioned by Swaraj in her speech. Swaraj in her speech at the UNGA said, India and Pakistan became free within hours of each other. Why is it that today India is a recognised IT superpower in the world, and Pakistan is recognised only as the pre-eminent export factory for terror? Referring to terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad, she said, We established scientific and technical institutions which are the pride of the world. But what has Pakistan offered to the world and indeed to its own people apart from terrorism? We produced scholars, doctors, engineers. What have you produced? You have produced terrorists. ALSO READ: In response to Pakistan's fake image, India shows picture of martyred Kashmiri Army officer at UN The Chinese daily termed Swarajs speech as bigotry. The state-run daily Global Times in its editorial said, There is indeed terrorism in Pakistan. But is supporting terror the countrys national policy? What can Pakistan gain from exporting terrorism? Money or honour. With smooth development of its economy and foreign relations in recent years, an arrogant India has looked down on Pakistan and assumed a haughty air with China, the editorial further added. (With PTI inputs) ALSO READ | UNGA 2017: Pakistan envoy terms India 'mother of terrorism in South Asia' in reply to Sushma Swaraj's speech For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Gov. Greg Abbott declined on Monday to throw out the first pitch at the Texas Rangers opening home game, escalating a public spat with prominent sports and corporate leaders over new Republican-backed voter restrictions in several red states. It is shameful that Americas pastime is not only being influenced by partisan political politics, but also perpetuating false political narratives, Abbott, a Republican, wrote in a letter to the teams chief operating officer. MLB had announced Friday it was moving its annual All-Star game and draft out of Georgia in response to the first major restrictions to pass, including new barriers to voting by mail and limits on ballot drop boxes. Republicans in Texas are weighing similar measures. FIVE THINGS TO KNOW: How Texas Republicans want to further restrict voting Several companies, including American Express, HP and Under Armour, have joined in opposing the new measures, saying they are designed to make it harder to vote. Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views, MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred said in a statement last week. The Rangers were slated to host the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday afternoon in Arlington. The team did not immediately post a public response to the decision. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Abbott has been among those calling for more voting restrictions in the wake of last years record turnout, specifically calling for banning local efforts like those enacted in Harris County to increase participation amid the coronavirus pandemic. A bill passed last week in the state Senate and another being considered in the House would limit drive-thru voting and forbid public officials from sending out applications for absentee ballots. While there has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and while Texas already has among the strictest voting processes in the country, Republicans argue that the measures are needed to route out the potential for fraud. Democrats and voting rights advocates have likened the effort to old segregation laws, claiming they are meant to especially discourage voting in Black and Latino communities, which often vote Democratic. This is a developing story; check back for updates. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 16:24:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BISHKEK, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan confirmed 139 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the national tally of infections to 89,153, the Republican Headquarters for Combating COVID-19 reported. Among the new cases, 123 were registered in the capital city of Bishkek, which remains the hardest-hit area in the country. A total of 107 new recoveries and one more virus-related death were reported, bringing the total number of recoveries to 85,271 and the death toll to 1,507, according to the headquarters. A total of 4,380 tests have been conducted over the past day, said the headquarters. The Central Asian country started COVID-19 vaccine jabs with China-donated vaccines on March 29. Enditem [April 05, 2021] Lummus Novolen Technology Awarded Major Polypropylene Contract HOUSTON, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lummus Technology today announced that its Novolen business has been awarded a PP contract by Jin Guo Tou (Jinzhou) Petrochemical Co., Ltd. at its petrochemical facility in Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, China. "We are grateful to Jin Guo Tou for selecting Novolen, which builds on the recent series of awards and strong track record of our PP technology," said Leon de Bruyn, Lummus Technology's President and Chief Executive Officer. "With Novolen, our clients can achieve optimized performance of their facilities and produce a flexible range of products for all PP applications while enjoying low capital and operating costs." Lummus' scope includes the technology license for a 900 KTA polypropylee unit as well as basic design engineering, training and services, and catalyst supply. The unit consists of one line of 300 KTA and one line of 600 KTA, the largest single-line capacity that has been licensed in the market today. Lummus Novolen Technology GmbH licenses polypropylene technology and provides related engineering and technical support/advisory services. Novolen also supplies NHP catalysts for the production of high-performance polypropylene grades and NOVOCENE metallocene catalyst for the production of special polypropylene grades. About Lummus Technology With a heritage spanning more than 110 years and a focus on innovation that has resulted in approximately 130 technologies and 3,400 patents, Lummus Technology is the global leader in developing process technologies that make modern life possible and focus on a more sustainable, low carbon future. We are a Master Licensor of petrochemical, refining, gasification, gas processing and sustainable technologies, and a supplier of catalysts, proprietary equipment and related services to customers worldwide. To learn more about the new Lummus, visit www.LummusTechnology.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lummus-novolen-technology-awarded-major-polypropylene-contract-301261796.html SOURCE Lummus Technology, LLC Australias charity regulator has been called on to investigate Scientology amid concerns it is abusing its not-for-profit status. An investigation by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald found the Church of Scientology had shifted tens of millions of dollars into Australia from offshore and is making significant tax-free profits. Australia, the investigation found, has become an international haven for the religion despite a sharp fall in its number of local adherents. Church of Scientology buildiing in Ascot Vale. Credit:Angela Wylie Greens treasury spokesman Nick McKim called on the regulator to investigate. There is a very clear case for the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) to review Scientologys charity status, Mr McKim said. They should investigate whether Australia is being used as a tax haven for the organisations international revenue. Avery is a nationally known expert on M&A deal point trends. In his M&A practice, he represents both buyers and sellers, private equity and strategic parties, domestically and internationally, across a variety of industry sectors. He is a member of the committee publishing the American Bar Association's private company M&A deal point studies, considered the most influential and established market studies in this area. The What's Market series, which you can subscribe to here, garnered significant users and page views in 2020 through the JD Supra platform, making Avery one of the platform's most followed authors and experts writing on mergers and acquisitions. About JD Supra JD Supra delivers need-to-know legal and business content to professionals in all industries in daily email digests, via more than 100 proprietary social feeds, on mobile platforms, to partner websites, and as news across the web. Through the innovative use of technology and curated audiences, JD Supra connects over 58,000 professionals writing on important topics to C-suite executives, in-house counsel, and media members concerned with matters impacting business today. About Goulston & Storrs Collaboration is not just a pillar of our strategy; it is the key to our competitive advantage and approach to clients, community, and each other. As you get to know us, you will find that Goulston & Storrs is a modern, vibrant firm where the practice of law is pursued with deep expertise and diligence. It is a place where serious business is conducted with genuine camaraderie. It is a place where mutual respect drives open discussion, fresh ideas, and optimal solutions for our clients. To learn more about our attorneys and clients, please visit our website or sign up to receive real-time news here. Contact: Liz Sobe Amy Blumenthal Director of Strategic Growth Blumenthal & Associates PR Goulston & Storrs PC (617) 879-1511 (617) 574-0556 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Goulston & Storrs Related Links http://www.goulstonstorrs.com The U.S. House of Representatives chamber is seen in Washington, D.C. in this file photo. (Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images) Readers to Politicians: Youre Not Listening! Commentary A few weeks ago, this column focused on the need for citizens who are unhappy with the state of our political and justice systems to speak up about their concerns. Your opinion cant be counted if you stay silent, I wrote. Or as one of my readers put it, We now have the government that we have earned but not the government our children deserve. Apathetic mainstream voters have allowed a minority of outspoken activists to dominate the national conversation on myriad topics: defunding police, immigration, selective prosecutions, federal spending, and lots more divisive issues. I urged citizens to get in touch with elected officials so all views can be considered. Well, judging from the amount of mail Ive gotten, citizens are, indeed, contacting their representatives. The problem? Politicians are ignoring them. I email my U.S. Senators frequently to encourage them, or at least make them aware that there are other points of view out there, Sara Karl wrote. I have not got a response in over a year, not even their form letters. Karl believes her elected officials are too consumed with reelection to care about what she thinks. Same here in N.J., wrote L. Grace. I do get a response, but it is a canned, elitist political speech extolling the vapid virtues of the very thing I am writing against. Steve Robel in North Carolina declared that voters absolutely must Hold them accountable while they are in office. Robel supports term limits. Gregstocks2005 emailed to say: Our government officials both local and federal, are nothing more than echo chambers, busy listening to one another. They are not interested in either their constituents voices, or the voices of common people. And reader Thomas Spencer appears ready to give up trying to contact his representatives. With little or no response from them I know they do what they like, he says. Most of the time I receive an email justifying their actions with the invisible middle finger hidden in the words. Ouch. So, what are the citizens supposed to do when their own member of Congress wont listen or respond? Reader Sally Grave said she wrote directly to the speaker of the House. I have tried to contact Pelosi to complain about her actions but because I am not a resident of California I cannot, she said. Well, that doesnt seem right, does it? If Pelosi controls the House of Representatives, shouldnt she be responsive to all Americans? A warning to politicians everywhere: Beware. The tide of apathy is lifting, and dismissive treatment has a way of sticking in a voters mind on election day. From Pat Wittorf in Oklahoma: As for contacting my representatives, I do that with sufficient regularity that I have a mental image of their staff seeing my email address and muttering, Not her again! A defeated Cindy Merrill appears to have given up trying to get someone to listen to her opinions. We cant debate, she wrote. If we try were called racists. A Mr. Gato emailed to say: They know what we want. And too many of them are too corrupt with their own power and egos to care. We must keep speaking out! Carl Morris made an intriguing point by suggesting many of us are victims of learned helplessness. He wrote, The public is being trained/gaslighted into feeling like no matter what they do they are wrong and will be punished, so they may as well give full control to someone else. Never a good idea, I say. Messages of political dissatisfaction came in from across America. Yet many expressed determination to keep politicians feet to the fire. From Ohio, Robert Runkle advised, Even if they ignore you keep writing, calling, and emailing. Flood their offices with calls and mail! Texas Patriot Gal wrote: We didnt get into this mess in 1 or 2 cycles. It will take time and diligence to get it back on track, but the freedom in the United States of America is worth fighting for and we can make the changes necessary. If you are unhappy with the direction the U.S. is taking, get involved. Write. Call. Demand transparency and a response. And let your politicians know you are a motivated voter. Diane Dimond is an author and investigative journalist. Her latest book is Thinking Outside the Crime and Justice Box. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Sofia, April 5 : Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's centre-right, pro-European Union GERB party won the parliamentary elections held during the weekend but fell short of an absolute majority, official interim results showed on Monday. With 42 per cent of the ballots counted, the Central Election Commission reported that GERB had garnered 24 per cent of the vote share, reports dpa news agency. There Is Such a People (ITN) party, headed by TV presenter and cabaret artist Slavi Trifonov, came in a surprisingly strong second place with 19 per cent. The opposition Socialists came in third at nearly 15 per cent, followed by the Turkish minority party DPS with 8.8 per cent. Two other protest forces are likely to enter Parliament: The conservative-liberal-green coalition Democratic Bulgaria and the anti-corruption alliance Stand Up! Mafia Out! According to the official figures, the nationalist Bulgarian National Movement (IMRO) was unable to clear the 4 per cent hurdle. It has so far been a junior partner in Borisov's coalition. Given the distribution of power and the enmities between some of the these parties, the formation of a new government looks likely to be filled with pitfalls. The protest parties had ruled out a coalition with GERB before the election, accusing Borisov's coalition government of corruption and proximity to oligarchs. Earlier Monday, Borisov suggested putting together a cross-party government of experts, citing the coronavirus pandemic, but was short on details. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Sidewalks in the nations biggest city shouldnt be a complicated issue, but some residents of Elm Park have found out otherwise. Dirt covers three separate land strips of what should be a paved pathway between Forest and Dixon avenues along Trantor Place. Everett Wattley, one of Elm Parks most vocal residents on the issue, said pedestrians are often forced to walk in the street creating unsafe conditions, particularly when the area gets muddy after a storm. Were forced to walk in the street against oncoming traffic, Wattley, 62, said. Every motorist who comes toward me is not in the right state of mind. Car crashes arent frequent on the block that serves as an approach to a Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway on-ramp. According to the latest city data, there have been 6 collisions on the block since 2015, and only one person a motorist has been injured. However, Wattley, a lifelong Staten Island whos lived in the neighborhood since 2017, said hes worried about what might happen to him or one of his neighbors the day someones walking in the street and theres a reckless driver. When I leave my house I have two goals to get to my destination safely, and to get home safely, he said. It only takes one wrong swerve Im gone. Even when the area isnt muddy, trash litters the unpaved sidewalk, and in the summer overgrown weeds block the path entirely. Wattley said that the wheelchair-bound in the area have an even harder time navigating the through the dirt. Photo composite shows the year-round conditions that can make an unpaved Elm Park sidewalk unnavigable. (Photos courtesy: Everett Wattley) Watley has filed multiple 311 complaints with the city and reached out but thats done nothing to address the problem that he said could be fixed if there was simply a sidewalk. Normally, owners are responsible for the sidewalks in front of their properties, but no one knows who owns the property in question. Property tax maps dating back to 1973, when the highway was known as the Willowbrook Expressway, show three small lots along Trantor Place where the dirt is. City Department of Finance (DOF) records going back to 2015 list NYS DOT as the property owner with a billing address of 50 Wolf Rd. in Albany the address for the main headquarters of the New York State Department of Transportation. Before 2015 and back to 2009, DOF records list the property owner as not on file, and for mailing list a bad address. Additionally, a spokeswoman for state DOT said repeatedly that they do not have the title to the properties. A 1973 tax map shows the Elm Park area and the three highlighted lots in question. (Map Courtesy: New York City Department of Finance; Illustration: Paul Liotta/Staten Island Advance) A spokeswoman for the DOF did not respond to multiple requests for comment on who the city considers to be the property owner, but Mario Buonviaggio, vice president of Port Richmond Strong a civic association that also covers Elm Park suggested the Advance/SILive.com reach out to the New York City DOT. Spokespersons for the city DOT, which oversees sidewalk maintenance, said the properties dont appear to be city-owned, but that they would further investigate the title ownership since there are concerns about the sidewalk. The three lots in question have square footage of 265 feet, 1,087 feet and 3,300 feet which, according to city records, is relatively small for the block that along with Trantor Place, is bordered by Forest, Villa and Dixon avenues. On average, other lots on the block that either have homes on them or are vacant have a square footage of about 4,500 feet. Buonviaggio said the issue dates back decades. He hopes that some government entity take responsibility for the properties in question, and brings a sidewalk to the residents of Trantor Place. Just pour concrete. Thats all. Its so easy. Theres not even old concrete to remove there, he said. If I had the cash I would just go no permit or nothing and everyone would just wake up one day with a sidewalk. A mother is furious after her daughter, who has health issues, was stopped from sitting her Leaving Cert Irish oral exam because she was not wearing a mask. Lorraine Preston (38), from Ayrfield, north Dublin, showed the Irish Independent a medical note, which stated in October last year that Mikayla Preston (17) should be exempt from wearing a face mask or visor. The letter explained the schoolgirl has a long history of anxiety and asthma. She claimed that, despite repeated attempts by her daughter to enter Donahies Community School in Dublin's Donaghmede without a mask, the school did not allow her access. On Thursday, when the rest of her class were undergoing their Irish oral exam, Mikayla was not allowed to enter, Ms Preston said. Read More It was so upsetting Mikayla, watching her friends leave the exam and knowing she couldnt do it, she said. We just want her to go to school, to do her exams, with a Perspex screen or to be facilitated in a way thats safe for everyone. We tried, even at home, to get Mikayla to wear a mask, to put it on. But she just cant wear the mask. She has to take it off. She gets really panicky. Ms Preston claims the GP who wrote the exemption for Mikayla has since verbally said he doesnt stand over it. I said to the GP he needed to give me a letter to say that he no longer stood over it but he wouldn't, she said. So, if he hasnt replaced it or withdrawn it in writing, that exemption still stands. She said her daughter arrived at school and handed in the GPs letter but the principal said they were aware the GP does not support the letter. My child missed a whole year of school over this issue. Its been horrendous, Ms Preston said. And now shes missed her first Leaving Cert exam. The school could have and should have facilitated her, given the circumstances. The school was contacted a number of times by the Irish Independent but did not respond. A spokesman for the State Examinations Commission said it does not comment on individual cases but added: Determining exemptions from the wearing of face masks by candidates is a matter for schools. RONKONKOMA, N.Y., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fighting hunger means more than just feeding an empty stomach. It means fueling people's dreams, hopes and ambitions for the future. That's why Pure Protein, one of the fastest growing protein brands in the market today,1 and Body Fortress, America's #1 selling muscle and strength development powder brand, are excited to announce they are teaming up with Walmart to help support the retailer's "Fight Hunger. Spark Change." campaign. Beginning today through Monday, May 3, consumers who purchase select Pure Protein or Body Fortress products at one of Walmart's 4,700 locations across the US, on Walmart.com or via the Walmart app will help secure a meal for a local Feeding America food bank.* 2021 marks the eighth year of the annual "Fight Hunger. Spark Change." campaign. Over the last seven years, Walmart has secured over 1 billion meals, with the help of their customers and suppliers. The company's latest blog post, available here, has more information about the campaign and how US consumers can get involved to help #FightHunger. About The Bountiful Company The Bountiful Company is a global leader in health and wellness, living at the intersection of science and nature. As a manufacturer, marketer and seller of vitamins, minerals, herbals, supplements, protein bars and powders, we are focused on enhancing the health and wellness of people's lives. The brands of The Bountiful Company are some of the most trusted in the world including Nature's Bounty, Solgar, Pure Protein, Osteo Bi-Flex, Puritan's Pride, Sundown, Body Fortress, MET-Rx, Ester-C and Dr.Organic. For more information, visit Bountifulcompany.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. 1 IRI MULO L52W ending 9.27.20 Source: IRI, MULO, 52 WE 2/21/21 *For each participating product purchased at Walmart from April 5 to May 3, 2021, the manufacturer will donate $0.10 to Feeding America up to its max donation. $1 helps secure at least 10 meals by Feeding America for local member food banks. Visit Walmart.com/FightHunger for details. Contact: Nicole Hayes 201-456-9507 [email protected] SOURCE The Bountiful Company Related Links https://www.bountifulcompany.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV), has recalled 209 pilots from their extended vacation programs, driven by the worldwide travel ban during the pandemic, back to the office. The Texas-based airlines company has also ordered 100 Boeing 737 Max planes as the company prepares for post-pandemic recovery. With more and more people getting vaccinated, the airline industry is eyeing a rebound in business in the coming days. Apart from South-west, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines have also followed suit. United Airlines have also announced a plan of hiring 300 pilots in the coming days. However, the pilots will have to go through training schedules and requalification processes before being allowed to fly with passengers. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX 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. Police in Chau Thanh District, located in Vietnams southern Tra Vinh Province, on Sunday conducted the urgent arrest warrant for a 22-year-old local man who had often blocked female students way to show off his genitals and touch their private parts. Nguyen Thien Toan, living in Vinh Kim Commune in Tra Vinhs Cau Ngang District, was arrested for the investigation of committing lewd acts upon children under 16, a source told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday. According to the initial investigation, from January to March, many girls aged 13 to under 16 years old were stopped by a young man while on their way between home and school on the section of National Highway 53 through Phuoc Hao Commune in Chau Thanh District. After stopping the girls, the man exposed his genitals and touched private parts on the girls bodies. The recurring incident caused frustration and anxiety among the local female students when going to school through this area. After a time of investigation, the police force arrested Toan when the man was conducting the lewd act on a 15-year-old female student on her way to school on Saturday morning. At the police station, Toan admitted his crime, confessing he wanted to satisfy his sexual needs, with a total of six female students in Chau Thanh District being his victims. Currently, the police are working on procedures to handle the case in accordance with the law. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Farhan Towhid, 19 (pictured), and his 21-year-old brother allegedly carried out a murder-suicide that killed their sister, parents and grandmother in Texas over the weekend A 19-year-old Texas college dropout, who police say had teamed up with his older brother to kill their whole family before taking their own lives as part of a suicide pact, posted a rambling note online, ranting about the sitcom The Office and calling the nation's gun control laws 'a joke'. According to the Allen Police Department, Farhan Towhid, 19, and his 21-year-old brother, Tanvir Towhid, shot dead their parents, Farhan's twin sister and their grandmother, before turning the gun on themselves over the weekend in suburban Dallas. Farhan bragged in his six-page suicide note, which was published on Google Docs and linked to his now-defunct Instagram account, about how easy it was to obtain the guns used in the slaughter. He also wrote that all of his decisions were based on weighing pros and cons, including the decision to kill his family. The victims of the killing were identified as mother Iren Islam, 56; father Towhidul Islam, 54; Farhan's twin Farbin Towhid, 19, and Altafun Nessa, 77, the children's grandmother who was visiting the family from their native Bangladesh. Farhan explained that the plan he and his brother hatched was simple: 'We get two guns. I take one and shoot my sister and grandma, while my brother kills our parents with the other. Then we take ourselves out.' The Towhid family were found dead on Monday morning: from left - Tanvir, 21; Farhan, 19, their father Towhidul Islam; Farbin, 19, the twin of Farhan; and their mother Iren Farhan detailed his and his older brother's suicide pact in a six-page letter posted online Farhan ranted in his suicide note that he was unhappy with the final two seasons of The Office, and argued that the show should have ended with the departure of Steve Carell, who played Michael Scott (pictured in episode 3 of Season 1) He noted that because 'gun control in the US is a joke,' all it took for his brother to get the firearms was to go to a store and sign some forms. 'There was a question asking if he had any mental illnesses butget thishe lied,' Farhan wrote. 'He literally just said no. They didnt ask for proof or if he was taking any medication (he was). ... Thanks for making the process so easy.' Farhan described at length his years-long battle with depression and self-harm, and expressed anger at the latter seasons of the TV sitcom The Office, arguing that the comedy series should have ended after the seventh season, when the character of Michael Scott, as played by Steve Carell, exited the show, instead of continuing on for two more seasons. 'Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good episodes afterwards... but eventually it went to s***,' he opined. The note included a lengthy section, some of it written in all capital letters, that delved into specific plotlines from the show that had infuriated the 19-year-old, and invoked certain characters by name. 'People say the finale makes up for it, which is a complete lie,' Farhan wrote. 'Sure it was cute, but it doesn't justify the last few s****y seasons we had to deal with.' The Office wrapped up its nine-season run on NBC in 2013, when Farhan Towhid was about 11 years old. It has gained new popularity in recent years, especially among young people, after becoming available for viewing on streaming services. Tanvir, 21 (left) and Farhan, 19, killed their sister Farbin, 19, plus their parents and grandmother Several members of the Bangladesh Association of North Texas gathered near the home Monday after news of the familys death was released, reported The Dallas Morning News. Ahmad Hossain, who lives about a block away, told the newspaper that the family moved to the area about seven or eight years ago from New York. Hossain said Nessa, the grandmother, was visiting the family from Bangladesh. He said she was scheduled to return home last week but couldnt because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Faiza Rahman, who graduated Allen High School last year with Farhan and Farbin Towhid, said the family was welcoming and the parents 'treated everyone like they were their own kids.' 'We dont want this to be their family legacy,' she said. 'They were such great people, they genuinely touched the lives of everyone who they came in contact with. ... They were good people who had bright futures ahead of them.' Officers with the Allen Police Department responded to a home in the 1500 block of Pine Bluff Drive at around 1am on Monday after receiving a call requesting a welfare check. The call came from a friend who was concerned that someone at the home was suicidal, according to police talking to The Dallas Morning News. Towhidul Islam and his wife Iren, pictured in November 2015, emigrated from Bangladesh Six bodies were found inside the family's home in Allen, Texas, early Monday Officers entered the residence and found six family members dead from gunshot wounds. The family were immigrants from Bangladesh and the local police department had no prior interactions with them. 'Apparently two brothers made an agreement to commit suicide and ended up taking the entire family with them,' said Allen police Sgt. Jon Felty. Altafun Nessa, the grandmother, was set to return home to Bangladesh next month. Farhan's sister, Farbin, was a talented artist, who had a full scholarship to New York University, FOX 4 reported. The family members were likely killed sometime on Saturday, but they were not discovered until Monday morning. Police confirmed that Farhan, formerly a computer science student at the University of Texas at Austin, linked his lengthy suicide letter from his Instagram. The letter, which was reviewed by DailyMail.com, opened with the words: 'Hey everyone. I killed myself and my family. If I'm going to die, I might as well get some attention.' He went on to say that he was diagnosed with depression in the ninth grade, and described in graphic detail cutting himself with school scissors and knives, until he hit a 'breaking point' and told his father about his struggle. Towhidul Islam in October 2013 with wife Iren, and (l. to r.) oldest son Tanvir and twins Farhan and Farbin Towhidul Islam and his wife Iren are pictured in April 2016. The pair were killed by their sons Police were called to the home on Pine Bluff Drive after a friend expressed concern about a suicidal family member and requested a welfare check Farhan said he was put on medication, received therapy, found a good group of friends and became popular. 'My life was perfect, but that didnt change the fact that I was depressed,' he wrote. 'I would still have the urges to cut myself or end up crying myself to sleep. I tried doubling my medication which worked, but only temporarily. Every solution was always temporary.' After experiencing a breakdown earlier this year and dropping out of college, Farhan said he found himself spending much of his time watching The Office with his older brother, who he said also suffered from crippling depression, despite being a 'genius.' Farhan wrote that he and his brother continued watching The Office until February 21, when his sibling walked into his room with a proposition: 'if we can't fix everything in a year, we'll kill ourselves and our family.' Farhan explained his decision to kill his family before committing suicide by saying that were his loved ones to go on living without him, 'they would be miserable. They would spend the rest of their lives feeling guilt, despair, and a multitude of other adjectives that mean sad. 'Instead of having to deal with the aftermath of my suicide, I could just do them a favor and take them with me. None of us would ever have to feel sad ever again.' He added: 'I love my family. I genuinely do. And thats exactly why I decided to kill them.' For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 As residents of Helotes, my family and I are so excited to provide the Helotes community with excellence in dentistry at our new clinic, says Dr. Adam Smith Smile Structure & Braces, is excited to announce the opening of a third location in Helotes, TX. The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony event took place on April 1, 2021, at the soon-to-open clinic at 12423 Bandera Rd, Ste.109 in Helotes, TX. Smile Structure Dentistry & Braces in Helotes offers excellence in dentistry with friendly, personalized patient care. Dr. Adam Smith and his entire dental team welcome patients of all ages, from toddlers to seniors, at three clinics in the San Antonio area. Their goal is to provide affordable, quality dental care to improve the health and appearance of all the smiles that walk through their doors. The new state-of-the-art facility in Helotes welcomes patients with a warm, comfortable environment and the very latest in advanced dental technology. Dr. Smith and his dental team are thrilled to have the opportunity to help even more patients make informed and confident decisions about their oral health. The new Smile Structure Dentistry & Braces facility offers a wide variety of oral health care services, ranging from general, restorative and cosmetic dentistry to orthodontics, pediatric and sedation dentistry. Patients will feel right at home in the newly designed office and exam rooms. The knowledgeable dental professionals are ready to provide patients with the positive and rewarding dental experience they deserve. As residents of Helotes, my family and I are so excited to provide the Helotes community with excellence in dentistry at our new clinic, says Dr. Adam Smith More about Smile Structure Dentistry & Braces: Whether you want a dental office in South San Antonio, Northwest San Antonio or Helotes, TX, Smile Structure Dentistry & Braces has a location for you. Smile Structure Dentistry & Braces treats patients at three convenient locations in Northwest San Antonio at 6035 NW Loop 410, Suite 107, South San Antonio at 3454 Roosevelt Avenue, and now at 12423 Bandera Rd, Ste. 109 in Helotes, TX. The modern dental practice is equipped to address all aspects of oral health at every stage of life. Smile Structure Dentistry & Braces offers a full menu of dental services and advanced treatments to help patients attain healthy, balanced and beautiful smiles. For more information about the services offered at Smile Structure Dentistry & Braces or to schedule an appointment at the new Helotes location, visit the practice website at http://www.smilestructure.com or call (210) 699-4100. Managing Editor Rebecca Huntington has worked for newspapers across the West. She hosts a rescue podcast, The Fine Line. Her family minivan doubles as her not-so-high-tech recording studio. By Dan Banik, Professor of political science, Director of the Oslo SDG Initiative, Host of In Pursuit of Development podcast, University of Oslo and Renu Modi, Professor in African Studies, University of Mumbai. Originally published at The Conversation. India has stepped up its global ambitions and foreign policy re-engagement with African countries in recent years. Its bilateral trade increased from $7.2 billion in 2001 to $63 billion in 2017/18. India is now the third largest export destination and the fifth largest investor on the continent. While it plays catch-up with Chinas commanding presence in Africa, India has signed numerous new bilateral agreements. It has also strengthened its diplomatic presence and is actively furthering trade, infrastructure and private sector investments. In our research under a multi-year project, we found that New Delhi promotes an alternative model of development. It showcases the successes of its Green Revolution and advances in information, communication and technology. But it also highlights its ability to develop Triple A technology affordable, appropriate, adaptable. Indias expertise in affordable healthcare has assumed increased significance during the ongoing pandemic. New Delhi is already reaping the benefits of an ambitious diplomatic initiative to deliver Made-in-India vaccines to developing countries. India is one the largest producers of drugs globally. It manufactures 60% of the worlds vaccines. Many African countries have purchased or received these as gifts. New Delhis capacity and willingness to produce and share COVID-19 vaccines have further boosted the countrys diplomatic heft and recognition as a global power. Indias Africa Policy Indias historical footprint in Africa differs from that of other powers. New Delhi offered support for African countries in their struggle against colonial rule. Indo-African partnership followed in the post-colonial period. This was cemented by solidarity with and support for the Non-Aligned Movement and the fight against racism. India also offered support for South Africa in its struggle against apartheid. In addition, New Delhi points to the presence of a sizeable Indian diaspora and their economic and philanthropic contributions on the continent. Since the early 1990s, India has moved from idealism to pragmatism and the explicit pursuit of commercial interests. The change was driven by robust economic growth at home and the need to access raw materials and new markets. Indias push for South-South cooperation relies on three broad elements. The first is a shared identity as part of the Third World. Second is expertise in cost-effective development technologies. Third is a recurrent articulation of the principles of mutual respect and solidarity. Its long history of being democratic and its successes in reducing poverty and preventing famines have also bolstered the legitimacy of its developmental approach in the Global South. Since 2018, the India-Africa partnership has been based on a set of principles. These have emphasised local priorities. They call for joint efforts to reform global institutions, combat climate change and fight global terrorism. They also highlight capacity building for agriculture, education, digital technology and cooperation on peacekeeping and maritime issues. How and to what extent might Africa benefit from Indias growing interest? We identify three broad sets of health-related opportunities and benefits that may shape the future of India-Africa relations. Three Major Areas of Collaboration The first relates to Indias formidable reputation as the pharmacy of the world. It has actively contributed to meeting global demand for vaccines, over the counter medicines and low-cost generic drugs. The relatively low manufacturing costs make Indian products affordable throughout the world. Almost 20% of Indias pharmaceutical exports, valued at US$ 17 billion, are to Africa. Southern and western regions of Africa are the largest importers of Indian medicines. These include antiretroviral (ARV) drugs that cost only a fraction of those produced by Western companies. The second relates to capacity building and collaboration in the health sector. Leading Indian healthcare providers are collaborating with African partners. Some have opened or plan to open speciality hospitals across Africa. Since 2009, the Pan-African E-Network supported by India has offered tele-medicine services. This also connects Indian hospitals and educational centres with their counterparts in Africa. With its state-of-the-art medical facilities, which offer services at competitive costs, India has also emerged as an attractive destination for medical tourism. The third relates to Indias active medical diplomacy. Africas reliance on a cheap supply of essential medicines in addition to an affordable COVID-19 vaccine is only likely to increase in the near future. But Africas success in containing pandemics such as Ebola offers lessons to India, too. An illustrative example is Senegal, which has adapted its experiences from the 2014 Ebola outbreak to fight COVID-19. Numerous additional lessons on disease control from African countries can also be scaled up to improve Indias health sector. Future Collaboration on Health India appears well-poised to share its digital capabilities for improved and affordable access to universal healthcare. New Delhi has revamped its tele-medicine and online video consultation infrastructure on the continent. This offers a cost effective and safe option for treating contagious diseases. In the near future, Indias partners may benefit from its online and mobile applications to improve accessibility and affordability of healthcare. Online platforms can be used to access information on blood banks, public hospitals, and organ donation. Mobile applications can help track the vaccine status of children and disease awareness. But there are also some challenges that must be resolved. Combating the menace of counterfeit medicines on the African continent is one. In addition to existing measures to curb criminal activity, mobile apps can verify medicines to tackle the problem. A major challenge is improving access to generic medicines through negotiated intellectual property rights waivers. At the World Trade Organisation, India and South Africa have taken a moral stance against vaccine nationalism. Their joint proposal in October 2020 for a temporary waiver on drugs and COVID-19 vaccines was nevertheless rejected by the organisation. Since then, however, mainly African countries have shown growing support for the proposal. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Sempra Energy (SRE) has agreed to sell a non-controlling, 20% interest in the company's new business platform, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, to KKR for $3.37 billion. The deal values Sempra Infrastructure Partners at approximately $25.2 billion, including expected asset-related debt at closing of $8.37 billion. Sempra Energy will use the proceeds from the sale to help fund growth across the company's $32 billion capital program, and to further strengthen its balance sheet. The company expects the sale to be accretive to earnings. KKR will be making the investment through its Global Infrastructure Investors Funds. KKR will be acquiring its indirect interest in IEnova at $4.13 per share. KKR will have certain minority rights with respect to Sempra Infrastructure Partners. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX KKR & CO-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de India should frame regulations for 3D printing (3DP) to take full advantage of the emerging opportunities in digital manufacturing, according to a recent report by Mumbai-based think-tank Gateway House. The report calls for a comprehensive policy that covers purchase of 3D printers and scanners, manufacturing processes using 3D printers, quality of input material and final product, classification of computer-aided design (CAD)/digital file, product sale and distribution, including intermediary liability and a governing body and single window clearance for businesses. Authored by Ambika Khanna, Senior Researcher, International Law Studies Programme, Gateway House, the chapter on 3DP regulations also calls for standardisation of 3DP by getting it included under Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and introducing compulsory registration scheme for printers. "BIS should consider establishing separate standards for input units used in 3DP, in addition to standards for the final product. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, which sets the standards for drugs that are manufactured in and imported into India, should set standards for 3D printed medical devices and drugs," it said. The report suggests that with India's increased focus on self-reliance, 3DP can be a game changer especially in critical sectors where India is heavily reliant on raw material or final product from countries such as China. "Sectors such as electronics, pharma, aviation or defence, can all be developed at home with a focus and clear policy on 3DP, with enormous benefit to the economy," it says. Also read: Data key in maximising India's agricultural output The report titled 'Digital Manufacturing in India' also points out that for digital manufacturing to be truly successful in India, it must be adopted by essentially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which comprise over 90 percent of India's industry. While Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the process of digital manufacturing globally, digital adoption has outpaced global peers on many counts in India, the report says. "The ecosystem for digital manufacturing in India, is now visible. It's not deep, as it is in the West or China, but is developing breadth and depth. Four elements of this ecosystem are in place: the digital infrastructure, government schemes, academic learning, and a burst of start-ups," it says. Also read: India farm sector needs policy, financial support to realise full potential of AI: Nasscom According to the report, services, with digital manufacturing picking up, India is set to leave behind it's 'jugaad' or make-fix era, and step on to the stage, where both services and manufacturing will be a duet, feeding off each other. The Gateway House authors of the report included Cdr Amrut Godbole, Indian Navy Fellow, Sagnik Chakraborty, Researcher, Cybersecurity Studies Programme and Manjeet Kripalani, Executive Director. David Sinate, Chief General Manager & Economist and Dr. Viswanath Jandhyala, Assistant General Manager & Economist of India Exim Bank also contributed to the report. The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Accra, Rt. Rev. Dr. Daniel S.M Torto, has prophesied an unquenchable bright future for the Vice President of the Republic, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. Addressing congregants at the Easter Sunday Service of the church on Sunday, April 4, 2021, Rt. Rev.Torto declared that no man can dim the light of the Vice President, and urged him to remain steadfast and work for God and man because he is on a worthy cause. There is light ahead of you and only God can put that light off. No man and I mean no man can dim your light Your kind is the kind of political leadership we want as a nation. Leadership that recognizes that respect for people irrespective of faith, religion or ethnicity in a manner that fosters national cohesion is what we desire and deserve as a people, Rt. Rev Torto stated when Vice President Bawumia, joined members of the Anglican faith in Easter Sunday worship. Alluding to Vice President Bawumias continuous engagement with the Christian community despite being a Muslim, Rt.Rev.Torto indicated that religious tolerance and acceptance are the hallmarks of a good leader. Today, we are privileged to have in our midst the Vice President of the republic, H.E Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. Even more refreshing and noteworthy is the fact that he is a Muslim but chose to worship with us on the day of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I take pride to say that such a unique leader who believes in religious tolerance and acceptance is the number two gentleman of my country. Mr Vice President, I do not intend to flatter you but I just say the whole world, the entirety of Ghana and the Christian community has taken a keen interest in your humility, respect for people and the diligence with which you approach your work. Your kind is the kind of political leadership we want as a nation. Leadership that recognizes that respect for people irrespective of faith, religion or ethnicity in a manner that fosters national cohesion is what we desire and deserve as a people. He continued: Good leadership is not about what FAITH one belongs to. It is not about whether one belongs to a minority tribe, ethnicity or faith. In fact, for us as Christians, the best gift God gave us did not come from a majority tribe or ethnic group. Neither did it come from the rich family. Otherwise, the Virgin Mary would not have been the one to give birth to Jesus. Mary and Joseph also came from minority and non-recognizable tribes and families and yet they gave birth to the saviour. I know God brought you from your humble beginning to this point for a purpose. Be assured that his purpose for you in life on this earth is not yet done. Therefore do not be perturbed by the sayings of those who can only talk doom for your future. There is light ahead of you and only God and put that light off. No man and I mean no man can dim your light. We will continue to keep you in prayers and the Lord Jesus for whose resurrection you are celebrating with us today shall surely come to your rescue at the right time. 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 The Gloucestershire town of Tewkesbury is best-placed to recover from Covid-related challenges according to new research from financial services firm Raisin. This is due to a positive mixture of employability and business prosperity, with 80 per cent of residents in work and local businesses having seen a 10 per cent rise in growth since 2015. A new report has looked at Britain's strongest local economies and Winchester, Bristol and St Albans followed on from Tewksbury in the list, while Sutton and Hackey were London's top scorers. The Gloucestershire town of Tewkesbury is the best placed to recover from Covid-related challenges according to new research from financial services firm Raisin With high streets being forced to shut then hurriedly reopen under strict conditions then shut again, its been an incredibly challenging time for the economy. The past 12 months have been particularly stressful for small businesses, with most having to reassess their products or services and many others sadly closing their doors for good. But the once thriving medieval market town of Tewkesbury has proven itself to be just as successful in modern times. Raisin looked at which local economy is best suited to cope with Covid-related challenges, based on the number of large businesses (which can then support numerous smaller enterprises), business survival rate, birth and death rates, rate of people in employment, amount of the population receiving income support and the average government spend per head. Winchester, in Hampshire, takes the second spot, with 78.7 per cent of its residents employed, alongside a 21 per cent increase in large businesses since 2015. It also boasts one of the highest business survival rates (50 per cent) within five years. Meanwhile, the net growth of it's population was a whopping 30 per cent in 2019, showing that it's a desirable location with a stimulated population to help recover economically from the pandemic. Bristol came in third place, with an 8.3 per cent increase in large businesses within the past five years, with over 175 new large businesses launching and staying successful over the five-year period. Some 79.9 per cent of the city's population was employed, with only 6 per cent accessing welfare support. Theres a clear divide between North and South when it comes to local economy strength Of the economies expected to bounce back the most, theres a clear divide between North and South. The strongest economy in the North West is Ribble Valley, which has enjoyed a 12.5 per cent growth of large businesses and has a 45.8 per cent survival rate of new businesses, but still sits outside the top twenty strongest local economies in the UK. But many Northern towns may find themselves in trouble. The Durham town of Hartlepool has seen a steady rate of decline in large businesses, having fallen by 4 per cent since 2015. Birth rates arent that high there either, and with thriving cities such as Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesborough on its doorstep, Raisin said its clear Hartlepool isnt being flooded with investment. There are also problems for Blackpool, where a lack of seaside tourism has seen businesses suffer and trade grind to a halt. Great Yarmouth is another seaside resort to take the full force of Covid lockdowns, with 8 per cent fewer large businesses in operation than there were six years ago. The Durham town of Hartlepool has seen a steady rate of decline in large businesses The strongest regions In regional terms, the tiny Isles of Scilly came out on top, with businesses having a 66.7 per cent chance of survival over the next five years. While the islands off the coast of Cornwall might not be an economic powerhouse, their businesses have been relatively untouched by the Covid outbreak, with only three cases recorded since September 2020. As a region, Cornwall was named as being well placed to get through the pandemic, with a 29 per cent uplift of population growth and businesses booming by 4.5 per cent over the past five years. The rise in British staycations may also see Cornwalls tourism trade boom as the lockdown eases in the UK later this year. In second place is another island group, this time the Shetlands. Just like the Isles of Scilly, the Shetland Islands remote location has allowed it to carefully control the spread of Covid-19, giving them a business survival score of 60 per cent. In contrast size-wise is London, which while it might be home to some billion-pound businesses, is also home to more people receiving benefits than anywhere else in the UK. Over 7.7 per cent of Londons population receives monthly financial support from the government, which is more than North East England at 7.3 per cent, the North West at 6.3 per cent and the West Midlands at 5.7 per cent. However London has also seen an impressive rise of businesses, with its boroughs coming together to see a growth of 7 per cent throughout the capital meaning places such as Hackney and Sutton have some of the strongest local economies in the UK overall. On the other hand, things arent looking as good in Scotland. North of the border, there has only been a 2 per cent business growth, with Aberdeen actually seeing a 12 per cent decrease in large companies in operation. The ten strongest UK economies 1. Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire 2. Winchester, Hampshire 3. Bristol 4. St. Albans, Hertfordshire 5. Test Valley, Hampshire 6. Sutton, London 7. Hackney, London 8. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 9. Sedgemoor, Somerset 10. Havering, London The ten weakest UK economies 1. Hartlepool, County Durham 2. Forest Heath, Suffolk 3. Blackpool, Lancashire 4. Great Yarmouth, Norfolk 5. Glasgow, Lanarkshire 6. Redcar & Cleveland, N. Yorkshire 7. Rossendale, Lancashire 8. Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire 9. Torfaen, Monmouthshire 10. Bolsover, Derbyshire Business optimism is on the rise But while these towns may not fare as well as others in the country, confidence is definitely growing among SMEs. Figures suggest that almost half of small businesses across the UK have had to seek funding to survive throughout the pandemic, but were confident they could bounce back. The Productive Business Index, which looks at Britain's SMEs and the measures they are taking to improve productivity in the wake of Covid-19, has increased this quarter from 102.88 to 108.77. A figure over 100 suggests positive change. Greater optimism on future trading conditions is the primary reason for the increase. The findings found that over the next three months, 29 per cent of companies expect revenues to increase and 30 per cent expect their volume of orders to rise. This compares to only 21 per cent and 23 per cent in the first edition of the Index at the end of 2020. Meanwhile, 14 per cent expect headcount to increase over the next quarter, compared to only 10 per cent previously. Anthony Impey, chief executive of Be the Business, said: 'The picture for smaller companies is finally looking brighter. 'With revenue, order and hiring forecasts picking up, its time to make a choice. Either return by and large to operations as they were in 2019 or invest in measures that drive higher performance during the recovery. 'Something like a third of businesses have clearly decided on the latter route which is encouraging. 'We saw a surge of innovation, technology adoption and management skills growth in 2020. Those efforts helped many companies survive. Similar investments in 2021 could help them thrive.' Islamabad, April 5 : Another Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist was killed by security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a day after another active militant was eliminated in the province, an Army statement said. The statement on Sunday said that security forces conducted an operation in the Dewagar area of North Waziristan district in the province on information of the presence of terrorists, reports Xinhua news agency. During the exchange of fire, a TTP terrorist was killed, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in the statement. The slain terrorist was actively involved in target killings, terrorist activities against security forces, extortion and planting improvised explosive devices, according to the statement. On Saturday, the army said that an active TTP terrorist was killed during an exchange of fire with security forces in North Waziristan. Pakistan has conducted a series of military operations against terrorist groups in North Waziristan that borders Afghanistan. Although the area has mostly been pacified, remnants of terrorist groups still manage to launch attacks on security forces sporadically. Guwahati, April 5 : Two one-horned rhinos, who strayed from Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve and entered nearby villages in Assam's Darrang district, were captured by forest officials and returned back to the forest, official said on Monday. Divisional Wildlife Officer B.V. Sandeep told IANS over phone that one of the rhinos was tranquillised after a long effort, with the help of locals, and was released to the forest on Saturday while the other rhino, which remained in the village pond, was also captured on late Sunday and driven back to the forest without any harm. The rhinos first entered the Konakata Para village and then went to the nearby Gadhaijhar village evoking panic among the villagers, who told the media that one person was injured when one of the rhinos attacked him. The Orang National Park, which is also known as mini Kaziranga National Park, is the natural habitation of 101 rhinos and some Royal Bengal Tigers as recorded in 2018. The park, covering an area of nearly 79 square km, is also the home to several other wildlife species including elephants, wild buffaloes, hog deer, pigmy hog and Bengal Florican among others. Wildlife activists said that the habitats of wild animals have been shrinking over the decades due to encroachment and felling of forest resources by the people, leading to man-animal conflicts. There have also been many incidents in Assam in the recent past when angry mobs killed leopards, elephants and other wild animals, who also killed several people. [April 05, 2021] SEngine Precision Medicine's PARIS Test Identifies Novel Therapeutic Options for Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma in Study Published in AACR's Molecular Cancer Therapeutics SEATTLE, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SEngine Precision Medicine , a precision oncology company revolutionizing cancer therapies by pre-testing drugs on patient-derived tumor organoids, announced today that the PARIS Test was utilized in a study to identify novel drug targets and combinations to combat ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC). The study, Targeting BET proteins BRD2 and BRD3 in combination with PI3K-AKT inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for ovarian clear cell carcinoma, was recently published in American Association for Cancer Researchs Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and was co-authored by researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, SEngine Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, and the University of Washington. Ovarian clear cell carcinoma, a relatively uncommon subtype of ovarian cancer, has historically been treated with the same platinum-based chemotherapies as patients with high grade serous carcinoma. However, clear cell carcinoma patients typically display a poorer response to chemotherapies, which leads to lower overall survival for these patients. In this study, researchers identified BET proteins BRD2 and BRD3 as novel targets against ovarian clear cell carcinoma, which could lead to more effective targeted therapies for this subtype. Additional drug sensitivity screening identified the combination of BET protein and PI3K-AKT pathway inhibitors as a promising therapeutic path for further nvestigation. SEngines PARIS Test, a high-throughput drug sensitivity assay using patient-derived tumor organoids, was utilized in this study to validate the drug-response findings on ovarian cancer cell models. In addition to the PARIS Test already being utilized as a clinical tool guiding oncologists treatment decisions for patients with ovarian cancer, this study demonstrates the power of SEngines functional drug sensitivity assay to identify novel therapeutic targets and drug synergies to combat hard-to-treat ovarian cancers. "We are excited to share these new findings that identified two novel BET proteins as candidate therapeutic targets for OCCC and suggest a potential drug combination therapeutic strategy for OCCC, said Shogo Shigeta, MD, PhD, current Research Associate in the department of gynecology at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and lead author of the study. The validation of our study with organoids derived from patient samples will help enable rapid clinical translation." In this study, SEngines PARIS Test was applied to patient derived tumor cells to identify new therapeutic strategies for hard-to-treat cancers. This is yet another example of the benefit that functional testing brings to oncologists seeking novel treatment options, commented Carla Grandori, MD, PhD, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of SEngine Precision Medicine. About PARIS Test The PARIS Test is based on the capability to propagate patient-specific cancer cells as organoids outside the body and is applicable to all solid tumors including colon, breast, lung, ovarian and pancreatic cancer. Organoids are cancer-derived cells grown in 3D outside the body, which maintain the functionality of the original tumor as well as its genomic characteristics. For cancers where a treatment path is not clear, such as many metastatic and recurrent cancers, the PARIS Test provides crucial information to treating physicians to match the right drug to the right patient. About SEngine Precision Medicine SEngine Precision Medicine Inc. is a precision oncology company revolutionizing cancer therapies by pre-testing drugs on patient-derived organoids grown ex-vivo utilizing patient specific tumor cells. As a spin-out from the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, SEngine is leveraging over two decades of R&D in diagnostics and drug discovery. The Company is commercializing the PARIS Test, a next generation diagnostic test that predicts drug responses integrating knowledge of cancer genomics with organoids, robotics, and AI-driven computational tools. SEngines CLIA certified PARIS Test generates predictive drug sensitivity reports for patients with solid tumors. SEngine is also pursuing drug discovery via strategic collaborations with biopharmaceutical / pharma companies leveraging its precision oncology platform. Discover more at SengineMedicine.com and follow the latest news from SEngine on Twitter at @SEngineMedicine and on LinkedIn . Contact: Stephanie Carrington stephanie.carrington@westwicke.com 646-277-1282 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Subscriber content preview REDMOND A former emissions testing facility in Redmond at 18610 N.E. 67th Court sold for a bit under $3.5 million, according to King County records. The buyer was Northwest Building LLC, the large investment and development firm founded by Norton Clapp. . . . ~ Says Holding Board must finish what it started ~ PHILIPSBURG:--- A media report calling for an independent forensic audit to be conducted at the Princess Juliana International Airport based on financial conclusions drawn by the Curacao based firm Ernst & Young, if true not only re-affirmed what many have said for years, but it also should be the proverbial nail in the coffin of current CEO Brian Mingo. Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel is of the opinion that the confidential report, commissioned by PJIA and reportedly submitted in 2019 to Mingo, does not absolve Mingo of anything, even if it focuses on years prior to his tenure. In fact, he stressed, it further condemns him. The report was leaked recently to at least one online media outlet and circulated on social media over the weekend. The people of St. Maarten and the employees of the airport can no longer tolerate him in that position and no report will save him, the MP said. His neck is on the chopping block so this report surfaces in an attempt to deflect from his poor management. If accurate, all it shows is that he willfully hid vital information and sank the airport even further into debt with shady operational and financial decisions, rewarding consultants with exorbitant salaries and perks and putting PJIA within reach of total control of Schiphol Airport. All of this while knowing, based on the report he had, that the airport was already in a precarious position, Emmanuel said He said revelations in the financial baseline report are not a total shock to anyone since the airport has been a den of secrets for years. To know something isnt quite right and do nothing to correct the situation and in fact make it worse, makes you look even worse and your actions even more inexcusable. Mingo has already shown utter disrespect to the Parliament of St. Maarten by telling Parliament he has no time to meet with us. For me at least that was the final insult for his indictment and the Holding Board of PJIA now has to finish what it set out to do with Mingo since last year, the MP said. He stressed that the Holding Board also must rid the airport of its current Supervisory Board who has allowed and empowered Mingo to run PJIA into the ground and near-complete bankruptcy. We all know that the board is the power behind Mingo and they are just as guilty. They have to be dismissed at the same time, the MP said. He also questioned how the Supervisory Board could have an alleged disbarred attorney as a member and if this isnt against the airport and corporate screening directives. The MP wants the Holding Board to determine if the legal representative on the Supervisory Board was actually disbarred a few years ago and then re-admitted somehow due to the law firm she was associated with. We are told that this person basically runs the airport and has influence over the CEO. If there are legal issues in their background, this should be known, the MP said. MP Emmanuel also reiterated that the Government of St. Maarten and the Princess Juliana Airport Operating Company (PJIAH) must avoid renewing the cooperation agreement with Schiphol and the Netherlands without carefully examining the financial detriments of the agreement to PJIA itself. He said based on factual financial figures, the cooperation agreement to date has only added to the financial woes of PJIA due to the increased financial pressure it places on PJIAE at a time of crisis and low revenue. This increased financial pressure, he explained, is derived from high consultant fees and fees that PJIA has to pay to Schiphol Airport for persons that Schiphol appointed to PJIA. He pointed out that consultant fees amount to more than Naf 10 million, the highest they have ever been in the history of PJIA. In fact, the MP said, consultant fees jumped from approximately Naf 4.5 million in 2017, to approximately Naf 7 million in 2018 then to the current amounts of over Naf 10 million in 2019 and 2020. MP Emmanuel said government and the airport Holding Board must take control and scale down the project which is already over budget by some US $25 million. Even more worrisome, he said, at the rate of spending at PJIA with ridiculously high consultant fees and poor financial and overall management, the airport could be out of money by the end of this year if not before. The MP suggest scaling the project back to focus on the necessities of the terminal, establish the first level/phase of US pre-clearance, take care of employees, replace the CEO, CFO, and Supervisory board and put all other related projects at PJIA on hold. The agreement with Schiphol only served to benefit Mingo, Schiphol, and Schiphol, appointees. The airport has not benefitted in any significant way from this terrible agreement. The government and the Holding Board cannot re-sign such an agreement under the same one-sided terms as the first, MP Emmanuel said. So we can talk all day about this report from Ernst & Young, but the fact remains we have a problem now and the current CEO and board dont have a clue about how to guide PJIA into the future. The Holding Board has to show initiative and perhaps mandate SOAB to conduct an audit based on the recommendations of the report. But getting distracted from the overall and dramatic failures of this CEO and this board, will not be allowed or tolerated, he concluded. With pandemic disrupting businesses and with remote working becoming reality, cyber criminals have been busy exploiting vulnerabilities. Year 2020 saw one of the largest numbers of data breaches and the numbers seem to be only rising. According to Kasperskys telemetry, when the world went into lockdown in March 2020, the total number of bruteforce attacks against remote desktop protocol (RDP) jumped from 93.1 million worldwide in February 2020 to 277.4 million 2020 in Marcha 197 per cent increase. The numbers in India went from 1.3 million in February 2020 to 3.3 million in March 2020. From April 2020 onward, monthly attacks never dipped below 300 million, and they reached a new high of 409 million attacks worldwide in November 2020. In July 2020, India recorded its highest number of attacks at 4.5 million. In February 2021nearly one year from the start of the pandemicthere were 377.5 million brute-force attacksa far cry from the 93.1 million witnessed at the beginning of 2020. India alone witnessed 9.04 million attacks in February 2021. The total number of attacks recorded in India during Jan & Feb 2021 was around 15 million. A data breach, irrespective of the modus operandi, has grown many folds in India. However, the disturbing trend in India has been firms failure to acknowledge that a breach has happened, which then makes individual users wonder if their data is safe at all. Take the instance of the recent at the payment firm Mobikwik. It was reported that the incident has affected 3.5 million users, exposing know-your-customer documents such as addresses, phone numbers, Aadhaar card, PAN cards and so on. The company, till now, has maintained that there was no such It was only after the regulator Reserve Bank of India (RBI) asked Mobikwik to get the forensic audit conducted immediately by a CERT-IN empanelled auditor and submit the report, that the company is working with requisite authorities. Rajshekhar Rajaharia, cybersecurity researcher who first tweeted about the MobiKwik issue, and many such breaches in India said: Most companies, small or big, accept that they have been breached, especially when evidence of a data breach comes forward. In my experience, this makes their customers trust them even more. In the case of MobiKwik, it is surprising why they are not admitting to having been breached. They have threatened legal action against cybersecurity researchers and the fact that the leaked data has now been taken off the dark net is possibly giving them a false sense of security. The leaked documents, posted on the dark web on Monday, claimed to have 8.2 terabytes (TB) of data. To put this in perspective, according to some estimates, one TB can hold about 500 two-hour long movies, or 250,000 photos taken with a 12MP camera or 500 hours of high definition video. For users in India in case of data breaches they are in a fix as India does not have a specific legislation dealing with user data breach cases or penal actions relating to the same. The Personal Data Protection Bill, which is proposed to deal with such cases of data breaches, has been pending in the Lok Sabha since 2019. The lack of clear regulatory frameworks and policy execution impacts our countrys overall cyber hygiene. For Cybersecurity researchers who uncover breaches, policy reforms are needed as many face threats of legal prosecution without legislative protection. Enacting cybersecurity legal policies will give all stakeholders a frame of reference and guide them towards building a more resilient digital economy. Incident reporting should also be made mandatory, said Pankit Desai, co-founder & CEO, Sequretek, an AI based firm. Take the case of MobiKwiks disclosure norms. The company in its privacy policy says that although we make good faith efforts to store Information in a secure operating environment that is not open to the public, you should understand that there is no such thing as complete security, and we do not guarantee that there will be no unintended disclosures of your Information. If we become aware that your Information has been disclosed in a manner not in accordance with this Privacy Policy, we will use reasonable efforts to notify you of the nature and extent of the disclosure (to the extent we know that information) as soon as reasonably possible and as permitted by law. None of the users whose data was available on the dark web where notified of the data breach. All the data breaches mentioned in the box (Recent data breaches in India) were reported by security firms or cybersecurity researchers. None of the companies voluntarily disclosed the information, neither to their customers nor to the media. Saurabh Sharma, Senior Security Researcher, GReAT, Kaspersky (APAC), believes that a strong legal framework for cybersecurity is much needed in India. We may see a strong data privacy and protection law becoming a reality soon. However, it is also the moral responsibility of the organisations to keep the sensitive data of their consumers safe, with or without a strict law demanding them to do so. Data leaks due to internal vulnerabilities have become a common instance in India, especially in the last 2 years, he said. Sharma said that data storage and protection has turned to be a major concern for a nation like ours that strives to grow as a digital economy. One of the reasons for the high number of data breaches is that because India with its booming startups and powerhouses is a highly attractive market for Cybercriminals. Also, as Indian companies today are financially well to do, they have a brand to worry about apart from the massive amount of personal, financial and user behavioural data that they hold. According to a recent study by Infosys-Interbrand, the potential risk in brand value of data breach to the worlds 100 most valuable brands could amount to as much as $223 billion The whole point of ransomware attacks has now shifted to name and shame modus operandi. Pre-Covid, hackers would just encrypt the data and ask for a ransom to hand over the decryption key to the company. But now while they encrypt the data, but before doing that, they exfiltrate the data so that they can further pressurise and threaten the company into releasing money otherwise their customer data will be sold over the dark web. Bitcoin seems to be the new fav mode of payment as it is highly secure and almost impossible to track, said Desai of Sequretek. According to a study by IBM Security, the average total cost of a data breach in India touched Rs 14 crore in 2020 (an increase of 9.4 per cent from last year) as the average time to contain a data breach increased from 77 to 83 days. The cost comes to Rs 5,522 for a single lost or stolen record, an increase of 10 per cent from 2019. In the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread distribution and administration of vaccines are raising hopes of achieving herd immunityand returning to some sense of normalcyin the U.S. Right now, vaccine supply is below demand, but that will soon change. Health care providers, long-term care facilities, airlines, restaurants, universities, and other entities are currently considering, or have already implemented, COVID-19 vaccine mandates, leaving Americans wondering whether these entities can require them to get vaccinated. The short answer is yes, though different kinds of requirements apply in different situations. Vaccine mandates are legal (within specific parameters) as affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1905s Jacobson v. Massachusetts. Advertisement Complex questions underlie the legality of vaccine mandates. Public misperceptions blur the lines between voluntary, mandated, and compelled vaccinations, highlighting controversial gray-area cases. Though often used interchangeably, public health law distinguishes between these three approaches to vaccination requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Any suitable candidate for a COVID-19 vaccine can voluntarily choose whether to get the shot when the opportunity arises. Mandates, however, set conditions on participation to encourage vaccination: If you want to go to work, attend school, or travel, get vaccinated. With compulsory vaccination, individual consent is not an option. Force is used if necessary. Though a vestige of a bygone era of public health practice, limited legal authority remains for forcible vaccination among certain groups. The term mandate may be particularly confusing. Compared with voluntary vaccinations, some may view mandates as absolute requirements, but theyre not. Mandates attach consequences to ones choice, to encourage (but not actually require) vaccination, subject to legally recognized medical, religious, philosophical, or other exemptions. Advertisement Mandates typically apply to health care providers or other at-risk essential workers. They may also include proposed travel passports necessary to board mass transit or attend specific events. The most common example of a mandate, however, is conditioning childrens day care or school attendance on completing certain vaccinations. Parents or caregivers still can choose whether to vaccinate their children, but failing to do so carries consequences, including having to home-school them or keep them home during specific disease outbreaks. Advertisement Consequences tied to mandates, like school/university attendance or potential job loss, can sometimes make vaccines difficult to turn down. These kinds of mandates may feel forced or requiredhow can one possibly refuse? Indeed, a few recent lawsuits have emerged to challenge employment mandates, illustrating the difficulty behind these choices. The important defining characteristic of a mandate, though, is that even if the choice of whether to get vaccinated is difficult, the option still exists. When that option disappears, a vaccination measure shifts from mandatory to compulsory. Advertisement Compulsory vaccinations are physically administered irrespective of ones choice or philosophical preferences. Notorious historical practices involved forced vaccinations to combat other infectious disease outbreaks. At the turn of the 20th century, for example, New York City public health officials, sometimes accompanied by law enforcement, went door to door to physically vaccinate adults against smallpox. The idea that government can physically restrain people to administer vaccinations may seem antiquated. Indeed, no autonomous adult in the U.S. today can be forcibly vaccinated for COVID-19. Yet limited legal authority to compel vaccinations still exists among certain groups. Members of the U.S. military may be physically required to undergo vaccination as a binding condition of their service. Adults or minors housed involuntarily as wards in congregate, or communal, settingsincluding prisons or mental health institutionsarguably can be vaccinated to protect the health of others. Despite the potential for significant abuses underlying forced medical interventions, public health and safety may prevail in these settings. Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, those who are medically unfit for vaccination, perhaps because of severe allergy to an ingredient, are always exempted. No one may be constitutionally compelled to be immunized if the vaccine directly threatens their health or life, often based on the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions recommendations identifying medical contraindications to vaccination. Other exemptions for religious or philosophical reasons are state-specific, with each jurisdiction outlining criteria for claiming an exemption. What about people residing in other environments (such as juvenile facilities or immigration detainment centers) or those lacking full autonomy (such as children)? Can they be forcibly vaccinated for COVID-19? Concerning minors, the answer is clearly no. COVID-19 vaccinations are not yet authorized for children under 16, and even when one is, CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices must still add it to its recommended immunization schedule before it would be mandated for school attendance. Advertisement As for others, the answers are not so simple. Take, for example, a minor, age 17, who does not want to be vaccinated but is required by his parents to do so. Or an elderly woman found partially incompetent by a court and ordered to live in a state-run long-term care facility. If the facility mandates immunization for all residents, is her vaccination essentially forced? Answers lie in a gray area of the law. In the case of the elderly woman, she (or her guardian) may still petition a court to seek an exception on grounds that vaccination is not in her best interests. This legal option alone may deem the vaccination mandatory and not compulsory. Advertisement Legal questions aside, strong public health justifications underscore long-term care facility vaccine mandates. Although less than 1 percent of the U.S. population resides in long-term care facilities, 34 percent of U.S. COVID-19 deaths have occurred within them (as of March 4). In three states (Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island), more than 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths (before Nov. 25, 2020) occurred in long-term care facilities. The congregate nature of the living environment, combined with most residents advanced years and underlying medical conditions, substantially heightens the risks of contracting COVID-19 and experiencing severe illness. Advertisement Stopping the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases hinges on herd immunity: ensuring enough individuals receive the vaccine to protect those who cannot be vaccinated (for medical reasons or age). Protecting at-risk populations from preventable diseases is a guiding principle behind all vaccine mandates. Dire circumstances in long-term care facilities, hospitals, mental health institutions, and prisons may mean that, ethically, all who medically can receive a vaccine must do so. Other congregate settings (including university housing or boarding schools) may also be justified in implementing mandates to protect those who cannot medically be vaccinatedbut again, those affected have options to refuse. Advertisement Advertisement Reaching herd immunity will require both sufficient vaccination and ensuring strong protections against potential vaccine abuses that could lead to distrust. These include seeking voluntary vaccination as a first resort; mandating vaccination based on epidemiological findings of efficacy; compelling vaccination only as warranted to protect vulnerable, nonautonomous people and their communities; monitoring vaccine safety through constant surveillance; assuring fair access to vaccines for all Americans; and ensuring judicial or other decision-makers are at the ready to assess gray-area cases in light of individuals best interests and public health promotion. Prioritizing vaccination and protecting against potential abuses in this way will help legally and ethically pave the road to herd immunity. For more on vaccine requirements, listen to What Next: TBD on the looming battle over proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Michael H.C. McDowell is a Fellow in New America's International Security Program, focusing on the high death rate and critical injury toll on service members in military tactical vehicle "rollovers." His son, Marine troop commander 1st Lt. H. Conor McDowell, 24, was killed in a rollover at Camp Pendleton, California, on May 9, 2019. Generals and admirals are rarely, if ever, held accountable or responsible for training accidents, continuing to rise up the greasy pole of command. Enough! After nine young men -- eight Marines and a Navy corpsman, some in their teens -- died horrific drowning deaths in an eminently preventable training tragedy last summer, are general officers never to be held accountable, never to be held responsible, never to be penalized? It certainly looks like it. Late last week, the Marine Corps slow-rolled out to the media a truly damning self-investigation of the sinking of an amphibious assault vehicle, or AAV, off Camp Pendleton, California, on July 30, 2020. A "chain of failure poor training [a 35-year-old AAV] in horrible condition [one of several 26-ton AAVs seen as] inoperable maintenance failures ... disregard of maintenance procedures ... failure to evacuate in time a rush to deploy" -- all damning quotes from the 1,700-plus-page inquiry report just released to the grieving families and the press. Tellingly, the commanding general of 1st Marine Division at the time, Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi, is named by his superior, Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder, head of Marine Corps Forces Pacific, as bearing "some responsibility" (my emphasis) for training that the AAV unit did not receive. But Rudder specifically said he opted not to discipline Castellvi. Why? Instead, Castellvi is now Inspector General of the Marine Corps, the top officer heading investigations and inquiries into such fiascos as the AAV drowning deaths. Why no penalty for the two-star? Suspiciously, a colonel was fired just 12 days ago, on the very eve of a key House subcommittee hearing on so-called "mishaps" involving military vehicles and aviation. A lieutenant colonel from the AAV unit was fired last fall. Full disclosure: My son, Marine 1st Lt. Hugh Conor McDowell, 24, was needlessly killed at Camp Pendleton in an earlier, preventable training disaster, when his light armored vehicle, or LAV, rolled over. He was killed instantly as the vehicle toppled into a hidden crevasse that range inspection had overlooked. My wife, Susan Flanigan, and my son's fiancee, Kathleen Bourque, and I all met Castellvi at Conor's memorial at the base; we were uncomfortable with the way in which Castellvi handled the Line of Duty report, despite him exonerating Conor from any blame. We are indeed proud that Conor's men, who loved him, told us in person, and in signed official documents, that "he saved our lives." Heartbreakingly for us, Conor couldn't save himself. Castellvi was the general responsible for both my son's unit -- 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion -- and the AAV unit. So his job description included oversight of both. Lower-ranking officers and noncommissioned officers are being blamed for the mess, but not their top boss. How come? At a Sept. 22, 2020, handover ceremony to his successor, Castellvi said, "The division is at its most ready state." His boss, Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, commanding general of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Pendleton, praised Castellvi for exceptional performance: "'Cas' has been exceptional from readiness, across the board." Heckl, addressing Castellvi, continued, "Are you leaving this command in a better place than you found it? That's an unequivocal yes." Castellvi's new job as IG is to ensure combat readiness and institutional integrity through independent inspections, investigations, teaching and training. Since Conor's death in May 2019, we were shocked to learn, from our own deep research, that far more young men and women die in training than in combat; in the majority of cases, they die when vehicles are dangerously unfit for purpose. Too often, the vehicles are pushed negligently through inspections by superior officers, are poorly maintained and apt to break down, and prone to tip over unless driven skillfully under proper training. Every month, more young people die like this -- a shocking number of them at Camp Pendleton. Some of these wheeled death traps should never be allowed to leave the ramps. The July 2020 incident is unique only because of the high number of deaths in one vehicle. That AAV was one of literally tens of thousands of tactical "vics" (as they are called) in the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy brought back from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are worn-out, have been sitting too long in base "graveyards" and then been hauled out for use when they should be dispensed with or just cannibalized for parts that can't be obtained new. While we spend billions on planes, missiles and ships, the poor grunts in the infantry are given short shrift, and flag officers blame others and are not held responsible themselves. They should be. There are no new AAVs, only a few prototypes still being tested. The same is true of LAVs and Humvees (which have the highest number of rollover deaths), etc. All our tactical "vics" are top-heavy and over-armored, and the vast majority don't even have anti-lock brakes or electronic stability controls, which domestic cars have had for decades. ALB and ESC stop vehicles more quickly and over shorter distances. Some vics even lack seat belts and harnesses, and have many other life-threatening defects. Military and civilian engineering experts tell us that adding cameras; tilt meters; GPS capability; LIDAR, short for light detection and ranging, which sends out pulses of laser light to determine the distance to various objects, or other terrain warning systems; and effective communication systems will not increase costs much at all -- and save billions of dollars invested to train and keep personnel alive. The doomed AAV that sank last year was already a basket case when the troops were preparing to leave San Clemente Island to return to Pendleton. When it pushed into the surf, it soon began taking on water, and the men found themselves ankle deep in minutes. The interior lights in the packed cramped passenger section didn't work. The Marines, stuck in the dark, were breathing diesel fumes as the engine began to fail, resorting to using their cell phone camera lights to find the hatch handles to evacuate. Then, one handle broke off in the frantic effort. It was a terrifying disaster. As the minutes ticked on, the men were in water up to their waists, chests and then necks. The radio communication between the other AAVs ahead of them failed, and a Marine in an outside hatch frantically had to wave a checkered distress flag to indicate the imminent peril. There were no safety boats around them, which should be standard operating procedure between the large docking ship they were headed for and the 12 vic AAV group. A second AAV tried to go to their rescue but, in the heavy ocean swell, ended up sideswiping the ailing vic, which caused it to quickly drop, head up, and it became too late to rescue the men trapped inside. Last fall, we asked Congress to investigate these alarming deaths in tactical vehicles. The Government Accountability Office will report in May on its deep dive into rollover deaths, looking back a decade, followed by further congressional committee hearings and possible legislation to mandate that the Defense Department bring in safety measures to improve, not weaken, military readiness. We cannot bring back my son and others from rollovers, or the eight Marines and Navy corpsman who perished last July. But their lives will not have been in vain if we can bring about reforms to reduce the death toll in training. Our elected representatives need to hold general officers to account, not just those below them who rightly or wrongly become the "fall guys." That shameful pattern must be broken. Rank should come with responsibility, accountability and paying the price for failing. Let's never forget the names of the poor young men who died on July 30, 2020: Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, 18, of Corona, California; Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello, California; Pfc. Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wisconsin; Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, California; Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Bend, Oregon; Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, 20, of New Braunfels, Texas; Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 23, of Harris, Texas; Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, 18, of Portland, Oregon; and Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside, California. -- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. The Kasoa Divisional Police Command on Saturday arrested two teenagers for allegedly killing an 11-year-old boy, one Ishmael Mensah. The suspects, Felix Nyarko, 16, and Nicholas Kini, 17, invited the unsuspecting victim to an uncompleted building and hit him with a club and cement blocks killing him instantly. Narrating the incident to the Ghana News Agency, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Irene Serwaa Oppong, Central Regional Police Public Relations Officer, said on Saturday, April 3, at about 1015 hours, the Kasoa Divisional Command received a distress call that there had been a ritual murder at Coca Cola near Lamptey Mills, a suburb of Kasoa. She said the Police immediately proceeded to the crime scene and saw a blue-shirted boy in a pair of white shorts lifeless in a pool of blood in an uncompleted building. However, preliminary investigations conducted by police revealed that the suspects after killing the boy, hid the body in the building with the hope to remove it at night for rituals. The Body of the deceased has since been deposited at Police Hospital Mortuary awaiting post mortem, whilst the suspects have been detained to assist police with the investigation, DSP Oppong said. 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 The Outlook is todays look ahead at the weeks weather, its impact on the Berkshires and beyond. Clarence Fanto can be reached at cfanto@yahoo.com. YEREVAN. The Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, is at Yerablur Military Pantheon. He will preside over a requiem service in memory of the soldiers who died in the four-day war in April 2016. Before that, however, he is laying flowers on the graves of these soldiers. On the night of April 1-2, 2016, the Azerbaijani army launched a large-scale offensive against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), using virtually all types of equipment in its arsenal. From April 2 to 5, battles took place along the entire line of contact. The war ended in the afternoon of April 5 with an agreement signed in Moscow. The Monday asked the Centre to consider convening before May 2 the meeting of a high-powered committee consisting of the Prime Minister and others for appointment of director observing that in-charge arrangements for the post cannot go on. A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Vineet Saran was informed by the Centre that meeting of the committee -- consisting of the Prime Minister, leader of the single largest opposition party and the Chief Justice of India or any judge of the apex court nominated by the CJI -- will be convened after May 2. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner NGO Common Cause' which has sought direction for appointment of a regular director, claimed before the bench that the Centre is delaying the meeting of the committee as it wants to bypass the present CJI S A Bobde who is retiring on April 23. During the hearing, the bench orally observed that in-charge arrangements for director cannot go on. "There is a point in what Mr Bhushan says," the bench told Attorney General K K Venugopal, while referring to the prayer seeking regular appointment of the CBI Director. Venugopal told the bench that the senior most person was appointed as CBI's interim director. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who also appeared in the matter, termed the arguments raised by the petitioner as absurd and alleged that unscrupulous public spirited citizens are making accusations left, right and centre against individuals and institutions. The bench said it would hear the matter on April 16. On March 12, the top court had sought response from the Centre on the plea seeking direction for appointment of a regular CBI director. The petitioner has alleged that the government has failed to appoint a regular CBI director as per section 4A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, on the expiry of term of Rishi Kumar Shukla on February 2. It said the government has instead appointed Praveen Sinha as an interim director of the premier investigating agency. The plea has also sought a direction to the Centre to initiate and complete the process of selection of the CBI director well in advance, at least one to two months before the date on which the vacancy to the post is about to occur. The director of the CBI is the final authority in the organization. He supervises all the work in the CBI and is responsible for constitution of investigating teams for probing cases. Hence, this court and later on Parliament have made determined efforts to enhance the functional autonomy of the CBI director and limit the extent of executive discretion in the matter of appointment of this key functionary, it said. The plea added that the appointment of regular CBI director as per the statutory law is necessary for upholding the rule of law and for enforcement of the rights of citizens under articles of the Constitution dealing with equality before law and protection of life and personal liberty. The plea said the Centre has appointed Sinha as an interim/acting CBI director till the appointment of a new director or until further orders. It said that appointment of CBI director has to be made on the recommendation of the committee consisting of the prime minister, leader of the single largest opposition party and the Chief Justice of India or any judge of nominated by the CJI. Referring to an earlier judgement of the apex court, the plea said the top court had directed that Director Generals of Police (DGP) in the states should have a minimum tenure of at least two years irrespective of his date of superannuation. DGPs are the heads of police force in states and CBI is the premier central investigating agency. Both the DGPs as well as the CBI director have a minimum tenure of two years, as per the existing law of the land, it said. It said before Shukla's two-year term as the CBI director came to an end on February 2, it was incumbent on the central government to call for a meeting of the selection committee for the appointment of his successor as per the law, well in advance, so as to ensure a smooth transition. However, the central government has instead, vide order dated February 3, 2021, appointed Praveen Sinha as an interim/acting CBI director till the appointment of new CBI director, or until further orders, it said. It said that as per media reports, the Centre could not convene meeting of the selection committee even though it was fully aware that Shukla was going to demit office of the CBI director on February 2 this year. This deliberate dereliction was in complete violation of the DSPE Act, 1946, as amended by the Lokpal Act, 2013, it alleged. (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.) Connecticut State Police / Contributed Photo WOODSTOCK A Massachusetts man was killed in a crash on Route 197 late Sunday night after colliding with a tree, according to police. A Connecticut State Police accident report identified the victim as 27-year-old Bryan Madden of Main Street in Hudson, Mass. A 28-year-old man was arrested in south Belfast after the discovery of Class B and Class C drugs worth an estimated 10,000. A 28-year-old man has been arrested in south Belfast after a police raid discovered Class B and C drugs worth an estimated 10,000. Police made the arrest on Sunday following a proactive search at a property in the lower Lisburn Road area, on suspicion of a quantity of possession of a Class B and C drugs with intent to supply. The man has since been released on bail pending further enquiries. Inspector Marcella McKay has urged anyone with information about the sale or consumption of drugs to contact police. That information can sometimes be the final piece in the jigsaw that enables us to carry out searches. This information gives us the chance to remove drugs and other harmful substances from our community and put those responsible before the courts," she said. With the continued help and support of the community, we will continue to address this issue as a priority. I want to take this opportunity to appeal to anyone with information about the supply of illegal drugs, or anyone who has concerns, to get in touch with us on 101 quoting reference 1574 of April 4, 2021." American International Group announced that Claude E. Wade will join the company in the second quarter of 2021 in the newly created role, executive vice president, global head of Operations and Chief Digital Officer, AIG. Wade, who has 30 years of operations experience, primarily with Fortune 100 companies, joins AIG from BlackRock where he most recently served as global head of Client Experience and head of the Atlanta Innovation Hub. Wade was responsible for shaping the global distribution ecosystem and improving the digital experience for BlackRock clients, revenue retention and efficiency improvements and had overall executive responsibility for creating BlackRocks Atlanta office and digital innovation center. In 2017, He also served as chief operating officer for BlackRocks Institutional Client Business where he oversaw day-to-day execution for BlackRocks largest business with over $3 trillion in assets under management and $3 billion in annual revenue. Wade has insurance industry experience having spent approximately eight years with Marsh and Guy Carpenter & Co. Based in New York, Wade will report to AIG President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Zaffino. A key dimension of AIGs ongoing transformation is centered on improving and simplifying our clients and distribution partners experience with the company, which will enhance client retention and drive client acquisition, Zaffino said. We are investing in technology and talent to develop industry-leading capabilities. Great American Risk Solutions Great American Insurance Group announced that Brian D. DeSoto has been promoted to divisional president of its Great American Risk Solutions Division. DeSoto began his career in law, specializing in bankruptcy and commercial litigation, prior to joining Great Americans Corporate Claims Division in 2008. In 2010, he joined the Specialty E&S Division, now known as Great American Risk Solutions, with responsibility for Claims Operations. In 2014, DeSoto assumed the role of divisional senior vice president overseeing Underwriting, Operations and Accounting as well as other divisional functions. AXIS Cyber Underwriters AXIS Insurance hired two underwriters to its Global Cyber and Technology team. Alex White has joined as a senior Underwriter, Global Cyber and Technology, and will focus on Cyber and Technology Errors and Omissions (E&O) risks in the Bermuda market. Jeff Bayer signed on as senior underwriter, U.S. Cyber and Technology and will focus on Cyber and Technology E&O risks for small and medium-sized enterprises in the U.S. White has nearly 10 years experience in underwriting and brokering E&O and joins AXIS from Allied World where he was a Cyber/E&O senior underwriter. He previously worked as a broker at Aon. Bayer joins AXIS from Hartford Steam Boiler (a Munich Re company), where he was a cyber senior underwriter. He has more than 20 years of specialty insurance experience, having previously held positions in underwriting, claims and business development. Cover Genius Executives Cover Genius recently named Darcy Shapiro as its chief operating officer, Americas, and Amer Massoudi as global chief revenue officer. Cover Genius is a global insurance technology company based in New York. Based in New York, Shapiro initially joined Cover Genius in 2018 to lead insurance partnerships and legal in North America, Canada and Latin American markets and quickly established a 50-state MGA licensing model. She has more than 15 years of commercial and general insurance experience. Shapiro joined Cover Genius from The Hartford, where she was the product director for Cyber, Tech, Media and Miscellaneous Professional Liability products. She also spent time at AIG and the specialty division of Liberty Mutual in different roles including claims and litigation management. Massoudi will be the first person to serve as global CRO at Cover Genius, where he will control partner integrations, account management, mid-market sales and various growth and margin expansion initiatives from San Francisco. Previously, he was senior vice president of Analytics and Partner Services for Cover Genius, for which he and his team have overseen the companys data analytics API, BrightWrite. Before joining Cover Genius, Massoudi was vice president of Product and Growth at Freelancer.com overseeing all revenue, product management, data science and customer operations. In addition, Julio Castellon has been appointed as senior vice president, Partnerships for Latin America, to further build Cover Genius partner network in the area. He brings more than 25 years of senior partner and leadership experience. Topics Cyber AIG (Natural News) Left-wing national newspaper USA Today has published a highly biased piece critical of companies that sell tactical gear to civilians in a thinly-veiled push to shame them into closing off that segment of their business. The tone of the piece is essentially this: Right-wing groups are the only ones who buy that stuff, and because theyre racists, bigots, homophobes and insurrectionists, so, too, are the companies that sell to them. Heres a sample: According to a rolling USA TODAY analysis of the court documents for people charged in the Capitol riot, at least 20 were spotted in photos and videos wearing tactical gear. One popular item was a cloth plate carrier, which is designed to hold bulletproof plates and often includes pouches for ammunition magazines and Velcro for patches. Federal prosecutors say Ohio bartender Jessica Watkins wore camouflaged battle fatigues, a tactical vest emblazoned with an Oath Keepers patch, combat boots, military grade helmet, and radio equipment. The paper went on to call out popular brands among patriots and conservatives such as Grunt Style in an attempt to associate them with the riot a preposterous suggestion. Grunt Style promotes America-first patriotism as well as living the life of This Well Defend, which is the motto for the U.S. Army. After a photo of a Capitol rioter made the rounds online in January, the $100 million company came under scrutiny by left-wing hacks and losers in the media and elsewhere as to where its principal officers stood as in, were they for the riot or against it. To be clear, we will not associate with anyone who threatens our Republic or promotes violence. Grunt Style CEO Glenn Silbert said, adding that it isnt his job or that of the brand to tell people what to think. We focus on pride in self, military and country; thats our audience, Silbert said in an email to 3 million subscribers. Like any brand, youll have people who identify with the brand even when the brand doesnt identify with them. Meanwhile, Michigans Justin Nazaroff, manufacturer of Fenix Ammunition, has taken the opposite approach, USA Today was sure to point out. Nazaroff, who has often criticized the states authoritarian governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, and Joe Biden over his gun policies, no longer sells to police and has defended posting images of the Boogaloo Boys, a group he correctly states has been wrongly vilified by the left. Second Amendment absolutists and extremists arent the same, Nazaroff said. I dont want customers who dont believe in the Second Amendment or vote for political candidates that will pass laws to take away the Second Amendment. And he is well within his rights to do that, especially if Facebook and Twitter, as businesses, can censor and ban conservatives and Trump supporters. The paper went on to promote Rob Pincus, executive vice president of the Second Amendment Organization who recently debated Nazaroff in an online forum and has said he wants to reform the National Rifle Association (reform being a left-wing code word for neuter it and its core mission of upholding all gun rights). Pincus says people dressing up in tactical gear to go to protests is intimidation and unhelpful. Its horrible optics to have a guy in a plate carrier and his AR (semi-automatic rifle) yelling that, If you dont pass this law, Im coming back for war, Pincus said. Its their right. Open carry should be legal; body armor should be legal. But this is the First and Second Amendment intermingled. You have to exercise those rights responsibly. There are so few people who show up to events dressed in tactical gear that actually say they want war its laughable for Pincus to mention it. But the optics are being displayed for a reason the same reason the founders wrote the Second Amendment: As an obvious, open check against government tyranny and overreach. As per its custom, USA Todays reporters for the story cited Democrats opposed to guns and tactical gear no Republicans for balance. So overall, the story was very anti-tactical gear and anti-conservative, as usual. These leftists will stop at nothing to destroy our ability to retain the tools and mechanisms to remain free. See more reporting like this at Gear.news. Sources include: USAToday.com Uprising.news Sky Original drama The Colour Room continued production on location in Birmingham over the Easter weekend. Phoebe Dynevor was a far cry from her regal look on Bridgerton as she transformed into real-life pottery pioneer Clarice Cliff to shoot scenes outside. Donning a dowdy baggy cardigan, the actress, 25, looked pensive between takes as she waited to film with co-stars Matthew Goode and Darci Shaw. Working weekend: Sky Original drama The Colour Room continued production on location in Birmingham over the Easter weekend with Phoebe Dynevor spotted on set The group were at The Black Country Museum for the scenes. Phoebe wore her chestnut locks in tight ringlet curls and went for very minimal make-up, appropriate to the early 1900s setting. She was seen in a teal blouse and brown skirt, adding black boots to the look. She also changed into a brown tailored jacket at three quarter length trousers, which she paired with a bright red top which she wore under a matching brown waistcoat. Drab: She was a far cry from her regal look on Bridgerton as she transformed into real-life pottery pioneer Clarice Cliff to shoot scenes outside Pioneer: In real life, Cliff [R] broke the glass ceiling to revolutionise the workplace during the 20th Century Ready to film: Co-stars Matthew Goode and Darci Shaw arrived to shoot scenes The star completed her second look with a pair of brown knee-high socks and brown brogue shoes. Staying safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, Phoebe made sure to follow strict rules by wearing a face covering while walking to set. Matthew, 43, was seen laughing alongside Darci, 18, as they headed to set. A far cry: Phoebe's Bridgerton look is very different to this one [pictured with co-star Rege-Jean Page who recently revealed he won't return to play the Duke in series two] Unrecognisable: The actress, 25, was seen taking a break from filming for the Sky Original drama in the Midlands whilst wearing a brown tailored jacket at three quarter length trousers Busy day: Phoebe wore her chestnut locks in tight ringlet curls and went for very minimal make-up, appropriate to the early 1900s setting. She was seen in a teal blouse and brown skirt, adding black boots to the look Staying safe: Protecting themselves during the pandemic, the actors on set sported face masks Matthew looked dapper in a stone three-piece suit and bottle green knee-high socks. He added a further pop of colour with a bright yellow tie, and also sported smart brogue shoes. Darci wore a black apron dress and a gold-hued blouse. The film tells the true story of Cliff, a pioneering ceramic artist who became a rising star in the pottery industry in Stoke-On-Trent in the 1920s. Gushing about the production earlier this month, Phoebe said: 'I am so excited to be joining the cast of The Colour Room, especially in the role as one of the nations most celebrated artists, Clarice Cliff. It's truly such an honour to take on such a remarkable character. Taking a break: The film tells the true story of Cliff, played by Phoebe, a pioneering ceramic artist who became a rising star in the pottery industry in Stoke-On-Trent in the 1920s Standing by: Phoebe waited for cameras to start rolling 'The script is a beautifully written contemporary take on the 20th century, and I feel proud to be working with such a strong female team, both in front and behind the camera.' Phoebe, who was catapulted to stardom after playing Daphne Bridgerton in the Netflix hit, added: 'I look forward to telling Clarice's story and of course working with Matthew too.' Matthew will take on the role of Colley Shorter, the factory owner who became impressed by Clarice's work and helped stoke her talent. Period drama to pottery! Phoebe, who was catapulted to stardom after playing Daphne Bridgerton in the Netflix hit, saying - 'I look forward to telling Clarice's story' Co-stars: Matthew will take on the role of Colley Shorter, the factory owner who became impressed by Clarice's work and helped stoke her talent The set: Streets have been transformed to look like Stoke-On-Trent in the 1920s for the upcoming drama In real life, Cliff broke the glass ceiling to revolutionise the workplace during the 20th Century, and the film will see her take 'more and more dangerous risks' to bring her creations to life. The artist went on to create the Art Deco 'Bizarre' range while apprenticing for renowned Art Designer Fred Ridgeway, played by David Morrissey. It comes after Bridgerton fans were left heartbroken as the Duke, played by Rege-Jean Page, announced he will not return for series two on Friday. Cosy: Phoebe plays the artist went on to create the Art Deco 'Bizarre' range while apprenticing for renowned Art Designer Fred Ridgeway, played by David Morrissey The hit Netflix series took to its official Twitter account to reveal that the actor, 31, who plays Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, will not return. Rege-Jean, who is set to star in The Gray Man, also took to Instagram to confirm the news as he emotionally said it had been a 'pleasure and a privilege to be your Duke'. In a tongue-in-cheek statement penned as the mysterious show lead Lady Whistledown, Bridgerton tweeted: 'Your Grace, it has been a pleasure.' The statement read: 'Dear Readers, while all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton's quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Rege-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings. Good spirits: Phoebe paired her suit with a bright red top which she wore under a matching brown waistcoat Costume: The star completed her look with a pair of brown knee-high socks and sensible brown brogue shoes Transport: She was seen getting into a vintage car 'We'll miss Simon's presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family. 'Daphne will remain a devoted wife and sister, helping her brother navigate the upcoming social season and what it has to offer more intrigue and romance than my readers may be able to bear. Yours truly, Lady Whistledown.' Rege-Jean later confirmed his show exit in his own statement posted to Instagram where he shared a picture of himself in character and behind-the-scenes. He penned: 'The ride of a life time. It's been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to be your Duke. Co-stars: Other cast members were seen on set between takes Shock: Bridgerton heartthrob Rege-Jean will not return for series two, it was announced on Friday [pictured in character] 'Joining this family - not just on screen, but off screen too. Our incredibly creative and generous cast, crew, outstanding fans - it's all been beyond anything I could have imagined.' Signing off his message, he added: 'The love is real and will just keep growing .' MailOnline has contacted both Rege-Jean and Netflix for further comment. Bridgerton was officially renewed by Netflix for series 2 in January after weeks of speculation. The second season will focus on Anthony Bridgerton's (Jonathan Bailey) quest to find a wife after his turbulent love life was played out in the first series. In a poll conducted recently by the popular idol voting application Choeaedol, BTS member V was selected as the male idol that is as beautiful as cherry blossoms. Want to see which male idols make the top 50? Then keep on reading! BTS V Selected as the Male Idol as Beautiful as Cherry Blossoms From Mar. 25 to Mar. 31, Choeaedol conducted a poll titled "Which male idol is as beautiful as cherry blossoms?" The poll garnered 101,698 participants. Sitting at the top is BTS V, taking home 40,050 votes. This is approximately 39.4% of the total vote tally. V is considered one of the representative visuals in the K-pop industry thanks to his unrivaled beauty and unique aura. V has even earned the nickname "CG V!" Why? Because his handsome face is so handsome, some people are convinced it is CG and not reality! In 2017, BTS's V was named the "World's Most Handsome Face" by TC Candler. Since then, V has been praised as a "handsome title collector," sweeping first place in various polls related to handsome men, such as "The Most Handsome Man on the Planet," "The Most Attractive Man in the World," and "The Sexiest Man in the World." In Urban Dictionary, V is considered the definition of the "Face of K-Pop" and "Ethereal Beauty." Urban Dictionary is the largest online dictionary website in the United Kingdom and North America, proving V's unbeatable popularity in these regions. In Feb. 2021, V was selected as the number one in the "2021 Top Face Season 1", organized by "Special Awards." This is just another handsome title added to his roster. In Japan, V's celestial visuals were praised, and he was selected as one of the four ethereal visuals kings in the Hallyu Wave alongside Hyun Bin, Park Seo Joon, and Cha Eun Woo. Since his debut, V, who has been steadily gaining support as a visual member, is now regarded as one of the representative visuals in K-pop. He is expected to remain in fans' hearts as his beauty continues to grow like the cherry blossoms in spring. These are the TOP 50 Male Idols That Are as Beautiful as Cherry Blossoms, According to Choeaedol: 1. BTS's V 2. BTS's Jimin 3. BTS's Jungkook 4. BTS's Jin 5. BTS's J-Hope 6. BTS's Suga 7. BTS's RM 8. EXO's Baekhyun 9. ASTRO's Cha Eun Woo 10. TXT's Yeonjun 11. EXO's Sehun 12. TXT's Beomgyu 13. EXO's Chanyeol 14. EXO's D.O. 15. EXO's Kai 16. Stray Kids' Hyunjin 17. EXO's Lay 18. EXO's Xiumin 19. EXO's Suho 20. TXT's Taehyun 21. ENHYPEN's Sunghoon 22. TXT's Soobin 23. NU'EST's Minhyun 24. Park Jihoon 25. EXO's Chen 26. SHINee's Taemin 27. WEi's Kim Yohan 28. CIX's Bae Jinyoung 29. ENHYPEN's Jungwon 30. SEVENTEEN's Mingyu 31. ENHYPEN's Jay 32. TXT's Huening Kai 33. Kim Wooseok 34. ENHYPEN's Sunoo 35. NCT's Taeyong 36. NCT's Renjun 37. Ong Seongwu 38. ENHYPEN's Heeseung 39. TREASURE's Junkyu 40. NCT's Haechan 41. Sechskies' Eun Jiwon 42. TREASURE's Haruto 43. Super Junior's Heechul 44. Jung Seung Hwan 45. Ha Sungwoon 46. ENHYPEN's Ni-ki 47. AB6IX's Lee Daehwi 48. TREASURE's Mashiho 49. Kang Daniel 50. TREASURE's Jeongwoo Did your favorite male idol make it to top 50? Tell us in the comments below! For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Alexa Lewis The Muslims of India (and Bihar) with their countrymen will heave a sigh of relief if normalcy returns in relationship with Pakistan. The Hindustani Muslims are often unjustifiably looked upon as siding with the hostile neighbor country just for the reason of religion. Encouraged by the UAE, a flurry of diplomatic efforts are reportedly on the way to bring India and Pakistan back on friendly terms. Much meaning has been attached to the speeches of the Pakistani Defense chief, General Bajwa who basically proposed to bury the past and move on. Many observers and experts are, however, cautiously optimists. If Pakistan is showing willingness to have a thaw in the relationship, its more because of Pakistan's domestic compulsions: Its economy, now dependent heavily on extortionist China, is in terrible shape; the nationalist and independence movements are getting stronger in Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. Even Punjab is restless. The challenges to a peaceful coexistence seem to be insurmountable. Like in the several past rounds, non-interference in the internal affairs will be proposed as the important hallmark of a peaceful understanding between the two neighbors. Unfortunately, this basic condition was aborted even before the process of peace started. The army chief, in his speeches, emphasised that peace with India couldnt be at the cost of Jammu and Kashmir. He demanded Pakistan and India must resolve the longstanding issue of J&K in a dignified and peaceful manner as per the aspirations of the people of J&K and bring this human tragedy to its logical conclusion. India insists J&K as its internal matter. Furthermore, India, on its part, couldn't be at peace with a theocratic Islamist neighbor that forces its minorities to conversion and/or flee the country. Pakistanis are also suspected of helping their people to cross over to India to ease the population pressure. Between India and Pakistan, Afghanistan will remain a hotbed of rivalry where the geo-strategic interests of both would collide. Ever since the talk of near total US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Pakistan, in collaboration with the Taliban, has intensified its effort to dominate the Afghans. On the other hand, the people of Afghanistan, except for the Talibani Pathans, look upon Pakistan as enemies and expect help from India. Indian involvement in the geo-political life of Afghanistan, therefore, becomes irresistible. Within Pakistan, the coalition between the mullahs and the hardline Islamist military leaders would never welcome a rapprochement between the two countries, because then their very raison d'etre would disappear. The military corners a sizable share of the budget in the name of national defense. The Pak military would never accept real civilian oversight upon themselves, as they, in league with the mullahs, control all aspects of Pakistani socio-economic and political life. In the regional geo-political context, the Pakistani military backed by the civilian governments have allowed the Chinese to make deep economic and military inroads into their country. It will not be in the strategic interest of China -- backed by Turkey, Iran and possibly Russia -- to let Pakistan make bridges of friendship with India. In retaliation, it would be prudent for India to extend support and hopefully secure independence for the restive regions of Pakistan. Then there is the trust deficit. Pakistan can't be trusted because of its history of back stabbing. According to a former Pakistani ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, India had in good faith invited Field Marshal Ayub Khan to its Republic Day in January 1965. "He sent his agriculture minister instead because he was busy preparing for the war, which broke out a few months later." The trust deficit is there within Pakistan also. Just to mention a few, General Pervez Musharraf didn't trust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and undermined his understanding with Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He launched his 1999 misadventure in Kargil. When in absolute power, Musharraf himself pursued a double-faced policy that kept the jihadi groups active in India while engaging in back-channel diplomacy. However, before Musharraf could conclude his own version of a comprehensive India-Pakistan peace agreement through his negotiator, Tariq Aziz, he was removed from the office. General Musharraf survived at least two assassination attempts allegedly by the rogue elements within the Pak military. All such past protagonists of peace with India as Zulfiqar/Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif or Pervez Musharraf were either assassinated or banished from Pakistan. Therefore, the positive words of the Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa might eventually turn out to be the flavor of the month. It should at best reinstate the two absent High Commissioners. To conclude, I have an additional take on General Bajwa: A Jat Muslim, coming close to the end of his career (with extension, he can go until Nov 2024), finds his heart changing. Hes said to be neither a Jihadi General nor in the mold of Ayyub or Yahya Khan. Looking at the common heritage of his fellow Jat (Hindu) Generals on the other side of the border, he must be realizing the futility of hostility and war between the two very similar people. He must be aspiring genuinely to leave a legacy of peace and goodwill. Regardless of a cruel or inhuman past, in the last phase of life, a person is often taken over by spirituality or humanity. Muhammad Ali Jinnah also had a change of heart towards the end of his life and expressed his regret to his personal physician, a Gujarati Hindu: Why did he cause the division of the country and creation of Pakistan that led to so much blood bath on both sides? 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. NASA's Ingenuity helicopter has survived its first night on Mars, following the deployment from the belly of the Perseverance rover Saturday. The $85 million copter completed the first major test of its mission, NASA officials announced as they celebrated it was still functioning after enduring -130F on the Martian surface. Although the team had hoped Ingenuity would make it through the night, there was the chance of it freezing and its unprotected electronics cracking, which would force them to abort the first flight on a different planet. MiMi Aung, Ingenuity project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said: 'This is the first time that Ingenuity has been on its own on the surface of Mars.' 'But we now have confirmation that we have the right insulation, the right heaters, and enough energy in its battery to survive the cold night, which is a big win for the team. We're excited to continue to prepare Ingenuity for its first flight test.' Ingenuity is set to take its first flight as soon as April 11, which will see the copter take off, hover in place and then return for landing. And although the event will only last 90 seconds, the small feat determines the fate of the mission. Scroll down for videos NASA's Ingenuity helicopter has survived its first night on Mars, following the deployment from the belly of the Perseverance rover Saturday. The $85 million copter completed the first major test of its mission In a statement last month, NASA compared the flight to that of the Wright Brothers. 'While Ingenuity will attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet, the first powered, controlled flight on Earth took place Dec. 17, 1903, on the windswept dunes of Kill Devil Hill, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina,' it reads. 'Orville and Wilbur Wright covered 120 feet in 12 seconds during the first flight. The Wright brothers made four flights that day, each longer than the previous.' And attached to the four-pound copter is a piece from the Wright Brother's plane to honor the event. Although the team had hoped Ingenuity would make it through the night, there was the chance of it freezing and its unprotected electronics cracking, which would force them to abort the first flight on a different planet. Pictured is an image snapped by the copter while under the rover Unlike its travel companion Perseverance, Ingenuity is not tasked with searching for life but will demonstrate capabilities of soaring through Mars' thin atmosphere. It is fitted with four-foot diameter blades that rotate 40 times a second that will be soon released It is fitted with four-foot diameter blades that rotate 40 times a second, solar panels to keep it powered and other technology tailored for its Mars mission. Teddy Tzanetos, deputy operations lead for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter at JPL, said if successful, 'it will blow the doors open for future mars exploration.' Ingenuity's mission will last 30 sols, which is 24.6 hours of Earth time, with each flight lasting 90 seconds. 'Our 30-sol test schedule is frontloaded with exciting milestones,' said Tzanetos, In a statement last month, NASA compared the flight to that of the Wright Brothers. And attached to the four-pound copter is a piece from the Wright Brother's plane to honor the event. Pictured is the team connecting the piece to the copter Unlike its travel companion Perseverance, Ingenuity is not tasked with searching for life but will demonstrate capabilities of soaring through Mars' thin atmosphere. Pictured is the copter with its legs on the Martian surface for the first time NASA's Ingenuity helicopter preps for its 'Wright brothers moment' NASA is set to fly where no one has flown before Mars' atmosphere. Named Ingenuity, the craft will fly at an altitude that is similar to 100,000 feet on Earth, allowing it to gather geology data in areas the rover can't reach. NASA is comparing this mission 'to the Wright brothers moment,' as it will be the first time in history an aerial vehicle has flown on another world. It will first spend up to 60 days charging strapped to the Perseverance rover, before being released. If it survives the hard -90C Martian night, NASA will make the first flight attempt within 30 days. 'Since the Wright brothers first took to the skies of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, December 17, 1903, first flights have been important milestones in the life of any vehicle designed for air travel,' NASA said in a statement Advertisement 'Whatever the future holds, we will acquire all the flight data we can within that timeframe.' Now that Ingenuity is separated from Perseverance and shown to survive the rough Martian world, it will spend the next two days collecting data about well the thermal-control and power systems perform. That information will be used to fine tune Ingenuity's thermal-control system to help it survive the harsh Mars nights through the entire flight experiment period. On April 7, the restraints that have been holding the rotor blades together since before launch are scheduled to be released. This will involve rating the blades in the same direction until they separate and then doing a full 'big' spin to make sure they rotate properly. If all goes well, the NASA team will move on to other tests such as preparing the onboard computers that autonomously fly Ingenuity and how well the copter charges. This will be done by assessing its solar-array power and state of charge of the craft's six lithium ion batteries that are housed in the large square, gold box attached at the base. If all goes well with each of the myriad preflight checks, Ingenuity's first attempt to lift off from the middle of its 33-by-33-foot 'airfield' that was chosen for its flatness and lack of obstructions. Subsequent flight tests will be scheduled throughout the Month of Ingenuity, with Perseverance's cameras providing plenty of high-definition images of the historic mission. A filthy farmer who abused a teenage girl half his age says he's "prepared for prison" when he's sentenced this week. Andrew McRoberts (32) pleaded guilty last week to a total of eight serious sex offences, including sexual activity with a child who was just 14 at the time the abuse began. But the self-confessed child abuser - who kept a disgusting diary of his twisted deeds as well as used condoms - gave an extraordinary interview from his doorstep to the Sunday World. He told us: "I'm no paedo, I'm no risk, I'm not a monster. I was blinded by what I thought was love, I f***ed up and I'm rightfully going to be punished." His teenage victim believed they were a couple in a full-blown relationship, unaware that in truth the 32-year-old was repeatedly committing illegal sex acts over a 16-month period. Expand Close The Sunday World confronted McRoberts about his sordid crimes / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Sunday World confronted McRoberts about his sordid crimes Read More Disturbingly, Craigavon Crown Court heard how McRoberts, from Ballinderry, Co Antrim, groomed and abused the girl and kept diaries of their illegal sexual activities, which included spanking. And when police raided the home of McRoberts, they seized sex toys, BDSM restraints, explicit images of the victim and three used condoms which still had the DNA of the girl on them. Prosecuting counsel Ian Tannahill said given those shocking discoveries, along with the nature of the case and despite the fact that sex toys are entirely legal to own, the PPS and police were seeking a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which bans McRoberts from having any sex toy. He revealed, however, that the 32-year-old had written to the prosecution himself "seeking the return of these items". McRoberts is almost certainly going to prison when he's sentenced later this week but the Sunday World confronted him at his home where he runs an agricultural contract service. He calmly told us he took "full responsibility" for what had happened and was "very sorry". "I deeply regret what I have done and if I could turn back the clock I wouldn't have done it," McRoberts told us. "I knew the law and I knew she was underage but I was blinded because I thought I was in love. We talked about being open about the relationship but I didn't come clean about it. "It's only now talking to probation that I understand what I did was terribly wrong and might have caused her damage and affected her view on future relationships and I'm truly sorry for that. "I take full responsibility for it all. It was all my fault and I wouldn't want anything bad to be said about her or her family." Despite this, McRoberts said he never forced his teenage victim into having sex. "She had a very mature head and I was blinded, even though I knew her age and I knew legally it was wrong," he said. "We met at a vintage tractor rally and I had just come out of a 10-year relationship. My ex hated the work I did but with this girl it was completely different. "I wanted to get the relationship out in the open but she was worried about her parents not approving - which turned out to be correct. "I knew nothing about them finding out until the police arrived at my door one day. I was totally shocked. They raided the whole house. "I'm just so sorry to the people in my family who I have let down. The hurt I've caused them is the hardest thing. I didn't consider them but if I could take it all back, I would." McRoberts entered guilty pleas to eight sex offences, all committed on various dates between April 4, 2018 and July 30, 2019, including six of sexual activity with a child, sexual communication with a child and possessing an indecent image of a child. The court was told offences came to light in August 2019 when the victim's parents were told by family friends of their suspicions regarding McRoberts and their daughter. While the schoolgirl slept, her mum and dad examined her phone and uncovered "extremely sexual" messages on it from someone called Andrew, who it transpired was the defendant. When his home was searched a "large number of items were seized", including his diaries, sex toys and used contraceptives and officers also found evidence "there had been explicit photos shared between them". McRoberts was arrested and taken into police custody for questioning while his teenage victim underwent an 'Achieving Best Evidence' video interview with strained child-abuse detectives. She outlined how she met McRoberts at a vintage tractor rally and after a week of exchanging messages, "he had said that he liked her," even though she was only 14 at the time. That was the start of their sexual relationship and the abuse is said to have continued for about 16 months during which time, according to the teenage victim, they had sex "on 20-30 occasions". "She spoke throughout [the interview] as being in a relationship, a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship," said the lawyer, who added that in reality "we know of course that it was a series of criminal acts by this". The schoolgirl told police "she sent pictures of her private parts to him... of her own freewill" and that he would send her sexually explicit images of himself as well. McRoberts says he's concerned he could lose his business if he's sent to prison for a long time "I f***ed up and I'm rightfully going to be punished," he said. "I'm going to jail, I'm prepared for that. I'm worried about being labelled as a paedo, I'm no paedo, I don't see myself as a risk to others. "I don't have any previous convictions and I'm more than happy to work with probation and will do any therapy required. "I'm worried if I go to prison for a very long time I'll lose my business. I have staff members and customers relying on me. "I've rang round my customers and explained the case and most have agreed to continue to give me business. "If I go to jail I'd like to do therapy work and other courses. I have two degrees in mechanical engineering and a masters." Offending The prosecuting barrister told the court: "The diaries are distasteful and coarse. We make the proposition that what you see there is a diary of how a child is groomed and then more serious offending over the course of that year, by the defendant, and used by him in an ascending list of events and activities." He said that despite defence contentions that the victim was a willing participant, "we say that is of no benefit to the defendant... because was she not willing, then he would have been charged with other, different offences, specifically rape." Legislation concerning the age of consent "is there to protect children from their own mistakes... the responsibility falls on the adult," he added. Defence counsel Peter Coiley admitted that McRoberts "knew what he was doing was wrong" and that his crimes were "deplorable... and despite knowing that he continued the relationship." "He would be at pains to point out that it's not the case that the diary entries were in anyway a catalogue of his offences or a souvenir of the abuse," said Mr Coiley. The lawyer said McRoberts has lost his reputation "and good family name" and faces losing the family business which has been trading for over 50 years. McRoberts will be sentenced this week. Roughly one-third of hospital employees of Worcesters two hospital systems have not received the COVID-19 vaccine numbers that run consistent across across most of the states large hospitals. Roughly 72% of the roughly 14,000 caregivers at UMass, which includes all of the hospital systems employees, have been vaccinated as of Friday, according to UMass Memorial spokesperson Tony Berry. At Saint Vincent Hospital, its about 75%, according to CEO Carolyn Jackson. Speaking to MassLive, Jackson said some hospital workers are still hesitant to get vaccinated because the immunizations are under emergency use authorization, and havent gone through the standard Food and Drug Administration approval process. But she says hospital leaders have helped steer employees with those concerns to their own infectious disease and health experts in an effort to address any questions about safety and efficacy. By and large, those who have reached out and asked questions have ultimately gotten vaccinated, Jackson told MassLive. But, she added that while she thinks the hospital is on pace with vaccinating its own staff, she would like the number to be higher. Those levels are consistent with what some other hospitals are seeing. Roughly 75% of Mass General Brighams nearly 80,000 employees have been vaccinated to date, according to Rich Copp, a spokesperson for Mass General Brigham. That system comprises 12 hospitals, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston and Cooley Dickinson in Northampton. As part of the states vaccine rollout, the Baker administration prioritized doses for frontline health care workers and COVID-facing caregivers, so the earliest shots went to hospitals to immunize their own staff, patients and other community members. More than 46,000 Worcester residents, or about 25% of the citys population, have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine as of Thursday, which is up 3% from last week. Citywide, more than 25,000, or 14% of residents, have been fully vaccinated, according to the latest city data. Among seniors, about 70% in Worcester have received at least one dose of a vaccine. As of Friday, there have been a total of 3,734,442 COVID vaccine doses administered in Massachusetts, with 1,409,402 residents now fully vaccinated, according to the latest data from the Department of Public Health. Related Content: Cruise ships arent requiring their passengers or crew members get the COVID vaccination when sailing resumes in U.S. waters, according to new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The federal agency released detailed guidance on Friday about how to curb the spread of COVID infections on cruise ships, but only went as far as recommending that passengers and crew members get the vaccine. The new recommendations also include moving from weekly to daily reporting of COVID infections, required testing of a ships crew based on the vessels COVID status and arranging medical assistance for passengers who get sick while on board. Additionally, new crew members must quarantine for 14 days once on board, or until they meet criteria to discontinue quarantine, the guidance states. By Dec. 29, cruise ship operators were expected to have implemented onboard testing capabilities in order to test all future symptomatic crew members and passengers, as well as their close contacts, the CDC said. In preparation for the resumption of passenger operations, cruise ship operators must have adequate health and safety protections for crew members while they build the onboard laboratory capacity needed to test crew and future passengers, the guidance states. The latest guidance for cruise ships comes as federal officials continue to urge caution about letting the guard down amid a concerning rise in more contagious COVID variants, including in Massachusetts. A surge of the P.1 variant, or the so-called Brazilian variant, on Cape Cod put Massachusetts ahead of the rest of the nation in the number of known cases, currently 58, according to the CDC. Massachusetts has also reported at least 712 cases of the B.1.1.7. variant, the CDCs latest data shows. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDCs director, said the country averaged roughly 64,000 new cases last week, which is up 7% from the week before. Hospitalizations are up roughly 3%, with an average of nearly 5,000 new admissions every day. But deaths are trending downward - currently below 800 per week - and hospitalizations and emergency room visits have decreased among seniors as 55% of Americans 65 or older are fully vaccinated, as new infections shift the the young. Related Content: Marlo Hampton stirred up drama between two frenemies on Sundays episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. The 44-year-old designer had just made up with Porsha Williams, 39, after theyd been separated for weeks thanks to Marlos new friendship with Kenya Moore, 50. But when Marlo suspected that Porsha had been lying to her about a holiday hook-up, she grew angry, feeling like she didnt know who to trust. Drama: Marlo Hampton stirred up drama between two frenemies on Sundays episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta All the drama went down on a cast trip to New Orleans while the group was taking cooking lessons from music legend Big Freedia, 43. To their delight, Freedia taught them how to make Booty Poppin Potatoes and strong cocktails, while also bouncing with them in the kitchen. After they cooked, Marlo recounted her recent conversation with Porsha, in which her pal swore shed never sexed up the stripper Bolo on the casts South Carolina trip. Kenya demurred, offering, Im not going to be made a villain cause I spoke the truth. When it went down: The 44-year-old designer had just made up with Porsha Williams, 39, after theyd been separated for weeks thanks to Marlos new friendship with Kenya Moore, 50 (pictured) Having fun: To their delight, Freedia taught them how to make Booty Poppin Potatoes and strong cocktails, while also bouncing with them in the kitchen Marlo was upset because she felt Porsha lied to her, when she should have told her what happened with the stripper before anyone else. Over dinner, the cast friend couldnt keep it to herself any longer and started talking. She asked Big Freedia, who knew nothing about their drama, for advice. Youre friends with someone who you love, you admire, youve been through a lot with in your life, Marlo began, referring to Porsha. Someone whom you didnt like, you didnt like her name being mentioned for years. She comes and she tells you something about that friend. And you go and you ask that friend, Is it true? And that friend says its not true. How do you run that when you love where youre at now with the person that youve hated forever? What do you do? Not happy: But when Marlo suspected that Porsha (pictured) had been lying to her about a holiday hook-up, she grew angry, feeling like she didnt know who to trust Honestly, I dont like confrontation so I just walk away from it all, said Big Freedia. I just leave it alone Marlo considered. And they both leave me out of it and treat me the way theyve always treated me. Cause its like Im really stuck there. She and Porsha had hashed out their differences not long before Marlo revisited the issue. In a confessional, Porsha said, I thought we were done! What are you trying to get at? Marlo went on, The main thing Im just worried about I dont want to lose either one of the friends. I love the friendship I have with both. The other one is new, but it feels good compared to where we were because we were so bitter with one another. She had me angryI was screaming. Do you think its a real friend, honestly, if you couldnt stand this person for such a long time and yall just becoming friends? Big Freedia asked. What Im gonna tell you its so calculated how this person came around right when they were trying to come in and hurt me, Marlo replied. Wait a minute, are you talking about me? Porsha asked. We just had this conversation. I wasnt going to throw you under the bus, Marlo countered. Theres seven women here. Kandi Burruss, 44, pointed out that the whole Kenya-Porsha mess did not need to involve Marlo. Her thoughts: Kandi Burruss, 44, pointed out that the whole Kenya-Porsha mess did not need to involve Marlo Porsha and Kenya said they didnt have anything else to say about the stripper situation. Both of you motherf***ers talk to me about each other when I wasnt there, Marlo cried. Address each other and stop f***ing running around these flowers! She got angry and left, saying, Goodnight, with yall fake a**es! but she went the wrong way. Returning through the room, Marlo called, A b**** aint gonna put a lie on me and I wont straighten her motherf***ing a**. To the cameras, Kandi said, Why are you trying to embarrass us in front of Big Freedia? Quite an exit: She got angry and left, saying, Goodnight, with yall fake a**es! but she went the wrong way Words: Returning through the room, Marlo called, A b**** aint gonna put a lie on me and I wont straighten her motherf***ing a**' Kenya told the table that Marlo was upset because she thought she and Porsha were friends but the woman had been trying to curse her out at the table. Keep my name out of your mouth, Porsha warned Kenya. Kandi grew annoyed and wondered why the casts previous trip was still being discussed. Kenya asked Porsha, Do you have anything else to say? Why are you lying about f***ing Bolo? Oh I f***ed Bolo, Porsha said. I f***ed the man who made the pig. I f***ed everybody at the bachelorette party. Oh it was so good! Fighting words: Keep my name out of your mouth, Porsha warned Kenya So much drama: Kenya asked Porsha, Do you have anything else to say? Why are you lying about f***ing Bolo?' I heard it, Kenya returned. You got that thing busted wide open. Porsha kept going until the idea was exhausted and then said to Kenya, Now what b****? Kenya said she wasnt hurt because she didnt respect Porsha, but Porsha knew her calm front was sending her up a cliff. Kandi later called Marlo to her room to find out what was going on with her. One of them is lying, Marlo said of Kenya and Porsha. I dont want to be friends with a liar. She asked Kandi who was telling the truth, because Kandi had a bedroom next to Porshas at the bachelorette party. Kandi would only say diplomatically that shed seen Porsha lie before. The next day, Porsha left without telling everyone, followed by Kandi who had to leave to protect a film role. When Kenya confronted Marlo, she reminded her that she had called all of them out on our names the night before. Marlo was then shown in flashback outside the cooking class taking a photo and urging the fakers to get closer to one another. That wasnt me, that was the Patron, Marlo said. Kenya finally declared that she didnt care whether Porsha hooked up with Bolo or not, realizing that it was pulling everyone down. Not a care: Kenya finally declared that she didnt care whether Porsha hooked up with Bolo or not, realizing that it was pulling everyone down Just then a big storm crashed outside and the power went off in their hotel. At least in Isle of Palms, the girls had a good time, Kenya cooed in a confessional. New Orleans, not so much. When the cast got back to Atlanta, they watched the presidential election results roll in and found out that Joe Biden would be president. Georgia come through! said Cynthia Bailey, 54, as Porsha danced with her excitedly and cheered to humanity as they drank champagne. The two of them did a video about supporting Black-owned businesses. Candid: The two of them did a video about supporting Black-owned businesses Afterward, they spoke about how embarrassing it was for the group to have aired its own business in front of Big Freedia, who urged them to keep it cute and classy. Whatever differences yall have yall try to work it out amongst each other, shed added. Porsha said she didnt think she and Marlo could get past things, claiming she aint my type of b****. Her truth: Porsha said she didnt think she and Marlo could get past things, claiming she aint my type of b****' Cynthia opined that Marlo was in a lot of pain, and Porsha said she was tired of getting hurt by hurt women. At the end of the show, the cast went to a tasting for Blaze Steak & Seafood, Kandis restaurant with her husband Todd Tucker. Business had been slowed by the coronavirus pandemic, but for the evening Blaze was blazing, Cynthia said. When Marlo arrived, she pretended nothing was wrong and said hello to Porsha right away. You want to act as if we did not have this blow-up in New Orleans, and you didnt call me a Samuel Jackson motherf***er? Porsha said in a confessional. And now youre like, Hi! How the he** are you? No, girl, get out of my face! The episode ended to be continued next week. The Real Housewives of Atlanta returns next week on Bravo. Prosecutors said LaHood, 75, of Peoria, who was transportation secretary from 2009 to 2013, denied to FBI agents that he had received the loan until he was shown a copy of the check. He also did not tell agents that he knew Chagoury was the ultimate source of the loan. Being considered a high-risk driver will make you pay more expensive premiums. It is recommended to shop around using quotes and a list of companies that will accept you, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Compare-autoinsurance.org has released a new video that explains how to get affordable car insurance, even if the person is a high-risk driver. For more info and free quotes, visit http://compare-autoinsurance.org/free-car-insurance-quotes-online-help-finding-policies-for-high-risk-drivers/ Lack of experience, young age, DUI, or poor credit score are just a few reasons a person can be labeled high-risk. And the financial consequences are very harsh. Car insurance costs soar immediately, with premiums becoming double or triple. However, using car insurance quotes online will help drivers find acceptable deals. Use http://compare-autoinsurance.org to get free car insurance quotes and compare prices. Do not rely only on the big, nationwide standard carriers. This is one of the biggest mistakes high-risk drivers commit. Depending only on the big 4-5 companies to provide high-risk coverage will, in many cases, bring disappointing results. Big names prefer to work with safe drivers. If they would accept high-risk drivers, the news will spread up immediately and they would be assaulted by such drivers. 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Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. For more information, please visit http://compare-autoinsurance.org Despite the announcement by the Lagos State government that residents with coronavirus-like symptoms can go to designated government-run facilities to get tested for free, these laboratories are instead redirecting patients to private laboratories where they are charged as much as N50,000 for the test. This reporter deliberately exposed himself to cold for four days and came down with symptoms similar to those of coronavirus cough, headache, runny nose and fever and presented himself for testing at some public laboratories in the city but officials at the laboratories declined to test him. Instead, they redirected him to private laboratories to get tested. Yaba After visiting several government-run laboratories, the reporter discovered how residents who might have caught the virus are routinely rejected or redirected to private laboratories. You must convince them well enough for you to have your test here. Although it is free, if your reasons arent strong enough, they would redirect you to private laboratories where you have to pay nothing less than N50,000, a woman at the Yaba Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), one of the public health facilities designated to offer the test for free, told this reporter as he waited to speak with a nurse. The woman was also a patient at the centre and had been tested for the virus earlier that day. My husband has been isolated here and undergoing treatment here, so it was easy for me and my children to get tested. They wouldnt agree to test anyone here but redirect you to the private laboratory where you have to pay money. I suggest you convince them well, she added. The reporter, heeding her advice, requested the registration process and was shown a web address written on the door of the lab. As the reporter tried to register, the same woman asked: Are you here to know your status or do you think you have the virus?. He has the symptoms because he might have had contact with someone who is already in isolation, the reporters colleague who accompanied him to the health facility replied. While struggling to complete the registration, the woman advised this reporter to approach officials of the facility for assistance. Go straight down to the office on your left, knock at the door and enter. You will see some nurses there, speak to them on the purpose of your coming, they will put you through the registration processes, she said. After 15 minutes of waiting to be attended to, a lab official, wearing a deep-green apparel, walked in and asked the reporter impatiently: What are you here for? I am here to get tested. I have been having symptoms like cough, dried throats and a runny nose for days and I think I might have the virus the reporter replied. I havent heard you cough since you got here, the lab official shockingly responded. He had suffered these symptoms for days and might have had contact with someone already in the isolation centre, his colleague quickly replied. Go and get a referral letter from your doctor or any hospital or go test yourself in a private laboratory, the lab official said and walked away. LUTH This reporter also tried to get tested at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, (LUTH) but he was also refused to test and redirected to a privately run laboratory. At LUTH, a nurse led this reporter to the central laboratory besides the children emergency centre. The reporter explained his symptoms to the doctor who attended to him. ADVERTISEMENT Have you collected your sample? If not, walk down to your left, youll see the laboratory where they do that, the doctor swiftly suggested. This direction led the reporter to SYNLAB, a private laboratory, located inside the hospital beside the Accident and Emergency Unit. Officials of SYNLAB told this reporter to register online explaining that the test will be conducted after 42 hours for a N50,000 fee. SYNLAB handles the most laboratory services for LUTH following a concession agreement between both organisations. Other centres Within the week, the reporter visited four other public laboratories listed on the Nigeria Center for Disease Control website. While three redirected him to a private lab, one offered to test him after 24 hours of his registration. At the International Organisation for Migration, Clinic, run by the United Nations, the security operatives, said the clinic had been shut down for renovations. There are private labs around if you check online. You can go there because this place is no longer in operation, he said. At the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Central Public Health Laboratory, the reporter was immediately stopped by the security operatives who redirected him to consult private laboratories or visit the IDH centre where the reporters request for a test was earlier turned down. This place is not a testing centre. You can go to the Yaba IDH or check online to see any available private laboratories around, the security operatives said. He got the same response at the Nigeria Navy Reference Hospital. Access into NIMR testing centre After consulting all listed public laboratories, the reporter visited the Nigeria Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and was offered to be tested for free. Candidates would be required to register online via portal, www.nimr.covid.com.ng, after which a scheduled date would be sent to the email to have the test. The Free Mobile Laboratory centre was made possible by NIMR, LifeBank, Sterling Bank, UTL, Dan Holdings, The Rising Tide Africa and Daystar Christian Center. The reporter, after registering, visited that lab 24 hours later to have his test. COVID-19 test in NIMR is carried out on the open ground of the institute under two canopies the first for registration and confirmation, while the second for testing. Where is your invitation form, the security official stopped the reporter as this was a major access into the laboratory. The security official, after confirmation, directed the reporter to meet with a staffer of the lab who took down his details and requested that this reporter filled a seven-page online form. Take this form, and be careful holding it, go to the other canopy by your left, submit it there and have your test, the staffer told the reporter. At the lab, an official verified the form submitted and told the reporter to take a second look at the details submitted to be sure they were accurate. The lab official wore her medical gloves, brought out two long swabs from a transparent plastic bag and collected samples from this reporters throat and nose. The official placed the samples extracted from the reporter into a separate bag and labelled it with a special NVC code contained in the form. You can go, your test results would be sent to your mail within three days- 62 hours, she told the reporter. However, after two days of having the test, the reporter got his result, sent to him via his mail, testing negative for the virus. Poor testing erodes fight against virus The investigation revealed that out of six public laboratories listed on the NCDC portal, only NIMR was accessible to the reporter for free treatment despite suffering COVID-like symptoms. This experience gives an insight into how public laboratories contribute to poor testing records of residents in Lagos thereby undermining the effort of the government. The reluctance of public laboratories to offer free testing might be posing a threat to the states healthcare systems which in turn contributes to the spread of the virus. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Lagos State has recorded the most cases in Nigeria. The state had consistently led the COVID-19 chart pulling over 55,000 reported cases within a year since the index case of the virus was reported in Nigeria. During this period, the state received funding and support from the federal government, private organisations, non-governmental bodies, and prominent individuals who contributed resources and donated materials to help curb the virus. The Central Bank of Nigeria said donations from individuals and corporate bodies in Nigeria to the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) Relief Fund surpassed N21 billion. When asked if the financial expenses could be a major factor, the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Babatunde Salako, said the state government might be spending a lot of money to sustain the free testing operation. The test cost N54k and for every free test, the government may be seen to be spending that amount on individuals doing the test for free. I imagine it may be a constraint especially running free tests for travellers who can afford the test for their business or holiday trips. Government should not be running their business for them. I believe the government should have allowed public laboratories to charge at cost price at least, making the test more available to a lot more people, he said. Reaction Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, Adetunji Adenekan, when reached for comments, said, I may not be able to respond to the questions as I dont have information on it. In separate reactions, the spokesperson to the NCDC, Emeka Oguanuo, and spokesperson to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Willie Bassey, said the Lagos State government was in the best position to answer. This investigation was carried out with support from BudgIT Foundation A member of the Iraqi forces walks past a mural bearing the logo of ISIS in the village of Albu Sayf, Iraqi, on March 1, 2017. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images) Feds: Couple Tried to Travel by Ship to Join ISIS NEW YORKA newlywed husband and wife who expressed interest in fighting for the ISIS terrorist group were arrested Thursday at a port near New York City as they attempted to board a cargo ship that an undercover law enforcement officer said would take them to Yemen, prosecutors said. James Bradley, 20, and Arwa Muthana, 29, were taken into custody on the gangplank at Port NewarkElizabeth Marine Terminal in New Jersey, prosecutors said. They were charged in federal court in Manhattan with attempting and conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Bradley and Muthana made an initial court appearance Thursday and were ordered jailed without bail. Messages seeking comment were left with their lawyers. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a statement that the couples plans to wage attacks against the United States have been thwarted. Bradley, of the Bronx, expressed support for ISIS and spoke of his desire to join the group overseas in recorded conversations over the course of nearly a year with an undercover enforcement officer, prosecutors said. Bradley also spoke to the undercover officer who led him to the ship about potentially attacking the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, prosecutors said. A complaint outlining the charges against Bradley and Muthana does not mention the defendants discussing their intentions with ISIS or others beyond the two undercover law enforcement officers. Bradley sought transit to the Middle East by cargo ship because he feared he might have been on a terrorist watch list, prosecutors said. In 2019, Bradley planned to travel to Afghanistan to join the Taliban and attack American soldiers but changed his mind because of ideological differences with the person he was supposed to travel with, a person who was subsequently arrested, prosecutors said, citing an FBI interview at the time. Muthana, of Alabama, also expressed support for ISIS and discussed with Bradley plans to travel together to the Middle East to fight on behalf of the group, prosecutors said. After her arrest, she waived her right to remain silent and said she was willing to fight and kill Americans, prosecutors said. A U.S.-led coalition captured the last of the territory held by ISIS about two years ago, ending its self-declared caliphate that covered large parts of Iraq and Syria. Since then, remaining ISIS extremists have gone underground in the Syrian-Iraqi border region, continuing an insurgency. Muthana and Bradley were married in January. After traveling to Alabama to visit Muthana, prosecutors said, Bradley approached the undercover officer with the idea of traveling on a cargo ship to join ISIS. The officer connected Bradley with a facilitatoranother undercover officerand Bradley paid that person $1,000 in cash for travel costs, prosecutors said. Bradley told that officer that he and Muthana planned to be fighting upon arrival Yemen and that hed had a dream that he had given an oath of allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, prosecutors said. New Delhi: For those looking to buy gold at great prices, the current period seems the right opportunity to do so. Though gold prices are trading flat on MCX on Monday, the prices of the yellow metal are still nearly Rs 10,800 lower than the rates as compared to August. Gold futures for June delivery on MCX have remained above Rs 45,000 today, starting on a flat note. The silver futures on MCX have slipped below Rs 65000 per kg after starting over 65,000 per kg. On Thursday, gold was seen moving around in a flat range, however in the last hour, good trading was witnessed. Last week, gold rose more than 700 rupees per 10 grams. Gold futures for June delivery on Monday opened at Rs 45,349 per 10 grams as against the previous close of Rs 45,418 while Silver futures for May delivery opened at Rs 64,800 per kg as against Rs 65,089. Gold Prices down by nearly Rs 10,800 as compared to August 2020, when the price of 10 grams of gold on MCX reached the highest level of Rs 56191. Last year, gold gave a return of 43%. On Thursday Gold rallied by Rs 881 to Rs 44,701 per 10 gram in the national capital on Thursday following a sharp recovery in global precious metal prices. In the previous trade, it had closed at Rs 43,820 per 10 gram. Silver also gained Rs 1,071 to Rs 63,256 per kilogram from Rs 62,185 per kilogram in the previous trade. International gold prices Gold prices eased on Monday as U.S. Treasury yields rose and global stocks gained after better-than-expected jobs data in the United States fuelled optimism over a swift economic recovery. Spot gold was down 0.3% at $1,723.16 per ounce, as of 0553 GMT. Gold futures were flat at $1,761.20 per ounce, said a Reuters report. TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE: TRUL) (OTC: TCNNF) ("Trulieve" or "the Company"), today announced the launch of a marketed public offering of Trulieve's subordinated voting shares in the United States and Canada (the "Offering"). The Company is offering to sell 4,400,440 subordinate voting shares in an underwritten public offering. In addition, Trulieve intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 660,066 subordinate voting shares at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The Offering will be conducted through a syndicate of underwriters led by Canaccord Genuity LLC, as sole book-running manager. The Offering is subject to market conditions and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Offering may be completed or as to the actual size or terms of the Offering. Net proceeds from the Offering are expected to be used primarily to fund Trulieve's business development and for general working capital purposes. Closing of the Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and stock exchange approvals, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") and the applicable securities regulatory authorities. In connection with the Offering, Trulieve filed a registration statement on Form S-1 (the "Registration Statement") with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), but the Registration Statement has not yet become effective. The subordinate voting shares may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, in the U.S. prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offers, solicitations or offers to buy, or any sales of securities will be made in accordance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Offering is being made in the U.S. only by means of a prospectus included in the Registration Statement, copies of which may be obtained from: Canaccord Genuity LLC, Attention: Syndicate Department, 99 High Street, 12th Floor, Boston MA 021990, by email at [email protected] . The Registration Statement has also been filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The subordinated voting shares will be offered in all of the provinces and territories of Canada, other than the Province of Quebec, pursuant to a prospectus supplement to the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated January 29, 2021, to be filed with the securities commissions or similar securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. Copies of the Canadian base shelf prospectus and the prospectus supplement, following filing thereof, may be obtained from: Canaccord Genuity LLC, Attention: Syndicate Department, by email at [email protected] . Prospective investors should read the base shelf prospectus and the prospectus supplement and the other documents the Company has filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com before making an investment decision. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved the contents of this press release. About Trulieve Trulieve is primarily a vertically integrated "seed-to-sale" company in the US, and is the first and largest fully licensed medical cannabis company in the State of Florida. Trulieve cultivates and produces all of its products in-house and distributes those products to Trulieve-branded stores (dispensaries) throughout the State of Florida, as well as directly to patients via home delivery. Trulieve also operates in California, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Trulieve's subordinate voting shares are listed on the CSE under the symbol "TRUL" and trade on the OTCQX market under the symbol "TCNNF". Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding the size of the Offering, completion of the Offering, the intended use of the net proceeds of the Offering, the listing of the subordinate voting shares of the Company on the CSE or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, capital raising initiatives and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. Words such as "expects", "continue", "will", "anticipates" and "intends" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends that management believes might affect the Offering, the timing for closing of the Offering, the SEC declaring the Registration Statement effective, the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, and on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors management believes are appropriate. Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Such factors include, among others: the risks and uncertainties identified in the (final) short form base shelf prospectus of the Company and the Registration Statement and in the Company's other reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators and the SEC. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. SOURCE Trulieve Cannabis Corp. Related Links https://www.trulieve.com/ As of early Monday, 2,247 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, including 432 in intensive care. On Friday, 2,173 were hospitalized, with 433 in intensive care. The state reported 2,718 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, down from 2,923 last Monday. There were 3,933 new cases Sunday. The state on Monday reported five new COVID-19 deaths, raising Pennsylvanias toll to 25,200 since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. As of Sunday, Pennsylvania vaccine providers had given out 5.6 million doses, with nearly 2 million people considered fully protected. About 3.6 million had one dose and were awaiting a second needed for full protection. Pennsylvania has 12.8 million residents. As of Sunday, Pennsylvania had given at least one dose to 35% of its residents, 12th highest in the U.S., according to The New York Times. It had fully vaccinated 19%, which was 20th in the U.S. Nationally, 32% of U.S. residents have received at least one shot and 18% are fully vaccinated. As of Sunday, about 165 million shots had been given nationally. The U.S. has recently been averaging more than 3 million shots per day. As of Monday, Pennsylvania has distributed nearly 82% of the doses it has received, according to Beckers Hospital Review, placing it 20th in the U.S. for that measure. RELATED: As states open up, COVID-19 variant shown to be infecting kids very readily: epidemiologist Get the SC business stories that matter. Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free. A blue car is seen after ramming a police barricade outside the U.S. Capitol in an incident that resulted in the death of one police officer, the injury of another officer and the death of the driver as a result of police gunfire on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on April 2, 2021. REUTERS .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... HUTCHINSON, Kan. A Texas man has been sentenced to three years and two months in prison in a deadly Kansas crash. The Hutchinson News reports that Benjamin Buzzini also was ordered Friday to pay about $2,090 in restitution. He pleaded no contest in January to involuntary manslaughter resulting from driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the April 2017 crash that killed Stephanie Futral, of Wichita, A state trooper testified at the preliminary hearing that the sport utility had been traveling at a speed of 150 mph just seconds before it began to roll near South Hutchinson. A blood draw several hours after the crash showed Buzzini had a blood-alcohol level of 0.07, which is just below the legal limit, but that he also had THC, from marijuana, in his system. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ His attorney, Kenneth Miller, sought a shorter sentence, noting that Buzzini is the father of a 7-month-old girl and has health issues. Miller also raised questions about whether Buzzini was behind the wheel. But prosecutors noted that Buzzini was arrested in Houston on suspicion of road rage in September and aggravated assault in February while free on bond in the Kansas case. Futrals sister, Olivia Hicks, challenged Buzzini to use his time in prison become a better man and to stop drinking. She is best known for her stint on the second series of MTV's Ex On The Beach. And Megan Clark, 26, made the most of the Easter bank holiday sunshine on Sunday as she arrived at a friends festival inspired BBQ with her sister Becca Clark. The TV personality turned heads in a neon pink crop top and matching hotpants as she posed on a white Range Rover. Soaking up the sun! Megan Clark, 26, made the most of the Easter bank holiday sunshine on Sunday as she arrived at a friends festival inspired BBQ with her sister Becca Clark She teamed her festival look with a green neon bikini underneath and white trainers. The reality star boasted a full face of makeup and wore her lengthy tresses straight in a centre parting. Her sibling stunned in a neon green skirt and matching one shoulder top. Becca paired her festival themed outfit with a pair of white trainers. Sisters: The TV personality turned heads in a neon pink crop top and matching hotpants as she posed on a white Range Rover Neon queens! She teamed her festival look with a green neon bikini underneath and white trainers She wore a full face of makeup and her long blonde locks fell loose around her shoulders. Reality beauty Megan rose to prominence on the second series of Ex On The Beach at the age of 19, where she starred alongside the likes of Rogan O'Connor, Jess Impiazzi and former Big Brother star Kayleigh Morris. It was the same series that also saw the addition of former Geordie Shore stars Gary 'Gaz' Beadle and Charlotte Crosby. While Gary had been an original singleton on the show, Charlotte had surprised him on the beach as one of his exes. Festival ready! The reality star boasted a full face of makeup and wore her lengthy tresses straight in a centre parting Work it! She is best known for her stint on the second series of MTV's Ex On The Beach Megan had arrived to surprise her ex-boyfriend Connor Hunter, who at the time of her entrance had already turned his attentions to Melissa Reeves - another singleton in the villa. During her fiery addition to the series, Megan had vowed to win back her former beau, unaware that he had other intentions, and clashed with DJ Melissa, who went to star on Ex On The Beach's All Star series, as a result. Speaking in her VT for the show, Megan said: 'The first thing people notice about me... they say: "Have you had filler in your lips?" No I haven't. "Are they your real eyelashes?" Yes they are. '"Is my hair real?" Yeah it is. "Have I had a boob job?" No - and my boobs aren't even that big.' Since appearing on Ex On The Beach, Megan has appeared on Judge Geordie, fronted by Vicky Pattison, and expressed her desire to appear on The Only Way Is Essex. Ex On The Beach: Megan had arrived to surprise her ex-boyfriend Connor Hunter on the reality show At its height South African Eran Eyals Springleap was touted as one of the countrys most successful tech start-ups. His subsequent company, Shopin was also trumpeted as a saviour to struggling retailers. Both these start-ups have since been revealed as elaborate scams, created by Eyal who was convicted of fraud by a New York court in December 2019. The saga, which is detailed in a new book titled At Any Cost, paints a shocking picture of how easy it is for any smart-talking person in the tech sector to fool everyone. The court found, among other things, that he had repeatedly lied about who his clients and investors were. It was revealed that he had hired a hacker to scrape profiles off Fiverr to bolster claims that Springleap had access to 180,000 creatives. He also used two fake pilots with top retailers to net $42.5 million from investors for Shopin in an initial coin offering (ICO) in 2018. Eyals saga is fascinating in a sector where it is all too common to find entrepreneurs who talk up their company. Start-ups are told to become successful they must raise external investment, and lots of it. As a young company with seemingly little to show for itself, one is told to think big and aim high project an air of success. Companies are judged principally on how much capital they can raise. The more rounds they have raised and the bigger the investments, the more impressive the company. This can be a false meter of success. Many of these start-ups generate virtually no revenue. Without funding they would have to close their doors. Eyals Springleap which pivoted from an online t-shirt company to a crowdsourcing platform for market experts and designers is a good example. From the outset it struggled to make money. After netting millions in investments, he admitted to investors that he had lied about the company having reached $100,000 in revenue in March 2015. Shopin is no different. A year and a half after raising $42.5 million in an ICO Eyal and his team had still not signed a single retailer. The New York Attorney General claimed the company has, in fact, never even produced a finished product. When it comes to raising money, Eyals saga paints the tech sector as an old boys club where its who you know, and not what you know, that counts. When an angel investor decides to invest a few hundred thousand dollars, they dont seem to phone around, do any digging, or ask difficult questions. All that is really important is that a few big names have invested in the business, or that the management team includes people who have worked at prominent companies before. In Eyals case, investment material he sent investors stated that Nicolas Heyman, Facebooks number six employee, had invested $100,000 in his business. Investigators later discovered Heyman and other prominent people he mentioned had not put in a cent. Similarly, Shopins pitch decks listed Google and ZocDoc on a slide headed up as investors. It was, however, only employees from those firms who had invested in Eyals start-up, and not the companies themselves. The media can play an important role when it comes to guarding against fraudsters like Eyal. Most of the publications that cover the start-up sector, however, are small blogs or websites, with small teams. In addition, the sector itself is dominated by PR firms who help place start-ups press releases on investment sites. Few publications have the time to investigate a story thoroughly most just run press releases word for word. After all, its the start-up sector, one of the few havens for positive stories, how bad could it be? Except when you get someone like Eyal, who had carefully crafted each of his press releases to twist and bend the facts to suit his version of the truth. If fraudsters like Eyal who was deported to Israel in May last year are to be stopped, investors and the media should become a lot wiser to the goings-on in the tech sector. After all, if they were fooled once, they can be fooled again. At Any Cost by Stephen Timm is published by Tafelberg, R310. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd will acquire 888,613,336 (36.62 percent) of equity shares in Bharat Oman Refineries (BORL) from Oman Oil Company (OQ) for a consideration of Rs 2,399.26 crore. (Representative Image/File Photo) MUMBAI, INDIA: Bharat Petroleum Corporation announced that a share purchase agreement has been signed on 31 March 2021 between BPCL, Bharat Oman Refineries (BORL) and OQ SAOC. OQ formerly known as Oman Oil Company SAOC for BPCL's acquisition of 888,613,336 (36.62 percent) of equity shares in BORL from OQ for a consideration of Rs 2,399.26 crore. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) operates in the petroleum industry in India. The company operates in a single segment - refinery and marketing activities, which includes the downstream petroleum sector. They are also engaged in the Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons (E&P). BPCL on a regular basis imports their LPG requirements mainly from the Middle East. Worldofchemicals News Not only are Muslims living in the West supposed to hate their "infidel" host nations and neighbors, but they are supposed to spy on them by serving as Islam's "eye" on the West. As discussed here, numerous online fatwas that is, decrees written by authoritative Muslim scholars (ulema), appearing on respected Islamic websites insist that Islamic law (sharia) requires Muslims living in the West to maintain "enmity and hatred" for their new homeland and its inhabitants. This applies equally to migrant refugees; they are duty-bound to hate and be disloyal to those nations welcoming them in and providing them with free food, shelter, and health care so say the learned sheikhs of Islam. Another fatwa, authored by the late Sheikh Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymeen deemed a "giant of conservative Islam" offers more precise, and disturbing, conditions for any Muslim who lives in the West. Published by the well regarded Muslim website IslamWay.net, and titled in translation (all translations in this article my own) "What Is the Ruling for Living in the Lands of Infidels," it, too, states that, along with "preserving and upholding his Islam," the "first condition" for any Muslim who lives among non-Muslims is that he has "enmity and hatred for the infidels, staying far from their loyalty and love for loyalty and love for them contradicts the faith." Next the fatwa states the first reason any Muslim should ever willingly move to the West: to wage jihad which belongs in the "lands of the infidels" but in this case, by way of da'wa, or proselytizing. In the words of the fatwa: He resides to call [da'wa] and entice [non-Muslims] to Islam, for this is a form of jihad, which is a communal obligation for those capable of it[.] ... [Moreover] da'wa to Islam is one of the obligations of the religion. In other words, just as violent jihad is meant to bring infidels under Muslim rule, so too is da'wa a form of jihad, as it too brings infidels under Muslim rule (albeit willingly, and therefore at a much lower success rate than the sure and preferable method of violent jihad). To spy on non-Muslims is the second reason given to legitimize Muslims living in the West: He resides [there] to study the conditions of the infidels and to learn what they are about concerning their corruption of doctrine, false worship, loose morals, and chaotic condition. [Then] he warns the [Muslim] people against being deceived by them and shows to their admirers the truth of their condition. This sort of residency is another form of jihad ... for the corruption of the infidels is evidence of the righteousness of Islam. Then comes this: Such a one lives in the lands of the infidels to be an eye for the Muslims. The fatwa continues by saying that Muhammad himself promoted installing spies among non-Muslims. It cites the battle of the Trench, when the prophet sent a Muslim man (Hudhaifa bin al-Yaman) to feign friendship to and dwell among their infidel enemies, while reporting back and exposing their true condition to Muhammad sensitive information that enabled the prophet eventually to subjugate them. At any rate, such is what Muslims are being openly taught (at least in Arabic and other Islamic languages). Rather than giving something back to those Western nations taking them in and providing them with free benefits even by simply being good and law-abiding citizens Muslims willingly residing in the West are exhorted to hate, disavow, cajole, and spy on their benefactors, always for Islam's benefit. Incidentally, it is worth mentioning that the same big-tech companies that are busy censoring whoever contradicts their approved narrative have no problem giving a platform for such hate-filled and subversive talk to spread. Apple, as one example, offers an app for IslamWay this website that calls on Muslims to hate and spy on non-Muslims. And why not, since few in the West can decipher the Arabic, even as millions of Muslims are radicalized by it? Raymond Ibrahim, author of Sword and Scimitar, is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute. Image: Fulvio Spada. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Laura Anderson is reportedly moving to Dubai for good after being relentlessly trolled online since she travelled to the UAE in the middle of the pandemic. The former Love Island star, 31, is said to have 'felt lonely' since she returned to the UK and has always seen Dubai as her home. A source told The Sun: 'Laura has decided it's time to move back to Dubai for good. She's had a hard time during lockdown and has felt a bit lonely being away from her friends and sister. Change: Laura Anderson is reportedly moving to Dubai for good after being relentlessly trolled online since she travelled to the UAE in the middle of the pandemic 'She's always seen Dubai as her home really. She is planning to take her dog with her and wants to go as soon as possible. 'Laura has struggled with being trolled while in the UK and received a lot of backlash when she went on holiday to Dubai during the pandemic.' The insider added that Laura wants to put the recent criticism 'behind her' and start afresh in Dubai and has some business ideas up her sleeve. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Laura Anderson for comment. Moving: The former Love Island star, 31, is said to have 'felt lonely' since she returned to the UK and has always seen Dubai as her home Last month, Laura broke down in tears after admitting she has lost work due to the backlash she faced following her pre-lockdown trip. The star couldn't hide her emotions in an interview where she confessed the controversy surrounding her trip to Dubai was the 'hardest thing she's ever had to deal with'. Laura was among a slew of reality stars and influencers who were criticised by fans and Home Secretary Priti Patel for travelling to Dubai ahead of December's COVID lockdown, as they declared their flights as being 'business trips'. Speaking on Nicki Chapman's Talking Success as reported by The Sun, Laura tearfully confessed she struggled to cope with the trolling she faced for flying to the United Arab Emirates while the UK still had a travel corridor with the country. A source said: 'Laura has decided it's time to move back to Dubai for good. She's had a hard time during lockdown and has felt a bit lonely being away from her friends and sister' She said: 'This is the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. It was so hard to stick up for myself. I understand the whole pandemic, I am not a silly little girl. 'It is really hard and it still going on now. It was a really hard decision to go over. I've lost followers, I've lost jobs. It has made me reconsider my future in this industry.' Laura clarified that while she posted many of her Instagram snaps once England had entered lockdown in January, she legally flew to Dubai while the UAE had an air brief with the UK. The star insisted she returned home before the government introduced a ban on international travel. Tough: Laura confessed the controversy surrounding her trip was the 'hardest thing she's ever had to deal with' (Pictured on Love Island in 2018) Regardless she was one of many stars claiming their trips were for business reasons and thus did not break coronavirus rules. Laura was forced to turn off comments on her Instagram posts after being trolled relentlessly for her break, which she insisted was to stay with her sister as she couldn't bear spending another lockdown alone in Scotland. The star said she's planning on a permanent move to Dubai to launch a business, but didn't want to share her plans while she was abroad. Laura was among many influencers who faced furious online backlash for flying abroad at the height of Covid travel restrictions under the ruse of it being a 'business trip.' Ahead of the lockdown, government guidelines stated travel abroad may only be allowed for 'essential work reasons.' Clarifying: The star insisted she travelled to the United Arab Emirates when travel was allowed, and admitted the trolling she's faced has made her question whether to change careers Laura shared her thoughts on the backlash during an Instagram Q&A, after being asked whether she felt guilty about being in Dubai. She said: 'I felt guilty the whole time. I don't think anyone realised how bad the strain would get, and how quickly. So hearing people upset, I felt horrific.' In a caption on the post she added: 'The backlash was horrendous and still is. I don't expect anyone to understand my situation. 'I apologise to everyone I've upset, I truly mean that as it was never my intention.' Laura was previously forced to delete some of the comments on her sun-soaked bikini snaps after receiving backlash for sharing her exploits. Guwahati, April 6 : Tuesday's third and final phase of polling in 40 of the 126-member Assam Assembly is a litmus test for both the ruling BJP-led alliance and the opposition Congress-led 'Mahajot' (grand alliance). Of the 40 Assembly segments, bordering Bhutan, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh, at least 13 seats are Muslim majority, six reserved for the tribals and two reserved for the people belonging to the scheduled caste. Tuesday's electoral battle in 12 districts, according to the political experts, would be decisive for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition Congress as both the parties had won 11 seats each in the 2016 Assembly polls. The BJP's old ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in the last Assembly polls bagged four seats while the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) had secured eight and six seats respectively. Both the BPF and the AIUDF this time are allies of the Congress-led 'Mahajot'. In the 2016 elections, the tribal based BPF with its political base mostly in western Assam was with the BJP and the AIUDF, a Muslim based party, fought the polls separately. After the Bodoland Territorial Council polls in December last year, the BJP had forged an alliance with the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP), both have bases among the indigenous people, discarding its old ally BPF, which had three ministers since the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP dominated government came to power in 2016. The AGP remains an ally this time too. Besides the BPF and the AIUDF, seven other allies of the Congress led 10-party 'Mahajot' are, three Left parties -- the CPI-M, the CPI and the CPI-ML, the Anchalik Gana Morcha, Athe Rashtriya Janata Dal and two community-based parties -- the Jimochayan (Deori) People's Party and the Adivasi National Party. The Tuesday's polling would also decide the political fate of BJP's points man and Finance, Health, Education, PWD Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and ruling party's state President Ranjeet Kumar Dass. Sarma, the convener of the BJP backed anti-Congress body -- North East Democratic Alliance, is contesting from the Jalukbari seat from where he has consecutively won since 2001 while Dass is contesting from Patacharkuchi seat. In the last elections in 2016, he was elected to the assembly from the Sorbhog constituency. The Congress this time has fielded a total of 95 candidates and the BJP has put up 93 candidates, allotting the remaining seats to their allies. Out of the 40 seats, the 13 Muslim majority seats are Mankachar (Muslims 88.70 per cent), Salmara South (98.20 per cent), Dhubri (65.43 per cent), Gauripur (51.84 per cent), Bilasipara East (74.25 per cent), Abhayapuri North (51.36 per cent), Goalpara West (56.10 per cent), Jaleswar (83.13 per cent), Barpeta (51.73 per cent), Jania (92.83 per cent), Baghbar (95.57 per cent), Sarukhetri (56.52 per cent) and Chenga (92.83 per cent). According to Census 2011, Muslims account for 34.22 per cent in the entire state, while Hindus and other religions account for the rest of the 3.12 crore total population of Assam. Of the 126 assembly seats, religious minorities decide the electoral fate in 23 seats, mostly in western and southern Assam and play a crucial role in about seven more Assembly seats in different districts. Of Assam's 34 districts, 12 per cent or more Muslim population resides in 19 districts and in nine districts (out of 19 districts) the Muslim population constitutes 50 per cent or more. In this year's election, the BJP has put up eight Muslim candidates while the Congress has fielded 17 Muslim nominees. Political commentator Sushanta Talukdar said that considering the sentiments of the Assamese and sensitivity of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the BJP has remained cautious and is making statements on a careful note to avoid the split of its votes in the elections. "Illegal migration is a key issue in Assam for the past many decades and obviously before every election, this becomes a main issue for all the political parties," Talukdar told IANS. During the month-long election campaign Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan and all other BJP leaders and central ministers made accusing the AIUDF and its chief perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal alleged that the party has been "patronising illegal migrations into Assam". The BJP also criticised the Congress for "aligning with the inimical forces". The Congress, the AIUDF leaders including Ajmal, a Lok Sabha Member, denying the BJP's accusations, said the saffron party has been spreading "hatred across the country". The final phase of Assembly elections on Tuesday would decide the electoral fate of 337 candidates including 25 women aspirants. Assam Chief Electoral Officer Nitin Khade said that all necessary steps have been taken to conduct free, fair, peaceful and smooth elections on Tuesday, when 79,19,641 voters including 39,07,963 women electorates are eligible to cast their votes across 9,587 polling stations in 6,107 locations. Of the 9,587 polling stations, 316 are all women managed polling stations. Khade told the media that around 32,000 Central Armed Police Forces, along with thousands of state security force personnel, have been deployed to maintain law and order during this phase in which 45,604 polling personnel were engaged to conduct the polls. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Australias biggest miners are poised to benefit from better-than-expected iron ore prices for at least the rest of the year as global ratings agency S&P upgrades its forecasts for the key steel-making raw material. After surging Chinese steel output in 2020 propelled iron ore prices to a 10-year high and delivered bumper returns to shareholders of BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue, S&P Global on Friday upgraded its price assumption for the commodity from $US100 a tonne to $US130 a tonne for this year. For 2022, the firm has lifted its forecast from $US80 to $US100. Booming iron ore prices are set to boost the coffers of Australias top mining companies. Credit:AP The ramp-up of industrial activity in China post-COVID-19 is continuing to fuel robust steel demand in China, according to S&P, at the same time as disruptions are affecting rival iron ore suppliers in Brazil. We anticipate that the global seaborne supply deficit could deepen further in 2021 while the timing of the resumption of activity at Vales disrupted mines remains uncertain and will likely to continue to support prices over the next 12 months at least, S&P analyst Donald Marleau said in a report. CEO Julia Frank said the firm is extremely pleased to be at the forefront of bringing US-manufactured plant-based goods to Canada" The license allows PlantX to distribute vegan and vegetarian manufactured packaged products such as vegan dairy substitutes, snack foods, processed fruits and vegetables, infant foods, nuts, grains, spices, fats and oils PlantX Life Inc ( ) (OTCQB:PLXTF) (FRA:WNT1) revealed Monday that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has granted the company a license to import packaged plant-based products from the United States to Canada. The Vancouver, British Columbia-based company, which is a one-stop destination for all things plant based, said the import license complements PlantX's success in creating a diverse infrastructure of partnerships with plant-based vendors across the US. With the import license, the company said it sought to make the most of its partnerships in the plant-based space and to increase awareness of the plant-based lifestyle by providing access to a wider selection of vegan and vegetarian food choices throughout Canada. PlantX noted that its new operational capabilities may potentially bridge gaps between the US and Canadian plant-based marketplaces. READ: PlantX Life is the digital face of the growing plant-based community "We are extremely pleased to be at the forefront of bringing US-manufactured plant-based goods to Canada," said PlantX CEO Julia Frank. "The new license marks a crucial step in our expansion as leaders in the plant-based space, by ensuring that we can be first to market in Canada with plant-based brands originating in the US." To obtain the import license, PlantX had to meet rigorous food safety standards and requirements that promote the health of Canadian consumers. The license allows PlantX to distribute vegan and vegetarian manufactured packaged products such as vegan dairy substitutes, snack foods, processed fruits and vegetables, infant foods, nuts, grains, spices, fats and oils. "As a Canadian company, we are very passionate about contributing to the health of the Canadian public" said PlantX founder Sean Dollinger. "The new import license will open new doors to how we can promote the wellbeing of our customer in Canada by helping them access an ever-growing variety of plant-based products". Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive wait, is she still not pardoned? it's been like 7 years since civil war and the others got pardoned damn Reply Thread Link i think they were only pardoned because of their role in the endgame battle tbh!! Reply Parent Thread Link it's not sharon's fault she wasn't invited!! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link *ten years if we take in account the time skip in endgame, our girl sharon must be pressedt Reply Parent Thread Link she's wanted for "stealing" caps shield and sam's wings. what a joke. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It's a riff on her (arguably character-defining) arc from the comics where she was fridged, then brought back by Mark Waid, and it was revealed she faked her death and got abandoned by SHIELD during a mission and was pissed off and disillusioned. It's a pretty clever way of adapting the spirit of a comic without the details imo. Reply Parent Thread Link I was surprised to see that Sharon had entered into her reputation era But I like it its a fun little twist! I dont think Disney has the guts to make her a full on baddie tho, I wont be surprised if shes still working undercover for the cia or something. Reply Thread Link Turning her into a full-on baddie would honestly be a betrayal of the character. I'm 1000% here for the cynical snarky asshole Sharon with shades of grey though because that's the best version of her in the comics! Reply Parent Thread Link Ive never read the comics! My only exposure to the character is the flop movie version lol Reply Parent Thread Link emily van camp is incredible and i was so excited to see this being the direction for sharon Reply Thread Link How did we not get an Everwood reunion during this pandemic? Haven't watched the latest ep of the Bucky and Sam show, because the first two eps bored me, but I like EVC, so maybe I will. Reply Thread Link She's gonna finally get the love and characterization she deserves God bless. Even with the minimal amount she got because they were too busy giving comics Sharon's personality to the tree, Emily still held her own. And now I'm loving that we get to see her again. Gonna go and preorder her new funko brb. Edited at 2021-04-05 09:11 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Was there ever an Everwood reunion in any of the MCU movies Remember when crisp rat dated her when she just turned 18 and he was like 25 Edited at 2021-04-05 09:12 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link She was so great in Episode 3, I love how Emily portrayed her. She also had great chemistry with both Seb and Anthony and I really hope we get more trio shenanigans between them in the future! Her fight scenes were everything - brutal and rough, exactly how I imagined them to be. Not like Natasha's but still just as effective. I'm really happy that this show has a female director because honestly I think it made a huge difference. Reply Thread Link Her fight scene was awesome, I love when fight scenes are brutal (which you dont really see in superhero movies) and I especially love when a woman is the one fighting brutally. They even gave her cuts on her forehead and lip, which you dont really see in general for main characters let alone female main characters. Reply Parent Thread Link Exactly! And I also love how her fight scenes weren't filmed in a male-gazey way, if that makes sense? She was wearing proper clothes and all her close-ups were of her dealing punches or grabbing weapons to attack her opponents. She just looked like a proper warrior and I loved it. People on Twitter were calling her the female John Wick! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link ikr? Full power behind the hits and no mercy hit them til they stop moving. She finally got those Carter moves Reply Parent Thread Link I loved the fight scene but I was like so Disney is okay with THAT but the Lizzie McGuire Show was too grown up?? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i like bad ass cynical Sharon Carter. I was happy she straight up told Sam and Bucky that she was on the run and didn't have the luxury of being pardoned bc she wasn't an Avenger. I hope we see more of her. Reply Thread Link I don't even care if she's [ Spoiler (click to open) ] the Power Broker, or has taken the PB's place. At this point i'll stan anything she does. I don't even think that's a villain move really before anyone comes for me STEP ON MY NECK, QUEEN SHARON!!!!I don't even care if she's- the TRUE villains are the Global Repatriation Council and the US gov and Dollar Store Cap Old Man From Up Walker. Also Bucky's therapist. Reply Thread Link Also Bucky's therapist. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks something is off with herXD Reply Parent Thread Link As a therapist myself I've had a lot of feelings about Bucky's therapist on TFatWS, and have decided I need to rant a little to let it all out. I've worked w/active duty, trauma survivors, and court ordered clients, so here's some therapeutic conjecture on Bucky's therapy: Al Elizabeth (@MadeOfAwsm) April 4, 2021 Really good tweet thread I saw last night about that therapist and her sketchiness! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link my thoughts too. but i doubt it Reply Parent Thread Link what makes you think that about the therapist?? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link [ potential spoiler ] Loki gets 2000 chances for redemption by fandom, Thanos was given a fair say he didn't need, etc. Also, MCU US isn't shown to be that great; Bilbo Baggins was played with defecting to Wakanda in Black Panther iirc. Her position doesn't have to be permanent and even if it was, I already agree with her viewpoint more than I ever did any of the above villains, or Zemo Mostly tho I think it would be hot lol. Exactly. And this is the MCU whereMostly tho I think it would be hot lol. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I don't love dark Sharon and I don't understand why Steve and Natasha were allowed back into the US but she wasn't. It just puts more of a stain on Steve's character because I don't think he'd let her just rot there for 5 years while he was chilling at the Avenger's complex. Edited at 2021-04-05 09:22 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link I went back to Endgame and her picture pops up as one of the heroes that got blipped out of existence, but Im not sure FATWS makes that clear. Steve and Nat were presumably pardoned after IW bc the world was in shambles and the government wanted them on US soil in case something else happened. At the very least they didnt try to look for her when they were on the run for the two years before IW Reply Parent Thread Link This episode made it sound like she was there for years, enough time to make some money doing whatever she was doing. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Thats not really an excuse though. I feel like Steve should have pardoned her anyway so that she wasnt remembered as an enemy of the state that got blipped but as a member of the team. I really think they forgot about her and fucked up. The way Sam reacted in the last episode kinda proved that to me idk Reply Parent Thread Link if she was off grid they mightve assumed she was blipped. like how they assumed scott was blipped even though he wasnt. losing half the population would be a hot mess, i cant see how finding sharon wouldn't have been high priority. steve and natasha were probably only allowed back into the states bc they were witnesses to the snap and know who caused it and why. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link The russos hinted that steve and sharon were living together for 2 years before IW happened but you know, they fucked over their own story. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i've always liked her character \_()_/ and calling bucky mr. america may have made me a stan Reply Thread Link i love emily, now i miss revenge Reply Thread Link I read that it shouldve been her character instead of Nat during TWS forever ago and its still upsetting. I like Steve and Nats friendship but Sharon was seriously pushed to the side. Then just...not invited to fight in IW or Endgame lmao. How was she NOT with Steve, Nat and Sam when they came back for IW? They did not think this through. Im begging for at least ONE Steve dig during the series but I dont think theyll do it. I mean...girl, he kissed you, you were on the run for him and then he bounced to get with your aunt. (I will drag this man in every TFAWS post) Edited at 2021-04-05 09:21 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Wow, ScarJo is one of the only reasons I can't love TWS 100%, if it'd been Emily instead I'd rewatch it more, and less begrudgingly lol. Reply Parent Thread Link I enjoyed Black Widow in WS but Sharon Carter being swapped out of the story for Nat makes so much sense. Watching it back you can tell the way Steve and Nat were interacting, the script was written for a relatively new character rather than someone he'd been Avengering with for a few years. Reply Parent Thread Link They shoulda let Sharon do WS and given Nat her solo movie. Reply Parent Thread Link this is exactly how it should have gone ngl Reply Parent Thread Link I really liked her return. Her fight scene was great. I hope we see more of her. I also finally ship Sharon/Cap(Sam). Also its crazy how much backlash that kiss got that they didnt even include it in her legends episode. Lol! Edited at 2021-04-05 09:26 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] shes the Power Broker I liked her fight scene a lot, I think its cool that most of the women in the MCU have a distinctive fighting style like hers is different from Nats sleek fighting. and I liked that they showed us those little moments where you see Sharon struggling or planning on how to take down the next guy while shes still fighting the first one. Edited at 2021-04-05 09:26 pm (UTC) I cant believe ppl thinkand I saw some ppl go wow cant believe I trust Zemo more than Sharon just bc theyre still pissy about her kissing Steve. And I love that Sebastian and Emily both said that the best thing to come out of the SteveSharon kiss was that SamBucky sceneI liked her fight scene a lot, I think its cool that most of the women in the MCU have a distinctive fighting style like hers is different from Nats sleek fighting. and I liked that they showed us those little moments where you see Sharon struggling or planning on how to take down the next guy while shes still fighting the first one. Reply Thread Link i don't think she is either, but it's definitely what the writers want us to think Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah I think it's just a red herring but the writers definitely want us to question whether she's the Power Broker. Reply Parent Thread Link I love Zemo but he's 100000000% going to betray them at some point. Like, he wants to get rid of all super soldiers and Bucky is the most famous super soldier, hello! Sharon definitely has her own agenda but idt she's a full on baddie. Reply Parent Thread Link mte! Zemo's fun for now but he was literally seen reading Machiavelli in his weird Hannibal Lecter prison cell lol. Reply Parent Thread Link I don't think she IS, but at the same time i'd like it if she was in a way. That being said, if she is, I still trust her 100% and am on her side, so it is what it is lmao Am I wanting it to be her just because my queer ass gets hot for badass sassy women in power who are also morally ambiguous? I couldn't possibly say But also i'm aware she's probably NOT absolutely. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link [ click to open ] emily would eat it up and it would be nice for sam and sharon to be meaty foils whose dynamic would run deep. they're not sidekicks anymore and deserve complex arcs. does it have to be a meta hero/anti-villain one? no, but it would be different and it would demand the spotlight in my defense Reply Parent Thread Link DETROIT - After spending a week in the hospital battling the most difficult illness Ive ever faced, WJBK-TV News anchor, Maurielle Lue, is now recovering at home. One of the anchors of The Nine on FOX 2 News morning, Lue has been battling COVID-19 for more than two weeks. She announced her return home on her Twitter page, even letting people know about her hospital codename. Heavy on the Thank You God, Lue wrote. Hours after news broke that I was hospitalized, staff was overwhelmed w calls/gifts from viewers. I was given the codename Sunflower for privacy. I had lots of time to read about they are strong, loyal, positive, they survive just like me. A tearful Lue updated her social media followers from her hospital bed over the weekend live on her Instagram page saying she went to the hospital last Sunday, March 28, the day after her 36th birthday with what she called a debilitating fever and headache. This, after she said she had breathing issues and had not even eaten in a week. Today is the first day I have eaten anything in a full week, Lue said in her first Instagram video on March 28. I wasnt doing that on purpose. I just couldnt breathe enough to chew. Lue said she could not get out of bed for days and is thankful for people who sent her food and who gave her so many messages and advice. I just wanted to thank everyone who has shown me love. I want to thank you guys for the well wishes, love and support. This is one of the hardest things Ive ever gone through. Lue, who has been anchoring from home, says she doesnt know how she caught COVID. She says she stayed home nearly every single day the last year, but went to a car dealership to turn in her car lease last month and then she went out with some friends on Friday, March 26 and by Saturday, I was down. Its a little inartful to try and convey all of my emotions in a tweet, so for now I will simply say thank you, Lue added on Twitter after returning home from the hospital. I am humbled by your kindness I am resting but when I get my life together I will have more to say. Also brace yourselves for my new sunflower obsession. MORE FROM MLIVE: Dont fall for this COVID-19 vaccine appointment phone scam making the rounds in Michigan Michigan toddler spiked 107-degree fever with coronavirus, battle lasting forever Michigan father learning to walk, talk, eat again after Covid-19: Just happy to be alive Pitch Black - Dining in the Dark coming to secret Detroit location: How to get tickets Michigan getting Van Gogh floor-to-ceiling multi-sensory experience as seen in Paris (@ChaudhryMAli88) Malta will soon reopen its embassy in Libya and resume air traffic with the North African country, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Monday, after a meeting in Tripoli with the head of the Libyan interim government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah BENGHAZI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th April, 2021) Malta will soon reopen its embassy in Libya and resume air traffic with the North African country, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Monday, after a meeting in Tripoli with the head of the Libyan interim government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. At a press conference following the meeting, Abela "announced the resumption of air traffic between the countries in the near future and said he was happy that the Maltese Embassy in Tripoli will reopen in the coming days," the Libyan prime minister's office said in a statement. The move comes as part of the Maltese government's measures to strengthen ties and cooperation between the two countries, Abela said, expressing readiness to support Libya fully in a number of fields, especially security and the economy. Dbeibah, in turn, noted the important role Malta played in resolving the longstanding conflict in Libya through the organization of meetings between the opposing sides. The Libyan Government of National Unity, elected during the Swiss-hosted round of intra-Libyan talks in early February, will be in charge until the national elections scheduled for December 24. It replaced two rival administrations in the east and west of the country. Since the transfer of office to the new government in mid-March, a number of foreign countries, including Egypt and Greece, have reopened their embassies in Tripoli and resumed relations with the North African nation, with many others exploring the possibility. 04/05/2021 Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-758-4664 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu LOWELL, Mass. UMass Lowell Associate Prof. Phitsamay Uy was the first refugee from Laos to receive tenure as a professor of education in the United States. And for years, she was the only one. Determined to change that, Uy has started a mentoring network for Asian American and Pacific Islander teachers and education students. One of my goals is to try to bring as many Asian American educators up through the K-12 and higher-education ranks as I can, said Uy, who joined UMass Lowells College of Education in 2011. Working with educators in Canton, Charlestown and Medford, Uy launched the Asian American Educator Mentor Program in 2019 with a $35,000 award from a National Education Association grant program that provides support for diverse teachers. The grant was just renewed. Teachers of color are greatly underrepresented in the nations schools, even as the school-age population is becoming more diverse, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Nationwide, 79 percent of teachers are white, but nearly half of K-12 public school students are Black, Hispanic, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Native American or multiracial, according to the U.S. Census. The need to support Asian American and Pacific Islander educators is particularly acute, according to Uy. Although educators are highly respected in most Asian countries, many Asian American families discourage their children from pursuing teaching careers in the United States in favor of higher paying jobs in other fields, Uy said. Only 2 percent of U.S. public school teachers are Asian American, and less than 1 percent are Pacific Islanders, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The mentoring program has 40 participants and has expanded this year to include several veteran teachers in California and Minnesota. Connecting via Zoom meetings, the full group convenes regularly for educational presentations and discussions with scholars and leaders of community organizations. Smaller mentoring groups that include one education student, one or two early-career teachers and one veteran teacher also meet on a rotating basis. UMass Lowell students in the mentoring program say one key benefit of the group is simply meeting other people who understand their experiences. English major Linda Lak, who emigrated from Cambodia a decade ago, said the groups support is giving her the confidence she needs to become an elementary school or bilingual education teacher in her hometown, Lowell, or a similar community, so that she can help other immigrant students. Growing up here, Ive seen a lot of teachers and they inspire me a lot, Lak said. As a bilingual student, Lak said she was often afraid to raise her hand and answer questions until she felt more confident in speaking English. Now, in the mentoring group, shes learning more about her identity as an Asian American. I just feel this sense of belonging and community. Thats really important for me, she said. Im learning more about what its like to be a teacher of color and I think thats important, because knowing what they have shared, I wont be surprised if I experience these things in the workplace and will know to speak up for myself. Sahaj Rijal emigrated from Nepal with his family when he was 10 years old and now lives in Harwich. A UMass Lowell chemistry major, he participates in the universitys UTeach program, which prepares students to teach science, technology, engineering or math. Through UTeach, Rijal is assisting in Lowell Public Schools; his involvement in the Asian American Educator Mentor Program is helping him succeed in that effort. What I like is that you have this connection to 40 Asian American educators who have gone through similar things that I have, or worse things, and still come out teaching and helping other Asian American teachers and students. Hearing part of their journey is very interesting and inspiring, he said. Theyve created this safe space for Asian American educators to come together and talk about these things and not be judged. CHICOPEE Facing a perfect storm of problems that have left the Fire Department severely short-staffed, the City Council agreed to beef up the overtime budget while officials work to hire more people. With a new Civil Service list posted, Fire Chief Daniel Stamborski is starting to interview candidates to fill a dozen vacancies in the department. Meanwhile, the City Council agreed recently to add $350,000 to the overtime budget after the department has already gone through its fiscal year 2021 allotment of $750,000 in the first nine months of the year. The money came from the citys free cash account. Firefighters are hired through the state Civil Service system and no new list of candidates has been available for a year so people who have retired or resigned cannot be replaced, he said. That is further complicated by the fact that multiple firefighters have been on leave due to injuries some received on the job and some off duty. In addition, two firefighters called up for full-time active military duty and several have contracted COVID-19, Stamborski said. The city received a Federal Emergency Management Agency SAFER grant that is paying for six of the 12 salaries for new firefighters for the next three years. One of the benefits of the $1.1 million grant is that it will fund positions that already exist. Many grants only provide money to add new positions to expand a departments original staff, Mayor John L. Vieau said. Adding to the difficulty is the Western Massachusetts Firefighter Training Academy has cut class sizes for new recruits by 50%, to 18 students, because of the pandemic making it difficult for departments to get firefighting candidates trained, he said. We are hoping that the six SAFER grant positions are guaranteed for the next class, but the additional six are not, Stamborski said. If the additional recruits cannot get into the academy Stamborski said he will have the new recruits work on the ambulance until they can be admitted into another class. In the past, the Fire Department trained its own recruits. City Councilor Gerald Roy, a retired firefighter asked if that is a viable option now. The advantage of having recruits in the state firefighting academy is they receive standardized training. Stamborski said he is hoping that loosening state regulations will increase the number of available slots in the academy. Related content: File this under fascinating car-related trivia: the building is officially called 20 Fenchurch Street, after the name of the street its built on. Its situated in the heart of Londons financial district, on the edge of a conservation area, and its perhaps one of the most controversial buildings to have been erected in the capital in recent years. Least of all for the fact that it once caused considerable damage to a parked Jaguar.The unofficial name of the construction is Walkie-Talkie, but it also goes by Walkie-Scorchie and Fryscraper, among others. Designed by Rafael Vinoly, it resembles a walkie-talkie (or a maxi-pad, if youre feeling extremely ungenerous toward the designer from Uruguay), with a concave face that makes it appear as if its looming over the surrounding neighborhood in the most threatening manner. Considering the death ray its able to project on the street below, the impression of the threatening stance becomes a bit more real.In 2013, Fryscraper became an overnight celebrity. Londoners and tourists alike were crowding in a particular area south of the building, conducting experiments and feeling on their own skin the intensity of the death ray. Martin Lindsays story helped the frenzy peak: in under two hours, his Jaguar XJ , parked in the right (wrong?) spot at the right time, started to melt under the glare of the reflected sun.Imagine a magnifying glass and an unfortunate bug caught under it by a curious kid to see if he could set it on fire. The Fryscraper was the magnifying glass and everything else, including the Jag, became the bug.Lindsay told the BBC at the time that the wing mirror, the panels, and the Jaguar badge melted and became deformed, estimating damage at about 1,000 ($1,176 at todays exchange rate). He wasnt as much mad about the damage to his car as he was amazed that the architect, contractors, and developers would erect a 37-story building worth 200 million ($235 million) and not consider the possibility that something like this could happen.The same question was on everyones mind. The journalist who fried an egg in a pan on a window sill. The hairstylist whose products on the shelves started to bubble. The owner of the next-door business whose rug started to smoke and tiles became cracking from the heat. The girls who came to work on their tans and got sunburns.Local readings revealed peaks of 91C (196F) and even as much as 117C (243F). The magnifying glass-bug comparison no longer seems hyperbolic, does it?You can't believe something like this would happen, Lindsay said. It could be dangerous. Imagine if the sun reflected on the wrong part of the body.Indeed, a recent study by Imperial College fire expert Guillermo Rein, published in the Journal of Building Performance Simulation and cited by Londonist , revealed that this could have had fatal consequences had it not been for Londons characteristic clouded sky. Had Vinoly built his building in any other city in any other part of the world, people could have been killed by his death ray.Not that Vinoly is a stranger to buildings with a bite. His Vdara in Las Vegas had the same problem, also caused by a concave glass facade: the ray concentrated on an area near the pool, singing newspapers, melting plastic loungers, and causing burns on clients skins. He eventually solved it by putting up umbrellas and plants.The Walkie-Talkie was developed by Land Securities and Canary Wharf, and their initial reaction was to blame the current elevation of the sun in the sky. Their best defense at the time was that the situation would only last some three weeks, for up to two hours a day. Vinolys explanation was even more bewildering: he knew this would a problem, but he didnt realize it will be so hot, so blame climate change because London used never to have sunny days.In the years that have passed, the Fryscraper has been rendered harmless, first by setting up a scaffolding structure to absorb the concentrated ray, then by making alterations to the building. The horizontal louvered windows that were initially part of the design and that would have prevented this from happening were lost in the cost-cutting process. But it will always remain the glass building that melted a car. In dreary, rainy, cloudy London. One of the areas of good governance that caught the attention of Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo during his recent visit to Gombe is Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahayas passion in harnessing the huge human capital in Gombe for socio-economic development of the State. Prior to the Vice Presidents visit, Gombe State has been a hub of trade, commerce and agricultural activities in the North Eastern Nigeria. The indigenes fondly referred to as Gombawa are a legendary hardworking and industrious people. The Vice President took note of the exemplary and advantageous use to which Governor Yahaya is putting the human capital resources of the state, especially in the MSME sector. The comparative advantage of abundant human capital which the state has over the surrounding neighbouring states invariably makes it the commercial nerve centre of North-east sub region. Over the years, Gombe State human capital capabilities, seen as a catalytic assets, were largely ignored by past administrations in the state. In addition to the humongous human capital assets in the state, Gombe also boasts of other factors of production and natural resources endowments. Agricultural and mineral deposits are in commercially viable quantum to engage the human capital. Gombe State is home to one of the biggest agricultural commodities market in the country (The Tudun Hatsi) and the famous Dadinkowa Dam with 40 megawatt capacity hydropower plant designed to provide electricity and water for irrigation and aquaculture. Gombe has a thriving mega market. The Gombe Main Market which stretches on a long street in the Metropolis is unarguably one of the biggest markets in the north east. There is also the industrial cluster in the British Cotton Growing Area, BCGA, the Gombe Cattle Market the tomato market and many others which currently provide employment to hundreds of youths across the State. Although the state was wading through numerous challenges, the emergence of the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya on May 29th 2019 rekindled the hope of a rapid economic transformation. The expectation is perhaps borne out of the fact that Governor Yahaya is perceived as someone, who having lived all his life in Gombe and successfully built his business structures and networks, would naturally ease the state into an era of economic growth and development. The Governor is reputed to have an uncommon, but better understanding of the challenges confronting MSMEs in the State, as well as the strategic model to galvanise available resources for the overall benefit of the people of the State. One of strategies put in place by Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is the repositioning of the MSME subsector. To achieve the repositioning agenda, a bill for the creation of the Gombe State Enterprise Development Agency has been in the House of Assembly for consideration and subsequent passage. When created, the Agency is expected to drive MSME development in the State by harnessing the enormous potentials of all the small and medium scale businesses across various economic and social sectors. Similarly, the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa recently launched 10-Year Development Agenda for Gombe State, the first ever by any governor in the state. The Development Agenda identified the MSME subsector as an important driver of economic and social advancement. It is a historic development. ADVERTISEMENT Under the leadership of Inuwa Yahaya, the Gombe Industrial Park project has been initiated. When fully operational the Industrial Park will take advantage of the enormous potentials in hydropower, oil and gas, agriculture and solid minerals resources in the State to accelerate the economic growth of the state. A commensurate effort aimed at boosting human capital development has propelled the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya to invest in the revitalisation of the health and education sectors. The Governor is aggressively equipping the teeming population of young men and women with the skills and qualifications necessary to succeed in the 21st century. These efforts of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya in boosting economic activities in the State caught the attention of Nigerias Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo who observed with satisfaction that the State has been actively engaged in ensuring that its citizens benefit from MSMEs related schemes. Thus, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya was commended highly by the visiting Vice President for championing the course of human capital development through economic activities in the State. The Vice President noted that despite the huge challenges facing Gombe State, the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya was able to ignite the can do spirit of the people of the State through policies geared towards developing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the State. The Vice President who was at the 27th edition of the National Micro Small and Medium Enterprises MSMEs held in Gombe State recently, said Thus far in the payroll support for Gombe State, we have ensured that about 9085 employees, from close to 2000 MSMEs in the educational sector have benefited from the scheme, another 10,000 artisans and transporters have also benefited from this State, up to 6000 new business names have been registered free of charge with CAC from businesses that are in the State. In all, MSMEs, in Gombe State has been supported by the Federal Government with almost 1.2 billion naira under the economic sustainability plan. On his part, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya said the hosting of the 27th Edition of the National MSME Clinic is an important milestone in the development of the local economy in Gombe State, as it is expected to facilitate the development of small-scale enterprises by serving as a one-stop-shop for all MSME-related information, bringing together all relevant stakeholders, promoting the production and consumption of locally produced goods and services. Governor Inuwa Yahaya said the clinic will also help small and medium scale businesses to which he holds so dear to his heart in areas of improving access to finance, business registrations, access to market, skills acquisition and compliance with regulatory requirements, alongside other reforms around ease of doing business, adding that his administration is working to create a conducive environment for small and medium enterprises to thrive and succeed. The choice of Gombe State for the 27th MSME Clinic is both apt and timely. We are blessed with an economy that is driven by enterprising and hard-working young men and women. No wonder the British Historian, Dr Mary Tiffen, aptly described the people of Gombe as The Enterprising Peasants in her seminal book on the history of Economic Development in Gombe (19001968). Added to the uniquely favorable conditions for individual enterprise, our strategic position at the center of the Northeast subregion puts us at the heart of the regional trade, commerce and agriculture. Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has been observed by opinion leaders to be gradually attaining the status of a trailblazer in his burning desire to build human capital for shared prosperity. His relentless efforts towards repositioning the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Gombe State is one that will certainly outlive his tenure and the benefits to the people of the State will no doubt last for many years to come. Misilli is Director General (Press Affairs) Government House, Gombe Kate Winslet has said she knows well-known actors who havent publicly come out in fear of a Hollywood backlash. The actor, who stars in new film Ammonite, revealed that she knows of at least four gay stars who are keeping their sexuality hidden due to the belief they will lose out on roles. Winslet, 45, told Sunday Times Culture magazine: I cannot tell you the number of young actors I know some well known, some starting out who are terrified their sexuality will be revealed and that it will stand in the way of their being cast in straight roles. The actor, whose credits include Titanic and The Reader, said that she knows a well-known actor who was recently told by an American agent to keep the fact they are bisexual a secret. The agent said: I understand you are bisexual I wouldnt publicise that, Winslet said. I can think of at least four actors absolutely hiding their sexuality. Its painful. Because they fear being found out. Kate Winslet criticised homophobia in the film industry (Getty Images) Winslet, who is married with three children, hit out at the judgment, discrimination and homophobia rife within the film industry. Read more: Francis Lees romantic drama Ammonite follows Winslets palaeontologist Mary Anning, who falls in love with a local geologists wife (Saoirse Ronan). In The Independents four-star review, Clarisse Loughrey praised Winslets performance, writing: [The actor] is ferocious here a performance thats powered by steam locomotive, made unstoppable. The film is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video now. Tourism operators in Victorias regions are making hay while the sun shines as warm autumn weather fuels one of the best Easter holiday seasons they have seen. Warm and settled temperatures are set to continue this week, increasing again to 27 degrees by Thursday after reaching heights not seen on a Good Friday since the 1930s and peaking at 31 degrees on Saturday in Melbourne. Tourists taking a tractor trip through Len Rayners orchard on Monday Credit:Eddie Jim This week we have another high pressure system and those settled conditions will allow for good school holiday activity, Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Ilana Cherny said. She said autumn often had large fluctuations in temperatures and a series of cold fronts were due to bring cooler and wetter conditions on the weekend. Kim Zolciak and her daughter Brielle are mourning the tragic death of one of their friends. The Bravo stars posted tributes in honor of close pal Ethan McCallister, who died on Saturday in a hit-and-run in Atlanta. He was just 28. 'We will miss your huge beautiful smile, constant jokes, cowboy boots and infamous shirts,' Kim, 42, wrote in her Instagram post which included photos of Ethan and Brielle having fun together. Heartbroken: Kim Zolciak and Brielle Biermann have been left devastated after their good friend Ethan McCallister was killed in a hit-and-run on Saturday morning Longtime friends: Ethan was reportedly struck by a vehicle at 3am on Saturday morning as he was out walking at Piedmont Avenue and Lindbergh Drive in Atlanta, according to WSB-TV 'You were always the life of the party!! One of the most genuine kind hearted people I have ever known,' she continued. 'Always willing to help anyone anywhere. We love you Ethan and I will make sure justice is served.' Ethan was reportedly struck by a vehicle at 3am on Saturday morning as he was out walking at Piedmont Avenue and Lindbergh Drive in Atlanta, according to WSB-TV. Police are still searching for the suspect who was reportedly driving a grey Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and fled the scene of the crash. Kim, 42, shared photos of the pals together as she spoke fondly of Ethan Brielle, 24, shared a heartbroken message to her own account, as she wrote: 'Ethan.... i cant believe Im even writing this. Im sick sick sick to my stomach. You are my happiness my joy my light in this very dark world.. the life of the party and the sweetest soul Ive been blessed to know. 'You are my best friend. My heart. My everything. There will never be another you. Ever ever ever. You came into this world with 1 mission... make people smile. You were damn good at it too. There was never a moment i wasnt laughing with you!! BFFs: Brielle was close with Ethan and recently vacationed with him in the Bahamas 'We havent spent a weekend apart all year!!! How am i supposed to go anywhere without you? How am i supposed to laugh, smile, GO TO MIAMI OR DRINK 1942 WITHOUT YOU!? God i love you ethan. I really really do. I cant wait to see you again' Brielle shared photos of the friends together, some from their recent trip to the Bahamas. Kim and Brielle also asked for help in identifying the driver and shared the link to the McCallister family GoFundMe. 'I can't wait to see you again': Brielle, 24, shared a heartbroken message to her own account, along with a collection of memories A driver allegedly speeding away from police slammed into a railway line and catapulted, landing ten metres off the ground in a stack of orchard crates. A driver speeding away from police in Hastings, in New Zealand's Hawke's Bay region, hit a a railway line and became airborne before landing into a stack of orchard crates (pictured) New Zealand police said officers spotted the car driving at speed on the wrong side of Karamu Rd, in Hastings, on Sunday night and tried to pull it over. But the driver failed to stop, instead fleeing down Kenilworth Road, Mayfair, where the car hit a patch of gravel at the base of the railway lines and became 'airborne', police said, the NZ Herald reports. A police spokeswoman said the car launched metres into the air, over a fence, and crashed into the stack of fruit boxes about 12.30am. Emergency services were called to the crash site where they worked into the early hours of the morning to extract the driver. 'Our crews assisted with the extrication of the occupant,' a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said. The man, aged in his 20s, was rushed to Hawke's Bay Hospital with serious injuries. He is now in a stable condition. Footage posted online shows firefighters ascending ladders to reach the car as its rear protruded from the pile of crates. The front half of the vehicle was completely crushed under the weight of the containers, and was still visibly lodged inside the stack later on Sunday. Police said officers were not pursuing at the time of the crash. Local resident Kristy Hall said she was watching TV when she heard a car racing down her street. 'I immediately thought that he was going way too fast to stop and jumped up out of bed,' she said. 'Before my feet hit the floor, there was a half second skid and then the bang. 'My initial thoughts were filled with fear that they would be pulling a body from that car.' Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash continue. Alpine Supply Chain Solutions, a leader in supply chain consulting, today announced industry publication Food Logistics named Michael Wohlwend, Managing Principal of Alpine, a winner of its 2021 Rock Stars of the Supply Chain award. This award recognizes influential individuals in the industry whose achievements, hard work and vision have shaped the global cold food supply chain. This years list includes individuals from software providers, consultancies and academia, trucking and transportation firms, grocery retail and delivery outlets, and more, all who have met and exceeded in safety, efficiency, productivity and innovation throughout the global cold food supply chain These professionals are making waves in an industry upended by the global pandemic. Whether its pivoting into a different channel or implementing emerging technologies, these supply chain leaders prove that hard work pays off, says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive. These winners collaborated, optimized, developed, educated and played a critical role in the survival and success of their company amid a global pandemic. I am honored to recognize these individuals, and continue to extend my utmost gratitude to everyone in the cold food supply chain industry for their time, efforts and innovations to keep food moving through the chain in a safe and efficient manner. As the food supply chain continues to be tested, Im honored to be working with clients like Bongards, Good Eggs, Swire Coca-Cola and SF Marin Food Bank to ensure safe and timely delivery of food, said Michael Wohlwend, Managing Principal, Alpine Supply Chain Solutions. It is an honor to be recognized by Food Logistics and I am proud to be part of an industry that has played a vital role in connecting people and the products they needed most over the past year. Recipients of this years award will be profiled in the March 2021 print issue. Go to http://www.FoodLogistics.com to view the full list of 2021 Rock Stars of the Supply Chain winners. About Food Logistics Food Logistics is the only publication exclusively dedicated to covering the movement of product through the global cold food supply chain, focusing on trucking, warehousing, packaging, risk management, food safety and more. Go to http://www.FoodLogistics.com. About Alpine Supply Chain Solutions Alpine Supply Chain Solutions, based in Chicago, IL, is a supply chain consulting company driven to ensure their clients get the most value from their investments. Their approach to every project starts with the data and ends with a cost justifiable solution. With deep roots in industrial engineering, Alpines approach is unique. For more information please visit: http://www.AlpineSupplyChainSolutions.com. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 00:35:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The foreign ministers of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea visited China from March 31 to April 3. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held one-on-one talks with them, in which the mutual recognition of health codes is common regard. New Delhi, Apr 4 (UNI) Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the operations against Maoist in Chhattisgarh to continue with more intensity. Talking to media in Guwahati on his way back to Delhi, he said So far as the number of casualty is concerned, I would not be able to tell that as the search operation has been continued but what I can say that both sides have suffered the loss. I pay tribute the martyrs and assure their families and nation as well that the sacrifices of our security forces will not go in vein. Operation against the Maoist will continue with more intensity and vigour and we will take this endeavour to a logical conclusion, Mr Shah further said. Mr Shah has cut short his poll campaign in Assam and has been returning to Delhi in wake of the Naxal attack while the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel who was also campaigning in Assam, went back to Raipur on Sunday afternoon. A total of 22 security personnel have been killed and one missing in a fierce encounter between security forces and Maoist on Saturday afternoon near Jonaguda village under Jagargunda police station area in Sukma district and reportedly the encounter continued for 3-4 hours. The combined patrolling team of Chhattisgarhs STF, CRPFs CoBRA, District Reserve Guard (DRG) and some security personnel of Bastaria battalion of CRPF was dispatched from Tarrem came under the attack of ultras belonging PLGA (Peoples' Liberation Guerilla Army) battalion of Maoists reportedly led by the dreaded naxal commander Hidma. UNI AKS SHK1715 The 27th Screen Actors Guild Awards was recently concluded celebrating the outstanding motion picture and television performances. The virtual, pre-taped event has The Trial of the Chicago 7 taking the top prize, with the actors of color bagging the individual film awards for the first time. Check out the details below. 'The Trial of the Chicago 7' takes top honors at SAG Awards 2021 The stellar cast of Aaron Sorkins directed 1960s courtroom drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 won "an outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture" at the SAG Awards 2021. Every year SAG Awards is considered as a preview for Oscars, but it is a lesser foretaste this year as perceived Academy Awards frontrunner - Chloe Zhaos Nomadland was not nominated for best ensemble. However, the win for Netflixs The Trial of the Chicago 7 marks the first time a film for any streaming service grabbed the guilds ensemble award. The Trial of the Chicago 7 cast winner includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Bobby Seale, Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Richard Schultz, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Fred Hampton, Michael Keaton as Ramsey Clark, Frank Langella as Judge Julius Hoffman, John Carroll Lynch as David Dellinger, Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden, Mark Rylance as William Kunstler, Alex Sharp as Rennie Davis, and Jeremy Strong as Jerry Rubin. The movie was set for a theatrical release by Paramount Pictures before the pandemic hit, leading to its sales to Netflix. The streamer is still after its first best-picture win at the Academy Awards. The win came over two other Netflix films Ma Raineys Black Bottom and Da 5 Bloods. The nominees also included Amazons One Night in Miami and A24s Minari. Bong Joon-hos Parasite won the ensemble cast award last year, becoming the first cast from a non-English language movie to do so. If Lee Isaac Chungs Korean-American family drama Minari would have got the honor, it would have been the second straight year a film largely not in English won SAGs top award. Is the Trial of the Chicago 7 accurate? The Trial of the Chicago 7 is based on a true story following a group of anti-Vietnam War protesters charged with crossing state lines and conspiracy with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Like many movies inspired by real events, Aaron Sorkin took creative liberty in some scenes for good storytelling. However, most of the facts were accurate. The inaccurate facts include Bobby Seal only bound and gagged for a few moments in the film. In reality, he spent several days in the court that way, only able to communicate through muffled noises, revealed Decider. There is also little evidence that lawyer Richard Schultz, was as sympathetic to the defendants as he appeared in the movie. The undercover FBI agent Daphne OConnors part also does not have a link to the actual incident. The accurate facts include the gag pulled by Hoffman and Rubin of wearing judges robes to mock Judge Hoffman. Several dialogues were taken from courtroom transcripts. The name of all of the people who lost their lives in Vietnam was read aloud at one point in the trial, although it was not the climactic closing statement as shown in the movie. Promo Image Source: Netflix.com Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. The French government and the European Commission have reached an agreement in principle on fresh financial support for Air France, which has been hurt by a drop in air travel since the start of the pandemic, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said yesterday. Its very good news for Air France, its very good news for the whole French aviation sector, Mr Le Maire said in an interview on LCI television. It was a long and difficult negotiation, but I think weve reached a good agreement with EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. The accord is fair and proportionate, he said, adding that the carrier would have to give up fewer than the 24 airport take-off and landing slots at Paris-Orly airport wanted by the European Commission in return for state support due to competition concerns. France and the Netherlands own a combined 28pc stake in Air France-KLM. The countries have been in talks for months on a funding plan after granting the carrier 10.4bn in direct loans and state-backed guarantees last year. The carrier, whose net debt ballooned to 11bn at the end of 2020, has said it is planning to raise equity and quasi-equity. The airlines board will meet tomorrow to validate the principle of the accord, Mr Le Maire said. He declined to give details of the amount of support or number of slots to be given up ahead of the meeting. The French government is coming to Air Frances aid as it considers the carrier to be strategic for the country, with tens of thousands of jobs at stake, Mr Le Maire said. However, the airline must improve competitiveness, reduce carbon emissions and return to profit, he added. Mr Le Maire said he expected Air France-KLM chief executive officer Ben Smith to make suggestions, and that it didnt necessarily mean cutting jobs. Taxpayers are making an effort, Mr Le Maire said. Air France must make an effort for its part. Thats fair. Air France-KLM burnt through 2.1bn in the final quarter of last year. The airline said in February it would operate at 40pc of 2019 capacity in the first quarter and that losses would worsen. It is banking on the roll-out of vaccines to underpin a recovery in the coming months. ( Bloomberg) New Delhi: Four inebriated men allegedly forced their way into the campus of the Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College and tried to enter its girls hostel, the police said today. Two of them are from the college and have been suspended. The third is a student of a South Campus college and is on the run along with the other two. The fourth, Rakesh Dhall, worked at the STGB Khalsa college canteen and was arrested after a police complaint filed by the principal on September 23. The accused, allegedly drunk, had created a ruckus after being stopped by a staffer on duty at the residential complex of the college. They started quarrelling with him and also slapped a watchman on duty, the principal said in his complaint. They left after threatening the staffers who had stopped them. The incident, that happened on the night of September 19, comes in the wake of the alleged sexual harassment of a girl student in the Benaras Hindu University that led to massive protests. Several students, including women, and two journalists were injured in a lathi-charge by police inside BHU during the protests. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kabul, April 5 : One soldier was killed and four others were wounded in an IED explosion that targeted an army vehicle in Kabul's Qarabagh district on Monday, police said in a statement. The incident took place at around 7 a.m. in Sabz Sang village, TOLO News reported. "Another mine was seized and defused by the security forces team," the police statement added. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast year. On Sunday, three security force members were killed in a car bombing in Kabul's Paghman district. According to the police, the explosives-laden car was detonated near a military vehicle. At least 12 security force members were wounded in the explosion, police said. Data collected by TOLO News revealed that at least 307 Afghans were killed and 350 others wounded in a series of explosions and targeted attacks in March. There has been a 20 per cent increase in the number of explosions and targeted attacks in the country in March compared to February. In February, the casualties were 264, with 278 injuries. A seven-months-pregnant woman and her family including her son with special needs were kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight because her two-year-old daughter wasn't wearing a mask. The incident involving Ari and Avital Eisenberg, of Toms River, New Jersey, took place onboard a plane that was trying to leave Orlando, Florida, to head to New York on Monday. Avital, who is seven months pregnant, and the family were returning home from spending Passover in Florida. The couple, in an interview with Fox News, said they were kicked off the flight because two-year-old Rikki was not wearing a mask. Avital also said her son Daniel, seven, has special needs and covering his mouth can induce seizures, but she told a flight attendant she would try and keep it on him. The incident involving Ari and Avital Eisenberg, of Toms River, New Jersey, took place onboard a plane that was trying to leave Orlando, Florida, to head to New York on Monday Despite their efforts, all of the passengers were kicked off the flight on Monday. The mother is seen holding her two-year-old as they prepare to leave the plane The girl's father also pointed out that they were traveling with their 'special needs' son (pictured) Several videos from the incident have been shared on social media. In one clip, the little girl is sitting on her mother's lap eating yogurt when a female flight attendant tells them they'll need to exit the plane. The mother and father immediately asked the steward why they were being kicked off the flight. 'I'm sorry. They want you off,' the flight attendant tells the family, adding that they were 'noncompliant with the masks'. The girl's parents responded that they have been wearing their masks when the attendant pointed to their daughter and said: 'She's not wearing one.' Other passengers sitting nearby immediately pointed out to the flight attendant that there were other babies not wearing masks. They also pointed to the fact that the little girl was eating yogurt while waiting for takeoff. The flight attendant says 'it's not my choice' as the girl's dad argues that they also have their 'special needs' son with them. 'Were done talking. The pilot wants you off, so you have to get off,' the pilot said. The mother pleaded: 'Shes a baby. She just turned 2 a month ago. Shes been trying to wear it.' The steward then walks away and says she's going to call the police onboard. Avital told Fox News the whole experience was traumatic for the children, adding: 'She just kept repeating that she needs me to deplane and I said I'm not going anywhere, I didnt do anything wrong. We tried to explain that were doing everything we can with the kids. 'My son missed his medication window. Thank God he didnt have a seizure. He was sitting there in a soaking wet diaper because I couldnt change him during the whole thing. My daughter is going crazy from all this it was a terrible terrible experience to go through let alone someone with a special needs child.' Ari added: 'I have no words. Next level craziness. I understand if I gave someone attitude but there was none of that. We were about to take off. 'Everything was fine and all of the sudden someone comes over to us and asks us to deplane. We did comply they and nothing to say. I kept asking what didnt we comply with they and nothing to say.' Two clips show the family getting out of their seats along with other passengers after everyone was told they needed to disembark the plane. The family (pictured after getting back on the plane) and all of the passengers were let back onto the plane a short time later. 'Happy ending! We're back on,' the girl's father says in another video The family and all of the passengers were let back onto the plane a short time later. 'Happy ending! We're back on,' the girl's father says in another video. A DailyMail.com request for comment to Spirit Airlines was not returned. Social media videos initially appeared to show a male flight attendant being kicked off the flight and being escorted by police. A Spirit spokesman told Fox News however, that the employee was changing shift and was not being removed. According to Spirits website, their mask policy requires that all travelers wear face coverings in compliance with CDC guidelines on flights and in airports. 'Face coverings may be removed only while eating, drinking, or taking medication when done eating, drinking, or taking medication, face coverings must be repositioned immediately,' the airline's policy reads. According to the policy, 'guests who choose not to comply with our face covering requirement will lose future flight privileges with Spirit'. 'Children under the age of 2 years old are exempt. There may be other limited exceptions for a Guest with a disability recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) who meet certain criteria.' This image released by A24 shows, from left, Steven Yeun, Alan S. Kim, Youn Yuh-jung, Han Ye-ri, and Noel Cho in a scene from "Minari." AP South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung won an award at the U.S. Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for her supporting role in the drama film "Minari." At the televised ceremony of the 2021 SAG Awards on Sunday (U.S. time), Youn was named the winner of Outstanding Performance By a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, beating Maria Bakalova for "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," Glenn Close for "Hillbilly Elegy," Olivia Colman for "The Father" and Helena Zengel for "News of the World." "I don't know how to describe my feelings," she said in her emotional acceptance speech. "I'm recognized by Westerners. It is very, very honorable that my actor fellows chose me as a (best) supporting actress. I'm very pleased and happy. Thank you. Thanks SAG." She is the first South Korean actor to win the individual acting category in the award given by U.S. actors. Last year, the cast of the Oscar-winning "Parasite" clinched SAG's top prize, Outstanding Performance by a Cast, or best ensemble, but none of the actors were nominated in other acting categories. In this screenshot courtesy of the 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, Youn Yuh-Jung accepts the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role ("Minari") during this year SAG awards ceremony held virtually on April 4, 2021. AFP-Yonhap Damage has been caused to the the canopy and stage of Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre by youths engaged in anti-social behaviour. The committee posted on social media and appealed to parents in the locality to supervise their children and also pointed out that youths gathering at the venue were in breach of Covid-19 guidelines. "Having watched our CCTV footage we have noticed antisocial behaviour happening in our amphitheatre!! "Teenagers have been climbing the canopy and using hurls to damage it. It is not only going to be costly but it's not safe for children and teenagers to be doing this. We can clearly see faces and if needed we will have to prosecute if there is a lot of damage done. Our stage has also been damaged. "Please keep your children and teenagers supervised and know where they are. Don't Damage what we as a community have spent many years building up for everyone to enjoy," they said. THE WOODLANDS, Texas, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) announced today that Sean Douglas, 56, has notified the Company he intends to resign as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and accept a full-time calling to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The effective date of Mr. Douglas' resignation will be July 1, 2021. "On behalf of Huntsman, I want to thank Sean for his very many contributions over the past 30 years," said Peter Huntsman, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO. "During his long career, Sean has done everything we have ever asked him to do with the highest level of professional competence and ethical clarity. He has played an instrumental role in supporting the execution of the Company's strategic vision, transforming our balance sheet into an investment grade and transitioning our product portfolio to more downstream, differentiated, and specialty chemical products. He has been a great role model for all our associates and he is my close friend. All of us wish Sean success in this next chapter of his life." The Company has initiated a search for a permanent Chief Financial Officer with the credibility, capability, and qualifications to continue effective execution of its financial and business strategies and is evaluating both internal and external candidates at this time. Mr. Huntsman expects to have the new CFO in place before the July 1, 2021 effective date of Sean's resignation. About Huntsman: Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2020 revenues of approximately $6 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 70 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 9,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com. Social Media: Twitter: www.twitter.com/Huntsman_Corp Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntsmancorp LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/huntsman Forward-Looking Statements: Certain information in this release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Huntsman companies' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, volatile global economic conditions, cyclical and volatile product markets, disruptions in production at manufacturing facilities, reorganization or restructuring of Huntsman's operations, including any delay of, or other negative developments affecting the ability to implement cost reductions, timing of proposed transactions, and manufacturing optimization improvements in Huntsman businesses and realize anticipated cost savings, and other financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors. The company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by applicable laws. SOURCE Huntsman Corporation Related Links http://www.huntsman.com New Delhi: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has announced that the electric car manufacturer Tesla needs 10,000 people at Gigafactory, Austin, Texas. More than 10,000 people are to be recruited by the year 2022, Musk said. "Over 10,000 people are needed for Giga Texas just through 2022!- 5 mins from airport-15 mins from downtown- Right on Colorado river," Elon Musk tweeted. Over 10,000 people are needed for Giga Texas just through 2022! - 5 mins from airport -15 mins from downtown - Right on Colorado river https://t.co/w454iXedxB Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 31, 2021 Tesla Inc was set to add about $50 billion to its market value, as its shares surged on Monday after the world`s most valuable automaker posted record deliveries, overcoming the impact of a shortage of automobile chips that has slammed the entire sector, a Reuters report said. The carmaker`s shares, up nearly 8% in pre-market trading, were on track to hit their highest in over a month. The electric-car maker said on Friday it was encouraged by the strong reception of its Model Y crossover in China and it was quickly progressing to full production capacity. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk`s personal wealth has been boosted by a more than eight-fold surge in the stock`s value last year, even though its production is just a fraction of rivals such as Toyota Motor, Volkswagen and General Motors. Tesla delivered 184,800 vehicles globally during the first quarter of 2021, above estimates of 177,822 vehicles, according to Refinitiv data. Tesla`s shares were at $713 before the bell, while other EV makers, including NIO Inc, Workhorse Group and Xpeng Inc were up about 3%, Reuters added. Live TV #mute With Agency Inputs A Californian firm backed by private equity has won deals with No10 to supply more than a billion coronavirus tests ahead of the mass twice-a-week testing drive. Innova Medical Group has raked in 2.8billion from British taxpayers in controversial deals for lateral flow tests that give results within 30 minutes. It was officially founded last March by Pasaca Capital, chaired by Chinese-born American businessman Charles Huang who was born in Wuhan - the city at the epicentre of the pandemic - but has lived in the US for more than three decades. Innova's 'primary' factory for making coronavirus swabs is in Xiamen in Fujian. It also has three production facilities in the US, and is planning to expand to the UK. The pharmaceutical's swabs will inevitably used as part of Boris Johnson's pledge to offer every adult in Britain two tests a week from Friday. But ministers are also hoping to start receiving swabs from UK companies - Omega Diagnostics and Global Access Diagnostics - as soon as their kits get the green light from the medical regulator. They will only be able to supply four million tests a week by the end of next month, compared to Innova's 15million a day. Scientists held up lateral flow tests as a way out of the pandemic because they could spot asymptomatic cases, helping to limit the spread of the virus. But some experts have raised concerns that thousands could be wrongly labelled as having Covid by getting 'false positives' because studies have shown the kits are less accurate than gold-standard PCR swabs. The Government has been accused of 'cronyism' in the way it handed out contracts at the start of the pandemic, amid a desperate scramble for PPE. But ministers insist they have nothing to hide and were working hard to get the necessary equipment to the country in record time. Innova Medical Group is owned by private equity firm Pasaca Capital Inc, that was set up by Chinese-born American businessman Charles Huang (pictured). The British taxpayer has already paid 2.8billion to Innova for lateral flow tests Boris Johnson is planning to get every adult in the UK to test themselves for the virus twice a week, as more parts of society begin to open up SCIENTISTS URGE GOVERNMENT TO STOP USING INNOVA TEST Scientists have accused the Government of misleading the public over the accuracy of Innova's rapid test and called for its use to be stopped. Professor Jon Deeks, Dr Angela Raffle and Dr Mike Gill from the University of Birmingham, the University of Bristol and a former regional director of public health, respectively said in a letter published in January: 'The Innova lateral flow test is not fit for many of the purposes being proposed by the government. 'In the Liverpool pilot, the test missed infection in 60 per cent of people, and of greatest concern missed it in 30 per cent of those with very high viral loads who are at highest risk of spreading the virus to others. 'An erroneous test result may lead to people taking the wrong actions and putting themselves and others at risk of infection. This may increase and not reduce disease spread, illness and death.' They said the limitations of the test were not being made clear by the Department of Health and that it was being made out to be more accurate than it is, in some places being compared to the significantly more reliable PCR tests. Lateral flow tests do have some benefits, they argued, but the way this was being used risked too many people getting false negative results or not reporting results when they were positive. The researchers urged in their letter: 'Stop further rollout of rapid asymptomatic testing using the Innova LFD, including its use in care homes, schools, communities and self-testing by untrained people at home.' A similar, but not identical comment, is available on the British Medical Journal blog. Advertisement Innova supplied as many as 500million lateral flow tests to Britain last year for 2billion - or 4 a test, according to the company's website. Government contracts show it was paid another 800million this year to secure an undisclosed number of tests. In an interview with the Sunday Times last month, Innova's chief executive Daniel Elliot said the firm was expecting to have supplied a billion tests to Britain, their biggest customer, by mid-April. 'The way to put it, in terms of scale, is we ship a Boeing 777 cargo jet every single day to the UK,' the chief executive told the Guardian last month. He added UK authorities were 'very surprised' when they found out quite how many swabbing kits the company could supply. 'I think that was the "Aha!" moment for them, because they were tasked with what felt like an impossible task,' he said. 'We had multiple calls within a 24-hour period. They kept asking, "can you really do this?"' Innova's route to winning multi-million pound deals to supply Britain with Covid tests came through a Northamptonshire businessman, the Mail revealed last November. Kim Thonger, 61, of Wellingborough, is the UK distributor of Innova's tests, along with his 52-year-old co-director Charles Palmer, who he took on last summer. Mr Thonger, who has no previous healthcare background and once worked for DKNY shoes and Dr Marten's, agreed to help Mr Elliott negotiate the bureaucracy and trials it had to go through to win its Government deal, it was claimed. Both he and Mr Palmer get 'a few pence' for every test sold. The Innova lateral flow test was approved for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) following examination at labs in Porton Down. It was found to be only 79 per cent accurate at rooting out positive cases on average when the test was given by lab scientists. This dropped to 73 per cent accurate when used by doctors and nurses, and barely 60 per cent accurate when people tested themselves. Innova did not dispute these results, but said appropriate training in how to administer the tests improved their performance. The SD Biosensor and Healgen Covid tests have also been approved for use in the UK, although the companies are not yet supplying swabs for the mass testing regime. The Prime Minister and Health Secretary announced a huge expansion in testing today with free rapid kits made available to everyone in England from this Friday. But concerns were immediately raised as when used on that scale the tests could wrongly label tens of thousands of people a week as having Covid. Tories also pointed out that vaccines have been billed as the key to returning to normal, saying it was another example of ministers 'moving the goalposts'. Allyson Pollock, professor of public health at Newcastle University, told the BBC that mass testing was a 'scandalous waste of money'. 'When the prevalence rate of coronavirus falls as low as it is at the moment then an increasing proportion of cases are likely to be false positives meaning that cases and contacts will self isolate unnecessarily.' Professor Pollock added that mass testing was 'going to do more harm than good', complained about a lack of evidence from the government. Former minister Steve Baker said that the false positives generated by tens of millions of additional tests could be enough to knock the Government's roadmap off course. Mr Baker, deputy chairman of the 70-strong Covid Recovery Group of MPs, said: 'It is now obvious that in an environment of low prevalence, mass asymptomatic testing makes false positives a real issue.' Two young schoolgirls have bravely spoken out about their violent sexual assault experiences at the tender age of 14 that robbed them of their childhoods. Danielle Villafana and Lily-Maud Horton, both 17, spoke on The Project about their sexual assaults. Ms Villafana was assaulted on a public train by a boy she previously trusted, and despite there being other passengers onboard at the time, she claimed nobody intervened. 'I was so, so scared. I didn't think there was anything else I could do but freeze and wait it out,' she told The Project on Monday night. Danielle Villafana (pictured) was assaulted on public transport by a trusted male on public transport when she was 14 years old A few weeks following the incident, Ms Villafana broke down at school and told a teacher about the assault. The teenager claimed police 'interrogated' her when she came forward, asking about what kind of clothes she was wearing the day it happened. 'It was terrifying to me that the very people who exist and are paid to protect you could ask you something like that and challenge the most traumatising thing that has ever happened to you and suggest that, as a kid, it's your fault that this happened to you,' she said. Ms Villafana said that what a lot of men don't realise is that 'what you're wearing doesn't mean, or initiate, consent'. The police did not press charges against the alleged attacker, leaving the now 17-year-old devastated as she 'can't deal with the idea of more children my age' going through the same experience. Also featuring on the program, Lily-Maud Horton described herself as 'broken, unstable' and 'terrified of men' following her assault. Lily-Maud Horton (pictured) has been left 'broken' and 'unstable' after she was raped three years ago by a man in his 20s during a party with friends 'In any situation where a male that isn't my brother is near me, I'm scanning, assessing, looking for danger,' she told host Lisa Wilkinson. Ms Horton was raped three years ago by a man in his 20s while at a party with friends. She was 'drugged up, completely immobilised and raped' - an experience that has left her 'terrified'. 'It was frightening to not have control of your own body, to have someone on top of you with the most intense eyes you've ever seen and such power, being paralysed in that way is something I wouldn't wish on anyone,' she said. A few days after the assault, Ms Horton went to the police and felt lucky to have a female officer who was empathetic to her situation. But the officer soon left the force, allegedly unable to handle the amount of victims that go through the courts that are 'brushed off'. Ms Horton said she's not the same girl she once was. A petition by former private schoolgirl Ms Contos (pictured) has shown testimonies of thousands of students who did not know they had been assaulted A Canberra woman who signed Chanel Contos' petition said her parents did not believe her when she was allegedly gang raped The teenager revealed that in a way she was 'murdered' by her rapist, as a part of her 'did die inside' the night it happened. The 17-year-old's stories come after 40,000 Australian women signed Chanel Conto's online petition for compulsory consent training in schools across the country. While there have been some positive responses, including Victoria mandating consent education in public schools, Ms Villafana said the conversations surrounding Australia's rape culture needs to change. 'Boys are never taught that they shouldn't keep hitting on that girl, they are never taught on what consent looks like, and those convos never happen because when they do woman are slut shamed,' she said. If this story has raised issues for you, please contact 1800 Respect 1800 737 732, Lifeline 13 11 14, beyondblue 1300 224 636, Domestic Violence Line 1800 65 64 63 A new system will require dog owners to update details annually to promote safer pets and community. (Joy Brown/Shutterstock) New Dog Log to Make Owners More Responsible in Australias Capital The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has introduced a bill on March 31 to strengthen responsible dog ownership. All owners will have to register their contact details in a government database along with the microchip number, colour, and name of their furry friends. Replacing the previous lifetime registration system, the government wants those details reconfirmed annually. The ACT government now wants all dog owners to register their contact details in a government database along with the microchip number, colour, and name of their furry friends. (Sandra Huber/Shutterstock) Minister for Transport and City Services Chris Steel said the main benefit is that it will enable animal services to use it as a search engine to return lost dogs to their families more quickly. Owners rarely tell the government when they change address or phone number, transfer their dogs ownership to someone else, or their pet passes away. This can be a particular problem when dog attacks unfortunately happen, or there is concern about dangerous dogs, Steel said in a statement. It will also help animal services understand the states dog population and where they need to target resources and services. Of those dogs, about 65 to 70 percents microchipped details are out of date, RSPCA CEO Michelle Robertson told WIN News. Around one in three Canberrans own a dog. (In Green/Shutterstock) Annual registration will ensure that we have up-to-date information on dogs so we can better understand how many are living here and pinpoint where and who owns them, Steel said. The new database will require owners to quickly and easily update their details once a year at no additional cost. For unregistered owners who do not comply with the changes, animal services will issue a $150 infringement notice. We recognise that life is busy, and Canberra families are juggling many things. Thats why the bill places the onus on the ACT Government to remind dog owners about annual registration requirements, Steel added. Once passed, the law would come into force on July 1. Over 3,600 stranded Vietnamese to be brought home from Asian destinations Vietnamese citizens on a repatriation flight from Taiwan, May 29, 2020. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Airlines. The government has given permission to carriers to operate flights in the next few weeks to bring home 3,640 Vietnamese stuck in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. All returnees will be quarantined for 14 days and tested for Covid-19. Vietnam Airlines would operate six flights to carry 1,600 people back from South Korea and Taiwan, the country's largest labor export markets, from now until the end of next month, Phap Luat TPHCM newspaper reported. Budget carrier Vietjet Air will bring 1,380 people from South Korea, Taiwan and Japan on six flights to Cam Ranh and Da Nang airports in central Vietnam. Bamboo Airways will deploy three flights to carry 660 Vietnamese from Japan and Taiwan. The passengers will pay their own fares as well as quarantine and testing expenses. Vietnam has suspended all inbound international commercial flights since March 2020, though the government has been allowing repatriation flights and special flights to bring foreign experts and investors to the country. Over 75,000 people were repatriated last year. Besides, Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet have been allowed to resume commercial flights this month from Hanoi and HCMC to some Asian destinations such as Seoul in South Korea, Taipei in Taiwan and Tokyo in Japan. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... DENVER The sole occupant of an airplane that crashed in the foothills of Colorados Rocky Mountains was found dead at the scene on Sunday. Authorities received an emergency beacon notification from the downed aircraft just after 8 p.m. Saturday night from an area about 45 miles northwest of Colorado Springs, near the Wigwam Creek hiking trail, according to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office. The plane was spotted from the air on Sunday morning and crews hiked in to the site to discover that the only person aboard had been killed. The plane was identified as a single-engine Magnus Fusion 212, a type of sport aircraft. The crash was in the area of the Lost Creek Wilderness, a 120,000-acre expanse of forest and large, dome-shaped granite outcroppings within Pike National Forest. No cause was immediately released, and the investigation was turned over to the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, the sheriffs office said. Federal investigators were due to arrive at the scene Monday morning, the NTSB said. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ NIVA sets NFT #SaveOurStages fundraiser for independent venues NIVA (National Independent Venue Association) has partnered with artist Young & Sick aka Nick van Hofwegen and fundraising platform Gold flyer, to stage The Golden Ticket, a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) art fundraiser to help support independent music. During the NIVA fundraiser, fans can place bids to win one of a series of 10 li Young & Sick-designed NFT digital art with a special Golden Ticket that will grant two tickets, replete with VIP access, to a show at the 9:30 Club, The Anthem, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and Lincoln Theatre. Along with the NFT Tokens, fans will also be able to purchase a series of open edition collectible NFT pieces, available for a limited time, allowing a broader audience to support the cause. Proceeds from the NFT will go to support the ten Goldflyer venues, including the 9:30 Club, Bowery Ballroom, EXIT/IN, First Avenue, The Independent, Mohawk, The Metro, Neumos, Tipitinas, and The Troubadour. The publics support has truly buoyed us as we continue to navigate the excruciating difficulties of keeping the business while were fully shuttered, with no revenue and bills to pay, said Donna Westmoreland, 9:30 Club and I.M.P. COO. This exciting initiative puts us back at the cutting edge of culture, which is where we love to be. We think the artwork is just killer, and were incredibly grateful to be part of it all. Having been inside most of these venues both as a performer and a fan, I jumped at the chance to get involved with NIVA and these iconic venues as fast as I could. I like most people cant wait to go back to seeing live music, and these legendary venues hold a special place in my heart. I hand-drew these venue interpretations with classic show posters in mind. I hope you love em as much as I loved making them. Your help is worth so much. Thank you. x Nick, Young & Sick For the auction, which will take place on Makers Place, fans can use credit cards or cryptocurrency to make a bid. The Golden Ticket NFT art auction will be celebrated on the Clubhouse drop-in audio platform with a launch party on April 7th and a closing event on April 9th. Share on: 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. In light of the pandemic-related obstacles we and our customers have overcome over the past 12 months, this is an important milestone that will help us deepen our support of the small business community we are proud to serve. Fora Financial, a leading provider of flexible working capital to small- and medium-sized businesses nationwide, announced today the closing of a $100 million revolving credit facility with Credit Suisse and Hudson Cove Capital Management. Sector Financial Inc., an affiliate of Credit Suisse, provided access to the debt facility, which will give the company up to $150 million of borrowing capacity over the next two years. This will mark the second collaboration between Fora Financial and Hudson Cove, which previously served as an investor in Fora Financials inaugural asset backed securitization. We are very pleased to secure this new credit facility, said Andrew Gutman, President of Fora Financial. In light of the pandemic-related obstacles we and our customers have overcome over the past 12 months, this is an important milestone that will help us deepen our support of the small business community we are proud to serve. "We would also like to thank the teams at First Horizon Bank and AloStar Bank for their tremendous support over the past four years, and especially for their commitment to the company throughout the many challenges of the pandemic, Gutman added. Fora Financial will maintain its treasury services relationship with First Horizon. About Fora Financial Founded in June 2008, Fora Financial offers flexible financing solutions to small and medium sized businesses in need of additional working capital to sustain or grow their enterprise. The company places a high value on transparency and provides businesses with fast, personalized small business loans and merchant cash advances, utilizing its state-of-the-art technology and unwavering customer service. In 2018, Fora Financial acquired a significant stake in US Business Funding, which created one of the largest and most comprehensive organizations in the alternative small and medium enterprise lending space. The combined company has provided more than $2.0 billion of financing to small business owners and now employs over 150 people at its New York City and California locations. About Hudson Cove Capital Management Hudson Cove Capital Management is an SEC registered minority-owned asset manager investing in liquid structured credit and asset-based lending strategies based in New Jersey. Since its founding in 2009, Hudson Cove Capital has originated and invested over $1 billion in asset-based lending transactions to specialty finance borrowers across a range of sectors. NEDRE VATS, Norway, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoStore, a leading global robotics and software company, today announced that SoftBank has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 40% of AutoStore from funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. ("THL") and EQT Private Equity ("EQT"), among other shareholders. THL will continue to be AutoStore's majority shareholder and THL, SoftBank and EQT will each have representatives on AutoStore's Board of Directors. AutoStore currently has a global blue-chip customer base with more than 600 installations and 20,000 robots across 35 countries. Its automated storage and retrieval systems, coupled with its proprietary software, provide customers with high throughput, enhanced configurability and high levels of flexibility to serve the increasing demands of today's supply chains. AutoStore's innovative cubic design allows customers to either store four times the inventory in the same space, or all of their existing inventory in 25% of the space. AutoStore's solutions thus "redefine space," enabling it to serve a range of markets as diverse as e-commerce, grocery, industrial, and healthcare in any warehouse, retail location or other facility. Masayoshi Son, Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Group Corp. said: "We view AutoStore as a foundational technology that enables rapid and cost-effective logistics for companies around the globe. We look forward to working with AutoStore to aggressively expand across end markets and geographies." Karl Johan Lier, President & CEO of AutoStore, said: "We are delighted for SoftBank to join the AutoStore team as we continue on our journey to automate all commerce and deliver best-in-class automation solutions to our customers. Our world-class investor group brings exceptional experience from multiple geographies, and we are thrilled to have SoftBank's leadership and support on a global scale, but particularly with our vision for growth in Asia-Pacific." Jim Carlisle, AutoStore's Chairman of the Board and Managing Director at THL, and Mike Kaczmarek, Managing Director at THL, said: "We believe the SoftBank partnership, in support of Karl Johan and the fantastic team at AutoStore, will help accelerate growth and unlock AutoStore's massive potential. We are thrilled to welcome SoftBank as our new partner and are very excited for what the future holds for AutoStore." The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed this month, in April 2021. About AutoStore Founded in 1996, AutoStore is a robotics technology company that invented and continues to pioneer Cube Storage Automation, the densest storage technology. Its focus is to combine software and hardware with human capabilities to further develop the future of efficient warehouses. In all, more than 20,000 AutoStore robots are currently deployed in over 600 installations across 35 countries. Sales, designs, and installations are carried out by a network of qualified integrators who are its partners. Its headquarters are in Nedre Vats, Norway, and it has offices, warehouses and / or manufacturing sites in Norway, the USA, the UK, Poland, Germany, France, Korea, Japan, Spain, Italy and Austria. https://autostoresystem.com/ About SoftBank The SoftBank Group invests in breakthrough technology to improve the quality of life for people around the world. The SoftBank Group is comprised of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984), an investment holding company that includes stakes in telecommunications, internet services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and clean energy technology providers; the SoftBank Vision Funds, which are investing more than US$100 billion to help extraordinary entrepreneurs transform industries and shape new ones; the US$5 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund, the largest venture fund in that region, and the SB Opportunity Fund, a US$100 million fund dedicated to investing in enterprises founded by entrepreneurs of color in the U.S. To learn more, please visit https://global.softbank . About Thomas H. Lee Partners Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. ("THL") is a premier private equity firm investing in middle market growth companies exclusively in three sectors: Financial Services, Healthcare and Technology & Business Solutions. THL couples deep sector expertise with dedicated internal operating resources to transform and build great companies of lasting value in partnership with management. The Firm's domain expertise and resources help to build great companies with an aim to accelerate growth, improve operations and drive long-term sustainable value. Since 1974, THL has raised more than $25 billion of equity capital, invested in over 150 companies and completed more than 400 add-on acquisitions representing an aggregate enterprise value at acquisition of over $200 billion. THL invests in automation companies through its flagship private equity fund and a dedicated automation fund. https://thl.com/ About EQT EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with more than EUR 84 billion in raised capital and over EUR 52 billion in assets under management across 17 active funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America with total sales of more than EUR 27 billion and approximately 159,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership. https://www.eqtgroup.com/ Media Contacts For AutoStore / Thomas H. Lee Partners / EQT Brunswick Group US: Matt Levine at +1-212-333-3810 or [email protected] UK & Europe: Tim Danaher at +44-20-7404-5959 or [email protected] All other markets: [email protected] For SoftBank Sarah Lubman at +1.650.784.5596 or [email protected] SOURCE AutoStore Related Links https://autostoresystem.com State Dept. disbands Trump-era commission that heightened importance of religious freedom Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Secretary of State Antony Blinken has formally dismissed the findings of a controversial Trump-era Commission on Unalienable Rights, which sought to elevate the promotion of religious freedom worldwide. Blinken, who vowed to promote LGBT rights worldwide during his confirmation hearings, only briefly alluded to religious persecution in a press conference unveiling the 45th State Department country reports on human rights practices last Tuesday. The annual human rights reports comprehensively cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political and worker rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements in nearly 200 countries and territories. In his remarks during the press conference, Blinken referred indirectly to former Secretary Mike Pompeos Commission on Unalienable Rights, which was a panel of experts formed in 2019 who argued in a report last July that religious freedom and the right to property were more important human rights. Pompeo praised the report as one that reorients us back to the foundational unalienable rights that we are bound to protect. "There is no hierarchy that makes some rights more important than others, Blinken said. Past unbalanced statements that suggest such a hierarchy, including those offered by a recently disbanded State Department advisory committee, do not represent a guiding document for this administration." At the time, pro-abortion and pro-LGBT groups derided the commission as trying to devalue womens rights and LGBT rights. Pompeo argued at the time that the commission was formed as International institutions designed and built to protect human rights have drifted from their original mission. Travis Weber, vice president for policy and government affairs and director of the Center for Religious Liberty at the Christian conservative activist organization Family Research Council, told The Christian Post that the repudiation of the Commission on Unalienable Rights is an unfortunate development. Weber argues that it diminishes religious freedom. This signifies the downgrading of the role of religious freedom in foreign policy and frankly, domestically as well because the commission had elevated the role of religious freedom and articulated its role as an important human right, Weber said. So, thats a negative development in our view that the Biden administration is seeking to put all international human rights on the same level. Certain human rights are more important than others and religious freedom is one of them. The commission created in July 2019 sought to define human rights since the definition had drifted through the years to accommodate abortion and LGBT rights. Despite backlash from LGBT advocates, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom praised the commission. In his press conference, Blinken said all human rights are co-equal. At my confirmation hearing, I promised that the Biden-Harris administration would repudiate those unbalanced views [of the previous administration], he said. We do so decisively today. Weber also pointed out how Blinkens remarks failed to highlight religious persecution worldwide despite the serious issues. Christian girls in Pakistan [are] being forced to convert in forced marriages. The Uyghur community in China is certainly being persecuted. I am glad he mentioned that, but theres also persecution of Christians in China, and Christians and any others in North Korea, Weber stressed. The situation of many Muslim-majority countries around the world, including Iran, is very dire. Christians are being slaughtered in Nigeria almost weekly, it seems, and there is no mention of that. So, when we look at the horrific atrocities and human rights violations going on around the world, religious persecution is among them, and its totally disappointing that hes not highlighting that [in his remarks]. Weber said these are human rights violations that deserve President Bidens attention. He hopes the administration reverses its course. By elevating other human rights on par with religious freedom, youre diminishing the importance of religious persecution and sending the signal that its not that important when people are being slaughtered around the world because of their faith, Weber said. This is unfortunate because it is important, and it does deserve more attention than a lot of other concerns and rights when you look at the international sphere. Matias Perttula, director of advocacy for International Christian Concern, a religious persecution advocacy organization based in the U.S., also expressed concern. We at ICC welcome the progress that the State Department has made on promoting religious freedom and human rights around the world, Perttula said in a statement. However, we remain concerned whether the Biden administration is still committed to putting religious freedom as a central principle in the United States foreign policy priorities. We look forward to working with the State Department in ensuring that this vital right is protected for all. Blinken did call out human rights violations in China through the genocide of Uyghur Muslims and ethnic and religious minority groups in the Xinjiang province. He also condemned the attack or imprisonment of opposition politicians, anti-corruption activists or independent journalists in places like Russia, Uganda and Venezuela. His remarks also called out violence against protestors in Belarus, abuses afflicted in Yemen, atrocities committed in Ethiopia, the executions and tortures committed by the Syrian regime and widespread violations by Burmas security forces, among human rights violations in other nations. Blinken pointed out how some autocratic governments have used COVID-19 to further repress human rights, saying this disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minorities, those with disabilities or LGBT individuals. Blinken also highlighted the heightened gender-based violence toward women and girls around the world due to lockdowns. Blinken announced plans to add reproductive health back into the report after the Trump administration removed it. The Biden administration is taking steps to promote womens health because womens rights including sexual and reproductive rights are human rights, he stated. Weber said Blinkens remarks signaled how the administration would advocate for expanded abortion access around the globe. The other development that stood out in [Secretary Blinkens] announcements was the elevation of reproductive rights, which we know is code for abortion expansion, Weber said. We expect the Biden administration to push abortion in international policy, and I think he clearly signaled that in his press conference. Blinken also noted profound inequities, including systemic racism and said, we have work to do at home. The administration will work with its allies and institutions like the United Nations Human Rights Council and Congress to demonstrate a commitment to promote human rights around the globe. Blinken promised the administration would redouble its efforts to support journalists, human rights defenders, anti-corruption activists, labor union organizers and other advocates who put everything on the line to defend human rights. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-05 19:41:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory message to Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his election as Vietnam's state president. In his message, Xi pointed out that China and Vietnam are socialist neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. Since last year, the two countries have helped each other and together made major achievements in the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, Xi said. With continuous sound development in bilateral relations, the two countries have jointly written a new chapter of China-Vietnam neighborly friendship, Xi said. Noting that the world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, Xi stressed that the China-Vietnam relations and their cause of socialist construction have entered a crucial stage of inheriting the past and ushering in the future. Saying he attaches great importance to the development of China-Vietnam relations, the Chinese president expressed willingness to work with Phuc, guided by building a community with a shared future with strategic significance to both sides, to strive for continuous, fresh and greater achievements in their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and better benefit the two countries and peoples. On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also sent a congratulatory message to Pham Minh Chinh on his election as Vietnamese prime minister. Li said he stands ready to work with his Vietnamese counterpart to steadily promote the synergy of the two countries' development strategies, speed up the construction of a mutually beneficial cooperation paradigm, and make positive contributions to the development of China-Vietnam relations featuring good-neighborly friendship and all-round cooperation. Enditem Nifty futures on the Singapore Exchange traded 79 points or 0.53 per cent lower at 14,913 around 8.45 am, indicating a weak start for the benchmark indices on Monday. Here are the top stocks that are likely to be in focus today: Tata Motors: has completed the transfer of its defence business with effect from April 1 to Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) for an upfront consideration of Rs 227.7 crore. IL&FS Transport: IL&FS Transportation Networks (ITNL), a subsidiary of IL&FS, on Sunday said it has received a settlement amount of Rs 673 crore for Kiratpur Ner Chowk Expressway (KNCEL) and Rs 20 crore towards claims for Chenani Nashri Tunnelway (CNTL), from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Bajaj Electricals: The company said it has declared lay-off at its manufacturing unit located at Shikohabad in Uttar Pradesh. The layoff is with effect from April 3, 2021, until further notice, the company said in a regulatory filing. Adani Enterprises: said it has won a Rs 1,169.10 crore highway project in Odisha from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The contract has been won by Adani Enterprises' wholly-owned subsidiary Adani Road Transport Ltd (ARTL). Besides this, the company along with its wholly-owned subsidiary Gare Palma II Collieries Pvt Ltd (GPIICPL) has signed a pact with Maharashtra State Power Generation Co Ltd (MAHAGENCO) for development and operation of Gare Palma Sector II coal mine. Coal India: MCL, a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, on Friday said it has posted a record production of148.01 million tonne and achieved the highest-ever dispatch of 146 million tonne in the 2020-21 fiscal. RIL: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries (RIL) Ltd on Friday said it has secured approval of its shareholders and creditors for hiving off its oil-to-chemical (O2C) business into a separate unit. Bajaj Auto: Bajaj Auto on Friday said its total sales stood at 3,69,448 units in March. The Pune-based company had dispatched 2,42,575 units in March 2020, amid COVID-19 led disruptions. Piramal Enterprises: The company on Friday said Khushru Jijina, managing director, Piramal Capital, will join the board of the company as executive director, Financial Services. Jaiprakash Power Ventures: The company said it has pre-paid debt worth Rs 299.51 crore. The company, earlier this week, pre-paid its long term loans/ working capital loans amounting to Rs 299.51 crore, according to a BSE filing. Dixon Technologies: The company said it has incorporated two subsidiaries for business purpose. The Noida-based company has incorporated - Dixon Electro Manufacturing Pvt Ltd and Dixon Technologies Solutions Pvt Ltd. Tata Power: Tata Power has taken over power distribution operations in north-eastern Odisha from April 1. Tata Power has taken over the management and operations of NESCO (North Eastern Electricity Supply Company of Odisha) from April 1, 2021, upon completion of the sale process, as per a regulatory filing. NTPC: State-owned NTPC on Thursday said it has commissioned the second unit of 660 MW of the Nabinagar Super Thermal Power Project in Bihar. With this, the total installed capacity of NTPC Group has become 65,150 MW, the power giant said. Wipro: IT services major Wipro on Thursday said it has completed the takeover of Metro-NOM GMBH and Metro Systems Romania SRL for 52.04 million euros (about Rs 448.6 crore) as part of its digital and IT partnership deal with Metro AG. L&T Technology Services: The company said Amit Chadha has taken charge as the company's CEO and managing director. Hero MotoCorp: Two-wheeler market leader Hero MotoCorp on Thursday said its total sales stood at 5,76,957 units in March 2021. The company had sold 3,34,647 units in March last year. TVS Motor: The company reported total sales of 3,22,683 units in March as against 1,44,739 units sold in same period last year. Eicher Motors: Royal Enfield, part of Eicher Motors, said its total wholesales in March stood at 66,058 units. The company had reported sales of 35,814 units in the same month last year. HDFC: HDFC Capital Advisors and US-based Cerberus Capital Management have partnered to target the creation of a special situations platform focused on high-yield opportunities in the residential real estate sector, HDFC said in a statement. Britannia Industries: The company declared an interim dividend of Rs 62 per share and the record date for the same has been fixed as April 10, 2021. V-Mart Retail: The company has opened six new stores - four in Uttar Pradesh, one in Bihar and one in Rajasthan. National Fertilisers: The firm reported the highest ever total fertiliser sale of 59.36 lakh MT in FY21. Other than fertilisers, the company also saw steep growth in the sale of seeds and agrochemicals. SAIL: Steel Authority of India (SAIL) clocked its best ever quarterly sales at 4.27 million tonnes (MT) during the March quarter of the last fiscal year, up 14 per cent over the year-ago period. SBI Card: SBI Cards and Payment Services (SBI Card) has been seeing over 50 per cent of its transactions via online payments such as on groceries, utility bills, insurance premium, and hopes the trend to go up further as point of sale purchases are yet to pick up, top company executive said. Olectra Greentech: Olectra Greentech and Evey Trans received letter of award for 50 electric buses from one of the state transport authorities under FAME-II scheme of Government of India. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced a COVID-19 vaccine distribution partnership with Publix grocery stores weeks after the company gave $100,000 to his PAC, CBS' "60 Minutes" reported Sunday, citing campaign finance records. DeSantis and Publix deny any wrongdoing. Why it matters: DeSantis has been criticized for directing vaccines toward wealthy communities, with some who benefitted from the vaccine pop-ups also donating to the governor's political action committee, per Axios' Tampa Bay reporter Ben Montgomery. A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. State Democratic leaders have asked the Department of Justice to investigate the allegations. Driving the news: The "60 Minutes" program highlighted reports of "vaccine favoritism," with Florida's poorer communities being left behind in the rollout, noting there's no Publix in Belle Glade in Palm Beach County. State Democratic Rep. Omari Hardy told the show "you have lots of folks who don't have cars" in the community and that it's a round trip of over two hours with 34 stops to the nearest Publix 25 miles away. "Before, I could call the public health director. She would answer my calls. But now if I want to get my constituents information about how to get this vaccine I have to call a lobbyist from Publix? That makes no sense," Hardy added. "They're not accountable to the public." Of note: "60 Minutes" aired footage of CBS' Sharyn Alfonsi confronting DeSantis at a press conference south of Orlando last month over the donation report, which DeSantis called "wrong." Alfonsi narrated that Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said DeSantis "never met with her about the Publix deal." It cut back to her exchange with DeSantis, with Alfonsi saying: "The criticism here is that is pay for play, governor." DeSantis called the claim "a fake narrative," adding that he met with local officials to discuss options. "We can do more drive-thru sites, we can give more to hospitals. We can do the Publix. And they said, 'We think that would be the easiest thing for our residents." DeSantis For the record: The donation is the latest in controversial political spending by associates and beneficiaries of Publix. Heiress Julie Jenkins Fancelli donated about $300,000 to fund the rally that preceded the U.S. Capitol riot, Axios Tampa Bay's Montgomery and Selene San Felice report. The popular grocery chain employs 225,000 people and did $38.1 billion in retail sales in 2019, per Montgomery and San Felice, the reporters note. What they're saying: Publix said in a statement, "The irresponsible suggestion that there was a connection between campaign contributions" made to DeSantis and "our willingness to join other pharmacies" supporting Florida's vaccine rollout is "absolutely false and offensive." "We are proud of our pharmacy associates for administering more than 1.5 million doses of vaccine to date and for joining other retailers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to do our part to help our communities emerge from the pandemic," the statement added. Dave Kerner, mayor of Palm Beach County and a Democrat, accused 60 Minutes' of publishing "intentionally false" reporting in a statement on Monday, and of leaving out information that he met with DeSantis and the county administrator to discuss expanding the state's partnership with Publix. Representatives for DeSantis and CBS did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify that the nearest Publix to Belle Glade is 25 miles away. This article has been updated with a statement and additional information from Dave Kerner, mayor of Palm Beach County. Privilege is something I was not always aware of, but has always been on my side. I wasnt born as the baby with the proverbial silver spoon. I grew up in a middle class town in a modest middle class house. I am one of those who worked hard for what I have, and was never handed anything. But lets be honest. Growing up middle class, with two caring parents, and being white and male, I was set up for success. No one told me I couldnt go to a private college in another state, I never had to help my parents pay a bill or take care of my sibling so my parents could work at night. I never had to consider that it might be challenging to repay my law school loans or that it would be hard to find a job. That freedom, that lack of impediments and never believing in no was the privilege handed to me solely by virtue of being born. As an adult, my white male privilege is like a compounding interest. I have built a successful career, because I was able to go to a private college and law school of my choice. I own my third home, because I was able to get a mortgage for the first and defaulting on my payments was never an option. I have a wife that allows us to split child care time, so that I can get involved in groups and organizations, thereby increasing my contacts throughout the community. All of these things I work for, but never is there an impediment to my working for it. I never doubt I can do something or have something I want. That is, until now. I am one of those that really and I mean really want the COVID-19 vaccine. But since Connecticut began its roll-out of the vaccine, I havent been able to get it. I am 39. For the first time I am experiencing a system that intentionally places obstacles in my way; a system designed by the government that prioritizes individuals based on their attributes. As I watched the news and read the governors press releases, I waited for my attribute to come forward. Essential workers were discussed as a priority group. That never came to fruition. When it was finally announced, I was put into the group our government decided was the least important. I was made unimportant not by something I did but solely by virtue of when I was born something out of my control. How could this be? Never had the government intentionally put an obstacle in the way of something I wanted. Most of the time the government pleasantly ignored me or had programs to help me. This was a change. Worse, I couldnt do anything about it. I couldnt call anyone I knew to cut the line (and, trust me, I know its a privilege to even say I can call people I know for help). I couldnt buy a more expensive ticket to get closer to the vaccine. My advantages of privilege had been stripped away. I watched as friends who are educators, first responders, everyone in my office and my entire family got their shots. I was annoyed, helpless, frustrated, deflated and jealous. At times I felt pure anger toward the system. Of course, on April 1, I became eligible for my shot, so I knew this would pass. And having a car, a wife that can watch the kids and constant access to the internet (all part of this compounding privilege) will make my getting the vaccine fairly simple and the advantages my privilege has built will once again be obvious. But for this one instance in time and for this one desire in life, I could not knowingly or unconsciously leverage the 39 years of privilege I have. I am most certainly not looking for sympathy in fact, it is the opposite; it is embarrassing how well I have it. I am hoping that if any of you have felt anything similar to this you can begin to empathize with those who face these challenges in every aspect of their lives. I cannot even begin to fathom the pain, frustration and anger a lifetime of government and societal obstacles would have. In the small amount of time Ive craved the vaccine, I have been appalled that the government didnt care about me. Can you imagine always feeling your government didnt care about you or, worse yet, was actively working against you? Imagine that frustration when you know there is always an impediment to your goals. When you have nobody to call or no way to remedy the education your kids are getting, the crime on your street, the lack of doctors that will take you without insurance, the location of nearest grocery stores, or any of the myriad things we deal with on a daily basis. Being a white male, its hard to acknowledge that privilege plays a role in your life, especially when you do work hard. But when you realize that you cannot use your privilege, you have only the tiniest sense of how demoralizing, infuriating and crushing life can feel every day for so many in our community. Carl A. Glad is the chair of the board of Sterling House Community Center in Stratford, a board member for the Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging and a member of the town of Stratford Commission on Aging. The views expressed in this piece are his own. Since U.S. President Joe Biden took office, federal immigration officials have noted a sharp decline in arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants. This is after the new administration rearranges migration enforcement in the U.S. Biden has included a 100-day deportation moratorium on his key campaign promises, which means undoing previous policy in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE's arrests have declined by about two-thirds in March as compared with the monthly tallies made toward the last hitch of the Trump administration, The Wallstreet Journal report. Meanwhile, deportations fell by about 50 percent, with immigrants in detention falling to 14,000 in March, compared to 56,000 in 2019. Biden has unraveled some of the migration policy in the Trump administration. With this comes the influx in the number of migrants illegally crossing the border. READ MORE: Trump Blames Biden for the Border Mess, Says It Will 'Destroy Our Country' Migrants Crossing the Border Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar said on Sunday that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities will remain overwhelmed as the current administration faces the surge, which are majorly composed of unaccompanied children. Cuellar said that the Border Patrol does not want to keep people inside the facility longer than 72 hours. However, there are factors coming into play. "There's a large number of people coming across every single day, groups of over 100 individuals coming in into the Border Patrol custody, number one," Cuellar was quoted in a CBS News report. Another factor was that they are trying to get more shelters open. Cuellar added that 2,000 migrants have been allowed to be inside the U.S. without a notice to be in an immigration court. Cuellar said that they were supposed to show up in 60 days and report to an ICE office. Last month, the Biden administration ended a policy that allowed undocumented immigrants to be arrested when they came to pick up unaccompanied migrant children, according to a Daily Mail report. A senior administration official said that there will be no immigration enforcement consequences for a family member or sponsor who will come forward to claim the children. Among the potential sponsors that were arrested, 70 percent were direct immigration violations. This means that the sponsors were found to be undocumented immigrants. One smuggler said that despite the risk of being deported, they still want to try crossing the border, claiming that family members in the U.S. told them to keep trying. The said smuggler said that each try costs around $1,000, which includes ladders to scale the wall and peepholes to observe border patrol. He said that 80 to 100 people have paid him to cross the border in just six months, according to another CBS News report. "They see him as the migrant president, and so many feel they're going to reach the United States," Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was quoted in a New York Post report. Meanwhile, deported migrants said they thought Biden would let them stay in America. Honduran resident Gladys Oneida Perez Cruz said that Biden would be a good president for migrants. Biden's immigration actions have earned criticisms from some Republicans, saying that the current administration is abdicating the U.S. government to enforce immigration laws. READ NEXT: Cotton, Greene Slam Biden for Causing 'Superspreader' After Migrants Released Into U.S. Test Positive WATCH: Biden administration reportedly preparing new rules limiting ICE arrests and deportations - from CBS News Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 5) A group of physicians has appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to convert hotels into temporary hospital facilities amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. Philippine College of Physicians Vice President Dr. Maricar Limpin told CNN Philippines on Monday that converted facilities in Metro Manila, which may be manned by healthcare workers sent from other regions, would help accommodate more COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate cases while lessening the burden of hospitals already admitting severe cases. "Kami sa Philippine College of Physicians, we already wrote to the President. We are recommending maybe kailangang i-transform 'yung hotels into a health facility," Limpin told CNN Philippines' New Day. "Yung mga manggagaling [na augmentation healthcare workers] outside of Metro Manila, papuntahin doon at sila yung mag-man." [Translation: We at the Philippine College of Physicians, We already wrote to the President. We are recommending that maybe they could transform select hotels into a health facility. And healthcare workers coming from outside Metro Manila may be assigned there to man the area." "The [converted] hospital facility will admit mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 lalo na yung mga elderly para mabawasan yung dami ng pasyente na pupunta sa hospitals," she added. [Translation: The converted hospital facility will admit mild to moderate cases of COVID-19, including the elderly, so that the number of patients going to the hospitals may be lessened.] Limpin bared the situation in some hospitals in Metro Manila that have already reached their full capacity. "Excuse me for saying this pero 'yung mga emergency room namin sa ospital parang palengke na...marami sa amin hindi na sila (pasyente) kaya halos papuntahin pa sa iba kasi alam din naming hindi rin sila matatanggap sa iba," she said. [Translation: Excuse me for saying this but the emergency rooms in our hospitals are now looking like markets...a lot of us could not turn away our patients away because we know that they also would not be admitted anywhere else.] During the Palace briefing on Monday, Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the current healthcare utilization rate of 80% must be brought down to at least 60% so that the health sector can better manage COVID-19 patients. "For ICU beds, [we now have] almost 100% in most cities. We need to bring that down to say that our healthcare system can be managed," she said. In a separate briefing, she also confirmed the proposed conversion of some hotels into temporary hospitals to address the surge. She also ensured benefits for additional healthcare workers who will be deployed in critical areas. "They will get additional benefits dahil sila ay dine-deploy sa area ng NCR. We will be providing them accommodation, meron silang meal allowance, at ibang benefits because they were deployed here," she said. [Translation: They will get additional benefits because we are deploying them in the NCR. We will be providing them accommodation, meal allowance and other benefits because they were deployed there.] Health Undersecretary and treatment czar Leopoldo Vega previously bared that the government's hospital referral system, the One Hospital Command, has been overwhelmed with calls due to rising COVID-19 cases over the past weeks. He noted that another week of enhanced community quarantine in Greater Manila area would at least buy them time to better manage referral of patients. RELATED: Treatment czar seeks public patience as calls swamp hospital command center The government has extended the ECQ in Metro Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna and Rizal for another week to address the spike. New COVID-19 cases breached the 15,000 mark on Friday, the highest since the pandemic started last year. On Sunday, 11,000 more were recorded positive, but 41,000 patients have gotten well the highest daily rise in recoveries. YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations reports that several roads are closed across Armenia. The ministry told Armenpress that the roads leading to the Amberd Fortress and Lake Kari in Aragatsotn province are closed. The Georgian side informs that the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Princess Eugenie has shared a new picture of her son August to mark Easter. The royal, 31, shared the picture on her Instagram page to mark the end of the Easter weekend at Frogmore Cottage, where the couple have been reportedly been living since the birth of their son. The picture shows a beaming Eugenie next to her husband Jack Brooksbank, 34, who is holding their son August, born on February 9, in a baby carrier fastened around his chest. In the perfect family picture, the couple are standing in front of a picturesque blossoming tree, capturing the beauty of the English countryside at Spring. Royal fans swooned over the family snap and wished the couple a happy Easter. Princess Eugenie, 31, has shared a new family portrait of her with husband Jack Brooksbank, 34, and baby August, who was born on February 9, to mark Easter The royal and mother-of-one wished everyone a Happy Easter and 'blossoming Spring' in the caption accompanying the picture 'Wishing everyone a Happy Easter and a blossoming Spring,' Eugenie wrote in a caption accompanying the picture. In the snap, new mum Eugenie is wearing a long dress with a sweetheart neckline, and a jumper rests on her arm. Meanwhile, Jack, who is holding Eugenie close, cuts a casual figure with a pair of jean trousers and a navy shirt. The father-of-one beams as he holds a pair of daffodils in his hand, with his son resting against his chest in the carrier. Eugenie has been letting royal fans into her family life with intimate pictures, including this photo she shared for her 31st birthday on March 23 August, whose face is hidden, can be seen wearing white pyjamas and a white hat. Royal fans quickly swooned over the intimate snap, and sent their love to Eugenie and her family. 'So much love to your family,' one wrote. 'Beautiful photo,' said another. The daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson welcomed her first child, who is 11th in line to the throne, with Jack on February 9 at London's Portland Hospital. The couple were pictured leaving the hospital three days later on February 12. Royal fans quickly swooned over the pictures and sent their good wishes to Eugenie and her family Last month, the new mother revealed the name and shared her first family picture with her son - the Queen's ninth great grandchild - which is thought to have been taken in the grounds of Frogmore Cottage, where the couple are currently living. Posting a series of photographs on Instagram, Princess Eugenie wrote: 'Thank you for so many wonderful messages. Our hearts are full of love for this little human, words can't express. We are excited to be able to share these photos with you.' Eugenie went on to reveal the name was a touching tribute to Queen Victoria's Husband Prince Albert, whose birth name was Franz Albert August Karl Emanuel, and Prince Philip, who is currently in hospital, writing: 'On his grandfather's birthday weekend, thinking of my grandfather, we are introducing our little boy. After celebrating her 31st birthday yesterday, the new mum took to Instagram to share adorable snaps of baby August, who was born on February 9 - before referring to him as 'the best present she could ask for' He is named after his great grandfather and both of his 5x great grandfathers.' The new mum shared another look at her newborn while celebrating Mother's Day on Instagram earlier this month, with a sweet picture of her baby lying among some daffodils. Although his head is turned away from the camera, the young royal can be seen donning a patterned babygrow adorned with whales, a knitted white cardigan, matching hat and fluffy rabbit slippers. RTHK: Two Australians released from detention in Myanmar Two Australians who were detained in Myanmar late last month have been released and have left Yangon, Canberra's foreign affairs department said Monday. Business consultants Matthew O'Kane and Christa Avery, a dual Canadian-Australian citizen, were put under house arrest after trying to leave the country on a relief flight in March. A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said Australian officials had "provided consular assistance" to the couple during their detention and release. "We provided support for their departure from Yangon on 4 April," the spokesperson added in a statement. "We welcome their release." The couple ran a bespoke consultancy business in Yangon. A third Australian, economist Sean Turnell, an advisor to civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was arrested a week after the putsch remains in custody. The economist and university professor was the first foreign national arrested following the February 1 coup that ousted the Nobel laureate from power and plunged Myanmar into turmoil. He is being investigated by the junta over alleged immigration and state secrets offences. Canberra has suspended military cooperation with Naypyidaw and has advised its citizens to leave the country if it is safe to do so. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-04-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A suspected stalker was arrested on Good Friday for allegedly trying to kidnap his former co-worker after a month-long harassment campaign - and shooting her husband through their front door during the abduction attempt. Justin Arthur-Ray Davis, whose booking photo shows him with cuts across his forehead and a plaster on his nose, had been waiting outside the woman's home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on April 2 when he pounced as she left for work, police say. Davis leapt out of his truck with a shotgun and ran towards the woman, who was being accompanied by her husband, prompting the unarmed couple to flee back into their apartment, according to a statement from the Tulsa Police Department. The suspect shot through the lock, hitting the woman's husband on the hand, before storming the property, grabbing his victim, and bundling her violently down the stairs, it is claimed. Justin Arthur-Ray Davis, whose booking photo shows him with cuts across his forehead and a plaster on his nose after he crashed his car during the police chase, had been waiting outside the woman's home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on April 2 when he pounced as she left for work, police say The husband ran to help her, at which point Davis threatened to kill him if he did not let him take his wife into the truck, a police statement continued. He then allegedly fired two warning shots into the air. At this point, officers arrived after 911 calls from neighbors and Davis ran back to his truck without the victim and sped off from the gated apartment complex. Davis led police on a high-speed chase but crashed while attempting to take an off-ramp on the I-44 and was arrested. The suspect had allegedly stalked his victim for a month after resigning from work for an unknown reason. During the harassment campaign - which the woman reported to police - he sat outside her marital home and left sweets and food. Dailymail.com has asked the Tulsa Police Department why Davis resigned from work and why he developed an obsession for the woman. The police department has also been asked if it took any action after receiving earlier reports that Davis had been stalking the victim. Davis allegedly leapt out of his truck with a shotgun and ran towards the woman, who was being accompanied by her husband, prompting the unarmed couple to flee back into their apartment inside a gated complex (pictured) A police statement said: 'Davis took the E. 21st street exit, lost control of his vehicles and wrecked out. 'Davis was transported to the hospital for a laceration to the head then booked into Tulsa County Jail. Officers recovered the gun and ammo. 'This is an arrest, not a conviction.' It is not yet known what charges Davis will face. Tennessee-based Association contracts to make FOREWARN services available for its 1,400+ REALTOR members to promote proactive agent safety BOCA RATON, Fla., April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOREWARN, LLC, a red violet company (NASDAQ: RDVT) and the leading provider of real-time information solutions for real estate agents, today announced that the Northeast Tennessee Association of REALTORS (NETAR) has contracted to make FOREWARN services available for the 1,400+ REALTOR members it serves throughout Northeast Tennessee to promote proactive real estate agent safety. Available both online and through a mobile application, FOREWARN analyzes billions of data points and provides users with the ability to mitigate risks by verifying identity, searching for criminal histories, and validating information provided by potential clients -- using just a phone number. FOREWARN allows agents to properly and safely plan for showings with a higher level of confidence. The FOREWARN services purchased by NETAR will be available to the 1,400+ real estate agent membership at no additional cost to individual agents. We are thrilled to be proactively addressing safety for our members and the community with FOREWARN, said Kristi Bailey, President of Northeast Tennessee Association of REALTORS. FOREWARN provides an additional layer of safety and intelligence for agents in identifying potential risks well ahead of being in a vulnerable situation. This is an essential benefit that we felt was necessary, and we are happy to be providing it for our members. On April 1, 2021, existing NETAR members received specific instructions on how to move forward with activating their FOREWARN subscription. All other real estate agencies and agents can learn more about FOREWARN at www.forewarn.com. About FOREWARN At FOREWARN, we bring instant knowledge through innovative solutions to ensure safer engagements and smarter interactions. Leveraging powerful analytics and a massive data repository, our solutions enable organizations to gain real-time knowledge, for purposes such as verifying identity, searching for criminal histories, and validating information. Risk assessment and due diligence at your fingertips. Story continues RELATED LINKS: www.forewarn.com About red violet At red violet, we build proprietary technologies and apply analytical capabilities to deliver identity intelligence. Our technology powers critical solutions, which empower organizations to operate with confidence. Our solutions enable the real-time identification and location of people, businesses, assets and their interrelationships. These solutions are used for purposes including risk mitigation, due diligence, fraud detection and prevention, regulatory compliance, and customer acquisition. Our intelligent platform, CORE, is purpose-built for the enterprise, yet flexible enough for organizations of all sizes, bringing clarity to massive datasets by transforming data into intelligence. Our solutions are used today to enable frictionless commerce, to ensure safety, and to reduce fraud and the concomitant expense borne by society. For more information, please visit www.redviolet.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains forward-looking statements, as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), which statements may be identified by words such as expects, plans, projects, will, may, anticipate, believes, should, intends, estimates, and other words of similar meaning. Such forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict, are beyond our control and which may cause results to differ materially from expectations, including whether FOREWARN will address safety for NETAR members and the community and whether FOREWARN can provide an additional layer of safety and intelligence for NETAR agents in identifying potential risks well ahead of being in a vulnerable situation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are based on our expectations as of the date of this press release and speak only as of the date of this press release and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors in red violets SEC Filings. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Investor Relations Contact: Camilo Ramirez Red Violet, Inc. 561-757-4500 ir@redviolet.com Max Verstappen just missed out on victory in Bahrain. The Dutchman hunted Lewis Hamilton down and overtook him round turn four, but had to give it back because he went off track. Not giving back the spot and accepting the penalty would not have helped according to Helmut Marko and Christian Horner. The overtaking of Hamilton Verstappen was the fastest driver in his RB16B all weekend in Bahrain. Verstappen took pole and was also very fast on Sunday. Yet Mercedes managed to get Lewis Hamilton in front of Verstappen with a clever pit stop strategy, and the Dutchman didn't get that spot back. At least, not in a fair way. Verstappen went outside the track when passing Hamilton, and therefore had to give his spot back. Verstappen said on the radio that he would have liked to pull the 5-second gap, but according to Marko that would have been pointless. Read more Verstappen had to scale back Honda engine power during Bahrain GP Penalty for Verstappen ''A five-second lead wouldn't have assured us a win. We were sure that the penalty would have been so big that Hamilton would win. If he had leg 5.8 seconds ahead, he would have just had a ten-second penalty,'' Marko said in a video from Formel1.de. Christian Horner too saw no positive outcome to this scenario. ''We had the direct order from the race leader, and Max was so sporty to give that spot back immediately. Of course it was frustrating that Hamilton had enough left on his tyres to keep Max behind him, but there would have been no guarantees if Verstappen had kept driving in front," concluded the Red Bull Racing team boss. Iran not to hold "direct or indirect" talks with U.S. in Vienna: chief negotiator Xinhua) 10:25, April 05, 2021 TEHRAN, April 4 -- Iran will not hold any direct or indirect talks with representatives of the United States in the meeting of the 2015 nuclear agreement participants scheduled for Tuesday in Vienna, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said Sunday. "We will negotiate with the Joint Commission and the P4+1 countries, and will communicate them our request and condition for a return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)," Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in an interview quoted by official news agency IRNA. Iran's demand, he added, is that Washington first fulfills all its obligations by the JCPOA, lifts all the sanctions it has imposed on Iran, and then Iran will return to full compliance with the agreement after verifying the removal of the sanctions. If the P4+1 countries, including China, Britain, France and Russia, plus Germany, succeed in convincing Washington to lift all the sanctions "by any means they know," Iran will comply, he noted. The Vienna talks will be "of a purely technical nature," regarding the sanctions that must be lifted, the actions that must be taken by Iran, and the order in which the sanctions must be lifted by the United States and verified by Iran, the senior diplomat said. Araqchi stressed that Iran will not accept any step-by-step plan to revive the agreement, but only the lifting of all the sanctions imposed by the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, whether they did not exist before, or were re-imposed or re-labeled. "The final step that they must take, and we must take must be defined precisely, and this will only take place in our technical talks with the P4+1 countries," the deputy minister said. The April 6 meeting in Vienna will be convened after a virtual reunion on Friday of the JCPOA participants. The European Union issued a statement after Friday meeting saying that the participants recognized the prospect of a full return of the United States to the JCPOA and "underlined their readiness to positively address this in a joint effort." U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price confirmed on Friday that Washington representatives will attend the Vienna encounter, and said the country remains "open to" direct talks with Iran. Tehran gradually stopped implementing parts of its JCPOA commitments from May 2019, one year after the Trump administration unilaterally abandoned the agreement and re-imposed sanctions on Iran. (Web editor: Du Mingming, Bianji) The Biden administration is seeking to deploy federal civilian employees to assist at migrant detention and processing facilities near the US-Mexico border. The deployments are aimed at facilitating, not changing, a brutal policy of incarcerating children fleeing violence and poverty in overcrowded cages. The unaccompanied minors seeking asylum are mostly from Central American countries that have been devastated by US imperialism. The federal employees are to supplement personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) requires current Federal government civilian employees for 30- to 120-day deployment details to support ORR at facilities for unaccompanied children, explains the posting on the USAJobs website. Details will involve contact with migrant children and a variety of federal and non-federal entities, possibly including HHS [Health and Human Services], DHS, American Red Cross, and other Federal employees. Minor children who tested positive for COVID-19 sit in the ground at the Donna Department of Homeland Security holding facility, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in the Rio Grande Valley run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in Donna, Texas, Tuesday, March 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, Pool) According to the posting, selected participants are to be deployed to facilities along the Southwest US border area, specifically Dallas, San Diego, San Antonio, and Ft. Bliss. Locations will extend to other geographic areas according to the need. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) figures cited by ABC News reveal that there are now 17,641 unaccompanied migrant minors in government care. Of these, 5,606 are in CBP detention and 12,035 are in the custody of HHS. CBP reported apprehending an average of 486 unaccompanied children (age 17 and under) per day at the border during March. The children are taken, along with other migrants, to overcrowded CBP facilities to be processed. Unaccompanied minors are legally required to be transferred to HHS custody within 72 hours, a requirement that is routinely violated. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within HHS operates a network of more than 200 facilities throughout the US to house and process unaccompanied migrant children. However, the mass detention of children has swamped the networks 13,500-bed capacity. The Biden administration is scrambling to open additional emergency intake sites, including convention centers, abandoned schools and active military bases. The civilian workers are to be deployed to such HHS facilities. My heart sank when I received the email about this, an engineer with the Federal Highway Administration told the World Socialist Web Site. Im a father and I cant imagine my kids in such a situation. Its terrible. Part of me wanted to volunteer to maybe be a kind human interaction for these kids in a brutal situation. Maybe show them that the American people are not at all represented in the policies of the government. But its not right. This is the governments mess. Im not going to serve as Bidens prison guard. Just let the kids go. A civilian employee with the US Army Corps of Engineers recalled the way the Trump administration misused the Corps to help acquire property for the border wall. Now, under the Biden administration, they are calling on federal employees to pretty much participate in human trafficking, she told the WSWS. Its pretty horrible that federal employees wont be able to do their job to benefit the public because theyre busy moving displaced children around, she added. The government posting states: Will consider all Federal employees from any agency at any grade who have approval from their supervisor. The chaotic and inhumane conditions under which the children are being held is indicated by some of the basic responsibilities of federal civilian workers and professionals who are deployed. These include, according to the government posting: * Maintain line of sight and supervision of children. * Assess the needs of unaccompanied children in care. * Assist CBP and ORR in identifying children requiring prioritization for placement based on vulnerable category or time in CBP custody. Another responsibility is listed as: Interview unaccompanied children in CBP custody and collect information for parents in home country and family members in the US. This is ominous, as any information coaxed out of unsuspecting minors regarding undocumented family members in the US will likely be used by CBP to track them down for deportation. Participants will receive reimbursement for travel, lodging and a per diem from the ORR, while the employees home agency will be reimbursed for all base pay, overtime and premium pay incurred. Those wishing to apply are forewarned that they may be required to work evenings and/or weekends. Extensive overtime may be required. The limited images and footage of the facilities that have made their way into the mainstream media reveal cramped and overcrowded confinement, with children sleeping shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor with mylar blankets. These highly disturbing scenes underscore the fundamental continuity from one administration to another, whether Democratic or Republican, of a policy toward undocumented immigrants that constitutes a massive violation of democratic rights bound up with the promotion of national chauvinism and police state measures against the working class as a whole. COVID-19 is spreading rapidly through the overcrowded facilities, where social distancing is nonexistent and medical care is limited. ABC News recently cited the HHS as confirming at least 82 cases at the San Diego Convention Center, now holding some 950 teenage girls. The convention center is expected to receive more waves of minors until it reaches its capacity of 1,450. The Texas HHS has reported a total of 647 COVID-19 cases in that states ORR facilities, almost certainly an undercount, since the data is self-reported and covers only 40 of the 50 facilities in the state. One facility, in Carrizo Springs, Texas, with 766 of its 952 beds occupied, has reported positivity rates of 10 to 11 percent, according to ABC News. The Biden administration has nominally ended the Trump administrations sadistic practice of deliberately separating families, but in its place it is carrying out a policy of expelling entire families intact. Meanwhile, the separation of families continues, but this takes place on the Mexican side of the border. After being forced to live for months and even years in squalid and dangerous encampments as a consequence of the Trump administrations Remain in Mexico policy, parents are allowing their children to cross unaccompanied into the US in the desperate hope of securing a better life for them. Last March, Trump seized on the COVID-19 pandemic to invoke an obscure provision of the 1944 Public Health Service Act known as Title 42. It authorizes the surgeon general to suspend introduction of persons or goods into the US on public health grounds. In a twisted interpretation, the Trump administration utilized the provision to carry out summary expulsions, overriding US immigration laws and denying migrants due process and the right of asylum. The Title 42 regime, under which some 530,000 individuals have been summarily expelled over the past year, has been condemned as a violation of both US and international law by legal experts and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. It has also been denounced by public health experts as lacking any rationale or foundation from the standpoint of public health. The Biden administration has nevertheless continued the use of Title 42 to carry out summary expulsions, while exempting unaccompanied minors from its provisions. This change has encouraged desperate migrants to send their children unaccompanied to the US, only to see them put into disease-ridden holding pens. In a March 23 press release, the American Immigration Council stated: The southern border remains closed to nearly all people. Despite claims of open borders, the Biden administration continues to rapidly expel most people encountered at the border. Last month, 72 percent of all people encountered at the border were sent back to Mexico or expelled to their home countries. And while unaccompanied children and some families at the border have been allowed to come into the country and challenge their deportation in immigration court, they represent a fraction of overall entrants. MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexicos president said Monday he wont get a COVID-19 vaccine because his doctors told him he still has a high level of antibodies from when he was infected in January. I have sufficient levels of antibodies and right now it isnt indispensable for me to get vaccinated for now," said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Lopez Obrador would have gotten a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine last week, based on his address in a borough in the citys center, where he lives in an apartment at the National Palace. The president had repeatedly said he would wait his turn in line to get vaccinated, and didnt want it to become a spectacle. In late March, Lopez Obrador had said he would be vaccinated when people over 60 in Mexico City's central boroughs got their first shots. But he said a second group of doctors he consulted told him it wasn't necessary, though he did not rule out getting what for most elders will be their second dose in June. So far, Mexico has received 14.7 million doses of several brands of vaccines, and administered almost 9 million shots so far. That is still a small amount, considering the country's population of 126 million. The 67-year-old leader was criticized early in the pandemic for not conveying the gravity of the situation. He has consistently refused to push for more drastic lockdowns used in other countries, calling such tactics authoritarian. The country has tallied more than 204,000 test-confirmed COVID-19 deaths, though the government puts the real COVID toll at almost 324,000. ADVERTISEMENT Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has condemned in strong terms the attack by gunmen at the Police Command Headquarters and the Correctional Service Centre in Owerri, describing it as barbaric. Mr Uzodinma expressed his displeasure after the State Security Council meeting at the Government House, Owerri on Monday, where he assessed the level of damages. Some gunmen had attacked a correctional facility and the headquarters of the Imo State Police Command in the early hours on Monday. The governor, who had earlier visited the two facilities in the company of heads of security agencies in the state, said the attack was to instill fear and make the people more vulnerable. He said the government had set up an enquiry panel into the incident with a view to finding out the circumstances surrounding the attack. He said that government and security agencies would definitely get to the root of the matter to fish out the perpetrators. Mr Uzodinma assured residents of the state of their safety, adding that government and security agencies would be more proactive to forestall a reoccurrence. He disclosed that more than 1,800 inmates were at the correctional service before they were freed by the gunmen adding that some of them had started returning voluntarily while others had been rearrested. It has been an eventful day today being Easter Monday in Imo as yet to be ascertained gunmen attacked the correctional service centre, setting some facilities ablaze and releasing some inmates, Mr Uzodinma said. The gunmen were at the police headquarters where they destroyed 38 vehicles and also set the facilities ablaze. Efforts by the gunmen to penetrate into the Imo State Government House were not successful as they ended up shooting sporadically at the entrance gate, he said. According to the governor, a detailed investigation would be carried out and the perpetrators would be brought to justice. However, normalcy has returned to the state while residents have been going about their normal businesses. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that major roads leading to the correctional service and Police headquarters in Owerri had been cordoned off and traffic diverted since the early hours of Monday. It will be recalled that in less than two months five divisional police headquarters have been attacked at various locations in Imo by yet to be identified gunmen. (NAN) Leveraging TradeFlow Capital Management's innovative non-lending and non-credit based instruments and ICC's global network of over 45 million chambers of commerce and businesses, the partnership will enable the creation of an ICC SME Fund to provide small businesses with the right level of financial support to execute import/export trades in bulk commodities. ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO said: "Small businesses around the world continue to suffer from uncertain economic conditions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. While governments and financial institutions have taken steps to support SMEs, more needs to be done to ensure their survival. "ICC is delighted to launch this partnership with TradeFlow Capital to unlock liquidity for SMEs and keep the global economy moving forward. We are confident that our partnership with Tradeflow Capital and other initiatives under our ICC TradeNow campaign will create new, tangible opportunities for SMEs everywhere." ICC TradeFlow Capital will be one of a diverse range of solutions offered through ICC TradeNow, a global ICC campaign to accelerate the provision of trade finance to SMEs. Tom James, CEO and CIO, TradeFlow Capital Management said: "TradeFlow is proud to partner with ICC on this ambitious and much needed fund for small businesses. By leveraging the combined strengths of ICC and TradeFlow, ICC Tradeflow Capital has the potential to enable many billions of dollars of SME commodity transactions each year. "TradeFlow applauds ICC's continued support for businesses worldwide especially in the face of the consequences associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported by ICC TradeNow, we are confident that this partnership will reduce risk, improve trade opportunities for SMEs, and alleviate poverty." ICC will host a series of workshops for chamber of commerce leaders in Asia and Europe to share insights on potential partners who could help finding the liquidity needed to bridge the trade finance gap. PRESS CONTACTS For ICC: Timothy Conley | Global Communications Officer Email: timothy.conley@iccwbo.org | Website : www.iccwbo.org For TradeFlow: Daniel Chua | Vice-President, Communications Email: daniel.chua@tradeflow.capital | Website: www.tradeflow.capital About the International Chamber of Commerce The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is the institutional representative of more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries. ICC's core mission is to make business work for everyone, every day, everywhere. Through a unique mix of advocacy, solutions and standard setting, we promote international trade, responsible business conduct and a global approach to regulation, in addition to providing market-leading dispute resolution services. Our members include many of the world's leading companies, SMEs, business associations and local chambers of commerce. About TradeFlow Capital Management TradeFlow Capital Management (TradeFlow) is the world's first FinTech-powered commodities trade enabler focused on SMEs. TradeFlow consists of a diverse team of experts with the focused mission of addressing the increasing trade finance gap faced by global SMEs operating as producers/traders/end-users in the bulk commodity trading space. By performing an enabling role in international trade and globalization, TradeFlow creates growth opportunities for businesses and economies. To date, TradeFlow has successfully invested in more than US$500mn of physical commodity trade through 700+ transactions across 15+ countries and 25+ commodity types, with more than 800 SME counterpart entities KYC reviewed. The TradeFlow Funds*, advised by TradeFlow, were conceived in 2016 and launched in 2018. Headquartered in the Asian financial hub Singapore, TradeFlow is a FinTech Certified Company (SFA), a Corporate Member of the Singapore FinTech Association (SFA), and a Member of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA). * No.1 SME-focused trade finance fund in annual net returns to investors in 2020, as reported by Preqin Alternative Investment Database records www.tradeflow.capital Please bookmark our media: TradeFlow TV | Twitter | LinkedIN Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1479506/TradeFlow_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1479507/ICC_Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.tradeflow.capital SOURCE International Chamber of Commerce Bookmobile to Make Stop at Paducah Farmers' Market By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - The McCracken County Public Library Bookmobile, the "Brary Bus", will make its first official stop on May 1st at The Paducah Farmer's Market.The bookmobile has 15 planned stops, including grocery stores and assisted living facilities which will be visited once a month. By providing a mobile collection, The McCracken County Public Library will be able to improve outreach to members of the community who may not be able to visit the main library branch.The Paducah Bank donated $10,000 to provide the opening collection of the bookmobile, which includes a variety of materials for all ages. The materials capacity is around 1,000 items.Patrons will be able to check-out and return items as well as getting basic reference help. Free public Wi-Fi will also be available at stops.Due to Covid-19 precautions, face masks will be required and only one household will be permitted on the bookmobile at a time. Hand sanitizer will be provided.Information about the bookmobile stop locations and schedule can be found at www.mclib.net/brarybus. Updates about The McCracken County Public Library and the bookmobile can be found on our website www.mclib.net and Facebook page @mclibdotnet. In 1972, Naperville adopted an ordinance requiring developers to provide land or fees in lieu of land for all new housing projects to cover the cost of providing future public services. The fees are paid to the park and school districts before the properties go on the tax rolls and are meant to help relieve the burden on existing taxpayers. Driver Cited for Drugs, Speeding in Fulton By West Kentucky Star Staff FULTON - A traffic stop by Fulton police Friday resulted in a Tennessee woman cited and recovery of marijuana.KYTN reports that officers stopped a vehicle after it was clocked at 94 miles per hour in a 70 mph zone.When approaching the vehicle, officers reported a strong smell of marijuana.The driver, 32-year-old Nikita Flowers Jr., of Covington, Tennessee, told officers that his license was suspended and also that he had a pound of marijuana in the back floorboard of the vehicle.Flowers was cited for speeding 24 mph over the limit, operating on a suspended license, and possession of marijuana. China-based SANY, one of the largest construction equipment manufacturers in the world, is developing hydrogen fuel cell construction vehicles; two recent examples include a dump truck and a mixer truck, freshly rolled out of SANYs intelligent flagship factory. The latter is the first hydrogen-powered mixer truck in the world. According to the R&D engineer of this project, hydrogen fuel cell construction vehicles have five important advantages: The realization of zero pollution with only water and heat being discharged. Range. A set of hydrogen cylinders with a combined capacity of 1,680 L ensures a driving distance of more than 500 kilometers (311 miles). Power. With a high-torque drive motor and an AMT gearbox, the high-power fuel cell stack features an energy conversion rate of more than 50%. The vehicle demonstrates enhanced acceleration rate and climbing capacity. Enhanced weather adaptability. The integrated heat management system performs automatic heating and cooling in hot and cold weather conditions to maintain optimal performance. Safety. Functions such as high heat protection, overcurrent protection, a low pressure alarm, and leakage detection and control in the hydrogen supply system guarantee a worry-free driving experience. At the 2020 United Nations Climate Change conference, Chinese President Xi Jiping proposed that Chinas carbon dioxide emissions should peak in 2030 and that carbon neutrality should be achieved by 2060. This goal requires concrete steps to be taken, especially by manufacturers like SANY who can make tangible changes through technological breakthroughs, the company said. Li Tanbo, Deputy General Manager of SANYs Crane Business Unit, said in the rollout ceremony for the hydrogen-powered vehicles that SANY has entered a new phase in which the development of construction machinery is trending towards the application of green energy and green, intelligent equipment technologies. SANY plans to become the largest comprehensive hydrogen fuel solution provider and the number one electric construction vehicle manufacturer in China within five years. The government needs to engage with private operators to ensure that 'decent rural broadband' is delivered as quickly as possible, Deputy Ruairi O Murchu has told the Dail. The Dundalk TD was speaking during a motion on Project 2040, which included statements on the government's recently launched plan for rural Ireland. He also raised the issue under promised legislation and pushed Tanaiste Leo Varadkar on the issue. The Sinn Fein deputy, who is his party's spokesperson on broadband, said during the motion that on 'some level' there was 'no alternative to the National Broadband Plan but it 'needs to be accelerated'. He said: 'We have heard much commentary from the Tanaiste and from the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, as to their conversations with National Broadband Ireland, NBI. 'I spoke to representatives of NBI myself and they brought up particular issues in respect of planning permission and dealing with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, and local authorities. 'I am told these issues are being dealt with, which is necessary for this acceleration. This needs to happen. We also need to get timelines. 'Even in the best-case scenario, however, we are talking about a seven-year project becoming a five-year project. 'We need the Government to engage with private operators and to look at alternatives so that we can deliver decent rural broadband, whether by satellite or other means, as an interim solution before the full roll-out. 'I request that the Government do all it can and engage with these private operators in this regard. Sinn Fein will be bringing forward proposals in this area in the very near future because it is so important. 'We are talking about remote working but that will not be possible until people have the facilities to do so in their homes or in remote hubs. I call for this to happen as soon as possible'. In response Minister Hildegarde Naughton said: 'I have just received confirmation that discussions are ongoing with NBI regarding other operators trying to fill in the gap. 'The Department is aware of the issues and we are working with the local authorities to try to unlock any of those challenges and do whatever we can to accelerate the roll-out. 'The Government and the Minister will be writing to NBI with regard to that acceleration process and will continuously apply pressure to ensure we get that delivery'. Deputy O Murchu also asked Tanaiste Leo Varadkar about his engagement with NBI with a view to engaging with private operators as well as interim solutions for areas that are going to be waiting years for broadband. In response, the Tanaiste said: As regards the national broadband plan, this is a 3 billion investment in rural Ireland. It is the biggest single investment in rural Ireland ever. 'It is now well under way. I have met NBI. We are exploring the possibility of accelerating the plan. It can only be done so fast. It will be approximately 100,000 homes, farms and businesses every year. 'If it can be done faster, it will, but it can only be done so fast. 'My meeting with NBI went quite well and we explored the kind of things that might be done to speed up the process'. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via InvestorWire Hunter Technology Corp. (TSX-V: HOC; OTCQB: HOILF; WKN: A2QEYH, FSE: RWPM, ISIN: CA4457371090) (Hunter or the Company) is pleased to announce it has expanded its core product team with the addition of two seasoned technology platform developers as well as an accomplished product designer. Hunters two new senior software engineers bring extensive experience from online marketplaces including Amazon and CompareAsiaGroup as well as online trading platforms BNP Paribas and Diginex. These corporate experiences will expand the technology team with specialised expertise in marketplace technology, trading systems and blockchain development. Hunter has also secured a seasoned user experience and branding expert with proven track record to design customer-centric user interfaces from prior project experience with consumer brands such as Nike and Gucci. Enhancing its product design expertise will augment Hunters ability to differentiate its platform, creating an effortless digital experience that will increase user activation and improve customer loyalty. With Hunters legacy oil exploration and transaction experience, coupled with its growing team of experienced professionals, Hunter is delivering on its commitment of being a technology-driven player with a mission to transform the energy sector. The recent team expansion will further help Hunter expedite its delivery and ensure a robust product that adds true value to its clients. The current phase of the company is one of research-based product development with the core team executing against aggressive product goals that were set at the beginning of the year. The Company is well on track for the OilEx market release with live transactions mid-year. The new team members joining now will further support progress in critical areas and help carry forward the positive momentum. With the recent private release of the OilEx live pilot ahead of schedule and the latest additions to the product team, Hunter is confident it will be able to further accelerate time to market for its full platform launch. About Hunter Technology Corp. Hunter Technology Corp. develops interactive software platforms powered by blockchain technology that digitalize and streamline physical oil trading throughout the transaction lifecycle. With its solutions, Hunter delivers more favorable economics and fair market access for all and promotes the transition towards a more environmentally and ethically responsible ecosystem. Its flagship product OilEx will connect independent oil producers, buyers, and traders in a trusted digital marketplace to optimize prices, simplify processes, improve transparency, and support a reduced carbon footprint. Through its data analytics capabilities, Hunter will offer real time supply chain management tools for tracking the origin, transhipment and processing of hydrocarbons and the environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance during their life cycle. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Florian M Spiegl Chief Executive Officer (888) 977-0970 For further information, visit our website at www.huntertechnology.com NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information. This news release contains certain statements which may constitute forward-looking statements or information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") regarding Hunters business development plans. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, including factors beyond Hunters control, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", "will" or be "on track to" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements (including execution risk, market risk, industry risk, market reaction, the impact of general economic conditions and competition from other industry participants, as well as stock market volatility). In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, Hunters business development plans as well as Hunters future performance as it develops its business. Although Hunter believes that the expectations in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are based on factors, estimates and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statement. Such factors include, but are not limited to: risks relating to delays, development and marketing risks, unforeseen requirements resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, commodity prices, inability to access, on favorable terms, sufficient capital from internal and external sources, the ability to access, hire and retain employees; regulatory changes and impacts, timing and completion of the Company's online platforms as well as general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, as no assurance can be provided as to future results, levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable law, Hunter does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Trading in the securities of Hunter should be considered highly speculative. There can be no assurance that Hunter will be able to achieve all or any of its proposed objectives. Please review Hunters SEDAR filings including its management discussion and analysis available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com for a more fulsome discussion of risk factors affecting Hunter. Wire Service Contact InvestorWire (IW) Los Angeles, California www.InvestorWire.com 212.418.1217 Office Editor@InvestorWire.com Breaking the Chain... Because Tomorrow is Too Late Unfortunately, the administrations position on the Iran nuclear deal vis-a-vis American hostages in Iran indicates the release of American hostages is anything but a priority and the nuclear deal can be restored without American prisoners released. STATEMENT FROM HOSTAGE AID WORLDWIDE ON THE EVE OF INDIRECT NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN ON LIFTING SANCTIONS AND THE US RE-ENTRY INTO THE JCPOA Former Iran Hostages and Family Members of Current Hostages Held in Iran issue a joint press release On the occasion of Siamak Namazis 2000-day imprisonment as American hostage and in the advent of the Vienna meeting on April 6 to revive the Iran nuclear deal, Hostage Aid Worldwide renews its call on the Biden administration to unequivocally prioritize the release of American hostages held in Iran in the administrations intended indirect negotiation with Iran in Vienna. With a track record of hostage taking since its inception in 1979, the Iranian regime rather than abandoning this heinous activity after the conclusion of the nuclear deal in 2015, has taken it to a new level. The Obama administrations January 2016 exchange of prisoners left Nizar Zakka and Siamak Namazi behind. To this day Siamak still remains in Irans Evin Prison. In addition to Siamak Namazi, there are at least three other Americans under Iranian custody or banned from leaving Iran today, including American businessman Emad Shargi, who was initially cleared of all charges, then re-arrested after Biden was elected president. Under the Iran nuclear deal, the Iranian regime has also taken a number of Western citizens hostage. At least 4 German, 2 French, 2 Austrian, 3 British, 1 Swedish and other citizens remain under Iranian custody today. To this day, Hostage Aid Worldwide believes this administration has refused to unequivocally acknowledge the American citizens detained in Iran as pawns for political gain as hostages and insisted on referring to them as wrongfully detained Americans. The Biden administration has stated on several occasions that the release of wrongfully detained Americans from Iran is its top priority. However, since President Biden was sworn into office, not a single American was released from Iran, despite multiple concessionary gestures the administration has made to Iran to restore the nuclear deal and lift sanctions. On Tuesday, April 6, the Biden Administration including officials who were involved in the 2013 negotiations will again enter into indirect negotiation without the release of American hostages. It is crucial that they seize the opportunity to learn from previous mistakes when some hostages were left behind pending planned goodwill gestures from Iran which never materialized. In his PBS interview on April 2nd, when US Envoy on Iran, Robert Malley, was asked whether there would be a deal if American prisoners are not released, he dodged the question and repeated the official line that it is the priority of the US to get them home. Unfortunately, the administrations position on the Iran nuclear deal vis-a-vis American hostages in Iran indicates the release of American hostages is anything but a priority and the nuclear deal can be restored without American prisoners released. It is the view of Hostage Aid Worldwide that this approach will be unhelpful and prove opportunistic for Iran. Hostage Aid Worldwide asks the Biden administration to act on its promise and prioritize the release of American hostages in its dealing with Iran: the administrations restoration of JCPOA must be conditioned on the release of American hostages and Irans commitment to end hostage taking. As a conclusion, we would like to reiterate the 3 main points that we believe this administration should include prior, during, and after any negotiations with Iran based on the basic American values. 1- The release of all American hostages as well as those from our allies as a prerequisite to the start of any nuclear negotiations with Iran. 2- The halt of negotiations if any new hostage incident takes place during the negotiations. 3- Any final agreement should have a snap back clause in case of any hostage taking incident after signing. Signed on behalf of Hostage Aid Worldwide and the following hostages and family members: Barry Rosen | Board member and former hostage US Embassy Tehran (1979 1981) Nizar Zakka | Board member and former hostage in Iran (2015- 2019) Kylie Moore | Board member and former Hostage Iran (2018-2020) Xiyue Wang | Board member and former hostage in Iran (2016 2019) Ana Diamond | Former Hostage in Iran (2014 2019) Sam Goodwin | Board member and former hostage in Syria (2019) Richard Ratcliff | Husband of Nazanin Ratcliff (Current UK Hostage in Iran since 2016) Vida Mehrannia | Wife of Dr. Ahmedreza Djalali (Current Swedish Hostage in Iran since 2016) Family of Massud Mossaheb (Current Austrian Hostage in Iran since 2019) Family of Jamshid Sharmahd (Current US-German hostage in Iran since 2020) Family of Anousheh Ashouri (Current UK hostage in Iran since 2017) Families of 8 current US and western hostages (Names not disclosed for safety reasons) Geoffrey Dive | Board member, Advisory Board Chair Daren Nair | Advisory Board Member Ali Arab | Board member, Treasurer The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they called Gitche Gumee, singer Gordon Lightfoot wrote of Lake Superior. The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead. Her dead includes the 29-member crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald, victims of a vicious storm that sank the doomed freighter on route from Superior, Wisconsin, to a steel mill near Detroit in November 1975. "The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound And a wave broke over the railing And every man knew, as the captain did too Twas the witch of November come stealin The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait When the gales of November came slashin" Lightfoots musical homage to the disaster a year later became an international hit, making the Edmund Fitzgerald, lost near Whitefish Point, the best-known shipwreck in Great Lakes history. The Edmund Fitzgerald, carrying a load of iron ore, went down in Lake Superior in 1975 and became the most famous Great Lakes shipwreck thanks to a song by Gordon Lightfoot. The Edmund Fitzgerald, carrying a load of iron ore, went down in Lake Superior in 1975 and became the most famous Great Lakes shipwreck thanks to a song by Gordon Lightfoot. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald also provides evidence of what researchers at Michigan Technological University and the nonprofit Center for Maritime and Underwater Resource Management in Leslie say: The relationship between shipwrecks and folk tradition, as represented in folk music, has served to preserve memory of the events. Famous as it is now, the Edmund Fitzgerald is by no means the only vessel lost by collision, storm or fire on the Great Lakes. That toll is more than 6,000, according to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Sault Ste. Marie. Few others have spawned lasting musical memorials and served to preserve memory of the events, as researchers Misty Jackson and Kenneth Vrana wrote in a study of memory, preservation and the folk music tradition of Great Lakes shipwrecks. It appeared in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology. The study focuses on songs about the Edmund Fitzgerald and three other well-known wrecks: The Lady Elgin, a side-wheel steamer that sank in an 1860 collision in Lake Michigan near Chicago, taking with it at least 380 passengers and crew. The disaster, widely reported in newspapers of the day, inspired the song Lost on the Lady Elgin the same year. The Eastland, a twin-screw steamer overloaded with more than 2,600 passengers and crew, capsized in 1915 while docked on the Chicago River. Seventy-one years later, a song titled The Eastland paid tribute to its 844 victims. The Rouse Simmons, a three-masted schooner, was carrying thousands of Christmas trees from the Upper Peninsula to Chicago when it sank in Lake Michigan during a 1912 blizzard and ice storm. Seventeen crew died, and decades later it became musically memorialized as the Christmas ship. The researchers selected those disasters because they attracted press attention, drew national and even international attention and inspired folk songs. To assess how folk music may influence public knowledge of shipwrecks and attitudes toward preserving them, the study surveyed tourists at the Tall Ship Celebration in Bay City and members of the Ten Pound Fiddle, a folk music organization in East Lansing. The survey found that exposure to traditional maritime music may influence listeners to support shipwreck preservation. Historic preservationists may be able to use the survey results as part of efforts to prevent illegal looting of shipwrecks and to widen public awareness of maritime cultural resources it said. It is our position that folk music and other forms of popular media enhance the awareness and memory of Great Lakes maritime casualties, it said. Study coauthor Jackson, the president of the Center for Maritime and Underwater Resource Management, said, Shipwrecks are sort of time capsules, she said. Its a kind of step back in the past. You can see an old house driving the street but you dont see a ship every day. She said, It kind of belongs to all of us. If its down there, why shouldnt we preserve it? And unlike shipwrecks buffeted by currents in the ocean, some in the Great Lakes rest on the lake bottom with their masts still sticking up, she said. Thats intriguing if it didnt break up, that glimpse of something from the past is just sitting there. You can explore. Its not off limits. Illinois folk musician Lee Murdock, who specializes in songs of the Great Lakes, said people are drawn to maritime songs, partly because sailors historically had this culture of their own. The seafaring existence is so substantially different from what you find on land. Murdock has composed many shipwreck songs, including The Christmas Ship about the Rouse Simmons, and hes found interest in Great Lakes shipwrecks among audiences as distant as California and Texas. You can get some of the inspiration in what is driving the interest in these shipwrecks the connection with people out there and dealing with that. The mortality of existence on open waters, he said. That speaks to people across all different walks of life. The study said, Electronic media have undoubtedly enlarged awareness and memory by making historical songs, stories, images and book and video productions more readily available to the public. Sources including streaming services like Pandora, folk music shows on public radio and computer games. How long is an event remembered or relevant? Folk music from hundreds of years past is still heard today, along with new compositions about Great Lakes tragedies, it said. Eric J. Nelson, Mr. Chauvins lawyer, has suggested that Mr. Floyds death was caused in part by his underlying heart disease and the fentanyl and methamphetamine that were found in his system. In response to questions from Mr. Nelson, Dr. Wankhede Langenfeld agreed that many different things including taking fentanyl and methamphetamine can cause a death that would still be considered asphyxiation. Mr. Nelson used his questioning to press Dr. Wankhede Langenfeld on the fact that naloxone, the overdose-reversing treatment often known as Narcan, was never administered to Mr. Floyd. Dr. Wankhede Langenfeld said that even if Mr. Floyd had suffered an overdose, giving him naloxone would have had no benefit because his heart had already stopped. Dr. Wankhede Langenfeld said he had viewed an overdose as a less likely cause of Mr. Floyds death, at the time, in part because the paramedics who brought Mr. Floyd to the hospital had given no indication that he had overdosed. Dr. Wankhede Langenfeld said that he had pronounced Mr. Floyd dead after about 30 minutes in the emergency department. Mr. Floyds official time of death is 9:25 p.m. Jerry W. Blackwell, the prosecutor questioning Dr. Wankhede Langenfeld, used some of his questions to emphasize that Mr. Chauvin and other police officers at the scene had not given medical care to Mr. Floyd. In response to the questions, Dr. Wankhede Langenfeld noted that beginning C.P.R. as soon as possible is critical for patients who are in cardiac arrest, as Mr. Floyd was. He said that there is about a 10 to 15 percent decrease in a patients chance of survival for every minute that C.P.R. is not administered. Its well-known that any amount of time that a patient spends in cardiac arrest without immediate C.P.R. markedly decreases the chance of a good outcome, Dr. Wankhede Langenfeld said. He noted that the term cardiac arrest means only that a patients heart has stopped, not that the patient necessarily suffered a heart attack. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. President Joe Biden unveiled another plan last week. Like his last one, which was forged into the American Rescue Plan Act, this plan comes with about $2 trillion in government spending, and it moves beyond things like improving roads, bridges and airports. Specific projects arent yet known, but Bidens outline has elements that could uniquely apply to New Mexico. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The way we see this, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make investments into this country, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White Houses principal deputy press secretary, said during a virtual news briefing with reporters Thursday. For example, Biden wants $100 billion spent on digital infrastructure, an area where New Mexico lags behind other states. A fact sheet on the White Houses website calls broadband the new electricity. It also calls for $5 billion to be spent on a rural partnership program, and the program description specifically mentions tribal nations. It says the money could be used to help the areas build on their unique assets and realize their vision for inclusive community and economic development. Another $16 billion would go to the energy industry for its workers to plug oil and gas wells and clean up abandoned mines. Jean-Pierre said the plan will follow a similar track as the rescue plan. Biden has laid out an outline of his vision. Now, it will head to the House of Representatives and then the Senate. She said it likely wont funnel money to states on a per-capita basis. Once passed into law, she said the states will submit applications articulating their needs and what projects they will most benefit from. Already, the plan has been met with opposition from Republicans, including New Mexico party chairman Steve Pearce. The price tag of this plan is outrageous, Pearce said in a statement. After a nearly $2 trillion pork-filled relief package that sought simply to bail out blue states bogged down in debt, President Biden now wants to again put Americans on the hook for trillions. While its important to rebuild our roads, bridges and airports, taxing Americans more isnt the answer. Jean-Pierre said there eventually will be a breakdown showing each state what projects will be funded with the proposal. Were working through that to make sure we have a breakdown of states so folks can see how this infrastructure plan, this jobs plan, will be beneficial and provide job and opportunities to states, she said. SPACE FORCE: Sen. Ben Ray Lujan was in Albuquerque last week, touring Kirtland Air Force Base to discuss what role New Mexico plays in the Space Forces mission. Lujan, along with fellow New Mexico Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich and senators from Colorado, California and Nebraska, wrote a letter last week to the Department of Defense pressing for answers about the decision to locate U.S. Space Command headquarters in Alabama. The decision was made in the waning days of the Trump administration. Kirtland had been one of several finalists for the headquarters. Kirtland Air Force Base has proven itself an asset to the mission of U.S. Space Force, Lujan said in a statement. The work happening in New Mexico helps provide crucial information for Americas military, identify national security threats, and support our allies across the globe. Ryan Boetel: rboetel@abqjournal.com A Republican candidate in the special election to replace the late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, R-Arlington, is facing intense backlash and has lost two of her biggest supporters after saying she does not want Chinese immigrants in the United States. The comments by Sery Kim, a Korean American who served in the Small Business Administration under President Donald Trump, prompted California U.S. Reps. Young Kim and Michelle Steel to rescind their endorsements of her on Friday. Young Kim and Steel are the first Korean American GOP women to serve in Congress. We cannot in good conscience continue to support her candidacy, the lawmakers said in a statement. The candidate has been unapologetic, however, arguing that she was speaking out against the Chinese Communist Party and blaming the "liberal media" for the uproar. She said she "will not back down from speaking the truth" about the party. Sery Kim made the anti-Chinese remarks earlier this week at a GOP forum in Arlington while responding to a question about U.S. immigration issues. I dont want them here at all, Kim said of potential Chinese immigrants. They steal our intellectual property, they give us coronavirus, they dont hold themselves accountable. And quite frankly, I can say that because Im Korean, she added. OPINION: CORPORATIONS STEPPING UP TO SAVE VOTING ACCESSIBILITY IN TEXAS FEELS PRETTY HOPELESS Hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased since the coronavirus pandemic started in China. Trump has repeatedly blamed China for the pandemic and called the coronavirus "the Chinese virus." Kim's remark came less than a month after the Atlanta spa shootings that killed eight people, six of whom were of Asian descent. The comments have received condemnation from groups including the DFW Asian-American Citizens Council and AAPI Progressive Action, which works to build political power around Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Kim is one of 11 Republicans and 23 candidates total on the May 1 ballot to fill the GOP-leaning seat seat of Wright, who died earlier this year after being hospitalized with coronavirus. Young Kim and Steel endorsed Sery Kim early on in the race, about a week after the filing deadline last month. In their statement pulling their endorsements, the two lawmakers said they spoke Thursday with Sery Kim about her hurtful and untrue comments about Chinese immigrants, and made clear that her comments were unacceptable. We urged her to apologize and clarify her remarks, especially as hate against the AAPI community is on the rise, the congresswomen said. However, she has not publicly shown remorse, and her words were contrary to what we stand for. Asked for a comment on the loss of the endorsements, Kim provided a statement that said: "I am shocked that in an effort to counter Asian-American hate the liberal media is targeting me, an Asian and an immigrant, in an effort to paint me as anti-Asian and anti-immigrant just for speaking against the oppressive Chinese Communist Party." In the statement, Sery Kim went on to call the Chinese Communist Party the "foremost threat to the free world." She said she has received more "death threats and racist comments" since the forum controversy than she has in her entire life, and that the voters of the 6th District deserve "someone who will fight for them who will literally put their life on the line for them." Until this week, Sery Kim was not a particularly well-known candidate in the special election. The Republican field also features Wright's widow, GOP activist Susan Wright, as well as state Rep. Jake Ellzey of Waxahachie. On the Democratic side, at least one contender, Lydia Bean, pushed back on Sery Kim's forum comments, saying they target people like her Chinese American husband, Norman, and their 10-month-old son. Norman's parents came to the United States from China in 1966, Bean said. "This type of speech, no matter who it comes from puts their lives in danger," Bean, a 2020 Texas House candidate, tweeted Thursday. "Its racist, and its not who we are in Texas." Early voting for the special election starts April 19. Hollywood star Glenn Close said being able to hang out virtually with fellow nominees at this years Screen Actors Guild Awards was a very special 20 minutes or so. The actress, 74, was nominated in the female actor in a supporting role category for Netflix film Hillbilly Elegy. The prize was won by Minari star Youn Yuh-jung, who made history as the first Asian winner of an individual SAG Award in a motion picture category. In an Instagram post, Close wrote: My blissful thanks to the Oscar de la Renta team for the effortlessly gorgeous gown I wore at home for the SAG AWARDS. Thank you! Thank you! Pip loves it. The Male and Female Supporting Actors got to hang out with each other in a Chat Room before our categories came up. It was a very special 20 minutes or so. The truth is we would never have hung out like that before. We would have been sitting at different tables in a very big room and would have been lucky to see each other at all. So this year was special. I am so deeply honored that my peers deemed my work this year worthy of recognition. That means more to me than anything. I love my fellow actors and am constantly inspired by themhow we have to trust and collaborate and drown in each others eyes. And my congratulations to Youn Yuh-Jung for her beautiful performance in MINARI. She is the heart of the movie. I was thrilled to meet her on Zoom. Congratulations EVERYONE and on to the challenges of this year! Other nominees in the category included Borats Maria Bakalova, The Father star Olivia Colman and Helena Zengel for News Of The World. British actor Daniel Kaluuya triumphed in the supporting actor category for his role as Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in Judas And The Black Messiah.